Desire for salvation (Re: Who am I ?)

[sadananda]

>
>  I do not think enquiry has any dangers associated with it
>  like other forms of meditation, hatha yoga etc. may have which
>  require them to have the personal guidance of a guru at all
>  times.
>
>-Suresh.


Sir,

What is there even to enquire? And how long it requires to enquire who am
I? And what is the difficulty?   To know that I am conscious existent
entity is there any enquiry needed!  Because I exist  and conscious entity,
all enquiries are valid.  I am not looking for existence or consciousness-
everyone is looking for ananda, happyness.  I am that also has to be
discovered since right now I think I am an-ananda and pursuing all
activities in the world to get that.   I have to discover I am that what I
am seaching for.

In the "who am I enquiry", I have to enquire my mistaken notions of what I
think I am to discover what I am.  This requires discriminative intellect
to reject what I am not, neti neti to arrive at that which cannot be
negated - the enquirer himself. This requrires a subtle intellect or
suukshma budhi.

When we are constantly pushed by the pressure of our likes and dislikes,
the discriminative intellect (vivEka) is not there.  Hence the need for the
sadhana and guru too. Karma and bhakti and gyana under proper guidance of a
proper guru should lead one to contemplate on who am I or tat twam asi or
aham bhahmaasmi etc.

There are dangers in everything if one is not carefull. Thousands have gone
and stayed at the feet of Bhagavaan Ramana - but how many Bhagawans have
emerged?  If it is that easy!

Lack of appropriate knowledge  can lead to fanatism - as we see in Hare
Krishnaas ( no flames - this is my observation)  - In JNana maarga - one
can likely to develop an arrogance - that I know.  Ego plays lot of tricks.
That a notion there is no danger in the who am I enquiry itself can become
a problem if the required detachment for objectivity is not there for the
enquiring mind.
- These ofcourse are my openions.  If you can find your mind is ready to
enquire without getting lost - by all means that is the path for you.
Otherwise one will be sitting in a meditation seat while his mind has left
him even without his knowledge long time ago travelling all over the world.
That is the danger.  Half an hour of meditation - but in reality
half-an-hour of maditation!

There is no short cuts any where.  The shortest and least dangerous path
depends on the state of the mind of the sadhak.  Those that have to travel
a long way would be better off by a guidance who can point out the proper
direction to reach the goal.

Please do not take my comments as personal - this is only a discussion

Hari Om!
Sadananda

K. Sadananda
Code 6323
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington D.C. 20375
Voice (202)767-2117
Fax:(202)767-2623

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What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your
gift to Him: Swami Chinmayananda
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