I think my last blog has excited some comments in my housing society.
Not that this is anything new.
I mentioned the above two paras because I need to let go of the whole drama that I have played out in my life. The whole business of being victimized and ostracised and so forth. It is not going to be easy but if I am aiming for spiritual progress (I dare not use the word enlightenment) then I need to be free of past events and grudges.
I had today what I hope is a not so minor epiphany. And that is that there never was and never will be an “I” to do the grasping and for whose sake I should grasp. And there is also no “I” to do the letting go that is required for me to be free.
Now the above para may have confused you. On one hand I am saying that there is no “I” that can let go and make spiritual progress. On the other hand the whole business of spirituality is to lead the “I” to enlightenment and freedom from suffering.
This confusion can be resolved if you look at things from two levels.
On the lower level there is the “I”. I am referring to the ego of Nikhil Gangoli. This is at the level of relative or transactional reality. This is the work a day world where I get up, brush my teeth and have coffee in the morning and so on. Thankfully I don’t have to work at a job and can spend time with philosophy.
On the higher level there is only one nondual reality that is Brahman. Nondual means not two. Which means that Brahman is actually everything that exists. And I am Brahman, not Nikhil Gangoli. This is at the level of Absolute reality.
In fact at the level of Absolute reality Nikhil Gangoli does not exist. That is just Name and Form. There is only Brahman. The ego of Nikhil Gangoli is a fiction. I and this world are nothing but Consciousness (Brahman).
Now I don’t expect you to understand or accept what I have said. You need some familiarity with Advaita Vedanta concepts to make sense of what seems to be nonsense. But I think I have stated something revolutionary.
NIkhil Gangoli does not exist. The ego of Nikhil Gangoli is a fiction. It is a useful fiction, it is true. But still a fiction.
It is like an app on your phone. It is useful but not what it appears to be.
I am actually Brahman – that is nondual reality.
So how do these concepts help the fictional Nikhil Gangoli in leading his illusory life?
Basically it will help me in letting go.
Letting go is also the main practice and goal of Buddhism. There is no Nikhil Gangoli for whose sake I need to grasp at anything. So let things slide.
And that means that Nikhil Gangoli’s problems are illusory as well. I can ignore them or at most tackle them in a detached way.
I need to contemplate these concepts over and over until they become more real to me. I and the world are nothing but consciousness.
And I suppose I can start by letting go of my grudges which I mentioned at the start of this blog. I had an excellent meditation session today after contemplating these concepts.
The one disadvantage of letting go is that I will have nothing entertaining to write in my blog. Drama is entertaining and entertainment brings readers. I hope you will continue to read my blog.
Here are some YouTube videos on this nonduality business:
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