Help on the Quest for Self-realization-Reminders-55

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Help on the Quest for Self-realization-Reminders-55

 

Self-Realization as Taught by Sri Bhagavan

 

By Arthur Osborne in "Be Still, It Is The Wind That Sings"

 

The experience of the sages is that Self-realization is one, whether

a glimpse or ultimate. The only difference is that it remains a

glimpse when the mind is not pure enough to hold it. After such a

flash sadhana (method of spiritual practice) may begin in true

earnest to still the mind so that thoughts, desires, vasanas (habits

of mind; latent tendencies or impressions), etc., whatever one may

call it, do not hide our true nature which is ever present.

 

Sri Bhagavan says that in Nirvikalpa Samadhi (the highest state of

concentration in which the soul loses all sense of being different

from the universal Self, but a temporary state from which there is a

return to ego-consciousness) the mind is temporarily immersed in the

Self, like a bucket immersed in water, which is drawn out again by

the rope of mental activity. In Sahaja Samadhi (Samadhi which comes

naturally and is present always) the mind is merged like a drop of

water in the limitless sea. The drop, in essence the same as the

sea, has only lost it's limitation, having become the sea.

 

"These distinctions in Realization are from the standpoint of the

others who look at them; in reality, however, there are no

distinctions in release gained through jnana (knowledge).

 

"One Should enquire into one's true nature. "The Consciousness

of `I' is the subject of all our actions. Enquiring into the true

nature of that Consciousness and remaining as oneself

is the way to understand through enquiry one's true nature.

 

"Then there would shine in the Heart a kind of wordless

illumination of `I-I'. That is, there would shine of it's own accord

the pure Consciousness which is unlimited and one, the limited and

the many thoughts having disappeared. If one remains quiescent

without abandoning that (experience) the egoity, the individual

sense of the form I-am-the-body, will be totally destroyed and at

the end the final thoughts, viz., the `I'-form also will be quenched

like the fire that burns camphor. The great sages and scriptures

declare that this alone is Realization. "The meditation on the Self

which is oneself is the greatest of all meditations. All other

meditations are included in this. So if this is gained the others

are not necessary."

 

Sri Bhagavan wrote with the authority of full spiritual knowledge.

Even so he would add: "Thus say the sages." Like all his expositions

Self-enquiry is concerned with practical questions of the path to

Self-Realization. In reply to questions such paths as meditation on

one's identity with the Self and breath-control are described but he

himself prescribes only Self-enquiry or submission to the Guru. He

would say: "There are two ways: `Ask yourself–Who am I?' or `Submit

and I will strike down the ego'."