Seeds of Insight 007 - How to practice Self-inquiry?
Dear You,
A couple of weeks ago, I spoke about True meditation - the practice of letting go of any form of control and allowing the experience to be as it is. It is said that in this meditative state of allowance, the true Self is revealed in its natural state. And this true Self is not our perceived individual ‘I’.
Today’s post is a follow-up to take us one step further. Once the mind relaxes, we can inquire into our true nature. Who is that ‘I’ that we assume real without questioning its existence? When the mind abides in its Source, there is an astonishing discovery…
“Q: How should a beginner practice Self-Inquiry?
Sri Ramana Maharshi: The mind will subside only by means of the enquiry ‘Who am I?’ The thought ‘Who Am I?’, destroying all other thoughts, will itself finally be destroyed. If other thoughts arise, one should, without attempting to complete them, inquire ‘To whom did they arise?’. It will be known, ‘to me’. If one then equires, ‘Who am I?’, the mind will turn back on its source [the Self] and the thought which had arisen will also subside. By repeatedly practicing thus, the power of the mind to abide in its source increases.
[...]
Just as a pearl-diver, tying a stone around his waist, dives into the sea and takes the pearl lying at the bottom, so everyone diving deep within himself with non attachment can attain the pearl of the Self.
“Be as You Are”, the Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, edited by David Godman.
Note: The Self (with a capital S) here is not the individual self, but what Ramana called the real Self, which, contrary to our perception, is non-personal all-inclusive absolute being -awareness-bliss.
With love,
Iri
Photo by Sime Basioli on Unsplash
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