This section gives a glimpse of many saints and sages.
May their teachings inspire your journey.

More seers and quotes will be added to this page over time.

Adyashanti
Amma
Anandamayi Ma
Annamalai Swami
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
14th Dalai Lama
Dattatreya
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Gangaji
Gautama Buddha
John O’Donohue
Mahatma Gandhi

Mooji
Mukti Gray
Neem Karoli Baba
Nisargadatta Maharaj
Osho
Pema Chödrön
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Ramana Maharshi
Ram Dass
Rupert Spira
Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev)
Shree Ma

Swami Chetanananda
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Swami Rama
Swami Ramanagiri
Swami Satchidananda Saraswati
Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri
Tenzin Palmo
Tirumali Krishnamacharya
Yogananda Paramahamsa

Adyashanti

1962 (usa) - present

"The funny thing about enlightenment is that when it is authentic, there is no one to claim it. Enlightenment is very ordinary; it is nothing special. Rather than making you more special, it is going to make you less special. It plants you right in the center of a wonderful humility and innocence."

“If you prefer smoke over fire
then get up now and leave.
For I do not intend to perfume
your mind’s clothing with
more sooty knowledge.
No, I have something else in mind.
Today I hold a flame in my left hand
and a sword in my right.
There will be no damage control today.
God is in a mood to plunder your riches and
fling you nakedly
into such breathtaking poverty
that all that will be left of you will be
a tendency to shine.
So don’t just sit around this flame
choking on your mind.
This is no campfire song
to mindlessly
mantra yourself to sleep with.
Jump now into the space
between thoughts and
exit this dream
before I burn the damn place down.”

“But understand one thing: no matter what our path — whether it’s a progressive path or a direct path, whether it’s a devotional path or otherwise — the trajectory of our spiritual lives and all of spiritual awakening is toward surrender. Ultimately, that’s the name of the spiritual game. Everything we do spiritually is leading us to a spontaneous state of surrender — to letting go. That is where it all leads, no matter what the path is, no matter what the practice is. Once you know that, you notice that each step along the way is the next opportunity to surrender. It may take effort to get there; it may take effort to get you to the point where you are willing to let go into grace, but ultimately the whole of spirituality boils down to letting go of the illusion of the separate self — letting go of the way we think the world is and the way we think it should be.”

"It doesn't matter how profound a vision is or how wonderful the kriyas, or the kundalini, or the bliss. No matter how beautiful the spiritual experience is, it is only an experience, and experiences come and go. Freedom is found only in that which does not come and go. If it doesn't come and go, that means that it's present now. When you have a beautiful spiritual experience and then seem to lose it, ask yourself: What was present then that is still present now? Then you know where to put all of your attention, all of your dedication, and all of your heart. Don't put it anywhere else. You are that permanence which contains all becoming and all be-going." 

Anandamayi Ma

1896 (Bangladesh) - 1982 (india)

“When by the flood of your tears the inner and outer have fused into one, you will find Her whom you sought with such anguish, nearer than the nearest, the very breath of life, the very core of every heart.”

”Give yourself up to the wave and you will be absorbed by the current; having dived into the sea, you do not return anymore.”

“Do not pay attention to the faults of others. It blurs the vision, defiles the mind, and adds to the load of the world's sin. Therefore try to see only the bright side of things in whatever you perceive.

It is the good and beautiful which are true and living, whereas the bad and ugly are only the shadow of what really is. Nobody ever wishes to be bad.

When you seek the company of others, remember you are out to find the good and beautiful.

Truly, if you are simple and sincere inwardly as well as outwardly, your heart will be pure and full of joy, and your intelligence and reason sound and accurate. Then you will find good everywhere and nothing will appear to be evil.

God alone is perfect; no person can be free from defects. By making a practice of seeing the good qualities in others, the same virtues develop in yourself, for as you think so you become.

In fact it gives much greater satisfaction to appre­ciate the merits of others even than to dwell on one's own worthiness. To take pleasure in thinking of, one's own excellence will only inflate the ego and magnify the faults and frailties of others.”

“All sorrow is due to the fact that many are seen where there is only One.”

