By Jamar
The question “Who am I?” has been with humanity since people first recognized themselves as separate from everyone else. This question naturally arises in the mind in an attempt to put information in its proper place. The mind loves to organize data so that it can have a sense of control in life. However, this is an illusion that traps us by creating a false image of who we are through the ego. Actually, the question in itself is not a bad one, and it does give rise to a deeper inquiry that can start us off on the path to true Self-Realization through direct experience.
Children go through developmental cycles that are readily labeled and recognized today. One such cycle, which can come as quite a shock to an infant, is the realization that he is not his mother or, more specifically, that his mother is not an extension of him. From that moment forward, the question remains: “Who am I?”
The mind arrives at all sorts of conclusions around “who-ness” based on interpretation of its surroundings. None of this is done with any mischievousness. It is just based on the evidence available—deductive reasoning. For example, if I am playing in the sprinkler and feeling the water on my skin, naturally I come to the conclusion that I am a body. Or, more advanced, but equally misguided, would be that I must actually be here—as if I exist in a place or in a time.
The mind, through no fault of its own, continuously downloads information based on one’s senses, interpretations, feelings and thoughts.
This does not even begin to address the overwhelming outside burden that society, culture, family, religion, traditions, geography and nationality place on us in the interpretation of who we are, or should be.
At some point in most people’s lives, they come to the realization that, in all honesty, they do not actually know who they are. They know the details of their lives well enough: where they live, what they enjoy, etc. But that is not WHO they are—that is what they do, where they reside, etc. But the fundamental question remains unanswered, and it is one that truth seekers of every tradition have spent their lives searching to answer. Most traditions have sacred texts, scriptures or edicts from a Higher Power, God, Source of Life and such. They have tremendous value, but it still remains, even when understood, just knowledge.
Stepping Over the Edge
Knowledge will bring us up to the edge, but it does not ultimately satisfy the quest to find out who we are. More knowledge is just that, and it does not settle the question. Actually, one can have even the “right” answer and not the experience that goes with it that makes it realized. Herein lies the key. Knowledge must be realized, as in Self-Realized.
Experience must be direct to fundamentally shift one’s consciousness to answer the question, “Who am I?”
It is possible to directly experience one’s Self in the fullest expression of the word—to have an Enlightenment experience. The very suggestion that it is an experience lends itself to the question of “how.” The tricky part is that there is no specific “how.” One can only set up the possibility to directly experience the Self. Directly means without or through any process. For instance, to have the same experience that Buddha benefited from under the Bodhi tree so many years past.
To experience the truth of WHO you are can set you free, but the experience must be direct. That is what we attempt in contemplation and meditation. Both techniques work well in this arena, yet can take a lifetime of sitting, if not several. Most people do not have the desire and patience for the arduous journey that such a practice requires. However, in today’s era of rapidly expanding consciousness it is possible to attain this goal more quickly, especially with the assistance of a trained facilitator.
The mind can be very tricky, selling us all types of false information, and the ego does not die easily because it is invested in maintaining the illusion of “who we are” as individuals. However, with the proper guidance it is possible to bring to the front of one’s mind all the ideas and experiences around our “who-ness.” The mind overlays our field of consciousness, but it is not our consciousness. Everything we have stored around the idea of who we are needs to be contemplated and communicated outward, as it stands as a barrier to the TRUTH. We must clear out all the mind’s stored ideas about “who” we are.
With the mind clear or open, it sets up the very real possibility to have a direct experience of Self without all the stuff of illusion (ideas, interpretations, beliefs) in the way. It allows for a de-identification with other states of who- or being-ness that we have identified with incorrectly in the past. It is often at this point of de-identification that the Enlightenment experience happens.
The Truth is simple but not necessarily easy to attain because you are seeking the one who is doing the seeking. In other words, an eye can see but not see itself. However, I can assure you that nobody has ever been disappointed by the “TRUTH” once it is finally attained through direct experience. Reason explains the darkness, but it is not the light. Are you ready for the Journey so that you can more forward living your life as YOU!?
Jamar is a certified Kripalu Yoga instructor, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy practitioner, Meditation teacher, Life-Support facilitator, Pranic Healer, Rebirther and Enlightenment Master. His spiritual quest and trainings encompasses more than 25 years experience in the self-help field and was the natural evolution of his own inner search. He hosts workshops nationally and in south Florida. His personal story is included in David Paul Doyle book When God Spoke to Me: The Inspiring Stories of Ordinary People Who Have Received Divine Guidance and Wisdom. He has been interviewed on radio and TV and published nationally. Jamar brings a contagious enthusiasm and love for the gift of yoga, sharing it as a way to connect with the Higher Self and a path to Enlightenment. He is the Director of and a principal teacher at The Jamar Enlightenment Center in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. For more information about upcoming classes and workshops visit; www.JamarCenter.com or call 561-630-2280