LIVING IN MEDITATION

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OM! May God lead this to the deserving!

Hi Friends,


Everyone, irrespective of their upbringing, irrespective of their faith and beliefs, wants to
lead a happy life. his is a series of articles ai!ed at e"ploring the possibility of
transfor!ing our lives into Meditation. #nd here $ a! using the word !editation in a
slightly unconventional style. Here its not the na!e of a particular practise, but a way of
life or perhaps an attitude towards life. %one of the practises are dis!issed or
countered in any way, #ll of the! are fine and have their own place in the sche!e of
things. &ust that this article is aligned towards a different goal: 'eading a happy,
satisfied life with no inner conflicts .

$ call this living in !editation, !eaning its not practicing !editation for a stipulated ti!e
period but to transfor! our whole lives into !editation. $t is about living in (ontinuous
)oy, transfor!ing our lives into a (elebration. Every !o!ent of our lives is a !o!ent of
i!!ense )oy of *eing +++ this is for e"ploring this di!ention in our lives.# life where
there is no sense of e!ptiness within, no inner conflicts. E"ternal circu!stances can
never be !ade perfectly conflict less. $f possible we !ight avoid conflict. *ut e"ternally
there is no possibility of conflict less living. *ut internally its possible to lead a conflict
less life. # life of inner har!ony if we !ay li,e to ter! it that way.


Friends, lets together e"plore this di!ention and see for ourselves if this is practical.
he idea is to bring in a cognitive change , a change that will persist. #s such, fro! !y
e"perience, this is not against any spiritual practices or the day to day life we lead. $ts
si!ply a cognitive and attitude change.

What Do We Want In Life ?

'ets first try to as, ourselves what we -.ee,- in life / 0e need this clarity and this is the
,ind of clarity with which we will proceed through the whole discussion. .o here we go.
'ets say God appears before us and offers us a boo, . 0e are given a set of options
and we are allowed to chose one and only one option of these and that will be ensured
in our lives . 1est are not gauranteed. .o here is a possible list of options:

a2 Money
b2 3leasures
c2 Fa!e
d2 'u"ury
...


and finally we add one e"tra ele!ent 452 .atisfaction 6 Happiness 6 3eace.

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#s $ said, in this ga!e there is )ust one option one can chose and only that option is
gauranteed. 0hat would anyone chose / 0ell, we tried this e"peri!ent in a class roo!
and everyone chose the option 452. 0hats the use of !oney etc if happiness is not
satisfied / #nd please note that !oney, position etc do not gaurantee happiness ! his
is very i!portant to understand and appreciate.

Materially, What ever we Seek ... There i alrea!y o"eone who ha it ! 7o we see
this / $f we thin, !oney can !a,e us happy, there is already so!eone who has all the
!oney and still he or she is dissatisfied and unhappy within. $f we thin, position will
!a,e us happy, there is already so!eone who has e"ceptional position and power and
yet he or she re!ains dissatisfied and unhappy!! he poor !an has a hope. He thin,s
-if i beco!e rich, ill be happy- . *ut the rich !an does not even have this hope!! 8or !ay
be he will thin, ill be happier if i have !ore !oney!!9 . hats why we find actors who
have every ,ind of !aterial possessions and yet they are resort to drugs etc in the hope
of finding happiness.

Friends, this is intensely practical. 0e need to !a,e that *liss of Happiness our true
nature ... a part of our lives :; <.

Mana#in# Min! i Like Drivin# a $ar%


.uppose a car is gifted to !e on !y birthday. $ a! e"cited to get a wonderful car and $
get into it and start it. .uddenly, $ re!e!ber that $ do not ,now how to drive it! $ will land
in an accident. .a!e way, if $ do not ,now how to !anage !y !ind, !y life beco!es
an accident. with a car, $ have choice to get into it or to re!ain outside. *ut with !ind, $
do not have any such choice. $f $ cannot !anage !y !ind and !y whole life beco!es
an accident. 'ong before $ ,now how to !anage !y !ind, a few observations regarding
!ind are absolutely necessary. &ust as, if i want to drive a car, $ should ,now what a
steering is.

0e need to ,now how the !ind has to be !anaged. he understanding that we
funda!entally see, a happy and satisfied life is very crucial in being able to handle the
!ind. his is very significant.

