Jiva Goes, Shiva Remains

Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj 

What is our attachment that is to be dropped? This means that when you see only "me", the sense of "my" and "mine" is to be dropped. "I" means the sense of "me". It is the sense of this separate "me" that is the state of the individual, the jiva. When you say, "I don't exist", the individual is finished. When you have actually seen that you are not, there is no necessity of a means and an end. When the individual (jiva) is gone, only God (Shiva) remains. The meaning of the end of the jiva, is the ending of "me". You have seen that you are not existent. There is a confirmed realization  that from top to bottom in the whole body, that "you" are not there. Even after this conviction, there is still experiencing of a body and of Consciousness. Now, this experience is of the nature of a gentle touch. It is but a slight touch for Pure Consciousness, Shiva. This means that Consciousness touches, or animates the covering that is the body. This is a simple sensation that is most natural. The quality of Pure Consciousness is what is called Shiva. That which is only an imagination without the base of actual experience or observation, is called Ignorance. The misunderstanding about that which is born as the body, as "me", is the essence of the state of the jiva, which is Ignorance. This is wrong knowledge. When the fact is one thing, and you think it to be something else, that is wrong knowledge. Ignorance means "not knowing". When you "know", when you understand, it is Knowledge. The gaining of Knowledge takes away the Ignorance, and "Supreme Knowledge", or Vijnana, takes away that Knowledge. After this, you do not have to study. You are simply Pure Brahman. "That" is an open experience. Bread that is already baked need not be baked again, and you do not boil rice that has already been boiled.

The word Swayambhu becomes Shambhu (Shiva), by a slight change in pronunciation. That One who is Shambhu is Swayambhu, the self-existent One. Even if the body is cleansed by taking a bath, the Self is not cleansed by that process. Brahman is already pure. Why are you trying to bathe it? A tiger was advised that he should first take a bath and then kill animals. He followed the advise and began to die of hunger. A sage told him, "You did not follow your own religion (natural behavior) and therefore you are going hungry." If this Brahman does many unnecessary and wrong things, everything goes wrong. So, do not do anything. It is told of how Shiva left his abode in Mount Kailasa and went to the cemetery where he attained Self-Realization. You are Paramatman, enjoy your own glory. Others are going to be pure by simply looking at you. You will find that things will happen as you say.