D. Then when you say ‘Know thyself’ you want me to know this ego-self?
Sri Bhagwan: But the moment the ego-self tries to know itself, it changes its character; it begins to partake less and less of the jada, in which it is absorbed, and more and more of the Consciousness of the Self, the Atman.
D. Then whom do you address when you say ‘knw thyself’?
Sri Bhagwan: To whatever you are; to you is given the suggestion ‘know thyself’, The ego-self, when it feels the necessity to know its own origin or impelled to rise above itself, takes the suggestion and goes deeper and there discovers the True Source and reality of itself. So the ego-self beginning to know itself ends in perceiving its Self.
Source: Sat-Darshana Bhashya and Talks with maharshi
Dear Sri Nagaraj Ji,
Quote from your post:
“Therefore, This feeling of 'I' consciousness that we hold on to during the waking state is nothing but the arisen mind, it is therefore of our best interest to not conclude that that this feeling of 'I' consciousness shines in the form of 'I AM THE I AM'.”
My Goodness! No where I have said or written that ego shines in the form of ‘I AM THAT I AM’. I feel that this is a gross misinterpretation of what I wished to convey. What I have meant to convey is what I have done myself: The Real Self is Infinite ‘I’. That ‘I’ is perfection. It is eternal. It has no origin and no end. The other ‘I’ is born and also dies. It is impermanent. See to whom the changing thoughts belong. They, of course, belong to the ‘I’-thought. Sri Bhagwan says that when one holds the ‘I’ thought, they (thoughts) subside. Track back the Source of the ‘I’-thought. The Self alone will remain. This is the Teaching. Now what I mean to say is this that if one asks ‘Who am I? or Whence am I?’, holds the ‘I’-thought and traces it back to the Source, one drowns effortlessly in one’s own NATURAL STATE OR BEING OR THE SELF WHICH EVER SHINES AS ‘I AM THAT I AM’. No where I have ever said that the ego shines as the Self or ‘I am that I am’.
Dear Sri Nagaraj Ji, we will do well here if we remember that Sri Bhagwan has unambiguously taught that the Self-enquiry by following the CLUE of aham-vritti or the ego is just like the dog tracing his master by his scent. The master’s scent is an infallible clue for the animal. TO THAT SCENT THE DOG HOLDS ON UNDISTRACTEDLY WHILE SEARCHING FOR HIM, AND FINALLY SUCCEEDS IN TRACING HIM. So also, Sri Bahgwan has revealed that in our investigation into the source of the aham-vritti, we take the consciousness aspect of the ego (‘I’-consciousness or feeling) and tracing back the Source holding the scent of the Consciousness, which culminates in Realisation of Pure Consciousness of the Self. What happens on the way?
ONE WHO SEEKS ‘WHO AM I? OR WHENCE AM I?’, FOLLWING THE EGO THE FORM OF WHICH IS ‘I AM SO AND SO’, AND WHILE DOING SO , THE ADJUNCT ‘SO AND SO’ DIES ON THE WAY HAVING NO REAL EXISTENCE OF ITS OWN, ONE THUS DROWNS EFFORTLESSLY IN HIS OWN NATURAL BEING, IS ESTABLISHED IN THE SELF OR THE SWARUPA, AND SHINES AS ‘I AM THAT I AM’.
Quote from, your post:
“On one hand assuming holding on this 'I' feeling as observed by you, this holding on to 'I' consciousness has to continue even in deep sleep. Does it continue? If it does, then this discernment is appropriate and on line with the teachings of Bhagavan, as i humbly feel.”
Yes. But Sri Bhagwan has taught that the Realisation or the final Natural State has to be obtained CONSCIOUSLY IN THE JAGRAT, THAT IS, IN THE WAKING STATE. However, Sri Bhagwan has taught that if we slip into sleep while meditating, the meditation will go on even during and after the sleep. I have no doubt that that if I slip into sleep with the thought of the Self (Atma Chintanai, or the Self-attention), I awake with the thought of the Self, implying that meditation continued thus in sleep also. Sleep is a mere thought which must be got rid of.
Sri Bhagwan: “Waking and sleeping are mere pictures on the screen of the native, thought-free state. Let them pass unnoticed.”
Sleep is said to be the first obstacle for the sadhakas. Once sleep overtakes, one can do nothing in that state. So, one should engage in Enquiry while one is awake and try to keep away the thoughts. Sri Bhagwan has enlightened us that SO LONG AS THERE ARE THOUGHTS OF ACTIVITY THERE WILL ALSO BE SLEEP. THOUGHTS AND SLEEP ARE COUNTERPARTS OF ONE AND THE SAME THING.
Quote from your post:
“The Brahma akara vritti helps to turn the mind away from other thoughts. (Talks)”
Yes. Thanks very much for reminding.
Quote from your post:
“Which as i expressed in my previous posts, would also mean that we would go on for ever merely holding on to this 'I' feeling ignoring the source of this feeling. Therefore Dear Sri Anil ji, i am still convinced to stick to the observation that
Superior to holding on to the 'I' thought or the 'I' consciousness, is looking at the source of this holding on/clinging on to the 'I'.”
Dear Sri Nagaraj Ji, Yes. Certainly. Self alone is the Jnana Guru for everyone. Nevertheless, the implication of Sri Bhagwan’s Teaching is obvious:
D. I am aware of the ‘I’. Yet my troubles are not ended.
Sri Bhagwan: This ‘I’-thought is not pure. It is contaminated with the association of body and senses. See to whom the trouble is. It is to the ‘I’-thought. Hold it. Then the other thoughts vanish.
D. Yes. How to do it? That is the whole trouble.
Sri Bhagwan: THINK “I, “I”,” I”, AND HOLLD TO THAT ONE THOUGHT TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHERS.
Besides, dear Sri Nagaraj Ji, effort is necessary. Sri Bhagwan has taught that just as water is got by boring a well, so also one realises the Self by investigation. WE ARE HAZILY AWARE OF THE SELF. AS WE SEE MOISTURE ON THE SURFACE, DIG DEEPER AND OBTAIN THE WATER, LIKEWISE WE MUST PURSUE THE HAZY AWARENESS OF THE SELF, TRACE IT TO SOURCE AND REALISE THE SELF. When the effort ceases, the self shines forth.
Thanks very much, dear Sri Nagaraj Ji.
Pranam,
Anil
Note: Dear devotees, as I informed you earlier, I have been deputed and thus engaged in the flood control activities of the Water Resources Department of the Govt. of Bihar. This job is of emergency nature and is, full of intense and hectic activities . Therefore, I do not know when I will get time to read your posts and respond appropriately if I so wished. However, something from within still keeps me prompting to write and respond to your understanding here in this forum, and therefore, I shall keep attending to the forum and continue to contribute in this thread as well, of course, Sri Bhagwan willing. Anil