neti neti Posted January 5, 2017 This was a profound read for me. I find what he was able to convey in such simple words to be remarkable. ~SIDDHARAMESHWAR MAHARAJ The worldly illusion [samsara] is a dream within a dream. Having understood this, indeed you have thought of what is the real Truth and what is not. The One who is never born went off to sleep. He has no old age. He is one who has no death. How is it that a dream was seen during a dream? That is, "he slept and dreamt" means He is deluded. "He slept" means he has become ignorant and thinks "I am the body, I am so and so." Reality was covered with ignorance and in that delusion there is again delusion, which is this mundane existence. It is a dream during a dream. The worldly illusion appears true. He was all pervading, He became small. Then he considered the worldly existence as true. In that very dream, he discriminated between Guru and disciple, merit and sin, and what is true and what is untrue. Other people pass away in this dream. It is a piece of great fortune to think of what is true and what is untrue during this long dream. "Even a dog does not eat a thing which belongs to a sinner." Renunciation of wealth, feeling of detachment and respect for a saint is the result of former merit and good fortune. He alone starts thinking of a sadhu. It is extraordinary to have such an intellect in the dream within a dream. To be conscious to be fully on senses, inspite of taking a doze of brandy shows that though money brings demonic pride, he still is on his senses. This is his good fortune. He is in a dream within a dream. But on account of his virtuous intellect he went to a Guru and discriminated between the True and untrue. He got the experience that everything else is false and "I am Reality". This means that he has woken up from one dream. When in this dream he deliberated again he came to the further conclusion that even saying "I am Reality" is false – the whole world and words are illusion. As a result he became tranquil by staying in his own blissful state. Truth was revealed. He fully realised "I am Reality." This condition means "I am fully awake." Not only the delusion but also "I have experienced" vanished. For if one says that he has experienced the Self, it means that he has taken himself to be different from the Self. The real test is when the self has no sense of "I". If the mango says, "I found myself sweet", then it is not a mango. If you say that "you had an experience", that means your "I", ego is still there. The idea that "I had an experience" is a delusion. The "I" in "I have become knowledgeable", or "I have become Reality" is ego. The former "I" should disappear. Whatever was before naturally is Reality. The thorn "I" has to be extracted, then you are through. When you become all-pervading, you become Reality. The sense of "I" disappears. It is One only and there is nothing else than That. To go beyond nothing is to be in thoughtless Reality. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Posted January 5, 2017 First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted January 5, 2017 Yes! this sense... permeates all about my life like a scent a dreaming within dreaming. to wake from a dream into a dream... who dreams? thanks for sharing this neti neti... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
