Beauty ＆ Pure 44

MEDITATION

In dealing with the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, one occasionally comes across pieces of advice which seem to contradict each other. To recognise the real meaning of such apparent inconsistencies one has to keep in mind one main principle of the sage: he never discouraged the visitor in his own spiritual endeavour, whatever the outer form may be. Because he knew that the sincere seeker after Truth is always guided from within, and that his inclinations to particular practices not only indicate the degree of his spiritual maturity, but at the same time, in most cases, are also the means best suited for the person concerned. He never advised a questioner to drop whatever practice he had followed up to that point; he only showed, if necessary, how to make it more effective.

When he stressed again and again the superiority of investigation compared with all other methods, he was not motivated by a kind of bigotry, but did it because there is a very important reason behind it, rocklike, insurmountable: all other methods of sadhana have to keep the personal ‘I’ to be practised: vichara, the investigation into this ‘I’, is the best possible method to remove it.