1. Who am I?

The gross body which is composed of the seven humors (dhatus), I am not. The five cognitive sense organs. i.e the senses of hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell which apprehend their respective objects - i.e. sound, touch, color, taste and odor - I am not. The five cognitive sense organs - i.e. the organs of speech, locomotion, grasping, excretion and procreation which have as their respective functions speaking, moving, grasping, excreting and enjoying - I am not. The five vital airs, prana, etc which perform respectively the five functions of in-breathing, etc - I am not. Even the mind which thinks - I am not. The nescience too, which is endowed only with the residual impressions of objects, and in which there are no objects and no functioning - I am not.

2. If I am none of these, then who am I?

After negating all of the above mentioned as "neti, neti" (not this, not this), that Awareness which alone remains - that I am.

3. What is the nature of Awareness?

The nature of awareness is existence-consciousness-bliss.

4. When will the realization of the Self be gained?

When the world which is what is seen has been removed, there will be realization of the Self which is the seer.

5. Will there not be realization of the Self even while the world is there (taken as real)?

There will not be.

6. Why?

The seer and the object seen are like the rope and the snake. Just as knowledge of the rope which is the substrate will not arise unless the false knowledge of the illusory serpent goes, so the realization of the Self which is the substrate will not be gained unless the belief that the world is real is removed.

7. When will the world which is the object seen be removed?

When the mind, which is the cause of all cognition and all actions becomes quiescent, the world will disappear.

8. What is the nature of the mind?

What is called "mind" is a wondrous power residing in the Self. It causes all thoughts to arise. Apart from thoughts, there is no such thing as mind. Therefore thought is the nature of mind.

Apart from thoughts, there is no independent entity called the world. In deep sleep there are no thoughts, and there is no world. In the states of waking and dream, there are thoughts and there is a world also. Just as the spider emits the thread (of the web) out of itself, and again withdraws it into itself, likewise the mind projects the world out of itself and again resolves it into itself.

When the mind comes out of the Self, the world appears (to be real), the Self does not appear, and when the Self appears (shines) the world does not appear. When one persistently inquires into the nature of the mind, the mind will end leaving the Self (as the residue). What is referred to as the Self is the Atman. The mind always exists only in dependence on something gross, it cannot stay alone. It is the mind that is called the subtle body or the soul (Jiva).

9. What is the path of inquiry for understanding the nature of the mind?

That which arises as "I" in this body is the mind. If one inquires as to where in the body the thought "I" rises first, one would discover that it arises in the heart. That is the place of the mind's origin. Even if one thinks constantly "I, I, I", one will be led to that place.

Of all the thoughts that arise in the mind, the "I" thought is the first. It is only after the rise of this that the other thoughts can arise. It is after the appearance of the first personal pronoun that the second and third personal pronouns appear; without the first personal pronoun there will not be a second or third.

10. How will the mind become quiescent?

By the inquiry "Who am I?" The thought "Who am I?" will destroy all other thoughts, and like the stick used for stirring the burning pyre, it will in the end get destroyed. Then there will be Self Realization.

11. What is the means for constantly holding onto the thought "Who am I?"

When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them but should instead inquire "To whom has this thought arisen?"

It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should inquire with diligence "To whom has this thought arisen?" The answer that would emerge would be "To me."

Thereupon if one inquires "Who am I?", the mind will go back to it's source, and the thought that arose will become quiescent. With repeated practice in this manner, the mind will develop skill to stay in it's source. When the mind that is subtle goes out through the brain and the sense-organs, the gross names and forms appear; when it stays in the heart, the names and forms disappear. Not letting the mind go out, but retaining it in the Heart is what is called "inwardness" (antar-mukha). Letting the mind go out of the Heart is known as "externalization" (bahir-mukha).

Thus, when the mind stays in the Heart, the "I" which is the source of all thoughts, will go and the Self which ever exists will shine. Whatever one does, one should do without the egoity "I". If one acts in that way, all will appear as of the nature of Siva (God).

