Self Realization

There are an abundant number of expressions for Self Realization.
Some call it as "Thoughtless State"
Some express with Silence - Which can't be described.
Scriptures say "Knowing that everything is known"
Some say it is absolute freedom.

It is not possible to see the seer. Experience the Experiencer. Know the Knower.
Light in the space can't be seen until some object reflects it.
Similarly no experience is possible without the subject getting in contact with the object.

So, Ultimate reality being the ONE without a second, it is not an experience. It is the very being. It is the true state and the original state. Due to the "will" of "Let me be many. Let me born" the illusion sets forth.

Being in the current moment and ceasing of Becoming is Realization.
Realizing that there is nothing new to realize is the realization.
Accepting I am as I am without any longing or desire for a favorable result is realization.

Om Shanthi. Shanthi. Shanthi.

Meditations - Mind

Vital force gives the sensory and motor organs the capacity to function. All these functions are governed by the mind.

Mind is the most difficult thing to understand. What is Mind? A bundle of thoughts hooked to each other in several ways. All sense perceptions make a memory. Some impressions are strong and stay there for a long time while others are weak and mind forgets them quickly.

The perception or cognition is it an act or a fact? See, touch, smell, hear and taste bring the raw sense data to the mind and the mind eventually hooks the data to an already existing thought. See an object its shape is linked to one of the known shapes - i.e., its symbol. So, the external world is symbolized in the mind. The symbol has a name and an associated form. All these symbols are infinitely interlinked creating a web of impressions making up the mind and it course of thought process.

During the awaken state, mind is limited by the sense data and the capacity of its past impressions. When dreaming it is only limited by the impressions and in deep sleep it is almost not present. But still the important functions of the body are regulated without the presence of a conscious mind.

Is that the subtler part of mind called intellect? Is this what which divides the experiences as pleasure and pain, good and bad etc? Inference is generated just from past experiences. New links are created between the past links. We call it as knowledge - The processed and synthesized data.

This intellectual process primarily two modes. The analytical and synthetic. In one mode it keeps dividing the whole into its constituent parts and in the other mode it keeps combining distinct ideas (symbols) into a whole.

The intellect is surely guided by the desire. Whatever perceived to be pleasure is sought and whatever perceived to be painful is averted. This is the common experience.

Meditations - Body

The meditation on the body

This body goes on carrying out electro chemical reactions as long as powered by the vital force. (Prana).

The input is some carbohydrate, fat and protein + Some oxygen from the air. The whole process of living is fully dependent on the resources created by the GOD. It is very beautiful to observe different functions of different systems. Today's scientists put the figure anywhere near 50 trillion cells in human body. All these cells are consuming energy and living in one body performing their duty of nourishing, growing re-producing and dying in a predefined fashion. It was found that approximately every 7 years all the body cells would be completely new - One will have a new body every 7 years.

Each group of cells forming their subsystem and all the subsystems working in complete coordination is very beautiful.

Each cell in the body has its own structure nuclei which consists the DNA as the guiding principle, this DNA is a wonder, there are multiple copies of a software program (backups) are stored in each cell with an excellent mechanism not to lose the information in the DNA.

All the pathology of Human being yields same results in a clinical lab. Even though the DNA is UNIQUE to an individual.

Each cell is made up of multiple organic chemical compounds and the basis of all these compounds are the atoms.

Atoms have the protons and neutrons in the center and around that electrons. Further sub divided as sub atomic particles - Quarks

All these sub atomic particles behave as matter as well as energy. Uncertainty between particle and wave.

All this body is a manifestation of matter/energy powered by the vital force - another type of energy beyond the knowledge of Physics.

Before the death and after the death of the body the oxygen in the environment is same, all other chemical structures are same. As the vital force leaves this body - the organization and control of the body is lost and it starts to dis-integrate and mix with the gross elements.

The building of this body starts with two half-cells one from mother and the other from the father which is nourished by the food(from the plant kingdom) grows by the Divine plan and amasses 50 trillion cells in perfect organization finally ends back as decomposed organic matter to be absorbed by the plant kingdom.

Surely the body is changing every second. From the perspective of the Body - Vital force is unchanging.

