Inner Truth: Self Realisation is the Easiest Thing

Ramana Maharishi declared “Atma gnanam ati sulabam,” which means, self-realisation is the easiest thing in the existence. It is not difficult. What difficult things do you have to do to experience what is within you? It is just that you are willing and unwilling at the same time. The struggle is yours.  You have just chosen a path like this. 

Suppose you wanted to go to the room next door. If you knew the geography of the building, you would simply turn the right way and walk into the room. But if all you have is enthusiasm and you have no clue as to how to get to the room, you might go around the world and come through the window. You can get to the room that way too. It is also one way of making the journey, but it is a foolish thing to do. And who knows what impediments may eat you up during this round-the-world trip. A few centuries ago, out of the many thousands of people who set off on expeditions from Europe to find India, most of them got wiped out on the oceans. Only one Vasco Da Gama made it. So if you go around the world to get to the next room, the chances of you getting there are remote. 

To get to the room next door, you need to turn around. If you don’t turn around, it is like, suppose your own shadow is in front of you, but you don’t want this darkness in your life; you want to overtake it. So initially you walk fast, but still the shadow walks faster than you. Then you run, but it runs faster than you. You run and you run, but it runs faster and faster. If you continue this way, you will definitely drive yourself nuts. If you just turn around, the shadow will be behind you. That’s all it takes. But you don’t want to turn around, you just want to go the same way and get there. It is possible that way also, but it is a round-the-world trip. Hopefully you will come awake, turn around and make it very simple and easy.

The author is a yogi, mystic and founder of the Isha Foundation. www.ishafoundation.org

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