Atma Vidya Mandir Teachings and Philosophy.
Atma Vichara
To abide in one’s own Self is auspicious… To forget One’s Self is inauspicious…
This is the crux of the teaching. How to abide in One’s Self? For that one has to know One’s Self (Atma). But the true Self is not an object to be recognized through a thought process.. It is the very subject which illuminates all the thoughts!
Then how to go about? Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharshi shows a simple path, which is direct and uncomplicated. It is like hitting the bull’s eye! The path of Self inquiry (Atma Vichara).
Now what is our idea about the self? We take ourselves to be this form, the body. Can it really be our self? It is just inert.. But we are alive, conscious and full of dynamism. Therefore this body cannot be me though it serves me as a vehicle.
Then who am I? This is Self Inquiry!
Here, a word of caution. Self Inquiry is not a Q & A session, wherein you ask who am I? And try to answer I am not this or that. It is not also a japa, wherein you repeat the question again and again. Then what is Self inquiry? It is utter attention to oneself!
Self inquiry means paying total attention to oneself. We may doubt the existence of God, karmic laws or different worlds. We may even doubt the ultimate emancipation. But nobody can doubt his own existence. We all intensely feel ‘I Am’. To pay total attention to ‘I Am’ without conceptualizing anything or wanting anything is Self Inquiry.
When we are trying to pay attention to our own self (who am I?), due to our past tendencies and habit there may arise thoughts distracting us from self attention. We need to be cautious and alert. Instead of getting carried away by thoughts, we should inquire ‘to whom these thoughts are arising?, who am I?’. That Is, we should try to shift our attention from thoughts to the source of thoughts. Myself. By again and again trying to fix our attention on our own existence (our own self), we may find that apart from our Self (i.e our own existence) there is nothing which truly exist! All other things however holier or nobler it may be derive their existence only from me, my real Self! I alone am!
Mounam is the true nature of the self! How can it be explained through words? Only by His Grace everything is known… Only by His grace the heart opens to the true Self… Only by His Grace one gains abidance in the Self…
