Most of us think we are individual human beings living in a world that is outside of us along with billions of other individuals. While from the perspective of consensus reality it certainly does appear that way, it just may be that you are alone in a world of your own making. We live in an extremely materialistic culture and even those that consider themselves spiritual or religious are not immune to this conditioning. The materialistic worldview focuses on the outer world and the objects of the five senses. When it comes to the subject of perception or the perceiver we bring our materialism inside and see more objects of perception (thoughts, beliefs, feelings, personality), that is if we don’t explain it all away with physiology. What modern psychology fails to do and what most forms of spirituality fall short of is getting to the root of the perceiver itself. Physical science looks at external objects and psychology looks at internal objects. The common factor between the two is that they are both objects of perception but who or what is at the root of perception?
What is the goal of the path of Self Discovery? Self Realization. The realization of our true nature, who and what we truly are, in reality. And just what is that? Well uh um ah…….I don’t know. Which is why we have to explore this for ourselves personally if we are so inclined to do so. Whatever is said about our true nature or written about it or thought about it is not It. Simply because its beyond concepts which is what all this is. Yet concepts can point to it, some more effectively than others. Some (actually very few in my experience) spiritual teachers are quite effective in using minimal concepts to point to the truth. One such teacher was Robert Adams (1928-1997). Adams had an experience of awakening early in life and subsequently spent time with the renowned Indian saint, Sri Ramana Maharshi. Adams very beautifully reflects the simple subtle and yet profoundly powerful approach of Advaita or Non-duality and the path of self inquiry. Though he rarely gave any teachings in the usual sense as he considered silence the best teaching, in one of his Satsangs from the early 90s he expressed four principles of self realization which are very simple and clear.
I sometimes hear from people about their frustrations with the spiritual path. There are many issues that come up but what seems most significant is the sense that one isn’t getting anywhere or that the goal of peace, freedom or awakening is something distant, far off or unattainable. There is a special kind of frustration for people that follow a similar approach as that which is shared on this site. They hear that freedom, peace and joy is what they truly are at the core of their being right this very moment and yet for many it isn’t their experience even though they may have been on the spiritual path for many years. This kind of frustration is understandable and should not be ignored or taken lightly because it points to something as well as offering an opportunity.
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Note: this post will be updated as needed – last updated 5/4/13