It is indeed amazing how a Guru can show the clearest and easiest path to Liberation and yet the seeker (or more appropriately 'the ego') will refuse to see the clarity and simplicity of the message. Contrary to what many of you readers may be thinking, it is not necessary to blindly accept what the Guru is saying. Instead, it is imperative that you must question and analyze the teachings and sayings of the Guru and come to your own conclusion. This process is called inquiry into the Self. However, it is this author's opinion that complete and unquestioned faith in the Guru is the essential ingredient in the successful culmination of one's effort to attain liberation. Nothing could be simpler than SEEING one's own Self.
As Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi said - " When rightly considered, nothing will be more wonderful and laughable than one's toiling very much through some sadhana(spiritual practice) to attain Self in the same manner as one toils to attain other objects, even though one really ever remains as the non-dual Self".
If one listens carefully to the above (Shravana) and then cogitates over this simple teaching (Manana) and meditates on the nature of one's own Self or internalizes one's conceptual understanding as a fact (Nidhidhyasana), then one merges with the Guru, which is Self Realization or Liberation. Ramana Maharishi started out by clearly saying "when rightly considered....." and hence He implies inquiry and questioning the very methodology i.e. sadhana or practice, by the seeker. However, upon careful and complete inquiry, there is no doubt that one will arrive at the conclusion that it is utterly ridiculous for one to perform any kind of sadhana to BE what one already IS!! There is only ONE without a second and hence the concept of being any thing other than THAT ONE is nothing other than a concept. A concept is not real. Only THAT is the Reality. Why don't you investigate and SEE for your self?
Friday, August 12, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
The Sounds of Silence- Part 2
How does one ever understand what the sages were trying to convey in their description of the Absolute as Silence or Stillness? Well, there is a way. The way to go about is to renounce or discard every concept that the mind tries to bring up in description of the Truth. Whenever we communicate, including here, we have to use words or sounds to do so. But what exactly are words? They are just ways for the mind to create a concept or imagination or image. For instance, if someone says 'computer', the person hearing it immediately conceptualizes a 'box with a screen showing images and a keyboard attached to it'. But the word itself is nothing but a sound or an image on paper. Without this ability to conceptualize, it is impossible for communication to occur between people. All communication is at the level of the mind. All words and sounds are in duality.
In asking the student to merge into Silence, the Sages gave an easy solution to finding the Truth. They have asked the seeker or the student to give up or negate all concepts or imaginations. In fact, the sages were speaking from their own experience of Nirvikalpa samadhi. In the state of nirvikalpa there is absolutely no concept and yet it is still a state of the mind and therefore limited in time. In this state of the mind, there is utter stillness or silence. Silence means absence of concepts or absence of any mental modifications or vritti (vritti-activity of forming concepts in the mind). 'Nir' means 'no or without' and 'kalpa' means 'aeon or a long period of time'. We know that time is a concept of the mind and there can be no creation without time. Vikalpa is impression of thought or concept. Therefore, Nirvikalpa is the absence of thought, absence of time and concepts; a state where there is no thought, no movement in consciousness or awareness of any concepts or images. But as soon as we describe this state, we begin to conceptualize and imagine this state and immediately move away from what is being pointed to. All concepts are a result of movements in consciousness. So, when the student returned to the Sage to ask if this state of nirvikalpa samadhi is the Truth, the Sage replied "neti"- meaning 'not this'. The Sage was asking the student to renounce or discard even this experience and what is left over is Blank- indescribable but intuitively understood as That which is prior to or beyond all concepts including the conceptual experience of nirvikalpa.
But, the student was not able to grasp this abstract answer given by the Sage. The Sage then had to tell the student that it is through Knowledge of Discrimination (viveka) that the mind can finally get the intuitive understanding of the Truth. This is called intuitive understanding (or Understanding as this author likes to call it- with a capital U) by careful use of the Knowledge of Discrimination. For the majority of seekers of Truth who are likely mired in the endless concepts created by the mind, the discrimination between the false and the Truth is the way to empty the mind of all the useless concepts one by one. In this endeavor, complete faith in the words of the Guru or the Sage is vital. The words of the Guru are the way to the Truth. For many a student, the way to Silence is through the sound or words of the Guru. When one hangs on to the words of the Guru with complete unconditional faith, there is utter Stillness and Silence for one merges with the Guru. In hanging on to the words of the Guru, one loses his/her identity and merges into the Silence, the very Silence from which all the sounds of the Sadguru emerge.
