How many times have you wondered Who am I? Who are you?
It is one of the biggest and most universal questions. One I asked regularly during the initial spiritual awakening and soul calling. It crops up again each time I have another shift in consciousness and move to a new level.
“Who am I?” It is an important question for us all. If we have no idea who we are, we cannot interact with the world. We cannot sense or interpret the various energies around us.
The mind is the basis of all our experiences, the Me experiences and the way we experience others.
Perception and Our Old Friend Suffering
When we misunderstand Who am I? Who are you? Our perception of the world is unclear; this is usually followed by confusion and our good old friend suffering.
Pause and take a breath
Who am I?
What is my sense of myself and of who I am?
Do I perceive myself in different ways?
Do I observe my reactions?
Do I recognise my habits and patterns?
Do I know my responses?
Do I blame outside circumstances when things go wrong?
Do I blame other people when things go wrong?
Do I look outside myself for happiness?
Do I find many things frightening?
Do I use my time wisely?
If you lack clarity on the “Who am I?” It can be like having twisted vision; it can be as though you see the world upside down or back to front. You misunderstand and misinterpret life.
“Samsara is the tendency to find fault with others”
– Naropa
Is Your World a Wilderness?
Most of us have at least a vision of who we are and who we wish we were. Even so, many of us are blindly unaware of how wild and ignorant our mind can be. Over time, we have developed our upside-down views of the world and most of the people in it. The world has become a wilderness or a wild jungle for our mind to play in, where we have to deal with our anger, hatred, ignorance, delusions and all the negative stuff.
Pause and take a breath
Am I motivated by desires?
Do I sometimes only pursue what I want?
Do I believe anything or anyone in my way is an obstacle?
Does my mind blindly pursue what it wants?
Do I constantly pursue my own happiness?
How aware am I of the unruly side of my mind?
Do I sometimes misunderstand the world?
Do I often feel bewildered?
Your World is Your Mirror
For most of us, actually seeing ourselves is no easy task; we are too close to ourselves. We have the old “Can’t see the wood for the trees” scenario playing out.
The fact is, we all have a mind and it has many levels. We all have a personality. To see ourselves, we need a mirror that shows the good and the bad, revealing the aspects of ourselves we need to work on.
We must look at the parts of our mind that need a little adjustment and the parts that require a total transformation.
Look Beneath the Mask
We wear many masks; we even mask ourselves from ourselves. We all know that some people can present a mask of appearing good on the outside, but beneath the mask they are very different; they need to be purified.
We each need to look beneath our own masks to understand what we have to work at.
The world around you is always a reflection of your mind. Your wilderness, your jungle, is created by your desire and it is your mirror. Your individual world is the first place to look to gauge what you can do to help yourself.
To live with a mirror in front of you is not easy. You have to be ready to truly see what is beneath your masks. To look at your impurity and the negative aspects you hold deep inside.
As humans, we have strong attachments and desires. As we know, they can cause suffering to ourselves and to others. When we live in the jungle or wilderness, our mind becomes uncontrolled and essentially wild. When we exist in this wild state, we actually lose our freedom.
Shifting to Stillness
As I reflect, I can see that my mind has always been chaotic. A real-life Monkey Mind, just like the ones you read about in books. Concentration, focus and meditation did not come easily to me. But I got there by changing my mind, by looking at the stillness within it. Knowing my mind and who I am on different levels took time. It took alone time and quiet, reflective energy.
We all seek to remedy our own suffering in similar ways, by looking outside ourselves for attention, appreciation, comfort, approval, affection, love, success; the list here is endless. I was no exception to this habit.
When I was young, like most of us, I wanted to change the world and make it conform to my desires and preferences; of course I failed and misery followed.
I finally realised that life is like the weather; I cannot have plans on a particular day and change the weather to suit myself by sheer will.
I accepted that the causes of my suffering lay essentially in my own mind and its frustrations. They were set in its inability to fulfil its desires. It did not really exist outside myself. Yes! My poor little mind was habitually chasing itself and tying itself in knots, pursuing its own confused needs.
The shift happened when I committed to changing my mind and tuned into its deep, inherent stillness.
Making the Commitment
To know the “Who am I?” You need to find the stillness of your mind so that you can reflect on your day and listen to your thoughts more objectively. To know who you are involves committing yourself.