God - Creation - Universe & Human

Nirguna Brahma - The unqualified
There is one ultimate reality called Brahman - God without any attributes, can't be qualified, neither existing nor non-existing, Un speakable un imaginable and not definable .....

Saguna Brahma (Pure Consciousness)
God with qualities is briefly represented as sat, chit, Ananda - Named as Iswara, Brahma (with 4 heads), Vishnu, or Siva, Devi, Ganesha, Krishna, Rama and several other names. The surest and shortest description is Om. This is represented as a triangle with apex pointing upwards.

Matter
There is the "Asat" or illusion which is the counterpart of the Iswara which is represented as a triangle pointing downwards with the qualities as Satwa, Rajas and Tamas.

Both Saguna brahma and the Matter together makes whatever is ever manifest.

So the evolution process is thus as follows : from one unmanifest - Bliss (Ananda) , Mind (Chit) and Existence (Sat) - Subtlest form of gross matter - Space (Akasa), Air (Vayu), Energy (Tejas), Water (Ap) and Solid Matter (Earth-Prithvi) are produced.

Along with five gross elements their counterparts of matra (tanmatras) and sense organs are created. They are ear - sound - akasa, skin - touch - air, eye - form - energy, tounge - taste - water, nose - smell - earth.

The gross body is created with the elements + sense organs. It is controlled by the mind conditioned by the buddhi (intellect) which is directed by the desire. This microcosm called body + mind combination is identical to the macrocosm called Brahmanda - the Universe.

So the inmost controller of micro as well as macrocosm is the same God.

The inmost controller is in the Anandamaya Kosha which is in the Vijnanamaya Kosha which is in the Manomaya Kosha which is in Pranamaya Kosha which is in the Annamaya Kosha.

Body is controlled by the vital force covered by the mind directed by the knowledge powered by the Bliss.

Tat Twam Asi

Real & Illusion

One thing need to be understood related to realization is the Truth is same before and after realization. When the macrocosm and the microcosm are same (that is the Advaita) In other words the Jeevatma is not different from the Paramatma and they are exactly the same.

A simple analogy to this is the Solar System. Imagine the Solar System to be the ultimate reality. The Truth there is Earth and all other planets are rotating around the Sun. As long as the view is centered from Earth, it looks like the "Sun raises in the East" everyday. This view is the false self (Ego) based view which is nothing but an illusion.

The Truth is the Sun always shines and due to the rotation of earth it looks like the Sun is raising and setting. This is the Brahma's view which is correct. To realize this a man has to put a lot of effort.

The sun will not cause any Action on Earth even though the presence of Sun makes people on Earth to get involved in the work.

There are invisible forces which are binding the planets and their moons and the Sun together within the system. The overall arrangement is interdependent on each other to sustain the existence. The whole is never changing and also ever changing.

Just by moving the focus from the self centric view and being able to see the "whole as a whole" is the realization.

Nobel Doubts

The following are the doubts raised by the greatest seeker Arjuna (Nara) to the Lord Sri Krishna (Narayana) – the best possible teacher. For any of these doubts one can consult the divine song Srimad Bhagavad Gita. The Key question is "Who am I and Why am I doing this?"

1. I am confused, why should I fight? Why not should I renounce the action and become a Sanyasi? 1:29-46
2. I am not sure what is right action and what is wrong. Why should I get involved in this action (fight)? 2:4-8
3. How a realized person behaves? Look? 2:54
4. When Knowledge is superior to Action, why should I get involved in Action? 3:1,2
5. What makes a man commit sin? 3:36
6. How Krishna (God) can teach the Yoga to Vivaswan? 4:4
7. Which one is superior? Renunciation or yoga of action? 5:1
8. Mind is very difficult to control and not sure how to control the mind that goes like wind? 6:33,34
9. If one is not successful on the path of yoga what will happen to him/her? 6:37-39
10. What is Brahma? What is Adhyatma? Adhibhuta? Adhideva? And Adhiyagna? What is karma? 8:1,2
11. Everything is Brahma – Tell more about your power of yoga 10:12-18
12. I am disillusioned – heard and comprehended your glory. Can you show the infinite form (viswarupa)? 11:1-4
13. Your form is good as well as terrible. I want to know your origin and your purpose. Please tell. 11:15-31
14. Please show your pleasing form. Sorry for all the mistakes done and silly questions to you. 11:35-46
15. I have regained my normal self by seeing your normal form. Thanks 11:51
16. Which type of devotion is best with form or formless? 12:1
17. I want to know about prakriti purusha kshetra and kshetragna - Beginning of 13 chapter. (some editions do not have this verse)
18. What are the qualities of one who as risen above the three qualities (satwa, raja and tama) 14:21
19. How to classify the ones who do not follow the scriptural instructions? (To raise above the qualities and scriptures and being bound by the injunctions) – how is it possible? 17:1
20. Tell me more about renunciation of action and renunciation of fruit of action. 18:1
21. I am completely clear and my delusion is disappeared. I am ready to be the best instrument to you. 18:73

