When your True Nature is supposed to be so perfect why is it that you feel imperfect? This is a very common question that arises in the mind of the seeker. To answer that question it is important to qualify what is imperfect. Well, a person may say that his or her life is "perfect the way it is right now". In that case, what is the need for searching for any perfection? That is a valid way of thinking and it is perhaps true for some persons to make that statement with a fair amount of certainty in what they are saying at that moment. The question is for how long can one be certain of the status of the current environment that makes one say that it is "perfect as it is right now"? A small calamity may change one's circumstances in a dramatic way and then would it be possible to say that his or her life is "perfect the way it is right now"?
As long as there are desires of the mind, or the body, or the intellect, there is bound to be imperfection. There is imperfection, as long as there is a need for more knowledge, need for more material wealth, need to be loved, need to be appreciated, need to be accepted, need for recognition, need to add or remove something from what is. Imperfection is the lack of satisfaction with the current status or what is or the lack of certainty of satisfaction of the current status continuing into the future. Nothing in this material world is permanent and all is subject to change, like it or not.
Imperfection is the very nature of one's individual identity or ego (jeeva). Imperfections are associated with the material envelopments of your True Nature i.e. the body-mind-intellect. When identified with the body-mind-intellect, you are no longer your True Nature. In your state of Perfection, i.e. your True Nature, you no longer have any association with the material envelopments. There are no needs to be fulfilled, there are no desires to be met, and there is nothing that can be added or removed. Yes, that is perfection.
Showing posts with label Body. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Body. Show all posts
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Why You Are NOT The Mind - Part 2
Now that you have hopefully convinced yourself that you are not the material body, it is time to convince yourself fully that your are not the immaterial mind. Before we go any further, what exactly is the mind? It certainly is not matter, contrary to what you may think. The mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts. Let us examine if you can be the mind.
There are several ways in which one can go about investigating this subject. It does not matter how you convince yourself as long as you can and develop the strong conviction that there is no way you can be the mind. Depending on what hits home one can reach one's conclusion his or her own way.
One way would be to examine the subject versus the object. For example, right now you are looking at a computer screen, which is an object. If asked as to who owns the computer, you may say "my computer". In that case, there is an "I'(me) -the subject and there is the "not-I" which would be the object or in this case the computer screen. Same way, you can point to your pen and once again you may say "my pen". In this case there is the "me or I"- the subject and there is the pen (not "I"). In the same way, you can point to your hand and say "my hand". Again, "my" (the subject) and the hand ("not-me"). You can also qualify that statement by saying that "I am the knower of the existence of my hand". In this case, the knower would be "I" and the known would be "the hand" ("not I"). You can say "my thoughts" quite correctly since you know the thoughts and are aware of your thoughts. Therefore there is the "I" (the knower of the thoughts) and there are the "thoughts" ("not-I"- the known or the object of your knowledge). Since you know your thoughts you obviously cannot be the thoughts. The knower (subject) cannot be the known (object). Since you are the knower of the mind, you cannot be the mind.
Another way to go about it would be to see if you can actually be a thought. A thought is transient. It comes and goes. However, you cannot deny the fact that you exist apart from thoughts. You KNOW that you are, right now and right here. Even if the thoughts are constantly changing, you remain as you are - unchanging. In the absence of thoughts, you ARE. For instance, there are no thoughts in deep dreamless sleep. Yet, you cannot deny the fact that you existed in deep dreamless sleep. For you wake up and say "I slept". For one to have remembrance or memory of the experience of absence of thoughts(like in deep dreamless sleep) one would have to have existed then and now to recollect that experience. To put it another way, without your existence in deep dreamless sleep, there is no way you can recall your experience of ignorance or forgetfulness or absence of thoughts during sleep. Once again, you are the KNOWER of your experience of absence of thoughts (the KNOWN) in deep dreamless sleep. Therefore, the subject- "I" is beyond or prior to the object and existed in the absence of thoughts. The subject, "I", is beyond objectification for as soon as you try to objectify the "I",there has to be another "I-the knower" of the "I" that you are trying to objectify or know .
