The meaning of the word aham-vritti in the dictionary of yoga and Vedanta terms. Atma vichara - a method of liberation that suits everyone The mind itself must turn to its source
Atma-vichara is the study of who a person really is, not at the moment. Knowledge of one's own Self. This is the ability to separate from five unnecessary shells: physical, astral, energetic, mental, causal. And also - the opportunity to accept and recognize the highest Atman, the absolute self. One must be able to distinguish between the Self as all the purest that is in a person, and the Self-Thought.
Topic concepts
The second is simply thought or vritti, which only satisfies physical needs. The first is pure eternal life. She does not dwell on illusion and ignorance. And if you remain just a thought, then eternal life will be impossible to achieve, since it will disappear.
Atma-vichara promotes the acquisition of knowledge about who a person really is and who he is not. Meditation helps determine which dimension to give power over the human soul and where to follow wise advice.
But unfortunately, not everyone can follow the method of self-research, since even a complete and detailed description does not always reflect the complete picture, and even more so cannot explain what to do with it next.
The essence of the method
In order to feel the vibration of the Self or aham vritti, you need to know that this is the very first thought that arises in a person’s head. It is from this that branches of others arise. Such as “I want”, “I do”, “I eat”.
Each person has thousands of such vrittis that he receives throughout his existence. They are the ones who do not allow energy to pass through from the upper energy centers. Because of this, it accumulates inside the human consciousness, forming fears, irritations, worries and negative emotions. And when this energy leaves the body, a blissful experience is formed, which accumulates in the body, as in a vessel, and is a conductor of energy.
The advantage of Atma-vichara meditation is that its correct implementation provides almost instantaneous liberation from any negativity. For example, if a person has a thought about something bad done by someone else, he begins to develop it and concentrate on it. But, having completed the Atma-vichara exercises, he manages to delve into the very essence of the problem, which contributes to self-observation.
Self-Inquiry
With continuous observation, a person literally understands in a few seconds that his Self is woven from fear. Gradually it dissolves it, and the person can no longer even understand why the problem arose. False selves disappear, thereby bringing to the surface important events that the mind has latched on to.
And even if all unnecessary “I”s are not completely dissolved, you need to approach the source located on the right side of the chest. We are talking about true sensations, untainted by fear. Approaching them, a person moves to an expanded point of perception. It is a little blurry, and at first there may be a loss of brightness of perception.
The most difficult and main problem is the ability (or lack thereof) to catch the very first thought without being distracted by others. But after this a second obstacle arises. As the vibration becomes "refined", it becomes difficult to distinguish it and pull it out from the huge mass of energy. But as you gain experience, it becomes easier. I can be felt in the crown, eyes, neck or heart. It is believed that the deepest immersion comes from the heart.
Peculiarities
During practice, you must learn to fully control your sense of self. One of the secrets of Atma-vichara is this: if a person thinks that there is no process of meditation itself, but only successful attempts, then this is already the sphere of contemplation of meditation. After mastering this technique, you can get rid of negativity without any problems.
In addition to the sitting technique of Atma-vichara, it can be included in daily life. This can be useful, as the technique trains awareness and separate attention. You can use peripheral awareness of yourself in life, which does not distract you from your activities. Seated meditation forces you to completely immerse yourself in the process.
Technicians
You can talk about the practice of Atma-vichara in more detail. And for starters, about sitting meditation.
To perform it, you need to take a relaxed natural pose. The main thing is that she remains motionless. A person should cross his legs, straighten his back and put his hands on his knees, his tongue should be pressed to the roof of his mouth. There is no need to pay special attention to breathing. The eyes are slightly open.
The state of consciousness should be relaxed, but it must be controlled so that consciousness does not follow thoughts. You need to direct all your attention inward and focus completely on the Self.
If attempts to concentrate are unsuccessful, then you need to ask the question: “Who am I?” After this, you should try to feel a slight vibration inside your consciousness. You need to grab it and not let go, with full concentration and without distraction. After long practice of holding, it will be possible to feel the inner Self and gain a connection with the supersubconscious.
If extraneous thoughts arise during meditation, you should try not to get carried away by them, but, on the contrary, push them away. When images arise, ask the question: “Who is observing them?”, and when receiving the answer “I,” one must say: “Who am I?” After which there will be a return to the original vibration.
You should not think “Who am I?”, this must be understood at the subconscious level, since this is the most important task.
In move
To perform moving meditation, you need to focus on the Self while walking or any other activity. We must remember ourselves, thereby opening our consciousness.
At this time, you need to ask questions: “Where do thoughts come from?”, “What is the shape and color of the Self?” The meditator should try to trace the center or source of thoughts, after which the basis of the Self can be discovered. It is important to concentrate and hold it, no longer looking for anything.
For people who practice more advanced stages of self-inquiry and Atma-vichara, it is possible to discern sankalpas or attitudes of consciousness. For example, “Dream”, “Vision”, etc., but for this you need to develop mindfulness at the initial levels of observing the work of the body and mind.
Practical technique of self-realization by Ramana Maharshi, with his detailed explanations.
Brief introduction:
In this “manifest world” there is only one reality, the reality of the sense of being, the conscious presence, or “I am.”
“I am” is an objectless conscious presence. The awareness “I am” is present, but there is no specific “me”.
This pure ("Higher") Self, mistakenly identified with the body, becomes the concrete "I", or individual being, or ego.
And this erroneous identification has been going on “since the time of Adam,” which is why it is called “original sin.”
False Belief: "I am someone specific", there is a root cause for self-limitation within the body, and as a consequence: fear for this body, the endless struggle for its survival and better existence.
Liberation, or “self-realization” (or more correctly, recognition of the true “I”) is simply the cessation of identification of “I am” with a specific body.
And remaining pure, objectless, total “I AM”
““I exist” is the only constant self-evident experience of everyone. Nothing is more self-evident than “I am.”
