Ivan Frimmel presents

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 Man, Know Thyself!
Who am I?
- What Does it Really Mean?

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Why Should I Know Myself ?
 Know Thyself ! – by knowing your Self all will be
known to you. – Delphic oracle to Socrates.

 If one has realized one’s Self here, truth is

fulfilled; if one does not realise one’s Self here, it
is a supremely great loss. Reflecting upon the Self
in every experience the wise transcend this world
and attain immortality. – Upanishads.

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Quotes from Shankaracharya
There is some Absolute Entity, the eternal
substratum of the consciousness by which this
universe is pervaded, but which nothing
pervades, which shining, all this universe
shines by Its reflection...

This is the innermost Self, the primeval

Purusha, whose essence is the constant
realisation of infinite Bliss...

— Shankaracharya. 4
Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Teaching
on Self-Enquiry

 Ask yourself “Who am I?” - and pursue this enquiry to its

source. Knowing the pure Self is moksha, liberation from
ignorance and suffering. – Sri Ramana Maharshi (1860 – 1950).

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The Goal of the Spiritual / Mystic Path
To achieve a nondual way of experiencing this World,
Reality, Universe, God – i.e. a transpersonal
experience of Nonduality, Oneness, Liberation,
Self-Realization, Enlightenment…

How to Achieve This Goal?

The best way to achieve this Goal is by asking
and answering the question
Who am I?
Why?
In order to realize the nonduality of ‘I’ and ‘not-I’.
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The Objective of This Talk
To help you clarify and answer the question
Who am I?
How?
By focusing on two methods (or soteriologies) for finding
the answer/s to this question, namely:
 Via Negativa in Christian Mysticism, called Neti-Neti in
Hinduism, and Sunyavada in Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism,
Cha’n & Zen;
 Paradoxism (my own philosophy): transcending the
teachings of Via Negativa & Via Positiva –through
Paradoxes— into Sunyata, Voidness, Silence (the Silence
& Emptiness beyond all thoughts & mind).
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Outline of This Talk
 Various Eastern & Western concepts & definitions
of Self, I, Soul & soteriologies (ways of
liberation)

 Dualities to be understood & transcended

 Some ideas & quotes about nonduality, oneness,

liberation & enlightenment

 “Steps” to enlightenment (vidya, jnana, gnosis)

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Various Disciplines Dealing with Self
 Philosophy & Metaphysics
 Plato, Plotinus, Spinoza, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel…

 Psychology
 Freud, Jung, Maslow…

 Religion & Mysticism

 Western: Judaism (Kabbalah), Christianity (Meister
Eckhart, St John of the Cross), Islam, (Sufism: Kabir,
Rumi), New Age Mysticism…
 Eastern: Dvaita & Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism,
Taoism…
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Various Names for Self
 Dualistic, relativist
 i, self, myself, ego, (English); ich (German); ek (Afrikaans);
ja – Я (Slovak - Russian); atta (Pali); atman (Sanskrit)…
 body? emotions? mind? spirit? soul? monad?…
 true, authentic, genuine self…
 relative subject, an object…
…as ‘opposed to’ other objects, world, not-i, God

 Non-Dualistic, absolutist
 I, Spirit, Soul, I Am, Absolute Subject, Light, Love…
 Aham, Purusha, Atman, Paramatman, Supersoul…
 Brahman, Buddha, One, One Mind, Buddha Mind, God,
Absolute…
…Unopposed, Single, Absolute Subject
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Various Dictionary Definitions of Self
self (sèlf) noun; plural selves (sèlvz)
 a person as an individual;
 the total, essential or particular being, nature and
essential qualities of a person, distinguishing one
person from another; individuality;
 one's consciousness of one's own being or identity; I,
myself;
 the innermost part, ego, consciousness, soul or spirit
of a person; the inner being that I am;
 one's own interests, welfare, or advantage…
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Various Western Concepts of Self
 Aristotle: soul is the vital principle, the immortal essence of the
body, motivator of all vital & mental performances, incomplete
without the body…
 St Augustine: soul is a spiritual substance added to the body in which
it exists in a more or less accidental union…
 Descartes: I am a simple, undecomposable, substantial I, intuitively
known; “I think therefore I am”…
 Kant to Schopenhauer: ich – the ultimate, conscious subject; often
process, not substance; consciousness; noumenon…
 Hume: like the Buddhist doctrine of anatta = no-self, Hume also
denied self: he said that “apart from a bundle of successive
perceptions, nothing justifying the concept of self can be discerned by
introspection”…
 Fichte: Absolute Ego: the Ego or Subject prior to its differentiation
into empirical (historical) self and not-self…
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Various Dictionary Definitions of Self-realization

 The Webster’s Dictionary defines Self-realizationism as:

"The ethical theory that the highest good for man consists in realizing or
fulfilling himself usually on the assumption that he has certain inborn abilities
constituting his real or ideal self.“

 Webster’s defines Self-realization as:

"The fulfillment by oneself of the possibilities of one’s character or
personality."