“The same inexpressible Truth is experienced in two ways: as Self-luminous Silence, or as the Eternal Play of the One.”

”One should think of oneself as a purely spiritual being, as Self-luminous, poised in the Bliss of the Self.”

”In the field of His/Her play even getting means losing. This is but the nature of its movement. Think of Him Who cannot be lost.”

“Either melt by devotion the sense of separateness, or burn it by knowledge - for what is it that melts or burns? Only that which by its nature can be melted or burnt; namely the idea that something other than your Self exists. What will happen then? You know to know your Self.”

“God is the breath of life, the heart of hearts, the Self. To find Him means to find one’s Self.”

“Only actions that kindle man’s divine nature are worthy of the name of action, all the rest are a waste of energy.”

"No one dies! No one does. All stay in the coming and going of life. What do you call death? When the body drops, do you call that death? Actually the true death is when death itself dies. Death dies….. When there is no question of life or death. Until the true You comes to light, you are truly dead. But the dropping of the body is simply like changing clothes."

"Saints may be compared to trees: they always point upwards and grant shade and shelter to all. They are free from likes and dislikes and whoever seeks refuge in them wholeheartedly will find peace. Just as water cleanses everything by its mere contact, even so the sight, touch, blessing, nay the very remembrance of a real sadhu, little by little, clears away all impure desires and longings."

“The Great Mother, Mahāmāyā, is the origin of Creation. When the desire arose in Her to play the game of life She divided Herself into two, namely Ma and Maya and entered the stage of the world, concealing Herself in the many forms of Maya. When, hard beaten by the blows of fate, a human being awakens to real intuition, he feels the Presence of the Mother behind the fleeting appearances and sets out in search of Her. Blessed by Her grace, his efforts are crowned with success as he realizes Her as the Prime Cause of all creation, Mahāmāyā. But this is not the end: experiencing Her as all-pervading, he becomes merged in Her and loses himself in the ocean of Satchidānanda, Divine Being - Consciousness-Bliss. Thus he comes to see that, what is called moha or māyā in the world, is named Mahāmāyā, the Great Mother, on the spiritual path; although their func­tions are different in manifestation, essentially the two are one. Play the game of the world and you will be captivated by its delights, unwilling to let them go; or, if you take to the spiritual path you will find Supreme Bliss However, earthly joys are transitory whereas Divine Bliss is eternal. Both have their place: the Stage Manager of the world drama provides for each one what he needs at any particular setting, so that he may gradually be led to his final Goal where will be dispelled the error of the duality of mohamāyā, the great illusion, and Mahāmāyā, the Great Mother of the Universe.”

”All Sadhana (spiritual practice) must be done for God's sake, not for yourself.”

”Acquire a firm will and the utmost patience.”

“When a seed has been fried, it can never sprout again. Just so, after realizing Oneness, you may do anything - it no longer contains the seed of karma. Where this is not present, there, all form and variety are but THAT.”

“This body has lived with father, mother, husband, and all. This body has served the husband so you may call it wife. It has prepared dishes for all so you may call it cook. It has done all sorts of scrubbing and menial work, so you may call it a servant. But if you look at the thing from another standpoint you will realize that this body has served none but God, for when I serve my father, mother, husband, and others, I simply considered them as different manifestations of the Almighty, and served them as such. When I sat down and prepared food, I did so as if it were in a ritual, for the food cooked was, after all, meant for God. Whatever I did, I did in the spirit of the divine service. Hence, I was not quite worldly, though always engaged in household affairs. I had but one ideal, to serve all as God, to do everything for the sake of God.’”

“He has given you these hands and this mind only because He is kind. So use them for His work. Then automatically your mind will be ready to receive the rain of His beautiful, ever-raining Grace.”

“You attempt to appease want by wanting - hence want does not disappear and neither does the sense of want. When man awakens to the acute consciousness of this sense of want, then only does spiritual inquiry become genuine. You must bear in mind that only when the sense of want becomes the sense of the want of Self-knowledge does the real Quest begin.”

“The day that is gone returns not. To be a human being means to be Self-aware. Do not squander invaluable time. Realize that you are none other than the immortal Self.”

Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

1930 (tibet) – 2002 (brazil)

"Don't burden others with your expectations. Understanding their limitations can inspire compassion instead of disappointment, ensuring beneficial and workable relationships. Remember that you have only a short time together. Be grateful for each day you share."

“We often think the only way to create happiness is to try to control the outer circumstances of our lives, to try to fix what seems wrong or to get rid of everything that bothers us. But the real problem lies in our reaction to those circumstances. What we have to change is the mind and the way it experiences reality.”

“Time is very precious. Do not wait until you are dying to understand your spiritual nature. If you do it now, you will discover resources of kindness and compassion you didn’t know you had. It is from this mind of intrinsic wisdom and compassion that you can truly benefit others. Moment by moment, we should look at life as if it were a dream unfolding. In this relaxed, more open state of being, we have the opportunity to gain the infallible means of dying well, which is recognition of our absolute nature.”

"Now we are afflicted by “me-my-mine-itis,” a condition caused by ignorance. Our self-centeredness and self-important thinking have become very strong habits. In order to change them, we need to refocus. Instead of concerning ourselves with “I” all the time, we must redirect our attention to “you” or “them” or “others.” Reducing self-importance lessens the attachment that stems from it. When we focus outside ourselves, ultimately we realize the equality of ourselves and all other beings. Everybody wants happiness; nobody wants to suffer. Our attachment to our own happiness expands to an attachment to the happiness of all."

14th Dalai Lama

1935 - present (india)

“Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.”

“I feel that the essence of spiritual practice is your attitude toward others.”

“Many of our problems stem from attitudes like putting ourselves first at all costs.”

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you know; but when you listen, you learn something new.”

“The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.”

“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

Dattatreya

Dattatreya was the son of Anasuya and Maharshi Atri. He is considered to be the incarnation of the Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu and Siva – a Trimurti Avatar. The Philosophy propounded by Lord Dattatreya is found in the ‘Avadhuta Gita’ which is a Vedantic text expounding non-dualism. Dattatreya, in the eleventh chapter of Srimad Bhagavata lists his 24 Gurus and considers himself a simple student of the whole creation.

24 Gurus of Dattatreya : Nature is the Greatest Teacher

Once, while Dattatreya was roaming in a forest happily, he met King Yadu, who on seeing Dattatreya so happy, asked him the secret of his happiness and the name of his Guru. Dattatreya said that the Atman alone was his Guru, and yet, he had learned wisdom from 24 beings, who were therefore, his Gurus.

1. I learnt patience and doing good to others from the EARTH, for it endures every injury man commits on its surface, and yet it does him good by producing crops, trees, etc.

2. From WATER I learnt the quality of purity. Just as the pure water cleanses others, so also the sage, who is pure and free from selfishness, lust, egoism, anger, greed, etc., purifies all who come in contact with him.

3. AIR though moving everywhere, never gets attached to anything; so I have learnt from the air to be without attachment, though I move with many people in this world.

4. Just as FIRE burns bright, so also the sage should be glowing with the splendor of his knowledge and Tapas.

5. The air, the stars, the clouds, etc., are all contained in the SKY, but the sky does not come in contact with any of them. I have learnt from the sky that the Atman or the Soul is all-pervading, and yet it has no contact with any object.

6. The MOON is in itself always complete, but appears to decrease or increase on account of the varying shadow of the earth upon the moon. I have learnt from this that the Atman is always perfect and changeless, and that it is only the Upadhis or limiting adjuncts that cast shadows upon it.

7. Just as the SUN, reflected in various pots of water, appears as so many different reflections, so also Brahman appears different because of the Upadhis (bodies) caused by the reflection through the mind. This is the lesson I learnt from the sun.

8. I once saw a fowler spread a net and caught some pigeons. The mother pigeon was very much attached to her children. She did not care to live, so she fell into the net and was caught. The male pigeon was attached to the female pigeon, so he also fell into the net and was caught. From this I learnt that attachment is the cause of bondage.

9. The PYTHON does not move about for its food. It remains contented with whatever it gets and lies in one place. From this I learnt to be unmindful of food and to be contented with whatever I get to eat (Ajagara Vritti).

