The theory and practice of self-inquiry.
Author.
P.V.S.SURYANARAYANA RAJU.
@with the author
Dr.P.V.S.SURYANARAYANA RAJU.
#5-8-16,PARK STREET,
NARSAPUR,W.G.Dt.AP.INDIA.
Pin:534275.
Ph:918814-273430.
Email:drrajunsp@yahoo.co.in
Dedication.
This book is dedicated to
Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharshi,Osho,JK.
Eka sloki of
Bhagawan sri Ramana Maharshi.
In the middle of Heart cave there is only the Brahman.
There the consciousness is pulsating as "I am", "I am" One can
enter the heart cave and abide there either by delving deep
into the heart by self enquiry or by stilling the vital airs
(Prana).
Inquiry into the self is the most
Blissful activity of life because it
Is through which we realize the
Truth that one becomes capable of
Dropping all miseries. ~ Author.
THE THEORY OF SELF-INQUIRY.
Author’s
observations on
self-inquiry.
At present we are conscious of ourselves as a set of adjuncts like body, mind, intellect with object knowing consciousness, in which our attention seemingly move away from the self towards the object with seeming separation from the knowing subject and known object.
All objects come into existence only when our attention is directed towards them. The act of directing our attention towards something which appears as other than ourselves is what we call thinking. In self-enquiry we withdraw our attention from thoughts and objects consciousness moves self-wards because self is the base for appearance and disappearance of "I" thought i.e. mind. This natural positing of our attention in the self conscious being is self-enquiry.
Self-Enquiry is holding on to awareness of being that we already are". When the mind strays you bring it back- that’s all. Self-Enquiry is not through thought but paying attention to the source of it. There is no ego apart from the idea of "I" thought. The "I" thought arises from the self and depends upon the self for its existence. It is never apart from the self and infact the self but forgetful of it's true nature. It believes in the lie of its independent existence apart from the self.
As enquiry precedes the lie becomes tenuous until it loses its power to hold us. Each time when you observe this "I" thought you break your identification with the "I", you disconnect from this "I" as being part of you. As you peel from this false "I”, you will find yourself spontaneously abiding in a tranquil centre, just abide in that "I am". At this point there is no feeling of "I" thought as an object presently sensed. Just be there. After sometime mind will take over, that is natural, do not be frustrated.
With practice we will find much easier to abide in this state of "I am" and for longer periods. There is no place for effort, expectation, and hurry in this. The idea that one is an individual person is generated and sustained by "I" thought and its habit of constantly attaching itself to all thoughts and perceptions that go on in the mind and the body. Self-Enquiry is to reverse this process by depriving the "I" thought of all the thoughts and perceptions that it normally identifies with. If one can break the connection between "I" thought and the thoughts it identifies with, then the "I' thought itself will subside and finally disappear.
This can be done by holding on to "I" thought, excluding all other thoughts. If one can keep the attention on the inner feeling of "I", the power of self-pulls the "I" thought back into it and eventually destroys it so completely that it never rises again. This is the moment of self-realization. When this happens the concept of individual self is destroyed, only self remains. All this happens when we perform self-enquiry with the same intensity as that of a drowning man struggle.
The reason why the scriptures begin by teaching that the five sheaths are not "I”, is that in order to practice Self-Enquiry, it is useful for an aspirant to understand intellectually that the "I" which is to be attended to is not the body or any other adjuncts which are now felt by him to be mixed with the feeling of "I”. But since Bhagawan does not want us to fall a prey to the misunderstanding that pondering intellectually over the truth that five sheaths are not” I", is itself the method of negating the five sheaths. He has carefully taught us the method of practicing Self-Enquiry before revealing to us the revelation that the five sheaths are not "I".
The mind has a tendency to move, it is in continuous movement, so there is momentum. Suddenly mind has impulse to do something and in "who am i" Self-Enquiry, the movement of impulse is stopped suddenly due to awareness and now a gap come into existence between the centre of awareness and the body-mind complex and you feel your body-mind complex as something distant, you become separate from it. Whenever you are in activity, you are deeply absorbed in it. Sudden stoppage of mental activity in "who am I” enquiry throws you out of mental activity. This being thrown leads us to the awareness of our being. Ordinarily we move from one activity to another continuously without gap in between.
This habit is broken in "who am i" enquiry and a gap come into existence. When there is a feeling an impulse to do something, stop without the thought coming into picture. Miracles happen because in activity when you stop, a gap happens. You will be totally taken away from the body-mind and realm of activity. Energy is always in a movement, either going out or coming in. Energy can never be static. Impulse of thought means energy is moving out. All activities are movements towards that which is without, from that which is within i.e. movements from within to without. That movement happens according to the direction given by the innate tendencies. When the movement is stopped suddenly in "who am i" Self-Enquiry, the energy cannot do anything other than moving inward. Even though thought stops, the mechanism which can lead you towards the centre of awareness is there. You are converting your energy and changing it's dimension every moment in "who am I" Self-Enquiry in which the energy of awareness falls back into awareness again.
If one is angry or violent, energy has been aroused and it has come to a point where it wants to be expressed and that energy needs movement. If at that time, you start loving somebody, the same energy will move into love. So the energy of love and hate are one, the energy of passion and compassion is one. The energy of anger, violence, and peace are one and the same. Only with real impulse does energy move. Anger is pure energy. It can become bad if it goes out and destroy something or it may become bliss if it moves within and throws you to the centre of awareness of your being. It is like atomic energy in the atom, pure, innocent, and neutral. It can be used for destructive purposes like throwing bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing millions of innocent people or it can used to produce enormous electric power. It all depends on us. If one feels that anger is bad, so i should stop, the energy moves into that mental consideration, in which case also the energy moves from the inner to the outer.
So mental suppression does not change the dimension of energy. If you start thinking about the centre of awareness, then also the energy will move from the inner into thinking which is outer to the Self. You can waste this inner energy very simply. Just a thought will be enough to give it a direction thus limiting it. If thought process really stops during Self-Enquiry, the centre of awareness of being explodes which is called implosion. Mystics always live in that uninterrupted implosive state of being.
