Whenever we see people lamenting about their life , its problems etc, we need to see the influence of the ego. Even spiritual aspirants say i am such a humble creature and i have to attain spiritual salvation and i wonder whether it is possible etc.
There are two problems here. One is that we feel dual with everything. We are one entity while everything else and every one else is separate from us.
Second problem is we feel limited in our abilities in its content and all characteristics.
Our mind constantly reminds us of these limitations.
Let me explain to you how this situation arises. The true nature of reality is that it is infinite consciousness. It is a single undivided unique formless reality. When this absolute which does not depend on anything gets manifested in a form like a life form for e.g. a new kind of consciousness develops. What is the need for such a new kind of consciousness?. It can be explained as follows.
If we just had an infinite consciousness, we cannot understand an object which is limited. The infinitude would subsume its extent.
For e.g. when you see an object such as an apple , you are definitely seeing a limited object . A form with a name and limited in space and time. Infinite consciousness has to limit itself to know such a limited object. This can also be understood as follows, consciousness always takes the shape and form on what it is contemplating. If it has to contemplate a finite form it need to be become limited.
So the mind which is the trapped consciousness plays a trick . Our mind limits itself by imagining itself to be one of the objects that it knows namely the body.It says let us forget about infinite consciousness and think ourselves as just this body. Now having limited our consciousness , we can easily fathom limited objects.
This process of imagining that our identity is the body is called ego formation. This happens when we start thinking or verbalizing the perceptions.As soon as this happens we are in for lot of trouble.
why?. It is because we think we are dual with the world . A false sense of separation develops from the objects of perception. So we start desiring the objects. A desire is nothing but acceptance that i am distinct from the object and i want to subsume that so that i can be more bigger. I want that object to be attached to my identity so that i can be bigger in extent. I would feel fuller. I want a house or a car because i feel that it is something separate from me and i would want to be attached to my identity which is limited without it.
If you truly considered yourself as unlimited would you truly desire any limited object?
When after running around and getting frustrated with life we turn towards spirituality seeking all kinds of things. We still work under the assumption that i am limited and humble being and i want salvation, i want to visit temples for peace etc etc.
So you can see that we are not willing to accept our true identity even then, All our limitations that we feel is because of the ego working. If we go on under the assumption that i am just limited we can never be yourself whatever japa you do , whatever mantra you chant. You need to come out of your present identity first. There is no other way. If you don't do that no method will work. You are only under the clutches of the mind.
As Einstein once told us " You cannot solve a problem with the same system that has created the problem".
Our mind has created this problem. So you need to come out of the mind to see the solution. The first thing to come out of the mind is to see the root thought in the mind.
The root thought is " I am this body".
If you cut this root thought , all thoughts are destroyed....
What happens when we come out of this and realize our true identity? . We immediately drop the efforts desires dreams aspirations etc as they are foolish to the highest degree. We feel we are truly the unlimited in which the whole universe is appearing . There is nothing separate from us , so nothing to attain. We are neither proud nor humble. If we are absolute itself, how can we feel little?
If we are undivided with the absolute , what is there to desire( no object is separate from me)?
Advaita says there is only one reality which is undivided . So it is fundamentally wrong to say that i am limited. If we accept yourself as limited you are agreeing that there are two things. One an unlimited reality and two me who is limited which is wrong.
While you are reading this you get a feeling that all this is ideal , but isn't it far removed from the real, my practical life, my everyday chores and worries?.Let me quote somewhat extensively from vivekananda
"The Vedanta recognises no sin, it only recognises error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that. Every time you think in that way, you, as it were, rivet one more link in the chain that binds you down, you add one more layer of hypnotism on to your own soul. Therefore, whosoever thinks he is weak is wrong, whosoever thinks he is impure is wrong, and is throwing a bad thought into the world. This we must always bear in mind that in the Vedanta there is no attempt at reconciling the present life — the hypnotised life, this false life which we have assumed — with the ideal; but this false life must go, and the real life which is always existing must manifest itself, must shine out. No man becomes purer and purer, it is a matter of greater manifestation. The veil drops away, and the native purity of the soul begins to manifest itself. Everything is ours already — infinite purity, freedom, love, and power." --
The Vedanta also says that not only can this be realised in the depths of forests or caves, but by men in all possible conditions of life. We have seen that the people who discovered these truths were neither living in caves nor forests, nor following the ordinary vocations of life, but men who, we have every reason to believe, led the busiest of lives, men who had to command armies, to sit on thrones, and look to the welfare of millions — and all these, in the days of absolute monarchy, and not as in these days when a king is to a great extent a mere figurehead.......
from Practical vedanta by vivekananda
There are two problems here. One is that we feel dual with everything. We are one entity while everything else and every one else is separate from us.
