The Red Queen Hypothesis

Please Note: to read the satsang by the inquirer, see below Sundari’s input.

Sundari: Thanks for the update, it’s always such a pleasure to read the elegance of your thoughts, even though they are just thoughts and you are not the thinker. Observing what manifests in the mind, holding the position of the uninvolved witness, and curating it with Self-knowledge is the key to a sane life for the jiva. Especially given that only 5% of what drives the mind is consciously accessible. This is quite something to wrap one’s head around, to use a rather inept expression to describe a very complex idea. I attached two satsangs I recently posted about this, which barely scratch the surface. They are called “Are You the Candle of the Sun?’ and ‘A guna Cognizant Mind is A Mind Like God”. 

However, even though as the Self, the conscious and unconscious levels of the mind (which all originate in the Causal body) do not affect you in any way, it certainly behooves us to get a grip on the complexity of the mind if we want freedom from it. Self-knowledge bestows upon the mind the most subtle and sophisticated understanding of everything concerning *mithya*; when nondual vision is firm, nothing is beyond our understanding. The Vedanta pramana literally explains everything.

But that doesn’t translate to moksha being the default position of the mind—where it is no longer capable of wavering due to the fluctuations of the gunas.  The gunas still fluctuate and the body/mind remains subject to syntropy and entropy, but Self-knowledge never fluctuates.  This is a work in progress for most inquirers. It’s tough being a jiva, and even tougher getting rid of the notion that you are one.  Isvara does not make it easy, as I explain in the attached satsangs.

Have you heard of the ‘Red Queen’ hypothesis? It was coined by evolutionary biologist Leigh Van Valen positing that a species must constantly adapt and evolve not just to gain an advantage, but to survive. He named it after the character in Lewis Carroll’s ‘Through the Looking Glass’ who tells Alice that in her world you have to keep running just to stay in the same place.

Well, that’s an apt description of mithya if there ever was one. Everyone’s running after or away from something, but they are always in the same place.  We are born, we grow up, old age comes and soon ‘we’ are gone.  But did anything happen?  It’s a blessing to be born with a good mind; some worldly people mature, gain wisdom and knowledge, and perhaps even become great souls.  But unless ‘you’ as an ego identity have been blasted away by Self-knowledge, you never got anywhere.  

This applies to most intellectuals, and most of the smartest thinkers who ever lived, are alive now, or who will ever live. It’s quite amazing how Isvara can develop the mind to be capable of such complex brilliant thinking – and yet. Still ignorant. 

As an inquirer, the mind poses the biggest obstacle to Self-knowledge because it is not only indoctrinated by duality, or beginningless ignorance. It is incredibly difficult to access most of its content, 95% of which lies in the personal unconscious and the macrocosmic unconscious, as explained in the attached satsangs.

Much love

Sundari

Dear Sundari,

After our last communication Isvara has had an elegant, precise way of repeatedly teaching me what I had prayed and pray for – knowledge. I am more grateful than ever for both your work and teachings – I listen every day first thing to a chapter or two and at night when walking. While I met James many years ago, it seems like the blink of an eye now.

Recently it’s been 4 months of “forced” reflection – but this does not describe it accurately.  I as the Self asked for it and received – it is not like I as the Jiva am sitting down to “meditate” or “work on myself” or “reflect”. Quite the opposite!

It happens in bursts – old vasanas, still unconsciously seeking a result – now don’t get the result at all….until I see “ah ok I see now I was looking for a result” and then this “jester” Isvara hands it to me – in a different form, in fact “better” – by often realising, well after the fact, that no result was indeed better in hindsight – for work, health, friends, whatever.

Crucially only when “I” as miserable Jiva have thoroughly grieved over not getting the expected result. Only then, does the entire trace become conscious and I can see in stark reflection what caused it – apparently for the first time – but I end up laughing knowing now – again – it was that old thing and can make the discrimination.

I think many of the more “intellectual” types attracted to Vedanta (who may have rejected dualistic religion, God even in that form, perhaps bounced like a pin ball into spiritualism, “God free Buddhism” or even a cult and bounced out again) – don’t realise that at some point, being dispassionate about results means giving it up, actually want to give it up, to Isvara. This is new. 

Karma yoga now means to me admission, true admission, that I as the Jiva am not in charge, not even in a small sneaky way. To be liberated means handing over to Isvara – but this is the case anyhow – my Jiva just needs to learn this, repeatedly, there is nothing there in Mithya (anyhow) which liberates anything, quite the reverse.

Many years ago a girlfriend had a small kitten who was shitting everywhere and she was told by the vet that she had to take the kitten and rub his nose in it, then it would learn. I do not know if she did (nor do I particularly agree with the method nor know if it works) – but this is how my Jiva feels and it is a blessing. The Self “asks” (somehow), Isvara responds but my Jiva feels like that kitten, all the time – mentally, emotionally and paradoxically it definitely makes “life” far easier, with real hope and faith.

If anyone ever needs 100% concrete proof of Vedanta I find it is not in any amazing temporary spiritual experiences (of which I have had few…I think I have…but forgot!)  – but for me its knowing what the Self is not from a non-dual standpoint. Vedanta allows me as the (Jiva, mind, complex) to allow light to shine on all that the Self is not, this is the proof I take home.

It is pretty tiring and oddly like a trap – I as the Self realise there is no “out” for the Jiva or any Jiva. If I only saw that it would be like being buried alive (mentally or emotionally), truly depressing and terrifying even – but that is not all there is – there is being alive itself which is existence, even if “I” don’t feel it, this is glorious. 

I find I am naturally more compassionate with both people I know and don’t, knowing this is the same for all as for me. I know the entire merry go round will keep going forever, for all Jivas and oddly that is ok. Karma yoga is indeed the saving grace which keeps me, as the Jiva, sane even if it’s like a sorry kitten with a tough owner at times.

In myself I feel great. Reading about Rory’s passing and incredible journey makes even “health issues” shrink to the tiny pinpricks they are.

much love to you both,