F.: Any discussion of any concepts, including concepts such as "choice" or "alternatives," applies to the relative only. That said, understand that the re-purification of the consciousness is a process. Full sanity refers to the “no-mind” state, but the consciousness cannot move directly from the state of being bastardized to the “no-mind” state of being pure. There is an intermediate state where a “working mind” begins to manifest as the “thinking mind” dissolves. It is during that “working mind” state that alternatives are seen as the protégé on the “path” begins to realize that “Thought A or Behavior A” is insane—is continuously resulting in misery and suffering—and that “Thought B or Behavior B” does not result in misery and suffering. Eventually, even the “working mind” disappears, the “no-mind” state evolves, thinking ends, and choosing ends because all happens spontaneously; but even then alternatives (to what was being inspired by the bastardized consciousness during the pre-Realization days) can be witnessed. Apply all of that to persons who are walking about in their sleep while appearing to be awake, to those that are now awake, to persons thinking they are choosing when they are not, and to all that happens spontaneously. Consider the act of rolling over as another example.
Those who are asleep can roll over in the same way that someone awake can roll over. Those asleep are not consciously choosing to roll over when they are uncomfortable, but they roll over nevertheless. Those awake can choose to roll over if uncomfortable but eventually the rolling over when uncomfortable just starts to happen spontaneously among the awakened. As the process of the evolution of the consciousness happens, protégés begin to realize that they have generated painful experiences in the relative existence as a result of their programming, their ideas, their emotions, and their beliefs. As the consciousness further evolves toward a state of re-purification, they see that there is no such thing as their ideas or their beliefs and that there are only the ideas and beliefs that were dreamed up by persons. Those in the awakening process see that they have never had any ideas of their own and simply adopted the beliefs of “others” and imagined them to be their own. At that point, they understand why, pre-Realization, they had no alternative but to behave or think in the way that they were programmed to behave and to think.
When Fully Realized and living naturally, choice vs. no choice is a moot issue. The deer appears to “choose” to run away if startled rather than ignoring what might be a physical threat and continuing to graze instead. In fact, the fleeing—like the grazing and the running away—are all happening automatically. Conditioned persons do things that are automatic too, but they happen unconsciously as a result of being programmed and conditioned, leaving persons unawake, unaware, and unconscious even when they appear to be conscious. The deer has no mind with which to think, so that which happens without thinking is an “automatic action,” resulting from the functioning of inner resources (including the sixth sense, the instincts, the intuition, and the brain) rather than from the corrupted consciousness and a “mind.” Consider “having no choice” to be the condition that exists during the relative existence when the consciousness has been so corrupted that it functions in an unnatural or supernatural manner. Consider choice to be an alternate way of moving through the relative existence—specifically, a sane and natural way—that happens as a result the re-purification of the formerly corrupted consciousness and as a result of once again being in touch with the inner resource. At that point, efforts to engage with outer resources ends, including gurus, jnanis, gods, "holy" writings, etc.
Of course the realized do not decide anything, their being no decider, no “one” to decide, and no “do-er” to do anything if it were decided. Only as the antithesis of “the loss of the ability to choose as a result of having been programmed” should the concept of choice and alternatives even be discussed. That said, it’s really all relative existence “stuff,” but to understand how “choices can happen even in the absence of a chooser” is to understand how the relative existence can happen naturally after persons are in touch with reality and abiding as the Absolute. Abiding as the Absolute and abiding as the Amness are not two things happening simultaneously. Only one thing Is, and That Which Is Real understands It Is the Real, understands what is temporarily manifested, and understands that all appearances in the relative existence are false. The Absolute while manifested understands what is manifested and understands what is illusion. Likewise, it understands how eating can happen without the presence of an eater, how alternatives can happen without the presence of any chooser selecting alternatives, how teaching can happen without the presence of a teacher, and how bidis were sold without the presence of any seller.
5. As for your next query, the Realized follow no rules. There are no moral absolutes in a relative existence. That concept is just another lie, set forth by those who would define "moral" and try to make all people adhere to their "standards." On the other hand, the way that the natural, AS IF living happens post-Realization has inspired many personas who think they are “in a position to know what is moral and in a position to judge others” to draw the conclusion that “the Realized live morally, not immorally.” The Realized know that “moral vs. immoral” is just another dualistic lie.
6. As for the other queries, you may search the site for pointers on your remaining questions. Generally, questions that arrive and that might have relevance to protégés and visitors on the “path” are answered on the site. The quantity of e-mails that are received prohibits on-going, one-on-one dialogues, but all are welcome to use the search tool at the top of this page to locate additional explications. The complete content of over 400 postings can be searched rapidly and can likely retrieve additional pointers on most Advaita topics.
Finally, since “relevance” and “application” are restricted to the relative existence, it can be seen ultimately that satsanga, enlightenment, and Realization are really the stuff of the relative existence as well. Some have said, “Oh no, you are very wrong. My guru speaks of metaphysical, spiritual issues that are relevant and true, and my daily disciplines are very spiritual practices.” Okay, but WHO is going to be present, either during the relative existence or post-manifestation, to experience anything metaphysical? WHO thinks he is doing something that is spiritual? WHO thinks it is a guru that is speaking?
