S:  Yes. Any dealing with the jiva persona is at the mithya level because you are the Self, Satya, the one who knows the child and its history, and the ‘adult’ and its story of psychological/physical suffering. To have and maintain  ‘sweetness of heart’ requires compassion for the entity that was/is trapped in the suffering that mithya—the hypnosis of duality—imposes on the mind. When the heart is open and the sweetness is there, it broadcasts a frequency just like a radio does. 

The human heart is much more than just a pump. It is not a passive receiver of instructions from the brain and central nervous system. It is an independent processing centre that makes its own decisions, modulates its own behaviour, and sends far more information to the brain than it receives from it. When the brain is injured and the connection between the brain and the heart is severed, the heart does not stop beating.

It is the first organ in the human embryo to form – at three weeks it is already there, long before the brain or any other organ forms. It is the only organ that  starts to function so early in gestation.  The heart is its own authority, and does not wait for the brain to tell it to beat, there is no brain at that early stage. As our scientific instruments for measuring these subtle wave lengths improve, strong emerging evidence suggests that the heart can and does perceive events that haven’t happened yet. In addition, many credible accounts are emerging of heart transplant patients who have vivid experiences that have no context or bearing in their prior life history, and  can only have ‘belonged’ to the heart of the person who donated it.

Though  the heart is co-dependent on the brain and the functioning of the whole system, it is actually, a ‘mini brain’ on its own.  It has its own neural system called the intrinsic cardiac nervous system. In fact, it has 40 000 neurons, its own independent nervous system that can learn, sense, and remember without input from the brain. It is the heart that broadcasts 90% of the conversation between the heart and the brain.

 It has an electromagnetic field 5 000 times stronger the brain’s—a field measurable up to 3 metres from the  body and detectable by other brain waves in the vicinity. We are always broadcasting what is going on in the heart/brain axis, positive or negative, whether we like it or not, want to or not. Just as someone with a dark and impure mind and heart makes us feel instantly uncomfortable, when you are around someone who has a pure heart and mind, you are strongly attracted to them. These people can substantially shift the frequency of an individual, or a room. It feels good to be on the receiving end. It gives people ‘shaktipat’, which in Sanskrit means ‘transfer of energy’.

Unfortunately, this is often associated exclusively with people who are gurus, or ‘enlightened’, another spiritual misnomer. While it lifts your frequency for a while, it will not last as you cannot hold onto someone’s else’s purity of heart and mind. You are the Self regardless of the state of your heart or mind, but anyone who has a pure heart and mind will radiate a higher frequency because their minds are so sattvic. Lower frequencies are the domain of rajas and tamas in control of the mind. All the same, being more sattvic does not make anybody special.

This is why  every major religion and spiritual tradition, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam—identify the heart as the seat of the deepest human knowing. While they may be speaking metaphorically or metaphysically, like the brain, the heart is an organ science is only recently fully understanding. Yoga calls the heart the hrydaya, and although we like to think that it is located physically in the human heart, it is really not located anywhere. 

 It appears in the ‘heart cave’, ‘located’ in the Causal Body.  It means the essence, or ‘that without which a thing is not a thing’, like sweetness is the essence of sugar; sugar cannot be sugar without sweetness. It means that the true essence of everything is Consciousness. So when you bring the mind’s attention to it, you are focussing on the bliss of the Self. The trick is not to objectify the bliss but to know it as your true essence.

While the heart, whether we are talking about it physically or metaphysically, is an object known to you, the Self, it needs to be purified and prepared for self-inquiry, much like the mind. We tend to equate the heart with feelings, and while there is truth to that, purity of heart is not about feelings per se.  A pure heart is necessary for a pure mind, and to have either requires cultivating sattva.  We do this by applying vigilance to every thought and feeling that takes up residence in the heart and mind, and negating negative thoughts and feelings as they arise.  We must be ruthless about this because uncontrolled tamas attracts more tamas very quickly, as does rajas.

Cultivating ‘sweetness of heart’ which always includes gratitude, makes us feel good because we like ourselves (and everyone else) more. Life becomes grim when there is no sweetness and no gratitude available.  A pure heart also gives rise to peace of mind, sattva. And while feeling good, peaceful, sattvic, is not moksa, it is the springboard for it.  Freedom from those voices of diminishment and the whole jiva program, will not occur in a heart or mind run by tamas and rajas.

So yes, pay attention to your heart as much as your mind, from the perspective of the Self. Do not allow those voices to be your judge and jury. Press the OFF button, one thought at a time. Vigilance is the price of freedom. When a bad thought or feeling pops in the mind, disidentify with it, do not hesitate. Apply karma yoga and it over to Isvara to take care of.  Do not let it take hold. It may be hard work at first, when it comes to hardwired bad thoughts and feelings.  They will tend to keep coming back.

But every time apply karma yoga, take a stand as the and in the Self, the witness, and disidentify with the experience and experiencing entity, we reduce the pressure of the vasanas, and those awful inner demonic voices, a little bit more each time.

What price freedom?

Much love

Sundari

S: Never feel bad about writing, we are always here to help if we can.

G: Anyway, I’ll get to the point: my mind is overwhelmed by voices of diminishment and the resulting depression. It happens when I’m alone, and I’m often alone. You told me, in our Zoom meeting, that it’s fortunate that I’ll soon be moving closer to my family, and I agree with you. But it takes a lot more to defeat those negative and depressing voices… right? 

