“All happiness comes from awareness. The more we are conscious, the deeper the joy.”
-Nisargadatta Maharaj
Since ancient times, masters from all eras and continents have dedicated their life to pointing out the direct path to self-realization. It is self-inquiry.
Begin an enquiry. Sit quietly and ask: Who am I?
If the answer is a thought, then ask: Where did the word come from?
All the words are from “outside.” From parents, friends, teachers, and so on. Thus, all words and ideas are second hand knowledge.
Now ask again: Who am I? As the question ends, note the silence, and stay in the stillness. Repeat… Who am I? … And stay in the silence; be the stillness. That is the practice.
A sense of happiness and freedom steadily, and even unknowingly, seeps into your life as you begin to realize that all problems are thought-created. When aware, you are trouble-free.
Peace and happiness are inherently present when you know you are aware. It is the peace of knowing pure being.
Keep reminding yourself to know you are aware. As you increasingly feel the happiness inherent in silence, the peace of stillness spontaneously appears more and more frequently.
For several years, in my spare time, I asked: “Who am I?”
As I kept asking the question, I realized that I cannot be something obvious, like a word or a name. I felt that what I really am must be more subtle… So I simply stayed in the silence that followed the question.
One afternoon, sitting with “who am I?” on a California beach, I suddenly realized the significance of the question: it suspends thinking.
And in the suspension of thought is the end of mental difficulty.
In that moment I knew, with absolute certainty, when I know I am aware—I am complete. Thoughts had shed their deceptive nature.
The immediate sense of freedom and happiness was beyond overwhelming.
Footnote: I still did not know what, if anything, I am; but I did know what I am not. I am not a word, thought, idea, or belief. And with that, I am all set.
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