DHANYA ON RUMI

"Our task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find
all the barriers within ourselves
that we have built against it."  Rumi

Yes, love is my true nature, ever available at all times, in all places. Not recognizing this, the most basic fact of my existence, I project my very own love and happiness out into the world of changing experience, and then run after it. The Upanisads compare this to trying to drink water from a mirage.

The barriers which block me from recognizing my true nature as it always and ever is, are all of the things the mind takes my self to be.  I believe that I am limited, small, subject to change, subject to moods, thoughts, emotions, subject to hurt and pain.

Once I have distinguished my very own self as I truly am, self-shining, self-evident, love itself, the actual essence of all that was previously sought in countless fruitless efforts, then these 'as though' barriers fall away one by one, and my very own light, which is fullness, which is love, stands revealed.

sAdhana chatuShTaya sampatti

The tendency to neglect the doctrine that vedAnticstudy is intended only for the competent is responsible for the confused thinking of modern days. Even simple crafts such as masonry or carpentry, require a preliminary course of training. But in the field of brahma-vidyA, the science of value of the Self, the highest and the most difficult of all sciences, everyone thinks himself competent and entitled to study the system of advaita and even to sit in judgment over it. This attitude must go and must be replaced by earnest endeavor to secure first the necessary competence.’ shrI Chandrasekhara Bharati (Pearls-of-Wisdom).

‘Some rivers flow directly into the ocean. Others first join bigger rivers and then merge with the ocean. So also the paths of devotion, meditation and desireless work lead by stages to the ultimate Realization. The path of Knowledge is a direct means but it is difficult. To follow it, an aspirant requires the four-fold qualifications namely viveka, vairAgya, shama and the like and mumukShutva.’ shrI Abhinava Vidyatirtha (Pearls-of-Wisdom).

Translation:

Here is the text we will be meditating on, as it has been translated by an Italian Master who goes by the single name Raphael. 

‘The Sages have said that for realization it is necessary to practice four qualifications, without which the attainment of brahman could fail (18). The first one is discernment between the real and the non-real; the second is detachment from the fruits of all actions in both this world and other worlds; the third consists of the group of the six qualities, such as mental calm, and so on; and the fourth one is a firm and yearning aspiration for enlightenment (19),’ (vivekachUDAmaNi, Raphael, Aurea Vidya Foundation, 2006). 

Commentary:

viveka indicates discrimination between things permanent and transient. 

The principle way that viveka comes about is through accumulated puNya(meritorious deeds). Here we might note that pApa (sin) is the opposite ofpuNya. pApa is bad action that we do as a result of our fundamental avidyA(ignorance). If we have been doing sin for a long time, we will probably need to do puNya also for a long time to counteract the effects of our bad behavior. Only then will we have the clear hope of succeeding in our viveka. 

What ethic can we follow to correct our bad behavior? In the gItA Krishna teaches us a pristine ethic known as niShkAma karma. He says, ‘Do whatever you like, but offer the fruits of all of your actions to Me.’. If the best we are able to offer is another cigarette or a lie to our co-worker, this does not matter to Krishna. He will still accept our offering nonetheless. However we may not feel such things are the best we have to offer. After all, we are making an offering to the Lord of creation. Gradually we will work to change our behavior, so that it is in harmony with what the scriptures and wise teachers recommend. 

vairAgya means renunciation of the enjoyment of the fruits of action in this world and in the hereafter.

vairAgya is the result of successful discrimination. The more we understand that the world (and everything in it) is impermanent, and therefore not where we look to find lasting happiness, the more dispassionate we become with regards to the things of the world. 

Strong attachments cause us to take the view that there is some combination of things we can do - or figure out - to realize the Self. Such attachments also prevent us from realizing that Ishvara alone acts.

From shrI Abhinava Vidyathirtha: ‘People are often devoid of dispassion. The reason for this is the lack of discrimination. Dispassion may dawn due to some calamity but that dispassion is only temporary. Only that dispassion that results from discrimination is lasting. The importance of burning dispassion can never be over-emphasized. It would not be wrong to say that much of the trouble which people encounter in controlling the mind is due to want of vairAgyam,’ (Pearls-of-Wisdom).

shamAdi ShaTka sampatti means the six behaviors. These are as follows.

shama means tranquility of mind, which is to say control of the antaHkaraNa(the inner organ comprised of manas, buddhi, ahaMkAra, and chitta). shama is the result of viveka and vairAgya. Importantly we want to consider that control of the mind is nothing to do with suppression. shama is the fruit of healthy self-education. 

dama means self-control or control of our indriya-s, our senses. If we see a new car or a nice outfit and deeply understand that by possessing it we will not have greater peace of mind or happiness, then we are exercising dama. katha upaniShad gives us a beautiful metaphor in which buddhi (the intellect) is represented by a charioteer, manas (conventional mind) is represented by the reins and the indriya-s are represented by the powerful horses drawing the chariot. Our senses include the five j~nAnendriya-s and the five karmendriya-s. 

uparati means introversion or inwardly absorption. uparati is the result of correctshama and dama. When we exercise both shama and dama in relation to the things of the world, we discover our own inner poise. 

titikShA means forgiveness and forbearance. The obstacles we encounter on our path are the result of our prArabdha karma. Rather than blaming others or feeling sorry for ourselves we might instead think, ‘This obstacle is the result of my own bad conduct. Because Ishvara is an ocean of grace, He is allowing me this experience so that I may understand why I do not want to do sin, which causes undue hardship for me and for others.'

To paraphrase shrI Abhinava Vidyathirtha on the topic of encountering obstacles, ‘When tendencies nurtured in the previous birth are the same as those in the present birth then obstacles to a course of action are negligible. On the other hand, when past and present trends are at variance the one that is more powerful decides the course of action. If we try hard enough, we can certainly overcome past tendencies. How hard we must try cannot be determined beforehand. When obstacles are encountered we must try harder and harder till we succeed,’ (Pearls-of-Wisdom).

shraddhA means faith in the scriptures and the guru. Without shraddhA it is impossible to grow spiritually. 

We have two questions here. Why faith in the scriptures? And who is a guru? 

To answer the second question first, a guru is a brahmaniShTha (knower ofbrahman), a shrotriya (versed in the scriptures) and a good teacher. It is not enough for the guru to be a j~nAni. The guru must also be able to wield apramANa or valid means of Knowledge. 

In the case of vedAnta, that valid means of knowledge is the scriptures. However the scriptures are basically incomprehensible without the aid of a guru(or the grace of Ishvara!) to unfold them for us. It is because of this incomprehensible nature of the scriptures that we need to have faith in the guruas well. 

In bRRihadAraNyaka upaniShad (II, 4, II-IV) we find one of numerous examples of an adhikAri approaching a guru: ‘(2) maitreyi said, “Blessed one, if I had this whole earth, filled with riches, would I become immortal by it?” “No,” said yAj~navalkya. “Your life would be as the life of the wealthy, but there would be no hope of immortality through riches.” (3) maitreyi said, “What use to me is something by which I cannot become immortal? Blessed one, teach me what you know.” (4) yAj~navalkya said, “Ah, you have always been dear to me, and now you speak what is dear too. Sit down here and I will teach you: but, as I explain, meditate upon it,”’ (upaniShad-s, Valerie Roebuck, Penguin, 2004).