S: Yes, indeed.  I spoke about this in my last email to you. Maybe you missed it, but it was actually the most important part of my reply to you:

The first thing to keep in mind is that you are not unique in this. Everyone in the grip of Maya has some version of this tape recording on repeat running in their mind. Shame—the idea that we are unworthy, unlovable, bad or whatever else—is a universal samskara. It is what we call ‘free-floating anxiety,’ and it comes with the idea that you are a person. The only solution to this agonizing mental/emotional fragmentation is to follow the steps above. 

These are:

1. See the pattern objectively; accept it for what it is without blame or shame. Do not deny it. It will be the same version of what has been playing in the mind for a very long time. 

2. See the gunas at work – rajas and tamas. Apply the guna teaching – see how each guna plays out in your story and which one (or ones) dominate. Discriminate between Consciousness, YOU, and the jiva.

3. Recognise that this is just a recording your mind made up based on ignorance that is simply not true. Not from the relative point of view as a jiva, and certainly not as the Self.  These are the voices of rajas and tamas, fear and denial, and you do not have to listen to them. 

4. Say NO to them!  You can do it – there is no law against it because the voices speak in the words that seem to describe you personally, but they are not personal!

5.  Ask yourself: Am I the witness of these voices, or am I these voices? Which one am I?  You cannot be both. Visualize yourself switching the recording OFF. And keep doing this for as long as it is necessary. Aim for sattva with determination.

G: Grounding oneself in the Self, of course, and then using the tools of Vedanta.

Sundari:  Yes, take a stand as Awareness, the witness of the one who apparently has a story of shame, low self-esteem, guilt, and the voices of diminishment.

G: 1) I ask you something: when you recommended to me – in addition to No skipping and No shortcuts – also Sweetness of the Heart, did you perhaps also mean something at the “mithya level”, that is, an attitude of clemency, of forgiveness of the jiva towards that child who grew up with so many voices of Diminishment in his head?

S:  Yes. Any dealing with the jiva persona is at the mithya level because you are the Self, Satya, the one who knows the child and its history, the ‘adult’ and its story of psychological/physical suffering. To have and maintain ‘sweetness of heart’ requires compassion for the entity that was/is trapped in the suffering that mithya—the hypnosis of duality—imposes on the mind.

We repeat over and over that the essence of moksa is the ability to discriminate between satya and mithya, that which is real, meaning always present and unchanging—the Self, and that which is only apparently real, meaning not always present and always changing—the jiva. And to never confuse the these two orders of reality again. It is not about perfecting the person, though following dharma requires the cessation of all self-insulting habits and tendencies. Heeding the voices of diminishment is one that definitely must end.

Remember that as the Self, there really is only one reality as everything resolves/dissolves in you, Satya. The satya/mithya teaching is a tool to explain what mithya is—only apparently real—and to negate it with Self-knowledge.  Not deny it.  Just see it for what it is, and know that you are always the witness—purusha/Satya—of prakriti/the jiva—mithya. Whatever the jiva is experiencing, as hard as the karma may be, it is not who you are.

G: 2) Another question: to “drive” those voices out of your head when you can’t read, listen to, or contemplate Scripture, what should you do? Chanting mantras… singing… listening to pleasant music… 🙂

S:  If you find you just  cannot put karma yoga into practice and nothing else works, chanting identity mantras is a very good option, for several reasons.  On the physical level chanting/humming (even if it is just OM) stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs through your vocal chords, and this stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system.  But most importantly, chanting identity mantras is employing  words in the service of truth about your true nature, at a frequency that stimulates sattva.

G: Luckily, Ishvara recently allowed me to download the Shiningworld satsangs in PDF format. It’s very important to me, as I can’t read the paper version. I’ll try to tag it to find Diminishment or something, but anyway, thank you so much for your attention to this email. 

S: I will ask James to send you the files of his audio books.

G: I’ll add – regarding the company and relationships I’ll have living close to my family – a doubt I always have regarding the social life of a seeker.

Pros: Being close to them will ease my mental suffering.

Disadvantages: They are samsari, I won’t be able to share conversations about “satya”.

S: Spending time with family can be tedious at times, but look at it as an act of love. Don’t label them. See your family as the Self. You don’t need to converse with them about the Self. Just be who you are, they will see/feel/know it because the Self knows itself. When the heart is open and the sweetness is there, it broadcasts a frequency just like a radio does. 

A pure heart is necessary for a pure mind, and both are necessary for self-inquiry to produce Self-knowledge. To have either requires cultivating sattva.  We do this by applying vigilance to every thought and feeling that emerges from the Causal body and takes up residence in the heart and mind.  Apply the process mentioned above. We must be ruthless about this because uncontrolled tamas attracts more tamas very quickly, as does uncontrolled rajas attracts more rajas. Before you know it, these two troublemakers are in the driver’s seat of the mind.

Cultivating ‘sweetness of heart’ which please note, always includes gratitude, not only makes us feel good because we like ourselves (and everyone else) more. Life becomes very grim when there is no sweetness and no gratitude available.  But it also gives rise to peace of mind, sattva. And while feeling good, peaceful, sattvic is not moksa, it is the springboard for it.  Freedom from those voices of diminishment and the whole jiva program will not occur in a mind run by tamas and rajas, enslaved to those inner demons.

So yes, pay attention to your heart as much as your mind, from the perspective of the Self. Do not allow those voices to be your judge and jury. Press the OFF button, one thought at a time. Vigilance is the price of freedom.

G: Thank you so much, dear Sundari. It is truly a great fortune to have met you and Ramji, and also the Shiningworld sangha that I had not sufficiently recognized and appreciated before.

S: I am happy to be of help. It is indeed grace that you found Vedanta, appreciate it’s value and being properly taught.  Give yourself a pat on the back, you are doing far better than you give yourself credit for.

