The Highest Truth-Part II

Remove the Mind

The projecting, conditioned mind is to be destroyed, annihilated, and transcended. If the mind is to be exhausted, the various spiritual disciplines (sadhana) that have been prescribed have to be followed. The process by which the mind can be destroyed at the body level is 'Karma yoga'. The process by which the mind can be annihilated at the mental level is 'Bhakti yoga', and the process by which the mind can be transcended at the intellectual level is 'Jnana yoga'. These paths of yoga in themselves are not Truth, but they are processes by which the perceiving, feeling, thinking mind is to be negated so that Truth can be unveiled.

The flower (Truth) is not describable in terms of the mirror (words of the thinking mind) or what I am seeing in the mirror (perceiving through my physical eyes). As the shape, color and experience of the flower itself is something totally different form the mere appearance of the flower's image in a mirror, so having the direct experience of Truth is totally different from appearing to have such knowledge by reading, taking classes, or discussing Truth. This will take you nowhere unless you make use of spiritual knowledge to rise above the delusions of the body, mind, and intellect. The example of the flower and the mirror is limited, but the analogy still applies. If the Rishis' words are falsehood, my words are twenty-thousand times more false - meaning, "when the mirror is not there, the flower is there," for Truth is beyond, behind, and above the mind.

Even the statement that "when the mind is not there, there is Brahman" is not a true statement, because Brahman is not only behind the mind but also in front of it. Brahman is where the mind was, for Brahman is all-pervading and infinite. That which is all pervading is not limited. That which is limited has a form.

That which has a form is finite, perishable. Brahman is without form, unlimited, and infinite, and therefore is imperishable.

When my thinking, feeling, perceiving mind is not, then I alone am. Where? Nowhere. You may say "nowhere" or "everywhere". It is the same thing. 'Everywhere' and 'nowhere' are again falsehoods because they appear to exist only with reference to the front or the back, the sides, the top and the bottom. Yet the Infinite has no up, down, above, or below. When you are sleeping, what is your dimension? Where are you?

Silence alone is. In deep sleep what is your dimension? Where are you? You cannot say, because there is no front or back, right or left, above or below to give you reference. You are just all-pervading darkness. Think about it.

Thus, where the thinking mind is ended, the experience is the infinite 'Reality'. That Reality alone is 'Aham' (the pure inner Self). I alone am. Yet 'I' has no existence without the perceived duality of 'you'. Therefore, the word 'I' also cannot be used.

When that experience of the Infinite comes, any word you speak makes no sense because mere words cannot capture or convey Truth. Therefore, the Reality of Advaita (non-duality) is not something to be preached or talked about. It is to be experienced as 'Anubhava' (direct experience) - again, WHO is to experience and what? What to become? Thus, any word you use is ultimately only a delusion, or falsehood.

to be continued

About the author

Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Chinmayananda the great master's lectures were an outpour of wisdom. He introduced the Geetha Gnana Yagna. He wrote a lot of books on spirituality, commentaries to Vedantic texts, children books etc. He then started spreading His teachings globally.....