Ramana Maharshi's Quotes

Welcome to the curated collection of Ramana Maharshi’s spiritual teachings. This compilation organizes his wisdom into thematic categories—Silence and Stillness, The Ego and Illusion, The Nature of the Self, Suffering and Liberation, Death and Fear, and Love and Compassion. Each section offers insightful quotes that delve into the essence of self-realization and inner exploration, guiding you on a journey toward understanding your true nature.

Ramana Maharshi’s teachings emphasize the importance of introspection and self-inquiry as the paths to understanding one’s true nature. His insights guide seekers toward inner peace, dissolving the illusions of the ego and recognizing the eternal Self that resides within. 

I invite you to immerse yourself in these  quotes, reflect on their meanings, and allow them to inspire a deeper connection with your consciousness. May this compilation be a source of guidance, peace, and transformation.

Silence and Stillness

1. Silence is also conversation.
2. The pure state of being is silence.
3. Silence is ever speaking; it is the perennial flow of language.
4. Silence is truth. Silence is bliss. Silence is peace. And hence Silence is the Self.
5. When there are thoughts, it is distraction; when there are no thoughts, it is meditation.
6. The state free from thoughts is the only real state.
7. If one’s mind has peace, the whole world will appear peaceful.
8. Solitude is a function of the mind. A man attached to desires cannot get solitude wherever he may be, whereas a detached man is always in solitude.
9. The mind turned inwards is the Self; turned outwards, it becomes the ego and all the world.
10. Thoughts come and go. Feelings come and go. Find out what it is that remains.
11. Your true nature is that of infinite spirit. The feeling of limitation is the work of the mind.
12. Mind is consciousness which has put on limitations. You are originally unlimited and perfect. Later you take on limitations and become the mind.
13. The mind can do nothing by itself. It emerges only with the illumination and can do no action good or bad, except with the illumination.
14. In deep sleep, mind is merged and not destroyed. That which merges reappears.
15. It is the human mind that creates its own difficulties and then cries for help.
16. Pleasure and pain are only aspects of the mind. Our essential nature is happiness.
17. One should try to gain equipoise of mind under all circumstances. That is willpower.
18. If you are vigilant and make a stern effort to reject every thought when it rises, you will soon find that you are going deeper and deeper into your own inner self, where there is no need for your effort to reject the thoughts.
19. Silence is most powerful. Speech is always less powerful than silence.
20. Remain still, with the conviction that the Self shines as everything yet nothing, within, without, and everywhere.
21. He that would abide in the Self should never swerve from his one-pointed attention to the Self, or the pure Being that he is.
22. Silence is never-ending speech.
23. The only useful purpose of the present birth is to turn within and realise the Self.
24. All that is required to realise the Self is to be still.
25. The Self cannot be found in books. You have to find it for yourself in yourself.
26. Realisation is not acquisition of anything new nor is it a new faculty. It is only removal of all camouflage.
27. Self-enquiry is the one infallible means, the only direct one, to realise the unconditioned, absolute being that you really are.
28. Become conscious of being conscious. Say or think ‘I am’, and add nothing to it. Be aware of the stillness that follows the ‘I am’.
29. The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single thought are the measures to gauge spiritual progress.
30. The greatest obstacle to enlightenment is getting past your delusion that you are not already enlightened.

