As we begin to think about the true nature of things,
it is helpful to have a foundation in the form of an idea
or structure. Quantum physics was mentioned for this
reason, offering the modern scientific model of
emptiness underlying our physical universe. The
ancient philosophical traditions of the East concur with
this view, with an additional component added – the
presence of consciousness in absolute emptiness and
emerging from it. While it may not be possible to verify
that the emptiness underlying everything is conscious,
we can certainly verify that what manifests from
emptiness is conscious, because we are conscious.
Ancient eastern philosophy, and some western
philosophies also, hold emptiness to the great Self of
all, and that all individual selves are but rays emanating
from the One Great Self, much the way waves dance
upon the surface of the ocean, only to dissolve and
reappear on the surface of the ocean again and again.
The waves are ever-changing expressions of the great
ocean they dance upon.
Whether the great ocean of emptiness beyond the
manifested universe is conscious can be debated. But
there can be little debate about whether human beings
are conscious. It is this singular fact that underlies the
entire field of self-inquiry.
There is a vast theoretical body of knowledge,
which can be found in the amply documented
philosophies of both the East and the West, plus the
experiential component of consciousness which can be
found in every human being. Put these two together,
and you have the beginnings of self-inquiry.
It is really quite simple. If we can come to know
that we are, in fact, the ocean before, during and after
we are the wave, then the inquiry is done.
Enlightenment is ours. Philosophically, that is called
the end of knowledge. In the East, it is called Vedanta –
the end of the Veda.
But, experientially, it is not so simple. Something
more is needed, which is often overlooked by those
who hold an uncompromising view of human
enlightenment. If our experience does not fulfill the
philosophy, or even what another may claim as their
experience, then the inquiry is not complete. While
purists may hold that only emptiness exists, it is up to
each of us to verify the truth for ourselves. It is for this
that the methods of self-inquiry are given.
But it turns out that self-inquiry is very much a
moving target, depending on the person who is doing it.
Just as certain ideas will resonate with some people and
not others, the methods of self-inquiry may resonate
with some practitioners and not with others. The reason
for this variation is due to the inner condition of each
individual nervous system. The degree of inner
purification and opening deep inside has a direct
bearing on the degree of consciousness that is available
in the person for gaining knowledge of the nature of
existence, at least insofar as knowledge can be gained
through direct experience within the individual.
The key factor in this is the presence of what we
call inner silence, also called pure bliss consciousness,
the Self, or the witness. It is called the witness because
stillness in our awareness is our ground state and, once
established, is capable of experiencing all thoughts,
perceptions and emotions as objects outside its own
unmoving awareness.
The presence of the witness changes the
complexion and effectiveness of all self-inquiry
methods dramatically, and our perception of every day
living also. What had been a moving target becomes
steady, and the very knowledge we have been seeking
is what we become. We were That all along, and the
witness is That. There is the old saying that, what we
are seeking is what is doing the seeking. Our inner
awareness in the form of the witness is both the goal
and the means for attaining it.
The witness can be cultivated in human beings by
engaging in self-inquiry. This is its purpose. However,
it is very difficult to do it using self-inquiry as the sole
means. Ask anyone who has tried without using any
other supporting practices.
A much more effective way to cultivate the witness
is with daily deep meditation. Once this kind of
cultivation is occurring on an ongoing basis,
then self inquiry will have the ability to gain some real traction
in our lives, and add far-reaching additional benefits
that could not be realized with either deep meditation or
self-inquiry alone. When we say “traction,” we mean
the formation of an intimate relationship between our
native consciousness and the objects of this world,
including our thoughts, feelings and perceptions of the
external environment. Our abiding inner witness,
combined with self-inquiry, can lead us steadily toward
a condition of Oneness, beyond the ups and downs of
life, even as we are fully engaged and going about our
business each day. In this condition, there is not
grasping or hanging on.
So, if we are looking for real self-inquiry, we
should look beyond the dictums of rigid philosophical
systems to the inner workings of our own nervous
system. If we do that, we will go beyond ideas to the
experience itself. Then the wave will know itself to be
the ocean, even as it continues as a wave.
Philosophy is therefore a stepping stone to the
greatest knowledge, which is direct knowledge of our
Self.
- Yogani
http://www.aypsite.org/index.html
I thought this might stir up some debate. Is all this Philosophical 'talk' an unworthy substitute for direct experience?
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