In Search of God

What is the seeker actually seeking? Is he or she not searching for God? The search begins by looking for God and the search ends in one's own Self.  One goes out in search, only to return back to one's own Self. God Realization and Self Realization are one and the same.

The search is not outside but within. Saint Kabir has made this so clear in this simple but profound couplet. No need for any further discussion. As simple and as clear a pointer as can be.

Jab Mein Tha Tab Hari Nahin, Jab Hari Hai Mein Nahin
Sab Andhiyara Mit Gaya, Jab Deepak Dekhya Mahin

Translation

When "I" was, then Hari (God) was not, Now Hari (God) "is" and "I" am not
All the darkness (ignorance) got erased, When I saw the Light within.

The Known is Not Real

Strange as it may seem, the seeker is on a quest of more knowledge. The seeker feels that one more bit of information may seal the deal in his search for the Truth or Reality. The seeker strongly believes that there may be a missing bit of information that will somehow solve the puzzle of the nature of Reality. Nothing can be farther from the truth.

While it is true that a Guru is a must for showing the way to Reality, the Guru actually does not tell the seeker the Truth. The Guru is a guidepost pointing in the direction of Reality. The seeker must then do a sincere inquiry into the nature of Reality and constantly keep his mind focused on this matter of interest. Why is it that the Guru will not reveal the Truth to the seeker? Is the Guru not interested in the liberation of the seeker? Of course not.  There is nothing more important to the Guru than to liberate the seeker. The Guru keeps repeating the same instructions again and again. It is the doubting seeker that fails to grasp the pointers from the Guru.

The Guru has told that whatever is known is not Real. For those of you who are still wondering what exactly does one mean by "Real", here is an explanation. In brief, Real would be anything that does not change. It thereby implies that the Real would be changeless, unmoving, immortal (beyond birth and death) and eternal (beyond time). On inquiry it becomes obvious that all that is within the realm of the known is capable of change.  All objective knowledge is therefore unreal. The only unchanging knowledge is the Self Knowledge or the Knowingness that I am. This is the closest one can get to information about Reality. However, this knowledge or sense of being or sense of 'I', is also not real. You have to investigate as to when and how you got this knowledge or sense of 'I'. Is this sense of 'I' going to last forever? Is this sense of 'I' not related to the presence of a body?  If there is no body, would there be a sense of 'I'?  This sense of 'I' came spontaneously and will go spontaneously. There is nothing you can do to hold on to it. But, as long as it is there, you love this 'I' and want it to go on forever.  Ramana Maharshi said "what comes and goes is not real".  So, you know that this 'I' is also not real.

The Knowledge itself knows that the 'I' is unreal.  There is no entity that has this knowledge. Just Knowledge itself Knowing. In the absence of the 'I', who is there is know the Reality?  The Jnani (one who has Realized) does not go about saying " I am Real and you are unreal". On the other hand, the Jnani says " I am unreal and you are unreal".  The Jnani knows that the play of dyad and triads, of knowledge and ignorance, is itself an illusion or maya.

The Jnani knows that the Unknown is the Reality.  Whatever is known cannot be Real.  Therefore, you can only know what you are not.