Turiya - The forth State of Consciousness

Beyond the three states of consciousness, there is the real and pure consciousness - it is called Turiya.

In a normal experience the consciousness goes through the three stages known as Waking, Dream and Deep Sleep.

1. Everyday one experiences the waken state with body consciousness deluded by the sense data and believing the sense data is the absolute truth and thinking that the knowledge from the sense data is the ultimate.

2. The consciousness migrates to mind and creates its own timespace during the dream and a complete new dream world is created by the mind alone and the experience of dream looks as real as the waking state until one wakes up.

3. During the Deep Sleep, the consciousness transfer to soul - there is no body or mind - But the I (Ego) still alive but hidden and taking the rest. During this state there is no sense data, no mind , but there is only ego - ahamkara.

By sincerely inquiring "Who Am I?" one transcends these three states and reaches the fourth fully aware and pure consciousness - which is complete devotion, full knowledge and complete renunciation.

Karma (Action & Reaction) Theory Explained

Karma (Action & Reaction) Theory Explained

Karma is only fully known by Kaala (Time). Law of Karma starts with time. i.e., The theory of karma is nothing but the theory of cause and effect.

Every cause will produce one or more effects and every effect is preceded by one or more causes.
in Physics - Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

The action (karma) originates as a thought develops into speech (Vak) then finally performed by the motor organs (karma indriyas) which are three main stages of action. At each stage there is an amount of energy (matter is also included as a manifesting form of energy & Thought is also a form of subtle energy) transformed and thereby producing the effect(s).

A jeeva (individual) comes into existence due to desires. Desire comes from Ahamkara (Ego) the false 'I' sense. Ahamkara is one of the elements of moola prakriti (the manifest Brahma)

The karma of this ego bound individual is mainly three parts.
1. Sanchita Karma - Accumulated Action is like the big loan one has taken long ago but unable to pay back in full during the time frame of past janmas (lives) or a Fixed Deposit which will mature at a later time (after the current janma.)
2. Prarabdha Karma - A portion of the Sanchita Karma will be put into a current account which a jeeva will enjoy during the current life or a small installment of the loan which need to be paid back during the current life.
3. Aagami Karma - Actions being performed now which will bear the fruit in future. Like the big loan taken during the current life due to performing an action condemned by Dharma (paapa) or putting a big fixed deposit which will mature only after the death of the jeeva like heavenly comforts (punya).

All this karma are waves of energy keep interacting and at any given time. The sum total of the karma is zero. It is like a balance sheet of Cosmos and the bottom line of all assets = liabilities.

Only due to the ignorance (avidya) jeeva is bound by this law of karma continue to go from birth to death in a cycle.

All the individuals (jeeva) who have not realized the ultimate reality and still within the time-space framework are bound by this law which is entirely managed by Kaala - only one ultimate Brahma who has transcended everything imaginable is not bound by this law. A true yogi after merging with the ultimate is not bound by this law of karma.

Choice of Action

Every one always get three choices of action

1. Do
2. Don't
3. Do it differently

An individual 'free will' can choose one of the choices and will eventually take the fruit of the action (The fruit could be pleasant or unpleasant) when it is ripe.

This is the very simple law of action. (Karma)

Deserve before Desire

Deserve before Desire

Desiring for pleasant things is one of the basic play of the false Ego. It continuously desires pleasant things. The definition for the pleasant thing keep changing. Even one never desires for unpleasant things they happen.

