In the enquiry ‘Who am I?’, ‘I’ is the ego


Question: Should I go on asking ‘Who am I?’ without answering? Who asks whom? Which bhavana (attitude) should be in the mind at the time of enquiry? What is ‘I’ the Self or the ego?

Answer: In the enquiry ‘Who am I?’, ‘I’ is the ego. The question really means, what is the source or origin of this ego? You need not have any bhavana in the mind. All that is required is, you must give up the bhavana that you are the body, of such and such a description, with such and such a name, etc. There is no need to have a bhavana about your real nature. It exists as it always does; it is real and no bhavana.

[Ramana Maharshi's first answer to Mr Joshi in Day By Day on 3-1-46]

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