Self is ever evident-Like fruit in your hand

Today I present one of the most Profound and my personal favourite text called ‘Hastamalaka Stotra‘. Hastamalaka(name given later by Adi Shankaracharya) was 8th Century CE disciple of Adi Shankara and the first Jagat Guru of Dwarka Petham.

When Shankara, the Guru of the world, was travelling in the western parts of India and overcoming in debate the expounders of the various schools of thought, he once came to a village known as Srivali. When a brahmin inhabitant of the village named Prabhakara heard about his arrival he went to him with his thirteen year old son. He prostrated before Sankara and made his son also prostrate. He then explained that the boy had been dumb from his childhood, that he had no likes and dislikes, nor a sense of honour and dishonour, and that he was completely inactive. The Guru then raised the boy up and asked him as follows in a cheerful tone:

1.   `Who are you? Whose child are you? Whither are you bound? What is your name? Whence have you come? Oh Child! I should like to hear your reply to these questions. Thus spoke Sri Shankaracharya to the boy, and Hastamalaka replied as follows.

Siddhas say…

On Realizing Me, nothing remains to be gained and nothing to lose, nothing more to realize or know because I am beyond Knowledge & Ignorance, I am that Light which is beyond Lightness and Darkness – Bhagwat Gita

Siddhas say…

He that is in man is the same as He that is in the Sun – Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi

Siddhas say…

That which permeates all, which nothing transcends and which, like the universal space around us, fills everything completely from within and without, that Supreme non-dual Brahman — that thou art. – Sankaracharya

That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings, who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being– I am that. – Amritbindu Upanishad

Siddhas say…

Q: May one have more than one spiritual master?
A: Who is a master? He is the Self after all. According to the stages of development of the mind the Self manifests as the master externally. The famous ancient saint Dattatreya said that he had more than twenty-four masters. The master is one from whom one learns anything. The Guru may be sometimes inanimate also, as in the case of Dattatreya. God, Guru and the Self are identical.
A spiritually-minded man thinks that God is all-pervading and takes God for his Guru. Later, God brings him in contact with a personal Guru and the man recognises him as all in all. Lastly the same man is made by the grace of the master to feel that his Self is the reality and nothing else. Thus he finds that the Self is the master.

– Ramana Maharishi

Siddhas say…

Sadhak: Baba When does one attain liberation?
Babaji: When your Mind liberates you.

Siddhas say…

Q: In what sense is happiness or bliss (ananda) our real nature?

A: Perfect bliss is Brahman. Perfect peace is of the Self. That alone exists and is consciousness. That which is called happiness is only the nature of Self; Self is not other than perfect happiness. That which is called happiness alone exists. Knowing that fact and abiding in the state of Self, enjoy bliss eternally. -Ramana Maharishi

Siddhas say…

You are the Self, the All pervading Self that is Beyond and also within its creation-The Universe at the same time. You are in every matter whether visible or not of the Universe. Being so in the Body in the form of consciousness, you experience the body and over the period of ages(janams) you have come to feel you are the Body-This is a samskar. One of the most primordial samskar. Now when the body gets slapped by someone, irrespective of what the body feels, you-the consciousness, which feels that it is the body, cries, gets angry, shouts, etc. This is misery, albeit a false one  as the body feels only as long as you are in it. Hold on. Realise, that you are the Self and not the body.- You have to remove this ignorance that you are the body or the ego. This is Self Realization. Knowing the Truth- The Nameless One

Siddhas say…

The process/act of Self Realization is actually the process of acquiring the knowledge(Realization of) that you are the Self. There is no new Self that is obtained as you are already that. Thus it is called jnana(knowledge). – Raman Maharishi