“We ought to remind ourselves daily, repeat it like a litany, that in our being lies concealed the whole gamut of existence... Above all, we should cease postponing the act of becoming what in fact and essence we are.”
― Henry Miller, Plexus
In Chandagyopanishad , the paradox of jivatma and paramatma is explained in detail. Supreme consciousness becomes the body by developing object consciousness. Thus in the jivatama there are two factors, one is consciousness itself in its pure state, and one which is object based. The object based consciousness turns towards objects and is ignorant of its source which is pure consciousness. So the individuality or the personhood is nothing but the object modified consciousness within us. Springing from the supreme , it has forgotten its true source and always is oriented towards objects. Since the objects are all temporary and illusive the suffering exists. But remember this.An object based consciousness is not the true subject or I. It is just an modification of the one and only subject. The mind is the object based consciousness that is the root cause of all sufferings . All the objects that exist within the mind tend to mask the reality of the pure consciousness and hence results in the life situations.
We have been emphasizing the need for self knowledge as a means of walking the spiritual path. We can see that true knowledge of the self happens when we understand that there is no such thing as a personal I. All the thoughts , emotions , happening in our inner world is not referring to any entity which is real. The only real thing that happens is that we become knowledgeable about all these mental objects through awareness. So there is no such thing as a personal or separate I that exist to which these thoughts etc refer to . It is an illusion created by the mind that there is someone who is doing the thinking etc. So the essence of self knowledge is that for whom the problems refer to doesnt in fact exist!!!,
This is the reason why we say , why do you run behind a thought or run behind an emotion?. Isn't it just a happening in consciousness?. It is like this. You are sitting beside a small pond. You see some waves in the pond. Suddenly you run with fear from the pond thinking that it would certainly create a tsunami which would swallow you. Of course your imagination knows no bounds. You can think of anything. You can seriously believe anything from the small waves. You can think that it is nothing but a big cobra which is swimming underneath the water , or a crocodile which is going past or whatever. But a true knower sees only the small ripples and enjoys them, not imagining or interpreting anything. A ripple is just that .
So a spiritual aspirant tries to do two essential things . One is the quietening of the mind through a proper understanding that all the mental imagery is only there to enhance the wrong identity that doesn't exist. It is like seeing the small ripples in the pond as small ripples. This quietening of the mind happens through persistent observation of our own mind through living mediation. The very process of observation nullifies the seriousness of the mind objects. He tries to release the thoughts one by one and let them fly past him.The second thing the aspirant tries to do is to rest in awareness or the supreme consciousness from which everything has come into being. From the un-shaking platform he just sees and appreciates everything. Thus object consciousness is negated and supreme consciousness is realized.
How do we attain detachment of the object consciousness?. Do we just discard all thoughts and live in a forest meditating ?. No. We achieve true detachment by understanding that there is no self which is referred to in our mental objects. This is what Ramana Maharshi said about his whole life. When you truly understand that there is no real I referred to in your mind, then what is the point in believing in them. You abandon the clinging because if a thought is not yours what is the big point in believing in it. The whole point of clinging is because of me and mine. When the me and mine is not real how can we believe in the thought.
The same thing is mentioned in Yoga Vasishta . Sage Vasishta tells Rama the following ...
"...Hence I have been suggesting that renunciation of actions should be achieved through non-attachment obtained from a knowledge of the absence of agency for action for the Self. " Then only you would achieve the calmness of the mind.
When you do that your mind would become silent like the center of a rock.
In another story in yoga Vasishta it is clearly mentioned of what the I really is.
Turn your attention inwardly. Inquire into your ‘self’. You find there a thought wave of ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’. That is the I-consciousness in you. It’s name is ego. You are able to observe it. Therefore, you are the witness for it. Please understand this clearly. You are not that which says ‘I’, ‘I’. “You” are the witness of that ‘I’.
The crucial thing is that as long as you have the body, there would always be a perception based knowledge and superposition ( Drishya Adhyasa). The world would be seen and perceived. Actions happen automatically based on this. Once you start doing them , your mind start creating doership in you. So to understand these tendencies of the mind and to detach from the thoughts and emotions in the mind, is the way of renunciation. Then your actions become the true karma.
