Ramana Maharshi was a renowned Indian sage and spiritual teacher known for his teachings on self-inquiry and the path to self-realization. Here are some of his top quotes that reflect his profound insights:
- “Your own self-realization is the greatest service you can render the world.”
- “The greatest help we can render the world is our own self-realization.”
- “The mind is only a bundle of thoughts. The thoughts have their root in the I-thought. Whoever investigates the True ‘I’ enjoys the stillness of bliss.”
- “Your duty is to be and not to be this or that. ‘I am that I am’ sums up the whole truth.”
- “The ‘I’ thought is the sum total of all the thoughts. The source of the ‘I’ thought must be found.”
- “The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single thought are the measures to gauge spiritual progress.”
- “Be as you are. That is, you need not undertake anything. Remain as you are. It suffices to remove the thought ‘I am not this’ or ‘I am that’ and be in one’s natural state.”
- “To know that you do not know is true knowledge. Not to know what you do not know is a disease.”
- “The world is like a sheet of paper on which something is typed. The reading and the meaning will vary with the reader, but the paper is the common factor, always present, rarely perceived. When the ribbon is removed, typing leaves no trace on the paper. So is my mind – the impressions keep on coming, but no trace is left.”
- “The thought ‘who am I?’ will destroy all other thoughts, and like the stick used for stirring the burning pyre, it will itself in the end get destroyed. Then, there will arise Self-realization.”
- “Silence is the true teaching. It is the perfect teaching. It is suited only for the most advanced seeker. The others are unable to draw full inspiration from it. Therefore, they require words to explain the truth.”
- “Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.”
- “The world is illusory; Brahman alone is real. Brahman is in the world, and the world is in Brahman.”
- “If one knows his real nature, he will know everything else.”
- “Your own self-realization is the greatest help you can render the world.”
These quotes offer insights into Ramana Maharshi’s teachings on self-inquiry, the nature of reality, and the path to spiritual awakening. His emphasis on understanding the true self and seeking inner realization has had a profound impact on spiritual seekers around the world.