Seer

I was listening to the recorded discourse of Swami Venkatesananda(SV) on Patanjali's Yogasutras and there was this amazing thing he said that I could relate to my experiences. Sometime during my pujas since childhood, I used to get lost in thinking while chanting. Later, I used to think that my chanting has continued but I'd been thinking of something else! Being sure that to be wrong, I used to tell myself to focus on chanting. Then it used to occur to me that telling myself to focus on chanting itself is a thought, apart from chanting. Also, that I'm thinking all of this in order to stop thinking anything else, while chanting, and so on, is an endless loop of thoughts. That used to give me a feeling of madness, and I gave up the effort in following years.

A year or so back, I tried to pursue this understanding again and got some clarity with Ramana's and Nisargadatta's readings. The above example got a little further exploration. I not only have these endless loop of thoughts but *while* thinking so, I feel I *know* this! I'm not saying that its witnessing, it may not be so... it may well be a thought... but it is like witnessing.

SV had a similar example to give. He said that while chanting: you are saying the name, listening to it and watching this happen too! So, the most beautiful explanation for tadA draShTuh svarUpe avasthAnam (YS1.3) he thought to be is draShTA dRRiShi mAtrah (YS2.20) and thats why a seer is called so!

Its the same in advaitic terms wherein "The knower of knowledge can't be known!"
Om tat sat