So, how does one put this into constant practice ? By turning one's attention inwards, to the sense of 'I am' and that which is aware of the 'I am'.
Note: To make up your own mind, or to learn more about the subtleties of Ramana Maharshi's teachings, you may want to read the book 'Be As You Are' by David Godman or 'The Path of Sri Ramana Part One' by Sadhu Om.
Quite simply, "Turn your attention to the source of the 'I' thought".
' My hand doesn't tell me it's mine, I feel it is. The body doesn't tell me it's mine, nor does the breath nor heartbeats, yet I feel they are all mine. Thoughts keep appearing in my mind, they don't tell me they are mine, I believe they are, that I'm thinking. Where does this sense of I, me, mine arise from ?"
The objective is to discover your true self, therefore your practice begins with an inquiry about your real self, 'Who am I?'
- Find some quiet time for reflection. For starters, just ponder, "I keep referring to everything, including my body, senses, thoughts and mind as mine, then who am I? What is the source of this sense of 'I, me mine'? Where does this sense of 'I' arise from ?
- Ignore everything else that distracts you, keep your attention on this 'I' thought, the source from where it arises. If you keep paying attention to this, you'll find that all other perceptions will start fading away.
- If you get distracted, you can turn inwards again by thinking 'I got distracted, but where did this feeling of 'I' arise from ?
- These helpful thoughts should not be repeated over and over again, you'll find it'll become less and less necessary with practice, just keep your attention on this sense of 'I', where it arises from.
At any other time during the day :
- You can keep this attention on your Self, the sense of 'I' by asking yourself at any time during your normal daily routine - "Who's experiencing all this ? Who's aware of all this" ? Follow this with paying attention to where the sense of 'I' arises from. It may help if you defocus your eyes as you think the above, defocussing automatically draws your attention away from the objects in your perception.
Other possibilities
At a specific time :
- Initially, find some time for self-inquiry. It may help if you begin with reminding yourself that you can not be what you can perceive and use it to negate the body, senses, thoughts or the mind.
- Take a breath and pause for a moment. Pay attention to the feeling/being when the breath has stopped and stay with that feeling. Notice that 'I am' when the breath has stopped.
- Breathe out and pause for a moment. Note the feeling/being when the breath has stopped and stay with the feeling.
- Notice that this feeling is the same whenever the breath has stopped, whether after breathing in or breathing out.
- Continue, notice how that being/feeling stays in the background even when you are breathing. Pay attention to this feeling/being instead of the breath. As you do, you'd notice that your breath fades into the background.
- Be aware and abide in that feeling/being as it appears in the gaps, do not focus on the breathing.
- If your mind wanders after a while, bring your attention back to the pause between the breath and then keep paying attention to that.
- Abide in the awareness of your being, for as long as you want.
Subsequently, you can continue being aware of your being even during your normal daily activities
- Defocus your eyes, turn your attention inwards by the single thought, "All of this appears to me, all of this merely indicates that I'm aware".
- When walking, stay with the awareness that appears before each step is taken and after, and notice how this awareness stays with you between the steps as well.
- When repeating a name or mantra in your mind, say 'Rama, Rama', be aware of the being/feeling in the gap between the two repetitions until you stay with that and then ignore the chanting.
- When your mind seems extremely active, i.e. too many thoughts, remind yourself that you are aware of the awareness of thoughts, turn your attention to the pause between the breath as outlined above.
- Focus not on the objects that you see, but your awareness of the seeing. Or hearing etc.
- Remind yourself that all objects in your sensory perception merely prove that you are awareness. That means, turn your focus away from the objects and into the fact that you are aware.
- Be aware of your being whenever possible, abide in it.
- Know that you are only awareness, not any object that you perceive, i.e. your body, senses, thoughts or mind.
- This is not an intellectual exercise, i.e. thinking, but trying to abide in the feeling of being. Helpful and guiding thoughts should be kept to a minimum.
