Atman or soul is present in the form of pure consciousness, is
all-pervading and is not limited by the body, and the world. It is only because
of our ignorance of its real nature that we consider the Self is limited to the
physical body and separate in each body. The Self is unattached and is not
affected by the individual experiences goes on in waking or dream.
Consciousness is different and apart
from the known. Consciousness is not an object which can be known or
experienced by any one because it is prior to all that is known. Man can
experience only external objects within the waking or dream and so he cannot
know the indwelling consciousness, which is the formless substance and witness
of the three states. The only way to realize the true self is to trace the
formless substance and witness of the three states.
The true self never undergoes any
change; and physical existence that undergoes change is unreal. Consciousness
alone is real. All the three states, which appear and disappear, are unreal.
The experience
of diversity [waking/dream] is mere name, created by words alone; the
formless substance and witness of the three states alone is real and eternal.
Consciousness is sentient that gives
life to the waking and dream. The waking or dream is insentient and dependent
on the consciousness for their existence, whereas the consciousness can remain
with or without the waking/dream.
Consciousness is free from the limitations of the form,
time, space and objects. Actions do not taint the consciousness; the consciousness
never hankers after the fruits of actions. One, who knows the true self is the consciousness
thus, does not become bound by actions.
Consciousness or the true self is not a doer and that he
has no desire for the fruits of actions because it is formless. Self-Knowledge
knowledge alone makes one free from bondage of experiencing the duality as
reality.
The one who knows Consciousness as
self and realizes that he is not a doer and has no craving for the fruits of
actions incurs no bondage. His actions cease to be the cause of further
ignorance of taking the ego to be the self.
Thus, what is necessary is the
realization that, the self is not physical but the spirit is the true self.
He who thus knows truly the formless
substance and witness to be the true self becomes free from the experiencing
the illusory birth, life and death as reality.
He becomes fully aware of the fact that the cycle of birth, life and
death are mere passing show.
The one who realizes that the self
is the consciousness and self has neither birth nor any activity, because they
pertain only to the waking entity, will become liberated from experiencing the
illusion as reality
The ignorant disregard the consciousness
as self, taking themselves to be an individual born in this world and the world
is separate from them. They think the world existed prior to them and they are
born in this world later on. Until this conviction is there, it is impossible
to assimilate the self-knowledge. The
body, ego and the world appear together and disappear together. The seeker has to make sure of this fact by
constant reflecting on the subject.
The consciousness dwells in all the
three states as their formless substance and witness. People worship only
images, thinking that God is there. People do not recognize consciousness as
the self to be the real God, but that they do not realize that god, as the consciousness,
which pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states.
The ignorant people are not capable
of discriminate and reason to unfold the mystery
of the mind. Therefore they will not be able to grasp the non-dual truth. It is
realization the true self that will free one from bondage of duality. But the belief system makes them to believe
the duality is reality therefore, they cannot think beyond physicality.
The formless substance and witness
is different from everything that appears in the waking/dream, which is always
subject to change, is insentient and limited by form, time, space and the world.
Knowledge means ‘pure consciousnesses
and not the knowledge based on physicality, which has a beginning and an end
and is therefore finite. This consciousness is not distinct from consciousness,
but it is its essential nature, like the light of the sun or the heat of fire.
This consciousness is eternal and is present even during deep sleep. A specific
act of knowing takes place only when the there is waking. But this must be
distinguished from pure consciousness, which is ever present in all the three
states. It is this consciousness which is known as ultimate truth. Consciousness
becomes a ‘knower’ only when the known is superimposed on it.
The Self is looked upon as a knower
only because of illusion. No word can express ultimate truth, “Words cannot
cross the threshold of duality. The true Self which is the consciousness is without
any attributes.
