Whole Life Advice

Objective advice can only come from someone who is experienced and knowledgeable. One without the other just won’t work: without experience, knowledge is unfulfilling, and without knowledge, experience is temporary and incomplete.

Experience comes with practice. If we have the “know-how” but don’t put what we know into practice, we will be lacking in experience.

With experience our knowledge increases, but only if we take the time to ponder and consider our actions. Deliberation leads to “liberation.” It means that when we meditate we gain the knowledge to change our course of action and free ourselves from negative thinking and “self-confining experiences.”

When we are a prisoner of our images we are confined to our little ego (our small self-identity). It is okay to have an ego (we all have one), but we should make our ego as big as the Universe: we should identify with the entire creation and realize in essence (physically speaking), we are just star dust. From the point of view of Consciousness, in essence (spiritually speaking), we are the eternal energy of the Cosmos. This energy is the conscious self (SOUL) devoid of all material and mental trappings.

Practicing the principles of Consciousness is the only way to free ourselves from self-delusion. Anyone who preaches but doesn’t practice is suffering from self-delusion. People who deliberately practice self-delusion (people who “know better” but don’t “do better”) eventually become bad people who hurt not only themselves but others too.

Most people who suffer from self-delusion are just ignorant. In other words, they just don’t know better. The Wise will help you to know better so that you can do better, and together we can do our best. When everyone is doing their best, this world will become “heaven on earth.” But even if others remain spiritually lazy, we should at least do our best and make our own mind heavenly.

The Wise make their mind heavenly; others make their minds heavy with self-doubt and self-delusion. Good advice, put into practice, will remove both the symptoms (self-doubt and self-delusion) and their cause: Ignorance.

Heaven and Hell

Hell is low and heaven is high. Hell is a bad attitude, and heaven is a good one. Negativity is low energy and positivity is high energy. Negativity is an expression of the non-self (the repression of the real self), whereas positivity is an expression of the true self. It is our higher nature to be positive and our lower nature to be negative.

Heaven and hell are created in the human mind. They are projected through our actions in the world and our interactions with one another. Hell (the negative) should always be low—we should NEVER turn the volume of negativity up. Low vibrations exist, but we have to live in high vibrations. To do that, WE HAVE TO VIBRATE! Good vibrations are created when we face difficulties with high spirits (high vibrations).

High vibrations dissolve ego. When we conquer our own ego, we are FREE. This simply means there is no more any inner conflict about “who we are.” We are really who we ARE when we realize our Essence. We realize our Essence when we actualize our Real Self. In other words, when we act according to our real nature (higher nature), our life is a portrayal of who we really are in essence. Our life is the portrait of who we are. The portrait is accurate, or not, according to how closely our actions are in agreement with our higher nature. Those who betray their real nature paint a distorted picture of themselves and become confused about who they really are.

Being in our ego creates bad vibrations (Hell). Resisting the tendency to express our ego creates good vibrations—or, stated differently: being unselfish creates good vibrations (Heaven). Everyone has the tendency to be selfish, and everyone also has the tendency to be unselfish and giving. Both tendencies exist simulataneously but only one can be expressed (acted upon) at a time. Repeated good actions create powerful good vibrations which can permanently overpower our negative states of mind. This is our goal—our soul-goal. The ultimate aim of the embodied soul (human being) is to realize (actualize, manifest) the True Self through the art of living.

Each of us is a “work-in-progress.” Our life is a masterpiece and we are the master of our own life. We master the art of living by conquering our own ego. This is what our life is really all about. Winning the game of life really means winning over our own mind and ego. When we do this, we create heaven in our mind and Heaven on Earth. The opposite is “hell,” and it too originates in the mind. Heaven and hell are manmade. They are made-up in the mind and projected through our actions. We change our life by changing our mind (and by changing our actions which follow our thoughts). We make our life Heaven or Hell—it’s all up to us.

True Success

The true success is to go beyond success and failure both. The true success is to go beyond duality. Beyond duality is Reality. Established in Reality is the True Self, which is Changeless.

When we (the living Self, embodied in Mind and Matter) are clearly connected to our True Self, then we are REAL and we are really successful and really happy. Otherwise, if we are disconnected we are unreal and unhappy and feel like we are a loser; or we may be temporarily happy and feel like we are sitting on top of the world. These are feelings of duality, and as long as we remain caught up in our false feelings we will remain caught up in the world.

As the saying goes, “we should be in the world but not of it.” It means we should do our duty but not get caught up in it. We should do good work for goodness sake and not for the sake of ego-glorification or gratification. Ego-gratification nullifies gratitude and spoils our attitude, whereas humility improves our attitude and intensifies our gratitude.

