Self Alone Exists Always

Sage Vasishtha

O Rama, there is another attitude by which you will also gain divine insight and remain firmly established in self-knowledge. And that is as follows:

'I am the space. I am the sun. I am the directions, above and below. I am the gods. I am the demons. I am all beings. I am darkness. I am the earth, the oceans etc. I am the dust, the wind, the fire and all this world. I am omnipresent. How can there be anything other than me?'

By adopting this attitude you will rise beyond joy and sorrow.

Both these attitudes are conducive to liberation: one is 'I am the extremely subtle and transcendent self' and the other is 'I am all and everything'. There is another attitude with regard to the 'I', and that is 'I am this body': this attitude is the source of endless sorrow. Abandon all these three attitudes, O Rama, and remain as pure consciousness. For, though the self is transcendental and though it omnipresent, the self alone is the light in all things in the world, though they are in fact false.

This self-knowledge is not gained by explanations and descriptions, nor by the instructions of others. At all times, everything is known  only by direct experience. Whatever is experienced and known here in this world, all that is the self, the consciousness devoid of the duality of the experiencing and the experience. It is the self alone that exists everywhere at all times, but because of its extreme subtlety, it is not experienced. In all beings, it is the jiva. All activities take place in the light of the sun, but if the activities cease, the sun does not suffer loss: even so, it is on account of the self that the body etc., function, but if the body etc., perish, the self does not suffer loss. The self is not born, nor does it die; it does not acquire, nor does it desire; it is not bound, nor is it liberated - the self is the self of all at all times.

That (self) is unconditioned by time, space etc., how does it become bound? When there is no bondage, what is liberation? Such is the glory of the self. But on account of ignorance of the nature of the self, people weep and wail here. Abandon these two false concepts, viz., that of bondage and that of liberation, and live and enlightened life here. There is no liberation in the sky or on earth or in the netherworld; liberation is but a synonym for pure mind, correct self-knowledge and a truly awakened state. The complete absence of all desires and hopes is liberation. Until one reaches this true inner awakening or self-knowledge, one considers oneself bound and strives for liberation. Abandon these wrong notions of bondage and liberation and become a man of supreme renunciation, O Rama. Then live a very long life and rule the whole world.