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Destruction Of I am The Body Delusion – Sri Ramana Maharshi

Learning, listening, reflection, contemplation, clinging to grace, divine silence, supreme abode, unassailable peace, yoga, 'tapas' (intense spiritual practice), 'dharma' (right action), 'dana' (charity) - all of them mean the same, the destruction of the 'I am the body' delusion.

Know that the eradication of the 'I am the body' idea is charity, spiritual austerity and ritual sacrifice, it is virtue, divine union and devotion: it is heaven, wealth, peace and truth: it is grace, deathless death, final liberation and bliss.

The idea 'I am the body' shrinks the absolute fullness of being that belongs to God, the supreme. The understanding 'I am not the body' destroys the ego and is the genuine worship of God.

The experience of the supreme Self will only arise after the death of the 'I am the body' delusion.

When the 'I am the body' belief that arose through non-enquiry, dies, the deluding bewilderment that engenders fear and sorrow will cease completely and the authentic 'aham swarupa' (the true 'I') will shine forth.

It is only the Supreme One that truly exists, who is presently regarded as a concept and is not perceptible to the externalized view. It is the 'I am the body' perspective that intervenes and gives a wrong experience of an individual 'I', who in fact, never ever existed.

The idea 'I am the body' is the creator of the apparent multiplicity. The One becomes many along with the seer. The objective world is really subjective. Through the firm conviction 'I am not the body', realize the one and only subject, the Self.

Only when the 'I am the body' feeling leaves, will the experience of the Self, in which everything wholly shines as the Self will be attained. Thus have the firm conviction 'I am not in the body but the body is in me'

It is the 'I am the body' idea that prevents you from having a direct knowledge ('aparoksha jnana') of the Self. Destroy the 'I am the body' delusion by the 'I am not the body' idea and know the Self is ever available.

The whole benefit of 'Atma vichara' or Self-enquiry is the destruction of the 'I am the body' idea. It's a folly to call the attainment of reality as a benefit, as the Self is ever attained or realized.

'Mauna samadhi', the clarity of peace devoid of any agitation of the mind, is only attainable by the practice ('sadhana') of holding onto the firm conviction 'I am not the body'. Liberation would be when this idea ('I am not the body') too disappears.