Siddharameshwar Maharaj

A brahmin (someone born into the priest caste) once had a bad dream. In that dream, he felt that he was an untouchable. Because of that dream he began mixing with laborers and started doing all sorts of work befitting that caste. After suffering many hardships, he became fed up so he went to a Sadguru, and the Sadguru awakened him. Then he said "What a miracle! I slept, and in the dream I suffered. Then the Sadguru awakened me!" He was suffering only because of Illusion. The jiva takes this dream world to be true and suffers, and then the Sadguru awakens him. You are not the mind, intellect, or sense organs. The word "my" which you use, in order to say that objects are yours, is only a verbal utterance. You are the witness of all. All that is seen is transient, ephemeral, and destructible. It is all destructible, the mind, the intellect, everything. The mind and intellect are seen by you, and they are going to end. The "you" who says "this is mine, this is mine," is separate from all that is seen. Who are you? You are Pure Knowledge, Pure Consciousness without any stain or blemish. You are the Self who is conscious of the dream, deep sleep, and the waking state. You are "That" which says "I" in the body. The great statement "Tatvamasi" means "You Are That." You are "That" which is different from all that is visible. When all names and words disappear, then "That" which remains is He. "That" is what you are. "That" which says "I," when all experiences are left behind, is final. You are "That" which remains. Then "That" says, "There is no thing," and remains quiet. Then, even that quietness also is left behind. Even the experience of quietness goes, and renunciation comes into existence without saying so. Let go of even the recognition that you are not conscious of anything. Even the one who says, "I should do something," or "I do not understand," or "I do not know" is only God. That God is called Brahman.

A man sees another man sitting nearby. He does not know that man by name, but he correctly points to that man with his finger. When that man is pointed out by the word "that" the word vanishes because its function is over. Similarly, the word tells us that this and this and this is not Brahman. Brahman is beyond any appearance or object that has a name. This is just like a man who wanted to tell about a wristwatch, but could not remember its name, so he said, "That round thing that is tied to the wrist." So, by describing it by using some skillful means of explanation, the word then vanishes. That is why the Masters have made a statement that if you understand one word, you will become God. By the Guru's advice in a certain few words, we can come to understand God. It logically follows that words make the meeting with God possible. The word is itself very great. It is by word that we know the past and the present. It is by the word that Rama and Krishna and other great Masters are known to us. It is in certain words that Lord Krishna taught his disciple Arjuna. The life as a human being is worth its name because we understand the word. By the word, human birth has become great. Words make one God. Knowledge of the Vedas is conveyed by words. We can have a dialogue with Shuka and Vyasa. The author of a book actually talks with us. Talk is possible by words. The books contain only written words. We can say that the "word" has undertaken the job of imparting Knowledge. The word discards as Illusion many things, and lastly makes itself useless and mute. The "me" and the word both disappear. Here "me" means the ego, or pride. The word reaches that place from where it arose, and then it is mute. It is the word, that has taken an oath to teach us Reality, Brahman. The fly dies in the food and makes the man vomit the food. Similarly, but quite in a good way, the Vedas keep only one reserved word and discard everything else. They say that Brahman is not whatever you say about it (Neti; Not this). What remains is Brahman. So saying, the Vedas have also become silent.

Before the Knowledge ("I Am") dawns, "Forgetfulness" is misunderstood as Knowledge. In the same way, when Jnana, or Knowledge, is under-developed it is misunderstood as Vijnana which is the last stage of the "Absence of modifications" of Parabrahman. When the aspirant mistakes Self-Knowledge, or "I Am" (Jnana) for Vijnana, his progress is arrested there. Samartha Ramdas has compared this type of an undeveloped Jnani to a man who is awakened in a dream, and thinks he is awake. Yet, he is still snoring! "You think that this is wakefulness, but your Illusion has not gone," is the warning given by Shri Samartha to this type of Jnani. That Great-Causal Body, or Turya state in which the Gross and Subtle Bodies are like a dream, is itself like a dream in Vijnana. There is bondage in Ignorance, and liberation in Knowledge, but when both Ignorance and Knowledge are not there, how could the idea of bondage or liberation exist?

Do not get involved in the world even with the good intentions to help others, because as soon as you deviate from your own Being, you will fall into the trap. What is the remedy for Illusion? Only one whose intellect is clear and who recognizes that the Illusion and Brahman are distinctly separate, as if seen in a mirror, alone can tell you the remedy. For such people, to cross over Illusion is as easy as walking on a straight footpath. In order to do this, the attraction towards sense objects must be totally gone. There is no other appearance of anything but the One, everywhere. With this experience, the knot of ego is loosened, the hidden bondage of the body is slackened.

