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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

The Self has to be discovered

 

CHENNAI, MAY 18. It is possible to become aware of the true

nature of the Self even by contemplating on the phenomena around

us. Anyone who tries to meditate will become aware of sounds

first. By understanding how sound distracts during meditation it

is possible to go to the heart of the matter as it is the silence

one seeks. In reality silence is not the absence of sound; it is

the absence of the listener. Noise by itself is not distracting;

only the individual who wants to enjoy silence finds the noise

distracting. This subtle distinction has to be observed. This can

be applied to our relationships also. Just because one is looking

for quietude and freedom, our worldly relationships will not

cease to be; our freedom must be in spite of these relationships.

 

Wisdom has to be practically translated into our lives and in

this quest life itself is a book. It is interesting if one stops

to notice that the footnotes in this book are more interesting

than the text itself because it gives an insight into an

individual's experiences. Life itself if we consider is only

existence but it becomes interesting and meaningful when it is

organised and experienced by the individual. They are like the

footnotes which make the text more meaningful. This is the reason

why it is important to understand ourselves.

 

The individual ``I'' must make the journey within to discover the

Self. The individuality is not a product of the sense organs and

emotions. It is the ``I'' which suffers and exults which has to

be understood. For instance, when there is noise the sense organ

is not irritated. It is the ``I'' which does. When the

individuality is analysed, the ``I'' must see itself. When the

eye sees a rose, then the thought of a rose arises in the mind

and then it likes the rose. This happiness - the emotion -

belongs to the ``I''. In the act of perception there is no

emotion. It is only when the individuality reacts to the

perception that emotion results.

 

In his discourse, Swami Suddhananda said realisation of the Self

was not a new creation. In the act of discovering a rose and

analysing its parts one gets to know what were earlier unknown;

similar is the case with the universe. The individual is not

creating anything new but only discovering it. So also is the

discovery of oneself - our emotions, fears and the ``I''. They

have to be discovered. Thoughts by themselves are not problems.

Only the ``I'' superimposes itself on the thoughts and becomes a

problem. Just as in the objective world the rose was existing

even before the individual discovered it, the Self is also there

and the person must discover it.

 

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