LT-Desires-Article

Lao-tzu’s Wisdom on Artificial and Natural Desires

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Lao-tzu’s Wisdom on Artificial and Natural Desires

 

  In the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu makes a distinction between “the desires of the eye” and “the desires of the belly.” He recommends that we revert back to one over the other. In chapter 12 of the Tao Te Ching Lao-tzu explains:

 

The five colors blind our eyes. The five notes deafen our ears. The five flavors deaden our palates. The chase and the hunt madden our hearts. Precious goods impede our activities. This is why sages are for the belly and not for the eye; And so they cast off one and take up the other.

 

  The word “five” as it appears in this chapter can be replaced with extravagant or fancy, because five refers to our tendency to focus on sensual pleasures rather than moderation. The sage’s advice is to go back to the desires of the belly over the desires of the eye. But what are the desires of the belly and eye that Lao-tzu mentions? First of all, what are the desires of the eye that Lao-tzu warns us against?

 

 The Desires of the Eye and Modern Culture

   The desires of the eye are the things that you can see far away but you don’t possess. The desires of the eye are the artificial needs created by society, which keep us chasing and hunting a life that is not ours and this in turn “maddens our hearts,” to use Lao-tzu’s words. These desires are insatiable and practically infinite. We know these desires all too well because our modern culture promotes the desires of the eye as the template of a successful life.

 

   Think of how important Madison Avenue and the advertising industry are supposedly to modern culture. Modern advertising creates these new artificial desires through marketing. They promote the desires of the eye and this in turn creates inauthentic people, which is why Lao-tzu believes these desires are dangerous. A growing swell of people, especially among the youth, will stop at nothing to be famous or have social success. But both fame and success are artificial needs planted in our mind. Striving after such artificial desires suppresses our true nature. As a result, we become a soundbite generation with no depth, where we always swim in the shallows. Being famous, then, becomes more important than integrity, arrogance is mistaken for humility, and marketing is more important than knowledge and wisdom.

 

  We only have to see what nonfiction books are bestsellers and what films are the highest grossing to realize that we’ve built an empty culture with no depth. Granted, some few worthy books and films can get moderate exposure and reach a wider audience, but this is very rare. And last but not least, wealth is mistakenly associated with success. The symbol of success, then, is wealth, which either consciously or unconsciously motivates many people to do what they do in life. This is just the nature of a shallow culture. As a result, we’ve got this new phenomenon of people striving to be entrepreneurs for the sake of being one. So, an entrepreneur then is someone who is just a motivation speaker for other people to become motivational speakers. This empty striving just to be noticed is not natural entrepreneurship. True entrepreneurship just happens naturally resulting from hard work, a brilliant idea, and perfect timing. Think of Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and so on. None of these people set out to become an entrepreneur or have wealth and fame. All three acted on a brilliant idea that they believed in and now they reap the rewards.

 

  In a culture driven by the desires of the eye, we get in the bad habit of trying to mimic someone else’s achievements as if this is a sure-fire path to success. We are always comparing our lives to others and this breeds inauthentic people. We try to emulate other people we believe are on a pedestal. On top of this, we also try to live up to social norms which, in the end, inculcate within us a fake sincerity enacted by our role in the world and this is not who we truly are beneath our social and cultural conditioning. This is why we feel a certain stench about some people’s sincerity and their over the top attitude towards being politically correct. 

 

  German philosopher Martin Heidegger explained that when we are enacting a certain role with fake sincerity then we are driven by “they,” meaning the expectations of other people and culture. As a result, we are not operating from our original nature, which is our deep-down raw self, minus its egotistical conditioning. Most people never encounter this raw deep egoless nature because people are too busy trying to be somebody important and trying to acquire wealth. We are always trying to keep up with the Joneses or get ahead of them, and this attitude eclipses our true nature. As a result, we have a world that is predominately hypnotized by consumerist thinking. 

