Behind My Hand

  jyotishAmapi tajjyotistamasah paramucyate | jnAnam jneyam jnAnagamyam hrdi sarvasya vishThitam || “Light of lights, beyond the darkness, He is called; true knowledge, that which is to be investigated, understood through knowledge, abiding in the Heart of all.” (Bhagavad Gita 13;18)” (trans. MWright) Commentary As the sun illuminates the world, so the Light of lights (Atman) illuminates mind and senses. As the eye cannot see without the light of the sun, so the intellect cannot function without the Light of the Self.  Conceptual twaddle falls away in obeisance to this Light of all. Take to Vichara and merge yourself in this constant, eternal light of lights, the light of the Self.  — Excerpt From Talks on Self Enquiry, Miles Wright & Gabriele Ebert

“ When you cling to the body-mind you become separate from the manifested world and see different entities. In that state you will have all kinds of desires to improve yourself or somebody else. The next state is “I Amness”, in which every action is myself, every manifest thing is myself. In that state there is no question of improving. You are just manifestation, “I am everything”. Next is the unborn state, where there is no beingness to understand “I Am”. That is the highest state.”   - Nisargadatta Maharaj in Seeds of Consciousness; p.152 ————-

  Once upon a time, there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away.  That evening, all of his neighbours came around to commiserate.  They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away.  This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “ Maybe .” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening, everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky.  What a great turn of events.  You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “ Maybe .” The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg.  The neighbours then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “ Maybe .” The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg.  Again all the neighbours came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “ Maybe ”. The whole process of nature is an...

 “20.6.2002 Truthfulness >Is truth in speech subjective and therefore varies according to ones conditioning?< Where truth is ... falsehood is not. Brahman is truth. The Self cannot be attained without practising truth. Suffering is the result of false relationships, false fears, false ideas. Liberation is truth. How is this liberation realised? Through right action of mind, speech and body. That is jnana, that is freedom, that is moksha. Self Enquiry is constant truth. Maintaining the quest even in the midst of worldly duties ensures right action.” - Excerpt From Talks on Self Enquiry, Miles Wright & Gabriele Ebert

 Devotee: “That is all right, Swami. But, however much we try, this mind does not get under control and envelopes the Swarupa [real form] so that it is not perceptible to us. What is to be done?” Bhagavan with a smile placed his little finger over his eye and said, “Look. This little finger covers the eye and prevents the whole world from being seen. In the same way this small mind covers the whole universe and prevents the Brahman from being seen. See how powerful it is!”   — Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, 22nd Jan. 1949

 After finishing his education in medical school, he had gone to see Sri Ramana Maharshi and told him about his desire to join the Ramakrishna Order as a monk. Hearing that, the Maharshi was pleased and said to Swami Bhavyananda (then Gundappa), “In this age Sri Ramakrishna will work.” —Swami Bhaskarananda