As already mentioned previously by this author and others, the path of Jnana (Knowledge) and the path of Bhakti (Devotion) are one and the same. In fact, they are inseparable. True Devotion means complete surrender to God. The word "complete" means that there should be no vestige of a "me" anymore. A true Bhakta (Devotee) would say "I have surrendered everything to God including myself. There is no "me" to perform any action". A true Bhakta Realizes that all there is, is God. In surrendering, the Bhakta has Realized the True Peace and Bliss, which is the nature of God/ Self. He is one with the Knowledge of his own Being.
The Jnani (Realized) has essentially surrendered to God through Knowledge. The Jnani also has come to the same Realization that all there is, is God. There is no thing apart from God. The Jnani is also a Bhakta, since his attention is always focused on God. Devotion is none other than attention to Self or God. In essence, the Jnani and Bhakta are one and the same. The Jnani cannot not be a Bhakta and vice versa.
Differentiation and discussions regarding the same, between these two so-called paths is merely for the ignorant. A true Bhakta and Jnani know that there is no question of a path since there is absolutely no question of any entity or thing apart from Self (or God). All is ONE and ONE is All.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Just This Ordinary Awareness
This essay is meant to dispel any misconceptions one may still have about what is being pointed to in advaita teachings. The teaching is actually very simple. Unfortunately, because of the conditioning of the mind, various concepts are created by the mind. Thereby, the simplicity of the teaching gets covered by various concepts which lead to further concepts and one gets lost in the jungle of concepts. There is no doubt that this very author in an attempt to clarify one concept may have unwillingly and unwittingly created many more and perhaps contributed to the confusion of many a seeker. One has to get back to the basics and stay there and ponder over the teachings carefully and repeatedly to Realize the Truth.
Who YOU really, really ARE is THIS SIMPLE ORDINARY AWARENESS. Yes, indeed it is that simple! Then why is it that everyone cannot understand what is being pointed to? Simply because most readers and seekers are trying to approach this with a very strongly established identity with the body and mind. An identity of being someone, of being so and so. If only one could somehow let go and simply dive deep into the source of the mind, without worrying about losing themselves or gaining anything from this adventure, then one would easily Realize the simplicity of Truth. While, this may seem to many like one is being given the run around, it is not so. It is not because of a lack in what the Guru has to say to the student that the student did not get it. On the contrary, it is merely because the student's mind would not accept on face value what the Guru was trying to convey.
So, while you are seated at your computer or where ever you are at this moment, stop and take a moment to LISTEN to the pointers. Do not get lost in the words! Instead, ponder over the MEANING of the words. Clear the mind of all concepts, right now. Answer the questions which you yourself must pose to yourself. Do not give up until you get an answer.
OK. Right now, can you say for sure that you are aware of sitting and looking at this material? Can you deny the fact that you are aware of both your existence and the fact that you are awake? Did someone have to give you that knowledge or information? Is it not self effulgent. You KNOW you ARE. You are AWARE of being. Did you do something to be aware? Is it not spontaneous? Even without a thought you KNOW you ARE. This ordinary AWARENESS cannot be questioned. It is PRESENT - or should we say it is PRESENCE itself. Thoughts give one the feeling of movement because of identifying oneself with the thoughts. But, in reality, this Awareness is not moving. It is Still. What can one say about Awareness when one identifies with the Awareness? Any attempt to say or think anything is a movement and movement is mind. All one can say is that one is aware of thinking. So, it is ineffable. Can one even begin to try to assign a beginning to this Awareness? Not at all, since time is an appearance in this Awareness.
In deep sleep when there are no thoughts, can you deny that you ARE? In fact, you can say nothing in that state of deep sleep. One can only say or think something in the waking state. You cannot deny the fact that there is Awareness in deep sleep as you can testify to your being asleep when there is wakefulness in the morning. It becomes evident that all of this discussion and pondering is actually just a play of the mind. In fact, in the absence of the mind, there is just Awareness. There is no such thing as mind. It is only a matter of the mind to come to this conclusion. That is it.
