Your Identity is the Cause of Suffering

 If a seeker is asked why they commenced on this spiritual journey, most if not all, will reply that they are suffering. Many may associate this feeling of suffering with emotional states of depression or anxiety  or low self esteem, or incompleteness, or absence of worldly possessions or obstacles to fulfillment of desires. They look all over for an end to whatever they are suffering from. Hence the large number of self help resources available to mankind. But even a sincere seeker, rarely if ever questions - " who is this 'I' or 'me' that is suffering?"

Not surprisingly, the answer to this very question will put an end to all suffering. Yes, all suffering.  For anyone to suffer, there must be an entity that "suffers".  Hence, it is very important to find out "who is suffering?". The answer that comes to mind immediately is - " I am suffering".  Let us break this sentence up for better understanding. There is obviously here a presumed subject - "I".  If one can focus their complete attention on figuring out this "I", a lot would be accomplished.  You may ask - " How can that be possible? ". Well, let us see.

You have taken it for granted that you are the body-mind entity.  An individual, "I" with a unique body and mind, unlike anyone else that is around.  Is this assumption correct? Can the body say it is "I"? The body is made up of the five elements - mostly water, but also minerals (earth), air, space and heat (fire). Can any of these elements say "I am" or " I exist"? Can water ever say - " I am water"? Can earth say _" I am earth"?  And so on. The body being made up of insentient elements cannot obviously say "I ".  A dead body does not say " I am dead". The body is right there, but the one saying "I" is no more.  So, who or what is this "I"? And where did this "I" go (if at all)? Would you not want to know now ?  

The Pure Consciousness does not say "I".  In deep sleep, in the absence of the body-mind, is there any feeling or sense of "I"?  However, it cannot be denied that there is an "I" that is aware of the state of sleeping. For, is it not the same "I" that is present in all the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep? Upon awakening by stating - " I slept happily", one indicates that he or she was present during the state of deep sleep.  

If the Pure Consciousness does not say "I" and the body does not say "I", would you not want to know who exactly says "I"? Or better still, find out where does this idea of "I" come from? What is absent during deep sleep is the mind which is present in the state of waking. What arises upon waking is this spontaneous arising of the "I-thought" along with the world. The first thought that arises is "I". All other thoughts are linked to this "I-thought". Can a thought be you? Or are you the one who is aware of the thoughts? 

The "I-thought" is the ego or the idea of being an individual with a body and mind. When the source of the "I-thought" is pursued, the "I-thought" vanishes thereby revealing the "I-less -I" which is self shining.  This "I-I " is not an object of perception. It is only when the false "I" ( the I-thought) upon inquiry vanishes, that the Source ( which is the "Real I") reveals itself. 

The cause of all suffering is the false identification with the body-mind entity. One falsely assumes that he or she is an individual with a body and a mind and hence suffers the vicissitudes of the body and mind. By taking something that is not you, as yourself, you have brought upon suffering.  The only way to end this suffering caused by misidentification is to find out your correct identification. This has to be done by you and none other.  Just like a sick person who can benefit only if he takes the medicine. If someone else takes the medicine the sick person still remains sick. The only way is to do Self Inquiry.

Enlightenment in Five Verses- Part Three

Please read the preceding parts of this blog before proceeding to read this one. This is Part Three.

Verse 2

ब्रह्मैवाह्मिदम जगच्च सकलं चिन्मत्रिविस्तारितं
सर्वं चैताद्विध्य्या त्रिगुनायोशेषं मया कल्पितम ।
इथं यस्य दृढा मतिः सुखतरे नित्ये परे निर्मले
चन्दलोअस्तु स तु द्विजोअस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥ २

I am Brahman or pure consciousness. It is the pure consciousness that appears as this universe. This play of universe is conjured up by me because of ignorance (avidya) and expressed by the three Gunas or Attributes (sattva, rajas and tamas) of the mind. One who has attained this definite realization about Brahman, which is bliss itself, eternal, supreme and pure, is indeed my Guru, whether he is an outcaste or a brahmin. This is my conviction.

Verse 3

शास्वन्न्स्वरमेवा विश्वमखिलं निश्चित्य वाचा गुरोः
नित्यं ब्रह्म निरंतरं विमृशता निव्याज्शान्तात्मना ।
भूतं भावि च दुष्क्रुतं प्रदहता संविन्मये पावके
प्ररब्धाय समर्पितं स्वव्पुरित्येशा मनीषा मम ॥ ३

He who has come to the definite conclusion, after reflecting on his Guru's word, that the universe is permanently in a state of flux and change and is perishable; he who with a calm and pure mind constantly meditates on Brahman; he who has burnt all his past and future residual tendencies (vaasanas) in the fire of Pure Knowledge, submits his present body to live through and exhaust its present destiny, he alone is my Guru, whether he is an outcaste or a brahmin. This is my conviction.

This verse may need some explaining since the verse states that the enlightened person merely submits his or her body to the operation of Praarabdha Karma. You are probably already familiar with the concept of Karma. Karma can be loosely defined as the results of actions or the destiny based on actions. There are three categories of Karma. (1) Sanchita Karma - the accumulated results of actions in past births. (2) Praarabdha Karma - the results of past actions which have given rise to the present body and (3) Aagaami Karma - the results of actions performed in the present birth. For a person who upon contemplating on the words of the Guru has attained the Ultimate or Pure Knowledge of the Self, Sanchita and Aagaami karma (upto the time of attainment of Knowledge) are completely destroyed. After the dawn of Self Knowledge, any action performed does not produce any result in the form of merit or demerit. However, the second category of Praarabdha Karma is not destroyed upon attainment of Self Knowledge, and must be exhausted by living through the experiences of the present body. Once the Praarabdha Karma is exhausted, the body of the enlightened person falls and the jivanmukta (the one who is liberated while still having a body) becomes videhamukta ( one who is liberated after leaving the body).  Simply put, one who has attained Self Knowledge is no longer the Do-er of actions and hence there are no more merits or demerits attached to the actions of the body or mind, since he is neither the body nor the mind.

Verse 4

या तियार्न्ग्नार्देव्ताभिराह्मित्यांतः स्फुटा गृह्यते
यभ्दासा हृदयाक्ष्देहविश्या भांति स्वतोअचेतनाः ।
तां भास्यैः पिहितार्क्मंदाल्निभां स्फूर्ति सदा भावयन
योगी निवृत्मंसो हि गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥ ४

The Self or pure consciousness is experienced as the "I" by all creature, plants, animals, humans and angels. It is by the Light of this pure consciousness that the inert and insentient body, mind and senses appear to be sentient. Just like the sun which illumines everything even if hidden behind a bank of clouds, the Self is concealed by the very mind, senses and body which it illuminates. The yogi, who with a quiet and calm mind always meditates on this Self, is my Guru. This is my conviction.

The sun is responsible for the production of clouds by evaporation of the water in the oceans. The clouds are visible because of the light of the sun. The same clouds may however hide the sun from our view. In the same way, the body, mind, and senses which owe their sentiency to the Self may conceal the Self by becoming absorbed in the world of objects. The Self can be realized by withdrawing the mind and senses from the external world.

Verse 5

यात्सौख्याम्बुधिलेश्लेशत इमे श्कद्यो निव्रुता
याच्चित्ते नितरां प्रशान्त्कालने लब्ध्वा मुनिनिर्व्रुतः ।
यस्मिन्नित्यासुखाम्बुधाऊ गलित्धिब्रह्मैव न ब्रह्मविद
यः कश्सित्सा सुरेंद्रव्न्दित्प्दो नूनं मनीषा मम ॥ ५

The yogi's mind experiences that Ocean of Bliss during moments of total stillness. That Ocean of Bliss is verily Brahman and a tiny droplet from which is sufficient to make Indra and others feel contented and happy. Such a person whose mind has become dissolved in this Ocean of Bliss is not a mere Knower of Brahman but Brahman itself.  Such a rare one whose feet are fit to be worshipped even by the King of Gods, he alone is my Guru. This is my conviction.

The knower of Brahman is one who knows that one is not the body-mind complex but Brahman itself. Hence, knowing Brahman means one who remains as Brahman.  In fact, everyone is Brahman, but they do not know it. It is not the attainment of a new state as such. Liberation or Moksha is nothing but removal of false identification with the body-mind complex. By removal of this false identification, one realizes one's own True Nature which is the infinite Ocean of Bliss, i.e. Brahman itself. In this classic example in advaita literature, a coiled up rope is mistaken for a snake when a man encounters a rope in the dim light of  dusk, and gets panicked. However, when the same rope is examined in bright light, it becomes evident that it is only a rope and not a snake.  It is not that the snake was there and it disappeared after examining the rope in light. There never was a snake to begin with and the whole idea was a creation of the mind. In the same way, one mistakenly thinks of oneself as a Jiva (individual) who is in bondage. But when one does self inquiry, it becomes evident that one always was and will be Brahman and it was just the wrong notion of being an individual that has disappeared in the light of knowledge. There never was an individual who is in bondage to begin with. It was just ignorance that created the concept of bondage and being an individual. Thus there is no such thing as bondage or liberation just like there never was any snake in the rope.