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Frank-in-SanDiego
USA
363 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 01 2006 : 9:34:35 PM
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Hari Om
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The great seers say ignorance is like seeing a knot in a rope, once you untangle it, where did it go?
It was never there to start with. Like that, ignorance is temporary and can be removed. So, where's this ignorance, and what happens when its removed?
This is what this post is about... the knot, its removal, and what's left. If you have interest, take a look.
How does this Ignorance relate to our experience? And why should we care? We can discuss ignorance of the SELF - we are able to talk about it, read about it , think about it. Does that quality for ignorance? Doesn’t seem so. I am not igornant of it as the subject matter of a discussion, I can read, I can ponder it, so there must be something more to this ignorance then meets the eye.
Consider this. Fundamentally there's are two basic levels of knowledge:
> That what is read and heard about ( books, Veda, Upanishads, Bible,etc) and ;
> That which is experienced personally by an individual - technically its called the knower of the field.
So , from a book level we are not ignorant of the SELF (also known as Svarupa-jnana or Sva = 'own self' + rupa = 'form or shape' , and jnana or knowledge. Add it up and we get knowledge ( information) of SELF or Absolute Self or Pure Awareness.
Yet – from an experiential level we are not yet experiencing the SELF 7x24x365. So where is this hold up? Where is the ignorance? The Ignorance is the experience that the Intellect IS this Awareness. The intellect we experience daily is lit up by Awareness yet it is NOT Awareness itself.
Just as the smell of a flower is a flower, in fact there are two distinct attributes there, the flower and the smell – we see them as one…. The perfect example is like the phrase, “like white on rice” – we experience them as one thing. This is the Ignorance the great seers are talking about – the SELF is so tightly coupled with our everyday intellect, we can not distinguish the difference. We then think we are the body, our thoughts, our pain, because 'I' am so tightly coupled top this….but this is not the real self. “ I do this… and I do that” , ultimately the 'I' is pure consciousness and 'I' do nothing; the 'I' is independent of he field of action and stays rested completely in its SELF.
The Real SELF in un-involved with daily activity – it’s at perfect rest. It is unbounded behind all the senses (some call these senses the ego-sense). The SELF is infinite consciousness not bound at all. Since it has never been born, it cannot not die – it’s immortal. This is the real Soul of the individual that is SELF. So a key experience is to see the distinction between the Intellect ( called Buddhi) and the SELF (known as Purusha). Patanjali calls this out as a key tenet in his Yogasutras if you care to read a bit more about this.
The Cosmic Person is called this Purusha mentioned above (from purva or previous time + ush or burned up – Purusha burned up all evils in previous times) Why do I mention this distinction? Because when you meditate it sets up the CONDITION to see the distinction between Buddhi and Purusha. It's through this condition that the SELF reveals itself to its SELF. This is accomplished though your simple technique of meditation + rest and activity...simple.
Once this happens , we get established in SELF, and the 4 goals of life or Purusartha, are achieved. What are these four goals? Artha or wealth or abundance, Dharma or that which upholds, Moksha or liberation and Kama or the fulfillment of desires. How so? The ultimate desire (Kama) for Enlightenment ( moksha), that upholds rightness (dharma) is fulfilled and creates abundance (artha) for the individual by being established in this SELF state. One gets established in more then the most , they say, because SELF is the most abundant value in the universe - its everything! It's of equal vision, being completely restfully alert, and full of bliss, a key attribute the sages proclaim.
So , when established in SELF, there is only one thing to experience , the extension of YOU…everywhere.
Peace,
Frank In San Diego
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mystiq
India
62 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2006 : 12:48:43 PM
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All sounds very complicated Are you the self or not?
mystiq |
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A knot in the rope
