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.
