Fw: Hunting the 'I', 3: detached witnessing

[Guest guest]

- Gabriele Ebert

RamanaMaharshi ; SriArunachala

Tuesday, October 01, 2002 9:59 PM

Hunting the 'I', 3: detached witnessing

There is only one way to overcome the ghost [meant is the

individual 'I'] ... to watch it. Do not fight, do not resist. Only try

to watch it, quietly but ceaselessly. In other words, develop

an unconcerned witness-consciousness towards men, things

and happenings without, but particularly towards yourself

within. It means to carry on the calmness of the mind gained

in your meditation to cover your whole day. You will distinctly

feel it as an undercurrent of peace and detachment.

Of course, as soon as you succeed, the ghost-'I' will immediately

try to hide itself in this witness-consciousness at the feeling 'I am

the witness'. This again is only a thought. But to be the witness

without any I-consciousness is the pure mind at the threshold

of Reality.

While following the transformation of your personal 'I' into the

impersonal 'witnessing', you cut at the root of all your 'personal'

shortcomings, vices and weaknesses, your passions and evil

habits, because the root of all this unpleasant 'you' is just the

personal 'I'. Try to imagine yourself in the mood of the 'unconcerned

witness' described above, and you will see that in that state it is

impossible to think or act in a negative way, because in that mood

you are, though only momentarily, beyond the personal 'I'. Your

sadhana is to keep yourself permanently in the state of 'detached

witnessing' of all and everything, including the personal 'I' - when

and wherever it should try to raise its head.

In the silent Light of being witnessed it cannot survive. Such

'witnessing' will soon grow into pure Awareness, aware only

of Itself.

In the words of Ramana Maharshi: "The Truth is that the Self

is constant and unintermittent Awareness." (Talks, 454).

And in another context: "The essence of mind is only Awareness

or Consciousness. When the ego, however, dominates it it functions

as the reasoning, thinking or sensing faculty. The cosmic mind being

not limited by the ego, has nothing separate from itself and therefore

is only aware. This is what the Bible means by 'I am that I AM'."

(Talks, 188).

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Lucy Cornelssen: Hunting the 'I', p. 40-41

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