%ow 0hen $ learn to drive a car, the ai! is to drive it and cruise through the traffic not
to ,eep it in a par,ing lot. .a!e way, !ind is a wonderful instru!ent in our hands, if we
,now how to !anage it, we can use it for our good and we can benefit fro! it.

$f $ thin, !editation !eans to not have any thoughts, thats li,e sitting in a par,ed car all
the ti!e. . he ai! in !ind !anage!ent is not to stop all thoughts. 0ithout thoughts
no scientific discovery would be possible. 0e need a sharp and active !ind ++ at the
sa!e ti!e, that !ind should be in our hands, we should be using it and not get used by
it! $ hope this is clear. his could be one of the few differences with other !editation
!ethods. 0e are not here trying to !a,e the !ind thoughtless at all. hat is not the
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ob)ective of this discussion ++ though such a practise !ay have its own advantages.
Mind is a wonderful blessing if we ,now how to use it. $f we ,now how to handle our
thoughts, the thoughts are a blessing. if we do not ,now how to handle our thoughts, the
thoughts are a curse. his is what we see in the society. # poor village far!er ,nows
very few things, he is happy with hi!self. *ut his son who ,nows about the lu"uries of
the city life cannot re!ain happy with what he has.


hats why ignorance is said to be bliss. (o= there are not !any thoughts to handle. .o
if you find so!eone who is happy due to ignorance... feed a few thoughts in his brain
and he is gone.


'et us not, however, conde!n thoughts. $ts only because of these thoughts that we
have a chance for develop!ent. 0ithout thoughts no scientific develop!ent is possible.
One should ,now how to handle one>s thoughts ... )ust as the person in the e"a!ple,
above, needed to learn to drive his car. $f $ do not ,now how to drive a car $ end up in an
accident and if $ do not ,now how to !anage !y thoughts , !y life beco!es an accident.
.o that is how i!portant it is to !anage one>s thoughts.

Min! & Antahkarana, the Inner Intr'"ent%

'ets now try to e"plore this Mind a little. 0hat we call !ind in English is called
-#ntah,arana- in sans,rit : !eaning, inner instru!ent. #nd 0hats that / $ts one
instru!ent that functions in various !odes and depending upon the !ode of operation,
its given one of the following four na!es:

?. 0hen the antah,aran is re!e!bering so!ething its !e!ory or citta!.
:. 0hen the antaharana is functioning in -$ a! the 7oer- !ode, its aha!,ara. he -$-
thought.
@. 0hen the antah,arana is functioning in the for! of .an,alpa+Ai,alpas , ie, san,alpa :
any positive thought and vi,alpa: doubt or any dispersed behaviour 8!ind is dispersed9.
7oubt etc. $ts called !anas, !ind.
;. 0hen the antah,arana ta,es a decision or concludes so!ething, its intellect.


.o $ start fro! ho!e and suddenly re!e!ber -7id $ loc, the door /- ... re!e!brance :
citta!. 7oubt: Manas. #nd now ... as long as i ,eep toggling -7id $ or did $ not-, its !ind
or !anas in operation. .uppose $ conclude -$ 7id- or -'et !e go ho!e and chec,-...
thats intellect.
.o all ,inds of constant harping upon so!ething etc are functions of !anas. 7ecisive
nature is intellect. his is the overall antah,arana.
he !ost i!portant point to note is that there is only one antah,arana which ta,es all
these for!s. his is perfectly in accordance with the neural science.

#t the level of the brain, the neural dyna!ics also suggest that there is one brain which
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undergoes various neural dyna!ics and this neural networ, synchroni=es to a particular
state or !ode ++ that is, it ta,es a particular for! ++ and that>s how it functions. .uppose i
see a pot, Ghata, the neural dyna!ics starts with si!ple perception and then
-converges- to a particular -for!- 8ie, a particular set of neurons active and so!e others
inactive9 and thats when we say $ see a pot and also re!e!ber all its functions.


his !odel of !ind is very useful for us to clearly see things.


