Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (Compass)

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But as long as you think that you are separate or are the body, so long is the outer Master also necessary and he will appear as if with a body. I'm parading around the world, making more money than I deserve, fornicating and taking my shirt off at concerts. So long as the sense of doership is retained there is the desire … The sense of doership is the bondage and not the actions themselves. Either the thoughts are eliminated by holding on to the root-thought ‘I’, or one surrenders oneself unconditionally to the higher power.

That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me. However there are two texts which stand out amongst all this verbiage: The Bhagavad Gita and this book, a collection of the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi who reawakened interest in this simple yet profound Practice in the early part of the 20th century.Always it was followed by the feeling, the indubitable conviction, that one had been taken up by Sri Bhagavan, that henceforth he was in charge, he was guiding. It is not really possible to truly grasp what he is talking about unless one has experienced the same strange states as he, a bit like hearing a description of the ocean without ever actually having seen it, smelt it, felt the enormity of it. Relative knowledge requires a subject and an object, whereas the awareness of the Self is absolute and requires no object.

In saying this, there are some passages that are open for interpretation which depends on the attunement and spiritual depth of the reader. The preludes are beneficial not only because they set up the topic, but also because they help separate Ramana’s core beliefs from the way he occasionally explained matters to non-jnani’s or those who weren’t ready to grasp what he believed was the fundamental teaching.

His use and understanding of important Sanskrit words backed up by a clear interpretation of the heart of Ramana allow for the reader to really dive into this book.

that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. Ramana Mahirishi taught that the "I"-thought will disappear and only "I-I" [web 1] or self-awareness remains.Every question is confounded with answers along the lines of "yes, this is an interesting question, but if you were to practice the method that I have already taught you then you would immediately see that your question and all other questions are invalid". Therefore, leaving the corpse-like body as an actual corpse and remaining without even uttering the word 'I' by mouth, if one now keenly enquires, 'What is it that rises as 'I'?

The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. Lets say the first quarter of the book is the hardest part as this is the basis of the book, you must have a basic grasp of the concept of the 'I' 'true self' and 'ego' before proceeding.Take, for instance, the sculpted figure at the base of a gopuram (temple tower), which is made to appear as if it is bearing the burden of the tower on its shoulder. Jnana yoga, often said to the hardest, was the path of knowledge, and it involved intense study and – in particular – introspective study of the jnani’s own mind. We think that there is something hiding our reality and that it must be destroyed before the reality is gained. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.