There Are No Others

There Are No Others

In the 1940s, a staunch devotee of Bhagavan [Sri Ramana Maharshi], who was also a hard working ashramite had to leave the ashram. Before leaving the ashram he felt so abashed and embarrassed, that he did not have the courage to meet Bhagavan. The other ashramites were helpless in persuading him to stay as he had left unnoticed the previous night. 

TPR was accompanying Bhagavan during his usual morning walk on the hill. Assuming that Bhagavan did not know what had happened the previous evening, TPR told him that this ashramite had left under undesirable circumstances. TPR did so with a sincere, heavy heart for he loved this person very deeply.
Bhagavan stopped walking and turned towards TPR and said, in a harsh and uncompromising tone,
“Just because some one has slipped down one foot, remember sir, you have not moved even an inch up.
Beware! Beware!”

Though Bhagavan‟s voice had a tinge of pain and anguish, these words were spoken with such sternness and authority that TPR got a shock and was almost knocked down to the ground. Seeing his pitiable condition, Bhagavan became mellow, turned back and continued walking with his usual, calm and measured strides. Realising that TPR had not yet got back his composure, Bhagavan told him with great love and affection, “There are no others. One takes the body to be oneself. Hence, one treats others also as bodies. These is only "I AM‟.

When attention is turned inward to "I AM‟, these so called bodies, minds, worlds, good and bad actions, are found to be not there. Attention turned inwards, there prevails only the Truth.

Turned outward, there is nothing but untruth. “I AM‟ is the head of the coin.

"No others‟ is the tail of the same coin.

You are thus, ever the Truth.

Plunge within and be the Truth, always.”

— The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi.
Drops from the Ocean.