Synopses No. 2-B of Sri Ganesan's Talk on ALL IS ONE

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“ ALL IS ONE †-- No.2-B

 

Chapter – II **

 

“ YOU â€

 

 

1. Who are you ? Are you this body ? If so, why are you not aware of the

crawling of a serpent on this body when you are in deep sleep ? So then, can

you be this body ? No, certainly not. YOU must be other than this body.

 

2. Sometimes in sleep you dream. There you identify yourself with someone. Can

you be that one ? You cannot be. Otherwise, what becomes of that individual on

your waking ? You are not he. Furthermore, you are ashamed of having

identified yourself with him. Clearly you are not that particular person. YOU

are the one who stands apart from him.

 

 

3. Recall the state of dreamless slumber. What is your state then ? Can that

be your true nature ? Surely, you will not to this belief. Why ?

Because you are not so foolish as to identify yourself with the darkness of

ignorance which obstructs you from knowing the state you are in. [As you are]

distinguished from all things around, owing to the capacity to know, how can you

admit yourself to be the same as ignorance or blankness ? Or, how can it truly

be your real nature ? It cannot be. When you persist as the knower who knows

“this state is the one of dense darkness, ignorant of itselfâ€, how can you

be that which you [as subject] have experienced and condemned [as object] ?

Therefore, you are also not the dark ignorance of deep sleep. YOU are other

than that.

 

4. When it is said that even this gross body is not you, can you be any other

thing which is yet further away from you ? In the same way that you are not

this gross body, you are not any of the objects beyond this body, nor are you

the body seen as dream within this body, nor are you the form of ignorance

called deep sleep ? YOU are distinct from these three forms and this world.

5. These three forms can be reduced to two forms, namely a condition [state] of

knowing another as object, and a condition [state] of unawareness of even

oneself. The dream states, where you exist as the cogniser of objects, whereas

the latter represents deep slumber where you are unaware of even yourself in the

absence of cognition of objects. All your experiences are encompassed in these

two conditions. Both of them are foreign to you. YOU are of a nature that is

distinct from these two conditions.

 

6. If you ask what that [true nature] is, it is called Turiya, which means the

‘fourth state’ . This name is used because it was said, “the three states

of your experience – waking, dream and deep sleep – are foreign to you and

your true state is the ‘fourth’, which is different from these threeâ€.

Should the three states – waking, dream and deep sleep – be taken to form

one long dream, the ‘fourth’ state represents the waking from this dream.

Thus, it is more withdrawn than deep sleep, also more wakeful than the waking

state. Therefore, your true state is the ‘fourth’ one which is

distinguished from the waking, dream and deep sleep states. YOU are that only.

 

 

7. What is this fourth state ? It is ‘Knowledge’ which does not

particularise anything. It is also not without awareness of itself as

awareness. That is to say, the ‘fourth’ state is that ‘Knowing’ which

is not conscious of any other as object, but also not unconscious of itself. He

who realizes it even for a trice, realizes Truth. YOU are that only.

 

8. What lies ahead for him who has gained the ‘fourth’ state ? It is not

anyone’s experience that one would remain forever in that state, that is, the

state of no particular knowledge [of objects]. He who has realized the

‘fourth’ state, later wakes up in this world, but, for him this world is not

as before. He sees that what he realized as the unity called the ‘fourth’

state, shines forth as “all thisâ€. He will not imagine this world

[existence] as distinct from that [unitary] ‘Knowledge’. Thus, what he saw

within, he now sees without in a different form. In the place of the

differentiation [perceived in the waking] of old, he now perceives

non-differentiation [in essence] everywhere. Now, he is ‘all’. There is

nothing distinct from himself. His eyes closed or open, howsoever things

evolve, it is for him ever the One state. This is the state of Brahman. This

is the state of natural presence. YOU are that True

State.

9. There is nothing beyond this state. The words, “inward†and

“outwardâ€, have no meaning for him. All is one. His body, speech and mind

cannot function selfishly. Their workings will be of grace for the good of all.

The fragmentary ‘I’ is lost forever. His ego can never revive. Therefore,

he is said to be liberated, here and now. He does not live because his body

lives, nor does he die because his body dies. He is eternal. There is nothing

other than He. YOU are He.

 

10. Who is God ? He is Grace. What is Grace ? Awareness without the

fragmentary ego. How can one know that there is such a state ? Only if one

realizes it. The Vedas laud such a one as having realized God and become one

with Him. Therefore, the [true] good which one can derive from the world and

the [true] good which one can render unto it, is to realize this state of

non-differentiation. In fact, there are no states besides this. They appear in

the state of ignorance. For him who knows, there is one state only. YOU are

That.

 

 

*********************

 

Chapter - IV :

 

“ PEACE â€

 

 

1. What is Peace ? Although the world persists when a man is in deep sleep,

does he have any cares concerning it ? His mind is tranquil and refreshed.

Should his mind be in the same degree calm and refreshed, even when he is face

to face with the world and is active therein, then that is Peace.

 

2. Can the mind remain so even when the world confronts us ? It depends upon

our estimate of the world. The mind is more excited when one’s own property

is plundered than when another’s property is similarly plundered. Of one’s

own things, the loss of one thing causes greater concern than that of another.

Why ? Because, our estimate of things, is the cause of the degree of the

delight or anxiety concerning them. Therefore, should one learn to regard all

equally, the mind will be extremely peaceful. Or, should all things be

considered as our own and highly prized, then too there is no cause for pain.

Why ? Towards what will a man have regret ? The mind which knows that there

can be no scope for regrets must needs become tranquil. Also, when one

understands that one has no claim for anything or that everything is perishable,

the mind will remain cool in serenity. Thus, there will be lasting peace if one

looks on all as having the same

value. Peace is dependent upon one’s attitude of mind.