10. Just as the OCEAN remains unmoved even though hundreds of rivers fall into it, so also the wise man should remain unmoved among all sorts of temptations, difficulties and troubles. This is the lesson I learnt from the ocean.

11. Just as the MOTH, being enamored of the brilliance of the fire, falls into it and is burnt, so also, a passionate man who falls in love with a beautiful girl comes to grief. To control the sense of sight and to fix the mind on the Self, is the lesson I learnt from the moth.

12. Just as the BLACK BEE sucks the honey from different flowers and does not suck it only from one flower, so also I take only a little food from one house and a little from another house and thus appease my hunger (Madhukari Bhiksha or Madhukari Vritti). I am not a burden on the householder.

13. Bees collect honey with great trouble, but a HONEY-GATHERER comes and takes the honey easily. Even so, people hoard up wealth and other things with great difficulty, but they have to leave them all at once and depart when the Lord of Death takes hold of them. From this I have learnt the lesson that it is useless to hoard things.

14. The male ELEPHANT, blinded by lust, falls into a pit covered over with grass, even at the sight of a paper-made female elephant. It gets caught, enchained and tortured by the goad. Even so, passionate men fall in the traps of women and come to grief. Therefore, one should destroy lust. This is the lesson I have learnt from the elephant.

15. The DEER is enticed and trapped by the hunter through its love of music. Even so, a man is attracted by the music of women of loose character and brought to destruction. One should never listen to lewd songs. This is the lesson I learnt from the deer.

16. Just as a FISH that is covetous of food falls an easy victim to the bait, so also, the man who is greedy of food, who allows his sense of taste to overpower him, loses his independence and easily gets ruined. The greed for food must therefore be destroyed. It is the lesson that I have learn from the fish.

17. There was a DANCING GIRL named Pingala in the town of Videha. She was tired of looking for customers one night. She became hopeless. Then she was contented with what she had, and then had sound sleep. I have learnt from that fallen woman the lesson that the abandonment of hope leads to contentment.

18. A RAVEN picked up a piece of flesh. It was pursued and beaten by other birds. It dropped the piece of flesh and attained peace and rest. From this I have learnt the lesson that a man in the world undergoes all sorts of troubles and miseries when he runs after sensual pleasures, and that he becomes as happy as the bird when he abandons the sensual pleasures.

19. The CHILD who sucks milk is free from all cares, worries and anxieties, and is always cheerful. I have learnt the virtue of cheerfulness from the child.

20. The parents of a MAIDEN had gone in search of a proper bridegroom for her. The girl was alone in the house. During the absence of the parents, a party of people came to the house to see her on a similar object in reference to an offer of marriage. She received the party herself. She went inside to husk the paddy. While she was husking, the glass bangles on both hands made tremendous jingling noise. The wise girl reflected thus: “The party will detect, by the noise of the bangles, that I am husking the paddy myself, and that my family is too poor to engage others to get the work done. Let me break all my bangles except two on each hand”. Accordingly, she broke all the bangles except two on each hand. Even these two bangles created much noise. She broke one more bangle of each hand. There was no further noise though she continued husking. I have learnt from the girl’s experience the following: Living among many would create discord, disturbance, dispute and quarrel. Even among two, there might be unnecessary words or strife. The ascetic or the Sannyasin should remain alone in solitude.

21. A SERPENT does not build its hole. It dwells in the holes dug out by others. Even so, an ascetic or a Sannyasin should not build a home for himself. He should live in the caves and temples built by others. This is the lesson that I have learnt from the snake.

22. The mind of an ARROW MAKER was once wholly engrossed in sharpening and straightening an arrow. While he was thus engaged, a king passed before his shop with his whole retinue. After some time, a man came to the artisan and asked him whether the king passed by his shop. The artisan replied that he did not notice anything. The fact is that the artisan’s mind was solely absorbed in his work and he did not know what was passing before his shop. I have learnt from the artisan the quality of intense concentration of mind.