 

  Modern culture, and specifically advertising, sell us this idea of how our lives should be, such as the American dream, which fuels our consumerist habits. Marketing ramps up what we think we need, but in truth we don’t need any of what they’re selling. We are fooled into believing that we need the latest smartphone, car, clothes, haircut, computer, television, and whatever else is deemed trendy by advertising. We also think we need to be famous or known and respected in some sort of way, even if in truth we’ve accomplished nothing to gain such notoriety.

 

  All of these artificial desires are built on the lie that we actually need all this rubbish. The fact of the matter is you don’t need any of it. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret that all these great motivational speakers won’t tell you, not everybody can have financial success or fame, and not all of us can have a brilliant idea. And you know what, none of it matters in the end because that’s not why all of us are here.

 

  We will never know why we are truly here nor our true nature if we are constantly chasing our tail, and this is Lao-tzu’s point. He recognized that we are always chasing empty desires, the desires of the eye. And keep in mind, Lao-tzu’s criticisms were aimed at Confucius’s carving and polishing ideology of self-cultivation, with its focus on artificial desires and an attempt to induce naturalness, which is completely mild compared to our modern culture.

 

  Just imagine if Lao-tzu could see the world now, he would surely roll in his grave. But, nevertheless, his advice and reaction would be the same: we need to turn our back on modern culture and return to the way of nature, the Tao. If we don’t turn our back on modern culture then we are living inauthentic lives because we are continuously enacting some sort of role to fit into the accepted cultural and social framework. This mentality is a disaster and something most of us aren’t aware of. Our mind is so polluted with striving that we diminish simplicity in the process. We move away from simplicity by chasing desires. Lao-tzu’s remedy for the hypnosis of the desires of the eye is to return to the natural desires of the belly. 

 

The Desires of the Belly and Simple Living

  The desires of the belly are our basic needs, our basic desires which are very simple. These desires of the belly are what nature gave you and they are quite modest needs. This is quite a different picture compared to the Confucians who value being cultured and, as a result, become a connoisseur. But, as Lao-tzu mentioned in chapter 12 of the Tao Te Ching, having too much of anything deadens our palate. So, for example, instead of becoming a wine connoisseur, Lao-tzu would suggest that we just enjoy the wine for its own sake without becoming a wine snob.

 

  If you are a cultured connoisseur of life then you have moved away from your simple needs. In chapter 46 of the Tao Te Ching Lao-tzu explains that having too many desires, like a Confucian or modern individual, is a great disaster. The Tao Te Ching states:

 

There is no greater crime than having too many desires. There is no greater disaster than not being content. There is no greater misfortune than being covetous.

 

  In chapter 46, the Tao Te Ching explains that no matter what our fancy explanations are, excessive desires drive greed and in turn greed drives aggression. As a result, we end up with the world we have now with all of its conflict, tension, and inequality. So, all of this education and socialization fuel our desires and this is why Lao-tzu wants us to return to the desires of the belly. 

 

  If our natural needs are modest then our starting off point to become a sane and healthy individual is oriented in the wrong direction, as we are “trying” to attain it. But if we reorient our lives towards the desires of the belly, we will realize that human beings have a simple nature and are easily satisfied. We only mess with this simple nature when society creates artificial desires and, as a result, we want more than we naturally need. Human nature, then, is fundamentally good according to Lao-tzu, but not according to Confucius because he believes human nature is this ugly raw material that we need to shape and cultivate. Interestingly, both Confucius and Lao-tzu have opposing metaphors to explain their view of human nature. Confucius uses the carving and polishing metaphor, referring to the carved and polished block of wood. And, on the other hand, Lao-tzu uses the uncarved block metaphor, or unhewn wood, to explain the human being just as nature intended it.

 

  So Confucian self-cultivation is about taking our raw human nature and carving and polishing it to the point that we become a superior man, junzi in Chinese. Lao-tzu, on the other hand, believes human nature is good, so he doesn’t want you to carve or polish but instead stick to the uncarved block as this is your simple raw nature. Confucius believed that a human should be called a “human becoming,” while Lao-tzu believed that our common title of a “human being” is an accurate description because there is nothing for us to do or become. We already are naturally good deep down. Carving and polishing warps our human nature. In chapter 37 of the Tao Te Ching it states:

 

Nameless unhewn wood is but freedom from desire. Without desire and still, the world will settle itself.

