Mind Must Die to Realize the Self

Sri Lakshmana Swamy

Q: What are the different stages or levels of the mind that one passes through before realizing the Self?

LS: Mind is only thoughts. The more easily you can be without thoughts, the nearer you are to a direct experience of the Self. To make the mind die you must deprive it of thoughts. The effortless thought-free state is the highest level of practice.

There are no stage or degrees of realization, there only stages of spiritual practice. The final state of sadhana is this effortless thought-free state. If this state can be maintained, then the "I" will sink into the Self and it will experience the bliss of the Self. This is not realization, for there is still an "I" which is experiencing the bliss of the Self These experiences are only temporary; the "I" will continue to reassert itself until the moment of realization. Realization can only happen in this effortless thought-free state, for it is only in this state that the Self can destroy the "I" thought. The I-thought, which is the mind, must die completely before Self realization occurs.

Q: How is one to make the mind die?

LS: The mind can never eliminate itself without the grace of the Self. The mind is afraid of its own death; it will not do anything to endanger its own existence. It is like a thief who poses as a policeman in order to catch himself; the thief will only pretend to catch himself because ultimately he wants to escape. Similarly with the mind. The mind will engage in sadhana, thinking that it wants to destroy itself, but as soon as the mind starts to sink into the Heart, a great fear arises which prevents the mind from completely subsiding. This fear is part of the mind's self-defense mechanism, and you will never overcome it by effort alone. It is because of this that you need the grace of the Guru. When you concentrate on the name and form of the Guru, or try to be without thoughts, the grace of the Guru calms the mind and helps it to overcome the fear which would otherwise prevent it from completely subsiding.