17. Can You Answer This?

We will ask many questions in our lifetime. The central question in our life is 'Who Am I?' The answer to this question is central to all our other questions. The other questions supplement and compliment this central question.

We ask many kinds of questions. Sometimes we question out of innocence, like a child, out of curiosity. Sometimes we ask questions just to exhibit our knowledge and ego. Sometimes we ask questions to check out if others are more knowledgeable. Sometimes we ask questions just to get an answer that will confirm our already formed opinions. Our questions just express our deep confusion about life, that's all.

A small story:

Laura, a teacher, was instructing the last class of the academic year. She prepared a few questions to get feedback from students on her teaching style.

One question in the questionnaire was, 'Have I influenced your attitude towards the subject?'

A student answered, 'No, I still like it.'

When people meet me, they start conversing with me about enlightenment and God. They begin to say that they wish to follow the spiritual path with my guidance. They ask esoteric questions on karma and moksha.

I change the subject. I talk about their personal lives, families, businesses, and what not. After even one hour perhaps, they never return to their original question on spirituality. It is because it does not matter to them really.

The fervor with which they started their spiritual queries was only to impress me with their keen interest and knowledge. Such fervor will not sustain. Their enthusiasm will evaporate rapidly.

'What is Brahman?' asks Arjuna to Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna says, 'If I ask you to repeat the question, you would not even remember it!'

We ask questions about all external objects and issues; who is this, who is that? But we never turn our questioning inwards and ask, 'Who Am I?' If we are spiritual, we will be interested in asking ourselves, 'Who Am I?' It will answer all our other questions. The questioning attitude itself will dissolve. Our mind survives by questioning. Answers bring more questions.

Questions are the fuel for our minds. Unless we answer that central question, 'Who Am I?' we can never come out of the cycle of questions. An answer to one question will only lead to the next question.

Ask yourself this ultimate question, 'Who am I?' repeatedly. It will finally extinguish all your questions. The more we ask this question, the clearer we become in our mind. This is a direct path to bliss.