make earnest and persistent Self enquiry

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THE ESSENCE OF RIBHU GITAThe following verses constitute the teachings of Siva to Ribhu,who in turn transmits those teachings to his disciple Nidhaga Rishi.The treatise goes by the name Ribhu Gita.`Sahaja Nishta' or The Natural State72. Enquiry should be made this wise: With the kind helpof the Sat Guru one should enquire `Who am I? what is thisworld? what is the reality behind all these?' (Ch.32, v.21)73. Staying in the company of sadhus (those engaged in thepursuit and enjoyment of the bliss of the Sat-Self) and respectfullyquestioning the Sat-Guru-Jnani, one should first make oneselfclear about the objective to be obtained. This is an importantaspect of the enquiry. After thus making sure of the objective,one must firmly abide in that objective of sole Brahman-Self untilthe Self is unmistakably experienced. (Ch.32, v.22)74. The conscious introspective concentration of Self enquiry(`Who am I'?) kills all thoughts and destroys the densedarkness of nescience; it effaces all worry; it illuminates theintellect with the radiance of pure awareness; it wipes out allconceptual confusions; it fixes one in Siva-Self; it transformsa host of impending disasters into auspicious events; andlastly, it destroys the ego-mind utterly with all its afflictions.(Ch.32, v.24)75. Only by those strong willed persons who make earnestand persistent Self-enquiry will the turbulent mind be controlledand fixed still in the practice of firm bhavana. In due course allthoughts and nescience will disappear, yielding place to theeffulgent Awareness-Self of mukti. (Ch.32, v.26)* In all the 13 verses of Chapter 32, the term bhavana is to be understoodas faith or firm belief in `Aham Brahmam' (I am the Self ).