.uppose so!eone critici=es !e. #t first there is a s!all perception followed by a whole
!ental dyna!ics and finally intellect decides or -Grants- a certain reaction . hats
where we have to wor,. he intellect -decides- various things. -his person is insulting
!e-, is one decision. -his person is trying to encourage !e through criticis! to do
better- is another conclusion. Bet another conclusion is -hese insults etc dont bother
!e- ! 7o we see how this is / he pure perception is in !ind, then there are various
thoughts. 'ets say all the three thoughts arise -this person is insulting !e-, this person
is encouraging !e and i dont care. #ll three thoughts arise and then the intellect says -i
,now this person, he is very nice so he cannot be insulting so this !ust be encouraging-.
hats the final decision ta,en by the intellect.


7o we see this / 0e will try to e"plore this !ore clearly and with various e"a!ples as
we proceed with this study. his understanding is very i!portant because this
antah,arana is an instru!ent. if $ get a gadget, $ also get a user !anual with it. $f $ ,now
what operation leads to what results $ a! co!fortable in operating the gadget. $nstead ,
$f $ ,eep pressing so!e or the other buttons, the results !ay not be very desirable.
.a!e way, there are lot of !isconceived ideas a!ongst people. .uppose so!eone
says -$ lac, concentration- and people are there who will give hi! techniCues to
i!prove concentration . (oncentration is not to be -Gained- anew. (oncentration is
there where we have interest. .o clearly when a person says -$ a! not able to
concentrate- it !eans there is lac, of interest. .o what we need to tac,le is the interest
and not concentration.

O'r E()erien*e are $olore! +y O'r Intelle*t%


his world that we perceive, we perceive it through our intellect, *uddhi. 0hen we
e"perience so!ething + a si!ple perception of the -event- is the first !ental
!odification. hereafter what we e"perience is what the !ind describes to us. $ts the
story told by our !ind. Our !ind and intellect really decide how an e"perience is
interpreted. hat>s why so!eone sees a post but thin,s its a Ghost and so!eone else
sees the sa!e post and thin,s its a thief.Or, so!eone fails in an endeavor, say. here
are two ways this !ay be ta,en. One person lifts hi!self up and says -$ will now wor,
harder and convert this failure into a stepping stone for success- and another person
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feels disappointed and depressed. .o there is )ust one e"perience and there are two
ways the !ind reacted. 3lease see this.


.o when we present people with such ideas as -Failures are stepping stones to
success- or -7o not give up- ... these suggestive ideas aid the intellect in developing a
positive fra!e of !ind while facing the challenges of the life. .o any e"perience we
have, its the intellect that colors it and presents it to us. he e"perience itself is really
-du!b-. $ does not have anything to say.

What The +ai ,)on Whi*h Intelle*t O)erate ?



'ets say so!eone critici=es !e. #nd there are various possibilities.
-he wanted to insult !e-
-he wants !e to do better and is really a well wisher-
-i do not care-
-i feel bad-
-its unfortunate, every one insults !e-


...


these are various thoughts that !ight arise. #nd the intellect -7ecides- on these, based
on a -bac,ground !ood- ! .uppose $ a! in depression when $ hear this. Or perhaps $
a! already e"cited because of a !uch greater success elsewhere and $ hear this
criticis!. he intellectual disposition is different in both these cases and the sa!e
intellect !ay decide differently.


.o here we have two things: he 1ight type of intellect and the right type of intellectual
disposition. 1ight intellect ensures right intellectual disposition. #nd whats the right
intellect / his is decided purely on the basis of its utility value . .uppose the intellect
always says -$ do not care what others thin,-! hat safe guards !e fro! hurts due to
criticis!. *ut then, it also insulates !e fro! the co!!ents and therefore $ cannot
benefit fro! it!


.o so!eone is sensitive and he hears criticis! and initially the intellect throws the hurt
responses and slowly he learns to insulate hi!self fro! all those and now the intellect
si!ply says -i dont care- ... this is so!e sort of adapting to situations. $ts purely
psychological.


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#lso to be understood ... he -(enter- of this whole process is a -ME- for who! all this
is done. $ntellect has a notion about -Me- . $f $ do not consider !yself a very intellectual
person, any criticis! related to intellectual abilities !ay not create !uch ruffle in the
!ind. *ut if i consider !yself an intellectual person, there is a definite tendency to ta,e
the criticis!s related to intellect very seriously.