Much love

Sundari

Hello dear Sundari, thank you for your understanding.

Finally—six years after my first encounter with Shiningworld I began, just a few weeks ago, to think seriously about *sadhana*.

And yet, then I had immediately realized that Vedanta was exactly what I wanted in my life—that I no longer needed to search for anything else. (It all clicked, and I could stop seeking.)

Sundari: This often happens when inquirers first encounter Vedanta – there is the immediate ‘rush’ and excitement of hearing the truth of who you are for the first time. As the Self always knows itself even when the mind is under the spell of ignorance (duality), the recognition – literally ‘seeing again’ – is immediate. However, unless you are very highly qualified, which most are not, what stands in the way of Self-knowledge instantly removing all ignorance is the stubborn hypnosis of duality. 

The idea that you are a person with karma who lives in and transacts with the world, is hardwired.  The tricky part is that moksa is freedom from and for the jiva. Unless Self-knowledge translates into your life without having to consciously think about it, Self-knowledge is not direct.  Indirect knowledge, knowing about the Self, is not moksa.  That is why we say that Self-realization is where the ‘work’ of self-inquiry begins, not ends.  The process of freedom takes as long as it takes, depending on the dedication and commitment to freedom from the jaws of duality the inquirer has.

GF: For six years—through the Shiningworld website and channel—I read texts and listened to numerous videos almost every day; I even lit candles and incense, participated in webinars, and so on. But! I realized that the practice and study of Vedanta were *not* my daily priority. I lacked the desire to change my life, to resolve my suffering… I lacked the desire for liberation.

Sundari: As I said above, if you are not dedicated and the desire for freedom is not your strongest motivation, duality will always win.  You may still long for freedom but the fruit of self-inquiry eludes you. That is why all the qualifications are so important, but particularly mumuksutva –the understanding of being trapped in limitation and the overriding desire for freedom from it. The first part of that last sentence is very important. If you don’t understand that you are trapped and why you are trapped in the jaws of Maya, you will not have the drive to be free of it. A typical samsari or worldly person is like that. A prisoner in a cage believing they are free, railing against the unfairness of life, afraid of their inner demons, afraid that ‘others’ will see that they are unlovable, worried, afraid of life, afraid of death, afraid of everything. Yet normalizing this as ‘the way it is’.

And that is the way it is if you are trapped in duality. But Vedanta gives you the right kind of glasses – the nondual ones that work even if your human eyes do not – to ‘see’ that game as the hypnosis of duality. To ‘see’ that you are the witness of it, that it is a dream appearing in you. To see that there is nothing wrong with the world or with you other than the fact that it is only Maya that separates you from knowing and living as the Self, appearing ‘here’ in human form.

GF: I  read, studied, and listened to a great deal of Vedanta, yet without truly wanting to *know* the Self (Self-Knowledge)… I was merely learning things *about* the Self (knowledge *about* the Self)—or about Karma Yoga, Dharma, and so on. I knew—or perhaps feared—that only greater suffering would compel me to undertake *sadhana*; and, indeed, that is precisely what is unfolding in my life right now.

Sundari: Indirect knowledge about the Self is better than none, but it does not remove ignorance.  However, this is part of the process, so do not be hard on yourself.  Everyone goes through this stage, and for how long depends on qualifications. The mind is inherently lazy and looks for shortcuts because the ego does not want freedom.  It wants to maintain its hold on the mind and the identification it has with being ‘a person’. There is nothing to gain for the ego to commit to moksa – it fears its own demise.  This is why many people fear powerful teachings because of the change they will bring to their lives. 

Committing to self-inquiry entails hard work and giving up not only your egoic comfort zones, but also the ego’s fantasy idea about who you are.  To ‘do’ self-inquiry properly means being willing to investigate and have revealed EVERYTHING about the jiva persona.  It must all come to light, not because it is important and definitely not because it is ‘true’. Because it is hidden and denied. 

I repeat: only ‘stuff’ that is buried and denied causes pain. But seeing it is not pleasant at all for the ego; in fact it can often be excruciatingly painful as most egos are very fragile entities.  You see this in the way we all have to go out of our way to be ‘nice’ and PC in our interactions with others. It is so easy for people who believe they are people to get offended. ‘You bad person, you ‘hurt’ my feelings’!!  While it is polite and kind not to hurt people’s feelings or they yours, feelings are not you. You would be much better served to investigate why you feel what you feel, what samskaras your feelings come from and where those truly originate. Beginningless ignorance, the gunas, of course.

The ego will avoid objectifying its feelings and really seeing what is behind them like the plague. Best keep that bad stuff buried, who needs to know about it! This is why people are so terrified of facing their ‘bad’ shame-filled side, and so afraid anyone will ‘see’ it! So desperate is the ego to be trusted, liked and accepted. without having to ‘go there’.

The biggest problem with not being committed to self-inquiry and what that really entails is that you will never make progress with your sadhana until you make peace with the fact that both dharma and adharma are woven together in mithya. They cannot be separated. And the only way to step out of that whirlpool is with Self-knowledge. I expand on this in the satsang I posted recently,’ The Angel and Demon in Me’. Read it if you haven’t already.

Additionally, if you have the karma of an inquirer, avoiding ‘doing the work’ and not committing to self-inquiry will lead to more suffering, as you know. Toxic ideas do not go away because they are buried. They only get stronger and more toxic. When the time comes for you to grow, you are sitting in the hot spot. You can be sure Isvara will keep turning up the heat until you face what needs to seen.

