Reality 76

4–Requisites: Discrimination viveka (continued)

Self-Inquiry reveals the sense–transcendent Self.  It is in this light that Discrimination is the understanding that Brahman (the vast Absolute) is Reality (satya) & the material World is false (mithya). This becomes experientially understood.

Though the Discrimination may commence with thinking, in actual practice, it does not remain as just thought.  The Self is not a thought; nor is it all the thoughts gathered together. To confound thought with the Self is Ignorance. No thought can be ever-existent, Limitless, utterly Formless, & Eternal. No thought is actually Consciousness, which is the Self.  Discrimination discerns the Self & thus reveals its freedom from thought. With Discrimination, one comprehends that Consciousness is the unaffected Witness of all thought & cannot be a thought.  By this discrimination, one is no longer bound by thought.  Profound Discrimination reveals the Existence of Consciousness alone & the fact that there is really no such existent thing as thought.

This process of Discernment, from the most basic to the finest Discrimination, actually uses something inherent in & natural to everyone.  Everyone knows if he is happy or not. Everyone knows that he exists. How is it that everyone has this intrinsic Discernment ? It is because Knowledge is of the very nature of the Self. The aspirant for Liberation can very well use this intrinsic ability to Discern, an ability that is interior & unfailing, for the purpose of Self-Inquiry to know the Self.  

To commence Discrimination, one may start Meditation with what are seemingly simple questions, such as, "What is the source of Happiness ?  What is Eternal ?  What is Real? Who am I ?"  Though simple & basic, these questions remain extremely useful continually in the practice. The significance of these questions deepens in direct proportion to the depth of Discrimination.  Discrimination may very well manifest as a sorting process, with more emphasis usually on the negation of what is not Eternal, not Reality, or not the Self.  The result lies in the Eternal Reality of the Self being left un-obscured & Self-evident by virtue of this Discrimination.

The Discrimination should also be applied to one's view of Realization in order to free such of Dualistic conceptions. Furthermore, the Discrimination must be applied to one's own practices in order to sort out what is actually useful & what not useful in the effort to realize the Self.  Considering how short life is & how important it is to apply oneself fully, it is imperative to, again & again, clarify one’s comprehension of the Path so that effort is wisely applied & useful.  

The distinguishing of what is helpful & what is a hindrance to spiritual development is a result of Discrimination. The spiritual Discernment of what action is beneficial & what is deleterious, the law of karma, as well as transcendence of karma, which can occur only in Knowledge & not physically or in bodily terms, are all a result of Discrimination.

The distinguishing of the causes of emotional moods & how to liberate oneself from them is also a result of Discrimination. The Discernment of mental tendencies & concepts & dis–identifying from them is a matter of Discrimination as well. The destruction of the Manifest Egoistic tendencies or mis–identifications & the Realization of the absence of the Ego altogether is of the nature of discrimination. All the aspects of liberating oneself from mis–identifications, or super–impositions of the non–Self upon the Self, & ascertaining what is true about the Self –  all depend upon the ability called, "spiritual Discrimination".  The significance of this Discrimination viveka & the actual experience for those on the path of Knowledge are far-reaching.

The above themes & 1600 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:  

www.jpstiga.com/

http://jstiga.wixsite.com/nonduality/

or directly at:

http://tinyurl.com/nnyyr58

Duplicate blogs available on:

jstiga.wordpress.com/

"There is no Creation, no Destruction, no Bondage, no longing to be freed from Bondage, no striving for Liberation, nor anyone who has attained Liberation. Know that this to be Ultimate Truth." 

 –  the "no creation" school of Gaudapada, Shankara, Ramana, Nome – Ajata Vada

for very succinct summary of the teaching & practice, see:  www.ajatavada.com/

Reality 75

6–Requisites: Discrimination viveka

Discrimination refers to the ability to Discern what is true & what is not true. It may commence with deep thinking or contemplation, yet as it becomes clear & firm, it is a matter of actual inner experience. It may start with what is very basic, yet continues to be instrumental in the Knowledge until Realization itself.  Unless a person Discerns the Source of Happiness, there is not much of a possibility of finding that Happiness, let alone retaining that Happiness without subsequent loss.

