Journey to the center of “I” – Chirag Patel December 28, 2011
At unknown time, started my journey wearing solitude
With some thoughts sprung from some corner of heart.
This soil, this river, this hill, this vegetation, this sky,
This breeze; kept asking me.
I am not within and I am not outside in this world.
Who else was echoing here then? How long? Why?
This sun, this moon, this galaxy, these nebulae,
These constellations; kept looking at me puzzled.
Nobody is mine and I am for nobody.
Why did I rise in this world unnecessarily then?
These books, this outstretching of words, this penance,
This meditation; kept shaking my sleep.
There is no end and there is no beginning.
Why did I start journey towards inner self then?
All of a sudden, you came to this vacuum one day.
Sweetheart, dazzling light filled all directions and I disappeared.
Only you were seen, love bound, devotional, adorable;
And God materialized in your shadow.
I found my world, I knew everything then.
I exist if you do and you exist if I do for sure.
If we exist, this world does and so does God.
And hence, this play with myriad hues exists.
That is what controls everything and puppets are we.
Sometimes, we pull the strings;
And sometimes, we let them loose.
Now, I know duality, non-duality and special duality.
Your love, your devotion, your faith, your company,
For me; how would I be incomplete then?
When Consciousness pretends that there’s a separation between what It says It is (the I), and what It says It isn’t (the not-I), then the world mysteriously reappears. But It’s not really going anywhere. Remember that the purpose of a song is not to arrive at the final note. The purpose of a song is found in the joyous singing of It. So it is with Consciousness. In other words, It’s just singing!
You can’t use It in the usual sense because, actually, It will only be using you. At one level, though, you can stay more aligned with It by consciously choosing exactly what It appears to be choosing for you.
In other words, practice saying a resounding Yes! to whatever shows up for you. And, even when you feel like saying no, then just say yes to the fact that, at least for that moment, you’re saying no.
It’s best, though, to always make Yes! your default position in life. Don’t reject anything, not even your own rejections!
Remember, however, that you, (the historical ego-self) are only pretending that you’re able to manipulate or control It. Consciousness will always get Its own way in the end, simply because, no matter where you think your ego-self is going, It is already there, waiting for you.
Pragnaben, if we are particles of that supreme consciousness, we must have the same qualitative controls as supreme has though miniscule. I believe and hence the control! So, we are equally responsible for action/outcome as that supreme consciousness is.
duality, non-duality and special duality
—————
A novel concept. Liked it.
ब्रह्म सत्यं , जगत सत्यं ।
Truth of outer journey and inner journey are different. Pundits may say that you can do only one journey.
And I deny.
Both journeys done simultaneously – can only make the purpose of life complete.
Su.dada,
Special duality was preached by Shri Ramanujacharya around 900 CE if I am not mistaken. Vallabhacharyaji ane Sahajanand swami also extended that idea. It is not as perfect as non-dual (advaita vedanta) though.
And yes, journey be it outward or inward has the same destination – the ultimate and absolute truth. So, any one or both should prove good in the end.
દેહના અભિમાન વગરના થતાં કર્મો તે બ્રહ્મ કર્મો જ હોય છે અને તે જ્ઞાનમાં ફક્ત એક જ બ્રહ્મનમાં અભિવ્યક્તિ કરાવનારાં બને છે.
આ રીતે ભગવાન એ કર્મના કર્તા છે અને તે કર્તુપણે બ્રહ્મનના તરફથી જીવને વારસામાં મળેલ છે તેથી જીવાત્મન્ નિત્ય છે. જો કે જીવાત્મન્ અણું છે છતાં પણ બ્રહ્મભાવની કક્ષામાં તે વિભુત્વપણાને ભોગવી શકે છે. જેવી રીતે તાજનો કુંવર જ હંમેશને માટે રાજા થાય છે તેવી જ સરખામણીથી જીવાત્મન્ કાયમને માટે વિભુત્વપણાને ભોગવી શકે છે.
જ્યારે બ્રહ્મન્ એ શબ્દનું મૂળ છે ત્યાં બ્રહ્મનમાં વિકાર અને નિરવયત્વપણાનો ભય રહેતો જ નથી.
જગતપ્રવાહનો છેડો નથી અને બ્રહ્મન એ બધા જ ધર્મોને ધારણ કરે છે. જડ, ચેતન અને જગત એવો જીવાત્મન્ જો કે તે બધાયનો બ્રહ્મનમાં ઉદભવ છે છતાં પણ જડ એ ચેતન બનતું નથી તેમજ ચેતન એ જડ બનતું નથી.