Making a commitment to yourself does not mean relying solely on willpower. It does not mean trying to force the vision of who you would like to become or the way your mind should behave. Commitment involves flexibility.
Pause and take a breath
I am willing to look beneath the mask.
I am ready to commit to holding stillness in my mind.
I am ready to listen to my feelings.
I am willing to listen to my thoughts.
I can watch and listen to my mind from moment to moment.
I can observe the deeper, quiet aspect of my mind.
I can acknowledge what is right for me.
I can act on what is right for me in the present.
Commit in the Present: Trust Your Future Self
Most of us are used to making new resolutions about how things should be or how we will act in the future. We try to project our present self into the future. We set expectations and make decisions for a time that has not yet arrived.
A commitment to yourself has to be now; it has to be in the present. When you commit to yourself, you must know what is appropriate in the present. To do this, you have to know your feelings, your deep feelings. You cannot create a desired future by wishing for it. You must look at the part of yourself that desires such a future.
Pause and take a deep breath
Sit quietly and slowly withdraw your senses.
I listen to my breath.
I listen to my heartbeat.
I observe how my body feels.
I observe the rhythm of my thoughts.
I bring my attention to my heart.
Now, I watch my thoughts.
I see the games my mind is playing today.
I see the jungle and wasteland of my mind,
I know my mind’s desires.
I know my mind’s tricks.
I sense the deep stillness of my inner mind.
I have a new sense of self.
I know how I feel.
I know what is to be done in the present moment.
The future is planned in the present.
I visualise and plan for the future.
I relax and let go.
I trust my future self.
When you are ready, slowly return to the room and contemplate. Make some notes about your insights regarding your commitment and your future.
Remember, your future self will be different; you will not be exactly the same person. You will be a wiser and more evolved version.
Recognise Your Own Needs and the Needs of Others
The Who am I? Adventure begins with deep self-examination, looking in the mirror, removing the mask and finding the inner stillness of the mind. As with all spiritual practice, it comes with the paradox of sometimes feeling selfish and ignoring the needs of others.
Who am I? Includes knowing when to pay attention to the needs of others and when to concentrate on your own needs; to be healthily selfish.
We are all more powerful than we realise. We can have a huge effect on someone without even realising it.
There were many occasions in my life when a brief interaction with someone affected me. It could be the person working at the checkout in a store who made a small comment that deeply triggered a response in me. Since my spiritual calling, I have learned and developed tools to deal with someone’s lack of awareness and its effects on me. I also take responsibility for the effects my words and actions may have on someone else.
When we commit, we can look behind the mask and into the mirror. We can purify ourselves. Whatever our calling, when we become purer, we are far more useful to the people and environment around us. We are useful to the world.
“Do not think, nor conceive.
Abide in the natural relaxed state, without contrivance;
With the absence of all projections
is the innate nature attained.
Such is the Way followed by all the Victors of the three times.”
– Nagarjuna, as cited by Gampopa in The Jewel Ornament of Liberation
Pause and take a breath
When you next have an upcoming meeting with a loved one, friend, colleague or someone of importance:
Find the stillness in your mind.
I hold the highest vision of who I am.
What is the highest purpose of this meeting?
How can I be my true self?
How can I support the other person?
How can we work to discover the higher purpose of being together?
How can I assist the person to create a higher vision of who they are?
How can they assist me in the highest possible way?
What is our highest focus?
We can only connect at the highest level.
What actions can we take to ensure the highest possible outcome?
Who am I? The question has many aspects. It probes at many levels. To answer the question, we must take responsibility and commit to delving into the layers of our mind. We must purify ourselves and find the true inner stillness. When we find the stillness, we find our soul; we find truth and remember. I know who I am.
“One who thinks and acts to achieve his own ends is a worldly being. One who thinks and works for others’ welfare alone is a Dharma practitioner.”
– Jamgon KongTrul Thaye, Mind Training in Seven Points
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About Carole Park:
Carole Park is a professional healer with 26 years of expertise. Using a blend of pure, high-vibration energy healing, Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Yoga, and Meditation, she’ll help you unlock your powerful potential, return to wholeness, and manifest your best life. Contact her for a free consultation and personal plan today.
To deepen your inner connection, you can join my recorded Ling Chi Healing Meditation program on The Wellness Universe Wellness For All. To connect with me, please check out my WU profile.
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