Sunny Sharma @[email protected]
64K subscribers - no pronouns :c
Helping earnest seekers awaken to their true nature more dee
Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Feel into these words. Read them slowly.
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Right now in your experience, something is awake.
Something is alive.
Something is aware.
Feel that.
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That something is not separate from myself. It is myself, because I am awake.
I am alive.
I am aware.
Slow down.
Feel that.
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What is this "I," something?
What knows the current experience which is appearing?
Feel that "I" that is awake and aware.
Feel that something which knows that it is.
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Notice that something which is conscious.
Feel what it means to be conscious.
Don’t try to describe it.
Feel into it.
Sense it.
Notice it.
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Fall in love with this simple noticing.
Make it the cornerstone of your spiritual practice.
Don’t get stressed about always making it happen or staying in it.
Just notice it anytime you remember to notice it.
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To make this remembrance arise more frequently on its own, even in the midst of hectic daily activity, set some time aside each day to sit in this noticing.
Sit, close your eyes, and notice this something which is awake, feel this "I" which is aware.
Do it in the morning for 20 minutes and do it in the evening for 20 minutes.
Then watch this flower of self-awareness bloom 🌺
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Do you need help? Join Self Inquiry School to embark on a profound 10-week Self inquiry and surrender journey.
It will help you..
Deepen your Self inquiry practice.
Dissolve mind identification and and emotional suffering.
Awaken to your true nature more deeply and be more established in Self-awareness.
Find inner peace and clarity.
124 - 10
The mind is not aware, only YOU are aware. Realize this deeply.
Another pointer for you today, inspired by some of my interactions yesterday 🙂
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The mind only describes experience, but it is never aware of experience.
The mind is not even "a thing" which does describing.
The very arising of descriptions in the form of words and images is the functioning of mind! We can go as far as saying that that IS the mind.
The mind describes, and YOU are aware.
The descriptions that appear, you are aware of even those.
You are aware, not with words - you are aware wordlessly; you are present without concept!
Words are all descriptions, that YOU are aware of, wordlessly.
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Start to notice your presence, prior to the appearing and disappearing of words.
You see the coming and going of words.
Words are not you, they are not yours, they are not your doing, however much they may appear to be.
You are the unchanging, wordless knowing, ever present to this experience and all experiences.
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Experiences come and go. You just are as you are.
Experiences are form. You are formless.
Sense your being. Notice your aliveness; feel into your beingness - wordlessly.
This is meditation.
Enjoy!
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How do you feel about this? Does this make the discernment between mind and Self more clear? Let us know below.
Otherwise, where are you struggling with this? Let's talk about it and help each other.
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Today I wish to share with you a surrender teaching by Ramana Maharshi.
I warn you, it is for earnest seekers only. It will challenge your beliefs and worldview but it holds the key to understanding the art of spiritual surrender.
Here's the teaching... It is an exchange between Ramana and a devotee.
It is quite long, but well worth the read!
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R: We set too much store by our intellect. We think we make choices. We think we are in control. We think we do everything the body does.
We think we make the body move, speak and behave the way it does. It is a cleverly constructed sham!
Everything happens of its own accord, including bodily movements. So there is no such thing as acting on a decision.
Free-will is an illusion.
The world of events and the world of thought both lie in the mind, but are not connected and are not mutually interdependent.
You say that you make a decision, and then act upon it. Consider what actually happens. The action is decided by prarabdha(destiny of body).
Whichever way you decide, the outcome of the decision will ultimately be only the destined action, and nothing else! Thus the decision does not count at all.
So, no action is ever the outcome of man's decision. We delude ourselves into thinking so. Since knowledge of the future is excluded from man, he cannot possibly know whether actions follow thoughts or whether thoughts simply fall in line before forthcoming actions, like iron filings before a bar magnet, so creating an illusory cause-consequence relationship between thoughts and actions, whereas, in fact, it might be a consequence-cause relationship...
Man can do what he wants, but he cannot will what he wills,’ Schopenhauer has said; the same truth of what I am saying may be put this way also.
In either case the inference drawn is that free will could not possibly exist. Once you cease to believe in free-will, the grip of the ego loosens automatically.
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Q: (doubtfully) It was alright in case of riding a bicycle, physical coordination was enough. But extending it to all cases of activity (shakes his head thoughtfully).
