No Pathway To Heaven

It is true that most if not all people hold the idea of a Heaven and hell. An After life, so to speak. The sad thing is that they have not figured out about this current life! Yet, it is amazing to see the amount of discussion and literature on After life and Heaven or hell. This is indeed part of the amazing story, the story created by the power of Maya (illusion). Maya tries to draw you more and more into the illusion and you willingly fall for it. You are in this free fall of confusion and suffering and all you pray for is to go to heaven one day. A Heaven, where you hope you will eventually become free from all this suffering created by this manifestation. A picture of Heaven has been instilled in your mind by various sources and now there is something to look forward to.  Ah!, a place of utter happiness, which will be an escape from this miserable world. Yet, you have no evidence or knowledge of Heaven. You are eager to know about this Heaven. This is the beacon of hope for you.  A hope that will you keep your mind distracted from the present circumstances. You may ask yourself "but what is wrong with hope?". After all, you have been told by many spiritual leaders that hope is your best bet to end this present cycle of suffering and misery.

With this idea in mind, you go about your frustrating life. One fine day, you wonder if this is all a false hope. You are now very desperate to find out about this whole story of life and after life? What about the NOW? What can I do about now, this very life?  You are now very eager to KNOW your own self and the relationship between your self and the world and Heaven and all else.  And you start praying for an answer.  An answer to know who you are and what is this life and what exactly is Heaven and who is God.  If indeed the desire to KNOW is sincere and honest, then out of nowhere the Guru appears. There is an ancient saying in the East- 'when the student is ready-the teacher appears'. This saying is very true and those who have had this experience will testify to the same.

The Guru gives you the knowledge about your own self. He says that you must first know your self and then you shall know everything.  But, but,....what about.....?, you have so many questions. The Guru asks you to remain attentive to your own self, this undeniable feeling of being, this undeniable sense of presence, this undeniable knowingness, this undeniable knowledge that you are. You trust your Guru for you have complete and unshakeable faith in the Guru. You do exactly as He says. You trust the words of the Guru. You have the CONVICTION in the words of the Guru. For the Guru has come to you and has taken the trouble to find you, that is the least you can do for the Guru. Faith and conviction is all He is asking for.

Nothing more needs to be done. Just CONVICTION in the Guru. Then suddenly in a flash, you Realize your True Nature, your own Self. With this Realization, everything becomes CLEAR. Everything unravels.  All the questions fall away. You Realize that you are NOT an entity called "me".  Never have been.  Indeed, you are the Pure Awareness in which everything appears. Everything, including Heaven.  Appearances have no reality.  Pure Awareness is the only Reality. You have always been and always will be the Pure Awareness.  Pure Awareness IS. There is no question of a heaven or hell or afterlife. You have Realized that Heaven is WITHIN YOU.  Where is the question of a pathway to Heaven? And more importantly, TO WHOM?

The author pays homage to the Guru who is in ALL.

Stairway To Heaven

Whenever there is a mention of the word 'Heaven', all types of conceptual images arise. The fact is that most if not all have no clue what Heaven is or would be. The general conception is that it is a place of eternal happiness and bliss. A place where all your wishes get fulfilled and there shall be no more needs or wants. Indeed a mystical and perhaps mythical place. Most people look up towards the sky to indicate that there is a Heaven somewhere up there or out there. The strange truth is that Heaven is right here and available right now. Yes. That is the plain and simple truth. IT can only be experienced while you are alive. While you still have the feeling or sense of being, the sense "I am".

Heaven is not up there or somewhere out there. Neither do you have to climb up the stairway. On the contrary, one has to climb down the stairway from where you came from. Yes. From where you first started. On going down the stairs, one has to go backwards. Backwards all the way to the beginning. Your beginning. Only when one tries can this stairway be descended. So, why don't you step down and start going back?

At the end of the stairway is a tiny little trap door. The label on the trap door says "I AM". You are now afraid to step in through the trap door for you know not what lies beyond. Do not be afraid. Remember we are heading back to where you came from. From where this whole journey began in the first place. Will you please step in through the trap door. Yes, despite your objections, you will easily fit in through the door.

Once you have stepped through, you enter a dimensionless area of lightless light and soundless sound. An area of stillness of which you are still aware. There is only a feeling of beingness.  You may feel you are in Heaven but actually you are not. This feels like Heaven, you may say. But do not be fooled. It is Heaven and yet it is not.  You want to dwell here for a long long time. It is peaceful, blissful and totally silent. You keep falling through this area unaware of where you will go next. It is almost an endless abyss.

As one falls further into the abyss, at one point you have actually exited out of the area of beingness, and now there is complete absence of any sense of beingness. In this deepest depths of abyss, you have dissolved completely.  There is no question of being or no being. This is the region beyond awareness or no awareness. Indescribable. This is your True resting place, your Home, which you never ever left in the first place. All of the rest is just an imagination. An illusion.  If so, who is it that wants to descend down the stairway to Heaven?

The Great Knowledge I AM

It is not uncommon for a person to take himself/herself to be someone superior to others based on the knowledge that he or she has. One feels that one has so much knowledge of arts, sciences or even spirituality. This inevitably leads one to believe in his or her greatness and uniqueness.  Unfortunately, even pursuit of spiritual knowledge without the guidance of a Guru can lead one to this assumption.  Let us go about in seeing how false this assumption is.

Have you ever questioned as to the primary source of ALL Knowledge? Is it not true that unless you are, there can be no question of a 'you' acquiring knowledge of any kind? Then let us start from the very beginning. The very beginning of a "you". Yes, you, the reader. Let us explore as to where you came from. Can you trace yourself back to the beginning? Just try. Going back is simpler than it appears. In your mother's womb, you were not aware of your own existence (the fact that you are).  Let us call it 'ignorance' of the fact that you are.  However, after the birth of the body, which you now assume as your self, spontaneously and without any particular cause, you came to KNOW you are.  From the 'ignorance' sprouted this Knowledge of Being.  Initially, this was just a generalized knowledge of Being.  Neither being this or that. Just Being.  Then, somewhere in your first two years of existence, this Original Knowledge that you are, became identified with the body and the thoughts.  With this came the idea of being an entity, an entity with a body and mind.  An entity that calls itself "I". Once this "I" idea or thought took hold, there was no going back!  The story just became more and more complicated. Concepts were added over other concepts and here you are thinking of yourself as a person. You now want to be free as you are utterly fed up with the continuously changing concepts about your own self. You are unable to find out who you really, really are.

This knowledge 'I am' (or consciousness) is the very foundation on which all other knowledge depends.  Because of this Knowledge 'I am" (or consciousness) there is the appearance of the world.  This very Knowledge when acting through the senses creates the world for you.  This very Knowledge gives rise to the "I" and the feeling of being an entity. This very Knowledge is the source of all that you know and can ever know.  It is indeed this Knowledge- 'I am", which is so great since it is the creator of all that is known as well as unknown. It is therefore the most valuable of your assets. Pray to this Knowledge -I am. Hold on to IT. Since IT is the source of a 'you', it is also the source of the way out of a 'you'. It is therefore the gateway to freedom. Hang on to IT.  When you thank the Lord, you are actually thanking this Knowledge-I am, for it is the greatest of all. Jnana (Knowledge) is all there is.

Don't you think it is appropriate to go back to where you came from so that you can once and for all identify who you really, really are? Instead of wasting time burying yourself in more and more concepts, is it not appropriate for you to inquire into the primary concept? Do not just read but meditate over what is being said by all the ancient sages. This Great Knowledge I am is available for free to everyone. It is just of matter of paying attention to IT.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Are we all not familiar with the statement ' Don't worry, be happy'?  Yet, are you really, really happy? And then, what exactly is happiness you may say.  Obviously, to each individual the definition of happiness will be different and vary with the conditions and multiple factors. In short, the underlying equation can be summed up as happiness is present when the wants of a person are met. However, in your observation of the world around you, would you agree that when the wants of a person are met there is happiness? Obviously, not.  For when a particular want has been satisfied, there is soon another want or need.  Suppose, you want a really nice big house and you recently won the lottery and actually end up buying a nice big house of your choice, would that be the end of your suffering? Maybe so, for a short period of time. Thereafter, you are back to square one. Which is wanting something else and still suffering as a result thereof.  It soon becomes obvious that searching for permanent or unchanging happiness in this world of changing objects and conditions and environment is futile, since one has no control whatsoever over these changing world. Next, the wants and needs are infinite, including wanting happiness (which in itself is a need and want). Yes, you may portray an image of happiness and contentment, and on asking some people may actually say that they are happy. What they mean is that they are happy at present but cannot testify to that fact at a later time or date. For the one who says he is happy today may have a major tragedy befall him and there goes his state of happiness.