After nearly three years of reading several books on Philosophy, and certain amount of introspection finally I met my Guru -His Holiness Sri Swamy Virajeshwara (Hamsa)

When you deserve something it will automatically comes to you - No need to have high intensity of desire. Desire only binds and blinds.

Tarka Samgraha - Indian Logic

Logical Enquiry. There is an excellent primer for the Nyaya-Viseshika theory of epistemology called Tarka Samgraha by Annambhatta which I happen to complete reading today. All the enumerated categories of matter, qualities the right and wrong perception and inference have been methodically explained in the text.

The conclusion is all the "analytical" skill is for the purpose of realization of GOD (self)

Why Realiazation can't be taught

After a long period of introspection, understood that the "Real Truth" can't be acquired by logical reasoning, study or any other technique available.

Only way to *get* it is by SAADHANA - Practice of authorized method prescribed by the "SANATANA DHARMA"

Only a real experience of tasting a pinch of sugar will reveal the taste of sugar - NOT by studying thousands of pages about the taste of sugar, or discussing about it with several others who have never tasted sugar. {Even if they have tasted sugar it is no use.}

The direct experience is only possible by the purification process prescribed by the SANATANA DHARMA.

The Way Out

As the Mind is limited by the framework created by the time,space, matter,energy which are all part of gross sense data - One should try to raise above this framework to realize the true self which is beyond this framework.

This is a the fundamental disease called AVIDYA (darkness) due to which everyone is bonded and afraid and sinking in the misery.

1. Most of the people never accept that we have this disease (as a mad man never admits it)
2. Most of the people accept, will not try to cure this disease and blame fate or make some unknown thing responsible for that darkness
3. Some more of the accepted lot will keep dwelling on the best doctor/cure (look out for the best religion/belief)
4. Some will keep studying about the cure and never take the medicine
5. Some try to pretend that they are taking medicine - This will not help cure the disease.
6. Only when one approach the doctor with faith, and use the medicine will have the cure for this disease

Hence, the way out is to start taking the cure (medicine) with faith. The medicine prescribed by a realized guru to be taken in and practiced as prescribed with full devotion to get the realization.

Understanding that the darkness is negation of light and bringing in the light will remove darkness and darkness by itself never exists is the first pill of the cure to this darkness.

Mind - The Cause and Effect

Mind's framework of causation is dependent on the time. There should always be a cause which precedes the effect. But the very time is a product of change - if there is no change, there is no time. Change is felt in the space. So, time and space are dependent on each other (which are part of the overall illusion created by the ego bondage)

The enquiry of cause and effect <-> time and space with a full open mind is a good starting point for understanding the mind.

Mind is the tool to understand mind.

Letting it wander here and there is under-utilizing it.

Three states of Conciousness

State1 - False 'awaken' state where all the sense data is being processed by the mind.
State2 - Dreaming state, where only the mind reflecting in absence of gross external senses
State3 - 'Deep Sleep' - where all the gross senses and mind are at rest and only the 'true self' is conscious

After a good night's sleep, one only realizes that 'I had a good sleep' - The 'I' in the deep sleep consciousness is the real 'True Self'

Once the true self 'I' starts processing the sense data - the 'i' directed by the ego enters into the dream and starts thinking the 'names and forms' which are percieved by the gross senses are real - This is the fundamental mis-identification -> root cause of finite self and the bonding to the ego.

Evolution of Ego

EGO is the first veil around the simple universal truth. Let us see what all the other traps along with EGO.

1. As the identification is in possessions, one needs a better quality possessions - Attachment
2. Attachment derives into DESIRE
3. Unfulfilled DESIRE causes ANGER
4. ANGER causes ANXIETY
5. ANXIETY causes FORGETFULNESS
6. FORGETFULNESS causes 'INABILITY TO THINK'
7. Once the capability of thinking is lost - it causes destruction.

The above causation is described in the 'Bhagavad Gita'.

By being aware of this EGO one can avoid the fall of destruction.

Path to Realization

As there is only one truth, all the paths to the truth merge into one.
They look different in the beginning due to the same effects of the 'EGO'

The realization, I can say is the ultimate objective of the human form of life. This human form of existence is the nearest to universal existence and equipped with the body and mind capable of achieving the real goal.