In asking the student to merge into Silence, the Sages gave an easy solution to finding the Truth. They have asked the seeker or the student to give up or negate all concepts or imaginations. In fact, the sages were speaking from their own experience of Nirvikalpa samadhi. In the state of nirvikalpa there is absolutely no concept and yet it is still a state of the mind and therefore limited in time. In this state of the mind, there is utter stillness or silence. Silence means absence of concepts or absence of any mental modifications or vritti (vritti-activity of forming concepts in the mind). 'Nir' means 'no or without' and 'kalpa' means 'aeon or a long period of time'. We know that time is a concept of the mind and there can be no creation without time. Vikalpa is impression of thought or concept. Therefore, Nirvikalpa is the absence of thought, absence of time and concepts; a state where there is no thought, no movement in consciousness or awareness of any concepts or images. But as soon as we describe this state, we begin to conceptualize and imagine this state and immediately move away from what is being pointed to. All concepts are a result of movements in consciousness. So, when the student returned to the Sage to ask if this state of nirvikalpa samadhi is the Truth, the Sage replied "neti"- meaning 'not this'. The Sage was asking the student to renounce or discard even this experience and what is left over is Blank- indescribable but intuitively understood as That which is prior to or beyond all concepts including the conceptual experience of nirvikalpa.
But, the student was not able to grasp this abstract answer given by the Sage. The Sage then had to tell the student that it is through Knowledge of Discrimination (viveka) that the mind can finally get the intuitive understanding of the Truth. This is called intuitive understanding (or Understanding as this author likes to call it- with a capital U) by careful use of the Knowledge of Discrimination. For the majority of seekers of Truth who are likely mired in the endless concepts created by the mind, the discrimination between the false and the Truth is the way to empty the mind of all the useless concepts one by one. In this endeavor, complete faith in the words of the Guru or the Sage is vital. The words of the Guru are the way to the Truth. For many a student, the way to Silence is through the sound or words of the Guru. When one hangs on to the words of the Guru with complete unconditional faith, there is utter Stillness and Silence for one merges with the Guru. In hanging on to the words of the Guru, one loses his/her identity and merges into the Silence, the very Silence from which all the sounds of the Sadguru emerge.
The Sounds of Silence- Part 1
Your True Nature is Silence, Stillness, Unmoving, and Solid. Is it not amazing that so much has been written, discussed, talked about in so many languages about a simple subject of silence. How can words and sounds describe silence? It is almost as absurd as someone shouting to describe or emphasize silence! The words and sounds try to carve an image of silence. But is it really possible? Silence by itself indicates the absence of sound. And yet all sounds must emerge from silence. For if there is no sound, there is silence and the interval between sounds is silence. Therefore, the best way to describe silence is to remain silent. The author's Guru, Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi was best known for this particular method of teaching about the Truth and even those who were in His presence were silenced spontaneously. There is no better way to convey the Truth than mouna (silence).
That brings us to the question of why the ancient Rishis and Sages describe the Absolute as also Silence or Stillness. They figured that if they try to describe the Absolute with any word or sound then it would not be true. Any one who has "experienced" the Truth knows fully well that there is no way to describe It. Therefore, the only way to point a seeker of Truth in the right direction would be emphasize the absence of any sound or movement and one way to communicate the same in words is to describe it as Silence or Stillness. In fact, the production of sound is in itself a creation of duality. In the non-dual Truth, there is but nothing, just this indescribable Stillness or Silence. Yet, all creation is arising out of this Stillness or Silence. It is indeed Silence which is full of sound. It is indeed Stillness which is full of movement. Sound and movement are in consciousness but the Truth is beyond or prior to consciousness.
