MOKSHA-AN INQUIRY
It is easy to misunderstand scripture like the Vedas. For example – at one point the author says “the meditator should merge all objects into the Self.” When you meditate, thoughts and sounds and feelings will appear in your mind and you are meant to merge those objects into the Self. What does that mean? Or we also read a lot in scripture “to transcend the mind”, what does that mean? Does that mean you are going to zip off to some place else? Is this transcendence a movement from here to there? Is it something that happens to us? Or is it an understanding that takes place when you use your discrimination or when you analyze your experience? All too often a practitioner thinks “I am meditating but I am not getting into a transcendental state. I am not having an experience of transcendental oneness or bliss, Oh my God, I am not getting it right.” It is very easy to misunderstand what enlightenment or Moksha is. Often people say “Oh I will never get enlightened because I have never had any of these amazing experiences.” So the question is, is experience necessary for Moksha? And the answer is no, not one particular experience is necessary to be qualified for Moksha. In fact, people who do have many of these transcendental experiences, which always come and go, and then they think “Oh I have to get that experience back and make it permanent, it should last.” That experience of wholeness or oneness or transcendence, light, beauty or bliss – we can assume that it is a reflection of the pure Self, but when it disappears, we always strive to get it back and make it permanent. Of course we do, because we are not perfectly happy and the natural thing is to strive to get any of these experiences of perfect happiness back. The nature of the Self is perfect happiness. – and deeply we know this, hence our striving for it.
So the real issue is why do I feel bad? There is a reason why I feel bad. And it is not because I am having bad experiences which should change into blissful experiences – it is because I am not seeing myself as I truly am. When you see yourself as something other than what you truly are then you won´t feel good. It is because of this that the bad feelings come. You are not seeing yourself as you are. When you see yourself as you are you would feel great. When you understand that you are the Self, luminous awareness, that you are whole and complete, not lacking anything at all, then you are going to feel good, naturally. Many of us do know that we are the Self, but we do not have 100% confidence in it. Your whole life is supported by consciousness, awareness, by you! Contemplate this, study this, discuss this, ponder this, meditate on this so that your understanding and confidence in this fact that you are the eternal Self will deepen. The Vedas say that the Self is limitless bliss and unending pleasure – supreme happiness. Just know that you are that. Knowing this is Moksha
Harry Dijkshoorn
Harry defines himself as: ” I am the husband of my beautiful wife Mirella and father of my daughter Leela”. He is the manager of Suryalila Retreat Centre in Spain and life long student of the teachings of Vedanta: ” My current teacher is James Swartz – the article above is taken from his teachings”.