Control of the Mind

“Other than inquiry, there are no adequate means for mind-control. If through other means it is attempted, the mind will appear to be controlled, but will again rise up. Through the control of breath also, the mind will become quiescent, but only as long as the breath remains controlled; and with the movement of breath, the mind also will start moving and will wander as impelled by residual impressions.

The source is the same for both mind and breath. Thought, indeed is the nature of the mind. The thought ‘I’ is the first thought of the mind; and that is egoity. It is from that whence egoity originates that breath also originates. Therefore, when the mind becomes quiescent, the breath is controlled, and when the breath is controlled, the mind becomes quiescent. But in deep sleep, although the mind becomes quiescent, the breath does not stop. This is because of the will of God, so that the body may be preserved and others may not take it as dead.

In the state of waking and in samadhi, when the mind becomes quiescent the breath is also so. Breath is the gross form of mind. Till the time of death, the mind keeps the breath in the body; and when the body dies the mind takes the breath (prana) along with it. Therefore, breath-control is only an aid for mind-control; it will not bring above annihilation of the mind. Like breath-control meditation on some form of God, repetition of mantras, diet-regulation, etc., are but aids for rendering the mind quiescent for the time-being.”

[Ramana Maharshi in ‘Who Am I’]

Self Enquiry

Sri Nannagaru, a living Master who regularly visits Arunachala, and attributes his realisation to the Grace of Arunachala/Sri Ramana has stated that the core of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings are set out in the slim booklet ‘Who am I?” And that an earnest seeker will receive incalculable benefit by daily reading a small part of that booklet.

The history of the booklet entitled “Who am I?” is thus. Around 1902 a visitor to Arunachala, Sivaprakasam Pillai, visited Ramana Maharshi who was then living in silence at Virupaksha Cave on the slopes of Arunachala. On his visit the seeker posed a series of spiritual questions starting with ‘Who Am I?’ The questions posed were answered by the silent Saint in writing and constitute, what is believed to be, one of his first sets of spiritual instructions.

To download a free PDF booklet of “Who am I?” go to this link here:

Answers specifically addressing Self-enquiry can be found in another booklet entitled “Self-Enquiry”. The book was compiled from answers to questions asked by Gambhiram Seshayya, a devotee of Lord Rama and yoga practitioner. In the same way as “Who am I?”, the questions raised by Gambhiram Seshayya were answered by the then silent Ramana living in the Virupaksha Cave in the 1900s.

To download a free PDF booklet of Self Enquiry go to this link here:

To find more free downloads of the books and works of Sri Ramana visit the ashram’s website book section for a list of Ramana’s book. Free PDF downloads are typed on the list in bold face.