Think of God; attachments will gradually drop away. If you wait till all desires disappear before starting your devotion and prayer, you will have to wait for a very long time indeed.
Ramana MaharshiRead
Like the practice of breath control, meditation on the forms of God, repetition of mantras, food restrictions, etc., are but aids for rendering the mind quiescent.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Meditation and other practices serve to calm the mind and facilitate deeper spiritual understanding.
In this quote, Ramana Maharshi emphasizes that techniques such as breath control, meditation, and mantra repetition are valuable tools for achieving a tranquil state of mind. These practices are not ends in themselves but rather means to cultivate a peaceful and focused mind, allowing for greater insight and connection with the divine.
Themes
MeditationMindPeaceSpiritualityPractices
In practice
Example use cases
During a yoga retreat, I shared this quote to inspire participants to embrace their meditation practices.
More from Ramana Maharshi
All quotes βThe mind of one meditating on a single object becomes one-pointed. And one-pointedness of mind leads to abidance in the self. Real attainment is to be fully conscious, to be aware of surroundings and the people around, to move among them all, but not to merge consciousness in the environment. One should remain in inner independent awareness.
Ramana MaharshiRead
You need not aspire for or get any new state. Get rid of your present thoughts, that is all.
Ramana MaharshiRead
Realisation is not acquisition of anything new nor is it a new faculty. It is only removal of all camouflage
Ramana MaharshiRead
Bliss is a thing which is always there and is not something which comes and goes. That which comes and goes is a creation of the mind.
Ramana MaharshiRead
The thing to do is to concentrate on the seer and not on the seen, not on the objects, but on the Light which reveals them.
Ramana MaharshiRead
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