Self-enquiry is not something we do but something where we do not exist as ego. It is Bhagawan’s presence which existentially helps us to do self-enquiry. Self-enquiry is nonobjective so it is a state in which awareness attends to itself. If thought enters doing starts but self-enquiry is a state of non-doing in which awareness transforms us by annihilating our identity with the body and mind.” Who am i "thought helps us to withdraw our attention from the non-self and that when concentrated attention i diverted to find it's source it culminates in the collapse of thought process into it's source. This is what happened in Bhagawan’s death experience in which he used "who am I” thought with concentrated attention and enquired into what is death and who is dying and finally culminated in collapse thought process including “who am I” thought resulting in the experience awareness which is called self-realization. This self-attentiveness leads to uninterrupted experience of clear self-consciousness. If we attend to thoughts during self-enquiry there is only object knowing consciousness which is not proper tool to do self-enquiry. To do self-enquiry we have to have nonobjective consciousness which is possible only when we are free of thoughts and when we posit our attention in the source of the mind.
Self-Enquiry
serves as a jumping board from the knowable to the unknowable. Once a
person jumps into the unknowable he loses himself
along with the
identity of belonging to a particular religion .Bhagawan after death
experience is a self realized master and cannot be considered
to
be a Hindu and he has thrown away sacred thread(yajnopaveetam) into
the tank of the temple and remained only with a cod piece. All
beings
are same to him and he is friendly and affectionate towards
animals which have no religion at all.The cross section of the
society used to come
for his guidance irrespective of their
religious conditioning.
He has
never taken rituals seriously and used to joke about Brahmin and
non-brahmin separation during meals. Once one devotee asked when you
are teaching self-enquiry why so many rituals are going in
Matrubhuteswara temple and is there any virtue in doing rituals like
that. Bhagawan laughingly replied to him those who want to do rituals
let them do and because of their offerings first our stomachs are
filled without much trouble. Before realization he never practiced
any religion and he never heard the word Brahman before realization
but all the same he became Brahman after the death experience in few
minutes. When someone asked whether
Buddha is realized or not he
assertively told him "yes”. He described the state of Brahman
as "I am that i am" which is a description
originally
described by Moses. Not only Bhagawan, anybody who
jumps into the unknowable and settles there does not belong to any
religion.
He is like a man sitting on the fence between the known
and the unknowable and capable of conveying unknowable for those who
are living identified with the known.
SELF - ENQUIRY
THE ULTIMATE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE
In Self - realization pure consciousness remains, limitations become extinct
What actually exists is the infinite, indivisible, unitary, impression less, blissful, pure consciousness (Suddha Chaitanyam, Paramatma). Because it is only in the form of unitary oneness, there is no other entity to know it. If that unitary oneness wants to know itself, it uses a force that is inherent in its infinite self. That force is called the first urge or whim to know itself. The first urge is latent in the infinite self. Though the first urge is also infinite, the first urge happens only to the minutest point in pure consciousness. This minutest point of pure consciousness is called "Om Point" or "Sristi Point". This minutest point is never separate from the infinite pure consciousness, even when it is associated with nothingness (maya) and has apparent separateness from pure consciousness. So the minutest point is also infinite.
Because of the action of the Moola Avidya (a force which confers self-forgetfulness to a point of the infinite ocean of pure consciousness), a drop in the infinite ocean of pure conscious- ness, became unconscious of its own self. At that stage, the drop was devoid of any sanskaras. Because it was devoid of any sanskaras (tendencies), it is not associated with any bodies like gross, subtle, or causal. Because it was not associated with the bodies naturally it had no experience of gross, subtle, or mental worlds. It had neither the experience of its own self nor that of Paramatma (Ultimate reality).
This infinite, impression less unconscious tranquil state of the soul (drop) reverberated with an impulse which we call the first urge (whim) to know itself. The first urge was latent in Paramatma (ultimate reality).
The manifestation of the first urge of the Infinite was
restricted to this most finite unconscious drop whose self-consciousness was veiled by Moola Avidya (Primal Ignorance). Through this most finite drop of the manifestation of the first urge, the
shadow of Infinite (Maya) oozed and went on expanding. The most finite drop in which the latent first urge manifested is called the "Om Point" or "Sristi Point".
Simultaneously with the reverberations of the first urge, the most gross first impression emerged, objectifying the soul as the most absolute opposite and the most finite gross counterpart of the infinite.
Because of this first impression of the first urge, the drop had experienced for the first time. This first experience of the drop was that it experienced a contrariety in its identity with its infinite, impression less, unconscious state.
This experience of contrariety effected changeableness by a disrupting poise in an unconscious tranquility of the drop with a recoil or tremendous shock which impregnated the
unconsciousness of the unconscious drop with the first consciousness of its apparent separateness from the indivisible state of Paramatma (Ultimate Reality). But the drop is never separate from the ultimate reality. The ultimate reality being infinite, the first consciousness that was derived from the recoil or shock was absolutely opposite and the most gross first impression of its apparent separateness was naturally the "finite" first consciousness. So the drop which was unconscious because of the effect of Moola Avidya ( power which confers self-forgetfulness) did get consciousness, but this consciousness was not of the eternal infinite self, but was of the most finite consciousness of the first impression.
So in the beginning, because of the effect of Moola Avidya, the drop exist, but it was unconscious of its oneness with Paramatma (Ultimate reality). Later, because of the effect of the first urge, it did get consciousness, but it was conscious of the first impression only. At that stage the drop knew that it existed, but it was not aware of its oneness with the ultimate reality. This is self-forgetfulness (Ajnana, Avidya). Once the drop was con- scious of impressions (tendencies) it must necessarily experience these impressions and to experience these impressions, proper bodies (media) were required. This is the genesis of "I-am-the-body-idea".