What people call “self-evident”—the experiences they have through the senses—are far from self-evident.
Therefore, doing self-inquiry and being that 'I am' is the only thing to do.
“I am” – Reality. “I am this or that” is unreal.
The concept of individuality is only the “I” thought, which manifests itself in a variety of ways.
Self-realization implies the disappearance of both the mind and the “I” thought.
After Self-realization there is no longer a thinker, no performer of action and no consciousness of individual existence.
The “I” thought can only exist by identifying itself with an object.
When thoughts arise, the “I” thought proclaims ownership of them: “I think,” “I believe,” “I want,” “I act,” but there is no separate “I” thought that exists independently of objects, with with which she is identified.
The “I” thought itself appears to live as a real, constantly acting being only because of the incessant flow of continuous identifications.
All these identifications follow from the basic assumption that the Self is limited to the body, either as a host-tenant or as living only in its physical form.
This thought “I am the body” is the primary source of all subsequent misidentifications, and its dissolution is the main goal of self-enquiry.
The tendency towards self-limiting identifications can be controlled by an attempt to separate the subject "I" from the objects of thought with which it is identified.
If attention is focused on the subjective feeling "I" or "I am" with such intensity that the thoughts "I am this" or "I am that" do not arise, then the individual "I" will be unable to associate with objects.
Since the individual “I”-thought cannot exist without an object, if this awareness of “I” is maintained, the individual “I” (I)-thought will disappear and in its place will remain the direct experience of the Self.
Therefore, it is necessary to maintain awareness of the “I” thought until it dissolves in the source from which it came.
Meditation or mental repetition of "I" also leads on the right path, but it is important to note that this is only a preliminary stage of practice.
The repetition of "I" still involves a subject ("I"-thought) having the perception of an object (thoughts "I, I"), and as long as such duality exists, the "I"-thought will continue to grow.
It will finally disappear only after the perception of all objects, physical and mental, ceases.
This is accomplished not by knowledge of a certain “I”, but only by the existence of “I”.
This stage of experiencing the subject, and not the awareness of some object, is the culminating phase of self-exploration,
and this distinction is the key element that sets self-enquiry apart from almost all other spiritual practices, and it explains why Sri Ramana constantly argued that most other practices are ineffective.
He often pointed out that traditional meditation and yoga practices require the existence of a subject who meditates on an object, and usually added that such a connection supports the “I” thought instead of destroying it. In his view, such practices could effectively calm the mind and even give experiences of Bliss, but they never culminate in Self-realization, for the "I"-thought is not isolated and deprived of its identity with objects.
From the ordering of thoughts by their value, it follows that the “I” thought is the most important.
The feeling of individuality, or the thought of it, is the root, the basis of all other thoughts, since every idea or thought arises only as someone else's thought and does not exist independently of the ego. The ego, therefore, exhibits mental activity.
The second and third persons (you, he, that, etc.) will not appear until the first person, “I,” appears.
Consequently, they arise only after the appearance of the first person, and therefore all three faces appear to rise and fall simultaneously. Hunt down now the ultimate cause of the self or personality.
Where does this “I” come from? Look for it within; then it disappears.
This is the search for Wisdom. When the mind continually examines its own nature, it is discovered that there is no such thing as mind. This is the straight path for everyone. The mind is only thoughts. Of all thoughts, the “I” thought is the root one. Therefore, the mind is only “I”-thought.
The birth of the “I” thought is the person’s own birth, and its death is the death of the personality.
After the “I” thought arises, a mistaken identification with the body arises. Reject the “I” thought. As long as the self lives, grief exists. When the “I” disappears, there is no grief.
See whose thoughts these are and they will disappear. Their root is in the single “I” thought. Stick to it, and you won’t be lost.
The phenomenal existence of the ego is transcended when you immerse yourself in the source from which the “I” thought rises.
Finding and realizing the source of the ego in the form of aham-vritti necessarily implies going beyond the ego in any of its possible forms.
You must distinguish between the “I” that is pure in itself and the “I” that is thought.
The latter, being simply a thought, sees the subject and the object, sleeps, awakens, eats and drinks, dies and is reborn - that is, it functions.
But the pure Self is pure Being, eternal existence, free from ignorance and thought-illusion.
If you remain that “I”, your only being, without thought, then the “I”-thought will disappear and delusion will disappear forever.
The “I” in its purity is experienced in the intervals between two states or two thoughts.
The ego is like a worm that leaves one of its grips only after completing another,
and the true nature of the ego is known when it has no contact with objects or thoughts.
This ghostly ego, without form, begins to exist by taking over form;
having a form, it is preserved; feeding on the captured forms, it grows, leaving one form,
it cleaves to the other, but when it is sought, it takes flight.
Only if this first person, the ego in the form "I am the body", exists, then the second and third persons (you, you, he, they) will exist.
If, in examining the truth of the first person, it is destroyed, then the second and third persons will also cease to exist, and man's own nature, which will then shine forth as the One, will truly be the state of the Self.
Reality is simply loss of ego. Destroy the ego by searching for its authenticity. Since the ego has no real existence, it will spontaneously disappear, and the Reality will then shine forth in Itself.
Self-enquiry is the only infallible method, the only direct means for realizing the unconditioned, absolute Being that you truly are.
Because any type of practice, except self-inquiry, presupposes the preservation of the mind as an instrument for conducting sadhana and in the absence of the mind cannot be practiced. The ego is capable of taking on diverse and increasingly subtle forms at various stages of the mentioned types of practice, but is never completely destroyed.
Now the practice itself:
Sri Ramana advised those beginning the practice of self-enquiry to focus their attention on the inner sense of “I” and to hold on to this feeling for as long as possible. If their attention is distracted by other thoughts, they should return to awareness of the “I” thought as soon as they notice it.
To facilitate this process, the seeker can ask himself, “Who am I?” or “Where does this I come from?”, but the ultimate goal should be the continuous awareness of the “I”, which believes that it is responsible for all the activities of the body and mind.
