dwai Posted May 12, 2017 (edited) Yo! Dath wathup!! (Quoting the great warrior scholar mike Tyson) Edited May 12, 2017 by dwai 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
laughingblade Posted May 12, 2017 “I Am Not I” By Juan Ramón Jiménez Translated by Robert Bly I am not I. I am this one walking beside me whom I do not see, whom at times I manage to visit, and whom at other times I forget; who remains calm and silent while I talk, and forgives, gently, when I hate, who walks where I am not, who will remain standing when I die. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aboo Posted May 12, 2017 (edited) I am my body, my thoughts, my words, and my deeds. I am also the sum of all the things I have ever been. But strangely, I am greater than the sum of all the parts because within me reside the potential of future of what I am physically, including all my future thoughts, words, and deeds. "I am" is a collection, not anything singular. Interesting. Sri Ramana Maharshi is quoted as saying: "In the vision of death, though all the senses were benumbed, the aham sphurana (Self-awareness) was clearly evident, and so I realised that it was that awareness that we call "I", and not the body. This Self-awareness never decays. It is unrelated to anything. It is Self-luminous. Even if this body is burnt, it will not be affected. Hence, I realised on that very day so clearly that that was "I". It would appear he believed he was something singular and not a collection of things (body, thoughts etc). Of course, I may be mistaken in stating that, as I am no expert on his teachings (atma vichara). Edited May 12, 2017 by aboo 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted May 12, 2017 Interesting. Sri Ramana Maharshi is quoted as saying: "In the vision of death, though all the senses were benumbed, the aham sphurana (Self-awareness) was clearly evident, and so I realised that it was that awareness that we call "I", and not the body. This Self-awareness never decays. It is unrelated to anything. It is Self-luminous. Even if this body is burnt, it will not be affected. Hence, I realised on that very day so clearly that that was "I". It would appear he believed he was something singular and not a collection of things (body, thoughts etc). Of course, I may be mistaken in stating that, as I am no expert on his teachings (atma vichara). I think you have it right. However, Mr. Sri was referring to "self-awareness" as being something external to the body, Ya' know, like a soul that was placed in a new-born body. I don't go there as I hold that self-awareness is an activity of a properly functioning brain, which, of course, is an element of the body. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aboo Posted May 12, 2017 (edited) I think you have it right. However, Mr. Sri was referring to "self-awareness" as being something external to the body, Ya' know, like a soul that was placed in a new-born body. I don't go there as I hold that self-awareness is an activity of a properly functioning brain, which, of course, is an element of the body. Thanks for the reply. I think cognitive neuroscientists etc refer to it as the "Hard problem of consciousness". I remember watching a video of Noam Chomsky where he said it's a mystery we may never comprehend - like motion in the 18th century. Edited May 12, 2017 by aboo 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted May 12, 2017 Thanks for the reply. I think cognitive neuroscientists etc refer to it as the "Hard problem of consciousness". I remember watching a video of Noam Chomsky where he said it's a mystery we may never comprehend - like motion in the 18th century. Yeah, perhaps it is true that some questions have no answers (that we are capable of comprehending). And, of course, there are some answers that have no questions. I do try to stay alert for info regarding this concept but I don't actively go searching. And no, I have no idea how close to the truth I am with my understanding. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C T Posted May 12, 2017 Who am I you may well askI really wish I knewIf I am not myself at allThen maybe I am youTo discover who I really amIs really quite a taskMaybe I am someone elseWho wears a funny maskI strive so hard to know myselfTo discover the “real me”My thoughts and feelings all confusedYet still I cannot seeWhat makes me tick?What makes me feel?So very special and uniqueMy purpose in this glorious worldIs what I truly seekI wish I could be creative, self confident and smartNot quiet, shy and insecureEmotional at heartI wish I had the confidence to say what I really feelInstead of fearing criticismUttering words that seem unrealWhy at times do I feel so aloneAnd just yearn for a friendly faceWhile at others I just long to beIn some far off distant placeWith no one else to bother meAnd disturb my rambling thoughts,Until my conscience brings me backTo do the things I oughtAnd so I continue on my wayOn this journey they call lifeI try to do the best I canThough at times the goings toughI’ll do my part to refine the worldAnd make it a better placeBy being “me” to my capacityWith each trial I have to face ~ Granny Faigie Rabin ~ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C T Posted May 12, 2017 (edited) WHO AM I? I just want to know who I am where I am, what I truly am and what I exist for at all. I want to know what is named ‘me,’ Who am I? Also who are you? Am I in the world? Am I one with it? Separate from the world or not? Or am out of this world or not? I feel so connected with all around But sometimes I just don’t feel involved and feel quite detached from this world. I am not who you think I am. I claim I am not the same self, I would love to know my true self, be sure of who I am to myself. “This is my true self, my real self, my steadfast self, my only self independent self, the real me.” Who will now point out this true self to me? Is it another self in me given this task? Can I point out my true self to myself? I claim I am not the same self, as I remember as a child long ago. I claim I am different from this self from the past. If so, then I can take no praise nor blame for what I did or didn’t do in the past. After all, myself today is not same as the self who had acted yesterday. Why should one self in me judge part of me? Why should one part of me give another part of me a hard time? Why do that if I am always the same person? Why do that if I am always changing? If myself is just the same self every day, yesterday, tomorrow and now, that means that I always remains the same; events then make no difference to myself, nothing at all can affect me. If I am really changing from day to day then nothing can affect me for more than a moment because I am different now from what I was just before. Yesterday’s self bears no significance today. My old self sometimes says nothing about today Yet my old self sometimes dominates today. My old self sometimes shadows over today. Why should my old self judge today’s self if I am changing every day? Why should my old self judge today’s self if I am the same self every day? Do I consist of lots of different selves? Tell me which one of my many selves do I rely upon. If I always remains the same, then no chance for any kind of change; I can’t develop or regress. It would not matter what I did, what I am doing or what I will do. I cannot find a true self to pinpoint. Which self within points out the true self? Can I rely upon the self that points out the true self? So there is no self assurance here True self, changing self, different selves? This all seems rather inconsequential. Then I like to think I am both, a true unchanging self and a changing self. Which bit of me shows my true self? Which bit of me shows my changing self? What connects up these two kind of selves? True self, changing self, different selves, old self, new self, synthesis? Reality refutes every thesis. Such a relief …. ~ Christopher Titmuss ~ Edited May 12, 2017 by C T 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted May 14, 2017 The answer I get is: I am breath and awareness. that's an intellectual understanding. I don't put much credence into it, but that's what I got. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C T Posted May 14, 2017 Its a question thats like a dentist's drill... You will know when you are fixed. When the time comes for you to reflect and talk about the experience, its already in the past. So, in a sense, we are the toothache, the drill, the driller and the drilled, all at once. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AussieTrees Posted May 14, 2017 We are stoic to the drill. We are shocked by the bill. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C T Posted May 14, 2017 We are stoic to the drill. We are shocked by the bill. yeah 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites