2023-05-23 Geetha and Michael 1: How to cultivate the sharpness of mind to hold onto oneself?

In this video filmed in Kensington Gardens on 23rd May 2023 Michael answers the following question asked by Geetha:
“Bhagavan talks about holding on incessantly to the self in several places in Who am I. In verse 130 of GVK he provides the lizard analogy to illustrate how tightly one should hold on to the self. Elsewhere in Who am I he says that as soon as a thought appears, one should enquire to whom it has appeared. To enquire or shift attention back to self even before the thought takes shape requires a great deal of vigilance and sharpness of mind. How does one cultivate such vigilance or sharpness of mind and sustain it?”
A clearer audio copy of this video can be listened to on Sri Ramana Teachings podcast (ramanahou.podbean.com ) or downloaded from ramanahou.podbean.com/e/how-t... and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened on the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from mediafire.com/file/802mov4mwj...
01:04: Only by persistent practice can we sharpen our power of attention and clarify the mind
05:14: That ‘I’ that rises to think ‘I am making progress’, that itself is the problem
08:08 Only by tenaciously holding on to ourself can we avoid attending to anything other than ourself

[@SriRamanaTeachings]

A clearer audio copy of this video can be listened to on Sri Ramana Teachings podcast (ramanahou.podbean.com ) or downloaded from ramanahou.podbean.com/e/how-to-hold-onto-oneself and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened on the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from mediafire.com/file/802mov4mwjxgk86

[@jeannebonesteel5947]

Many thanks for the sharing of your wisdom, Michael.

[@No1Particular]

I really like this one on one q&a. There's something sweet about the quality of the personal interaction. Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya

[@gerardgrimardia3274]

perseverance in practice and persistent practice;9:00 = Nan Yar; Parag 6;11:10 = Nan Yar,parag 11,the pearl-diver;

[@WhatsItLikeToBeEnlightened]

What a rare opportunity to get to sit with Michael and discuss this subject... Thanks for posting.

[@francesclare8335]

A monk recently told me that it is well known in India that thieves use this udumbu lizard to help them climb up buildings to help them in their thieving work! Isn’t the ego the same? With no form or substance of its own, the apparent ego borrows the light of the Self to grasp form and feed its mischief! Very nice exchange. Thank you both, glad to see Michael looking well. 🙏

[@philipsmart1453]

Thank you for your explanation Michael. As the Heart Sutra reveals, 'no attainment, nor anything to attain.'

[@rviswanathan]

🙏

[@loveoutpouring]

As the mind (ego) settles into its source of Being there is no one left to do the ‘holding or grasping onto Being’, it is only grace that ‘holds’ the mind (ego) there not allowing it to rise.

[@lazerlloyd1]

So helpful thanks so much - And can you elaborate a bit about how with all our attention on our inner “self” does that naturally let us have concern and compassion for others?… thanks

[@johnmcdonald260]

When all of our attention is on self, what or who would have compassion? Self itself is love and compassion. The "I" or "we" as in ego cannot be compassionate. When all of our attention is on self we are not aware what the body does. The action of the body are God's action and therefore right. Of course that is not the experience of most since not "all" of our attention is on self (while practicing Self-enquiry) but some of it (in my case a lot) is still swayed by vishayas.

[@kamaray1151]

🙏🙏🙏

[@ramram11122]

Bless

[@maicolx7776]

Nice

[@lumiereesperance3191]

I feel something crawling inside my spine since the death of a loved one. It is not letting up. I feel like being in a deep meditative state. My problem is that I am constantly solicited for my wordly duties. It is like someone wakes you up from deep sleep. The consequences are rather devastating on me. Neither can I achieve my worldly duties correctly without mistakes. Nor can I allow my self back to absorption, which is strogly calling me. I am dizzy while forcibly standing on my feet. How shall I apologize for my spine for not attending its lessons?

[@babblingidiot7903]

Go make a ice water bath and immerse urself in it. Feel the cold pain disperse while keeping only God self.

[@archanananivadekar7404]

I had a query. Can a general mantra like Om Namashivaya or Arunachala Siva be used as que for self inquiry ? Because mantras can break the chain in f thoughts .

[@sumanmohanan8553]

Repeatedly Chanting Mantra can calm your mind. After attaining the clamness, pls start self enquiry.

[@rachelmartins4603]

you cannot sharpen your 'power of attention' as you do not have a power of attention. You do not have anything because you are no-one

[@rajat3311]

but who is to have the idea that they are no-one? No-one can surely not have the idea that they are no-one. There has to be something to think that they are no-one.. that something, which is very self-evident, because it is I, has to attend to itself, according to Bhagavan.

[@johnmcdonald260]

@@rajat3311 Those neo-advaitans love to affirm ajata. Michael's video with Swami Sarvapriyananda attracted all kinds of bizarre seekers looking at some of the comments of this video. I said to one that the ego is rising for everybody and in turn he accused me that I want people to identify with the ego 😀. I replied that there is no need to tell people to identify with the ego since everybody can't help it but be extremely attached to it.

[@jamesjackson5020]

@@rajat3311 that's right. No-one can think they are no-one

[@jamesjackson5020]

@@johnmcdonald260 there is no ego

[@johnmcdonald260]

@@jamesjackson5020 It is a humongous blessing to realize the gift and greatness of Sri Ramana's Self-enquiry. To have realized its great value is worth more than a Billion US-$.

[@arunachalaful]

🙏