The following are abstracts from Spiritual Instruction of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. [Sirm]
1. Instruction (Upadesa)
What are the marks of a real teacher (Sadguru)? Steady abidance in the Self.
The Guru who is the embodiment of that which is indicated by the terms sat, chit, and ananda (existence, consciousness and bliss).
Mental concepts are controlled by the mere presence of the real Guru.
By the grace of the Guru . . . is it possible to know oneself.
When the individual's [piousness] has reached a mature stage, . . . the witness of that individual soul and identical with it, comes . . . with the help of sat-chit-ananda. According to this doctrine the Guru can truly be called the Lord.
To a few mature persons the Lord shines as the light of knowledge and imparts awareness of the truth.
What is the end of the path of knowledge (jnana) or Vedanta? It is to know the truth that the 'I' is not different from the Lord (Isvara)
[One is] to achieve that state of Silence which is beyond thought and word.
2. Practice (Abhyasa)
Can this path of enquiry be followed by all aspirants? This is suitable only for the ripe souls.
What are the other methods? They are . . . japa . . . dhyana . . . yoga . . . jnana, etc.
Japa is uttering the names of the gods or sacred mantras like Om either mentally or verbally.
Dhyana [meditation] denotes the repetition of the names, etc., mentally (japa) . . . Perfection in dhyana is the state of abiding in the Self.
Meditation functions in an exceedingly subtle manner at the source of the mind.
The source of the breath is the same as that of the mind.
The practice of stilling the mind through breath control (pranayama) is called yoga.
It is necessary to train the mind with the help of practices like dhyana, whenever it becomes externalised. [Mod]
Those who are established in a state in which there is a cessation of all efforts, never swerve from their true state. [Mod]
Changeless being is one's true nature.
The practice of unswerving abidance in the Self is essential [Mod]
The mind which remains at the end of the enquiry is Brahman.
What is known as knowledge or awareness is only the potency of the Self (atma sakti).
The Lord denotes the Self.
The Lord, whose nature itself is Grace, does not have to bestow His Grace.
The meaning of the word heart (hridayam) is the Self (atman). As it is denoted by the terms existence, consciousness, bliss, eternal and plenum (sat, chit, anandam, nityam, purnam) it has no differences such as exterior and interior or up and down.
From the Self there arise in succession a kind of luminous and reflected consciousness; the individual consciousness, the seer; and phenomena, that is, the world.
The force of the Self travels through the psychic nerves and, pervading the entire body, imparts sentience to the senses [Abr] What is dhyana (meditation)? It is abiding as one's Self without swerving in any way from one's real nature.
Dhyana is achieved through deliberate mental effort; in samadhi there is no such effort.
One should not be deceived by visions and forget himself. [Mod]
The stream of latent tendencies consists of subtle thoughts. [A note]
What are the rules of conduct which an aspirant (sadhaka) should follow? Moderation in food, moderation in sleep and moderation in speech.
How long should one practice? Until the mind attains effortlessly its natural state of freedom from concepts.
The state of being free from mental concepts is called 'dwelling in solitude'.
Prarabdha [karma] concerns only the out-turned, not the in-turned mind.
Maturity of thought and enquiry pertain to the mind.
Instead of wasting one's life by entering the order of ascetics before one is fit for it, it is better to live the householder's life.
Fix the mind in the Self which is its true nature
The activities of the wise man exist in the eyes of others and not in his own [Abr]
[A wise man] may be accomplishing immense tasks. His activities do not stand in the way of peace of mind. [Abr]
What is the meaning of brahmacharya? Only enquiry into Brahman should be called brahmacharya.
Those who are competent need not formally enter the orders of brahmacharya, etc., in the order laid down. One who has realized his Self does not distinguish between the various orders of life.
3. Experience (Anubhava)
What is the light of consciousness? It is the self-luminous existence-consciousness which reveals to the seer the world of names and forms both inside and outside. . . . It does not become the object of consciousness.
What is bliss? It is the experience of joy (or peace) in the state of vijnana free of all activities and similar to deep sleep.
What is the state beyond bliss? It is the state of unceasing peace of mind . . . which resembles inactive deep sleep. . . . A yogi who is in this state is inactive even while engaged in activity. This is also called sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi.
The Self is present in all perceptions as the perceiver. There are no objects to be seen when the 'I' is absent.
The idea that one is one's body is what is called hrdaya-granthi (knot of the heart) [A note]
Brahman cannot be apprehended by the impure mind but can be apprehended by the pure mind.
When [the power of Brahman] becomes free from the reflection of consciousness (abhasa) . . . it is called the pure mind. Its state of union with the Brahman is its apprehension of Brahman.
The Self is real, as it comprises everything.
4. Attainment (Arudha)
What is the state of attainment of knowledge? It is firm and effortless abidance in the Self . . . the Self which is existence, consciousness and bliss', the innate self-consciousness
A realized person (jivanmukta).
So long as they make efforts they will not be sages (jnanis)
In waking sleep there is awareness alone.
The sage who is the embodiment of the truths mentioned in the scriptures has no use for them.
The fact that the characteristics of Liberation are described in different ways proves that they are imaginary . . . The firm conviction that there is neither bondage nor liberation is the supreme purpose of all efforts. . . . If one enquires, 'for whom is there bondage and Liberation?' it will be seen, 'they are for me'. If one enquires, 'who am I?' . . . what [eventually] remains is one's real being.
Realized persons uniformly see neither bondage nor Liberation so far as the true Self is concerned.
Joys and sorrows . . . do not really exist.
When the entire universe disappear[s], [the state of pure being] does not disappear.
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