question

[Guest guest]

I found this paragragh on a Nisargatta site,

 

" My teacher told me to hold on to the sense 'I am' tenaciously and

not to swerve from it even for a moment. I did my best to follow his

advice and in a comparatively short time I realized within myself

the truth of his teaching. All I did was to remember his teaching,

his face, his words constantly. This brought an end to the mind; in

the stillness of the mind I saw myself as I am -- unbound. "

 

Question: Doesn't the mind like to be totally engaged in any

experience? Doesn't dividing the mind between enjoying an ice cream

cone and " I Am " cause division and strain? Not only that, but

doesn't this reduce " I Am " to another experience as in " I am

driving " and " I Am " - - so who is noticing that I am having an

experience of " I Am " and " I am driving " - - who notices this is " I

Am " but don't forget you are still driving and who notices the

noticing and can this really work?

OK so it's not " I Am " and " I am driving " but " I Am " and " driving is

being done " Ego is not satisfied but extinguished but how

this 'jump' occur?

Larry

[Guest guest]

Nisargadatta , " trem23 <inmadison@h...> "

<inmadison@h...> wrote:

 

> Question: Doesn't the mind like to be totally engaged in any

> experience? Doesn't dividing the mind between enjoying an ice cream

> cone and " I Am " cause division and strain? Not only that, but

> doesn't this reduce " I Am " to another experience as in " I am

> driving " and " I Am " - - so who is noticing that I am having an

> experience of " I Am " and " I am driving " - - who notices this is " I

> Am " but don't forget you are still driving and who notices the

> noticing and can this really work?

> OK so it's not " I Am " and " I am driving " but " I Am " and " driving is

> being done " Ego is not satisfied but extinguished but how

> this 'jump' occur?

> Larry

 

" i am " without words means consciousness or awareness of existence.

whether we're talking about ramana's self-inquiry method or

nisargadatta's method the sense of " i am " the both are pointers for

consciousness. buddhists call the sense of " i am " , the emptiness,

the old time hindus called it brahman, the latter day devotional

hindus called it krishna or shiva and sufis call it love. i heard

christians talk about the presence.

 

personally i like the old hindu formula atman=brahman (the self is

awareness).

 

this is how i interpret maharaj's gurus' advice of holding to the

sense of " i am "

 

meditate as consciousness

on consciousness

nothing else

 

 

hur