Question:

Dear Ektaji,

You said, “If a thought rises, ‘I want coffee’, that is also a random, automatic arising from the natural flow.” Does that mean there can be many automatic arisings, and I identify with only those that resonate with me? Instead of contemplating the spiritual wisdom, if I were looking for how to make money, I would’ve picked up that arising and gone in that direction? So, is it my intention that is driving me?

Answer:

You are not the Chooser, dear. There is no chooser-thought that selects one among several option-thoughts! You cannot even choose whether you read this further or not. 

• • The perception of sight of this knowledge in your inbox appears, peaks, and disappears.
  • The perception of the movement of the hand to click on the email appears, peaks, and disappears.
  • The perception of sight of the blog post content appears, peaks, and disappears.
  • The feeling of excitement for understanding knowledge appears, peaks, and disappears.

Here, the Witness probably jumped in and assumed himself to be the chooser who is reading the wisdom. He assumes that he experienced spiritual growth after reading. This doership and experiencership is the pitfall, dear. All arisings appear of their own accord. You cannot take the credit for contemplating the wisdom, or drinking coffee, or being on the spirituality path; just like I don’t take the credit for teaching the knowledge.

Everything is a random arising; that is the truth! The chain of arisings appears, peaks, and disappears, devoid of a doer or experiencer. It is the weakness of the Witness that propels him to forget himself and assume to be the decision-maker or chooser.

• • If money is the weakness, the money arising will be the slippery slope.
  • If religion is the weakness, the religious arising will be the slippery slope.
  • If relationships are a weakness, the relationship arising will be the slippery slope.

Any external attachment will make the witness slip. This is called Anatma Vasana. It keeps one outward-turned. 

What is Atma Vasana?

Being inward turned and seeking to realize one’s true Self is Atma Vasana. Realizing oneself as only the ‘Knower’, not the doer nor experiencer is the destination of authentic Atma Vasana.

• • When the witness realizes that only Atma Vasana can bring it home, it does not assume to be the experiencer, the doer, the chooser, the decision-maker.
  • He respects the flow and never dishonors it. 

He maintains his Witnessing stance and never slips. 

First attempt to SEE that you are not the contemplator. You do not progress or regress. You simply know! You simply witness! Begin with Advaita Level I videos; they will help you realize and build conviction in your Witnessing foundation: 

• • Advaita level I: https://youtube.com/@AdvaitawithEktaBathija
  • Advaita Self explorations: https://tinyurl.com/SE-Website

Happy Self-Research!

#AdvaitaVedanta #Non-duality