On Vedanta and consolation
Hi dear Sister,
Before I directly address your questions, let’s start with a general point: the premise of Vedanta is that it states how things are. And not why they are the way they are. We can’t emphasize this enough. That’s why people always say, in the face of ‘ill luck’ and distress, “Oh well, it is what it is.” Truth is free from value judgments.
I sense some disapproval in your story, but we mustn’t forget that reality itself is neither bad nor good, but infinitely okay. In itself, we all want to be happy. Everything we do is motivated by love for the self. Because of this confusion, we often apply the wrong strategies, which makes the experience even more confusing.
Even the slightest indignation will be a blockage. For the divine means of knowledge Vedanta to work, we must embrace it in all its aspects. From a worldly point of view, freedom is totally radical; so it requires a radical means of knowledge. Seen from reality’s point of view, freedom is totally normal.
Because we feel limited, we try to complete ourselves with worldly things. That’s what it boils down to, in short. This means we look at the world to feel good. This doesn’t work because others also act from the same clumsiness. The solution is recognizing the already present wholeness that is already our nature as infinite consciousness. There is only self. This is the subject of Vedanta.
So my answer is based on self-love, and your argument is based on self-love. Even when people are angry about something or each other, it’s based on self-love, often because they experience injustice, as might be the case with you. Even if one is under the delusion that one is entitled to something (normal individuals) or entitled to way too much (warlords): that is also self-love.The solution for personal well-being lies primarily in surrendering to the order that exists, even if it comes from ignorance, instead of resisting it or appropriating anything.
I sense in you the feeling: ‘it’s not fair.’ But then we immediately arrive at a very important point: things happen according to impeccable laws (the dharma, the level of neutral empirical reality, vyavaharika satya, in pace with Ishvara), and it is indeed difficult to clearly recognize these laws. The relative reality of people’s subjective experience (pratibhasika satya) cuts right through it, making it a confusing mix. Confusion fuels stress. Stress fuels pain, and there we go…
So it’s about making reality clear for ourselves, both in terms of truth and in terms of relative life. That’s the salvation and that’s the fun. So, let’s not judge. No one is guilty of ignorance. We can, of course, contribute where we can.
I’ll now respond in the text. I also have to be straightforward and honest here and there.
Questioner: Hi dear brother! WHERE IS THE COMFORT IN VEDANTA? In the texts of Vedantasara/Tattva Bodha, much attention is paid to “adhikari,” the one with the preparatory qualities, and especially the inner richness, or rather, the kind of “conditions” one must meet if one wants to be suitable for Vedanta.
R(espondent): Practicing these qualities makes you gentler as a person, because they are already reflections of the truth, which is infinitely gentle. This makes them compassionate invitations. Vedantasara is, of course, a somewhat boring textbook. Yet, these kinds of basic books are essential for a clear, introductionary understanding of the structure of reality, according to the Vedas. Of course, you should have a text explained by a qualified Vedanta teacher.
I can also recommend that you later take on the Bhakti Sutra teachings with a mature Vedanta teacher. When it comes to themes as comfort, empathy, compassion, mercy, and love, the Bhakti Sutras are very suitable. They explore the bhakti/love side of truth. This may seem like a gentle subject, but love (the attitude behind attention to something) is also a nuanced subject and has levels of truth. The text is by the wise devotee Narada, who explains bhakti in a non-dual way. James Swartz has written one of the most beautiful Vedanta books I know about this. “The Yoga of Love”. It subtly discusses the levels of love, up to what James Swartz calls “non-dual love”: being able to love everything (absolutely everything) only and entirely as yourself. Shining World by James and Sundari Swartz offers a wonderful video series on this.
Q: I often get the feeling that I – and many others with me – as a human being/jiva will never be able to live up to that.
R: I understand that, but that’s a limiting belief that’s holding you back. The idea is to let go of this belief step by step. Then trust grows, gradually creating more inner space. We don’t have to fully comply with this, but enough to see that you are not at all this whole fuzz. In other words, creating enough sattva, the energy that reveals. Then your adhikari or persona is still not perfect, but you might be able to smile about it a little. These kinds of turning points really do come when you have trust. Who wouldn’t want to surrender to the divine? Think of the beautiful song “into my arms” by Nick Cave, in which he plays with the layers of love, and ultimately, “into MY arms” (even though he might not understand it himself) can mean nothing other than “everything is already embraced by my true nature.”
Moreover, once you understand that you’re living in a “phantom state,” which gives you this feeling, you want to get rid of it, right? Why wouldn’t it be for you? Who wouldn’t want to get rid of it? In that sense, it’s for “everyone” living in the fearful dream. But indeed, some do get around to dealing with it.
Q: Vedantasara (mantra 18) speaks of “Inner calm, control of the senses, withdrawal of the senses, tolerance, concentration, and trust.” Phew…!
R: I know you do have qualifications somewhere. You even wrote this questions with ‘patience’. You have ‘trust’ in your Vedanta teacher and in me. The next step is developing compleet confidence in yourself :). That is the crucial point here. You are loving towards those around you, and therefore tolerant. Again, why not more tolerant towards yourself, dear! I know you can focus as an artist, but also as an editor of texts, etc. See, it’s not that bad. Control of the senses are difficult for everyone. We can enjoy sensual things, as long as we know their status and pitfalls. A little discipline often gives you more self-esteem, etc. if we take baby steps, confidence will grow; you’ve only been practicing Vedanta for a year. But somewhere, a basic trust in existence, and therefore in yourself, must be developed. In any case, calmness is always there, amidst our thoughts and feelings, in sleep, and during meditation. It’s already there!
These are normal patterns in the beginning. First, the excitement when the teaching is heard. The belief in its truth. Then, later, doubt, when life, experience, pain is triggering us again.
That’s why ‘faith’ in self-knowledge isn’t enough. It must become self-evident, automatic knowledge. First, there’s a more superficial belief (viśvāsa), without true understanding, then trust (śrāddha). In trust one surrenders by simply patiently remaining with one’s teacher, because they recognize that it must be true, but there’s not yet an unmistakable identification with the truth. In this phase, the truth begins to seep in and well up at all sorts of unexpected moments in life, further increasing trust. A wonderful process! And ultimately, the automatic, completely self-evident self-knowledge (aparokṣa jñāna).
