ENLIGHTENMENT BY SELF-INQUIRY–pt114

[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.]

Beyond any words used, such as "Who am I ?", Self-Inquiry is more a matter of experiencing the fact of your Existence.  This Existence does not depend on words to be r to be experienced.  Self-Inquiry is concerned with & takes place entirely within Existence. Just as there is no need to develop trust in the sleep state, we do not need to develop trust in the Truth of your Existence.  We do not need to develop trust in our Existence, the natural nature of Self-Inquiry is inherent in us.  Furthermore, in both sleep & Self-Inquiry, the "Body" is put of the picture.  But we still exist.  Based upon the nature of our Existence & our experience, we can & must discern what that Existence is.  The ability to know itself is intrinsic to the Existence.  We are not dealing with something completely unknown.  We actually deal with what is best known, the fact that we do certainly exist.

The super–imposed veils the view of the underlying Reality. The super–imposed is not a "reality" in & of itself, but is only a product of Imagination, the result of Ignorance.   The super–imposed is like the Snake imagined to be present where there is a Rope. The Snake is not real & was not really "born", but in Imagination it seems to be there.  As long as one is convinced that the Snake is there, the Rope is invisible to him.  If he removes that Snake Illusion with the Light of Knowledge, he sees the Rope alone as it is, which has been the only real thing the entire time. The Snake represents all that is attributed falsely to the Reality of the Absolute Self, such as the World, bodily form, various mental conceptions & tendencies, & Egoism.  For Non-Dual Existence there is no "other". There is thus no difference or non–difference, no oneness or manyness, & no separate Knower or Doer or Experiencer.

[Ramana]

We go round and round in search of the Self saying, "Where is the Self ?  Where is it ?" until at last the dawn of Self-Knowledge is reached, & we say, "This is the Self, this is me."  We should acquire that vision. When once that vision is reached, there will be no attachments even if one mixes with the World & moves about in it. When once you put on shoes, your feet do not feel the pain of walking on any number of stones or thorns on the way. You walk about without fear or care, even if there are mountains on the way. In the same way, everything will be natural to those who have attained Self-Knowledge. What is there apart from one's own Self ?

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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