Ramana Maharshi

Sri Ramana Maharshi‘’If the beginningless, impure vasanas that remain as the cause for waking and dream leave and perish, the state of sleep (previously perceived as) void-like and dull, and which led us into a state of ignorance and suffering, will become the transcendent state of turiya.’’

Guru Vachaka Kovai  verse 460

Only in an intellect that has developed a desire for the waking state will the eminent state of deep sleep, which is all bliss, be classified as a state of ignorance: ‘I did not know anything during sleep.’ By failing to enquire into and realize the true experience that exists and shines in the same way forever, one becomes deluded and thinks, ’I am the one who woke up.’ If that powerful sheath of the intellect, the ignorance that is experienced in the waking state, is destroyed by the sword of vichara (that leads to the knowledge), I am not the one who woke up’, then the eminent state of sleep will shine, remaining as pure bliss, its ignorance destroyed.’

Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 461

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“The death of the ego in the unlimited Silence ( the non-dual Truth) and the shining forth of the Self is the attainment of Oneness (Kaivalya-Siddhi ). In that State of Jnana, pure Bliss will gloriously blaze forth as one’s own True Nature.”

“The Ego must, die, must vanish along with the inherent vasanas.” “It is not by a single realization, ‘I am not the body but the atman’ that the goal is reached. Do we become high in position by once seeing a king? One must constantly enter into samadhi and realize one‘s Self and completely blot out the old vasanas and the ego, before he becomes the Self.”

“Therefore meditate!”

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“The death of the ego in the unlimited Silence ( the non-dual Truth) and the shining forth of the Self is the attainment of Oneness (Kaivalya-Siddhi ). In that State of Jnana, pure Bliss will gloriously blaze forth as one’s own True Nature.”

“Only if one knows the truth of love, which is the real nature of Self will the strong entangled knot of life be untied. Only if one attains the height of love will liberation be attained. Such is the heart of all religions. The experience of Self is only love, which is seeing only love, hearing only love, feeling only love, tasting only love, and smelling only love, which is bliss.


Self-abidance alone is a miracle [siddhi]. The other miracles are like dreams which last till waking. Can those firmly rooted in the Real relapse into illusion?

Although powers appear wonderful to those who do not possess them, yet they are only transient. It is useless to aspire for the transient. All these wonders are contained in the changeless Self.

Miracles, wonders, clairvoyance, clairaudience – what are these? The greatest miracle is to realise the Self. All these are sidetracks. The realised man is above them.

Charles Webster Leadbeater describes hundreds of former lives seen by clairvoyance. Of what use is this? Does it help him or others to know the Self? What are these lives but body’s births? The true birth is in the Self.

You could be in England now [astrally] but would you be better off? You will not be a bit nearer to realisation.

What good will supernatural powers [siddhis] do? Suppose you exercise all these wonderful powers. Have you tossed worry out of your mind? If happiness is your real goal you must ultimately come back from your diversion with siddhis and try to find your Self, by enquiring who it is that wants the happiness.

People who desire powers are inclined to neglect the Supreme happiness of realisation for the sake of powers. In search of these they follow by-lanes instead of the highroad and so risk losing their way. In order to guide them aright and keep them on the highroad, they are told that powers accompany realisation. Let people first get reaslisation and then seek power if they want to.

In order to display powers, there must be others to recognise them. That means there is no jnana in the one who displays them. Therefore, powers are not worth a thought. Self-realisation alone is to be aimed at and got.

Whether powers are high or low, whether of the mind or of supermind, they exist only with reference to the one who has the power. Find out who that is.

What difference does it make to see or hear anyone in close proximity or over enormous distance? The organs of sight and hearing are used in both cases and so the mind also is required. There is dependence one way or the other. Moreover, what is acquired will also be lost in due course. These powers can never be permanent.

Greedily begging for worthless occult powers from God who will readily give himself, who is everything, is like begging for worthless stale gruel from a generous minded philanthropist who will readily give everything.

The conduct of those who say, “We shall gain all supernormal powers”, not realising that they are moved by Divine power, is like the story of a lame man who said, “If I am helped to stand where will these enemies be?”

There are different kinds of siddhis. They are the manifestations of power and knowledge which is quite natural when you realise the Self. They come of their own accord. They are God given. When you are in the state of realisation you will know what these powers are.

To remain unchanged in the state of Self is the eternal siddhi, the greatest of all siddhis. All other siddhis are only the prarabdha [completed karma] of the jnani who has realised the Truth. These other siddhis are trivial.

Practicing of siddhis will only fatten the ego still more. The greatest siddhi is not to see anything other than the Self. All the siddhis will come and wait upon the perfected jnani.

To realise the Self which is always present, and to remain as That is the real siddhi. All other siddhis are like those which appear in a dream. Are they real when one awakes? Will those who have got rid of delusion and are established in their true state be deluded again?