Who Am I?

Ramana's main message is self – inquiry. He says, by questioning oneself, 'Who am I?' again and again, one will understand the Self. Knowing the Self is awakening to the Truth, awakening to Sat-Chit-Ananda (Being-Consciousness-Bliss).

As all living beings desire to be happy always, without misery, as in the case of everyone there is observed supreme love for one’s self, and as happiness alone is the cause for love, in order to gain that happiness which is one’s nature and which is experienced in the state of deep sleep where there is no mind, one should know one’s self. For that, the path of knowledge, the inquiry of the form “Who am I?”, is the principal means. 

'Self-Enquiry' is the most sacred of sacred, says Ramana. 

In any spiritual practice, the essential part is to try to bring back the running mind and fix it on one thing only. Why then should it not be brought back and fixed in Self-attention (to this feeling of I)? That alone is Self-Enquiry, आत्मविचार.

Self-Enquiry is an awareness of the awareness itself. Self-Enquiry leads the practitioner beyond duality. Awakening is realizing the अद्वैत, the state of non-duality. The object of meditation (the 'I') is ultimately revealed as the Subject itself (The Pure Consciousness). 

Reading Ramana's teachings and following the Self-Enquiry leads towards awakening. Anyone can read his teachings, anyone can follow this practice. Awakening is here, now!

हृदयकुहरमध्ये केवलं ब्रह्ममात्रम्

ह्यहमहमिति साक्षादात्मरुपेण भाति । 

हृदि विश मनसा स्वम् चिन्वता मज्जता वा

पवनचलन रोधादात्मनिष्ठो भव त्वम् । 

Brahma, The Pure Consciousness is glowing lustrously in the middle of the cave of the heart in the shape of the Self, always proclaiming 'I am, I am.' O seeker, become an Atmanistha, a Self-realized person either by making the mind absorb in the of the Self or by making the mind drown itself through control of the breath.