“You’ve often told me about all the fruits you’ve already reaped from Vedanta, and that suffering doesn’t linger as much and as long as it used to. Focus on that! Keep going. Persevering isn’t an activity. Persevering is another word for tolerance (titikṣā). This isn’t a form of ‘doing.’ It’s simply ‘being’ with what appears. We’ll have to! 😊
Q: Why is it written so sternly and “sharply”? It sounds so elitist and demanding, as if only someone who has their life somewhat in order, has a balanced character, is in equilibrium, and doesn’t encounter too many setbacks or distractions on their path is suited to Vedanta.
R: It is not elitist. Vedanta is compassionate. It teaches us not to rush headlong into the temptations of mind, body, and world, because then we’ll be disappointed. It teaches us that we live in a magnificent potential, established by what we call Ishvara, the divine, that which supports, sustains and carries (dharma) everything. The divine is defined as pure consciousness with apparent qualities. Compassionate knowledge invites us to find such self-control and discipline that a turning point arrives, and we also begin to recognize creation as magnificent and wondrous, full of potential for growth and emotional maturity. It invites us to recognize, that life is only making choices to learn from the results. But before we reach that point, we must first work on our minds. There are plenty of people who are living proof of this process.
This knowledge was ‘seen’ by seers who, free from all class constraints, lived harmoniously in the forests as hunter-gatherers in simplicity. There are truly many simple people (in India, but also in other cultures, of course) who live in truth and freedom. That it was later claimed by a Brahmin culture, with all its attendant institutional problems (we also see in Western religion), is true, but many sages throughout the ages have acknowledged and recognized this. There have always been bright minds who have corrected the cultural development inherent in institutional metaphysics (the worlds of spirituality and religion), including within Vedanta.
The following is important regarding metaphysics, spirituality, and even religion. We must not throw the baby (pure, direct insight) out with the bathwater (its infusion, the churches, the temples, the institutions) where individuals ascribe rights and authority to themselves based on ego. Hierarchy is assigning yourself more value based on your position in the world. It’s all a bit sad; anyone with self-esteem must internally smile at that. Having many responsibilities can even get in the way.
What is inherent in the dynamics of worldly church/religion? Yoga and religion literally mean the same thing. Re-ligare (reconnecting with the divine). Re-entering the ‘league’ between God and humanity, which we know to be the same as existence-consciousness-bliss. Likewise, in Vedanta, yoga (from the Sanskrit seed form yuj, to connect) primarily means “reconnecting with the divine.” Both liga and yoga, of course, ultimately mean: realizing through knowledge that you have always been infinitely connected to the divine.
As we know, truth is fragile in the ignorant world. It cannot be ruled out that someone like Buddha (just as Jesus did against the prevailing Pharisaic doctrine of his time) opposed a religious Brahmin culture where priests had secured a monopoly on the connection with the divine. And laypeople had to pay (think of the Christian indulgence culture of the Middle Ages) to have a glimpse of contact with the Lord through a physical sacrifice to the Brahmin. Historically, it’s always the same story. Modern sects also use it. Only the leaders are supposedly in contact with the divine. In institutions like the Catholic Church, it’s not much different. It’s always reality turned upside down. We look up to individuals who are deeply attached to worldly power.
It’s a bit of a shame that Buddhism has abandoned the efficiency and comprehensiveness of the Upanisad teachings and no longer accepts the Vedas as its starting point. Buddha and Jesus were also humans who supposedly cracked the code of existence for themselves in a mystical way. But their language is actually not as precise and complete as that of the Vedanta scriptures. Human authors of a means of knowledge, will never equal the apauruseya (not of human origin) status of the Vedas.
Now the connection with our self-image. If we say, “I can’t do it, I am not the free self,” we surrender ourselves to this worldly ignorance and perhaps even to those who preach ‘some ultimate truth’, and there’s no end in sight. Vedanta invites you to cut through limiting self-images somewhere in your thought patterns with truthfulness. If you understand even a little of what I’m talking about, the sword of discernment will sharpen itself automatically. This is called grace. No charlatan, no priest, no Vedanta-guru is going to do it for you. Somewhere, you have to tackle your own insecurity, denial, and stubbornness head-on! That’s grace! Seeing through our own stubborn minds is grace! Not trusting our automatic thoughts is grace! Self-control is grace! Trusting a proven method is grace!
You see, maya has turned everything upside down. We look to the world for solutions. For the solution, we only need to look at ourselves. And that’s precisely why the solution to all our problems is possible! I have complete freedom ‘of moving’ towards myself. As a puppet in the world, I am completely dependent on every atom, every virus, every being in my environment.
Anyway, hehe, sorry but Vedanta is so extensive because ignorance is so complex, and therefore many misconceptions need to be debunked. But you really don’t need to know it all. Just take what works for you. There’s plenty of beautiful insights out there.
Q: While, for example, Swami Dayananda and other teachers, including my teacher (“it doesn’t all have to be so perfect”), show so much more compassion for us flawed human beings.
R: Yes, beautiful! Someone who understands this is loving by definition. She or he sees everything as themselves, and therefore fully loves existence, with everything in it. You are also very compassionate and empathetic towards suffering, but with a touch of indignation, which is perfectly fine for now.
But I don’t think it’s right to project this onto a proven methodology like Vedanta. The culprit is truly ‘unhealthy thinking: ignorance’. I can recognize this in myself (usually in hindsight). And I also clearly see that this is why I was once anxious and depressed. The following is very difficult to accept: When it comes to our happiness, we are only ourselves, and ourselves alone, as well responsible as the obstacle. Because we don’t see this, we project everything onto the so-called unjust world, while not understanding that we thereby contribute to the injustice. Humanity generally lives in ignorance, projects it onto each other, and that’s why it’s such a mess. Once again, Ishvara has portrayed it sacredly and harmoniously. I read in a magazine this week a grandmother saying to her granddaughter: “Happiness is doing the right thing.” That’s a beautiful and profound point. Doing the right thing is simply acting according to the laws that apply. Dharma literally means: That which “supports” this reality. This applies both relatively (laws) and absolutely.
Q: What if your body experiences chronic pain? Then viveka [discernment] seems so theoretical, because that pain is truly not temporary, doesn’t pass during your lifetime, and is quite distracting. What if there are periods in your life when stress proves necessary to survive the days and weeks? What if the consequences of certain choices and non-dharmic mistakes continue to haunt you?
R: Severe pain is a major challenge, dear, certainly. A challenge, but also a great invitation. Simply because you want to get rid of it! And with the physical pain, you can move on: Because we also want to get rid of our mental pain. We want to get rid of the whole ensalada! Life hurts anyway. Ignorance is thinking it’s our pain.
