Dear Yajvan:Originally Posted by yajvan
Thank you for bringing up this excellent point for discussion. I would venture to add few of my own thoughts. In fact, this is a good place to summarize all my previous discussions on this.
It is a beautiful conception in theory and it is the ultimate truth also. Without taking away anything from what you have so beautifully said, I would like to add that in creation the duality of nature has come into being. Of this, one being the “lower self” and the other being the “higher self”. Many are of the opinion that the “self” is purest in nature but in creation the sensory web has clouded the pure-self.
Devoid of such material impositions the self not just realizes but knows its true nature. Such is the state in which many Sages, Buddha, Krishna and Jesus Christ lived because they were capable of destroying the “ego” to become selfless. While for us, self abnegation leads to self-realization, they lived in that state all the time.
While this has been the goal for every one, one cannot deny the sensory web that has clouded the pure-self (higher-self) and, therefore, in any discussion we should be aware and be careful in addressing that part, which makes the goal so elusive. For an inflated ego, Vedanta merely acts as an opium, so the best thing to do would be killing the ego that is masking the pure-self before realizing the true-self.
In creation, because of this duality, two processes that I consider are important:
1. The abnegation of the “lower self”: The process of self-abnegation that destroys or annihilates the lower-self.
2. The realization of the higher-self: The process to awaken the soul to realize its true nature, which is the ultimate goal.
I can safely assume that is the condition of large mass of people (including myself) where it is a constant struggle to reach that elusive goal. In view of this, a very practical question always remains for every one who is in this realm and that is: Can the “self” (I mean lower self) abnegate itself?
Many in the past, while discussing with me on this, have alluded to various paths – jnana, yoga, self-purification etc, as a first step. I consider them as crutches that mind holds on to like a drunken monkey aimlessly wondering in the wilderness holding on to branches. I consider such efforts are very hard if not futile. No one has elaborated on this more than sage Ramana. According to Sri Ramana, giving a branch to a mind to discover it’s self is like dressing a thief in policeman’s clothing and asking him to catch the thief. Will the thief ever catch himself?
Instead of providing with crutches of various concepts (Jnana, karma, yoga, self-purification etc), which only goes against self-abnegation, I do believe in a basic organic turning or surrendering to the “grace” as a first-step, which you have so beautifully described, “It is said that the SELF can be realized via prapatti (complete surrender) to Isvara “ as pointed in Patanjali.
Given the tenacious hold of the ego, one of the most efficient step I have been discussing in the past is about the complete child-like surrender to grace which then leads one to jnana or realization of the higher-self. Because, only with the assurance and holding of grace, our journey to reach that goal becomes ever so realistic.
Blessings,
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