The day that the wrong knowledge regarding the world is eliminated by virtue of the Sadguru's advice, one becomes convinced that this entire world is only a temporary appearance. When this happens, one becomes able to look at the world and appreciate it as if it were a cinema, or a source of entertainment, and with the detachment that has been achieved, one remains unaffected.

Self-Knowledge is the Knowledge about one's Self. Once we recognize who we really are, then automatically the determination is made regarding what is permanent and what is transient.

Shri Shankara (Shankaracharya) while giving discourse on Vedanta said, "One who says that Maya is real, is a fool." Maya itself means, "that which is nothing." Just as the games that children play with their toys are false, so is this theory about Maya being real. Equally "real" are those who argue about all of this. The ones who indulge in verbal arguments about Maya, are as much real as Maya is. Maya and greed are similar. Just as a visible food article becomes hidden in the process of eating, the scene that is seen becomes invisible in the process of seeing. The eating and those who eat, and the seeing and those who see, are all false. The argument and the arguer are both false. The concepts of "unity" and "multiplicity" are false. "One" and the "many" are false. There is only One, not a second. One and only One, is complete Total Existence. There is nothing other in it. It is not possible. Then how can that which is full and complete be false? Listen carefully. If it is understood that there is no other thing, and there is only "One Thing," are you not also "That Brahman"? Everything is contained in your wholeness, the one singular Brahman, but even the word Brahman is omitted. This is no poetry. There is no play of imagination. This imaginary individual, which is false, is not existing here. As we are not, similarly the second, or "other" also is not.

'That' which is, is. What 'That' is, cannot be told. Mind and intellect do not reach there. Words cannot express it.

The greatest evil habit is worldly life. It is called the "Great Addiction". By force of this addiction to worldly life,Paramatman is made to believe that He is an individual, and is compelled to live a worldly life as if in prison. All bad habits can be dropped, but the addiction to mundane life is the most difficult to drop. The wife is dear to her husband so long as she obeys him. The mundane worldly life is called the blindingly dark life. The greatest inticement of Illusion is this mundane life. However great may be one's sorrow, this addiction cannot be dropped. One is greatly lucky if this addiction is dropped. There is only one person who condemns the worldly life, and he is a Saint.

Nobody else does that. One does not even think of this earthly life, even if one suffers the utmost difficulties. People try to strengthen their ties with others by speaking to them respectfully and congratulating each other over small things. People compete with each other for earning more honors and status. In this way, they feel that they are happy in life. They act as if this is a respectable bad habit. The God of Death is happy to give you many kinds of bodies and various troubles.

Give up the sense of "mine". Know that the body is your enemy. Very few are those who have truly understood. Only those who are lucky enough to receive the blessings of the Guru, who is the Self, can escape from this Illusion by right efforts. All others are bound to the treadmill of life in various incarnations and they make houses of bodies of various shapes and duration.
~ "Master of Self-Realization, An Ultimate Understanding", ch. 41

The Vedas and scriptures talk up to the point of the Great-Causal Body. Until then, it is the primary premise, or the theory. In the field of Knowledge beyond the Great-Causal Body is the proven final conclusion, or Siddhanta, and the cancelling of all that has been laid down is right there. When all phenomena is destroyed, or annihilated, whatever remains is your "Real Nature." It is impossible to describe it in words. Where "the knowledge of words" proves to be Ignorance, where Consciousness becomes non-Consciousness, and where all remedies recommended by the scriptures are only hindrances, you will see for yourself how you reach that highest point. The Sadguru brought you to the threshold and pushed you inside, but the Sadguru cannot show you the beauty, or the panorama within. You have to seize the treasure, the trophy, yourself. Now, after all this has been said, there remains nothing that can be conveyed through words. Words were used for whatever had to be told. That which cannot be conveyed by words has now been entrusted to you. We can only inspire you to be an aspirant, but you have to become a Siddha by yourself.

What is the remedy for Illusion? Only one whose intellect is clear and who recognizes that the Illusion and Brahman are distinctly separate, as if seen in a mirror, alone can tell you the remedy. For such people, to cross over Illusion is as easy as walking on a straight footpath. In order to do this, the attraction towards sense objects must be totally gone.

When Brahman is realized, what more is wanted? Totally drop the idea that you are a separate jiva. Be the Totality, be Brahman.