Advaita SE Meditations - Subject And Object

Listen to Ektaji guide us through an Advaita self-exploration meditation on Subject and Object, inspired by the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and the book 'Be As You Are'. Through observing perceptions, sensations, thoughts, and feelings, this meditation gently reveals the difference between the subject and the objects of experience. Moving beyond body and mind, you are guided into the quiet sense of being- the alive, conscious stillness of Sat Chit Ananda.

Transcript

Welcome to Ramana Maharshi's chapter from the book Be As You Are. Name of the chapter is the nature of the self. In this particular session, We are going to start with a self-exploration. What is self-exploration? Self-exploration can be treated like a meditation, But you do not go to sleep or get lost in a trance or get lost in the pleasantness of it. No, That is not what a self-exploration is. Self-exploration is the English translation of the Sanskrit word ātmavichāra. For inner self investigation. Atma vichara. So what is Atma Vichara? Even if my eyes are closed, With my eyes closed, I am really exploring my inner environment. I am exploring the body, The mind, And going beyond the body and mind. So for that, I have to be 100% alert. 100% a week. I cannot go to sleep, I cannot get lost in a trance, And I cannot get lost in bliss and the pleasantness of words. No. Then you're not doing Atma Vichar. Atmavichara is where I'm 100% alert. I will be asking you questions and those questions are specially designed for inner exploration. So see if you can reach the answer before Ekta gives the answer in the next sentence. Very clear, What is the self-exploration? In other words, It's a self-inquiry. First part of it will be done with eyes open and then we will close our eyes. Sri Ramana Maharshi He taught only one wisdom. The nature of the scent. That's it. He did not teach anything else. If you have read the introduction of the book, You already know a little bit about him. He got enlightened as a teenager, Very young boy. He was devoid of the conditioning of scriptures that you have all read. He never went into scriptures or to a guru or to anybody. It was a sudden enlightenment. So in that sudden enlightenment, He tasted the scent. And he recognized it. And that moment the person died. What is the meaning of the person? Body, Mind, Intellect, Memory and ego. This is what constitutes the person. In Sanskrit it is called Jiva. We identify with the body, Mind, Intellect, Memory and ego and think this is who I am. We think. This Jeeva is who I am. During Ramana Maharshi's enlightenment, He realized, Oh! I am not this Jeeva. I am beyond this jiva, Means I am beyond the body, Beyond the mind, Beyond the intellect, Beyond the memory and even beyond that which says I. I. H. P. Inc. And he saw this in his own eyes. Atmavichar. In this own self-exploration. So we will now attempt a mini self-exploration like Ramana Maharshi. Everybody's ready for that? Then we'll talk a little more about Ramana Maharshi after the self-exploration. First part of the self-exploration, We will do with eyes open. Then I'll give you the instruction to close your eyes. Do not make any notes during the self-exploration. Keep your book and pen aside. Just sit comfortably. We do this very innocently. Ramana Maharshi was 14 years old. When he got enlightened. Let's take our mind back to that innocent age when I was very simple, Innocent, Devoid of conditioning and I had not read any scriptures. And was very simple, Very innocent. Try it if you like. Like that, With that innocence, With that love for our own self. That's how we begin the Atma Vechala, Self-exploration. So sit comfortably, Easily. And simply look around your room. Look around the room. Dropping all names and forms, How a baby would look around. A baby does not know names and forms. Innocently, Simply. Recognize that you are perceiving through the sense of sight. This is called perception of sign. And you are perceiving. So-called physical objects, Whatever objects are there in your room. You are perceiving them through the sense of sight. Now let's close our eyes. When the eyes are closed, You are perceiving the absence of the same physical objects. Again, Let's test this again. Open our eyes. This is perception of the presence of physical objects. Perception of sight. Presence of physical objects. Now close your eyes. Perception of absence of physical objects. And let's keep the eyes closed now. I can perceive the presence of physical objects. I can perceive the absence of physical objects. It means I am the subject. I, The subject, Was perceiving the presence of objects and now I am perceiving the absence of objects. Subject and object. Are always different. Subject and object are not the same. This means I am separate from perception of sight. I am separate from that which I can perceive. Do you recognize that you are separate from perception of sight? Do you recognize that you are the subject? And whatever images you saw, Whatever shapes you saw. Whatever forms you saw with eyes open. Develop cheeks. You are the subject and they are objects, Their perception of sight. Similarly, You can hear a voice and you can hear certain words. I can perceive sound, So I am separate from the perception of sound. If there is a smell in your surrounding, The perfume of it. Fragrance. With a foul smell. I can perceive the smell. So, I am separate from the perception of smell. Your body is touching the chair on which you are sitting. I can perceive touch. So I am separate. From the perception of touch. Notice if there is a taste in your mouth. Even if it is a bland taste. I can perceive taste, So I am separate from the perception of taste. I am not perceptions. Perceptions are not who I am. Let's take our attention to the body. Maybe you're feeling cool or warm. Take your attention to that coolness or warmth sensation. Maybe there is pain somewhere or some discomfort in the body. Pain or discomfort are also sensations. Take your attention to the sensations. Maybe there's a growling sensation in the stomach. Maybe somewhere it is itching. These are all physical sensations. I can perceive the sensations. It means I am the subject. And the physical sensations are the object. I, The subject, And perceiving the object. Subject and object are always different. This means that I am not the physical sensations. The physical body is nothing but this mass of sensations. I can perceive the entire mass of sensations from the top of the head all the way to the tubes. Take your