When the mind becomes very quiet, it can become possible to realise that all gross and subtle perceptions are actually illusory and only the substratum-self is real.
If you lovingly, happily, repeatedly and consistently go towards this sense I AM, eventually you will merge into that, destroying your illusory sense of individuality (ie. ego).
What is then discovered is so much more than ‘the background of consciousness’ or ‘awareness’ or ‘being’…
…it is beyond all words and concepts and cannot be described…
…to put it into words one could say it is total infinite love and fulfillment
…but actually it is more than this too…
It is your ever-shining Self. You are That, now and always, but this is not to be believed by the ego-mind, but to be discovered directly in the Heart
It is certainly true that many people bypass and suppress their psychological issues and emotional issues through engaging with various forms of so-called spirituality.
It is also true that it is possible to overindulge in emotionality and sentimentality to the point that it adversely affects your ability to function on a day-to-day level, making you overly sensitive and reactive to your emotions.
Balance is obviously important here. It is possible to both feel too little and to feel too much.
Ultimately spiritual teachings do teach us to transcend emotional issues, but this is not the same as suppression and bypassing, both of which are generally unhelpful on our path.
If we do not actually transcend and go beyond our emotions (and our thoughts and sense perceptions), we have not really entered into the spiritual realm, and are just operating on the psychological level only. There is nothing wrong with this, it is just that this is not genuinely liberating in the truly spiritual sense of the word.
For liberation, that ever-blissful realm that is prior to birth of the body and which survives death must be discovered, otherwise suffering, duality and fear will continue, as will the illusion of the separate self. This can only be done by discovering the Truth of Oneself within.
Lakshmana Swamy [a devotee of Ramana Maharshi]: The mind must die, there is no other way to realize the Self. Some people say that complete equanimity of mind is Self realization, but this is not true. This is only a stage one passes through on the way to Self-realization. Other people say that seeing the Self or God everywhere is Self-realization, but this idea is not true either. To see the Self everywhere there must be an “I” who sees, and while that “I” exists the mind will also exist. The jnani does not see anything because the seeing entity in him has died. In the Self there is no seeing, only being. When the mind still exists one can reach a stage where one can see the whole world as a manifestation of the Self, but when the mind dies, there is no one who sees the world and no world to be seen.
If you have a mind then the earth, the sky and the stars will exist and you will be able to see them. When the mind dies there will be no earth, no sky, no stars and no world. The world of objects, names and forms is only the mind, and when the mind dies, the world dies with it. Only the Self then remains.
Seeing everything as the Self gives the impression that the Self is equally distributed everywhere. This is also an idea in the mind. When the mind finally dies you realize that there is no distribution and no everywhere.
Welcome to this moment of Satsang. In today’s gathering, Tom shares the essence of the Highest Teaching — the truth that is always with us, closer than we can imagine with our minds. He reminds us that liberation from suffering and delusion isn’t something we accomplish on our own; true freedom arises through awakening to our True Nature.
To awaken to who we truly are, we must open up to connection, love, devotion, and silence. At our core, peace is our true nature. For many on this path, the guidance of Bhagavan Ramana, our beloved Guru, reveals the unchanging presence within—the heart’s ever-known reality.
Words and teachings are only signposts, pointing to a silent wisdom that cannot be spoken but is always present. Who we truly are is deeper than any concept and prior to all words. To realize this, Tom invites us to draw back the veil, to reveal what lives in the heart — the eternal flame of being in the hearth of our own true Self.
This is an invitation to truth, to life eternal, to beauty, peace, love, and light—so simple, so profound.
In this Satsang, a “shadow” questions and feelings arises—some many of us quietly carry: Am I truly an advanced seeker after all my reading, study, contemplation, practice, service… or just a beginner caught in ignorance and pride? Sometimes feelings of jealousy surface toward our teachers, those who seem to hold a light we can’t quite touch. But what if that jealousy is only the flip side of a deep longing for freedom – the desire to end suffering and discover lasting peace? Maybe it can better serve us to see this energy as inspiration.
Here, Tom responds with compassion and honesty, sharing his own journey of exhausting all teachings until only humility and surrender remained. True surrender begins when we see the futility of our own egos striving and allow the Self – Bhagavan – to move within us; to do what our minds simply cannot do.
And for Tom in his journey, liberation became secondary to simply being with Ramana, in love and gratitude. This is a powerful pointer for some of us!
Tom continues to inspire, by giving us his view, that if you have heard the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, you are deeply blessed. If his image has touched your heart, you are blessed even more. And if you resonate with the teachings and are drawn to them, you have won the spiritual lottery! “Your ego’s head is in the mouth of the tiger; it’s not a matter of if, but when, awakening apparently happens”.
Ultimately, nothing is missing. There is no need for jealousy—only inspiration, gratitude, and trust in your own unique unfolding.
This video was recorded live during a Satsang meeting with Tom Das on September 25th, 2025 and put together by volunteers. To download full unedited satsang recordings see here: https://payhip.com/tomdas
Why is letting go of suffering such a challenge? In this Satsang, a participant reads from Aham Sphurana: A Glimpse of Self-Realization, from a passage titled Surrender written on July 17, 1936. The reading covers the first three questions and answers given by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.
Following this, Tom offers a spontaneous response with presence, silence and words, that sheds fresh light on Bhagavan’s words, pointing out the subtle dilemma of the mind and it’s attachments and revealing both the medicine and the cure for our suffering; Bhakti/Devotion, Self Love, connection, stillness and sacred silence.
This video was recorded live during a Satsang meeting with Tom Das on August 31st, 2025 and put together by volunteers.
Welcome to Satsang with Tom. In the spirit and grace of Sri Ramana Maharshi’s timeless teachings, we are gently reminded that our true nature is formless and ever-present. This truth is not something to be gained, but to be recognized as what we already are. With devotion and compassion, Tom guides us to release fear and rest in the effortless peace of our own being; “it is just ourself”.
This video was recorded live during a Satsang meeting with Tom Das on September 4th, 2025 and put together by volunteers. To download full unedited satsang recordings see here: https://payhip.com/tomdas
Tom Das 