It becomes obvious that no state is permanent or eternal. All states including the state of happiness are transient. So, that brings us back to the question of what exactly do you mean by 'Don't worry, be happy'?  It depends on how you interpret it. The statement itself would have to be split up into two separate statements.

First, let us discuss the statement 'Don't worry' since it seems to precede the next statement of 'be happy'.  Perhaps, not worrying may be a prerequisite to being happy?!! Can you ever be eternally worry free? Not likely. At the least even a very happy person will eventually worry about his pending death and the pain and suffering associated with death. So, how can you be free of worry?  Firstly, worry is nothing but a thought.  A thought that arises spontaneously.  And since you identify yourself with the thoughts you take ownership of the thoughts (worries included). There is no way anyone can be free of worry as long as there is association of one's identity with the body and the mind. In the mind, the thoughts are endless and constantly welling up one after the other. Even if one meditates, there is no question that as soon as one finishes the session of meditation and returns to the surrounding environment, there will be multiple thoughts and as a result worries of some nature or the other.  Anyone who has practiced meditation and yoga would testify to the extreme difficulty and virtual impossibility of permanently controlling thoughts. And that is because thoughts will continue to arise based on vasanas (the only English word that comes close to describing this is "impressions"). To avoid diversion, we will not go into the discussion of vasanas for now. The only way out is for one to inquire into 'who is worrying?'. That brings us back to establishing your real identity. Once it becomes clear that the thoughts are not who you are, then the question of worry does not arise. Since, worries are nothing but thoughts, as soon as one realizes that he or she is not thoughts but one who is aware of thoughts, the worries automatically cease. Therefore, Knowledge remains your only hope. Knowledge of who you really, really are. Once established in this Knowledge of your True Identity, although thoughts may arise, there is no association with them, leaving you to revel in the peaceful oneness with your own self.



Now, we will discuss the other half of the statement "be happy". Actually, when the first part of the statement is clarified and one becomes established in one's own True Nature, the second part is automatic.  Once you stop worrying, where is the question of worrying about being happy?  There is no question of one being eternally happy. One is automatically happy being one's own self. Just Being is being happy. As soon as you be someone, then there are all sorts of states of mind to which you are attached. That is because, being this or that or someone involves being associated with the thoughts or the mind. Happiness is your True Nature. There is no question of a "me" being eternally happy. As soon as there is a "me" (an entity with a name and form, a someone), there are all sorts of emotions that this "me" can attach itself to and hence the happiness is also transient.  Remember, being me is unhappiness. Just being is happiness.

I Am All There Is

Get this clear as it is relevant to who you are too. Because I am, there is the world of objects. If I am not, can there really be a world or the universe or for that matter any thing?  Since, all feelings arise in me, they are all me. Since, thoughts arise in me, all thoughts are me. Since, sensations arise in me, they are all me.  All perceptions arise in me, and hence all perceptions are me. Since all objects are nothing but thoughts, and thoughts arise in me, all objects are therefore me and nothing else. All thoughts, feelings and perceptions arise and subside in me. Therefore, all is me. I AM ALL THERE IS.  There can be none other than me. I alone AM.

Pure Consciousness, Self Consciousness and Consciousness of Objects

There is often a lot of confusion about the use of the word consciousness. While it can loosely be defined as 'awareness of one's own existence, sensations, and surroundings', when used in Advaita literature, it can have a whole different connotation. We will explore the meaning behind consciousness as used in Non-Duality literature.

In your unmanifest natural state, you are Pure Consciousness or the Absolute. In this so called state, there is no awareness of being or not being. This state is beyond description but definitely one that is intuitively known to a Jnani (Realized).

Then, there is the state of Self Consciousness or the state of Awareness of Being, or knowing that I am. It is this state of Self Consciousness which is experienced by all but ignored by almost all but a few.  It is the state which is always known to everyone as the sense of Presence. No one reading this blog right now can deny their own existence at this very moment. It is simply the state of Being. Not being this or that. Just Being.

The next state is the state of Consciousness of Objects or the state of being a Jeeva (individual or ego). In this state, one thinks of oneself as being this or being that and attaches attributes to the original state of being.  In this state, the primary knowledge "I am" gets further translated into the concept "I am so and so" or "I am this body" or "I am John".  Simply put, one attaches a name and form to the primary concept "I am".  The "I am" gets polluted with multiple and constantly changing attributes such as " I am happy", or "I am sad" or "I am rich" or "I am poor" or  "I am enlightened" or "I am ignorant" and so on and so forth. What is evident is the fact that the attributes are limitless and always changing veering from one opposite to the other.  A state of utter confusion and delusion.

Most seekers are stuck in the state of a Jeeva until they meet or somehow come across the teachings of a Guru, who then shows them their True Nature as being other than the body or the mind.  Some will realize the state of Self Consciousness and fewer still will abide in their ultimate state of the Absolute.

While these states and classifications are meant to make it easy for the ignorant Jeeva to understand, in essence they have no such demarcations. It is all ONE and there can be none other than the One. All these states etc. are only to get the Jeeva to understand the essence of One-ness of all. All questions arise in the state of Consciousness of Objects.

Pride- The Biggest Obstacle

For years and months you may have been struggling to find the answer that has been so elusive. But, when it happens, it happens in a flash. In a fraction of a second, it all becomes clear. The whole story becomes obvious. You Realize that the one searching is the one sought.  It is after all an epiphany that occurs to most of the seekers.  There is no doubt that for quite some time thereafter, there are a multitude of emotions that pass through the mind. One may cry or one may laugh for even small occurrences.  One realizes how simple it all is and yet so elusive.

The big problem is that the ego is not going to surrender that easily.  It has vested a lot a in maintaining its portrayal of being real.  The ego has over the years become a behemoth. It will not go down as easily as that, just because it became clear in an instant that it is totally, totally false. The ego is now ready for a final fight. A fight for its own survival. It will do all it can to make sure that the sense of "I am this body and mind" survives despite the Blessings and Grace of the Guru.  All of you readers have read about the many stories of battles between the good and the evil.  In the various ancient mythological stories and up to the modern times, these stories are all pervasive.  Now the story is all too familiar as it is being fought, right here at home.

The ego makes one feel like " I am a Realized Person".  The ego makes one say " I know something that you (poor ignorant fellow) don't yet know".  The ego makes one feel like " I can help the mass of suffering humanity".  In many a case, the ego is slowly but surely winning ground.  This is most evident in the fact that the one who is Realized begins to slowly fall into this trap. In fact, the trap is so slippery that the fall is all the way to the bottom.  All that has been achieved is lost so easily, to the ego, to the sense of pride in the "me".   The ego ( the "I-thought") behaves in a manner that makes one feel superior to the ignorant others. How can all these people be so ignorant- you begin to say to yourself.  There is a look of bewilderment in those who cannot follow what you say but can feel that there is some element of truth in what you are saying. Some may even begin to call you a 'guru'.  There may be adulation from the ignorant masses. Slowly but surely, one begins to fall in the trap of the "name associated with the form", which is none other than the ego, this 'me'. The once beaten down "small me" becomes a BIG ME.  After all, this "me" is now Realized, Enlightened.  "I am now the ONE"- you are convinced.  Pity the poor ignorant people who just cannot "get it"- you begin to think to yourself.  It is all too common to see many a guru who falls into the trap of the ego, enjoying all the adulation, enjoying all the very traps of wealth and fame which they ask their followers to despise and discard.

