Ramana Maharshi on overcoming Lust, Anger, Grief

Ramana Maharshi on overcoming Lust, Anger, Grief

Question : How is the mind to dive into the Heart?
Ramana Maharshi : The mind now sees itself diversified as the universe. If the diversity is not manifest it remains in its own essence, that is the Heart. Entering the Heart means remaining without distractions. The Heart is the only Reality. The mind is only a transient phase. To remain as one’s Self is to enter the Heart. Because a man identifies himself with the body he sees the world separate from him. This wrong identification arises because he has lost his
moorings and has swerved from his original state.

He is now advised to give up all these false ideas, to trace back his source and remain as the Self. In that state, there are no differences. No questions will arise. All the sastras are meant only to make the man retrace his steps to the original source. He need not gain anything new. He must only give up his false ideas and useless accretions. Instead of doing it he tries to catch hold of something strange and mysterious because he believes that his happiness lies elsewhere. That is the mistake.

If one remains as the Self there is bliss. Probably he thinks that being quiet does not bring about the state of bliss. That is due to his ignorance. The only practice is to find out “to whom these questions arise.”

Question : How to control lust, anger, etc.?
Ramana Maharshi : Whose are these passions? Find out. If you remain as the Self, there will be found to be nothing apart from the Self. Then there will be no need to control, etc.

Question : If a person whom we love dies, grief results. Shall we avoid such grief by either loving all alike or by not loving at all?
Ramana Maharshi : If one dies, it results in grief for the other who lives. The way to get rid of grief is not to live. Kill the one who grieves. Who will remain then to suffer? The ego must die. That is the only way. The two alternatives amount to the same state. When all have become the one Self, who is there to be loved or hated?