That Which the Mind Proposes That We Are, It Does Not Exist

Everything that you perceive [spreading both arms] is in front of your aZenHon. But You that is aware of these percepHons is not in front of the aZenHon. It is not a percepHon that is being perceived. This is the quesHon. So, is this You that is aware of these percepHons also a percepHon? How many feel that it is? The You that is aware of percepHons is also a percepHon? Okay, one hand goes up, let's go to Bodhi again. Let's look at this closely my dear. So, that which is aware of the percepHon of this hand [holds up hand], what is the color of that? For it to be a percepHon, it must have some shape, some size, some color, some locaHon, some duraHon, all of these things must belong to anything that is objecHve, isn't it. I am asking whether that which is aware of the percepHon of this hand, whether that can be perceived by itself.

So, if it is perceivable, then it must have some color. What is the color? Everything perceivable has a color, isn't it.

If it is perceivable, then does it have a color, a shape or size, something, some quality, some aZribute, some Guna ? All that is perceivable is Saguna and that which is in-perceivable is Nirguna. So that which is perceivable must have, call it Guna, it's only a quality. What is the one quality we can menHon about that one which is aware?

And that You that is aware of the percepHon of this hand [holding up hand], what quality can you say about it?

That which is aware of the feeling, it's You, isn't it.

Not personally, perfect. That You which is aware of even the feeling of the sense of Being, the feeling of presence, of the sense of presence, that You which is aware of that, does it have any quality, shape, size?

That one doesn't. And, is there another one of you?

Does the embodied one have any real existence, have any tangible existence, even perceivable existence? Who is that? And, if it does have an 'embodied existence', then it would have a quality or shape or size, so which is that embodied one?

So, that which the mind proposes that we are, we cannot find that one. It doesn't exist. It is just a figment of our mind. Everyone is with me on this? So, let's come back again to the percepHon of this hand [holding up hand again]. You are aware of it, isn't it. Without any Advaita gym, spiritual gymnasHcs of any sort. You are aware of the percepHon of this voice, of this hand, isn't it. But this You itself, you do not perceive, you cannot perceive. And yet, it is 'known' to everyone. Your Self is known to you, but not as conceptual knowledge, not as an idea. It's a knowledge of a different sort, it's a very very uncommon knowledge as far as the terminology of the world is concerned. As far as the terminology of the world is concerned, to know something you have to either perceive it or to have a concept of it. Here you don't need to have a concept of it or to perceive it. That is why it is an uncommon knowledge, and that is called intuiHve insight. This is the only Self recogniHon, Self realizaHon that anybody will ever have. It has always been there, always been there, but we have not recognized it, we have not valued it in some way. Consciousness in its play and idenHficaHon as a human enHty in the human condiHoning has neglected this original fact, which is probably the only fact. So this is the only Self realizaHon, no maZer which path that you're coming from, no maZer which teacher you're coming from, whether you have done Hatha Yoga, Ghana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, whatever type of Yoga, any form of spirituality. The recogniHon of the Self is only this, because there is only one non-perceptual recogniHon, non-perceptual and non-conceptual recogniHon. Only the Self you can recognize this way, no? Have you ever recognized anything else but the Self in this way, without using a concept and without using a percepHon? So, only the Self is recognizable in this way and it is recognizable for all, no maZer what the preparatory steps it seems like you needed to get to this point. This is Self recogniHon, This is Atma Ghan, This is Self realizaHon, This is It. It is as simple as that. Every other thing that the mind wants, even the mind's idea of freedom or enlightenment, is for the person. It's a desire in the garb of spirituality. So, this is recogniHon, pure and simple, and it is available to anyone. Anyone who can allow themselves to be open for an instant and not take themselves to be a construct of mental beliefs. This is possible and available for everyone. This is recogniHon. You recognize that it is You, and yet you do not see or have to think of this You. You recognize that it is You and yet you don't have to see or think of this You, isn't it. You are aware of the hearing of this voice, but you are not hearing, you are not sight, you are not taste, touch, smell. This is the simplicity of Self discovery. Not one step you have to take. If you're taking steps, you're gone too far. Retreat. Retreat. That is the only retreat you need. Retreat from all effort, retreat from all steps, retreat from all processes, retreat from all progress. Forget about all of that. This simplicity you already have. Now, many of you will struggle because you will say 'But, I am not convinced'. But You are convinced. It is your mind which is not convinced. You are convinced because You are saying that it is 'I' which is aware. Your mind wants to see it in a shape, in a size. If it saw it in a shape, in a size, then it would become another percepHon, and what happens to all percepHons? They come and go, so therefore in the vedanHc experiment that cannot be real. This saHsfacHon which the mind is pleading for, you don't have to give to the mind. The mind will say 'What did you see?'. So, are you lying when you say you are aware? You are not lying. You are aware, isn't it. Not some uncle, it's You. This You, how do you know about it? Do you know about it in your head? And you don't know about it through your senses either. This is Self knowledge, everyone has it. That is why the sages have told us oeen that the diamond is already in your pocket, the treasure is already with you.