Reality 86

4–Requisites: the 6–Essentials shatsampati: Peacefulness sama

The 6–Essentials shatsampati, is a combination of a number of factors that are instrumental in spiritual progress with Self-Inquiry, the 6 are all interrelated among themselves & are interwoven with discrimination and attachment in the practice of Self-Inquiry.

The 1^st Essential is known as Peacefulness. It is Tranquility & composure.  Sri Shankara defines it as "resting the Mind permanently on one's spiritual objective & detaching it from all that is sensed."

Peace is of the very nature of the unchanging Self, yet, when in the throes of mis-identification, one does not seem to experience Peace. Just as though the Sun does not really vanish when there are dense clouds, one who is in or under the clouds does not see the Sun.  When one places undue importance on the things of the World, when one is attached to one's own ideas, & when one conjures up one's own emotions, one disturbs one's own innate Peace. When all depends on the changeful, then Peace is lost sight of, since Peace can be only in the Consciousness which at no time changes.

With change & dependence, Peace is lost or is very insecure.  All external changes are delusively viewed as either desirable in the hope of different phenomena causing a better state of Mind, or as threatening in the fear of the transience of all things.  Change is of no consequence to the Changeless. The Changeless alone is one's True Nature.

Following the whims of the Mind, its desires & fears, offers no Peace. Applying the Mind steadily toward the purpose of Self-Realization leads to Peace. The very practice of Self-Realization yields considerable Peace in one's experience.  If one is composed in oneself, the difficulties of the phenomenal Life do not overwhelm one.  Such composure belongs to those who are focused upon the Goal of realizing the Self.  The means are of the same nature as the End, which is the innate Peace of the Self.

The composure is Equanimity in the midst of all things & is directly related to Detachment.  One should abide in Equanimity in the midst of all occurrences.  If there is loss of Peace, it is due to Attachment & lack of Discrimination.  Dettachment & Discrimination should be thoroughly practiced & meditated upon in order for there to be Equanimity.

One should not ignorantly disturb or preclude Peace by fostering & adhering to one's opinions about things, events, & other people.  By the practice of Equanimity, abundant opportunities to inquire are found.  One's Mind is introspective & does not engage in futile interactions that only lead to creating burdensome karma.  By Peacefulness, one's interactions become beneficial, & the World, with its events, ceases to be conceived as an obstruction to one's spiritual advancement.

Self-Inquiry yields supreme Peace, yet Peacefulness, itself, is integral to the successful pursuit of Self-Inquiry. To set aside the frantic antics of the Ego-ridden Mind, if only for the reason of desiring to dive within to realize, is Peacefulness.  To abstain from concocting the brew of Ignorance, craving, & frustration or anger or hatred is Peacefulness.  To be Peaceful within oneself & to relate to others on the basis of Peacefulness & not unnecessarily agitating the Mind enables one to better pursue Self-Inquiry to know the Self.

Meditation on this Essential will endow the aspirant with the quality of Peacefulness, both within & in relating to others.  One should meditate upon being the unmoving, ever-peaceful Witness of all, the Self, of the nature of Consciousness, & so attain Peace.  The significance of this Peacefulness & the actual experience for those on the path of Knowledge are far-reaching.

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:  

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"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/