Great questions, no doubt. These are actually not uncommon questions in the field of Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Before we move on to answer the questions, few things have to be clarified. One of the greatest doubts that many seekers and others have about Advaita is how to apply this teaching in day-to day life. On realizing your True Nature, you realize that you are NOT what you see, what you hear, what you sense, what you feel or what you taste. However, it DOES NOT MEAN that you cannot see, you cannot hear, you cannot sense, or you cannot feel or taste. This means that the body, the senses, the thought processes etc. continue despite a deep Understanding of one's own True Identity. This is well described by several teachers in the analogy with the sky. We all know that the sky is actually not blue (it is colorless!), yet we cannot deny that it appears blue. In another analogy, we all know that the water is colorless, yet the sea appears blue and that cannot be denied. So, the loss of one's individuality does not mean that the individual (or individuality) ceases to exist to others. It just becomes clear that the individual is just an appearance, appearing in THAT. Yes, the sense of "I am this body" continues with the difference that previous to the Realization it was confined to just one body. However, after Realization (if there is anything like that), there is clarity that now "I am all the bodies and every-thing". Yet, again, there is no denying that every-body appears separate and apart and distinct.
This needs to be further qualified. All questions must be answered in the state in which they are posed. Meaning, that if a question is asked in the dream state, i.e. a dream question, the answer would also be in the dream state. The answer to a dream question cannot be given in the wakeful state. The mind and duality arise simultaneously in the wakeful state. Do you ask any questions in the deep sleep state? Are you worried about who is posting these writings, for whom and for what purpose? Do you ask what will happen to the world and you? Why not? Because there is no sense of a "me" or this "world" in the deep sleep state!! There is no sense of duality in the deep sleep state. So, these questions are being posed in the wakeful state by a "you", in this dualistic state of mind, which "you" falsely believe to be the true state. Yes, in this state of dualism called the wakeful state, "you" are the "seeker" who reads these postings posted by "another body-called Advaitin", get all "blissful and happy" and then when this "you" falls asleep and goes into deep sleep state, there is no "you", no "Advaitin", no "Advaita Talk", "no feelings of bliss, etc."and yet you EXIST! Not only that, in the absence of the "you", there is actually peace and contentment ( and none of these persistent doubts or questions about Advaita!). Ask anyone about their experience of deep sleep and they answer ' I slept happily'. However, this answer is given in the wakeful state. In their state of deep sleep, can one answer " I am sleeping happily in my deep dreamless state"?!!!
In the deepest sense of Understanding about one's True Nature, there is no one posting these writings (since there is no real "you' or a "me" or "them"), no one reading these writings (since all of this is just an appearance in THAT!), and no real purpose of these writings (if all is ONE, then who is to benefit from this teaching?)!!! There is just THAT. The writer, the writings and one reading the writings are all ONE. In the same way, the knower, the knowing and the known are all ONE. So, the question of who is writing arises only in this state of wakefulness, where duality is an accepted fact. Since mind and duality go hand in hand, the DUAL MIND CAN THEREFORE NEVER COMPREHEND NON-DUALITY. It is only when the mind just gives up, the True Nature (which is Non-dual) becomes very obvious. JUST STOP AND BE! When the thoughts are absent, that is your True Nature. In the absence of thoughts, can anyone describe that state (of absence of thoughts)? How is it ever possible?
The mind is however necessary for the sake of understanding one's True Nature. After the Understanding, the mind is still functioning in the state of duality, but it is taken to be just that - a feature of the state of duality. An analogy would be if one is pricked by a thorn, another thorn can be used to remove the thorn and then both are thrown away. In the same way, the mind is used to remove the ignorance and then the mind is "thrown away".
For whom? These writings are for the 'false' seeker. For what purpose? Till such time that the 'false' seeker realizes that he/she is a false entity. Once the seeker realizes that he/she is a false entity, then there is no need for the seeker to read such material. Actually, all of this (the writer, the writings and the reader) is just an appearance in THAT, an illusion, so to speak. The only Reality is THAT, the ONE which is every-thing.
