Wrong Answer to a Right Question

Edited by Chatgpt

“The answer you are searching for in various places by asking numerous questions to several people is ultimately within you. Unless you find your answer within, you won’t and cannot find it anywhere else,” was the essence of Suki Sivam’s talk on September 5, 2009, on Sun TV. As usual, he referenced the life of Buddha.

Of course, this thought is not new in our land. Sri Sankaracharya in his famous Bhajagovindam says, “Who are you? Who am I? Who is your mother, and who is your father? Consider the world like this and renounce it like a dream.” Even Sri Ramana Maharishi’s story centers on his enlightenment by asking the question, “Who am I?” The teachings of these great individuals are not limited to their personal experiences but are also based on philosophy (advaita). However, it is beyond my scope to go into details here.

When I hear such talks or read the teachings of great saints, the question that often comes to my mind is this: Great saints found their answer to the question “Who am I?” without seeking it elsewhere but within themselves. However, for a common person, they cannot be the answer or provide any answer for such questions of self-enquiry. The answer they found for their self-enquiry is limited and restricted to them, based on the same formula of finding the answer within oneself. The answer I find for my self-enquiry is applicable to me, as it is the result of my personal search. The moment I begin to think it is the answer for others, it contradicts the theory of finding the answer within oneself. It is like giving a long talk on silence. I would go one step further and say that even telling people not to search elsewhere for self-enquiry is an interference in that process. The moment we tell others (as Sri Sivam did) not to seek elsewhere but within themselves, we start giving them answers from outside. If any serious seekers of self-enquiry begin to listen to or accept this, they will fail as they begin to act upon others’ guidance. That guidance itself will be an outsider’s answer to their self-enquiry.

The reality of life is that we need not follow such complicated techniques to seek answers to all questions related to life and spirituality. Our great guru parampara (tradition) thankfully provides a workable (but not easy) way for common people to seek guidance and answers through their gurus. Sophisticated talks on self-enquiry are good to listen to but difficult to implement for a common person like me. Of course, we need to recognize the great exceptions like Sri Ramana Maharishi, with the fact that several of his followers claim to have found their answers through him and not independently through their own self-enquiry.

The summary of this thought is: the moment we tell others not to seek outside help for self-enquiry, we have already given them an answer.

Dayanand Bharati, Gurukulam, September 10, 2009.

Edited by Chatgpt

“The answer you are searching for in various places by asking numerous questions to several people is ultimately within you. Unless you find your answer within, you won’t and cannot find it anywhere else,” was the essence of Suki Sivam’s talk on September 5, 2009, on Sun TV. As usual, he referenced the life of Buddha.

Of course, this thought is not new in our land. Sri Sankaracharya in his famous Bhajagovindam says, “Who are you? Who am I? Who is your mother, and who is your father? Consider the world like this and renounce it like a dream.” Even Sri Ramana Maharishi’s story centers on his enlightenment by asking the question, “Who am I?” The teachings of these great individuals are not limited to their personal experiences but are also based on philosophy (advaita). However, it is beyond my scope to go into details here.

When I hear such talks or read the teachings of great saints, the question that often comes to my mind is this: Great saints found their answer to the question “Who am I?” without seeking it elsewhere but within themselves. However, for a common person, they cannot be the answer or provide any answer for such questions of self-enquiry. The answer they found for their self-enquiry is limited and restricted to them, based on the same formula of finding the answer within oneself. The answer I find for my self-enquiry is applicable to me, as it is the result of my personal search. The moment I begin to think it is the answer for others, it contradicts the theory of finding the answer within oneself. It is like giving a long talk on silence. I would go one step further and say that even telling people not to search elsewhere for self-enquiry is an interference in that process. The moment we tell others (as Sri Sivam did) not to seek elsewhere but within themselves, we start giving them answers from outside. If any serious seekers of self-enquiry begin to listen to or accept this, they will fail as they begin to act upon others’ guidance. That guidance itself will be an outsider’s answer to their self-enquiry.

The reality of life is that we need not follow such complicated techniques to seek answers to all questions related to life and spirituality. Our great guru parampara (tradition) thankfully provides a workable (but not easy) way for common people to seek guidance and answers through their gurus. Sophisticated talks on self-enquiry are good to listen to but difficult to implement for a common person like me. Of course, we need to recognize the great exceptions like Sri Ramana Maharishi, with the fact that several of his followers claim to have found their answers through him and not independently through their own self-enquiry.

The summary of this thought is: the moment we tell others not to seek outside help for self-enquiry, we have already given them an answer.

Dayanand Bharati, Gurukulam, September 10, 2009.