Where Am I?

In this satsang talk on non-duality (Advaita, or “not two," I discuss the vichara, a Sanskrit term for the process of investigation, discrimination, and Self-inquiry often used in the Vedantic tradition. This is considered a practice of jñāna (wisdom), or yoga of knowledge.“Where Am I?” and the VicharaIn this short clip, I explain the inquiry of “Where Am I?” which is similar to yet slightly different than the standard one known by many through Ramana Maharshi, that of “Who Am I?” Here, inquiring into the locus of the arising of the individual self has been a more effective pointer than “who.” Although, it does not matter what words are chosen in the investigation; what is most important is the effectiveness in bringing about an experiencing or awareness of spaciousness. Ultimately, there is a seeing and a full apprehension that there is no one there – no separate, individual doer.Thoughts without a thinker, seeing without a seer, experiencing without an experiencer. If one looks – with sincerity and whole, open-mind – one may ultimately see that there is no central operating mechanism. This seeing and knowing may also happen at any time, regardless of the inquiry practice.While this might seem to be an advanced teaching or the words and pointers might seem bizarre or foreign, almost anyone can receive some benefit from listening – something will go in, somewhere.In the beginning of this clip, I am paraphrasing from my teacher Ramesh Balsekar’s book, Consciousness Writes (Zen Publications, 1996, p. 21).In the second part of the video, I lead satsang participants in a short, guided meditation – into their own self-inquiry of “Where Am I? If you prefer to skip the philosophical pointers and go right to the meditative inquiry, go straight to minute 7:00.Viewers and listeners may wish to sit somewhere comfortably and quietly to try this out for themselves.May this talk benefit those with an interest in spiritual seeking and most importantly, the end of suffering. Get full access to Truth and Consciousness with Erin Reese at erinreese.substack.com/subscribe