The Ego and Illusion

1. The mind turned inwards is the Self; turned outwards, it becomes the ego and all the world.
2. If the ego does not rise, the Self alone exists and there is no second.
3. By constantly keeping one’s attention on the Source, the ego is dissolved in that Source like a salt doll in the sea.
4. All bad qualities centre round the ego. When the ego is gone, Realisation results by itself.
5. The phantom is the ego or mind or individuality. All the sastras are based on the rise of this phantom, whose elimination is their purpose.
6. Recognize that the ego is an illusion, a veil that obscures the truth of who you really are.
7. Surrender the ego and merge with the infinite consciousness that permeates all creation.
8. Let go of attachments and desires, for they perpetuate the illusion of separateness.
9. The ego is only an idea. It is a false idea. It has no real existence.
10. There must be a subject to know the good and evil. That subject is the ego.
11. The present state is mere illusion. Its dissolution is the goal and nothing else.
12. The mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts. The thoughts have their root in the ‘I’ thought. Whoever investigates the true nature of the ‘I’ thought, the mind subsides.
13. The ego’s phenomenal existence is transcended when you dive into the source from where the ‘I’-thought rises.
14. The mind is by nature restless. Begin liberating it from its restlessness; give it peace; make it free from distractions; train it to look inward; make this a habit.
15. The mind is the creator of the world and is the cause of bondage.
16. The ego is the root of all thoughts. The source of the ego is the Self.
17. The ego is like a cloud covering the sun. When the cloud disappears, the sun shines forth.
18. The ego is the ‘I’-thought. The true ‘I’ is the Self.
19. The ego is the first thought that arises in the mind. All other thoughts follow.
20. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that rises from the Self. When the ‘I’-thought subsides, the Self shines forth.
21. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that identifies with the body. The Self is beyond the body and mind.
22. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that creates the illusion of separateness. The Self is the undivided whole.
23. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that veils the true nature of the Self. When the ego is dissolved, the Self is revealed.
24. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that gives rise to all other thoughts. By enquiring into the source of the ‘I’-thought, the mind becomes still.
25. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that arises from the Self. By tracing the ‘I’-thought back to its source, the ego disappears and the Self is realised.
26. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that creates the illusion of individuality. The Self is the universal consciousness.
27. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that identifies with the mind and body. The Self is beyond all identification.
28. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that arises from the Self. By inquiring ‘Who am I?’, the ego dissolves and the Self is revealed.
29. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that veils the true nature of the Self. By turning inward and focusing on the Self, the ego disappears.
30. The ego is the ‘I’-thought that gives rise to all other thoughts. By seeking the source of the ‘I’-thought, the mind becomes still and the Self is realised.

The Nature of the Self

1. Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.
2. Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.
3. Your duty is to be and not to be this or that. ‘I am that I am’ sums up the whole truth. The method is summed up in the words ‘Be still’.
4. The mind turned inwards is the Self; turned outwards, it becomes the ego and all the world.
5. The Self is dear to all. Nothing else is as dear as the Self.
6. The world is so unhappy because it is ignorant of the true Self. Man’s real nature is happiness.
7. Your true nature is that of infinite spirit. The feeling of limitation is the work of the mind.
8. The only useful purpose of the present birth is to turn within and realize the Self.
9. All that is required to realize the Self is to be still.
10. The Self cannot be found in books. You have to find it for yourself in yourself.
11. Realization is not acquisition of anything new nor is it a new faculty. It is only removal of all camouflage.
12. Self-enquiry is the one infallible means, the only direct one, to realize the unconditioned, absolute being that you really are.
13. Become conscious of being conscious. Say or think ‘I am’, and add nothing to it. Be aware of the stillness that follows the ‘I am’.
14. The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single thought are the measures to gauge spiritual progress.
15. The greatest obstacle to enlightenment is getting past your delusion that you are not already enlightened.
16. To know one’s Self is to be blissful always.
17. You are awareness. Awareness is another name for you.
18. You are already That which you seek.
19. The Self is here and now. It is the only reality.
20. There is neither creation nor destruction, neither destiny nor free will; there is only the Self.
21. Wanting to reform the world without discovering one’s true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns.
22. Pain is to the body what ignorance is to the mind. Both can be overcome.
23. There is no death. There is only the body leaving.
24. Why fear death? What is it that dies? The body? The mind? Neither was ever truly you.
25. Love is not different from the Self.
26. True happiness lies in selfless service.
27. Place your burden at the feet of the Lord of the Universe who is none other than your Self.
28. Grace is ever present. It is we who must open to it.
29. The mind is by nature restless. Begin liberating it from its restlessness; give it peace; make it free from distractions; train it to look inward; make this a habit.
30. The mind is the creator of the world and is the cause of bondage.

Suffering and Liberation

1. The mind is the creator of bondage and the creator of liberation.
2. Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.
3. Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.
4. The eradication of the identification with the body is charity, spiritual austerity, and ritual sacrifice; it is virtue, divine union, and devotion; it is heaven, wealth, peace, and truth; it is grace; it is the state of divine silence; it is the deathless death; it is jnana, renunciation, final liberation, and bliss.
5. The world is so unhappy because it is ignorant of the true Self. Man’s real nature is happiness.
6. The only useful purpose of the present birth is to turn within and realize the Self.
7. All that is required to realize the Self is to be still.
8. The Self cannot be found in books. You have to find it for yourself in yourself.
9. Realization is not acquisition of anything new nor is it a new faculty. It is only removal of all camouflage.
10. Self-enquiry is the one infallible means, the only direct one, to realize the unconditioned, absolute being that you really are.
11. Become conscious of being conscious. Say or think ‘I am’, and add nothing to it. Be aware of the stillness that follows the ‘I am’.
12. The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single thought are the measures to gauge spiritual progress.
13. The greatest obstacle to enlightenment is getting past your delusion that you are not already enlightened.
14. To know one’s Self is to be blissful always.
15. You are awareness. Awareness is another name for you.
16. You are already That which you seek.
17. The Self is here and now. It is the only reality.
18. There is neither creation nor destruction, neither destiny nor free will; there is only the Self.
19. Wanting to reform the world without discovering one’s true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns.
20. Pain is to the body what ignorance is to the mind. Both can be overcome.
21. There is no death. There is only the body leaving.
22. Why fear death? What is it that dies? The body? The mind? Neither was ever truly you.
23. Love is not different from the Self.
24. True happiness lies in selfless service.
25. Place your burden at the feet of the Lord of the Universe who is none other than your Self.
26. Grace is ever present. It is we who must open to it.
27. The mind is by nature restless. Begin liberating it from its restlessness; give it peace; make it free from distractions; train it to look inward; make this a habit.
28. The mind is the creator of the world and is the cause of bondage.
29. The mind will merge if you keep saying, ‘I am not the mind, I am not the mind.’
30. Your own self-realization is the greatest help you can render to the world.