Because of self-forgetfulness due to "Moola Avidya", we forgot our pure pristine state of the pure conscious being which is by nature infinite, indivisible, blissful, devoid of tendencies and is conscious of its existence without the aid of any attributes like the mind, intellect, senses etc. This is the so-called original sin or fall. Because of the defect of self-forgetfulness, we are igno- rant of the nature of the self i.e. We are all self-ignorant people. In religious jargon it is called Avidya or Ajnana. Self-ignorance (Avidya, Ajnana) is not an existential state. It is a state of the absence of self-knowledge. Just as the absence of light is called darkness and darkness is not an existential state, so also the self- ignorance is a non-existential state of lack of self-knowledge. In self-ignorance we have the common knowledge that we exist. Even a child is aware that he exists. But all of us lack the essential knowledge of our oneness with the ultimate reality (Paramatman). When one is aware that he exists (common knowledge) but un- aware of his oneness with the ultimate reality (essential knowl- edge), such a being is said to be in a state of self-ignorance. Be- cause of the defect of superimposition (Adhyasa), the contami- nated "I-am-the-body-idea" (jiva) superimposes the work done by the mind and body on itself, and thinks that "doer ship and enjoyer ship" are the essential knowledge. This is illusion. This is the outcome of self-ignorance. Because of the contaminated "I- am-the-body-idea" there is a feeling of separateness, and the individual soul (contaminated I-am-the-body-idea) identifies with the body and feels that the world is apart and contrary from it. In self-ignorance we are unaware of our identity with the ultimate reality (Parabrahman). This individual soul (jiva) starts searching for pleasure, with a separate feeling. Because of this there is continuous attraction towards the "not-I", and because of this continuous attraction to the "not-I", the mind appears as an existential entity. If there are no attractions towards the "not-I" there is no entity called the mind. So the mind appears to exist when it is attracted towards the material things of the world or the inner things like dogmas, beliefs, emotions etc. When the individual
soul is able to fulfill his desire, when things happen in its favor, the mind is temporarily withdrawn into the causal body (Anandamaya kosa) and enjoys the happiness of the thoughtless state, that is inherent to the causal body. This is the happiness derived out of enjoying of sense objects. This is called pleasure as against pain. The mind wants recurrence of this happiness and pursues pleasure and in this process there is attraction towards internal things like feeling, emotion, beliefs, thought etc. and ex- ternal things in the world in multifarious forms. Because of this continuous attraction towards either internal things or external things or both, the mind appears as an existential entity. There are always hurdles in daily life when we live a way of life which is based on separate feeling. When we live a way of life based on separate feeling we acquire six fundamental defects. They are 1) desire, 2) anger, 3) attachment, 4) possessiveness of what we have acquired 5) arrogance 6) jealousy. Actually these are not separate in real terms because they are interrelated. They are like layers of the same cloth of ignorance, which veils our
oneness with the ultimate reality (Paramatma). The six fundamental defects are protective factors to the concept of the existence of individual soul with separate feeling. This results in the self- isolation process with its disastrous consequences. At present we are reaping the consequences of the self-isolation process be- cause we are eating the "Apple" of the tree of phenomenal knowledge through attraction towards the "not-I". We always want pleasure without pain. Pleasure is a result of attraction towards internal or external things which are favorable to the individual soul. Then the mind is withdrawn to the causal body and enjoys the happiness of thought-free state transiently. When the
association with internal or external things is unfavorable to the individual soul it is called pain. Because the attraction is transient, pleasure and pain are transient.
For a realized soul, oneness with the ultimate reality is quite obvious to him. This is the main difference between the common man and a realized soul. To realize oneness with the ultimate reality "self-enquiry" is the best way. Bhagawan Sri
Ramana Maharshi dealt in detail with "The Art of self-enquiry"
and taught self knowledge for fifty four years i.e. from 1896-
1950. Devotion and selfless service prepare our mind to do self- enquiry. At present we are unconscious of the unity with the ultimate reality. To bring that unity to the conscious level, self- enquiry is the way. This is possible only by the grace of the "Guru" (Master). Our own effort through intellect takes us no- where.
The goal of creation is to bring the unconscious unity with the ultimate reality to the conscious level. As part of this scheme of things, "I-am-the-body-idea" is created, which
confers the body consciousness, through which we perceive the world. To fulfill what is present in tendency, association with the body is a must. Here a word about formation and consequences of tendencies (Vasanas). Our natural state (Sahaja Sthithi) is infinite, indivisible, peaceful, without any tendencies, so without any conflict. This state, all of us are enjoying in deep sleep (Sushupti). In this state, there is an urge to know itself, this urge is inherent to our natural state. This first urge happens to a minutest point of the infinite, indivisible blissful ocean of pure consciousness. To help the first urge to manifest, nothingness (maya) which is inherent in pure consciousness oozes through this minute point, this minutest point resides in every creature in the spiritual heart. In Narayana sukta it is pointed out that this minutest point is of the size of a particle sized unit on the top of a rice grain, and resides in the spiritual heart. It is the living pulsation of consciousness of "I am, I am" (Aham, Aham). "I am" is the minutest point of pure consciousness. "Amness", in which even the "I" is not there, is the ocean of pure consciousness (Paratpara Parabrahmam). Some call this minutest point as the "Om Point" or "Sristi Point". Because of the first urge to know itself, a state opposite to the natural state of the pure consciousness happens. The state opposite to pure consciousness (natural state) seems to exist because of the first urge (whim, vilasa) to know itself. This opposite state is finite, with tendency. The first experience of consciousness is the experiencing of an opposite state (contrariety)
to the natural state (sahaja sthithi). This creates a shock in the limited consciousness of the sristi point. When this opposite state, whose nature is "limited consciousness" (Jiva, Kinchijnatvam)wants to know the source of it, evolution of
consciousness happens with the oozing of nothingness (maya) in the minutest point of the natural state. Nothingness (maya) is the shadow of the infinite ultimate reality; so nothingness is also in- finite. The limited consciousness instead of being aware of its own nature, attaches itself to a body to experience the tendencies and in turn accumulates more tendencies. First the limited consciousness identifies itself to the very fine air, and after associating with many types of it (majority of them are unknown even to the scientists, they are fine subtle airs), the limited consciousness identifies with the stone with the aid of tendencies accumulated in air mediums; similarly the limited consciousness identifies it- self with various types of stones; then with accumulated tendencies with stones, it identifies with the metal. In this way the limited consciousness later identifies with tree, worms, fish, birds, animals, and finally men. As nothingness oozes gradually into the minutest point of pure consciousness, there is the evolution of limited consciousness till the stage of man. Souls which have gross impressions have great binding. Souls having subtle impressions have little binding. Souls having mental impressions have very little binding. Souls which have no impressions at all, have absolutely no binding. But all these souls are always one with the ultimate reality. To realize this truth, self-enquiry is the way. The cause of this difference in souls is that souls have different and diverse tendencies (vasanas, impressions). Then the limited consciousness is aware that it is enmeshed in the
tenden- cies and tries for release from tendencies. From the stage of Man starts the process of involution of consciousness in which there is the spending up of tendencies (Vasanas, Sanskaras) rather than accumulation of tendencies. To aid this process, there is the pro- cess of reincarnation. Reincarnation is the spontaneous result of an initial urge to know itself (Whim). The process of identity with the gross body and release from it and again identity with some
new gross body is called reincarnation. Even during the attempt to spend tendencies in the reincarnation process, the limited
consciousness experiences opposite experiences and gets enmeshed in the net of tendencies. Only a person who is out of this net of tendencies, can guide through his "grace" to come out of this prison of tendencies. Such a person is called "sadguru". During that period there is rapid involution of consciousness and gradually the limited consciousness becomes aware of its unity with the ultimate consciousness.
