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The Conditioning of our Mind
“Our minds are conditioned, that is an obvious fact. Conditioned by a particular culture or society. Influenced by family, government or religious conformity and so on. Our minds are trained to accept fear and to escape if we can from that fear, never being able to resolve the whole nature and structure of fear.
So our first question is, can the mind, so heavily burdened, completely resolve its conditioning and also its fears because it is fear that makes us accept conditioning.”
— J. Krishnamurti
What is Conditioning and How to resolve it?
Question:
Dear John David,
I was born in England and although I lived there only until I was twenty, I obviously picked up the conditioning.
I am not sure exactly how the English conditioning works in the sense of escaping from fear, as it is not as clear as some other countries like Germany and Russia. Does some work have to be done to face the fear and work with it?
John David’s Response
We all accept that we are conditioned. This conditioning means that we have certain patterns of thinking and responding that repeat themselves, creating a robotic way of functioning. When you understand this well enough, you can even see how it influences behaviour in simple, everyday moments.
I remember many years ago being in a crowded Tube train in London. Pressed against a large man, I accidentally stood on his shoe. What happened? He said “sorry”!
In fact, I should have been the one to apologise! Yet in England, this reflexive “sorry” springs from a deeply ingrained sense of “I’m not good enough”, rooted in the country’s hierarchical social structure.
Cultural Conditioning
English people often look up and down this social ladder, silently asking: Am I higher or am I lower? Where do I fit in?This conditioning breeds shyness, tentativeness, and a lack of confidence.
Of course, your family adds another layer. A privileged upbringing might instill the belief that you are “special,” while a working-class background might leave a lingering sense of inferiority.
How to Resolve Conditioning
Krishnamurti asks:
“Can the mind, so heavily burdened, completely resolve its conditioning?”
The first step is awareness. But ultimately, you must find out about your “I,” because it is the “I” that is conditioned.
“You have to ask yourself the question, ‘Who am I?’ This investigation will lead in the end to the discovery of something within you, which is behind the mind. Solve that great problem and you will solve all the other problems.”
— Sri Ramana Maharshi
When the false “I” dissolves, conditioning loses its grip. In my own case, I noticed how familiar patterns, like “I’m not good enough,” resurfaced strongly in the months after awakening—but there was no one left to receive them. With no attachment to this imagined “I,” they simply evaporated.
Self Enquiry: The direct path to resolve conditioning at it’s root
Instead of tackling each conditioning one by one—a task that could take lifetimes—focus on the root: the “I.”
In our Open Sky House Community, everything—washing dishes, cooking lunch, sweeping the floor—becomes a mirror. We watch how every action refers back to “I.” When you look for this through Self Enquiry “I,” you discover quickly: it doesn’t exist.
This moment of clear seeing can be powerful, often accompanied by laughter or bursts of energy. What matters is this direct recognition:
the “I” is merely a thought, born of conditioning, with no substance in reality.
When this is truly seen, conditioning collapses by itself.
“John David’s new book is exceptionally excellent, a masterpiece.”
Paul Lowe, Spiritual Teacher, Australia
Rooting Out the Ego and Persevering on the Path
Sri Ramana Maharshi
on Rooting Out the Ego and Persevering on the Path
Edited by John David Oct 2021
INTRODUCTION
In this blog “Ramana Maharshi on Rooting Out the Ego and Persevering on the Path,” we explore the transformative practice of self-enquiry as taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi. Central to his teachings is the idea of eradicating the ego at its root, a crucial step for anyone committed to true spiritual progress. We delve into how perseverance on the spiritual path, as emphasized by Ramana Maharshi, is essential for overcoming the obstacles of the mind and ego, which continuously try to pull us away from our natural state of pure awareness. By embracing self-enquiry with determination, we uncover the deeper truths of our existence and move closer to lasting inner peace.
Available Worldwide
on www.openskypress.com and Amazon:
Amazon DE
Widely appreciated
“In my opinion, Aham Sphurana, a Glimpse of Self Realisation, will become a Treasure Trove of Wisdom to the Seekers of Truth in general, and particularly to the devotees of Bhagavan.”
Swami Hamsananda – Athithi Ashram, Tiruvannamalai
“This collection is a profound offering for those who are inspired to deeper inquiry. I have read both volumes for myself and others. Many passages reveal freshly and intimately the gift that is Ramana Maharshi. This is a book to cherish.”
