PART – 1
Let us contemplate today on the word called ‘Self-Realisation’.
There are many words in Sanskrit, which have no equivalent in English, and any translation in English will lead to a misunderstanding. The word ‘realization’, gives a connotation – ‘finding the real ‘I’’ – ‘real-I-zation’. Which means, we are living in a false ‘I’, we are thinking of a false ‘I’. So, what is the real ‘I’? My real ‘I’ is myself, my nature, my Inner Self, Atma, whose nature is ‘Sat-Chit-Ananda’ – ‘Truth-Consciousness-Bliss’. Not even bliss – it is Ananda, which means Infinity. So, it is ‘Truth-Consciousness-Infinity’. But, I live with a false sense of self. What is that? ‘I am the body, I am the mind and I am the intellect.’ The body is limited. Your nature is Ananda or Infinity. When you think you are a body, the infinite becomes finite. Your nature is Consciousness and your nature is Truth. Truth is eternal. But, the body is perishable, and you think that you will die. So, you have mistaken yourself for body and you start living with a false sense of ‘I’.
PART – 2
Now, this false ‘I’ is not converted into real I. Realization gives a feeling that false ‘I’ is converted into real I. The right word would be ‘Self-Recognition’. The false ‘I’ has come because of misunderstanding, and the right word will be ‘Self-Recognition’. That is why in Sanskrit, this is called ‘Pratyabhijnana’ – which means ‘recognizing your nature’. ‘Real-I-zation’ means, converting a false ‘I’ into real I, which is not what is meant by Pratyabhijnana. It is a recognition of what you are. You are already that, and because of some mistake, you are thinking that you are not that. Even though you are Sat-Chit-Ananda, you are thinking that you are the body, mind, and intellect. So, there is a misconception or wrong understanding. And this wrong understanding leads to a concept, ‘I have to do Sadhana or spiritual practice, to recognize my own nature.’ So, Realization involves an action, to make false ‘I’ into real I; whereas, recognition doesn’t involve any action. It is recognizing what you are. Self-Recognition or Atmajnana is not a result of an action.
PART – 3
You have a misunderstanding. So how many times of breathing practice if you do, will you find out your True Self? Or how many times of chanting if you do, will you find your Real Self? Your Real Self, can be found or understood only through Jnana. Recognition can happen only through Jnana. That is why in Bhagavad Gita it is said, ‘Jnana is the Supreme’. Jnana liberates you from all sins, Jnana is the ultimate, Wisdom is the ultimate. That is why Jnana Yoga is considered the Supreme Yoga. There are some different Yogas, like Karma Yoga, Kriya Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. Ultimately, it is Jnana yoga which liberates you, because your misconception, what you call ignorance, can only be corrected through Jnana. Ignorance can be corrected only through Jnana. Ignorance cannot be corrected through action. Ignorance has to be removed through Jnana or knowledge. A thorn has to be removed with a thorn. Thorn cannot be removed with water.
PART – 4
So, any action, which involves Karma, Bhakti, or Kriya, can support Jnana – in the sense, prepare the mind for Jnana, but ultimately Jnana is the one which liberates you. Jnana is the one which removes ignorance. Atmajnana removes the ignorance of Atma Ajnana. So now, after getting Atmajnana, do you need to do some practice? So Atmajnana is the theory; after that should I do some practice to realize the Self? There is no other practice to realize the Self. Atmajnana is the end. After that, if you have understood it properly, you have to do ‘Nidhidhyasa’ – ‘Nidhi’ means ‘wealth’, ‘Dhyasa’ means ‘keep in memory’, or ‘to protect it’. You have got a wealth of Atmajnana, now you protect it – sit silently and remain as Self, don’t fall into ignorance. You protect the wealth through Nidhidhyasa. Nidhidhyasa is not a meditation, to achieve something. Meditation, on an object or on something, means to achieve something. Nidhidhyasa is not achieving something. You have already achieved it through Jnana. So, you protect that Jnana. That is called Nidhidhyasa.
