Other Writings

Wit of the Sages

Shankara - on the scriptures

"Study of the scriptures is fruitless as long as Brahman has not been experienced.

And when Brahman has been experienced, it is useless to read the scriptures."

Ramana Maharshi - Flashes of Cosmic Consciousness

Q: Of what nature is the realization of westerners who relate that they have had flashes of cosmic consciousness?

A: It came as a flash and disappeared as such."

Ramana Maharshi - after answering many, many repetitive questions on Mulkti said

"All questions relating to mukti are inadmissible.

Mukti means release from bondage which implies the present existence of bondage. There is no bondage and therefore no mukti either."

Ramana Maharshi - the ten foolish men

"Your supposed ignorance causes you needless grief like that of the ten foolish men who grieved at the loss of the tenth man who was never lost.

The ten foolish men in the parable forded a stream and on reaching the other shore wanted to make sure that all of them had in fact safely crossed the stream. One of the ten began to count, but while counting the others left himself out. ‘I see only nine; sure enough, we have lost one. Who can it be?’ he said. ‘Did you count correctly?’ asked
another, and did the counting himself. But he too counted only nine. One after the other each of the ten counted only nine, missing himself. ‘We are only nine’, they all agreed, ‘but who is the missing one?’ they asked themselves.

Every effort they made to discover the ‘missing’ individual failed. ‘Whoever he is that is drowned’, said the most sentimental of the ten fools, ‘we have lost him.’ So saying he burst into tears, and the others followed suit.

Seeing them weeping on the river bank, a sympathetic wayfarer enquired about the cause. They related what had happened and said that even after counting themselves several times they could find no more than nine. On hearing the story, but seeing all the ten before him, the wayfarer guessed what had happened.

In order to make them know for themselves they were really ten, that all of them had survived the crossing, he told them, ‘Let each of you count for himself but one after the other serially, one, two, three and so on, while I shall give you each a blow so that all of you may be sure of having been included in the count, and included only once. The tenth missing man will then be found.’ Hearing this they rejoiced at the prospect of finding their ‘lost’ comrade and accepted the method suggested by the wayfarer.

While the kind wayfarer gave a blow to each of the ten in turn, he that got the blow counted himself aloud. ‘Ten,’ said the last man as he got the last blow in his turn. Bewildered they looked at one another, ‘We are ten,’ they said with one voice and thanked the wayfarer for having removed their grief."

Ramana Maharshi - the way to Ramanasramam

Q: But how is one to reach this state?

A: There is no goal to be reached. There is nothing to be attained. You are the Self. You exist always. Nothing more can be predicated of the Self than that it exists. Seeing God or the Self is only being the Self or yourself. Seeing is being. You, being the Self, want to know how to attain the Self.

It is something like a man being at Ramanasramam asking how many ways there are to reach Ramanasramam and which is the best way for him. "

The Buddha

"Our theories of the eternal are as valuable as are those which a chick which has not broken its way through its shell might form of the outside world. "

The mythical Jed McKenna

"Spiritual Enlightenment is the damndest thing.

It is, literally, self defeating. It is a battle we wage upon ourselves.

Truth is a uniquely challenging pursuit because the very thing that wants it is the only thing in the way of it.

It's a battle we will kill to lose, and we must die to win.

The great enemy is the very self that wages the war, so how can there be a victory?

When self is destroyed, who wins?

Why would anyone, knowing the price of vistory, undertake so senseless a battle?"

Compiled by Mike Graham, 1 October 2009, last edited 7 November 2009