Gangaji
“Thanks for presenting the book. I went through the book and it is indeed a good read. As you have mentioned, certain portions are controversial. However, many portions on Self-enquiry (genuinely in Bhagavan’s words) are profound and helpful to the seekers. Pranams”
Sri Ramanacharana Tirtha Swami
(formerly Sri Nochur Venkataraman),
“An excellent book suitable for anyone serious about the spiritual life and committed to knowing profound and liberating realisations. The beauty of Ramana’s teachings shows in the unwavering directness with a remarkable clarity and simplicity. Meditate on the questions and responses. Listen inwardly beneath the mind’s activity.”
Christopher Titmuss
“Aham Sphurana is the most profound, subtle and practical version of Ramana Maharshi. When you read this book you realise just how diluted, vague and lacking are most of the books published in the name of this great sage of Arunachala.
It is not an easy new age read, it is the real deal with all its subtleties and intricacies. Our role is to develop a profound, sensitive and subtle mind and heart to understand and absorb these teachings.
The persons who wrote and published this book faced fierce objection from many people and are no less than warriors of spiritual truth.
Their devotion and respect to Ramana Maharshi made them fight this war and they deserve our appreciation and respect for making these rare teachings available to us.”
Noah
2nd Volume
now available
on www.openskypress.com and Amazon:
The pristine, pure mind of the Master that speaks through this profound volume is bound to bring us to an awakening into the most obvious yet hidden truth of our own existence.
Pravrajika Divyanandaprana
Rooting Out the Ego and Persevering on the Path
Q: Which is genuine Vichara – asking myself Who am I? every time a thought arises or keenly investigating the problem of who I am?
B: The latter. If you want to get rid of a poisonous tree, do you lop off its leaves one by one? What is the use of such an approach? In the time it takes for you to cut down one leaf, leaves multitudinous in number and multifarious in variety would have sprouted forth from the vicious tree. Instead, attack the poisonous root of illusion, namely the ahamvritti, straightaway!
Q: But I have heard it spoken of amongst Bhagavan’s devotees that Vichara, according to Bhagavan, can be compared to an aged mongoose waiting for a snake to come out of a discarded anthill that the latter happens to be using as its place of residence.
B: Yes. The sword can be used for slicing as well as for stabbing. In the preliminary phase of sadhana, when thoughts rush out furiously one after the other, Vichara is used as a tool to go on returning the mind to its native state of thought-free pure Subjective Consciousness. It is always to be practised as and when it is discovered that the mind has strayed away from this natural state. However, there is also the subsequent stage, where thoughts have largely subsided. Now, the investigation Who am I? is used to seek the mind with mind. Use the mind to scrutinise closely what ‘I’ is. Rather than creating something called ‘I’ and then looking at it so as for fulfilling the instruction to closely scrutinise ‘I’, seek ‘I’, whatever it might be and whether it might exist or not, without harbouring notions as to its existence or non-existence.
Q: I am trying to follow Bhagavan’s instructions. But my vasanas prove to be an obstacle. What can I do?
B: Never mind obstacles. Keep on going. Do not sit down or pause to moan or complain, but keep on going. The only important thing is to keep on going. If you try to take stock of progress yet to be made, you will feel alarmed and then further progress would have become impossible. So, never stop, but go on escalating. One day you will reach the summit, or rather, realise that you never left it. Until then, climb relentlessly and incessantly. Do not bother about obstacles, progress, and the like. Simply and only, go on scaling.
More from Ramana Maharshi
Unrealise the not-Self
Recognise that all ideas of ego and identity are unreal, and by seeing this clearly, only the true Self remains.
Mrs. Piggot Introduces the Ashram And Bhagavan’s Meetings in 1934
Mrs. Piggot recounts her serene visit with Sri Ramana Maharshi, describing the Sage’s profound silence, grace, and life-changing presence.
A Dialogue with a Mature Visiter
Bhagavan guides a seeker beyond concepts, showing that diligent Self-inquiry removes doubt and ignorance, revealing the timeless Self.
Kaushika
Kaushika’s pride is humbled by a housewife and butcher, teaching that surrender and dutiful living lead to true realization.
Destiny
Ramana Maharshi teaches that regardless of destiny, ego’s illusions must be dissolved inwardly for true Self-Realization and freedom.
Illusion and the Body
Ramana Maharshi explains that you are pure awareness, not the body. The world is a mental projection of the Self.
