Wherever you are is the entry point.
Kabir
Here’s a recap of a short talk I did for Shiningworld on the topic of living and embodying the teaching of Vedanta. I’m very grateful for the positive response and feedback it received (thank you!). I was asked by a couple of people for a transcript. I was mainly working off bullet point notes, but I decided to write them up into the following article.
First of all, you can find the talk here if you are interested.
Here I’m going to outline five key points which I believe are essential in making the teaching work for you; in other words, converting Self-Knowledge (the object of the teaching) into liberation or freedom.
In the talk, I shared a couple of quotes from a new book I’m nearly finished writing. It’s called “There Shines a Light” and is a spiritual autobiography exploring my journey from samsara to finding an end to samsara through the liberating power of Self-Knowledge. It’s different to most Vedanta books in that it isn’t so much about the “theory” as the “practise” and how, by truly assimilating the teaching and incorporating it into every aspect of our lives, we can enable the power of Self-Knowledge to carry us through life’s many storms and stresses.
My intent was to convey how Self-Knowledge enables us to navigate life’s challenges and respond appropriately to each situation as it presents itself with objectivity, dispassion and devotion.
This truly is the most sane and healthy way to approach life and the best investment of time and energy you will ever make in your life. As Swami Paramarthanada states, when we are ignorant of our true nature as pure Consciousness, life is nothing but a burden (to put it mildly!). But when we fully integrate the Knowledge “I am Consciousness and not the body/mind/ego”, life goes from a burden to a blessing and we effectively transcend the zero sum nature of the phenomenal reality.
The five keys to living the teaching are as follows:
- Be clear on your goal.
- Be qualified!
- Manage the mind.
- Don’t get too hooked up in the world
- Practise sustained nididhyasana, or contemplation.
Let’s briefly touch upon each.
1. Be Clear On Your Goal
It’s essential that you be clear about your highest values and most important goals. Until you have a significant degree of clarity about your true values, life simply isn’t going to work. Muddled values lead to muddled priorities, misplaced action and wholly unsatisfactory results. This is really the death knell for genuine seekers of liberation.
So what is it you really want in life?
It so happens that much of what you think you want in life is simply societal programming instilled into you from childhood onward. The goals of samsara are many and varied, but they generally fall under the category of the desire for security and wealth and the desire for pleasure. It’s between these two branches that most peoples’ lives swing.
In general, we are conditioned to look outside of ourselves for our happiness, fulfilment and joy. If you want to feel better, you simply need to get more “stuff”; more objects, be they tangible, physical objects or subtle objects in the form of emotion and experience.
In order to be a successful human being, it’s drilled into us that we need to be as GOOD as we possibly can be, first at school, then in other educational or vocational pursuits. The key to happiness is to achieve, attain and acquire; or so we are taught. Once we get the education we want, we then must forge the ideal career and make as much money as we possibly can. With that money, we can buy all kinds of desirable objects; from houses to cars, holidays and entertainment and whatever else happens to take our fancy. Relationships are also a key focus for most. Most people are unable to appreciate their own beauty and light, so they seek a proxy; somebody to mirror back to them the light of their own Consciousness.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of this, of course. The scriptures outline the first three life stages as being focused on learning, career and family and this corresponds with the goals of wealth/security, pleasure and dharma (dharma relating to virtue or right action; ie., doing the right thing at the right time in the right way).
The problem is when we genuinely believe that these life pursuits are capable of delivering lasting happiness and freedom. The expectation that they can and should is the source of tremendous misery.
While we can and should make the best of our lives and thus contribute to the whole, the idea that the solution to our existential suffering comes from the pursuit and attainment of objects is the very basis of samsara.
Owing to Self-ignorance, we don’t feel whole and complete in ourselves, so we seek a solution outside of ourselves in the world of objects and experience. We assume that forcing the world of objects into alignment with our personal likes and dislikes is the way to freedom.
Unfortunately, the very worst way to be free is to rely upon the world of objects behaving as we think it should. The problem is that we are not in control of the results of our actions. We can take the action we think is best and most appropriate, but it’s not up to us how the results of that action fructify. If it were up to us—if we had complete control over the results of our actions, then everything we do would be successful. Every single time you bought a lottery ticket you would hit the jackpot.
