Ceasing to pretend one wishes to be liberated

[Guest guest]

Let us suppose there were a very quick easy simple

method to end the ego-illusion.

 

That is to actually end the ego-illusion,

gone – dead forever, and not to think,

believe or imagine one has ended the ego.

 

Just for the sake of illustration,

here is a hypothetical example:

 

Lets say that someone found a method that required

that one just snap the fingers three times

and the ego would be dead and gone forever,

the thinker, the body, the world, all universes,

all planes, all dimensions, all time and all space

would disappear and what would remain would be

Infinite-Eternal-Being-Awareness-Bliss-Love-Peace.

 

Let us suppose that the

snap the fingers three times method

were 100% sure to work for everyone who tried it.

 

Just snapping the fingers three times,

so easy and so quick. In a second or two

the ego illusion, etc., would be gone.

 

How many people would snap their fingers three times

given the above scenario?

 

Almost no one. That includes almost everyone who

studies, thinks about or talks about

spiritual teachings, almost none of those people would

snap their fingers three times.

 

The reason they would not

snap their fingers three times is

in almost every human being

the desire to preserve the ego

is trillions of times greater

than the desire to end the ego illusion.

 

#1. Some people would be honest and admit that the

reason they do not snap their fingers three times

is because they do not want the ego illusion to end,

or that the desire to preserve the ego-illusion is

greater than the desire to end it,

or because they fear ending the human known.

 

#2. Others would not be so honest,

and claim that they would indeed like

the ego-illusion to end,

or that their desire to end the ego-illusion

is greater than their desire

to preserve the ego-illusion,

or that they are not afraid of ending the human known.

 

Those in category #2 would then proceed to think of

some other reason why they do not

snap their finger three times.

Some imaginary, false reason,

to hide the real reason.

 

Since thoughts can combine in millions

or trillions of combinations,

the number of false reasons that the ego can create

for not snapping the fingers

three times, are almost endless.

 

Whatever reason the people in category #2 gave

for not snapping their fingers three times,

would not be the real reason.

It would always be a lie created by the ego-illusion,

to hide the fact that they do not want

the ego illusion to end,

or the fact that their desire to preserve

the ego-illusion is greater than their desire

to end the ego-illusion

or the fact that they are afraid

of ending the human known.

 

Because the ego can create an almost unlimited number

of imaginary reasons, they cannot all be listed.

Different people would find different reasons

not to snap their fingers three times.

 

In some circles they would say:

“snapping the fingers requires effort,

effort is not the way” or

“snapping the fingers is a practice,

practice is not the way” or

“Snapping the fingers requires a doer,

therefore it cannot be the way”

 

Now all they would have had to do was snap their

fingers three times and the ego would have been gone

in the above described scenario.

 

Instead of engaging in all those thoughts that are

created by the ego as a preservation strategy, they

could have just snapped their fingers three times.

 

But they would not have done it.

 

Instead of simple sentences like saying snapping the

fingers requires effort, etc.

and therefore it cannot be the way, they might go on

to explain why it will not work.

 

They might create a whole page of sentences

explaining why it will not work

or create hundreds of pages, of sentences, thoughts,

concepts about why it will not work.

 

And yet in the above described scenario,

all they would have to have done is to

snap the fingers three times

and the ego-illusion would have been finished.

 

They might have said:

"If it were really that easy, many people would be

snapping their fingers three times

and thus awakening, therefore it cannot be that easy."

 

Their thinking it cannot be that easy,

otherwise many people would have

snapped their fingers and awakened is not correct,

because there are almost no humans

who wish to end the ego-illusion,

and therefore the reason why there would be

almost no one awakening using such a simple quick

method is because almost no human wishes to be

liberated from the ego illusion

and therefore almost no one would actually

try the simple quick method

by actually snapping their fingers three times.

 

They would not be interested in ending the ego

illusion, however,

they might be interested in thinking about

and discussing spiritual concepts

and pretending thinking about and discussing

spiritual concepts had something to do with

ending the ego illusion,

or pretending that thinking about such concepts

was actually making progress towards

ending the ego illsuion.

 

An endless stream of thoughts,

some confused and some clever,

would masquerade as spiritual progress.

 

Snapping the fingers three times

will not end the ego-illusion,

that was just a hypothetical example.

