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.
Ramana MaharshiRead
The 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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Focusing the mind on a single object leads to deeper self-awareness and independence from external influences.
This quote emphasizes the importance of concentrating the mind on one object, allowing for a clearer understanding of the self. By achieving a state of one-pointedness, one can maintain a conscious awareness of their surroundings and engage with others, while simultaneously retaining an internal sense of autonomy and awareness that is not influenced by external distractions.
Themes
MeditationAwarenessSelfMindfulnessConcentration
In practice
Example use cases
During a mindfulness workshop, I shared this quote to emphasize the importance of focus.
More from Ramana Maharshi
All quotes →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.
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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.
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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.
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