there is no ego, enquire into the Self

[Guest guest]

The Teachings of BhagavanSri Ramana Maharshiin His Own WordsCHAPTER ONETHE

NATURE

OF

MANDevotee: When I enquire into the origin of thoughts, there isthe perception of the `I' but it does not satisfy me.Bhagavan:

Quite right. Because this perception of `I' is associatedwith a form, perhaps with the physical body. Nothing should beassociated with the pure Self. The Self is the pure Reality inwhose light the body, the ego and all else shine. When allthoughts are stilled, pure

Consciousness remains over. 1D.: How did the ego arise?Here is a question that gives rise to endless philosophising,but Bhagavan, holding rigorously to the truth of non-duality,refused to admit its existence.B.: There is no ego. If there were, you would have to admitof two selves in you. Therefore there is no ignorance. If youenquire into the Self, ignorance, which is already non-existent,will be found not to exist and you will say that it has

fled. 2Sometimes it

seemed to the listener that absence of thoughtmust mean a mere blank, and therefore Bhagavan specificallyguarded against this.Absence

of thought does not mean a blank. There mustbe someone to be aware of that blank. Knowledge and ignorancepertain only to the mind and are in duality, but the Self isbeyond them both. It is pure Light. There is no need for oneSelf to see another. There are no two selves. What is not theSelf is mere non-self and cannot see the Self. The Self has nosight or hearing; it lies beyond them, all alone, as pureConsciousness. 31 Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, 196.2 Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, 363.3 Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, 245.