 

However, there is an extremely quick rapid method to

end the ego-illusion,

and the examples given above about

almost no one using the direct means,

because almost no one truly wishes to

end the ego-illusion,

and the way the ego directs thought

as a preservation strategy

are actual examples of what people do

when confronted with the possibility

of being liberated now in this lifetime.

 

One cannot list all of the millions of possible

combinations of thoughts and concepts, however,

the ego will find something that convinces one,

and leads one away from being liberated now,

in this lifetime, by leading one away from the most

direct, quickest means to do so.

 

An endless maze of thought.

In some people that maze is extremely confused,

and in some people that maze is very subtle,

very clever, very intricate.

Most peoples thinking falls somewhere

in between these two.

 

An endless maze of thought

leading to ego-preservation,

although usually masquerading as something else.

 

Some people think their own thoughts are

better than the instructions of a liberated sage.

 

That is only one of so many thousands of

ego-preservation strategies.

 

When the extremely intense desire for liberation

arises, one selects those quotes that describe the

direct practice and then actually practices

the described practice.

 

Before the extremely intense desire for liberation

arises, people either ignore the quotes by

Direct Path sages, or they select quotes that help to

preserve the ego-illusion instead of ending it,

or they make the quotes into an intellectual affair,

agreeing and disagreeing, thinking about the quotes,

discussing them etc.

 

What does Self-Awareness mean?,

is a great question.

I wished I had paid more attention to that question

when I first began studying Sri Ramana Maharshi's

teachings 30 years ago,

and I also wished I had paid more attention

to that question when studying Sri Muruganar,

Sri Sadhu Om, Sri Annamalai Swami

and Sri Nisargadatta's teachings.

 

Before the extremely intense desire

for freedom arises,

the ego studies the teachings

for the purpose of preserving the ego illusion,

and it focuses on those quotes that will help

to preserve the ego-illusion.

That is how almost everyone,

lets say 99.99% of those who study the teachings,

study them.

For around 25 years,

that was how I also studied the teachings.

 

Then some doubt arose,

and that was like punching a small hole in a dam,

which allowed some water to flow through.

 

More and more holes were punched in the dam,

until one day the dam disappeared

and all of the water in the lake

came rushing forth as a mighty river.

 

That river is called

the extremely intense desire for freedom.

It allows one to see all the ego's deception

and one wonders,

how could I have not seen all this before?

 

It brings perfect clarity, insight,

honesty and intensity with it

and it demands that one focus only on

that which is essential

and it brings the awareness needed

to see that which is essential.

 

Previous to the awakening of

the extremely intense desire for freedom,

the ego pretends to know what is essential in the

Teachings,

and it calls the inessential, the essential,

as a preversation strategy.

 

After the extremely intense desire for liberation

is awakened,

what one sees in those same teachings

is completely different.

Then one looks for the instructions for

the most direct practice

and one practices it.

 

The answer to the question what is Self-awareness

is revealed in practice, however,

a careful study of the teachings of those 5 sages

reveals the practice instructions,

so that one does not fumble around for 999,000,000,000

imaginary lifetimes trying to figure them out by

thinking.

 

Turning one's attention away from

thought, the body, the world, etc.

and towards awareness watching awareness

is the most direct means of ending the ego illusion.

 

Prior to the awakening of

the extremely intense desire for liberation

the ego can create an almost unlimited number of

arguments against that fact.

 

Scholars may be able to find quotes,

even quotes from the five direct path sages

that would refute the fact

that turning the attention away from

the body, thought, world, etc.

and towards awareness watching awareness

is the most direct means to end the ego illusion.

 

I have placed hundreds of quotes on

The Direct Path Links Directory

that support the awarenes watching awareness practice.

 

What is important is not the quotes which support it

and which do not support it.

What is important is the practice

and the results.

 

If a thousand scholars created one million pages

of argument that beautifully, logically,

completely refuted the fact that the

awareness watching awareness approach was

the most direct means to end the ego illusion,

the awareness watching awareness approach

would still be the most direct means to

end the ego illusion.

 

Because the practice is unrelated to

the concepts that people imagine about it.

 

What is important is the awakening of

the extremely intense desire for liberation,

because prior to that

the ego will not allow one to see.

 

*Human beings have made almost no inward progress in

the last many thousands of years, with the exception

of a very few who have ended the ego-illusion.

Death, disease, thousands of forms of suffering and

sorrow, violence, fear, war,

cruelty (verbal and physical),

lying, conning, cheating, appear now

just as they they did thousands of years ago.

 

Pretending to care,

when the behavior does not match it.

Someone spends $7.00 to go see a movie

when there are starving people in the world

and yet they consider themselves to be caring.

 

For the change to occur from the above * to

Infinite-Eternal-Being-Awareness-Bliss-Love-Peace,

the ego-illusion, which is the source of the above

described human condition, must end.

 

Why does it end in so few humans?

 

Because the extremely intense desire for liberation

has not yet been awakened.

 

Prior to its awakening, the fear of ending the ego,

prevents people from turning inward

and removing the ego-illusion.

 

Comparing the human condition * with

Infinite-Eternal-Being-Awareness-Bliss-Love-Peace

can awaken the intense desire for freedom if one does

a good job of looking at the human condition

and the comparison.

 

Without the awakening of the extremely intense desire

for liberation, humans stay as they are and all the

supposed inward changes are only superficial.

 

Thus there is a step by step order necessary

to end the ego-illusion and to remain in freedom.

 

I will use a few quotes by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

and insert step numbers.

I happen to be compiling some of Sri Nisargadatta's

quotes now, and that is why I am using them,

not because there is some sort of preference to

Sri Nisagardatta's quotes.

Read the quotes very slowly,

treating them as practice instructions

and not topics for thinking, discussion, etc.

For example in the first quote,

the words "unable to see its enormity"

are important keys,

but people tend to read so quickly

they miss some of the details of the practice

instructions. Thus facing the enormity of human

suffering, instead of blocking out 99.99% of human

suffering as people usually do is the first step.

 

STEP #1:

 

Questioner:

 

"Have I not suffered enough?"

 

Nisargadatta:

 

"Suffering has made you dull,

 

unable to see its enormity.

 

Your first task is to see the sorrow in you

 

and around you;

 

STEP #2:

 

your next to long intensely for liberation.

 

The very intensity of longing will guide you;

 

you need no other guide."

 

STEP #3:

 

Questioner: “Surely there is something valid

 

and valuable in every approach.”

 

Nisargadatta: “In each case the value lies

 

in brining you to the need of seeking within.

 

Playing with various approaches

 

may be due to resistance to going within,

 

to the fear of having to abandon the illusion

 

of being something or somebody in particular.

 

To find water you do not dig small pits

 

all over the place,

 

but drill in one place only.

 

Similarly, to find your self

 

you have to explore yourself.”

 

Questioner: "In the beginning we may have to pray

 

and meditate for some time

 

before we are ready for self-inquiry."

 

Nisargadatta:

 

"If you believe so, go on.

 

To me, all delay is a waste of time.

 

You can skip all the preparation

 

and go directly for the ultimate search within.

 

Of all the Yogas it is the simplest and the shortest."

 

Questioner: “You mean to say that all these glories

 

will come with the mere dwelling

 

on the feeling ‘I am”?

 

Nisargadatta: “It is the simple that is certain,

 

not the complicated.

 

Somehow, people do not trust the simple, the easy,

 

the always available.

 

Why not give an honest try to what I say?

 

It may look very small and insignificant,

 

but it is like a seed that grows into a mighty tree.

 

Give yourself a chance!”

 

“I simply followed my Guru’s instruction

 

which was to focus the mind on pure being ‘I am’,

 

and stay in it.

 

I used to sit for hours together,

 

with nothing but the ‘I am’ in my mind

 

and soon peace and joy and a deep all-embracing love

 

became my normal state.

 

In it all disappeared – myself, my Guru,

 

the life I lived, the world around me.

 

Only peace remained and unfathomable silence.”

 

"Whatever happened,

 

I would turn my attention away from it

 

and remain with the sense 'I am',

 

it may look too simple, even crude.

 

My only reason for doing it

 

was that my Guru told me so.

 

Yet it worked!

 

Obedience is a powerful solvent

 

of all desires and fears.

 

Just turn away from all that occupies the mind;

 

do whatever work you have to complete,

 

but avoid new obligations;

 

keep empty, keep available,

 

resist not what comes uninvited.

 

In the end you will reach a state of non-grasping,

 

of joyful non-attachment,

 

of inner ease and freedom indescribable,

 

yet wonderfully real."

 

“Nothing stops you but preoccupation with the outer

 

which prevents you from focusing on the inner.

 

It cannot be helped,

 

you cannot skip your spiritual practice.

 

You have to turn away from the world and go within.”

 

"As long as you are engrossed in the world,

 

you are unable to know yourself:

 

to know yourself,

 

turn your attention away from the world

 

and turn it within."

 

Questioner:

 

“What is the course of training in self-awareness?”

 

Nisargadatta: “There is no need of training.

 

Awareness is always with you.

 

The same attention that you give to the outer,

 

you turn to the inner.

 

No new, or special kind of awareness is needed.”

 

“What you need is to be aware of being aware.”

 

"Don't be misled by the simplicity of the advice.

 

Very few are those who have the courage

 

to trust the innocent and the simple."

 

"The all important word is 'try'.

 

Allot enough time daily for sitting quietly

 

and trying, just trying,

 

to go beyond the personality,

 

with its addictions and obsessions."

 

"You just keep on trying until you succeed.

 

If you persevere, there can be no failure."

 

"It is not a matter of easy, or difficult.

 

Either you try or you don't.

 

It is up to you."

 

Other relevant quotes can be read here:

 

http://uarelove.com

 

Take care,

 

with Love,

 

Michael L.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Photos - easier uploading and sharing.

 

[Guest guest]

--- "Michael L." <uarelove wrote:

> Let us suppose there were a very quick easy simple

> method to end the ego-illusion.

>

> Let us suppose that the

> snap the fingers three times method

> were 100% sure to work for everyone who tried it.

>

> Just snapping the fingers three times,

> so easy and so quick. In a second or two

> the ego illusion, etc., would be gone.

>

> How many people would snap their fingers three times

> given the above scenario?

>

> Almost no one.

> Different people would find different reasons

> not to snap their fingers three times.

 

 

 

Yes indeed most people fall in the second category.

> However, there is an extremely quick rapid method to

> end the ego-illusion,

> and the examples given above about

> almost no one using the direct means,

> because almost no one truly wishes to

> end the ego-illusion,

> and the way the ego directs thought

> as a preservation strategy

> are actual examples of what people do

> when confronted with the possibility

> of being liberated now in this lifetime.

 

Very interesting article. I agree with most of it in terms of the

reasons why people do not want to snap their fingers and realize

immediately.

 

If I may add one more to the list, some people think there is some

direct paths that are better than traditional paths that involve

purification of the mind. And these people refuse to do even more direct

path of snapping the fingers than follow those that justify their direct

paths are better than snapping their fingers three times. This is

another way they preserve their egos thinking than end their ego by just

simply snapping their fingers! Oh! incredible ways of how people

preserve their ego without snapping the fingers three times.

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

 

=====

What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift

to Him - Swami Chinmayananda.

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Namaste Michael, L - Ji.

 

If ego is an illusion as expressed in the compounded term *ego-

illusion", why all this talk about exterminating it. What we need

then to do is to understand the nature of the *illusion*, accept and

acknowledge it. That is what all our *traditions* teach!

 

I am Madathil Nair - a name - and that is Nair ego.

I am a teacher proud of my profession - teacher ego.

I am a poet whose works are appreciated - poet ego.

I am a bhakta more advanced than the one next-doors - bhakta ego.

I am the husband of a beautiful wife - husband ego.

I am a father proud of my daughter's achievements - father ego.

 

Thus, ego is not just one thing. It is just a bundle of many roles.

If one truly understands this and knows that one is not the roles,

then ego subsides and becomes available at one's call when one needs

it. The fact is that we need it most often to operate. So, let it

hang on the hook like our winter coats at night when we have retired

to the comfort of our heated bedrooms. We need the outfits only next

morning when we get out hunting again in the cold.

 

If the egos are just like winter coats, why at all we should try to

end it!? Let it remain on the hook ever readily available. Back in

the bedroom we are *bliss* which we always are whether the coats or

on or off.

 

I have to hurry off to a training course now. I am already late.

That is trainee-ego. Very funny, indeed.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

___________________