In this passage, maitreyi is a picture of shraddhA. 

samAdhAna means singleness of vision or focus. Our biggest obstacle on the spiritual path is often our own lack of focus. We hold to a manas or hive mind point of view and feel supported in our rational reasons for not digging for the spiritual by observing the lifestyles of family, friends, colleagues, and the society in general. Breaking this hold that we have is tantamount to a rocket breaking free of the gravitational pull of the earth. 

In Phaedo, 99, Plato describes breaking this hold as the ‘second navigation’, which is to say, one begins to be guided by the noetic mind (nous, buddhi) rather than the sensible mind. The noetic mind is capable of meditating on ideas, whereas the conventional mind offers nothing more than opinions. As a result of this ‘second navigation’, one becomes a true philosopher, a true lover of wisdom. 

mumukShutvam means the burning desire for spiritual freedom.

Lastly, we can consider what it is that we are to focus on. We are to focus on the possibility of our own realization and enlightenment. 

It is not likely that we will have a burning desire for enlightenment minus some basic competency with regards to each of the above qualifications. These all serve to strengthen our desire for enlightenment, allowing us to receive thevidyA which brings our fundamental avidyA to an end

IMPORTANCE OF A TEACHER

key words to understand in this post
Jnanam means self-knowledge
Ajnanam means lack of self-knowledge, or self-ignorance
A jnani is someone who has self-knowledge
An ajnani is someone who does not have self-knowledge
The Upanishads are those scriptures which contain the words used in the teachings of Advaita/Vedanta, which teachings are aimed at helping the student to acquire self-knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What keeps occurring to me over and over again is the importance of having an actual living teacher with whom one can clear one’s doubts.
As ajnanis we see everything through the lens of ajnanam, and because of ajnanam, we do not have any other way of seeing until someone who no longer sees things in that way is able to help us out. Just trying to decipher the words of the scriptures on our own is not enough to get us out of the problem we are in, because knowing nothing other than ajnanam, we will interpret the words through that lens alone.
If we read a verse and begin with a misinterpretation of the meaning of the words, then we can read any number of verses after that, and interpret the words a way that mirrors our misunderstanding.
Here is a quote from my teacher from a Vedanta class, which, because I felt it was so important when I heard it, I transcribed verbatim for my own mananam (reflection).
"In logical syllogisms, if what was is called, the pratigna, the initial statement, is false, and one does not know that, like a bouncing ball of logical steps, one will logically come up with very valid conclusions based upon the false initial statement. If that initialstatement is wrong, one's conclusion can be correct in reference to the initial statement, but it is totally incorrect in reference to what is."
Thus, if we read some important words in the scriptures, and we misunderstand what those words mean, then we can very easily go on and find other places in the scriptures where we will misconstrue the meaning of similar words based on our original incorrect understanding. What we come up with might seem logical according to our original (and incorrect) interpretation, but it will not be true according to the actual intended meaning of the words.
The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta are meant to be unfolded by a person who is an authority on the meaning of the words used in teaching. The authority needs to be in the form of a living person to whom one can ask questions and with whom one can clear doubts, because the topic itself is a difficult one, and because ajnanam is so thoroughly woven into our view, we are most likely to go astray on our own.
Having direct access to and sraddha (confidence) in such a person, is paramount to the understanding of the teachings, and is why it is said that self-knowledge is passed from guru to disciple.
Without a guru we will have the words, but we will not have the key to unlock their intended meaning. Thus there should be an actual living person in whom one has confidence, and who can properly interpret the, often confusing and apparently contradictory, words of the scriptures and Shankara's commentaries on same.
Without direct access to such a person it seems to me that the gain of clarity is not possible, and we may go round and round in circles of misunderstanding, which will lead us only into blind alleys.
Dhanya's BlogThe Importance of Having a Teacher to Explain the Words of the Upanisads - On 11/8/2010 4:27:59 PM By Dhanya
Some key words to understand in this post
Jnanam means self-knowledge
Ajnanam means lack of self-knowledge, or self-ignorance
A jnani is someone who has self-knowledge
An ajnani is someone who does not have self-knowledge
The Upanishads are those scriptures which contain the words used in the teachings of Advaita/Vedanta, which teachings are aimed at helping the student to acquire self-knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What keeps occurring to me over and over again is the importance of having an actual living teacher with whom one can clear one’s doubts.
As ajnanis we see everything through the lens of ajnanam, and because of ajnanam, we do not have any other way of seeing until someone who no longer sees things in that way is able to help us out. Just trying to decipher the words of the scriptures on our own is not enough to get us out of the problem we are in, because knowing nothing other than ajnanam, we will interpret the words through that lens alone.
If we read a verse and begin with a misinterpretation of the meaning of the words, then we can read any number of verses after that, and interpret the words a way that mirrors our misunderstanding.
Here is a quote from my teacher from a Vedanta class, which, because I felt it was so important when I heard it, I transcribed verbatim for my own mananam (reflection).
"In logical syllogisms, if what was is called, the pratigna, the initial statement, is false, and one does not know that, like a bouncing ball of logical steps, one will logically come up with very valid conclusions based upon the false initial statement. If that initialstatement is wrong, one's conclusion can be correct in reference to the initial statement, but it is totally incorrect in reference to what is."
Thus, if we read some important words in the scriptures, and we misunderstand what those words mean, then we can very easily go on and find other places in the scriptures where we will misconstrue the meaning of similar words based on our original incorrect understanding. What we come up with might seem logical according to our original (and incorrect) interpretation, but it will not be true according to the actual intended meaning of the words.
The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta are meant to be unfolded by a person who is an authority on the meaning of the words used in teaching. The authority needs to be in the form of a living person to whom one can ask questions and with whom one can clear doubts, because the topic itself is a difficult one, and because ajnanam is so thoroughly woven into our view, we are most likely to go astray on our own.
Having direct access to and sraddha (confidence) in such a person, is paramount to the understanding of the teachings, and is why it is said that self-knowledge is passed from guru to disciple.
Without a guru we will have the words, but we will not have the key to unlock their intended meaning. Thus there should be an actual living person in whom one has confidence, and who can properly interpret the, often confusing and apparently contradictory, words of the scriptures and Shankara's commentaries on same.
Without direct access to such a person it seems to me that the gain of clarity is not possible, and we may go round and round in circles of misunderstanding, which will lead us only into blind alleys.
Dhanya's BlogThe Importance of Having a Teacher to Explain the Words of the Upanisads - On 11/8/2010 4:27:59 PM By Dhanya
Some key words to understand in this post
Jnanam means self-knowledge
Ajnanam means lack of self-knowledge, or self-ignorance
A jnani is someone who has self-knowledge
An ajnani is someone who does not have self-knowledge
The Upanishads are those scriptures which contain the words used in the teachings of Advaita/Vedanta, which teachings are aimed at helping the student to acquire self-knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What keeps occurring to me over and over again is the importance of having an actual living teacher with whom one can clear one’s doubts.
As ajnanis we see everything through the lens of ajnanam, and because of ajnanam, we do not have any other way of seeing until someone who no longer sees things in that way is able to help us out. Just trying to decipher the words of the scriptures on our own is not enough to get us out of the problem we are in, because knowing nothing other than ajnanam, we will interpret the words through that lens alone.
If we read a verse and begin with a misinterpretation of the meaning of the words, then we can read any number of verses after that, and interpret the words a way that mirrors our misunderstanding.
Here is a quote from my teacher from a Vedanta class, which, because I felt it was so important when I heard it, I transcribed verbatim for my own mananam (reflection).
"In logical syllogisms, if what was is called, the pratigna, the initial statement, is false, and one does not know that, like a bouncing ball of logical steps, one will logically come up with very valid conclusions based upon the false initial statement. If that initialstatement is wrong, one's conclusion can be correct in reference to the initial statement, but it is totally incorrect in reference to what is."
Thus, if we read some important words in the scriptures, and we misunderstand what those words mean, then we can very easily go on and find other places in the scriptures where we will misconstrue the meaning of similar words based on our original incorrect understanding. What we come up with might seem logical according to our original (and incorrect) interpretation, but it will not be true according to the actual intended meaning of the words.
The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta are meant to be unfolded by a person who is an authority on the meaning of the words used in teaching. The authority needs to be in the form of a living person to whom one can ask questions and with whom one can clear doubts, because the topic itself is a difficult one, and because ajnanam is so thoroughly woven into our view, we are most likely to go astray on our own.
