Dharana 43 of 112 · verse 97

Who Am I Before Wanting

Ask what you are in the moment before any desire or knowledge has arisen.

00:00Ready

10 minutes. Seated, eyes closed.

Advanced10 min

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The practice

Find a moment when nothing is wanted and nothing is being worked out. Ask: in this condition, who am I? Do not answer in words. Ask, and then stay in the state the question opens rather than in the search for a reply.

What it works on

The question is a tool for arriving somewhere, not a puzzle with a solution. The text says one is absorbed into that reality by reflecting in this way, which is a description of a state, not of a conclusion reached.

Notes

  • If an answer arrives in words, it is the wrong kind of answer. Set it down and ask again.

Practise gently

Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.