Yes, it is as simple as this. The problem is that most readers and seekers will not have complete and unequivocal faith in the words of the Guru and therefore keep floundering around in the world of spirituality, collecting and analyzing more and more concepts. Eventually, the seeker is lost in the world of concepts. Concepts which create various classifications and systems of Self Realization, and concepts which create more and more methodologies of attaining Realization. One teacher may say do this, while another teacher may point to another method and yet another teacher may point in a totally different direction or method of achieving Nirvana or Salvation or Liberation or whatever other word that comes to mind. The more you seek, the more you get lost in the concepts. What is wrong with just BEING?
Yet, all along, THAT (GOD) one has been searching for has been a constant Companion. A Companion who has never left you even for a moment. Not only that, there is nothing more obvious than Awareness. No method. No technique. No teachings. No Do-er, no doing and nothing to be done. Just BE AS YOU ALREADY ARE.
Who YOU really, really ARE is THIS SIMPLE ORDINARY AWARENESS. Yes, indeed it is that simple! Then why is it that everyone cannot understand what is being pointed to? Simply because most readers and seekers are trying to approach this with a very strongly established identity with the body and mind. An identity of being someone, of being so and so. If only one could somehow let go and simply dive deep into the source of the mind, without worrying about losing themselves or gaining anything from this adventure, then one would easily Realize the simplicity of Truth. While, this may seem to many like one is being given the run around, it is not so. It is not because of a lack in what the Guru has to say to the student that the student did not get it. On the contrary, it is merely because the student's mind would not accept on face value what the Guru was trying to convey.
So, while you are seated at your computer or where ever you are at this moment, stop and take a moment to LISTEN to the pointers. Do not get lost in the words! Instead, ponder over the MEANING of the words. Clear the mind of all concepts, right now. Answer the questions which you yourself must pose to yourself. Do not give up until you get an answer.
OK. Right now, can you say for sure that you are aware of sitting and looking at this material? Can you deny the fact that you are aware of both your existence and the fact that you are awake? Did someone have to give you that knowledge or information? Is it not self effulgent. You KNOW you ARE. You are AWARE of being. Did you do something to be aware? Is it not spontaneous? Even without a thought you KNOW you ARE. This ordinary AWARENESS cannot be questioned. It is PRESENT - or should we say it is PRESENCE itself. Thoughts give one the feeling of movement because of identifying oneself with the thoughts. But, in reality, this Awareness is not moving. It is Still. What can one say about Awareness when one identifies with the Awareness? Any attempt to say or think anything is a movement and movement is mind. All one can say is that one is aware of thinking. So, it is ineffable. Can one even begin to try to assign a beginning to this Awareness? Not at all, since time is an appearance in this Awareness.
In deep sleep when there are no thoughts, can you deny that you ARE? In fact, you can say nothing in that state of deep sleep. One can only say or think something in the waking state. You cannot deny the fact that there is Awareness in deep sleep as you can testify to your being asleep when there is wakefulness in the morning. It becomes evident that all of this discussion and pondering is actually just a play of the mind. In fact, in the absence of the mind, there is just Awareness. There is no such thing as mind. It is only a matter of the mind to come to this conclusion. That is it.
Yes, it is as simple as this. The problem is that most readers and seekers will not have complete and unequivocal faith in the words of the Guru and therefore keep floundering around in the world of spirituality, collecting and analyzing more and more concepts. Eventually, the seeker is lost in the world of concepts. Concepts which create various classifications and systems of Self Realization, and concepts which create more and more methodologies of attaining Realization. One teacher may say do this, while another teacher may point to another method and yet another teacher may point in a totally different direction or method of achieving Nirvana or Salvation or Liberation or whatever other word that comes to mind. The more you seek, the more you get lost in the concepts. What is wrong with just BEING?