Having direct access to and sraddha (confidence) in such a person, is paramount to the understanding of the teachings, and is why it is said that self-knowledge is passed from guru to disciple.
Without a guru we will have the words, but we will not have the key to unlock their intended meaning. Thus there should be an actual living person in whom one has confidence, and who can properly interpret the, often confusing and apparently contradictory, words of the scriptures and Shankara's commentaries on same.
Without direct access to such a person it seems to me that the gain of clarity is not possible, and we may go round and round in circles of misunderstanding, which will lead us only into blind alleys.
Dhanya's BlogThe Importance of Having a Teacher to Explain the Words of the Upanisads - On 11/8/2010 4:27:59 PM By Dhanya
Some key words to understand in this post
Jnanam means self-knowledge
Ajnanam means lack of self-knowledge, or self-ignorance
A jnani is someone who has self-knowledge
An ajnani is someone who does not have self-knowledge
The Upanishads are those scriptures which contain the words used in the teachings of Advaita/Vedanta, which teachings are aimed at helping the student to acquire self-knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What keeps occurring to me over and over again is the importance of having an actual living teacher with whom one can clear one’s doubts.
As ajnanis we see everything through the lens of ajnanam, and because of ajnanam, we do not have any other way of seeing until someone who no longer sees things in that way is able to help us out. Just trying to decipher the words of the scriptures on our own is not enough to get us out of the problem we are in, because knowing nothing other than ajnanam, we will interpret the words through that lens alone.
If we read a verse and begin with a misinterpretation of the meaning of the words, then we can read any number of verses after that, and interpret the words a way that mirrors our misunderstanding.
Here is a quote from my teacher from a Vedanta class, which, because I felt it was so important when I heard it, I transcribed verbatim for my own mananam (reflection).
"In logical syllogisms, if what was is called, the pratigna, the initial statement, is false, and one does not know that, like a bouncing ball of logical steps, one will logically come up with very valid conclusions based upon the false initial statement. If that initialstatement is wrong, one's conclusion can be correct in reference to the initial statement, but it is totally incorrect in reference to what is."
Thus, if we read some important words in the scriptures, and we misunderstand what those words mean, then we can very easily go on and find other places in the scriptures where we will misconstrue the meaning of similar words based on our original incorrect understanding. What we come up with might seem logical according to our original (and incorrect) interpretation, but it will not be true according to the actual intended meaning of the words.
The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta are meant to be unfolded by a person who is an authority on the meaning of the words used in teaching. The authority needs to be in the form of a living person to whom one can ask questions and with whom one can clear doubts, because the topic itself is a difficult one, and because ajnanam is so thoroughly woven into our view, we are most likely to go astray on our own.
Having direct access to and sraddha (confidence) in such a person, is paramount to the understanding of the teachings, and is why it is said that self-knowledge is passed from guru to disciple.
Without a guru we will have the words, but we will not have the key to unlock their intended meaning. Thus there should be an actual living person in whom one has confidence, and who can properly interpret the, often confusing and apparently contradictory, words of the scriptures and Shankara's commentaries on same.
Without direct access to such a person it seems to me that the gain of clarity is not possible, and we may go round and round in circles of misunderstanding, which will lead us only into blind alleys.
Dhanya's BlogThe Importance of Having a Teacher to Explain the Words of the Upanisads - On 11/8/2010 4:27:59 PM By Dhanya
Some key words to understand in this post
Jnanam means self-knowledge
Ajnanam means lack of self-knowledge, or self-ignorance
A jnani is someone who has self-knowledge
An ajnani is someone who does not have self-knowledge
The Upanishads are those scriptures which contain the words used in the teachings of Advaita/Vedanta, which teachings are aimed at helping the student to acquire self-knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What keeps occurring to me over and over again is the importance of having an actual living teacher with whom one can clear one’s doubts.
As ajnanis we see everything through the lens of ajnanam, and because of ajnanam, we do not have any other way of seeing until someone who no longer sees things in that way is able to help us out. Just trying to decipher the words of the scriptures on our own is not enough to get us out of the problem we are in, because knowing nothing other than ajnanam, we will interpret the words through that lens alone.
If we read a verse and begin with a misinterpretation of the meaning of the words, then we can read any number of verses after that, and interpret the words a way that mirrors our misunderstanding.
Here is a quote from my teacher from a Vedanta class, which, because I felt it was so important when I heard it, I transcribed verbatim for my own mananam (reflection).
"In logical syllogisms, if what was is called, the pratigna, the initial statement, is false, and one does not know that, like a bouncing ball of logical steps, one will logically come up with very valid conclusions based upon the false initial statement. If that initialstatement is wrong, one's conclusion can be correct in reference to the initial statement, but it is totally incorrect in reference to what is."
Thus, if we read some important words in the scriptures, and we misunderstand what those words mean, then we can very easily go on and find other places in the scriptures where we will misconstrue the meaning of similar words based on our original incorrect understanding. What we come up with might seem logical according to our original (and incorrect) interpretation, but it will not be true according to the actual intended meaning of the words.
The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta are meant to be unfolded by a person who is an authority on the meaning of the words used in teaching. The authority needs to be in the form of a living person to whom one can ask questions and with whom one can clear doubts, because the topic itself is a difficult one, and because ajnanam is so thoroughly woven into our view, we are most likely to go astray on our own.
Having direct access to and sraddha (confidence) in such a person, is paramount to the understanding of the teachings, and is why it is said that self-knowledge is passed from guru to disciple.
Without a guru we will have the words, but we will not have the key to unlock their intended meaning. Thus there should be an actual living person in whom one has confidence, and who can properly interpret the, often confusing and apparently contradictory, words of the scriptures and Shankara's commentaries on same.
Without direct access to such a person it seems to me that the gain of clarity is not possible, and we may go round and round in circles of misunderstanding, which will lead us only into blind alleys.
Dhanya's BlogThe Importance of Having a Teacher to Explain the Words of the Upanisads - On 11/8/2010 4:27:59 PM By Dhanya
Some key words to understand in this post
Jnanam means self-knowledge
Ajnanam means lack of self-knowledge, or self-ignorance
A jnani is someone who has self-knowledge
An ajnani is someone who does not have self-knowledge
The Upanishads are those scriptures which contain the words used in the teachings of Advaita/Vedanta, which teachings are aimed at helping the student to acquire self-knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What keeps occurring to me over and over again is the importance of having an actual living teacher with whom one can clear one’s doubts.
As ajnanis we see everything through the lens of ajnanam, and because of ajnanam, we do not have any other way of seeing until someone who no longer sees things in that way is able to help us out. Just trying to decipher the words of the scriptures on our own is not enough to get us out of the problem we are in, because knowing nothing other than ajnanam, we will interpret the words through that lens alone.
If we read a verse and begin with a misinterpretation of the meaning of the words, then we can read any number of verses after that, and interpret the words a way that mirrors our misunderstanding.
Here is a quote from my teacher from a Vedanta class, which, because I felt it was so important when I heard it, I transcribed verbatim for my own mananam (reflection).
"In logical syllogisms, if what was is called, the pratigna, the initial statement, is false, and one does not know that, like a bouncing ball of logical steps, one will logically come up with very valid conclusions based upon the false initial statement. If that initialstatement is wrong, one's conclusion can be correct in reference to the initial statement, but it is totally incorrect in reference to what is."
Thus, if we read some important words in the scriptures, and we misunderstand what those words mean, then we can very easily go on and find other places in the scriptures where we will misconstrue the meaning of similar words based on our original incorrect understanding. What we come up with might seem logical according to our original (and incorrect) interpretation, but it will not be true according to the actual intended meaning of the words.
The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta are meant to be unfolded by a person who is an authority on the meaning of the words used in teaching. The authority needs to be in the form of a living person to whom one can ask questions and with whom one can clear doubts, because the topic itself is a difficult one, and because ajnanam is so thoroughly woven into our view, we are most likely to go astray on our own.
Having direct access to and sraddha (confidence) in such a person, is paramount to the understanding of the teachings, and is why it is said that self-knowledge is passed from guru to disciple.
Without a guru we will have the words, but we will not have the key to unlock their intended meaning. Thus there should be an actual living person in whom one has confidence, and who can properly interpret the, often confusing and apparently contradictory, words of the scriptures and Shankara's commentaries on same.
Without direct access to such a person it seems to me that the gain of clarity is not possible, and we may go round and round in circles of misunderstanding, which will lead us only into blind alleys.

