Because It Is Ungraspable Mentally It Feels like, ‘I’m Really Not Gesng It’

So, let me see if I can simplify, because this is the main point. This is really the main point. And this has the potential to take all the struggle out of the spiritual path. And maybe that is the problem also sometimes that, because it is ungraspable mentally, it can feel like 'But I`m really not getting it'. So, what you have to do is, I will give you all the ability to unmute yourselves, but promise me that you will stick to what I`m asking and talk about that for a moment. But if you get stuck at some point of what I`m saying, just stop me there, unmute yourselves, stop me there and I want to look at this really with you. So, the part about every perception coming and going is clear? Everything that you perceive, it comes and goes, isn`t it? And if there is a fundamental basis to Vedanta, then it is that anything that comes and goes cannot be Reality, at least not the reality that we are looking for. Yes? That much is clear? So, we recognized from the pointings of the sages, for centuries they have pointed and said that every perception, it comes and goes, and anything that comes and goes is not the ultimate Reality. This much, I feel like, everyone who is here is clear about. Now, what is the attempt, if there is such a thing? It is to see if there is something – 'thing' I use provisionally – some 'thing' which is not perceived and yet recognized. [Silence] Yes? Because that would be the discovery that every perception comes and goes, so what is that unperceivable recognition, and is there such a thing that I have come across? [Silence] You see? So, the parameters of this experiment are clear no at least? Not whether the recognition has happened or not. At least the parameters seem fairly straight forward. Now, sometimes I ask you this question 'Are you aware now?' You see? Is there someone who feels not aware now? I`ll talk to them later, aeer class. [Laughing] I was just kidding [Chuckles]. So, you`re aware of the perception of this voice. That is undeniable, isn`t it. But That which is Aware is not hearing, it is not sight, it is not taste, it is not touch, nor is it smell. You see? All of these you can be aware of, but Awareness is not just sight or hearing or taste or touch or smell, or imagination or memory or thought or emotion – none of these attributes they apply to this Awareness, isn`t it? Yes? Very good, very good. Now, you are able to confirm this because of your recognition of Awareness, although you don`t see it, you don`t perceive it. [Silence] The only absurdity there is because we are conditioned to the notion of 'seeing is believing', so you feel like you must have a perceptual Darshan of it or an image of it in some way, and only then can I confirm its Reality. But the Vedantic way is the exact opposite of that. You come to an undeniable recognition of that which is unperceivable. Don`t get confused by the words, we`re still keeping it very basic. It`s not perceivable because every perception comes and goes, therefore cannot be Reality. And the whole point of Self Realization is to come to that in a very direct way. Now, most spiritual seekers in the world are trying to have a perception of this Reality which you cannot do. And all our struggle in a way has been about trying to come to that perception. But we cannot do it and in fact it violates the fundamental principle of Vedanta: that if it is perceivable, it comes and goes and therefore it is not Reality. You see? Now, when I said, Awareness is aware of perception, but itself is neither sight nor hearing nor touch nor taste nor smell, all of you were be able to confirm that. Is it being confirmed just because you heard it somewhere, you have conceptual knowledge about it? [Silence] No. It`s because you can check right now. You see? But you cannot find perceptually what you are checking, and yet you can confirm. [You see?] So, there, where you can confirm that you are Aware now, it`s not really a special place, but we have to use some words. So, there or That is what is your intuitive insight. [Silence] You are aware now. You don`t have to confirm this with your head, you cannot confirm this with your senses. And yet you can confirm this. You see? So, this is unique in the human condition- a discovery, because you are not using the traditional tools of knowledge and yet you can confirm something. At least the 'non-thinginess' of that something. Yes? With me? Stop me if there is something... Because the mind will try its best to confuse it or make it sound like a discourse or an abstraction where it`s not. I`m trying to speak very, very directly. So, the basis of this confirmation is completely non-traditional, in the sense that we have relied on sight, we`ve relied on perception and we`ve relied on thought to confirm or deny something. tiere, we are confirming something which is independent of these means. Now, the beauty of this intuitive insight is, that Self-recognition is fully, fully apparent there – that is the most important. You see? But also, anything - it is that Intelligence which runs this entire universe. It is that Intelligence, in the light of which these whole manifest play happen. So, any time the mind has you caught up, gives you a problem which you think you cannot resolve, [you see], just find your refuge in that 'place' where it is clear to you that you are Aware. In fact, it is clear to you there that you are Awareness itself in your primary nature and the manifest aspect of this Awareness, this conscious play is just an aspect of you. You see? It appears within you and it dissolves within you, but not in the way our mind thinks of appearance and dissolving. [Silence] Now, if you did not need anything from this discovery, or impose any sort of demand upon It from the shadow character saying 'Now that I see the light, my shadow should have a halo' [Chuckles], 'The shadow should have a nice life', 'The shadow should live in bliss' – if you did not impose any shadowy demands on this pure discovery, then there is no trouble. It is not something that you got. You saw that it is always like this, therefore it is not something that you can lose. You see? But if you impose judgements, interpretations, demands, desires on this very straight forward, simple discovery, then it will seem like the shadow gets prominence again and this Simple, Unperceivable Light seems to get lost again.