R: I repeat - practice will reveal the truth of what I am saying. Practice remaining as pure Subjective Consciousness of Being and see whether actions go on by themselves or not.
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Q: What if the actions are not according to my liking?
R: You aspire for Self-realization. Yet you want to live life on your own terms! No other aspiration can meaningfully co-exist with the aspiration for Self-realization.
In due course, even the aspiration for Self-realization becomes an obstacle to blossoming into Self-realization - for whatever shall we do with the aspirant?
Thus, as sadhana(spiritual practice) gains in momentum, even the aspiration for realization must be given up. Once you are in the hands of the Higher Power, your own will or opinion is not permitted to stand in the way.
You become clay in his hands.
Every last notion is demolished, every learned thing unlearned, all objective knowledge undone, despoiled, and destroyed, to reveal the pure substratum shining underneath as ‘I-I,’ the world is to be kept up as before - if it be the will of the Higher Power.
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R: Concerning the question of physical renunciation, life in the physical world is to be kept up as before - if it be the will of the higher power.
If you remain in the world, you do so on his terms; if you renounce, again it is only on his terms. He decides whether you stay in the home or forest or both.
To you it is altogether immaterial where the body is or what it is doing. So far as you are concerned, you gave up everything you had, or believed yourself to have, the day you renounced your ego to the Self, and that includes the body.
Your renunciation is complete then and there. The confusing collection of name and form that is called world' is revealed to be none other than sweet, lovely Self, once the ego perishes in the light of true Self-knowledge. This is jnana [spiritual knowledge].
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Such a powerful teaching! Touches me deeply every time I read it.
My main points:
- You can do what you want, but you cannot will what you will.
- No other aspiration can meaningfully co-exist with the desire for Self realization.
- Be open to whatever may happen to you after you surrender the ego to the Self.
What were you key takeaways? Share below.
Also how does this teaching make you feel? Excited? Relieved? Scared? Confused? Vote in the poll below!
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P.S. If you're looking to work on mastering the art of surrender in your day to day life and grow in Self-knowledge, join Self Inquiry School.
It will help you dissolve mind identification and awaken to your true nature more deeply.
127 - 32
You may know how fond I am of The Bhagavad Gita teachings.
I recently searched on Youtube for the audiobook of the Gita but didn't really find one that I enjoyed.
This inspired me to create an audiobook version of the Eknath Easwaran translation to post on Youtube. I feel that this is the best translation and has the power to help a lot of people.
I was fortunate enough that one of our Self Inquiry School members, Mahendra Kakadiya, agreed to help me with this project, to edit and prepare these videos. (Which by the way, he has done a beautiful job with)
So we have been working on this for the past few weeks and I am excited to announce that we have begun releasing the audiobook chapter by chapter on Youtube, on a new channel dedicated to the teachings of the Gita.
Once all the chapters are complete, we will also be putting them all together into one big video and uploading that as well.
I have no idea what this new endeavor will turn into, but I felt a deep urge to put these teachings out there.
It is an honor and privilege to voice Krishna's words for all to hear and absorb. I am having a great time doing it :)
If you're interested in following along, subscribe to the channel here: youtube.com/@thegitateachings
We have uploaded 3 chapters so far and are hoping to upload all of them before Krishna Janmashtami on August 26th, which is a day that celebrates Krishna's birth. (Mahendra's awesome idea).
- Sunny Sharma
501 - 31
Whatever the mind is bothered by, is SEEN.
The bothered mind itself is SEEN.
Frustration is SEEN.
Suffering is SEEN.
All these are passing clouds in the sky of seeing.
Don’t identify.
Don’t get involved.
Don’t try to manipulate or get rid of.
You are the untouched Seeing; the unaffected, unblemished, unchanging presence.
—
Embrace this repetitive aspect of Self inquiry.
Keep noticing that whatever notion is arising in the mind, whatever motive or intention, doubt or narrative, feeling or mood - is SEEN.
Keep seeing the seeing. You are only the seeing, not the seen.
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Is the Seeing troubled?
Is the Seeing affected?
Does the Seeing ever change despite what is being SEEN?
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Furthermore, does the Seeing have form?
Does it have any personal attributes?
Does it possess desire?
Is it "doing" anything?
—
Don't rush to any answer or conclusion. Matter of fact, don't even think about it.
Just see the seeing. Be the seeing.