Unless a person Discerns the purpose of Life, it will not be fulfilled. It is only for a person exercising keen Discrimination regarding what constitutes Realization that a corresponding clear way of realizing will become evident. Otherwise, the seeker will practice in a random fashion, practice will not correlate to unexamined ignorant tendencies.  Rather serving to destroy such delusive notions & patterns of conceptualizing, the practice will overlook the unexamined ignorant tendencies (vasanas).

It will not be possible for one to know oneself without releasing the mis–identifications that currently bind or obscure.  It will not be possible to thoroughly release such mis–identifications unless they are discerned as being mis–identifications rather than being assumed to be one's actual nature, which instead is the Absolute Self ?

Discrimination enables one to know Reality as it is. Ignorance consists of taking the Real to be unreal & the unreal to be Real.  One must Discern which is Real & which is unreal in order to be free of Illusion Maya or Ignorance (avidya, ajnana) or Superimposition vivarta , or moha Delusion.

Freedom from Ignorance is true Knowledge, the non–conceptual Wisdom that sees Reality as it is. This Discrimination cannot be a sensory activity. As long as one assumes that the Senses determine what is real, so long one imagines a supposed external World to be existent & objects to be real.

The Senses display only tiny impressions – minute & momentary, no matter how varied, complex, or large they may appear to be – & not the ever–present Existence as it is. The Senses are incapable of determining the Real Nature of the Existence that is the Self.  

One cannot expect to see the formless Self, to hear the silent Self, to touch the intangible Self, etc. Moreover, what is Real must always be Real, in order to be Real. If it is not always be Real, a thing is entirely unreal or a mis–perception of what is Real.

The transient Senses are incapable of perceiving the eternal Reality. The Self which one seeks to realize is the eternal Reality. Therefore, Self-Inquiry utilizing Discrimination to know the Self is not a sensory activity, does not depend on the Senses, & eliminates the belief in the validity or reality of the sensory “perceptions”.

The above themes & 2600 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:  

www.jpstiga.com/

http://jstiga.wixsite.com/nonduality/

or directly at:

short-cut: http://sdrv.ms/YPOgkX or http://tinyurl.com/nnyyr58  link directly to free E-book PDF files

Duplicate blogs available on:

jstiga.wordpress.com/

"There is no Creation, no Destruction, no Bondage, no longing to be freed from Bondage, no striving for Liberation, nor anyone who has attained Liberation. Know that this to be Ultimate Truth." 

 –  the "no creation" school of Gaudapada, Shankara, Ramana, Nome – Ajata Vada

for very succinct summary of the teaching & practice, see:  www.ajatavada.com/

Reality 74

Self-Inquiry (continued)

Self-Inquiry reveals the invalid nature of all personal definitions, the Formless nature of Reality, & that the Ego is nothing but a false assumption whose nature is non–existence. When all that is unreal, not the Self, is removed, the real Self alone remains in its own Knowledge of itself – Self-Knowledge, which is devoid of such differentiation as the Knower, the Knowing, & the Known.

Self-Inquiry is the essential practice. The success of any spiritual practice in yielding Freedom & Peace is directly proportionate to the relinquishment of mis-identification, the dissolution of the Ego or false notion of Individuality, that occurs in mis-identification. Self-Inquiry does not include any of the Duality that one is attempting to transcend.

Supports for Self-inquiry are actually more than supports; rather they are integral to the whole experience of inquiring to know the Self.  In Advaita Vedanta, they have been referred to as the "requisites" for Realization or the 4–fold–sadhana (practice) Sadhana Chatushtaya for Realization or Liberation. These were expounded in the clearest teachings of Non-Duality & Self-Knowledge, known as Advaita Vedanta, by Sri Shankara,  These practices relate to the attainment of Knowledge & the dissolution of the Illusion of ignorant Dualisty & its consequent Bondage & Suffering. Thus is realized the natural State of the Self, Brahman, which is pure Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.