 However, such dictionary explanations are not really very enlightening for
anyone on the spiritual path. This is not really surprising, since the scholarly
interpretation of what constitutes the Self is not really on the same level as the
interpretations of our Philosophers. While dictionaries normally refer to the
entire person, the individual, or to a person in his best normal physical and
mental condition, philosophers refer to the Self as Pure Consciousness, Pure
Awareness, Pure Beingness, Atman, or even God.

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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self-actualization
Cognitive, Aesthetic & Spiritual Needs
Ego Needs
Social Needs

Security Needs
Body Needs

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Transcending Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self Transcendence
Zero “Point”
Transformation
Self-actualization
Cognitive, Aesthetic & Spiritual Needs
Ego Needs
Social Needs

Security Needs
Body Needs

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What verbal symbol do you think best
expresses THIS Reality?
Reality, Ultimate Reality, It, This, That,
Thusness, Suchness, One, Mind, One Mind,
Buddha Mind, I, I am, Self, God, Spirit, Tao,
Brahman, Jahweh, Allah, Infinity, Infinite
Intelligence, Absolute, Energy, Universe,
Presence, Omnipresence, Absence, Void,
Sunyata, Emptiness, Nothing, Aum,
Silence…?

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What numerical symbol do you think best
expresses THIS Reality?

0 – Zero?
 1 – One?
 2 – Two?
 3 – Three?
 ? – Many? If many, how many?
 ∞ – Infinity?
 Infinitely large number / space / long time?
 Infinitely small number / space / short time?

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 And what pictorial symbol do you think best
expresses THIS Reality?
5
0

1 6

2 etc.

4 ∞
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Any Other Symbol?

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Dualities to be understood…
…and transcended
 Duality of Perception
 I & objects;

 objects & objects

 Duality of Cognition (and Language)

 subject & object

 good & bad; right & wrong; true & false; love & hate; light & darkness...

 Duality of I & not-I

 I & not-I; I & you; I & others; I & the world

 I & my body; I & my feelings; I & my mind; I & my soul…

 I & God

 Duality of Absolute & relative

 Noumenon & phenomena

 God & the world

 Creator & creation

 Non-duality & duality

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How to Transcend All Conceptual Dualities?
By Integration & Transcendence of “Opposites” (Complementaries):
Thesis + Antithesis = Synthesis (Integration)

Great Synthesis = Ultimate Nondual Reality = Tao = Nirvana = Silence

Synthesis

Thesis Antithesis
Synthesis Synthesis

Thesis
Synthesis Antithesis Thesis Antithesis

Thesis Antithesis 21
Various Names for Non-Dual Experience
 Vedanta, Hinduism, Yoga
 Samadhi (Self-Absorption), or Moksha (Liberation)
 Self-Realization, God-Realization
 Buddhism
 Kensho (‘no-self’ realization), Moksha (Liberation)
 Enlightenment, Nirvana, Satori (Zen)

 Taoism
 Wu Wei (non-dual action); The Ultimate Tao
 Mysticism
 Cosmic Consciousness (Richard Bucke)
 Objective Consciousness (Gurdijeff)
 Fana (Sufism)
 Ascension to Light, Illumination, Liberation
 Oneness, At-one-ment, Union with God
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Quotes about Non-duality
As long as you tarry in dualism how can you realise Oneness? –Seng-Ts’an

 Non-dual Perception
 The eye that I see God with is the same eye God sees with.
– Meister Eckhart.
 Non-dual Thinking
 I never think – my thoughts think for me. – Lamartine.

 Non-dual Action
 The Tao is constant and no-action (wu-wei) – and yet
nothing remains undone. – Tao Te Ching.
 He, who in action sees inaction, and action in inaction –
he is wise among men, he is a yogin, and he has
accomplished his work. – Bhagavad Gita.
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Three Types of Knowledge
 Symbolic: knowing or inference about A …dualistic.
 from a “map”, sign, hearsay, tradition, book, picture…
 Intimate: direct perception of A …still dualistic.
 actually seeing, feeling, tasting, hearing, smelling A…
 Perfect: being A (“territory”) … nondual.
 I am…

The “map” is not the “territory”. – Korzybski.