 

  What chapter 37 means is if we can get back in touch with our original nature, the uncarved block, then having an urge for excessive desires will vanish. If we can just get back in touch with our original nature and forget about all of this carving and polishing then everything will begin to order itself because our basic needs are very simple. So, we don’t have to do anything for this to happen. Instead of embarking on Confucius’s journey of self-cultivation, we just need to return home to the uncarved block. This return home encapsulates Lao-tzu’s view that human perfection is through nonaction, wu-wei. Chapter 47 of the Tao Te Ching states:

 

Without going out the door, one can know the whole world. Without looking out the window, one can see the Way of Heaven. The further one goes, the less one knows. This is why the sages: Know without going abroad, Name without having to see, Perfect through nonaction (wu-wei).

 

  Our tendency to cultivate through action driven by learning and socialization leads to excessive desires and eclipses our true human nature. We can never be truly content when we are filled with desires and this is something skillfully explained in many Eastern spiritual traditions. All of our striving and reaching one goal after another never leads to contentment, but instead contributes to a world that suffers from anxiety, stress, and is basically insane. You surely have noticed this persistent hum of anxiety in your own life. Lao-tzu’s radical advice and solution for all of us is to Know the contentment of contentment. This is one of the greatest lines from the Tao Te Ching and it should become a daily mantra for anyone sincere on the path of liberation. Having this unwavering contentment is something not many of us experience in our lives. We can never have this contentment if we are constantly chasing artificial desires in trying to keep up with the Joneses. This deep level of contentment is also explained in Buddhism and Hinduism.

 

  The contentment of contentment is to be content with the simplicity of life, to be content with what you have. This contentment is the fundamental basics minus all this modern extravagance. If you experience this contentment of contentment in your life, then you won’t be drawn into the desires of the eye. Returning to the home of the uncarved block, your original pure nature, evokes this deep contentment and allows you to live a life as nature intended it. If we truly want equanimity and a sane and healthy world, then returning home to our true nature is where it all begins. So, my parting question to you is, have you tasted the contentment of contentment?

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Kali Yuga: The Spiritual Degradation of Humanity

by Enlightenment TodayPodcast

In this episode of Enlightenment Today, I will speak about the dark age of the Kali Yuga. In the Hindu cycles of time known as the Yugas, the Kali Yuga represents the spiritual degradation of humanity. This age is commonly known as the age of darkness or the age of ignorance, where our mind is drawn primarily to the material world and an individualism that is subtly influenced by our survival instincts. We have a blind ignorance of the world within us, our nature as pure consciousness. And no surprises, we are living in the Kali Yuga and are starting to see in other people and also feel within ourselves the effects of this age. As a result, we lack the moral fiber and mental concentration necessary to pursue the path of liberation. But fortunately for all of us, after Krishna left this world, signifying the beginning of the Kali Yuga, some enlightened sages could foresee our future and they wrote the Puranas, Tantras and other scriptures to serve our spiritual needs in this dark age. In this episode you will learn about the negative impact of the Kali Yuga and how also to counter its effects so that you bring your awareness back to the ultimate path of liberation.

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Vairagya: The Practice of Dispassion Towards the World

by Enlightenment TodayPodcast

In this episode of Enlightenment Today, I will speak about the practice of vairagya in Hindu philosophy. Vairagya is a term that can be translated as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation. Someone who practices vairagya has a dispassionate attitude towards the pain and pleasures of the world. Vairagya refers to an internal state of mind rather than an external lifestyle and this is why it can be practiced by one engaged in family life and career as it can be by a renunciate. But the deepest benefits are often experienced by a renunciate sage. Even though the practice of vairagya is a rejection of all the suffering in the world, it does not mean suppression of or developing repulsion for material objects. By the application of the practice of viveka (spiritual discrimination or discernment) to life experience, the spiritual aspirant gradually develops a strong attraction for the true Self (Atman), which is the inner spiritual source of fulfillment and bliss (ananda). As a result, limited attachments and desires in the world fall away naturally. The great sages advocate vairagya as a skillful means to achieve liberation (moksha), the realization that Atman is Brahman.

