Edited by James
Dear Ben,
You say that we need Self knowledge for liberation but that the Self, which is beyond the known and the unknown, can’t be known by perception and inference, the only means of knowledge we have. If it is beyond our means, then how can it be known? Is there another means? Please explain. Is it like deep inner listening, quiet still mindfulness and waiting?
Mike
Ben: There was a man named Gregor Samsa who was firmly convinced he was an insect. Perception though his sense organs does not reveal him as a human being because the senses are controlled by the mind and the thought that he is an insect causes the senses to present him to himself as an insect.
He sees his skin as chitin and his body with the exoskeleton of an ant. He likes leafy vegetables, which confirms his mistaken conviction. He crawls along on the floor and hides under a couch when a bird looks through the window for fear of being eaten, so he can’t infer his humanness because he is completely focused on survival. Perception and inference don’t solve his problem. However, he has a doubt because his hidden human self is always present subtly informing his mind, so he concludes that he needs another opinion and goes to a psychiatrist, who says he is not an insect but a human being. He doubts the shrink but is so tormented that he provisionally accepts the psychiatrist’s statement. It does not help, however, because he still sees himself as an insect.
So, Gregor needs to do a lot of work to get his mind ready to see himself as he really is. Using various psychological techniques—basically cognitive behavioral therapy—he works hard because he is industrious like the ant he thinks he is. One fine day his therapist sees that he is ready for human knowledge so he starts with the only other means of knowledge available, the words “You are a Human Being,” which will reveal what is already present and always experienced—his Humanness. His insect-ness is a projection from his Humanness, his fundamental self. It is superimposed and needs to be negated with the steadfast understanding “I am a Human Being.”
Similarly, our perception of ourselves as people is a projection from our fundamental Self. It is superimposed and needs to be negated by the hard and fast understanding, “I am existence shining as whole and complete ordinary unconcerned unborn consciousness.” Consciousness is primary (satya) and cannot be negated; personhood (mithya) is secondary and can be negated or “cancelled.” When you cancel a person, he or she doesn’t die; he or she is simply no longer “real” for you. When you look at the sky you see blue but your know it is clear. When the words of Vedanta are fully assimilated you know you are existence shining as whole and complete ordinary unconcerned unborn consciousness appearing (mithya) as a human being and your humanness is automatically cancelled.
Everyone in Gregor’s family thinks they are insects, as do his neighbours, acquaintances and fellow citizens. In fact, insectness is the norm throughout the whole world. Every country structures events large and small on all levels to celebrate insectness and protect insects from predators, particularly birds. The pharmaceutical industry makes bug spray capable of killing every conceivable type of creepy crawly stinging and biting insect and militaries constantly spray noxious chemicals on mother earth world-wide, not to mention that the global food chain has been treated to toxic chemicals for decades. Different insect species zap each other with powerful lazers. Even Olympic gold medallists achieve superstar insect status and are worshipped fanatically. Insect religions abound as well. The remote transcendental ANT and BEE Gods are propitiated daily by quintillions of ants and bees.
For secular insects, who are known as insectarians, an army of psychologists, psychiatrists, and their ilk—life coaches for instance—practice day and night to help resolve insect-related issues too numerous to mention so individuals can more effectively serve society. Most insects want high insectesteem. Naturally, anyone who has an inkling of their humanness is considered abnormal and may be persecuted, ostracized, and punished for thinking differently. In some states their books are burned, and their children are bullied. In some, humanness is a serious felony and convicted criminals are incarcerated in large insect prisons with re-education facilities where loudspeakers blare the truth of insectness day and night.
Once he is qualified Gregor listens diligently to his mentor and one fine day he is told that he is ready to go outside. He thanks his shrink and walks out into the sunny afternoon. A robin sitting on a branch hears a worm munching earth underground near Gregor, who is savoring his freedom, and flies in his direction. Terrified, he rushes back to the doctor’s office. The doctor asks what’s wrong and Gregor says, “I may be a human being, but the birds don’t know it!” The doctor realizes that he isn’t ready and puts him back on his therapies until he can leave his office once and for all.
Unfortunately the human race, with few exceptions, remains, as always, in the dark about the capacity of the human mind to inquire into the truth of things, and is content to accept the perception of the senses without realizing that it is trapped in a collective web of inadequacy, mortality, vulnerability and insecurity. As the great Buddhasect said millenia ago, “All life is suffering.”
Although it is taken for granted, humanness is not normal. We have been blessed with the capacity to think, which, guided by the perennial wisdom of Vedanta, introduces us to our identity as suffering-free non-dual ever-present ordinary awareness and provides the therapies—karma yoga particularly—that transform our lives into shining reflections of our perfect creator.
What a blessing for the few who fully appreciate the value of Vedanta, which sages have chanted since the beginning of time. May we all recognize the reality of our true nature and revel in its ever-present bliss!!!
