True nature of the self is “without the three states”.

The consciousness is the true self and non-duality is pure nature of the consciousness. To capture the essence of non-dual reality, where witness and the witnessed are identical, it is only pure consciousness that by which its very nature is self-revealing and self-knowing.

True nature of the self is “without the three states”. It is the absence three states and presence of fullness of consciousness in its true form which allows for the clear recognition of the Self.

Consciousness is the true self and it is the Knower and the Known, the Seer and the Seen, without any duality.  Self, being one without a second, is always self-knowing. There is no “other” for it to know. That is why it is refer to the Self as the natural. The reference to natural implies the non-dual nature of the Self.

While deep sleep is a state of complete unconsciousness.  The true state is the state of full and complete consciousness. Deep sleep is still the state of ignorance. And a true state of consciousness is the state of self-awareness. In a very real and true sense the true state of the consciousness is the state of “deep awake”. The self is fully asleep to the world of perceptions and fully awake in its true nature, which is non-dual consciousness.

The true nature   of consciousness cannot be understood without self-knowledge. But it is not impossible to understand it. People who speak about true nature of the self without the being aware of the fact that self is not physical can only speculate about its nature. Because such people are confused about nature of the self, their statements create confusion for others.

The three states can continue to exist and function after acquiring self-knowledge. But for Gnani all the three states are unrelated, because he has become one with the witnessing consciousness.

After Self-Realization, the duality is seen as existing but not separate from the Self. The Self knows itself even though the duality still exists.  The duality exists as a condition that rises from the Self and then is absorbed back into it. It is due to the presence of the duality, (until it disappears by death), that Knowledge of the Self can be passed on by the Realized beings to others who seek such knowledge.

Some people refuse to accept the world as illusion without understanding it aright.

Some people refuse to accept the world as illusion without understanding it aright. They have to understand assimilate the fact that:-

v  Consciousness is real;

v  The universe, which is in the form of mind or ‘I’ is a myth;

v  Consciousness is the universe because the substance of the universe is consciousness.

The universe is conceived to be apart from the witness, and that perception is wrong, because the witness and witnessed are one in essence.  The universe [witnessed] is created out of the formless witness, which is consciousness.  Thus the substance of the universe, which is in the form of mind, is also consciousness. Thus the witness and the substance both are one in essence.

Universe is unconditioned superimposition. After the truth of the self is known, the illusion of the universe is removed once and for all.

“But one should also take into account the conditioned superimposition, i.e., ‘the water in the mirage.’ “The mirage does not disappear even after one knows it to be a mirage. The vision is there, but the man does not run to it for water. Ultimate truth must be understood by perfect understanding. The universe, which appears as waking, is a myth. The dream is parallel waking and waking is parallel dream.  Even after knowing it, it continues to appear. It must be known to be consciousness and not apart by realizing the consciousness to be ultimate truth.

With the conditioned as well as the unconditioned illusions considered, the phenomenon of the water in a mirage is purely illusory because that water cannot be used for any purpose, whereas the phenomenon of the world is different, for it is purposeful. How then does the latter stand on a par with the former?

“A phenomenon cannot be a reality simply because it serves a purpose or purposes. Take a dream for illustration. The dream creations are purposeful; they serve the dream purpose. The dream-water quenches dream-thirst. The dream-creation, however, is contradicted in the two other states. What is not continuous cannot be real. If real, the thing must ever be real, and not real for a short time and unreal at other times. So it is with miragified creations. They appear real and are yet illusory.

The universe cannot be real of itself. That is to say apart from the consciousness, which is    underlying Reality. Illusion is used to signify the manifestation of the Reality. Self-knowledge is not philosophy but it is finding the truth of one’s true existence. Self-awareness does not arise by study of scriptures.

Becoming aware of the self is important to realize the fact that, universe is mere mirage created out of consciousness. Consciously becoming aware of the illusory nature of the mind, that is in the form of universe, as consciousness leads to self-awareness.

If one is serious and sincere in his pursuit of truth and sharp enough to grasp the truth than he ready for the inner venture straight away.

Gnani sees consciousness in everything and everywhere in all the three states, thus nothing exist other than consciousness for him.

 One who follows the inner path reaches the end.  One has to become aware of the fact behind the appearance of the universe is consciousness, which is the true nature of the self.

However, all their explanation and deductions cannot prove their vision, as long as he who doubts cannot see what they see. And he cannot see it as long as both of them use different ways of perceiving.

No logical or philosophical demonstration can get wisdom because the wisdom has to be acquired by the seeker himself by indulging in deeper self-search.  Seeker has to make sure of the fact that, the self is neither the waking entity nor it is a dream entity but self is formless consciousness.  The waking or dream, which contains forms, names and the universe are mere mirage created out of consciousness. What is left when one becomes aware when he becomes aware of the fact that his body and his experience of the world is mere mirage, it is only conscious non-dual self-awareness.