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Mental Health Issues in Spirituality

by Enlightenment TodayPodcast

In this episode of Enlightenment Today, I will speak about mental health issues in spirituality. To speak about mental health in relation to spirituality may appear contradictory. But there are a growing number of cases where people have experienced the effects of mental health, including depression, chronic anxiety and stress, schizophrenia, and even suicide in some extreme cases. This has been exponentially growing because of the misinterpretation of ancient knowledge by self-styled teachers who themselves are not trained in a particular tradition. This lack of training and lack of comprehension is best showcased in the number of neo-Advaita teachers that have come forth in recent decades, especially in the West, who butcher the teachings of Ramana Maharshi because they have no traditional training in the actual tradition of Advaita Vedanta. But this phenomenon of mental health in spirituality is not isolated to Advaita Vedanata because it extends to the modern followers of many great ancient traditions. In this episode, I will explain how to discern if the path you are on is genuine and also the way to avoid such traps that may lead one to mental health problems.

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Why People Are Scared of Advaita Vedanta

by Enlightenment TodayPodcast

In this episode of Enlightenment Today, I will speak about why people are afraid of Advaita Vedanta and other Eastern spiritual traditions. Advaita Vedanta is one of the most difficult spiritual paths to follow, but it is one of the most transformational. Following Advaita Vedanta sincerely frightens most people because of the radical effect it has on our sense of individuality. People want to learn and be engaged in Eastern spirituality because they feel it will improve their individual lives. But does Advaita Vedanta and Eastern spirituality in general, have any to do with self-improvement?

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The Story of Shiva and Parvati’s Divine Marriage

by Enlightenment TodayPodcast

In this episode of Enlightenment Today I will speak about the ancient story of Shiva and Parvati’s divine marriage. Their union is one of the most significant stories throughout history. It is one of those ancient myths that will never lose its significance, as it means something very deep for all of us. In this episode I will explain the story for you and also its hidden meaning.

Debate-Article

Why the East Avoid Debate and Why You Should too

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Why the East Avoid Debate and Why You Should too

 

  Avoiding debate is a hallmark of Eastern thought, especially in countries such as Japan. This mentality is hard for a lot of Westerners to comprehend. In the West, we are encouraged to debate so that we can come to a conclusion on a matter. This Western way of thinking is incorrectly believed to be universal. Many Westerners believe the way they think is the same for everyone in the world. This way of thinking is a clumsy way of viewing the world. Both East and West cognitively evolved differently, influencing their social structures, philosophies, religions, language, and basic world view.

 

  In the West debate was a natural byproduct of analytical thinking and individualism. While in the East, avoiding debate was a natural byproduct of holistic thinking and collectivism. Avoiding debate in far East Asia can partly be attributed to Confucianism and Taoism, because people have a respect for their elders even when the older person might be obviously wrong or their statements unfounded. For example, we see this attitude in the scientific field, where a lot of support is often funneled to the mediocre older scientists instead of the more talented younger ones.

 

  But this resistance to debate is not only an ideological or social one. This resistance extends to the nature of communication and rhetoric. We know rhetoric in the West provides an underlying structure for everything from solving problems, exploring evidence, and other arguments and refutations, so we can come to a conclusion or recommendation. But this linear rhetoric model is uncommon in the East. For example, it’s usually the last thing an Easterner learns on the road to becoming a scientist. This is surely strange to Western academia, but this is how most Easterners have cognitively evolved, even though there is a growing trend in the East to become expert debaters. But is it right for Easterners to fall in line with Western thinking? Or is there something in the art of no debate that the West could learn? And yes, there are a lot the West can learn from the East about many things, including their resistance to debate.

