- Sandeep, link posted to SufiMystic

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.

- Preamble to Self-enquiry - Practice by David Godman, posted to MillionPaths

and finally, lest we take it all too seriously,...

-=-=-=-

The following is a test of your level of enlightenment. Score one point for each correct answer, subtract one point for each wrong answer.

Add your total number of right answers to the total number of wrong answers, divide by the total number of questions on the test, then wonder why you've tried to follow it this far.

Select the answer which best completes the following statements:

1. Yin and ...
A) Yout B) Tonic C) Yenta D) Yang

2. A Zen koan is ...
A) Jewish Buddhist B) All of the above C) One of the above D) None of the above

3. Just before total God-realization I would see....... A) A blue pearl B) Nothing C) Everything D) How would I know?

4) Lao-Tsu is....... A) Shrimp with fried rice B) The Atman Brothers C) A Japanese word for sneeze D) One of the above

5) Jivatman and Atman merge to become....... A) Jivatmanatman B) The Atman Brothers C) Jivatman & Atman Inc. D) Mr & Mrs Atman

6) The word or words which best describes the relationship of God, Guru and Self is....... A) Oneness B) Twoness C) Penpalness D) Just good friends

7) Which of the following is not a name of the Lord? A) Jehova B) Elohim C) Yahweh D) Charlton Heston

8) If you swap a Swami with a Yogi you get....... A) A Swogi B) A Salami C) Yogurt D) Heartburn

9) Carlos Castaneda is: A) a flamingo dancer B) A resort near San Juan C) The 2nd baseman for the LA Dodgers D) The guitarist for Santana

10) Om Mani Padme means: A) O manny, pardon my home B) Money talks, nobody walks. C) If u cn rd ths msg u cn Sanskrit Gt a gd jb D) Never having to say you're Sorry

11) The sound of one hand clapping is: A) Very quiet B) similar to smiling with one lip C) A Zen record shop D) Like the "p" in swimming

12) Linguine is to fettucine as kundalini is to : A) Eenie meenie B) Halloweenie C) Harry Ho D) Pepto Bismol (this is a silly answer)

13) The Tao Te Ching is: A) The new premier of China B) A new record by Cheech and Chong C) I Ching's older brother D) A massage parlor in Tokyo

14) You arrive at a party and your host says, "Far out, I want to take the responsibility for creating space in your universe so you can experience your experience." He means: A) "Have a good time" B) "Don't eat the Sweedish meatballs" C) "I just completed est training" D) Nothing anyone would understand

15) If three devotees can meditate for a total of nine hours, how many devotees would it take to mow the lawn?

16) If three devotees can mow the lawn in one hour, how many stoned devotees would it take to meditate until nobody cared? 17) If shakti was rising toward the fourth chakra at a rate of 3.5 pranayamas per second, and at the same time an energy force was traveling in the opposite direction at a rate of 4.8 pranayams per second, what time would it be in Chicago if we woke up in Los Angles?

True-False

_______Ramakrishna is a cereal made with rice and maple flavoring.

_______Satori is better than nirvana and samadhi except on weekends and holidays.

_______Sufi dancing is like square dancing only rounder.

_______The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a novel by Harold Robbins.

Score

0-5 points: You are hopelessly attached to the wheel of life and death. Try again next incarnation!

6-10 points You are largely unconscious and stuck in worldly pleasures

10-15 points You are so-so on the enlightment scale. Keep reading the New Sun.

15-20 points You are a very conscious being; with a little good karma you could go a long way.

20-25 points You are very close to God-realization--early November at the latest

-posted to nondualnow by Gyan

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