I’m experiencing it myself. Recently. I started a new job. There were many stimuli, some somatic overload. This triggered old tendencies and the insomnia that comes with overstimulation. And there you go. The pain in a weak spot (pinched nerves in my neck from a car accident) increased dramatically. Until, after two weeks, something flipped, and I was my old-fashioned, cheerful self again. And you know why? I relaxed because I called myself to order with knowledge and stood in the truth. That’s half the battle. It’s also about discerning clearly. Relaxing is a very subtle shift, for which we simply need self-knowledge. Operating in this subtle realm is the challenge. In the maelstrom of feeling, let the right thoughts prevail over the picture. Hence the important role of the intellect. Feeling is beautiful and wondrous, and can be fully present. For one who knows oneself, feelings never really take over.
Of course, we’re allowed to sigh and groan occasionally, and play the sad little human being a bit, hee hee. And viveka is indeed radical. Karma yoga, by the way, means transferring everything back to Ishvara, even suffering!! Just try it. Pain is divine, it is Ishvara. Give it back, and be free of it, then relaxation will come. A great relief. ‘Gosh, Ishvara, I feel your pain, how annoying for you. Gosh, Ishvara, I feel your stress, how annoying for you. But well, you’re responsible for it yourself. I can’t help it either. I’m free of it. Cheer up, God, you too are essentially free from it!’ Feel free to play these kinds of mind games. Little private conversations with God as private jokes. I learned these kinds of things (essentially all of these things) from my guru Ramji (James Swartz). Especially bringing self-mockery, humor, playfulness, and fun into knowledge!
For me, suffering brought about a change in many ways. My whiplash-car accident blow was a wake-up call. I lived (though philosophically, etc.) like a headless chicken chasing desires: thrills from action sports, sex, dancing, a little alcohol and drugs. Then came the pain of the car accident and the panic. But ultimately, it brought me everything. I had no choice but to choose truth, and then my teacher came into my life. My guru, James Swartz, showed me that you have to choose it with trust. That’s the only way. Surrender, fully embrace it.
You don’t have to endure anything, by the way. It’s already there. Tolerating is actually not feeding on all kinds of unhealthy thoughts like self-pity, because that naturally stokes the fire. We can use our pain as our own deepest secret. Pain, object, not me! No one will understand it, only you: That is freedom. To become completely free and fulfilled alone. This independence gives immense self-confidence in everyday life. And suffering can be an enormous drive to surrender.
So comfort is finding deepening and expansion step by step, by comforting yourself with this gradual knowledge. The logic:
First, place the pain where it belongs. With Ishvara, the divine. Then apply the Vedanta method: The fact that you notice the pain is the first step of discernment. There is ‘something’ that perceives the pain. Step two: I am that ‘something,’ the pure observer. Step three: knowledge: The pain is the observer, but the observer is free from the pain. Furthermore, knowledge: the pain is ‘relatively real,’ because it comes and goes (sleep-wake) and its appearance depends on me, the substrate, ordinary, blissful, pure consciousness. And the knowledge: The pain is “imposed” by an apparent force within me and from me, this pure consciousness. As soon as I know it’s only an imposition, it’s not truly real, I’ll no longer feed the pain, and it will become milder. That’s called relaxing into yourself, as yourself. Then I really have nothing more to do with it. Then it’s something within me, trying to deceive me. Cultivating that clarity in steps two and three is indeed difficult with pain. Staying focused will help you grow and live in this insight.
Q: What if your mind doesn’t cooperate because it’s built with, say, ADHD building blocks, or autism? Or you’re simply not intelligent enough to understand all those difficult texts and arguments. Not to mention people who have to try to survive in less privileged situations.
R: That’s right, dear sister. The mind doesn’t just cooperate. But coming to Vedanta means your mind has conquered some obstacles already. Else you would ot recognize it’s value. Furthermore, no one says Vedanta is for everyone. Ultimately, yes, but certainly not here and now in this life. But then again, in a different way. Because the “here and now” is a learning experience for everyone. That’s what Vedanta emphasizes. And that applies to everyone, regardless of their karma. The fact that you are engaged with this material here and now can be seen as a blessing. Why pity the whole world? You can help the world much better if you first emerge from your own suffering. Then you’ll see that all that “so-called others” go through, isn’t true. Only then can you cheerfully and truly help others, be empathetic to the most subtle level, and radiate hints of wisdom (though cautiously, of course).
Q: Is that just a case of ‘bad luck’, too bad, Vedanta is ‘out of your league’ because of ‘bad karma’ and your capacities and inner wealth are insufficiently developed?
R: No one at Vedanta says “You were unlucky, I was unlucky.” Vedanta is entirely optimistic, because the non-dual truth and reality are sacred. It is that which is always good. Therefore, it is always “lucky,” and that must be known and recognized. Why always lucky? All experiences manifest to learn from them. It’s always ‘earned’. There’s no such thing as ‘bad luck’. That’s strange, isn’t it?
The fact that I stood still at a traffic light near the Westerkerk, and a car slammed into the back of me, I no longer consider it bad luck. I see it as a “This far and no further with your antics!” Of course, I didn’t see that right away, but that’s exactly what it turned out to be. After I collapsed physically and mentally, I opened myself up to the forces of suffering. I recognized: This can’t go on, I have to change course! The exact reason for this isn’t clear, but we certainly live in a Pandora’s box of karma. Do you know what the word Pandora literary means? “Bearer of all gifts as giver of all gifts or the all-gifted,” exactly how Vedanta defines Ishvara: “The giver of the laws of action, and the giver of the results of action.” A large part of it is an invisible black box; a small part is the white box we live in. It’s a magnificent algorithm endowed with consciousness. This isn’t artificial intelligence; no, this is infinite, real intelligence. Incidentally, the original Greek word used in the myth of “Pandora’s box” is pithari, which means “earthen vessel or jar.” So it should be ‘Pandora’s Pot’. Think of the Vedic pot teachings (pot in Sanskrit is, among other things, pātra).
Let’s call the causal body ‘Pandora’s box’, whose lid is constantly being lifted. This comparison is out of context, because in the story of Prometheus and Pandora, the box is filled with misfortunes. But here we encounter something interesting about humanity, the world, and the image of God. The divine Zeus wants to keep humanity small, because otherwise the distinction between the divine and the human blurs. He punishes Pandora with curiosity. He punishes humanity with curiosity. As if that were bad, and would get you into trouble. The large monotheistic institutions readily exploit this to keep ‘their believers’ small.
