Sunday, February 16, 2020

ENLIGHTENMENT BY SELF-INQUIRY–pt93

[The Teaching of Non-Duality has been adapted from Master Nome, disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Sections appended below derive from Sri Ramana's Teaching.]

It is a waste of time to dispute in the Mind, because our focus should be the Knowledge of the Self & not an attempt to determine what "this" is without first knowing "I". If we attempt to determine what "this" is (any "this"), without first knowing the "I", the best that we can hope for some doctrinal supposition. Reality alone can know the Reality. Any supposed "stepping stone" would not be an outward or mental dispute, it would be some "stepping stone" to actually inquiring into the "I" & knowing the Self as it is. For in that way alone, does one know Reality. This is so because the un–real cannot know the Real. The Ego is un–real & as long as we take up our position in the Ego as it were, our knowledge un–real knowledge of things un–real.

The Ego is not a temporary quality of the Self. The Truth cannot be like an "unripe fruit becoming a ripe fruit." Then there would be 2 stages, or States, for the Self, one with an Ego & one without. The Existence of the Self is Absolute & un-changing. If the Ego were ever part of Pure Existence, or sharing in it in any way whatsoever, Pure Existence would be changeful & transitory & would cease to exist. Existence is always Ego–less & has no Ego quality whatsoever.

The Body is not the truth, for the Body is only imagined in the Mind. For the Illusion of the World, one must also regard the sensations not as sensations or modes of Mind, but as an actually objective entity endowed with the Duality of inner & outer, & with the apparent object portion of the sensation considered as separate from the knowing aspect (as if there were an independently existing "external" World). Since the Body is not oneself, & the Self is not in a Body, the World is not distributed out "around" oneself. "Around" is imagined within the Mind & is not distributed all "around".

[Ramana]

Realization is already there. The state free from thoughts is the only real state. There is no such action as "realization". Is there anyone who is not realizing the Self ? Does anyone deny his own existence ? Speaking of realization, it implies 2 selves – the one to realize, the other to be realized. What is not already realized is sought to be realized. Once we admit our existence, how is it that we do not know our 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

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

www.jpstiga.com/

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

This blog is also available on:

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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/

Thursday, February 13, 2020

REALIZING NON–DUAL LIBERATION, ENLIGHTENMENT BY SELF-INQUIRY–pt92

Sri Ramana's disciple Nome

[The Teaching of Non-Duality has been adapted from Master Nome, disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Sections appended below derive from Sri Ramana's Teaching.]

Some Wise Sages say that this entire World is false, so that we realize the Truth of Brahman. Without actually contradicting themselves, those same Sages at other times say that this entire Universe is "true", for the Truth of Brahman alone, constitutes all of "this". Likewise, those same Wise Sages say that all this is inert, so that we realize that which "knows", which is pure Consciousness & which is not of this World. On the other hand, the Wise Sages also say that this entire Universe is nothing but the Infinite Consciousness, & there is nothing inert anywhere. Similarly, it has been pointed out that this World is a place of suffering. This prompts the aspirant to seek Liberation in the World–less, Ego–less state. For those who have realized the Truth though, that Truth is everywhere, of the nature of Bliss-Consciousness, & there is not a particle of this Universe that is without this Bliss-Consciousness.

The Ego-"I" is not a quality or attribute of the Self, since it is not invariably related to the Self. The Ego-"I" does not continue in Liberation or in Deep Dreamless Sleep. Since the Ego-"I" does not then continue, it must belong to something else & not to the Self. To what does the Ego-"I" belong ? In Self-Inquiry one will find that the Ego-"I" belongs to nothing. The Ego-"I" It cannot belong to what depends on it (concepts, vasanas, etc.). The attributeless Self is homogenous & ever changeless & so will never have an Ego at any time. If the Ego were an attribute of the Self, the Ego would be Eternal. In that case, all Liberation, all Scriptures, all spiritual life, all spiritual practice, all sayings of Sages, & such would be futile & false. That would be absurd. It is better to give up the notion of the Ego than to hold to it as being real.

[Ramana]

It is the thought which builds up layers of Illusion (sheaths) in so many ways. The shadow on the water is seen to be shaking. Can anyone stop the shaking of the shadow ? If it would cease to shake you would not notice the water but only the Light. Similarly take no notice of the Ego (shadow) & its activities, but see only the Light behind. The Ego is the thought "I". The true "I" is 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

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

www.jpstiga.com/

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

This blog is also available on:

jstiga.wordpress.com/

Sunday, February 2, 2020

REALIZING NON–DUAL LIBERATION, ENLIGHTENMENT BY SELF-INQUIRY–pt91

[The Teaching of Non-Duality has been adapted from Master Nome, disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Section appended below derives this time from Vedic analogies.]

All the assertions of the Mind cannot compare to Liberation. If we remain without an "I" or a "this", we can be content. The "I"-less state has no differences. In the "I"-lessness, in the difference–less, there is no contention. Differences arise after the "I", & they are differences among things considered as "this". In the "I"-less state, there is no "this" at all. Whether we consider something as True or as False, as inert or as Consciousness, as Happiness or as Suffering, & whether these ideas pertain to something in the World or to the World as such, these thoughts are still a consideration about "this", built upon the supposition of "I".

The Absolute is without attributes. The Absolute is never sensed since one never sees, hears, touches, or has any other sensory impression by the Ego. The Ego is not the word, "I" nor the particular thought of "I". Realized sages, who are fully identified with the true Self alone, may 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 assumed to be a division in Pure Existence, how can Pure Existence be Dual or be divided in Itself ?

The result of Self-Inquiry is remaining as pure Existence-Consciousness, which transcends the animate & the in–animate, & which never dies. This is remaining in the invariable state of the Self. As long as one is identified with the Prana, there will be the differentiation of living & dead. Then the one Existence which ever is will appear "veiled". When this Mis-identification is destroyed through Knowledge, the Duality vanishes. Prana undergoes fluctuations from Birth to Death, in health & sickness. Prana also varies according to lifestyle & activities. Pure Existence does not fluctuate. So, how could Prana be equated with the Self ? The animating Prana is objective. Prana is something experienced & not the Consciousness that knows it.

One classic Vedic analogy points to non–objective Consciousness, the singular Reality that we are.

Eyes in a Desert

This analogy that points to non–objective Consciousness refers to "vision" of a man in a desert place with no standing pool of water or shiny metal that might accidentally serve as a mirror. With no such mirror to reflect an image of the man's eyes, he has no direct, objective experience of those eyes.

And yet, by virtue of his vision of the surrounding terrain, & of part of his own body, this man does know himself to be a "Seer". So too we know non–objective Consciousness to be the Seer, even though we have no direct, objective experience of that non–objective Consciousness which is the Self, oneself.

That sees all, but cannot be seen because it alone does all the seeing.

Another classic Vedic analogy refers to a earthen vessel/pot with many holes. A candle in the bottom casts the impression of many "lights" all deriving from the one candle, many "seers" seemingly shining, but only one candle, One Consciousness. From any one & all, the One Consciousness that we are cannot only be inferred, but never seen. Each can ask & then say: Who am I ? I Am That.

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

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

www.jpstiga.com/

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

This blog is also available on:

jstiga.wordpress.com/