Alas, life does not work that way. There’s a complex chain of cause and effect and unfathomable variables over which we, as people, have no knowledge or control. Indeed, it is Ishvara, the Totality, which dispenses the results of all actions and Ishvara never factors our personal likes and dislikes into the equation.
A mature spiritual seeker is somebody who has come to terms with this fact. They’ve also come to realise that the solution to the basic problem of human suffering is not to be solved simply by getting what we want from the game of life. Seeking happiness in objects is at best a band-aid. It provides some relief but doesn’t solve the underlying problem. It gives us a temporary boost of happiness until pain and discontent once again rear their ugly heads.
The wise person will conclude that because object-based happiness is temporary at best, the solution must be something altogether different. Indeed, as Vedanta unilaterally declares: lasting happiness can only come from Self-Knowledge and the full and complete realisation of who and what we truly are.
It’s not until you are very, VERY clear on that last point that you will value the teaching enough to commit your life, time and attention to realising this Truth for yourself.
Until you get to that point, you may have a value for Vedanta and Self-Knowledge, but it’s likely a split value; meaning an only partially assimilated value. There’s a core conflict because although moksha is valuable to you, your attention and energy is still divided and funnelled into various worldly pursuits, goals and endeavours.
Such worldly goals may be good and necessary, but they must be conducted as karma yoga and not seen as a solution to the problem of existential suffering. You might get what you want, and it might bring temporary happiness, but the ultimate happiness comes only from the full realisation and integration of the knowledge “I am Consciousness alone and I am already entirely whole and complete in my Self”.
In short, you need to be very clear that the pursuit and integration of Self-Knowledge is the solution to your suffering; not chasing various crumbs of joy in the world of objects. You need such clarity of vision and values otherwise you simply won’t devote the necessary time and effort to truly living and assimilating the teaching—and, for a seeker of Truth, that sadly equates to a wasted lifetime.
At the start of each day, you might want to ask yourself:
“What is the most important thing to me?”
“What is my highest priority?”
“What is my greatest goal?”
Then plan your day accordingly.
While we naturally have many things that we love and adore in the world, including family and friends, our job and contribution to society, our highest goal should always be freedom. After all, it’s not until we are free that we can truly bless others and the world and shine the light of Truth and love. That should be our ultimate goal in life.
In Vivekachudamani, Shankara makes it clear that the highest blessing in life is to have a human birth, plus the desire for spiritual liberation (a desire that is exceedingly rare even among “spiritual types”), access to the teaching and a teacher and a mind capable of understanding both.
If all those factors are in place—and the latter ones can be worked upon and cultivated if need be—you are already enormously blessed. I think it’s safe to say that if you didn’t have significant punyam, or good karma, you wouldn’t be reading this at all. The interest simply wouldn’t be there. No matter what you do, you must capitalise on this blessing and take full advantage of it.
My favourite quote on the topic comes from the Buddhist master Dogen, who said:
“Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed, and do not squander your life.”
Once you are clear on the benefits of moksha, liberation, and the cost of not attaining it (which is continued pain and suffering), you should find the necessary motivation to truly commit to your sadhana, Vedantic study and self-enquiry. Studies have shown that human behaviour is often more motivated by the avoidance of pain rather than the promise of reward, so it can be helpful to reflect on the continued cost of existing in samsara and its constant seesaw of desire, attachment and suffering.
Only then can you ask yourself “Am I ALL IN?”
Because if you’re not ALL IN, and truly and utterly committed to liberation, then you are as good as out.
Half-measures don’t work when it comes to liberation. You need to want it as much as a drowning man needs oxygen. The moment you do, you’re already part way there.
2. Be Qualified
Having corresponded with a fair number of spiritual seekers over the past few years, I’ve come to see that this is perhaps the “make or break” issue for just about everyone.
