What are you doing to BE? Where exactly is the question of doing something (for Realization) arising? Is it not in the mind? Is it not to a phantom entity, an object presuming subjectivity, an illusory entity that has no existence whatsoever apart from consciousness? When the nature or identity of the one who raises the question of "what should I do to Realize", is clearly and deeply understood, what is left? Where is the question of doing or undoing anything?
The next question is what about Sadhana (practice) as recommended by so many teachers. The Sadhana ( if properly understood) is not about doing something( including rituals, meditation, etc.), but about Being. Just BE.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Who am I?
Am I really only a body with a mind? Let us investigate. If I am a body with an identity, then what happens to this body when the mind is in abeyance, as in deep dreamless sleep? In deep dreamless, sleep there is no identity, no body, no mind, and yet I exist!! Who am I?
The basics of you as a body
Let us go over the core knowledge ( if it can be called that) once again. Firstly, this knowledge must not be approached from a viewpoint of an individual acquiring the knowledge. It can only be deeply and consciously understood, somewhat like a drum beat causing vibration of the body in tune with the beat, somewhat like a resonance. In the depths of Enquiry, the mind and breath become still.
Firstly, starting with what I appear to be, I must investigate backwards or regress. Keeping it simple and within the framework of the mind and concepts, would be the initial approach of an earnest seeker. A seeker with only the earnest desire to Know and not to gain anything from the knowledge. This body that I take myself to be, what is it? It is made up of cells and various other elements. Breaking it down, and going to a microscopic structure, the cells themselves are made up of atoms and molecules. The atoms and molecules are composed of various elements (yes, similar to the Periodic table of elements that you learnt in chemistry!). The elements would be oxygen( called Air by the ancients), water, various elements like carbon, iron, etc.( called Earth by the ancients). All of these are interacting in various chemical reactions all the time to create heat (or as the ancients called it "Fire"). In addition, an atom consists of neutrons and electrons and mostly space in between ( perhaps the ancients may have called it Ether or Space). In addition to these five elements, the various Gunas or attributes ( sattva, rajas and tamas) give each body a unique character. The combination of the above five elements and the gunas, in millions of permutations and combinations gives each body a unique character and nature of behaviour. Ok, What else?
Obviously, in addition to the above there are the three states of waking, dream sleep and deep sleep, and the life breath ( or Prana). There is still something more to make this body a sentient body. That is the knowledge or sense of existence, the knowledge " I am". The knowledge "I am", combined with the five elements, life breath, and the three states of waking, dream sleep and deep sleep make up this sentient body with the permutations and combinations of Gunas giving each body an unique character. In all of this, did you notice there is NO individual mentioned anywhere.
So, where did the individual come into the picture? The individual is nothing more than the thought " I am this body". It is all a story, an imaginary story of an entity, a person with a name, all being played in the mind. This story would not play if there was no sense of existence or "I am" or Life or whatever you want to call IT. The mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts having no independent existence whatsoever apart from the "I am" or consciousness. Therefore, it becomes clear from the above discussion, that there is actually no individual. All there is, is a bundle of 5 elements, prana, the 3 gunas and the states of sleep and waking and the " I am". Where are YOU( John Doe or Jane Doe) in all of this? Think, Think again, deeply and consciously!!
Firstly, starting with what I appear to be, I must investigate backwards or regress. Keeping it simple and within the framework of the mind and concepts, would be the initial approach of an earnest seeker. A seeker with only the earnest desire to Know and not to gain anything from the knowledge. This body that I take myself to be, what is it? It is made up of cells and various other elements. Breaking it down, and going to a microscopic structure, the cells themselves are made up of atoms and molecules. The atoms and molecules are composed of various elements (yes, similar to the Periodic table of elements that you learnt in chemistry!). The elements would be oxygen( called Air by the ancients), water, various elements like carbon, iron, etc.( called Earth by the ancients). All of these are interacting in various chemical reactions all the time to create heat (or as the ancients called it "Fire"). In addition, an atom consists of neutrons and electrons and mostly space in between ( perhaps the ancients may have called it Ether or Space). In addition to these five elements, the various Gunas or attributes ( sattva, rajas and tamas) give each body a unique character. The combination of the above five elements and the gunas, in millions of permutations and combinations gives each body a unique character and nature of behaviour. Ok, What else?
Obviously, in addition to the above there are the three states of waking, dream sleep and deep sleep, and the life breath ( or Prana). There is still something more to make this body a sentient body. That is the knowledge or sense of existence, the knowledge " I am". The knowledge "I am", combined with the five elements, life breath, and the three states of waking, dream sleep and deep sleep make up this sentient body with the permutations and combinations of Gunas giving each body an unique character. In all of this, did you notice there is NO individual mentioned anywhere.