The 4–Requisites are: Discrimination viveka, Detachment vairagya, the 6–Essentials shatsampati, & Desire for Liberation mumukshutva.

The 6–Essentials are: Peacefulness sama, Self–Control dama, Renunciation / Non–Dependence uparati, Endurance / Fortitude titiksha, Faith / Conviction shraddha, & profound, concentrated, formless Meditation samadhana.

If Sadhana Chatushtaya's 6–Essentials shatsmpati were represented as "dama etc." then one mnemonic for the 4 Requisites could be the "4 D's" namely: D – iscrimination, D – etachment, d – ama etc. D – esire. 

Alternately, if the 6–Essentials "uparati etc" were represented as "uparati etc." then one mnemonic for the Sanskrit term could be the "2 V's & 2 U's" [reversing the alphabetical order o the 3 letters] namely: V – iveka, V – airagya, u – parati. 3 u's – in mUmUkshUtva.

As for 6–Essentials shatsmpati themselves, one mnemonic follows a specific choice for the various English equivalents, namely: sama E – quanimity, dama E – limination (of sense seeking), uparati  E – scape (from of sense attachment), titiksha E –  ndurance, shraddha E –  ka Grta one pointedness, samadhana E – ecstasy or samadhi.  Given these specific equivalents, the mnemonic for the 6–Essentials becomes the "6 E's" (as in E for E – ssentials).

Each of the 4–Requisites requisites is helpful to the Self-Inquiry to know the Self.  Each of the 4–Requisites supports the others.  Though one requires Discrimination to become Detached (otherwise, one will not perceive who is to be detached & from what to be detached).  It may be the Desire for Liberation coupled with Conviction in the teachings that give rise to that Discrimination, which is further strengthened by Meditation & expressed through some kind of Renunciation on a basis of peacefulness or Equanimity. Each of the 4–Requisites may be considered separately, or they may be considered as one whole.  These requisites for Realization are to be understood, meditated upon, & practiced within the context of Non-Duality for the purpose of Self-Realization.

The 4–Requisites for Realization are taught with special relevance to Self-Inquiry, the introspective determination of the True Nature of one's own Self, which is the

Absolute Self.  The significance of them & the actual experience of them for those on the path of Knowledge are far-reaching.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:  

www.jpstiga.com/

http://jstiga.wixsite.com/nonduality/

or directly at:

short-cut: http://sdrv.ms/YPOgkX or http://tinyurl.com/nnyyr58  link directly to free E-book PDF files

Duplicate blogs available on:

jstiga.wordpress.com/

"There is no Creation, no Destruction, no Bondage, no longing to be freed from Bondage, no striving for Liberation, nor anyone who has attained Liberation. Know that this to be Ultimate Truth." 

 –  the "no creation" school of Gaudapada, Shankara, Ramana, Nome – Ajata Vada

for very succinct summary of the teaching & practice, see:  www.ajatavada.com/

Reality 73

Self-Inquiry (Atma Vichara)

Supreme Knowledge, Self-Knowledge is regarding Knowledge about the True Nature of the Absolute Self & instruction regarding a path or spiritual practice for Self-Realization or Enlightenment.

In the Teaching of Non-Duality, which clearly reveals the identity of the Self & the Absolute (Brahman, God), Liberation or Self­Realization is recognized to be of the nature of Self-Knowledge. A path of Knowledge results in Self-Knowledge, & the primary method of the path is that of Self-Inquiry. The Inquiry is the introspection, or meditation, that ascertains, in the most experiential manner, of what one's true Identity consists. It is the Self-Revelation of the nature of Existence, or Consciousness itself, unobscured by any definition or mis­identification.  Questioning inwardly as to "Who am I ?" one realizes one's true state of Non-Dual Existence, which is ever free, ever at peace, unchanging, without modifications, illimitable, timeless, indivisible, forever unconditioned, formless, undifferentiated – the One Reality.