It’s not a topic most people particularly enjoy; perhaps because it might seem rudimentary and basic. Most people want to skip onto the more inspiring and intoxicating topics of Jnana yoga. What they don’t realise is that, unless the basic mental qualifications are in place, that Knowledge does’t really have a place to land. It remains mere intellectual curiosity and, while obviously still inspiring and exciting, it won’t translate to liberation if the mind hasn’t first been sufficiently primed and brought to heel.
Prior to planting seeds, the soil must be prepared. It has to be fertile and all the necessary conditions must be taken into account in order for the seeds to grow, take root and flourish. The same is true with Self-Knowledge. The glory of this Knowledge is that it does all the work pretty much by itself. Knowledge erases ignorance as effortlessly as light displaces dark. All that we really need to do is to apply that Knowledge to the mind whenever thoughts of Self-ignorance and limitation happen to arise, until such time as they don’t.
The main thing we have to do, however, is to simply keep our mind ship-shape and a fit receptacle for Knowledge.
This means cultivating strong discrimination, which means the ability to distinguish the real from the false, or the eternal from the fleeting. This naturally generates the second qualification, which is dispassion. The third qualification relates to discipline of the mind and keeping the mind a finely honed instrument rather than a destructive and out of control monster as it can so easily become for many. Finally, the desire for liberation, as discussed in the first key, is essential for granting us the motivation to pursue the teaching and apply it to the mind until Knowledge becomes conviction and conviction translates to liberation.
Nobody likes to be told that they aren’t qualified for the teaching. It’s something you absolutely must be aware of, however. If the teaching isn’t changing the way that you see and relate to others, yourself and life, then it’s a sure sign that your qualifications need some work. That is no mark of shame, because unless one is a sannyasi and has completely renounced society and worldly life, you can almost guarantee there will be work to do in that regard. So, it’s not a bad realisation. It’s a good one, because it’s something you can most certainly do something about.
I’ve known students who successfully grasped the essence of the teaching and had firm Self-Knowledge, but it simply wasn’t sinking in because of certain turbulence, attachment and emotional issues clouding the mind and subtle body.
All seekers should have a firm gauge of just how steady and sattvic the mind is at any given time. Getting qualified is certainly not a one-time effort. Like tending a garden, it may require quite a fair bit of weeding and pruning, watering and feeding. Indeed, the mind is constantly shifting like the ephemeral thing it is. Moment to moment vigilance is required, as we’ll explore in the next step.
A passage from “There Shines A Light” on the topic:
Only a clear mind can adequately reflect the resplendent light of our own Self. Such a mind, which can be cultivated through a commitment to dharma, the practice of karma yoga, devotion, meditation, and the deep contemplation of Self-Knowledge, is a mind freed from excessive want and selfish desire. Life is no longer about getting what we want. It’s about finding the deeper part of us that’s forever free from want—the part that simply shines in radiant, changeless splendour. This light is the only remedy to the veiling cloud of ignorance that keeps us desperately bound to worldly objects, forms, and attachments while completely oblivious to the fact that we are in actuality, in our heart of hearts, already free.
Get qualified! Stay qualified! Even in the absence of Self-Knowledge and liberation, these mental qualifications have the ability to make life so much easier and more enjoyable.
3. Manage the Mind
Mind management is an essential prerequisite for any enquirer. After all, the mind is our instrument for interfacing with the phenomenal reality. A turbulent, choppy mind cannot provide an accurate reflection of reality and will create significant stress and tension both psychologically and physiologically.
A tranquil and pure mind, however, is like a lake without so much as a ripple. Only a peaceful mind is capable of reflecting the light of the Self in a pure and undistorted manner, free of the concealing and projecting powers of tamas and rajas.
A large part of mind management, then, comes down to managing the three gunas. We cultivate a pure and sattvic mind by minimising the deadening and agitating excesses of tamas and rajas. The topic of the gunas is an interesting and eminently practical one. We come to see that everything in our life will have an effect on the proportion of these qualities; whether it’s the food we eat, our home and work environment, the people we are around or the stimulus we allow through the gates of our senses. We have to be judicious gatekeepers in this respect and aware of the proportion of the gunas so we can constantly adjust as necessary.
