1. THE DIRECT PATH USING HIGHER REASON

Atmananda uses Higher Reason, I argue, to bring one either to (a) witnessing awareness or to (b) I Amness (Nisargadatta).

Here is one very short prakriti:

The seer as such can never be the seen, and the seen as such can never be the seer. If this truth goes deep into one’s heart, the mistaken identification with body ceases.

One can test: “The seer as such can never be seen, and the seen as such can never be the seer.” Some examples (not exhaustive): 

• Can the experience of visual perception ever see the seer (i.e., the witness)? Check.
• Can the witness ever be–go downstream and “become”–a visual perception? Check.
• If the witness can never be the witnessed, then can this truth sink into one’s heart until it’s totally clear that there cannot be “mistaken identification with body”? See.

2. THE MASCULINE APPROACH TO SELF-INQUIRY DRAWING ON THE WILL

Next, there is a line of approach that, I argue, passes through Sri Ramana, Nisargadatta, and the Chan masters.

• Start with I Amness or, what is the same thing, with the huatou.
• Familiarize yourself with This. Explore until the qualities of I Amness are quite clear.
• Then probe “the borderline” between I Amness and the ineffable Absolute.

3. THE FEMININE APPROACH TO SELF-ABIDING

I’ll unfold “silent illumination” in due course. This open abiding in awareness is more bhakti in flavor than the other two.