The great sage Sri Ramana has indicated many ways to realize the self other than WHO AM "I? , therefore it is necessary for the seeker to go beyond WHO AM 'I'? inquiry to cross the trashold of duality.

Man is mislead by what confronts him   or influenced by what he experiences . Man exists  in the world ,which is mere illusion and  he experiences it as reality,  because  man thinks himself as self and  he  experiences the birth,life,death and the world as reality.  Thus self-knowledge is necessary to realize the fact that,  man and his experience of the world are  part of the illusion. And the soul,which is the innermost self  is not part of the illusion but the soul ,which is in the form of consciousness,  is the formless substance and witness of the illusion. the illusion is present as mind(I) or universe or waking experience.

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 they are unable to give up the self-inquiry due to the attraction of  Sri,Ramana Maharishi.  

it is necessary for the seeker of truth  to realize the fact that,  the self-awareness is not some mystical experience propagated by yogis. Self-awareness comes only from Gnana or individualistic  wisdom.  

 That is why Sri, Sankara indicated in Viveka Chudamani : - 65. As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the self, which is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.

Self -inquiry prescribed by Sri,Raman Mahrshi is a good tool  in  the beginning of the pursuit of truth. But seeker will find it inadequate to in latter stages. However, it creates lots of doubts and confusion.  The seeker has to find the answers on his own through deeper reasoning, then all his doubts and confusions will be cleared, and he will be able to move ahead in the path of inquiry, and he will be able to reach his non-dual destination.

When one is absorbed in thinking of anything, he forgets the subject, which consciousness,  the innermost self, that which witnesses all the coming and going of the three states in succession.

One may think for hundred hours continuously but it is all thoughts, hence not consciousness. But when one becomes aware the thinker of the thoughts are one is essence, one do get consciousness, the knower, the formless witness of the three states. Consciousness the innermost self is the eternal.

One has to get rid of his doubts, But that did not mean, simply go and believe everything he is told. The doubt is to be got rid of "by the sword of wisdom. 

WHO AM ‘I’ and ‘I AM THAT’ is only for a lower stage where one gives up externally in order expose the false nature of the ego, which is not full truth. To get ultimate truth one has to inquire into the nature of the mind, which is in the form of universe.  Inquiring into the nature the mind or universe is higher.  Thus ‘WHO AM ‘I’? and ‘I AM THAT’   will not reveal  the truth of the whole,  thus the journey is incomplete.

 ‘WHO AM ‘I’ and ‘I AM THAT’ serves only at starting point. What one has learnt from the teaching of the sages be understood through exercise of reason as far as the reason might go.  And what one has assimilated must be realized. There are stages in the seekers goal. 

Self-awareness does not mean one is transforming something into something else. In self –awareness there is no second thing exist other than consciousness in the midst of diversity.  The body and the world have become on in essence. There is no duality in the midst of duality.   There is not even the concept of real and unreal. Of course it does not mean that when one is involved in practical life within the practical world disappears. But in self-awareness one is consciously aware of ‘what truth’ is and ‘what is not truth’ in the midst of duality, because one sees his ego, his body and his experience the world as consciousness.  Thus for a Gnani there is no second thing exists other than consciousness even though he is in the midst of diversity.    

Nothingness is erroneous conclusion because every thought has its opposite every word is tied to its coordinate for all thought and speech can only operate under such dualism. Hence, taking the most fundamental word, existence its implied opposite non-existence is also there, and vice versa. So the nothingness or “non-entity" is meaningless without "entity". Both are there. 

The doubts and confusion in Self-Inquiry

Seeker has to overcome the doubts and confusion in later stages in self-inquiry, the seeker finds some doubts and confusion, which cannot be overcome if inquiry practiced on the present format prescribed in self-inquiry book. As per my personal research the self-inquiry in the present format will not yield any fruits. 

 If mind is same as Atman[consciousness], how can it vanish--when the mind appears and disappears as Waking or dream?

How can one be certain when one leave the external world--when the person is within the world?


Why leave the external world when everything is Brahman---when everything is Brahman why crate division between the world and its perceiver?

How can the world alone cease to exist if one do not look at it—how can the person remain without the world and where he will exist without the world?

Who has the subtle mind projecting through brain and senses? How can one see his subtle mind?--when the brain also piece of the gross matter? ---then how can the brain come into existence after the world is created if the later depends on the brain.


Heart is idea created by mind, how the mind can emerge from it---when the heart disappear along with the mind and reappears along with the mind, how the mind emerge from it.

In deep sleep, swoon and trance, the mind turns inwards and enjoys its natural state--if so why should one inquire if one gets Atman in sleep. With drug one can get sleep and peace or bliss.

If sleep gives Brahman then why trouble with inquiry--better get it through pills.
There are many seekers practicing inquiry for many years and waiting for something mystical to happen, why nothing happens and why their inquiry does not yield fruits.

Since Maharishi Ramana is not present physically to guide us, seeker to overcome these obstacle in the path of inquiry on his own. 

I was surprised to know David Godman’s interview with Mr. Sivapraksh Pillai 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.  It is impossible to do research in the present framework of the Self-inquiry. Since everyone is waiting for some mystic experience to happen and refuse to verify and accept the truth because of their conservative outlook. Even the intellectual- classes who have authored many books are viewed and judged Ramana on mystic point of view were unable to deliver goods due to their inherited religious background. Sri, Ramana Maharshi  was mystic for the mass but he was Gnani for the class.

 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 the religious views of Sri Raman from his spiritual views to get the hidden essence of Sri Ramana’s teaching.  The great sage Sri Ramana  has indicated many ways to realize the self other than WHO AM "I? , therefore it is necessary  for the seeker to go beyond  WHO AM 'I'?  inquiry to cross the trashold of duality.  

Sri, Ramana Maharishi said: scriptural knowledge is conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. Where do all these concepts end? Why should confusion created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, but goes straight to the source from which they all arise.

Ramana Maharishi indicated the direct path to the truth, is the source from which the false arises. thus one has to make sure 'what is real'  and "what is false" how and why?

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Thus the source is the soul or Atman, which is the true self. Atman itself is Brahman.  Thus it is necessary to view the three states  on the base of the source, which the true self.  And formless substance and witness of the mind or  universe or 'Ii' [false] . Thus through  deeper self -search one can acquire the self –knowledge in lesser time and effort.  The unity in diversity is possible only through self-knowledge or Atma Gnana or Brahma Gnana.   

 One has to do his own home work. 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. Seeker needs to indulge in deeper self-search to reach the destination ,which is beyond form,time and space.