The Resident of Dakshineswar — Is the Anahata Shabda always sounding within and without?

Sri Ramakrishna — This sound alone is not enough. There is something indicated by the sound. Can I derive pleasure just from your name? Unless I see you, I cannot be a hundred percent happy.

The Resident of Dakshineswar — That Shabda is Brahman, the Anahata sound.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Kedar) — Oh, I see. His belief is like that of the rishis. The rishis said to Ramachandra, ‘Rama, we know you are the son of Dasharatha. Bharadvaja and other rishis may take you as an avatar and worship you. But we only want Akhanda Sachchidananda (the Indivisible, Existence Knowledge Bliss Absolute).’ Hearing this, Rama laughed and left.

Kedar — The rishis did not accept Rama as an avatar. They were fools.

Sri Ramakrishna (gravely) — Please don’t say such things. We all have our own inclinations. Besides, what one understands is what one can digest. The mother cooks fish for her children in different ways. To some she serves pulao (fish with fried rice). But every stomach cannot digest pulao. To them she gives fish soup – whatever one can digest. And then some people prefer fried fish, and some, fish with sour sauce. (All laugh.) We all have different dispositions.

“The rishis were jnanis (men of knowledge), so they sought Akhanda Sachchidananda (Indivisible Existence Knowledge Bliss Absolute). On the other hand, devotees seek the avatar – to enjoy his love. Seeing Him, the darkness of the mind is dispelled. The Purana says, ‘When Ramachandra entered the Council Hall, it was as if a hundred suns were shining.’ Then why were the councilors not burnt? The answer to this is that His light is not physical light. The lotus of the heart of all the councilors opened their petals. You see, when the sun rises, the lotus opens its petals.”

Sri Ramakrishna is talking to the devotees as he stands there. Suddenly his mind is withdrawn from the external world and plunges within. “The lotus of the heart has opened up,” he says. He now goes into deep samadhi.

The lotus of Sri Ramakrishna’s heart has opened in samadhi, having the vision of Bhagavan. He stands as before, but like an inanimate object. His holy face is radiant and smiling. Some of the devotees are seated, while others are standing. None utters a word. The devotees watch him intently. They have never before seen this unique image of love, or enjoyed the sight of samadhi. After a long time, his samadhi breaks.

Taking a long breath, Sri Ramakrishna repeats the name of Rama again and again, as though nectar flows from every letter of the word. Now he sits down. The devotees sit around him and gaze at him.

Sri Ramakrishna (to the devotees) — When an avatar comes, the ordinary man cannot recognize him – he comes as if in secret. Three or four of his intimate devotees recognize him. Rama was a full manifestation of Brahman, he was a perfect avatar – but only twelve rishis knew this. The other rishis said, ‘Rama, we only take you as a son of Dasharatha.’

“The Akhanda Sachchidananda cannot be known by all, but he who attains Nitya (the Absolute) and yet lives in His lila (sport) to enjoy himself with Him has ripe bhakti. Only after you have seen the queen in the foreign land (England), can you describe her, her work, and everything else about her. Bharadvaja and other rishis prayed to Rama in these words: “Rama, you are that very Akhanda Sachchidananda. You have manifested Yourself in front of us in the form of Rama. In fact, it is with the help of Your maya that You have appeared as a human being.’ Bharadvaja and other rishis were great devotees of Rama. They had ripe bhakti.”

(Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna V2 - Chapter III)

Krishna Premi had a very enlightening conversation with Bhagavan. He asked Bhagavan, “Is not the precept Sarvam Vasudeva Mayam Jagat, the most wonderful teaching of all time? It makes us think of everything in the universe as being a manifestation of the Divine Being, thus helping us to realize the omnipresent nature of God. Is that not wonderful?”