In the early stages of practice, attention to the sense of self is a mental activity that takes the form of a thought or sensation.
As the practice develops, the thought of “I” gives way to the subjective experience of the feeling of “I”, and when this feeling ceases to be associated and identified with thoughts and objects, it disappears completely. What remains is the experience of being in which the sense of individuality temporarily ceases to operate.
The experience may be intermittent at first, but with repeated practice it becomes increasingly easier to achieve and maintain.
When self-enquiry reaches this level, there is an awareness of effortless existence, in which individual effort no longer becomes possible, since the self that makes the effort temporarily ceases to exist.
This state is not Self-realization, since the “I” thought periodically manifests itself, but here is already the highest level of practice.
Repeated experience of this state of being weakens and destroys the mental tendencies which cause the I-thought to arise, and when their power has been sufficiently weakened, the power of the Self destroys the residual tendencies so completely that the I-thought never appears again. This is the final and irreversible state of Self-realization.
The practice of self-attention, or awareness of “I” thoughts, is a gentle technique that bypasses the usual repressive methods of mind control.
It is not an exercise in concentration and does not aim at suppressing thoughts; it simply evokes awareness of the source from which the mind arises.
The method and purpose of self-enquiry is to remain at the source of the mind and realize the true nature of man, withdrawing attention and interest from what he is not.
In the early stages of practice, effort in the form of shifting attention from thoughts to the thinker is very significant, but once the awareness of the “I”-feeling is firmly established, further effort prevents progress.
After this, practice is already more a process of being than of doing, being without effort rather than an effort to be.
The being that man already is is free from effort, for beingness is always present and always experienced.
On the other hand, trying to be what one really is not (that is, body and mind) requires continuous effort, even if almost always on a subconscious level.
It follows that in the higher stages of self-enquiry, effort diverts attention from the experience of being, while the cessation of mental effort opens up this experience.
Ultimately, the Atman ("Higher Self") is revealed as the result of being, not doing something.
As Sri Ramana himself once remarked:
“Don't meditate - be!
Don't think that you are - be!
Don’t think about being – you are!”
Self-inquiry should not be seen as a meditation practice that is done at certain times and in certain postures;
it should be performed continuously throughout waking hours, regardless of the type of activity.
Sri Ramana saw no contradiction between work and self-enquiry and argued that with a little practice the latter can be carried out under any conditions.
You are the mind or you think you are the mind. The mind is nothing more than thoughts. Behind each individual thought there is a general thought, which is “I”, that is, you yourself. Let's call this “I” - the first thought.
Poke yourself into this “I” thought and ask it what it is. When this question grips you strongly, you will not be able to think about anything else.
Detailed explanations:
Question: When I do this and hold tightly to the “I,” that is, the “I” thought, other thoughts come and go, but I say to myself, “Who am I?” - and there is no further answer. Staying in this state is practice. Is not it?
Maharshi: No, this is a common mistake. When you undertake a serious search for the Self, the "I"-thought disappears and something else, coming from the depths, holds you; it is no longer the “I” that started the search.
Question: You often say that in the process of searching you need to reject other thoughts, but there is no end to thoughts. If one thought is rejected, then another comes, and so on ad infinitum.
Maharshi: I am not saying that you should go on dropping thoughts. Poke yourself into yourself, that is, into the “I” thought. When your interest remains on this one idea, other thoughts are automatically discarded and disappear.
The mind can become calm only through the inquiry “Who am I?” The thought “Who am I?”, which destroys all other thoughts, will eventually burn itself out like a stick used to stir a funeral pyre.
When other thoughts appear, you should not follow them, but ask: “For whom do they arise?” What does it matter that many thoughts arise?
If, at the moment each thought arises, you diligently examine: “For whom did this thought arise?”, then the answer will be: “For me.” If after this you ask “Who am I?”, then the mind returns to its source and the thought that has arisen calms down. By repeating this practice, the mind develops the power to remain in its source.
Although the tendencies towards sense objects accumulated in the beginningless past arise, countless like the waves of the ocean, they will all perish as soon as meditation on the true nature becomes more and more intense. Leaving no room for doubt as to whether it is possible to destroy all these tendencies of the mind and remain only as the Self, one should steadily maintain attention to the self.
As long as the tendencies toward sense objects remain in the mind, the practice of inquiring “Who am I?” required. As thoughts arise, they should be destroyed - here and now - at the very source of their appearance, using research.
Question: Do you think that you can continue all your previous activities, professional ones for example, and at the same time receive Enlightenment?
Maharshi: Why not? However, in such a case, the person will not think that it is the old personality that is doing the work, for his consciousness will gradually move until it is centered on THAT which lies beyond the small “I”.
Question: When searching for “I,” nothing is visible.
Maharshi: You are accustomed to identifying yourself with the body, and vision with the eyes, and therefore you say that you do not see anything.
What should you see? Who is the seer? How to see?
There is only one Consciousness, which, manifesting as “I”-thought, identifies itself with the body, projects itself through the eyes and sees objects around.
The individual is limited to the waking state and expects to see something different. The evidence of his feelings serves as his authority.
However, he never admits the idea that the seer, the visible and the process of seeing are manifestations of the same consciousness, namely “I-I”.
Meditation helps him overcome the illusion that the Self must be visible. Truly, there is nothing visible. How do you feel “I” now? Do you hold a mirror before you to know your own existence? Consciousness is "I". Realize this, and this is the essence of Truth.
Question: When searching for the source of thoughts, there is a perception of “I”, but it does not satisfy me.
Maharshi: Absolutely right. The perception of "I" is related to the shape of the body.
Nothing should be associated with the pure Self. Atman is not connected with anything, pure Reality, in whose Light the body and ego shine. When all thoughts are calmed, pure Consciousness remains.
