REALIZING NON–DUAL LIBERATION, ENLIGHTENMENT BY SELF-INQUIRY – pt6

[The Teaching  of Non-Duality has been adapted from Master Nome, disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi]

There has always been, & will ever be, only one "self", that Non-Dual sole Reality known as Brahman, the Absolute; & also as Atman, "the" Self.  Without beginning or end, the Self is dimensionless, transcendent of size or extent, neither large nor small, never increasing or decreasing.  Nor does the Reality, the Self evidence any other phase or condition, or any objective quality – the Self, the Reality being non–objective, or "trans–subjective" (in the sense of what "subjective" would be if there were no real objects to complete the subject–object duality).

Self-Knowledge, Knowledge of the Self is based upon the seeker of Self-Realization having a firm conviction in his own identity, the identity or Non-Duality of "That" & "Thou", as expressed in Tat Tvam Asi, "That Thou Art", the Upanishadic "Maha-vakya" or "Great Pronouncement", pronouncement of the Ultimate Truth.  "Thou" may seem to be an individual, but is truly Atman, "the" Self.  "That" may seem to be a separate deity, God, but is truly Brahman the Absolute, which is also Atman, "the" Self.  To be forever free of all Suffering, & to rest in the Peace & Happiness that is the "Bliss" in Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, (another designation for Brahman), the seeker must "realize" his identity as Atman, one with Brahman.  This Self-Realization alone destroys the unreal Illusion (Maya) that constitutes, unnecessarily, all imagined limitation & suffering.

Seems too good to be true ?  Actually, this Teaching is too good not to be true ?  But there is a "catch".  Self-Realization require sincere effort – every drop of energy we have, but not a drop more !  Several "pre–requisites" are also involved.  Valuing this Self-Realization, true Immortality, requires that nothing else has greater value for us, indeed nothing else has any real value for us.  With this detachment, this non–attachment, there is necessarily also an inwardly–turned mind.  For the Reality discovered is inward, is non–objective, or "trans–subjective", while Self-Realization is a "fixed gaze" upon the Infinite, which is Consciousness & Pure Existence, & at the same time Bliss, 1–without–a–2^nd or Non-Dual.  But as for the " attainment" of Self-Realization, there is no attainment, for there is no "us", no other Knower, but only That, Brahman  which alone knows itself.  Indeed, that Consciousness is itself the Knowledge of Itself.  Self-effort toward absorption in Brahman, Atman, the Self is the final, irreversible entry into the Real, discarding individual identity, suffering, & all Duality.

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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/