The mind is very much where the spiritual battle takes place. The subtle body is the source of the problem; specifically, the intellect, where we harbour the erroneous belief in being a separate, limited, inadequate self. That’s where we need to take the fight and we do that by applying Knowledge; the only thing capable of eradicating ignorance.
It’s a process that takes as long as it takes; whether months, years or lifetimes.
The number one thing we can do to assist the process is to keep the mind as calm, balanced and tranquil as it can be. When thoughts of ignorance and limitation come up, as they most certainly will, we patiently and steadily apply the opposite thought. Bit by bit, we dismantle the false notion that we are a lacking, suffering little person and replace it with the Knowledge that what we are is whole, complete and free of limitation and defect.
That is no small challenge. The mind is, by nature, restless. It’s constantly modifying according to stimulus and, for a great many people, is prone to neuroticism. The mind itself is a mechanism designed to keep us safe by constantly evaluating and trying to control our environment. The problem is, it’s constantly biting off more than it can chew. It tries to control things that it actually has no control over. The result is likely to be constant rumination, doubt, fear and anxiety.
The moment we accept that we’re trying to control things we have no control over, it creates a space of acceptance and openness. We can recognise that what the mind deals in is thought; and thought is just thought. No matter what terrible things the mind is trying to control and change; it’s all just thought–and thought can be managed.
If you’re thinking thoughts that are not constructive and which only bring stress and suffering, it’s important to step in and redirect the mind to thoughts of Truth. You can always tell when you’re thinking thoughts of Truth because you will automatically feel freer and lighter. Emotional distress is a sign the mind has contracted itself into rajas and tamas conditioned thoughts and you have lost touch with the basic truth of who you are.
That’s not the end of the world. It happens. All you need to do is to gently redirect your mind to an acknowledgement of who and what you truly are, and to recognise that everything in this field of dharma is taken care of for you by Ishvara. This may not always be easy. The mind can be tenacious and implacable in what it sees as its imperative to try to control life. It’s crucial that you learn to take the reins, however. You must be in control of the mind, or it will devour itself and scupper all chance of assimilating the Self-Knowledge of Vedanta.
Like Arjuna on he battlefield, you must take a stand and consciously direct your thoughts to Truth, God and Love. Here the yogas provide the perfect tools for conquering the untamed conditioned mind. Karma yoga and bhakti yoga, or any kind of devotional practice, will effectively shift the focus from mind-made fears and conditioning to the ever shining Self that you are.
This effectively defangs the mind, reorienting it to Truth and converting base emotion to an all-encompassing devotion. Quite often, the problem is simply that the mind is trying to be God. Alas, the mind cannot be God, because it only has limited knowledge and power. The key is to recognise that the mind doesn’t have to carry such a burden. It doesn’t need to micromanage the universe. You can rely upon God to be God, and relax and channel your energy and attention where you want it to go.
4. Don’t Get Too Hooked Up in the World
One of the keys to inner peace is to cease looking to the world for harmony, equilibrium and peace. That’s something “the world” is unable to give; particularly in these times of instability, hyper-acceleration and exponential change.
You cannot wait until things become peaceful and stable outwardly before you devote yourself to inner peace and the freedom of moksha. It has to be done right here, right now.
As Kabir powerfully stated, “Wherever you are is the entry point.”
A mind constantly hooked to the world of the senses—and to, for example, news and media feeds—is a mind that will take on tremendous stress and agitation. Never forget that the mind modifies itself to whatever you choose to focus it on. If you are constantly worrying about the state of the world and spending your time “doom scrolling” as has become common in recent times, you’re almost certainly disqualifying the mind and losing your discrimination, dispassion and discipline; and perhaps even your desire for freedom, too. The mind becomes muddled and unfocused and you lose sight of your true values and goals.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep up to date with worldly affairs and it doesn’t mean you don’t care about what’s going on. You should care. We all have our dharma to do and ways in which we can contribute to the world and make it a slightly better and more harmonious place. If we can offer help to those who are suffering and it’s appropriate and timely for us to do so, that’s something we should do.
To spare the mind stress and conflict, however, all action should be done as karma yoga and in a spirit of devotion and surrender. That’s what frees us from action even as we find ourselves in the world taking action. We do the best that we can and trust Ishvara to do the rest—and we maintain that trust even if things don’t seem to be going the way we think they should. Karma is an endlessly complex thing and we never quite know how things should be. That’s for Ishvara to decide.