GF: At first, I didn’t know where to begin; I didn’t know how to “structure” my day around the Self. Sure… there was Dharma… Karma Yoga… devotion… the core values… the prerequisites (qualifications)… How many times had I read and listened to Vedanta teachings from Shiningworld? Many times—so very many! Yet, I still didn’t know—in concrete, practical terms—how to “structure” that practice within the context of my daily life.  

Sundari: Again this is a normal part of the process of learning how to surrender to the teachings and committing to trusting that only they – not the ego – can lead to freedom. It involves putting all your ideas aside and allowing the scripture to re-train the mind, which has been entrained by duality, to think completely differently. It is not easy and the ego finds many ways to sabotage this. But the teachings work if you persist.

GF: Fortunately, I remembered Rory Mackay’s “Enlightenment Protocol” and began practicing the Morning and Evening Rituals. This proved to be very important. The simple act of placing my hand on my heart—and then radiating love—was a game-changer in terms of truly *feeling* what Devotion is, as well as the spirit of Karma Yoga. It was a beautiful experience. I realized that (correct me if I’m wrong) the fourth requirement—the burning desire—can be cultivated by starting from the heart.

Sundari: Most definitely. In Italian there is such a lovely term for this – ‘dolcezza di cuore’, literally the sweetness of the heart. Yoga calls the heart the hrydaya, and although we like to think that it is located physically in the human heart, it is really not located anywhere.  It appears in the ‘heart cave’, ‘located’ in the Causal Body.  It means the essence, or ‘that without which a thing is not a thing’, like sweetness is the essence of sugar; sugar cannot be sugar without sweetness. It means that the true essence of everything is Consciousness. So when you bring the mind’s attention to it, you are focussing on the bliss of the Self. The trick is not to objectify the bliss but to know it as your true essence.

GF: On the other hand, what I find very difficult is knowing how to deal with the psychological suffering of the *Jiva*… Is it *Prasad* (a sacred offering) for *Ishvara*? … What should I actually *do*? … Should I simply observe it? … Should I try to manage the *gunas*? 

Sundari: As Vedanta points out at every opportunity – with all things, and particularly psychological suffering – the first and most important question is to ask: ‘ to whom does this suffering belong’? If you are the knower, it cannot be your suffering.  Yet, that still leaves the question of what to do with the jiva’s suffering, which can be intense.  The only reason applying the guna teaching to ‘your’ psychological suffering is important is to have the tools to disidentify with it as ‘yours’.  

While it seems to come from and belong to your life story, actually all suffering is an eternal principle because it comes from and belongs to the Causal body, beginningless ignorance.  It is caused by the hypnosis of duality, resulting in the misapprehension of your true nature to be the jiva instead of the Self. This is behind all psychological suffering, no matter what the story is.

A true inquirer and karma yogi sees what is there to see in the play of the gunas and the vasanas they create, understands where it comes from, that it is not the truth and not real, discriminates between satya, Consciousness and mithya, the jiva, and offers it to Isvara as a sacrifice on the altar of karma yoga. So yes, to deal with ‘your stuff’ is essentially a three part process:

1. See it objectively, accept it for what it is without blame or shame. Do not deny it.

2. Apply the guna teaching – see how each guna plays out in your story, which one (or ones) dominate. Discriminate between Consciousness and the jiva.

3. Manage the mind with karma yoga by surrendering ‘your’ stuff to Isvara. Really surrendering, not lip service.  And trust Isvara to render all binding vasanas non-binding with the removal of ignorance.  Though Vedanta gives you the tools, it’s not an easy or simple process for the mind, and it may take a long time before deep samskaras let go and dissolve in Self-knowledge.

GF: Lately—even when I am reading or listening to teachings on Vedanta—I am often assailed by fear, guilt/shame, and a desperate sense of loneliness… Consequently, I find myself unable to read or listen to material regarding topics such as “qualifications,” “values,” and so on; rather than offering me comfort, they only make me feel inadequate.

Sundari: The first thing to keep in mind is that you are not unique in this. Everyone in the grip of Maya has some version of this tape recording on repeat running in their mind. Shame, the idea that we are unworthy, unlovable, bad or whatever else, is a universal samskara. It is what we call ‘free floating anxiety’ and it comes with the idea that you are a person. The only solution to this agonizing mental/emotional fragmentation is to follow the steps above. 

Recognise that this is just a recording your mind made up based on ignorance that is simply not true. Not from the relative point of view as a jiva, and certainly not as the Self.  These are the voices of rajas and tamas, fear and denial, and you do not have to listen to them.  You can simply say NO! Visualize yourself switching the recording OFF. And keep doing this for as long as it is necessary.

GF: My question is this: for instance, if I choose to focus solely on *other* topics within Vedanta—bypassing the more challenging ones—am I engaging in “spiritual bypassing”?

Sundari: No, you cannot skip this part because it is fundamental to the whole process of self-inquiry. Many inquirers try this and they simply get stuck. See why above.

GF: Or is this actually a beneficial approach, in that these more “comfortable” topics at least keep me connected to the Scriptures, while perhaps simultaneously allowing me to attend to the *gunas*?

Sundari: It is more pleasant and convenient to skip this part of course. And reading the Scriptures is always a good thing.  You can definitely skip the work of cleaning up the jiva if you are 100% seated in the Self. Then, and only then, you can rightly claim that the gunas and all vasanas are not you so why bother with them? Anything less than that is simply a spiritual bypass and qualifies as enlightenment sickness.

So, again, the simple answer is: NO. There are no easy cuts or shortcuts to freedom. As stated, to skip this part, which makes the ego happy, simply means ignorance is more powerful and more entrenched. To benefit from the fruit of Self-knowledge, you must face the inner demons and see that they are just paper demons.