During the process of involution of consciousness, the limited consciousness first sets itself free from the gross body and the gross world. Later this consciousness frees from the subtle body and the subtle world and finally frees from the causal body and the subtle mental world. After that, the limited conscious- ness is aware of its union with the ultimate reality. This is Yoga, Parabhakti, real knowledge (Jnana). To posit in this state is the goal of self-enquiry.
Because of our association with the bodies we
accumulate natural tendencies like sex, hunger, death fear etc. Because we relate with others, various tendencies are formed, during our interaction with the others. All these tendencies, veil our unity with the ultimate reality. Only when we are passively aware of the transient nature of the tendencies which we have accumulated right from the stage of atom to man, is there a possibility to be aware of our unity with the ultimate reality. The tendencies make the mind extrovert, resulting in self-forgetfulness. When by the "grace" of "Guru", the mind becomes introvert and when its attention is diverted towards the consciousness rather than the tendencies, there is no extroversion of the mind and there is no bondage in the form of tendencies. To realize identity with the ultimate reality consciously, by getting rid of the cosmic illusion consciously is the aim of all spiritual disciplines. "I-am-the-body- Idea" confers body consciousness only. It acts as a magnifying lens, and shows clearly the things of the world so that we can work in the phenomenal world. "I-am-the-body-Idea" per se is
not a hurdle to the spiritual progress. There is no need to
condemn it. If it is not contaminated by the tendencies, it helps us in spiritual understanding. The main hurdle in the spiritual path is the tendencies. They create a feeling of orgasmic unity with the body and creates an artificial limitation of our consciousness resulting in the lack of the awareness of oneness with the ultimate reality.
Consciousness of the body is one aspect of "I-am-the- body-idea". Identity with the body is another aspect and it is the result of the tendencies. Both are different. Body consciousness, that is, to be aware of the body is one thing, identity with the body is another thing. It is the identity with the body that separates one being from another being, not the consciousness of the body which is the result of "I-am-the-body-idea". Identity with the body due to tendencies results in the concept of limited existence with limited consciousness. This is called identity with the body (Dehatma Buddhi). When one is under the influence of tendencies, "I-am- the-body-idea" which confers body-consciousness to the limited consciousness, gets contaminated; then it is called contaminated "I". When "I-am-the-body-idea" is not under the influence of tendencies, it is called pure "I" or pure spark of the ego. Pure ego is the self. Pure "I" ("Pure ego") is revealed between two states of the mind or between the gap of two thoughts. If we are aware during these states we can hold the pure "I" (pure ego). For example, when we rise from sleep, when the influence of tendencies is yet to occur, the pure "I" (pure ego) is there for quite some time. If we can hold this state, then even if we work in the phenomenal world, there will be no attraction towards any- thing in the phenomenal world because the state of pure "I" (pure ego) is so blissful that we are not bothered about the pleasures of the phenomenal world. We can find the source of "I-am-the- body-idea" when we hold on to this state. So actually pure "I" (pure ego) is an aid in finding our natural state of the pure conscious being (sahaja sthithi). If our attention is centered on
tendencies, oneness with the ultimate reality is not revealed.
Unless we are aware of the working of our mind
mechanism and unless we are aware of our tendencies which show them- selves in the mirror of relationship with others, to think that oneness with the ultimate reality is revealed to us by some trick is a great illusion.
The mind acts according to the mould (Conditioning)
created by the tendencies. So such a mind is never free. But for self- enquiry, a free mind, that is an unconditioned mind, which is free of beliefs, dogmas etc. is required. When we attend to our mind wholeheartedly it becomes still. The still mind is free of thought, and it is in a state of innocence with passive awareness. The still mind is free mind. Only a free mind has the capacity to do "self- enquiry". To be aware of the workings and ways of functioning of the mind mechanism is "Self-Enquiry". This awareness brings about tremendous spiritual discipline, which transforms the mind. Then there is transmutation of the mind. Then we have comprehensive understanding of the tendencies, and ways of working of the mind. In this way the seeker of truth is gradually freed from the tendencies. Then first he encounters the awareness of nothingness. Then all his attention is centered on pure nothingness (maya). This stage is called "nirvana" (anatta) in religious jargon. "Atta" means association of reflected consciousness with tendencies. i.e., the ego. "Anatta" means the absence of ego with the awareness of the infinite pure nothingness (NIRVANA). "Aham Brahmasmi" is "I-am-the-god-state" ("I am that I am"). Pure "amness" is Paratpara Parabrahmam. One has to pass through this stage of the awareness of nothingness (Nirvana) before one is aware of his unity with the ultimate reality (Aham Brahmasmi). When the minutest point realizes that he is one with the ultimate reality, the illusory feeling of separateness is annihilated forever (manonasa) and he is free from the tendencies forever. In this state there is a flood of pure consciousness and bliss and there is no relic of the ego in that state. Then the mind becomes creative moment to moment and it enjoys the bliss of the infinite,
indivisible, pure conscious being. In this state, the mind is completely healthy and functions in the phenomenal world in a sane way. by the “Grace” of Sri Ramana Maharshi truth seekers shall find this unity of oneness with the ultimate reality through self- enquiry.
