Letter # 51: “Who Am I Again?”

Spiritual masters often don’t have much education; they cut to the essence without it. Nisargadatta Maharaj was such a master. Belonging to the Jnana (knowledge: from the Proto-indo-european root gno) system of Yoga, he taught the “neti-neti” ("not this, not that") technique of meditation. Most people think of yoga as a form of exercise but that’s only one piece of the huge, yoga jig-saw puzzle. Yoga (from the Proto-indo-european root yeug –“ to join” or “to yoke”) is a holistic means of yoking body, mind and soul to the Supreme.
The “neti-neti” meditation technique of yoga, commonly used in Buddhist practice, was documented, prior to the coming of the Buddha, in the Vedic text “Srimad Bhagavatum” about 5,000 years ago by the sage Vyasa [C8:3:24]. The neti-neti meditation helps you to realize who you are not. The premise of it is that you can arrive more easily at who you really are by contemplating on what you are not. It’s an ancient Ockham’s razor that cuts through the unneeded baggage surrounding your real self.
The “neti-neti” meditation technique shows that what we take for reality is an illusion. It's quite illuminating. Let me explain it from a modern viewpoint. Consider your body: the cells in your gut today are not the same ones that were there three days ago, they have been replaced; the platelets in your blood are not the same ones that were there ten days ago, they have been replaced also; likewise, all your other cells, with bone taking about seven years, have been replaced. Seven years ago, your body was made up of a completely different set of atoms. Therefore, you are not the same body as you were then. In my psychiatric practice, I deal with men who have suffered from accidental limb amputations. After the loss of the limb, they continue to have feelings that it's there - they have phantom feelings of the limb. Although they've lost a limb, they still feel as themselves.
Whether you're an amputee or not, you might want to try the meditation. If you do, then first, sit or lie down in a quiet spot. Then close your eyes and takes a few relaxing deep breaths. Then think this:
I’m not my toe; I am aware of it. I’m not the experience but the experiencor.
I’m not my foot; I am aware of it. I’m not the experience but the experiencor.
I’m not my leg; I am aware of it. I’m not the experience but the experiencor.
I’m not my hips; I am aware of them. I’m not the experiences but the experiencor.
And so on up to your organs, glands and nerves; and then:
I’m not my dream; I am aware of it. I’m not the experience but the experiencor.
I’m not my thoughts; I am aware of them. I’m not the experiences but the experiencor.
I’m not my emotions; I am aware of them. I’m not the experiences but the experiencor.
I’m not my anxiety; I am aware of it. I’m not the experience but the experiencor.
I’m not my depression; I am aware of it. I’m not the experience but the experiencor.
I’m not my loss; I am aware of it. I’m not the experience but the experiencor.
I’m not my gains; I am aware of them. I’m not the experiences but the experiencor.
Sound good so far? I did the meditation this morning. I was deeply relaxed in it when suddenly, I felt a sharp itch on my cheek. I kept meditating on: “I’m not my itch; I’m aware of it. I’m not the experience but the experiencor.” The itch intensified. Now the battle was on! The mind is a powerful distractor. I was determined not to scratch the itch. I kept going: “I’m not my mind; I’m aware of it. I’m not the experience but the experiencor.” The itch dulled down. I was delighted. I persisted proudly, “I’m not the delight; I’m the experiencor.” Then there was an itch under my right thigh! I surrendered. I scratched my thigh and my cheek with immense relief. “I’m not this relief; I’m aware of it. I’m the experiencor.” I realized that while we try to go about numbing out the struggle of life, we can’t just stop doing things. We have to lift our fingers in order to carry on with the struggle or “fight” of life: Lord Krishna says, “Therefore Arjuna, you should always think of Me … and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty … With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.” Lord Krishna states that this type of fixing of the mind is called Bhagti Yoga, and it's the finest of the yogas. It is the yoga of devotion to the Supreme Self, and it's the endpoint of the “not this, not that” or neti-neti, meditation. “… He (the Supreme) is the last word in the “neti-neti” discrimination. He is unlimted. All glories to Him.” SG 8:3:25.
Nisargadatta Maharaj cut to the chase in aswering the ultimate question: “Who Am I?”. He took the enquirer swiflty to the answer: “I AM THAT.” So remember THAT as you go about your day, and also contemplate Luke 9:25: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self.”

God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.

I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008"
“Practicing goodwill makes for a good life."

Tel: 604 273 6641 (also for fax on request)

http://jasbhopal.com/

References: "The Holy Bible" Online version; "The Koran" (As translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); "The Bhagavad Gita As it Is" by Srila Prabhupada (ISBN 0-89213-268-X); "I Am That" Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.