The Sutra
"I am existing. This is mine. This is this. O Beloved, even in such know illimitably."
Paul Reps translation, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (1957)
Understanding
Three ordinary statements: "I am existing," "This is mine," "This is this." We say these a thousand times unconsciously. This technique asks: in the very midst of these ordinary claims, know illimitably. When you say "I exist" - who is this I? It is illimitable. When you say "This is mine" - the sense of possession points to the possessor who is limitless. Every ordinary statement, examined, reveals the limitless.
Original Sanskrit
कदा स्वमेव देवेशि पूर्णतां प्रकाशयेत् ॥
kadaa svameva deveshi poornataam prakaashayet ||
Vijnanabhairava Verse 103 (Technique 80 of 112)
How to Practice
Throughout the day, catch yourself making ordinary claims: "I am hungry," "This is my house," "That is a tree."
Pause on any such statement. Start with "I am existing" - the most basic claim.
Ask: who is this "I" that exists? Do not answer with name or role. Feel the "I" itself. It is vast.
Take "This is mine" - who is the owner? Feel the one who possesses. That one is limitless.
Take "This is this" - the simple act of recognition. Who recognizes? The recognizer has no limits.
In every ordinary moment of self-reference, feel the limitlessness that is always present behind the words.
Duration
Continuous practice throughout the day
Best Time
Any moment of self-awareness
Related Techniques
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