I have been practicing the method of Self Inquiry for some time now. I’ve posted about it before, but in a nutshell it is the practice of looking at the most basic existence that you are. This method comes as medicine designed to cure the basic problem recognized by nearly all spiritual, religious, or mystical paths.
The basic problem is this -
All suffering is caused by the mistake of misidentification.
The cure to that is knowing what you really are. The truth of it.
Self Inquiry, as championed by Ramana Maharshi, takes the form of two basic questions. Either one may be used, it’s only their focus which is slightly different.
The two questions are -
- “What am I?”
- “Who am I?”
There is a phenomenon which occurs as you practice the method of Self Inquiry. Ramana referred to this as “climbing the ladder of awareness.”
- The eye is aware of the…
- tea pot
- The optic nerve is aware of the…
- eye
- The mind is aware of the…
- optic nerve
- The individual soul is aware of the…
- mind
- The consciousness (the Self) is aware of the…
- individual soul
In each instance the seer is aware of the seen. Ken Wilber puts it, “The Subject of one level becomes the Object of the Subject of the next level.” As awareness widens/deepens/rises it transcends, and includes, all previous Objects that were mistakenly taken as the Subject.
In my own personal terminology I have simplified this down to: “If I can see it, it’s not me.”
Anything of which I am aware must not be the me that is aware. Bringing this distinction forward, as often as is convenient, brings the One Taste of basic Being forward, and peels away the multitudinous layers of misidentification. One sinks back, deeper and deeper into the infinitely wide, and infinitely varied world as it is. Thoughts, feelings, interactions, people, things, time… all of these are perceived, and therefore are not the perceiver. They are not me. They are not you.
As I practice this method, bring forward this distinction, take this medicine, more and more is simply revealed. And, I come face to no-face with the raw awareness that everything is built up from.
Stumble it!
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