At the same time, you do not need to wallow in mind vomit, as Chinmayananda called it.  You do not have to psychoanalyse yourself to death.  Just see things objectively, taking a stand in Awareness. Objectify, objectify, objectify.  The fear and reluctance you feel is just rajas and tamas trying to stop your progress.  Don’t let them. Hear this again: there is nothing whatsoever wrong with you. The only problem is ignorance of your true nature.          

GF: Perhaps I overdid it with the psychology at the end of the email…

Be patient, I’ll summarize the Jiva’s problem…
…to sum up the Jiva issue of feeling his heart in pain, what to do?
1. Just always taking a stand in Awareness/the Self;
2. Just always crying as long as needed by the body;
3. Managing the gunas until the mind is back to “normal” efficiency;
4. What else?

Sundari: See above.  Patience is important because ignorance is the hardest thing to eradicate from the mind. Be kind to yourself, nurture and allow the dolcezza di cuore to grow.

Keep at it dear friend, you are always supported

Much love

Sundari

 This week was a momentous, intense and sacred week in Bali as the predominantly Hindu population prepared to celebrate en masse the ceremony of Nyepi, their New Year. A three part process, first is Melasti, a communal cleansing ritual to purify humans and the universe they inhabit of negative influences, sad and bad thoughts or karma, and past misdeeds. 

Then there is the parade of the Ogoh Ogoh, literally hundreds of incredibly artistic though frightening and imposing effigies crafted primarily by the youth in their villages over many months, are paraded throughout the island. They are created not only to symbolize the demonic aspect inherent in humans and nature alike but also to absorb all the negativity from humans and the environment.  After being paraded through the streets, despite the artistry, time, cost and months of work that goes into making them, most are taken to the cemetery and burned. This symbolizes the purification and release from the negative influences in preparation for Nyepi, the official Balinese New Year.

On Nyepi, for 24 hours the island observes complete silence, no-one is allowed on the streets, to work or to use electricity. It is a blessed day in Bali! What is so interesting about this is not only how very different it is from the typical pleasure seeking way most people in the West observe New Year. The contrast could not be more stark! What is so evident is the humility with which the Balinese recognize and honour the inherent forces, good and bad, that operate in the field of experience, and the necessity to purify the mind and the field of the imbalance they often cause.  They are fully aware that dharma and adharma are woven fine into the fabric of life. Unlike most Westerners, the Balinese Hindu people have lives dedicated to God, and sacred ceremonies to honour that are a way of life for them.

What is important about this for us as Vedantins is to recognize that these forces, positive and negative, angelic and demonic, sacred and profane, are all guna generated, eternal and universal. They are not personal though they play out in our personal and global lives in seemingly personal and constructive and often highly destructive ways. Because of the nature of mithya (duality), which is a zero sum, there will always be angels and demons in manifest and unmanifest form. The names, forms and stories change, which we call our history or world history, but they are always the same forces in micro or macrocosmic form. I.e., rajas and tamas out of balance with sattva.

Most of us would prefer to think that we do not have a ‘bad’ side to us, that the only true demons are ‘other than’ and outside of us, a conveniently erroneous idea for the ego. As humans, we all know we have demonic side, but we are all so afraid of revealing it for fear of not being trusted, liked or loved.  Ironically, the most likeable and trustworthy people are those we who are transparent about their human failings.  Ramji’s great gift to us as his students is that he models this fearlessness for us. He is completely unafraid to exhibit his shortcomings (along with his ‘longcomings’!) for all to see!

To unconditionally love, accept and disidentify with our personal identity, the jiva or ego persona, we have no choice but to face the demonic aspect in ourselves. It comes with the program of being human. Unless you are born a bona fide saint, which is highly unlikely, you are not exempt. As humans, we all know we have demonic side, but we are all so afraid of revealing for fear of not being trusted, liked or loved.  Ironically, the most likeable and trustworthy people are those we who are transparent about their human failings.  Ramji’s great gift to us as his students is that he models this fearlessness for us. He is not afraid to exhibit his shortcomings (along with his ‘longcomings’!) for all to see!

There is no escape from the fact that life in the field of experience is a dance between dharma and adharma; both forces are operating in mithya at all times. There is no changing this or turning mithya into nirvana as the idealist hopes for. That is a pipe dream and will never happen.  Ultimately, the only real protection from the vicissitude’s of life, the ego’s fantasy dream identity, and the solution to zero sum, is Self-knowledge. It is knowing that no matter what, you are the sum. The total. You are not in the dream, are unaffected by it, and the knower of it. Yet, for peace of mind for the jiva, we need to understand, objectify and de-personalize these forces, live dharmically and serve life as God.  We need to purify the mind of the negative aspects of all three gunas, while aiming primarily for the upside of sattva.  Not as a destination or identity, which is a big trap called spiritual arrogance, but as the springboard for Self-knowledge to shine forth and remain our default and primary identity.

While the Balinese Hindus are not non-dualists, we see how the acceptance of and respect for the nature of life plays out in their lives.  They are almost unfailingly unguarded, warm, friendly, dharmic and naturally kind. They are not neurotic. While they are not exempt from the usual human tendencies and failings, they are for the most part, refreshingly positive and healthy human beings. Their culture and faith is something they fiercely maintain despite the price they pay for allowing hedonistic mass tourism to flourish on their little island. Quite inspirational!

The lesson here for us is that to live free of the jiva and free as the Self, it is very healthy to have a ritual or object that symbolizes and objectifies the angel and the demon within. Something to remind the ego of it’s true status, and keep it humble. This is why the Balinese have so many demonic like symbols in their environment. Do it, even though you as the Self know full well that the jiva persona/ego is an object known to you, and ‘good and bad’ are just thoughts appearing in you.  Moreover, if you do not already have one, begin a daily devotional practice, no matter how small.  Give thanks and give back. It matters because you will be a happier jiva.