 

  To learn about such mentality in the East, we need to explore why they avoid debate in the first place. Japan is usually the best example because they have stuck more to this cognitive trait than other Eastern nations. When we examine decision-making processes in Japanese board rooms and executive councils, they are designed to avoid conflict and dissonance at all costs. These sorts of meetings are often a ratification of consensus achieved by the leader of the meeting beforehand. If someone has a conflict or disagree with the decision being made, they will usually avoid the situation to keep harmony and good relationships with their co-workers. From a Western perspective, this way of going about business would be considered stupid. But it is in this Eastern attitude that the kernel of truth resides, which we can all learn from.

 

  The holistic view of the East is built on the foundation of relationships. This means first and foremost friendships are number one no matter what your individual opinion is. Keeping good relationships and friendships are always considered before someone emotionally wields their own personal view on a matter. Even when two people disagree in the East, they will come half way for the friendship even if they still disagree, because again, friendship first. This is why before engaging in business with a Chinese businessperson you better get your liver ready because they first want you to drink with them to see if you can be trusted and also to see if they can develop a friendship with you. And when I say drink, I mean legless drunk. It’s their skillful way of disarming your ego to see who is really behind the mask. This approach is more about friendship rather than if the business deal is good or not. Don’t get me wrong, the deal matters, but from the Eastern perspective friendship is more important moving forward.

 

  This friendship first mentality actually caused problems when Easterners and Westerners began doing more business together. And this comes down to the way both view contracts. For a Westerner, once a deal is done, it shouldn’t be modified. A deal is a deal. But, on the other hand, to an Easterner a deal is a tentatively agreed upon guide for the future.

 

  Both opposing views most notably caused conflict in the past between Japanese and Australian businesspeople over a contract for sugar. Australia refused to renegotiate the contract when the price of sugar dropped radically on the world market. The Australian view was that the Japanese were being purely self-serving and self-interested. But this was not the case. Actually, Japanese suppliers take these sorts of matters into consideration with their own customers. One example of this is the film industry in Tokyo. When it snows in Tokyo, film distributors are more likely to compensate theater owners for their drop-in audience attendance. This type of friendly compensation would be unheard of in the Western business world. So, the misunderstanding between Australia and Japan was due to a lack of understanding of both cognitive styles and cultural perspectives. Actually, if we look at this situation from a Western perspective, it is not cost-effective to have such a friendly attitude. But when viewed from an Eastern perspective their attitude strengthens the relationship between customer and supplier which makes sense in many ways.

 

  Though the Eastern view of not debating may seem radical, it is the best for keeping friendships and also for allowing relationships to grow rich. The Eastern view highlights the fact that individual opinion is not the be all and end all. What is more important is collective harmony minus a self-interested ego, which is a common trait among many Eastern philosophies. But this is a blind spot in the West. Actually, as we know, individual opinion is encouraged in the West. So, there is no surprise that a lot of unnecessary conflict exists in the West.

 

  Western intellectuals build their whole repertoire on debate and the ability to wield their individual opinion upon everyone else. There are a multitude of news networks, current affair programs, and podcasts all engaging in debate, as each individual try to showcase their intellectual power. This is nothing more than peacock consciousness, it’s all about who stands out the most, or in other words, who has the loudest bark. It’s just plain immature if we view this mentality from an Eastern perspective. This sort of behavior is rife on social media, where people get into heated debates in the comment sections with people they’ve never met. Trolling a comments section is just plain childish, and in a lot of cases, a troll is hiding behind their computer venting all their deep-seated anger on people they’ve never met. If you are one of these keyboard assassins then you need to rethink your behavior and grow up.

 

  The Eastern view is a grown-up view. It’s about putting the harmony of humanity first rather than personal opinion. Yet in a world increasingly influenced by Western individualism, utilizing debate to defend your own personal beliefs is paramount over and above world harmony. But the brutal truth is, even those who support debate often can’t detach from a debate. For example, I’ve been with people who engage in a debate with someone else and then after it they will say “I hate that guy,” even though they pretended to be cool with the person when the debate had concluded. So, a subtle resentment dwells in some people after a debate and this is the conclusion the East had reached. If we can’t engage in a friendly give and take conversation then it’s better not to engage at all. Besides, when we dive deeper into the fabric of individual opinion, we discover that opinions are driven by individual conditioning and, as a result, a subtle (or not so subtle) personal agenda.

