Enlightenment requires transcending both ego and ignorance

[Guest guest]

>

> I made many friends in Sy; sadly some of them I can't really

> commnicate with. One very dear lady, wishes to remain my friend,

> however it is difficult ot have a relationship with someone who is

> so indoctrinated that they believe that they must " not think " as

> thinking is " non sahaj " . Trying to have a conversation with someone

> who has switched off their brain is a bit difficult. (Blase)

>

 

Some critics of Sahaja Yoga are against the " Do not think " advise of

Shri Mataji. In fact that label is a wrong assumption as Shri Mataji

wants us to be " thoughtlessly aware " which is the connerstone of

progressive enlightenment. As they say, a little knowledge is a

dangerous thing (phrase first used by Alexander Pope 1688 - 1744 in

An Essay on Criticism, 1709). It means that a small amount of

knowledge can cause people to think they are more expert than they

really are, as ignorant Blase obviously thinks so too.

 

i quote Elizabeth Debold:

 

" Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or

Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking,

merging finitude in infinity. " Voltaire was searching for direct

contact with the eternal—for a spiritual, but not religious,

enlightenment. "

 

Humans do a wide variety of tasks without thinking. Shri Mataji is

just encouraging us to do all of them in that thoughtlessly aware

state, if possible. It is the only way for a direct contact with the

eternal—for a spiritual, but not religious, enlightenment.

 

But Her emphasis is on being _aware_ despite being thoughtless i.e.

knowing without thinking. It is very important to realize the meaning

of " aware " .

 

Main Entry: aware

1archaic : watchful, wary

2: having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge

— aware·ness noun

synonyms aware, cognizant, conscious, sensible, alive, awake mean

having knowledge of something. aware implies vigilance in observing

or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences <aware

of changes in climate>. cognizant implies having special or certain

knowledge as from firsthand sources <not fully cognizant of the

facts>. conscious implies that one is focusing one's attention on

something or is even preoccupied by it <conscious that my heart was

pounding>. sensible implies direct or intuitive perceiving especially

of intangibles or of emotional states or qualities <sensible of a

teacher's influence>. alive adds to sensible the implication of acute

sensitivity to something <alive to the thrill of danger>. awake

implies that one has become alive to something and is on the alert <a

country always awake to the threat of invasion>.

 

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

 

Guru Nanak Dev Ji says in Jap Ji Sahib: “Man Jeeteh Jag Jeet” (If you

conquer the mind, you conquer the material world). You can attain

enlightenment if you are able to slow down and subsequently remove the

ceaseless thoughts of the ego.

 

" The Role of Ego

 

In most spiritual traditions, the role of the ego-personality in the

process of reaching Enlightenment is, to a great extent

underestimated and misunderstood. Unless we see clearly that the ego

in itself is something absolutely positive and, as such, the only

tool for arriving at higher levels of awareness, we have no way to

understand the process of awakening.

 

Many seekers are confused and not able to comprehend the apparent

paradox of transcending the ego without actually annihilating it. In

Buddhist psychology, there is a concept that ego is not real, for it

is only a play of so called five skandhas. This concept is missing

the elemental understanding that our body-mind operates as an alive

and coherent organism of intelligence in a purposeful and meaningful

way. The ego cannot be found anywhere as such, for the one looking

for it - is the ego. It is too close to be found, but certainly it is

always there.

 

It is difficult to define what the ego is, for it is not anything

substantial. We would define ego as a self-conscious function of

individualized consciousness capable of relating to its surroundings

and itself in a centralized and intelligent manner. The ego is not an

entity, but rather a unified field of identity - it is not fixated on

a point, but operates within a spatial consciousness. It has many

layers and many aspects.

 

In Buddhist tradition there's a concept of " no-mind, " and so we tend

to think that our being is simply divided into the mind and the no-

mind. This is far too simplistic. Even when we go beyond the gross

level of thinking, the mind is still functioning and the ability for

self-relating is retained. This thing called ego is constantly

accompanying the process of meditation and, allows us to create

clarity and understanding. The art of resting within the stillness of

our being, and the self-conscious movement of our intelligence are

not separated from one another. Without the gentle checking of our

state during meditation and cultivation in general, we would be

unable to make any progress in the practice. This is the function of

the ego. " [1]

 

Voltaire best describes the gist of Shri Mataji's request to be in the

" thoughtless awareness " state during meditation, and at all times if

possible. She has a very good reason, one that has been time-tested

over the millennia:

 

" Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or

Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking,

merging finitude in infinity. "

 

regards,

 

jagbir

 

 

[1] www.purifymind.com/RoleEgo.htm

[Guest guest]

" My Dear Children,

 

What are you searching? Why are you aimlessly and listlessly running

about? The Joy that you have searched in material gains, the Joy that

you are looking for in power, the Joy that disappeared in the words

of books, the so-called knowledge is all lost in yourself, and you

are still searching and seeking! You can pay attention to everything

outside yourself! You are lost in your thoughts, like babes in the

wood. But there is great hope that you can rise into the Heaven

of " thoughtless awareness, " which we call Self-Realization. I invite

you to this feast of Divine Bliss, which is pouring around you, even

in this Kali Yuga, in these God-forsaken modern times. I hope you

will come and enjoy the spiritual experience of the life eternal. "

 

With all My love and blessings

 

Your Mother NIRMALA

 

(This letter was written by HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in 1972

during Her first trip to America to give public programs.)