.o -0ho $ #M- is the center upon which intellect arrives at various conclusions.
.o!ething happens -this is good- or -his is bad- etc is based upon -0ho $ a!- really.
#nd this -0ho $ thin, $ a!- is really based upon !y conclusions about !yself derived
fro! !y intellect again!


he only purpose of Aedanta or Aedantic teaching is to set the -intellect- and intellectual
disposition right, so that one is able to see things in the (orrect light. $n other words,
one is able to re!ain balanced and free oneself fro! all for!s of suffering. his clarity is
what Aedanta presents and we shall see clearly how Aedanta can transfor! our lives
once and for all as we proceed with this te"t.


#n E"a!ple to e"plain this point very clearly:


here was a ,ing who donned the robes of a beggar to secretly roa! about in the
,ingdo! , unnoticed, and find out what the pupil>s proble!s were. #s he was thus
roa!ing, one day, he forgot who he was. He started to thin, he was the beggar and
started to live li,e the beggar.


.o his intellect now decided based on the idea -$ #M *EGG#1-, rather than -$ #M #
D$%G who is acting li,e a *EGG#1-. #nd he was in all sorts of troubles. He even tried
!editations etc to get rid of his suffering, nothing wor,ed.


.o finally, he !et his !inister and the !inister said -Hey, you are not a beggar. you are
the ,ing-!
%ow, this needs so!e appreciation. He has to appreciate intellectually that he is not the
beggar and that he is the ,ing. his is i!portant. #nd then he has to own up his own
,ingdo!. He does not need to do anything -to be the ,ing-, but re!ove the wrong ideas
he holds about hi!self as the beggar.


.o the beggar at first did not believe. hen he had so!e level of sradha or value, for the
words of the !inister. #nd he was also disgusted with the beggar life 8vairagya9, so he
went to the !inister and said, -o,, i a! ready to follow you. 3lease !a,e !e the ,ing-.

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he !inister said -$ cannot !a,e you the ,ing ... Bou #1E HE D$%G-


*eggar ,ing said -O,, now show !e how i a! the ,ing-.
.o the !inister first convinces hi! intellectually, -.ee you too, up this dress etc for a
specific reason. you did this, this and now u r li,e this - ... he E"plains.
#nd *eggar is now a little !ore clear. He is able to see hi!self as ,ing through this.
8.ravana!9.


he beggar goes bac, to his poor hut 8that he did not go to his palace itself !eans he is
not fir!ly convinced9... and thin,s it out for hi!self 8!anana!9. and is now very clear.
#ny doubts he has, he see,s help fro! the !inister and gets the! cleared.


he !inister says -o,, now go into the palace and -*e- the ,ing-, what !ore to do /
*eggar goes with the !inister to the palace ... and !inister says -OD, go into the
palace- !
he has a little fear... due to his long association with the beggar role. but he overco!es
it holding onto his understanding and wal,s in. as he enters his understanding beco!es
!ore fir!.
and then he slowly wal,s in ... and he hears a huge shout!! he thin,s its on hi! and runs
out.
he !inister again says -.ee, its not u. here is so!eone else there on who! they are
shouting! .ee there!! - and then he decides to go again... 8nidhidhyasana is living his
ruth and *eing Free9


and slowly he owns up his position and is totally free now! and then he can co!e bac,
and enact the beggar role he wants to. he clarity is the overall aid. .ravana+Manana+
%idhidhyasana are the !eans.
One has to own it up.


0hen he functions fro! -$ a! the ,ing acting as beggar- ... understanding ... he !ay be
acting li,e a beggar but never suffers fro! lac, of fulfill!ent. even if he gets no !oney
on a particular day, he re!ains fulfilled. Even when he runs after a person see,ing
!oney, he is fulfilled. (o= he ,nows he is si!ply acting.


0hen he functions fro! -i a! beggar role- ... even if he gets a little !oney, he is
functioning as a -wanting individual-


Aedanta wor,s e"actly li,e the !inister in this story. he guru is the !inister and he
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teaches Aedanta... which is -Bou are the Ding-, ,nowledge. he teaching is to establish
that 0e are ever Fulfilled and Free. his understanding, is reached by rooting out the
-0anting person- ! and then one is wise who functions fro! inner sense of fulfill!ent.


