------ Self-realization comes when you no longer think about it, when you no longer want it -----
I had an interesting call this morning from a lady, an Indian lady at Phoenix which I thought was really appropriate, I'll share it with you.
She asked me,
"Robert, in my house I have a beautiful picture of Ramana Maharshi and everyday I do puja to it, in the morning and in the evening.
I play chanting tapes.
I do arati, the waving of lights.
I put prashad at his picture.
I pray to the picture of Ramana.
I've been doing this for twelve years and nothing has happened.
Isn't Ramana supposed to give me some grace or something and enlighten me?
That is how I've spent my time in twelve years, paying homage to Ramana's picture and I feel nothing.
Also when I go to sleep at night I think of Ramana's form and face".
It is written in the Upanishads when you think of the gurus form and face, the guru gives you grace, blessings.
"Am I doing anything wrong, what's going on?"
----------
I replied to her,
"The answer to both questions is no.
A picture cannot give you grace.
No matter how much you pray to the picture, what you do to the picture, you can kiss the picture, do anything you like to the picture, it will not give you anything except plenty of peace.
It improves your concentration.
It will make your mind one pointed because you keep thinking of Ramana Maharshi and do puja to him.
So it will make you more peaceful because it'll make you more relaxed.
It will improve your concentration considerably.
And as far as seeing Ramana's form when you go to sleep, his face and expect to get grace you cannot do this because he is dead, so-to-speak.
You're thinking of Ramana Maharshi like...as a human being.
Thinking he is in some astral plane.
Ramana Maharshi has merged, been absorbed in the Self.
He no longer has a form and only the form of a live Sage can give you grace.
You can either do one of two things".
----------
"You can begin to realize that you can never find self-realization looking at a picture or thinking of the form of a dead guru, or you can find another guru, or a Sage, who is alive".
----------
"This doesn't mean that you're deserting Ramana Maharshi.
You will always hold him in your heart.
But you have to realize that only a live guru, a live Sage, can give you grace and self-realization.
When a Sage drops the body, you have to understand that he is doing this for you.
For a Sage never had the body.
It is you who observes the body and sees he's got a body.
He never really had a body, the appearance is only for your sake".
----------
Therefore I said,
"Stop doing puja to Ramana.
If you want self-realization go find a Sage and surrender to the Sage, this is important".
When the ego is too big you develop pride.
When you have a lot of pride, a lot of ego, you never think of surrendering to the Sage, you think of getting something from the Sage instead of giving yourself to the Sage.
You must stop trying to get something from the Sage like self-realization.
----------
Self-realization comes when you no longer think about it, when you no longer want it.
When you totally surrender to the Sage saying, not my will but thine be done.
Keeping the Sages form and face before you all the time.
The Sage realizes when you're ready, then grace comes, liberation comes, but do not think of these things.
Your job is to develop a tremendous humility.
When I speak of developing humility, I'm not speaking of you becoming a stepping stone for people.
Real humility is strength, power.
Real humility means nothing bothers you anymore.
Nothing has the power to disturb you, to upset your equilibrium.
You have a tremendous compassion.
You develop loving kindness for everything, for the mineral kingdom, for the vegetable kingdom, for the animal kingdom, for the human kingdom.
You're stepping out of your humanhood, taking a step forward in eternity.
Not comparing yourself with other people.
Not trying to do anything to anybody else.
You simply see the Sage in your heart all of the time and then you finally become the Sage yourself.
----------
But when you let your mind loose there is a catastrophe going on.
Your mind will come up with all kinds of reasons why should not surrender to the Sage.
Why you should do this, why you should do that.
The mind will confuse you completely, this is its business, its job, its duty to confuse you, to make you go deeper in maya.
This is what the mind does.
It makes you believe that you are an important human being, that you're here to achieve great things, accomplish great works.
Take a good look at the world, where are all the great works?
----------
The most important job you have is to find yourself.
Yet the funny thing is you were never lost.
So if you were never lost where do you have to find yourself?
Due to the fact you think you're lost, we therefore use terms like finding yourself.
You believe you are a human being with all kinds of problems, attitudes, karma, dogmas, yet that is not you at all.
You are a god.
You are freedom, peace, love.
Act on these things.
Become simple in your work.
Simplicity is the key.
Do not make your life complicated.