Of course, Pandora cannot contain herself. We live in a state of illusion. That is why doubt is built into our minds. This is, again, compassion. Why? Doubt initiates the quest, which ultimately lifts us out of the illusion through correct, complete self-knowledge. In that way it is ‘fortune’ to be human. It is our nature as humans to be inquisitive.
So, Pandora can’t help herself and looks into the box, and disaster would befall humanity. All nonsense, of course! Knowledge actually enriches, provided we have correct (dharmic) knowledge. This means that if we delve into the divine laws, we would be punished with disaster (think of the creation story of Eve, the snake, and the apple). Vedanta posits the opposite. If you manage to crack the code of good living (dharma), grace is yours! See how comforting it is when we compare it to the biblical and Greek creation myths.
The Bhagavad Gita, the book that is called both a scripture of knowledge and a scripture of dharma, is full of qualifying values. It is a great book of grace. This is a gift, not a warning. All intended to elevate the self-inquirer to the divine. Surely we may call this comfort and mercy. Vedanta is not meant to keep an individual away from the truth with cryptic one-liners. These are texts shared selflessly. Our caution stems from the iron law that it only works for those who are ready for it (by having worked on themselves sufficiently), and that it only works for those who fully dedicate themselves to it. Why? Because quite a bit of your system needs to be overhauled. It’s not a half-baked process. That’s why it can’t simply be released into the world. Otherwise, it will fade away, and it will be abused.
See how cultures of fear and shame arose from Greek and Biblical sources. Exactly the same with Islam. Vedanta states: our texts are neutral instructions for a good life on the path to freedom.
Let’s adjust Pandora’s story: What comes from the divine (everything, the unseen, stored causes of previous events) is neither good nor bad. It’s unwise to be afraid. Like: “Ouch, ouch, oh, oh, what’s coming out of the box today? What’s in store for me ‘this time’😊?” It’s merely the result of previous events. 100% objective laws, where, at first glance, good and evil cancel each other out. This is knowledge; this must be known, this must be trusted. And we live in the fruits that come from it, “and have to face the music” 😊. And we must just learn from the result.
Of course often we cannot understand the details and the concrete course of events. This is frustrating for a human being, but you can resolve it by knowing that it’s a magnificent matrix in which we live, called God, to which you only need to surrender to learn. That existence is a relentless learning experience makes it a sacred thing. If you develop a sense of this, you come to live in awe and wonder. This everyday devotion is a wonderful thing, and I dare call it “the love that permeates everything”, “the love for self”.
As soon as you learn to trust this, life suddenly seems to flow like a rocket. Why then is the human world a mess? Simply because we don’t adhere to the neutral laws. Nowadays, this is reflected in the illusion that you, as an individual, can freely occupy your space, without considering that we share the planet with trillions of jīvas (every animal, every plant is also a jīva, an incarnated living being). Everyone plays their modest role to contribute. And an accommodating attitude brings relative happiness.
A wise person therefore views everything with an objective, empathetic distance. A wise person can therefore smile inwardly at human history. Just as Krishna smiles inwardly at Arjuna’s despair. One doesn’t show it, it is an inner smile, but with knowledge of the Gita, you often already see where the human shortcoming lies. We do it to ourselves. There is no god who would do anything to us. Ishvara isn’t an entity with an idea, “Shall I do it this way or that way, shall I do something to this person, shall I give them a slap on the wrist?” Ishvara is synonym to a magnificent existence, including a apparent magnificent universe. It is humanity that is full of ideas, and especially misconceptions. Based on these misconceptions, choices are usually made to enrich the wrong self, and voila, behold the human world. That’s the challenge. The divine is simply dry cause and effect. The invitation is to make optimal use of it, with dharma as a guide.
So we don’t need to read all the facts and details of life, we just need to embrace them. And not ask questions like: “Why is a child born disabled?” etc. Why the Holocaust, why Gaza?
Karma is generally a black box. There are causes, but we don’t know them. The point is to face the consequences and embrace them to grow. In the here and now, the key is to know the laws, not the causes in the story. In Vedanta, we call this the unseen factor.
A word for what we call “fate” is daiva. From deva, the divine. What this means is that the giver of results is “the divine.” The lid of Pandora’s box is constantly being lifted; that is, the ins and outs of daily life. Ishvara only gives consistent results from previous thoughts and actions. There is no arbitrariness whatsoever, even though we cannot precisely recognize the divine precision.
Fortunately, recognition of laws is generally possible. What we don’t want to see is that infinitely more things go right than go wrong. We survive by dancing with God (and his laws) all day long. That’s already the case; due to a certain ignorance, we don’t see it that way.
Can I adjust my attitude from consumer to contributor, from negative ideas about myself to healthy, beautiful ideas about myself? Can I take actions that elevate myself and others with a cheerful spirit? Then the results will come naturally, and life will flow.
Why historical extremities? Usually, it has to do with beginningless frustration (Hitler), beginningless trauma, anger, revenge, fear (Israel, Palestine), and thus projected hatred. We usually can’t make it more concrete. History books are revenge books in which “I’m for you, or I’m against you” endlessly taking revenge on each other, with the depth psychology that comes with it on an individual level. There are always reasons, but they’re impossible to pin down. “Whys and buts” are truly pointless and futile.
But whoever can lift themselves out of the thought, “Something is being done to me,” will be in luck and will brighten their lives.
Life, therefore, can be read primarily in its laws of what fosters inner growth. Life is intended solely as a learning experience to outgrow life itself. What are the lessons? Healthy thinking, not possessing thoughts and things, and mindful action. Then you will see why some actions lead to salvation, and others to hell. Salvation and hell are nothing more than states of mind. To read the laws of good living, you must have a subtle mind. These two things go hand in hand. Again, a beautifully subtle pattern.
Why doesn’t Vedanta come to everyone? Because circumstances must first be somewhat established. Because life, or many lives, must have been lived in a certain way to request grace and mercy. The question, “Why me and not someone else?” is pointless and impossible to fathom. Gratitude is the only answer.
How to recognize laws? All in all, people are also stubborn creatures of habit. Breaking patterns remains difficult, but it is indeed a form of (relative) liberation. Breaking destructive patterns is a win-win. It’s a relief, and it qualifies (it’s personal growth). A few simple examples. “I spend a lot of time on social media, and my mind is restless.” That connection isn’t so difficult to recognize. “I watch entertainment or Netflix on TV, and I absolutely want to watch the next episode the next night, and I complain about not having enough time.”I’m worrying because I think so negatively. I think so negatively, and that’s why I’m worrying :). I’m tired of being overweight. “Let’s have another drink/eat on that self-insight!” Etc. etc. Addictions are loops that the addict himself feeds. Only clear awareness of the situation and decisive action can help you break out of the loop.
What is a loop? Mentally, it’s feeding your blockage, shortcoming, or self-judgment. In other words, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even the thoughts “Qualifying is too difficult for me,” or “Freedom is not for me,” or “I will never realize that I am complete and whole” are circular thoughts that endlessly reinforce themselves for the practitioner. Instantly, you create karma that will later manifest the same belief.
In Vedanta language: A manifesting tendency in an individual gives an impression (a vasana from the totality of the individual’s unconscious constitution, samskara) from the causal body (the black box, karana sharira). This can produce a compelling feeling in the form of a desire (a kama), and subsequently a decisive idea of what I should do (sankalpa), which produces an action (karma), driven and experienced by the ego (ahankara), and subsequently leaves a trace of the action, which will bear fruit in the future as a new manifesting tendency (vasana).
Knowledge of the cycle can make you choose to intervene somewhere and break the cycle. This can only be achieved with insight. After applying knowledge for a long time, it also becomes clear that the concrete knowledge isn’t “it.” Then you simply see that you coincide with the whole shebang. As for truth: Lifting yourself out of the cycle of karma is like Baron Munchausen pulling himself out of the swamp by his own hair to free himself. It’s not easy at all. Breaking personal patterns is difficult. But that’s why we have Ishvara, to whom you dedicate ‘the work’. If you place your jiva as a tiny part of the all-encompassing Ishvara, everything becomes easy. Then you don’t have to do anything more than make your modest contribution. Once you understand it, it’s much easier than the impossible thing the Baron did. He did something that goes against Ishvara’s laws. Vedanta simply follows the truth of yourself. And that is infinitely simple.
All in all, only consequences appear, from previous actions. You then deal with them to learn from them. Learning is improving karma. If we simply react to results like a headless chicken, we will worsen our karma. Seemingly good results are often amplified (reinforcing patterns, addiction), while bad results make us angry, sad, or aggressive. It’s as simple as that, but indeed very difficult to recognize without knowledge and acceptance of it. But there are people who, without Vedanta, go very far in understanding the laws of good living. That’s wonderful!
Things simply follow the order neutrally, as it is. Only immediate insight can break it out. Besides: Everyone these days says, “It is what it is,” but embracing that fact to grow as a person is quite different for the modern human being, who generally considers themselves rather “entitled”. Entitled to everything: a dryer, a robot vacuum cleaner, a dishwasher, an air fryer, security cameras, copyright, powered vehicles that take you places you might not be supposed to be, drones, AI, bio-engineering—oh my god, haha! All copyright belongs to Ishvara/Pandora’s pot. We are always dependent on what previous generations have discovered. Each generation of human beings is, of course, a cog in the big black box. The unfortunate thing is that those who feel entitled to something live in chronic dissatisfaction.
Straying too far from dharma (healthy thinking and acting according to the laws of the world and life) results in suffering. In reality, reality is brilliantly constructed according to a perfect holistic machinery. But not in the experience of most souls, of course. Unfortunately, this is only due to misconceptions about existence.
Does Ishvara, the divine, therefore become merciless (nairghrnya) or partial (vaisamya)? No, Ishvara knows nothing. Ishvara (the divine) merely coincides with it’s laws and their results. God is compelled to give results. We, as self-reflecting individuals, make the choices that reality must dutifully follow. Ishvara is reality. Only knowledge at all levels, up to the highest, broadest knowledge—”I, as Brahman, am free, infinite, pure consciousness”—can lift you out of the divine matrix and show you that and how you are equal to the divine.
Thus, we humans dwell in the special realm where we can choose to grow toward freedom, or to become lost in the world. See how special it is to be human! Ishvara truly does not reflect on himself or herself. Ishvara is not a herself or a himself. It is just a holy, consistent machinery The divine is not a self with self-reflection. Ishvara is simply consciousness plus maya, whether operative (manifested) or non-manifest (unmanifested, as in deep sleep). Blessed with the wanting ignorance of all the individuals, it comes into manifest existence. So self-reflection is reserved for us humans.
Again, we are in the unique cognitive position of knowing that we are infinitely free consciousness, and at the same time, we can learn to understand how ignorance, suffering, and solace operate. The teacher is there to guide you through these subtleties with layered knowledge, until you understand for yourself how it works and what it is like.
Q: You can argue that you’re free even without Vedanta [if you’re unaware of it], because that’s what every human being has always been, but if you don’t have access to knowledge, you don’t know, and well, then it’s not much use.
R: I do know worldly people who lead reasonably good lives because they recognize what works well and what doesn’t for their well-being. This, incidentally, qualifies them for even more wisdom, and thus increases the chance of absolute knowledge. But you’re right, this isn’t for most. But this too is an invitation to love the knower of Brahman, because for this knower, suffering is only apparent, and therefore they will always behave exemplary and accommodating. If you become an all-encompassing, loving being, those around you will benefit.
The fact that ignorance appears to exist doesn’t mean that, if given the opportunity, you shouldn’t emerge from it. Let’s count our blessings and be there for others where we can!
Q: Where is the comfort in Vedanta if you can’t do that?
R: Many large Vedanta ashrams in India have extensive charity programs, so direct help and comfort do indeed exist through Vedanta; they don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Those who know themselves naturally make their lives charitable.
Truly, if you don’t have an issue with yourself, you can effortlessly comfort and help others. I have a feeling your teacher is also a gentle, careful, and compassionate teacher. Sometimes a guru can be strict when necessary, and when the student wants it (then the setting has been created together) to break through. A bit like this correspondence. We shouldn’t disturb people who know nothing about such a setting with this knowledge, only support them. Some will become curious about why they’re doing so well and start inquiring for themselves. Then perhaps a setting will arise.
A word about comfort. Comfort is necessary for those who feel sorry for themselves; there, of course, lies a problem: feeling sorry for yourself. That’s an inner conviction, for which comfort is only a fleeting solution.
We are always the problem ourselves. Recognizing this is so difficult. The invitation for the gloomy person is self-love. The Vedas (and therefore also Vedanta) immediately says, soften your heart, align your values, love the world (Ishvara) as the divine, recognize that you are part of it as an individual, and contribute; then you are already a relatively happy person. Most of the Vedas is the call to contribute with ethics, ritual, and worship.