# wise !an is si!ply the one who functions as a Fulfilled person +++ as so!eone 0ho
has 1eached! his is the person. #n unfulfilled person can never beco!e -Fulfilled-. #
person who is a -see,er- will never 1each. (o= the see,er is really see,ing that which
is Everywhere. Aedantic teaching dis!isses this see,er and leaves one as so!eone
who is not a -wanting person- , but totally 3urna, (o!plete within hi!self as he is.


his teaching will really aid us -'ive- this here and now. 'ets see how it aids.

-ow !o I ee "yelf & What My Self I"a#e ?


0hen there is an e"perience, we have at first a perception of the event as it is and
thereafter the !ind ta,es it and churns various reactions or ideas about it. his being so,
even -!e- and all the notions about -!e- are basically !ental. My !ind presents a -!e-
which is what $ thin, $ a!. Fortunately or unfortunately we loo, at everything in this
world through this !ind and so also we loo, at ourselves through this !ind alone. here
is no choice there. 0hen we loo, at ourselves also through this !ind, what do we see /
0hat is !e , according to !e / his is a very i!portant Cuestion. How do $ see !yself.


3lease note friends, depending on how $ loo, at !yself, !y whole world is deter!ined.
$f $ loo, at !yself in a particular way, !y world of e"periences are all colored by that.
hat>s why so!eone who ta,es hi!self to be a devotee finds God everywhere ! $f $ !ay
be allowed to use the proper phrase, their !ind is colored with -devotion-.


here is a very funda!ental point to clearly understand. $ts always the !ental world that
effects !e, not the e"ternal perception. he perception or the -event- is really du!b and
has no ability to -touch- us in any sense. # prahallada could cheerfully put up with all
the torture his father put hi! through! # 1a!ana could re!ain untouched even when
his body was down with cancer.

0hat is !y self i!age / his !atters a lot for so!eone who wants to lead a very happy
and satisfied life.

Di*overin# The .'lfille! /eron Within%

his is at once practical, $ need to discover the fulfilled person within, if $ want to lead a
happy and satisfied life. How do $ discover this pleased and -happy- person within/ #
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person who does not -lac,- anything / *ecause as $ see !yself, there are !any things $
lac,. here are !any things which can !a,e !e a better person. 3erhaps a better
position, better house and riches etc can !a,e !e better/ and 7oes this not !ean $
really lac, all these right now /

his is where Aedanta is reCuired. Aedanta aids us see ourselves as fulfilled ... even
with all the lac,ings we !ention. %one of the lac,ings are dis!issed and yet, we re!ain
fulfilled ! his is an e"ploration really... e"ploration into our very nature to -discover-
ourselves as we are. he clai! is -0e as we are , are already 3urna, (o!plete and
Fulfilled- hat is we lac, nothing ! #nd hats a tall clai! that needs lot of elaboration, $
would reCuest a reader to please allow !e to e"plain this in detail. For now, this section
is si!ply a su!!ary of what is going to co!e ... an abstract. 1est of this post is only
going to establish this clai! without leave any trace of doubt.


Differen*e +etween What I have an! What I a"%

his difference between what $ a! and what $ have is very significant. 0e tend to
-7efine- what $ a! based on what $ have and then we beco!e -puny- . 7o we see
the difference between what we have and what we are / $ have a dog, say. 0hat a
difference it is between saying -$ have a dog- and - i a! a dog- !! he first person is
sane, the second one>s is a serious case. $snt it /

0e !ay not say directly -$ a! a dog-, but if we co!pare -!y dog is better than your
dog- ... that !eans the unspo,en language is -therefore $ a! better than you- ! what
have we done here / 0e have identified what we are with what we have and therefore
dragged ourselves to the level of our dogs!!

he cru" of the proble! is here. 0e create inferiority, superiority and all sorts of
nonsense )ust by co!paring our possessions and in this process we hurt ourselves
!ore than anyone else !! he person who says !ine is an e"otic breed of 7og is
deriving his sense of fulfill!ent fro! his possession ++ which is dog in this case !!

May be !ost people derive their sense of fulfill!ent fro! !ore costly ob)ects ... May
be the )ob or their House or (ar. he situation isn>t any better though!