Sundari

Sundari: Managing the gunas well is dependent on understanding what they are and how predictably they work. There are times when there is no way to say no to tamas, though for those of us who tend to run on rajasic/sattvic fuel, that is not always easy to surrender to, especially if the balance tends toward rajas. But Isvara will then simply load up more tamas, and if you keep resisting and trying to avoid it, burn out or worse is in inevitably in store. 

On the other hand, if you don’t manage tamas with rajas, sattva will become inaccessible. A deeply tamasic mind is not a good place to be – and this is reflected not only in a dull sluggish mind.  People often miss recognising tamas, sometimes even confusing it with sattva, because rajas is not strong. It can give the illusion of being peaceful., sattvic Like the feelgood of a drug like dope, among others. Tamas makes the mind stupid and blind to what is really in front of it.  The effects of excessive tamas take longer to manifest, but they are every bit as destructive to peace of mind as excessive rajas.

If tamas and rajas are controlled by sattva, they are both very efficient energies. Sattvic rajas is behind discipline, focus and clear eyed (NOT manic) efficiency. Sattvic tamas, especially working with sattvic rajas,  provides endurance, a focussed, disciplined but unworried mind. You are a disciple unto the Self. And of course, tamas is essential for sleep.  The brain runs on electricity, and unless the neural pathways switch from beta, which is the fast alert energy we need for activity, thinking and planning, to alpha, a lower frequency which sattva and tamas induce, you won’t be able to slow down, meditate or sleep.

So if rajas or tamas consistently overpower sattva, beware. Your mind will fragment and your life will self-destruct very fast. But getting stuck in sattva can be the most insidious of all because it seems like such a desired end goal.  While peace of mind is the goal, it’s not moksa. Spiritual specialness is a definite pitfall for the mind, and when it is entrenched, is as nasty as too much tamas or rajas.

CC: Now, after rest, my mind has the guna’s more evenly spread again, although still a bit tamasic. But that is nothing new either and a good part of my mind is pretty tamasic; more so then I once thought. It’s ok, it’s jiva’s make up – mentally sattva/tamas.

Sundari: As long as sattva is in charge most of the time, tamas has a lot of upsides aside from sleep, as mentioned above.  It gives endurance, patience and accommodation far more bandwidth and staying power.

CC: Mostly I feel rajas physically more than mentally, which makes it easy for physical work. But this time around it was both physical and mentally – lot’s of thinking, writing and faster than usual and full of internal dialogue. 

Sundari: Rajas is the high energy guna, and it is great to use when it does not take over the mind/intellect.  It is good as a servant  when needed, but a very bad master. More like a neurotic race horse out of control. It your neaural ciruits are firing mostly on rajas – you will be stuck in stress, hypervigilance and mental looping. Burnt out is guaranteed.

CC: So, yes, from Self’s perspective there isn’t a difference, but from jiva’s there is and here the fun also came; two visions simultaneously, cracking jokes with Ishvara. Ishvara has a bit of a different voice then jiva has and if I write it down they aren’t that funny, but while painting, Ishvara goes like ; ‘ Ah, so you think I need to be whitened up, again? ‘ Jiva; Yes, you cannot seem to stay white on walls, only when you are snowing you seem to get it right.’ 

Ishvara; ‘How so? The paint is white like my snow! ‘ 

Jiva; Sure, but it doesn’t remain white! So now I have to ‘wash’ you up; some job you gave me, remember?’

Ishvara ‘ That is not my fault, people mess up my wall’s white…’ 

Jiva ‘ Whatever, here you go Ishi ! ‘ and I rolled the walls all white, smiling all day long. 

Sundari:  It’s fun to personalize if you objectify and understand the difference and the sameness between Isvara/Jiva.

CC: It was a positive ride, and I wondered how someone like Chinmaya, who had quite a lot of rajas, had no problem with it whatsoever. What I mean to say is; this rajasic episode I took, more than usual, to tackle the idea that it extraverts which isn’t helpful per se. But, no guna stands in the way really and so 

Sundari:  Chinmaya absolutely had no problem with rajas but used it to great and maximum effect for the purpose Isvara gave him to complete. His was a very large life, and he had a big job to do. Like anyone who uses rajas a great deal, it wore him out.  He did what he had to do and to accomplish it he needed a lot of rajas. I’s that simple. But he still paid the price physically, though you can be sure he never identified with any of the three gunas being the Self.

CC: I had a chance to step out of a kind of bias towards rajas. A sense of sattva remained in all stages it seemed, or I was easy enough to not be bothered by the whole ride. In fact it was full of joy 🙂 Once tamas ‘kicked in’ I didn’t change, of course, and neither was I unhappy. Just dull, and fine. 

Sundari: By “I” you refer to the jiva.  The Self is never involved either way; just the witness. I sometimes get the feeling that James is biased towards rajas as he tends to sattva/tamas as well.  But he is not really because he is fully aware that all the gunas are mere objects that can be manipulated with knowledge for the jiva to achieve certain ends, and to have a good life.

CC: But if one is fine and actually feels this, while tamasic, then I thought, it must be that there is also sattva present or it is like deep sleep, which is tamas but not at all a problem: that is my question.

Sundari: Sattva is the true nature of the mind and never not present, just not accessible when rajas or tamas dominate and obscure it.  How would you know that ‘you’ (as a jiva) are happy/unhappy/unaffected unless sattva is present? Sattva is not the Self but it is the guna for intelligence and clarity, and the springboard for Self-knowledge.

