The seeker has to find answers to clear doubts and confusion which arises in deeper investigation of Sage Ramana Maharishi's ~ “Who Am I? +

The seeker has to find answers to clear doubts and confusion which arise in a deeper investigation of Sage Ramana Maharishi's ~ “Who Am I?”

Humanity is part and parcel of the illusion. ‘I’ and ‘I AM’ are the center of physical existence. Until ‘I’ or ‘I Am’ is there the universe or the mind is there until the universe is there we all exist experiencing the duality as a reality.

The ‘I’ is ignorance. Till one holds the ‘I’ as the  Self it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  Thus,   the seeker has to get rid of the ignorance, which is present in the form of ‘I’, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Communication happens within the duality, and the duality is not a reality from the ultimate standpoint. When the true Self is not limited to ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ but pervades the whole physical existence or universe then how one can refer to ‘I' or ‘I AM', which ceases to exist without the universe.  Thus, the Self is within the ‘I’ but it is without the ‘I’.  

Holding ‘I’ or ‘I am’ as Self will lead one towards intellectual speculation thus, it has to be avoided.   Ultimate truth or Brahman has to be grasped and realized mentally and it is possible when we rectify our reasoning base from form to formless.

The Soul is the Self.  The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the witness consciousness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theatre, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

The Self is not the ‘I’.  If the ‘I’ is merely an illusion, then it is no use of basing the Self as ‘I’,   the ‘I’ which appears and disappears has no permanence.  

Deeper self-search reveals: ~ The Self is not the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. The origin of the mind is Soul. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.  The root of the universe is consciousness.  Thus saying ‘I Am God’ keeps one in the domain of the dualistic illusion.

The duality is not reality. Duality is the product of ignorance. The body, ego, and the world are ignorance. When Advaitic wisdom dawns the ignorance disappears. When ignorance disappears the duality will never be a reality even though there is duality, it is merely an illusion created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  The Soul is the innermost Self. The innermost Self is God.  It is not “I AM GOD, but it’s correct to say ‘the SELF IS GOD.   

Swami Vivekananda: ~ Stick to Truth.  Beware of everything untrue. Stick to the truth and we shall succeed, maybe, slowly, but surely.

Identifying the Self as ‘I’ is the cause of ignorance. The seeker has to realize the fact that the ‘I’ itself is an illusion. Simply by saying ‘I and not the body, I AM THIS or ‘I AM THAT or WHO AM ‘I’? - the wisdom will not dawn.  When the Self is not ‘I’ then what is the use of such inquiry?  A perfect understanding of ‘what is what' is very much necessary.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘WHO AM ‘I’?’ inquiry is good at the starting point of the pursuit of truth but in later stages, it created lots of confusion.  When the Self is genderless then it is not He/She. Therefore, using the word ‘I AM’ for the Self is erroneous.  Deeper Self-search reveals the fact that the Self is not the ‘I’, therefore ‘WHO AM I?- will not help to unfold the truth beyond the form, time, and space.

By inquiring WHO AM I?-   it unfolds the fallacy of the form,   therefore,   only half of the truth is revealed. The ignorant who fail to apprehend the ‘Self’ is caught in the web of illusion experience, the birth, life, death, and world as reality.  The people who think the ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as the 'Self' are caught up in the web of duality and experience pain and pleasure as reality.    

The one who holds the ‘I’ as the Self never will be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Thus, it is necessary to realize first the ‘I’ is not the Self, but the Soul the formless witness of the ‘I’ is the Self.

The ‘I-centric' teaching and teachers are not a yardstick in the path of wisdom. ‘I’ based teaching will not lead the seeker to the ultimate end of his inner journey

A deeper investigation reveals the fact that: ~ the Self is neither the waking entity (you) nor the dream entity but the Self is the Soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

If the Self is not ‘you’ (waking entity) then what is the use of the ‘WHO AM ‘I’?, Self-inquiry is only good for the lower stage.

Sage Ramana Maharishi's teaching is most useful for beginners to start their pursuit of truth.  'WHO AM I?' - inquiry becomes inadequate and useless as one goes deeper into self-search.

However, it creates lots of doubts and confusion.  The seeker has to find the answers on his own through deeper reasoning, then all his doubts and confusions will be cleared, and he will be able to move ahead in the path of inquiry, and he will be able to reach his non-dual destination.

The first seeker has to find answers to following doubts and confusion which arise in a deeper investigation of Sage Ramana Maharishi's ~ “Who Am I?-inquiry”

v  If the mind is the same as Atman, how can it vanish? How can Atman vanish? (Page 4 para. 3)

v  "Whenever any thought leads you outward" etc, says Sage Ramana Maharishi. What can you be certain of when you leave the external world? And why leave the world if you say everything is Brahman? (Page 6 ~center)

v  The "Mind ceases to struggle" Yes if I commit suicide I shall also cease to struggle! How can you say the world ceases to exist if you don't look at it? ~ (Page ~ 6)

v  Who has seen the subtle mind projecting through the brain and the senses? Can you see it? Is not the brain also a piece of gross matter? Then how can it come into existence after the world is created, if later, depends on the brain? (Page 6 last para)

v  How can you say the world vanishes when you are introspected? The world is still there; whether you see it or not. (Page 7 top)

