Sri Ramana Maharshi, a great sage, had a favorite traditional spiritual work called the Ribhu Gita. This Gita is part of the Sanskrit work known as Siva Rahasya and is the sixth section of it. The Ribhu Gita contains the teachings of Lord Siva to His devotee Ribhu when they were at Mount Kailas and, hence, The Gita derives its name from Ribhu.
Ramana Maharshi, a renowned spiritual teacher, frequently mentioned the Ribhu Gita during his interactions with devotees and seekers. According to reports, he suggested that reading Chapter 26 of the Ribhu Gita repeatedly can lead one to spontaneously enter into Samadhi, which is the natural state of Self-realization.
Ramana’s attendant, Palaniswami, introduced him to the Ribhu Gita. Later, Ramana was surprised to hear an accurate description of his own state in the text. He learned that others had experienced this state, which was the ultimate goal of all true seekers—the bliss of the Self.
RIBHU GITA CHAPTER 26:
1.
“I shall now expound to you the method of inhering in the all-inclusive and undifferentiated reality. This teaching is secret and difficult to understand, even with the help of various scriptures. Even celestial beings and practitioners of spiritual discipline, who hold it dear, acquire it only with great difficulty. Follow what I say and, inhering in reality, be happy.
2.
My sons, my daughters, realized sages say that absolute inherence in reality means becoming one with the immutable, tranquil, non-dual, absolute supreme being, which is existence, consciousness, bliss, and the self of all. Make the wandering mind one with it, like the proverbial milk and water—absolutely free from all concepts.
3.
When one scrutinizes this variety of manifestation, one realizes that it does not really exist, and that everything is the undifferentiated absolute supreme being, which is not different from the self and oneself. Let this knowledge become firm with you by constant practice. Then, discarding everything, become one with the supreme absolute reality, and remaining is that—be happy.
4.
Abide as that which does not, when scrutinized, show any duality in the form of these various objects or the least trace of cause and effect. That in which, when the mind is absorbed in it, there is no fear of duality at all. Be always happy, unshakable, and free from the fear arising from duality.
5.
Abide as that in which there are neither thoughts nor fancies, neither peace nor self-control, neither the mind nor the intellect, neither confusion nor certainty, neither being nor non-being, and no perception of duality. Be always happy, unshakable, and absolutely free from the fear arising from duality.
6.
Abide as that in which there is neither any defect nor good quality, neither pleasure nor pain, neither thought nor silence, neither misery nor austerities practiced for getting rid of misery, no ‘I am the body’ idea, no objects of perception whatsoever. Be always happy, free from all traces of thought.
7.
Abide as that in which there is no work—physical, mental, verbal, or of any other kind. Neither sin nor virtue, neither attachment nor its consequences. Be always happy, free from all traces of thought.
8.
Abide as that in which there are neither thoughts nor a thinker, neither the arising nor the preservation nor the dissolution of the world, nothing whatsoever at any time. Be always happy, free from all traces of thought.
9.
Abide as that in which there is neither the self-limiting power of illusion nor its effects, neither knowledge nor ignorance, neither a separate soul nor lord of creation, neither being nor non-being, neither world nor god. Be always happy, free from all traces of thought.
10.
Abide as that in which there are no gods in their worship, none of the three divine aspects of creator, preserver, and destroyer, or meditation on them, no supreme formless God, nor meditation on him. Be always happy, without the least trace of thought.
11.
Abide as that in which there is neither maturing bondage to the way of good works, nor searching devotion to the divine, nor self-knowing wisdom, no fruit of action to be enjoyed, no supreme state separate from it, no means of attainment or object to be attained. Be always happy, free from all traces of thought.
12.
Abide as that in which there is neither body nor senses, nor vital forces, nor mind nor intellect, nor fancy nor imagination, nor ego nor ignorance, nor anyone who identifies themselves with it, neither the macrocosm nor the microcosm. Be always happy, free from all traces of thought.
13.
Abide as that in which there is neither desire nor anger, neither greed nor delusion, neither ill will nor pride, no impurities of mind, and no false notions of bondage and liberation. Be always happy, free from all traces of thought.
14.
Abide as that in which there is no beginning or end, no top, bottom or middle, no holy place or god, no gifts or pious acts, no time or space, no objects of perception. Be always happy, free from all traces of thought.
15.
Abide as that in which there is no discrimination between the real and the unreal, no absence of desire, no possession of virtues, no yearning for liberation, no competent master or disciple, no steady knowledge, no realized stage, no liberation while alive or after death, nothing whatsoever at any time. Be always happy, free from all traces of thought.
16.
Abide as that in which there are no holy scriptures or sacred books, no one who thinks, no objection or answer to it, no theory to be established, no theory to be rejected, nothing other than oneself. Be always happy, free from the least trace of thought.
17.
Abide in that in which there is no debate, no success or failure, no word or its meaning, no speech, no difference between the soul and the supreme being, none of the manifold causes and consequences. Be always happy without the least trace of thought.
18.
Abide as that in which there is no need for listening, reflecting, and practicing, no meditation to be practiced, no differences of sameness, otherness, or internal contradictions, no words and their meanings. Be always happy, free from the least trace of thought.
19.
Abide as that in which there are no fears of hell, no joys of heaven, no worlds of the creator god or the other gods, or any object to be gained from them, no other world, no universe of any kind. Be always happy, without the least trace of thought.
20.
Abide as that in which there is nothing of the elements, not even an iota of their derivatives, no sense of “I” or mind, no fantasies of the mind, no blemish of attachment, no concept whatsoever. Be always happy without the least trace of thought.
21.