TRUTH - NOTHINGNESS
(BEING) - (NONBEING)
Know what the life is before death.
If you have an experience of the life before death, death will disappear in that very experience.
Truth is the eternal reality which exists at all times and in all circumstances. Truth is unitary, indivisible. That which is present at one time and absent at another time is not truth, that which is divisible is not truth, that which is born is bound to die. Such entities are time-bound, so transient. Truth is never born, so the question of death does not arise. Truth is beyond the dimen- sion of spacio-time. Because truth is unitary, it is infinite; so im- measurable. Because truth is infinite, there is no possibility of a separate existence for an individual self, which depends on the thesis that we are separate from the truth. So we must enquire into this vital issue, whether we are one with the infinite truth or we have a separate, personal existence as the individual soul. Truth is conscious of its existence, i.e. it does not require another agency or entity to prove its existence. It is self effulgent, self revealing conscious existence. There is no trace of "I" thought (Ego) in the truth.
Nothingness (Maya) is like the shadow of the infinite reality, so nothingness is also infinite. Because it is without the stamp of self - knowledge it is not the ultimate truth. The noth- ingness (Maya) and truth are unfathomable and not understandable Nothingness not illusion, it is the creator of illusion. Nothingness (Maya) is not false, it is an agent which confers the false impressions. Nothingness (Maya) is not unreal, It makes the real appear as the unreal, and the unreal appear as the real. Nothingness (Maya) is not duality, it is the entity which causes duality. The enigma of nothingness (Maya) can be solved only after self-realization, when it is known that nothingness (Maya) does not exist in reality. Nothingness (Maya) is the real infinite creator of unreal, finite things. Illusory things are imaginations of nothingness. When the ultimate truth associates with
Nothingness (Maya) that state is called Eswarahood. The whole creation is only his imagination. Time and space are in
Nothingness (Maya), so Nothingness (Maya) is beyond time and space.
Creation springs out of nothingness (Maya) when this nothingness is taken against the background of the one reality. Creation is the imagination born out of nothingness in the back- ground of the ultimate reality. Any imagination is limited and unreal so the creation is also limited and unreal. Its apparent
realistic existence is due to the ultimate reality which is as it were behind nothingness. The complementary aspect of being is nonbeing or nothingness. When nothingness is added to the one reality the result is the manifold evolving universe. The nothing- ness is like zero, with no positive value, but when it is added to another number, it gives rise to many. The whole evolutionary process is within the domain of imagination. The Consciousness cannot remain content with the identification with the imagined part of a really indivisible totality. This compels the consciousness to go beyond imagination. cessation of the imagination is awakening into the truth-consciousness.
Nothingness (Maya) is neither true nor untrue. Because we are seeing the objective world in its multiplicity, we cannot say it is untrue. Because it is not revealed in the light of pure consciousness, which is evident in the "samadhi" state, we can- not say it is true. So nothingness (Maya) cannot be categorized. It is a wondrous power that is present inherently in the Brahman. It is ignorance (self-forgetfulness) without a beginning.
Nothingness is associated with three qualities, that is composure (Sattwa), dynamism (Rajas), inertia (Tamas). Nothingness (Maya) is neither divisible nor indivisible, nor is it a combination of both. It is a wonderful power that cannot be expressed in words. Nothingness (Maya) is called non-self or anatma, nonself is not sepa- rate from the self. When we drop from the state of pure con- sciousness we identify ourselves with nonself. A spark from Brah- man associates it self with non-self, develops as individual soul (Jiva) and identifies it self with the insentient body. In our present
state of understanding we think we are only the body (Dehatma Buddhi). Because we are limiting ourselves to non-self, we are compelled to term the body and any other non-self as anatma. Otherwise there is no need to name non-self as anatma, because non-self is also part of the self. It is neither associated or dissociated.
Nothingness (Maya) is the causal body of truth. When the light of Brahman is reflected only in sattwaguna (composure state of nothingness) self-knowledge is not interfered with (Suddha Sattwa). When this reflected light is in the grip of the agitated state of nothingness (Rajas) and the inert state of nothingness (Tamas) self-knowledge is lost and this state is called
self-ignorance or Avidya. So self-ignorance prevails only in malina sattwa (Prati Bhasika Satta) i.e. reflected consciousness imprisoned in nothingness (Maya) with the predominance of Rajas (agitation) and Tamas (Inertness), but not in the pure sattwic state (compo- sure) of nothingness (Maya).
We are under the illusion that water is present in the mi- rage, but when we go near and closely look at it, the water in the mirage is not there, nor is there any presence of the mirage. Even though we have a definite understanding that there is no reality to either to the mirage, or to the water in it, still the mirage appears to our physical eyes, but we do not seek water from it. Just like that we are looking for happiness in nonself which is nothing- ness, but in that process it is everybody's experience that we are accumulating misery. Even though we have the understanding that association with non-self leads to misery, still we see the ob- jective world. When we directly experience life, the phenomenal world does not exist. This is the relation we have with nothing- ness (Maya). When one is mature enough to come to an under- standing that there is no lasting happiness in non-self, the search for the eternal truth begins which is true enquiry, true religiosity.