That the consciousness is not only limited to the physical identity within the waking or dream but it pervades the whole the waking or dream world.  Thus limiting the consciousness to the physical entity is cause of the ignorance.  Thus one has to understand the fact that the self is not within the physical body but it pervades the whole universe as its formless substance.  Until this is not understood it is difficult to grasp non-dual truth.

One should not blindly accept the world as illusion because some guru said so or some teaching says so or some philosophy says so,   without verifying the validity of these claims. One has to indulge deeper self-search until he gets un-contradictable truth.

v  How the world is illusion.

v  Why the world is illusion?

v  On what standpoint the universe is illusion?

Until all the confusion is cleared with sound reasoning   and solved the riddle of the universe as illusion to gain self-awareness is impossible.

It is the doubts and confusion that creates questions and goes in search of answers. It takes some time for the inner dialogue, which starts revealing the answers clears all the doubts and confusion.   Until the un-contradictable truth is ascertained there is no satisfaction arises. 

Until one mentally clears all the doubts and confusion the question after question emerges, from within and starts getting answers from within and all the accumulated knowledge will be burnt and finally the wisdom dawns.    

Self-Knowledge derives perfect understanding assimilation and realization of the truth

Self-Knowledge derives  perfect understanding assimilation and realization of the truth that, the self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the formless substance and witness of the three states  through deeper self-search. 

Through deeper self search one becomes aware of the fact that , Consciousness is ultimate reality.  Reality always is and, by its own nature, is the perfect fullness always. The consciousness is ever present, for nonexistence of oneself is not known by anyone ever.

 The consciousness  is unalterable at any time, for what changes is not real but an illusion or mis- perception of what is real, and what truly exists is immutable, there being nothing else to alter it.

 If it is not completely experienced all the time, such is not due to a change or any modification in the real Absolute Self. It is not due to any external factors, for such would be only an effect of a precedent, delusive cause.

 It is due only to ignorance, which actually has no existence of its own and which does not actually belong to the immutable, ever-luminous Self,which is in the form of consciousness. Nor can it belong to another, for the conception of another is a product of ignorance, the experience of the universe ,which is in the form of  ‘Mind’ and the mind appears as whole waking or dream experience  is product of  ignorance.  Though unreal, it seems to veil the Truth, this unreal cause yielding an unreal effect of bondage. Therefore, it is imperative that ignorance be destroyed so that no obscuration of the Self is experienced. Ignorance can be destroyed by  Self- Knowledge alone and not by any other means.

Ignorance is the lack of discrimination regarding what is real and not, what is the Self and not. discrimination, is the perception of what is real and actually the Self. Discrimination is essential for the destruction of ignorance and the inner revelation of truth. 

Spiritual Discrimination means discriminating between  matter[mind]  and the spirit[soul]  to realize  the ultimate reality. The essence of the means is the end itself. The end itself appears as the means. By clear discrimination, one discovers,understands ,assimilates and understands what is real and what is unreal and able to drop mentally what is unreal. 

Thus, one knows the Reality as it is. Discrimination  between the real and illusion  shows the direct and clear path. It shows what Realization is. It is what composes the path. In its true nature, the ultimate truth  is directly realized without any intermediary. That is the Knowledge of self , by  the self ,which is Consciousness, itself.

Self - Knowledge is not based on physicality. Physical based  knowledge is not self knowledge.  Self-knowledge is realizing, the  knowledge of the reality of the physical existence.  Self-Knowledge  basis on  Existence itself. Its attainment endures, as existence endures, for it is not dependent upon anything of a transitory character. This is the formless path to the Formless existence.

Those who object that the means and ends of waking are different from those of dreams, and therefore they are not on the same level, ignore that they have time, space and causal relation in both experiences.

Those who object that the means and ends of waking are different from those of dreams, and therefore they are not on the same level, ignore that they  have time, space and causal relation in both experiences. These three things make the waking experience real to everyone: and are its chief characteristics; similarly they give the same sense of reality to dream. They say waking is real and dream is illusory, but for the one who has learnt to view the worldview on the base of sou[consciousness] as self, both are illusory. 

Where is the need of a creator when one’s own dream experience offers proof that, the true self bring into being a whole waking experience, which contains  world and persons, and if it  can create a dream world, why not also a waking world? Only seeker should not forget that 'Self ' does not refer to the ego which is itself a produced thing but he must know the true self is the formless soul,which is in the form of consciousness.

The Advanced stage of pursuit of truth, resulting from the constant practice of inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base and " self -awareness ” is that the attitude thus developed during waking will repeat itself during dream. One has to mentally  separate the self from the three states, know the three states  to be the consciousness, because the formless  substance and witness of the three states   is the consciousness.