Deep sleep feels good because the mind/intellect is subsumed into the Causal body. ISleep is needed so that the body/mind can rest and repair, which is essentail. However, the feelgood feeling from sleeping comes from the fact that the Subtle body is resting in bliss – beyond the reach of vasanas/gunas. But deep sleep is pure tamoguna because there is no knowledge at all that the mind is resting in the Self. 

As we all know, without enough sleep the mind destroys itself and the body would eventually fall apart and die.  The mind just cannot be ‘on’ all the time. The weight of the gunas/vasanas on the mind, the force and wear and tear of duality, is just too much

CC: I see the guna’s a bit like a fractal function. And sattva can also be quite extraverted, it seems. Is that true? 

Sundari: Yes, indeed. Take Chinmaya – his rajas was entirely in the employ of sattva, and look what a dynamo he was! It’s a very fine line though, without Self-knowledge.  Both rajas and tamas have very positive aspects, but all three gunas have serious downsides too.

CC: It reminds me of satyaloka, but in my case not so ‘holy’, although all is. Or the Sattvic bliss. It depends, I suppose, in what way any experience is interpreted, and to what degree Self-knowledge is boss.

Sundari: As stated above, sattvic bliss is very desirable but can be as much of a prison as any of the gunas out of balance.  Still, you want sattva to dominate rajas and tamas or you have big trouble. When you manage the gunas accordingly, ALL experiences are seen through the lens of Self-knowledge. Though circumstances make them seem to change, they always play out in the same predictable ways. It’s not rocket science, but it is very subtle and tricky to stay objective because Maya is so powerful.

CC: Also, after resting and to my surprise, I suddenly saw my attachment to Vedanta together with the ‘throw away’ of it. Now both are true. 

Sundari:  You can only throw away Vedanta when you know what it is – a means to an end.  When you realize you have always been the beginning, middle and end, that there was nothing to ‘get’ only ignorance to lose, what’s the big deal? You don’t need crutches when you don’t have a broken leg. But that doesn’t mean you ever stop enjoying the scripture because it is known to be the Song of the Self.

CC: It is – to my mind – always an amazing matter; how not-knowing leads to so much trouble and/or speculation while knowing is so real and normal that I need not think at all. 

Sundari: Ah, yes.  Maya is the ultimate illusionist, and very good at deception – normalizing the abnormal, and abnormalizing the normal.

CC: I hope I make sense … 🙂 My mind isn’t perfect but it doesn’t need to be, and I like to think, align all thoughts with the Vedanta, for it always makes sense. 

Sundari: You always make perfect sense 

Much love

Sundari

ShiningWorld.com

Sundari:  How can you disappear?  You are never not present …

CC: The ‘crash’ came with a sort of ‘knock-out’ but was just a nice landing really. After so much energy output, physically and mentally, it had to happen 🙂 – which also resulted in a clear settlement in what these guna’s do and don’t do. 

Sundari: Guna knowledge is the game changer in living an intelligent sane life, and they work predictably so once you know, you know. Rajas and tamas cannot be separated – though what is interesting is that excess rajas inevitably ends in excess tamas, but not the other way around. Yet, once tamas gets hold of the mind, it is very hard to get out of it, but the only way to do so is with rajas.  Sattva is just not available.

Conversely, the most effective (but not easy) way to get out of excess rajas before it becomes entrenched tamas, is with sattva, again, not easy but possible but requires discipline.. Though sometimes, tamas is the first or only option, if only to sleep. Excess rajas extroverts the mind so much that the nervous system becomes fragmented, in permanent fight or flight mode.

As Ramji has been teaching the last two Sundays, sattva can also pose a big problem. It  so easy to be seduced by the idea that you are somehow special or different when the knowledge first dawns that you are the Self, the witness and not the experiencing entity. It is akin to waking up from a very deep, very long sleep and seeing clearly for the first time.  What most don’t realize is that whether you run off to India and get high immersing yourself in the sattvic peace of ashram life, which is very common, or whether you just think knowing who you are makes you different from everyone else, that is enlightenment sickness.

The golden cage of sattva traps most inquirers at some point. Luckily, there is a cure, but only if the ego is prepared to accept its demotion, and the reality check that being the Self is ordinary. That is the tricky part, and it is where ‘the rubber meets the road’ in the real meaning of moksa. It can be a tricky balancing act managing the gunas, but Self-knowledge does the job. 

As you know, a true jnani is simply the witness of the gunas, just observing the play without being disturbed.  But it is very unpleasant for the mind to be overrun by either rajas or tamas, as it is to get unwittingly caught up in the illusion of spiritual specialness. So taking the appropriate knowledge based approach to managing the gunas may be required.

CC: I often don’t know the difference anymore between Ishvara and jiva, in some sense, but they are funny – it’s all free. 

Sundari: There is no difference from the Self’s perspective. But there is a big difference from the jiva’s perspective in that their abilities are vastly different.  It’s only ‘all free’ if you truly know that.

CC: It’s like seeing jiva and Ishvara as the same, and me and making jokes amongst each other also, talking beautiful nonsense. 

Sundari: Yes, if by ‘me’ you mean the Self

CC: I mean to say that a refining of mind is going on and that this is very much like a celebration and very quiet. I would like to check some things with you on this but it isn’t in word-mode yet. But the sheer joy to be, and to not apply it to circumstance reflexively, or subconsciously.. phieuw… 

Sundari: As always, you are doing a pretty good job of it! Alway here if you need any clarification.