There  is no bigger obstacle than PRIDE.  Pride in the sense of achievement is the biggest obstacle to True Realization. So, how does one go about avoiding or battling this pride - which is none other than the ego masquerading as pride? This where the Guru comes into the picture.  The Grace of the Guru should never be forgotten.   One should unblinkingly think of the Guru at all times. One must never, ever, feel that they have achieved anything in life. All achievement is the Grace of the Guru. One must be totally, totally convinced that "I have never done anything ever".  All that is, is the Grace of the Guru.  Again, and again,  it is exhorted here, that TOTAL SURRENDER is a must. One must surrender completely to the Guru. As soon as the ego raises its head up, and it will do so many many times, it must be decapitated.  Give up all sense of pride in being an individual. Remember, there are no individuals. There is only Consciousness and all belongs to Consciousness.

Much Ado About Nothing

If one actually reaches the conclusion which this author hopes all who read this blog will eventually do, it will become abundantly clear that all of this is much ado about nothing. In your Absolute state, there is neither a you nor the inquiry nor the world of objects. You may say, then why should I even DO any of this inquiry. Well, if you do not inquire into who you really, really are, then you will continue to suffer. The concept of being an entity or an individual is the source of all suffering. Find out who you are and when you eventually do, then you will actually laugh (or cry) at the many years you spent trying to put an end to your suffering. How strange is it for mankind to go on searching for something that he/she already is! Totally amazing, isn't it?

Keep it simple for simplicity is your True Nature. Don't go on building concepts over concepts and get lost in a maze. The maze leads you away from your self.  To come back to your own self, one must give up all concepts. How difficult can that be? If one just sticks to the primary concept "I am", then will other concepts develop? Just get to the root of this primary concept -"I am". When one goes to the source of the river, is there any turbulence or currents? Is there actually a river, when one goes to the source?  If one goes farther away from the source of the river, what does one get? The ocean, of course! Is it not easier to drown in the vastness of the ocean?  In the same way, the farther one goes away from his/her source, the more he drowns in his own concepts.

First, Know Your Self

What you think is not who you are.  And yet, you believe in what you think. Although, these thoughts are constantly changing you still place total belief in these thoughts. Strange, isn't it? Any one who has given any attention to the analysis of who they are, is sure to be surprised with the answer.

Let us suppose you are currently this body that you think you are, since you are absolutely convinced about it. When this body was "born", you had no such claim. In fact, you had no such claim for about 18 months or longer into your infancy.  Then, because of your parents repeatedly addressing you as the body, you began to understand that your parents mean the body when they address you by a name. You were therefore "born" nameless and without identity. Then an identity with the body was established by your parents. You, who had no name and yet were existing, were given a name.  You got the knowledge, ' I am so and so'.  Armed with this knowledge, you established that since you were this "I" (the first person), everyone else was separate from you and different and therefore called "him, her, them" (second, third persons). Armed with this knowledge, you labeled everyone else also with names and gave them an identity based on their form or body.  This gradually got ingrained into you to the point that you gave this full credibility. You believed in being a body with a name, separate from others and the rest of the world.

Add to this, as the days became years and encounters with the society increased, you were given even more information about your identity. Not only did you now have a name and a body, but also multiple identities depending on what one was talking about. For instance, if there was a discussion on religion, and if someone asked you "what are you?', you immediately replied " I am a Christian" or " I am a Hindu"  or what ever you were TOLD you were by your parents and society.  If the discussion was about your job, your answer could be " I am an engineer" or " I am a businessman" or what ever identity you assumed relative to your job.  To some you are the 'Manager' or the 'Engineer' and to others you may be 'Dad' or 'Mom' and yet to others you may be 'Son' or 'Daughter'.  Your current identity is always relative to the others and it keeps on changing.  You get the gist of where this is going. So, depending on how long this mental conditioning has been going on, and the older you are the more the mental conditioning, you would have assumed multiples of identities.  The more knowledge you accumulated, the more complex became the maze of identities. YOU ARE LOST! You are confused.  You are insecure in your maze of identities. You don't know who you really, really are. You are unable to pinpoint one single identity as being your self.

All this while, you FORGOT your original identity, which was just being you, without a name or an identity. How happy, innocent and contented you looked when you were in that state of just Being!  If you ever doubt what is being said here, just look at the face of a one month old infant and you will realize what is being pointed you.

You perhaps came to this website or blog thinking you will be given even more knowledge about spirituality or some such stuff. Of what use is more knowledge if you don't know who you are? Is it not important to know on what foundation a building is standing before building on more floors or stories on top of the building? Do you know your foundation?  And can you see the foundation without removing the existing floors?  Why not remove or discard all existing knowledge of yourself and settle down to what you started with?

Don't just assume identities based on what your were told. LOOK and SEE what you were at the beginning.  REALIZE that you are formless and nameless to begin with and always.  Do not get carried away by the added layers of knowledge.  Go back to what you always have been. DON'T BE THIS OR THAT. JUST BE.

Nothing is Simpler than Seeing one's own Self

It is indeed amazing how a Guru can show the clearest and easiest path to Liberation and yet the seeker (or more appropriately 'the ego') will refuse to see the clarity and simplicity of the message. Contrary to what many of you readers may be thinking, it is not necessary to blindly accept what the Guru is saying. Instead, it is imperative that you must question and analyze the teachings and sayings of the Guru and come to your own conclusion. This process is called inquiry into the Self. However, it is this author's opinion that complete and unquestioned faith in the Guru is the essential ingredient in the successful culmination of one's effort to attain liberation. Nothing could be simpler than SEEING one's own Self.

As Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi said - " When rightly considered, nothing will be more wonderful and laughable than one's toiling very much through some sadhana(spiritual practice) to attain Self in the same manner as one toils to attain other objects, even though one really ever remains as the non-dual Self".

If one listens carefully to the above (Shravana) and then cogitates over this simple teaching (Manana) and meditates on the nature of one's own Self or internalizes one's conceptual understanding as a fact (Nidhidhyasana), then one merges with the Guru, which is Self Realization or Liberation. Ramana Maharishi started out by clearly saying "when rightly considered....." and hence He implies inquiry and questioning the very methodology i.e. sadhana or practice, by the seeker.  However, upon careful and complete inquiry, there is no doubt that one will arrive at the conclusion that it is utterly ridiculous for one to perform any kind of sadhana to BE what one already IS!! There is only ONE without a second and hence the concept of being any thing other than THAT ONE is nothing other than a concept.  A concept is not real. Only THAT is the Reality.  Why don't you investigate and SEE for your self?

The Sounds of Silence- Part 2

How does one ever understand what the sages were trying to convey in their description of the Absolute as Silence or Stillness? Well, there is a way. The way to go about is to renounce or discard every concept that the mind tries to bring up in description of the Truth. Whenever we communicate, including here, we have to use words or sounds to do so. But what exactly are words? They are just ways for the mind to create a concept or imagination or image. For instance, if someone says 'computer', the person hearing it immediately conceptualizes a 'box with a screen showing images and a keyboard attached to it'. But the word itself is nothing but a sound or an image on paper. Without this ability to conceptualize, it is impossible for communication to occur between people. All communication is at the level of the mind. All words and sounds are in duality.


In asking the student to merge into Silence, the Sages gave an easy solution to finding the Truth. They have asked the seeker or the student to give up or negate all concepts or imaginations. In fact, the sages were speaking from their own experience of  Nirvikalpa samadhi.  In the state of nirvikalpa there is absolutely no concept and yet it is still a state of the mind and therefore limited in time. In this state of the mind, there is utter stillness or silence. Silence means absence of concepts or absence of any mental modifications or vritti (vritti-activity of forming concepts in the mind). 'Nir' means 'no or without' and 'kalpa' means 'aeon or a long period of time'. We know that time is a concept of the mind and there can be no creation without time.  Vikalpa is impression of thought or concept. Therefore, Nirvikalpa is the absence of thought, absence of time and concepts; a state where there  is no thought, no movement in consciousness or awareness of any concepts or images. But as soon as we describe this state, we begin to conceptualize and imagine this state and immediately move away from what is being pointed to. All concepts are a result of movements in consciousness. So, when the student returned to the Sage to ask if this state of nirvikalpa samadhi is the Truth, the Sage replied "neti"- meaning 'not this'. The Sage was asking the student to renounce or discard even this experience and what is left over is Blank- indescribable but intuitively understood as That which is prior to or beyond all concepts including the conceptual experience of nirvikalpa.