The strong free will to achieve this objective is the starting point of the journey to this goal.
Several co-locations and experiences lead the way towards this goal and eventually all of us will get there little earlier or later.

All the religions, will try speedup this journey by prescribing the correct way(s) : As there is no universal medicine, there is no best path which fits all.

The best starting point is where and what you are. The best path is what your free will guides you. The clear and strong objective of achieving the 'Realization' should be the first and foremost goal and also the most important and the 'ONLY' goal.

Freedom

Enquiry is only possible if the mind is free. A bonded mind can't enquire. To be free -> one should be free from fear. Fear of losing something or fear of not gaining something. The absolute state of fearlessness is only possible when one is aware and fully conscious about the material belongings are only temporary and acquired or possessed for a temporary period.

History teaches the same fact to all of us. Where are the great kings and kingdoms built earlier? Are the great superpower countries will continue as superpowers for ever?

To know the 'TRUTH' one should be able to 'ENQUIRE' - To enquire one should be 'FREE' -> to be free one should be 'AWARE' of momentary nature of the material world.

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And fear not lest Existence closing your
Account, and mine, should know the like no more;
The Eternal Saki from that Bowl has pour'd
Millions of Bubbles like us, and will pour.
From "The Rubaiyat By Omar Khayyam"
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Relitive and Absolute Truth - Enquiry

Pleasure and Pain, Good and Bad etc. all are relative. They are not absolute. These fundamental duals are seen as absolute duality through the senses. Senses and Mind start to believe in these duality and always seek pleasure, good to own self (ego, or selfishness) at any cost of pain or bad to some other self (other ego and other selfishness)

There by creating the fundamental bondage -> this further strengthen all the bondages and makes the mind a slave of ego. Mind slowly puts on all these fears - Fear of physical, psychological, spirutual insecurity. Insecurity drives the material motivation to get more and more -> increasing the desire -> fulfilled desire will lead to more bigger desire and posessiveness and non fulfulled desire leads to anger and madness -> finally pushing the soul (the true self) to fail its original objectives and move backwards.

The only way to get out of this cycle of duality is to free up the mind and enquire for truth. Once the enquiry process starts, one should break all the beliefs and do the enquiry by self introspection.

One Truth, Many Ways

There is only one Truth: And there are many ways to reach it. Everyone at some point of the time in the life would get at least curious to know this Truth.

Not many of us try to enquire, enquire about the truth. We just follow some rules defined by either the elders, society or the religion and believe some of them and do not believe some of them.

The very enquiry into the basic definitions of Life : What is it all about? What is the final objective? Why am I here? is one way to get to the truth. But this way is not quick or easy. There are infinite possible scenarios and one can't conduct experiments on all scenarios to either confirm that is the truth or that is false.

So, one need to have the capability to enquire, (at least have a desire to develop this capability) and the very interest to understand the method of enquiry to start the path of self realisation.

Single Universal Existence - An Example

There is a very well known example of 'One Existence':

1. There is a single Ocean of existence, where all the water on Earth is United and 'ONE'
2. The water invisibly evaporates and forms clouds - This is an invisible phase of water cycle.
3. As the rain falls over the mountains, small streams of water starts flowing downwards
4. The streams will become revers they will be attached to the 'Name' and 'Form'
5. The water from the river gets drawn to various needs of plants, animals and humans
6. But, Finally all the water goes back to the Ocean.

The whole existence is very similar, from the Single Universal Existence all the individual existence spring forth, inheriting some common and distinct qualities and get a form and name attached to them. Once they fulfill the need, they will very naturally drawn back into the 'Single Universal Existence'

Is there a Measure for Ego?

Yesterday my son asked me 'Can you measure Ego?'
The answer is 'YES' and I tried finding a nearest analogy in Physics. The very similar phynominan is found with the "Gravitation"

Let us imagin some form of mass, the fundamental properties are length, mass, volume etc., When it comes to the existence the gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of mass and inversly proportional to the squre of distnece between.

