The Goal of Spiritual Practice

Ramana Maharshi taught that the goal of spiritual practice is not to achieve something new, but to realize what is already there - the Self, which is one's true nature.

Ramana Maharshi emphasized that the goal of spiritual practice is not to achieve something new or to become something one is not. The Self is already present; it is one's true nature. The goal is simply to realize what is already there.

This realization is not an achievement, but a recognition. One recognizes that one has always been the Self, but was unaware of it due to identification with the body and mind. When this identification is removed through self-inquiry, the Self is revealed.

The practice of self-inquiry does not create the Self, but reveals it. The Self is eternal and unchanging, always present. One simply needs to remove the obstacles that prevent one from recognizing it. This is the goal of all spiritual practice.