The Journey's End - Part I

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Having 'carelessly' missed the natural silence, one must find one's way back through self-enquiry backed by consciousness of the ever operative grace of Ramana. Silence would then be restored. The pure mind is quiet because the latent tendencies have dried up for want of attention. The mind has no longer any inclination to move out at all in search of happiness through objects.
The desire to know what happens when one reaches the source and stays there is very common and understandable. This is so because it is something which we long for and are prepared to work unweariedly to achieve. Ramana's reply about it would depend upon the attitude of the questioner.

If the desire to know was prompted by idle curiosity, Ramana would simply say 'Why ask now; find out for yourself what happens'. In the alternative, he would reply 'it is not for one to say what an individual experience would be. It would reveal itself' and add 'it is experience not in the category of knowledge'. At the same time, Ramana would patiently explain as to what the thought-free mind would be like when he found the enquirer to be very earnest.
According to Ramana in that state it would be as 'difficult to bring out a thought as it is now to keep it out'. A conversation which a devotee held with him would help to clarify.
D: Do you have thoughts?
M: Usually I have no thoughts.
D: But when you are reading?
M: Then, I have thoughts.
D: And when some devotee asks questions?
M: I have thoughts, while replying, not otherwise.

What does this imply? Thoughts are only for the immediate purpose, here, to understand what is read or to elucidate. Once this purpose is served, the thought process ends. This is in contrast to our present state. If we read the newspaper it would set off a series of thoughts with reference to what was read. Similarly, while answering a doubt, there would be a sense of self-importance or a looking down on the enquirer and so on. The thinking continues and leaves impressions which push thoughts hither and thither, later. But for one who is rid of tendencies, 'incidents interest only so long as the last' as they would a child. One ceases to think of the event when it is over.