Ones of Divinity – compiled from the talks given by Ratan Lal
THE TECHNIQUE OF SELF-INQUIRY
Seek the Seeker
Doubt the Doubter
Renounce the
Renouncer
There can be no real
investigation into the Atman. Investigation can be made only into the Non–self.
Elimination of the Non–self alone is possible. The Self, always being
self-evident, will shine by Itself.
Due to the negative
tendencies accumulated in the mind during many lives, the infinite
Consciousness appears as being limited in an individual body and is expressed
as a knot in the heart. This feeling of separation from the Divine gives place
to the imaginary state of bondage. The aim of every spiritual practice (Sadhana) is to destroy the
tendency of the mind that. "limits" the limitless. This means that
one must uproot the attachments, likes, dislikes, and preferences. When these
negative traits of the mind are removed, its ability to think, feel, and act is
purified. This results in a clear and balanced mind.
Mind is simply a
collection of good and bad tendencies. Spiritual practice is advised in order
to strengthen the good tendencies and uproot the bad ones. Consciousness
is Consciousness, as water is water. It is the mind that creates these
limitations. Let the water be water. Water is the same whether it is ocean
water, or river water, or water in a glass.
When you identify
Consciousness with the body, the mind comes forth with its thoughts, desires
and problems, attachments, preferences, actions and reactions, love and hate.
Truth is very simple. Unfortunately, most people do not want to hear Truth.
Today, man expects to experience heaven without the last effort on his part.
Self-realization is
very simple because Self is always realized. You must overcome the mind. Go behind
and beyond it. The only language known to the Self is silence. You can ask
yourself mentally, "What is it that arises within the body and is
called 'I'? What is its true nature? Where does it come from?" All we
can do is to attend to the Self, not inquire into it. In the waking state all
experiences are ephemeral. However, for the common man, these experiences are
the touchstone of reality. According to Vedanta, Reality is unchangeable,
permanent, and self-evident. On the other hand, we identify our Being with the
body, which is subject to change, decay, and death. Whatever appears for a span
of time and then disappears is not real or true. Being means that which was in
the past, is today, and will be tomorrow. That is why I say, "I was
what I Am, I Am what I Am, and I will Be what I Am," which means that
Being is unchangeable and cannot be affected. Whatever else that appears is not
t I uc, but attributed being. When we accept that there is no seer as such,
That which sees is alone there. That is Atman. Atman is its own anchor. It does
not need another to confirm its existence. It is the support of everything.
Once we have accepted
the above, the spiritual path becomes very simple. The problem of modern man is
that he does not recognize the truth that the intellect is not independent.
When this understanding is achieved, the mind stops. It stops creating thoughts.
Only You as Consciousness exist. If the mind is alert, not active or lazy, it
can immediately recognize the arising of the "I"-thought (the ego).
Then, we will find our reactions or comments unnecessary. The nonemergence of
the "I" -thought is the state of being ''That" which we are.
The technique of
Self-inquiry is thus to tum one's attention from the object to the subject.
When one's attention remains on the seer, automatically it will vanish. When
there is no object, there is no need for a subject. If one's attention remains
on the "I" – thought, all other thoughts vanish. When other thoughts come,
let them appear but do not follow them.
At that moment ask
yourself, "To whom do these thoughts pertain?" The answer will,
naturally be, "To me." Then, with a still mind, very calmly, ask
yourself, "Who am I?" Do not wait for an answer from the mind,
because any answer that comes from the mind will be false. When the attention
of the mind is withdrawn from the objects of sense, and concepts of thought and
is directed towards the "I" - thought, then it will calm down and
remain quiet. In such a mind, the intuitive experience of unity may appear in·
a flash. This, in brief, is the technique of Self-inquiry.
Should Self-inquiry
be practiced in a particular period of time? Can one do it while repeating,
e.g., the Mantra "Om Sai Ram"?
In the beginning it
is best to have a separate time for Self-inquiry. After some time, Self-inquiry
can be practiced anywhere one is, even in the market, or during any 9f one's
daily activities. If we ask ourselves, "Who is thinking? Who feels upset?
