When a man no longer confuses himself with the definition of himself that others have given him, he is at once universal and unique. He is universal by virtue of the inseparability of his organism from the cosmos. He is unique in that he is just this organism and not any stereotype of role, class, or identity assumed for the convenience of social communication.
~ Alan Watts
CONSCIOUS IMMORTALITY
Q: What is illusion?
M: Find out to whom the illusion occurs and it will vanish. It is foolish to talk about it, for it is outside us and unknown whereas the seeker is inside and to be known. Find out the immediate and intimate instead of what is distant and unknown.
Q: 'Brahman is real, world is illusion,' is Sankara's stock phrase. Others say the world is real. Which is true?
M: Both. They refer to different stages of development. The aspirant starts with the definition that the Real always exists, and then eliminates the world as unreal because it is changing, and hence cannot be the ReaL Ultimately he reaches the Self and there finds unity. Then that which was originally rejected as being unreal, is found to be part of the unity.
Being absorbed in the Reality, the world is also real. In realization there is only existence, and nothing but That.
There is no difference between matter and spirit, Modern
science admits that all matter is energy. Energy is shakti. There fore all are resolved into Siva and shakti, i.e. Self and mind. The bodies are mere appearances. There is no reality in them as such.
The world is not real, apart from the hidden reality. Hence it is really the spiritual reality itself in another way. Ananda lives in
every being.
Sri Ramana Maharshi: ~~~Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talk 272.
Q.: What is to be done by us to improve the condition of the world?
M.: If you remain free from pain, there will be no pain anywhere.
The trouble now is due to your seeing the world externally
and also thinking that there is pain there.
But both the world and the pain are within you.
If you look within there will be no pain.
Q.: God is perfect.
Why did He create the world imperfect?
The work shares the nature of the author.
But here it is not so.
M.: Who is it that raises the question?
Q.: I - the individual.
M.: Are you apart from God that you ask this question?
So long as you consider yourself the body
you see the world as external.
The imperfections appear to you.
God is perfection.
His work also is perfection.
But you see it as imperfection because of your wrong identification.
Q.: Why did the Self manifest as this miserable world?
M.: In order that you might seek it.
Your eyes cannot see themselves.
Place a mirror before them and they see themselves.
Similarly with the creation.
“See yourself first and then see the whole world as the Self.”
Q.: So it amounts to this - that I should always look within.
M.: Yes.
Q.: Should I not see the world at all?
M.: You are not instructed to shut your eyes from the world.
You are only to
“see yourself first and then see the whole world as the Self”.
If you consider yourself as the body the world appears to be external.
If you are the Self the world appears as Brahman.
~~~~~~~~~
This world is a garden, a game, play this divine game very well. See things only as they are but do not possess them or you will be in trouble because even your body is transient.
The next breath is not guaranteed so do what you have to do Now: play well, play wisely, by first finding out who you are. Yoga only, no bhoga, first finish your work, then go to the world with a heart that is dancing. Don't use words for this dance because the game is tricky. Just be silent.
The world is like a tail of a dog, its nature is to curl.
The best you can do is to stay Quiet
and not let anything bother you.
Visitors will come and go, don't interfere with these waves.
Be always empty and let desires dance.
Being asleep in the waking state is
being asleep to desires and aversions.
~ Papaji
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