Results 1 to 10 of 12

Thread: Self-Enquiry vs Open Awareness confusion

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Join Date
    December 2016
    Location
    United States
    Age
    30
    Posts
    5
    Rep Power
    0

    Light Self-Enquiry vs Open Awareness confusion

    Namaste, I noticed specifically in some gurus teaching Advaita that either attention to the "I" is suggested until (stemming from Ramana Maharshi's teachings) the individual ego falls and the true Self is revealed, and/or open awareness meditation where the body, sensations, thoughts, external activities are simply allowed to come and go within awareness without grasping onto any of these.

    Speaking on the regular level (to simplify if we are to avoid a leap of faith in saying it doesn't matter as you already are that) is it that different results will be reached via these two methods? For example if I listen to an audio recording of Mooji discussing to remain as awareness and simply notice breath, body, activities happen by themselves, not controlling or grasping after anything, sure during the audio it's easy. But when walking around in daily life what does one do? Remain as awareness and even what arises to the visual field, not to grasp or hold onto? Or is it the thoughts we tend to have? See mindfulness, the term when unspecified, can be confusing as there is only internal mindfulness but also open awareness of apparently all that arises towards conscious awareness.

    From the perspective of Sanatana Dharma, isn't even the witness during open awareness, mindfulness supposed to be obscuring the true Self? One could argue that the witness is that subjective independent remainder of awareness that lets everything come and go in spacious awareness?

    Now from the other perspective, the focus on the subjective sensation "I", attention towards the "I" thought, ahamkara, was advocated by Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta. Focusing on the sensation of your own subjective existence, I have to admit, feels a bit hard at times considering it's a vague feeling or very subtle as we are so used to at the very least, identifying with some portion of our body. Do you have any tips about this practice?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Age
    54
    Posts
    750
    Rep Power
    1525

    Re: Self-Enquiry vs Open Awareness confusion

    Hari Om!

    So don't identify with any of it - body, "I", or breath that is - simply let the rest be and see what remains. That is what you truly are. It goes with you everywhere, does everything with you, breathes, but doesn't encounter death. Keep it simple. Meditation will take you there.

    So many guides, teachers, Gurus, "Gurus", etc will give you tools. You must simply use what works for you and avoid all of the other nonsense. Unless you are truly into Jnana Yog, stick with a primary focus and sadhana - you will be much better served.

    Om

  3. #3
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Self-Enquiry vs Open Awareness confusion

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~
    namasté

    Quote Originally Posted by IntenseEffort View Post
    Namaste, I noticed specifically in some gurus teaching Advaita that either attention to the "I" is suggested


    Now from the other perspective, the focus on the subjective sensation "I", attention towards the "I" thought, ahamkara, was advocated by Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta. Focusing on the sensation of your own subjective existence, I have to admit, feels a bit hard at times considering it's a vague feeling or very subtle as we are so used to at the very least, identifying with some portion of our body. Do you have any tips about this practice?
    One must ask why attention to this 'I' is suggested? Well the second part of your question assists with an entry point to this whole matter.

    Finding what comes before I
    When one arises from sleep , just before awaking there is a moment ( or moments pending the aspirant) when there is no 'I' nor is there sleep. This in-between/junction (sadhi1) time is the moment of pure awareness, some call
    4th turīya (caturtha2). After this junction one comes to being awake and the 1st thing to rise is 'I'. The first thing that begins is 'I' for the day, before anything else.

    So two things are occurring with this inspection of 'I'... one, you will come to find that 'I' cannot be found definitively. Second, you (your awareness) is inward facing and traveling closer and closer to
    pure awareness (turīya). We wish to be inward facing as a practice. We wish to come familuar with turīya and make this our 'normal' frame of reference. So, practicing this silence in the A.M. when one awakes, to experience ( not look) for this turīya, is a reasonable start. This turīya will be found between sleep then wake, between wake and sleep and between dream and sleep. It is there all the time, but is quite delicate, very simple and nothing that one grabs at. It is behind 'I'. Yet if you chase after it, the chase is being done with 'I' and therefore will keep this 4th aloof.

