Friday, July 20, 2007

Knowing what you are

The only way to know your true self is through negation - neti neti - not this, not that. When you discard all relative knowledge, concepts, and labels, cease using thoughts and memory for just a moment, you are unable to say anything about THIS.

It is when we return to the thoughts, which bring in labels and concepts, a memory (thoughts) which is called "past", and anticipation (thoughts) which is called "future", may arise.

The body-mind mechanism is what you have identified with. This object is describable, has a size, a weight, a shape. Thoughts generate (or are the consequence of) preferences, biases, opinions, beliefs...

Your true self has no fragrance of an identity, of a personality, of biases, opinions, beliefs, no name, shape or size, no location, no duration, does not change, does not come and go... Your true self is none of these "things".

Your true self is what these "things" arise in. They are known because of awareness. But it isn't a personal awareness - the self in you is the same self in everything. It cannot be personal nor contained in a body. The body is contained in awareness.

Your true self is uncaused - unborn and not subject to death. Birth and death arise in what you are. You were never born and you will never die.

Nisargadatta said beautifully - I am everything and I am nothing. As nothing, I witness the arising of objects and know that I am NOT that - this is wisdom. As everything, I am Love, I AM THAT. It is on the bridge between wisdom and love that I walk.

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