Yet, all along, THAT (GOD) one has been searching for has been a constant Companion. A Companion who has never left you even for a moment. Not only that, there is nothing more obvious than Awareness. No method. No technique. No teachings. No Do-er, no doing and nothing to be done. Just BE AS YOU ALREADY ARE.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Devotion After Realization
Realization is spontaneous. There is actually nothing any one does or can do to "attain" Realization. For, in reality, there is no individual entity apart from the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient ONE. So, where is the question of a separate entity if all is ONE. In that case, the topic of today's discussion is an oxymoron, isn't it? It seems to be a total contradiction of what is just said above. So, why is it important to have devotion even after so-called Realization?
While Realization of one's own True Nature is effortless, becoming established or abiding in the Reality is not so. The pull of Maya (illusion) is very strong. All of this is Maya. This discussion and the quest for Realization is all part of Maya. The Ego is a ghost but a strong ghost. It has established its identity and strength over time and there is no way the Ego is giving up without a fight. In fact, this is well established in all ancient mythological stories as the fight between the good and the evil. The evil in this case would be the Ego. Strangely, it is the ego fighting the ego, since this entire play is happening in the mind (which is nothing but the ego itself!). Confusing? Well, this is where the ego eventually wins over if not guarded against. The mind will create all types of thoughts which will doubt the very Realization. While one may have an Understanding, the trap of the Ego is ever present. True Realization comes when the Ego does not rise up anymore.
This is where the Guru comes to the rescue as always. Constant devotion to the Guru is a must to remain established in Reality. Constant devotion is no different than constant attention to the Guru. Even though the Guru may be thought of as a form (Saguna), it is intuitively known that the Guru is the formless Light who is within all (Nirguna). Remember that all forms and manifestation arise from the formless Unmanifest. There is no difference between form and formless. The formless is the Satguru. For the mind, it may be easy to express devotion to the Guru with a form. It does not matter so long as devotion is directed towards the Guru. Praying to the Guru and having one's attention directed towards the Guru at all times is absolutely essential in remaining established in one's own Reality.
May the Satguru pull you within into the Ocean of Bliss and Peace.
The author remains eternally grateful and pays his obeisance at the feet of the Satguru, who in the manifest form appeared as Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj to reveal the Truth.
While Realization of one's own True Nature is effortless, becoming established or abiding in the Reality is not so. The pull of Maya (illusion) is very strong. All of this is Maya. This discussion and the quest for Realization is all part of Maya. The Ego is a ghost but a strong ghost. It has established its identity and strength over time and there is no way the Ego is giving up without a fight. In fact, this is well established in all ancient mythological stories as the fight between the good and the evil. The evil in this case would be the Ego. Strangely, it is the ego fighting the ego, since this entire play is happening in the mind (which is nothing but the ego itself!). Confusing? Well, this is where the ego eventually wins over if not guarded against. The mind will create all types of thoughts which will doubt the very Realization. While one may have an Understanding, the trap of the Ego is ever present. True Realization comes when the Ego does not rise up anymore.
This is where the Guru comes to the rescue as always. Constant devotion to the Guru is a must to remain established in Reality. Constant devotion is no different than constant attention to the Guru. Even though the Guru may be thought of as a form (Saguna), it is intuitively known that the Guru is the formless Light who is within all (Nirguna). Remember that all forms and manifestation arise from the formless Unmanifest. There is no difference between form and formless. The formless is the Satguru. For the mind, it may be easy to express devotion to the Guru with a form. It does not matter so long as devotion is directed towards the Guru. Praying to the Guru and having one's attention directed towards the Guru at all times is absolutely essential in remaining established in one's own Reality.
May the Satguru pull you within into the Ocean of Bliss and Peace.
The author remains eternally grateful and pays his obeisance at the feet of the Satguru, who in the manifest form appeared as Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj to reveal the Truth.
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