What is called the world is only thought. —Ramana Maharshi

[I]

THE STUDENT

1. Who makes my mind think?

Who fills my body with vitality?

Who causes my tongue to speak? Who is that

Invisible one who sees through my eyes

And hears through my ears?

THE TEACHER

2. The Self is the ear of the ear,

The eye of the eye, the mind of the mind,

The word of words, the life of life.

Rising above the senses and the mind

And renouncing separate existence,

The wise realize the deathless Self.

3. Him our eyes cannot see, nor words express;

He cannot be grasped even by the mind. 

We do not know, we cannot understand.

4. Because he is different from the known

And he is different from the unknown.

Thus we have heard from the illumined ones.

5. That which makes the tongue speak but cannot be

Spoken by the tongue, know that as the Self.

This Self is not someone other than you.

6. That which makes the mind think, but cannot be 

Thought by the mind, that is the Self indeed.

This Self is not someone other than you.

7. That which makes the eye see but cannot be

Seen by the eye, that is the Self indeed.

This Self is not someone other than you.

8. That which makes the ear hear but cannot be

Heard by the ear, that is the Self indeed.

This Self is not someone other than you.

9. That which makes you draw breath but cannot be

Drawn by your breath, that is the Self indeed.

This Self is not someone other than you.

The Katha Upanishad
Eknath Easwaran version, excerpts

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You are not what you think yourself to be, I assure you.

The image you have of yourself is made up from memories and is purely accidental.


—Nisargadatta Maharaj


 

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