This text was written by Ray Lawson from Canada after satsangs with Sri Brahmam

1. The breath, sound and mind arise from the Self itself – our own formless Self. We are having this birth through the Grace of God.

2. Our life flow is going very naturally and properly by the Grace of God. It is according to his will and guidance; so don’t try to interrupt it. Be Quiet.

3. Even though we try to enrich and plan our lives, they take their own course according to God’s guidance. If it is to be the case, there will not be any further destiny and if we live according to God’s guidance, this may be our final birth. If, however, we interrupt the flow of our life, or if we think that we are the doer – it will not be our final birth.

4. The Arunachala Hill is the origin of the Universe. According to Lord Arunachala as well as Ramana it is the only Guru of the Universe. Ramana never moved from Arunachala because it is the base of the Universe and it is the Self. The great Self attracted many ripened souls because Arunachala is the God and Guru. The Hill is the heart of Lord Arunachala and from the Hill the power of the Self is transmitted throughout the world to all deities and creatures.

5. The practices we do such as japa, meditation and yoga occur through effort and are only thoughts. They do purify the mind but the mind is the obstacle which is in the illusion and thus is unaware of our own Self. Remove the obstacle and we will have pure consciousness – this is the Self. By questioning, ‚Who am I?‘, the mind can look for its root. To get that Peace is possible only by the Grace of an Enlightened Guru.

6. After getting the Grace of the Self – Guru, we can easily observe our strengths and weaknesses and our mind with detachment. We are not able ourselves to change our destiny, to remove our tendencies and the mind. The Grace which is entering into us is doing it. Our own effort will never do all these things. Our job is not to escape from this, only to keep quiet while Grace is working.

7. Our own practice is simply being or seeing. Seeing means observing the mind with Peace – which is the boon given by the Guru.

8. Observing the mind means we just observe our thoughts, but don’t run with them. If while observing the flow of thoughts you see any attachment to a thought (any joy or desire or worries), then either ask ‚To Whom?‘, or observe the thought very keenly. According to the Self – Guru, when we ask this question or when we keenly observe the thought, the ego will drop the thought and will subside into the Self and there will be no way for the thought to continue. By observing the mind with Awareness and Peace in this way, the mind will be removed. Only the ego will remain without thoughts and it can also be dissolved.

9. With Peace and Awareness just observe the ego. Then the Self will surround the ego and will remove our tendencies and destiny. The ego will become weaker and weaker without the creation of new tendencies and finally will be killed by the Self. Then the ego and the covering will be removed by the Self and we will Realize the Self.

10.Effort is the nature of ego and Awareness is the nature of the Self. So while observing the mind with Awareness and Peace, the natural processes operate effortlessly with ‚effortless effort‘, then the job of the Self is only to remove the mind. When we observe the mind with Awareness and Peace, the mind will be removed, otherwise it will grow. Without effort there is no Grace and without Grace there is no effort. After receiving Grace just observe and don’t make effort. It is a natural process. Don’t look at the world, just look inside. Without the Grace, this is not possible. The blessing of the Self-Guru activates the Self in us and then observation happens naturally and effortlessly.

11.Our practice is simply to be still, that is to say, to quieten our mind and to be peaceful. Then if any thought arises, question, ‚To Whom?‘, and the thought will dissolve. This works only when the mind is quiet. If no thought arises, simply rest in peace. Thus we are either observing or being. Be natural and peaceful. Accept what comes to us because God will know what we need. Rest in the Heart while living in the world.

Sit quietly for 30 minutes in the morning and evening. Observe the mind before sleep and after waking up. Look at Ramana’s eyes for 15 minutes each day.