Anonymous asked:
In Nisargadatta book 'I AM THAT' he says that any method is the right method as long as your goal is to discover the truth. So basically whatever you do for the sake of finding your real self will bring you to it.
I've been so anxious lately on what to do to discover and experience the truth that I am self, and it helped clarify things for me and also gave me some confidence to use a method that I've been thinking about but too scared to use because I was worried it might not work. But if I'm doing it with the purpose to 'reconnect' to my true self, then as Nisargadatta said it will surely take me to it.
Just sending this so that anyone who has been anxious about their 'journey' can relax and know that whatever they are doing will surely work. And for those that don't know what to do because they aren't sure which method is right, this is to let you know that any method will work.
"Q: Are you serious? Would you tell a Westerner to repeat 'Om' or 'Ram' or 'Hare Krishna' ceaselessly, though he lacks completely the faith and conviction born of the right cultural and religious background. Without confidence and fervour, repeating mechanically the same sounds, will he ever achieve anything?
M: Why not? It is the urge, the hidden motive that matters, not the shape it takes. Whatever he does, if he does it for the sake of finding his own real self, will surely bring him to himself.
Q: No need of faith in the efficacy of the means?
M: No need of faith which is but expectation of results. Here the action only counts. Whatever you do for the sake of truth, will take you to truth. Only be earnest and honest. The shape it takes hardly matters."
He even says that simple wanting it, a strong desire for it, is enough to also take you there.
"Q: Then where is the need of giving expression to one's longing?
M: No need. Doing nothing is as good. Mere longing, undiluted by thought and action, pure, concentrated longing, will take you speedily to your goal. It is the true motive that matters, not the manner.
Q: Unbelievable! How can dull repetition in boredom verging on despair, be effective?
M: The very facts of repetition, of struggling on and on and of endurance and perseverance, in spite of boredom and despair and complete lack of conviction are really crucial. They are not important by themselves, but the sincerity behind them is all-important. There must be a push from within and pull from without."
Thanks for sharing! Just remember that even Nisargadatta was only espousing his truth and way, not THE one and only truth and way, and it's perfectly fine if you disagree even with what he says. Always listen to your heart and feel what your truth is no matter whose words you're reading (even mine of course!).
For example, he says faith is not needed because it's only expectations of results and I strongly disagree with this based on my own personal experiences on this journey (where I started with no faith but lots of desire and somehow developed faith upon realizing its utmost importance). To have strong desire without faith.. how can the ego not think and have expectations of results?
Faith is what allows me to let go of expectations and trust that all is well right here right now. Faith is not false hope, faith is a deep acceptance, knowing and trust that what you are doing is right for you, it's something you feel deep within. It's what allows me to be satisfied and at peace in the present. Without faith (and subsequently surrender), it is easy for the ego to feel like it needs to do everything on its own, that it is responsible for everything but it needn't be so (however what you believe, IS. So if you think you are responsible for managing everything, then that will be so).
Also how can he talk about how faith is unnecessary when that wasn't even his own experience? He talked about how all he had was trust in his guru's word and practiced faithfully 'I AM' for 3 years while working. So even he was operating on faith before he was self-realized. Without faith, could he have gotten there? Hmm
The very facts of repetition, of struggling on and on and of endurance and perseverance, in spite of boredom and despair and complete lack of conviction are really crucial.
I also disagree with this because I've tried this before and all it does is create more resistance to practice and it isn't something I could sustain as a way of life. Everyone has their own way(s) that will resonate and work for them, yes there is no one or right way for everything but every individual will have methods/practices that work better for them so why not find those and practice those instead of suffering and struggling through boredom/despair/lack of conviction? Life is meant to be joyful and that includes this path and practice. The way he describes the practices here feels too mechanical to me, spirituality is not meant to be this way. Of course, if anyone wants to practice it this way, go ahead. But there's other paths with no resistance available so why not take those? It all comes down to choice.
Faith, Healing and Spiritual Power
When everything's gone wrong
When life gets overwhelming and everything feels like it's falling apart, what can one do? (This is for the anon whose ask disappeared from my inbox but also for anyone else who needs it)
First, give yourself time and space to just rest and be. Allow yourself the grace to just be without any expectations or obligations. This answer by Lain is so good and I encourage you to read it and apply whatever resonates.
Second, I cannot recommend this enough, read the posts under my releasing tag. Learn how to release and apply it to everything that you are unable to ignore or detach from. If you are holding onto a lot of mental and emotional pain, it will help relieve a lot of it. Once you drop them for good, the peace is always there and it only grows as you drop more. If there's anything not covered in the existing posts, feel free to send in an ask and I can answer it.
Third, learn how to genuinely surrender, it will give you a lot of peace too. Sometimes one might reach a point where everything gets too much to handle and trying to manage everything gets too exhausting so you just want to give up, I was once there too. You just get to a point where you realize there is nothing that can be done but to surrender.
Surrender = Complete acceptance of what is, as it is + giving up control + faith that everything will be okay
Even if you don't have the last component (faith), if you can apply the first two, a lot of the burden will be lifted and somehow things will resolve on their own. But you need to actually surrender, there's no point lying to yourself about it. These two posts may be helpful as a starting point: here and here. This guided surrender meditation helped me a lot when I first started on this path and helped me understand what it feels like to be in complete surrender.
Fourth, I recommend reviewing your life and being selective about what you keep and what you will drop. Whatever isn't working or is holding you back, perhaps it is time to drop them? Just like how releasing is weeding out all the limiting thoughts and emotions we've been holding onto and letting them go, you can do the same for your life and lifestyle, including relationships, lifestyle habits, attitude, expectations, goals etc.
If you want to let go of something but are afraid to do so, you need to go deeper within yourself and find out why that is the case. Why do you still want to hold onto something that is causing you pain? Why do you want to hold onto the pain when it is only draining you? Ask yourself these questions, find out the causative thoughts and beliefs and then drop them.
Free yourself from these self-imposed limitations.