The Divine Essence is never unattained. Its memory is faded; but It is not lost. This lapse of memory is eternally ancient while bound to a positive end. For example, when two strangers meet each other, nobody can ever assess how long they did not know each other. We do not know the language Sanskrit; but, we can never determine for how long. The purport is that our existence, people’s existence and Sanskrit’s existence is already there; we were just not aware of their existence. Same way, the dominion of the Divine Essence is ever-established AS-IS all through the time the memory was lost. The Divine Self is surely ever-present, but there exists an ignorance regarding the same – one’s search is not turned toward That, one has turned away (has not developed interest in That), one is ignorant (is not aware of That), one believes in Its unattainability. Once the seeker attains The Divine Essence, this lapse in memory is mitigated and the memory is restored – `NashTo mohah smritirlabdhaa’ (Gita 18/73).
There is no (need for) practice in the discovery of the Divine Self. We separate from the essence by any practice. One remains oblivious to The Awareness till one practices. Therefore it is often mentioned that,
Shruti puraan bahu kaheu upaayee |
Chhoot na adhika adhika arujhaayee || (Manasa 7/116/6)
`One may study the scriptures and divine stories extensively, that does not assure of attaining any more awareness’.
If at all a seeker `has to’ practice, one needs to practice only this – `there is no doing of any kind for me’. Our true nature is mere conscious presence. There is no deficiency of any kind in this mere presence. Because, how can the mere awareness diminish?! The Self did not, does not and will not need anything at any time. Therefore, there is no need to do anything for oneself. Insistence on doing and not doing comes from the ego. Therefore, ego gets mitigated by dropping insistence on doing, as well as, not doing. The Self cannot “do” anything without association with the world because the doership does not exist in The Self. Association with the world continues even in the pensive trance because of which there are two associated states – Samaadhi (engagement into the trance) and Vyutthaan (disengagement from the trance). But, there is no association with the unreal while not doing anything. There was nothing before, there won’t be anything later, and therefore, there is nothing now as well – `Aadaavante cha yannaasti vartamaane’pi tattathaa’ (MaanDookya Kaarikaa 4/31). Nothing that exists can be eternal. Even the most gruesome incidences are bound to depart and disperse perpetually. The state of absence of doing is the state of absolute relaxation – `Paayo parama bishraamu’ (Manas 7/130/3). There is beginning, as well as, end for all efforts; but there is neither beginning nor an end for the restful state. The absolute stays eternally. It stays as is even during the efforts. However, our focus is on the effort and not on the absolute. Once the association with the unreal is cut off, the ever-attained state of rest becomes naturally attained.
From “Saadhan Sudha Sindhu” in Hindi pg 152 by Swami Ramsukhdasji