The key to this principle is to remain centred on the stillness within your Self; that placeless-place of perfect peace, tranquility and balance at the core of your own being. If you stay rooted in that, you derive your peace not from the turbulent, ever changing outer world, but from the Self alone; the pure Consciousness which never changes and never modifies to any experience, either pleasant or painful.
As I was growing up, I found it quite painful being in this world. As a young child, I saw it as a magical place filled with possibility. Yet, as I grew up I learned about the darker side of human nature and the violence, disregard and brutality human beings often display toward each other, animals and the planet. At the age of ten, I began trying to do things that would help the environment. I couldn’t believe the insanity of what human beings were doing to the planet and its creatures. I was grieved by the hateful way people were capable of treating others. I was horrified the more I learned about humanity’s violent history of war, corruption and genocide.
It’s natural to be perturbed by adharma. That’s what motivates and impels us to restore dharma. We each have a responsibility in that regard. We become much more powerful and effective as people, however, if we stay rooted in the light within ourselves; in the light of our own Consciousness.
That’s what enables us to deal with the outer disturbances and discord with objectivity and effectiveness. We do our karma yoga, taking actions not simply to reinforce and bolster the ego’s likes and dislikes, but as service to Ishvara and a blessing to the world. Whether or not we get the results we want, when we remain rooted in the pristine purity of our own Being, we remain calm and at ease because we have surrendered the fruits of our actions to Ishvara where it belongs. The challenge is, therefore, to be in the world but not of the world. That is truly the greatest service we can render the world.
Sometimes, life can seem like a succession of problems, challenges and traumas. There’s no getting around that fact. Speaking personally, I have experienced health limitations and challenges for most of my lifetime; some chronic and some acute and life-threatening. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with advanced and inoperable cancer. Fortunately, by the grace of God, my Self-Knowledge was quite firm by that point. The doctor was rather amazed by the equanimity of my response. He asked why I wasn’t shouting, crying or making a big deal out of what was, after all, a very big deal. The fact was, however, I knew not to get too pulled in by what is going on externally. I was blessed to know that it isn’t real; that my body isn’t what I am and that, as Consciousness, I am unaffected by whatever might be wrong with it. That doctor was impressed and, upon learning I was a teacher and writer, said he would definitely buy my books! My other doctors and nurses probably think I’m either a “strong person” or in denial. In actuality, I simply know who I am and have trained my mind not to accept limitation and lack as belonging to ME. It’s all just the play of karma and it doesn’t affect who we are whatsoever.
Vedanta is sometimes called the yoga of objectivity. To be able to live with objectivity and to deal with issues calmly and impartially as they come up is the best and most sane way to live.
Every problem has a solution and, as difficult as certain situations may be, you can be sure that Ishvara also has a solution somewhere, or at least some action you can take to improve a situation.
With discrimination and dispassion, life becomes so much easier to navigate. When you cede all the doing the Ishvara, it actually becomes effortless. It may sometimes take a while to figure out the best solution in some situations, but rest assured it will present itself. Knowing this we can get through even the greatest of adversity and, indeed, use it to help polish the mirror of the mind and strengthen our self-enquiry.
5. Practise Sustained Nididhyasana
Nididhyasana will be a term familiar to most Vedanta students. It means the steady and sustained contemplation of Self-Knowledge and our nature as Consciousness/Awareness. Nididhyasana involves rigorously applying this Knowledge to the mind and using it to neutralise all ignorance and blocks until the mind finally acquiesces and surrenders to this Knowledge.
This is the all important key that transforms Knowledge into conviction and conviction into liberation.
While the first two stages of the teaching, shravana (listening) and manana (reasoning) have a set duration and will come to an end, nididhyasana is something that should be continued for the duration of a lifetime. This shouldn’t be a chore but should be something pleasurable and rewarding and, after a certain time, will become the automatic operating mode of the mind; something that barely requires any conscious effort.