It is impossible to be simultaneously grateful and hateful. The flipside of ego-gratification is frustration, annoyance, anger and hate. The other side of humility is contentment, forbearance, self-control and compassion. With the counterfeit coin of egoism, whether inflated or deflated, we can only buy misery. With true humility we go on increasing our wealth of Wisdom, and ultimately we realize our True Self.

The realization of our True Self is the most important thing to accomplish in this world.

Isolation (Kaivalya)

“The remedy, or cure, for loneliness is solitude.”

Dr. T. R. Khanna

We need to isolate ourselves from our negative feelings and emotions. Any negative mental state is an unnatural state because it is contrary to our Real Nature.

Our Real Nature (our True Nature) is the nature of our Real Self (True Self). Our True Self is ATMAN, Pure Consciousness.

The non-self is the self that is fabricated in the mind. The non-self is non-eternal, which is why the non-self is unreal. Our definition of that which is Real is that which is eternal.

When we realize our own eternalness then our mind reflects that which is real, which is our own Self. “Realizing our own eternalness” and “reflecting that which is real” mean the same thing. This is a state of mind—the purified mind.

The purified mind is the mind from which impurities have been removed. The impurities consist of mental superimpositions in the form of ego-images and other mental paraphernalia in the form of false impressions, unhealthy tendencies, and bad attitudes.

False impressions (and their associated memories), unhealthy tendencies (and their associated desires), and bad attitudes (and their associated negative self-talk), lead to wrong choices (bad decisions) and self-destructive (violent) actions.

A violent action consists of any behavior or deed which violates our real nature; in other words, a violent action goes against our conscience—it betrays our Higher Intelligence. When we betray our Higher Intelligence we reinforce the bond with our lower nature.

Our lower nature is the self associated only with the body. Our higher nature is the self associated with Pure Consciousness. The self that stands between the two is the living self (Jivatman), comprised of pure Consciousness (Atman) embodied in ego, intellect, mind, senses, and the gross physical body, and identified with all of these, and relating through these with the gross material world (and with the gross mental world, and with the subtle mental world).

Bound to our lower nature (our unreal nature, our non-self), we feel constricted and desire to break free. To break free we have to break our images which keep us in confinement. Our self-image (false ego) is the result of the identification of the Conscious self with the unconscious world of mind and matter. This identification arises out of association.

Embodied as human beings, we have the requisite intelligence to choose the “company we keep, the food we eat, the thoughts we hold, and the actions we do.” We can deliberately break our association with that which is unreal and associate with that which is Real. To do so, we require the power of discernment to distinguish between that which is real and that which is not; that which is good and that which is not; that which is conducive to our well-being and that which is detrimental to it. Our power of discernment is developed through the study and practice of the wisdom of Consciousness.

This wisdom gives us the insight to see into the nature of reality (and also into the nature of unreality). We realize that ALL negative feelings are born in the mind and that the only REAL feeling is the absolute feeling of Pure Consciousness (Atam-bhavana). This realization (reflection in the mind) purifies the mind.

When the living self completely isolates itself from all the negative mental “stuff,” it simultaneously realizes the fullness of Consciousness and is completely freed from all false feelings of loneliness. The solitary Truth (perception of Reality) solidifies one’s practices expressed through daily living, and one remains established in one’s own True Self.

Decision-Makers

All of us are decision-makers. We should make the decision to stay out of our ego. Either we can be happy or we can be in our ego. The choice is ours.

Some people think life is more complicated than it is, and so they make it so. But really, life is very simple. If we “get real” with ourselves, we will see things very clearly and will stop making things up. We hallucinate when our mind is drugged with ego-feelings.

The only real feeling is the feeling of absolute love and peace which comes from the core of our being. Love and peace are inseparable. Love that becomes violent was never love to begin with, and peace which is selfish is just a lie. We need to stop lying to ourselves and stop justifying our violent ways.

We are violating are real nature when we are following the whims of our mind and the moods of our ego. Our up and down feelings are the symptoms of a split-personality, which itself is the result of divided loyalties. Our commitment must be to our soul only, and NOT to our ego.

Our soul is the core of our being, the essence of consciousness. Our soul is our essence: it is essentially what we are. Everything else is an adjunct. When we put our mind and body to creative use, they are great assets in the expression of consciousness (the art of Life). If we don’t spend our time wisely, our life becomes burdened with mental and material junk. Then we can’t think clearly and one bad decision leads to another until we get fed up with the nonsense we have created.

We are the sum total of the choices we make. We are the problem; we are the solution.

Beyond Ego

Metaphysically speaking, ego is formed by the union of Purush (Spirit) and Prakriti (Matter). Physically speaking, ego is formed at birth.