TYPES OF ILLUSIONS CREATED BY MAYA (NOTHINGNESS)
With Self-Enquiry we are blessed with the capacity to see the essential, which is eternal
Maya is the power of Brahman which has the capacity to show the real entity as false, and the false entity as real. It makes us feel the insentient as sentient, and the sentient as insentient. It has the capacity to show that bliss is misery and vice versa. After doing all these it has the capacity to show the real as the real and the false as the false.
The perceiving of the real as false and the false as real is illusion, and it is the work of Maya. When the light of Pure consciousness is reflected in Maya, Eswara (cosmic soul) appears to be there and Maya is in Pure composure state (Suddha Sattwa). When the light of Pure consciousness is reflected in Avidya (malina sattwa) which is Maya with predominance of Rajoguna (Dynamic character of Maya) and Tamoguna (Inert character of Maya), Jiva appears to be there. Because of effect of Maya five types of illusions appear to be there. All illusions are born out of the Nothingness and so they are essentially nothing.
I. Illusion of Separateness. (Bheda Bhranthi)
Because the reflected being is not separate from the origi- nal entity, the reflected being may also be termed true.
The Characteristics of the reflected being, that he is sepa- rate from the original entity, the qualified characters of the so called separate being, and the knowledge born out of this state is all illusion.
The sense of separateness arises because of the defect of interdependence of the seer and the seen ("Anyonyasraya Dosha"). So both of them appear and disappear together. That which is the ultimate reality must be unitary. Because the seer has a separate feeling with the seen, it is only apparently real, it is not an existential reality. This is quite evident when there is the
observation through awareness without the interference of the thought. So the feeling of separate-ness between the seer and the seen is non-existential.
II. The illusion of doer ship and enjoyer ship (Kartrutva
Bhoktrutva Bhranthi)
When a Hibiscus flower is put behind a clear prism the prism looks red. When the flower is removed the prism appears without any color. So the red color is not the property of the prism. It is only a superimposition of the color of the flower on the prism. The feeling that the prism per se is red is illusion.
Similarly when the activity of the mind is superimposed on the reflected consciousness, the doer ship and enjoyer ship which are characters of the mind-mechanism (Antahkarana) are super- imposed and attributed to the reflected consciousness. When the activity of the mind is not there in deep sleep, there is no doer ship or enjoyer ship in that state, there is only the witnessing of nescience in that state. So thinking that doer ship and enjoyer ship are characters of the reflected consciousness is only illusory.
III. The illusion born out of association (Sanga Bhranthi).
There is space inside the vessel. The characters of
creation and destruction of the vessel do not in anyway affect the space. Attributing the characters of the vessel on the space is illusory. Space is never touched by the characters of the vessel.
Similarly the reflected consciousness is associated with non-self. Though the reflected consciousness associates with the mind-mechanism (Antahkarana), the characters of the mind- mechanism like doer ship and enjoyer ship, memorizing, volition, doubting, attachment, fear, or misery cannot touch the reflected consciousness. Though the reflected consciousness associates with the vital airs (Prana), the functions of vital airs like hunger and thirst cannot touch the reflected consciousness. Though the reflected consciousness associates with the body, the characters of the body like birth, changing, growth, decay, transiency of existence and death cannot touch the reflected consciousness. This
is the illusion born out of association with the body.
IV. Illusion of Modification. (Vikara Bhranthi)
In twilight, the rope appears as snake. The veiling effect on the reality of the rope is not completely nullified. Then the ignorance of the reality of rope is modified, and there appears the illusion of snake existing in the place of rope. This is due to the modifying character on the part of the mind.
Similarly because of the defect of self-ignorance, Brah- man the ultimate reality appears as the world to our physical eyes. Forgetting the original reality and seeing the reality as
multiplicity is the process of evolution. That which is seen is real, but it is perceived in an altered state. This is due to the modifying character of the mind. The world is pure consciousness but is perceived as the world due to the action of the self-ignorance.
Action of self-ignorance shows the ultimate reality in a modified form. The modifying agency shows the ultimate reality in an altered form. This action of Avidya (self - ignorance) is fabrication and it superimposes this fabrication on the ultimate reality. This superimposition is called Adhyasa.
V. The illusion that the ultimate reality is different from the world and thinking that the world in the present form is real. (Brahma Bhinna Jagat Satyatwa Bhranthi)
Though gold and ornaments made out of gold are
essentially the same, there is a separate feeling that the gold is the cause and the ornaments are the effects. If we closely observe, the ornaments are nothing but gold. Similarly there is a feeling that God is the cause and the world is the effect. This is illusory. This creates separate feeling. In Samadhi State (Union of the mind with pure consciousness) there is only pure consciousness. The phenomenal world does not exist. So the feeling that Godli- ness is separate from the world is illusory.
SPIRITUAL HEART (REAL "I")
With Self-Enquiry, the
conscious union of "Pure ego" with the "pure consciousness" happens
Those, who are living with the "I-am-the-body-idea", are conscious of their bodies. Though their body consciousness per- vades all over the body, the body consciousness is not their
essential consciousness. For some reason one may be blind, or deaf or he may lose one or two limbs but still the awareness of "I am" (being) is always there. So there must be a centre of awareness in us. When the body conscious man says "I am", he means "I-am- the-body". The place, where the mother thought "I-am-the-body" arises and merges, is the spiritual heart. Because, the primal thought "I-am-the-body" arises from the spiritual heart, the spiri- tual heart is not an objective entity to be seen by thought. The doubt whether there is a centre of awareness at all, arises only when we identify ourselves with the physical and tangible things. There is no place, where there is no spiritual heart. The spiritual heart is omnipresent. But for those who are living only with the "I-am-the-body-idea" and for those who are deeply rooted in the relative knowledge, we have to point out that the centre of awareness is on the right side of the chest. From this centre, the awareness flows through the nervous system throughout the body. Meditation happens in this centre. The world and the body are posited in this centre. For persons with "I-am-the-body-idea" dominating, the spiritual heart might appear as mere theory.
