"The very first step in understanding what this is all about is giving up the concept of an active, volitional 'I' as a separate entity and accepting the passive role of perceiving and functioning as a process." - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Self has no intentions

Sage Vasishtha

Give up the desires of your heart. You are what you are in this world: knowing this, sport in this world. In the very presence of the self all activities take place in this world, just as in the very presence of a lamp there is light. The lamp has no intention to shine: even so the Self does not intend to do anything and yet everything happens in its very presence. You may adopt one or the other of the two attitudes: (1) I am the omnipresent being that does nothing, and (2) I am the doer of all actions in this world. In both cases you will arrive at the same state of perfect equanimity, which is immortality. You will be rid of foolish feelings like 'someone served me' or 'someone else hurt me'. Hence, O Rama, you may feel, 'I am not the doer, I do not exist' or 'I am the doer, and I am everything': or enquire into the nature of the Self ('who am I?') and realize 'I am not any of this that is attributed to me." Rest established in which the best among the holy men who of this state ever dwell.

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सर्वभूताधिवासं यद्भूतेषु च वसत्यपि।
सर्वानुग्राहकत्वेन तद्स्म्यहं वासुदेवः॥

That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings,
who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being:
I AM THAT. -- Amritabindu Upanishad