Self-Inquiry involves the relinquishment of the false superimposition of forms & attributes upon the Self.  This involves the recognition of the false definition & the Discernment of how it is not actually one's identity. It is the shifting of Identity from where it has been misplaced, such as being associated with the Body or with thought, & restoring it to its natural position, which is the Self alone. It is the ceasing of the confusion regarding what is Real & what is unreal.  Erroneous attribution of Reality to the unreality, such as conceiving the World, objects, events, sensations, & thoughts to be real or to be the means of determining what is real, is relinquished

Summed up the in the concise phrase, "Who am I ?", Self-Inquiry by the seeker of Self-Realization can also directly realize Liberation from the unreal bondage by inquiring, with each experience & notion, "For whom is this ?"  This approach negates the Identity or Reality from the objective aspect & returns it to that which is inward, the Subject.

Then, recognizing that whatever it is, it is for "me," one should inquire, "Who am I ?" This is, with a keen awareness, the inner discerning of the True Nature of one's Existence. The determination of the answer to Self-Inquiry cannot be in verbal, sensorial or conceptual terms, but is realized by the elimination of all definition, the dissolution of confusion regarding Reality, & the destruction of the Ego.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:  

www.jpstiga.com/

http://jstiga.wixsite.com/nonduality/

or directly at:

short-cut: http://sdrv.ms/YPOgkX or http://tinyurl.com/nnyyr58  link directly to free E-book PDF files

Duplicate blogs available on:

jstiga.wordpress.com/

"There is no Creation, no Destruction, no Bondage, no longing to be freed from Bondage, no striving for Liberation, nor anyone who has attained Liberation. Know that this to be Ultimate Truth." 

 –  the "no creation" school of Gaudapada, Shankara, Ramana, Nome – Ajata Vada

for very succinct summary of the teaching & practice, see:  www.ajatavada.com/

Reality 72

Ego (continued)

What & where is the Ego ?   One should inquire into this deeply to realize the natural non-Ego state which is blissful & free from all Bondage & Suffering.  The Ego is merely a false notion – a bare assumption – of Individuality, of a separate "I", which is the supposition of differentiation from the Absolute. 

The Ego has no form of its own, & so to appear in any way, it creates an illusion of Form & attaches itself to such Illusion, such Form.  The Ego itself appears as the mis-identification with an attachment to the unreal forms of the Mind, the Senses, the Body, & the World.  Thus in the course of spiritual practice, when one destroys these mis-identifications & attachments, the Ego dissolves. 

The "I" notion is the separate experiencer, the individual Knower, the embodied entity, the Doer of action, & the notion of an "other".  The Ego itself is the concept of a separate Universe in which it the Ego – "I" supposedly exists. 

Upon The ego is based the illusory differentiation of the World, the Individual, & the Supreme (jagad – jiva – Para).  The 3 are not 3, but rely but only that, the Non-Dual Self.  Only with the Ego does the 1 appear to be 3.  The Ego appears as it is conceived.

The World & thought are unreal, & so is the Ego.  One sees the Ego's guises & its appearances.  Where is the Ego's existence ?  One sees the Ego's effects, but where is the cause of the Ego ?  If the Ego is real in any manner, it should be actually experienced.  If the Ego is an entity, it should exist somewhere.  If the Ego itself is in Effect, it should have a Cause.  One should inquire to determine if the Ego exists at all.  Is the Ego actually experienced ?  The Ego has neither shape nor size, & it has no physical attributes.  The Ego is never sensed, for one never sees, hears, touches, or has any other sensory impression of the Ego.  The Ego is not simply the word "I", nor the particular thought of "I". 