But, the student was not able to grasp this abstract answer given by the Sage. The Sage then had to tell the student that it is through Knowledge of Discrimination (viveka) that the mind can finally get the intuitive understanding of the Truth. This is called intuitive understanding (or Understanding as this author likes to call it- with a capital U) by careful use of the Knowledge of Discrimination. For the majority of seekers of Truth who are likely mired in the endless concepts created by the mind, the discrimination between the false and the Truth is the way to empty the mind of all the useless concepts one by one. In this endeavor, complete faith in the words of the Guru or the Sage is vital. The words of the Guru are the way to the Truth.  For many a student, the way to Silence is through the sound or words of the Guru. When one hangs on to the words of the Guru with complete unconditional faith, there is utter Stillness and Silence for one merges with the Guru. In hanging on to the words of the Guru, one loses his/her identity and merges into the Silence, the very Silence from which all the sounds of the Sadguru emerge.

The Sounds of Silence- Part 1

Your True Nature is Silence, Stillness, Unmoving, and Solid. Is it not amazing that so much has been written, discussed, talked about in so many languages about a simple subject of silence. How can words and sounds describe silence? It is almost as absurd as someone shouting to describe or emphasize silence!  The words and sounds try to carve an image of silence. But is it really possible? Silence by itself indicates the absence of sound. And yet all sounds must emerge from silence. For if there is no sound, there is silence and the interval between sounds is silence. Therefore, the best way to describe silence is to remain silent. The author's Guru, Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi was best known for this particular method of teaching about the Truth and even those who were in His presence were silenced spontaneously. There is no better way to convey the Truth than mouna (silence).

That brings us to the question of why the ancient Rishis and Sages describe the Absolute as also Silence or Stillness. They figured that if they try to describe the Absolute with any word or sound then it would not be true. Any one who has "experienced" the Truth knows fully well that there is no way to describe It.  Therefore, the only way to point a seeker of Truth in the right direction would be emphasize the absence of any sound or movement and one way to communicate the same in words is to describe it as Silence or Stillness. In fact, the production of sound is in itself a creation of duality. In the non-dual Truth, there is but nothing, just this indescribable Stillness or Silence. Yet, all creation is arising out of this Stillness or Silence. It is indeed Silence which is full of sound. It is indeed Stillness which is full of movement. Sound and movement are in consciousness but the Truth is beyond or prior to consciousness.

So, how is one to understand what the Sages were trying to convey? For this we will go to part 2 of this topic.

Don't Go Chasing Experiences

The experience is what the seeker hopes will give him/her realization of the Truth. Unfortunately, this myth has been perpetuated by misinterpretation of the teachings of the ancient texts on Advaita.  Strange as it may seem, only one who has Realized can truly understand the message of these ancient texts without misinterpretation. While the purpose of these texts or teachings is to point a seeker towards the Truth of who they are, the paradox is that the real meaning cannot be grasped until the seeker Realizes the Truth.

Most seekers are chasing experiences throughout their spiritual journey. They have been told or somehow come to the conclusion that Self Realization is some sort of everlasting ecstatic experience where once and for all the world as it is ceases to exist. This cannot be farther from the truth of it.  One must realize that all experiences have a beginning and must therefore have an end. What begins and ends cannot be the Truth for the Truth is eternal and that implies no beginning and no end.  After the so called ecstatic experience ends, the experiencer, which in this case is the seeker, goes back to the same mundane state or field of mundane experiences and ends up being disappointed.  Remember, what comes and goes is not Real. Then what is Real? Obviously, any experience cannot be real for all experiences must have a beginning.

The object of experience can exist only if there is an experiencer.  There must be experiencing for there to be an experienced. There must be experiencing for there to be an experiencer. The only common factor is experiencing. One must focus the mind on the experiencer.  As soon as the experiencer is realized to be a false entity, the object of experience disappears and all that remains is experiencing. Experiencing is always in the present.  It is always here and now.  There is no experiencer or experienced, only experiencing. Experiencing is the manifestation of Consciousness and is only in the realm of Consciousness. Being is experiencing, without an experiencer or experienced.

So, would you still chase experiences knowing that it is a futile effort? Stop it, right here and now. Just BE.

Reconciling the Truth with the Illusion

A common criticism for the philosophy of Advaita or Non-dualism is that it is not practical. Many a seeker feels that this teaching cannot reconcile with what is the perceived reality of the world. This is because, to the seeker, what is called the Illusion or the world and its activities goes on despite the assertions of the Guru that it all nothing but an illusion. When carefully probed it becomes clear that the problem is not in Advaita. On the contrary, it is obvious that the very problem lies in the seeker having not found out his True Nature. On realizing one's True Nature, the Truth remains and the Illusion remains only as an illusion. The Illusion does not disappear for the so called "me' since the "me' and the illusion are one and the same. The "me" is part of the illusion.  One cannot be a part of the illusion and see the illusion for what it is.  Just like a person who is sleeping cannot tell you that he is sleeping well.  The seeker wants to maintain his identity while investigating into the nature of the Truth. How can the seeker realize the Truth with this condition of maintaining a separate identity? Only when the feeling "me' as being a separate entity with independence subsides does the Truth become apparent and obvious immediately. Yet, there is actually no one to claim observance or realization of the Truth. Truth is not an object to be realized. Truth is itself the grounds or the substratum upon which all of manifestation arises. Because it is difficult to put Truth into words for communication, one has to rely on commonly used words in language to point to the Truth. Yet the word is not the thing and this must be borne in mind when investigating into the nature of Truth. The question of reconciling Truth with the Illusion can only arise for a seeker who has not fully Realized the Truth. For upon Realization, there is no one to put forward any questions. The seeker has merged in the Truth. Only Truth remains.

May be this analogy will help in understanding your True Nature. A wave is nothing but the water of the ocean with a form.  In reality, the wave is nothing but water. The ocean is nothing but water. When a wave has merged into the ocean, it is nothing but the ocean itself. Can a wave that has merged in the water of the ocean ever make claims to being a wave? Can the wave that has merged in the ocean and can never be apart from the ocean, have any identity now? In the same way, a wave which Realizes its own True Nature as being only the ocean (or the water of the ocean), can calmly relax being a wave without worrying about its future and its own impending destruction as a form. The wave on Knowing its own True Self does not get destroyed as a form immediately but continues on its journey as a wave. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves that they are in reality just the water of the ocean. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves that they did not choose to be born as a wave and they have no control on when the form as a wave will subside. The wave form has appeared on the surface of the ocean and will spontaneously merge back into the ocean when its time is up. The non-realized waves, assuming themselves to be forms with different shapes and sizes, have overlooked the fact that they are after all nothing but the water of the ocean in reality. The non-realized waves have falsely taken the form to be the reality and ignored their true nature which is water. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves not to worry about themselves or their future of possibly being relentlessly thrown  against a rock or destroyed otherwise against their will. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves that they are not apart from the ocean in any way and have never ever been apart from the ocean.  In fact, the ocean is the substratum of their existence as a wave. In fact, the waves all arise and subside into the ocean. The ocean remains as it always has been, unchanged as a body of water.

Your True Nature or your True Self is like the water, the water at the bottom of the ocean, Still and Peaceful and undisturbed by the world of activities and turmoil which is apparent on the surface.  Be Your Self.

Knowledge is Ignorance

What you seek in the form of knowledge has to be based on the Primary Knowledge that you exist. This Knowledge of Existence is delivered in the form of the thought 'I am". You KNOW you ARE.  There is no doubt about it. You are absolutely certain about your existence without anyone telling you about it.  In your Original True State, you did not know you exist and then all of a sudden this Knowledge appeared spontaneously. This knowledge or "I-consciousness" arose spontaneously in your early childhood. You took this knowledge as being true and thereafter started building a story about yourself being an entity with a body and name. The "I-consciousness" or the Knowledge 'I am' is the Primary Illusion. Based on this illusion, you have gone about accumulating more and more indirect or acquired knowledge. Never having questioned the validity of this Primary Knowledge, your quest for spiritual knowledge was pursued in the wrong direction! The spiritual knowledge or indirect knowledge is nothing but more layers of ignorance(not knowledge as you think) added upon the Primary Illusion or Primary Knowledge of "I-consciousness".  Hence, despite all your claims to understanding of the pointers to your True State, you have continued to suffer because you have failed to understand this Primary Knowledge.  Suffering means that you have continued to search and seek out knowledge or experiences.

