Dr. M.H. Syed writes:
What does the modern science say? In his book, The Limitations of Science, J.W.N. Sullivan says:
"There is also the hypothesis held by a few distinguished scientists that life as old as matter,
and in that sense, has had no origin." Further, the same author says in his Bases of Modern Science:
"It is quite possible that the actual substance of the Universe, is mental, that the stuff of events
is similar percepts. The fact that a piece of matter has been reduced by the theory of relativity to
a system of events, that it is no longer regarding as the enduring stuff of the world, makes
the hypothesis that the "physical" and the "mental" are essentially similar, very possible."
In this respect, the words of the Maharshi are crystal clear. In Who am I?, He says:
"Nor is there any such thing as the physical world apart from and independent of thought....
Just as the spider draws out the thread of the cobweb from within itself and withdrawn it again
onto itself, the mind projects the world and absorbs it back into itself."
That is the metaphysical basis of Bhagavan Ramana's philosophy, which we see is quite in harmony
with the trend of modern scientific thought. Bow how does He solve the moral problem of good
and evil? Does He simply etherealize all evil and deny the problem? No. The real Master that He is,
the Maharshi you: "All the evil lies in you in the form of the ego. Endeavour first to eradicate it,
instead of probing into the evil you see in others. As you are, so is the world."
It is a hard precept to practice, hard, indeed, even to accept, unless you have the purity of heart,
and understanding, without which, however, no spiritual endeavor is at all possible. In a few lines,
the Sage tells you the attitude that you should adopt towards the external world, in which, in fact,
is not external to your mind. In Who am I?, He says:
"There are no two minds, one good and the other evil. It is only the vasanas or tendencies of the
mind that are of two kinds, good and favorable, evil and unfavorable. When associated with the
latter, it is called evil-mind. However evil-minded others may appear to you, it is not proper to
hate and despise them. Likes and dislikes, love and hatred -- are equally to be eschewed.
It is also not proper to let the mind often rest on objects and affairs of mundane life. As far as
possible, one should not interfere in the affairs of others. Everything offered to others is really an
offering to oneself. And if only this truth is realized, who is there that could refuse anything to others?"
The Sage abides in the transcendent state of mindlessness. He is a trigunatita. For a description
of this transcendental state of Absolute Being, untouched by good and evil, I cannot do better than
quote the learned words of Dr. Bhagavan Das (Science of Peace): "The knower of Brahman knows
that there is no ruthless cruelty, no nightmarish agony of helplessness in it, for, at every moment,
each condition is essentially volunatary, the product of the utterly free will of the Self (and therefore of all selves), which there is none else to bend and curb in any way, the will that is truly liberated from all bondage.
He knows, He cognizes Brahman. And looking on all selves as Himself, desiring their happiness as He labors for His own, He realizes and is Brahman. Such a one is truly Mukta, free from all fearful bonds of doubt.
He knows He is Absolute, the Self absolved from all the limitations of the non-self. To Him belongs the everlasting Peace!
(Source: Arunachala's Ramana, Boundless Ocean of Grace, Volume 6. Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.)
Arunachala Siva.