Who am I? Paragraph 9

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Paragraph 9

 

That which arises in the physical body as `I' is the mind. If one

enquires whence the `I'-thought in the body arises in the fist

instance, it will be found that it is from hydayam or the Heart.

That is the source and stay of the mind. Or again, even if one

merely continuously repeats to oneself inwardly, "I-I' with the

entire mind fixed thereon, that also leads one to the same source.

 

COMMENTS

 

Ramana here continues with equating the mind and the ego-I. We are

told here to look in the Heart for the rising of the `I'-thought. It

is important to note that Ramana is not saying to look in the

physical heart, nor is he saying to look at the physical location

usually equated with the heart-center (this is variously described

as `two-fingers to the right of the center of the chest, or the place

in between breaths where breath arises. The Heart to which Ramana

refers us, he also calls Reality, by which he means the Absolute or

Self. If one identifies with a body-location as the heart, then one

still maintains their identity with the body. But the body rises and

falls, so the body cannot be the Changeless.

 

Ramana here says that even Japa (repetition) of "I-I" will lead one

to the same source. The basic approach continues to be to keep the

focus "on the `first,' (first person, or `I', or `I'-thought), and to

not let the mind wander to the `second' or `third' (person, you, she,

them, it, etc.).