All posts by Engineer Manish Verma

IITian ~ Consultant & Educator manishverma.site
Self Inquiry

Self Inquiry – More Techniques

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While reading something for a few minutes, when you are immersed in it, i.e. when the I sense has dissolved, just inquire who is reading and see if you notice a presence*. There has to be somebody/something that is reading in the absence of the I sense.

While watching TV for a few minutes, when you are immersed in it, i.e. when the I sense has dissolved, just inquire who is watching/listening and see if you notice a presence*. There has to be somebody/something that is watching/listening in the absence of the I sense.

*Presence word is a pointer. Awareness word is more accurate. When I sense has gone and there is no false identification, you are pure awareness and awareness can recognise itself.

Enlightenment, Vedanta

Enlightenment Through Vedanta

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Self (awareness/consciousness) is not an object that can be known by the ego. You can only experience the reflection of the Self when your mind is quite (please refer to the video in this post). Self cannot be known by the ego as an object because ego appears in Self and not the other way. You can only know the Self as Self. The teachings of Vedanta make you do the Self Inquiry. No amount of reading can help unless Self Inquiry is done. As you find answers to your existing and new doubts, your mind becomes quieter and quieter. The mind eventually becomes fixed thinking about the Self almost continuously. The Self which is always present hears its name being called and a stage comes when a subtle cognitive shift takes place. Earlier, it was you as ego seeking the Self, now you become the Self and the ego becomes an object in the Self. There is no thunder, no lightening, just a subtle shift in the reference point through which you look at the world.

Earlier, Ego = I,
Now, Pure Self = I and Ego = Expression of pure Self
Gita

Gita in One Verse

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Yogayukto vishuddhatma vijitatma jitendriyah;
Sarvabhootatmabhootatma kurvannapi na lipyate.  [Chapter 5, Verse 7]

He who is in Yoga (union), the pure soul (soul here means embodied soul), master of his self (the ego is under him), who has conquered the senses, whose Self becomes the Self of all existences (he considers one Self for all), even though he does actions, he is not involved in them.
Self Inquiry

Guided Self Inquiry

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Teacher: Please look at the flower in front of us.
Student: Okay.

Teacher: Where exactly do you experience it?
Student: In the garden.

Teacher: Not the physical location, but the place of experience. The light rays are converted into electrical signals in your body and then your mind sees it. So, you experience it within you. Do you follow?
Student: Yes, I understand the basic Physics and since mind is part of me who is looking at the image of the flower, so I am looking at the flower within me.

Teacher: Good, now how far is your awareness from the flower?
Student: Well, my awareness is right there where flower is. There is no gap between my awareness and the flower.

Teacher: Can you now close your eyes and imagine the same flower. Now, how far is awareness from the flower?
Student: Same as before. Whether eyes are open or close, there is no gap between my awareness and the flower.

Teacher: Great! awareness takes the shape of the flower. Now, how far are you from the awareness?
Student:  I am there where my awareness is. There is no gap between myself and the awareness.

Teacher: Excellent, since there is no gap between you and the awareness, is there anything else that you realise?
Student: Well, let me think for a moment……. This is amazing! I am the awareness.

The above dialogue is inspired from the writings of Sri James Swartz.

Music, Non-duality

Tu Hi Sagar Hai – Song on Non-duality

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The song, “Tu hi sagar hai” sung by Sulakshana Pandit written by Kaifi Azmi is one example of creative work based on non-duality in Indian cinema. The lines, “Tu hi sagar hai tu hi kinara dhoondhata hai tu kiska sahara” mean that you yourself are the ocean and you yourself are the shore, whose support do you seek.
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