Three Important Questions

[Guest guest]

Hi Miles

 

As I understand you like the spiritual sharing I've d for .

I would like to send another one - from November - which could be of interest

for people practicing Self-Inquiry.

 

I found it interesting and helpful ,

Namaste ,

Vicki.

 

 

 

 

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" Three Important Questions

 

The question that continually arises for people interested in Self-inquiry

that have recognized a state of pure Being is how to stay there. Of

course, no one ever goes anywhere, and there is nothing outside of

Awareness in reality to distract one. Whatever arises is in fact arising

in and as Awareness. However, what people are truly asking is how to rest

in that. How does one let go of the identification and attachment to what

is arising to recognize the Awareness itself and to recognize the infinite

nature of their own being. Ramana's answer for this situation was the to

ask the perfect question "Who am I?" and the continuous diving into this

question will provide all the answers. "If the time spent thinking about

objects not the Self were spent inquiring into the Self, Self realization

would be achieved in a very short time," he said.

 

1. To whom is this arising?

Often when people would ask a question, he would essentially rephrase 'Who

am I?' by asking 'Who is asking the question?' Who is this question

arising to? The questions that arise are also objects in awareness. One

must make this distinction between ALL objects in awareness and the

subject, which is the "I" or the Awareness itself. So the first of the

three important questions is: To whom is this arising? Whatever is

happening that you are identifying with - questions, thoughts, perceptions,

emotions - they can all be dealt with immediately by inquiring 'To whom is

this arising?' Who is seeing this, thinking this, feeling this, etc? Of

course the answer is always 'I am'.

 

2. What is this "I"?

This is just another way of asking Who am I, but is more impersonal. Our

tendency, out of habit, is to identify "I" with the body, mind, memories,

ideas and so forth. But when we inquire into what the "I" is, we find it

is not any object of awareness. Whatever is an object is not the

subject. So if we are aware of it, it is not "I". I am aware of my body,

so the body is an object of awareness to subject "I". I am aware of my

thoughts, so thoughts are an object to subject "I". I am aware of my

emotions, so emotions are an object to the subject "I". You get the

idea. If all of these things are objects, then what is this "I"? Through

continuing this inquiry, one finds that "I" is itself the Awareness or

consciousness. There is not a separate thing called "I" other than the

Awareness itself. This is where the Truth is begun to be recognized that

there is no individual thing called "I" - only pure Being. So the answer

to the question, what is this "I"? Awareness!

 

3. Where am I? (Or where is this Awareness?)

As one recognizes that they have no specific individuality, they begin to

inquire exactly where they are located. If "I" is not associated with the

mind or body, but is the awareness itself, where is this awareness

located? Everywhere and nowhere. As a specific and locatable thing,

awareness is nowhere. On the other hand, it is everywhere and

everything. If the body is in awareness, is the body separate from

awareness? No. What is in awareness is itself Awareness. If you are aware

OF the body, the body is IN awareness, and therefore in "you". If you are

aware OF the universe, then the universe is IN your awareness, and thus in

"you". The tendency to make separations between one thing and another is

only a habit of the mind. But mind, too, is an object of awareness, is

thus IN awareness and so is simply arising in that infinite awareness that

is you. Can you find a place that you are not? This is also an important

question. Because if you are not the objects of awareness, but the

awareness itself, than wherever you see, feel, hear, or not, that is you,

as awareness, being there. It is all arising right here, right now, in

this vast expanse of Awareness, which is Self, Beingness, the Absolute."