It is imperative that you question as to how this Primary Knowledge or consciousness came upon you. This Primary Knowledge can be present only as long as this body form is nourished with food and maintained. When this food body disintegrates (called 'death' in common lay terms), then the Primary Knowledge departs.  So, where has all your accumulated knowledge gone to?  What is the use of all your accumulated indirect knowledge of the arts, spirituality, sciences etc.? What is the sum total of all your indirect knowledge and experiences?  Could you have had any experience of any kind without consciousness?  Is it not true therefore that all experiences are in consciousness? And is it not true that you have placed so much emphasis on the experiences and on the indirect acquired knowledge of spirituality without inquiring as to who or what is the primary experiencer? Is it not true that all your sadhana (spiritual practice) is only to perpetuate and pay homage to the acquired knowledge and experiences? Can you in all sincerity ask yourself these questions and come to conclusions?

This Primary Knowledge is time bound and body bound. Therefore it is not eternal. What you truly, truly ARE is THAT, which is ETERNAL.  Eternal means that which is not born and therefore does not die, that which is timeless and therefore any thing cannot be IT.  So, it is essential to analyze and understand the true nature and origins of this Primary Knowledge and having understood that it is only an illusion, an appearance bound by time, you discard it as not you. The Primary Knowledge- I am, is itself not the Truth but it is all that you have access to. Therefore, while you must pray to this Primary Knowledge as your God, you must realize that what you truly, truly ARE is Prior to this Primary Knowledge.  Question this Primary Knowledge of I am.  Stay with this Knowledge.  Pray to this Knowledge.  It will lead you to Its Source. Keep the mind focused on this Primary Knowledge, the Knowledge 'I am'. Anything else you think about is leading you away from Its Source.  As this author's Guru Nisargadatta Maharaj pointed out- "Go back. Recede." Realizing that you are Prior to any knowledge or ignorance, can you take any pride in knowing who you truly, truly ARE?

What you truly, truly ARE is prior to or beyond any knowledge and ignorance. Discarding all knowledge and ignorance as not mine, I rest in my True State which is the Stateless State of THAT.  I am THAT.

Caught up in the Words

Often one gets caught up in all the words to describe the Absolute. This leaves one wondering as to why he/she cannot continuously experience what is being pointed to as Bliss, Stillness, Peace etc. Unfortunately, this can lead one to utter frustration and desperation in the search for the Truth.  Simply put, the Truth is already here and always now.  What one needs to do is to simply stop identifying one's self with the body.  All one needs is to have the intuitive and deep Understanding of what is being pointed to and remove the false identification with the body.

This could not have been put more simply than by Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi who stated: "The means prescribed for securing the spiritual end, such as charity, penance, sacrifice, dharma (virtuous conduct), yoga, bhakti (devotion) and the end itself described variously as Heaven, Supreme Object, Peace, Truth, Grace, The Quiescent State, Deathless Death, True Knowledge, Renunciation, Moksha (liberation) and Bliss, are all nothing but being free from the obsession that the body is the Self. Give up regarding yourself as this despicable body and realize your Real Nature, which is one of Eternal Bliss."

Ramana Maharshi continues by saying "Seeking to know thyself while still anxious about the welfare of the body is like attempting to cross a stream with the aid of a crocodile for a raft".

What more can this author add to this utterly simple message from the Maharshi? The author remains eternally grateful to Ramana Maharshi.

Renouncing Maya/ Illusion

The seeker often asks "what after Realization?".  Will Maya (Illusion) still persist? While a long discourse could be given to expand on this question, this author feels that the words of Saint Kabir are more to the point in this matter. Perhaps the reader will agree.

Tell me, Brother, how can I renounce Maya?
When I gave up the tying of ribbons, still I tied my garment
about me:
When I gave up tying my garment, still I covered my body in its
folds.
So, when I give up passion, I see that anger remains;
And when I renounce anger, greed is with me still;
And when greed is vanquished, pride and vain and glory remain;
When the mind is detached and casts Maya away, still it clings to
the latter.
Kabîr says, "Listen to me, dear Sadhu! the true path is rarely
found."                               

                                                                    -Saint Kabir

To Do or Not to Do, That is the Question

There is somewhat of a paradox in all of this teaching. Sometimes, the Teacher or Guru will say 'do this' and at other times will contradict himself in saying 'don't do this'.  The student or seeker gets confused and wonders what is the right thing to do.  The student then asks the Guru a question for clarification and the Guru tells him/her, " don't do either and just keep quiet".  That makes the student even more confused. Is this a ploy on part of the Guru to keep the student constantly confused and therefore be a disciple forever? Obviously, NOT! The true Guru has only the interest of the student in his mind. He wants the student to Understand what He is pointing to with the greatest of ease. Then why is it that there are so many contradictory messages coming from the same Guru?  The reason is simple enough.  Depending on the mental development of the questioner (the seeker), the Guru gives the appropriate answer which is tailored only to the needs of the questioner.  Just as there infinite expressions of the same Truth,  there are infinite number of pointers to the only Truth.

For one who has still got a strong belief in being an entity with a body and mind (which is true for all seekers), there will always be a question of what exactly must one do to attain Enlightenment or Self-Realization.  For such a seeker, despite all assurances by the Guru that one already is what one is seeking, there are still many questions and doubts persisting.  For such a seeker, it is essential to do some form of spiritual practice (sadhana) to get the mind to be able to focus one-pointedly at the core of the Teaching. The sadhana or practice can be in the form of japa (mental chanting of a mantra or the Lord's name), dhyana or meditation, bhajan (praise of the Lord in the form of a song), or pranayama (control of the breath) or study of the scriptures. This practice is essential for many a seeker to calm the mind down enough to be able to grasp the gist or essence of what is being pointed to.

When a seeker has reached the level of mental maturity or if he/she is initially so inclined even without any spiritual practice (sadhana), then the very essence of the Teaching from the Guru reaches its mark, like an arrow hits the bulls-eye.  Once the pointers from the Teacher are very clear to the seeker, the seeker then pursues an investigation (vichara) or more appropriately an investigation into the source of his own self (atma vichara).  By pursuing such a course of investigation, the seeker Realizes the Truth or the Self (the REAL SELF).  On Realizing the Self, the seeker disappears or merges into the Self. As the seeker disappears, who is there to ask any questions and who is there to have any doubts?  No seeker, no questions, no doubts, no answers needed. Just the Self, shining in its own Glory. 

If such a Person (one who has Realized the Self) is then asked by a seeker "what should I do to get to where you are?",  the Person will answer quite appropriately " there is nothing to be done by anyone for All is One and One is All. Who or what is there to do anything? Just Be as you ARE."

For one who is mentally prepared to receive the Final Answer to all questions and doubts, the message from the Guru will be the sword that will kill the questioner or the seeker itself.  But, as long as one holds on to the imaginary entity called "me" and cherishes the survival of this entity, the Final Answer will not be acceptable. He or she will play the game of Advaita entertainment- a game of asking a million questions- what if and why this or why not that- and in the end wonder what is the Truth.

Each one of you who is reading this message knows exactly where you stand in terms of your search for the Truth.  Based on your stand, you will get the answer to the question " Should I or should I not do spiritual practice (sadhana)?".

May God bless you.

