Dear James,
The process of questioning every experience is going on all the time in me and it is seen that even the questioning is just an experience. But where and when is that going to end?
James: Are you doing the questioning or is it just happening?
It appears that you are not the one asking questions, that you are an observer of the questioning process, which is “just an experience.” However, the word just implies a doubt that questioning may not be an experience. But nothing exists that is not an experience for you, consciousness, the unaffected observer because experience is you, although you are not what you experience.
Then you ask, “When is questioning going to end?” It ends every night when you go to sleep, obviously, but it begins again when you wake up because there is always an unknown something waiting to be known when you wake up. This process will end when your body/mind/sense complex dies because reality is zero-sum. What is born dies and what dies is reborn. But since you don’t want to wait until you die to be question-and-answer-free, there is another way.
Your question stimulates this question, “Why does it matter if it ends or not, if you are not the one who is asking it? So, I conclude that you are the one asking and I ask, “If you are doing it, why are you questioning every experience? ” There is no need to do so, because what you experience is an object that “belongs” to Ishwara, the body/mind/sense complex.
Questioning is a natural function of the mind, a protective mechanism that evolved over billions of years because things are not always what they seem to be. It is unwise to base your decisions on appearances, a lack of discrimination. So sit with what you think and wait until you are certain that what you are experiencing is real, not just a projection of your desires.
Questions are not satisfying because they only stop when they are answered, which is also not satisfying—more zero-sum here—because in the world of experiences, there is always an unknown, which demands another answer. It is an endless closed loop. Perhaps you are getting tired of the process of questions and answers?
Max: Yes. So what is the solution?
James: To see that the one asking the questions is not real.
Max: OK. It get that, but if the doer is not a real doer and actions are done by Ishvara, what exactly is spiritual practice, sadhana?
James: It isn’t for you because you know that the doer isn’t real. Why would you do something as an unreal person if you will only get unreal results? It is nonsense to think that an unreal person can produce real results. But in so far as someone thinks results are real, then we need to provide that person with knowledge of Ishwara to give them the confidence to tackle their karma.
Every human entity has a store of accumulated karma that needs to be resolved. We know that because that’s all people do from dawn till dusk. To resolve karma and its results people think they need to get or get rid of something. But sadly, they gain a vasana in the process—zero-sum once more—so karma doesn’t work to free oneself of the doer. But if they do karma yoga, the mind becomes quiet and they can seek Self-knowledge, which gets rid of the doer and its questions. Questions and answers are thoughts, which are “just” karma.
Max: I understand moksha is not an experience, but is it also in the dream state?
James: Well, you can dream you are free and, if when you wake up, your waking state problems are still there, you can safely conclude that dream moksha is not real moksha because it doesn’t exist in all states of consciousness. The Self is free or the waker, dreamer, and deep-sleeper, and the waking, dream and deep-sleep states.
When you “wake up” to what you are, meaning when you have no doubt that you are whole and complete ever-present unborn unconcerned limitless awareness, you are free of the doer entity, and you enjoy the blissful freedom of “just” being.
“Just” being is perfect satisfaction with yourself and the world, but if you think of yourself as a doer, you are never free because doers depend on all manner of factors beyond their control for their happiness.
Love,
James