The three states do not exist; that is not its point; what is felt as real in each states is one and the same thing that is the soul the true Self.

Whosoever identifies his-self with this bundle of bones and flesh is ignorant.

Knowing consciousness as self, mind becomes known.  Knowing consciousness as self nothing else remains to be known. Knowing consciousness as self one attains to immortality that is the beginningless ultimate reality.

A Gnani is fully aware, and sees the consciousness in all beings and in everything, existing equally and deathless in the living and the dying.

Consciousness is present within all the three states but without the three states. Consciousness is present in all the moving and unmoving, incomprehensible, far and near, impartible, sustaining everything in the waking and dream experiences. 

Until one recognizes the source of the mind, one is bound to believe his birth entity as real self and his experience of universe as reality. This body one is so proud of is not the self.  The body and universe exist within the mind. Therefore there is a need to know the source of the mind. The body and the world are within the waking experience.  And the waking experience also will permanently vanish same way as dream, which is called death. 

 

One has to know that the body and the world are within the mind. And mind is made of consciousness. Thinking the body is   made of five elements one becomes ignorant of the consciousness. By becoming ignorant of consciousness one is conditioned to believe the birth, life and death as reality. By believing the birth, life and death as reality one has strong conviction that the universe in which he is born is real, thus he experiences the illusion as reality. And all his reasoning and judgement is based on physical self, which is the false self within the false experience.  

Mind merges into the source, from where it is originated. Therefore there is a need to mentally trace the source in order to discover the ultimate truth.  

The true self is consciousness and consciousness is  devoid of attributes yet it  existing as if divided in beings, sustaining beings, devouring as well as generating beings within the illusion.  

The consciousness is the light of all lights, beyond all darkness, the goal of knowledge, dwelling and pervading everything and everywhere   in all the three states as their formless substance and witness. Consciousness is the One to be known as ultimate truth. 

These three states are temporary - they will pass away. One should not be so proud, looking at his beautiful body and the beauty of the universe, which are within the waking experience. When the time ceases the waking ceases,    like the snake shedding its skin, the consciousness sheds the three states. 

 The mind is like perishable.  Like   frail and perishable; the paper is limited. When the drop of water falls upon it, the paper crumbles and dissolves instantaneously same way the reality of the mind which appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep dissolves when their unreal nature is exposed through wisdom. 

Even though the self is something other than this material body, the majority of people still identify themselves with it. Why? The main reason people identify the physical body as self, is because of the ignorance of the Real Self, which is consciousness.

Whosoever identifies his-self with this bundle of bones and flesh is ignorant.  Now the question arises: If self is not this body, then what is self? If body with the name is not self then what is one’s true Identity which is without the body and name?

Self is the consciousness and consciousness is ultimate truth.  One has to recognize the consciousness as the true self in order to know the three states are unreal.  

The three states are temporary, while the true self ,which is  consciousness , is the  formless substance and witness of the three states  real  and  Immortal Therefore, this mind is  false and impermanent, and the  Soul or consciousness ,which is  the real Self is True and permanent.

Consciousness is not human, and it is not a demigod. Consciousness is not celibate, or a worshiper. Consciousness is not a Yogi, and it is not a hermit. Consciousness is not a mother or anyone's son because it is formless and one without the second. 

Consciousness dwells in all the three states.  No one can find its limits. Consciousness is not a house-holder, and it is not a renouncer. Consciousness is not a president of the country, and it is not a beggar. Consciousness is neither the guru nor disciple.  Consciousness has no body, no drop of blood. Consciousness is neither a Hindu, nor Christen, nor a Muslim.

Consciousness is not called a man of austere self-discipline, or an orthodox. Consciousness does not live, and it is not seen to die. When the ignorance [Birth, life, death and world] vanishes through wisdom consciousness alone will prevail as non-dual existence. 

Mind is formed of the same essence as the soul, which is in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is stable it like the ink on the news paper which cannot be erased.

The ultimate goal, aim or purpose of human existence is to become linked or re-established in his true identification, the unconditioned consciousness. This is Self-Realization — the realization of man's True Self, the Soul, which is in the form of consciousness. Once one attains this pure awareness within, then he recognizes that "consciousness is the real self, and self is consciousness ". 

Consciousness is Soul, and the mind is in soul or consciousness. This is realized through reflecting constantly on the consciousness which is the formless substance and witness of the three states. 

Seeker has to recognize mentally that "consciousness is self”. He who knows this secret through deeper inquiry, analyses and reasoning become free from experiencing the illusion as reality. 

Consciousness is within the mind, and the mind is within the consciousness but it is without the mind. This is realized through reflecting on this subject.

The consciousness is the formless essence of the mind.  Therefore, the mind and soul are one is essence.