Abide as that in which there are none of the three kinds of bodies – gross, physical, subtle, internal, or formless and most subtle. No dreaming and sleeping, none of the three kinds of souls – those fully prepared to advance spiritually, those not fully prepared, and those not prepared at all, none of the three kinds of afflictions – those of the body, those caused by the elements, and those caused by subtle beings and powers. None of the five functional layers of being – gross physical, vital, emotional, psychic, mental, and that of formless bliss. No one to identify themselves with them. Be always happy without the least trace of thought.
22.
Abide as that in which there is no sentient object, no power to hide reality, no difference of any kind, no power of projecting unreal objects, no power of any other kind, no false notion about the world. Be always happy without the least trace of thought.
23.
Abide as that in which there are no sense organs or anyone to use them, that in which transcendent bliss is experienced, that which is absolutely immediate, that by which realizing and attaining one becomes immortal, that by becoming which one does not return to this cycle of births and deaths. Be always happy without the least trace of thought.
24.
Abide as that on realizing and experiencing the bliss of which all joys appear to be the joys of that, that which, when clearly known to be oneself, shows there is nothing apart from oneself, and knowing which all kinds of separate souls become liberated. Be always happy without the least trace of thought.
25.
Abide as that on realizing which to be oneself, there is nothing else to be known, everything becomes already known and every purpose accomplished. Be always happy without the least trace of thought.
26.
Abide in that which is attained easily when one is convinced that one is not different from the supreme absolute. That which results when that conviction becomes firm in the experience of the supreme bliss of the real. That which produces a sense of incomparable and complete satisfaction when the mind is absorbed in it. Be always happy without the least trace of thought.
27.
Abide as that which is undifferentiated existence, undifferentiated consciousness, undifferentiated bliss—absolutely non-dual, the undifferentiated absolute reality. With the firm conviction that you are that, be always happy.
28.
Abide as that which is “I,” as well as you, as well as everyone else, is the basis of all, is one without anything else whatsoever, is extremely pure, the undifferentiated whole. With the firm conviction that you are that, be always happy.
29.
Abide as that in which there are no concepts or anything else whatsoever, the ego ceases to exist, all desires disappear, the mind becomes extinct, and all confusions come to an end. With the firm conviction that you are that, be always happy.
30.
Abide as that in which there is no awareness of the body or the various functions of manifest existence, no perception of objects. That in which the mind is dead, the soul becomes one with reality, thoughts dissolved, and even one’s convictions no longer hold. With the firm conviction that you are that, be always happy.
31.
Abide as that in which there is no longer any meditative spiritual practice or ignorance or knowledge or activities of any kind. That which is the supreme reality. With the firm conviction that you are that, be always happy.
32.
Abide as that in which, when one is completely merged with it, one experiences pure bliss, never experiences misery, sees nothing, does not take birth again, never thinks oneself to be a separate individual, and becomes the supreme being. With the conviction that you are that, be always happy.
33.
Abide as that which is truly the supreme absolute reality, the supreme formless god, the absolute pure being, the supreme state of absolute consciousness, the supreme truth. With the conviction that you are that, be always happy.
34.
Abide as that which is the absolute pure supreme being, absolute bliss, the supremely subtle being, the self-effulgent non-jewel, and the undifferentiated one. With the conviction that you are that, be always happy.
35.
Abide as that which is the absolute truth, supreme tranquility, eternal being, absolutely attributeless, the self, the absolute undifferentiated supreme being. With the conviction that you are that, be always happy.
36.
Abide as that which is everything from the experiential point of view and nothing from the absolute point of view. Existence, consciousness, bliss, always tranquil with nothing separate from it, the self-existent being. With the conviction that you are that, be always happy.
37.
By constantly thinking of the undifferentiated Supreme Being and forgetting thereby all thoughts, including the thought of the Supreme Being, you will become the all- comprehensive Supreme Being. Even a great sinner who hears and understands this teaching will get rid of all his sins and become the undifferentiated Supreme Being.
38.
I have thus, oh Nidaga, explained to you the state of being one with the supreme being. By constantly thinking that you are the undifferentiated supreme being, you can attain that state and enjoy constant bliss. Thereafter, having become the supreme absolute reality, you will never experience the misery that comes from identification with birth and death.
39.
Everything is the supreme being, which is existence, consciousness, bliss, and I am that. By constantly cultivating this pure thought, get rid of impure thoughts. Then, my son and also my daughter, discarding even that thought and always inhering in the state of fullness, you’ll become the non-dual and undifferentiated supreme being and attain liberation.
40.
Pure and impure thoughts are a feature of the mind. There are no wandering thoughts in the supreme being. Therefore, abide as that and free from the pure and impure thoughts of the mind, remain still like a stone or a log of wood. You will then always be happy.
41.
By constantly thinking of the undifferentiated supreme being and forgetting all other thoughts, including the thought of the supreme being, you will become the all-comprehensive supreme being. Even a great sinner who hears and understands this teaching will get rid of all their sins and become the undifferentiated supreme being.
42.
The endless textbooks of spiritual instruction have already prescribed meditation for attaining purity of mind, in order that those who have become pure in mind may easily attain liberation. And realizing that they are absolute and boundless bliss, remain still like a stone in the undifferentiated and all-comprehensive supreme formless god.
43.
The nature of this immaculate state has been expounded by me. Therefore, attaining purity of mind by constantly thinking that everything that is known is the supreme being and that the supreme being is oneself, and thereafter abiding in the state of complete identity with the absolute reality, liberation can be attained here and now. I have spoken the truth. In this manner, sage Ribhu expounded the true and full state of being to Nada.
44.
When one is convinced that one is always that which is existence, consciousness, bliss, and abides as that in a state of complete identity, one casts off the unreal bondage of identification with birth and death and attains liberation. This is the significance of the highly blissful mood and dance of our supreme and undifferentiated God.