Do Affirmations Help With Self-inquiry?

[Guest]

Sometimes I don't have the focus to do proper, focused enlightenment work, but I find free time in my day that I would like to work on it. I have been repeating "Who am I/What am I" to myself when walking from place to place or doing menial tasks. Is this inefficient/useless?

[vizual]

Totally useless. Self inquiry isn't about convincing yourself you are no one, do you see how this makes no sense? It's all about the road of self discovery, not about you will find. There is no cutting corners, no get rich quick scheme. Sit down in peace, and observe. 

[Leo Gura]

If you want to do quick self-inquiry while walking around, just place your attention on your deepest sense of self. That sense of self which is the witness, but not the body, mind, or ego. And just silently hold your attention there. This is actually what Ramana's self-inquiry process was. The question, Who am I?, is itself irrelevant. It's a function of the monkey mind. You need to actually train your awareness of the sense of awareness itself and hold it there without distraction. This can be done even while you're doing chores around the house or driving your car.

You could use this one method to reach full enlightenment without ever engaging your logical mind in questioning or seeking, or ever putting pen to paper.

[Galyna]

@Leo Gura

"You need to actually train your awareness of the sense of awareness itself ..."

Leo,

I wish you could explain deeper here. Because sometimes it feels like mind observing itself, mind witnesses the Reality. 

[99th_monkey]

27 minutes ago, Galyna said:

@Leo Gura

"You need to actually train your awareness of the sense of awareness itself ..."

Leo,

I wish you could explain deeper here. Because sometimes it feels like mind observing itself, mind witnesses the Reality. 

trace it back and go further. "what" is sensing the senses ... so to speak.... where is it going.... take somthing simple. like looking at the keyboard. where are the images going.... to your brain? to your mind? to yooouuurrrrrr? dont worry about mind so much it will always be there, but try to get a feeling for where everything is "ending" what is seeing all this stuff coming in? what is aware of it.... opinions and meaning and all the stuff comes from mind. BUT the real raw perception goes to something? maybe something is aware of it before the mind process begins? right? maybe? try to figure that out  

[Leo Gura]

34 minutes ago, Galyna said:

@Leo Gura

"You need to actually train your awareness of the sense of awareness itself ..."

Leo,

I wish you could explain deeper here. Because sometimes it feels like mind observing itself, mind witnesses the Reality. 

To get a sense for this, right now, put your attention on the fact that all of reality is within your awareness right now. You can get an intuitive sense for it. You won't be sure exactly how or why, but you can sort of place your focus on awareness itself rather than the contents of awareness. Try to expand your focus until you're not focused on any object, thought, or sensation in particular.

[Galyna]

@99th_monkey

Thank you so much for your feedback. It is really hard to articulate about feelings and perceptions

I always feel that something is there, but there is no way to check if I am fooling myself. 

"..but try to get a feeling for where everything is "ending" what is seeing all this stuff coming in?"

Again, here on this stage is very easy to be stucked in imaginary Reality. 

Edited February 28, 2016 by Galyna

[99th_monkey]

give up your idea of imaginary reality. you dont know what it is. so focus on what is right in front of you... i'm not a big fan of mantras but i do have one "keep it simple, stupid"  

 and then focus on what is focusing.

Edited February 28, 2016 by 99th_monkey
duurrrfffff

[Galyna]

@Leo Gura

Leo, thank you so much for your response, I do appreciate it. 

Don't want to sound like smart a..s, but I've always experienced this (since started this journey), for a long time ago.

This awareness has a certain flavor. I just truly do not understand why people find it so hard to achieve, that is why it lead me to a thought " what if I am doing something wrong and my perception is playing games with me."

 

[Galyna]

@99th_monkey

It is hard to talk about it because you can not really describe it with the words.

@Leo Gura  feels like you are trying to push so hard for something that is already there. Sorry for the confusion, I have cognitive dissonance when talking about this to someone. 

 

Thank you, guys! 

[Leo Gura]

@Galyna Nothing about enlightenment is hidden. It's all right in front of your nose the whole time.

Being able to train onto awareness is one thing. Being able to penetrate into its depth is another.

Do you know what that awareness actually is?

If not, keep at it until there are no more questions and no more confusion.

[Galyna]

Just now, Leo Gura said:

@Galyna Nothing about enlightenment is hidden. It's all right in front of your nose the whole time.

Being able to train onto awareness is one thing. Being able to penetrate into its depth is another.

Do you know what that awareness actually is?

If not, keep at it.

Thank you Leo,

I must confess that you are the first person in my life who made my consciousness shift a little bit and the first who shook my perception of time, after watching your video about Enlightenment, Yes, I read a lot of literature before, but it never struck me that much as on that day when you were talking about Reality and Time.  

Thank you so much for everything you are doing for us, spending your PRECIOUS life time to educate people, thank you for carrying light.