[Advaita-l] WITNES

[sreenivasa murthy]

Dear friends,
I came across a writeup on The Witness. I observed that this study material was ofimmense benefit to mumkshus and I am sharingthis like minded readers.Quote:
Witnessingis not something you do. It is the realization that there is an alive awarenessof all that's going on. Witnessing is always present, and the realization of itis what is pointed to, both here and in the book. 

See,even when you are totally absorbed in an activity or thought, something isaware of this. It is this awareness that allows you to know that -as you say-"I was so involved arguing etc that I totally forgot everything."Something has noticed this, otherwise you would not be able to recall andreport it. It is also aware of the idea that there might be a 'you' trying todo the witnessing. This 'you' or ego seems to have awareness, but in realitythere is awareness of the you/ego. 

Therecognition of this witnessing presence is not something to be practiced by anapparent separate entity. It is the impersonal recognition of the ever presentOne-Self-Aware-Reality. 

Soyes, the witnessing was there when you thought it was not, because somethingwas aware of the apparent time and space in which you thought you did not dowitnessing. In the end there is no separate 'you' to do it. The comings andgoings of the 'you' that tries to witness are being witnessed. 
Unquote.
The above has a bearing upon the  mantra 
"sAkShI cEtA kEvalO nirguNaSca||" of SvetasvatarOpanishad.

With respectful namaskars,Sreenivasa Murthy