Realized Sages who are fully identified with the true Self alone, may still say "I", but they neither give rise to nor retain any Ego.  The Ego has no form of its own & is never seen by itself as it is.  Though the Ego is an assumption of a division in Existence, how can Existence be dual or be divided in itself ? 

The Ego – "I"  is not a quality or attribute of the Self, since it is not invariably related to the Self.  It does not continue in Liberation nor in Deep Dreamless Sleep.  Since it does not so continue in must belong to something else, & not to the Self. 

To what does the Ego belong?  If one inquires one will find that the Ego belongs to nothing.  The Ego cannot belong to what depends on it, & the attribute of the Self, being homogeneous & never changing, will never have an Ego at any time.

The Ego cannot be equated with the Self.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:  

www.jpstiga.com/

http://jstiga.wixsite.com/nonduality/

or directly at:

short-cut: http://sdrv.ms/YPOgkX or http://tinyurl.com/nnyyr58  link directly to free E-book PDF files

Duplicate blogs available on:

jstiga.wordpress.com/

"There is no Creation, no Destruction, no Bondage, no longing to be freed from Bondage, no striving for Liberation, nor anyone who has attained Liberation. Know that this to be Ultimate Truth." 

 –  the "no creation" school of Gaudapada, Shankara, Ramana, Nome – Ajata Vada

for very succinct summary of the teaching & practice, see:  www.ajatavada.com/

Reality 71

Ego

Self-Realization is the Ego–less State.  Freedom from the Ego is the essence of Liberation.  It is Abidance in the Self as the Self.  The falsely assumed Individual "I" is completely removed by Self-Knowledge, & the 1 true "I", the "I" of the "I", alone remains (comparable to the metaphoric Eye of the Eye).  The Self is defined by Ramana Maharshi. Ribhu, & other Sages as "I–I".  That's true "I–I" is the "I" in the statement "I am the Absolute" (aham Brahmasmi). 

In the Realization of the significance of that mahavakya (great aphorism), of the Upanishad, "I am the Absolute Brahman", Sri Shankara explains that the entire notion of "I" is removed.  This is just like the idea "a bandit is here" which is mis-conceived when perceiving a "tree stump in the darkness".  The illusory "bandit" completely removed upon illumination being brought.  (The tree stump was formerly feared to be a bandit just as the Self is formerly feared to be an Ego).  Brahman alone is, & Brahman alone knows.  When the "I" is removed, all of the "mine" is also removed, as such is completely dependent upon the delusion of "I".

The Ego is the root cause of Delusion, Illusion, Bondage, & Suffering.  The Ego is the root of the Mind, even the very idea of an existent Mind, & the root of all else.  It is the 1^st illusion to be imagined & the last to disappear.  The Ego is the cause, substance, & experiencer of all Illusion.  Without the Ego Illusion is impossible.

The Ego has no actual form of its own.  It may be conceived as the Experiencer, the Thinker, the Performer of action, the one who Senses, the one who lives, the one who has attributes, & such.  In essence, the Ego is the concept of "I" in whatever guise it may appear.

All Duality & Ignorance is from the Ego, by the Ego, & in the Ego.  The Universe is no separate existence, for the Self is all in all at all times & is unmixed, & transcendent of the form of all,.  But the Ego gives the deluded wrong view of "Duality".

The Body is not one's home, for the Self is Unborn & bodiless.  But the Ego gives the deluded view of the Self & the Body as knotted together.  Bliss is of the Eternal Self, but the Ego gives the deluded view that Happiness is not here, not immediate, & ever present as Existence itself, & must be elsewhere.  The Ego appears as the "knot" between the Self, of the nature of pure Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, & Form.

The Formless Self, Brahman alone is the ever solitary Reality, but the Ego gives the deluded view of existent form, of something other existing, of a 2^nd which it itself presumably is.  Yet when inquired into, to determine its nature, the Ego, withs all that depends upon it, vanishes being unreal.

