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To enquire 'Who am I?'
really means trying to find out the source of the ego or the 'I' thought.

"I am the Self, O Gudakesa, abiding in the Hearts of all beings. I am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings." (Essence of Bhagavad Gita)

The whole universe is in the body, the whole body is in the Heart; therefore the entire manifestation of the universe is contained in the Heart.

(Ramana Gita)

Self Enquiry - atma vichara

Increasing the number and complexity of questions to be solved is to miss the point completely

The practice of Atma Vichara (Self Enquiry) is a wonderfully simple thing. However, when one theorises on the practice, rather than simply diving in, all sorts of complexities arise. Increasing the number and complexity of questions to be solved is to miss the point. For example, whether or not the world has real existence or not and whether the jnani sees the world in the same way as the posited ajnani is of no importance. First one must find out about one's own reality.

About the actual practice (vicara) Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi has the following to say:

"To enquire 'Who am I?' really means trying to find out the source of the ego or the 'I' thought. You are not to think of other thoughts, such as 'I am not this body, etc.' Seeking the source of 'I' serves as a means of getting rid of all other thoughts. We should not give scope to other thoughts,...[such as 'I am not this mortal body' or 'Why has God created this world?'],... but must keep the attention fixed on finding out the source of the 'I' thought, by asking (as each thought arises) to whom the thought arises and if the answer is 'I get the thought' by asking further who is this 'I' and whence its source?

This teaching does not depend on scriptural learning, nor logic, nor does it depend on any external authority. Ramana Maharshi says, "Ishta Devata and Guru are aids - very powerful aids on this path. But an aid to be effective requires your effort also. Your effort is a sine qua non. It is you who should see the sun. Can spectacles and the sun see for you? You yourself have to see your true nature. Not much aid is required for doing it!" (from Talk; 28)

"The Heart is used in the Vedas and the scriptures to denote the place whence the notion 'I' springs." (Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi)

Who am I?



Links


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http://sriramanamaharshi.org The official page of Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RamanaMaharshi/ The RamanaMaharshi Group on Yahoo.

http://www.oocities.org/bhagavanramana A page full of Ramana related links.

ARUNACHALA PANCHARATNA English translation, from Sanskrit, of Arunachala Pancharatna of Sri Ramana Maharshi

Sri Ramana's Six from Ribhu Gita English translation of six key verses from Ribhu Gita selected by Sri Ramana Maharshi