v  Heart is an idea created by the mind, so how can the Mind emerge from it? (Page 7~ Line 4)

v  One should unquestioningly follow guru"--This is the very reverse of what Sri Ramakrishna taught. What if the guru happens to be a fool or a rascal? Sri Ramakrishna said "Test me! (Page 11, Para 2)

v  "In deep sleep, trance, swoon, mind turns inwards and enjoys atmasukam." Why should any man study or inquire or practice if in sleep he can easily get the Atman? If sleep gives Brahman why trouble with Vedanta? (Page 12: middle)

v  Page 16 middle: "If this truth is appreciated who can refrain from being good?" This is the opposite of real Vedanta. Vedanta says it is not enough to be good, you must serve the world and relieve suffering. ~ (Page 16 center)

v  Is the vanishing of ego to be the end of life? Aham, I must indeed go but tuham (thou) must come; you must know Brahman is everywhere. It is only half to say the ego must vanish. This is only a step, not the highest. (Page 16 last para).

Bhagavad Gita on this point says: ~   The Soul, the Self must see all in itself. (4/34)

Sage Raman Maharishi: ~ He placed his right hand on his right breast and continued, "Here lies the Heart, the dynamic, spiritual Heart. It is called Hridaya and is located on the right side of the chest and is clearly visible to the inner eye of an adept on the spiritual path. Through meditation, you can learn to find the Self in the cave of this Heart." ~ Mercedes de Acosta, Here Lies the Heart

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Santthosh Kumaar: ~  The spiritual heart is the Soul, the Self, not the physical heart.   The world in which you exist is within the Soul, the spiritual heart. Mistaking the spiritual heart within the body is a great error. Even some Advaitic guru says that the Self is within the spiritual heart. And the spiritual heart is on the left side.  Such a declaration is merely an imagination, based on the false self (ego or you). When the Self is bodiless, then the question of the heart being left side or right side does not arise.  

The seeker must realize the Soul, the Self, itself is the spiritual heart.  The Soul the spiritual heart is ever formless. The Soul itself is the spiritual heart that is present in the form of the spirit or consciousness.

Without the form, time, and space, the Soul, the Self, becomes naked. The nature of the Soul, the innermost Self is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. 

Sri Ramana Maharishi also refers to: ~ Pure Consciousness, which is the heart, includes all; and nothing is outside or apart from it. That is the ultimate Truth.

I have the highest reverence for Sage Ramana Maharishi as a sage of absolute purity and unworldliness and desirelessness, but those who are seeking truth have to indulge in much deeper Self-search to realize the truth which is beyond the dual (waking or dream and nondual states).  Sage Ramana Maharishi indicated many other ways other than ‘WHO AM ‘I’? 

The serious seekers who are searching for the ultimate truth or Brahman should not stop till they reach their Goal.

Jesus said: ~"Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all." (Gospel of Thomas 2)

Buddha: ~ Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

Buddha said: ~ Believe nothing because a wise man said it, Believe nothing because it is generally held. Believe nothing because it is written. Believe nothing because it is said to be divine. Believe nothing because someone else said it. But believe only what you yourself judge to be true

Dattatreya's Song of the Avadhut 1.36-42:~ Advaita taught by some; some others teach duality. They don't understand that the all-pervading Reality is beyond both duality and non-duality.

Mundaka Upanishad 1.3:~ Complete knowledge includes knowledge of the phenomenal world, the spirit behind it, and the source of both of them.  When the cause of all causes becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known, and nothing remains unknown is Gnana.”

Sage Sankara’s wisdom will remain a dead letter to the seekers who get stuck with orthodoxy and glorifying God and gurus.     All such acts and worship and rituals are not meant for the seekers of truth. 

Sage Sankara: ~ 'Like a servant who carries a lamp in front of you to find your way, and you have found it, so becomes the Veda to that person. What is the Veda? -- utterances of those who have known the Truth. Here is one who has known the Truth; why should he or she depend upon the Veda further? Actual realization takes you beyond books. At a certain stage, books become a botheration. The Upanishad itself says that the 'words are only so much of distraction for such minds'

Sage Sankara: ~ Atman, the innermost Self is verily Brahman (God), being equanimous, quiescent, and by nature absolute Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss. Atman is not the body that is non-existence itself. This is called true Knowledge by the wise. 

Rig Veda, 10:48, 5:~ The Soul is the cause; Soul is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Soul the innermost Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Soul nor worship other than the Soul?

The pursuit of truth is not for getting emotionally involved with some guru or yogi and indulging in glorifying the guru or yogi as God but investigating to find out whether there is any valuable material to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond the form, time and space.  

Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, and none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but  the Soul.”

Thus, the seeker has to do his own homework to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space.  The seeker's aim is the search for the Ultimate Truth or Brahman, the search to find the non-dualistic truth that in actuality never was lost, only hidden. The ultimate truth has to be realized first, and then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.

The ultimate truth or Brahman is the Soul, the Self.  The seeker should not search for truth outside of the form, time, and space.  Let these words be inscribed in your heart. 

Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but an intense urge to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

The Soul or consciousness is everywhere and in everything.  Consciousness is beyond form, time, and space and is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. God in truth alone is and all else is an illusion. :~Santthosh Kumaar