When we expand our concept of the heart to see it as Heart with a capital “H”, and give it the meaning as Ramana Maharshi does below, today’s verse becomes very clear. This statement by Ramana: “The ‘I-less’ Supreme Brahman – which shines in all bodies as interior to the light in the form ‘I’ – is the Self-ether…” shows that Ramana experienced light in the form “I” and also a light that is interior to that light. I understand his meaning to be that what common language usage takes to be “I” is actually of the light from the Heart, but is a diminutive of it, and the Absolute Reality is the source of that light. When we say that we are living from the heart, we actually mean living from the Heart, which is living connected to that Absolute Reality more and more and less emphasis on the illusory small self.
16. Love cannot be made. Love flows naturally from the heart and the heart is forever one with Infinite Love ♥
Visitor: “How can it be said that the Heart is no other than Brahman?”
Ramana Maharshi : “Although the self enjoys its experiences in the states of waking, dream, and deep sleep, residing respectively in the eyes, throat and Heart, in reality, however, it never leaves its principal seat, the Heart. In the Heart-lotus which is of the nature of all, in other words in the mind-ether, the light of that Self in the form ‘I’ shines. As it shines thus in everybody, this very Self is referred to as the witness (sakshi) and the transcendent (turiya, literally the fourth). The ‘I-less’ Supreme Brahman which shines in all bodies as interior to the light in the form ‘I’ – is the Self-ether (or knowledge-ether): that alone is the Absolute Reality. This is the super-transcendent (turiyatita). Therefore, it is stated that what is called the Heart is no other than Brahman. Moreover, for the reason that Brahman shines in the hearts of all souls as the Self, the name ‘Heart’ is given to Brahman. The meaning of the word hridayam, when split thus ‘hrit-ayam’, is in fact Brahman. The adequate evidence for the fact that Brahman, which shines as the Self, resides in the hearts of all is that all people indicate themselves by pointing to the chest when saying ‘I’.”
“In the Hearts of all individual souls, that which shines is Brahman and hence is called the Heart” — Brahma Gita
~~~
Visitor: How is one to know that in the Heart the Self itself shines as Brahman?
Ramana Maharshi: Just as the elemental ether within the flame of a lamp is known to fill without any difference and without any limit both the inside and the outside of the flame, so also the knowledge ether that is within the Self-light in the Heart fills without any difference and without any limit both the inside and the outside of that Self-light. This is what is referred to as Brahman.
~~~
Visitor: “How do the three states of experience, the three bodies, etc., which are imaginations, appear in the Self-light which is one, unitary and self-luminous? Even if they should appear, how is one to know that the Self alone remains ever unmoving?”
Ramana Maharshi (made the above diagram and responded): “The Self which is the lamp (1) shines of its own accord in the inner chamber, i.e., the causal body (7) that is endowed with nescience as the inner wall (4) and sleep as the door (2); when by the vital principle as conditioned by time, karma, etc., the sleep-door is opened, there occurs a reflection of the Self in the egoity-mirror (5) that is placed next to the doorstep — mahat tattva (3); the egoity-mirror thus illumines the middle chamber, i.e., the dream state (8), and, through the windows which are the five cognitive sense-organs (6), the outer court, i.e., the waking state (9). When, again, by the vital principle as conditioned by time, karma, etc., the sleep-door gets shut, the egoity ceases along with waking and dream, and the Self alone ever shines. The example just given explains how the Self is unmoving, how there is difference between the Self and the egoity and how the three states of experience, the three bodies, etc., appear.”
(Ramana Maharshi , Self-Enquiry)
Related articles
- Fleeting Moments of Bliss a Sign of the Times (goldenageofgaia.com)
- How to Live in Peace with Yourself – Ramana – B4Peace (newearthpulse.wordpress.com)
- The Essential Teachings of Ramana Maharishi (evolutionarymystic.wordpress.com)
New Earth Heartbeat 
Pingback: Spiritual Realization – The Inward Journey | heartflow2013
Dankeschön !
some reflections I want to share:
How to describe the indescribable ?
turiya as described in Verse 6+7 of Mandukya-Upanishad
from http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/mand/Mandukya_Upanishad.pdf
6. This is the Lord of All; the Omniscient; the Indwelling Controller; the Source of All. This is the beginning and end of all beings.
7. That is known as the fourth quarter: neither inward-turned nor outward-turned consciousness, nor the two together; not an indifferentiated mass of consciousness; neither knowing, nor unknowing; invisible, ineffable, intangible, devoid of characteristics, inconceivable, indefinable, its sole essence being the consciousness of its own Self; the coming to rest of all relative existence; utterly quiet; peaceful; blissful: without a second: this is the Ātman, the Self; this is to be realised.
words = labels = form bound consciousness
“The ‘I-less’ Supreme Brahman – which …shines… in all bodies as interior to the light in the form ‘I’ – is the Self-ether…”
…shines… = first focusing (zooming in/concentration) of unbound source consciousness and by this, creating/manifesting the first source “I” form, which is common to ALL, where ALL are ONE
Hridayam (the Heart [not the physical], which is the real Self)
hrit-padma (‘heart lotus’)
Hrit padma-the Sacred Heart Chakra
Thank you Stefan, for these expanders on this topic which is impossible, of course, to fathom just using words. I often see for myself that the words of the sages are like “jump-off points” that enable me or inspire me to my own deeper direct perception. Thank you for the link to the pdf of Swami Krishnanada, whom I admire as an excellent source of inspiration and illumination. My first teacher, Sri Rajagopalan, spent time in his youth at the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh and related several key experiences he had during that time. I still see myself traveling there one day 🙂 Hari Om!
Yes, and how fortunate Ramana came down from the caves! We have his life as an example and the shining photos of his luminous eyes. That is so much! So many beings have come to Ramana, these teachings by those photos – Self-Reflections. Thanks Tomas!
I had a dream about 10 months ago in which Ramana stood with me on the side of a mountain (Arunachala?) and said to me “Take me down there” – I understood that he meant for his spirit to be spread out into the world today at this time… 🙂
The dynamic set up between “Visitor” and Ramana – carries their conversation along and helps convey the message. Nice approach.
Thanks! Much of what we know of Ramana is in this form as conversations were recorded by some of the devotees in shorthand.
I made up the saying, ‘BE the light you already’ are when I first started blogging. The things you write about I know inside me and verbalize as you already know. So every time I read your blogs, which affirm what is in my heart already, I just get so very excited. I really do. Thank you Tomas, Thank you.
You are very welcome, Dear Sheri ~ so much of what Ramana spoke about is now our own inner knowledge. I, too, find such confirmation in his (and others’) words. The ancient scriptures spoke of what we are now experiencing, whereas for centuries these things were seen as highly “esoteric”. We live in a magical time indeed!