23. The SPIDER pours out of its mouth long threads and weaves them into cobwebs. It gets itself entangled in the net of its own making. Even so, man makes a net of his own ideas and gets entangled in it. The wise man should therefore abandon all worldly thoughts and think of Brahman only. This is the lesson I have learnt from the spider.

24. The Bhringi or the BEETLE catches hold of a worm, puts it in its nest, and gives it a sting, the poor worm, always fearing the return of the beetle and sting, and thinking constantly of the beetle, becomes a beetle itself. Whatever form a man constantly thinks of, he attains in course of time that form. As a man thinks, so he becomes. I have learnt from the beetle and the worm to turn myself into Atman by contemplating constantly on It and thus to give up all attachment to the body and attain Moksha or liberation.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

1910 (tibet) - 1991 (bhutan)

“To meet someone who really hurts you, is to meet a rare and precious treasure. Hold that person in high esteem, and make full use of the opportunity to eradicate your defects and make progress on the path. If you cannot yet feel the love and compassion for those who treat you badly, it is a sign that your mind has not been fully transformed, and that you need to keep working on it with increased application.”

Gautama Buddha

563 BC (india) - 483 BC (nepal)

“The trouble is, you think you have time.”

“You only lose what you cling to.”

”Whoever doesn’t flare up at someone who’s angry wins a battle hard to win.”

“Should you find a wise critic to point out your faults, follow him as you would a guide to hidden treasure.”

John O’Donohue

1956 (ireland) - 2008 (france)

“One of the most tender images is the human person at prayer. When the body gather itself before the Divine, a stillness deepens… For a while, they have become unmoored from the grip of society, work and role. It is as if they’ve chosen to enter into a secret belonging carried within the soul; they rest in that inner temple impervious to outer control or claiming. A person at prayer also evokes a sense of vulnerability and fragility. Their prayer reminds us that we are mere guests on the earth, pilgrims who always walk on unsteady ground, carrying in earthen vessels multitudes of longing.”

“You have traveled too fast over false ground; now your soul has come to take you back. ⁣Take refuge in your senses, open up ⁣to all the small miracles you rushed through. ⁣Become inclined to watch the way of rain when it falls slow and free. Imitate the habit of twilight, taking time to open the well of color that fostered the brightness of the day. ⁣Draw alongside the silence of stone until it’s calmness can claim you. ⁣Be excessively gentle with yourself. ⁣

Stay clear of those vexed in spirit. Learn to linger around someone of ease who feels they have all the time in the world. Gradually, you will return to yourself,⁣ having learned a new respect for your heart ⁣and the joy that dwells far within slow time.” ⁣

Mahatma Gandhi

1869 - 1948 (india)

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

Mooji

1954 (Jamaica) - present

“You have to find the place of no-mind and no effort within yourself. But don't employ the mind for this. Your mind itself implies effort and it will try to 'do' no effort — and to 'be' nobody. This itself takes great effort and, in fact, is impossible. 'Great effort' and the one apparently making it are seen in a space of no effort. In that 'no-effort' place — you are. Observe, know and confirm: I am That which is synonymous with no-effort.”

“You’re in God’s oven being baked as a jacket potato.”

“In the Avadhuta Gita it says:
'The mind is formless like the sky, yet it wears a million faces. It appears as images from the past or as wordly forms, but it is not the supreme Self.' Then it continues further: 'I am One. I am all of this, yet I am undifferentiated, beyond all forms.'

You have to have a certain understanding to be able to say that I am both manifest, and also the unmanifest and even beyond any category - I am. Listen as though you yourself are speaking these words and then see what happens inside you. Words like these are pushing you back into a place from where you cannot divide. A place earlier than mathematics, earlier than proportions or size, a place earlier than change and differences. What within you comprehends the utterances of this? The ultimate goal of all spiritual striving is to come into the full recognition of the timeless Truth and to merge our own individualized sense of self into the supreme unity or totality.”

“It could be said that the real spiritual journey is from the head to the Heart. However, the Heart does not know any distance or journeys. It is only the head that imagines such things as journeys, trips, tricks and traps. And I am so happy when one sees that one's true Self has always been perfectly happy, peaceful and complete. It is the greatest mystery in the world, but I wonder...for whom?”

