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brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 21 2011 : 4:22:58 PM
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do any of you find that what am I is a better inquiry then who am I? that line does not describe fully the essence of the question though. when we walk along life, and think we are a person, we are a who, and then we see another person as a who too. so who and who asks who they are. well who is in reference to a person in their minds. some say we are all that is, and therfore God, and what is god, a who. Or is it more appropriate that God is a what and therefore take the focus off of the word who, which to most humans refers only to human beings.
If I am the air that I breathe, that is a what, if I am the food that I eat, that is a what. if I am the sun and moon that I see, people, cars, tress, those are all whats. a thought is a what., etc... is what am I possible a more all encompassing question then who am I.
your views? |
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JDH
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2011 : 4:51:05 PM
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| Yeah, I get the whats more often than the whos. And the hows sometimes too. |
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mimirom
Czech Republic
368 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2011 : 5:11:18 PM
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| For a long time, "What am I" seemed to be the only reasonable choice. "Who am I" had felt very unnatural. Later on, I started to feel intimate love for God, and discovered a personal form of direct relationship with Him. At that time I also started to feel comfortable with and inspired by "Who am I." |
Edited by - mimirom on Apr 30 2011 6:19:16 PM |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
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kevincann
USA
335 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2011 : 10:29:02 PM
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I used to do another practice, that I found 10x more powerful than those practices,
(your mileage may vary... i'm speaking about how it worked for my type of personality)
I found the ugliest woman, the most obnoxious man, the most vicious dog;
and I realized, "I am also that". Do it all day long if you wish.. it's POWERFUL.
Let OTHERS sink into the silence within you. When you do it, keep the rational
mind empty, and FEEL the truth of it with your outreaching feelings.
This becomes a frequent meditation with discrimaination, that you can do while
at work, or anywhere you like.
Problem solved.
No ego identification whatsoever.
I find it a far superior method personally. Oh sure, it doesn't give you void
consciousenss immediately, but neither does neti neti, but it will... Once you
do it for some time, then your consciousness expands.. it will find the void
and start doing neti neti automatically.
Anybody big on Sanskrit? What would "I'm ALSO that, I'm ALSO that" translate to?
This variant takes all the struggle and confusion out of the practice.
-Kevin Cann |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2011 : 10:59:43 PM
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Hi Kevin and welcome to the AYP Forums!  
I've been enjoying what you're been writing on the forums so far. Glad you're here. 
quote:
Originally posted by kevincann
This variant takes all the struggle and confusion out of the practice.
What practice are you referring to in your post? I'm assuming you are talking about using "Who am I" or "What am I" as a self inquiry, right? Please, just smack me if I am wrong. 
In AYP, the recommendation is to become well established in inner silence (using the practice of Deep Meditation) before we begin to use self inquiry practices. This way it is easier to let the question go, into Silence, allowing space for an answer to come (or not ) from within.
In my opinion, there are an infinite number of self inquiry practices that will work. Effective self inquiry happens not because of the "rightness" of the style of the inquiry, but because of the amount of inner silence the inquiry comes from. In my experience, an inquiry that really "works," an inquiry that works to dissolve the barrier between subject and object, can not be forced..... it has to come on it's own. That's just my experience though... your mileage may vary.
Welcome to the forums man.... happy to have you here. 
Love!
Oh yeah.... ps... you should read this lesson if you haven't already
http://www.aypsite.org/327.html |
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kevincann
USA
335 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2011 : 12:36:07 AM
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@CarsonZi
Thanks for the warm welcome bro!
What you said -- yes, naturally.
This post was really a clarification of "Beauty bandha", but since I'm
adding addititional content to it, that others have requested, before reposting
it, twas not suitable to expand on something without referrring to it properly.
I'm sometimes guilty of jumping 5 steps ahead without "showing my work".
Now as to lesson #327 - beautifully done; and yes, "I am also that", "I am also that"
is usable from day 1, to the very last day and beyond; it never stops being useful.
That's my personal experience at any rate. Doing it just a few times can lead to
samadhi at a certain point. When looking at the One, any point of space/time is
equally valid and equivalent. It's also a form of deep mediation all in itself,
and also opens the heart...(its a form of eMoting). With one small variation it
helps activate Kudnalini. Its a spiritual swiss army knife. I practiced this for over
20 years..
However perhaps I should just post in the Satsang Cafe. I do not wish to give the
impression that I'm wishing to derail from the system of teachings presented on
this website. I have zero such desire. I just like jumping into a conversation
like one of the guys/gals, you know? Nearly 50 years of straight isolation for
all intents and purposes has me wishing to interact.
-Kevin Cann |
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who am I, what am I
