If one sees that there is no “I,” and it is understood deep, down to the cellular level, then there is no search. The search is only possible from a contrary position, and that is what the self is; a contrary position. It is always opposite something else. I am not saying that it is always against something else, although it may be, but it is in a position of being separate. It sees everything from the position of me and them. (Contra, in Latin simply means opposite.)
Now, if there is no self, is it possible to have a contrary position? Is it possible to have any position at all? If there is no position, then there is no me and no that over there. The separation is not there because there is no position that one sees from. If there is no me and that, what is there?
Think about it. If there is no center, no position, no point of view, can there be a search? What is the search anyway? A need for wholeness? To find something that is missing? If that is what the search is, then what happens if one is whole? If the search is for wholeness, and if one is whole, is there any search?
8 Comments
Beautifully said! You have a very nice blog.
Very nice questions for one’s contemplation. Here I would like to add to your questions: Who/what is contemplating and who/what is being contemplated upon? What is contemplation?
Thanks,
Desika
Nice to have you here, Desika. Thanks for the compliments.
If there is a who that is contemplating, then the who and the item of contemplation are the same.
When the who is in action, it is a movement of the past. The who, which is built from the past, can only operate from what it already knows. It cannot operate in any new fashion because it can only see from that center, a center built from the experiences, prejudices, and beliefs that have been developed.
What happens to contemplation if there is no who? Some might think that if there is no who, then there is no contemplation. But is that true?
For Takuin, thought is still here, otherwise I could not type this reply. But there is no who to speak of. So, what is it that contemplates?
Does something or someone contemplate, or is contemplation simply here? If the self is behind the contemplation, then one will say that they are contemplating. But if the self contemplates, does it work with any new material, or is it merely juggling what it already owns?
Contemplation means, the act of looking. But when the self looks, it does not actually see; it only interprets from what it already knows. So this leads to many other questions.
Is there looking without interpretation, Is the self capable of seeing, etc.
I’ll go into this a bit more in an upcoming post.
Thanks for your great questions.
Takuin
Hey
Obviously there is no search. However this intrigues me ‘ If there is no me and that, what is there?’ . Nothing , everything, wholeness.
Do answer. ? What is there?
Takuin: Exactly! My realization is summed up in the following, “Object of devotion and the devotee are one. There is only devotion.” Similarly, other things are, “Teacher and student are one. There is only teaching.”
Nur: There is no soul or no ego, (what you called “me”). There is only one thought called the “I-thought” from which all thoughts arise. This “I-thought” is what we call ego, or the personal I or me.
If it is not considered too presumptuous of me, I would like to point to my blog article here: http://www.desikanadadur.com/blog/2007/11/11/self-mastery-and-enlightenment-demystified/ .
Best regards,
Desika
Takuin: I forgot to add, I am really looking forward to your forthcoming article.
Thanks,
Desika
@ Nur: You already know how I am going to answer, right?
What is there? If there is no self, then there is no juxtaposition between the center, and the thing being seen. (Juxtaposition means the placing of two or more things side by side. When the self sees from the center, it places itself apart from what is being seen. I think that word works in this case.)
If there is no self, there is no separation. If there is no separation, there is nothing side by side, so to speak. (You may be sitting on a rock next to a tree, and there may be a physical juxtaposition, but that is altogether different.)
Essentially, there is nothing seen, and no one is seeing it.
Now, ask yourself that question again. What is there? You sit on that rock, next to the tree and a cat walks by. Your physical eyes look at the cat. What is there?
Find out, my friend.
@ Desika: I am not sure when I will post the article, but it will most likely be next week sometime.
These days I am writing posts in advance and time-stamping them to post at a future time. It is a new writing experiment for me. If I put that article at the end of the queue, it wont post for two weeks or so. But I won’t wait that long.
Takuin, I can wait!
I have to reiterate, though, you have a great site on Jnana Yoga (Self-Inquiry). Thanks for the insights.
-Desika