Thursday, March 9, 2017

Recognizing the Self as is


When we want to recognize the truth of the self,  we need a mind, whose restlessness and clinging to its own stories, we can simply put aside for a while, so that we can recognize that we do have an existence independent of the mind-body-world.
In that quiet frame of mind, we can definitely confirm for ourselves that :-
1.      Whatever is perceived, like the world, the body, activities, sensations, thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, ignorance all are:-
a.      Subject to change – temporary, time-bound
b.      Dependent on their causes, and totally dependent upon ‘I’, the conscious being to make themselves known. Therefore they are subject to discontinuance. They come up to go in the presence of consciousness, the self
c.       Limited by simply being themselves, beside being limited in time
WHEREAS
2.      The consciousness that shines as ‘I’ is self-evident, self-existent and INDEPENDENT of all that stands revealed in its ever-presence. We must confirm for ourselves, meaning recognize without the shadow of a doubt, that consciousness, the self, is self-evident, self-revealing and is ever-present in every cognition, in every emotion, in every feeling, in every sensation, in every activity and yet INDEPENDENT and therefore not changed or affected by the presence of these, even as light is unaffected by what is illumined in its presence. Consciousness illumines by its very presence and everything else is illumined. Perception simply takes place in the presence of self-existent, independent consciousness.
3.      Consciousness is the independent principle – and one must recognize as one’s own truth that the consciousness that is the self, is not limited by any object whatsoever, nor by space, nor by time

It is really all about recognition of consciousness-I as is – without superimposing anything, not even an idea on it. It is not really a new experience, because consciousness has always been present as the very self, in every experience. It is simply recognizing the same ever-present consciousness-I as it is, without mixing it up with what is illumined in its presence.

Once the independent nature of consciousness is truly recognized and owned up, the presence of one’s mind is not a disturbance or a problem. One’s existence as a body-mind is recognized for what it is – a dependent reality which cannot in reality disturb one’s self.  Perception still takes place, sensations do take place and one does enjoy an enlightened functional identity and so activities take place– and one recognizes that even though everything goes on as before, one is indeed free – totally free. What goes is one’s sense of reality in being a limited individual.  

Om Tat Sat