The spiritual heart is pure consciousness. It is the source of the life-current. Everything (sarvam) arises and merges in it. Because it supports everything, (sarvam) it is called the heart (ullam). It is the source of thought, but it is silent intrinsically. The spiritual heart pulsates as "I am, I am" whether the body exists or not. The spiritual heart is not a part of the body. Even if the body dies, there is no break to the pulsation of the spiritual heart (Aham-Sphurana) that is "I am" "I am". This fact is
revealed only to the sensitive minds.
The spiritual heart exists as it should be. If we keep on framing ideas and false notions about it, its presence eludes us. So it is better not to go on thinking and intellectualizing it; in- stead, one should posit one's mind in the spiritual heart. We have lost hold on the spiritual heart because of identification only with the body. This calamity happen because we attribute the movement of the body and the movement of the mind to our natural state of being due to the defect of superimposition (Adhyasa). We are different from the body and mind. Our essential nature is awareness, that is "I am that I am".
So the source of everything, the self-effulgent spiritual heart, is our nature. To posit our mind in it is real devotion, real
knowledge, real union with our essential being (Yoga). This is the thoughtless pure pristine state. Once the mind is posited in the spiritual heart, the mind becomes one with the spiritual heart, just as a salt-lump, when thrown into the sea, dissolves and be- comes one with the sea.
The living "Guru" has his mind posited in the spiritual heart and in his presence, our mind also posits in our spiritual heart, without the effort of any kind on our part. So one should surrender to such a "Guru" (Master) as, through him, we should see that our mind gets posited in our spiritual heart. This is the meaning of human life. We should not waste our life by pursuing trivial things.
FALSE “I”
In self-enquiry we understand what we are. There is no attempt to change it. That very awareness transforms what we are.
The idea “I-am-the-body” is the mind. It is an intangible link between pure consciousness and the body. The "I" thought is the factor which imagines that it is doing or thinking on its own. It claims the ownership of doing and thinking. Its various aspects of work are named differently as Aham Bhava ("I" thought, Ego), Buddhi (Intellect) Manas (Thought process), Chitta (memory), but the entity is only one. "I-am-the-body-idea" with limited
consciousness is Jiva. When the light of pure consciousness falls on the Mahat Brahman it is reflected as the reflected consciousness; when this reflected consciousness, identifies itself with non-self, a phenomenon, a concept called the ego appears to exist; when the reflected consciousness is free of any identity with non-self, there is nothing like the ego. So the ego, that is the contaminated "l-am-the-body-idea", is an irreducible datum. Because there is always a continuous uninterrupted flow of identity with the non- self, the ego appears as an existential entity. “I-am-the-body” identity, is the source of all other identities. The ego assumes that it is thinking and remembering and it superimposes all the other activities done by association with reflected consciousness on it. This is a wrong assumption, just an imagination of the ego. All the activities done consciously in the sphere of the ego, are hov- ered around “I-am-the-body-idea”. “I-am-the-body-idea” is the first person; with it, the second and third persons appear. So all these three appear and disappear simultaneously.
The false ‘I’ is inactive in sleep and we experience the
happiness which is natural to the thought-free state of sleep. This happiness temporarily is only a negative one, in the sense, it is the result of the lack of thought disturbance. This happiness arises from Anandamaya kosa (causal body); when the false "I" is ac- tive in the waking state, because we lack self-knowledge, every-
thing is topsy-turvy, resulting in the relative knowledge which is due to the wrong perception which leads us to duality, conflict and misery. "I-am-the-body-idea" is the source of creation.
The false "I", which obstructs self-knowledge, says that there is nothing like self-knowledge and peace. The very idea or feel- ing that one is not having self-knowledge is a major obstacle for the revelation of self knowledge. After all what is self-knowledge?. The existence as conscious beings, or the conscious Union with "I amness" is the self-knowledge.
The identifying entity, which identifies with nonself is the false "I" or ignorance. It is the "I" thought, which sleeps, dreams and wakes up perceiving the objective world with a separate feeling (Bheda Buddhi). It thinks, eats, dies and is reborn. When we go beyond identifying with nonself, the ignorance is nullified and self-knowledge is revealed.
"I-am-the-body-idea", rises with the body and subsides with the body; But it lives as the mind even after death. When "I-am- the-body-idea" identifies with the body, it is called contaminated "I", (false "I"). In its pure state, when there is no identity with the body, it is not contaminated, it is pure "I".
In "Who am I?" enquiry, we enquire into the identifying attitude, an objectifying tendency of the false "I". ‘‘Who am I” is an inner quest to know the source of the false “I”, but it is not an intellectual enquiry through thought. Birth and death pertain to the false “I”. In the quest for the source of the false "I", we encounter pure consciousness. If we are capable .of holding the false "I" consciously the revelation of pure consciousness is in the line.
PURE CONSCIOUSNESS - PRIMAL IGNORANCE
Pure consciousness is
uncontaminated awareness. Ignorance is contaminated awareness.
As a part of the arrangement of seeing its own form in a relative manner and to express its own inherent power, pure
consciousness reflects in a reflecting medium called Mahat Brahman. Mahat Brahman is an aspect of pure consciousness and it acts as a reflecting medium for pure consciousness. Our mind is part of that Mahat Brahman. That is why it has the capacity to reflect pure consciousness. So the mind is also a reflecting
medium. The outcome of such reflection is called the reflected consciousness. Reflected consciousness owes its origin to pure consciousness. It is with the help of reflected consciousness, we are able to see and live in the objective world. Reflected consciousness is focused by the mind to see the things in the darkness of self-ignorant state. When the veiling power inherent in pure consciousness, named Adi Parasakti or Moola Avidya or Primal Ignorance, veils reflected consciousness, there is self-forgetfulness which is called self-ignorance. Just as the absence of light is called darkness, similarly, the absence of
awareness of the light of pure consciousness is called self-ignorance. So self-ignorance is an absence of the awareness of light of pure consciousness. So it is not an existential state. It is a negative state, that is, a state of the absence of awareness of the light of pure consciousness. If we can invoke the light of consciousness through enquiry, naturally self-ignorance is destroyed forever. All these are in the scheme of things for an expression of the power of pure consciousness through manifestation. For the
manifestation of pure consciousness all these are required.
