Satsang is a compound Sanskrit word that means “keeping the company of the Self.” The Self, Awareness, is the true nature of everyone and one keeps company with it by continually meditating on it in many ways. One of the most effective methods involves discussing non-dual teachings with someone who has realized his or her identity as the Self, to get clarity with reference to Self inquiry. The satsangs posted here are the questions of many people around the world who are interested in enlightenment and find that Vedanta is their preferred means of Self knowledge. Since I am a teacher of Vedanta, a time tested means of self inquiry, I am qualified to reply to these questions.Search & Read
ShiningWorld Reader
Can I Relax Now?
Seeker: Dear James, when self-knowledge is firm and I am totally convinced that I am the light, the world is mithya, Isvara is obviously the doer and “I” am pure awareness seeing only itself, then can “my sadhana” said to be over? Inquiry, it seems to me, goes from being willful to automatic at this point, and is seen to have always been automatic, like life itself/Isvara in reality.
What I’m trying to say is, can “I” just bloody well relax now? Don’t get me wrong, relaxing is my number one pastime 98% of the time. Being “fixed” in awareness as awareness is utterly natural for me now, but occasionally the thought “I am the light/not the doer” springs up and I find the jiva looking for reassurance from Me, awareness. This is very comical and funny indeed. I look forward to Isvara’s answer.
James: If Isvara is the doer, then Isvara can relax if it wants, but since Isvara is not a big jiva, there is no relaxation for Isvara, nor is there stress. By “I” it seems you mean jiva.And the answer is, as always, yes and no, but basically, yes. When self-knowledge is firm, inquiry loses its obsessive, driven character and becomes, as you so rightly say, “automatic.” Automatic means that the satya/mithya vasana is firmly entrenched and cannot be undone.You are no longer fooled by your fears and desires, and if fooling happens occasionally, you, awareness, know that you, jiva, is being fooled by them as they appear. Jiva can happily say, “I was fooled; so what?” So yes, you can relax. Why can jiva be so cool about it? Because jiva is non-separate from brahman, limitless awareness.
At the same time, sadhana, which is the means for gaining moksa, i.e. self-knowledge is converted to nididyasana, an easy, natural application of the knowledge to every life situation. Nididyasana never ends. Teaching, writing commentaries on scripture, etc. is my jiva’s nididyasana. So the jiva you should have some noble work to keep it inspired and sattvic, although if you don’t mind a bit of suffering, you can just run off the remaining tamasic/rajasic vasanas until you do mind. This topic is covered in The Yoga of Love, which you should have by now or within a few days. Thus is the wisdom of Isvara. ☺