It can take considerable time to get to that stage. It’s vital not to give up too soon. The premature abandonment of nididhyasana renders all the previous steps, including the acquisition and the understanding of Self-Knowledge somewhat useless in terms of the desires goal, which is freedom.
Swami Paramarthananda likens it to adding sugar to coffee. You must stir the coffee after adding the sugar or it will simply settle to the bottom of the mug and you won’t be able to enjoy its sweetness. It’s rather the same with nididhyasana. Once adding this Knowledge, it must be stirred until such time as you can taste the sweetness—and, rest assured, if you follow all the steps, you certainly will.
Many of the Vedanta students I’ve met and spoken with have already mastered the first two stages of the teaching but find themselves in the third; this assimilation of Self-Knowledge. I advise them that it really is the key; the agent which alchemises the Knowledge into the genuine experience of liberation, which comes from knowing our own true nature as limitless Consciousness.
When it comes to nididhyasana, you have to be like a dog with a bone. A dog is so absorbed in chewing the bone that it will utterly refuse to stop or let it go for anyone. It will gnaw and gnaw until it’s finally left with nothing. With nididhyasana, we chew away at the Knowledge until we’re left not with nothing; but a full and complete realisation of our own nature as Awareness. That’s our goal and the scriptures are clear that it is the very highest human goal because it enables us to enjoy the freedom that is our very nature. The terrible burden of being a suffering little person gives way to the realisation that what we are is Awareness and Awareness is always and ever free.
Once again, don’t wait for life to be “easy” or “perfect” before you commit to this practise. Again, “Wherever you are is the entry point”. You can use life’s challenges and stresses as a way of strengthening your Knowledge, your qualifications and your nididhyasana.
Therefore, live life simply, do your dharma, perform all actions as karma yoga and bhakti (in truth, the two are one) and accept all results as the legitimate and proper outworking of karma. Everything can be used as fuel for the fire of Self-Knowledge.
On this topic, here is another excerpt from my upcoming book, “There Shines A Light”:
The steady contemplation of our nature as Awareness is called nididhyasana in Vedantic terminology. It’s been suggested that for every hour we spend in the first stage of Vedanta, listening to the teaching, we should then spend a hundred hours going over the reasoning in our head and a thousand hours meditating upon it deeply and with great focus and clarity.
So, for all there’s nothing we can do to become the Self—because we’re already the Self and cannot be anything else—it does take considerable effort to reorient and retrain the mind. As I learned the hard way, the mind can be our greatest friend or our most implacable and merciless foe. You alone decide which. An untamed mind is the root of enormous suffering and chaos. On the other hand, a cultivated and refined mind is an instrument for liberation. A sufficiently purified mind allows our true light to radiate from us and to bless all whom we meet. What a gift not just to the world but to ourselves. But, once again, it takes time, perseverance and grit. As the saying goes, everything is difficult before it gets easy.
I made a number of missteps as I practised nididhyasana over the next few years. I got suckered by my psychological blind spots and ended up down one or two avenues that weren’t in line with who I was and who I was meant to be. I assumed that I was “finished” before I truly was and relaxed my efforts, only to be in for a fright when samsara tried to get its hooks in me. Life likes to test us. The moment you think, “That’s it, I’ve done it,” you can pretty much bet that Ishvara is thinking, “Oh, really, have you now…?”
There was no lasting damage in my case, but I learned the supreme importance of vigilance and humility. In time to come, my body and mind would be put through the fire big style. That, as it happens, would actually be immensely purifying, allowing my Self-Knowledge to cement in leaps and bounds. The true alchemy of living involves accepting and embracing all of life’s challenges and adversities and using them as grist for the mill of self-enquiry.
Here’s a helpful thought which I very much believe to be true. All of life is secretly conspiring to awaken us from the dream of separation into full realisation the divine unity of all things. In spite of how it might often seem, this is not a cruel reality. It’s a cosmic game of hide and seek and the hurt and pain is not there to torment you. It’s there to jolt you awake; compelling you to remember the vastness of who and what you truly are, emboldening you to claim your divine birthright.