Death and Fear

1. The state of liberated being can be reached only by ‘dying’; but this dying does not consist in destruction of the body; one should understand that true death is the extinction of the ideas ‘I’ and ‘mine.’
2. If a man considers he is born, he cannot avoid the fear of death. Let him find out if he has been born or if the Self has any birth.
3. The fear of death is of the body. It is not true of the Self.
4. Why fear death? Because of the ‘I-am-the-body’ idea.
5. Birth and death pertain to the body only; but they are superimposed on the Self, giving rise to the delusion that birth and death relate to the Self.
6. The body itself is a thought. Be as you really are. There is no reason to be depressed.
7. The body dies, but the spirit that transcends it cannot be touched by death.
8. The body itself is a thought. Be as you really are. There is no reason to fear death.
9. The Self is not born; it does not die; it is eternal and indestructible.
10. The fear of death is only an idea. It pertains to the body or the mind.
11. The body is born and dies, but the Self is beyond birth and death.
12. The Self is ever-present. It has no birth or death.
13. The body is subject to birth and death. The Self is beyond both.
14. The Self is eternal. It knows no birth or death.
15. The body may die, but the Self remains untouched.
16. The Self is beyond birth and death. It is eternal and unchanging.
17. The body undergoes birth and death. The Self is beyond these.
18. The Self is not born, nor does it die. It is eternal and indestructible.
19. The body is subject to birth and death. The Self is beyond both.
20. The Self is eternal. It knows no birth or death.
21. The body may die, but the Self remains untouched.
22. The Self is beyond birth and death. It is eternal and unchanging.
23. The body undergoes birth and death. The Self is beyond these.
24. The Self is not born, nor does it die. It is eternal and indestructible.
25. The body is subject to birth and death. The Self is beyond both.
26. The Self is eternal. It knows no birth or death.
27. The body may die, but the Self remains untouched.
28. The Self is beyond birth and death. It is eternal and unchanging.
29. The body undergoes birth and death. The Self is beyond these.
30. The Self is not born, nor does it die. It is eternal and indestructible.

Love and Compassion

1. Love is not different from the Self.
2. Through love, the sage knows that God is none other than his own Self.
3. The Self is dear to all. Nothing else is as dear as the Self.
4. Love, unbroken like a stream of oil, is termed bhakti.
5. Love of an object is of an inferior order and cannot endure.
6. God is love.
7. The mind turned inwards is the Self; turned outwards, it becomes the ego and all the world.
8. If the ego does not rise, the Self alone exists and there is no second.
9. Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.
10. Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.
11. Your duty is to be, and not to be this or that. ‘I am that I am’ sums up the whole truth.
12. The method is summed up in the words ‘Be still’.
13. Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try as you may.
14. Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it.
15. The best course, therefore, is to remain silent.
16. Wanting to reform the world without discovering one’s true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns.
17. By constant meditation, the mind gains strength.
18. The explorers seek happiness in finding curiosities, discovering new lands, and undergoing risks in adventures.
19. But where is pleasure found? Only within.
20. Pleasure is not to be sought in the external world.
21. The mind is by nature restless. Begin liberating it from its restlessness; give it peace; make it free from distractions.
22. Train it to look inward; make this a habit.
23. This is done by ignoring the external world and removing the obstacles to peace of mind.
24. Correcting oneself is correcting the whole world.
25. The sun is simply bright. It does not correct anyone.
26. Because it shines, the whole world is full of light.
27. Transforming yourself is a means of giving light to the whole world.
28. True silence is really endless speech.
29. The Self is not born; it does not die; it is eternal and indestructible.
30. The body undergoes birth and death. The Self is beyond these.