So, where did the individual come into the picture? The individual is nothing more than the thought " I am this body". It is all a story, an imaginary story of an entity, a person with a name, all being played in the mind. This story would not play if there was no sense of existence or "I am" or Life or whatever you want to call IT. The mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts having no independent existence whatsoever apart from the "I am" or consciousness. Therefore, it becomes clear from the above discussion, that there is actually no individual. All there is, is a bundle of 5 elements, prana, the 3 gunas and the states of sleep and waking and the " I am". Where are YOU( John Doe or Jane Doe) in all of this? Think, Think again, deeply and consciously!!
The seeker needs to identify the seeker
Despite a lot of reading and "intellectual" understanding, many a seeker will still come up with the question as to what is to be done by him/her for Realization. In addition, many a seeker will also try to seek out the "experience" that a jnani may have had at the "time of realization". This attitude on part of the seeker indicates that the seeker has not yet Understood the Truth. Often, the seeker associates the state of Realization to be something better than what he/she is currently experiencing or perhaps a state of utopia. All of the above is not uncommon but should be evident to the very seeker that the Knowledge has not been deeply apperceived. Whatever is being read or heard is being assimilated as a concept at the level of the mind and hence these questions still persist.
When pulling a weed, it is essential to pull it up by the root so that it does not rise up again. In the same way, all thoughts are based on the root thought " I am the body". This is also the "ego" as it is called. The thoughts of doing some action, desires, frustrations, anger and other emotions are basically the stems and branches arising from the root thought, the "I thought" ( the thought or assumption of existence of an individual with a conviction "I am the body"). The seeker should ENQUIRE into the very identity of the one who is asking questions. Who is it that asks the question "what should I do?" or "What experience or otherwise I should have to know I have Realized?"? It is only when one enquires with sincerity and earnestness as well as with desirelessness, that one can proceed on the road of enquiry. As long as there is an intellectual conviction that one is an individual, a person, an entity that will attain Realization, there is no way that the message will get through. It is only when the identity of the root thought is clearly and deeply and consciously understood to be nothing other than a thought, that the whole structure of stem and branch thoughts collapse.
When one approaches the whole message of Advaita without any desire (desirelessness) of achieving anything, then the message is essentially very straightforward and clear and essentially very simple. Another way of putting it would be, when the intellect finally gives up the whole search (perhaps in frustration!) that the intuition takes over and everything becomes very clear, easily and without any effort. Without any effort because there is no one to make any effort!! It becomes clear that all that is happening is happening spontaneously and there is essentially no individual entity that can claim any volition. Even the happening of "realization" is spontaneous and it is by the Grace. For it is the Consciousness( or call it by whatever name you like) knowing itself. Not an entity knowing the Consciousness! An entity or individual can never know THAT. All knowledge of any entity is in the realm of consciousness, a content of the Awareness. A person would be a fool to say " I am a Realized person" ( it obviously means he/she has NOT realized!).
When pulling a weed, it is essential to pull it up by the root so that it does not rise up again. In the same way, all thoughts are based on the root thought " I am the body". This is also the "ego" as it is called. The thoughts of doing some action, desires, frustrations, anger and other emotions are basically the stems and branches arising from the root thought, the "I thought" ( the thought or assumption of existence of an individual with a conviction "I am the body"). The seeker should ENQUIRE into the very identity of the one who is asking questions. Who is it that asks the question "what should I do?" or "What experience or otherwise I should have to know I have Realized?"? It is only when one enquires with sincerity and earnestness as well as with desirelessness, that one can proceed on the road of enquiry. As long as there is an intellectual conviction that one is an individual, a person, an entity that will attain Realization, there is no way that the message will get through. It is only when the identity of the root thought is clearly and deeply and consciously understood to be nothing other than a thought, that the whole structure of stem and branch thoughts collapse.
When one approaches the whole message of Advaita without any desire (desirelessness) of achieving anything, then the message is essentially very straightforward and clear and essentially very simple. Another way of putting it would be, when the intellect finally gives up the whole search (perhaps in frustration!) that the intuition takes over and everything becomes very clear, easily and without any effort. Without any effort because there is no one to make any effort!! It becomes clear that all that is happening is happening spontaneously and there is essentially no individual entity that can claim any volition. Even the happening of "realization" is spontaneous and it is by the Grace. For it is the Consciousness( or call it by whatever name you like) knowing itself. Not an entity knowing the Consciousness! An entity or individual can never know THAT. All knowledge of any entity is in the realm of consciousness, a content of the Awareness. A person would be a fool to say " I am a Realized person" ( it obviously means he/she has NOT realized!).
Thursday, October 2, 2008
What I AM
What I am is pure Awareness. I am the Awareness of the various states of consciousness, the waking state(where consciousness is fully active), the dream state (where consciousness is just stirring) and the deep dreamless sleep state( where consciousness is at rest or apparently absent). I am beyond any form of conceptualization, spaceless, timeless, immutable, where there is neither beingness or no-beingness, neither presence nor the absence of presence, just the pure Subjectivity. In my True Nature where was the question of knowingness or no-knowingness? Totally unaffected, I am as I am. Neither this nor that. I abide as the Pure Awareness which is everything and yet no-thing.
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