 

  So how can an individual opinion be best for everyone if it is self-interested? It can’t. It can never be. And someone’s personal agenda and conditioning are built on a host of factors that are often not considered when decisions are being made. The art of no debate, on the other hand, forces us to see matters from a more holistic perspective. Instead of wielding our own opinion, we can listen to the consensus and feel out what is good for social harmony rather than individual self-interest. By keeping our mind clear and our mouth shut, we can listen to what the world needs because we’ve become a selfless friend to the entire world.

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Ramana-Maharshi-Article

The Life and Teachings of Ramana Maharshi

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The Life and Teachings of Ramana Maharshi

 

  Many people have heard the name Ramana Maharshi, but surprisingly most of them don’t know who he was and why he was one of the most important figures of the 20th century. Personally, his teachings thrust me on the path of spirituality at a young age. He was one of the great sages who opened the door of Eastern wisdom for me. I hold Ramana Maharshi in the highest echelon of sages who graced the Earth. I believe he belongs in the honorable company of the Buddha, Lao-tzu, Chuang-tzu, Shankara, Patanjali, Bodhidharma, Nagarjuna, and Mahavira. He belongs to this ancient thread of enlightened masters.

 

  The teachings Ramana Maharshi expounded belong to one of the greatest teachings on the planet called Advaita Vedanta, which is one of the main schools of thought in Hinduism. But before we dive deep into these teachings and his own wisdom, how did Ramana Maharshi become a great sage?

 

The Life and Death of Venkataraman Iyer

  Ramana Maharshi’s birth name was Venkataraman Iyer. He was born on December 30, 1879 in the small village of Tiruchuli in the south of India. He had a normal upbringing, just like any other young Indian. Nothing in his early life was out of the ordinary. But everything changed for him at the age of sixteen. One day, he was alone in an upstairs room inside his uncle’s house in Madurai. Suddenly, he had an intense fear of death, where for the next few minutes he went through a simulated death experience. During this experience, he became aware of his true nature for the first time. He realized that his real nature is eternal, and it is unrelated to the body, mind, and personality.

 

  According to Vedanta, he had a realization of the Atman, the Self with a capital S, which is the undifferentiated consciousness at the core of our being. The young Venkataraman realized the Atman at the core of his being and his life was instantly transformed. And yet, you’re probably thinking that many people have had this experience. But what makes Ramana Maharshi’s experience unique, is his experience of the Self was permanent and irreversible. This claim didn’t come from the mouth of the man himself, but rather his followers. So, if you are unfamiliar with this type of knowledge you might be skeptical about existing permanently as the Self, beyond the personality. But if you’ve truly experienced the Self, you know that your life has permanently changed and, thus, your life is dedicated to the path of liberation, moksha in Sanskrit.

 

  There is no turning back to the mundane concerns of life when you have had a true experience of the Self. I would also like to suggest that all experiences of the Self are permanent and irreversible, but the reason we view Ramana Maharshi’s experience differently is because the sense of an individual person in him had ceased to exist, and it never reared its ugly head again. Not all of us can say that the individual person ceased to exist after realizing the Self, because most of us try to maintain our social life which requires a certain amount of personality to survive. But young Venkataraman, on the other hand, walked completely out of his life to never return. This type of renunciation is revered in India, and according to the great traditions of Vedanta, Buddhism, Jainism, Samkhya, and Yoga, this type of worldly renunciation is necessary to establish yourself in your true nature (this sort of knowledge is explained with differing philosophy and terms in the great traditions).

 

  So, in 1896, at the young age of sixteen, Venkataraman Iyer walked out on his family. At the time, he never told anyone in his family about his experience. After his realization of the Self, he kept up appearances at his school and with his family for six weeks, but it was difficult for him to pretend to be this person people know as Venkataraman Iyer. He couldn’t play this game too much longer and so he pined for an environment more conducive for spiritual life. He had a deep calling to go to the holy mountain of Arunachala in the small town of Tiruvannamalai. This was not a random urge, because Arunachala is considered by Hindu’s as a manifestation of Shiva. Ramana Maharshi actually said in later years that it was the spiritual power of Arunachala which brought about his enlightenment. And I can tell you that from personally spending a lot of time at the foot of Arunachala, the mountain definitely has a certain power and also an ability to settle the mind which is indescribable.