0e need to observe carefully and see if we have any ob)ect fro! which we derive a
sense of -fulfill!ent- or a feeling of satisfaction. $f we ever depend upon the ob)ects for
our satisfaction, then that is enough to lead a life of dissatisfaction.

Ob)ects give us -(o!forts- not -Happiness- or -.atisfaction- or -.ense of Fulfill!ent- .

$o"fort i Not .'lfill"ent

.uppose $ co!e ho!e on a very hot day and switch on the #6( ... thats co!fort. $ts so
for any one. #nd if )ust then there is a power failure ... there is disco!fort.
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(an we ,eep -disco!fort- as disco!fort and not transfor! into unhappiness /

this difference between disco!fort and unhappiness is very subtle. E"ternally there are
situations that are preferred and also those that are not preferred. One e"a!ple is what
$ have given above.

0hen the e"ternal situation is not co!fortable, can we ,eep the disco!fort at the
-E"ternal- 'evel / Meaning, when there is a disco!fort we see the presence of
disco!fort but then do not build upon it and create suffering out of it! 0hen we see the
disco!fort as !a,ing !e unfulfilled and e!pty, then the disco!fort beco!es
unhappiness. when that disco!fort can be accepted and suspended in !y presence it
re!ains )ust that ++ a disco!fort. .uppose there is a power failure and $ see that there is
a power failure. $f $ can do so!ething about it, $ do it. $ts unpleasant , $ ,now. #nd then if
even after doing so!ething $ cannot avoid it , $ accept it and allow it to re!ain. 0hat is
this attitude born out of / $ts born out of an appreciation of the fact that 1esults are not
in !y hands, thought actions are in !y hands. his appreciation or understanding
!a,es !e understand that $ cannot control the results and since $ cannot control the
results totally ... if so!e unco!fortable result is bound to happen despite !y best efforts,
its wise to accept than to fight with it. his is intelligent living. 7o not convert disco!fort
into unhappiness by -*uilding upon it- ! $f you can, do so!ething, else accept.


'ets e"plore this possibility by seeing practically how we get affected by anything that
happens ... he overall process by which ob)ects or happenings affect us in the first
place. #nd long before that -who is getting affected /- 0ho is this -!e- who is getting
affected /

'ets see ...

A .ew .'n!a"ental O0ervation%

#s $ !a,e these observations, we can see... how they are true as they are. 0e need to
put aside the baggage of our preconceived ideas and see these to be true as they are.
they need not be validated against a set of preconceived ideas. $s this what 1a!ana
says, is this what &iddu ,rishna!urthi says etc.
)ust see .. the observation is )ust what is, as it is.


O0ervation1% %o ob)ect can cause a proble! to us, until and unless it beco!es an
ob)ect of our !ind


O0ervation2% wo ob)ects collide at the sa!e level ... # physical ob)ect collides with a
physical ob)ect, a !ental ob)ect can collide with a !ental ob)ect alone. .o a thought
:
cannot collide with !y chair ... it can collide with a !ental chair at!ost.


O0ervation3% # conflict is a collision. wo ideas, two concepts, two ob)ects collide.
hats a conflict. # !ental conflict is a collision between two !ental entities. 3erhaps
two thoughts, two ideas etc.


O0ervation4% here are two ,inds of thoughts : $da! Aritti, his thought... which is the
perception. #ha! Aritti, he -$- thought, which is My feeling, !y idea, !y thin,ing about
a happening or what ought to have happened.


O0ervation5% 0hen an event happens, the corresponding -$da! Aritti- or pure
perception of that happening is in !ind. he -aha! Aritti- arises and says -$ do not li,e
it- or -$ want it this way- or -$ love this- etc.


O0ervation6% # !ental conflict is ... things are happening in a certain way, while $
would want it in another way. $n other words, its a collision between aha! vritti and
ida! vritti 8note observation @9


'ets a,e up a case study and see this clearly.

$ae St'!y%

'ets ta,e a si!ple case study. 0e have considered E observations till now. %ow, lets
ta,e a si!ple case study and see how these observations !a,e sense. he idea is to
put the observations in conte"t.he first case study we consider is -$ a! afraid of
7ar,ness -.


