ADVAITA PRINCIPLE


In advaita there is no knower / known difference. There is only Pure Blissful Awareness.. There is no experiencer / experienced difference. There is only experience. As there is one sound from two sticks, one fragrance from two flowers; one light from two flames; one word from two lips; one vision from two eyes, so also knower / known are one in Knowledge; experience / experienced are one in experience.

Due to the limitations of words a Realized Master finds it very difficult to convey the import of advaita principle to his disciple. In the famous Diamond Sutra Lord Buddha says, " Do not think, Subhuti, that the Tathagata would consider within himself: I will deliver human beings. That would be a degrading thought. Why? Because really there are no sentient beings to be delivered by the Tathagata, it would mean that the Tathagata was cherishing within his mind arbitrary conceptions of phenomena such as one's self, other selves, living beings and an universal SELf. Even when the Tathagata refers to himself, he is not holding within his mind any such arbitrary thoughts. Only terrestrial human beings think of self-hood as being a personal possession. Subhuti, even the expression " terrestrial beings " as used by the Tathagata does not mean that there are any such beings. It is only used as a figure of speech".

Duality commences with the crystallization of a knower (ego); an experiencer (ego).

In the experience of NOW there is no experiencer and therefore there cannot be any differences in experiences. The moment an experiencer (ego) is born duality manifests and differences in experiences perceived.

There has to be a differentiation in the paths, religions and practices, but their goal is one-- the realization of Truth. There is a lot of differentiation in treatment of various diseases, in various medical systems, according to individual constitution, but their goal is one-- the restoration of health.

You cannot cut a single size coat and ask everyone to somehow manage to fit into it even if it is not their size. Similarly one size shoes will not fit all.

Enlightenment / Realization of Truth is the most simplest thing in the world. At this very moment there is nothing but the all pervading Absolute Truth only. There is no "I" or a "you", he or she, or a Mr. so and so (ego) experiencing this Truth. A Mr. so and so (ego) can only experience a reflection, perceive a shadow. Unless Mr. so and so (ego) disappears there is no dawn of realization.

So long as there is individuality, there will be effort, and so long as there is effort, it cannot fructify into Self-Realization. When we go to bed at night, as long as there is effort there is no sleep. Only when all effort ceases we fall asleep.

In the Guru-Shishya relationship, the Guru is the 'reflected' and the shishya is the 'reflection', the latter being totally dependent on the former. Therefore when the Guru does not remain as Guru, the shishya also disappears. In this relationship the Guru is the reality and the shishya is the fictitious entity; Guru is operating through wisdom and the Shishya through ignorance.

This non-duality in the Guru-Shishya relationshp is such that when the disciple wants to salute the teacher, it is like the reflected face wanting to salute the original face, or a person wanting to jump on the head of his own shadow.

BE the Bliss which is eternal and not the experiencer of pleasures which is impermanent.


By Swami Audhutananda