REAL & MITHYA ... WATER & WAVE

 Take the point of view of a wave: it may accept that it is water, but it still sees itself as different from the vast ocean. But from the point of view of water, all waves are encompassed and so is the whole ocean. All waves arise out of water, are pervaded totally by water and resolve back into water. Water is the same truth of every wave and is thus the truth of the ocean. Similarly, if we consider pUrNam adaH and pUrNam idam from the point of view of idam and adaH, there is an apparent problem because they both exclude the other and are therefore not complete. But if we start from the limitless pUrNam, then everything is included. The seeming differences between idam (the world) and adaH (I) are swallowed up by pUrNam.

POEM - ONENESS

   One of the great resources readily available for ideas is from visionary poets who can see world with the advaitic perspective.  I couldn't resist posting this vision of Nonduality by Kavi Yogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharati:

" Trees are many; the grove is one
Branches are many; tree is one
Shores are many; sea is one
Limbs are many; body is one
Bodies many; Self is one
Stars are many; Sky is one
Flowers are many; honey is one
Pages are many; book is one
Thoughts are many; Thinker is one
Tastes are many; taster is one
Actors are many; the drama is one
Nations are many; World is one
Religions are many; Truth is one
The wise are many; Wisdom is one
Beings are many; Breath is one
Classes are many; College is one
Find out this One behind the many
Then life shall enjoy peaceful harmony"

—Yogi Shuddhananda Bharati

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

Part I Part VIII


Another problem is the confusion of self-knowledge with experience. People say I have studied Vedanta and now I want to experience it. Is it an experience or is it knowledge? Let us understand this difference. It is not ‘knowledge of’ something nor is it an ‘experience of’ something. The experiences that we know are time bound. There is an experiencer, something experienced and the act of experiencing – this is called a triad or tripuTi in Sanskrit. All experiences have a beginning and therefore have an end. Anything that has beginning has to have an end and that is the law.



Now let us a ask question - Is there any time that I do not experience Brahman? If Brahman is infinite and eternal, I have to ‘experience’ Brahman all the time and everywhere. The problem that I have is that, although I experience Brahman all the time, I fail to recognize it. In fact, Vedanta says every thing that I experience is nothing but Brahman only, but I take it as ‘this’ or ‘that’. Not knowing what Brahman is, I take whatever I experience as other than Brahman and therefore I set out to experience Brahman. Do I have knowledge of Brahman? If I understand Brahman intellectually by studying Vedanta, I have only conceptualized Brahman. Whatever is conceptualized is not Brahman – that is exactly the teaching of Vedanta.



Forget about Brahman. Do I know myself? Not many will ask that question, since everybody takes for granted he know about himself – that is evident when he tries to introduce himself to others. But if one examines carefully, he is not introducing himself but what he thinks about himself. Vedanta says you are not what you think you are - you are sat chit Ananda or existence-consciousness-bliss. How can I know I am sat chit Ananda? Vedanta says it is not something to be known but something to understand.



Let us give a simple example: Suppose I am sitting in a pitch dark room and I cannot see anything. I am unaware of the existence of any object, since it is pitch dark. If some one calls me from outside and asks me if I am there in that dark room – what should be my answer? I cannot say ‘I do not see anything here; it is pitch dark. Therefore I do not know if I am here or not’. Should I say ‘I believe I am here’? Or should I say, ‘I can hear you, therefore I must be hear somewhere’? How do I know, or what is the means of knowledge (pramANa) for me to know, that I am there and I am conscious? Do I have to see myself (perception) to know myself? Do I have to experience myself to know myself? Is it a belief that I am there because the scriptures say that I am there?



