Inner enquiry rather than book learning

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The Teachings of BhagavanSri Ramana Maharshiin His Own WordsCHAPTER ONETHE

BASIC THEORYPre-occupation with theory, doctrine

and philosophy canactually be harmful, insofar as it distracts a man from thereally important work of spiritual effort, by offering an easieralternative which is merely mental, and which therefore cannotchange his nature.What use is the learning of those who do not seek to wipeout the letters of destiny (from their brow) by enquiring:`Whence is the birth of us who know the letters?'

They havesunk to the level of a gramophone. What else are they,O

Arunachala?It is those who are not learned that are saved rather thanthose whose ego has not yet subsided in spite of their learning.The unlearned are saved from the relentless grip of the devil ofself-infatuation; they are saved from the malady of a myriadwhirling

thoughts and words; they are saved from running afterwealth. It is from more than one evil that they are saved. 11

Supplementary Forty Verses