Self-ignorance is like sleep-state. Because of the operation of the primal ignorance or Moola Avidya, in this state of sleep of self-ignorance there are three modes of mind, continuously
alternating one after another. They are waking state, dream state and deep sleep state. All these happen only in the absence of aware-
ness of the light of the pure consciousness. So all these are non-existential, negative states. In deep sleep state, there is the reflection of the bliss of pure consciousness in the mind and it is everybody’s experience that we experience reflected bliss (Abhasa) in deep sleep. Though we experience that reflected bliss, we are unable to tell that we are enjoying bliss, while in deep sleep, because, the false “I” is separated from the body and senses, which are required if we want to express what we have experienced. That is why, after waking from deep sleep in which the body is connected to the mind through “I-am-the-body-idea”, we say that we enjoyed happiness. The same bliss can be enjoyed by the mind in the waking state also if we get rid of “I-am- the-body” Identity. “I-am-the-body-idea” contaminated by tendencies identifies with the non-self which results in thought matter, which obstructs the awareness of the light and bliss of consciousness in the waking state. “I-am-the-body-idea” is ignorance. Ignorance means the absence of awareness of the light of consciousness. It results in the identification of reflected consciousness with non-self, with a subsequent spurious outgrowth of the ego. When that ego tries to correct the misery created by the identification with non-self, things become much more complicated. The ego should understand this, and should not try to interfere with the problems related to the relationship with others. Only in the mirror of relationship with others, the contents of the ego are revealed to us at the conscious level. When the ego stops interfering with psychological problems, we will have the still mind with passive awareness, then the ego subsides. If the ego tries to improve upon itself, there will be series of births and deaths. This is very important. Because the ego is a negative state of the absence of awareness of the light of consciousness, there is always misery associated with it. The ego tries to get rid of the misery created by it, by the so-called “spiritual methods”, which are basically born out of self-ignorance. So they don’t take us anywhere. We will be where we are, in spite of doing so many tricks in the name of spiritual discipline (Sadhana). The ego should realize its helplessness in finding truth i.e.
, pure consciousness. It is only when through true enquiry, we find the source of the mind, namely pure consciousness, there is the possibility of getting rid of the misery created by the ego once and forever. The desire to attain pure consciousness is due to the ignorance. Our being itself is the pure consciousness. There is no need to attain it or desire it. To destroy the thought that we have not attained pure consciousness is the aim of the enquiry. When we abide in the source of the mind, that is pure consciousness, (thoughtless pure being), there is self-knowledge. Those, who take the waking state as the basis for our existence, say this abiding in the pure being is the the realization of self (Atma- Siddhi). Actually that is our natural state. There is nothing new to attain anything. Because pure consciousness is self-effulgent, and self revealing it does not require any bodies to confirm and prove its existence. Then we are free from the cycle of births and deaths. This is the so-called salvation. But this is our natural state.
Pure consciousness is an integral unity, so there is no
duality, so there is no relative life, so there is no conflict, no concepts of time and space. Pure consciousness is beyond time and space. This is self-knowledge which is absolute.
Manifestation process of unmanifest.
Manifestation is not the problem, forgetting our natural pure pristine state is the problem.
Because pure consciousness is unitary, it is aware of itself, but it cannot see itself because it is infinite. It has to create an artificial limitation to see itself. When such artificial limitation is created, there is the creation of the seer and the seen, resulting in relative knowledge. To aid the process of artificial limitation, primal ignorance (Moola Avidya) veils the awareness of the light of pure consciousness. The absence of awareness of the light of pure consciousness is self-ignorance (Avidya). Self-ignorance is the power of the self, and it inheres in the self; self-ignorance is also called the causal body or cosmic illusion (Maha-Maya). The mind owes its origin to the causal body and the mind is
associated with tendencies, and is always associated with three characters, namely composure (Sattwa), dynamism (Rajas) and inertness (Tamas). When the light of pure consciousness falls on Mahat Brahman, it is reflected, and it is called reflected consciousness or Abhasa. Reflected consciousness (Abhasa) is a space in which the dynamic aspect (Rajas)plays the role of the false "l" (ego) and the inert aspect (Tamas) plays the role of the "not -I" (Idam) and in this process there is the illusory feeling of separateness between the false "I" and the "not I". This is called Bheda Buddhi (Bheda Bhranti - separate feeling as individual soul), which results in relative knowledge. So all relative knowledge is the outcome of ignorance through the mind, with the illusory feeling of separateness.
The power of the mind is divided as mala, avarana and vikshepa. The power which identifies with the body is mala. The power which veils the awareness of reflected consciousness is "Avarana". The power which shows the unitary consciousness as multiple entity is "Vikshepa" or the power of multiplicity. The veiling power is present in all the modifications of the mind, but
the power of multiplicity is present only in waking and dream modes of the mind. Because of the power of multiplicity we see the cosmos in the present form as a real entity. The cosmos in its present form owes its origin to the "I-am-the-body-idea".
The trinity of the seer, the seeing and the seen is the
manifestation of reflected consciousness. Gross ignorance prevails in waking and dream states. The subtle ignorance prevails in deep sleep state (Sushupti). The cosmos in subtle form is present in the mind only. So if we want to know the source of the cosmos, we have to seek the source of the mind. When you have experience in waking state that the source of the world is within you, pure consciousness reveals itself to you. When it reveals in its flood light all relative things including the subject (Aham) and the
object (Idam) disappear; so there is no limitation, there is unitary experience.
The human body and the world are made up of the same physical principles (Tanmatras). They are derived from Mother- Nature. The ego, the mind, the intellect, the memory, they all belong to the nature only (Prakriti, Matter). Mind is just an
internal instrument (Antahkarana), through which consciousness acts.
Just as the water in the sea is transformed to clouds due to the heat of the sun and in turn the cloud veils the light of the sun, similarly thought arises, when tendencies associate with reflected consciousness and the same thought-matter veils the awareness of the light of reflected consciousness. So all of us are