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 Two Ways of Realizing True (No) Self
 Dualistic (Common perception, cognition & action) I + Not-I = All
 Dualistic Vedanta, Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
Nicol C. Campbell’s School of Truth, Theosophy…

 Non-Dualistic (Nondual perception, cognition & action)

 Via Positiva: expanding / inflating sense of Self to ∞ I=∞
 Vedanta…

 Via Negativa: colapsing / reducing sense of Self to 0 I=0

 Advaita Vedanta (Neti-Neti), Christian Mysticism,

Sufism, Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism (anatta = no-self),

Cha’n, Zen (no-way, no-mind, no-action)…
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Various Soteriologies
(methods or “medicines” to end human suffering)
so·te·ri·ol·o·gy (so-tîr´ê-òl¹e-jê) noun
The theological doctrine of salvation, especially as effected by
Jesus, but here also meanimg: by other saviours (“doctors”) like
Buddha, Mohammed, Sri Ramana Maharshi, HPB, MBE, Osho…

From Greek sotêrion, deliverance from earthly suffering and

ignorance; sotêr savior + logy study of.

 Materialistic: Communism, Capitalism…

 Religious: Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian…
 Mystical: Kabbalah, Sufism, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy,
Christian Science, Yoga, Taoism, Ch’an, Zen…
 In most religious and mystical traditions, great emphasis is placed
on Knowing Thyself as the way of deliverance, liberation of man
from ignorance and suffering. 26
 Advaita Vedanta Soteriology
Self-Realization (Vidya, Jnana, Knowledge):
• Nondual Universal Consciousness is All There Is
• Brahman = Nondual Universal Consciousness
• Atman (Individual Self) = Brahman
• Atman = Nondual Universal Consciousness = Brahman = All There Is
Avidya (ignorance): Atman’s identification

Atman
with name & form, intellect, mind, body

INTELLECT MIND BODY

CONTEMPLATOR THINKER FEELER ACTOR PERCEIVER

SUBTLE THOUGHTS GROSS THOUGHTS FEELINGS ACTIONS PERCEPTS

(ego)…

SPIRITUAL INTELLECTUAL EMOTIONAL PHYSICAL

PERSONALITY PERSONALITY PERSONALITY PERSONALITY
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Quotes from Vedanta
 Brihad-Aryanyaka Upanishad
 Aham Brahma Asmi – I am Brahman, the Infinite
 Aham Eva Idam – I am indeed This
 Sarvosmi – I am all that is
 Chandogya Upanishad
 Tat Tvam Asi – That Art Thou
 Isa Upanishad
 Yas Tvam Asi Soham Asi – You are indeed “I am”
 Soham – I am He
 Mundaka Upanishad
 Idam Sarvam Asi – You are all This
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Quote from Chandogya Uphanishad

That which is the finest essence – this whole

world has it as its soul. That is reality. That
is Atman. That art thou. Tat Tvam Asi.

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 Buddhist Soteriology
Buddha’s Way of “Salvation”, Liberation and Transcendence of Dualities
(NOUMENON) LIBERATION (MOKSHA) The ‘Witness’ or ‘Nirguna
ABSOLUTE

NON-DUALITY (ADVAITA) Brahman’ of Vedanta,

ENLIGHTENMENT (SATORI) ‘Father’ of Christianity,
EMPTINESS, VOIDNESS (SUNYATA) ‘Buddha-mind’ of Ch’an,
REALISATION OF NO-SELF (ANATTA) ‘One’ of Mysticism,
Going beyond the mind, witnessing the mind ‘Absolute’ or ‘Noumenon’
of Philosophy, etc.
PURE CONSCIOUSNESS, I, TRUE SELF, SILENCE

QUENCHING OF DEFILEMENTS QUENCHING OF DEFILEMENTS

BY CONSTANT MINDFULNESS BY CONSTANT MINDFULNESS
Bringing Unconsciousness Bringing Unconsciousness
to Consciousness to Consciousness

DEFILEMENTS (KILESAS)
DUE TO UNCONSCIOUS IDENTIFICATION OF SELF WITH THE MIND - BODY
(PHENOMENA)
RELATIVE

MANIFESTING AS SELFISHNESS, ILLUSION (MAYA), DUALITY (DVAITA)

RESULTING IN SUFFERING (DUKHA)

ATTRACTION REPULSION
Craving Rejecting
Liking Disliking
Clinging CONFUSION & DELUSION Resisting
Seeking Avoiding
Hoping Despairing
Loving Hating 30
Quotes from Buddhist Mysticism
 The One Mind alone is the Buddha, and there is no
distinction between the Buddha and sentient being, only
that sentient beings are attached to form and so seek to
attain Budhahood externally. By the very seeking they lose
it, for that is using the Buddha to seek Buddha, and using
the Mind to grasp Mind.
- Huang Po

 If you run away from the Void, you can never be free from
it; if you search for the Void, you can never reach it.
- Niu-tou Fa-Yung

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Quotes from Ch’an Buddhism & Taoism
 Chuang Tzu
 It is because there is “is” that there is “is not”;

it is because there is “is not” that there is “is”.

