Ramana Maharshi's message is radical in its simplicity: You are the Self. Already. Eternally. All spiritual effort is but the removal of ignorance—not the attainment of something new. Realization is not an achievement but the revelation of what already is.
Self-Enquiry: The Direct Path
At the core of his teachings is Atma Vichara (Self-enquiry), distilled in the question: "Who am I?"
The mind is only a bundle of thoughts.
The root thought is the 'I-thought'.
Trace the 'I-thought' to its source, and all thoughts vanish.
What remains is the Self: silent, formless, eternal.
Self-enquiry is not mental gymnastics. It is not repeating a mantra. It is an inward turning—a diving into the Heart until only the formless "I am" remains.
“Do not fight the mind. Trace it to its source.”
The Nature of the Self
The Self is not an object of thought.
It is pure awareness, shining in stillness.
In deep sleep, the Self alone remains, unrecognized.
In waking, thoughts veil it.
Liberation is simply awakening to that which always is.
“The Self is ever realized. It is the mind that forgets and remembers.”
The Role of Satsang and the Guru
Ramana emphasized the transforming power of Satsang (company of the wise):
A realized being pushes the mind inward.
In their presence, the ego loses its grip.
Serving the guru means abiding as the Self.
Grace flows silently and dissolves the illusion of bondage.
The Practice: Abide as the Self
Whenever thoughts arise, ask: "To whom do they arise?"
Trace them to the root: the false "I".
Persistently do this until the mind sinks into the Heart.
Let go of the belief that realization is future-bound.
Be still. That is all.
The method is simple: be still. Destroy the notion ‘I am so and so’.
Meditation and Action
Ramana did not demand withdrawal from life.
Meditate deeply, even for a short time, and let that awareness flow into action.
There is no conflict between work and wisdom.
True renunciation is renouncing the ego, not the world.
The Ribhu Gita
Sri Ramana recommended regular reading of the Ribhu Gita, a text of non-dual wisdom:
"I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am Brahman, I am everything."
He regarded its verses as a powerful aid to Self-enquiry, capable of turning the seeker inward and stabilizing realization.
Final Realization
The Self has no beginning, no end.
Realization is not becoming but being.
The mind dissolves like a salt doll in the ocean.
The sage remains untouched—whether in the world or in solitude.
In the silence of Arunachala, Sri Ramana offered not teachings—but Presence. And in that presence, the seeker vanished, leaving only the Self: radiant, vast, and free.
You are That.
You always were That.
You always will be That.
Arunachala
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