No means of knowledge is required to know that I am there or that I am a conscious entity. I am a self-evident and self-conscious entity, which Vedanta calls aprameya. (prameya is a thing to be known, or an object for a ‘pramANa’; aprameya means I am not an object for any pramANa.) In fact all pramANa-s, including Veda pramANa are validated by me since I am there and I am a conscious entity able to validate them. A Self-existent and self-conscious entity need not be known or experienced. Or should I say ‘I cannot be known or experienced either, since whatever can be known or experienced is an object or inert entity’? Vedanta says it is different from ‘knowledge of’ or ‘experience of’.



The problem is that I, the self-existent self-conscious entity that I am, take myself as something other than myself. There is an error involved in the operations or transactions. The error is called ‘adhyAsa’ or superimposed error – wherein a self-existent self-conscious entity, I, take myself as an inert or unconscious entity, this (‘this’ being the body-mind-intellect complex). The solution therefore is to know myself as myself by rejecting all notions about myself such as ‘I am this or that’. It is therefore not a ‘knowledge of’ in the sense of an objective knowledge but knowledge of ‘I am that I am’ and not ‘I am this or that’. It is a peculiar knowledge in which the knower-known-knowing triad is not there but all converge to one, which we can refer to as pure knowledge without any attributes.



So it is neither knowledge nor experience that we are familiar with – it is self-knowledge or recognition of who we are by discarding who we are not. In the pitch dark room example there is another interesting point to note about my true nature. If I say it is pitch dark and therefore I cannot see anything there, this means that there is no illumination of the objects to reveal the objects that are there. Hence, the existence of any object cannot be ascertained unless it is illumined. The objects may be there or may not be there – there is an inherent uncertainty about their existence or non-existence until they are illuminated and seen. Up to now, it is commonsense.



Now let us ask another interesting question. How do I know it is dark? Of course, I can see that it is dark and, in fact, it is so dark that I cannot see anything else. But what illumines the darkness in order for me to see that it is dark, when I cannot see anything else? Suppose I shine a light to see the darkness, would I see darkness then? The external light that is needed to illumine all objects cannot illumine darkness. An external light is opposite to external darkness. But there is another light that illumines darkness too, in the light of which I know it is dark. That other light, which illumines darkness, is not opposite to darkness. The light that illumines the darkness is my own light of consciousness, which is not opposite to the darkness outside like the outside light.



In fact, I am the light of all lights that illumines not only the darkness but even the lights outside too. I can see any thing or any object including the sun, the moon and all the lights, etc, as well as the darkness too in the light of illuminating consciousness that I am. I am the consciousness because of which I am conscious of all the objects – even all the thoughts, including my notions that ‘I am this’ or ‘I am that’ etc. Everything else shines (gets illuminated) after me. What light illumines me so that I can see myself? The fact of the matter is that I do not need a light to see the light. That is what is called self-luminous. I am the light of consciousness that illumines everything else and I do not need another light to illumine me. That is the reason why I know I am there and I know I am conscious even in the pitch dark room, when there is no external light to illumine me.



Hence Vedanta says ‘I am a self-luminous entity’ (svayam jyoti) and I am light of all lights (yotir jyoti). These are the words that take us beyond their meaning for a contemplative student to see myself as myself.

ESSAY BY AJA

Aja, Wednesday, April 28, 2010 12:40 AM Text Size :





Not who you think you are; not your name; not your gender; and certainly not your beliefs, concepts or convictions, but who are YOU? As children, or even teens, we may ask ourselves this question. But soon we are told who we are. We are indoctrinated into a field of isolation by having our Who-ness defined and categorized. We forget the Who we are as it is clouded by misconceptions, desires, ideas, mythologies, and individuality. But who is it that rests prior to all ideas, all thoughts, prior even to the senses?







Within your mind, you may have so many thoughts. They run through your mind, seemingly appearing out of nowhere to tell you what you think and what to believe. But where do they come from. Are you really thinking or are you being thought? All of these thoughts simply arise in the mind and we hear them, see them, are aware of them. But who is aware of them? If within your mind you create a picture, an image of something, anything, such as a tree, a cat, a house - that image appears within the mind, but who is seeing that image? That hearer of thoughts, that seer of images - that is You. It is the Witness, the Consciousness, the Pure Awareness. You are NOT beliefs. And nearly everything you believe you are is a belief, a concept.







All of your ideas about the nature of the world, your likes and dislikes, who you are, what God is, what political or religious system is best, what life is meant for, why your life is a success or a failure - all of these are ideas. They are not and never have been who you are. They are sheets of colored gel laid upon the light of pure consciousness. They make you believe that you are happy or sad, good or bad, fortunate or unfortunate. But you are never any of these things. Who You are is Free. Who You are is Absolute. Who You are is a drop of the consciousness that is the Infinite Consciousness of all existence or what some might call God. Yes, you are That which alone exists, from which everything arises, and into which everything returns. But you focus on the flotsam and jetsam that float on the surface of the ocean, rather than recognizing you are the ocean itself.







Perhaps you even seek to know the truth, to end suffering and realize Enlightenment. Enlightenment is another concept. It is the opposite of bondage or unenlightened and exists in the realm of duality, of opposites, in the land of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. They are names only that we have created to manage within an unknown territory. That's fine, but you are not the territory. You are You, and that has never been bound and will never be enlightened. It always is as it is, pure consciousness.







Right Now! In this moment, Where are You? Not where your body is or even where you are within your body. But that consciousness, that awareness, that witness which is experiencing these words, thoughts and images arising in your mind. Where is that witness? That is you. Where are You? If you really search, without concepts, you will not find it. Who is searching? The seeker is seeking itself! How absurd! But you are convinced that you are not you and therefore seeking something else somewhere else. But the real you is not locatable in space and time.







All you can say is "I am Here". But that 'here' has no location. It is only a knowing that there is existence happening somewhere in a 'here-ness' that is no (or all) space. When you speak of "I", who are you referring to? "I am unhappy" "I am confused" "I am a seeker of Truth" None of these is true. They are identifications with ideas, feelings and concepts, but they are not who you are. It would be better to say: "I am awareness and unhappiness is arising within that awareness." "I am awareness and am identifying with confusion that is arising within the mind within that awareness." "I am awareness and am identifying with a belief that I am not already perfect and looking for something else that may arise somewhere else that will make my mind perfect" Right Now! In this moment...







Let go of all beliefs. Separate yourself from your Body/Mind and rest as Pure Awareness. Don't try to stop your mind. Don't try and do anything. It is all the trying and searching and sweating yourself into a frenzy that makes you unhappy. Let go of all of it. Rest in Pure Awareness, right now, in this moment, and confusion is gone, sorrow is gone, bondage is gone, fear is gone, limitation is gone. Yes, the mind may say something. Thoughts may arise. But you are not the thoughts. You are not the feelings. You are Pure Awareness. You are free from all concepts. Are you looking for spiritual experiences? You are not the experiences. Experiences are phenomena.







Phenomena come and go, but you are always the witness to all experiences and all phenomena. Do you want to see God. The experience of seeing God may come and go but you are always the witness to all experiences and phenomena. That Witness state, that Absolute Pure Consciousness is itself non-different from whatever you might conceive of as God. Do not underestimate this. Do not evaluate it at all. Give up all evaluation, all judgement, all intellectualizing and reside in the peace of who you are.







