Many wonder about the nature of the mind. Here is an excerpt from ‘Who Am I’, a little book with questions put to Sri Ramana Maharshi and his answers:

“What is the nature of the mind?”

“What is called the ‘mind’ is a wondrous power residing in the Self. It causes all thoughts to arise. Apart from thoughts, there is no such thing as mind. Therefore, thought is the nature of mind. Apart from thoughts, there is no independent entity called the world. In deep sleep there are thoughts, and there is no world. In the states of waking and dream, there are thoughts, and there is world also.

Just as the spider emits the thread (of the web) out of itself and again withdraws it into itself, likewise the mind projects the world out of itself and again resolves it into itself.”

Watch a video with Ram Dass and others, talking about the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi.

One of the main tenets of the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi is non-identification with the body. This is one of the requirements leading to spiritual awakening and discovering who you really are.

I was browsing yesterday through the book ‘Living By The Words of Bhagavan’ by David Godman, and came across something interesting that Sri Ramana Maharshi said about non-identification with the body.

“If you were to take your complaints against mosquitoes to a court of law, the mosquitoes would win the case. Their dharma (the rules that they live by) is to bite and sting. They are teaching you that you are not the body. You object to their to their stings only because you identify with the body.”

From Who Am I?
The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi

What is called ‘mind’ is a wondrous power residing in the Self. It causes all thoughts to arise. Apart from thoughts, there is no such thing as mind. Therefore, thought is the nature of mind.

Apart from thoughts, there is no independent entity called the world. In deep sleep there are no thoughts, and there is no world. In the states of waking and dream, there are thoughts, and there is a world also.

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