Who are you?
There is no 'me' in the 'I'...means that there is no longer a separate idea
of self, referencing a personal history, likes and dislikes, etc.
Depends on what point of view the question
is asked. If you think you are a person,
I appear to you as a person also. If you
know that there is no me and no you, there is no question to be answered,
because there is no duality between us.
We are aspects of the One.
What
is enlightenment, are there any qualifications for enlightenment?
Enlightenment is a concept conceived by
mind as a superior state. In reality
there is no lack, no seeking, and no seeker after enlightenment. Our natural state is free from lack.
What
do you say about self-inquiry?
Self inquiry is the master key in unlocking
the door of false perceptions. Who am I
really? Am I my thoughts, my body? The very question creates a distancing from
the you which you formerly took yourself to be.
What
is the true understanding of the world?
The world is created out of the mind’s imagination. Your interests predispose you to
circumstances of the world, the world you experience.
Do
you have a mind, does it have to be destroyed?
The good news is
that you are only one thought away from being free from mind, which is only
consciousness which has been channeled into the idea of a separate person. We reincarnate in each moment that we pick up
the thought “ I am so and so.”
Do
vasanas need to be removed first?
No, all that is needed is to be aware of
them by witnessing. There is no need to
remove or reject anything that is already transient, which comes and goes.
Are
there stages of enlightenment?
No, there can be many insights. But the
final break comes with the total annihilation of dependence on thought.
Who
is the guru? Is a guru necessary, what is a guru’s role, how to recognize the
true guru?
The Guru is your own Self. When there is a sincere longing, your own
Self may appear in the form of a teacher.
The Guru’s role is to illuminate one’s Self.
Please
say something about bhakti, devotion in the role of enlightenment!
Devotion comes without effort. Just as love does not need approval of the
mind to know itself – it is spontaneous.
Devotion is being in spontaneous joy – like when seeing the smile of an
infant or a beautiful sunset. It overwhelms. It does not need to be validated by the mind.
Describe
your typical day and how you perceive the world.
I don’t have any expectations. I perceive the world as dreamlike, and I
respond instead of react.
What
is your short advice to a person with a passion for awakening?
Watch what you do in your free time. Observe the tendencies of the mind to prefer
one thing over another. Use
selfinquiry. Ask yourself: if all is One, where is the separate ego? Remember that you are not your body or your
thoughts, even though you may not thoroughly understand this.
Contemplate Sat Chit Ananda – when Conciousness
comes into recognition of ItSelf as Truth, this is bliss. Bliss is self-luminous, full with no lack.