O0ervation1% $f $ do not ,now $ a! in dar,ness. hat is, if i a! in deep sleep ... $
cannot be afraid. $ have to recogni=e the fact that $ a! in dar,ness. hat is, dar,ness
has to -enter- !y !ind as a thought or situation.


O0ervation4% $da! Aritti ... his thought of 7ar,ness. #nd #ha! Aritti -$ a! afraid- ,
the $ thought e"ist in !y !ind.


O0ervation5% .eries of thoughts arise as follows ... $da! vritti, -this dar,ness-, -$ dont
,now what is there in dar,ness-, -$ a! all alone in dar,ness-, -i dont li,e this-, -i a!
afraid- etc. he ida! vritti is si!ple what is. aha! vritti co!!ents on what -$- has to say
about what is.
:


O0ervation6% he dar,ness or ida! vritti is as it is. 0hile the aha! vritti co!!ents on
its disco!fort with the situation.


O0ervation3% he ida! vritti and aha! vritti collide. he aha! vritti says -i a! not
co!fortable with this situation outside... that is dar,ness-


O0ervation2%Only two vrittis are colliding. he dar,ness outside does not collide with
!e. he thought of the dar,ness which is ida! vritti also does not collide with anything.
he aha! vrittis collide.

Who i thi 7I7 That Gettin# -it ?


'et>s ta,e another case study... $ a! seated in !editation and $ hear fro! outside -his
is a wonderful !ovie- . .o at first $ hear this as si!ple perception. hen the ne"t
thoughts: -they are watching a !ovie-F -$ !iss it-F-it is a wonderful !ovie thye say-F
-what could it be/- F -could it be !y fav. !ovie/- F -oh! that !ovie i always !issed-F -(7
is also not available-F -but i should not get up fro! !editation- ...


3lease see the strea! of thoughts carefully. $ a! )ust writing the! down as if in -slow
!otion- ! his is a very subtle analysis.

he first perception is pure perception: ida! vritti, this thought.

he ne"t few thoughts have an -$- in the!: aha! vrittis or -$- thoughts.

0hat is happening here/

(learly an aha! vritti is not !e. (o=, i outlive it. thought co!es and dies that very
!o!ent. $f $ die with a thought, then there is no one to have the ne"t thought. .o $
cannot be a thought. .o whats happening here / #ha! Aritti is not !e and !ore over...
lets ta,e two consecutive -$- thoughts: -$ li,e that !ovie- F -i !iss it now- ... is the -$- of
the first thought sa!e as the -$- of the second thought/

hey are parts of two different -$- thoughts. they have no co!!onality. 3lease see this.
he first -$- and the second -$- are not sa!e persons. they are two different entities. two
different thoughts. its li,e a !ovie. a series of fast !oving static pictures create the
illusion of a !ovie. the first static picture and the second static picture are different. but
!ind does not see the gap. *0, i a! not suggesting that we should start watching
gaps. thatGs a good practise, but thatGs not the point here.
:


he point here is that there is really no continuous entity between these -$- thoughts ...
there are only spar,s of -$- thoughts that co!e and die... but li,e a !ovie ... they create
the illusion of a continuous entity called -$-.

he awareness which is unifor! basis of all thoughts is continuous and its continuity is
superi!posed on the -$->s which are dis)oint. there is really no entity called -$- !! here is
only awareness within and a few -$- thoughts happening li,e spar,s and dying there and
then. there is no continuity between the!. #h ah! 0here is this -!e- now /

'ets e"plore this further with so!e !ore e"a!ples ...

et !e reiterate what $ )ust presented. 0hen we see a !ovie, there is a no -!otion-.
0hat we are really seeing is only a series of static photos that change and we see an
apparent !otion.

.a!e thing within. here is no -$- really. only a series of -$+houghts- that co!e and
pass away that very !o!ent. Each -$+hought- dies the !o!ent it arises. 0here is -$- /

.uppose $ a! sitting in a roo! and so!eone ,noc,s the door. $ react. *ut suppose
so!eone goes on ,noc,ing at the door of an e!pty roo! / 0ho is there to react / his
body is li,e a roo!. he sense organs etc are li,e the doors of the roo!. he e"ternal
perceptions happen -via- these sense organs. 0hen so!eone says so!ething or tells
!e so!ething etc ... they are as if ,noc,ing at the doors of the roo!.

