The Self always abides detached

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For some reason many have written that the Path of Self-Knowledge is steep

or difficult. In fact, what can be easier than to abide as what one already

is. It is really a matter of " hearing " (Sravana).

 

The images in the mind are superfluous.

 

The various yogas gradually develop a stillness to the mind, where the

focusing mechanism becomes more and more refined, such that subtler and

subtler images are seen - images non-the-less.

 

But as a result of constantly hearing the Truth, as stated in the various

Gitas, or the words of Christ, That which is True, which is prior to the

images appearing in the mind and the substratum or ground of the feeling of

their realness, suddenly is found to abide singly as Self, without

conditions, uncaused, without time - imageless....

 

All practices and ideas of practice become meaningless, as one abides in

eternal relentless all-absorbing tapas, the sense of Self ( " I " ) detached

from the attention to objects and images and sensations.

 

This realization is so natural, that as soon as one is told of this Truth,

immediately there is an inward recognition that will prevail,just as the

rising sun prevails over the morning mist.

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Post-No.: selfknow-l/2000-11-23/2450 (digest-marker)

" Vivekananda Centre " <>

Detachment....

 

Detachment, key to liberation

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 22. It is a paradox that man is curious to know about

everything in the world but rarely pauses to enquire ``Who am I?''.

It is an exceptional person who directs his query

inward and persists till he discovers the Self (his true nature).

It is not possible to explain anything about the Self to one who

does not know anything about it as this knowledge is a matter

of experience. So the scriptures try to take the spiritual aspirant

step by step through the process of negation of the non-Self to

indicate the nature of the Self.

 

It is a unique situation that man finds himself in, as far

as the knowledge of his Self is concerned, as he does not

know his nature fully, but, at the same time has the underlying

awareness of ``I'' in all his experiences. The hesitation to make

an effort to gain Self-knowledge in most cases is either due

to ``the fear of the unknown'' or due to ignorance.

It is similar to a person who shies from public speaking.

 

In his discourse, Swami Gautamananda said that it was

imperative that one made a beginning at some point of

time. Saints who realized God by following the path of

Self-enquiry say that this method involves following the ``I''

consciousness closely. It is a very difficult path which

leads the aspirant on by negating first the body, then the

breath (Prana), the senses, mind and the intellect one

by one, till the Self is discovered. In recent times it was the

Sage of Arunachala, Ramana Maharishi, who attained

realization by this method. But all cannot adopt this path.

 

Saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa while explaining the path

of Self- enquiry to one of his devotees advised him that

it was not easy to realize the Absolute Reality by treading

this path and that it was possible for all to follow the

path of devotion with success as the Supreme Being can

be envisioned with a form through devotion. When

Self-knowledge dawns the ego gets obliterated. This results

automatically when the Self is discovered by Self-enquiry,

and for one who adopts the path of devotion, the ego is effaced by

the constant reiteration that one is God's devotee.