The Ego cannot be equated with the Self.

The above themes & 1600 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:  

www.jpstiga.com/

http://jstiga.wixsite.com/nonduality/

or directly at:

short-cut: http://sdrv.ms/YPOgkX or http://tinyurl.com/nnyyr58  link directly to free E-book PDF files

Duplicate blogs available on:

jstiga.wordpress.com/

"There is no Creation, no Destruction, no Bondage, no longing to be freed from Bondage, no striving for Liberation, nor anyone who has attained Liberation. Know that this to be Ultimate Truth." 

 –  the "no creation" school of Gaudapada, Shankara, Ramana, Nome – Ajata Vada

for very succinct summary of the teaching & practice, see:  www.ajatavada.com/

Reality 70

The practice of the Teaching of Thou art That is the Self-Inquiry: "Who am I ?"  Self-Knowledge is firm when the Knowledge of the Self, which is the Absolute, is not contradicted by the false notions that one lacks Bliss & has desires.  Self-Knowledge is firm when the Self-Knowledge is not contradicted by the false notions that one is not Consciousness & a Do-er. Self-Knowledge is firm when the Self-Knowledge is not contradicted by the false notions that one is not Being, but instead a bound entity.

Though the Body is not the Self, the Self is not the Performer of Action, & Action is unrelated to Self-Knowledge. Action can in no way bring about the Liberation that this Self-Knowledge alone yields. The holy Sage who knows this will always be manifesting the Good, the True, & the Beautiful. With love for all Beings, knowing all to be himself, endowed with equanimity & imperturbable Peace, with no self-interest, he is ever engaged in the highest good, whether he appears active or still.  His honesty derives from Truth itself, his love derives from the indivisible nature of Being, his Peace derives from the immovable Absolute, & his kindness & care derive from the perfect Fullness.

How would it be possible, for one who knows about Liberation & the Non-Dual Teaching of Identity with the Absolute Self, to engage in conduct that would be other than the good, the true, the beautiful, love, equanimity, peace, dis-interest, the highest good, honesty, kindness, & care.

Nonetheless, it is never possible to determine the state of a Realization Sage from the outer appearances of the Body with which he has no identity whatsoever.  The Sage has gone beyond the Illusions of Life & Death, never to return to that which never really was. The Sage is serene in & as the Absolute, & abides as the Eternal.

Whatever is done, he is not the Do-er of anything.  Whatever is said by the Sage, the Sage remains Silent.  Whatever is thought, he remains unmodified.  For he has known himself, & he himself is what he knows.

You are That. Realize the Truth of this by Self-Inquiry. Supreme Knowledge, Consciousness, is Brahman. Attain Liberation by Knowledge & realize that true Knowledge is the Eternal, Supreme Consciousness itself.  This Self is Brahman.  Inquire "Who am I ?"  & realize pure Being as the 1-without-a-2^nd.  I am Brahman.  Abide in the Natural State of the Real Self, in the state of Identity with no other "I".

Abide as That, which, when known, leaves no other thing to be known. Abide as That, the Happiness of which leaves nothing to be desired. Abide as That, which, when realized, leaves no other Reality but itself.  Abide as That, which is the Self, which alone exists eternally, for it is That which alone is.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:  

www.jpstiga.com/

http://jstiga.wixsite.com/nonduality/

or directly at:

short-cut: http://sdrv.ms/YPOgkX or http://tinyurl.com/nnyyr58  link directly to free E-book PDF files

Duplicate blogs available on:

jstiga.wordpress.com/

"There is no Creation, no Destruction, no Bondage, no longing to be freed from Bondage, no striving for Liberation, nor anyone who has attained Liberation. Know that this to be Ultimate Truth." 

 –  the "no creation" school of Gaudapada, Shankara, Ramana, Nome – Ajata Vada

for very succinct summary of the teaching & practice, see:  www.ajatavada.com/