Ego is a natural phenomenon. Everyone has ego. It is natural for consciousness to become identified with the body (and its relations) at birth. As the living self (embodied soul) passes from infancy, to childhood, to young adulthood, adulthood, middle age, and old age, our personality (expression of ego) undergoes many changes. All of this is part of the drama of existence, the Play or Sport of Life.

Rising above our ego is a challenge but not a problem. Our life becomes problematic only when we see challenges as hassles. This false perception (seeing challenges as hassles) is itself an expression of ego, and hence, is a challenge in itself. The false perception is born out of ignorance and is removed with wisdom.

“Rising above our ego” means “changing for the better.” It is better for everyone, including ourselves, when we are unselfish and giving. People who are “takers,” who are self-involved and selfish, are miserable and miserly. If we are stingy with our good energy we are bound to be unhappy.

We are the Spirit-self, the Energy-self, so we should be energetic because that’s our natural way to be. In other words, it is our true nature to be unselfish, and holding on to our small-self ego is unnatural.

Soul is positive. To be ourselves we have to be positive. We are the Shining Light! There may be darkness all around, but where there is light there is light only. When all of us pull together, that Light removes the surrounding darkness. When we are united with the Supreme Soul, we see that Light everywhere.

OM

Supreme-I

The Supreme “I” principle; Mahatattva; Universal Mind—these are one and the same, expressed differently.

The Supreme “I” principle is next to the ‘Supreme-I’. The “Supreme-I” in this context is Purush, the Spirit Self. The Universal Mind is the Mind of the Spirit Self. Mahatattva is the first expression of the union of Purush and Prakriti.

From the perspective of the Self (Purush), the “Supreme-I” is Mahapurush, the Supreme Self. The Self and the Supreme Self, in this context, are the Sprit Self and the Supreme Spirit. The “spirit” is the Life Force inherent in Atman and Paramatman.

In the context of Purush and Mahapurush, Atman and Paramatman are the Self and the Supreme Self. The union of the Self and the Supreme Self can only be manifested by the Self. Paramatman (the Supreme Self) can only be realized by the Self as Purush, the Spirit Self.

The living self (Jivatman), the Spirit Self embodied in ego, intellect, mind, senses, and (optionally) the gross physical body, MUST realize its essence (Spirit Self) to be free from the false identification with the “mind’-body apparatus. (In this context, the “mind” refers to the fourfold inner organ, Antahkaranachautushtaya.)

Since the body is an extension of the mind, the real work is in the realm of the mind. This “mind” is the individualized mind and not the Universal Mind. The individualized mind is the Universal Mind circumscribed by ego. It is the result of the devolution of the living self during the process of the evolution of Prakriti (resulting from the union of Purush and Prakriti). The union of Purush and Prakriti is the basis of Ignorance (Avidya). Since the individualized mind is the product of Ignorance, the individualized mind is inherently ignorant.

The individualized mind is dissolved with the Wisdom of Consciousness. The true test of the presence of Wisdom is the absence of ego (false identification and the false pride associated with it). In other words, when wisdom is truly applied ego is removed and ignorance of our True Nature is eradicated. When this happens, the living self (Jivatman) is established in the Universal Mind.

Now begins the deeper spiritual work. The living self is now embodied in the Cosmic Ego since it is identified with the Universal Mind. The process of dissolving this subtle ego continues until the living self fully realizes its True Nature as the Spirit Self, Purush. Ultimately, all Ignorance is completely dissolved as Purush is united with Mahapurush, and the union of Atman and Paramatman is subsequently experienced as the state of Liberation (Moksha). In This, all that remains is the “Supreme-I.”

Make Wisdom Your Guide

Every human being must discover the divine within their own heart. We must make our heart the alter, and our purified mind the mullah, priest, or rabbi. Mind is purified with wisdom. Only the purest wisdom can purify completely. Otherwise, if it is diluted (mixed with bias, favoritism, or other forms of ego) it cannot purify completely.

Today, as in the past, as in the future, there is no need of any formalized religion. But there is a need for self-discipline, self-control, self-introspection, and self-improvement.

When ego is removed from the mind, we perceive the whole world (indeed, the whole universe) as our very own self. We may use the word ‘me’ but we really mean WE. We may use the word ‘I’, but we really mean US. Our real self is the Self of all. To that Supreme Self we owe everything.

The Supreme Self is all-pervading and is equally present in a blade of grass, a powerful general, a wealthy businessman, a poor laborer, a white man, a black man, a king and a pauper. But who sees the Real Self? Who knows the Real Self? So long as a human being is caught up in their ego and unreality, they cannot know the True Self.

We realize the Truth when we remove our ego and ignorance. If religion can open our inner eye, then we should embrace it. Unfortunately, it seems that many people are blinded by their religion and never realize their own divinity. ‘Realizing our own divinity’ means to accept responsibility for our thoughts and actions and then change our ways. It means realizing that we are the author of our own destiny.

