BHAGAVAN ON SELF ENQUIRY

[Guest guest]

Question : I begin to ask myself `Who am I?', eliminate the body as not `I', the

breath as not `I', and I am not able to proceed further.

 

Ramana Maharshi : Well, that is as far as the intellect can go. Your process is

only intellectual. Indeed, all the scriptures mention the process only to guide

the seeker to know the truth. The truth cannot be directly pointed out. Hence

this intellectual process.

 

You see, the one who eliminates all the `not I' cannot eliminate the `I'.

 

To say `I am not this' or `I am that' there must be the `I'. This `I' is only

the ego or the `I'-thought. After the rising up of this `I'-thought, all other

thoughts arise. The `I'-thought is therefore the root-thought. If the root is

pulled out all others are at the same time uprooted.

 

Therefore seek the root `I', question yourself `Who am I?'. Find out its source,

and then all these other ideas will vanish and the pure Self will remain.

 

Question : How to do it?

 

Ramana Maharshi : The `I' is always there - in deep sleep, in dream and in

wakefulness. The one in sleep is the same as that who now speaks. There is

always the feeling of `I'. Otherwise do you deny your existence? You do not. You

say `I am'. Find out who is I'

 

Question : I meditate neti-neti [not this - not this].Ramana Maharshi : No -

that is not meditation.

 

Find the source. You must reach the source without fail. The false `I' will

disappear and the real `I' will be realized. The former cannot exist apart from

the latter.There is now wrong identification of the Self with the body, senses,

etc. You proceed to discard these, and this is neti. This can be done only by

holding to the one which cannot be discarded. That is it [that which is].