    If you spend time with rāmaṇa mahaṛṣi's book, 'Talks with rāmaṇa mahaṛṣi' he reveals why this practice is done.

    Remember, all practices are to remove obstacles or blemishes to one's Self. That is all that needs to be done. Self is there all the time, it never takes a vacation. It is not 'gained' as that is your Being already.

    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ


    terms
    1. sadhi - a conjunction or transition from one to the other
    2.
    caturtha - the 4th or 4th part; I use 'part' loosely, as it is not fractionated.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  4. #4
    Join Date
    December 2016
    Location
    United States
    Age
    30
    Posts
    5
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: Self-Enquiry vs Open Awareness confusion

    Namaste,
    I have noticed that if I focus on the breath flowing into and out of my nostrils for a prolonged time, that after mental chatter ceases, I can let go of my deliberate attention and simply be aware. Sensations of the body, the senses move about through this awareness and with no grasping, they come and go. I'm not so sure this is what some of the great non-duality teachers such as Ramana Maharshi spoke about.

    I did another technique where after quieting my mind, I tried hard to focus on the subjective sense of existing itself but gave up as I'm not certain what would happen if I kept doing it, let alone the point, as I'm not sure if that's what the great masters had in mind either. If so, was I supposed to keep maintaing the attention to my own subjective existence and where would that get me?

    Thank you for all your helpfulness

  5. #5
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Self-Enquiry vs Open Awareness confusion

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~
    namasté

    Please consider reading this thread and the conversation thereof:
    http://hindudharmaforums.com/showthr...ghlight=breath

    Also, you can do a search within this forum on breath, gap, meditation (each individually)... Look for posts that talk of the gap.

    I think you may find it of use.


    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  6. #6
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Self-Enquiry vs Open Awareness confusion

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~
    namasté

    I wrote,
    Finding what comes before I
    When one arises from sleep , just before awaking there is a moment ( or moments pending the aspirant) when there is no 'I' nor is there sleep. This in-between/junction (sadhi1) time is the moment of pure awareness, some call
    4th turīya (caturtha2). After this junction one comes to being awake and the 1st thing to rise is 'I'. The first thing that begins is 'I' for the day, before anything else.
    One thing worth mentioning. This 'I' does not announce itself. That is important to note. We has humans work better when there is contrast, yet when this 'I' rises it is such a smooth transition no one notices it from the ~condition~ prior to it. That condition was sadhi, that transition gap, filled with pure awareness, some call 4thturīya (caturtha).
    If you trying to observe this it can be done, yet again it is quite subtle. If you find your self saying 'now where is this I yajvan said to look for ? ' clearly suggests that the intellect was engaged, which suggests 'I' has risen already. It is always first to rise, then the other perception organs ( like intellect) engage and the motor ( mind) starts running... see the point?

    It is like the dawn of the day... just before the sun rises.




    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  7. Re: Self-Enquiry vs Open Awareness confusion

    Anyone recites mantra while meditating?

    Mantras are sacred words of prayers, which have great healing powers. They could also be called secret divine codes. The ancient saints formulated and wrote down Mantras for deities, Gods and planets for propitiating them, and for spiritual benefits. Words have a lot of power. Prayers said with a meditative mind and sincerity works wonders. But there are certain procedures to follow to activate these Mantras. Certain Mantras are to be recited for a certain number of times, daily. Some have to be done for a particular purpose only. Once that purpose is accomplished, then you can discontinue the Mantra - By. Dr.RakeshKumar@ishwarcenter.org

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. sustaining HIS awareness
    By surrenderindailylife in forum Other Dharma Traditions
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 24 March 2014, 03:14 AM
  2. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 12 April 2013, 07:05 AM
  3. You are the awareness
    By Spiritualseeker in forum Advaita
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 26 October 2011, 10:01 AM
  4. Self Enquiry
    By RVR in forum Meditation
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 27 November 2010, 01:37 AM
  5. Awareness / advaita
    By Jason James Morgan in forum I am a Hindu
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 12 September 2007, 10:41 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •