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#1979 - Wednesday, November 17, 2004 - Editor: Jerry
The Wisdom of Balsekar: The Essence of Enlightenment
from the World's Leading Teacher of Advaita.
Edited by Alan Jacobs. Foreward by Wayne Liquorman.
This issue continues with excerpts from the book's various themes. The source of each writing is given as well.
From the back cover: "This anthology of the writings of Ramesh Balsekar gives thematic extracts from all of his written works to date and is approved by the sage himself, as well as by his leading disciple, Wayne Liquorman. It will serve to stimulate its readers to study more of his books an edited talks -- and perhaps indeed to meet him in Mumbai."
From the book's front papers: "Ramesh S. Balsekar is known and loved by seekers from around the world as an eloquent Master of Advaita, or non-duality. After retiring as President of the Bank of India, Ramesh translated many of the daily talks given in the Marathi language by his Guru, Nisargadatta Maharaj. Ramesh's teaching began in 1982 after Maharaj had twice directed him to talk, and since then has written over twenty books on Advaita."
You may read a couple reviews and purchase the book at Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/6fbus
Ego
Our entire life seems to be nothing but a wasted effort to control our natural responses and reactions to events. The basis of any control is the dualism of the one who controls and that which is controllled. We hardly ever bother to consider who this supposed controller is and what he is supposed to control. The controller is clearly the suppositional entity that intends to change 'what-is' to suit what he thinks are his requirements; and the whole point is that this controller has no identity other than the concept created by thought, by the past and by memory. And what this ego-controller is trying to do is to control something that is also the product of thought. For instance, suppose one is angry about something. The immediate reaction is to suppress anger or at least to rationalize it; but the fact of the matter is, as Maharaj repeatedly pointed out, that one is not separate from the anger (or any other emotion) because the one who tries to suppress anger and the anger itself are not two separate things but are both appearances or movements in consciousness -- the controller is the controlled. Living life without control, however, does not mean indulging in whatever you crave for, since the whole point of living naturally without control is living non-volitionally, living without wanting anything consciously or not wanting anything deliberately, living without mentation (reacting mentally), merely witnessing the events as in a dream-play without any involvement. Then, the mind becomes not vacant like that of the idiot but extraordinarily alert, with the brain recording only the facts necessary for practical purposes. Then, the mind becomes free of the usual constant chattering neither because of any conscious control nor due to any chemical action but easily and naturally through the mere understanding of 'what-is'. Then, the mind (which is the content of the personal or individual consciousness) becomes one with the impersonal or universal consciousness, and in spite of all the activity without, remains within in that silence, which is not related to either time or space or sound which are all concerned only with the suppositional entity.
Explorations into the Eternal, p. 172
Enlightenment
Enlightenment or awakening is not a state of existence like that of a rock or a vegetable. It is a state which arises consequent on the deepest possible conviction of the unicity of What-Is and of the non-difference between What-Is and what-appears. It arises after a thorough Self-enquiry, at the end of which all mental conditioning of dualism disappears altogether. It is a state of total freedom (Kaivalya). All that appears and all that happens is accepted as an integral part of 'What-Is' and there is not the slightest desire to change anything or become anything else.
The Final Truth p. 229
Grace
To be a seeker is itself a matter of God's Grace, and the further progress in the process is also a matter of God's Grace. When the dark ignorance is destroyed by the lamp of knowledge through the Buddhi-Yoga, the Yoga of knowledge and discrimination, the Self stands revealed in its own glory as the One-without-a-second, all pervading in its fullness. This ultimate happening is entirely a matter of God's Grace and not something achievable by the devotee through his own efforts.
The Bhagavad Gita p. 89
Life
All that man can do is to forget his individual separateness and witness the functioning of the Totality, as in a dream. And, truly, even this is not in his hands as an individual, but becomes a part of the totality of functioning, which, ironically is his own objective expression, not as an individual object 'me' but as the Absolute Subject, what Ramana Maharshi called the 'I-I', the throbbing formless beingness or presence.
Explorations into the Eternal p. 246
Now
At any moment, whatever is manifest is perfect. If this is deeply understood, every moment is welcomed and whatever that moment brings --- 'good' or 'not good' -- is accepted without any judgement, without expectation or anxiety. It is this attitude of acceptance which is the real freedom, freedom from expectation and desire, freedom from fear and anxiety. When this is deeply understood, you do not bother about what happens, what thoughts occur or what actions take place, or what emotions arise -- they are all witnessed.
Consciousness Writes p. 11