attention from the top of the head. And slowly all the way to the toes. Now take your attention from the tips of the toes all the way to the top of the head. I can perceive this entire physical body. From top to bottom, From bottom to top. What does that mean? It means that I am not the body. How can I be that which I can perceive? If I can perceive something, It is definitely separate from me. Ask yourself the question, Do you recognize? That I am not the body. Now let's take our attention beyond the body. What is there beyond the physical sensations? Can you go beyond? To go beyond we have to just refrain from indulging in the pain. Physical sensation. You might observe certain thoughts, Certain feelings. Whatever thoughts arise and fall. Observe them. If your head is falling, That means you are sleeping. Sit up straight. What is there beyond the physical sensations? Can you notice the thoughts arise and fall? I can perceive these thoughts. It means. . . I am the subject and these thoughts are the object. I, The subject, Am perceiving the object. Subject and object are always different, Not the same. This means that I am not the thoughts. I am not even the feelings that are rising. And for me. Because I can see something arise and fall, It means I am separate from it. The mind is nothing but these thoughts and feelings. I can perceive the entire mind. If I can perceive the mind, It means I am not the mind. So far we have realized I am not the body. Because I can perceive the entire mass of sensations called physical body. How can I be what I am perceiving? It has to be separate from you. I am not the mind because I can. Perceive the contents of this mind. Can perceive thoughts and feelings arise and fall. Rise and fall. Naturally, I am separate from what I can perceive. I am not the body, I am not the mind. So if I'm not the body, And I am not the mind. Not these thoughts and feelings and not sensations. And I'm not even the world of perception of sight, Sound, Taste, Touch, Smell. What am I? Who am I? Let's look beyond. Look beyond the sensations of the body. Look beyond the thoughts. To beyond the feelings. Reject what you are not now. Now you've understood I'm not sensations and not perceptions. I'm not thoughts. I'm not feelings. Reject what you are not. And go beyond. Are you able to recognize that? And not able to look beyond. There is just a sense of no-thingness here. It's just an emptiness. Why am I not able to perceive anything here the way I could perceive at the physical and mental levels? At the physical level, I could perceive the sensation. At the mental level, I could perceive the thought process. Feelings. When I look beyond sensations, Thoughts and feelings, There is no thing there. It's a space of nothingness. Why is it that I cannot perceive? Anything here. Just like the two eyes on the face cannot see themselves, But can see the entire world. Similarly, Bye. This no-thinness. Bye. The perceivable. Can perceive all physical and mental objects, But I cannot perceive myself. I cannot see myself, But I can hear. Thin slices. Oh, This is what I am. These new things. This sentence. Making just sense. Myself being. That is why it is called the sense of being. The sense of I am. Now explore this nothingness. Is it a dead emptiness? Or is it alive? You will notice it is alive and conscious. My nature is absolute emptiness and nothingness. But that new thing is not dead, It is alive, It is conscious in itself. It is like an empty background in which Suddenly a thought pops up. Suddenly a feeling comes up. Suddenly a sensation appears. Suddenly a perception appears. And suddenly they all disappear also. All perceptions, Thoughts, Feelings, Sensations arise and they fall away. They are continuously changing. But this emptiness, This background of nothingness is permanent. Do you notice when there are no thoughts, Feelings, Sensations and perceptions, There is just an emptiness, A quietness there? This background is itself the sense of being, The sense of existing. In Sanskrit, It is called Satya. In the absence of any mental and physical objects, There is a quietness. That is just the quiet sense of existing. In Hindi language. Unica Essence. In Sanskrit. Sun. It's the sense of being. Keep your eyes closed and just be with the sense of being. Notice when a thought comes up or a sensation comes up. Then what happens? The same background knows that there is a sensation. Knows that there is a thought. That is the moment the sat changes to chid. Chid means that which knows, That which is conscious of something. So when there is a perception, Sensation, Thought or feeling to know, That time the background knows. It is conscious of it. It is called Consciousness or Chin. When thoughts, Feelings, Sensations perceptions just fall. And there is just a quietness, Then the background has nothing to note. And the knowingness collapses and it is just a state of being. That is called Sat. Do you notice that this background is devoid of any. . . Pain or pleasure. You can nod your head. It's an atma vichara. Do you notice that this background is devoid of excitement? Do you recognize that this background is devoid of depression? It is a straight line of equanimity, Of peace. This is called Ananda. I am Satchit Anand. I am the sense. I am the consciousness. I am the noise. In fact, I am knowledge itself. Just be in that nothingness, In that emptiness. In that no-thingness, When a thought or feeling, Sensation arises, That is called the waking state. When there is no thought, No feeling, No sensation to disturb, When you are absolutely in the quietness. That is akin to the deep sleep state. Absence of physical and mental objects. A deep sleep state. Everything arises in me and everything falls back into me. I, The nothingness, And that quiet, Silent background. In fact, I am the center around which everything revolves. I am the heart of everything. And the most important. Atma Vichara to do. Can you find An eye there. Look for the one that said, Ah, I am the Satchit Anand. Can you find the I? Look, Look, COVID in. Follow the eye. Can you find a localized eye there? Does the nothingness speak and say, I am nothingness? If you follow the eye, You will notice the eye drops. It disappears into the nothingness. That is the absolute reality that is devoid of a personal I. It is devoid of all separate. Individual steps. So this nothingness, This emptiness is actually a feel. A field devoid of a personal eye. It is a universal field. There is no I there. Is more often. Peace. The universal field. That is absolute reality. Fall.