All that is required to realise the Self is to “Be Still.”–Ramana Maharshi, Talk 379, Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
The question can now be asked, how long should one “Be Still”?
In a way, the question is wrongly posed for two reasons:
- The mind which is still will not ask the question “how long should I be still” because being still is not a kind of meditation that one does, and moreover when the mind is still it is not thinking and a question or doubt is a thought.
- When one is still, the sense of time itself disappears.
And yet, to a mind that is contemplating what “being still” involves, could get a doubt as to how long should one “be still” before the realization dawns.
In a way, it could take hardly any time, which is why Papaji said (https://selfrealization.blog/2025/12/16/keep-quiet-papaji/):
You have two choices. First, you will have to find out if the mind exists. No one has seen the mind. Even if you found it, how do you propose to clean it? Everyone is practicing cleaning the mind but there is no one so far who has cleaned it. Where is this mind to be cleaned?
The second choice is to keep quiet and you will know who you really are. This is very simple. It is not going to take you time; in fact, time does not appear. There is nothing outside that can help you, you have just to keep quiet — that’s all — and you will know then you are eternal. You are Eternal Existence itself.
The Maharshi said often that liberation happens only when all the vasanas are extinguished with the help of the light of the Self falling on them, and that happens when you are still or summa iru.
So, the more the vasanas and their strength, the longer duration of summa iru would be required.
But, as the Maharshi says somewhere, stillness is both the means and the ends or goal or destination. As a means, the stillness it is accompanied by some effort, whereas once the goal is reached, the stillness is spontaneous and effortless, stillness being the nature of the Self.
Now, more than how long should one be summa iru, the more interesting question to ask is what prevents one from being summa iru.
Or, why is the mind restless, that is, why is the mind thinking always, which prevents the summa iru?
The answer to the above question I give in this blog post (based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs): https://selfrealization.blog/2026/08/08/why-does-the-mind-keep-thinking/
The other way to think about why the mind is restless is to consider the chain
Ignorance — Desires — Mind/Thinking — Action
So, clearly although the ultimate reason for the mind to keep thinking is Ignorance, the immediate reason is Desires, and all the 5 reasons given in the above blog post for why the mind keeps thinking are nothing but the various desires.
Hence, again we come to the qualities required of a Spiritual Adhikari, the student who is fit to receive the wisdom of spirituality, the so-called Sadhana Chatustaya, namely, (1) Viveka, (2) Vairagya, (3) Shad-Sampatti, and (4) Mumukshutva.
What is Vairagya but a giving up of the thirsting after desires-fulfillment. How will that happen? Through Viveka. But, Viveka alone is not enough. Shad-Sampatti and Mumukshutva ensure that one does not stray from Vairagya.
Thus, a person who has perfected Vairagya will have a steady and still mind, and such a person can very easily be summa iru. Even those with imperfect vairagya also can try being summa iru, but such practice will be accompanied by great effort with less success, though that, too, helps out in the long run.
Thus, we ultimately, have to ask ourselves, why we do not have perfect Vairagya. That is, we have to look into ourselves to see what is pulling us towards the world and use Viveka to be able to renounce such things, at least internally or mentally.
Can I be summa iru?
Those who have been following my blog will say “Not a chance” given how much I post on a daily basis.
Let me experiment and see.