Just upon awakening from deep sleep and before perceiving the world, this pure “I-I” takes place.
Hold on to it without falling asleep or letting thoughts take over you. If THIS is firmly held, then even the vision of the world does not matter. The seer remains unaffected by phenomena.
What is ego? Explore.
The body is not sentient and cannot say “I”.
Atman is pure Consciousness and He is non-dual. He cannot say "I".
No one says "I" in deep sleep. What then is the ego? It is something intermediate between the inert body and the Atman. It has no fulcrum. When searched, it disappears like a ghost.
At night, due to the play of shadows, a person can imagine a ghost next to him. He will discover that in reality there is no ghost, it is just the shadow of a tree or pillar, if he looks carefully. Otherwise he may get very scared. For the ghost to disappear, you need to look around carefully. However, it never existed.
It's the same with the ego. It is an intangible connection between the body and pure Consciousness, it is unreal. Until it is looked at carefully it causes difficulty, but upon searching it turns out that the ego does not exist. If the ego is sought, it disappears, and if not, it continues to cause trouble.
Question: If I try to do the “Who Am I?” study, I fall asleep. What should I do?
Maharshi: Persevere in research while you are awake. This is quite enough. If you continue the research right up to the moment of falling asleep, then it will also continue in your sleep. Start exploring again as soon as you wake up.
Question: When I engage in research concerning the source from which the “I” arises, I reach a stage of calmness of mind, beyond which I cannot continue the practice. There are no thoughts, only emptiness, meaninglessness. A soft light spreads and I feel disembodied. I have neither knowledge nor vision of the body and forms. The experience lasts about half an hour and is enjoyable. Is it correct in my conclusion that the only thing necessary to ensure eternal happiness, that is, freedom, or salvation, or whatever it is called, is to continue such practice until such an experience continues for hours, days and months?
Maharshi: This state does not mean salvation, it is called manolaya, or transient tranquility of thought.
Mano-laya - concentration, temporary stopping of the movement of thoughts. As soon as this concentration ceases, thoughts - old and new - rush as usual; and even if such temporary tranquility of the mind lasts for a thousand years, it will never lead to the general annihilation of thought, called liberation from birth and death.
Therefore, the practitioner must always be on guard and inquire within who is experiencing this, who is aware of its pleasantness. Without such investigation he falls into a long trance or deep sleep [yoga nidra].
Due to the lack of proper guidance at this stage of spiritual practice, many have fallen prey to the mistaken sense of Liberation, and only a few have been able to safely achieve the goal.
Question: This “I”-thought flows out of me, but I do not know Myself, the Atman.
Maharshi: All these are just mental ideas. Now you are identifying yourself with the false self, which is the "I" thought. This “I” thought rises and falls, while I am on the other side of the rise and fall. There can be no break in your being.
Previously you were asleep, now you are awake. In deep sleep there is no unhappiness, whereas in wakefulness it exists. What accounts for this difference in experience? In your deep sleep there was no “I” thought, whereas it is present in the present.
I am not obvious, and the “I” demonstrates itself. It hinders your right knowledge. Find where the “I” rises from. Then it will disappear and you will be only what you are, that is, the absolute Being.
Question: How to do this? So far I have no success.
Maharshi: Seek the source of the “I” thought. That's all there is to it. The universe exists because of the “I” thought. If the latter ends, then the suffering also ends. The false self will end once its source is found.
People often ask how to control the mind. I answer: “Show me your intelligence, and then you will know what to do.”
The fact is that the mind is only a bundle of thoughts.
How can you extinguish it with a thought or a desire? Your thoughts and desires are part and parcel of the mind. The mind simply feeds on new thoughts that arise. Therefore it is foolish to try to kill the mind through the mind. The only way to achieve this is to find its source and hold tightly to it. Then the mind will gradually disappear by itself.
Question: But don't we use the mind by turning it inward?
Maharshi: Of course we use the mind. It is well known and accepted that only with the help of the mind can the mind be killed. However, instead of talking about how the mind exists and you are going to kill it, you start looking for the source of the mind and discover that there is no mind at all. The outward-turning mind results in thoughts and objects; turned inward, he himself becomes the Atman.
Question: So be it, but here’s what I don’t understand. You say that the 'I' is false now. How to destroy this false self?
Maharshi: You do not need to destroy the false self. How can the “I” destroy itself? All you have to do is find its source and abide there. Your efforts can only extend so far. Then the Otherworld will take care of itself. You are already helpless there. No effort of yours can reach THAT.
Question: If I always exist, here and now, then why don’t I feel it?
Maharshi: That's it. Who says that It is not felt? Is it I or “I” speaking? Investigate and you will find that it is the voice of the false self, which is the obstacle.
It must be removed so that the Self can be revealed. The feeling “I haven’t realized it yet” itself hinders Realization. In fact, It is already realized, and there is nothing more to realize. Otherwise Realization will be something new.
If it is not present now, it must be in the future. What is born will also die. If Realization is not eternal, then it is worthless. Consequently, we are not looking for something at all that should appear as something new. She is the only thing that is eternal, but is now unknown due to obstacles.
She is what we are looking for. All you have to do is remove the obstacle. The existence of the eternal is unknown due to ignorance. Ignorance is an obstacle. End ignorance and everything will be fine.
Ignorance is identical to the “I” thought. Find its source and it will disappear.
The “I” thought itself resembles a spirit, although not tangible, but rising simultaneously with the body, blossoming and disappearing with it.
The consciousness of the body is the “I”. Give up this consciousness by searching for the source of “I”. The body does not say, “I am.” It is you who say, “I am the body.” Find out who this “I” is. When searching for its source, it will disappear.
Question: Doubts constantly arise. That's why I asked this question.
Maharshi: After one doubt is cleared, another appears, which, being resolved, paves the way for the next, and so on. Therefore, it is impossible to dispel all doubts. Look for who they arise for. Go to their source and abide there. Then they will stop appearing. This is how to clarify doubts.
