Nature of
the mind is illusion. The universe,
which is in the form of mind, is illusion. The universe, which appears as
waking or dream is illusion. Gnana is the means to moksha or freedom from
experiencing the illusion as reality.
To A Gnani, the practical
life within the practical world is reality within the illusory waking
experience. Thus individuality is
reality within the illusion. The reality
of individuality lasts only so long as there is ignorance. The unidentified consciousness or Atman within the waking or dream is cause of the
ignorance. Ignorance is cause of experiencing the waking or dream [duality] as
reality.
When is self is in delusion due to
ignorance of its formless true nature than it experiences diversity as reality.
Within the experience of diversity [waking] it
thinks, it acts and enjoys as an individual separate from the world, on account
of ignorance. In reality it is not different from consciousness because the whole
experience of diversity [waking or universe] is created out of single stuff,
which is consciousness.
Just as the bubble becomes one
with the ocean when it bursts, just as the pot-ether becomes one with the
universal ether when the pot is broken, so also the mind ,which is in the form
of universe becomes one with consciousness
when it gets knowledge of consciousness ,which
is ultimate truth or Brahman. When
knowledge dawns in it through annihilation of ignorance, consciousness is freed
from experiencing the illusion as reality. And the mind merges itself in the
ocean of formless non-dual consciousness. Thus there is conscious unity in
diversity in the midst of diversity. This is the Truth and release from experiencing
the birth, life, death and world as reality. Absolute merging of the mind in consciousness
or Atman, which is ultimate truth or Brahman.
Prior to the
appearance of the mind, what was the mind? It did not exist as waking or dream.
What was it? What prevail without waking or dream? What is it that is aware of all
the three states, which appears and disappears in succession? Only when this formless knower of the three
states is mentally grasped and realized the realization of the reality will
start. In addition, one will have the mental yardstick to judge what is real
and what is unreal.
Without the
knower, there is no such thing as known. The knower is formless and known is the
form. Therefore, until one takes the form as the knower, he remains ignorant of
the true self. Without realizing the
fact that, the body or mind is not the self, it is impossible to assimilate the
self-knowledge.
The witness of
the three states can remain with or without the waking or dream. When it remains
with the waking or dream, it is called deep sleep in ignorance. Consciously
becoming aware of the true self is the soul and learns to view and judge the
worldview on the base of the soul, will lead to the freedom from duality in the
midst of duality.
The individual experiences
within the waking or dream are nothing to do with the witness. The
individuality is part of the illusion. The soul,which is in the form of consciousness pervades
everywhere and in everything in all the three states. The birth, life and death are part of the
individual experiences with in the waking or dream. Individual experiences are reality within the
waking or dream. The waking or dream appears and disappears hence they are not
permanent. The witness of the three states is permanent and eternal. Thus, it
is necessary to view, analyze and judge, and conclude the truth on the base of
the formless witness, which is the consciousness or the true self, in order to realize the ultimate
truth. The ultimate truth is no second thing exists other than the soul,which is in the form of consciousness hence it is non-dual.
Without the witness,
the three states cease to exist. Without being aware of the formless witness,
there is no chance of getting self-realization.
The three states are dependent on the formless witness, whereas the
formless witness exists with or without the three states. Therefore, the three states are not the
experience of the waking entity but of the soul, which is the formless witness
of all the three states.
Viewing and
judging the three states as an individual experience is erroneous. Man and his
world co-exist within the waking or dream. Without the world, man cannot exist.
Man and world appear together and disappear together in waking or dream. Therefore concluding the truth on the base of
the waking entity will lead to speculative hallucination. Therefore, there is a need for deeper
understanding to assimilate the self-knowledge.
Just as the dream
was witnessed without the physical body, so also the same formless witness
witnesses the waking. The man and his experience of the world are within the
waking or dream. Therefore, the waking or dream entities cannot be the witness
of the waking or dream. The dream is parallel waking experience and
waking experience is parallel dream.
The seeking mind
has to mentally reflect on the formless witness constantly, until it gets the
firm conviction that, the formless witness is the soul. The consciousness is the true self, and the mind or sense of ’I’ rises as waking or dream and subsides
and becomes on with it. When the mind
becomes one with the consciousness , then there is no duality. When there is no duality
then it is non-dual reality the true nature of the soul or consciousness .
Until and unless the seeking mind realizes the fact that the
formless witness of the three states is not the physical body but the soul, it
remains in ignorance and experiences the duality as reality. Only when it is
able to grasp the fact that the true self is the soul, then it will be able to
realize the three states are unreal. Therefore, the soul alone prevails as eternal
identity, when the seeking mind realizes the experience of diversity is mere
mirage/illusion.