Are you seeking Awakening? As long as you are seeking you will never find. You cannot be a seeker and a finder at the same time. You must give up your seeking. You must give up your striving. You must give up all that which is the very nature of your mind and intellect. What is prior to that. It is only Pure Consciousness without an object. It cannot be known or grasped for it is the Knower, the Knowing. Let go of all concepts and simply rest in that. Who you think you are is concepts. It is your personal mythology in which you are the Hero/ine.







But that is a story based on a supposed individual that doesn't exist, like a reflection in the mirror. It is an appearance only. A case of mistaken identity. Don't be fooled any longer. It is like watching a movie and thinking that you are the main star. But it is just light on a screen that gives an appearance of people and personalities. Recognize the projector, which is the pure light of consciousness itself. Only then can you be content and free from all of your desires and anxieties (which are also only an illusion). Right Now! In this moment, Realize...







All of this is one thing only. It is the light of consciousness playing in infinite variety. In India, they call this Lila, the play of God. God is one without a second. That means that there isn't anything after God (Brahman, the Divine, Spiritual Source - names don't matter). It's not that no one is as good as God or as powerful as God, or second runner up to God. There isn't anything except God. How could there be? All life comes from Life. All existence comes from Existence. Everything or anything that is, comes from what IS. So whatever you are seeing, feeling, thinking, experiencing...whatever is seeing, feeling, thinking, experiencing...and the acts themselves of seeing, feeling, thinking or experiencing...







All of that is the One, the Divine, the Sacred Source, God. Just as you can see that everything on the Earth is simply earth or transformed earth - the hills, the valleys, the mountains, the trees, the flowers, the animals and the people - so see the All that is seemingly transformed into multifarious forms. What is that All? It cannot be named. It is beyond all names and all concepts. It is emptiness and absolute fullness.







It is the beginning, the middle and the end. You can name it whatever you like, but you run the risk of limiting it in your mind and creating a conception to fit your needs. Then you will have put it into the tiny box of your mind in an attempt to grasp what is ungraspable. Do not try to use names and forms but dive into that which is unknowable. Slip gently into the abyss which is beyond the mind's tiny grasp. Many call it God. And God is as good a name as any other, but you must give up all your concepts of 'God' in order to realize that. Whatever concepts you have about God, Goddess, Christ, Buddha, Brahman, Emptiness, Fullness, must be given up, in this moment, to fully recognize the Truth. For how can you experience what is true if you are holding on to your own expectations of Reality.







First let go of your own knowing, and then dive deeply into the abyss of unknowing. Right Now! In this moment, Know that all is Perfect Everything is perfect exactly as it is in this moment. There is nothing that needs to be changed, nothing to be healed, for everything is exactly as it should be. how could anything be different? Do you doubt that Divinity is taking place in the All One Thing in this very moment? Psychics, healers, classes, seminars, gurus, masters, will not make You or the moment any more perfect.







So stop seeking. Be the Perfection that You already are. You are Perfection personified. You are Peace personified. You are Love personified. There is nothing to add or subtract. When you recognize that you are Absolute Consciousness, you will see that there is nothing else. There is no good and no bad, and that everyone and everything is a manifestation of That. It is all Absolute Consciousness, perfectly manifesting itself in the great drama of cosmic creation.







Whatever arises is simply more of that. Thoughts, emotions, feelings are all part of that. Experience them without judgement, without desire to maintain them or an aversion to them. See with the eye of equality that all is That. In the beginning, it may not seem easy. There may be frustration, confusion, and helplessness. But recognize that these things are simply arising. They are not You. You are the Witness of these arisings. Simply inquire into Who You are, and with anything that arises, do not identify.







Simply come back to the inquiry of Who is witnessing this experience. Even if there is extreme bliss, who is experiencing it? If there is powerful energy arising, who is experiencing it? If there are visions of sublime Deities, who is experiencing it. Bliss may come and go, energy may come and go, visions may come and go, but You are always here, right now, in this moment, eternally. That is what is permanent. That is what is real. All else is phenomenal and changing. Rest in That and you are eternally free. Right Now! In This Moment!

A METAPHOR FOR ENLIGHTENMENT

.A metaphor for enlightenment

- Hide quoted text -

.This time, a highly educational Mulla Nasrudin story...

.
.Mulla was crossing a street in his village when a man approached him saying, `Do you know that your wife is being unfaithful to you?'
Mulla quickly replied, `That's impossible. My wife would never be unfaithful to me.'
The man answered, `I can prove it to you. At midnight tonight she has a rendezvous with her lover under the fig tree at the edge of the village.'
Mulla was very upset and, anticipating a duel with his wife's lover, went to buy a pistol.
All day he practiced and thought about the fight and at eleven in the evening, he went to the fig tree in a terrific state of mind.
He climbed into the tree and, being a very passionate man, leapt from branch to branch in a frenzy of jealousy and anger. He pictured his wife in her lover's arms and practiced from every angle the blow he would deliver to his rival.
At ten minutes to twelve he listened carefully but could not yet hear anything. At five to twelve he was in a state of unbearable agitation and expectation. At three minutes to twelve there was still no sound of them and every nerve in his body was on edge. At twelve o'clock he was unmoving as a tiger about to pounce on its prey. But still nothing happened under the tree.
Then he was suddenly struck in all his being by a tremendous insight: `I'm not married!'

..........

.

.

ADVAITA POEM

                            





           These two: one universe.




                                   In unity there is little to behold;

                                 So She, the mother of abundance,

                                   Brought forth the world as play.



                                   He takes the role of Witness

                                      out of love of watching Her.

                             But when Her appearance is withdrawn,

                           The role of Witness is abandoned as well.



                       Through Her, He assumes the form of the universe;

                                   Without Her, He is left naked.



                          If night and day were to approach the Sun,

                                           Both would disappear.

                              In the same way, their duality would vanish

                                   If their essential Unity were seen.



                               In fact, the duality of Shiva and Shakti

                               Cannot exist in that primal unitive state

                                     From which AUM emanates.





                                 They are like a stream of Knowledge

                                   From which a knower cannot drink

                                      Unless he gives up himself.





