A drop of water does not separate to be a part of the ocean, but rather dissolves its partiality. Until it surrenders, it is relatively powerless in comparison to the sea. The separate self is the time-based mind's attempt to separate and it will prove to be futile. Only separation is unattainable. Self-realization is an ease, since it is already complete.
Desire inherently contains its opposite, which is fear. Dual in nature, they depend upon one another. So while we are creating our personal desire, we are also creating poverty, greed, sexual obsession, power over others in the herd, and every form of lack. In other words, when we desire, we are actually saying that we are lacking. Consequently, both seem to be created. That is the way of the dual mind and it points to madness, but at least "I have what I want." Do you? "Probably not, but I will in the future."
If you are acquiring in order to be happier at a future time, ever-present joy will elude you. It is not a future endeavor. It is here now, uncaused and free of every-thing. The dual mind will prove to be ravenous for its desires, as it runs from its fears. Its bottom line will always be "more!" When it finally discovers that its treasures only provide a fleeting happiness, it discovers the root of all its longing, which is the realization of the Heart.
Katie Davis Website: www.katiedavis.org
Katie Davis Website: www.katiedavis.org
2 comments:
You say self-realization is an ease- that the self is, in some way, a higher state to exist in than the dualistic state that most humans exist in. Is that not creating just another (larger) drop in the ocean? In a non-dualistic sense, the sage both is and is not- there is an absence of being and an absence of non-being. You say that the dual mind is not the way to happiness. In that case, is the non-dual mind the way to happiness? Non-duality assumes the Self to be above happy and not happy- since there is no other. So my question is, since any talk about non-duality is creating this drop in the ocean- looking at a grain of sand instead of the beach, then is not all non-duality philosophy a contradiction in itself? Since it creates what it hopes to destroy, in a metaphorical sense
Hello Jeet ~
Thank you for your comment and question regarding Self-realization. Nonduality is not a state that comes and goes. It is the Essence within which duality appears. Using the analogy that you have referenced (the larger drop in the ocean), Nonduality is the ocean itself. Within this ocean of Totality, duality appears and the mind-made self seems to appear. Duality cannot embrace Non-duality, since duality exists within the limited and impermanent. However as Totality, Non-duality has no conflict or opposition against that which is nondual. By non-dual, I am referring to the opposites such as pleasure and pain, good and bad, happy sad, you and me. Since duality is Totality, it embraces all that is. It is the formlessness within which all form appears.
It is an ease, since it is already complete, that is, it is already total. To realize this, we notice all that is coming and going ... the impermanent and then it is surrendered as not permanent. Once all of the false ideas of the mind/intellect are surrender, what remains is who you are ... the Essence, which is the Totality.
The 'sage' as a concept, as someone separate from who 'you' are is a false concept. The sage is none other than who you really are right now ... the entire Field of Totality.
The non-dual fully integrated Self (Totality/Essence) is joy. You are joy. When the dual mind realizes itself as this Essence, it is humbled in devotional silence. Joy is not an attribute of the Self. The Self has no attributes, yet its nature is pure joy or one could say bliss.
The dual mind is incapable of realizing joy since it is arising from a deeper Totality, let's call it a deeper dimension, exclusive of none. The ego is searching in objectivity (within people, places and things) to find happiness. It may discover a fleeting, relative happiness; meaning a happiness that will inevitably cycle to unhappiness which will once again cycle to happiness. The object that was attained did not cause the moment of happiness. In an instant of attainment, we were free of desire and stopped all searching and wanting. In this stopping, we slip into timelessness or our true nature, that is joy. One could say that when happiness and unhappiness merge, we discover that which is transcendent ... joy. This joy is ever-present, caused by nothing and in need of nothing. It is our natural state. It is realized by being still and noticing what really exists here and now. We become more conscious of what actually is.
Non-duality is not a concept or philosophy. It is who you really are here and now. A philosopy can be learned, disputed, practiced, etc. True Self is virtually free of every concept and every philosopy and yet excludes none. It is the pure awareness within which they are appearing.
I might also point to the fact that Non-duality cannot be understood by the dual mind. We can never 'know' it in any objective sense whatsoever. We can only be the Self. Once you make the Self into an object, you are speaking as an object and that is separation.
The only alternative is to stop all attempts to mentally understand and conceptualize. Even this happens automatically by itself, one the mind gives up.
The Self is not a destroyer. It is the unconditional Love that you are that accepts all as it is. As nonduality, it is the virtual end of all suffering, since it is timeless which does not allow the opposites to take flight. In other words, time cannot embrace timelessness, but timelessness has no problem whatsoever with the appearance of time.
I recognize a certain maturity and depth in your inquiry. I recommend first things first ... discover who you really are. For this realization, we stop, rest in "AM" and be still, while we curiosly become aware of what is present within us.
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