Becoming Human
Hafiz

Once a man came to me and spoke for hours about
"His great visions of God" he felt he was having.

He asked me for confirmation, saying,
"Are these wondrous dreams true?"

I replied, "How many goats do you have?"

He looked surprised and said,
"I am speaking of sublime visions
And you ask
About goats!"

And I spoke again saying,
"Yes, brother - how many do you have?"

"Well, Hafiz, I have sixty-two."

"And how many wives?"
Again he looked surprised, then said,
"Four."

"How many rose bushes in your garden,
How many children,
Are your parents still alive,
Do you feed the birds in winter?"

And to all he answered.

Then I said,
"You asked me if I thought your visions were true,
I would say that they were if they make you become
More human,

More kind to every creature and plant
That you know."

Self-inquiry is a full-time job

Self-inquiry is a continuous, full-time job, not restricted to formal meditation
periods. Formal meditation, practiced often, is a big help as it builds introspective
power. Of course, too much meditation makes the mind sluggish and stupid, which is
an error.

Formal meditation ought to be at least two periods a day, with two 25-35 minute
sessions, separated by a five minute rest. This can be gradually increased for those
who have the time to three or four sessions, of three 25-35 minute periods.
However, the beneficial effects of building introspective power during meditation
will be dissipated if the rest of the day is spent devoted to serving the world. Once
one has isolated what they think to be their ‘I Am”, the student needs to stop
several times during the day for a few minutes, and look at that ‘I Am’ to better
understand it during everyday life. The self-awareness should become continuous.

One will discover the ‘I Am’ changes over time, because the real I is not being seen;
it is only an object posing as the I.

Then one day one discovers the anomaly, that which never changes, which is the
subject of all the myriads of the objects. Once that is clearly seen, all objects lose
importance, and the seeker’s “job” is to stay in, or abide in that observer, that
subject, that witness, from whom all the objects of the world arise. This is a resting
state. Trying to stay in that center is not really an effort. What happens is the
restless mind which we identify with needs to be active, and because of that
identification with the mind, “we” get active. However, the real I is always resting,
and by continuously bringing the mind’s attention to the looker or witness, it loses
interest in going elsewhere due to the deep peace felt in the resting state.

Once the witness is discovered, one has a broad road to follow to self-realization.
The false I’s fall away or are dissipated. Then one’s full time job is to stay in that I,
abide there, and infinite peace and happiness will fall, which will draw you
effortlessly into itself all the way.

How this is to be done is explained below.
http://itisnotreal.com/hunting-the-i-expanded.html