SELF-ABIDANCE
Through the practice of enquiry, one understands that they are not the body-mind complex and by practicing samādhi one gains direct experience of their true nature as Being-Awareness-Bliss. With continued practice, the seeker finds that the mind naturally becomes quiet and, when it does, one becomes tuned-in to their true nature. At this point, the seeker will strive to maintain this Self-state all the time. Maintaining this state is the height of spiritual practice. It is this engrossment in the Self that leads to realization. At that stage, there is nothing left for the seeker to do but to maintain this state and wait for Reality to reveal Itself, ending the illusion of separation forever.
Developing The Self-State
By being established in meditation, the yogi develops the ability to quickly clear and focus the mind, as well as to completely relax the body. Using these skills, one should quiet the mind and focus on that stillness, bliss, or awareness within that is experienced in Samādhi. Then hold the mind in that state.
There is no specific time or place for this practice. Begin with idle moments and then increase the practice to include times of activity. The goal is for this to be one’s full-time state of mind.
There is no specific time or place for this practice. Begin with idle moments and then increase the practice to include times of activity. The goal is for this to be one’s full-time state of mind.
Wisdom of The Sages
“After crossing the ocean of delusion and killing the monsters of likes and dislikes (the ego) the yogi, who is united with peace, finds delight in Self and so remains in his own glory.”
Śaṅkara, Ātma Bodha. 50
Śaṅkara, Ātma Bodha. 50
“Can the mind that remains in the Self-state think as ‘I’ and as ‘I’ behave empirically thus and thus? In all manner of ways possible, one should endeavor, gradually, not to forget one’s (true) Self that is God. If that is accomplished, all will be accomplished.”
Sri Ramana Maharshi, Self-Enquiry. Question 13
Sri Ramana Maharshi, Self-Enquiry. Question 13
Self-Abidance and Mental Discipline
At times, the arising of thoughts will become a distraction to maintaining Self-abidance. While being completely thought free may be the goal, it may be both impractical and impossible. A much more practical goal is to seek interruptions in the steady flow of thoughts. With continued practice, those pauses in the thought flow will become longer and more frequent.
Here are some ways to deal with mind and the flow of thoughts:
1. Self-Enquiry: When thoughts arise, inquire as follows: From where do these thoughts come? Who is the thinker? Who is the recipient? (To whom is the mind speaking?) And, ultimately, Who am ‘I’?
2. Detached Witnessing: Thoughts are the product of the mind, which is not Self; therefore, develop detachment from thought. Listen to the thought flow, but do not judge or become emotionally involved in a thought regardless of its content. It is interest in the mind’s content that feeds the person.
3. Present Moment Awareness: The two types of thought that feed the false ego, the person, are those of memory and imagination. Both are related to time, which is a mind-made concept. One should focus, as much as possible, on the present moment, as the past and future are unreal. (The past is over and the future has not happened.) Be fully mindful of the current moment, especially when engaged in routine or redundant activities. Keep the mind focused on the task at hand. Avoid mindless activity, allowing the mind to wander while the body works. Be aware, while also being unattached, as if you were watching a stranger.
4. Stay in the ‘I am’: This is the practice advocated by the two great sages of the twentieth century, Nisargadatta Maharaja and Ramana Maharshi. The I-thought is the primal thought. It is a reflection of the I-consciousness or awareness of being. When thoughts arise, look within for that I-consciousness.
Here are some ways to deal with mind and the flow of thoughts:
1. Self-Enquiry: When thoughts arise, inquire as follows: From where do these thoughts come? Who is the thinker? Who is the recipient? (To whom is the mind speaking?) And, ultimately, Who am ‘I’?
2. Detached Witnessing: Thoughts are the product of the mind, which is not Self; therefore, develop detachment from thought. Listen to the thought flow, but do not judge or become emotionally involved in a thought regardless of its content. It is interest in the mind’s content that feeds the person.
3. Present Moment Awareness: The two types of thought that feed the false ego, the person, are those of memory and imagination. Both are related to time, which is a mind-made concept. One should focus, as much as possible, on the present moment, as the past and future are unreal. (The past is over and the future has not happened.) Be fully mindful of the current moment, especially when engaged in routine or redundant activities. Keep the mind focused on the task at hand. Avoid mindless activity, allowing the mind to wander while the body works. Be aware, while also being unattached, as if you were watching a stranger.
4. Stay in the ‘I am’: This is the practice advocated by the two great sages of the twentieth century, Nisargadatta Maharaja and Ramana Maharshi. The I-thought is the primal thought. It is a reflection of the I-consciousness or awareness of being. When thoughts arise, look within for that I-consciousness.
Wisdom of The Sages
“At the time of asserting ‘I am’, ‘this is mine’, etc., the mind goes into an unsupported state. By inspired meditation on that state, there is peace.”
Vijñāna Bhairava. 131
Vijñāna Bhairava. 131
When you erroneously refer to the mind or body as self, if you contemplate your state of mind at that moment, you will find that it is still. This is because the ego, the false ‘I’ does not exist. But behind the false I, there is the reflection of Self, the Real I. This form of Self-enquiry is not a practice of replacing one thought with another, it is a practice of going beyond thought to find the source of I-consciousness.
“How do you find a thing you have mislaid or forgotten? You keep it in your mind until you recall it. The sense of being, of ‘I am’ is the first to emerge. Ask yourself whence it comes, or just watch it quietly. When the mind stays in the ‘I am’ without moving, you enter a state which cannot be verbalized but can be experienced.”
“Give your heart and mind to brooding over the ‘I am’, what it is, how it is, what is its source, its life, its meaning. It is very much like digging a well. You reject all that is not water, till you reach the life-giving spring.”
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaja, I Am That. Questions 1 & 81
“Give your heart and mind to brooding over the ‘I am’, what it is, how it is, what is its source, its life, its meaning. It is very much like digging a well. You reject all that is not water, till you reach the life-giving spring.”
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaja, I Am That. Questions 1 & 81
