supreme_self

THE SUPREME SELF
(PARAM AATMAN)

When I, the Supreme Self, become conscious of and get identified with my body, mind and intellect, I become the limited ego. This ego, through its own illusion, misconceives the Infinite Self as the sorrow-ridden calamitous world of birth and death. This individualized ego gets itself completely bound to the wheel of happenings in the world. When true knowledge dawns, the misconceptions end and the little ego rediscovers itself to be the Infinite Brahman.

Self-Witness in All

The 'Witness' is one who stands on the foot-path, uninvolved in the happenings on the road- say an accident. The Consciousness is a 'witness' in all the life's experiences, in every individual living creature. In our ignorance we become so totally involved with the happenings, and get wholly committed to the joys and sorrows of our body and mind. The illuminator is always different from the illumined. "I am the Self, the Illuminator, and not the illumined". To stand as a 'witness', detached from all that is happening within and without us, is one of the most effective early exercises in meditation.

If you detach yourself from the body and abide in Consciousness, you will at once become happy, peaceful and free from bondage; says Ashtavakra Geeta - I (4). The ego in us asserts in two ways: in the sense of 'doership' and 'enjoyership'. As a doer, one gets involved in actions-both good and bad. As an enjoyee, one has to undergo all sufferings of the opposites like 'happiness and sorrow'. The conflicts of 'good and bad' and the struggles for 'pleasure and pain' belong to the mind only. Never are they yours. You are nothing but the All-Pervading-Consciousness.

Self is the only one Subject - everything else belongs to the world-of-objects. You are the Subject. The world-of-objects are illusory, superimposed upon the Infinite Self, the Subject. Burn down the forest of ignorance with the fire of certitude- "I am the One, Pure Consciousness".

The Self (Aatmaa) is the Witness (Saakshee), All-pervading (Vibhuh), Perfect (Poorna), Non-dual (Eka), Free (Muktaa), Consciousness (Chid), Actionless (Akriyah), Unattached (Asangah), Desireless (Nisprihah) and Quiet (Shaantah). Through illusion, it appears as if it is absorbed in the world.

The Marvellous Self

The Supreme Self is often indicated by the term "Wonder of Wonders" (Atyaashcharya-mayam-devam). The term "Aashcharya" is employed both in the Geeta and in the Upanishads.The Self cannot be the 'effect' of anything, the 'result' of any special endeavour undertaken. It is not produced because of 'Saadhana'. It is not caused by anything. Then, does it mean that all spiritual practices are useless? No. All of them are necessary to de-hypnotise our agitated mind and riotous intellect. When the thought-process slows down and stops, the mind-intellect is transcended. Then the ego ceases. Where the illusion of ego is lifted, the Reality is revealed.

"As waves, foam and bubbles are not different from the waters, so the universe, streaming forth from the Self, is not different from the Self."

"Just as sugar made from the sugar-cane-juice is entirely pervaded by that juice, so the universe, produced in Me, is permeated by Me, both within and without."

"Just as cloth, when analysed, becomes nothing but thread, even so this universe, when examined carefully, is found to be nothing but the Self."

The above three examples(Ashtavakra Gita) help to lift the seeker's understanding to comprehend that the world of plurality is nothing but Consciousness Infinite in an apparent state of disturbance. In reality, the world is nothing but the Self alone.

The universe appears from the 'ignorance' of the Self, and disappears with the knowledge of the 'Self'.

Self in All - All in Self

The Upanishadic declaration " Aham Brahma Asmi " is the ultimate Truth. The Self-realized Saint Janaka continued to rule his Kingdom of Videha all through his life. He continued to earn and spend wealth. He was maintaining the ego in his mind. He was indulging in his sexual and other duties towards his queens. How are these possible for a liberated soul like Janaka?

The wise person ever sees the Absolute Self. His identity is with the Self 'Alone' (Kevalam). He only acts. he never 'Reacts'. He watches his own body acting as if it were another's. So, he is not perturbed by praise or blame. He realizes this universe as a mere illusion. He has lost all zest in life. Even the approaching death can have no fear for him.

Glory of Realisation

The Man-of-wisdom should not be compared with the ordinary people. He enjoys the happiness which even Indra has not achieved. He is not touched by virtue and vice. He acts spontaneously (Yadruchhayaa). He can renounce desires and aversions. He does what comes to his mind. He has no fears from any quarters.

Dissolution of Ego (Laya)

This has to be attained in 4 different stages, as it is impossible for any one to achieve it in one sudden step :

Ending the body-consciousness,
Comprehend the non-dual Self,
Negate the universe of names and forms,
Unbroken and continuous God-rememberance.

Thus, stage by stage, Laya ultimately takes the seeker to the experience of the Absolute Aloneness of the Self-Divine (Kaivalya).

To pursue 'Laya-Yoga' a residual amount of ignorance is necessary to maintain in the seeker- the witnessing ego- to strive for the dissolution of itself in the Supreme Self.

Saakshi Bhaava

Initially one should learn to 'stand apart' from all experiences. Learn to develop the 'Sakshi-bhava'- the ability to objectively look at the world, situations and problems. This is a great quality by itself. Normally we are so conditioned with our likes and dislikes, that we just flow on, rarely pausing to think what and why we are doing. 'Sakshi-bhava' or the 'Witness-attitude' creates a condition where we look at something not from the point of view of the individual but from the point of view of a third uninvolved person. We have to play our roles and that also in total freedom. It is this ability which finally helps to bring about the freedom to see things as they are and then live as per our convictions.

Once a person develops the ability to observe something with full detachment then he should turn inwards and realize who and what is the 'Subject' really like. Who am I? One thing which becomes pretty apparent is that I exist inspite of the objects outside, I am 'Nitya' while the objects are 'Anitya'. It is I who turns attention to anything which we like and then, having given importance, flow on. I am the illuminator of all objects of experience. The situations come and go; but in essence I still remain as I was earlier. I can recollect the memories of my childhood because I still am. The body may change, the mind may change yet I remain.

The final step is to realize the relativity or rather the error even of being called a Saakshi. To continue using this word also is a compromise. A person who has come till this stage has no doubt about the existence of our Self as Pure Existence and Consciousness. Yet due to our own insufficient understanding we continue to impose some limitation on our Self. Every word is limited and refers to a limited thing. To encompass the Self with one word is to limit it. Strange is the story of life; we first limit ourself with our own projections and then plan ways and means to break the non-existing shell.

That Tranquil Self

Even intelligent educated men readily accept the idea that we come into the world. This implies that the world is something alien to us - something totally different from us. This idea "we come into this world" will be totally against the views of our scientists and their knowledge. Science insists that we come out of the world.

Our Scriptures go yet one step further and declare that the universe itself comes out of the Self. Laya-Yoga itself is only for those who have in themselves lingering shadows of 'ignorance'. This ignorance manifests as the mind. The world of names and forms is only the imagination (Vikalpanaa) of the mind. All which have form are false. The formless is the changeless. The Self is not in the object; nor is the object in this Self. The Self is Infinite and taintless. Hence, it is free from attachment and desire. It is Tranquil.

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