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From not knowing, to the knower – How suffering and seeking begins
Today we need to revisit the topic of Panchakleshas (please see this earlier article). As a quick reminder, the, Panchakleshas are a list of progressive distortions in our perception that lead us to suffering. These layers of distortion are progressive. One distortion leads to another, and it progressively grows into a delusion of a separate entity that our minds project as a reality. The result of this delusion is that it leads us into the afflictions of anger, lust, pride, passion, greed and jealousy. This is suffering. Today we will look at the first two and most important of these progressive distortions that are at the root of this. Avidya (not knowing) and Asmita (contraction). Avidyā (अविद्या) is a Vedic Sanskrit word, and…
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What is “Self Realization” and does a person get self realized?
Self realization is an intense yet very simple topic. A hungry Zen master approached a fruit vendor and requested: “Please make me one with everything”. The vendor prepares the fruit bowl and hands it to the Zen master, who pays with a $5 bill. The fruit vendor tucks in the cash, and closes the drawer. “Where is my change?” asks the Zen master. Much to the shock of the Zen master, the vendor responds: “Change must come from within”. Although this funny incident is just a joke, it has a hidden truth within it. Throughout this site and through all my efforts, I strive to bring this truth to aspiring spiritual…
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Viveka (विवेक); Discrimination
नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः कः ? नित्यवस्त्वेकं ब्रह्म तद्व्यतिरिक्तं सर्वमनित्यम् | अयमेव नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः | * From the tattvabodhaH (1.1), Sri Adi Shankaracharya What is meant by the discrimination between the permanent and the impermanent? The Reality alone is eternal; everything else is ephemeral. This conviction alone is the discrimination between the permanent and the impermanent. Viveka (विवेक) is the ability to discriminate or discern. This ability is critical to seekers of truth. Without this discriminatory ability transcending the mind, body identification will be extremely difficult. What are we discriminating? We have to have the ability to discriminate the appearances of thoughts, feelings, sensations and emotions from ourselves. We have to be able to discern the awareness in which these appearances appear,…
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सत्य; [Satya] The Ultimate Truth
In a conversation “I” had with someone, the person asked “me”, “Is there an ultimate truth”? This prompted the writing of this article. Definition of truth: The real definition of truth is that something which does not change. It is what it was in the past. It will be in the future what it is now. Anything that changes is not true. It is not the truth. It is only interpreted by your mind as a relative “truth”. Hence everything in the “outside” world (manifested phenomenal universe) is untrue and will never give you eternal happiness. What is the ultimate truth? The truth is that you do not exist. You have identified…
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Enquire – Who are you?
Enquire. Now you may ask, about what? You may ask, why? Would you not refuse to drive such a vehicle that you do not understand the controls of? Do you not use this body and mind as a vehicle to transact with this world? Have you ever looked inside of your mind? Do you know why you think the way you think? Are these really even your thoughts? And yet, you continue to drive this divine vehicle without really knowing the controls. Day after day. As a child. As a young one. As a grown up. All through life and even death.