Some Additional Comments

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Some additional comments ...

 

What I learned from Bob Adamson is all problems, issues, concerns,

questions, dilemmas, etc. are for the " I " .

 

I am not clear.

I am confused.

I am not there.

I had it/lost it.

I don't understand.

I was born.

I am going to die.

I will do X.

I won't do X.

I choose/don't chose.

 

Everything revolves around the " I " . Nail down the

identity of the " I " and all problems resolve. The

imagined sense of being a separate " I " is the source

of all problems. Since the " I " as a thought is really

very intangible, all types of other ideas get wrapped

around it, in order to give it some semblance

of solidity. All the self-definitions, identities,

conditioning, etc. all hinge on the unexamined

sense of " I " .

 

The most direct teachings set aside all philosophizing,

techniques, theorizing, etc. and go directly into and

investigation of what is the import (real meaning) of

the word " I " . This , I believe, is Ramana's self-inquiry -- what is

this that I call " I " ? We are constantly saying " I " " I "

all day long, all life long, but what is it?

 

Like I said in my original post, Bob Adamson said

if the cause ( " I " ) is seen to not exist, can all

the effects (all the definitions built on the " I " ) survive?

I had read about this idea for years, but my

entire view of life was radically altered when

the looking actually happened. The moment

I saw the " person " I thought myself to be

was not there, it was a false assumption,

I directly experienced a complete freedom

from all problems, doubts, spiritual conundrums,

etc. It was remarkable. I did nothing at all, except

there was a looking and seeing that the person,

the separate " I " was not there. There was not

trying to be free or solving any intellectual

puzzles.

 

That is about all I can say. As Bob points

out " you can never find the answer in the

mind " so it is useless to look there. No amount

of thinking can free you of the riddles created

by thought. The title of Bob's book is interesting:

" What's Wrong with Right Now, Unless You Think

About? " .

 

The " problem " if there is one, is created by the mind,

is a product of thought. But you don't have to do

anything with thought, such as get rid of it, suppress

it or anything. Just see that what you really are, right

here and now, is that presence-awareness that is

the basis on which thought is happening. That which

is aware, which is knowing all your sensations, feelings,

emotions, etc. is radiantly aware, effortlessly knowing

and being, simply a clear, spacious presence of

awareness, as the Buddhists say " cognizing emptiness " .

 

Get a feel for that. Have the willingness to look at this,

sense it, feel it, be it, relax into that. Know with assurance

that you are not a limited person bound up in thought,

but you are the sky-like presence of awareness in

which the whole universe is appearing.

 

The next time you think " I am this or that, " " I have a

problem " or whatever, just drop the apparent problem

and ask " Who is this I that I think I am? Is that what

I really am? "

 

You may even want to do some investigation and try

to find this " I " in your direct experience. Is there a

sensation that I can call " I " , a thought, a feeling?

I say " I " but what is it?

 

Then it will dawn on you, Hey? am I not aware,

am I not present? Is not the presence of my true

nature here, perfectly untouched, unsullied, like

the sun shining above the clouds -- untouched by

the clouds of thought?

 

This kind of looking will pull drain plug out

of the sink of the mind and all problems will

be sucked into the void of non-existence. I do

not exaggerate when I say that a lifetime of

problems will evaporate. As they say, a cave

may have been dark for thousands of years, but

when you bring a torch into the cave, the light

instantly obliterates that darkness.

 

If you want more insights on this approach, I highly

recommend getting ahold of Bob Adamson's book

and/or CDs of his talks. He has been sharing

this understanding for about 25 years, ever since

he was shown this directly by Nisargadatta Maharaj,

and his doubts were resolved.

 

He is very skilled at conveying all of this.

 

John