Self-Knowledge and Self-Realization

The Epitome of Practice

Hi Ed,

I've just found your site today and read some of the information there. I have read many authors of what is called "The Absolute". People like Walter Lanyon, Lillian De Waters, Joel Goldsmith, Anonymous, Mary S. Watts etc...
The basic core of their teachings is basically the same as Advaita and many on your site like Ramana Maharshi, Nisargatta Maharaj.

On these I have ordered some books from Amazon to learn more.
I have also found about Douglas Harding about two weeks ago, which lead me to the others named above (Ramana and Nisargatta).

As for your site, I found it in an MSN groups.

The ONLY thing that interest me is ENLIGHTEMENT. That's it! I'm 62 years old and searched all my life since I was around 10-12. A lot of frustration accumulated.

But in the last 4 years, I found all these authors and finaly feel I am at the core of Truth. "I AM" The only book I have presently is "The collected Works of Ramana Maharshi" by Arthur Osborne. Not always easy to read, adding that I'm a french Canadian doesn't help, although my English is pretty good...well I think it is!

In that book, a lot of emphasis is placed on Self-Enquiry. I've meditated for over 40 years, didn't get much out of it. So Self-Inquiry seems a pretty good way.
My logic is that...I AM ALREADY, IT'S HERE NOW. I only have to learn how to WAKE UP to what I AM. Why in the world should this darn thing be so difficult.

It resides in "dying daily," to the ego. It should be easy.
I wrote because of this quote below that I've just read on your site. Since I haven't read everything...this is probably one of those "stupid question" (LOL).
There must be a common thread with all these enlighted Ones. Something that is similar for all of them in reaching enlightement. Self-Enquiry seems just that, but this quote below doesn't encourage me.

QUOTE: ""My own personal view is that many times self inquiry in the form of asking, "Who am I," is not beneficial. Sometimes it is the wrong pactice at the wrong time."

Eager to read you on this.
G
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G,

Please listen closely. This is very important.

You have practiced much meditation so your mind is strong. You should understand what I am about to tell you.

First, you are not your body. Understand that and believe that if you can.
The body, if you do my microanalysis meditation, is seen to be empty, having no existence except as an image of an integrated "thing." This is not a reality, but a concept and a mental image. There are sensations and perceptions if you imvestigate your own perception of "you," but nothing to hold it together except an image, an idea, a thought.

Nor are you consciousness, because conciousness as traditionally used, is consciousness of something, an object, whether of the body, thoughts or of the world.

You are the Awareness that is at the root of consciousness. You are formless, eternal without boundary. All the world is consciousness including all thoughts and even more, the sense of I and the thought I .Yet, these are gateways to realizing yourself.

What you are is deeper than that.

When you watch thoughts, you must know that the watcher is deeper than thought. The thought is an appearance in consciousness.

Now, how do you become aware of yourself as awareness?

It is not by practicing who am I so much as dwelling in the subjectivity--the source--in Absolute awareness. The Who Am I practice is done to ever more closely make yourself aware of the First Person, ultimate awareness without an object.

Which means to rest in the quietest part or your being. Turn your attention inward into your sense of self, of existence. Do not pay any attention to your body or thoughts. Don't watch them, don't think about what you are doing or speculate what absolute awareness is.

To make this more believeable, read The Path of Sri Ramana Maharshi by Sadhu Om. I am afraid what you find in most books about Ramana is not written by realized people and therefore, their translation is not correct. That is why I never changed even one word I thought Robert said from the tapes I had. His tapes were not always easy to understand because our recording equipment was very primitive before 1993.

Ramana himself wrote two books of the highest value: Who Am I? and Self-Inquiry. Theyt are very short.

I undeestand there is another highly recommended book called the Garland of Gurus Sayings by one of his greatest studens.

Of course, there is the book by Robert Adams, Silence of the Heart and the transcripts on this site.

Then too, read the Ashtavaka Gita. Read both over and over. Do not read anything else. You must choose just one way. As you know, following many practices and listening to too many teachers only creates confusion.

Abide in yourself as awareness, ever hour, everyday you can, and you will attain enlightenment. Many will say enlightenment cannot be attained because there is no I. True, but you must go deeper to understand this, and to understand thaT there is no consciousness either.Consciousness too is just an idea.

Good luck, stay in touch--write often as problems arise.

Ed