- Sunny Sharma
Whenever you're ready, If you’re looking to dissolve mind identification and grow in awareness of awareness, join Self Inquiry School!
118 - 7
We are all very hungry for spiritual nourishment.
But most of the time we just momentarily satisfy our hunger with fancy words and concepts.
It is like eating chips for dinner.
Chips will temporarily satisfy you but they are empty of nutrition.
They will not nourish you.
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The real spiritual food is silence! That is the nourishment we really crave.
Each day, the earnest seeker must dive deep into silence for a period of the day.
Each day we must experience the absence of the person we appear to be.
That alone is silence. That alone is Source. That alone is Self.
This is the only thing that will nourish the hunger that is the quest for self realization.
- Sunny Sharma
Need help with your silence practice? Consider joining our Self Inquiry School.
It will help you:
- Deepen your meditation practice.
- Dissolve mind identification and restlessness.
- Grow in the understanding of your true nature more deeply.
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Don't fear pain and loss.
They will happen when they are meant to happen.
Don't cling to pleasure and prosperity.
They will happen when they are meant to happen and leave when they are meant to as well!
JUST BE!
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Despite pain or pleasure, just Be, and know all is well.
No need to run about frantically trying to always enforce your will upon things.
When something needs to be changed, you will fell a natural inner pull towards making that change and it will not feel forced or restless.
It might even be enjoyable.
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Change is the nature of phenomena.
We play the game of change without relying on it for a sense of safety, security, or identity!
Play the game of change AS the changeless.
Not even for any purpose or motive - Just because that is your nature. It is the true order of things.
Just be and allow the river of life to flow.
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Need help growing in this practice/way of living? Join Self Inquiry School. Let's do it together.
- Sunny Sharma
115 - 6
Don't seek the answer to "Who am I?" in thoughts!
I suggest to read this message very slowly and attentively, one line at a time.
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Notice how thoughts speak from the point of view "I, person" and they only speak about "me, the person's life." haha!
Who are you without this mental narrative?
When this narrative about "me" and "my life" subsides for the moment, what am I???
What do I remain AS?
Without mind claiming what I am and what I am not, what am I?
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Do I have a form?
A name?
Am I a sound?
A sensation?
A thought?
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What is "I?"
Meditate on this without words.
Words only tell stories about the body and mind.
In silence, in the absence of words, my true nature comes to be known.
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If you need help taking your Self inquiry practice deeper, join Self Inquiry School.
It will help you transcend all mental obstacles to awareness of Self and awaken to your true nature more deeply.
95 - 4
What is "I?"
"I" might appear to be individual and unique, but it is not.
Only the contents of experience that the "I" shines in are unique.
"I" is the sense of identity; the feeling of being; the immediacy of now.
The contents of experience, for example, the body and mind(thoughts, feelings, interests, personality) are unique and individual.
But the "I" that shines in all of them is the presence of the same, one Self.
It is like the moon which is one, but its reflection appears in many lakes around the world.
"I" is the presence of the one Self which is reflected in every body/mind dream as "I."
Reflect on that today :)
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Whatever Triggers You Is Your Teacher
Relax your expectations of how the outer experience must be and how others should act :)
When we give too much importance to the mind's ideas of what others should and should not do, and what conditions must and must not be present FOR ME to be happy, then we become very contracted, stressed, and miserable.
Worst of all, we really become convinced that our suffering is due to external factors, whereas in truth, the root of it is always internal.
In difficult situations, try to remember that whatever triggers you is your teacher.
Instead of resenting your teachers, appreciate them and forgive them.
Use them to look within and part ways with what is no longer serving you.
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See how you could look at the situation differently in order to learn from it and grow spiritually.
That will help you in the personal aspect.
Inquire what is aware of all external conditions and internal reactions coming and going, while itself remaining unaffected and unmoved?
That will help you in the spiritual aspect.
When we use our problems, triggers, and inconveniences as our teachers, we keep growing spiritually and live happily in the world.
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Do you need a spiritual support system and a structure for daily practice?
If so, consider joining Self Inquiry School. It will help you transform your practice and and become aware of your true nature more deeply.
- Sunny Sharma
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Helping earnest seekers awaken to their true nature more deeply.
To learn more about enrollment into Self Inquiry School, please visit selfinquiryschool.com/coaching
If you'd like to get in touch with me, please contact [email protected]