“Being here really is just the invitation to rest as Being. There is nothing you have to do. It is not an invitation to become. You will not be scrutinized, nor your actions compared with those of others. That’s just unicorn food. Let your river flow as it pleases. Simply observe and recognize that all is unfolding spontaneously when that inner journalist - the ego - is exposed as myth.”

“Unhappy is just a thought.”

Mukti Gray

1962 - present (usa)

“Awakening doesn’t require physically withdrawing, but it does require a willingness to live a life that’s not centered around grasping for what one wants and pushing away what one doesn’t want. That push-pull movement of desire draws us into illusion and is what obscures our true nature.”

Neem Karoli Baba

ca 1900 - 1973 (india)

“Never put anyone out of your heart.”

“Love everyone, serve everyone, remember God, and tell the truth.”

“Even if a person hurts you, give him love. The worst punishment is to throw someone out of your heart... You should love everyone as God, and love each other. If you cannot love each other, you cannot achieve your goal.”

"The whole universe is our home and all residing in it belong to our family... instead of trying to see God in a particular appearance, it is better to see him in everything."

“See all women as mothers, serve them as your mother. When you see the entire world as the mother, the ego falls away.”

“It is not necessary to meet your guru on the physical plane. The guru is not external.”

Nisargadatta Maharaj

1897 - 1981 (india)

“Love tells me I am everything. Wisdom tells me I’m nothing. Between the two my life flows.”

“When you demand nothing of the world, nor of God, when you want nothing, seek nothing, expect nothing, then the Supreme State will come to you uninvited and unexpected.”

Osho

1931 - 1990 (india)

“Be. Don’t try to become.”

"Remember the emphasis on the heart. The mind lives in doubt, and the heart lives in trust. When you trust, suddenly you become centered." 

“First become alone. First start enjoying yourself. First love yourself. First become so authentically happy that if nobody comes it doesn’t matter; you are full, overflowing. If nobody knocks at your door it is perfectly okay — YOU are not missing. You are not waiting for somebody to come and knock at the door. You are at home. If somebody comes, good, beautiful. If nobody comes, that too is beautiful and good. THEN move into relationship. Now you move like a master, not like a beggar. Now you move like an emperor, not like a beggar. And the person who has lived in his aloneness will always be attracted to another person who is also living his aloneness beautifully, because the same attracts the same. When two masters meet — masters of their being, of their aloneness — happiness is not just added, it is multiplied. It becomes a tremendous Phenomenon of celebration. And they don’t exploit, they share. They don’t use each other. Rather, on the contrary, they both become one and enjoy the existence that surrounds them.”

Pema Chödrön

1936 - present (usa)

“Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all. When there is a big disappointment, we don’t know if that’s the end of the story. It may just be the beginning of a great adventure. Life is like that. We don’t know anything. We call something bad, we call it good. But really we just don’t know.”

“Times are difficult globally; awakening is no longer a luxury or an ideal. It’s becoming critical. We don’t need to add more depression, more discouragement, or more anger to what’s already here. It’s becoming essential that we learn how to relate sanely with difficult times. The earth seems to be beseeching us to connect with joy and discover our innermost essence. This is the best way that we can benefit others.'“

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

1836 - 1886 (india)

“The mind is both the source of your liberation as well as the source of your bondage.”

“Whether you accept the Divine with form or not, if you have the understanding that God is real, then your prayers will be heard. If you don’t believe that God is real, then you’re wasting your time.”

“You tell me, who has the capacity to offer a benefit to the world? Is this world so small that you can benefit it? Who are you who can actually do some benefit to the world? In order to really benefit the world, one must realize God through sadhana. Then you gain Godliness. If she gives you the energy, then you can perform welfare for others. In the absence of divine inspiration it’s impossible.”

Ramana Maharshi

1879 - 1950 (india)

“Let what comes, come. Let what goes, go. See what remains.”

“All that is required is an understanding that the Self is not a goal to be attained, it is merely the awareness that prevails when all the limiting ideas about the not-Self have been discarded.'“

“That which Is, is only One. Some call it Shakti, some Shiva, some Vishnu, some Jesus and some Allah. People give it whatever names they like. What does it matter if the names they give are different? That which Is, is only One.”

“You impose limits on your true nature of infinite being. Then you get displeased to be only a limited creature. Then you begin spiritual practices to transcend these non-existing limits. But if your practice itself implies the existence of these limits, how could they allow you to transcend them. The “I” casts off the illusion of the “I” and yet remains the “I”. Such is the paradox of Self-realization. The Realized do not see any paradox in it. Consider the case of the worshipper. He approaches God and prays to be absorbed in Him. He then surrenders himself in faith and by concentration. And what remains afterwards? In the place of the original “I”, self-surrender leaves a residuum of God in which the “I” is lost. That is the highest form of devotion or surrender and the peak of detachment.”

Q: “Mind always wanders. I cannot control it.”

Maharshi: “It is the nature of the mind to wander. You are not the mind. The mind springs up and sinks down. It is impermanent, transitory, whereas you are eternal. There is nothing but the Self. To inhere in the Self is the thing. Never mind the mind. If its source is sought, it will vanish leaving the Self unaffected.”

Q: “If I am infinite how did I become finite?”

Maharshi: “Analyze your words. You begin with 'I'. Know the 'I' first. If the question persists after that, you may consider it then, but not before.. The Self is here and now and alone. It is not new and something to be acquired. It is natural and permanent. The term 'Self' refers to the unlimited, the infinite Self; do not limit its meaning. ... The Self is eternally realized. If it were not eternal it would have to have a beginning. What begins must have an end, and is only transient. There is no use in seeking a temporary condition. The fact is that it is the state of effortless, alert peace. Effortlessness while remaining aware is the Bliss state.”

Visitor: “What is meant by Self-realisation? Materialists say there is no such thing as God or Self.”

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi said, “Never mind what the materialists or others say; and don’t bother about Self or God. Do you exist or not? What is your idea of yourself? What do you mean by ‘I’?”

The visitor said he did not understand by ‘I’ his body, but something within his body.

Thereupon, Bhagavan continued, “You concede ‘I’ is not the body but something within it. See then from whence the ‘I’ arises within the body. See whether it arises and disappears, or is always present. You will admit there is an ‘I’ which emerges as soon as you wake up, sees the body, the world and all else, and ceases to exist when you sleep; and that there is another ‘I’ which exists apart from the body, independently of it, and which alone is with you when the body and the world do not exist for you, as for instance in sleep. Then ask yourself if you are not the same ‘I’ during sleep and during the other states. Are there two ‘I’s? You are the same one person always. Now, which can be real, the ‘I’ which comes and goes, or the ‘I’ which always abides? Then you will know that you are the Self. This is called Self-realization. Self-realization is not however a state which is foreign to you, which is far from you, and which has to be reached by you. You are always in that state. You forget it, and identify yourself with the mind and its creation. To cease to identify yourself with the mind is all that is required. We have so long identified ourselves with the not-Self that we find it difficult to regard ourselves as the Self. Giving up this identification with the not-Self is all that is meant by Self-realization. How to realize, i.e., make real, the Self? We have realized, i.e., regarded as real, what is unreal, the not-Self. To give up such false realization is Self-realization.”

“We will know in due course that our glory lies where we cease to exist.”

“Your mind is the cycle of births and deaths.”

Ram Dass

1931 - 2019 (usa)

“I am loving awareness”

“The way we regard death is critical to the way we experience life. When your fear of death changes, the way you life your life changes.”

“You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. Your shortcomings, your lack of self-esteem, physical perfection, or social and economic success - none of that matters. No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be here.”

“Our journey is about being more deeply involved in Life and yet less attached to it.”

“Our whole spiritual transformation brings us to the point where we realize that in our own being, we are enough.”

“Humor is reflected in the tiny upturn in the mouth of the Buddha, for he sees the humor in the universal predicament: all beings are lost in illusion, yet he knows that they will awaken from that illusion for they are, at heart, already enlightened. He knows that what seems so hard to them is from another perspective their own path to liberation.”