Self Inquiry

Hi, I want to give you a chance to see the truth of what you are. This is coming from John Sherman. So if this sounds something for you check him out. A lot of recorded satsangs with him on www.riverganga.org. What he says is that the only problem humanity has is a false belief of what we are. And the only thing that can do any thing about that is to see the truth of what we are. Here is where Self Inquiry comes in. A quick look now if you want to follow... Nothing needs to be answered in words. Just look were this is pointing.

You are here.

aren't you?

What makes you so certain of that?

How does it feel to know that you are here?

Its YOU, keep looking at You

you are always here, unchanging. Same as always

Tags: inquiry, john, ramana, self, sherman

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lemmy Madder-Kramer on April 15, 2008 at 5:05pm: In the essence we are nothing, but undconditional love..

Thanks for sharing brother; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Magnus on April 26, 2008 at 11:09pm: Have anyone done this and maybe have a report or something? I would love to hear from someone else who is doing this. I can give a little report just too start. Before i started with this a had experienced stillness/awareness a lot the last years but this changed it, not "that" of course but the intention. Before I was looking for peace or stillness, but now im looking for Me and the same thing happens but more and more I know that that is I. Never changing always here. Phuu, and i that thought that something was to be done with or killed, like the ego. But that is wrong I'm always here, not changing.. Always. And the only thing to see that is to time after time look at yourself. And what i see on this page is that many believes them self to be unconditional love or something and thats just another belief of what you are. I believed myself to be emptiness for a while but that was not true. See for yourself that you are always here, i recommend it.

Thanks /M; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lemmy Madder-Kramer on April 27, 2008 at 7:44pm: It doens't matter what others believe. What u believe it true. I'm really happy, that u are u'rself all the way. That's very beautiful to see. Others may have lost themselfs in the way and need that second chance to be themselves again. loving and kind with the whole. it's beautiful to see it, too. I do wish u and them the everlasting love and light peace in their heart. Unconditional is the way to the inside to love any others as much own. Also very beautiful to see.. We know it immediately when it comes in our way, too. We have it in our heart, too. These persons are fully present and living the eternal now.

much love,

Lemmy; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Travis Eneix on May 21, 2008 at 7:52pm: Hello Magnus,

As luck would have it, I began a year of "serious" self inquiry a year ago (6/17/2007; I wrote the date in my journal ;-) ) after seeing a youtube video of John Sherman. I have subsequently met with him online a half-dozen times. The experience has been amazing. Recently my Mother passed away, and I was able to be with her and for her in an amazingly beautiful way specifically because of all the work I have done with self-inquiry. This work is primarily what I have blogged about over the last year.

I love the simple directness of this path. To put it as John Sherman has, "Look at yourself, not for yourself."

To share my latest report: I meditate for a half hour each morning. My meditation technique is based on Genpo Roshi's Big Mind process and is basically a form of shikan-taza zen sitting, or "just sitting." During my meditation I spend focused time simply feeling what it is to be, as John suggests. I do the same throughout the day whenever it occurs to me. During a recent meditation I realized that I was mentally taking a look at "that." I had made the feeling of being into an object of consideration. This misses the point. My attention shifted to where it should be, directly inward to the most fundamental ground of my experience.

Later that day, while sitting at my desk at work I glanced over at the book on my desk (I am a habitual reader so I always have a book at my side), which happens to be "Talks with Ramana Maharshi." Ramana smiled up at me from the cover, at the corner of my eye. I then looked back at the monitor and... everything dropped. It's impossible to describe the feeling, but dropped is close. I remember thinking, "What the hell is this?" There was nothing to stand on, no identity, just the feeling of being. And, I knew, and know, with no doubt whatsoever, that that is me. I have previously gotten a very good feel for the "target of self inquiry" as John would say, with good results. But, absolutely nothing is like this. Now, this feeling is always there, and immediately explorable with the inquiry at any time. I tried to share about the experience with my lovely wife, and the only phrase I could come up with is, "What I am, is this."

Anyway, that's my experience of self-inquiry.

The practice gets you absolutely nothing. What it does do is eat away at the lie that I am something else, that I am this life. As that belief is dissolved, so is suffering.

- Travis; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by dolf on May 17, 2008 at 4:02am: i have always asked myself this question, i (emotional and mental) am changing everyday and every moment, but the original me which is higher up there (thats where i imagine it to be) is the one unchanging and permanent

so whatever i do or become the next day and the next, i throw away what is past today (past now) and say to me, im not this label, this label is not me anymore, i am not yesterday and i learn how not to be what im not yet tomorrow, so just NOW would be the Perfect time

nice to be in your discussion, magnus; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lemmy Madder-Kramer on May 19, 2008 at 4:08pm: The mirror of the outside us the inside. All the same. In the everlasting now: state of joy and love and bless without any kind of judgment.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Magnus on May 19, 2008 at 4:37pm: Hi dolf, how nice of you to reply on this great matter. You are right, you are not that label and so. But the thing is that the original you that you think is up there is right here. You have always been yourself, cant get away from that. So look whats here, its so obvious thats why we always miss to see it. But this is working for me, look at the feeling of knowing that you are here. I'm I not right when I say to you that you cannot deny that you are here. Ask yourself I'm I here? And its nothing special that you are looking for, just You, just you. Taste that knowing as often you remember. One time is enough to start it. Just get a taste of what you really are, its downhill from there. Hope this can be of help to you. //Magnus; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Magnus on May 24, 2008 at 12:05am: Thank you for that report, very glad you posted that. Remember you from a podcast. Just wanna add in a quote from John "Intention is everything" that came to mind while reading what you have shared.

//M; ▶ Reply to This