I am convinced that cultivating this attitude is possible even in war zones, and that happy people live there too. But if we keep telling ourselves, “I lack something, I’m pitiful,” which is practically modern-day conditioning, you have a hard life, and from this feeling of “I lack something,” the world is exploited to the point of ruin, and there goes your beautiful human world. The world is designed to live harmoniously with it. Humanity with its intelligence and reflective capacity (developed intellect) can create the most beautiful, but also the ugliest. It is indeed a considerable challenge to be human. With a predisposition for religion, spirituality, and self-knowledge, a person plays the highest game.
It is important to first establish peace in the war within our minds. The great war in the Mahabharata, and thus the entire Bhagavad Gita, is a metaphor for the war within our own minds. A peaceful mind brings a peaceful physical environment.
Q: I still can’t escape the idea that religion is the only thing that can offer solace for the disabled, suffering human being without access to Vedanta. There, the concept of solace can be found in charismatic figures like Jesus and Muhammad, who had compassion and showed us the Love and Grace of God and the Holy Spirit, and forgiveness. Or Mary, for whom you can light a candle. Buddhism offers the solace that suffering is fleeting. And how comforting is it if, after this vale of tears, there is still an “afterlife”?
R: There’s nothing wrong with religion. It’s just a stepping stone on the path to truth. Vedanta far from rejects this. In fact, Upasana Yoga (initially learning to see everything as Divine power and knowledge in meditation) and Karma Yoga (according to dharma, dedicating all action to the Divine and embracing the results regardless of their nature) are related to dualistic religion and therefore have a qualifying effect.
I say related because during the practice of karma and upasana yoga, one gradually realizes that one doesn’t relate to or stand against God as bhakti, but is part of it. Ultimately, with knowledge yoga, one learns to understand how one is completely one with God. That’s all wonderful and fine! Moreover, sincere religion, or bhakti (love for the greater good), brings relative happiness.
Initially, Vedanta embraces it all. The whole point is that it embeds dualistic religion within a broader perspective. It denies nothing; it encompasses it. Vedanta sees devotion and dual religion as a level, a necessary phase for progression. And ultimately, to realize that the individual and the whole are indistinguishable. Until you are devoted to the non-dual vision, that you are the whole.
We also see this dynamic in Vedanta Satsangs. Listeners tend to want to be followers and are drawn to the teacher’s aura. Perfectly fine for a while. A good teacher allows this for a while, until the “follower” is mature enough to learn to stand existentially on their own two feet. Because that is the goal.
Vedanta also embraces Buddhism in a certain way. Vedanta also says: Suffering is the problem. But it goes a step further by asking: Why is there suffering? The answer: because, out of ignorance of our full, complete nature, we seek solutions in objects of the world. Only when you realize this can you permanently escape suffering. Because the impermanence of suffering means that it comes and goes. But for someone who has realized the Self, there is no suffering. It is the knowledge that you are the ocean of existence, consciousness, and bliss.
Jesus was indeed a non-dualist, as evidenced by many statements. Generally, he was misunderstood by the church. Sometimes he was even deliberately misinterpreted out of a lust for power. And of course, there are many noble priests, ministers, shamans, wise elders, etc., in all cultures. There are also many less pleasant stories in the history of religions, such as the mutual persecution between faiths and the abuse.
A number of Jesus’ non-dualistic teachings (see, for example, the interview with Ferit Arav) have been censored by Biblical history and the development of the churches. However, Jesus did not have a complete and precise teaching like Vedanta. Simply because Jesus did not receive a method of knowledge from a teacher. His story also shows the consequences of not carefully sharing your knowledge. Shouting high knowledge from the rooftops doesn’t work.
It also happened to Shams, Rumi’s beloved teacher. In the powerful recent Turkish Rumi film “Mevlana,” Shams is rebellious like an Old Testament prophet. As a result, he was attacked. Jesus ended up on the cross. What good is that? That Jesus, as an individual, had to bear everyone’s suffering is, of course, nonsense, and a confusion of spiritual levels.
This is simply a subtle matter, one that doesn’t involve soapboxes and marketplaces. I can see that you’re struggling with that. Why isn’t there liberation for everyone? But part of the teaching is that we accept it as it is. It’s just the way it is. Vedanta isn’t vague and fanciful in this respect, but truthful, precise, and very subtle. The same universal plan is at work everywhere. Dualistic devotion is everywhere. India also has all sorts of cults, such as the worship of Vishnu and Shiva, etc. Incidentally, the layered nature and the sources (the Vedas) of Hinduism make it unique.
It’s simply the game of existence. Before there can be a solution, a problem must first be identified. You formulate the problem very carefully. That’s perfect! So we have a starting point to listen, reflect, and practice in life.
Q: To me, Vedanta in this reasoning sometimes seems so elitist and arrogant to the simple, flawed human being who is in the middle of trouble. Like: yes, there is a way to be Free from Struggle in this life because All is One, as a Human you are divine like Brahman and immortal, but oh well, you are not emotionally mature yet, and/or you don’t get it anyway and you never will, and sorry, no, I can’t explain it in a few sentences, because yes, it’s quite a complicated story, isn’t it, high-level philosophy, that’s beyond you. Forgive my somewhat cynical wording, but my point is clear, isn’t it?
R: The person you describe won’t encounter it. So that’s not an issue. You’re speaking for yourself now; this conflict is happening within you. Unless someone is wrongly preaching Vedanta. This only causes confusion. So it’s not about those people, but about us. This conflict, this doubt, is within us, and we project it onto so-called others. We should be cautious. The idea is to look at yourself more positively. Why did Vedanta come my way? The answer to that question gives you a much better starting point. To help you on your way: even though our mother was depressed sometimes and didn’t find it herself, the search was instilled in us from birth. There’s something karmic there, which we don’t need to explain further, but we can celebrate. You, too, have always been an intense seeker interested in the meaning of existence, and moreover, someone who doesn’t accept suffering (which is right).
I don’t encounter any arrogant Vedanta teacher who puts it this way. And there’s a good reason for that. The tradition also meticulously describes all the pitfalls within it. For that, we have the tradition and the lineages. If someone preaches traditional Vedanta and abuses it, they will be brought down (by Ishvara) in the form of the circle of wise people who will thoroughly demonstrate this. This is very carefully encapsulated, so it’s never really a problem in Vedanta.
If a Vedanta teacher sometimes sounds strict or direct, it’s because they’re speaking to people who want to be treated firmly. That’s the carefully designed arrangement of a satsang. Vedantins who understand the nuances and dangers will approach samsari’s (someone who thinks they’re dependent on the world) in a humane, cautious, and empathetic way. Krishna warns: Don’t just confuse everyone’s minds with this knowledge. The provocative tone of a Vedanta teacher you adopt in your statement, should it even play out that way, is from teacher to student. Not like an Old Testament prophet “from some kind of divine messenger to stupid humanity.”
