> Resolving Self Consciousness > Excerpts from Sri Ramanarpanam Astu:
1. Who am I ? The gross body which is composed of the seven humours (dhatus), I am not; the five cognitive sense organs, viz. the senses of hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell, which apprehend their respective objects, viz. sound, touch, colour, taste, and odour, I am not; the five cognitive sense-organs, viz. 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's, I am not. 2. If I am none of these, then who am I? After negating all of the above-mentioned as '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 the 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's and of 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. 9. What is the path of inquiry for understanding the nature of the mind? That which rises 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 rises in the heart. That is the place of the mind's origin. It is only after the rise of this that the other thoughts arise. 10. How will the mind become quiescent? By the inquiry 'Who am I?'. The thought 'who am I?' will destroy all other thoughts. Then, there will arise Self-realization. 11. What is the means for constantly holding on to the thought 'Who am I?' When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them, but should inquire: 'To whom do they arise?' It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should inquire with diligence, "To whom has this thought arisen?". Thereupon if one inquires "Who am I?", the mind will go back to its source; and the thought that arose will become quiescent. With repeated practice in this manner, the mind will develop the skill to stay in its source. 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 the control of breath also, the mind will become quiescent; but it will be quiescent 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. 13. The residual impressions (thoughts) of objects appear wending like 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 impressions of objects that come from beginningless 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. 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 there in the very place of their origin, through inquiry. 16. What is the nature of the Self? What exists in truth is the Self alone. The world, 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". 17. What is non-attachment? As thoughts arise, destroying them utterly without any residue in the very place of their origin is non-attachment. 18. What is release? Inquiring into the nature of one's self that is in bondage, and realizing one's true nature is release.
