Atma Vichara with Sruti and Gayatri Mantra

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Atma Vichara with Sruti

Focusing on Ego or individuality and empowering it causes us to ignore the basis or the power of awareness which illumines even the Ego. So unless we make ego - 2nd class citizen and Self (pure awareness) as the Real Me - ego is taking us for a ride. 

First Ego, then Ego related activities ~ doership and enjoyership. If one is established in one's Svat..Self then Ego or the associated doership/enjoyership are not harmful, in themselves. The problem is ignoring our Self - Ignoring Self is Ignorance.  Hence anything other than Atma Vidya (which is also Para Vidya) is labelled Apara Vidya by Mundaka Sruti. 

However, once we recognize the Self, which illumines the "Ego", by regularly recognizing the Self as - I am Self of the nature of pure awareness and accepting it as Self-Evident Fact, as True Experience, as Real Me ~ we shall separate the Ego from the Self as One separates a stalk from the Munja grass, as Katha Upanisad exclaims (Ka.Up.2.3.17). 

To ensure we dont mistake the Ego again for the Self - since Ego is as subtlest object ! (with Self as Real Subject), the Kena Sruti warns us - अन्यदेव तद्विदिता.......... (It is distinct from the known) and yet directs us rightly - atho aviditaat adhi...... (it is distinct from the unknown, it is above them both). 

Kena Sruti even goes as far as to deny any reality/divinity to the "objective" manifestation by repeatedly saying - नेदं यदिदमुपासते - not this which people worship here. Such strict denial, of objective manifestation as being ultimate - is only to persuade the mind to recoil from objectivity and learn to recognize, accept and then abide in the Eternal Subject - the Self of the nature of Pure Awareness. 

It's tempting to claim ~ I have understood it - for such claims are usually the outcome "objectification". This objectification, is rooted in avidya, across many lives. So we have tainted as it were, everything with such claims. Sri Ramakrishna says "What Brahman is cannot be described. All things in the world - have been defiled, like food that has been touched by the tongue. Only one thing has not been defiled in this way, and that is Brahman".  So to caution against it, Kena Up Sruti speaks in riddles - It is known to him, to whom, It is unknown; he does not know, to whom, It is known.

Then in the very next verse, it declares the simple self-evident immediate experience (aparokshanubhuti) which is the Self-

 प्रतिबोधविदितं मतममृतत्वं हि विन्दते । (pratibodha-viditam matam amritatwam hi vindate)

आत्मना विन्दते वीर्यं विद्यया विन्दतेऽमृतम् ।। 2.1.4 ।। (aatmana vindate veeryam vidyayaa vindate amritam)

(Free translation) 

Self is ever revealed in every act of cognition and He who knows one Self  as such, gets rids of the delusion of mortality (which is same as attaining immortality). One has to derive strength from one Self and through knowledge of Self (i.e. Brahma vidya or Para Vidya or Atma Vidya), be established in immortality.

Here again we see the Self is of the nature of Pure Awareness, which is illumines thoughts and also the interval between two thoughts - as objectless awareness. 

It all starts with learning to observe the subtlest object ~ ego - sense of individuality which also appears as "I" thought in every waking endeavor - e.g. "I am breathing". Slowly let it be....and watch it...to abide as pure awareness in which the "ego dances".  When ego no longer dances, what remains is the Self - pure Awareness - Suddha Chaithanyam.

To help with Atma Vichara further,  lets hold on to the feet of tripAda Gayatri !

"Customized Meaning of Gayatri Mantra - As NididhyAsana hetuh"

Om bhurbhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dheemahi dhiyO yonah pracodayAt

May we recognize adorable Self (Real “Me”) as Shining Awareness, which is verily Brahman, in Buddhi, as the changeless source (backdrop) of all thoughts

* Self = tat (Sat) bhargo devasya (Chit) varenyam (Anandam)

* Brahman = Om bhurbhuvah svah tat savitur  (That Source of {  backdrop against which we see } everything)

* Meditate on Svarupa lakshanam and thus get illumined (i.e. recognize Infinite Self by Svarupa Lakshanam) = dheemahi dhiyO yonah pracodayAt

As per this mantra - learn to recognize the Self in stages...

a) first involving the ego into chanting the mantra with devotion to Gayatri maatha as Brahma vidya Swarupini

b) then appreciating the meaning / intent of the mantra (i.e. knowing that the mantra intends to separate the Self from the Non Self)

c) then watching the "ego chanting the mantra" (while chanting, if the question arises, who is chanting the answer will be "I am chanting" - this I - is the doer or chanter)

d) Slowly increase the gap between mantra repetition and focus on the silence between the repetition.

e) then letting go of the doership and also the mantra - simply Be silent...... what remains in the absence of chanting, in that silence is the Self of the nature of Awareness. If any thought enters that silence, be Aware of the thought as an object and you the subject as Pure Awareness - Self

f) Be simply established as Self - pure awareness - this is the message, intent and blessing of the mantra........