Remember the Self: A Story Inspired by Ramana Maharshi
In a quiet village surrounded by green hills and flowing rivers, there lived a young man named Arjun. Arjun was a kind and hardworking person, but he often felt lost. Sometimes he was happy, sometimes he was sad. Success made him proud, and failure made him depressed.
One day, after facing a big disappointment, Arjun decided to travel to the ashram of the wise saint Ramana Maharshi. He had heard that Ramana Maharshi could help people find peace that never goes away.
When Arjun reached the ashram, he sat down before Maharshi and asked, “Master, why does my happiness come and go? Why does success excite me and failure hurt me so much?”
Ramana Maharshi smiled gently and said,
"Whatever experience may come, remember who has the experience and thus cling to 'I' or the Self."
Arjun was confused. “Master, what do you mean by clinging to 'I' or the Self?”
Ramana Maharshi explained with a simple story:
The Story of the Golden Tree
"Imagine, Arjun," said Maharshi, "there is a tree made of pure gold. The leaves, the branches, and even the roots are all golden. Every year, some birds come and sit on the tree. Some birds are beautiful and sing sweet songs. Some birds are ugly and make loud noises.
If you focus only on the birds, you will feel happy when the singing birds come and upset when the noisy birds arrive. But if you realize that the tree is golden and precious, you will not worry about the birds. You will stay happy because you know the truth — that the tree itself is wonderful, no matter what birds come and go."
Maharshi paused and looked deeply into Arjun’s eyes.
"You are like the golden tree, Arjun. Your true Self is always pure, peaceful, and perfect. Experiences are like the birds. They come and go. Happiness and sadness, success and failure — all are temporary."
He continued,
"Instead of getting attached to the changing experiences, hold on to the one who experiences — the 'I' — your real Self."
Arjun sat quietly, feeling a deep peace arise within him. He realized that he had spent his whole life chasing experiences, forgetting the true peace that lived inside him. From that day, Arjun made it a habit to remember, no matter what happened outside, his real Self remained untouched and perfect.
Lessons from the Story
- Experiences come and go, but the one who experiences — the Self — stays the same.
- If you focus on external events, you will always be tossed between happiness and sadness.
- If you cling to the Self, you will find a peace that no situation can disturb.
- The Self is like a golden tree — pure, strong, and beautiful, no matter what happens around it.
Summary
Ramana Maharshi teaches us a timeless truth:
"Whatever experience may come, remember who has the experience and thus cling to 'I' or the Self."
Through the story of Arjun and the golden tree, we learn that life will always bring different experiences — some good, some bad. But our true Self is beyond all these changes.
When we remember our true Self and not get lost in passing experiences, we find true and lasting peace.
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