Category Archives: Self Realisation

Consciousness and Enlightenment

The following line from Patanjali Yoga Sutra [4.19] speaks about the dependence of what people call consciousness in common language on something else:

image

The above implies that individual consciousness does not have an independent existence, it exists due to the impersonal consciousness. In Vedanta individual consciousness is called reflected consciousness. Many times when you say, “I” you mean individual consciousness.

When light ray strikes a mirror it gets reflected and we speak of incident and reflected rays. For observer there are two rays. However, light just knows that it is light and not as incident and reflected rays separately. After bouncing, instead of saying, “I am reflected light” the light still says that I am just the light. Water says I am water whether it is inside a cup or inside a bucket. When you realise this deeply, the identification with individual consciousness goes. You realise that one consciousness is expressing through various things and you are that.

When you are absolutely comfortable in saying this to yourself that I am pure impersonal consciousness and Jiva is reflecting it but I am not Jiva, you are enlightened. Also, the understanding that because Jiva appears in me, Jiva is me but I am not Jiva becomes firm.

If you are looking for mystical experiences and epiphanies to attain enlightenment, you may have a tough road ahead as maya is very strong. All these experiences are made possible by maya. Consciousness is beyond maya and one needs to remove the veil of maya to know the truth. Experiences come and go but you remain.

Self Inquiry Final Stage

Self is revealed in the final stage of Self Inquiry when the doer who does Self Inquiry surrenders/loses himself and Impersonal Awareness claims the, “I” status. The doer, “I” does not know Impersonal Awareness as object but the Impersonal Awareness as true, “I” recognises ItSelf after removing doer, “I”. This shift is subtle and is not necessarily as dramatic as the words, “Awakening” and “Enlightenment” may sound. Surrender happens when you understand that the results of action are beyond your control and only then you let the doership go. Surrender does not necessarily mean surrendering to a physical guru.

image

[Mundakopanishad, 3-2-3 Portion]

Meaning: The Self is gained only by him who longs for It with the whole heart. For to such a one the Self reveals Its own nature.

Is NDE Enlightenment?

Enlightenment means direct knowledge of the Seer as Seer. In NDE (Near Death Experience), since there is an experience without body and this experience appears much more real than the experience that a normal mind has, there is a clear realisation that one is not the body and not the mind. One is inclined to call oneself as the individual soul after NDE. There is a feeling of unconditional love, of timelessness etc. in NDE but it is a feeling after all. Seer merely sees without feeling. Seer does not have any individuality also. Negating body and mind is fine but if individual soul is not negated it is not enlightenment. Seer is pure Consciousness which is beyond body, mind and individual soul. NDE does not necessarily mean enlightenment. If Self Inquiry continues during NDE, it can give rise to enlightenment.

Self Realisation Symbol

image

The mark at the middle of two eyebrows symbolises opening of third eye (spiritual eye) which implies enlightenment. The three lines on the forehead symbolise the gross body, subtle body and causal body that are reduced to ashes when the third eye opens and enlightenment happens. These words may sound like something dramatic takes place when enlightenment happens but the fact is that if the process of Self Inquiry is followed to attain enlightenment, the changes take place gradually. It is not that all changes take place during direct realisation. Also, changes continue to take place after enlightenment as unconscious mind takes time to change.

Irreversibility of Self-Realisation

It is said that while tomorrow you can forget what you hear today but you seldom forget cycling or swimming. Self-Realisation/Aparokshanubhooti is the direct knowledge of the Self. It is not a bookish knowledge, epiphany without true realisation, belief or faith.

image

[Panchadasi, Chapter 7, Triptideep Prakraran, Verse 62]

The above implies that once the intellect develops to recognise the truth of the Atman then any behaviour/false-identification involving/caused-due-to  body, mind, energy, intellect, bliss does not cause the loss of this intellect. To live in the apparent reality, false identification has to be done. The enlightened person does respond when called by a name. He/she still signs cheques and does all the routine jobs involving false identifications. But, just like an actor does not remain character of the play after the act, the enlightened person can get rid of these false identifications. Aparokshanubooti (direct knowledge) is generally irreversible in the long run.