Question: Do I need to keep asking, “Who am I?” without giving an answer? Who is asking and to whom? What bhavana [attitude] should the mind adopt during inquiry? What is “I” – Atman or ego?
Maharshi: When asking “Who am I?” "I" is the ego. The real question is, what is the source or origin of the ego? You don't need to have any opinion in your mind. You just need to give up the idea that you are a body having such and such a form, bearing such and such a name, etc. There is no need to have an opinion about your true nature, which remains as it always is. It is Reality, not opinion.
Question: But isn't it strange that the "I" should seek the "I"? Will the question, “Who am I?” eventually turn around? into an empty formula? Or should I ask myself this question endlessly, repeating it like some kind of mantra?
Maharshi: Self-enquiry, of course, is not an empty formula, it is more serious than the repetition of any mantra. If the question “Who am I?” was only a question in the mind, it would not have much value. The real purpose of self-enquiry is to focus the whole mind on its source. Therefore, it is not a case of one self seeking another self. Self-enquiry is least of all an empty formula, for it involves the intense activity of the whole mind to maintain its steady abiding in pure Self-awareness.
Question: Is it enough to devote some time to Atma-vichara in the morning and evening? Or should I practice it constantly, even while writing or walking?
Maharshi: What is your true nature? Is it about writing, walking or being? Being is the only unchangeable Reality, and until you have realized this state of pure Being, you should continue to explore.
The question "Who am I?" is neither an invitation to analyze the mind and draw conclusions about its nature, nor a mantric formula; it is simply an instrument that shifts the direction of attention from the objects of thought and perception to the one who thinks and perceives them.
Solving the question “Who am I?” cannot be found either in the mind or with the mind, since the only correct answer is the experience of no mind.
Question: I begin to ask myself: “Who am I?”, I deny the body as “not-I”, the breath as “not-I”, but I cannot move forward.
Maharshi: This is what the intellect is capable of! Your practice is only mental. Indeed, all the Scriptures note this practice only to guide the seeker to the knowledge of the Truth. It is impossible to point directly to the Truth. Therefore, there is an intellectual process going on here.
A person who denies all “not-I” cannot deny “I”. To say “I am not this” or “I am that” there must be “I”.
This “I” alone is the ego, or “I” thought. All other thoughts arise only after the emergence of this “I” thought, which is therefore the root thought.
If the root is extracted, then all other thoughts will be eradicated. So, look for the root “I” by asking yourself: “Who am I?” Find its source, and then all other ideas will disappear, leaving only the pure Self.
Question: But how to do this?
Maharshi: I am always here - in deep sleep, in dreaming and waking. The one who is in deep sleep and the one speaking now are one and the same. The sense of "I" is always present. Otherwise, would you deny your existence? But you do not do this, but say: “I am.” Find who is.
Explore “Who Am I?” really means trying to find the source of the ego or "I" thought. You should not think of anything else, like “I am not this body.” The search for the source of the “I” serves as a means to get rid of all other thoughts. You do not need to indulge them, such as the thoughts you mentioned, but should focus on finding the source of the “I” thought by asking, as each thought arises, for whom it appears. When answering. “For me,” continue the inquiry with the question: “Who is this ‘I’ and what is its source?”
Question: Is it necessary to constantly repeat “Who am I?” like a mantra?
Maharshi: No. "Who am I?" - not a mantra. Questioning means that you need to find within yourself where the “I” thought rises from - the source of all other thoughts.
Question: I am conscious of 'I', but my worries do not cease.
Maharshi: Because the “I” thought is not pure, polluted by connection with the body and feelings. Look for who cares for. Caring exists only for the “I” thought. Stick with it and then other thoughts will disappear.
Question: Yes. But how to do that? That's the problem.
Maharshi: Think “I, I” and hold that one thought to the exclusion of all others.
Question: Should I think, “Who am I?”
Maharshi: You already know how the “I” thought is in full swing. Cling to it and find its source.
After a deep sleep, the question: “Who slept without dreams?” you answer: “I.” Now you are advised to hold fast to this “I”, for then the eternal Being will itself reveal itself.
Question: May I know the path to this goal?
Maharshi: Follow what you just heard and you will see.
This is the sum and essence of everything that one who strives for Truth needs to know. The categorical requirement for him is to conduct a zealous and one-pointed search for the source of aham-vritti.
Application. Arthur Osborne:
The last obstacle in meditation is ecstasy, because you feel great bliss and happiness and want to remain in that ecstasy. Don't give in to it, but move on to the next stage - great calm.
It is beyond ecstasy and merges with samadhi. Successful samadhi brings about a state of waking sleep in which you know yourself as permanent Consciousness, for It is your nature.
In fact, a person is always in samadhi, but does not know it. To know, he must only remove all obstacles.
Question: Why, despite repeated attempts, the mind cannot be turned inward?
Maharshi: This is accomplished only gradually through practice and dispassion. The mind resembles a cow that has been accustomed to grazing in the wild for a long time without the owner’s knowledge and which is therefore not easy to accustom to a stall. No matter how the watchman tempts her with lush grass and other excellent food, she initially refuses them.
Then she tries a little, but her inner tendency towards freedom is triggered and she leaves the stall. With repeated attempts by the owner, the cow gets used to the stall and eventually does not go anywhere, even if she is not restrained. The same thing happens with the mind. If one day he finds his inner happiness, he will no longer wander outside.
Although the term "meditation" is loosely used for self-enquiry, it is not meditation in the sense that dictionaries define it. Meditation requires an object, something to meditate on, whereas in inquiry there is only a subject. You are not looking for anything new, anything outside, but simply concentrating on Being, on yourself, on the pure “I am” in you. This is not thinking, but a temporary withdrawal of thoughts, while consciousness remains.
