self-enquiry - #8

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Self-enquiry - Practice

Edited by David Godman

 

Preamble

By David Godman

 

Beginners in self-enquiry were advised by Sri Ramana to put their

attention on the inner feeling of `I' and to hold that feeling as

long as possible. They would be told that if their attention was

distracted by other thoughts they should revert to awareness of

the `I'-thought whenever they became aware that their attention had

wandered. He suggested various aids to assist this process- one could

ask oneself `Who am I?' or `Where does this I come from?'- but the

ultimate aim was to be continuously aware of the `I' which assumes

that it is responsible for all the activities of the body and the

mind.

 

In the early stages of practice attention to the feeling `I' is a

mental activity which takes the form of a thought or a perception. As

the practice develops, the thought `I' gives way to a subjectively

experienced feeling of `I', and when this feeling ceases to connect

and identify with thoughts and objects, it completely vanishes. What

remains is an experience of being in which the sense of individuality

has temporarily ceased to operate. The experience may be intermittent

at first but with repeated practice it becomes easier and easier to

reach and maintain. When self-enquiry reaches this level there is an

effortless awareness of being in which individual effort is no longer

possible since the `I' who makes the effort has temporarily ceased to

exist. It is not Self-realisation since the `I'-thought periodically

reasserts itself but it is the highest level of practice. Repeated

experience of this state of being weakens and destroys the Vasanas

(mental tendencies) which cause the '`I'-thought to rise, and, when

their hold has been sufficiently weakened, the power of the Self

destroys the residual tendencies so completely that the `I'-thought

never rises again. This is the final and irreversible state of Self-

realisation.

 

This practice of Self-attention or awareness of the `I'-thought is a

gentle technique, which bypasses the usual repressive methods of

controlling the mind. It is not an exercise in concentration, nor

does it aim at suppressing thoughts; it merely invokes awareness of

the source from which the mind springs. The method and goal of self-

enquiry is to abide in the source of the mind and to be aware of what

one really is by withdrawing attention and interest from what one is

not. In the early stages effort in the form of transferring attention

from the thoughts to the thinker is essential, but once awareness of

the `I'-feeling has been firmly established, further effort is

counter-productive. From then on it is more a process of being than

doing, of effortless being rather than an effort to be.

 

Being what one already is is effortless since beingness is always

present and always experienced. On the other hand, pretending to be

what one is not (i.e. the body and the mind) requires continuous

mental effort even though the effort is nearly always at a

subconscious level. It therefore follows that in the higher stages of

self-enquiry effort takes attention away from the experience of being

while the cessation of mental effort reveals it. Ultimately, the Self

is not discovered as a result of doing anything, but only by being.

As Sri Ramana Maharshi himself once remarked:

 

`Do not meditate – be!

 

Do not think that you are – be!

 

Don't think about being – you are!'

 

Self-enquiry should not be regarded as a meditation practice that

takes place at certain hours and in certain positions; it should

continue throughout one's waking hours, irrespective of what one is

doing. Sri Ramana Maharshi saw no conflict between working and self-

enquiry and he maintained that with a little practice it could be

done under any circumstances. He did sometimes say that regular

periods of formal practice were good for beginners, but he never

advocated long periods of sitting meditation and he always showed his

disapproval when any of his devotees expressed a desire to give up

their mundane activities in favour of a meditative life.

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