No Questions About IT

"I clearly understand all that is taught in Advaita philosophy, but.....". This is perhaps the most common comment from a true seeker and most will admit that while this teaching in some way resonates with them, they still continue to have doubts and as a result continue to suffer.  Why is that? The reason is quite simple enough.  Almost all seekers look at this teaching as something to attain. They somehow have this notion that once they intellectually understand the teaching, then everything will automatically fall in place. The problem is that they have started out with the wrong belief of being an individual, an entity that has some substance and is independent of the world around them. They look at themselves as being separate.  To them, THAT is some 'thing' that can be attained and added to their list of achievements. To them, God is a separate entity, an entity that can be KNOWN. They fail to realize that anything that is known is an object.  And all objects can exist only if there is a SUBJECT that can know them.  They have failed to understand the very foundation of the entire teaching of Advaita or Non-Duality.  Instead of turning their ENTIRE ATTENTION TOWARDS THE SUBJECT i.e. "I", they look to the world of objects, reading material, talks, and sensual experiences for an answer.  As long as there is this feeling of being a separate entity, there is no way that one can REALIZE one's True Nature.  Give up this concept of being a conceptual entity. Enquire into the nature of this concept called 'me'.  Giving up all concepts, what and who are you?  Without a form or name or a label, can you please describe your self?  Any description has to be related to a concept.  Because you believe your True Self to be also a concept, you look for conceptual understanding.  You are not a concept. YOU ARE THAT!  How can THAT which is beyond all concepts be ever described or grasped?

So, what can one do to REALIZE?  One can only let this Knowledge sink in deep within, without trying to conceptualize. Thereafter, the intellect is given up in favor of intuition. Intuition comes from the Heart. Heart is what one has to rely on to Realize one's True Nature. Heart is where the Grace is.  When one gives up the intellectual battles and relaxes, leaving everything to Grace, then Grace takes over and Self-Realization is natural. In fact, you can never be apart from Grace. All struggle, including the struggle for Realization is by the ego. Giving up the struggle means giving up the ego.

One who has REALIZED will never say " I understand IT!".  He or she will just keep quiet. When there are no further doubts or questions, then one can be sure that there has been UNDERSTAND-ING.  The one who has questions dissolves as soon as Realization occurs.  Who is there to have any questions? There can be no questions about IT.

I Know Not Who I am

Bulla! I know not who I am
Bulla! I know not who I am

Nor am I the believer in the mosque
Nor am I in Idol worship
Nor am I in the pure or the impure

Nor am I in the Vedas
Nor am I in intoxicants
Nor am I the carefree deviant

Nor am I union nor grief
Nor am I in the pure or the impure
Nor am I of the water nor of the land

Nor am I fire nor air
Bulla! I know not who I am

Nor am I Arabic nor from Lahore (city in Punjab)
Nor am I the Indian city of Nagpur
Nor a Hindu nor a Peshawari Turk

Nor did I create the difference of faith
Nor did I create Adam or Eve
Nor did I name myself

Beginning or end, I know just the self
Do not recognize "the other one"
There is none wiser than I

Who is this Bulla Shah?
Bulla! I know not who I am

Written by Bulla Shah, an 18th Century Sufi Saint

Love for the Divine

You may wonder where this particular essay is heading to. Is this really Advaita when we talk about love for the Divine? The fact of the matter is that you long for union with the Universal Consciousness.  It is the common goal of every individual. Only, one does not know that this is what they want. This union, if it can be so called, is what results in the feeling of unexplainable peace or joy. In this state of union, there is no sense of a "me" and there is no description of the state that can be put into words. This state of union with the Divine is ineffable. This union, this discovery of God or the Divine, is the simplest and most natural of things, if only one could grasp what is being pointed to. This union can be achieved not through any intellectual exercise (including just reading this or other Advaitic literature) or through ceremonial and ritual activities, but only through sheer and sincere devotion and love for the Divine. The Divine is closer to you than you are. The Divine or God, is the source of you and thereby everything else. The goal can be literally reached without crossing the road. The Divine may be best found in the here and now. It is just a matter of letting go of the external distractions and influences and surrendering to the Divine. As the saying goes you must believe in what you don't know so that you can come to know what you believe in. There is no point in looking for the Divine elsewhere when HE is right here and now. Just return home to the place you never left.

Faith-the Link Between Man and God

 This is a story that this author recently came across and wanted to share with you all.  It goes as follows:

An atheist Professor of Philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.

He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Studen: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof :You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student:Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From...God.. .

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student:Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof:  Yet you still believe in Him?

Student:Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold . Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student :You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is that your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant
of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a
monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the
argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in an uproar by now.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.  With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent.. The professor stares at the student, his face
unfathomable. )

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it, sir... The link between man and God is FAITH.  That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

This is a true story, and the student was none other than.........Swami Vivekananda.

The Search is in the Mind

There are two questions that must be answered before the Ultimate Knowledge dawns on anyone. One, who is the one seeking the Knowledge (the seeker)? The second question is, where is the search going on? These two questions form the essence of all inquiry.  In fact, once these questions are answered, then there are no further questions to be answered for the one who is the questioner dissolves or disappears, so to speak.

Let us look at the first question. Who exactly is the seeker? The seeker (the 'me' or the ego) is essentially only a thought.  But, when confronted with the above declaration, the seeker refuses to accept it quoting all kinds of objections.  It is because the ego fears to be discovered as a false entity.  So much has been invested in this false sense of being an entity, that the very questioning of its existence makes the ego fight back with all its might.  However, the fact is that when the ego (the seeker) is confronted with the question of its validity, the ego vanishes like a ghost.

You, the reader, obviously think that you are the body sitting in front of the computer and reading this material. But, are you really the body? Have you ever asked this question in sincerity? Most probably not. For most people, reading Advaitic literature is a form of entertainment.  To some this is just something interesting.  To others, this is something strange, something different from the mundane literature out there. The average reader looks at it as a philosophy, and not as a means of liberation, which is what it really is. 

So, getting back to the question, who exactly is cognizing right now?  Can the body which is made up of elements see and comprehend i.e. cognize?  Can water and minerals, which is what the body is made up of, read or cognize?  So, you say " my mind is cognizing". So, who is the "my"? Obviously, someone apart from the mind since the mind is employed or owned by this "me".  Can you please verify the exact location of this "me"?  Cannot find it, eh? In the absence of this "me", who is reading, seeing, cognizing?  And what exactly is the mind other than a bundle of thoughts?  Can there be a mind/ thought in the absence of consciousness? In consciousness, the mind, which is nothing but a bundle of thoughts, appears. The primary thought is the thought "I am".  This thought establishes the concept of an individual called "me".  This primary concept is the basis for all other thoughts and concepts. But on close inspection and inquiry, this "me" is but a thought. Now, can a thought actually see, read, cognize? So what is happening is that cognizing is happening in consciousness, and along comes the "I-thought" which then claims to be the one doing the cognizing.  In reality, the "I" is only re-congizing.  So, the seeker is actually just a thought of being an individual, who believes that he/she is doing everything.  But, in reality, all is happening in consciousness. There is no actual do-er. Thoughts cannot see, cognize, or do. Thoughts are transient and fleeting and have no permanency.

The second question is also easy to answer.  Do you ask any questions in deep dreamless sleep? No way, you say. Is it not true that in deep dreamless sleep, there are no thoughts including the thought of 'I', no world, no worries, no questions? In the state of waking, along with the appearance of the mind, arise various questions such as "who am I?", "why is this world so miserable and unjust?", " I don't like this or that",  or "why am I not getting enlightenment?".  In deep dreamless sleep, can you deny your existence?  You exist for sure but without any questions or seeking.  So, it is only with the appearance of the mind, that the whole search for your self began. Till then you were actually quite happy!  No kidding. Who can deny that they are not happy in the state of deep dreamless sleep? In fact, you wake up and say "I slept happily"!! Therefore, the search and the seeker are in the mind.  The REAL YOU is neither the mind nor the body, nor the seeker. Just BE.

Transcending Consciousness- Part 2 (Simple Analogy)

It is suggested that you read Part 1 of this article before reading this part. As is evident after reading part 1, that this can all be quite confusing to the ordinary mind that is conditioned to create a concept out of every bit of knowledge.  What is being pointed to in Advaita literature is beyond the reach of the mind as the mind is a content of THAT and there is no way one can describe THAT with the mind.  It is similar to one being unable to see their own eyes without a mirror.  The reflection in the mirror is not your real eye, but the reflection definitely gives you an idea of how your eyes appear to others when they see your eyes.  The pointers are all meant to give you an idea of what Reality is, but nothing beyond that. One has to leave the mental concepts behind and let intuitive process take over. Let us see if there is some analogy that will make the discussion of the Absolute and consciousness easy. Remember this is just an analogy and cannot obviously be taken at face value.

