Who Are You Without a Single Story About Yourself? - 20 Jan 2015

Who am I? Who am I? The most auspicious, the most blessed question we can ask. Then all this dance of Maya can continue, but we see that I am none of this. And I see that all this arises and goes, but I am still here. Maybe that's why we are so attracted to the concept of 'last man standing.' There is this concept, especially in the old Western movies, about the last man standing. So, who is the one still standing? Even if it was the dissolution of the universe, what is that which remains? Here in satsang, we say: become completely empty. Become completely empty of all your concepts and beliefs and see this world as an appearance. Who is this who is aware of this universe? Who am I?

And if this question takes root in you, then freedom is not far. In fact, you realize that you have always been free; only the pretend suffering cannot last. This question itself can seem to make you suffer for some time because at times this question is very frustrating. See, the question comes 'Who am I?' and the mind comes up with some answers. It pretends to have the answer even to this. But when this answer cannot stand in the light of your own seeing, then there is sometimes much frustration. 'What is this? Who am I? Is there any point to this? What will I get by asking this question?'

See, the mind says, 'What are you doing this for? Is there an end to this?' And then the mind says, 'There is no answer. Stop doing this because there is no answer there.' There is no verbal answer, but in the looking itself, it is clear. So when we stop searching for answers from the mind, you see that the true answer—the non-verbal, the non-phenomenal answer—has always been here. What is here now?

So this question is not a lifetime inquiry. It can become like that if the ego has a lot of moves; then it'll keep going, countering the inquiry with various objections, with various tricks. But the inquiry 'Who am I?' is actually in this moment. It is done. It is beyond time. It is prior to time, actually. Then you see what is here. The pure seeing itself, the pure awareness, is prior to even time. So how can it take time? That which is prior to time cannot take any time. That which is prior to space cannot need effort in space. Where do you need to go to become free?

So if all concepts of effort and time were let go of, then what is here right now? And even if you're not able to verbalize what is here—sometimes we struggle to put it into words—but that verbalization is not required. I'm not looking for an answer from your mouth; I can see the answer in your eyes. Sometimes some will come and speak the perfect words, but you see that it is just still concepts. So concepts are cheap. Every one of the seven billion of us are peddling concepts. So concepts have no value.