Second problem is we feel limited in our abilities in its content and all characteristics.
Our mind constantly reminds us of these limitations.
Let me explain to you how this situation arises. The true nature of reality is that it is infinite consciousness. It is a single undivided unique formless reality. When this absolute which does not depend on anything gets manifested in a form like a life form for e.g. a new kind of consciousness develops. What is the need for such a new kind of consciousness?. It can be explained as follows.
If we just had an infinite consciousness, we cannot understand an object which is limited. The infinitude would subsume its extent.
For e.g. when you see an object such as an apple , you are definitely seeing a limited object . A form with a name and limited in space and time. Infinite consciousness has to limit itself to know such a limited object. This can also be understood as follows, consciousness always takes the shape and form on what it is contemplating. If it has to contemplate a finite form it need to be become limited.
So the mind which is the trapped consciousness plays a trick . Our mind limits itself by imagining itself to be one of the objects that it knows namely the body.It says let us forget about infinite consciousness and think ourselves as just this body. Now having limited our consciousness , we can easily fathom limited objects.
This process of imagining that our identity is the body is called ego formation. This happens when we start thinking or verbalizing the perceptions.As soon as this happens we are in for lot of trouble.
why?. It is because we think we are dual with the world . A false sense of separation develops from the objects of perception. So we start desiring the objects. A desire is nothing but acceptance that i am distinct from the object and i want to subsume that so that i can be more bigger. I want that object to be attached to my identity so that i can be bigger in extent. I would feel fuller. I want a house or a car because i feel that it is something separate from me and i would want to be attached to my identity which is limited without it.
If you truly considered yourself as unlimited would you truly desire any limited object?
When after running around and getting frustrated with life we turn towards spirituality seeking all kinds of things. We still work under the assumption that i am limited and humble being and i want salvation, i want to visit temples for peace etc etc.
So you can see that we are not willing to accept our true identity even then, All our limitations that we feel is because of the ego working. If we go on under the assumption that i am just limited we can never be yourself whatever japa you do , whatever mantra you chant. You need to come out of your present identity first. There is no other way. If you don't do that no method will work. You are only under the clutches of the mind.
As Einstein once told us " You cannot solve a problem with the same system that has created the problem".
Our mind has created this problem. So you need to come out of the mind to see the solution. The first thing to come out of the mind is to see the root thought in the mind.
The root thought is " I am this body".
If you cut this root thought , all thoughts are destroyed....
What happens when we come out of this and realize our true identity? . We immediately drop the efforts desires dreams aspirations etc as they are foolish to the highest degree. We feel we are truly the unlimited in which the whole universe is appearing . There is nothing separate from us , so nothing to attain. We are neither proud nor humble. If we are absolute itself, how can we feel little?
If we are undivided with the absolute , what is there to desire( no object is separate from me)?
Advaita says there is only one reality which is undivided . So it is fundamentally wrong to say that i am limited. If we accept yourself as limited you are agreeing that there are two things. One an unlimited reality and two me who is limited which is wrong.
While you are reading this you get a feeling that all this is ideal , but isn't it far removed from the real, my practical life, my everyday chores and worries?.Let me quote somewhat extensively from vivekananda
"The Vedanta recognises no sin, it only recognises error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that. Every time you think in that way, you, as it were, rivet one more link in the chain that binds you down, you add one more layer of hypnotism on to your own soul. Therefore, whosoever thinks he is weak is wrong, whosoever thinks he is impure is wrong, and is throwing a bad thought into the world. This we must always bear in mind that in the Vedanta there is no attempt at reconciling the present life — the hypnotised life, this false life which we have assumed — with the ideal; but this false life must go, and the real life which is always existing must manifest itself, must shine out. No man becomes purer and purer, it is a matter of greater manifestation. The veil drops away, and the native purity of the soul begins to manifest itself. Everything is ours already — infinite purity, freedom, love, and power." --
The Vedanta also says that not only can this be realised in the depths of forests or caves, but by men in all possible conditions of life. We have seen that the people who discovered these truths were neither living in caves nor forests, nor following the ordinary vocations of life, but men who, we have every reason to believe, led the busiest of lives, men who had to command armies, to sit on thrones, and look to the welfare of millions — and all these, in the days of absolute monarchy, and not as in these days when a king is to a great extent a mere figurehead.......
from Practical vedanta by vivekananda
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