The great Sage Sri Ramana Maharishi has indicated many ways to realize the self, other than WHO AM "I? , therefore it is necessary for the seeker to go beyond WHO AM 'I'? inquiry to cross the threshold of duality.

BUDDHA SAID: - Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true. 

The word Brahman or Sat has no proper equivalent in English. The nearest is the  ultimate reality or the  ultimate truth. The intellectuals   however applies reality to individual objects or to the multiplicity of them all, whereas Advaitins apply it to the non-duality. Brahman is called "That" because it is something not known yet by the seeker. 

 The Seeker has to overcome all the doubts and confusion in later stages in self-inquiry.  The seeker finds some doubts and confusion, which cannot be overcome if the inquiry practiced on the present format prescribed in the self - inquiry book. The  deeper self - search reveals the fact that, the self-inquiry in the present format will yield the only half truth. 

Some of the doubts and confusion in the self-inquiry book :- 

 If mind is same as Atman (consciousness), how can it vanish--when the mind appears and disappears as Waking or dream?
How can one be certain when one leave the external world--when the person is within the world?
Why leave the external world when everything is Brahman---when everything is Brahman why create division between the world and its perceiver?

How can the world alone cease to exist if one does not look at it—how can the person remain without the world and where he will exist without the world?

Who has the subtle mind projecting through brain and senses? How can one see his subtle mind?--when the brain also piece of the gross matter? ---then how can the brain come into existence after the world is created if the later depends on the brain.

Heart is idea created by mind, how the mind can emerge from it---when the heart disappear along with the mind and reappears along with the mind, how the mind emerge from it.

In deep sleep, swoon and trance, the mind turns inwards and enjoys its natural state--if so why should one inquire if one gets Atman in sleep. With drug one can get sleep and peace or bliss.

If sleep gives Brahman then why trouble with inquiry--better get it through pills. There are many seekers practicing inquiry for many years and waiting for something mystical to happen, why nothing happens and why their inquiry does not yield fruits.

Since Maharishi Ramana is not present physically to guide us, therfore the  seeker to overcome these obstacles in the path of inquiry on his own. 

I was surprised to know David Godman’s interview with Mr. Sivapraksh Pillai (one of the close aid to Sage Sri, Ramana Maharishi) that even after 50 long years he was unable to achieve his goal through inquiry, hats off to his sincere and honest statement. 

In my honest opinion with all the due respect to every soul which was involved in recording and publishing the self-inquiry which is the greatest treasure and which opens the golden gate to the seeker to enter into the spiritual world from the religious world, still there is lots confusion and doubts which are impossible to get answer the way the inquiry is presented in the books. But one will be able to overcome the same after lots of research.  

It is impossible to do research in the present framework of the Self-inquiry. Since everyone is waiting for some mystic experience to happen and refuse to verify and accept the truth because of their conservative outlook. Even the intellectual- classes who have authored many books are viewed and judged Ramana on mystic point of view were unable to deliver goods due to their inherited religious background. Sri, Ramana Maharishi  was mystic for the mass but he was Gnani for the class.

It also becomes evident that different people who have interviewed Sage Sri, Ramana Maharishi at different time had different backgrounds and mindset. Therefore it is necessary to bifurcate the religious views of Sage Sri Ramana Maharishi from his spiritual views to get the hidden essence of Sage  Sri,  Ramana Maharishi ’s teaching.  The great Sage Sri Ramana Maharishi  has indicated many ways to realize the self,  other than WHO AM "I? , therefore it is necessary  for the seeker to go beyond  WHO AM 'I'?  inquiry to cross the threshold of duality.