How can pure awareness be devoid of all the thoughts?

[Shri Anil asked:- The pure awareness in a meditation state is very close to the inert energy. But there is ‘I’ thought in that state. Thus, a thought exists. How can it be devoid of all the thoughts? During this time do the three qualities Sattvam, Rajas and Tamas also exist?]

Swami replied:- The awareness of the body is the ‘I’ thought in almost all human beings. In meditation, the body is forgotten and hence, the usual ‘I’ thought does not exist. A thought means such mode of awareness, which is other than the awareness of awareness. In meditation, the awareness of awareness exists and not the awareness of body or ‘I’ thought. The awareness of awareness is taken as ‘I’ thought by a realized soul, which thinks that ‘I’ is not the body but the awareness. You cannot limit the awareness of awareness to the ‘I’ thought only because it is also a thought about itself or awareness. Since the thinker is awareness, the awareness of awareness cannot be taken as a thought because a thought is always separate from the thinker. Even though a realized soul makes the awareness of awareness as the ‘I’ thought, it cannot be compared to any other thought in which the thinker is separate from the thought. Therefore, awareness of awareness should not be taken as the ordinary ‘I’ thought. Hence, the conclusion is that the awareness of awareness is not a thought at all. Therefore, meditation is becoming thoughtless even though a realized soul makes such meditation as ‘I’ thought since actually the thinker or awareness must exist separately from any thought. There is no question of existence of any of the three qualities (Sattvam, Rajas and Tamas) since only the thinker is existing in meditation. The awareness of awareness is like a plain rope. Any thought, which is a mode of awareness or thinker is like a knot of the rope. The plain rope cannot be taken as the knot of the rope. Similarly, the thinker cannot be taken as thought. When thought exists, the thinker exists separately like the plain rope is existing separately from a knot of the rope.

Q. Can a self-realized soul undergo surgery without anesthesia?

[Ramana Maharshi underwent surgery in His hand without any anesthesia. Can we generalize this to a self-realized soul also since he/she has detached from ‘I’ thought?]

Swami replied:- The ‘I’ thought in this context is regarding the awareness of the body and not regarding the awareness of awareness. Since He could shift the ‘I’ thought from the body to awareness, the surgery taking place on the body could not affect Him at all. Ramana Maharshi is an example of a successfully self-realised soul. Every human incarnation is also a successfully self-realised soul. Ramana Maharshi is the incarnation of God Subrahmanya.

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