Sunday, April 11, 2021

Om! Self-inquiry / I am not what I perceive - Atman Nityananda

 

Self-inquiry / I am not what I perceive

First, assume a relaxed, balanced and stable posture. Relax your body and connect with your breath and with yourself to the sense I am or I exist. As the attention is focused and the mind calms down you feel more clearly that you exist that you are present and you are more and more aware of where your attention is and you can use your attention and your mind consciously.


Thence, you enquire about your true nature by denying each perception, each experience that appears in your awareness. We do this enquiry the way that I propose you below.


The moment you become aware of anything that attracted your attention, you say, What I perceive (whatever it is) I am notWhat am I? You ask the question and silently contemplate it with full attention. Don't expect a mental or intellectual response. Ask the question and continue to silently contemplate gently the question paying full attention to yourself.


If what catches your attention, what you perceive is the body, you say:

This body that I perceive I am not. Then what am I?


If what catches your attention, what you perceive is an emotion, you say:

 This emotion that I perceive I am not. Then what am I?


If what catches your attention, what you perceive is an impulse, you say:

This impulse that I perceive I am not. Then what am I?


If what catches your attention, what you perceive are the thoughts, you say:

These thoughts that I perceive I am not. Then what am I?


If what catches your attention, what you perceive is a sensation, you say:

This feeling that I perceive I am not. Then what am I?


If what catches your attention, what you perceive is the feeling of I, you say:

This sense of I that I perceive I am not. Then what am I?


Every time you feel the body you say: This body that I perceive I am not. Then what am I? You do the same with everything else and you do it every time you perceive and experience something (whatever it is). You continue doing it until your attention is focused on nothing, until nothing attracts and catches your attention.