Bhagavan did say that holding onto "I AM" is like a dog following the scent ... one finally resolves in the Self. am i correct ?
Self-enquiry by following the clue of aham-vritti is
just like the dog tracing its master by his scent. The
master may be at some distant, unknown place, but
that does not at all stand in the way of the dog
tracing him. The master’s scent is an infallible clue
for the animal, and nothing else, such as the dress he
wears, or his build and stature etc., counts. The dog
holds on to that scent undistractedly while searching
for him, and finally it succeeds in tracing him.
Dear Sri Udai Shankar and Sri vishnave,
We do always have the feeling of ‘I’. Otherwise, can we deny our existence, our ‘being’ ? We do not. Therefore, everybody is aware of ‘I am’, though hazily, because of the confusion that this block of an insentient body is ‘I’. ‘I am’ is the pure Existence-Consciousness; it is not a thought but verily our Real Nature, our ‘being’, that is, Swarupam. “I am so and so” is only a, mentation, a thought, a rising, from our pure being, known as the ego. Therefore, ‘I am’ is the ‘being’, Swarupam; whereas “I am so and so” is a mentation, a thinking, a rising—a fiction, a play of illusion (maya) or His Jugglery?
We do not deny our existence. Do we? So, ‘I am’ is the clue. To pursue the clue till Realisation is Vichara. ‘I am’ is the name of God. THEREFORE, ‘I AM’ IS THE CLUE TO REALISATION AS WELL AS THE NAME OF GOD. IT FOLLOWS THEN THAT VICHARA IS THE PROCESS AND ALSO THE GOAL. TO HOLD ON TO IT WITH EFFORT IS VICHARA. WHEN SPONTANEOUS AND NATURAL IT IS REALISATION.
Dear vishnave, yes, ‘I am’ is the master’s scent, an infallible clue, and the only clue available to us jivas (creatures), and nothing else. Holding on to this scent undistractedly while searching for Him, we finally succeed to attain the State “I AM THAT I AM”.
Thank you,
Anil