(From Amrutanubhava of Jnyaneshwar)

THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM

The]fundamental problem

What is it that I am really seeking through my various pursuits in life? What do I seek when I pursue money, pleasures, fame, name, power or heaven? Do I seek all these for the sake of themselves? If it were just for themselves, I would be satisfied when I fulfilled any given desire. However, I am only momentarily satisfied when I fulfill them. Soon I find myself with other set of desires. This way the desires I entertain may change in nature and in time. But one thing remains constant, in spite of all accomplishments I may have, me the unsatisfied and inadequate person, the person who would like to become somebody different from what I am at present. Why? Because I am conscious of myself and as a result of my relating with the world, I have a judgment about myself. My conclusion about myself is that I am limited,mortal,subject\tosorrow. I cannot accept myself as I am and therefore make attempts throughout my life to be acceptable to myself by pursuing different things. However, if I am an individual confined to this limited body, with limited powers to change situations, things and people in this vast universe, it seems impossible that I will one day become totally acceptable to myself and find a lasting fulfillment that does not depend upon any situation, any given place or time.
This preliminary inquiry into the nature of my pursuits leads me to the fact that there is no connection between what I want and what I do: I want to be free from being a wanting, limited, insignificant person. And my different pursuits in life have only the capacity to give me a temporary relief, in the form of momentary satisfaction and joy.
At this point, some will say, this is the reality of existence. Life is meaningless, you are a limited entity confronted with the immense forces of the world and you have to accept this fact of existence. You can give a meaning to it by your actions: just be an ethical person and try to excel in what you do, whether you are in business, arts, science or working in a company, contribute to the society as much as you can, but do not expect anything more than this from life. And do not forget to enjoy the small and big pleasures of life! But how can I accept this kind of reality and dismiss this intense aspiration for freedom from fear and sorrow, this fundamental search for everlasting fulfillment that seems to be at the core of my being 1 ?
Others will say, there is a heaven where you will enjoy eternally some special pleasures, provided that you behave well and follow the commandments of our scripture. But how can limited prayers and good actions that I do in this life produce an eternal stay in heaven? Since any limited action cannot produce a limitless result, eternal stay in heaven can not be acceptable to my reason 2.
Then the only possibility is that maybe the conclusion I have about myself is wrong. This is precisely what Vedanta says. It says that you are already what you are looking for, the limitless, the whole, you are already free from this sense of limitation, insecurity and lack. Logically, this seems to be the only solution: because if I am really a limited individual, no matter what I do, no action will ever produce the limitless I am seeking 3 . But if I am making a mistake about myself, and taking myself to be limited while I am in reality limitless, there is a solution! And it is in the form of knowledge of my true nature . This seems to be the only way out 4 !
It is interesting that most religions, philosophies, psychologies, etc. do not attempt to question this fundamental and universal conclusion that everyone has, 'I am a limited individual'. Often they confirm the conclusion about the limited nature of I and start their system of beliefs, school of thought or therapy with this in-built assumption. Keeping this paradigm, whatever solution they envisage, it can never solve my problem of being a limited individual.
Since Vedanta addresses the most fundamental problem that is universally faced by everyone, any discerning person will examine what Vedanta has to say about ones true nature.

THE END OF BECOMING

The End of Becoming
Dhanya

In the teachings of Vedanta we sometimes speak of 'the end of becoming.' What does the phrase, 'the end of becoming' mean?

The thing is, one cannot become what one already is. And what one already is, is what one wants to become. (So that's the good news.)

But one does not know that as yet. (The not so good news.)

However, that ‘not knowing’ can end. (The very good news!)

Let's say right now I don't know what I am. I know that I am. I know that I exist. I know that I am a conscious being. So, I know that I am a conscious/existent being.

But I don't know what that existence/consciousness, truly is. So, I take myself as limited. The mind, being the great labeler (as that is its job) takes whatever is handy (in this case the body/mind) to be me.

The mind takes my existent conscious self to be limited, and a product of, the body/mind and sense organs. What are the implications of taking my self to be the limited mind and body? (Not so good.)

I 'as though' (and it really is only 'as though') become subject to birth/death, disease, pain, old age, unhappiness, you name it! Not a pretty picture.

Even though it is only 'as though', that doesn't matter in terms of the effect this has on the mind. It's the scariest thing there is. Like even if I'm walking along a path on a dark night, and I take a crack in the road to be a deadly cobra, it doesn't matter to my mind what the reality is of what I'm seeing, if I don't know what the reality of it is. If my mind projects 'deadly cobra' onto the crack in the earth, and has no doubt about it, trauma will ensue.

And then, even when some kind friend, noticing my distress, shows me what is really there, and I see, "Oh, it is only a crack in the road," my heart may still be beating fast from the residual effects of the mental trauma caused by my totally incorrect conclusion.

Taking my existence/conscious self to be the body/mind is the most traumatic experience there is. There is nothing worse, and it is completely untrue.

But if someone walks up to you and says those words, I'm not sure that they would help. You would have to feel the person knew what they were talking about, and that they were not crazy or deluded, and be open to hearing and wanting to know what they had to say.

If all of the above criteria were met you might ask that person: "If you know that I am not the body/mind, and if you know that you are not the body/mind; if that is your direct experiential knowledge, is it possible that I can know the same thing? And, if so, how I can I know it? Can you actually prove to me and show me that what you are saying is true?"

Although there is nothing you can do to become who you are (because you are already that), there is something you can do to know who you really are.

Although you don't know it now, you can know it, because you are here to be known. The truth is here to be known. It is only a matter of having someone, whom you trust and who is skillful, logically point out to you certain incontrovertible facts about yourself and the nature of your experience, and then giving your mind time to assimilate those facts. Then you yourself will recognize the truth.

The end of becoming is knowing that you never could, and never have, become anything in the first place other than what you already are. And what you already are has never been subject to becoming ever.

When the Gordian knot of ignorance (taking my self to be the body/mind) slips apart, then I see, Wow! This existence consciousness which I am, never becomes, never changes, is ever the same, and it is the most wonderful constant 'me' that I have always loved in every changing moment.

It is what I always wanted to be! And what I always wanted to be, I am! Amazing!

There is nothing that I can do to become my self, because I am already my self, and the recognition of that is called freedom!

WHAT IS HUMILITY

What is Humility?

Humility is defined differently at different levels. Mother Theresa expresses humility through selflessness. The ultimate expression of humility is the realization of no-self.

Because humility is defined differently at different levels, it would be good not to use a profound definition when explaining it to someone who is incapable of understanding that level. This includes those who remain stuck in conventional thinking. To do so is to invite misconceptions and other disordered results.

Mother Theresa tried to live every moment in the will of God. “Thy will be done on earth …” The fruits of her actions she also attributed to God alone. That’s why she called herself the “pencil of God.” This selflessness is true humility because it is very close to Truth.

Where there is true humility there is only God. True humility is selflessness. The truth is the self is not real, only God is real. Hence the poem:

Why are you unhappy?
Because 99.9 per cent
Of everything you think,
And of everything you do,
Is for yourself,
And there isn't one.
Wei Wu Wei

Humility is selflessness. Selflessness is God.

ATMABODHA

Self-Knowledge, known in India as the Atmabodha, is a short composition of 68 verses attributed to the great Indian philosopher Shankara. With this composition Shankara tries to serve all those who are ready to understand the Truth, which means they must be ready to break all ties and desire Liberation.
Below is a quick summary of the content in Shankara's treatise (these paragraphs are not verbatim):
Only direct Knowledge can be the cause for Liberation. Action by itself cannot destroy our illusions and delusions. It is because of our ignorance that we appear to be finite. When ignorance is destroyed by Knowledge, the Self reveals Itself by Itself, like the sun when the clouds are removed. Right practice leads to Knowledge.

