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Venkat Puntambekar venkatp at SYNOPSYS.COM
Wed Jul 23 12:01:03 CDT 1997


Namaste to all:

I have often wondered how this "True Self" is explained. Infact
in my reading (quite limited), most authors and translators have used
words like, "Pure COnciousness", "the real self", "your true
identity","eternal love" and "eternal flame" etc. etc...
Why are there such esoteric labels. I mean, why can't we just
say (Please correct me if I am wrong), everything that you do is
because of that. I have spent time in front of the mirror wondering
who is it that is seeing my reflection. It cannot be my eyes, for
they are just an instrument to see. When you see someone who is
looking, seeing. For that matter, I am typing this mail. Who(what) is
causing my fingers to type. Is this the real SELF.

Infact Rajneesh makes ample use of such statements. "Find out
what is causing your breathing", what is causing your heart to beat"..

I believe it is in Chandogya Upanishad, where Prajapati is trying
to explain this Self to both Indra and Virocana. He asks" What
do you see when you see your self in a vessel of water. Both
manage to not understand the treue import..

ANd there is Ramana Maharshi. "WHo am I" and he stops right there..

Does anyone get such questions or am I an isolated entity wondering about
 these..

I wanted to say I am an novice, but the other day a Sathya Sai Baba
devotee reminded me not to use such words as  novice, new comer etc..
for reasons which I thought were quite profound.. More later on this..

thanks,
-Venkat



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