Q: I personally feel privileged to have encountered Vedanta and to be able to live my life under relatively favorable circumstances, even though I will never achieve perfect emotional maturity in my lifetime and cannot escape the Struggle and Suffering.
R: “Grace” is a better word here than “privileged.” And you earn grace yourself, through dharmic action and healthy thinking. You’ve suffered enough now! The next step is to let go of the limiting belief I mentioned earlier and surrender to the neutral, merciful laws of living and thinking in alignment with truth.
You see, surrender and grace go hand in hand. Surrender is accepting how things are now, and surrender is surrendering yourself to a tool of knowledge that has worked perfectly for many. Grace is also seeing clearly how things came about. Seeing clearly doesn’t yield value judgments, but insight. With that insight, you can help yourself further, and others as well, but please be very careful with that last part.
When it’s said, “You earn grace,” what it means is: By connecting with the laws of good (ethical and loving) and healthy (Ishvara’s laws of cause and effect) living, grace comes naturally. Grace is the relief of seeing that everything is okay, just as it is. Of course, some knowledge seeps through there.
And I keep saying it: “Don’t talk yourself into self-fulfilling prophecies” with words like “I’ll never succeed.”
V: Yes, I think the solace can be found in Ishvara. It would be nice and too easy if Ishvara were just the very beautiful Order in the World and Love. But in my experience, Ishvara is the Order of All Things, and that encompasses the entire playing field, so the entire World of Love and of non-dharmic Evil. And just as that world is not perfect and only love, so I am not perfect and don’t need to be.
R: “Like existence itself, shining as free consciousness” (James Swartz), you are perfect. And the person who appears within you is, as far as Ishvara is concerned, the perfect result of the past. If you realize that everything proceeds according to that perfect order, the results matter less to the person.
Of course, mind and body perish, and in that sense are not perfect. But perfection in that sense concerns an image in our minds of ourselves, which we must live up to. If I were like this and like that, I would be fine. Impossible! It leads to comparison with others, which is an invitation to suffering. That is subjective (pratibhasika level) thinking. Mind, body, your environment, and the world are indeed continuously produced perfectly according to the karmic laws of Ishvara. That is objective thinking (vyavaharika level).
Perfect literally means “completed.” Everything is truly perfectly completed according to the laws that apply. In that sense, everything is perfect, both absolute and relative things. Seen in this light, Ishvara is not ugly. Life is a learning experience. We need never fear results. We need only learn from them. Gratitude for everything is the attitude that goes with it. Everything is impeccable. If someone makes a mistake, Ishvara points it out. This relentless invitation to growth is compassion. The problem is that we don’t want to embrace and analyze our results. If someone desires something, they either get it (desires are stoked into a temporary, seductive feeling of happiness), or they don’t (frustration, sadness, anger). The open secret is that both sides obscure the truth with excessive rajas and tamas, respectively. The eternal unrest of desire or the chronic frustration. The solution lies simply in the tranquility of being what we are looking for, eternal peace. Realizing that the solution lies in abiding as your complete self.
The psychology of Vedanta is, at its core, quite simple. Psychologically problematic is being excessively attracted to objects (dividing yourself) or excessively repelling objects (isolating yourself out of fear). Both create a binding dependency on those objects. Suppose you hate someone and distance yourself from them. Then you are deeply attached to that person. What is excessive? When the results hinder your growth as a self-explorer.
I see it as my duty to point out to people, even without any Vedanta teaching, how beautiful reality and how beautiful the world is fundamentally constructed. How wondrous a veined leaf on a tree with the sun shining through. How magnificent the chiaroscuro in your work is. What an incredible miracle that we are allowed to reflect on all of existence, with everything in it. What a miracle of cause and effect, in which we can learn and develop.
Q: Because the pain and the pleasure are both Me, doing good things and making mistakes are both Me, my crying and my laughter are both Me. My struggling Jiva with a sometimes painful body and a limited mind full of emotions and stress is Me, and my Light ‘Atma’ Self that is free from all those roles and limitations is Me.
R: Amen! Yes, you are all of this already and free. First be free of the Jiva, then the Jiva’s well-being will come naturally. See how comforting and compassionate it is.
Q: It comforts me that the Good and Evil in the World and the balance therein (the order of Ishvara), and the Good and Evil within myself (my struggling Jiva and my conscious, role-free Atma) are all Brahman, and that Brahman is me, full and whole and without time.
R: Yes, of course there is a difference between understanding it so rationally all the time that way and actually seeing the person and the world that way. Self-realization is seeing things this way at all times and therefore having no issues with the world. Freedom!
Q: That’s true, but it’s a place where I, as a flawed human being, can go, including my non-dharmic stupidities and shortcomings, and which offers eternal Compassion and Comfort. Sometimes, I can even sense it as My Full, Whole Self, and act accordingly, but The Jiva will still be too Strong in my human life to achieve perfection.
R: We don’t know what ‘will’ be. Dear sister, there is a law of Ishvara called the ‘law of the self-fulfilling prophecy’. As long as you keep shouting: ‘It won’t be for me,’ it won’t happen. If you understand how this works, it really is a choice. If you dare to say with confidence: ‘I trust that it is meant for me, damn it, because I know it already is,’ things will start moving. ‘Fake it till you make it,’ really! It’s not all vague and “spiritual stuff,” it’s simply adjusting mind-stuff, thinking obstacles, cognitive psychology, having different thoughts, specifically exchanging limiting beliefs for beautiful, noble, uplifting thoughts about yourself. I say this out of compassion.
The specific doubt, this specific blockage (pratibandha) you describe is very precisely defined in Vedanta and is called asambhava: literally “impossibility,” meaning: It is impossible for me, a simple, ordinary mortal, to be brahman, the whole.
Q: But this process of growing emotionally mature, or practicing inner richness, or whatever you call it, and studying Vedanta, can take a lifetime, and fortunately, I don’t have to achieve perfection.
R: True, even saints aren’t perfect in this way. Because the saint, like the excretion of a crow is ephemeral matter, neither existent nor non-existent, and not what it looks like. But in another sense, everything and everyone is perfect (namely, “per-fect,” made properly, according to the empirical laws of manifestation/appearance).
Q: Because in the meantime, I’m learning, step by step, to find the path to Myself.
R: Hooray!
Q: This is comfort enough for me. The question remains: where is the comfort of Vedanta for the less privileged?