So, how is one to understand what the Sages were trying to convey? For this we will go to part 2 of this topic.
That brings us to the question of why the ancient Rishis and Sages describe the Absolute as also Silence or Stillness. They figured that if they try to describe the Absolute with any word or sound then it would not be true. Any one who has "experienced" the Truth knows fully well that there is no way to describe It. Therefore, the only way to point a seeker of Truth in the right direction would be emphasize the absence of any sound or movement and one way to communicate the same in words is to describe it as Silence or Stillness. In fact, the production of sound is in itself a creation of duality. In the non-dual Truth, there is but nothing, just this indescribable Stillness or Silence. Yet, all creation is arising out of this Stillness or Silence. It is indeed Silence which is full of sound. It is indeed Stillness which is full of movement. Sound and movement are in consciousness but the Truth is beyond or prior to consciousness.
So, how is one to understand what the Sages were trying to convey? For this we will go to part 2 of this topic.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Don't Go Chasing Experiences
The experience is what the seeker hopes will give him/her realization of the Truth. Unfortunately, this myth has been perpetuated by misinterpretation of the teachings of the ancient texts on Advaita. Strange as it may seem, only one who has Realized can truly understand the message of these ancient texts without misinterpretation. While the purpose of these texts or teachings is to point a seeker towards the Truth of who they are, the paradox is that the real meaning cannot be grasped until the seeker Realizes the Truth.
Most seekers are chasing experiences throughout their spiritual journey. They have been told or somehow come to the conclusion that Self Realization is some sort of everlasting ecstatic experience where once and for all the world as it is ceases to exist. This cannot be farther from the truth of it. One must realize that all experiences have a beginning and must therefore have an end. What begins and ends cannot be the Truth for the Truth is eternal and that implies no beginning and no end. After the so called ecstatic experience ends, the experiencer, which in this case is the seeker, goes back to the same mundane state or field of mundane experiences and ends up being disappointed. Remember, what comes and goes is not Real. Then what is Real? Obviously, any experience cannot be real for all experiences must have a beginning.
The object of experience can exist only if there is an experiencer. There must be experiencing for there to be an experienced. There must be experiencing for there to be an experiencer. The only common factor is experiencing. One must focus the mind on the experiencer. As soon as the experiencer is realized to be a false entity, the object of experience disappears and all that remains is experiencing. Experiencing is always in the present. It is always here and now. There is no experiencer or experienced, only experiencing. Experiencing is the manifestation of Consciousness and is only in the realm of Consciousness. Being is experiencing, without an experiencer or experienced.
So, would you still chase experiences knowing that it is a futile effort? Stop it, right here and now. Just BE.
Most seekers are chasing experiences throughout their spiritual journey. They have been told or somehow come to the conclusion that Self Realization is some sort of everlasting ecstatic experience where once and for all the world as it is ceases to exist. This cannot be farther from the truth of it. One must realize that all experiences have a beginning and must therefore have an end. What begins and ends cannot be the Truth for the Truth is eternal and that implies no beginning and no end. After the so called ecstatic experience ends, the experiencer, which in this case is the seeker, goes back to the same mundane state or field of mundane experiences and ends up being disappointed. Remember, what comes and goes is not Real. Then what is Real? Obviously, any experience cannot be real for all experiences must have a beginning.
The object of experience can exist only if there is an experiencer. There must be experiencing for there to be an experienced. There must be experiencing for there to be an experiencer. The only common factor is experiencing. One must focus the mind on the experiencer. As soon as the experiencer is realized to be a false entity, the object of experience disappears and all that remains is experiencing. Experiencing is always in the present. It is always here and now. There is no experiencer or experienced, only experiencing. Experiencing is the manifestation of Consciousness and is only in the realm of Consciousness. Being is experiencing, without an experiencer or experienced.
