Tour of Ashrama-NY

@4m 19s

Dennis explains that Ramana Maharshi often quoted from the Bible, and what you read here, “I AM THAT I AM” was most often quoted. Bhagavan said this describes the experience of one’s Self, and it was given to Moses. When pundits asked Bhagavan why, when we have so many Mahavakyas (mantras), why do you think this one represents the truth better than others. Bhagavan just said, ‘this is my experience.”

“I AM THAT I AM”....   now it is like a mantra.^[1]

If you just say the whole phrase ‘I AM THAT I AM' you have the truth of the Self.

If you take off the last word, ‘I AM THAT I’,
again you have the truth of the Self.

If you take off the last word again, you have ‘I AM THAT’,
again you have the truth of the Self.

Then you have just two words here, ‘I AM’.
That is what God told Moses was His name….’I AM’.

If you take off the ‘AM’ you just have ‘I’.
And ‘I’ is the Self alone. So this is the essence of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings. Also, the essence of the Bible and also the essence of all religions.”