Bhagavan smiled at him and said, “Yes, there is no doubt about that. That is one of the basic tenets of the Vaishnava school, and all the great Vaishnava saints have preached it. But this can be carried a little further. You say, ‘I perceive Vasudeva in everything,’ but have you found out who this 'I’ is? Do all the creatures and objects in creation come to you, and do you include yourself? When you say, 'Everything is Vasudeva,’ do you not think of yourself as Vasudeva? When you are prepared to accept that plants, animals, and even inanimate objects are Vasudeva, why can you not think of yourself as Vasudeva? When you learn to perceive the Lord within yourself, you too become Vasudeva. Do you understand? When the seer identifies himself with Vasudeva, the seer automatically becomes Vasudeva, too.

This is what Sri Sankaracharya means when he says, Drishum Jnanamayam Krithva.” (perceiving everything through the lens of knowledge or wisdom.)

Your ideas about yourself change from day to day and from moment to moment. Your self-image is the most changeful thing you have. It is utterly vulnerable, at the mercy of a passerby. A bereavement, the loss of a job, an insult, and your image of yourself, which you call your person, changes deeply.

To know what you are you must first investigate and know what you are not. And to know what you are not you must watch yourself carefully, rejecting all that does not necessarily go with the basic fact: ‘I am’.

The ideas: I am born at a given place, at a given time, from my parents and now I am so-and-so, living at, married to, father of, employed by, and so on, are not inherent in the sense 'I am’.

Our usual attitude is of 'I am this’. Separate consistently and perseveringly the 'I am’ from 'this’ or 'that’, and try to feel what it means to be, just to be, without being 'this’ or 'that’. All our habits go against it and the task of fighting them is long and hard sometimes, but a clear understanding helps a lot.

The clearer you understand that on the level of the mind, you can be described in negative terms only, the quicker you will come to the end of your search and realize your limitless being.

Spiritual books and figures often discuss a common theme: the purification of the mind. Our religious scriptures also emphasize this. But why is it so important? A pure mind can manifest positive outcomes. It becomes more powerful, breaking mental boundaries. The mind experiences freedom and helps achieve the goals it sets.

However, the process of purifying the mind varies for each person. Due to our individual experiences, our minds develop differently, so one method may not work for everyone. But regardless of the method, a pure mind naturally lets go of unnecessary things and focuses on what truly matters.

Astrologically, by analyzing the birth chart, we can identify favorable methods for purification. The running dasha also provides hints on suitable approaches.

When we view astrology through a nondual lens, we perceive it differently than from a dualistic perspective. In nonduality, everything is interconnected as part of a unified whole.

Astrology, in this view, isn’t about separating our spiritual and material lives or seeing them as opposing forces. Instead, it reveals how our inner world shapes the outer world. What we perceive as the outer world is a reflection of our inner reality.

From a non-dual perspective, astrology shows us that our inner self and the external world are deeply intertwined. It helps us understand that all aspects of our life reflect a singular, unified truth.

This perspective encourages us to see the outer world as an expression of our inner self, leading to a more harmonious and integrated way of living.

(Discover the deeper connections in your life and gain clarity— book a Vedic astrology consultation today.)

Q: Why is it essential to quiet the mind?

A: In the stillness of the mind, we find our true selves, beyond thoughts and attachments.

Q: What is the role of self-inquiry in achieving stillness?

A: Self-inquiry helps us disentangle ourselves from the mind’s distractions, leading to inner peace.

Q: What is the essence of Self-inquiry?

A: It is the process of diving within to discover the true Self, beyond thoughts and ego.

Q: How can we practice self-inquiry?

A: By constantly asking “Who am I?” and turning the mind inward, away from external distractions.

Q: What is the difference between inquiry and meditation?

A: Inquiry is turning the mind to the Self; meditation is contemplating the Self as Brahman.

Q: What is the relationship between mind and breath?

A: As the mind quiets, breath is controlled; as breath is controlled, the mind quiets - they mirror each other.

Q: What happens when we experience stillness?

A: We transcend the limitations of the mind and worldly desires.

Q: What is non-attachment? 

A: Destroying thoughts without residue.

Q: What is release? 

A: Realizing one’s true nature, transcending the bondage of the mind.

This is a common paradox many spiritual leaders face. Without direct experience with them, it can be difficult to fully understand their perspectives.