#nd inside the -.pace- is awareness6(onsciousness. #nd thoughts are li,e s!all
pebbles flying in the roo!. 3erhaps thrown fro! outside. $f there is -so!eone- sitting in
the roo! ... the pebbles hit the! and they !ay feel hurt6in)ured. %owhere will the space
get hit!!! 0hen $ re!ain as space, there is no way any even can -Hit- !e!!

.o 'iving a happy and satisfied life !eans to live with a sense of fulfill!ent. his !eans,
really, living without allowing a -'ac,ing- person to for! within. he lac,ing person is a
-!e- thats for!ed of a series of -$+thoughts-, as presented below.

hese thoughts , are e"actly li,e a series of static pictures that create the illusion of a
!ovie. he illusion of a !ovie can only be created in the presence of a non+changing
screen ! .o these changing thoughts create the illusion of a -!e- ... on the bac,ground
of !ental space which is #wareness.

0hen a -'ac,ing+!e- is not allowed to for!, then life beco!es a fulfilled life. infact if i
for! a relative identify within ... then that identity beco!es so!ething that can get hit.

0e play various roles in our lives. o !y father, $ a! a son and at !y office $ a! an
:
e!ployee, at !y house $ a! a husband or wife , father, !other etc. .o all these are
various roles we play in life. 0hat are these roles based upon / hey are based upon
this -Fictious- -$- notion for!ed of the -$+thoughts-. .o these roles are si!ply that. they
are li,e fictious notions of -!e- .

0hen $ function wearing one of these roles, thats when $ should be careful not to allow
the roles to create a -'ac,ing+$ndividual- in !e.

$ hope these ideas are understood. 3lease see ...
$f so!eone says -Bour ideas are stupid-, that does not !ean -$ a! stupid-! if the ideas
are stupid, one can si!ply validate and correct. *ut since the ideas are stupid does not
!ean -i should label !yself as stupid-.

.i!ilarly the other way... $ have a brilliant idea, let !e not label !yself as brilliant.

the ideas are brilliant6stupid ... $n !y presence both e"ist !

.i!ilarly,
#n action can be bad or good. $ need not label !yself as bad or good. $f the action is
wrong, it can be corrected. $f the action is correct, it can be repeated.

*ut why label !yself based on the action as good or bad. its as if ... Gandhi )i is good
so what ever he does will be good! # good action is good no !atter who does it. if we
label ourselves as good or bad ... based on the action ... guilt and pride follow. if we )ust
leave the labels with the action, things can be corrected and i!proved upon.

7o 0e see where we are !oving towards /

he !ind and the body are ever i!perfect. 0e can i!prove upon the!. 0e play
various roles at the !ental level. those are also i!perfect. *ut we need not allow all
those i!perfections touch -!e- who is playing those roles!

his playing various roles in life is e"actly li,e wearing a different dress. 0e wear
various !ental dresses ... fictitious -$- for!ed of a series of -$+houghts-. 'ets not
conde!n the -$+thoughts therefore- , co= without the! we cannot function in the world
and play the various roles. However , $ have a certain !ental dress that $ can invo,e
does not !ean $ !ust always wear such a dress ! he -$- thought can be used as a
dress to play our respective roles in life and yet it can be seen as -Mithya-, only an
appearance.his is liberated living. here is no -$- even when it appears. here is no -$-
right when it appears and $ function using it ! Even as, when $ play a role in a dra!a,
he role is not real even when $ play it! Even as $ play it $ ,now $ a! not that role. .o too,
the ego appears and it re!ains an appearance always. %o need to re!ove it, because
its always a shadow, a !yth. here is no real entity called -$- as we have already seen
and yet, for functional purposes the appearance can be used :2.
:

How strange it is that thoughts with their lifespan can weave a web of fear, worry ,
sorrow etc in our lives/ :2 here is no -$- ... only a few passing thoughts created an
illusion of an -$- and then this -$- feels its hurt, worried etc. 0hat needs to be dealt with
is not this -$- ... we need not stop it fro! appearing ... all we need is this understanding
that there is no -$- thought one appears there ... its )ust a shadow , a !yth ++ right now:
we do not need any new e"periences for this.


OM # .#!