“NOTHING EXISTS” IS NOT A VALID TEACHING

Is-ness is. Existence exists. The concept of non-existence (I do not exist, you do not exist…) is due to the fact that human jivas, for the most part, do not appreciate their experience, their existence and their unavoidable contact with the world of objects.

After having tried to control its experiences by trying to obtain only what they want, jivas get worn out and become “spiritual.” They begin seeking mental states, such as silence, emptiness, absence of objects, samadhi. They try hard to remove the world of objects and to experience “nothingness.” This idea is a universal “leading error,” but eventually jiva understands that the Self is self-evident, self-luminous and Its existence cannot be denied.

With maturity it will also understand that there is nothing wrong with experiencing the world, because objects are value-neutral and, moreover, do not obstruct the fullness and limitlessness of the Self. The Self is ananta, fullness. The very idea of nothingness or non-existence is absurd since an existing principle must be present in order to give birth to the concept of non-existence.

Jivanmuktas do exist and experience the same world the jivas do, but they do that from the standpoint of self-knowledge. Self-knowledge purifies and subsequently clears the mind to make it wise, creative and assertive. Once wisdom is well-established, ideas such as “I do not exist” are seen as infantile attempts to escape, justify or deny self-ignorance.