An Advaita Vedanta philosophy site, focusing on Realization, enlightenment, nisarga yoga, non-duality (nonduality), your original nature, dwelling as your natural state, and the teachings of Maharaj.
FROM A SITE VISITOR: Why realize? (In a nutshell.)
F.: Here's the deal, in a nutshell:
(First, understand that the term "the Realized" is used for the sake of discussion only, actually referring neither to persons nor to humans but to those manifested specks of consciousness that are blocked by the fiction-filled "mind" from seeing truth. For the sake of discussion with seekers, words such as "they" or "them" will be used initially, but the pointer is really toward Pure Witnessing by the temporarily-manifested consciousness.)
The Realized know the "one thing" that They Are, so they transition this temporary period of manifestation with a sense of oneness, of wholeness, of non-brokenness. From that awareness of completion and wholeness, there is neither a struggle to seek nor any expenditure of energy to gain nor to fight with "others" (there being no such thing as "others"). Ergo, peace, contentment, stability, sanity.
The non-Realized (those specks of consciousness that are blocked from seeking truth because conditioning and programming generated a "mind" that functions like a miasma, like a fog) do not know that "one thing" that They Are; thus, they will believe that they are a thousands things...a thousand roles. With every assumed role comes effort and wasted energy.
The effort is to sustain those roles, to overcome the imaginary fears that that each role takes to be real, and to manipulate and control others in order to fulfill the desires of each role. With that misunderstanding also comes a sense of being split into a thousand pieces, a sense of hollowness as opposed to feeling fulfilled, a sense of competitiveness and sense of threat as ego-states are seemingly hurt or supposedly interfered with or allegedly threatened.
Rather than knowing the Oneness, the non-Realized (if the manifestation continues long enough) will reach a point where they feel separated and apart from; where they feel something is missing; where they are constantly longing or constantly fearing; where they feel broken; where they do not feel whole; where belief in illusions has left them disillusioned (and needing to be dis-illusioned, meaning cleansed of their belief in illusions); where they never have a sense of "being done"; where they must, therefore, do and do and do; and where they are, as a result, never able to relax and take it easy in the beingness only.
They will never live out a relative existence with peaceful non-attachment because they will believe the lies the "mind" tells them about "the way things were" and will therefore become entrapped in an imaginary "past." They will believe the lies told to them about how a body and mind and personality can experience eternal continuity, so they focus on that "eternal future" rather than enjoy fully the temporary now-ness.
Identified with the body, they will be in fear about its well-being; in fear about the possibility of its being prematurely terminated; in fear about the possibility that it will be in pain; and in fear about the possibility of it becoming old and fragile and non-responsive.
Identified with the "mind," they will suffer an existence that is dominated by the chatter of a thousand monkeys, there being no peace of mind as those egotistical monkeys constantly fill the head with their shouting about slights and demotions and disappointments and affronts and losses and "should have been's" and "would have been's."
So you asked, "Why realize?" You are now asked, "Why not?" Please enter the silence of contemplation.
TOMORROW: "Why do so few ever realize?"
FROM A SITE VISITOR: Why realize? (In a nutshell.)
F.: Here's the deal, in a nutshell:
(First, understand that the term "the Realized" is used for the sake of discussion only, actually referring neither to persons nor to humans but to those manifested specks of consciousness that are blocked by the fiction-filled "mind" from seeing truth. For the sake of discussion with seekers, words such as "they" or "them" will be used initially, but the pointer is really toward Pure Witnessing by the temporarily-manifested consciousness.)
The Realized know the "one thing" that They Are, so they transition this temporary period of manifestation with a sense of oneness, of wholeness, of non-brokenness. From that awareness of completion and wholeness, there is neither a struggle to seek nor any expenditure of energy to gain nor to fight with "others" (there being no such thing as "others"). Ergo, peace, contentment, stability, sanity.
The non-Realized (those specks of consciousness that are blocked from seeking truth because conditioning and programming generated a "mind" that functions like a miasma, like a fog) do not know that "one thing" that They Are; thus, they will believe that they are a thousands things...a thousand roles. With every assumed role comes effort and wasted energy.
The effort is to sustain those roles, to overcome the imaginary fears that that each role takes to be real, and to manipulate and control others in order to fulfill the desires of each role. With that misunderstanding also comes a sense of being split into a thousand pieces, a sense of hollowness as opposed to feeling fulfilled, a sense of competitiveness and sense of threat as ego-states are seemingly hurt or supposedly interfered with or allegedly threatened.
Rather than knowing the Oneness, the non-Realized (if the manifestation continues long enough) will reach a point where they feel separated and apart from; where they feel something is missing; where they are constantly longing or constantly fearing; where they feel broken; where they do not feel whole; where belief in illusions has left them disillusioned (and needing to be dis-illusioned, meaning cleansed of their belief in illusions); where they never have a sense of "being done"; where they must, therefore, do and do and do; and where they are, as a result, never able to relax and take it easy in the beingness only.
They will never live out a relative existence with peaceful non-attachment because they will believe the lies the "mind" tells them about "the way things were" and will therefore become entrapped in an imaginary "past." They will believe the lies told to them about how a body and mind and personality can experience eternal continuity, so they focus on that "eternal future" rather than enjoy fully the temporary now-ness.
Identified with the body, they will be in fear about its well-being; in fear about the possibility of its being prematurely terminated; in fear about the possibility that it will be in pain; and in fear about the possibility of it becoming old and fragile and non-responsive.
Identified with the "mind," they will suffer an existence that is dominated by the chatter of a thousand monkeys, there being no peace of mind as those egotistical monkeys constantly fill the head with their shouting about slights and demotions and disappointments and affronts and losses and "should have been's" and "would have been's."
So you asked, "Why realize?" You are now asked, "Why not?" Please enter the silence of contemplation.
TOMORROW: "Why do so few ever realize?"
