Let us examine “Beingness” from two standpoints, absolute and relative. From a relative standpoint, our beingness is wholly focussed on the sense of the false self or the non-self, or the false I (mind, body, senses, perception, thoughts, emotions, actions, etc). From an absolute stand point, there is only the Self, i.e., the false I does not exist, ever. To cite a typical example of “being” is to see the relative and the absolute, the one whole, clearly demonstrated in Sri Bhagavan Maharshi Ramana. He clearly demonstrated “being in this world, but not of this world.” Dharma, Bhakti, Love, and Divinity. Bhagavan clearly demonstrated the reconciliation or the balance of form and formlessness, manifest and unmanifest, time and timelessness, bondage and liberation, limitation and limitlessness, dvaita and advaita. In the absolute sense, there is no bondage nor liberation, no creation, only Brahman. So, what is Atma (Self)? It is a format of the relative and the absolute reconciled as One, the Self. It sits smack amidst the absolute (Brahman) and the relative (Jiva), amidst the Muladhara chakra and the Sahasrara chakra so to speak in yogic terms, viz, the heart, Anahata chakra—a bridge amidst the absolute and the relative. Unconsciously, our lives are a clear demonstration of the relative and the absolute if our “eye” is open to know and realize. We transcend in deep sleep the relative world of waking and dreaming into the absolute world of deep sleep. To see this clearly, we have to remain vigilant in deep sleep, called sleepless sleep or self-abidance or turiya. Yes, there is the absolute beingness in Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi vs both relative and absolute in Sahaja Nirvikalpa Samadhi (a balanced state of Atma or Ishwara). Sri Bhagavan demonstrated both, Paramarthika (Absolute; only Brahman exists, no world, no ego, non-duality.) and Vyavaharika (Relative; the ego, the body, duality, the world of appearances, actions, relationships, love, compassion, etc). Note that Vyavaharika is a phantom, for it does not quench the thirty like the water-mirage in a desert does not quench ones thirst. So, what is unconditional Jnana? It is the direct realization of Atma Sahaja Samadhi or the absolute and the relative, viz, one foot in the world and the other firmly in the Self. This is Beingness, not losing sight of the Self whilst in the world. It is the realization of who we are, Life-Consciousness, neither the absolute nor the relative, but sat amidst both. Sri Bhagavan’s intention (act, will) to liberate Palani Swami and His mother, Sri Alagammal, out of compassion and not contradiction (there are no others, there is no bondage or liberation, there is only That, etc) clearly demonstrated Him being in the world of perfection, love and compassion, removing merely the ignorance of separation (viyoga, sever the knot of karma). In my supposition, I present to you Ardhanariswara (circumnutation, Girivalam, around the still Arunachala; viz, Maya or movement or agitation is supported on Arunachala, the screen that supports the cinema show). “The jnani sees no one as ignorant. He sees only the Self. But to the ignorant, he appears to help them awaken.” So, Ramana’s act of liberation of his mother wasn’t a contradiction, it was a compassionate gesture within Jnana, helping her awaken to the truth that she was dreaming, never bound, and sent her ego homeward into the Heart, sunk or merged at its source, never to emerge. Therefore, Sri Bhagavan did not contradict his wisdom. This is unconditioned Jnana. Like Suka left the sanctity of his true home and fell into the dream world only to be awakened to the fact that he was dreaming by the Lord of Death, Yama. So, Bhagavan’s life shows clearly that non-dual wisdom doesn’t negate compassion out of love but transmutes the egos and sends them homeward to merge at source. His guidance of his mother did not contradict Jnana, it was within the luminous Jnana in itself, from both standpoints. Stillness alone is nothing (Shiva); motion alone is nothing (Shakti). Sat, Life, Existence-Consciousness is amidst the paradoxes and reconciliation of the relative and the absolute without contradiction is Advaita Vedanta’s Sahaja Samadhi. Let me tell you. It is not as if we do not realize the Self at any given moment, we simply do not recognize the Self for want of being attentive to It—we are too busy chasing happiness. This is Seeing God As He Really Is.