Realise the Self
Realisation occurs when one surrenders completely, lets go of ego, embraces silence, and abides as the timeless, changeless Self.
Complete Cessation of Mental Activity
Only the complete, motiveless cessation of mental activity reveals the Self, showing the personal ‘I’ never truly existed.
Mr. Evans-Wentz’s Visit
A visitor finds peace and wisdom with Ramana Maharshi, experiences deep spiritual moments, and departs with profound gratitude and joy.
Trust in God
Bhagavan reminds people to trust in God for its needs, resolving a misunderstanding with compassion and integrity.
Get Your Copy of the Book
Aham Sphurana
A Glimpse of Self Realisation
New Book about Sri Ramana Maharshi
Available Worldwide
On www.openskypress.com and Amazon:
“In my opinion, Aham Sphurana, a Glimpse of Self Realisation, will become a Treasure Trove of Wisdom to the Seekers of Truth in general, and particularly to the devotees of Bhagavan.”
Swami Hamsananda – Athithi Ashram, Tiruvannamalai
Mixed Blogs
Mrs. Piggot Introduces the Ashram And Bhagavan’s Meetings in 1934
Mrs. Piggot recounts her serene visit with Sri Ramana Maharshi, describing the Sage’s profound silence, grace, and life-changing presence.
What is the Point of Life?
My understanding is that the point of our life, if anything, is to become Self-realised. This means that we see the ego, the movie of our life, is not who we are. When this is clearly seen, everything profoundly changes.
Qualifications for Satsang
There are certain qualifications to be fulfilled before one goes to a teacher for freedom.
The first requirement, discernment, is discrimination between what is real and what is unreal. This distinction is essential. You must desire what is real and reject what is unreal. What is real can only be truth. Your own Self. There is nothing beyond this. All the rest is falsehood…
Guru’s Grace
Ramana Maharshi explains that Guru’s Grace burns ego and mental habits, allowing total surrender and spontaneous Self-Realization to arise.
Reference Books and Translation
Bhagavan spoke many languages, quoted texts with precision, and used interpreters as needed, making profound teaching universally accessible.
Hiding in Non-Duality
JD: It’s very easy to say, “I don’t need to look at anything, ‘I am nothing.’”
Q: I did therapy where I ended up in very nice love space with an open heart. Then I met you and Advaita and discovered this “Oh, I’m nothing,” and again I don’t need to look to anything.
JD: But this is just a nice idea. It is one of the popular mistakes made by people during the last years in Satsang, about non duality.
Meditation
Practiced diligently, meditation techniques purify the mind because they bring awareness to unholy patterns of thought and feeling. Unhealthy thoughts cannot survive the penetrating light of awareness. Nothing purifies like experience of the Self, which releases a flood of healing, cleansing, spiritual energy into the conscious and unconscious minds.
BE As You Are
Realization is simply BEing as you ARE. Through persistent vichara, Grace shines forth until seeker and seeking both dissolve.
Sex and Spirituality
Does sex help me to wake up or does it prevent me from that?
I think it can help and hinder. It depends. When sex is just pure, then actually it isn’t such a big deal. It’s an energy phenomenon.
Intimate relating creates an energy field, a circle between the two people. Normally, with sex, it’s between two people, but it could be the energy flowing through twenty people.
Love Is
Bhagavan teaches that unselfish, motiveless Love is the essence of Jnana, with vichara being a path to reveal it.
Samadhi
Samadhi is the natural state where ego, thoughts, and effort dissolve, leaving only pure Being — the Self — revealed.
Awakening to your Essence
The only true way to step out of all the stories and all the nonsense is to really see with great clarity that this ‘me’ that we are so fond of referring everything to, simply doesn’t exist. Once you see it doesn’t exist then the whole thing falls away. Everything just falls away and you’re left with what is.
Often there is a tremendous release of energy.
The Secret of Jnana is Bhakti
Jnana is Bhakti: Pure, uncaused Love. Not practised, but revealed when thoughts dissolve, merging seeker and Love as One.
Mr. Evans-Wentz’s Visit
A visitor finds peace and wisdom with Ramana Maharshi, experiences deep spiritual moments, and departs with profound gratitude and joy.
Gossip
Chadwick recounts a miracle New York visit, illustrating Grace beyond space, attachment, and the inward path to formlessness.