A Jivanmukt is one who is living with a body, but has completely abandoned the body consciousness through knowledge, self enquiry and pure action. He sees the world but is not enchanted by it. He does actions but in a detached way understanding that there is no point in the mind objects. He abides as a pure being merging with the supreme consciousness even while living in this world. As Ramana once said " When the self is hidden, the world appears. When the self is shining the world disappears"
― Henry Miller, Plexus
In Chandagyopanishad , the paradox of jivatma and paramatma is explained in detail. Supreme consciousness becomes the body by developing object consciousness. Thus in the jivatama there are two factors, one is consciousness itself in its pure state, and one which is object based. The object based consciousness turns towards objects and is ignorant of its source which is pure consciousness. So the individuality or the personhood is nothing but the object modified consciousness within us. Springing from the supreme , it has forgotten its true source and always is oriented towards objects. Since the objects are all temporary and illusive the suffering exists. But remember this.An object based consciousness is not the true subject or I. It is just an modification of the one and only subject. The mind is the object based consciousness that is the root cause of all sufferings . All the objects that exist within the mind tend to mask the reality of the pure consciousness and hence results in the life situations.
We have been emphasizing the need for self knowledge as a means of walking the spiritual path. We can see that true knowledge of the self happens when we understand that there is no such thing as a personal I. All the thoughts , emotions , happening in our inner world is not referring to any entity which is real. The only real thing that happens is that we become knowledgeable about all these mental objects through awareness. So there is no such thing as a personal or separate I that exist to which these thoughts etc refer to . It is an illusion created by the mind that there is someone who is doing the thinking etc. So the essence of self knowledge is that for whom the problems refer to doesnt in fact exist!!!,
This is the reason why we say , why do you run behind a thought or run behind an emotion?. Isn't it just a happening in consciousness?. It is like this. You are sitting beside a small pond. You see some waves in the pond. Suddenly you run with fear from the pond thinking that it would certainly create a tsunami which would swallow you. Of course your imagination knows no bounds. You can think of anything. You can seriously believe anything from the small waves. You can think that it is nothing but a big cobra which is swimming underneath the water , or a crocodile which is going past or whatever. But a true knower sees only the small ripples and enjoys them, not imagining or interpreting anything. A ripple is just that .
So a spiritual aspirant tries to do two essential things . One is the quietening of the mind through a proper understanding that all the mental imagery is only there to enhance the wrong identity that doesn't exist. It is like seeing the small ripples in the pond as small ripples. This quietening of the mind happens through persistent observation of our own mind through living mediation. The very process of observation nullifies the seriousness of the mind objects. He tries to release the thoughts one by one and let them fly past him.The second thing the aspirant tries to do is to rest in awareness or the supreme consciousness from which everything has come into being. From the un-shaking platform he just sees and appreciates everything. Thus object consciousness is negated and supreme consciousness is realized.
How do we attain detachment of the object consciousness?. Do we just discard all thoughts and live in a forest meditating ?. No. We achieve true detachment by understanding that there is no self which is referred to in our mental objects. This is what Ramana Maharshi said about his whole life. When you truly understand that there is no real I referred to in your mind, then what is the point in believing in them. You abandon the clinging because if a thought is not yours what is the big point in believing in it. The whole point of clinging is because of me and mine. When the me and mine is not real how can we believe in the thought.
The same thing is mentioned in Yoga Vasishta . Sage Vasishta tells Rama the following ...
"...Hence I have been suggesting that renunciation of actions should be achieved through non-attachment obtained from a knowledge of the absence of agency for action for the Self. " Then only you would achieve the calmness of the mind.
When you do that your mind would become silent like the center of a rock.
In another story in yoga Vasishta it is clearly mentioned of what the I really is.
Turn your attention inwardly. Inquire into your ‘self’. You find there a thought wave of ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’. That is the I-consciousness in you. It’s name is ego. You are able to observe it. Therefore, you are the witness for it. Please understand this clearly. You are not that which says ‘I’, ‘I’. “You” are the witness of that ‘I’.
The crucial thing is that as long as you have the body, there would always be a perception based knowledge and superposition ( Drishya Adhyasa). The world would be seen and perceived. Actions happen automatically based on this. Once you start doing them , your mind start creating doership in you. So to understand these tendencies of the mind and to detach from the thoughts and emotions in the mind, is the way of renunciation. Then your actions become the true karma.
A Jivanmukt is one who is living with a body, but has completely abandoned the body consciousness through knowledge, self enquiry and pure action. He sees the world but is not enchanted by it. He does actions but in a detached way understanding that there is no point in the mind objects. He abides as a pure being merging with the supreme consciousness even while living in this world. As Ramana once said " When the self is hidden, the world appears. When the self is shining the world disappears"
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