Much love

Sundari

It is from Stillness and Peace that you are being informed of the death of Rory Mackay, the author of the English translation of his book which we use for the study of the Bhagavad Gita “The Divine Song”.

Rory was assiduous in his pursuit of Self-knowledge and Self-abidance. His time on Earth has left us an example to follow and he has left us material, both electronic and on paper, to encourage us in our pursuit of Self-knowledge. For that, we are grateful.

The physical death of any Jnani is celebrated because he/she has fulfilled the purpose of human life. There will be no more rebirths. The mind-body mechanism is a loan given by Ishvara and will be recalled at the appropriate time and manner as determined by Prarabdha karma.

The death of a Jnani instructs us on how valuable our human mind-body instrument is. It also instructs us on how it is to be used … wisely and fruitfully in terms of liberation from Self-ignorance and recognition of our true nature of Consciousness, Brahman, Atma, I.

The death of a Jnani means that the Physical body returns to the Physical realm, the Subtle body returns to the Subtle realm and the Causal body returns to the Causal realm. Nothing is left of the human form.

What remains is Brahman, pure, unconditioned, eternal. There is no more Rory Mackay. There was only Brahman, there is only Brahman, there will be only Brahman.

That Brahman, we are, here and now.

Om. Peace. Peace. Peace

Sundari: As an inquirer, the body poses the biggest obstacle and challenge to Self-knowledge because it is the ultimate symbol of duality, of change and inconstancy. And though it can be negated as a non-essential variable with Self-knowledge, which is the absolute key to moksa, the body/mind never goes away. Until the body dies, of course. Even when you know that your true identity is the Self, the body is still subject to the gunas.

The body is on loan to us from Isvara; it does not belong to us. It is part of the field of existence, and never the same from moment to moment. The processes that go on every minute of every day to keep us alive, and at the same time, move us toward the death of the body, are mind-blowing.  Both syntropy and entropy are always going on, until death wins. Which it always does, in the end.

Most people have zero or very little knowledge let alone appreciation of how incredible an instrument the body is. The intelligence that keeps it going, and is imbued in every cell, is an astonishing miracle.  Even though many do not respect the body for what it is and does, sadly most people are very much identified with the it because it is the most ‘there’ thing in existence for us humans, who are self-conscious and aware that we ‘have a body’.

Coupled with the fact that the Gross body is run by the Subtle body (mind) which is reflected consciousness, most people are identified with the mind as ‘who they are’. All the same, the body/mind may not be real from the nondual perspective, but ignoring the body/mind is virtually impossible. It is ‘in your face’ at all times, other than deep sleep.  Which is why deep sleep is such a blessed relief and so essential.

The field of life is a sea of constant change, of things that bite and bless. The gunas are cycling constantly, as are our vasanas, especially if they are binding, as they are for most people. It’s a case of respect, adapt and die, because you cannot live or die well if you do not honour and accommodate to life. The body causes so much trouble for most people, either because it is going through inevitable changes like menopause or aging, or it is unhealthy through lack of respect and knowledge of how to look after it. Or it is a prisoner of mind that is run by rajas and/or tamas, and deep binding samskaras.

The only solution to the body/mind problem is to manage the mind with Self-knowledge. But even with Self-knowledge, the body can be such a drain, especially when in pain or deep discomfort, which happens to everyone ‘in a body’, sooner or later. It is not hard to see how things can and do become very difficult for anyone, even dedicated inquirers, to stay focussed on the Self as the witness of the body. Sattva is always present, but not always easy to access when  the body is ill, in pain or discomfort, for whatever reason.

What always matters most is discriminating satya, the Self, from mithya, the body/mind.  James’ talk this Sunday on Zoom will be on negating the non-essential variables, which is at the root of self-inquiry, so that the inquirer becomes firmly seated in the Self, satya, as its primary identity. But to get to where the secondary identity as the person, the body/mind, is handled, no matter what is going on with the body, requires fully understanding mithya, the apparent reality.  That is where inquiry matters most. It is impossible to jump straight to satya without first understanding and negating mithya.

Aka, ‘your’ body/mind and the field of life it exists in. Your story and how you/it relates to every moment of your existence. Is that as Existence, capital ‘E’, that which makes all experience and knowledge of experience/objects possible and objectified? Or is it existence as in I keep getting sucked into the experiencing entity, and believe that is who I am, with all the trauma being a body/mind involves?

Like so many other inevitable changes, menopause is just another process affecting the body. While men go through changesd and have hormonal difficulties, women definitely have it tougher in some ways because of the unique functions the female body has. But whatever gender, it is guaranteed that the body is always subject to change. It is going to be used up and discarded one fine day, and every day we get closer to that. But most important of all and our saving grace, the body/mind is an object known to me, the Self. 

You can do a lot to manage the mind, especially if you have Self-knowledge. But nothing to be done about the body’s natural changes, except taking appropriate care of it, and remaining the witness. You are not the body/mind. You are eternal and cannot change, are never born and cannot die. Have deep compassion for anyone who does not know the truth of who they are. Mithya is a cruel master. 

As for how I dealt with menopause, even though I have always been healthy and fit, the body does what it has to do. As stated, there is no escaping its cycles and the ever constant cycling and changing of the gunas. Menopause just intensifies that process because of the wild swings between rajas and tamas, making sattva difficult to maintain. 

I found bio identical hormone therapy helped a lot, and I was lucky that menopause was relatively mild for me. Of course, I was very blessed indeed to have firm Self-knowledge and was able to understand the process, objectify and disidentify with the body/mind. It is not an easy thing to do, but Self-knowledge does work if it is firm.

I hope this helps

Sundari