Usually, when you stop thinking, you fall asleep. Therefore, during the first steps in exploration, the mind often tries to fall asleep. An attack of crushing drowsiness descends on you, but as soon as you stop questioning and return to some other occupation of the mind, the drowsiness passes, thus showing that there was no real fatigue, but only an instinctive resistance to a thought-free consciousness. You just have to fight such resistance.
Thoughts themselves are much more persistent obstacles. They pour into the mind in an endless stream. You knock them out, but others slip behind you. You think you're thought-free, but before you know it, you're already indulgent.
The only way is persistence. Constant vigilance. Don't let yourself get carried away by thoughts.
Consider them detachedly, like clouds passing across a clear sky, and ask: “What is this thought? For whom did it originate? For me, but who am I?” And in this way you bring the mind back to inquiry.
The mind is like a monkey rushing from tree to tree, always restless, never wanting to calm down. He must be kept from worrying and the investigation must be firmly pursued.
But the real obstacle is not the wandering nature of the mind and the endless series of thoughts, but the insistence of the ego behind the multitude of thoughts. The ego gives them strength and makes it very difficult for them to dissipate.
You can theoretically convince yourself that there is no ego, and have occasional short bursts of Being-Consciousness - calm happiness in the actual absence of ego.
But you come to this girl, or you want to impress this friend, or to lead in this group; you are outraged by this criticism or disdain this person; you feel the insecurity of your job, cling to your possessions, crave money or power: all these are statements of the ego that you consider non-existent. As long as they are there, the ego is there. When the ego is absent, who can feel desire or anger, resentment or disappointment?
This means that Atma-vichara is not only a cold investigation, but a battle.
There are Paths that direct one to alternately attack various vices - lust, arrogance, etc. - and cultivate opposite virtues, but self-inquiry is more direct.
Such methods are like cutting off the branches of a tree: as long as the roots and trunk remain, it will continue to grow.
Self-inquiry seeks to uproot the tree as such. If the ego is deprived of one outlet, for example, if it is forced into celibacy, then others will develop, say, gluttony or vanity. But if the ego itself is dissolved, the vices in which it is expressed deflate like flat tires or balloons. However, a constant war must be waged until the ego really disappears completely.
This is precisely the purpose of self-inquiry.
It does not teach any new theory or doctrine. All you need to know before it begins: “That Being IS and you are THAT.” After some practice comes an increasingly frequent and prolonged experience of pure timeless Being, which is also pure Consciousness and unclouded Happiness. It is not mental, but the mind is aware of it.
It is not physical, but it is still felt physically as vibration or as unbroken silence. Once awakened, this experience begins to appear spontaneously, even when you are not “meditating,” or to live as an undercurrent of all your doings in the routine of life—while you speak and even while you think.
Constant readiness, vigilance and recollection are no less necessary in the absence of “meditation” than concentration in planned recollection. At first, forgetfulness will be frequent and must also be dealt with. The “current of consciousness” must be cultivated and nurtured. Achieving a goal very rarely comes without effort.
This is the path laid out by Sri Bhagavan. It does not depend on forms or doctrines. It does not require rituals. It can be followed invisibly by a housewife or shopkeeper no less than by a monk or yogi."
U: How can an investigation begun by the ego reveal its own unreality?
M.: You go beyond the phenomenal existence of the ego when you are immersed in the Source from which rises aham-vritti, the feeling of 'I am' or 'I am'-ness.
U: But is not aham-vritti only one of the three forms in which the ego manifests itself? The Yoga Vasishtha and other ancient texts describe the ego as having a threefold form.
M.: Yes, the ego is described as having three bodies - gross, subtle and causal - but this is only for analytical explanation. If the method of investigation depended on the form of the ego, then you could not apply it anywhere, since the ego can take a legion of forms. Therefore, for the purposes of jnana-vichara, you must assume that the ego has only one form, namely, aham-vritti.
U. But this method may still be insufficient for the implementation of jnana.
M. Self-exploration by following the guiding thread of aham-vritti is exactly like a dog tracking its owner by his scent. The owner may be far away, in an unknown place, but this does not at all prevent the dog from tracking him down. The owner's scent is an unmistakable clue for the animal, and nothing other than this, such as clothing, build, height, etc., matters. The dog sticks to this scent, without being distracted, throughout the entire search and eventually reaches the goal.
Similarly, in your search for the Self, the only reliable thread is aham-vritti, the 'I am'-ness, which is the original fact of your experience. Nothing else can lead you directly to Self-realization.
D. But it is still unclear to me why the search for the Source of aham-vritti as distinguished from other thoughts - vritti should be considered a direct means of Self-realization.
M. The word “Aham” itself is suggestive. The two letters of this word, namely (A) and (HA) are the first and last letters of the Sanskrit alphabet respectively. The content expressed by this word is such that it contains everything. How? Because Aham means existence itself.
Although the feeling 'I am' or 'I am'-ness is commonly known as aham-vritti, it is not actually a vritti like other vrittis of the mind. Unlike other vrittis, which have no essential relationship, aham-vritti is equally and essentially related to absolutely every vritti of the mind. Without aham-vritti there cannot be any other vritti, but aham-vritti can live on its own, independent of other vrittis of the mind. Therefore, aham-vritti is fundamentally different from other vrittis.
Therefore, the search for the Source of aham-vritti is not just a search for the basis of one of the forms of the ego, but the very essential Source from which the “I am”-ness arises. In other words, the search for and awareness of the Source of the ego in the form of aham-vritti necessarily implies going beyond the ego in each of its possible forms.
D: Recognizing that aham-vritti essentially covers all forms of ego, why should one still choose this particular vritti as a means of Self-enquiry?
M. Because it is the feeling “I am” that is the only indivisible given of your experience, and the search for its Source is the only feasible course towards your Self-realization. It is said that the ego has a causal body, but how can you make it the object of investigation? Because when the ego takes this form, you are plunged into the darkness of deep sleep.
