THE UNCHANGING SELF

 The root cause of all suffering is Avidya or ignorance of our real nature. It forms the foundation of the chain of cause and effect that results in bondage. Avidya leads to Aviveka or absence of discernment between the real and the unreal, the Self and the non self. Aviveka leads to ahamkara or ego consciousness, induced by false identification with the body-mind complex, which is erroneously perceived to be the real Self due to the absence of true knowledge of the eternal authentic Self. Ahamkara generates impurities in the mind such as raga/dvesha or likes and dislikes, attachments and aversions, desires, passions and vasanas. Vasanas are subliminal inclinations, formed by the latent impressions of past life experiences and unfulfilled desires, which become the seed of desires in future lives. All these together constitute the powerful urges and compelling impulses that are the driving forces which form the basis of Karma. Karma generates reactions or effects which must then be directly experienced until fully exhausted, resulting in relentless suffering and misery and perpetual bondage for the jeeva in the incessant cycle of birth and death in transmigratory existence.

Only transcendental spiritual knowledge of the real Self called Brahma Vidya dispels nescience or avidya. To acquire this inscrutable knowledge one must systematically pursue the path of knowledge and self-inquiry. As a prerequisite for success, a spiritual aspirant pursuing the path of gyan yoga must develop the four-fold spiritual qualifications or resources to practise the spiritual disciplines. These are known as Sadhana Chatushtya:- 1)Vivek is Spiritual discernment between the real and the unreal, the ephemeral and the eternal, the Self and the non self. This gives rise to 2) Vairagya or dispassion for the unreal and the non eternal. This results in a reduction in vasanas, passions and worldly desires and an attenuation of raga-dvesha or attractions and aversions. 

With rigorous spiritual practice or sadhana, one progresses on the spiritual path cultivating the six fold treasures or six spiritual virtues to bring equilibrium to the mind and emotions known as 3)Shat sampat...sama, dama, uprati, titiksha, shraddha and samadhan. a)Sama means quietude of the restlessness and agitation of the mind which engenders an inner calmness and tranquillity so the mind is not impulsive or distracted, b)dama is control and restraint of the senses, c)uprati is withdrawal from worldly attractions and excessive engagement in pleasure-seeking activities and sensory enjoyments, d)titiksha is spiritual fortitude or forbearance in the face of adversity and profound resilience and tenacity to not deviate or get derailed from the spiritual path despite obstacles, e)shraddha is a deep unwavering faith in divine spiritual knowledge and an intense sense of certainty about the principles and efficacy of spiritual practice, f)samadhan is unflinching focus and one-pointed concentration of the mind on the spiritual process and spiritual disciplines. A spiritual aspirant who fixes his mind on Brahman and perfects these spiritual disciplines attains the highest stage of spiritual progress known as 4)Mumukshutva which is described as an intense desire for enlightenment and self-realisation and liberation from misery. Cultivating and utilising these spiritual disciplines, the mumukshu or advanced spiritual aspirant progresses assiduously by building on the foundation of the gyan yoga practices of shravan, manan, nidhidhyasan that involve listening to the teachings of the masters with concentrated mind, followed by deep introspection, reflection and profound contemplative meditation on the teachings and knowledge imparted by them, till one is completely immersed in the principles of knowledge and a clear intuitive grasp and direct realisation is achieved. With sustained nidhidhyasan a flash of enlightenment occurs in the antahkarana which is the mind-intellect complex comprising man-buddhi-chit-ahankar. At the moment of enlightenment, Brahmaakara vritti of the all-pervading vast infinite Brahman is established in the mind and Atma Sakshatkara is attained. 

Thus, with sustained focused contemplation on the knowledge of the Absolute, a person with intense Mumukshatva, ultimately attains enlightenment and cessation of sorrow and suffering as they realise their real nature and identity as pure being... absolute existence consciousness bliss. Hence, the mumukshu obtains self-realisation or Atmasakshatkar and realises their real nature as Atman that is none other than Sat-chit-ananda Brahman. This is known as swarup gyan. 

The enlightened one realises that every experience, thought or feeling that occurs in the mind is only an appearance in consciousness. It is verily, a sukshma subtle object that arises in the consciousness and is illumined and revealed by the consciousness. It has no reality of its own. It is merely a chit vritti or a fluctuation, modification or movement of the mind. It is a cluster of thought patterns that produce waves and fluctuations or movements of the mind. This knowledge of the vrittis arising in the mind, is known as vritti gyan. The gyani realises that the experience of the chit vrittis in the mind is not the real Self. The gyani is not affected by the transient vrittis generated in the wavering mind. They know that the mind and its contents are not real. It is the 'little i' the limited ego consciousness in the mind which thinks that I am the body, I am the mind these thoughts are 'me' these feelings are 'mine'. The gyani transcends the erroneous conceptions of 'little i, me and mine'. They are able to differentiate between the vrittis of the ego-mind and the real nature of the Self that shines forth and is reflected in the antahkarana as reflected consciousness. They become firmly established in the swarup gyan, realising that I am the unchanging Knower that pervades everything...that lies beyond the five sheaths of the body, the panch kosha sharira and the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. I am not the body, not the mind, not the intellect, not the vrittis of the mind, not the blankness of deep sleep but the pure unchanging consciousness that illuminates and reveals everything..that reveals every activity every experience in the body-mind complex which are known and experienced by the Knower. The Knower is the unchanging eternal pure consciousness or Atman. It is the knower and seer and observer of everything. It is always the subject and never becomes an object. Everything appears in it...arises in it, exists in it and dissolves in it. It is always the seer and never the seen. It is the Sakshi Chaitanya or the witness consciousness that witnesses, illumines and reveals every experience, every perception, feeling, memory and thought pattern known as chit vritti. Always able to distinguish between the transitory unreal chit vrittis and the eternal unchanging Sakshi Chaitanya, the realised gyani sheds the non-self and becomes permanently established in the absolute knowledge of the eternal Self, attaining enlightenment, liberation and ultimate bliss while living.