To wrap up, you are already full and complete. There is no one and no-thing that can add or subtract anything to or from you. These writings or teachings are only a means of removal of ignorance and in no way will bring about any glory or greatness to any individual. By imbibing these timeless teachings, one's True Nature is revealed. One does not 'GET' True Nature!
So, you can see that all this discussion is only in the wakeful state and does not apply to the two other states. Just like how "you", the reader, is present now in this state of wakefulness (hopefully this reading did not put you to sleep!), but will not be present in the deep sleep or the dream state. All states come and go and hence are not Real. As Ramana Maharishi said "what comes and goes is not Real". Your True Nature is none of these states, rather it is THAT which is AWARE of these states or AWARENESS itself.
Yes, for all practical purposes, the Author is still a human being, with all the trappings that come with being a human! Nothing great about this Author whatsoever. To prevent any diversion from what is being pointed to, the Author decided not to elaborate on his/her story in this Blog. Often, the seeker tries, sometimes unknowingly, to emulate the teacher and his behaviour. It is not uncommon to see many a Guru, who has this calm and peaceful demeanor about him and the seeker wonders if that is how a Realized would behave. In confusion, the seeker, then gets frustrated if he has feelings or thoughts of anger and wonders why he/she should have these feelings but not the Guru. There is no way the seeker can truly know what thoughts or feelings are arising in the mind of the Guru. Or sometimes, the seeker may try to have the same experience that the teacher had on his way to Realization. Or else, the seeker may compare one teacher to another and get confused as to how one teacher behaves in comparison to the other, but then both are teaching and speaking the same stuff. Diversity is the nature of Duality and one has to accept this. Each object appears uniquely different and no two objects are exactly alike, and yet their True Nature is just ONE.
For whom? These writings are for the 'false' seeker. For what purpose? Till such time that the 'false' seeker realizes that he/she is a false entity. Once the seeker realizes that he/she is a false entity, then there is no need for the seeker to read such material. Actually, all of this (the writer, the writings and the reader) is just an appearance in THAT, an illusion, so to speak. The only Reality is THAT, the ONE which is every-thing.
To wrap up, you are already full and complete. There is no one and no-thing that can add or subtract anything to or from you. These writings or teachings are only a means of removal of ignorance and in no way will bring about any glory or greatness to any individual. By imbibing these timeless teachings, one's True Nature is revealed. One does not 'GET' True Nature!
So, you can see that all this discussion is only in the wakeful state and does not apply to the two other states. Just like how "you", the reader, is present now in this state of wakefulness (hopefully this reading did not put you to sleep!), but will not be present in the deep sleep or the dream state. All states come and go and hence are not Real. As Ramana Maharishi said "what comes and goes is not Real". Your True Nature is none of these states, rather it is THAT which is AWARE of these states or AWARENESS itself.
Yes, for all practical purposes, the Author is still a human being, with all the trappings that come with being a human! Nothing great about this Author whatsoever. To prevent any diversion from what is being pointed to, the Author decided not to elaborate on his/her story in this Blog. Often, the seeker tries, sometimes unknowingly, to emulate the teacher and his behaviour. It is not uncommon to see many a Guru, who has this calm and peaceful demeanor about him and the seeker wonders if that is how a Realized would behave. In confusion, the seeker, then gets frustrated if he has feelings or thoughts of anger and wonders why he/she should have these feelings but not the Guru. There is no way the seeker can truly know what thoughts or feelings are arising in the mind of the Guru. Or sometimes, the seeker may try to have the same experience that the teacher had on his way to Realization. Or else, the seeker may compare one teacher to another and get confused as to how one teacher behaves in comparison to the other, but then both are teaching and speaking the same stuff. Diversity is the nature of Duality and one has to accept this. Each object appears uniquely different and no two objects are exactly alike, and yet their True Nature is just ONE.
Yes, in this state of duality (called wakeful state), these writings are being written by a human, for other humans (and perhaps aliens? who knows?!) and for the sole purpose of revealing to these human beings that they are not really, really, really, human beings, but rather being beings!! Hopefully, that answers the questions. If not, the discussion can always continue. Who cares?!!