D: But is not the ego in its subtle and causal forms elusive even during the vigorous search for the Source of aham-vritti carried out in the waking state of mind?
M. No. The search for the Source of aham-vritti concerns the very existence of the ego. Therefore, the subtlety of the forms of the ego is not an essential circumstance.
D: How can inquiry concerning the ego in the form of aham-vritti be useful when the only goal is the realization of the unconditioned, pure Being of the Self, which is in no way dependent on the ego?
M. From a functional point of view, form, activity, or whatever you call it (it is immaterial because it quickly disappears), the ego has one single characteristic feature. The ego functions as a junction between the Self, which is pure Consciousness, and the physical body, which is inert and emotionless. Therefore the ego is called chit-jada-granthi. In your tracing of the Source of aham-vritti you use Chit, Consciousness, which is an integral aspect of the ego, and therefore the investigation must lead to the realization of pure Self-Consciousness.
D. What is the connection between the pure Consciousness realized by the jnani and the “I am”-ness, which is recognized as the original fact of life experience?
M. The Undifferentiated Consciousness of pure Being is the Heart, or Hridayam, which you actually are, which is what the word itself means (Hrit + + Ayam = Heart I am I). From the Heart arises the “I am”-ness as the primary given of one’s experience, which in itself is purity, or shuddha-sattva, in character. It is in this shuddha-sattva svarupa (that is, in a form uncontaminated by rajas and tamas) that this “I” appears to live in the jnani...
D: In the jnani the ego exists in sattvic form and therefore it appears as something real. I'm right?
M. No. The existence of the ego in any form, whether in the jnani or in the ajnani, is itself an appearance. But to the ajnani, deluded by thoughts about the reality of the waking state and the world, the ego also appears to be real. Since he sees that the jnani acts like other individuals, he is forced to apply certain concepts of individuality to the jnani as well.
U: How then does aham-vritti work in the jnani?
M. It doesn’t work in him at all. The target (lakshya) on which the jnani focuses his attention is the Heart itself. Therefore, it is one and identical to this homogeneous, pure Consciousness, referred to as PRADJNANA in the Upanishads. Prajnana is truly Brahman, the Absolute, and there is no Brahman other than Prajnana.
U: How then does ignorance of this one and only Reality arise, unfortunately, in the case of the Ajnani?
M. Ajnani sees only the mind, which is a simple reflection of the Light of Pure Consciousness arising in the Heart. He is ignorant of the Heart as such. Why? Because his mind is directed outward and has never sought its Source.
U. What prevents the boundless, undifferentiated Light of Consciousness, rising from the Heart, from opening itself to the ajnani?
M. Just as water in a pot reflects the enormity of the sun within the narrow confines of the pot, so the vasanas or hidden tendencies of the mind of the individual, acting as a means of reflection, catch the all-pervading, limitless Light of Consciousness coming from the Heart, and present in the form of reflection the phenomenon called mind. By observing only this reflection, the ajnani is deluded into believing that he is the finite being, the jiva.
If the mind turns inward by seeking the Source of aham-vritti, then the vasanas fade away and in the absence of a means of reflection, the phenomenon of reflection - the mind - also disappears, absorbed by the Light of this One Reality, the Heart.
This is the sum and essence of everything that one who strives for Truth needs to know. The categorical requirement for him is to conduct an ardent and one-pointed search for the Source of aham-vritti.
U: However, any effort he can make is limited by the waking state of mind. How can such a search, carried out in only one of the three states of mind, destroy the mind itself?
M.: The search for the Source of aham-vritti certainly begins with the sadhak in the waking state of mind. It cannot be said that the mind in him has already been destroyed, but the very process of Self-enquiry will reveal that the alternation or transformation of the three states of mind, as well as the three states themselves, belong to the world of phenomena, which cannot touch his intense inner search.
Self-enquiry is really only possible through intense turning of the mind inward. What is finally realized as a result of such a search for the Source of aham-vritti is truly the Heart as the undifferentiated Light of pure Consciousness, in which the reflected light of the mind is completely absorbed.
U: Then for the jnani there is no longer any difference between these three states of mind?
M. What differences can there be when the mind itself is dissolved and lost in the Light of Consciousness?
For a jnani, all three states are equally unreal. But the ajnani is unable to comprehend this because for him the measure of reality is the waking state, whereas for the jnani the measure of Reality is Reality Itself. This Reality of pure Consciousness is eternal in Its nature and therefore exists equally during what you call waking, dreaming and deep sleep. For one who is one with this Reality, there is neither the mind nor its three states, and therefore there is no turning of the mind inward or outward.
The Waking State always belongs to him, for he is Awakened to the eternal Self. He is always in a state of sleep with dreams, since the world for him is just another dream. He always remains in a State of deep sleep, for all the time he does not have the consciousness “the body is the Self.”
U. Should I consider Sri Bhagavan as speaking to me in a waking-drowsy-sleeping state?
M: Since your conscious experience is now limited by the duration of the outward directedness of the mind, you call the present moment the waking state, while all this time your mind is asleep relative to the Self, and therefore you are now actually fast asleep.
U. For me, deep sleep is simply emptiness.
M. This is because your waking state is simply the effervescence of a restless mind.
U. By the emptiness of deep sleep I understand the difficulty of realizing anything in it, that is, for me it is identical to non-existence.
M. But you existed during deep sleep.
W. If I existed, I was not aware of it.
M. Do you mean to say in all seriousness that you ceased to exist during deep sleep! (Laughs). If you went to bed like Mr. X, didn't you wake up after him like Mr. Y?
U. I recognize my personality, perhaps through the action of memory.
M. Granted, but is this possible without continuity of awareness?
U. But I am not aware of this awareness.
M. No, you are mistaken. Who says that you are not aware of anything in deep sleep? Your mind speaks. But there was no mind in deep sleep? What value is there in the mind's verbal testimony about your existence or experience in deep sleep? Calling upon your mind to disprove your existence or awareness in deep sleep is exactly like calling your son as a witness to disprove your birth!
