Self-enquiry as taught by Sri Bhagwan is enough

[eranilkumarsinha]

  Dr.Sarada asked Sri Muruganaron on a visit," Is it enough if I think of Bhagwan as my Guru and practice
  self-enquiry ?" On hearing the question Muruganar was deeply moved. He went red in face and
  his voice choked with emotion as he said 'Enough! Enough! Cent per cent sufficient.' After a moment's pause he
  added, 'More than hundred per cent sufficient.' He then stressed that Bhagwan is the only everlasting illumination
  within us and that His Presence is the only existence everywhere and for all time.

                                                                                                       From Surging Joy by
                                                                                                             Dr Sarada
                                                                                                                             

[Subramanian.R]

Keeping the Guru within Heart, and investigating into the nature of
Self [which is Self Enquiry] is enough.   If one finds Self Inquiry difficult, then he can keep the form of Guru in Heart and take up
intense devotion and blossom that devotion into surrender to the
Guru. 



Arunachala Siva. 

[eranilkumarsinha]

 Dear Subramanian ji,
 
  Your post is also very assuring like that of Sri Muruganar's reply to Dr. Sarada if one needs at all to be
  assured of. ' Keeping the Guru within Heart, and investigating into the nature of self is enough.' Thank you
  so much , sir.

[DRPVSSNRAJU]

Self-inquiry is the process of uncovering the reality which is clouded by thoughts.We cannot investigate into the Self.
Self is oneness and a unitary whole.The ignorant mind cannot investigate into the Self.It is enough if we set aside the
ignorant mind so that Self is uncovered,Self-inquiry is not a search for truth.The search for truth is merely a fulfillment of
belief.Self-inquiry is the process of understanding how thought works and nature of thinker.It explores what the thinker is
and his thoughts.Without understanding this self isolation process which we commonly call the "thinker or ego".
Merely caught to be in a dogma is not the uncovering beauty of Self which is life,existence,truth.

[amiatall]

Dear Raju,
I am sorry but I can't understand what you are trying to convey.
Self-inquiry is not an exploration tool of thinker and thoughts. It is a tool which kills the thinker and thought even before exploration can start.
We can explore thoughts, breath, various states of mind with various kinds of yogas and practices, but the explorer is omitted here, and this is maya.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Dr. Raju,

By the phrase "investigating into the nature of Self", I meant only
Self attention, or the process of leaving thoughts about the body and the world.



Arunachala Siva.
and

[eranilkumarsinha]

 I do not feel I am competent enough and, therefore, do not wish to utter vain words other than
 Bhagwan's WORDS and the Words of His Great Devotees. Hence, I entreat those who may agree
 that in case of difference of opinions among the devotees, we should turn to the 'Authority'
 i.e. Sri Bhagwan over and above the scriptures. The Straight Path shown, lighted and enjoined
 by our Guru is so integral and absolute that It is Goal Itself and, in my opinion, does not leave any room
 for argument.All we need to do is to tread it diligently.I mean Practice with unwavering belief and
 intense devotion to our Guru.

 Verse 19, Upadesa Saram,

 "Wherefrom does this "I"-thought arise? If one enquires thus , it vanishes. This is Self-enquiry."

 Verse 20,

 "When the "I"-thought perishes, then another "I"-"I" springs forth as the Heart, spontaneously.
  It is Existence in all its fullness."

 Sri Bhagwan has repeatedly said that 'Who am I' is not a verbal question to be repeated like a mantra.
 One should cultivate genuine doubt about his identity. If I know the true import of "I", what is the meaning of
 raising  'who am I' question? If I do not know that which I call "I" ,all thoughts loose power, meaning
 and sheen. I feel that if 'Who am I' question is raised with genuine doubt about one's identity itself,
 the thinker, and intense self-attention is maintained, only "I"-thought remains and that too will ultimately
 merge with the Source or Self.

 This is how I feel.If anyone has a different view, he may kindly ignore.

                                                                                        Thank you.

[Subramanian.R]

Bhagavan Ramana says in Who am I?

When one's self arises, all arises.  When one's self becomes quiescent,
all becomes quiescent.  To the extent we behave with humility, to that extent, there will be results that are good.  If the mind is rendered quiescent, one can live anywhere.



Arunachala Siva.

[eranilkumarsinha]

 Dear Sri Subramanian ji,
            Pranam,

  Yes Sir.Sri Bhagwan said that during deep sleep mind is quiescent and only Reality 'I am' is.
 On waking, little self arises and with it all else arise simultaneously. Therefore I is the
 phenomenal or the relative world which is only mental.
                                                                 Tank you, Sir.

[DRPVSSNRAJU]

Dear amiatall,exploration is verbal,there is no explorer involved in that as noun.Exploration is done by awareness.
I really do not understand when you say " It is a tool which kills the thinker and thought even before exploration can start."
Can you elaborate on what you want to say and i will read it with an open mind.

[amiatall]

Dear Raju,

I mean:

Verse 19, Upadesa Saram,
"Wherefrom does this "I"-thought arise? If one enquires thus , it vanishes. This is Self-enquiry."

The question basicly is, how can it be a tool of exploring thoughts and thinker, when during self-inquiry the thinker itself is questioned ? And when the thinker is questioned, where are thoughts?

[DRPVSSNRAJU]

Questiomimg the thinker is exploration.But the "I" thought won't vanish in single attempt.So thoughts will be there even after
several attempts of exploration.Just because it is vanished for Bhagawan in a single attempt we cannot say it is the case for everybody.

[amiatall]

I see now what you mean, thank you

[eranilkumarsinha]

 Dear Dr.Raju and Sri amiatal,

 Very nice, Sir. How I understand is as following:
 Mind is the bundle of thoughts, in which "I"- thought is the central thought and all other thoughts are connected 
 to this central thought.Without the cenral I-thought, no other thought can subsist.The I-thought can also
 not subsist by itself, since it has no consciousness of its own but only reflects the consciousness of the Self.
 This is also why it cannot bear the intense scrutiny.It survives by constantly associating itself with other
 thoughts.Sri Bhagwan says that by  questioning of the I-thought,by challenging its locus-standi,the very existence
 of the thinker is in jeopardy.'Who am I' question will invariably scorch all other thoughts and all attention will be on
 the I-thought only.If this process is repeated as often as attention wanders to other thoughts and attention is
 paid only to the I-thought,it will of its own accord merge in the Source,Self.

                                                                                               Thank you.   

[DRPVSSNRAJU]

Dear eranilkumarsinha ,beautiful post.This is exactly Bhagawan's point of view.Thank you.