Let us take the example of the computer. Right now you are in front of one of the computer monitors, it is assumed. The computer runs on electricity or electrical power. The computer can be compared to the physical body. The computer memory or the hard drive is the brain.  It stores previous memories and also is able to display the knowledge based on its previous memory (education or knowledge put in) through the computer screen or monitor (similar to your organs of speech etc.).  The electricity can be compared to consciousness, which is required for the computer to function. The computer can display its knowledge through the monitor or the speakers only if there is electricity (consciousness).  Therefore, the consciousness is the power that makes this physical body function. When the computer is in the sleep mode, there is no sound coming from the speakers and nothing seen on the monitor.  The knowledge or memory is still intact in the computer and it can easily be woken up on the touch of a key.  In the same way, when the physical body is asleep, the knowledge cannot be displayed as the organs of speech and action are all asleep at the same time.  The consciousness is however latent in the body for on waking up all these organs function to allow the body to display its knowledge.  If the electricity (consciousness) is completely cut off, there is no way the computer (the physical body) can function.  The computer can no longer display its knowledge, whether through sound or the monitor.  Although, the memory chips and the hard drive are still in the computer, it cannot function. The computer is said to be "dead". Just like the physical body which is unable to function without consciousness and is called "dead".  Now, what are the memory chips and the hard drive made up of? Are they not made of silicon and metal and other inert material?  Just like the physical body which is made up of water, carbon, oxygen, etc., all inert materials?  So, it becomes clear that it is the consciousness (electricity) that is the basis of functioning of the inert material of the physical body or in the case of this analogy, the computer. So, who has the knowledge? The inert material of the computer or the electricity (consciousness)?  Is it not clear that all knowledge is in the realm of consciousness, including the knowledge of being a 'me'?  Don't get excited as yet!!

Now, the electricity itself has to come from somewhere, isn't it? THAT which creates electricity is the source of electricity.  In the same way, THAT as the Absolute, is the source of consciousness.  Or to put it more precisely, the consciousness is a reflection of the Absolute. Of course, the flaw in this analogy would be the fact that electricity comes from coal, or nuclear material, or hydro (water) and therefore cannot be a perfect analogy as such. However, if you can somehow accept the fact that water or coal or uranium by itself is inert and there is some force or energy that is released from these materials to create electricity, then the analogy seems more acceptable. Okay?  So, everything is essentially energy (or contains energy like the coal etc.) and it is just the energy that is able to make everything function. However, if you actually look for energy, it is not something tangible and has no shape (roopam) or form.  It is not something that can be described other than saying that it is some force that makes things happen or move or function. THAT (the Absolute) is not concerned about what is being done with the electricity (consciousness) or for that matter how the functioning is taking place. While all the functioning is taking place in consciousness, the Absolute is not affected by the functioning in any way.  YOU ARE THE ABSOLUTE!

At this time, the one thing you are absolutely sure of, is the fact that you are conscious. You did not do anything to be conscious, did you?  It arose spontaneously.  Is there any way for a 'me' to attain or go prior to or beyond consciousness? Can a 'me' actually transcend consciousness? If so, who is this 'me' that wants to do so?  Can there be a thought of a 'me' or 'I' without consciousness?  Does this not make it clear that this whole process of transcending consciousness is actually a game played in the mind, by the mind and for the mind ( a 'me'). In reality, there is no entity called 'me' that can transcend consciousness for the 'me' is nothing but a subsequent product of consciousness. It is similar to a shadow wanting to get behind the object that created it in the first place!  So, what do you want to do?

Transcending Consciousness-Part 1

The consciousness is your friend, as well as paradoxically, your enemy if you do not transcend it. It is doorway to the Absolute (the Parabrahman- para meaning prior to or beyond). Right now the only connection you have to the Absolute is the consciousness. This consciousness is the source of all manifestation. As long as the physical body is nourished, the consciousness will continue to function through that body.  When the body "dies", the consciousness merges with the universal consciousness and the body which is made up of the elements merges with the elements (water, air, earth, etc.). This consciousness is the source of the thought "I am".  With this knowledge that you are (the knowingness- I am) you are able to say " I have knowledge".   Based on this basic or primary knowledge that you exist, you are able to build all other mental concepts. And on these concepts, you want to build yet another concept of the Absolute or Parabrahman or whatever else you want to label THAT.  However, you have ignored the primary concept of the knowledge that you are and instead have been chasing useless concepts.  This Knowledge (that I am) has no name (namam) or form (roopam).  Being formless and abstract, you have ignored this primary knowledge or knowingness or consciousness. This message 'I am' (consciousness) is the gateway or the door to the Absolute. The consciousness is your friend as hanging on to it will lead you to its source, which is the Absolute. The Absolute is beyond any words or mental concepts.  Therefore, all that you can know is only in the realm of consciousness. Realize that!

Everything that is consumed or exhausted is unreal- meaning, not permanent. While consciousness is a reflection of the Absolute, it is unreal in the sense that it can manifest only through a body. If the body is not maintained and nourished, then the consciousness can no longer function through it. Since this body will eventually be exhausted, the consciousness itself is not going to last forever.  But, it is all that is available to you. It is the source of all knowledge.

Therefore, after knowing the consciousness, one must not stop there and realize that the REAL YOU are PRIOR TO CONSCIOUSNESS.  Many a seeker will stop at the level of consciousness and assume that the manifestation is real.  Being grounded in consciousness, one is falsely led to believe that the world and the universe is real.  Therefore, the statement that "the consciousness can be your enemy". To be in one's True State, one must discard even this consciousness as unreal and transcend it.

Once one fully understands the nature of consciousness, it is imperative to realize that you are not just the consciousness.  The consciousness is the gateway or the doorway to the Absolute.  You are at the boundary between consciousness and no-consciousness.  Leaving consciousness behind, one is in the Natural State or the Absolute.  You are THAT which is prior to consciousness.  Having said that, consciousness is all that you have to express any kind of knowledge. Even this writing is because of consciousness and in consciousness. And because of consciousness, it is being read and comprehended by consciousness itself. In fact, all of this is happening in consciousness. There is no one (no entity) doing anything.   Therefore, everything is consciousness. The content of consciousness is consciousness. 

You are the KNOWER OF CONSCIOUSNESS. Since the Absolute is beyond any words, only pointers can be used to describe your True Nature, which is the Absolute.  The word THAT is only a pointer to your Natural or True State.

"Who am I?" is Not a Mantra

Seeker:  You say that I am the consciousness and not the body. Should I keep repeating "I am the consciousness" or should I keep saying to myself " Who am I"?

Advaitin:  There are many paths to the essentially path-less Truth. If you have complete and earnest faith in the sayings of the Guru, then nothing else need be done other than accepting his/her sayings. With this acceptance comes automatic surrender of the ego. With the surrender of the ego, the Truth shines forth spontaneously. Do not forget that the Truth is self-shining and always present. It is only the ignorance of the ego-mind that hides or covers up the obvious Truth. Once the ego has surrendered completely and wholly to the Guru, then nothing else need be done. The Grace takes over from where the seeker has full faith in the teachings of the Guru.

However, many a seeker will not be satisfied with the above methodology. The ego being so heavily conditioned over the years, a lot of questions and doubts keep popping up in the mind. For such a seeker, self inquiry is the only way to sort out the false from the Truth. One can only know objectively the false. You can only know what you are not. The Truth is known only as an intuitive knowledge. Questioning "who am I" is not a mantra to be repeated endlessly. It is a process of elimination of the false- the elimination of what you are not! Once, all the false has been eliminated, the Truth is laid bare. It is like removing the contamination from cloudy water and immediately the reflection of your self is visible in the pure water. Once the mind has been cleared of all impurities (the false identifications and false concepts), the Truth/ Self shines in it spontaneously. Once the Knowledge is clearly apperceived, where is the need to go on investigating? Once the culprit is found, the police does not keep the investigation open, does it?  You know you are a man or a woman. Do you keep repeating to yourself, " I am a man" or "I am a woman"? So, where is the question of repeating " I am the consciousness" to yourself? Such repetition is nothing but another form of mental conditioning. It defeats the whole purpose which is to destroy mental conditioning and mental concepts. Yes, an apparent process of continued self- investigation must be continued until firm conviction of the nature of the Self is established and the realization of one's True Nature is firm.