If ego is our guide, our fate will be ugly. If wisdom and common sense are our guide, we will make our mind positive and our future will be bright.

Understanding Reality

Understanding Reality is not that difficult. It is not an intellectual exercise. In fact, it is not even necessary to verbalize it. It is, however, absolutely necessary to manifest it.

Understanding is manifested when we get our ego out of the way. In other words, if we drop our false perception we will understand immediately. False perception arises out of false identity, and true perception is concomitant with truthfulness.

To be truthful means to be honest, and being honest means to think, speak, and act honorably. Being honorable means to shape our mind to honor our True Self. The mind pays respect to our True Self when it pays attention to what is real. If we give our attention to what is unreal, we begin to imagine what is unreal is real. If we give recognition to our ego we begin to think our ego is real. Our ego is NOT real. It is a mistaken identity.

When we perceive things through our ego, our perception is false, and this false perception leads to misunderstanding. The only way to remove misunderstanding is to drop our ego. Intellectually understanding is just another form of misunderstanding.

We have to leave our ego. Leaving our ego does NOT mean leaving our responsibilities. On the contrary, it means to take responsibility for our thoughts and actions and make up our mind to do what is good and conducive to the welfare of all, and then DO IT.

The sense of well-being comes naturally when we act without ego. When we act without ego we do not look for attention or recognition for our actions. We do not feel sorrowful when we are ignored, or elated when we are adored.

Our well-being is in our own hands. It all depends on how we make up our mind, what we tell ourselves, and what we do with our life, from moment to moment, day to day, and year to year, from our first breath until our last.

Who Do You Want to Be?

Some people want to be bad guys and some want to be good guys, but everyone wants to be right and no one wants to be wrong. Even the bad guys think they are right, in their own wrong way, and oftentimes the good guys are wrong in their own self-righteous way.

The problem here is that people are caught up in duality, which is always right and wrong, but never always right. When we are right on the mark we have it right, and when we miss the mark we have it wrong. When we make the mark, we become the mark, and when we become the mark we miss the point, because the point we make is just our opinion and is not real. The point IS, it is not what we make it up to be; and we ARE, we are not what we make ourselves up to be. The mind that is marked-up with ego is sometimes right and sometimes wrong but is never connected to what is real, because what is real is eternal and what is eternal is unmarred by what is non-eternal.

The Truth is real; it is not arbitrary, it is not made up in the mind. The Goal is Eternity and Eternity is not “sometime” or “another” time. Eternity is timeless. Timelessness is egolessness. From the point of view of egolessness, there is no score to keep, no mark to make, and no role to play. As Eternity is not a point in time, egolessness is not an idea in the mind nor is it a state of mindlessness. It is a state of mindfulness; it is a state of mind filled with Truth; it is the state of truthfulness of mind, wherein the mind is so clear that it clearly reflects the light of Truth.

The light of Truth is the Wisdom of the Soul (AatamGyaan). The highest Wisdom is realized in egolessness. Egolessness is a dynamic state of being; it is not an intellectual state of mind. Egolessness is an active state of mind; it is the state of the mind infused with the pure energy of consciousness which removes the mind’s confusion and self-delusion and reveals the State of Being.

The hyperactive state of mind is a state of mental imbalance. The lethargic state of mind is also a state of mental imbalance. But the mind that is infused with the energy of consciousness is balanced, and remains balanced so long as it remains fully charged. The mind remains charged when it is focused (one-pointed) on Reality. When that focus is lost we become scatter-brained, our energy is dissipated, and confusion sets in. To remove confusion the mind must be fed with soul-food (the Wisdom of Consciousness), which gives it strength and makes the mind impervious to the negativity of ego.

The negative force of ego is overcome with the positive force of consciousness. In other words, self-consciousness is overcome with the consciousness of the Self. When the mind is conscious of the Self (the Real Self), the non-self (ego) has no hold over the mind.

The non-self is a thought in the mind. When the thought of the non-self is replaced with the thought of the Self, the mind becomes crystal clear, and this is the state of egolessness of the mind. Now ego only exists as Self-awareness.

Self-awareness leads to the awareness of the Supreme Self; this pure awareness (pure consciousness, ATMAN) is direct experience, and this direct experience is Liberation (Moksha), which is complete freedom from Ignorance.

Complete freedom from Ignorance is realized only by those who desire it. What do you want to be? Do you want to be free or do you want to remain ignorant? Some people think “ignorance is bliss,” but these people are mistaken. Bliss is attained only when we stop ignoring our Real Nature and stop pretending to be happy with temporary reality (unreality).