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!).
