Open the Window to the Heart

Is it not true that many a seeker is floundering around in the darkness of ignorance? For those of you who have understood that the world arises in you due to ignorance, it is evident that only by SEEING the Light within will the darkness be dispelled. Although, it may seem like an impossible task to SEE within, it is actually very simple and very obvious to anyone who has a sincere and earnest desire to do so. It is just a matter of turning your attention from the sensory objects to within. The Light within is what illumines the sensory objects. It is the Light within that makes the sensory objects of the world appear to you.

By turning one's attention inwards, the very obvious and self shining consciousness becomes evident. For, is it not true that without being conscious there would be no world of objects for anyone? By turning one's attention away from the world of objects and focusing on the lightless Light within, one merges in the Light. There is no "me" left to describe the Light within. Just the bliss of merging in the Light within. The duality is lost in the Oneness that envelops all around. In the Oneness, there is pure bliss beyond description but yet fully obvious and simple to SEE.

The Heart is where the Light is. The Heart is the Self. The fact that you know that you are is because of the Heart. It is not the physical or anatomical heart but a reference to the Self within - the heart of it all. All that is needed is to open the window to the Heart. It is already ever shining within. Just LOOK and SEE. Simple as can be.

If Only I could Kill My Ego

As you may be aware by reading through the Advaita literature, that a lot of advice is given on how it is important to kill the ego as the means of Self Realization. Let us look at this topic in our discussion today. The ego is nothing but the "I-thought" or the idea of being an individual. In fact, the ego and the mind are one and the same. Why? The first thought which is the basis of all other thoughts is the thought- "I". When the first person, I, arises, all other thoughts arise and are all linked to this primary thought - "I". Therefore, it is essential to decipher the source of this very first thought, or the "I- thought" as the way to realizing one's True Nature or Self Realization as it is called. The ego is the first person, the I, or the individual that one believes oneself to be. The ego makes one believe that he or she is a separate entity with substance and its own independent existence.

The very idea that you being the ego, will somehow go about and kill the ego is itself ludicrous.  There is no doubt that the ego trying to kill itself would be a futile exercise since it would be similar to suicide, though not physically. Well, that is not the goal of Self Realization, certainly!  If all who have Realized their Self would be dead, then there should have been no one to pass on this Knowledge to others? As Ramana Maharshi has said, the ego trying to kill the ego is similar to a thief pretending to be the policeman and wanting to catch the thief. There can be nothing more ridiculous. But, despite this very obvious statement, many a seeker still wants to be deluded into believing that somehow the ego can be controlled or killed.  Because of this misunderstanding, the seeker will try to somehow seek out a method (or sadhana) to do so. After going around in circles, as would be not surprising considering the very nature of the goal in mind, the seeker becomes frustrated and helpless. Many others will say that Advaita teaching is impractical and still others may say that it is a fatalistic philosophy.  Unfortunately, many a seeker has been led astray because of misunderstanding of the teachings.

This statement about the ego needs clarification for many. The ego cannot and should not be sought out for destruction in some way. Instead, it is essential for one to find out if the ego has any existence apart from the consciousness.  Does the ego have any substance or independent nature apart from consciousness? Is it not true that you have to be conscious to know you exist as an individual? In this realm of consciousness, the idea of being a first person- "I", arises. This "I" is nothing but the thought- I, or the ego. A thought has no substance. Look for it and SEE for yourself.  A thought has no substance and has no independent existence apart from consciousness.  When there are no thoughts including the "I-thought", you still exist. Try it and see. Stop all thoughts even for a moment. You do not fall apart.

When sincerely inquired into, the ego is like a ghost. It vanishes like the ghost which never existed in the first place. And yet, there is no denying that there is awareness or the sense of being without being this or that. This stillness, which is pure beingness, is experienced by all when the "I-thought" subsides, however transient it may be. So, the question finally arises, why and how would you want to kill something that doesn't exist?  Why kill the ego when it is unreal and has no existence apart from consciousness? Why not instead investigate and find out the nature of the ego and realize that it is like a ghost? How can you kill a ghost?  So, give up the idea of killing the ego or the mind, and instead focus on inquiring into the nature of the ego or the mind.

Nobody, Somebody and Everybody

To begin with you are a nobody, a no-body. This nobody gave rise to the feeling of being somebody or rather this body. Actually, it is the nobody getting confused and thinking it is somebody.  With the notion of being a somebody,  this same nobody which was the essence of peace and bliss, started suffering. Because the notion of being somebody meant being separate from other bodies, it started feeling insecure and vulnerable. As a somebody, it felt alienated in this world of other bodies, which it assumed are not itself since they appear to be separate from this body. This somebody became the embodiment of suffering. This somebody started searching for an answer, an answer to the end of suffering. Thereby started the search and this somebody became a seeker.

At some point in time, this somebody was told by a Guru (who also appeared to be somebody but was established as a no-body) that the True Nature of this somebody was actually nobody.  "All along, you have been nobody but you have falsely believed yourself to be somebody and hence you have been suffering", were the words of the Guru. This somebody started meditating on what the Guru had told. In a fraction of a second, suddenly and without any effort on part of anybody, this somebody suddenly Realized that actually everybody is nobody and just because they think they are somebody, they feel that they are independent and separate from other bodies and hence the suffering.  As soon as somebody Realizes that they are nobody, then the suffering stops, and the seeking stops, for the seeker is the sought. 

It becomes clear to this somebody, that there is nothing to be sought and all that is necessary to put an end to this suffering is to establish the false identity of this somebody. Everybody arises from and subsides into nobody.  Therefore, nobody is the source of everybody. Nobody is also the source of everything since one has to be somebody to perceive the world of things as objects. 

Just SEE that you are no-body and stop pretending to be some-body.

(Maybe this clarification will help some readers. No-body = Consciousness. Some-body= Ego or Jeeva or body-mind entity called "me". Every-body= all Jeevas.)