Today's Considerations
39. [To
continue with the discussion of the contrast between those that abide as their Original
Nature and those who do not with excerpts for the eBook Your Original Nature]
The contrast between the little girl and the abrasive woman described in this series also provides an opportunity to differentiate between the way that a few abide naturally in the Nisargan manner and the other way that most persons on the planet function.
The contrast between the little girl and the abrasive woman described in this series also provides an opportunity to differentiate between the way that a few abide naturally in the Nisargan manner and the other way that most persons on the planet function.
In one case, abidance is happening as One's Original Nature; in the other case, one is abiding in the manner that happens when the pure consciousness is blocked and when one is trapped in false-self-identification and in the self-centeredness and the self-absorption that accompany any false-self assumption.
Ultimately, the discussion of a little girl enjoying what is natural and a woman behaving most unnaturally strikes at the heart of Maharaj's invitation to "merge into the Original State."
He said, "Our True Nature is perpetually free [and] peaceful awareness." In the illustration, the little girl was free, peaceful, and aware. Conscious of Nature Incarnate, she could not be conscious of her self / selves (and vice-versa). She could not disturb the peace, for she knew intuitively that such behavior would disturb Nature . . . would disturb those natural manifestations in Nature that were behaving naturally, as was she; and yes, she was totally aware.
The loud woman illustrates the contrast and the present "abnormal norm" among persons who are absorbed in self and concerned only with self. To review, Maharaj lauded the infant (the infant state) observing: "An infant . . . is just conscious and happy. The pleasure to be is the simplest form of self-love, which later grows into Love of the Self."
By contrast, he noted this about rudeness and crudeness:
Maharaj: "It is your childishness you are returning to. You are not fully grown up; there are levels left undeveloped because unattended. Give full attention to what in you is crude and . . . unreasonable and unkind, altogether childish, and you will ripen. In awareness you grow." (Note the difference in "childish" and "childlike." The former refers to the immaturity which most adults demonstrate; the latter refers to the traits of a child abiding in "The Child No-Knowing State" prior to programming, conditioning, etc. and prior to becoming "adulterated" by way of the nonsense and ignorance which are passed down unquestioningly from one generation to the next via programming, conditioning, etc.).
Visitors are regularly invited to Realize and then to overlay Reality on the relative existence. [That is the "merging" which Maharaj spoke of, a term used merely for the sake of discussion. The reason that "I AM THAT; I AM" is "advaita" (that is, is "not two") is because, among the Realized, the THAT-ness (the traits of the Original Nature) have been understood and then overlaid on the AM-ness.] The invitation could as well invite seekers to overlay the "Original Nature" over the "present 'personal' nature" of that which is manifested now.
Consider the composite unity of the elements, the breath, and the conscious-energy. The elements are natural. The air is natural except when polluted by humans. The consciousness is that which is passing through nature and which is also natural itself. It is natural until it is polluted (that is, blocked from seeing by humans who programmed, conditioned, etc. a child). It IS, and it is THAT.
And neither the Is-Ness nor the THAT-ness is even slightly "special." The scientist Szent-Gyorgyi observed, “What drives life is thus a little electric current, set up by the sunshine." It's just about energy, see? That is what is at the heart of one's present nature and is One's Original Nature: merely energy.
Nothing beyond that fact has happened or is happening: conditions evolved on the planet so that plants could thrive and so that a little electric current that is set up by the nuclear furnace called “the sun” could manifest in a plant.
That energy has many properties and forms, one form of which is conscious-energy which allows for automatic and spontaneous functioning. No one (and no "One") must teach any species anything, including how to fornicate or reproduce or grow and develop.
(Only as a result of the bastardization of the consciousness does humanity now require instruction in the means by which the damage done by programming, conditioning, domestication, and accumulation can be undone).
No buck and doe needs instructions in order to engage in an act of friction that can result in a fawn and, eventually, entire herds; no acorn needs instructions in order to produce an oak tree and, eventually, an entire forest; no human needs instructions in order to engage in an act of friction that can produce another human and, eventually, entire populations.