So, would you still chase experiences knowing that it is a futile effort? Stop it, right here and now. Just BE.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Reconciling the Truth with the Illusion
A common criticism for the philosophy of Advaita or Non-dualism is that it is not practical. Many a seeker feels that this teaching cannot reconcile with what is the perceived reality of the world. This is because, to the seeker, what is called the Illusion or the world and its activities goes on despite the assertions of the Guru that it all nothing but an illusion. When carefully probed it becomes clear that the problem is not in Advaita. On the contrary, it is obvious that the very problem lies in the seeker having not found out his True Nature. On realizing one's True Nature, the Truth remains and the Illusion remains only as an illusion. The Illusion does not disappear for the so called "me' since the "me' and the illusion are one and the same. The "me" is part of the illusion. One cannot be a part of the illusion and see the illusion for what it is. Just like a person who is sleeping cannot tell you that he is sleeping well. The seeker wants to maintain his identity while investigating into the nature of the Truth. How can the seeker realize the Truth with this condition of maintaining a separate identity? Only when the feeling "me' as being a separate entity with independence subsides does the Truth become apparent and obvious immediately. Yet, there is actually no one to claim observance or realization of the Truth. Truth is not an object to be realized. Truth is itself the grounds or the substratum upon which all of manifestation arises. Because it is difficult to put Truth into words for communication, one has to rely on commonly used words in language to point to the Truth. Yet the word is not the thing and this must be borne in mind when investigating into the nature of Truth. The question of reconciling Truth with the Illusion can only arise for a seeker who has not fully Realized the Truth. For upon Realization, there is no one to put forward any questions. The seeker has merged in the Truth. Only Truth remains.
May be this analogy will help in understanding your True Nature. A wave is nothing but the water of the ocean with a form. In reality, the wave is nothing but water. The ocean is nothing but water. When a wave has merged into the ocean, it is nothing but the ocean itself. Can a wave that has merged in the water of the ocean ever make claims to being a wave? Can the wave that has merged in the ocean and can never be apart from the ocean, have any identity now? In the same way, a wave which Realizes its own True Nature as being only the ocean (or the water of the ocean), can calmly relax being a wave without worrying about its future and its own impending destruction as a form. The wave on Knowing its own True Self does not get destroyed as a form immediately but continues on its journey as a wave. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves that they are in reality just the water of the ocean. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves that they did not choose to be born as a wave and they have no control on when the form as a wave will subside. The wave form has appeared on the surface of the ocean and will spontaneously merge back into the ocean when its time is up. The non-realized waves, assuming themselves to be forms with different shapes and sizes, have overlooked the fact that they are after all nothing but the water of the ocean in reality. The non-realized waves have falsely taken the form to be the reality and ignored their true nature which is water. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves not to worry about themselves or their future of possibly being relentlessly thrown against a rock or destroyed otherwise against their will. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves that they are not apart from the ocean in any way and have never ever been apart from the ocean. In fact, the ocean is the substratum of their existence as a wave. In fact, the waves all arise and subside into the ocean. The ocean remains as it always has been, unchanged as a body of water.
Your True Nature or your True Self is like the water, the water at the bottom of the ocean, Still and Peaceful and undisturbed by the world of activities and turmoil which is apparent on the surface. Be Your Self.
May be this analogy will help in understanding your True Nature. A wave is nothing but the water of the ocean with a form. In reality, the wave is nothing but water. The ocean is nothing but water. When a wave has merged into the ocean, it is nothing but the ocean itself. Can a wave that has merged in the water of the ocean ever make claims to being a wave? Can the wave that has merged in the ocean and can never be apart from the ocean, have any identity now? In the same way, a wave which Realizes its own True Nature as being only the ocean (or the water of the ocean), can calmly relax being a wave without worrying about its future and its own impending destruction as a form. The wave on Knowing its own True Self does not get destroyed as a form immediately but continues on its journey as a wave. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves that they are in reality just the water of the ocean. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves that they did not choose to be born as a wave and they have no control on when the form as a wave will subside. The wave form has appeared on the surface of the ocean and will spontaneously merge back into the ocean when its time is up. The non-realized waves, assuming themselves to be forms with different shapes and sizes, have overlooked the fact that they are after all nothing but the water of the ocean in reality. The non-realized waves have falsely taken the form to be the reality and ignored their true nature which is water. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves not to worry about themselves or their future of possibly being relentlessly thrown against a rock or destroyed otherwise against their will. Such a Realized Wave can tell other non-realized waves that they are not apart from the ocean in any way and have never ever been apart from the ocean. In fact, the ocean is the substratum of their existence as a wave. In fact, the waves all arise and subside into the ocean. The ocean remains as it always has been, unchanged as a body of water.