The egoic force is directly proportional to the 'magnitude' of the desire and the 'urgency' to fulill the egoic desire/sense gratification. It is inversly proportional to the 'awareness of the selfishness' of this desire ---> The very awareness of existence of this ego or in other words it can be defined as 'TRUE KNOWLEDGE'.

As we can never eliminate Gravity from mass similarly we can never eliminate Ego from existence.

Just by being aware of the Ego, one can stop becoming bonded to the ego and spend the entire 'life span' as a slave to the ego continuously working for ego and its gratification.

There is a need to measure the Ego level - Once every person in this world goes down by 1/10th point on the ego scale, the world will be 100 times a better place to live.

The Time Dimension

There are two ways of looking at time.

1 -> There is no present. Or the present tends to zero. The future is quickly turns into past
2-> There is always present. It is ever present or present is infinite. There is not past or future.

both the above view could be considered to explain an 'ego-less' space or existence

But the ego modifies this representation of time into three distinct past, present and future components where as the present is somewhere between 0 and infinite. This loose definition of time creates the illusion of becoming is more important than being.

Missing Connection - Effect of Ego

Let us try to see the impacts of 'Ego Cover' - The first bondage:

1. The fundamental mis-identification of the 'true universal self' as an 'unconnected individual self' and the association to the 'name' and 'form'

2. This leads to a continuous need for 'gratification' - becoming bigger or better than 'current being'

3. Leading to continuous longing for 'wants' rather than 'real needs'

4. A failed achievement of gratification creates misery

5. This leads to endless cycles of good and bad, happiness and misery -> complete loss of freedom.

Finally 'Ego' takes over the 'being' by the confusion and conflict ---> the 'individual self' will work as a slave to this 'Ego' bondage.

Qualities

This 'One Existence' has no qualities and has all qualities in it. Different physical conceivable forms inherit one or more qualities of this eternal, non binding, ever changing, completely static and unqualified.

Right from the atoms, gases, liquids, solids, precious metals, strong things, weak things, several physical, chemical, electro magnetic and so many other kinds of properties used to group things (non-living) as well as plant, animal, vertebrate and invertebrate, living in water, on the earth, in air, single celled, multiple celled, very complex organisms (living) ===> all these are inherited and modified the base quality from the eternal and unqualified existence.

All forms of finite existences are inheriting the very existence from this 'One eternal Existence' - The only eternal quality from where all the other qualities are inherited is this unqualified Existence.

For example the primary quality of a living being is 'the free will' - Every living thing has this free will. Even a single celled organism can move towords 'food' and 'grow' then reproduce and cease to exist. All these 'happen' due to the 'existence' of 'free will'

The 'Space' Connection

All the apparently individual existences are connected. As we all know from the scientific experiments, each atom is a combination of Protons and Electrons but the very arrangement of the Neutrons, Protons and Electrons and 'SPACE' between them has its own order.

This order or the arrangement of an 'atom' which is the basis of all physical existence is connected within is the 'tiny space'. You see out into the sky on a clear day, you see a lot of stars and the 'SPACE' covering all of them. There is space which is covered by everything and also covers everything.

It is beyond the time paradigm. SPACE was there before, is there now and will be there in future. Much before the big bang, now and much after.

You can see it (?) feel it (?) and sense it (?) all along - it connects everything all across the conceivable and inconceivable being.

One or Many

The existence is one and universal. One infinite 'being' is reflected as many individual existences.
See the relation, it is very simple. One Infinite is manifested as several finite. Taking away several finite manifestations from the infinite and universal being still leaves the infinite being intact.

Mathematically speaking 1 X ∞ - ∞ X 1 = ∞

Is Being static?

So, it is important to understand 'being' to get a better insight into the 'self'. The question now - 'Is Being a state?' is it static?

Being is not a state, it is a process which is dynamic -> It flows gently through. It is cyclic in nature.

It is a cycle which has no beginning and no end.

Being

Being encompasses becoming. We become a second older, complete a test, get a degree, get a job, loose something very important to us, start believing something, start hating somthing, start loving something, etc., this list goes on and on...

The very confusing thing is we somehow think 'Becoming something - I will be happy' which seems to be rediculuous. It is like thinking "reaching destination will bring us joy" where as we spend all of the current life in the journey. The "journey" is more important and joyful -> which is the "being"