 

>

> I made many friends in Sy; sadly some of them I can't really

> commnicate with. One very dear lady, wishes to remain my friend,

> however it is difficult ot have a relationship with someone who is

> so indoctrinated that they believe that they must " not think " as

> thinking is " non sahaj " . Trying to have a conversation with someone

> who has switched off their brain is a bit difficult. (Blase)

>

 

Some critics of Sahaja Yoga are against the " Do not think " advise of

Shri Mataji. In fact that label is a wrong assumption as Shri Mataji

wants us to be " thoughtlessly aware " which is the connerstone of

progressive enlightenment. As they say, a little knowledge is a

dangerous thing (phrase first used by Alexander Pope 1688 - 1744 in

An Essay on Criticism, 1709). It means that a small amount of

knowledge can cause people to think they are more expert than they

really are, as ignorant Blase obviously thinks so too.

 

i quote Elizabeth Debold:

 

" Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or

Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking,

merging finitude in infinity. " Voltaire was searching for direct

contact with the eternal—for a spiritual, but not religious,

enlightenment. "

 

Humans do a wide variety of tasks without thinking. Shri Mataji is

just encouraging us to do all of them in that thoughtlessly aware

state, if possible. It is the only way for a direct contact with the

eternal—for a spiritual, but not religious, enlightenment.

 

But Her emphasis is on being _aware_ despite being thoughtless i.e.

knowing without thinking. It is very important to realize the meaning

of " aware " .

 

Main Entry: aware

1archaic : watchful, wary

2: having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge

— aware·ness noun

synonyms aware, cognizant, conscious, sensible, alive, awake mean

having knowledge of something. aware implies vigilance in observing

or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences <aware

of changes in climate>. cognizant implies having special or certain

knowledge as from firsthand sources <not fully cognizant of the

facts>. conscious implies that one is focusing one's attention on

something or is even preoccupied by it <conscious that my heart was

pounding>. sensible implies direct or intuitive perceiving especially

of intangibles or of emotional states or qualities <sensible of a

teacher's influence>. alive adds to sensible the implication of acute

sensitivity to something <alive to the thrill of danger>. awake

implies that one has become alive to something and is on the alert <a

country always awake to the threat of invasion>.

 

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

 

Guru Nanak Dev Ji says in Jap Ji Sahib: " Man Jeeteh Jag Jeet " (If you

conquer the mind, you conquer the material world). You can attain

enlightenment if you are able to slow down and subsequently remove the

ceaseless thoughts of the ego.

 

" The Role of Ego

 

In most spiritual traditions, the role of the ego-personality in the

process of reaching Enlightenment is, to a great extent

underestimated and misunderstood. Unless we see clearly that the ego

in itself is something absolutely positive and, as such, the only

tool for arriving at higher levels of awareness, we have no way to

understand the process of awakening.

 

Many seekers are confused and not able to comprehend the apparent

paradox of transcending the ego without actually annihilating it. In

Buddhist psychology, there is a concept that ego is not real, for it

is only a play of so called five skandhas. This concept is missing

the elemental understanding that our body-mind operates as an alive

and coherent organism of intelligence in a purposeful and meaningful

way. The ego cannot be found anywhere as such, for the one looking

for it - is the ego. It is too close to be found, but certainly it is

always there.

 

It is difficult to define what the ego is, for it is not anything

substantial. We would define ego as a self-conscious function of

individualized consciousness capable of relating to its surroundings

and itself in a centralized and intelligent manner. The ego is not an

entity, but rather a unified field of identity - it is not fixated on

a point, but operates within a spatial consciousness. It has many

layers and many aspects.

 

In Buddhist tradition there's a concept of " no-mind, " and so we tend

to think that our being is simply divided into the mind and the no-

mind. This is far too simplistic. Even when we go beyond the gross

level of thinking, the mind is still functioning and the ability for

self-relating is retained. This thing called ego is constantly

accompanying the process of meditation and, allows us to create

clarity and understanding. The art of resting within the stillness of

our being, and the self-conscious movement of our intelligence are

not separated from one another. Without the gentle checking of our

state during meditation and cultivation in general, we would be

unable to make any progress in the practice. This is the function of

the ego. " [1]

 

Voltaire best describes the gist of Shri Mataji's request to be in the

" thoughtless awareness " state during meditation, and at all times if

possible. She has a very good reason, one that has been time-tested

over the millennia:

 

" Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or

Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking,

merging finitude in infinity. "

 

regards,

 

jagbir

 

 

[1] www.purifymind.com/RoleEgo.htm