Do you remember I told you earlier that existence and awareness are not two different things, but are the same thing? If for any reason you feel the need to admit the fact of your existence in deep sleep, rest assured that you were also aware of this existence.
What you are not really aware of in deep sleep is the existence of your body. You are confusing this awareness of the body with the true Awareness of the Self, which is eternal. Prajnana, which is the Source of the feeling 'I am', always lives, unaffected by the three transitory states of mind, thus enabling you to keep your identity intact.
Prajnana also lies beyond the three states, since SHE can live without them and despite them.
This is the Reality which you should seek during the so-called waking state by tracing the aham-vritti to its Source. Intensive practice in this study will reveal that the mind and its three states are unreal and that you are the eternal, limitless Consciousness of pure Being, the Self, the True Self, or the Heart.
- AHAM-VRITTI
self-aggrandizing... - VRITTI in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
thought-wave; mental modification; mental... - AHAM in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
"I"; ... - VRITTI in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Vrittis) Literally: "whirlpool". The vrittis (thoughts) of the lower mind (cittas) are divided, according to Patanjali, into five groups: (1) right ideas; (2) ... - VRITTI
- thought-wave; mental modification; mental... - AHAM in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- "I"; ... - AHAM in the Dictionary Index of Theosophical Concepts to the Secret Doctrine, Theosophical Dictionary:
- AHAM in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
(Sanskrit) “I” is the basis of Ahankara, ... - AHAM-PRATYAYA in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
sense of "I"; ... - AHAM ETAT NA in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
is not … - AHAM SUKHI in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
I … - AHAM DUHKHI in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
I - … - AHAM BRAHMA ASMI in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
I am … - AHAM ATMA in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
I am … - ANTARMUKHA-VRITTI in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
a state in which the mind is directed inward and detached from... - CITTA-VRITTI-NIRODHA in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Chitta-vritti-nirodha) Stopping the mind (see): control (nirodha) of the flow of thoughts (Vritti, see) in the mind (Chitta). Through... - AHAM-PRATYAYA in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- feeling "I"; ... - AHAM ETAT NA in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- is not … - AHAM SUKHI in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- I … - AHAM DUHKHI in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- I - … - AHAM BRAHMA ASMI in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- I am Brahman... - AHAM ATMA in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- I am … - ANTARMUKHA-VRITTI in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- a state in which the mind is directed inward and detached from... - AKHAM'AN in the Bible Dictionary:
(1 Chronicles 11:11) - the father of Iesbaal (q.v.), the eldest of David’s thirty main warriors (named Hachmoni in 1 Chronicles 27:32). Isvaal's identity with... - SHUDDHAKALPANA in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
pure imagination (like that "Aham Brahma... - TATASTHAVRITTI in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
Vritti of indifference; neutrality, where there is neither attraction nor... - SVAJATIYAVRITTIPRAVAHA in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
a constant flow of ideas of someone's own internal state, i.e. the idea of the inner essence "Aham Brahma Asmi" or "I am... - NISCHAYAVRITTI in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
Vritti or state of mind when there is... - MUKHYASAMANYADHI- in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
The Karana great Vedantic text "Aham Brahma Asmi" (I am Brahman) teaches the identity of the individual soul and the Supreme Being. Here the soul is designated... - VRTTILAYA in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
dissolution of Vritti or mental... - ASMITA-SAMADHI in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
the superconscious state immediately below Asamprajnata with the only feeling “I am” or “I exist”, “Aham... - AKHANDAIKARASAVRITTI in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
Sattvic homogeneous Brahmakara Vritti, which is caused by meditation on... - ADVAITA-AVASTHA- in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
Rupa-Samadhi Nirvikalpa Samadhi of Vedantists, where there is no Brahmakara Vritti... - AGNI-MANAWAKA in the Yoga Vedanta Dictionary:
this illustrates Gauna-Vritti or the secondary nature of feeling; it just means that the guy is fire itself. Instead of us taking Guna... - SMRITI in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Smritis) Memory (see). This concept applies to a large number of ancient books that are believed to contain memories, records of... - PRAMANA in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Pramanas) Pramanas are those thoughts and ideas (Vrittis, see) of the mind which are so supported by perception, reasoning... - MEMORY in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Memories) A group or class of thoughts (Vritti, q.v.) arising in the lower mind (Chitta, q.v.), which... - STOPPING THE MIND in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Steadiness of Mind) Patanjali says that stopping the lower mind (chitta-vritti-nirodha, see) can be achieved in several ways, namely: (1) ... - NIRODHA in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Nirodha) Management, control over thoughts (vritti) of the lower mind (chitta) (see Chitta-Vritti-Nirodha ... - NIDRA in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Nidras) Nidras are thoughts received during sleep, contained in most dreams that have no basis in reality. Cm. … - VIKALPA in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Vikalpa) Imagination (see). One of the five types of thoughts (vritti) inherent in the lower mind (chitta). The importance of this classification is... - AJAPA MANTRA in the Yoga Dictionary:
(The Ajapa Mantra) Involuntary or subconscious repetition of “Hansa, hansa...” (q.v.), carried out during the process of breathing; the sound of exhalation corresponds to the syllable... - "TAT TVAM ASI" in the Yoga Dictionary:
(Tat Twam Asi) The famous saying: “That Thou Art.” First, the student meditates on "Tat" ("That"), which indicates Brahman,... - SHUDDHAKALPANA in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- pure imagination (like that “Aham Brahma... - TATASTHAVRITTI in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- Vritti of indifference; neutrality, where there is neither attraction nor... - SVAJATIYAVRITTIPRAVAHA in the Dictionary of Yoga and Vedanta terms:
- a constant flow of ideas of someone's own internal state, i.e. the idea of the inner essence "Aham Brahma Asmi" or "I am Brahman...