There are so many ways in which one can investigate to attain the conviction that one is not the mind. At the end of this investigation, you are sure that you are neither the mind nor the body. So, where does that leave you?
There are several ways in which one can go about investigating this subject. It does not matter how you convince yourself as long as you can and develop the strong conviction that there is no way you can be the mind. Depending on what hits home one can reach one's conclusion his or her own way.
One way would be to examine the subject versus the object. For example, right now you are looking at a computer screen, which is an object. If asked as to who owns the computer, you may say "my computer". In that case, there is an "I'(me) -the subject and there is the "not-I" which would be the object or in this case the computer screen. Same way, you can point to your pen and once again you may say "my pen". In this case there is the "me or I"- the subject and there is the pen (not "I"). In the same way, you can point to your hand and say "my hand". Again, "my" (the subject) and the hand ("not-me"). You can also qualify that statement by saying that "I am the knower of the existence of my hand". In this case, the knower would be "I" and the known would be "the hand" ("not I"). You can say "my thoughts" quite correctly since you know the thoughts and are aware of your thoughts. Therefore there is the "I" (the knower of the thoughts) and there are the "thoughts" ("not-I"- the known or the object of your knowledge). Since you know your thoughts you obviously cannot be the thoughts. The knower (subject) cannot be the known (object). Since you are the knower of the mind, you cannot be the mind.
Another way to go about it would be to see if you can actually be a thought. A thought is transient. It comes and goes. However, you cannot deny the fact that you exist apart from thoughts. You KNOW that you are, right now and right here. Even if the thoughts are constantly changing, you remain as you are - unchanging. In the absence of thoughts, you ARE. For instance, there are no thoughts in deep dreamless sleep. Yet, you cannot deny the fact that you existed in deep dreamless sleep. For you wake up and say "I slept". For one to have remembrance or memory of the experience of absence of thoughts(like in deep dreamless sleep) one would have to have existed then and now to recollect that experience. To put it another way, without your existence in deep dreamless sleep, there is no way you can recall your experience of ignorance or forgetfulness or absence of thoughts during sleep. Once again, you are the KNOWER of your experience of absence of thoughts (the KNOWN) in deep dreamless sleep. Therefore, the subject- "I" is beyond or prior to the object and existed in the absence of thoughts. The subject, "I", is beyond objectification for as soon as you try to objectify the "I",there has to be another "I-the knower" of the "I" that you are trying to objectify or know .
There are so many ways in which one can investigate to attain the conviction that one is not the mind. At the end of this investigation, you are sure that you are neither the mind nor the body. So, where does that leave you?
Friday, February 8, 2013
Why You Are NOT The Body - Part 1
You have always believed yourself to be the body. That is one of the primary reasons for your suffering. You have falsely assumed the identity of being the body. Yet, when you carefully analyze this question of whether you really are the body, you will be amazed by the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. There are two ways of being convinced about the answer to any question. One way is when someone shows you the answer and the other way is for you to discover the answer your self. In the case of established falsehood, the second method is the only way to expose the falsehood. Therefore, it is absolutely essential for you to discover yourself that you are NOT the body. No amount of convincing by anyone else will make you realize the false identity you have accepted i.e. "I am the body".
While there are infinite pointers to why you are not the body, we will discuss a few of them and hopefully that will trigger the process of discovery for the one who is reading this essay. Let us begin by assuming you are the body, since you have been fully ingrained into believing this so far.
If indeed you are the body, what material part of the body are you? Meaning, are you the water which compromises approximately 70% of the body, or are you the various minerals including carbon, iron, calcium, magnesium etc.? Or are you the oxygen or air that fill up the lungs and is carried by the blood? Or are you the space that is in between the cells and fills up the crevices of the interior of the body? Can you find yourself anywhere in particular in this material structure called the body? If so, where and which specific material can you call your self to be? Confused? Good! That is why it is necessary to start the process of discovery and hunt down this entity called "me" or "I" in this body that you want to identify with. You must find your self.