 Yung Chia, Song of Enlightenment
 Have you not seen a man of Tao at his ease, in

his non-active (wu-wei) state who neither

suppresses thoughts nor seeks the real?
 Huang Po
 That which asked the question is the Mind; Only

Mind is; Mind is the Buddha and the cessation of

conceptual thought is The Way.
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Christian Soteriology
 Holy Trinity: Father = Christ (Son) = Holy Spirit
 God sent Himself in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, to
save us from sin with His blood by sacrificing His
Life for us, and to offer us Salvation: Eternal Life.
 All we need to do is repent, accept Jesus Christ as
our savior and Holy Spirit as our Guide, and strive to
do God’s Will:
 Thy Will Be Done - not mine.

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Quote from Christianity

Jesus said to them: When you make your eye

single, the two as one, the inner as the outer,
and the outer as the inner, and the above as
the below, and when you make the male and
the female into a single one… then you shall
enter the Kingdom.
– Gospel according to Thomas.

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Quote from Sufi Mysticism

 Clothe thyself in the garment of nothingness

and drink the cup of self-annihilation.

- Attar, 12th Century Persian Sufi Mystic

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Quotes from Christian Mysticism
 Meister Eckhart
 The eye that I see God with is the same eye

God sees with.

 As long as I am this or that, or have this or
that, I am not all things and have not all
things. Become pure till you neither are nor
have this or that; then you are omnipresent,
and, being neither this nor that, are all things.
 St John of the Cross
 In order to arrive at being everything, desire to

be nothing.
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“Steps” to Enlightenment, Satori,
Knowledge of Self, Vidya, Jnana
 Ordinary, unenightened person, ajnani
 I am my name, gender, nationality, one,
personality, body, emotions, mind, self,
intellect, soul, ego; feeling and thinking ego,
“I” & “mine” (selfishness) v. “others” i
 Deliverance, Enlightenment, Satori, Zero
Self-Realisation, Moksha, Liberation… Point
 I am no-thing; there is no “i”; no-self I,
I am / is not a thing or object Self,
One,
 Enlightened person, jnani Paradox
 I am Everything, Self, One, One Self, (Nothing-in-and
as-Everything)
One-with-All, Love, Witness, Being… 37
When & How do I “find” my Self ?
 When I stop “looking for myself” as an object that
can be lost and found – simply because there is no
such thing or object
 When I know that I am not a thing & yet I am:
Right Now & Here, As-I-am-Now-and-Here
 By realizing that I am already Self-Realized &
Enlightened, Void, Empty of Self - and that nothing
needs to be done or can be done about it
 By relinquishing the thoughts that “I don’t know
who I am”, that “I am not Self-Realized or
Enlightened” and that “I must do something to
become Realized or Enlightened, in time”…
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So, Who or What am I?
 I am No-thing
 I am Absolute Subject, I-less-I, One-All
 Since I am Absolute Subject, I can never see, feel,
smell, hear, experience, or know ‘myself’ as an
object of my own Self-Knowing or Experience,
in fact:
 I am NOT (I am not a ‘thing’) – and yet I am
 I am Timeless, Absolute Non-Being-Being
 I am who I am & as I am, Eternally Here & Now…
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Finally, Who or What am I?
If I am-not-a-thing (I = 0)

and if THIS HERE Is Everything There Is

then
I am a PARADOX:
1. I am NOT and yet I am
2. I am All THIS, I am All, One
3. I am Nothing & I am Everything
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Why are you so unhappy?
Why are you so unhappy?
Because 99,9 per cent
of everything you think
and everything you do
is for yourself—
and there isn’t one.

From Ask the Awakened by Wei WuWei

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Quote about Striving to Get to Where You Already Are

Even if you go through all the stages of a Boddhisattva’s

progress towards Buddhahood, one by one, when at last,
in a single flash you attain a full realization, you will only
be realizing the Buddha-Nature which has been with you
all the time – and by all the foregoing stages you will have
added to it NOTHING AT ALL.

You will come to look upon all those aeons of work and
achievement as no better than unreal actions performed in
a dream. - Huang Po

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And now, after all this talking

Who I truly am, my deepest essence, is

inexpressible (in words, numbers, pictures
or any other symbols), so the best “answer”
to the question Who am I, really?
is SILENCE.

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Final Quotes
 The deepest truth cannot, like other objects of
study, be put into words: from long intercourse
and close intimacy with the facts, it comes
suddenly into existence… – Plato.
 Be still, and know that I am God. – Psalms.
 Those who know don’t speak – those who speak
don’t know. – Zen.

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 Thank You

Ivan Frimmel
Cell: 082-454-0311

E-mail: ivan.frimmel@nanhua.co.za

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