12. Are there no other means for making the mind quiescent?

Other than inquiry there are no adequate means. If through other means it is sought to control the mind, the mind will appear to be controlled, but will again go forth.

Through control of breath also, the mind will become quiescent; but it will be quiet only so long as the breath remains controlled, and when the breath resumes, the mind also will again start moving and will wander as impelled by residual impressions. The source is the same for both mind and breath.

Thought, indeed is the nature of the mind. The thought "I" is the first thought of the mind, and that is egoity. It is from whence egoity originates. Therefore when the mind becomes quiescent, the breath is controlled, and when breath is controlled the mind becomes quiescent. But in deep sleep, although the mind becomes quiescent, the breath does not stop. This is because of the will of God, so that the body may be preserved and other people may not be under the impression that it is dead.

In the state of waking and samadhi (conscious union with the Absolute), when the mind becomes quiescent, the breath is controlled. Breath is the gross form of mind. Till the time of death the mind keeps the breath in the body, and when the body dies, the mind takes the breath along with it. Therefore, the exercise of breath-control is only an aid for rendering the mind quiescent (manonigraha); it will not destroy the mind (manoasa). Like the practice of breath control, meditation on the forms of God, repetition of mantras, restriction of food, etc. are but aids for rendering the mind quiescent.

Through meditation on the forms of God through repetition of mantras, the mind becomes one-pointed. The mind will always be wandering. Just as when a chain is given to an elephant to hold in it's trunk, it will go along grasping the chain and nothing else, so also when the mind is occupied with a name or form it will grasp that alone. When the mind expands in the form of countless thoughts, each thought becomes weak; but as thoughts get resolved the mind becomes one-pointed and strong; for such a mind Self Inquiry will become easy.

Of all these restrictive rules, that relating tot he taking of sattvic food in moderate quantities is the best; by observing this rule the sattvic quality of the mind will increase, and that will be helpful to Self-Inquiry.

13. The residual impressions (thoughts) of objects appear unending lie the waves of an ocean. When will all of them get destroyed?

As the meditation on the Self rises higher and higher, the thoughts will get destroyed.

14. Is it possible for the residual impression of objects that come from beginnigless time as it were, to be resolved and for one to remain as the pure Self?

Without yielding to the doubt "Is it possible or not?". one should persistently hold on to the meditation on the Self. Even if one be a great sinner, one should not worry and weep "O, I am a sinner, how can I be saved?" One should completely renounce the thought "I am a sinner", and concentrate keenly on meditation on the Self; then, one would surely succeed. There are not two minds - one good and the other evil; the mind is only one. It is the residual impressions that are of two kinds - auspicious and inauspicious.

When the mind is under the influence of auspicious impressions, it is called good; and when it is under the influence of inauspicious impressions, it is regarded as evil.The mind should not be allowed to wander towards worldly objects and what concerns other people. However bad other people may be, one should bear no hatred for them. Both desire and hatred should be eschewed. all that one gives to others, one gives to ones self. If this truth is understood, who will not give to others?

When one's self arises, all arises; when one's self becomes quiescent, all becomes quiescent. To the extent we behave with humility, to the extent there will result good. If the mind is rendered quiescent, one may live anywhere.

15. How long should inquiry be practiced?

As long as there are impressions of objects in the mind, so long the inquiry "Who am I?" is required. As thoughts arise they should be destroyed then and these in the very place of their origin, through inquiry. If one resorts to contemplation of the Self unintermittently, until the Self is gained, that alone would do. As long as there are enemies within the fortress, they will continue to sally forth; if they are destroyed as they emerge, the fortress will fall into our hands.

16. What is the nature of the Self?

What exists in truth is the Self alone. The world like the individual soul, and God are appearances in it, like silver in mother-of-pearl, these three appear at the same time and disappear at the same time.

The Self is that where there is absolutely no "I" thought. That is called "Silence." The Self itself is the world; the Self itself is "I", the Self itself is God; all is Siva, the Self.

by Sri Ramana. Related links: