Vedanta the onion way

[Guest guest]

As the boundaries of the intellect keep

expanding, new questions keep cropping up. All these

questions seek to elicit the principle behind the objects

around us. Every object evokes many questions in us.

>From where did this come? What is its basis? What is

the basis of that basis? The questions never end. The

end eludes us however deep we venture. Thus, as an

individual grows in his intellectual stature, the

uncertainty growing out of unanswered questions grow too,

like the lengthening shadows.<br><br>As the intellect

expands further, man's inquiry about the objects

surrounding him stops. Now he starts inquiring about himself.

Then, questions like who is 'I'? From where did 'I'

come? start pestering him. Naturally, he will want to

find out the mother root of the entity called 'I'. For

his effort to yield the fruit, he must first figure

out what 'I' stands for.

[Guest guest]

Man, who initially thinks that 'I' stands for the

physical body will soon realise his folly and assumes that

it is the mind which is the real 'I'. In due course

of time, he will realise that Prana is the true 'I'.

After some time, he forges ahead in his understanding

and decides that even Ahankara (ego) is not the real

'I'. Thus, the original question remains unanswered.

In fact, if what constitutes 'I' is known, the

knowledge about its source will also be known. It is

because of the erroneous assumption that 'I' stands for

entities such as the body, the mind or the intellect or

Ahankara that the search for its true meaning

continues.<br><br>Take an onion. Start peeling off its layers. In the

beginning, the layers come off easily. As you progress, it

becomes increasingly difficult to peel. Do not lose

heart. Continue. What do you see in the end? Nothing.

All the layers have come from nothing! Ahankara

(ego), Prana (vital force), Manas (mind), body etc., are

in fact layers around you. When you peel them off

one by one, you can realise that principle which is

devoid of name and form. Thus, all that you have to do

to realise the true nature of 'I' is to simply peel

off the layers. Observe this Sookti

-<br><br><br><br>Anaama roopam yad vastu - pratyagaatmeti

keertitam<br>Tadaavritam kosha bhedaih - palaandu dala sannibhaih

<br>"That which is called as the Pratyagatma ('I'), which

is devoid of name and form is covered by different

sheaths just as an onion is made of different layers."

<br><br>Remember the philosophy of onion whenever you see one!

<br><br>Extracted from the Web

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this post. <br><br>In fact, I see

our entire series of lives as an unfolding of the

layers of the onion, each round revealing yet another

layer of consciousness and realization. From what I

see, once we think we have unfolded them all, the

process begins again, at a deeper and still deeper level,

till there is nothing but the purest light.

<br><br>Till then, yes, as you say, remember the

onion!<br><br> <br><br>_/\_ Tat twam asi<br><br>Uma

[Guest guest]

thats a good one )