Abide in the immediate

Abide as That in which there are no sense organs or anyone to use them, That in which transcendent bliss is experienced, That which is absolutely immediate, That by realizing and attaining which one becomes immortal, That by becoming which one does not return to this cycle of births and deaths – and be always happy, without the least trace of thought.

-- Ribhu Gita
Visit bhagavan-ramana.org

Own effort

One is solely responsible for one's own liberation or bondage, since the choice of destroying the restless mind or allowing it to roam at large rests with that one only.

Therefore one should conquer the restless mind by steady abidance in the pure thought-free Alert-Awareness-Self only. This steady abidance is moksha.

-- Ribhu Gita, Ch.38, v.7

Constant enquiry

To one who is fond of enquiring (constantly) 'What is this vast universe?' and 'Who am I?' this world becomes quite unreal.

-- Yoga Vasishta Sara, Ch.5, v.5

Sacrifice of the mind

The total discarding of the mind is alone victory, achievement, yoga, wisdom and liberation. The sacrifice of the mind is, in fact, the totality of all sacrifices.

-- Ribhu Gita, Ch.15, v.7

Destruction of latent impressions

Latent impressions (vasanas) cease to be active when one associates with sages, discards all thoughts of samsara and remembers that the body has to die.

-- Yoga Vasistha Sara Ch.5, v.9

I am Consciousness

Burn the forest of duality with the fire of the conviction, 'I am the one pure Consciousness' and remain happy.

You are bound firmly on all sides by the idea, 'I am the body'. Cut that bond by the sword of knowledge 'I am Consciousness'.

-- Yoga Vasistha Sara Ch.7, v.4, v.5

Abide as That

Photo taken inside Skandasramam, 2006.

Abide as That in which there is nothing of the elements nor even an iota of their derivatives, no sense of “I” or “mine”, no fantasies of the mind, no blemish of attachment, no concept whatsoever – and be always happy, without the least trace of the thought.

-- Ribhu Gita

Self-abidance

Abide as That in which there are neither thoughts nor a thinker, neither the arising nor the preservation nor the dissolution of the world, nothing whatsoever at any time – and be always happy, free from all traces of thought.

-- Ribhu Gita
Visit http://bhagavan-ramana.org/ribhugita.html

The body

Photo taken inside Virupaksha Cave, Arunachala, 2006.

O Raghava, what have you to do with this dumb and inert body? Why do you feel helpless and miserable by joys and sorrows on account of it?

The mere knowledge that this body is like a piece of wood or a clod of earth enables one to realize the Supreme Self.

-- Yoga Vasistha Sara Ch.7, v.12, v.14

Remain always as ...

Remain always as pure Consciousness which is your constant (i.e., true) nature beyond the states of waking, dream, and deep sleep.

-- Yoga Vasistha Sara Ch.7, v.7

Abide as oneself

Abide as That, on realizing which to be oneself, there is nothing else to be known, everything becomes already known and every purpose accomplished – and be always happy, without the least trace of thought.

-- Ribhu Gita
Visit bhagavan-ramana.org

Pursue enquiry relentlessly

One should relentlessly pursue Self-enquiry until all conceptual forms of creature, world and creator merge and disappear into the pure thought-free, alert Awareness-Self, enabling one to abide in that bhavana of the experience, 'I am the Brahman-Self'.

-- Ribhu Gita, Ch.32, v.27

Destruction of latent impressions

I am pure awareness though through ignorance I have imagined myself to have additional attributes. By continually reflecting like this, my dwelling place is in the Unimagined.

-- Ashtavakra Gita

Who Am I?

The conscious introspective concentration of Self Enquiry ('Who am I?') kills all thoughts and destroys the dense darkness of nescience; it effaces all worry; it illuminates the intellect with the radiance of pure awareness; it wipes out all conceptual confusions; it fixes one in Siva-Self; it transforms a host of impending disasters into auspicious events; and lastly it destroys the ego-mind utterly with all its afflictions.

-- Ribhu Gita (Ch.32, v.24)

Only seven days left to live

If you are having trouble with your enthusiasm for sadhana, just tell yourself, 'I may be dead in seven days'. Let go of all the things that you pretend are important in your daily life and instead focus on the Self for twenty-four hours a day. Do it and see what happens.
-- For more, see Final Talks.

Non-enquiry

In short, non-enquiry will steep one for ever in the ocean of samsara (earthly suffering). There is no greater enemy for one than non-enquiry. Therefore, this habit must be overcome in order to fix the mind the bhavana which leads to abidance in the Self.

-- Ribhu Gita, Ch.32, v.20

Mind is not you

Remember that nothing that happens in the mind is 'you', and none of it is your business.

You don't have to worry about the thoughts that rise up inside you. It is enough that you remember that the thoughts are not you.
-- For more, see Final Talks.

Self-enquiry

Self-enquiry must be done continuously. It doesn't work if your regard it as a part-time activity. ...
You must have a lifelong commitment to establish yourself in the Self. Your determination to succeed must be strong and firm, and it should manifest as continuous, not part-time effort.
-- For more, see Final Talks, p18.

QOTD (SNM)

Separate the observed from the observer and abandon false identifications.
-- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That

Namaskar

The benefit of performing namaskaram (prostrating) to the Guru is only the removal of the ego. This is not attained except by total surrender. Within the Heart of each devotee the gracious Guru is giving darshan in the form of consciousness. Since to surrender is to offer fully, in silence, the subsided ego, which is a name-and-form thought, to the aham sphurana (the effulgence of "I"), the real holy feet of the gracious Guru.
Since this is so, Self-realization cannot be attained by a bowing of the body, but only by a bowing of the ego.
--Final Talks p28, 1995

The Guru

The Guru demands one thing only; clarity and intensity of purpose, a sense of responsibility for oneself.

The very reality of the world must be questioned.

Who is the Guru, after all? He who knows the state in which there is neither the world nor the thought of it, he is the Supreme Teacher. To find him means to reach the state in which imagination is no longer taken for reality. Please, understand that the Guru stands for reality, for truth, for what is. He is a realist in the highest sense of the term. He cannot and shall not come to terms with the mind and its delusions. He comes to take you to the real; don't expect him to do anything else.

The Guru you have in mind, one who gives you information and instructions, is not the real Guru. The real Guru is he who knows the real, beyond the glamour of appearances. To him your questions about obedience and discipline do not make sense, for in his eyes the person you take yourself to be does not exist. Your questions are about a non-existing person. What exists for you does not exist for him. What you take for granted, he denies absolutely. He wants you to see yourself as he sees you. p205

-- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That

The Feet of the Lord

Only the supreme Self, which is ever shining in your Heart as the reality is the Sadguru. The pure awareness, which is shining as the inward illumination "I", is His gracious Feet. The contact with these [inner holy feet] alone can give you redemption.

Joining the eye of reflected consciousness (which is your sense of individuality) to these holy feet, which are the real consciousness, is the union of the feet and the head which is the real significance of the verb asi (in tat tvam asi, "that thou art").

As these inner holy feet can be held naturally and unceasingly, hereafter, with an inward-turned mind, cling to that inner awareness which is your own real nature. This alone is the proper way for the removal of bondage and the attainment of the supreme truth.

Virtue

Without self-realization, no virtue is genuine. When you know beyond all doubting that the same life flows through all that is and you are that life, you will love all naturally and spontaneously. When you realize the depth and fullness of your love of yourself, you know that every living being and the entire universe are included in your affection. But when you look at anything as separate from you, you cannot love it for you are afraid of it. Alienation causes fear and fear deepens alienation. It is a vicious circle. Only self-realization can break it. Go for it resolutely.

-- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That, p204