The awareness - sometimes never manifested as consciousness but sometimes pulled into a cycling process and manifested temporarily as consciousness - merely passes (if manifested for a time) through nature to eternity since energy can neither be created nor destroyed. In the case of conscious-energy, it can manifest temporarily in a space called "an acorn," in a space called "a bird," in space called "a deer," in a space called "a plant," or in a space called "a human." And contrary to the beliefs held by egos and reinforced by egotism, none are made "special" when the only thing that is happening is that something natural is functioning naturally.
[Remember the AA'er who was made to feel "really special" by his group when he went 365 days without a drink of alcohol? After celebrating his "accomplishment," he raced to his rich grandmother's house, hoping to tap once more into her riches, this time by being rewarded for a year of sobriety. When he told her proudly, "Grandmother, I've gone one year without getting drunk," her reply was, "And I've gone 89 years without getting drunk. Get the hell out of here." See, no kudos for doing what is sane and natural. The sane offer no rewards to someone else who behaves sanely. All living things on the planet do that, except for one. It is not special. The only living things that do not behave sanely are programmed, conditioned adults. Be free of the arrogant belief that one is "special" or "Special" and be free of learned ignorance and imposed insanity and, thereafter, the resulting sane and logical and reasonable relative existence will be its own "reward."]
That which is primordial causes no problems. It is all natural. Humanity's problems are rooted in causes that have come along since, causes which all involve dreamed up ideas, perceptions, distortions, theories, concepts, etc. (a.k.a., "beliefs").
Recall, that Maharaj said: "Awareness is primordial; it is the original state, beginningless, endless, uncaused, unsupported, without parts, without change. Awareness is absolute . . . is total, changeless, calm and silent, and it is the common matrix of every experience."
He said: "Since it is awareness that makes consciousness possible, there is awareness in every state of consciousness. Therefore the very consciousness of being conscious is already a movement in awareness. Interest in your stream of consciousness takes you to awareness. It is not a new state. It is at once recognised as the original, basic existence, which is life itself, and also love and joy"
and
"By listening to my talks you will be transformed back to your Original State, prior to your birth."
That was the sole intent of those talks and that is the sole intent of these talks.
Maharaj: "Understand what I say without concepts; you are adding new concepts. Now go to zero concepts. There are many spiritual seekers whose aim is to acquire sufficient merit to reach a certain place, such as 'Heaven' or 'Vaikuntha'. I have had no aims except to find out. I was not aware of my awareness, and suddenly I became conscious that I Am. Where and how did this consciousness arise on me? That was my enquiry, going back to that State when the presence of phenomena was not there. That is, Original Knowledge of the Original Self. So, I went back, tracing this Original Self, and I reached a stage where I wanted to know what my State was before this consciousness arose. That is the destination which I have reached. 'Brahman', 'Isvara', 'God', all these are names given to the consciousness when it is conscious of itself. If you have properly understood this knowledge, what will be your position at the moment of so-called death? It will be watching what is happening. This consciousness gradually loses everything, and ultimately consciousness is no longer conscious of itself. That State cannot be described. It is called 'Parabrahman', 'the Supreme Absolute', but that is only a name for communication purposes."
So, that Original Nature is not reached by "being religious" or "being spiritual." In fact, Maharaj taught: "There is no such thing as spirituality; whatever is, is only this worldly life, in the five-elemental play. You are nothing better than vegetation. Just as grass is growing, human beings are growing. Will anybody accept this? Birth is a material aspect. If you are yourself alone, That State will not be felt; but if there is a foreign element, only then the suffering starts. On You, the Original, this foreign element is imposed. That is why it is suffering."
Maharaj: "Once it is known what is temporary and what one's Original State is, no further knowledge is needed"
and
"That 'I Am' is a concept is to be understood while the concept is there. Once it merges in the Original State, who is there who wants to know? The illusory entity has disappeared."
So, too, the invitation is to understand that to abide as that Original State requires abandonment of all ideas and concepts and beliefs:
Maharaj: "The Original State is beyond concepts"
and
"In the Original State there is no sense of consciousness, no awareness of being, but as soon as the 'I Amness' comes, the entire manifestation is seen at once. This is the expression of the consciousness."
Realized, this is understood:
Maharaj: "I was, I am, I shall be in that Original State before the 'I Amness' came"
and
"So long as the body is there you are this consciousness, but once the body and the consciousness go You are that Original State upon which all this has come as a temporary state. Your Original State is changeless and permanent."
To be continued.
Please enter the silence of contemplation.
