"The notion of 'I' is utter ignorance; it blocks the path to nirvana or liberation. Yet the foolish man endeavors with the help of this darkness of ignorance to find the light of truth!" - Vasistha's Yoga
Something along these lines was quoted from Vasistha in my last entry. He repeats himself often, driving the most important points home as many times in as many ways as he can. Vasistha is a teacher, his work is an explication, a dissection, a distillation and summation of jnana yoga, just as Dogen explicated Zen or Meister Eckhart did Christianity. Vasistha repeats what bears repeating, and the passage above is integral to awakening. As body-minds we stand within our own light, blocking its radiance just as a planet blocks the light of the sun during eclipse. Recognition of this is what enlightenment is all about. But even as our conditioned thoughts and senses interfere with this recognition, even as the planet stands before the sun, a dim outline of truth still penetrates, attracts, instills in us a restlessness and discontent with our lives which drives us to seek the end of discontent: peace beyond, literally beyond, understanding. It's an amazing thing, these paths we take chasing something ever beyond human comprehension. Some folks decide it best to just settle down in the warm light of realized sages such as Jesus and Buddha and Ramakrishna. This is fine, but it is not full realization. The jnani must be the sage he worships, must taste the truth exactly so.
"The infinite consciousness reflects itself as the infinite and unconditioned consciousness in all, and that alone is experienced in all....This world appearance is but a notion [a mental construct] and it is utterly dispelled by enquiry [as per Ramana Maharshi or Nisargadatta Maharaj]....When one is able to abandon the inert materiality of the mind, the intellect and the egosense, one attains the pure unconditioned being. This is liberation." - VY
"Attain" is a misleading word. We are already there, bathed in the light, consisting of the light, but ignorant of this. The sages lead us to this living water. Vasistha shoves our muzzles deep into its depths and holds it there until egosense suffocates. I love it. .
Something along these lines was quoted from Vasistha in my last entry. He repeats himself often, driving the most important points home as many times in as many ways as he can. Vasistha is a teacher, his work is an explication, a dissection, a distillation and summation of jnana yoga, just as Dogen explicated Zen or Meister Eckhart did Christianity. Vasistha repeats what bears repeating, and the passage above is integral to awakening. As body-minds we stand within our own light, blocking its radiance just as a planet blocks the light of the sun during eclipse. Recognition of this is what enlightenment is all about. But even as our conditioned thoughts and senses interfere with this recognition, even as the planet stands before the sun, a dim outline of truth still penetrates, attracts, instills in us a restlessness and discontent with our lives which drives us to seek the end of discontent: peace beyond, literally beyond, understanding. It's an amazing thing, these paths we take chasing something ever beyond human comprehension. Some folks decide it best to just settle down in the warm light of realized sages such as Jesus and Buddha and Ramakrishna. This is fine, but it is not full realization. The jnani must be the sage he worships, must taste the truth exactly so.
"The infinite consciousness reflects itself as the infinite and unconditioned consciousness in all, and that alone is experienced in all....This world appearance is but a notion [a mental construct] and it is utterly dispelled by enquiry [as per Ramana Maharshi or Nisargadatta Maharaj]....When one is able to abandon the inert materiality of the mind, the intellect and the egosense, one attains the pure unconditioned being. This is liberation." - VY
"Attain" is a misleading word. We are already there, bathed in the light, consisting of the light, but ignorant of this. The sages lead us to this living water. Vasistha shoves our muzzles deep into its depths and holds it there until egosense suffocates. I love it. .
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