In the absence of any concepts, you ARE. Stay as you ARE.

God is the breath of all breath- Kabir

O servant, where dost thou seek Me?
Lo! I am beside thee.
I am neither in temple nor in mosque: I am neither in Kaaba nor
in Kailash:
Neither am I in rites and ceremonies, nor in Yoga and
renunciation.
If thou art a true seeker, thou shalt at once see Me: thou shalt
meet Me in a moment of time.
Kabîr says, "O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath."

Kabir was a Saint and a weaver by occupation born in 1440 A.D. in medieval India. His poems are an expression of the simplicity of non-traditional Advaitic teachings. In this poem, he extols the simplicity of SEEING your True Nature. He emphasizes the fact that discovery of your True Nature is not in the acts of renunciation or yoga or some ritual or ceremony. For a true seeker, the Truth is at NO distance from your own self. There is no involvement of time in discovering your True Nature. True devotion is the hallmark of a true seeker.

Trapped in the Story

You have assumed an identity which keeps changing all the time.  You are unable to say with certainty that this is who I really, really am. It is because, your own image of yourself has changed many many times over the course of your life so far.  The body was given a name by your parents and thereafter, without any questioning, you accepted that you are a name with a form. As the body and mind kept changing, so did your image about yourself. A story was created in the mind, a story about a 'me' who is the body and has a mind. This 'me' has opinions about everything, is judgemental and has strong belief in its own existence as a separate and independent entity.  Every action is done with the idea that it is this image which is doing the action.

In this story, which you call "the story of MY life", you have become trapped.  The amusing thing is that this false entity which is nothing other than an image in a story, wants to become liberated.  The entity in the story goes about pursuing spiritual discourses and rituals hoping to somehow become 'liberated' from this story. Despite all pretensions to the contrary, the main hero of this story (yes, 'you'!) knows very well that he/she cannot control the way the story is unfolding. Very frustrating indeed! Yet, there is a strong desire deep within to somehow escape from the misgivings, and the uncertainty, of the story.  This 'me ' wishes that if only the story could follow the pattern desired by 'me', then there can be eternal joy and happiness. If only......, if only..... and so the endless thoughts and planning go on about how to make the story proceed as per your desires.  In short, this is what is called 'suffering'!

So, what is the way out? The only way out is to step out of the story and see that the story is false. The Truth lies outside the story. And yet, the story runs or appears within the Truth. The story can play itself out only as an appearance in the Truth. The unreal cannot be without the support of the Reality.  The Reality needs no support whatsoever.  Every story has a beginning and an end.  Reality has no beginning and no end. 

By falsely identifying with the character (the 'me') in the story you have totally, totally forgotten that the Real you is the witness to the story. Have you ever given thought to this totally obvious fact? The fact that you are always AWARE of the story and the events in the story?  So, how can you be the one in the story? WAKE UP TO THE OBVIOUS !!

Faith in the Guru

A seeker must have complete faith in the sayings and teachings of the Guru. The Guru may sound incomprehensible at times and the mind of the seeker may have doubts about the teachings. In fact, it is not uncommon for the Guru to contradict himself/herself quite often. This can create confusion in the mind of the seeker. But, realize that the Guru is trying to quell any doubts in the mind of the seeker from all angles. The Guru wants to ensure that the ego (seeker) has no chance of escape from the sword of the Guru. The seeker must not take the contradictions in the teachings as a sign of lack of knowledge on part of the Guru. The Guru, if addressing multiple seekers, has to present different types of pointers to the Truth to different seekers depending on their mental conditioning. Hence, the numerous pointers to the one and only Truth.

Having complete faith in the Guru is extremely essential to realize the Truth.  In fact, complete and unconditional surrender to the Guru is absolutely a must for one to realize the Truth. On listening to the Guru, the most common error on part of the seeker is trying to conceptualize the teachings. On the other hand, when one surrenders completely to the Guru, all conceptualizing ends and the mind and the intellect having surrendered, the subtle intuitive powers take over and reveal the Truth. On listening to the Guru, one cannot intellectually comprehend the Truth. However, on surrendering one's mind and intellect at the feet of the Guru, something clicks at an intuitive level and suddenly the Truth, which was always present but not obvious, becomes obvious.

Remember, the words of the Guru are final. Have no doubt about that. The Guru is not an individual or an entity. The Guru is none other than your Self.

Look for Your Self

The Self is not out there. The Self cannot be known by reading books out there or listening to someone out there.  The Self is right here- within. The Self is self shining and self effulgent and available right here and right now.  Is it not obvious that you should look within to find your self? JUST LOOK FOR YOUR SELF.

Merging into Consciousness

Right now, your only capital is this beingness. With this knowledge, you go about your worldly life taking this world of objects to be real. Having never questioned the reality of this world, there is a sense of insecurity and vulnerability as there is no certainty of what the next moment will bring for you. The world out there appears alien to you and you are always in fear of the world out there.  You have tried all the methods prescribed by the self-help gurus out there and yet you are suffering.  There is still something missing- and yet you cannot pin it down. What is this sense of incompleteness? This sense of incompleteness will persist till consciousness is able to know its true nature.  It longs for one-ness. By creating a separate entity - the ego, the 'I-thought'-through identity with the body-mind, there is separation from the one-ness. Only when the ego merges into its Source, can this separation end and with it comes the peace. 

This can come about only by Jnana or Knowledge obtained through Self-inquiry. No other method will do. All rituals are activities and they only feed the ego. The ego looks for the fruits of the action, as it believes it is the do-er of activities. No ego- no doer- no karma. That is what true Knowledge brings.  Where all karma ends, then one is merged in one's Source.

You are the Unborn

You are the Unborn. To many, this statement is difficult and perhaps impossible to comprehend. But, to a discriminating seeker, the understanding of one's True Nature, brings together the simplicity of this statement. As is often said here, the Truth is very simple, if only one makes the effort to inquire. Let us try to figure out why you are the Unborn.

First, one must verify if you are really born. Did you experience your birth? No? If not, on what basis do you say that you were born on so and so day, month and year? Is it not true that you were told "you"( meaning the body) entered this world from the womb of your mother, on a particular day and time? So, what you call "my birth day" is not direct knowledge but one that is acquired from others. It is because, you identify yourself with this body, that you willingly accept what others tell you about your being born on a particular day.  Can you truly say that you were not before the body came into the world from the womb? Can you deny the fact that the fetus in the womb was not you?  So, what exactly is your date of birth? Is it the time of conception, which is nothing but the mating of the sperm with the ovum? The sperm and the ovum are nothing but the products of the essence of the food eaten by your parents. So, would you say that your birth was when the food was eaten by your parents and in that case, what food and when? You get the gist of this argument!! In the same way, the question of death can be resolved. You can never say "I am dead" upon dying!  Only those who have the knowledge "I am" can make the claim that "so and so person identified by this body is dead".  So, there is no question of you experiencing death either.

In the absence of experience of birth and death, how can you make such claims? Is it not true that your claims are based purely on hearsay and without direct experience of either event? What you know for certain though is the fact that you ARE- the fact of your existence. It is your direct experience, right here and right now. You cannot say " I am not" with any certainty at all.  There is direct knowledge of your existence and it is not hearsay either.

Birth and death are events in time. Time is itself a concept in the mind. But, you as Pure Awareness, exist prior to the mind. Hence, you are timeless or prior to time. That is, there is no beginning or ending, i.e. birth or death, in the absence of time.

So, you may ask, what exactly is born? What is born is the primary concept "I am"(or the primary illusion) and with that primary concept came all other concepts including time and space. The consciousness falsely identifies itself with the body and thereby is established the idea "I am the body".  As a result of these concepts, one comes to falsely believe in the concept of an entity being born and dying.  The body being nothing but the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether) mixes back with the elements upon "death" and the consciousness mixes back (so to speak) with the Universal Consciousness. So, who is born and who dies?