Who Am I?

Who Am I?

Perhaps one of the deepest existential questions is "Who Am I?" The answer to the question of who one truly is lies outside of the thinking mind's ability to comprehend. The thinking mind itself, and this includes the Ego, is nothing more than a collection of conditioned ideas, words and thoughts that are running inside the mind much like a computer program running on a computer. The thinking mind trying to comprehend "Who Am I?" is like a computer program trying to comprehend what a computer is, and what an electrical power grid is that powers a computer.

This does not mean that one can not directly discover who they really are, but to do so requires moving outside of the conventional thought patterns that define ones self. This is best done by examining "Who I Am Not!"

First lets examine the Ego. The Ego is an ever changing collection of thoughts and images one has of their self. These thoughts are constructed upon judgements and impressions one has based upon their life experiences, and on identification or rejection of other peoples opinions of them. The Ego is so fluid that it can change to an exact opposite view of itself in the flash of a moment. There is nothing of substance, nothing concrete at all about the Ego. The Ego can be easily transcended and left behind by anyone who undertakes such practice. Anyone who has the ability to enter and maintain a completely silent mind has experienced a state in which the Ego does not exist, even if just for that short period of time. If one was the Ego, then such a practice would result in one ceasing to exist. It is quite safe to conclude that one's true self is not the Ego.

And what of the body we inhabit. If we were the body itself, then the loss of a limb or body part would amount to a partial loss of the self. Yet this is not the case. Throughout history, not one autopsy ever performed has turned up anything that can be labelled as the person's self. Even when we search within our own sense of the body, looking for where our Self seems to exist, it can not be definitively pinpointed. There is a sense of the self around the area of the heart, but nothing physical or concrete. One's perception of self is centred in the heart yet ones thoughts of self are centred in the brain. No evidence of self can be found in the body.

And what of the mind and brain? Our mind goes completely silent and seems to cease existing during sleep. There are numerous accounts of people who wake up from comas after having been pronounced brain dead. If their self existed purely in the mind, then in these situations the self again would cease. The self is not the mind.

To paraphrase from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "In searching for the truth, when all of the impossibilities have been eliminated, then whatever remains must be the truth." We all have something within us that we can sense to be an unchanging sense of Self, something that hasn't changed for as long as we can remember. This awareness of Self exists outside of thought and can only be directly encountered when thought subsides. Deep introspection and contemplation of "Who I Am Not" is the doorway into reconnecting with "Who I Am". Sustained Pure Awareness, as encountered with the silent mind is the reunification with the True Self.

Michael L. Fournier

Religion

Religion

The criteria by which most people in the world today choose their religion is not really a matter of choice. They come into their religion by being born into it. It is the religion that their parents, grandparents and generations before have belonged to.

From the time they are young, there are indoctrinated into that religion, being taught all of the intricacies and beliefs of that religion. The natural tendency of human nature is to want to believe that we are always right, and therefore, there is a tendency toward believing that the religion one follows must also, therefore, be right. After all, everyone wants to believe that their parents, grandparents, teachers and religious leaders would not ever steer them wrong.

This in turn poses a problem. Followers of all religions want to believe that their "chosen" religion is the right path, which by default, infers that the others must therefore be wrong. Such beliefs serve only to divide mankind rather than unite. Such divisions have, throughout the history of mankind, led to many conflicts, disagreements, and arguments, not to mention some of the planets most devastating wars. Ironically, these divisions and conflicts run contrary to the core teachings of most, if not all, religions; teachings include things like love thy fellow man, or love thy neighbour. How can anyone love their neighbour at the same time as entering into conflict and war over whose religion is right or wrong?

Further complicating the matter is religious leaders, in an attempt to deepen their understanding of their own religion, undertake to learn about other religions. More often than not, they do not enter this undertaking with an open mind. They are not there to truly attempt to understand the other religion, but rather to seek out its flaws, and anything that runs contrary to their own beliefs, so that they can in turn pass on that information to their followers. Rarely if ever, does one look at their own religion with the same critical eye. Rather than trying to understand any flaws or conflicts within their own "chosen" path, it becomes easier to treat them as simply a matter of "faith".

Examining other religions with a totally open mind, and a valid attempt to understand what they are about, especially when examining the deepest core beliefs, rather than man's interpretations of the teachings, can show a very different picture than what is painted by a religious leader trying to point out fault. Rather than trying to find fault with other religions, why not look for what they have in common? Most major religions are in agreement over many things; that there is more to man than meets the eye, that there is a greater power behind the creation of all things, that we need to love and respect our fellow man, that we should all live by a code of ethics, and that we must all take responsibility for our own thoughts, ideas, and actions.

When we live our life in accordance to all that is common to these religions, we begin to see and understand that embracing the commonality of religions, while still respecting the differences in methodology, can serve to unite mankind. Only when we unite as a race of beings, embracing our similarities and respecting our differences, will we ever be able to truly move into a world of peace that we all seek.

Michael L. Fournier