 

The Birth of a Great Sage

  Once Ramana Maharshi arrived at Arunachala, he never moved more than two miles away from its base from 1896 until his death in 1950. During those years the birth of the great sage Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi came into the world. Actually, it was one of his earliest followers who renamed him Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. To understand this name, first Bhagavan means Lord or God, Sri is a title of honor in India similar to Sir in England, Ramana is a contraction of his birth name Venkataraman, and Maharshi means “great seer.”

 

  From 1899 to 1922, Ramana resided in many caves on the slopes of Arunachala. In his early years there, he spent most of his time in silence. It was through this intense silence that people began to gravitate around him. This silent force he emanated could bring stillness to the minds of those around him. People were naturally more peaceful and their minds were completely still in his presence. This deep silence was his original teaching and this powerful silence is a state of consciousness revered in the great Eastern traditions. In later years, Ramana was more willing to give verbal teachings for people who couldn’t feel or experience the power of his deep silence.

 

His Nondual Teachings

  His verbal teachings were guided by his direct knowledge that consciousness was the only reality. Brahman alone is real (Brahman in Sanskrit is the Ultimate Reality that pervades and is immanent in all existence). This means all ideas of separation are illusory. There is only one reality, Brahman. And Ramana explained this beautifully when he was asked why he says maya, illusion of separation, and reality, Brahman, are the same. It’s a fair question for any seeker considering we have the nondual reality of Brahman and the illusion of the dualistic world, maya. Ramana explained that the great Advaita Vedanta sage Shankara was criticized for his views on maya because Shankara once said:

“Brahman is real,

the universe is unreal, and

The universe is Brahman.”

 

  This passage might seem like a bit of a mind bender, but Ramana skillfully elucidates the depth of Shankara’s teaching. He explained that Shankara didn’t stop at the second line because the third line explains the first two lines. The third line signifies that the universe is only real if it is perceived as the nondual Brahman from the Self within us. And the universe is unreal when perceived through the dualistic conditioning of the persona, which is to view the universe apart from the Self. This profound explanation is why maya and reality are one and the same. And though this is probably contested by other schools of thought, this is the main view of Advaita Vedanta.

 

  But the world is still an illusion to a person with a mind accustomed to separation because you are not perceiving the world from the Self, from the Atman which is identical to Brahman. Once you abide in the Self, then and only then will you look upon the whole universe as Brahman. Only a few of his followers assimilated this deepest truth.

The Practice of Self-Enquiry

  For the thousands of visitors he had over the last twenty years of his life, most of them found his teachings hard to comprehend or follow because back in that time, just like now, people were too busy in their ordinary lives and polluted with mundane concerns. Many people assumed that his teachings can’t be realized without a long period of spiritual practice in isolation, sadhana in Sanskrit. This is correct in some sense, even though Ramana would disagree. But keep in mind that Ramana also underwent extensive sadhana for many years before he became a guru. So, to satisfy people with such concerns, he prescribed an innovative method of self-attention known commonly as self-enquiry, or vicara in Sanskrit. He recommended this method a lot, which is why it became the most distinctive element of his teachings.

 

  To explain self-enquiry, you have to understand that the Self is the only existing reality, there is only Brahman. This is the view of Advaita Vedanta and also Ramana Maharshi. Ramana regarded the “I”-thought as a mistaken assumption with no real existence. He explained that the “I”-thought can only appear to exist by identifying with an object. For example, I am Jason, I think this, I believe this, I am Australian, I want this, I don’t like him, and so forth and so on. So, we are unaware that when thoughts arise the “I”-thought claims ownership of them. And according to Ramana, the primary source of all these assumptions can be traced back to the “I am the body” thought. Our sense of separateness from life originates from our identification with the physical form. All subsequent wrong identifications came from the idea “I am the body.”

