"Remove this apparent ignorance from the apparent individual and you are left with the Self, non-dual Consciousness, which is then realised (in the absence of the ignorance) always to have been the case."--Dennis Waite
F.: "We'll continue our discussion of 'Child Ignorance' and 'learned ignorance' tomorrow in order to provide an opportunity for our Featured Columnist, Dennis Waite (author of THE BOOK OF ONE, The Spiritual Path of Advaita) to reply to a query submitted by a regular visitor to the site, Sim of Kentucky, U.S. (The response is especially timely since the site discussions this week are focusing on the necessity of removing all 'learned ignorance' as a prerequisite for Realization.) We are grateful to our guest for submitting a question that allows Dennis to offer several pointers for clarification. Thanks to both Sim and Dennis Waite.
Sim: "Do you mean it literally when you say that you just sat and watched/observed? In such cases, one must still be 'thinking,' correct?"
Dennis Waite: "Hi Sim,
There are several points worth elaborating on from this exchange.
Firstly, you imply that thinking is somehow bad. But thoughts simply arise in Consciousness. If you have ever tried to ‘think’ a thought, you will find that this is not possible. What actually happens is that the thought comes and THEN you say ‘Hey, I just thought that!’ But in fact there is never any ‘thinker’, in just the same way that there is no ‘doer’. Every ‘thing’ is just the non-dual reality, partially obscured by the limiting idea that there is an ‘I’ somewhere involved in all of this – there isn’t. In the case of thinking, there is an identification with the idea that there is an ‘I’ who thinks.
Secondly, there is effectively no difference between perceptions, feelings and thoughts. All of these appear to awareness in exactly the same way. We are aware of a chair apparently out there, a pain apparently in here or a thought. Direct path teachings do not differentiate between them – Francis Lucille calls them all ‘mentations’.
The third point relates to spiritual practices. Having said there is no ‘I’, it follows that there is no ‘seeking’ (who would do it?). There is no enlightenment to be gained or received as a prize at the end of a process of seeking. However, contrary to what some modern teachers might tell you, preparation and practice ARE needed. This is not for the individual (since there is none) and not for a result (‘you’ are already the Self) but in order to remove the ignorance that obscures the truth of the matter. Remove this apparent ignorance from the apparent individual and you are left with the Self, non-dual Consciousness, which is then realised (in the absence of the ignorance) always to have been the case.
Best wishes,
Dennis
Best wishes,
Dennis
F.: "Thanks to Sim and Dennis Waite. To find information on his book--as well as a wealth of information on Advaita Vedanta--you may visit Dennis Waite's website using the link at the top of this page.)
