Many seekers in this path of inquiry is still struggling even after long years and waiting for something to happen. Even after reading and inquiring deeply enough, still they are unable progress further. Even they are unable to get any benefit in their spiritual pursuit through self – inquiry. And also they are unable to give up the self inquiry due to the attraction of Ramana. Many seekers end up with using "Who am `I'" as mantra and become stagnant without being aware of the purpose of the self-inquiry.
As I was reading a web page I was surprised to know Mr. Sivapraksh Pillai one of the first disciples of Sri, Raman Maharishi that even after 50 long years he was unable to achieve his goal through inquiry, hats off to his sincere and honest statement.
In my honest opinion with all the due respect to every soul which was involved in recording and publishing the self inquiry which is greatest treasure and which opens the golden gate to the seeker to enter into spiritual world from religious world. Still there is lots confusion and doubts which are impossible to get answer the way the inquiry is presented in the books. But one will be able to overcome the same after lots of research. But it is impossible to do research in the present framework of the Self-inquiry. Since everyone is expecting and waiting for some mystic experience to happen and refuse to verify and accept the truth, because of there conservative outlook.
WHO AM I
Even the intellectual- class, who have authored many books are viewed and judged Sri, Ramana on mystic point of view were unable to deliver goods due to their inherited religious background. Sri, Ramana was mystic for the mass but he was Gnani for the class.
Religious based Advitha is nothing to do with spiritual Advitha .Original Advitha was modified on the base of Vedas and introduced to suit the mass mind set by Sri, Sankara to uplift the Sanatana Dharma[Hinduism] which was based on Vedas. Even Sri, Sankara also says the religion, scriptures and yoga are not the means to self realization. Spiritual Advitha of Sankara was lost. Spiritual Advitha is nothing to do with religious Advitha since the aim of spiritual Advitha is to acquire only wisdom.
It also becomes evident that different people who have interviewed Raman at different time had different back ground and mind set. Therefore it is necessary to bifurcate religious views of Sri Raman from his spiritual views to get the hidden essence of Sri Ramana's teaching.
S.S. COHEN, Nisrgdutta Maharaj, Poonjaji and Osho`s books are more helpful in pursuit of truth but not to the core. Any way one has to do his own home work and research. I find not only inquiry but reasoning is most important in unfolding the mystery.
Nisargadutt Maharaj clears many doubts and hurdles but still one cannot reach the ultimate truth since there are little confusions for which the seeker will not find reasonable reasoning.
S.S. Cohen has done excellent research on Raman but still there are many hidden massages which can be unfolded if the inquiry is well directed if reason is used.
Seeker cannot sit expecting some mystic experience to happen and which will unfold the mystery and helps one to experience the bliss.
All the mystic experience is based on yoga and religion. Yoga is necessary for preparatory stages and yoga is not means for self realization. Religion is used in the past as a tool condition the mind, to be, to behave, to believe, to live and create its own pedigree of mindset to help the society to live in harmony with its own code of conduct. Religion is nothing to with spirituality. Spirituality is the tool to unfold the mystery of the mind. Therefore religion and god or guru glorification, scriptural studies are not necessary in pursuit of truth.
Inquiry with reason on the proper (true) base only will help the seeker to unfold the mystery of the mind or human experience.
The conservative religious background in which every seeker is sentimentally involved is the main hurdle and obstacle in realizing the truth. Therefore it is necessary for everyone to know how they are hurdle and create fatter in truth pursuit. It is necessary for the seeker of the truth to have the courage to accept the truth and reject the untruth when the truth is unfolded through inquiry and reasoning and analysis. Ramana`s grace will pour only when the seeker accepts the truth and rejects the untruth.
The main hurdle one has to cross when one inquires "WHO AM `I'" and proceeds further as per the instruction in the book, one finds it difficult in the latter stage and finds something is inadequate and wrong somewhere. Therefore it is necessary to find and remove the obstacles to reach the goal.
When one gets the answer I am not the body then the inquiry ends there. If `I' is not the body then one cannot inquire on the physical base. Since the mind, ego senses whatever one experienced as a person of the world, god, religion, scriptures and whatever seen and known loses its meaning because `I' itself cannot exist without the physical body. Therefore there is no meaning in carrying out inquiry on the physical identity saying I am not the senses, I am not the mind, and I am not this I am not that etc. because along with body the mind sense and ego and the physical experience of the world is rejected along with the physical body. When the physical body is not `I' there is no entity to practice Self enquiry. Then if you accept there is nothing further, then it becomes Buddha's emptiness. But it cannot be empty because still something remains to say it is empty as Goudpada declares. Therefore it becomes difficult to inquire on the physical base.
· Then "What is `I'?" takes the seeker further and he become aware of the fact that `I' is not "Self".
· "But what is `I'? When `I' is not "Self" then "What is `I'".
After 20 years of practice inquiry I came to firm conclusion that the inquiry alone will not yield any fruits inquiry with reasoning and analysis will take the seeker towards reality of the true state of the mind.
· `I' becomes the whole experience of the universe including the body
· If `I' is not `Self then what is `Self'
· "What is `Self"?
· The self is the substance and witness of the universe
· What is the substance?
· The substance is the formless non-dual Ataman or spirit which is the true nature of the mind.
The main purpose of inquiry is to diverting the attention of the mind from the experience of duality to its formless non-dual true state.
When the mind is in its formless non-dual true state it is Ataman. When Ataman or spirit is in the illusory state of duality it is `I'. Therefore the seeker of the truth has to start with "Self –Inquiry" because it is the first step. But inquiry alone will not yield fruits; there is no use of waiting in vain for some mystic experience to happen. The wisdom will not dawn without reasoning.
Until and unless the seeking base is rectified the inquiry will not go further. This is my observation and conviction. Inquiry with reasoning and analyzing will definitely yield results. Therefore keeping all these points in mind removing all the fetters and barricades in self inquiry we have to help the seeker to realize the reality of his existence in lesser time and effort in this very life.
Deeper personal research is necessary in this matter. The conservative intellectual class who only accept what they have inherited, what they know, what they have read and what they have accepted as ultimate truth and they don't have humility to verify and accept the truth as truth. Therefore there is no use of mingling with such mind sets which will yield no fruits.
There is a necessary to rectify the format of inquiry by deeper research by removing all fetters and obstacles and prove the same with the Sri, Raman's own words which are scattered here and there in his answers to the questions collected by many seekers, which will help the fellow seekers to realize the truth in lesser time and effort.
By using reason on true base you will find it much interesting and you can prove to your self the fact `I' is not the self and there is no use of searching the truth on the base of `I' which yields no fruits. And self –realization is possible through properly well directed inquiry and reasoning without physical practice but through mental effort by deeper reasoning and analysis. There is a need to present the inquiry in a proper format and a yard stick to know what is truth and what is untruth to help the seekers to progress in there pursuit of truth. I have kept the format and yardstick ready but I am going to introduce it shortly.
Since everything is happening on its own accord not as one wish and wills. One has to witness the happening on the base of the invisible witness to realize the witness is apart and unaffected.
