WHO AM ‘I’?’ - inquiry is good as a starter but in later stages, one finds it inadequate and useless to the realization of the 'Self' hidden by the 'I'.
People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take as real because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. is no need to convince such mindsets. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.
Remember:~
Self-inquiry is for discovering the fact that the ‘Self is not the ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul, which witnesses the coming and going, of the ‘I’.
The ‘Self-inquiry’ is finding out the ‘Self’ which is hidden within the world, in which we exist. By inquiring -‘Who am I?’, the ignorance will not vanish.
Without getting rid of ignorance, the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn. Without the Advaitic wisdom, it is not possible to realize the truth, which is hidden within the world in which we exist.
That is why Sage Sankara Says: ~ VC-63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the ‘Self’ how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.
Remember:~
The purpose of the pursuit of truth is Truth-realization. The seeker has to remove all the obstacle which is blocking his realization of the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.
That is why Bhagavan Buddha said: ~ “Believe nothing because a wise man said it, Believe nothing because it is generally held. Believe nothing because it is written. Believe nothing because it is said to be divine. Believe nothing because someone else said it. But believe only what you yourself judge to be true.”
All the penances are external because they are based on individuality. The Soul, the innermost Self is not an individual because it is formless. Investigating the mind, alone leads to Self-realization. To know what is mind, profits much rather than searching the truth in the external world moving from one ashram to another and one Guru to another and one mountain to another.
Sage Goudpada: ~ To establish the truth of Nonduality by sheer reasoning alone. He begins by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?" etc, because that is the right way to discuss or teach. People must first know what they are talking about. (Manduka Karika)
When one starts investigating the universe that confronts him will mentally move inwards and will reach the ultimate end and become fully aware of “What is the truth?” and “What is untruth?” in his own home or city and establish in truth by realizing what is the untruth.
The seeker has to overcome all the doubts and confusion in later stages in ‘Self’-inquiry. The seeker finds some doubts and confusion, which cannot be overcome if the inquiry is practiced on the present format prescribed in the Self-inquiry book. Deeper Self-search reveals the fact that the ‘Self’-inquiry in the present format will yield only half-truth.
The following confusion arises from Ramana Maharshi's Who Am I? -teaching:~
If the mind is the same as Atman (consciousness), how can it vanish--when the mind appears and disappears as Waking or dream?
How can one be certain when one leaves the external world--when the person is within the world?
Why leave the external world when everything is Brahman---when everything is Brahman why create division between the world and its perceiver?
How can the world alone cease to exist if one does not look at it—how can the person remain without the world and where he will exist without the world?
Who has the subtle mind projecting through the brain and senses? How can one see his subtle mind?--when the brain also a piece of the gross matter? ---then how can the brain come into existence after the world is created if the later depends on the brain.
The heart is the idea created by the mind, how the mind can emerge from it---when the heart disappears along with the mind and reappears along with the mind, how the mind emerges from it.
In deep sleep, swoon, and trance, the mind turns inwards and enjoys its natural state--if so why should one inquire if one gets Atman in sleep. With the drug, one can get sleep and peace or bliss.
If sleep gives Brahman then why trouble with inquiry--better get it through pills. There are many seekers practicing inquiry for many years and waiting for something mystical to happen, why nothing happens, and why their inquiry does not yield fruits.
Since Sage Ramana Maharishi is not present physically to guide the seekers to overcome these obstacles in the path of inquiry on his own.
I was surprised to know David Godman’s interview with Mr. Sivapraksh Pillai (one of the close aid to Sage Ramana Maharishi) that even after 50 long years he was unable to achieve his goal through inquiry, hats off to his sincere and honest statement.
In my honest opinion with all the due respect to every soul which was involved in recording and publishing the ‘Self’-inquiry which is a great treasure and which opens the golden gate to the seeker to enter into the spiritual world from the religious world, still, there is lots confusion and doubts which are impossible to get answer the way the inquiry is presented in the books. But one will be able to overcome the same after lots of research.
It is impossible to do research in the present framework of the ‘Self’-inquiry. Since everyone is waiting for some mystical experience to happen and refuses to verify and accept the truth because of their conservative outlook. Even the intellectual- classes who have authored many books are viewed and judged Ramana from the mystic point of view were unable to deliver goods due to their inherited religious background. Sage Ramana Maharishi was mystic for the mass, but he was Gnani for the class.
It also becomes evident that different people who have interviewed Sage Ramana Maharishi at different times had different backgrounds and mindsets. Therefore, it is necessary to bifurcate the religious views of Sage Sri Ramana Maharishi from his spiritual views to get the hidden essence of Sage Ramana Maharishi’s teaching.
The great Sage Ramana Maharishi has indicated many ways to realize the ‘Self’, other than WHO AM "I?, therefore it is necessary for the seeker to go beyond WHO AM 'I'? inquiry to cross the threshold of dualistic illusion, which is present in the form of the 'I'.
Sage Raman Maharishi: ~ He placed his right hand on his right breast and continued, "Here lies the Heart, the dynamic, spiritual Heart. It is called Hridaya and is located on the right side of the chest and is clearly visible to the inner eye of an adept on the spiritual path. Through meditation, you can learn to find the Self in the cave of this Heart." ~ Mercedes de Acosta, Here Lies the Heart
Santthosh Kumaar: ~ The spiritual heart is the Soul, the innermost Self, not the physical heart. The world in which you exist is within the Soul, the spiritual heart. Mistaking the spiritual heart within the body is a great error. Even some Advaitic Guru says that the Self is within the spiritual heart. And the spiritual heart is on the left side. Such a declaration is merely an imagination, based on the false Self. When the ‘Self’ is bodiless, then the question of the heart being left side or right side does not arise.
The Seeker must realize the Soul, the Self, itself is the spiritual heart. The Soul the spiritual heart is ever formless. The Soul itself is the spiritual heart that is present in the form of the spirit or consciousness.
Without the form, time, and space, the Soul, the Self, becomes naked. The nature of the Soul, the Self, is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.
If the Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul then from the standpoint of the Soul, the Self:~
- Where is the ‘I’?
- Where is the body?
- Where is the mind?
- Where is the world in which you exist?
- Where are form, time, and space?
- Where is the waking experience?
- Where is the duality?
- Where is void?
They are or have become one with the Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.
The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present only when the world is present. The world is present only when there is the waking experience.
Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the waking experience is not considered different from the world. The world is not considered different from the mind. The mind is not considered different from the’ I’. This truth has to be assimilated.
The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. ‘I’ is not the subject. The ‘I’ is an object to the Soul, which is the formless, timeless, and spaceless subject.
- If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the world in which you exist is bound to be an illusion.
- If the ‘I’ is an illusion then three states, are bound to be an illusion.
- If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the form, time, and space are bound to be an illusion.
- If the 'I’ is an illusion then the individual experience of birth, life, death is bound to be an illusion.
- If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the words and thoughts are bound to be an illusion.
- If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the duality is bound to be an illusion.
- The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes.
That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)
The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.
People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.
That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say "I," If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, You are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.
People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take as reality because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. is no need to convince such a mindset. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.
That is why Sage Sankara says: - VC-65. As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent truth of the Self, which is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.
People refuse to accept anything other than their Gurus words. For them, their Gurus words are the ultimate truth. They do not accept anything else other than their accepted truth. There is no need to convince such a mindset.
Such a mindset is not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth. :~Santthosh Kumaar