You start objecting after you listen to the above, and that is understandable. So, let us look at it from another angle. So, who is reading this article right now? Your answer would be " I am reading, naturally". All right, since you have already confirmed that you are the body, can you please answer which material part of the body is the one which is reading? Is it the carbon, water, oxygen, space or is it the iron, magnesium, potassium or zinc? Oh, the whole body is reading it? Is it the eyes that are reading it and if so, could the eyes placed in a bowl of formalin actually read? Obviously, the hands and feet or the trunk cannot be reading. Can't be the whole body in that case. Let us perhaps narrow it down a little more. Perhaps it is the brain. Really? The brain is also composed of the same material as the rest of the body with the exception that there is more water in the brain. Once again could it be the water or the carbon doing the reading? Can inanimate materials really see and read, comprehend, speak, hear or perceive? If not, then please answer who or what is it that does the act of perception, hearing, speaking or seeing. You get the drift of where this is going. If you really want to discover your self, you MUST answer and convince yourself regarding the questions and answers.
Not convinced yet? OK, then let us argue from a different angle. Remember, every one has his own way of doing things. You own this computer on which you are reading this message. If anyone asks you, whose computer is it? You answer, "my computer". There is you - the owner or one who is possessing the computer. And, there is the computer - the object that is possessed. In the same manner, if someone asks you, "whose body is it?". You answer, "my body". Again, the same conclusion. There is you - the owner of the body or one who possesses the body. And, there is the body -the object possessed. The owner cannot be the one that is owned. So, you have to figure out -"who is the owner"?
Anyway, one can go on and on about why you are NOT the body. It is pointless going on putting it all down on paper. Unless one can be convinced after self-questioning or self inquiry, one can go around in circles and make this whole discussion into an endless conversation piece. One must ask one's own self and figure it out. Go figure!
While there are infinite pointers to why you are not the body, we will discuss a few of them and hopefully that will trigger the process of discovery for the one who is reading this essay. Let us begin by assuming you are the body, since you have been fully ingrained into believing this so far.
If indeed you are the body, what material part of the body are you? Meaning, are you the water which compromises approximately 70% of the body, or are you the various minerals including carbon, iron, calcium, magnesium etc.? Or are you the oxygen or air that fill up the lungs and is carried by the blood? Or are you the space that is in between the cells and fills up the crevices of the interior of the body? Can you find yourself anywhere in particular in this material structure called the body? If so, where and which specific material can you call your self to be? Confused? Good! That is why it is necessary to start the process of discovery and hunt down this entity called "me" or "I" in this body that you want to identify with. You must find your self.
You start objecting after you listen to the above, and that is understandable. So, let us look at it from another angle. So, who is reading this article right now? Your answer would be " I am reading, naturally". All right, since you have already confirmed that you are the body, can you please answer which material part of the body is the one which is reading? Is it the carbon, water, oxygen, space or is it the iron, magnesium, potassium or zinc? Oh, the whole body is reading it? Is it the eyes that are reading it and if so, could the eyes placed in a bowl of formalin actually read? Obviously, the hands and feet or the trunk cannot be reading. Can't be the whole body in that case. Let us perhaps narrow it down a little more. Perhaps it is the brain. Really? The brain is also composed of the same material as the rest of the body with the exception that there is more water in the brain. Once again could it be the water or the carbon doing the reading? Can inanimate materials really see and read, comprehend, speak, hear or perceive? If not, then please answer who or what is it that does the act of perception, hearing, speaking or seeing. You get the drift of where this is going. If you really want to discover your self, you MUST answer and convince yourself regarding the questions and answers.
Not convinced yet? OK, then let us argue from a different angle. Remember, every one has his own way of doing things. You own this computer on which you are reading this message. If anyone asks you, whose computer is it? You answer, "my computer". There is you - the owner or one who is possessing the computer. And, there is the computer - the object that is possessed. In the same manner, if someone asks you, "whose body is it?". You answer, "my body". Again, the same conclusion. There is you - the owner of the body or one who possesses the body. And, there is the body -the object possessed. The owner cannot be the one that is owned. So, you have to figure out -"who is the owner"?
Anyway, one can go on and on about why you are NOT the body. It is pointless going on putting it all down on paper. Unless one can be convinced after self-questioning or self inquiry, one can go around in circles and make this whole discussion into an endless conversation piece. One must ask one's own self and figure it out. Go figure!
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