Thursday, August 16, 2012

The innermost self is neither unknowable nor remains unknown at any moment.




But he who is truly wise Always sees the absolute Self. Celebrated, he is not delighted. Spurned, he is not angry. Pure of heart, He watches his own actions As if they were another's. How can praise or blame disturb him?
- Ashtavakra Gita 3:9-10

The  formless soul is the innermost self. The innermost self is neither unknowable nor remains unknown at any moment.  A Gnani  can guide one to something which always remains unknown. A  Gnani  can Guide , it means that he knows what he says. This transcendental state is quite easy or may be well-nigh impossible according as one is inward bent in peace or out-moving in restlessness. It cannot be taught if it always remains unknown.

The fact that the Vedas point to it only indirectly as 'not this - not this' shows that the knowledge can be imparted to others."Whatever one  sees becomes known by the very abstract intelligence.

The seeker has to carefully analyze the underlying consciousness which, though abstract and apart from material objects, yet illumines them all the same. Know it to be the truth.

What is not self-luminous can only fall within the orbit of  the  formless witness and cannot be  formless witness itself.  Formless witness  is that by which objects are known; it cannot be what it is if it becomes the object of knowledge. What is witnessed must always be different from formless witness  itself, or else it could not be made known by it. Formless witness  in the abstract cannot admit of parts, which is the characteristic of objects. Therefore objects take on shapes. The seeker has to mentally observe the formless witness  after eliminating  the witnessed  from it. The formless witness and witnessed are one in essence.  That essence is consciousness.

Just as a mirror takes on the hues of the images, so also the consciousness assumes the different shapes of objects by virtue of its holding them within itself.

Consciousness can thus be made manifest by eliminating from it all that can be known. It cannot be known as such and such, for it is the supporter of one and all.

This, being the Self of the seeker, is not cognizable. Investigate your true Self in the aforesaid manner.

There is no other agent to know the Self nor light by which to know it.