Your True Nature or your True Self is like the water, the water at the bottom of the ocean, Still and Peaceful and undisturbed by the world of activities and turmoil which is apparent on the surface. Be Your Self.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Knowledge is Ignorance
What you seek in the form of knowledge has to be based on the Primary Knowledge that you exist. This Knowledge of Existence is delivered in the form of the thought 'I am". You KNOW you ARE. There is no doubt about it. You are absolutely certain about your existence without anyone telling you about it. In your Original True State, you did not know you exist and then all of a sudden this Knowledge appeared spontaneously. This knowledge or "I-consciousness" arose spontaneously in your early childhood. You took this knowledge as being true and thereafter started building a story about yourself being an entity with a body and name. The "I-consciousness" or the Knowledge 'I am' is the Primary Illusion. Based on this illusion, you have gone about accumulating more and more indirect or acquired knowledge. Never having questioned the validity of this Primary Knowledge, your quest for spiritual knowledge was pursued in the wrong direction! The spiritual knowledge or indirect knowledge is nothing but more layers of ignorance(not knowledge as you think) added upon the Primary Illusion or Primary Knowledge of "I-consciousness". Hence, despite all your claims to understanding of the pointers to your True State, you have continued to suffer because you have failed to understand this Primary Knowledge. Suffering means that you have continued to search and seek out knowledge or experiences.
It is imperative that you question as to how this Primary Knowledge or consciousness came upon you. This Primary Knowledge can be present only as long as this body form is nourished with food and maintained. When this food body disintegrates (called 'death' in common lay terms), then the Primary Knowledge departs. So, where has all your accumulated knowledge gone to? What is the use of all your accumulated indirect knowledge of the arts, spirituality, sciences etc.? What is the sum total of all your indirect knowledge and experiences? Could you have had any experience of any kind without consciousness? Is it not true therefore that all experiences are in consciousness? And is it not true that you have placed so much emphasis on the experiences and on the indirect acquired knowledge of spirituality without inquiring as to who or what is the primary experiencer? Is it not true that all your sadhana (spiritual practice) is only to perpetuate and pay homage to the acquired knowledge and experiences? Can you in all sincerity ask yourself these questions and come to conclusions?
This Primary Knowledge is time bound and body bound. Therefore it is not eternal. What you truly, truly ARE is THAT, which is ETERNAL. Eternal means that which is not born and therefore does not die, that which is timeless and therefore any thing cannot be IT. So, it is essential to analyze and understand the true nature and origins of this Primary Knowledge and having understood that it is only an illusion, an appearance bound by time, you discard it as not you. The Primary Knowledge- I am, is itself not the Truth but it is all that you have access to. Therefore, while you must pray to this Primary Knowledge as your God, you must realize that what you truly, truly ARE is Prior to this Primary Knowledge. Question this Primary Knowledge of I am. Stay with this Knowledge. Pray to this Knowledge. It will lead you to Its Source. Keep the mind focused on this Primary Knowledge, the Knowledge 'I am'. Anything else you think about is leading you away from Its Source. As this author's Guru Nisargadatta Maharaj pointed out- "Go back. Recede." Realizing that you are Prior to any knowledge or ignorance, can you take any pride in knowing who you truly, truly ARE?
What you truly, truly ARE is prior to or beyond any knowledge and ignorance. Discarding all knowledge and ignorance as not mine, I rest in my True State which is the Stateless State of THAT. I am THAT.
