Therefore birth and rebirth, which take place in time and space, cannot be other than imagination. Maharishi: Yes, even the present is mere imagination, for the sense of time is purely mental.

Q: Are past and future mere imagination?.

Let him who is born think of death and palliatives for it. Are you born now? Why do you think of other births? The fact is that there is neither birth nor death.Because of that false identification, it tries to perpetuate the body, and that results in a succession of births. Although indestructible by nature, by false identification with its destructible instrument (the body), consciousness imbibes a false apprehension of its destructibility. Thirst for life is inherent in the very nature of life, which is absolute existence – sat.From the absolute point of view, the sage cannot accept any other existence than the impersonal Self, one and formless. But this is true only from the relative standpoint of those who have not realized the truth, those people who believe in the reality of individual souls. Iswara, the personal God, the supreme creator of the universe really does exist.Who is the meditator? Ask the question first.To remain unshaken in it further efforts are necessary. True, that in the proximity of a great master, the vasanas will cease to be active, the mind becomes still and samadhi (effortlessly established in the self-knowledge not referring to any mystical state of mind) results. Jnana cannot remain unshaken side by side with vasanas. Unsteady jnana is not enough to check rebirths. Owing to the fluctuation of the vasanas (past impressions/habits) - jnana (self-knowledge) takes time to steady itself.The lazy state of just being and shining is the state of Self, and that is the highest state that one can become.(…) So to do self-enquiry and be that ‘I am’ is the only thing to do. Nothing else is so self-evident as ‘I am’. ‘I exist’ is the only permanent self-evident experience of everyone.For those who can practice Self-enquiry, all rules and discipline are unnecessary.If you are also looking for commentaries and thorough study into Ramana's and Nisargadatta's quotes and some flaws of their teachings - see this page.

Quotes are meant for learned scholars and students of Advaita Vedanta who are continuously involved with study of texts like Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita (in light of non-duality). These are hand picked quotes I use for occasional self-inquiry into the true essence of reality.

I am not the body nisargadatta