What is “Sewa” in Hinduism? From a lower perspective, it is selfless service to a gross form, be it of an elder or a Guru or a God. Wait, you don’t even know who God is, who Guru is, who humanity is, and who the world is, yet you want to service them? Funny huh! But, is it truly selfless service? You don’t even know who you are nor do you know who you service! Further, it is considered a form of dharma (righteousness) and is a way to earn good karma, which helps the soul achieve moksha (emancipation). Soul, Moksha, Dharama, huh? Ah, so you want to earn good karma, huh? Have free ladoos in the next life, huh. Is it truly selfless then? If you want to earn good karma, you will be reborn to reap its reward, right? So, it has nothing to do with Moksha. Do you want to come back here again? Don’t you want to break the cycle, the knot that binds you to the physical or the subtle realm? Wake up! The virtues of Sewa are extolled in the Bhagavat Gita as karma yoga. However, if Sewa leads to one pointedness, egolessness, from sadhana then it serves its purpose, which is to push oneself from outside to within. From a higher perspective, to know and realize the Self is the greatest “Sewa.” Wakey Wakey and smell the coffee! When you cut the knot of karma, it is the greatest Sewa to the world, humanity and God. The greatest Sewa rendered is to realize and know what you are in reality. Who is the doer? Find out by turning within. Then do what comes naturally (meaning, what needs to be done will be done through you). To stop the motion of karma is the greatest Sewa. Go figure it out. It is exemplified and amplified clearly in Sri Bhagavan. In the case of Palani Swami and Alagammal, both had developed a deep sense of attachment (karma) to Sri Bhagavan’s form. Why? Because of their own deep sense of “I am the body.” Of course, the attachment is severe in the case of a mother because a mother is deeply attached to her form giving birth to a form. From the very onset, Palani Swami developed deep attachment to Sri Bhagavan because of his own deep attachment to his own form (It was Sewa-Sathana). Sri Bhagavan chastised them both for their want of reflection. He tried to cut loose their knot of attachment (karma) through His teachings and Silence but to no avail. Stop karma! Basta! (Ulladu Narpadu, Verse 24). Deep attachment to the transient results in misery, birth after birth. In both cases, Sri Bhagavan sought to break the knot of such attachment (karma) and set them free when the moment was ripe, at the end of their life, but unfortunately, He failed in the case of Palani Swami and succeeded in the case of His mother. Sri Bhagavan acted as a conduit between the passing Jiva and Atma, between the ego and the heart, between individual (relative) consciousness and pure Consciousness (absolute), i.e., to redirect the Jiva directly to its source, Atma, preventing the Jiva (ego) to reap rewards of karma grasping by another form, hence, right hand on the head, left hand on the heart. Can an ego bypass Sri Bhagavan? Once you become prey to God, clutched in the jaws of a Tiger, can you escape? (Ulladu Narpadu, Verse 21). Wounded perhaps, but in the next birth, those wounds will fester away and sure liberation will follow. But Sri Bhagavan knew in his meekness he failed Palani Swami, but did He? Let us suppose, if Palani Swami opened his eyes at the last moment and had “darshan” of Sri Bhagavan, thus it is to have darshan of Atma at death. To breathe your last and have darshan of Atma is to get “Go Directly To Heaven Card.” Thus, in my supposition, perhaps, Sri Bhagavan did not fail on that occasion. Furthermore, Sri Bhagavan gave many disciples Diksha in the subtle plane and lit many other devoted candles in this their lifetime or in future rebirths, that is certain. This is true and unconditional Sewa without karma. Sri Bhagavan did send mature souls away from Him to diligently work on their salvation on their own by severing the knot of physical contact to Him (attachment, karma). This is also true Sewa. Attachment to form of a Guru or anything else is not good for a mature disciple or a devotee. Be in the world but not of the world. Do not get attached to ephemeral things. O Mother, Life is more than flesh and bone. Homeward bound, closest thing to yourself, is Seeing God as He Really Is. Sri Bhagavan said, “Grace of the guru operates only at the final stages of sadhana. Though the world is not beheld by the sadhaka in the last states, due to the persistence of vasanas the Self is not experienced and it is at this stage that the grace of the Guru, which is the grace of Atma, works and bestows the Ultimate.” Katha Upanishad 1:2:23 states, “Atma reveals itself to Atma.” Viz, the Self is realized by the grace of the Self only.
DIPPACK MISTRI 