It is imperative that you question as to how this Primary Knowledge or consciousness came upon you. This Primary Knowledge can be present only as long as this body form is nourished with food and maintained. When this food body disintegrates (called 'death' in common lay terms), then the Primary Knowledge departs. So, where has all your accumulated knowledge gone to? What is the use of all your accumulated indirect knowledge of the arts, spirituality, sciences etc.? What is the sum total of all your indirect knowledge and experiences? Could you have had any experience of any kind without consciousness? Is it not true therefore that all experiences are in consciousness? And is it not true that you have placed so much emphasis on the experiences and on the indirect acquired knowledge of spirituality without inquiring as to who or what is the primary experiencer? Is it not true that all your sadhana (spiritual practice) is only to perpetuate and pay homage to the acquired knowledge and experiences? Can you in all sincerity ask yourself these questions and come to conclusions?
This Primary Knowledge is time bound and body bound. Therefore it is not eternal. What you truly, truly ARE is THAT, which is ETERNAL. Eternal means that which is not born and therefore does not die, that which is timeless and therefore any thing cannot be IT. So, it is essential to analyze and understand the true nature and origins of this Primary Knowledge and having understood that it is only an illusion, an appearance bound by time, you discard it as not you. The Primary Knowledge- I am, is itself not the Truth but it is all that you have access to. Therefore, while you must pray to this Primary Knowledge as your God, you must realize that what you truly, truly ARE is Prior to this Primary Knowledge. Question this Primary Knowledge of I am. Stay with this Knowledge. Pray to this Knowledge. It will lead you to Its Source. Keep the mind focused on this Primary Knowledge, the Knowledge 'I am'. Anything else you think about is leading you away from Its Source. As this author's Guru Nisargadatta Maharaj pointed out- "Go back. Recede." Realizing that you are Prior to any knowledge or ignorance, can you take any pride in knowing who you truly, truly ARE?
What you truly, truly ARE is prior to or beyond any knowledge and ignorance. Discarding all knowledge and ignorance as not mine, I rest in my True State which is the Stateless State of THAT. I am THAT.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Caught up in the Words
Often one gets caught up in all the words to describe the Absolute. This leaves one wondering as to why he/she cannot continuously experience what is being pointed to as Bliss, Stillness, Peace etc. Unfortunately, this can lead one to utter frustration and desperation in the search for the Truth. Simply put, the Truth is already here and always now. What one needs to do is to simply stop identifying one's self with the body. All one needs is to have the intuitive and deep Understanding of what is being pointed to and remove the false identification with the body.
This could not have been put more simply than by Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi who stated: "The means prescribed for securing the spiritual end, such as charity, penance, sacrifice, dharma (virtuous conduct), yoga, bhakti (devotion) and the end itself described variously as Heaven, Supreme Object, Peace, Truth, Grace, The Quiescent State, Deathless Death, True Knowledge, Renunciation, Moksha (liberation) and Bliss, are all nothing but being free from the obsession that the body is the Self. Give up regarding yourself as this despicable body and realize your Real Nature, which is one of Eternal Bliss."
Ramana Maharshi continues by saying "Seeking to know thyself while still anxious about the welfare of the body is like attempting to cross a stream with the aid of a crocodile for a raft".
What more can this author add to this utterly simple message from the Maharshi? The author remains eternally grateful to Ramana Maharshi.
This could not have been put more simply than by Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi who stated: "The means prescribed for securing the spiritual end, such as charity, penance, sacrifice, dharma (virtuous conduct), yoga, bhakti (devotion) and the end itself described variously as Heaven, Supreme Object, Peace, Truth, Grace, The Quiescent State, Deathless Death, True Knowledge, Renunciation, Moksha (liberation) and Bliss, are all nothing but being free from the obsession that the body is the Self. Give up regarding yourself as this despicable body and realize your Real Nature, which is one of Eternal Bliss."
Ramana Maharshi continues by saying "Seeking to know thyself while still anxious about the welfare of the body is like attempting to cross a stream with the aid of a crocodile for a raft".
What more can this author add to this utterly simple message from the Maharshi? The author remains eternally grateful to Ramana Maharshi.
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