 

 

3. I shall now illustrate this. A man wakes up from a dream. His mind tossed

about happy or troubled due to different values he placed on the things seen

during the dream. But on waking his mind remained unaffected by all the

happenings in the dream; it remains the same. Why ? Because, only now his

mind has learned to value all the matters of the dream equally. He is not sorry

for the cessation of the dream. Why ? He understands well that no dream is

everlasting and must end on waking. In the same manner, should a man be

convinced that he cannot but wake up sometime or other from the [long] dream of

the world, his mind will be unchanging. It is the state of cool serenity. This

is the state of Peace.

 

4. This is not to say that his relation with the world will cease. Peace and

serenity are only within his mind. His actions cannot but vary according to

circumstances. The only change in him after the mind has become peaceful is

this : his mind has known the truth and become unattached; therefore, it rests

in Peace. His actions though changeful will always be impartial. But the

actions of others are changing and cannot be impartial. Thus, the [joyful]

coolness of his mind produces enormous good not only to himself but also to the

world at large. Peace shows the way to right conduct.

 

 

5. A man walks with a lighted lamp in his hand. Can there be any hostility

between the light and the ups and downs on the way ? There cannot be. But,

light and darkness cannot be together. The light chases away darkness, it

discloses the ups and downs on the way and makes the man walk carefully, while

he moves up, down or sideways. It removes the cause of the vain complaints,

such as “That obstruction hurt my foot†or “This hollow made me slipâ€.

Similarly, after Peace is gained, the state of Peace makes the man neither hate

nor antagonize the world. Rather it dispels the darkness which conceals from

our view the true nature of the world and its pitfalls. In the absence of the

light of Peace which enables people to adjust themselves to varying

circumstances, they condemn the world as full of misery, as they would complain

of the obstructions on the road. Therefore, a man who has gained the utmost

Peace after knowing the whole world as a

[continuing] dream, should not be considered either unrelated to the world or

unconcerned with its activities; he alone stands in effective concord with it;

he alone is competent to be involved in action in this world. Thus, Peace is

that which regulates one’s duties.

 

6. The concern of a man of Peace with the actions of the world lies in

rectifying them. Should even such a one feel fear before this world, what hope

of reformation can there be from those who esteem it [as real] and fight

among themselves to possess it ? They are in the grip of selfishness that

blinds the eye of impartiality. To guide the blind on the way, or treat

blindness of the eye, one’s eyesight must itself be good. Similarly, it is

for him to reform the world for he has already discerned his unchanging nature

from the changeful nature of the world and has become peaceful. These persons

cannot help serving the world. Why ? Can anyone be so hard-hearted as not to

lift up a child when it slips and falls ? So also, but for the wise ones, who

can rightly appraise the troubles of the world and help the people ? Because he

has already withdrawn himself from the mind and body, the Sage feels no concern

under the strain of service of his

mind and body to the world, just as the life principle does not smart even when

any number of vehicles pass over the corpse it has abandoned. He will not

shrink from work or trouble. It is realization of true Peace which bestows

such courage and presence of mind.

 

7. To all appearances, serenity appears meek and quite weak. But, in action it

surpasses all. Nothing has the tenacity and courage that it possesses. After

all, success depends on these qualities. Even if Mount Meru should topple over,

the incident may produce a mere trace of a smile in the man of Peace, or it may

even leave him unmoved. This state is helpful both for worldly and spiritual

matters. True happiness in the world is his alone; true happiness of release

from bondage is his alone. Peace means doing good to any one in any manner.

 

 

8. The obstacles to Peace are several. They are meant to prove the man that

when they confront us we should be wide awake and protect the delicate flower of

serenity of mind from their shadows even. If the mind flower be crushed, it

will lose its fragrance, freshness and colour; it will neither be useful to you,

nor can it be presented to others, nor be worthy of offer to God. Know that

your mind is more delicate than even a blossom. By this flower of serenity

alone, all your duties to yourself, to others and to God must be discharged.

Let your mind remain fresh in serenity throughout. All blessings for the mind

are verily that Peace.

 

9. Unremittingly worship the God of your Self with the flower of your mind. Let

the children – the mental modes – watch this worship. Gradually, they will

learn to cast away their childish pranks and desire to delight like yourself.

As they watch your Peace, they will themselves recoil from their vagaries.

Continue your worship patiently. Be not agitated seeing the vagaries of the

mind. On the contrary, let them become peaceful by your Peace. All must

receive Peace.

 

10. In short : The essence of all the Vedas [scriptures] is PEACE !

 

** There are Six Chapters in this small book : they are :

 

Ch. ! -- “Unityâ€

Ch.II -- “Youâ€

Ch.III -- “Godâ€

Ch.IV -- “Peaceâ€

Ch. V -- “Actionâ€

Ch.VI –- “Egoâ€

____________

 

“ Forgetting the SELF is Death. Remembering IT is Life. One desires Eternal

Life. Why ? Because the present life you are leading is unbearable. Why is it

so ? Because it is not your Real Nature. You are in truth Pure Spirit [sELF]

; but, you identity it with a body, which is a projection of the mind – an

objectified thought, and the mind in its turn has originated from the Pure

Spirit. Mere change of the body is no good, because there is only

a transfer of the ego to the new body. Moreover, what is Life ? It is

Existence [as Consciousness] and that is Yourself. That is True Life, and it is

Eternal [beyond time]. Life in the body is conditioned life. But you are Life

Unconditioned. You will recover your True Nature as Unconditioned Life, if the

idea -- ‘I-am-the-body’ -- is given up. “

 

---- BHAGAVAN RAMANA