There is no knower and known in
reality. To grasp the essence of non-dual truth, it is better to say that in reality
the Knower and the Known are identical. It is only through Self-Knowledge the
very nature of the true “Self” is self-revealing and self-knowing.
The non-dual truth is always “without
experience of diversity”. It is the absence of experience of diversity and prevailing
in objectless awareness. Self-Knowledge
is clear recognition and realization of the true Self in not physical but the
spirit.
Self
is the Knower and the Known, the witness and the witnessed, without any
duality. Self, being one without a second, is always self-knowing. There
is no “other” for it to know. The nature of the self is formless and non-dual.
While deep sleep is a state of
complete unconsciousness, in the state of wisdom is the state of full and complete non-dual awareness. Deep sleep and natural state of the self are the two sides
of the same coin. In a very real and true sense natural state of the self
is the state of “deep awake”. One is fully asleep to the world of perceptions
and fully awake in the Self, which is nondual reality.
Non-duality is Natural state of the
self cannot be understood without the knowledge of the true self. But it is not
impossible to understand it. If it was a state that is beyond understanding,
Sages such as Buddha, Sri Sankara and Sri, Ramana Maharishi would not be able to
speak of it.
People who speak about natural state
of the self without actually knowing and realizing it can only speculate about
its nature. Because such people are confused about natural state, their
statements create confusion for others.
The waking experience continues to exist even after realizing
the true self. Through the existing mental apparatus, the Gnani guides the
serious seekers via the mind and the body. The Gnani may experience pain and
pleasure or eat or sleep or dream. All those things are due to mental
modifications and unrelated to the Self-nature. The Gnani’s focus of attention
is not entered on the ego but it is Self-Cantered. Thus, he is in witness
consciousness observing the three states as an object.
The Unconsciousness can only be a consciousness without objects; otherwise
it has no meaning. Therefore it is really consciousness, which can exit with or
without the objective awareness.
That which one knows best in the world, that which is nearest to him, that
of which he can never be free, the existence
of which is certain, is his consciousness. He may doubt anything else but
he directly perceives his- self, which is consciousness.
No one so far has even been able to define the meaning of 'mind' and
'consciousness. Only through inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base
to realize the fact that waking/dream are mental states. The truth is hidden in
waking, dream and sleep--which come and go.
Before any of
the states come in, there must have been the self/soul. Before one could know
that God created world, the true self/soul must witness the waking experience.
The man, god
and world are reality within the waking experience. Without the waking experience
they are non-existent. Illustration is
dream, the dream contains the dream world, dream entity, god. Similarly the
waking experience contains the waking entity, and waking world and god
etc.