PART – 5
There is an example of Atmajnana. Now, Sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. So, you start thinking that Sun is going around the Earth. Now, there is ignorance. Somebody says, ‘You are ignorant about Sun.’ What will you do? Daily a hundred times do bhaski, sit-ups; then will the ignorance go? It will not go. Ignorance has to go through Jnana only. ‘No, no, you have ignorance about Sun’s movement. Do breathing practice a thousand times. Then you will understand what really happens.’ No. The ignorance goes, not through action, but through Jnana. This is what we do in spirituality. We have an ignorance of the Self, we try to do a lot of practices to correct that ignorance, which doesn’t happen.
Then, what happens is that somebody comes and tells, ‘Scientists have found that Earth is going around the Sun, and Sun is not going around the Earth.’ How do you say that? Because, scientists have done so many experiments, to say Earth is going around the Sun. So, he is giving authenticity. What is authenticity? It is the authenticity of science – Nobel laureates and all those. So, you believe it, because it comes from an authentic source. So, your ignorance is gone. The next day morning, you get up and say, ‘My ignorance is gone, but I am still seeing the Sun going around the earth. My experience has not changed.’ Experience or the perception will not change, because your eyes are the same, the brain is the same, the nervous system is the same. But, your understanding is changed. And, you have to live with that changed understanding. The same thing happens in Atmajnana.
PART – 6
You have ignorance of the Self. Then you say, ‘No, no, you have ignorance of the Self, do ten thousand times breathing practice, then your ignorance of Self will go.’ It won’t go. Or, ‘Do this many Yogasanas,’ it won’t go. Ignorance will go when the right knowledge is given. Right knowledge requires authority. Right knowledge in the case of Sun going around the Earth, is science. You believe science. That is why you believe whatever they say. Right knowledge for you is, ‘You are not the body, you are not the mind, you are not the intellect, you are Consciousness.’
‘Nanu nanembudu nanalla. Ee deha-mana-budhi nanalla. Sacchidanandatma Shiva nanu nane. Shivoham, Shivoham, Shivoham.’ This is the right knowledge.
PART – 7
To get the right knowledge, you need authenticity. Otherwise, you will not believe that. If you believe that Guru is authentic, then Guru’s hold you will take. Then, ‘My ignorance is gone, I want an experience.’ What experience do you want? Guru will teach based on Vedanta – the teaching of Rishis. You believe that Rishis have done a lot of research and they have given, so there is authenticity. That authenticity should give you confidence and your ignorance should go. Now, the ignorance is gone, again you will come back – ‘What should I do to get an experience of my Atma?’ Atma doesn’t come and stand in front of you and dance. Atma is your own nature. Any experience is related to your mind. You have to recognize your own nature. Recognition will not give you some new experience. Recognition will give you relief.
PART – 8
A lady was crying, saying that she has lost her necklace. Then, somebody pointed out that her necklace is on her neck, she got relief. She didn’t get any new necklace – one more necklace she didn’t get. Similarly, when Atmajnana comes, you will get relief. Atmajnana will remove ignorance. It is not a set of repeated, mechanical practices. Doing some mechanical practices has become a way of life in spiritual life. The right kind of knowledge is the solution. That is why knowledge is the end. Knowledge is the end to all the means. People confuse knowledge is means to end – ‘After getting the knowledge I have to do something.’ No. Knowledge is the end to all the means. After knowledge, there is nothing else left.
PART – 9
Atmajnana will create a right thought in you. The right thought is called ‘Vidyavritti’. Earlier you had a wrong thought called ‘Avidyavritti’. Avidyavritti is cancelled by the Vidyavritti. There is a cancellation which happens. Like a thorn is removed by another thorn. If ignorance is removed by knowledge, then all that you have to do is protect that knowledge through Nidhidhyasa. Instead of getting confused by so many other things, safeguard that knowledge by Nidhidhyasa.
Pranams