Who am I ?

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan]

K. Sadananda wrote:

>I have to disagree with the readings of Ramana Maharshi's teaching by suresh.
>
> in the upadesha saara:
>
>     iiswararpitam nechayaakritam
>      chittasodhakam muktisaadhakam.


In this context, note Sankaracarya's Bhagavat-Gita Bhashya, where he says
"nishkAmya karmasya rahasyam ISvara SaraNatA". As Sadananda points out,
action without expectation of fruits (I hesitate to use the word "selfless")
is possible through surrender to ISvara, and has its role in preparing the
seeker for self-enquiry.

The reflection "Who am I?" is scary to most people, as another pointed out
today. This self-enquiry is like tight-rope walking, dangerous to the one
who is unprepared, extremely fulfilling for the one with the right
 qualifications. Sankara emphasizes the "sAdhana-catushTayam" (four-fold
 sAdhana, comprising
of the inculcation of qualities like Sama, dama, uparati, titikshA, SraddhA,
vairAgya, the ability to discriminate between the eternal and the ephemeral,
i.e. nitya and anitya vastus, mumukshutvam, the desire for liberation). The
gurus do not teach advaita vedAnta to those whom they judge to be lacking in
these qualities. That is why you will find many students in the various
Sankara Mathas, but few sannyasis. Some extraordinary people like Ramana
Maharishi do not need a human guru, self-enquiry comes naturally to them.
Most others have to be patient, and go through the path of action and devotion
before they are ready for self-enquiry.

Vidyasankar