239 Take Refuge In Your Heart - April 15, 1993
I had an interesting call this morning from a lady, an Indian lady at Phoenix which I thought was really appropriate, I'll share it with you.
She asked me,
"Robert, in my house I have a beautiful picture of Ramana Maharshi and everyday I do puja to it, in the morning and in the evening.
I play chanting tapes.
I do arati, the waving of lights.
I put prashad at his picture.
I pray to the picture of Ramana.
I've been doing this for twelve years and nothing has happened.
Isn't Ramana supposed to give me some grace or something and enlighten me?
That is how I've spent my time in twelve years, paying homage to Ramana's picture and I feel nothing.
Also when I go to sleep at night I think of Ramana's form and face".
It is written in the Upanishads when you think of the gurus form and face, the guru gives you grace, blessings.
"Am I doing anything wrong, what's going on?"
----------
I replied to her,
"The answer to both questions is no.
A picture cannot give you grace.
No matter how much you pray to the picture, what you do to the picture, you can kiss the picture, do anything you like to the picture, it will not give you anything except plenty of peace.
It improves your concentration.
It will make your mind one pointed because you keep thinking of Ramana Maharshi and do puja to him.
So it will make you more peaceful because it'll make you more relaxed.
It will improve your concentration considerably.
And as far as seeing Ramana's form when you go to sleep, his face and expect to get grace you cannot do this because he is dead, so-to-speak.
You're thinking of Ramana Maharshi like...as a human being.
Thinking he is in some astral plane.
Ramana Maharshi has merged, been absorbed in the Self.
He no longer has a form and only the form of a live Sage can give you grace.
You can either do one of two things".
----------
"You can begin to realize that you can never find self-realization looking at a picture or thinking of the form of a dead guru, or you can find another guru, or a Sage, who is alive".
----------
"This doesn't mean that you're deserting Ramana Maharshi.
You will always hold him in your heart.
But you have to realize that only a live guru, a live Sage, can give you grace and self-realization.
When a Sage drops the body, you have to understand that he is doing this for you.
For a Sage never had the body.
It is you who observes the body and sees he's got a body.
He never really had a body, the appearance is only for your sake".
----------
Therefore I said,
"Stop doing puja to Ramana.
If you want self-realization go find a Sage and surrender to the Sage, this is important".
When the ego is too big you develop pride.
When you have a lot of pride, a lot of ego, you never think of surrendering to the Sage, you think of getting something from the Sage instead of giving yourself to the Sage.
You must stop trying to get something from the Sage like self-realization.
----------
Self-realization comes when you no longer think about it, when you no longer want it.
When you totally surrender to the Sage saying, not my will but thine be done.
Keeping the Sages form and face before you all the time.
The Sage realizes when you're ready, then grace comes, liberation comes, but do not think of these things.
Your job is to develop a tremendous humility.
When I speak of developing humility, I'm not speaking of you becoming a stepping stone for people.
Real humility is strength, power.
Real humility means nothing bothers you anymore.
Nothing has the power to disturb you, to upset your equilibrium.
You have a tremendous compassion.
You develop loving kindness for everything, for the mineral kingdom, for the vegetable kingdom, for the animal kingdom, for the human kingdom.
You're stepping out of your humanhood, taking a step forward in eternity.
Not comparing yourself with other people.
Not trying to do anything to anybody else.
You simply see the Sage in your heart all of the time and then you finally become the Sage yourself.
----------
But when you let your mind loose there is a catastrophe going on.
Your mind will come up with all kinds of reasons why should not surrender to the Sage.
Why you should do this, why you should do that.
The mind will confuse you completely, this is its business, its job, its duty to confuse you, to make you go deeper in maya.
This is what the mind does.
It makes you believe that you are an important human being, that you're here to achieve great things, accomplish great works.
Take a good look at the world, where are all the great works?
----------
The most important job you have is to find yourself.
Yet the funny thing is you were never lost.
So if you were never lost where do you have to find yourself?
Due to the fact you think you're lost, we therefore use terms like finding yourself.
You believe you are a human being with all kinds of problems, attitudes, karma, dogmas, yet that is not you at all.
You are a god.
You are freedom, peace, love.
Act on these things.
Become simple in your work.
Simplicity is the key.
Do not make your life complicated.
239 Take Refuge In Your Heart - April 15, 1993
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