SOME THOUGHTS ON ATMA---20

[Guest guest]

SAI RAM Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As mentioned earlier, one of the members had expressed his desire that this humble self should write about the practcal steps to be taken by one who is keen on Self-Realization. Well, Self-Realization is too subtle, too serious and too deep a subject to comprehend by those of us who are highly materialistic( who belive that wealth alone is God) and whose activities are solely in the direction of sense-gratification( that is this birth has been taken only for enjoyments through body, mind and intellect) and for whom it is difficult to conquer ego, desires etc. etc. There are no shortcuts for Self-realization. Let us not be under any misconception that Self-realization is easy of achievement. Only those who are ardent, determined, sincere and are of a sacrificing nature can at the most, dream of Self-Realization, provided they have emptied their heart of ignorance and all negative tendencies such as ego, desires etc. etc.

 

 

If we are keen on achieving Self-realization we need to learn to negate all our limiting equipment or conditioning bodies with the conclusion, " not this, not this " . By this process only we can realise the oneness of the Individual Atma and the Supreme Brahman with the help of Vedic Aphorisms ( Mahavakyas). We should suggest to ourselves that we are not this body, mind and intellect. At the same time we should assert, " I am Brahman(Aham Brahmasmi). "

 

The Supreme Self( Atma) is to be realized by the process of negation of the 'unreal' and assertion of the 'Real'. The unreal comprises the gross, subtle and causal bodies and their objects of experience. " The unreal( Asatah) has no existence and the real never ceases to exist " says Lord Krishna in the second chapter of Bagavad Gita. ' The Lord means to say that unreal was non-existant even before the time of its so-called existence and will be non-existant afterwards. Therefore, in reality the unreal does not exist even it appears to exist. Just as the body and the world pertaining to a dream appear without any corresponding reality , even so all the three bodies though unreal appear as real through ignorance. They have no real existence. What is Real is Atma, the Pure Consciouness which functions through these equipment.

 

 

When we identify ourselves with our equipment, we imagine ourselves to be the limited person suffering the joys and sorrows of the world. To redeem ourselves from these entanglements we have to reverse the process which we have been folowing hitherto and stop identifying ourselves with these equipment. We should achieve this by suggesting to ourselves that we are not the gross body, the subtle body or the causal body nor any one of their manifestations. By negating thus the unreal aspect of life we assert our real nature in order to get ourselves firmly established in the Reality. Once we have established ourselves therein, we have no chance of falling into limitations again.

 

(to be continued)

With Loving SAI RAMs,

G.Balasubramanian