The world is like a dream: It appears to be real as long as we are ignorant of the Truth. When we are awake the world has disappeared like a dream. The world is like the illusion of silver in an oyster shell. All forms exist in the imagination of the perceiver. The world is to the all-pervading Awareness of God like the bracelet is to gold. As long as we admire the form, we do not see the gold. If we see the gold we do not admire the form.

All characteristics are superimposed on the all-pervading Awareness. The gross body is formed out of five subtle elements. The subtle body is made of five pranas. The Awareness takes on characteristics in the same way as a crystal may take on the color of something that is red, blue, or green.

Through discrimination, the seeker has to isolate the pure innermost Self from the mental coverings. The Self is only reflected in the clear mind. The Self, as pure Awareness, has to be seen as being distinct from body and mind. Like the moon appears to be moving when clouds are moving, so the Self appears to be active when mind and the senses are active.

The nature of the Self, as pure Awareness, is Eternity, Purity, Reality, Consciousness, and Bliss. When the Self gets confused with body and mind it is overcome by mortal fears. The Self regains fearlessness by realizing the Truth about Itself.

Awareness does not need another instrument, like the mind, to be aware of Itself. The Self is not this or that but Itself. The Self is without attributes and action. The Self is changeless, eternal, pure, and free. The Self is pure Awareness as God is pure Awareness. Pure Awareness is without a second.

He who has attained the Supreme Goal dwells as the embodiment of Infinite Consciousness and Bliss. The practice that destroys ignorance is constant meditation. Because of ignorance the ever-present Awareness is not recognized. The seeker who has realized the Self sees the entire universe as the Self.

BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD

Humanity's most ancient wisdom text is the Brihadâranyaka Upanishad, the "Great Forest Secret Teaching." This remarkable Sanskrit oral scripture from nearly 3,000 years ago in northern India, the first of hundreds of Upanishads and other wisdom texts, was the first scripture ever to clearly reveal the great Divine Truth of nondual spirituality:

"The Âtman (Absolute Self) alone is to be meditated upon, for in It all are one… By It one knows all this…. Whoever knows thus, 'I am Brahman/Reality' becomes this all. Even the gods cannot prevent his becoming thus, for he becomes their Self…. This Divine Self is a world for all beings—gods, seers, ancestors, humans, livestock, and tinier creatures…. All the vital breaths/energies, all worlds, all gods, and all beings spring from this Âtman. Its inner meaning (upanishad) is 'the Real behind the real, or Truth of truth.'… When there is some other thing, then one can see the other, smell… taste… greet… hear… ponder… touch… perceive the other. [But in Self-realization] one becomes the single ocean, the nondual Seer. This is the Brahman Reality…. This is the highest goal, the highest treasure, the highest world, the greatest bliss…. A verse says: 'When all desires dwelling in the heart are banished, then a mortal becomes immortal; he becomes Brahman here (in this life).'… Knowing that immortal Brahman, I am immortal. Those who know the life behind breathing, the eye behind seeing, the ear behind hearing, the mind behind thinking, have realized the ancient, primordial Brahman. With the (intuitive) mind alone must one realize It. In It there's no diversity; one goes from death to death seeing diversity in It. This un-showable, constant Being can be realized as One only. The Self is taintless, beyond space, unborn, vast, and immovable. Let a wise aspirant directly realize this insight, not just reflect on tiresome words."

THE FOUR MAHAVAKYAS

Discrimination of the Mahavakyas‘Consciousness is Brahman’
There are four Mahavakyas, or great statements in the Upanishads, which have a profound significance as pointers to Reality. They are: (1) Prajnanam Brahma - Consciousness is Brahman; (2) Aham Brahmasmi - I am Brahman: (3) Tat Tvam Asi - That Thou Art; (4) Ayam Atma Brahma - This Self is Brahman.

Consciousnes is Brahma
These Mahavakyas convey the essential teaching of the Upanishads, namely, Reality is one, and the individual is essentially identical with it. In the sentence, ‘ Prajnanam Brahma’ or Consciousness is Brahman, a definition of Reality is given. The best definition of Brahman would be to give expression to its supra-essential essence, and not to describe it with reference to accidental attributes, such as creatorship etc. That which is ultimately responsible for all our sensory activities, as seeing, hearing, etc., is Consciousness. Though Consciousness does not directly see or hear, it is impossible to have these sensory operations without it. Hence it should be considered as the final meaning of our mental and physical activities. Brahman is that which is Absolute, fills all space, is complete in itself, to which there is no second, and which is continuously present in everything, from the creator down to the lowest of matter. It, being everywhere, is also in each and every individual. This is the meaning of Prajnanam Brahma occurring in the Aitareya Upanishad.

‘I Am Brahman’
In the sentence, ‘ Aham Brahmasmi,’ or I am Brahman, the ‘I’ is that which is the One Witnessing Consciousness, standing apart form even the intellect, different from the ego-principle, and shining through every act of thinking, feeling, etc. This Witness-Consciousness, being the same in all, is universal, and cannot be distinguished from Brahman, which is the Absolute. Hence the essential ‘I’ which is full, super-rational and resplendent, should be the same as Brahman. This is not the identification of the limited individual ‘I’ with Brahman, but it is the Universal Substratum of individuality that is asserted to be what it is. The copula ‘am’ does not signify any empirical relation between two entities, but affirms the non-duality of essence. This dictum is from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

‘That Thou Art’
In the Chhandogya Upanishad occurs the Mahavakya, ‘ Tat Tvam Asi’ or ‘That thou art’. Sage Uddalaka mentions this nine times, while instructing his disciple Svetaketu in the nature of Reality. That which is one alone without a second, without name and form, and which existed before creation, as well as after creation, as pure Existence alone, is what is referred to as Tat or That, in this sentence. The term Tvam stands for that which is in the innermost recesses of the student or the aspirant, but which is transcendent to the intellect, mind, senses, etc., and is the real ‘I’ of the student addressed in the teaching. The union of Tat and Tvam is by the term Asi or are. That Reality is remote is a misconception, which is removed by the instruction that it is within one’s own self. The erroneous notion that the Self is limited is dispelled by the instruction that it is the same as Reality.

‘This Self is Brahman’
The Mahavakya, ‘Ayam Atma Brahma’ or ‘This Self is Brahman’, occurs in the Mandukya Upanishad. ‘ Ayam’ means ‘this’, and here ‘thisness’ refers to the self-luminous and non-mediate nature of the Self, which is internal to everything, from the Ahamkara or ego down to the physical body. This Self is Brahman, which is the substance out of which all things are really made. That which is everywhere, is also within us, and what is within us is everywhere. This is called ‘Brahman’, because it is plenum, fills all space, expands into all existence, and is vast beyond all measure of perception or knowledge. On account of self-luminosity, non-relativity and universality, Atman and Brahman are the same. This identification of the Self with Absolute is not any act of bringing together two differing natures, but is an affirmation that absoluteness or universality includes everything, and there is nothing outside it.