The goal is freedom. While the jiva will always be bound by karma, when you divest the jiva of self-identification and place it back where it belongs—the Self!—life becomes an endless blessing and wonder. The burden of seeking comes to an end; whether it’s seeking happiness through the manipulation of worldly objects or seeking happiness through moksha.
When seeking ends, all that’s left is enjoyment and appreciation. Life becomes a wondrous and beautiful thing in spite of its harder and more painful aspects. We no longer live to get or achieve or acquire anything; but simply to give, to contribute and to enjoy the ample blessings the Lord always sends our way. Even the simple, everyday sight of a blue sky, the scent of a flower, the wag of a dog’s tale or the smile of a loved one can be experienced as an entire universe of joy and bliss.
I will conclude with another passage from the book, which highlights just why it’s essential to commit fully and completely to the Realisation of your own nature as Consciousness and not the body/mind/ego entity.
The light of Consciousness forever shines, regardless of whatever is going on at the level of maya. That’s why, at heart, we are always free. Nothing can ever touch the light that we truly are; not any experience, any fear, pain, hurt or even the crippling burden of a distorted egoic self-concept. Like the sun always shining above the clouds, Consciousness is forever free, always available and without limit or boundary.
Very few have the ability to fully grasp this, even among spiritual seekers. Only sincere and committed spiritual enquirers have any way of processing this understanding. To the average person it will seem nonsensical and irrelevant. This Knowledge, however, is the key to alchemising life and turning the lead of worldly sorrow and limitation into the gold of perfect Divinity.
I don’t feel I have achieved a whole lot materially in this lifetime. That really isn’t why I am here, however. My life path has been an opportunity to use limitation and adversity to turn within and realise the Light within myself and within all beings. That’s the key to this game of life. Integrating this Knowledge into the core of my psyche was far from an overnight job and I stumbled along the way. It led, however, to a treasure beyond compare: the discovery of an unending ocean of inner peace, contentment and joy that none of the vagaries of worldly life can rob us of. Even though the odd thought or emotion might cloud the sky temporarily, this Light can never be lost because it is the true essence of what we are: pure Consciousness wearing temporary sheaths of body and mind.
While I wasted a few too many years seeking love and validation from others, the ultimate realisation was that I already have and am everything I’d ever sought.
What’s more, the person I thought I was existed as nothing but a concept in my mind; a set of conditioned thoughts, reactions, desires and fears, capped with a name. Now, I admit it’s a mighty strange way to end an autobiography, but, in ultimate analysis, there’s no such person. It’s all just story. I don’t see myself as a person now; my centre of identification is just Awareness shining upon a body and mind. Even when you find yourself having to take action, and pick up your bow and arrow and take to the battlefield like Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, life flows quite by itself if you let it. All that gets done, all the words spoken, actions taken and thoughts thunk, happen automatically by virtue of Consciousness enlivening a body and mind. What a wondrous thing!
It may not happen overnight, but with repeated application to the mind, Self-Knowledge brings with it an unspeakable sense of relief, freedom and joy. While there’s still a world of names and forms appears before these eyes, and certain likes and dislikes and conditioned patterns cycling through the mind, I increasingly see only God, even where there seems to be discord, disharmony and strife. Above and beyond it all, is the Light, making all things take shape and dance as they play out their karma.
Beneath the surface waves of this karma, all is interconnected by the vast ocean of universal Consciousness. The waves come and go, arising and subsiding in endless succession. What remains and never changes is Consciousness or Awareness; the one thing which can never be touched, tainted or harmed in any way.
Bodies come and go, lifetimes pass by in the blink of an eye, stars are born and die, universes come into creation and dissolution, but the Light of Awareness, always present in all beings and universal in nature, shines endlessly. There’s no birth for it and no death, and all limitation is but the product of maya and is, to Consciousness, as insubstantial as a dream.
This Knowledge brings liberation. We shift our centre of identification from the conceptual ego identity to the Awareness in which it arises. Only then do we taste freedom from seeking, freedom from lack and freedom from having to continually manipulate the outer world in order to satiate our desires and cravings. In spite of whatever might be sprouting in the endlessly fertile field of karma, the reality is that you, the true You, is already and ever free.
Om Tat Sat.
