Who am I, Paragraph 12

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Paragraph 12

 

Even when extraneous thought sprout up during such inquiry, do not

seek to complete the rising thought, but instead, deeply inquire

within, `To whom has this thought occurred?' No matter how many

thoughts thus occur to you, if you would with acute vigilance inquire

immediately as and when each individual thought arises to whom it has

occurred, you would find it is `to me.' If then you inquire `Who am

I?' the mind gets introverted and the rising thought also subsides.

In this manner as you persevere more and more in the practice of Self-

inquiry, the mind acquires increasing strength and power to abide in

its Source.

 

COMMENTS

 

Now the instruction turns to practical inquiry advise: What to do

about the busy mind full of thoughts? Don't even bother to finish the

thought, just turn it into inquiry. Notice that Ramana talks about a

process that has several steps. First is the inquiry, "For whom is

this?" The initial answer he provides is clearly for the

mind/ego, `To me.' Notice that this inquiry is for the mind, and its

purpose is to use the mind's power and turn it `inside." Already the

thought has stopped. After the mind responds, `To me' the inquiry

continues with the intent now to move the inquiry to the `source' of

the mind, your own Consciousness = Being.

 

We have habits. I observe that our `habits of mind' are what bind

us. So this process makes use of the tendency of the mind, and makes

a `habit' of turning the mind inward. We can make new habits, and

use them to aid our practice. When `the stick that stirs the fire'

burns up, all these habits go, too.

 

*****

We are Not two,

Richard