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.
