Sri Ramana Maharshi was an Advaita Vedanta and Non-duality teacher who was born and resided in south India from 30 December 1879 – 14 April 1950. He is one of the most well-known spiritual teachers of his time and is quite popular even today. check out some of his best quotes below-
“A child and a Sage (jnani) are similar in a way. Incidents interest a child only so long as they last. It ceases to think of them after they have passed away. So then, it is apparent that they do not leave any impression on the child and it is not affected by them mentally. So it is with a Sage.”
“Abide as the Self and remain uncontaminated by what goes on around.”
“All other knowledges are only petty and trivial knowledges; the experience of silence alone is the real and perfect knowledge”
“All that is required to realize the Self is to be still. What can be easier than that?”
“All your cares are His, such is Surrender.”
“As you are, so is the world.”
“Correcting oneself is correcting the whole world. The Sun is simply bright. It does not correct anyone. Because it shines, the whole world is full of light. Transforming yourself is a means of giving light to the whole world.”
“Descending from the head to the heart, is the beginning of spiritual sadhana.”
“Do not engage the mind much in the affairs of the world.”
“Dream is short and the waking long. Both are the result of the mind. Because the waking state is long, we imagine that it is our real state.”
“For those who live in the self as the beauty devoid of thought, there is nothing which should be thught of. that which should be adhered tois only the experience of silence, because in that supreme state nothing exists to be attained other than oneself.”
“Happiness is inherent in man and is not due to external causes”
“Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.”
“It is false to speak of realisation. What is there to realise? The real is as it is always. We are not creating anything new or achieving something which we did not have before. The illustration given in books is this. We dig a well and create a huge pit. The space in the pit or well has not been created by us. We have just removed the earth which was filling the space there. The space was there then and is also there now. Similarly we have simply to throw out all the age-long samskaras [innate tendencies] which are inside us. When all of them have been given up, the Self will shine alone.”
“It is the human mind that creates its own difficulties and then cries for help.”
“It is the mind that veils our happiness.”
“Keep your mind still. That is enough.”
“Never mind the mind.”
“Mind is consciousness which has put on limitations”
“Peace is the inner nature of humankind. If you find it within yourself, you will find it everywhere.”
“Q: How should we treat others?
R: There are no others.”
“Realisation is nothing new to be acquired. It is already there, but obstructed by a screen of thoughts. All our attempts are directed to lifting this screen and then realisation is revealed.”
“Self-realization is not attaining something new or reaching some goal which is far away, but simply being that which you always are and which you always have been. All that is needed is that you give up your realisation of the not-true as true.”
“Silence is the language of God; all else is poor translation.”
“Take care of the present, the future will take care of itself.”
“that which is called happiness is only the nature of Self; Self is not other than perfect happiness.” (Loc 326 ‘Be as you are’)
“The experience of silence alone is the real and perfect knowledge”
“The jnani knows he is the Self and that nothing, neither his body nor anything else, exists but the Self.”
“The mind is a bundle of thoughts. The thoughts have their root in the I-thought. Whoever investigates the I-thought will discover that it is false and will disappear, taking all other thoughts with it.”
“The mind turned inwards is the Self; turned outwards, it becomes the ego and all the world.”
“The mind, turned outwards, results in thoughts and objects. Turned inwards, it becomes itself the Self.”
“The one who is aware of his Divinity while in the body is in a state of bliss beyond description, transcending bondage and liberation. This is here, now.”
“The only language able to express the whole truth is silence.”
“The reality which shines fully, without misery and without a body, not only when the world is known but also when the world is not known, is your real form.”
“The source of happiness is within you. Seek it not in external objects which are but fleeting shadows.”
“The state of Self-realisation, as we call it, is not attaining something new or reaching some goal which is far away, but simply being that which you always are and which you always have been.”
“The three states (waking, dream and sleep) owe their existence to non-inquiry and inquiry puts an end to them”
“The universe is the projection of the mind, and the mind is the projection of the self. When the mind is annihilated, the self is realized.”
“What is perceived by the senses and the mind is never the truth.”
What is called the world is only thought”
“When the mind is left without anything to cling to, it becomes still.”
“You are awareness. Awareness is another name for you. Since you are awareness there is no need to attain or cultivate it. All that you have to do is to give up being aware of other things, that is of the not-Self. If one gives up being aware of them then pure awareness alone remains, and that is the Self.” (from the book ‘Be As You Are’ Location 210)
“Your own self-realization is the greatest service you can render the world.”