R: Again, Vedanta doesn’t claim to save all of humanity. That’s not going to happen. That consciousness is infinite also means it has infinite possibilities; even the manifestation of infinite forms of ignorance. That’s not a problem; it’s simply the way it is.
Every human life passes. New lives, new opportunities. Moreover, it’s all just appearances, and even appearances will one day dissolve into themselves, pure consciousness, if that isn’t comfort.
Before I knew Vedanta, I always found comfort in the fact that life passes. It comes to an end. This is and isn’t true. This personal story will come to an end, but the flow from subtle body to subtle body, according to cause and effect, will only end when the knowledge comes: “I am simply the free, pure, attribute-less existence itself, shining in all appearances as its consciousness.”
Technically speaking: The prarabdha karma (literally, the karma that began this life) will continue to play out for a while, but the jiva no longer feeds it with new karma (desires), or resists old karma (fear). The reason: The jiva knows that it is ok already, it knows that it is neither prarabdha karma, nor sancitta karma, the entire individual storehouse in the causal body.
There are many beautiful ways of comforting what you call the less privileged. But even a true Vedantin would happily let someone have a good cry. Or cry it out themselves. My poor, pathetic jiva did that recently, hehe, when it was overloaded. I saw and knew that it was a healthy and fast way to balance the gunas. Now that I write this down, I see the connection with relaxation and the energetic switch that last at once flipped. Having a good cry, nothing wrong with that. Why not? Vedanta is knowledge of reality, but also of relative reality (gunas, dharma).
Let me return to the beginning: Vedanta follows reality and has comforted many enormously. But why reality is the way it is cannot be answered, because no one conceived it that way. Ishvara is not someone who figured it out this way or that. Everything is as it is, and life is an invitation to learn and grow, or a pitfall to stumble and not learn. It is neutral; our opinion about it is the problem. No value judgments, but good thinking and, above all, good action.
The truism “it is what it is,” as everyone says, may truly be applied here. But of course, people generally have strong opinions. Let’s start with “walk ye talk,’ and then realize: ‘You ever walk alone.’
This is so beautiful. You’ve asked exactly the right questions, which also apply to others and can be eye-openers. I think you’re an ‘adhikari in the making,’ hehe. Daring to formulate and express doubts is an important quality. If you’re not afraid to be vulnerable and show yourself, especially with your guru, you can grow quickly. It’s the most beautiful thing that we can consciously work on ourselves. We’re given the manual for freedom out of love. But we must read it carefully.
Let’s post this email exchange on the blog page of the website; maybe someone will find it useful. Vedanta is also comforting in this sharing aspect 🙂
Q: I’m speechless for a moment, thank you! I’m perfectly happy to post this as a satsang on the website. Anonymity might be nice, but it’s not necessary. I have nothing to hide. I’ll leave it to you.
R: Saying you have nothing to hide is also a qualification. Having nothing to hide indicates a certain degree of freedom. Everything is universal and applies to everyone. Hooray!
Q: A brief substantive response, but again, I need to let your words sink in a bit…
I already felt that my questions, doubts, and sometimes even indignation are a kind of “classic” that belong to the process of the beginning Vedanta student (the entire book I AM BEING by Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj, which I started with, is full of them), but I hadn’t heard of the word “asambhava” yet.
My questions don’t feel like a blockage, by the way, but it’s equally important to be aware of wrong thoughts, feelings, and assumptions because they can unconsciously block me. There’s still much to study!
R: Well, dear… the blockage is that you claim that it’s not for you in this life to qualify sufficiently and realize the true self. That belief can be a significant obstacle to the application of knowledge.
Asambhava can be translated even more beautifully literally into”non-existence.” But how can something that already fully “exists” as your own nature (svarupa) be “non-existence”? Ignorance is that simple. The shift in how you view yourself and the world is therefore immediate. It’s not possible to view something in two different ways. But of course, you can fall back into time “out of truth.” There’s an intermediate phase where we’re just a flashing light in that regard. Until that too passes. Every inquirer will recognize this.
Q: I read somewhere on a (comprehensive) website some encouraging words, formulated a little less traditionally, but I think still true:
“An advaita teacher once said: understanding happens in the blink of an eye, but purifying old tendencies can take a lifetime.”
“It’s wise to realize that insight is often revealed in layers and that (for example) personality structures need time to change along with it.”
“The challenge lies in finding a balance between the beautiful insight of Oneness and the sober reality of being Human. Serious teachers nowadays often emphasize integration: take the time to let insights take effect, do honest self-reflection, and not ignore any emotional blockages.”
R: Yes, beautiful!
Q: I find your answer to the alleged “god’s dishonesty” illuminating; it’s all the Order of Ishvara, after all, and that’s Neutral! So you see, my Reformed view of God (which, I think, was more ingrained in me during our childhood than in you) has proven to be stubborn, along with the terminology of Good and Evil. 😉
R: Wonderful insight. Seeing this so clearly is a major step in knowledge. And yes, the strict Dutch Reformed Church “Out of the Bond” (the name alone; it’s absurd how churches sectarianize, while what they profess is universal) was a challenge as a start, because it instills fear in the little, ignorant children we were. Neutral also means: In ignorance, things happen as they do. Cause and effect. That’s why you can’t blame people, only help and comfort them. Krishna helps Arjuna in the Gita with an “inner smile.” Again, ‘compassion.’ Only knowledge can lift us out. The world keeps appearing. Until we go to sleep, by the way…
Q: Returning to your comment about the obstacle or blockage—I understand your reasoning, but I still don’t feel it as a blockage, but as a sober observation: suppose my physical pain is always there, then for the time being—until my body dies—it will be a manifestation, and until then I have to make do with this body. Then it becomes a kind of lifelong Viveka and Vairagya practice, because the pain is always there. So that doesn’t mean I don’t know that this is the Order of Ishvara, nor that I don’t know that it has nothing to do with ME, because I am made of a completely different material, namely Pure Consciousness…
R: Karma yoga is the practice of giving the pain to Ishvara. That it belongs to Ishvara, so to speak. It’s about getting rid of our sense of ownership (mamakāra). But I admit, that’s a difficult one. But it’s so relieving when you see how it works. For many people, doing karma yoga correctly is already very difficult. But karma yoga is already more than half the battle. Incidentally, feelings (“I don’t feel it as a blockage”) are often the blind spots, so pay attention if you say: ‘I don’t feel it as an blockage’.
Q: “It’s about getting rid of our sense of ownership.” I incorporate that into my meditations… Om Ishaya Namah!
Thank you, dear brother!
Thank you, dear sister!