Who feels anger or joy?" the direct reply will be, the mind. Self-inquiry
ran be practiced during any of our daily activities. This is a way to know if
we are progressing or not. In a positive situation, the answer will be, "I
mil not that which comes and goes. That is the mind. I am That which neither
comes nor goes."
A certain guru showed
an obvious fondness toward one of his disciples. One day he wanted to test the
disciple. With his siddhis (supernatural powers) he turned himself into an
uncouth villager. He went to the disciple's home. The disciple was
absent-mindedly staring at the monarch's parade passing outside his window. "What
are you doing?" asked the uncouth villager. "I am watching the
king riding his elephant in the procession," said the disciple. "Who
is the king? Who is the elephant?" the villager asked. "Don't
you see the king sitting on the elephant? The one sitting above is the monarch,
and the one below is the elephant," replied the disciple. "I
still don't understand what is above and what is below," insisted the
villager. The disciple, slightly annoyed, thought that he would have to show
him in such a way that he would understand. "Bend down and put your hands
on the floor, he said. The villager did so, and the disciple sat on his back.
"Now I am above and you are below. The guru in disguise smiled, and said,
"What I don't understand is the meaning of 'you' and 'I."' When the
disciple heard this, he understood that such a profound statement could not
have been made by anyone but his guru, and he immediately fell at his feet
respectfully.
The trinity of the
seer, the· process of seeing, and the seen is a projection on the screen of the
Consciousness. The seer is so interested in the process of seeing and the seen
that he forgets the screen or Consciousness. The subject must withdraw his
attention from the objects that he sees, as well as from the process of seeing.
If one practices this technique for fifteen or twenty minutes every morning,
one will realize that the first person, the seer, who is part of the trinity,
does not exist either. Do not forget that the seer is also part of the film
that is being projected on the screen of the Consciousness. It is its shadow or
reflection, and as such it is not real. According to Vedanta, that which
appears and disappears does not exist. In the beginning the suggested practice
is to hold on steadily to the first person, to himself, no matter how he
imagines that to be. Only when the first person is present can the second,
third, and forth also be present. Therefore, if the first person is being
doubted, how can the second, third, and forth exist? The first person is also a
reflection of the Atman. It does not have an independent reality. Only the
Atman is real and exists on its own. It reveals Itself to Itself.
The thinker is the
mind or ego. When ego is sought, it will vanish. Sink within and seek. Find the
mi gin of the wrong "I" and abide there. When the ego or mind is
extinguished, the thinker, the act of thinking, and the object of thought merge
in one's source, which 1s Blissful Awareness. Thus, that state is neither inert
nor blank. Holding on to the "I" -thought, with the attention of the
mind turned inward, search for the source of the "!"-thought. Finding
it, remain there, or he it. Although ego might put on the garb of the Self and
parade as being all powerful, it has no strength of 1 Is own. The consciousness
of individuality or the ego 1s only a reflection of the Self, which is
unlimited Consciousness. The state in which the ego doesn't rise is the state
of the mind in which it gets dissolved in its reality. The state where there is
no rising and setting or ego is the state of our true being. Everything arises
and sets into constant consciousness.
People want to
realize the Self by using the mind; but since the Self is behind and beyond the
mind, this 1 s not possible. The mind is a very useful tool regarding the
practical matters of daily life, but one must t1nderstand that it is not
necessary in order to realize the Self. How can one contemplate on the
Spiritual Heart, that which is free from thoughts? The contemplation
recommended is to be as you are. The Self will be revealed by itself, like
something obvious to Itself, reaching the point where it is a direct experience
that does not need the help of the mind. This, finally, is the natural state of
the Self.
The ego is the "I"
– thought. The true "I" is the Self. To reside in one's being, where
the ego is dead, is the perfect state. Take no notice of the ego or its
activities but observe the light behind. True inquiry is searching (without
uttering the word "I" and with the mind turned inward) the source of
the ego.
