Q. 480 Being ‘present’
Q: I feel that reading and writing feeds the mind. But, when I am in Presence I don’t feel the need to read and don’t really have anything to say. For me this is a problem, since reading and writing...
View Articlepratibandha-s – part 5 of 7
Read Part 4 vij~nAna Shankara differentiates what might be called ‘ordinary’ or ‘intellectual’ knowledge (j~nAna) from ‘transformative’ knowledge (vij~nAna). The knowledge becomes transforming – i.e....
View ArticleQ.450 Witness – mind or Brahman?
Q: Talks that I have been listening to use the terms ‘witness’, ‘eternal witness’ and other synonyms. Is pure consciousness or Brahman this ‘Ultimate Witness’? If so, obviously, it can’t witness unless...
View ArticleQ. 497 Knowledge and Understanding
Q: Knowledge, which is in or of the mind or intellect, must ultimately be given up. So really, is it knowledge or just ‘pointers’ to the truth of things? Like the pole vaulter letting go of the pole to...
View ArticleQ. 500 Thinking about chidābhāsa
Q: How can I be sure that the true nature of Brahman is happiness? Also, can Brahman’s nature be happiness if happiness has objective qualities, and Brahman doesn’t? A: Brahman cannot be described. If...
View ArticleQ.502 Brahman and Awareness
Q1. Many advaita teachings suggest that on the absolute level of reality, there are no objects, no people, no selves, and many times, people will say that, ‘from awareness’ point of view, there is...
View ArticleQ.513 Negating the negator
Q: You wrote: We say ‘neti, neti’ not just to all of the presumed objects in the world, and to our body and mind, but also to the ahaMkAra ‘I’ that relates to this body-mind. The ‘I’ that is able to do...
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Appearance and Substance
Perhaps it may not be far from truth to say that many people hold the idea that the world is an “appearance” and the real “substance” behind is the featureless and formless ‘brahman.’ Several teachers...
View ArticleGunAtita
Arjuna asks Sri Krishna (BG 14.21) to narrate the signs and behaviour of a GunAtita, i.e., one who has transcended three constituents (sattva, rajas, and tamas) of nature. Sri Krishna replies that he...
View ArticleI am the Light
Q: Where does consciousness come from? A (Martin): It doesn’t come from anywhere, but is everywhere, pervading the whole universe as its essence. Consciousness is you and you are consciousness. All...
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