Often, discussions around “detachment” can be confusing as it may not always be clear what we are meant to detach from. The material world is itself composed of endless desires, so it can be challenging to understand what is truly spiritual.

Instead of figuring out how to get detached, exploring the root of our desires and attachments may be more fruitful. Until we do not figure this out, we need continuous effort for detachments and it is the opposite of “Freedom”

If you are not free from “I” - You cannot become free from all desires. Because desires are always about non-self or wrong identification of self (Ego).

When one becomes free from “I” - his body acts as what is needed, not driven by Individual Ego. We may find devotees of the “Self” surrounding them automagically.

One common approach to achieving freedom from the ego is through self-inquiry, which involves examining one’s thoughts and emotions to understand the nature of the self. By asking questions such as “who am I?” one can begin to see beyond the ego and understand the true nature of existence.

Freeing from worldly desires takes away your individual ego. But this is a difficult task to do, as infinite desires surround the individual. Instead of attempting to free ourselves from such desires, we can observe where these desires arise.

We can do this by a simple “Inquiry”.

For example, If you want to write something, you can ask yourself “Who wants to write?”, this question will take you back to the sense of “I am” because you know who will write. 

When you carefully observe during this Inquiry, you will discover that all other thoughts and desires will vanish immediately. 

So, all the desires or attachments are related to this “I”, not your true self. 

The root of suffering is attachment to the mind or being attached to thoughts.

When your thoughts do not get manifested, you suffer.

When there is no-thought, this is no suffering. 

The process of detachment is gradual, starting with detachment from the world, then the mind, and finally, the ego.

Practices and methods are not spiritual practices, but rather material practices.

True spiritual growth comes from recognizing the already present inner wisdom and not acquiring new knowledge or practices. 

We are in the Mind

We are in the mind, not that the mind is inside us.

The environment, whether in the unmanifested form (thoughts) or manifested form (perceivable), creates the mind, and we are in that environment.

Mind creates shapes and forms. Both universal/cosmic mind and individual minds have similar attributes and natures. 

The cosmic mind thinks of all Minds as “One Mind” 

The mind is not a separate entity from the self, but rather, it is an integral part of it. 

We are in - Individual Mind, Cosmic Mind, and Self. 

No-Mind  - Manonasa

No-mind is no-attachment to the Mind.  

Instead of watching and letting go of all thoughts, let go of the first or root thought “I” to achieve a cosmic mind. 

Remove the root of all problems - I or Ego. 

Observe this sense of “I” - It will fall away and merge into cosmic consciousness. It merges to become the Cosmic Mind, the whole mind. 

D: I fell ill. I could not meditate and so I felt depressed.
M: This thought, ‘I am not able to concentrate,’ is itself an obstacle. Why should the thought arise?

D: Can one remain without thoughts rising all the 24 hours of the day? Should I remain without meditation?
M: What is ‘hours’ again? It is a concept. Each question of yours is prompted by a thought.

Your nature is Peace and Happiness. Thoughts are the obstacles to realisation. One’s meditation or concentration is meant to get rid of obstacles and not to gain the Self. Does anyone remain apart from the Self? No! The true nature of the Self is declared to be Peace. If the same peace is not found, the non-finding is only a thought which is alien to the Self. One practices meditation only to get rid of these alien fancies. So, then, a thought must be quelled as soon as it rises.

Whenever a thought arises, do not be carried away by it. You become aware of the body when you forget the Self. But can you forget the Self? Being the Self how can you forget it? There must be two selves for one to forget the other. It is absurd.

So the Self is not depressed; it is not imperfect: it is ever happy. The contrary feeling is a mere thought which has actually no stamina in it. Be rid of thoughts. Why should one attempt meditation? Being the Self one remains always realised, only be free from thoughts.

You think that your health does not permit your meditation. This depression must be traced to its origin. The origin is the wrong identification of the body with the Self. The disease is not of the Self. It is of the body. But the body does not come and tell you that it is possessed by the disease. It is you who say it. Why? Because you have wrongly identified yourself with the body.

The body itself is a thought. Be as you really are. There is no reason to be depressed.

- Ramana Maharshi (Talk 462)