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Neti neti

Martin

Spam, wonderful spam (bloody vikings!)
Could anyone briefly describe a method for the "Neti, neti" practice?
Thanks.
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
IMO:

The "Neti .. neti" method means "not this, not that" or "neither this nor that"
This method is described for some people who want to know Brahman, God
So you look at your wife thinking "is she God?" soon the answer comes from deep within "Neti ... neti"
There is quite a lot of "non-God" stuff around us here on earth, so this method can keep your mind busy 24/7/52
And that exactly is the key, keeping your mind busy and focused, until the mind dissolves, and stops asking these questions
 

Martin

Spam, wonderful spam (bloody vikings!)
IMO:

The "Neti .. neti" method means "not this, not that" or "neither this nor that"
This method is described for some people who want to know Brahman, God
So you look at your wife thinking "is she God?" soon the answer comes from deep within "Neti ... neti"
There is quite a lot of "non-God" stuff around us here on earth, so this method can keep your mind busy 24/7/52
And that exactly is the key, keeping your mind busy and focused, until the mind dissolves, and stops asking these questions

Thanks. So presumably this involves actively looking at everything you experience during the day? Noticing more?
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
Thanks. So presumably this involves actively looking at everything you experience during the day? Noticing more?
What I understand from it, just a few thoughts that pop up now:

No need to actively look at everything. But whenever a thought comes you check the thought with "Is this God?"

There is a similar method when you do Self Enquiry "Who am I". Then also you check any thought and try to bring it back to "Who am I"
So I would say that this type of method involves "actively looking at the mind = thought stream". This alone will slow it down already.
Hence they also call it "Witness the Mind" ... "Be a Witness" ... "Constant Integrated Awareness"

The Goal of this exercise is to know "Who am I"
Example: Suppose a thought pops up "I want to eat Chinese food tonight"
Straight away you can ask yourself "Who is the one who wants to eat Chinese food tonight"?

The Scriptures declare that "Identification with the body, mind, emotions" is what keeps us away from Self Realization
Hence this method "Who am I" ... "am I the body" ... "no I am not".
When you die, some people ask "Why have you gone?" ... body is still there, so "who is gone?"

This is a method we are not used to. Especially in the West we are brainwashed that it's all about how we look like
To understand this method might take some time. It helped me reading about this. And more and more you become more aware
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
I think Stvdv was having some fun with the question (in his first post). 'Neti, neti' means one should not accept things unless there is solid evidence for it. Yes, one has to look at things very carefully, critically. That it is said by some famous person or mentioned in a certain scripture will not be enough. Monist Hindus accepted the existence of one entity constituting all things in the universe, but did not say much about its properties beyond saying that it is form-independent, eternal and uninvolved in the happenings in the world. For rest all, they will say 'Neti,neti', because no other proposition can hold itself to scrutiny.
 

Martin

Spam, wonderful spam (bloody vikings!)
What I understand from it, just a few thoughts that pop up now:

No need to actively look at everything. But whenever a thought comes you check the thought with "Is this God?"

There is a similar method when you do Self Enquiry "Who am I". Then also you check any thought and try to bring it back to "Who am I"
So I would say that this type of method involves "actively looking at the mind = thought stream". This alone will slow it down already.
Hence they also call it "Witness the Mind" ... "Be a Witness" ... "Constant Integrated Awareness"

The Goal of this exercise is to know "Who am I"
Example: Suppose a thought pops up "I want to eat Chinese food tonight"
Straight away you can ask yourself "Who is the one who wants to eat Chinese food tonight"?

The Scriptures declare that "Identification with the body, mind, emotions" is what keeps us away from Self Realization
Hence this method "Who am I" ... "am I the body" ... "no I am not".
When you die, some people ask "Why have you gone?" ... body is still there, so "who is gone?"

This is a method we are not used to. Especially in the West we are brainwashed that it's all about how we look like
To understand this method might take some time. It helped me reading about this. And more and more you become more aware

Thanks, interesting stuff. I can see that just using this method with thoughts makes sense - feelings too?
 

wizanda

One Accepts All Religious Texts
Premium Member
Could anyone briefly describe a method for the "Neti, neti" practice?
Remove all logical fallacies, and we're left with something that resembles a possible truth.

In my opinion. :innocent:
 

Martin

Spam, wonderful spam (bloody vikings!)
I think Stvdv was having some fun with the question (in his first post). 'Neti, neti' means one should not accept things unless there is solid evidence for it. Yes, one has to look at things very carefully, critically. That it is said by some famous person or mentioned in a certain scripture will not be enough. Monist Hindus accepted the existence of one entity constituting all things in the universe, but did not say much about its properties beyond saying that it is form-independent, eternal and uninvolved in the happenings in the world. For rest all, they will say 'Neti,neti', because no other proposition can hold itself to scrutiny.

So is this basically about distinguishing between the personal ("me"), and the impersonal, eg "Brahma"?
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
When did "neti, neti" become a practice? It's an expression of ineffability.
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
That it is said by some famous person or mentioned in a certain scripture will not be enough
Very good point. Even if God tells you personally you better reject it, if it does not make any sense
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
Thanks, interesting stuff. I can see that just using this method with thoughts makes sense - feelings too?
When you get to the feeling part, it becomes more interesting even.
You can just start, no need no know all the specifics. By doing it, slowly you get the hang of it.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Could anyone briefly describe a method for the "Neti, neti" practice?
Thanks.

Neti neti (not this, not this) is the Vedic analysis of negation that aids one in realizing one's true nature. Commonly used in meditation, one focuses on an aspect within one's awareness and realizes that is not who they are in their purest form. Common items focused on...
  • I am aware of my breath, therefore, I am not my breath.
  • I am aware of my body, therefore, I am not my body.
  • I am aware of my thoughts, therefore, I am not my thoughts.
..and so on and so on until one realizes one's true nature as pure consciousness.
 

Martin

Spam, wonderful spam (bloody vikings!)
I don't think either "practice" or "expression" are accurate descriptions. It's more an examination or analysis.

By "practice" I just meant something you do.

Let's not get hung up on a word.
 
Last edited:

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Let's not get hung up on a word.

I don't think anyone was being "hung up" on the word. I think @Valjean sees the concept less as something one does than he sees it an expression of ineffability.

I was just pointing out that while we both identify as Vedantins, we view the concept of neti neti slightly differently. And that's okay.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Brahman is inconceivable and indescribable. It has no qualities to hang a description on, yet Hinduism has been actively writing about and trying to describe it for millennia -- all the while emphasizing its ineffability.

"Not this, not this" is just statement reminding one that whatever explanation or description one's just heard is entirely inadequate, if not outright wrong.
It's not an action, it's not a practice, it's not a doctrine.
 
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