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.
[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.
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.
![Obstacles appear when you lose sight of your goal. [Swami Anubhavananda Saraswati]](https://i0.wp.com/vedanta.manishverma.site/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/02/obstacles-goal-swami-anubhavananda-saraswati.png?ssl=1 "Obstacles & Goal - Swami Anubhavananda Saraswati")