વિનોબાજી કહે છે તે પ્રમાણે બ્રહ્મ સત્ય જગત સ્ફુર્તિઃ
ब्रह्म सत्य, जगत शाश्वत
व्यापक में कोई परिवर्तन नहीं होता। व्यापक में संपृक्त प्रकृति में परिवर्तन होता है।
हर वस्तु अपने तरीके से व्यापक में भीगा है, उसके अनुसार हर वस्तु का काम है। वस्तु के अनुसार काम है। वस्तु के अनुसार कार्य-ऊर्जा का प्रगटन है। वस्तु के अनुसार कार्य-ऊर्जा का प्रगटन है – जो न ज्यादा है, न कम है।
Pragnaben,
If our actions done with ego induce results, the actions done by Brahman should induce results affecting all of usl; as Brahman is collective ego. It is like saying if a wheel of a car turns right, the whole car with driver turns right. Similarly, if driver wants to stop the car, all the parts of the car also stops.
And, matter and consciousness are different only by a thin line. Virus can behave like matter and is consciuosness. Plasm can act like consciousness and is matter. I think, all the particles in this universe has ability to be matter as well as consciousness. Quantity/quality of PRAANA is what differs them.
Dear Cirag,
This is the very interesting and educational article my friend wrote and i had taken part in the reviews.
This will be helpful.
Click to review.
Dvi-Paksa Advaita article is located at:
http://sites.google.com/site/rlpvimal/Home/2011-Vimal-Dvaita-Advaita-Visistadvaita-DAM-4-9.pdf
What do you think?
Jai Shree RAm!
Regards,
RAm
9/30/11
Love
Rajendra Trivedi, M.D.
Thank you, Rajendr uncle. That seems very novel idea to me. Let me go thru’ whole and I will comment if I am able to
http://causelessmercy.com/?P=Adi16#10
ChaitanyaCharitamritaAdiLilaCh.16Text10
TEXT 10~sei deśe vipra, nāma–miśra tapana
niścaya karite nāre sādhya-sādhana
SYNONYMS~sei deśe—in that region of East Bengal; vipra—a brāhmaṇa; nāma—named; miśra tapana—Tapana Miśra; niścaya karite—to ascertain; nāre—not able; sādhya—objective; sādhana—process.
TRANSLATION~In East Bengal there was a brāhmaṇa named Tapana Miśra who could not ascertain the objective of life or how to attain it.
PURPORT~One must first ascertain the object of life and then understand how to attain it. The KRISHNA consciousness movement is pointing out to everyone that the object of life is to understand KRISHNA, and to attain that goal of life one must practice KRISHNA consciousness, following the methods prescribed by the Gosvāmīs with reference to the authoritative śāstras and Vedas.
~
http://scsmath.com/memories/11/110928_AppOfSrilaAcharyaMj/110928_page1/110928_Appear-Srila-Acharya-Mj.html
Srila Acharya Maharaj – His Service Life. Four webpages of pictures with captions, covering some of the many service activities that so much satisfied Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.
Chirag, this one is another brilliant creation of yours. Thought provoking and meditative in its search. In fact, primacy of consciousness over matter has remained a subject of interpretation, the matter itself has never been a subject of debate/ It “is”- and we all accept it.
In my view it is important to realise that what we call an inward or internal journey is but a reflection of our external journey. The external world may be harsh and tough with us and our capacity to reflect, analyse, expect, desire, reject sustain us by developing a corresponding inward journey. Religion is therefore a deeper desire of the suffering human being. The very idea that the world is unreal, is just an ‘idea’! We experience it to be real. and it is so real that it hurts us, Inward/internal and external journy work on wave-crest model. You have rightly said that if ‘you’ do not exist “I” too do (or does) not exist. This running-away from the society (or ‘You’) and seeking solace inthe notion that you are all alone free from everything… it is, I think a bit hypnotic.
Peace Chiraq,
Thank you for sharing the poem with me. As I read the poem, it truly felt as though I was entrenched in the quack mire of the mind; as it attempts to traverse the hurtles contrived by the ego (which itself is merely a conception of the mind).
I enjoyed reading the responses as well; for the responses demonstrated the dualistic nature of language (a tool of the mind) and its inability to define and describe that which is absolute.
Given the illusionary nature the mind and this realm, one might contemplate on the following:
Is the Journey a conception of the mind? And if so, is there a Journey to be taken?
Peace and Love,
Charles
Charles,
Yes, till we have body rather notion of body, we cannot be free from idea of ego or for that matter, any concept of mind! And that is the whole purpose of journey. The journey ends when all the concepts of mind end including journey itself. But, till then we must thrive for walking along the path or journey rather.