Those who are asleep can roll over in the same way that someone awake can roll over. Those asleep are not consciously choosing to roll over when they are uncomfortable, but they roll over nevertheless. Those awake can choose to roll over if uncomfortable but eventually the rolling over when uncomfortable just starts to happen spontaneously among the awakened. As the process of the evolution of the consciousness happens, protégés begin to realize that they have generated painful experiences in the relative existence as a result of their programming, their ideas, their emotions, and their beliefs. As the consciousness further evolves toward a state of re-purification, they see that there is no such thing as their ideas or their beliefs and that there are only the ideas and beliefs that were dreamed up by persons. Those in the awakening process see that they have never had any ideas of their own and simply adopted the beliefs of “others” and imagined them to be their own. At that point, they understand why, pre-Realization, they had no alternative but to behave or think in the way that they were programmed to behave and to think.
When Fully Realized and living naturally, choice vs. no choice is a moot issue. The deer appears to “choose” to run away if startled rather than ignoring what might be a physical threat and continuing to graze instead. In fact, the fleeing—like the grazing and the running away—are all happening automatically. Conditioned persons do things that are automatic too, but they happen unconsciously as a result of being programmed and conditioned, leaving persons unawake, unaware, and unconscious even when they appear to be conscious. The deer has no mind with which to think, so that which happens without thinking is an “automatic action,” resulting from the functioning of inner resources (including the sixth sense, the instincts, the intuition, and the brain) rather than from the corrupted consciousness and a “mind.” Consider “having no choice” to be the condition that exists during the relative existence when the consciousness has been so corrupted that it functions in an unnatural or supernatural manner. Consider choice to be an alternate way of moving through the relative existence—specifically, a sane and natural way—that happens as a result the re-purification of the formerly corrupted consciousness and as a result of once again being in touch with the inner resource. At that point, efforts to engage with outer resources ends, including gurus, jnanis, gods, "holy" writings, etc.
Of course the realized do not decide anything, their being no decider, no “one” to decide, and no “do-er” to do anything if it were decided. Only as the antithesis of “the loss of the ability to choose as a result of having been programmed” should the concept of choice and alternatives even be discussed. That said, it’s really all relative existence “stuff,” but to understand how “choices can happen even in the absence of a chooser” is to understand how the relative existence can happen naturally after persons are in touch with reality and abiding as the Absolute. Abiding as the Absolute and abiding as the Amness are not two things happening simultaneously. Only one thing Is, and That Which Is Real understands It Is the Real, understands what is temporarily manifested, and understands that all appearances in the relative existence are false. The Absolute while manifested understands what is manifested and understands what is illusion. Likewise, it understands how eating can happen without the presence of an eater, how alternatives can happen without the presence of any chooser selecting alternatives, how teaching can happen without the presence of a teacher, and how bidis were sold without the presence of any seller.
5. As for your next query, the Realized follow no rules. There are no moral absolutes in a relative existence. That concept is just another lie, set forth by those who would define "moral" and try to make all people adhere to their "standards." On the other hand, the way that the natural, AS IF living happens post-Realization has inspired many personas who think they are “in a position to know what is moral and in a position to judge others” to draw the conclusion that “the Realized live morally, not immorally.” The Realized know that “moral vs. immoral” is just another dualistic lie.
6. As for the other queries, you may search the site for pointers on your remaining questions. Generally, questions that arrive and that might have relevance to protégés and visitors on the “path” are answered on the site. The quantity of e-mails that are received prohibits on-going, one-on-one dialogues, but all are welcome to use the search tool at the top of this page to locate additional explications. The complete content of over 400 postings can be searched rapidly and can likely retrieve additional pointers on most Advaita topics.
Finally, since “relevance” and “application” are restricted to the relative existence, it can be seen ultimately that satsanga, enlightenment, and Realization are really the stuff of the relative existence as well. Some have said, “Oh no, you are very wrong. My guru speaks of metaphysical, spiritual issues that are relevant and true, and my daily disciplines are very spiritual practices.” Okay, but WHO is going to be present, either during the relative existence or post-manifestation, to experience anything metaphysical? WHO thinks he is doing something that is spiritual? WHO thinks it is a guru that is speaking?
Finally, what response, therefore, can be made to your question about “Why realize…what is the benefit?” Any so-called “benefit” of Realization can only apply in the relative. “Peace” is not a post-manifestation option since there is no one to experience peace or distress or anger or anything else. All experiencing is relative, so anything taken to be a spiritual experience is a lie. Only ego-states can experience, so anyone claiming to have had a spiritual experience is simply admitting that he or she has assumed the role of a “Spiritual Person/Persona” which is simply another false identity. Any talk about suffering or misery or relief or peace or enlightenment or benefit is only relevant to the relative existence for that period during which the consciousness is temporarily manifested. Post-manifestation, there is no suffering—and thus no reward since dualities are lies—and therefore no misery or relief or peace or enlightenment or benefit or loss either. To abide as the Absolute is to be free of belief in any of those concepts during the manifestation, but either way, freedom from concepts and the misery and suffering they generate will end, either “now” via Realization or “later” as the manifested energy is released into the universal pool of conscious-energy where there is no "one" to either understand or to experience. Please enter the silence of contemplation.
[TOMORROW: “Is it more advaita or more Vedanta?”]
[TOMORROW: “Is it more advaita or more Vedanta?”]