 

  Self-enquiry’s main aim is to dissolve this belief in “I am the body.” To do achieve this dissolution, we have to focus on the practice of self-enquiry Ramana taught. First, we have to accept that the “I”-thought cannot exist without an object. Second, we have to focus our attention on the subjective feeling “I” or “I am” with extreme intensity. If you can intensely do this, then you will notice that the thoughts “I am this” and “I am that” do not arise. Your “I”-thought is unable to connect with an object. The key to this practice is the ability to sustain our awareness on the “I.” If we can sustain our awareness on the “I” you will notice that it will disappear and then in its place will be a direct experience of the Self.  This is the sweet nectar of self-enquiry. And once you have a direct experience of the Self, it’s hard to be totally wrapped up in the illusion of separateness.

 

  For those interested in self-enquiry, Ramana would recommend a beginner to put their attention on the “I” as long as possible. As with meditation, when your mind begins to wander bring your attention back the feeling of “I.” The more you practice self-enquiry the easier it becomes to sustain your attention on the “I.” The practice will get to a point of effortless awareness because individual effort is no longer possible since the ego who makes effort has dissolved. The ego will cease to exist temporarily for most people. But Ramana would explain that eventually through repeated experiences of being the Self, we will destroy our latent tendencies and habits (vasanas in Sanskrit) which cause the “I”-thought to arise. The power of the Self will eventually destroy all vasanas permanently. This is the ultimate state which is irreversible. If you reach this permanent state as Ramana did, then you have fulfilled the method and goal of self-enquiry (and life itself), which is to abide as the Self.

 

  There is only the Self, so everything is Brahman because Atman is Brahman. There is no duality. And the way to verify this nondual reality is to practice self-enquiry in every waking moment as Ramana did. He emphasized that it is not a meditation practice we do for a certain period of time, but rather it should be practiced irrespective of what you are doing. This might sound easier said than done, but it’s definitely a practice that can be sustained in all facets of life, from the busiest situation to the simplest. But it might be hard for you to get to the deepest levels Ramana did if you haven’t done any serious lengthy sadhana. Actually, the wisdom and practice explained by Ramana will be hard for you to grasp if you haven’t done any extensive sadhana. But if you’ve done a lot of sadhana, then this wisdom and practice have a far better chance of sticking.

 

  In conclusion, I could go on and on about Ramana’s teachings and his extraordinary life, but I would need an entire book, so I’ve explained only the core of his teachings that hopefully you will study and put into practice. If you can practice self-enquiry strictly, then you will begin to dissociate and distance yourself from your dualistic personality to reveal that you are not “this” or “that,” but rather you are or in Ramana’s words I am. You will verify that I am not this person but instead I am That, the Atman which is Brahman. Once this ultimate dimension is your direct experience, you will begin to emanate that silent force accessed by the great Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.

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Everything Has Value | Lao-tzu’s Value System

by Enlightenment TodayPodcast

In this episode of Enlightenment Today I will speak about intrinsic value. Many people incorrectly assume their life has no value and question whether their existence even matters. This results from measuring our value based on the social standards we’ve been indoctrinated with and also the so-called success of others. This is an unnatural perception of life and a cognitive error, where we incorrectly perceive the world as separate isolated events. This runs counter to the holistic philosophy of Taoism and Lao-tzu’s value system, where all life has value because life is one natural happening, with no duality of perceived opposites. Nothing greater than anything else. We all go together as one.

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Is the Self an Illusion? | The Five Aggregates of Buddhism (Skandhas)

by Enlightenment TodayPodcast

In this episode of Enlightenment Today I will speak about whether the self actually exists. I will explore this from the perspective of the the five aggregates of Buddhism, especially the Madhyamaka and Yogacara schools. People often assume Buddhist beliefs are built on the idea that the self (ego/persona) is a persistent illusion, but this is not entirely true because it is much more complicated than that unfounded belief. The five aggregates are actually an advanced mind science centered on how the self is developed and, as a result, why the illusion of a self is based on a cognitive error we all make before waking up (nirvana).