Dear Devotees,
Sometime back, some members in the Forum advised and recommended watching the thoughts without realising that Sri Bhagwan never enjoined practice such as watching or witnessing anything other than the Self.When I saw such advocacy for such practice in the Forum, I was taken aback. I wondered why such ambiguity with regard to sadhana of Atma-vichara is sought to be created where there is none, in a forum which is committed to disseminate the Life and Teaching of one of the greatest Sages who ever walked on the Sacred Soil of the Mother India.
Sri Sadhu Om writes:
The practice of witnessing thoughts and events, which is much recommended nowadays by lecturers and writers, was never EVEN IN THE LEST recommended by Sri Bhagwan. Indeed, whenever He was asked what should be done when thoughts rise (that is, when attention is diverted towards second or third persons )during sadhana, He always replied in the same manner as He had done to Sri Sivaprakasam Pillai in ‘Who am I?’, where He says, “If other thoughts rise, one should, without attempting to complete them, enquire ‘To whom did they rise?’ What does it matter however many thoughts rise ? At the very moment that each thought rises, if one vigilantly enquires ‘To whom did this rise?’, it will be known ‘To me’. If one then enquires ‘Who am I?’, the mind (our power of attention) will turn back (from the thought) to its Source (Self). Moreover, when He says later in the same work, “Not attending to what-is-other (that is, to any second or third person) is non-attachment (vairagya) or desirelessness”, we should clearly understand that attending to (WITNESSING, WATCHING, OBSERVING OR SEEING) ANYTHING OTHER THAN SELF IS ITSELF ATTACHMENT, and when we understand thus we will realize how MEANINGLESS AND IMPRACTICAL are such instructions as ‘WATCH ALL THOUGHTS AND EVENTS WITH DETACHMENT OR ‘WITNESS YOUR THOUGHTS, BUT BE NOT ATTACHED TO THEM, which are taught BY THE SO-CALLED GURUS OF THE PRESENT DAY.
Source: The Path of Sri Ramana
There is no other. What appears as other is our imagination. Therefore, if we witness, watch, observe or see anything whatever other than the ATMA-SWARUPA, WHICH ALONE IS OUR NATURAL STATE, IS INDICATIVE OF THE PERSISTENCE OF THE ATTACHMENT WITH THE UNREAL. This is not the Self-enquiry as taught by Sri Bhagwan. Mind is fond of creating confusions and relishes unravelling them. WE NEED TO BE AWARE AND A BIT WARY WHILE PRACTICING ENQUIRY.
Thanks very much.
Pranam,
Anil