Every spiritual aspirant knows that the measure of one’s spiritual progress is based on how quickly the notions: “You’re not the body” and “You’re not the mind” enter one’s reality. “To know what you are, you must first investigate and know what you are not” said Nisargadatta Maharaj. That’s right, you must turn your world, and the world taught by your parents, teachers, friends and learned by yourself from experiences, upside down. Or, better still, negate it completely and start afresh. Deny all your worldly forms of existence: body and mind with its ego-controlled drives, urges and memories. The task is so formidable that merely sharing your intentions with others will make them doubt your sound mindedness. But, there’s no other way. To realize your real “I” – the Self, you must reject your conceptual reality.

Self-realization attained by denials: “You’re not the body” and “You’re not the mind” is known as the process of Self-enquiry. Its essence is the quest for the source of aham-vrtti (“I” – thought). In most cases, it begins with the earnest spiritual seeker reading a book, or viewing an archival film showing enlightened teachers of spirituality. Earnestness is the critical factor here, not the intellectual proves, as some like to believe. It’s best explained by the following dialogue, from “The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi”:
Disciple: But will not some understanding of the final state be a helpful guide even to the aspirant?
Maharshi: No purpose is served in trying to decide now what the final state of Realization will be. It has no intrinsic value.
Disciple: Why so?
Maharshi: Because you proceed on a wrong principle. Your ascertainment has to depend on the intellect, which shines only by the light it derives from the Self. Is it not presumptuous on the part of the intellect to sit in judgement over that of which it is but a limited manifestation, and from which it derives its little light?
How can the intellect, which can never reach the Self, be competent to ascertain, much less decide, the nature of the final stage of realization? It is like trying to measure the sunlight at its source by the standard of the light given by a candle. The wax will melt down before the candle comes anywhere near the sun.
Instead of indulging in mere speculation, devote yourself here and now to the search for the truth that is ever within you.

As long as you keep on reading the books, and watching DVDs, you’re avoiding doing the proper Self-enquiry. Be honest! Realize that all the spiritual knowledge that you’ve acquired by reading and watching, should be treated as merely a preparation for going towards the Source and finding your Self. Be honest, this is not the real work. What is it then?
Countless minutes, hours, days and years of “thinking” about what you’ve read, constitutes spiritual work. Tirelessly exploring the mind, till the “discovery” is made, and it merges into the Self. Nothing is easy in Self-enquiry. Your mind will try to slow you down, and make you hit the wall of disillusionment; and you begin to believe that all this is far beyond your mental power. When this happens, know that you’re truly making progress.
When your ego-mind subjects you to the constant barrage of thoughts, trying to test yours even the slightest progress, there’s a way for you to escape. Just “get blank”. Ignore all thoughts. Eventually, when done consistently and with great dedication, you’ll render your mind completely disempowered. The ease with which you’ll be able to “get blank” will be the reward for your earnestness and a sign of progress. When this unmovable screen of the dark, deep space devoid of thought flashes appears, you know you’re facing the Self.

To get rid of the belief “I’m not the body” is relatively easy. In the beginning, try to feel like you’re commanding your body from the “command center” located outside of you. To get rid of the belief “I’m not the mind” is much more difficult. The technique of escaping into the blank screen, when thoughts and emotions run rampant, can help you greatly. A wise sage said that this blank space of no thoughts and emotions is where enlightenment will find you. The hardest part of “I’m not the mind” process is abandonment of memories. You’ll find them creeping in at every opportunity. After all, the “present you” has been built of the frame of memories and memorable experiences. Pretend that you don’t remember anything, don’t dwell on your past. After all, it shouldn’t be too difficult to abandon the burden of the past, no matter how happy they feel, memories. For when you know that the great uplift that follows will bring you closer to realizing the Self, everything else fades into insignificance. True happiness awaits… for eternity!

Post scriptum:
After making this post, I’ve came across Nisargadatta Maharaj’s words that beautifully explain, in a short statement, what I’ve tried to accomplish in this lengthy post. Here they are:
“What is supremely important is to be free from contradictions: the goal and the way must not be on different levels; life and light must not quarrel; behavior must not betray belief. Call it honesty, integrity, wholeness; you must not go back, undo, uproot, abandon the conquered ground. Tenacity of purpose and honesty in pursuit will bring you to your goal.”