Self-Enquiry: The Path To Self-Realization (Ramana Maharshi)
Secret societies, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, climate change, mass starvation, alien disclosure, Japan’s nuclear crisis, the Middle East crisis, environmental pollution, overpopulation, mass media mind control, et cetera, et cetera. Ahhhh! We truly are living in crazy times, aren’t we?
But you know what? There’s nothing to worry about. As long as you have peace of mind, you’ll realize that these things cannot affect you. Of course, the only problem for most people is that “peace of mind” is a very elusive concept. Having peace of mind is not the same as dwelling in ignorance, you see. There are those who cannot figure out what it really means, much less uncover the methods of attaining it.
Speaking of methods, my philosophical questioning led me to the practices taught by three people: the Buddha, Patanjali, and Ramana Maharshi. Since I have not yet written anything about Ramana Maharshi, I decided this would be the perfect time to create a post dedicated to him.
What I find great about his technique of Self-enquiry (wherein you ask yourself the question “Who am I?”) is that it really hits the nail on the head. It turned me, from being an evasive paranoid in the past, into a meditative pacifist in the present which, for me, is actually quite liberating.
I’ve been doing some form of self-enquiry for a decade and a half now even though I only came across Ramana Maharshi’s name a couple of years ago. I must admit, however, that the whole process, which made me what I am today, has its own debilitating moments and I’m still so far from being a saintly person. Nevertheless, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?
There are, indeed, certain times when the disconcerted aspects of my individuality, i.e. my demons, still reach the surface of my consciousness. When this happens, I go to Facebook and let them do their own thing (it’s pretty entertaining in my opinion). Thank goodness we have social networking… there’s no need for the people in my life to put up with my trivial grievances.
For a list of Sri Ramana Maharshi's consciousness expanding works, check out the Wikipedia article below.
Who Is Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi?
