Like the practice of breath control, meditation on the forms of God, repetition of mantras, food restrictions, etc., are but aids for rendering the mind quiescent.
Ramana MaharshiRead
Because truth is exceedingly subtle and serene, the bliss of the Self can manifest only in a mind rendered subtle and steady by assiduous meditation.
Interpretation
True happiness comes from a calm and focused mind achieved through dedicated meditation.
Ramana Maharshi's quote emphasizes the importance of a subtle and steady mind, which can be achieved through consistent meditation. It suggests that only when the mind is calm and refined can the bliss of one's true self be experienced, highlighting the connection between mental discipline and inner peace.
In practice
In a yoga workshop, to inspire attendees about the importance of meditation.
Like the practice of breath control, meditation on the forms of God, repetition of mantras, food restrictions, etc., are but aids for rendering the mind quiescent.
Think of God; attachments will gradually drop away. If you wait till all desires disappear before starting your devotion and prayer, you will have to wait for a very long time indeed.
The mind of one meditating on a single object becomes one-pointed. And one-pointedness of mind leads to abidance in the self. Real attainment is to be fully conscious, to be aware of surroundings and the people around, to move among them all, but not to merge consciousness in the environment. One should remain in inner independent awareness.
You need not aspire for or get any new state. Get rid of your present thoughts, that is all.
Realisation is not acquisition of anything new nor is it a new faculty. It is only removal of all camouflage
Bliss is a thing which is always there and is not something which comes and goes. That which comes and goes is a creation of the mind.
Only intimacy with the self will bring about true healing.
To some people, not caring is supposed to be cool, commenting is more interesting than doing, and everything is judged and then disposed of in, like, five minutes. I'm not interested in those kinds of people. I like the person who commits and goes all in and takes big swings and then maybe fails or looks stupid; who jumps and falls down, rather than the person who points at the person who fell, and laughs. But I do sometimes laugh when people fall down.
What's encouraging about meditation is that, even if we shut down, we can no longer shut down in ignorance. We see very clearly that we're closing off. That in itself begins to illuminate the darkness of ignorance.
More and more I believe in the fact that you have two hands and two legs, and the thing is how to make good use of yourself - and that's about it.
You learn in life that the only person you can really correct and change is yourself.
Today's greatest labor-saving device is tomorrow.
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