Questions to keep in Mind for Self Enquiry

What is the meaning of Life? Purpose?

For a “Seeker” of understanding the Value of these important questions of life start becoming a “priority”, but there may still be obstacles to get answers.  (These notes are guided by Swami TV’s talks)

What is the meaning of Life?  What is the purpose of Life?
– Need to seek more “Alone time” and staying away from “distractions” of worldly interactions as much as possible, to allow quiet inquiry within.
– Know that the FALSE notions Binds and that the TRUTH FREEs.
– Pursuing “constant” daily, internal inquiry will help stay on the journey of discovery of Self.
– Once distinctions between TRUTH and FALSE, become clearer, the False naturally falls away, and there is more freedom and reduces pressure to “become” someone else.
– Then the “meaning and purpose” of life starts getting clearer. This also brings about “joy” in everyday life.
– The enquiry needs to start with enquiring into ONEself (easiest, and most accessible).  Not the ever changing “outer world” whose events one cannot control.

Who or What am I?
Who am I?  Surely not just a “person”?  beyond Name and Fame? In deep sleep, I am happy without any Name /Fame.
What am I?
Am I Different from the changing BODY?  I can “observe” body’s functions, e.g breathing, hunger etc. therefore Body is an “object”, ‘I” am the subject.  Independent “Sakshi”? Spiritual Being?
Am I Different from the changing chaotic MIND of thoughts, emotions concepts?   On many occasions, I am “aware” of my thoughts, behaviors. With understanding of the sastra, mind is getting calmer?  Heading in the right direction. I notice that “silence” feels peaceful.
What am I doing? Why?

What am I doing?   Spending most of time with body driven basic activities. Mind driven activities by Raga/Dwesha only puts me in up/down cycles and binds.   Genuine assessment helps move beyond.
Why am I doing these? Past issues and future worries, Security of what? Am I still “becoming” something? for who?  Understanding, helps reduce “pressure” and start accepting “As IS”.

Proper Enquiry?

Guidance from appropriate Guru(s)?  Gurus give different insights at different times and level of students understanding. Am I stuck in understanding? Guru can help lift one out of a “stuck” state. Need to ask relevant questions to oneself and Guru. Choose appropriate Guru.
Earnest, ongoing review of the Sashtra?  BGita and 10 Upanishads.  Need to revisit again and again.
How are my Qualification improving?  Sadhana Chatustyam (Viveka, Vairagya, 6 Wealths (Shama, Dhama, Uparati, Titiksha, Shradda, Samadhanam), Mumukshutvam.

What is Time?
What is time?   Just a sequence of past “sequence of thoughts” in the mind that affect me?  So mostly mental / Psychological time that affects me.   Chronological time of the clock is inevitable for constant change in nature and is acceptable when it is separated, from psychological time.
What does psychological time have to do with me?   PAST experiences stored in memory, “Binds me”, “haunts me”, or remember Good times ? So, I spend lot of time re-living the past?  Need to DROP the past memory all together. Remind oneself again and again.
Do I have a Future in psychological time?  As a spiritual being independent of body-mind, what security do I seek?
What is the present moment?  Fresh, alert observation of all passing events as a Show? Abiding in the inner strength. Accept AS IS.  Gives a sense of Freedom and Independence. Is this Living?
What is Death?
What is death?  In Nature all around, there is constant synthesis of “forms” and an eventual “decay and dissolution”.  Birth of Body-mind (as part of nature), will decay and dissolve back to earth?
Is there a “future” for a Being?
Does the Spiritual Being have a time bound future?  Continue contemplating?
If the body-mind and world of names and forms is falsified as transient, is there independent constant reality for “Awareness, Issness”?
Sarvatma bhava?  One Atma in all living beings?
Brahman?  Non-dual Sat-Chit-Ananda, all pervasive?
Stuck in the “Triangular State” of Existence?

Most people are brought up in the traditional “Triangular State of Life” of Jiva, Jagat and Ishvara.
– Individual as a Jiva with Raga/Dwesha is buffeted by external events and driven by his “Desires” and “Becoming”  attitude
– Jagat is Nature with unfathomable variety and wonder of changes and beauty, but also natural shifts that are perceived as “disasters” by Jiva.
– Therefore Jiva seeks “external personified God” as a savior.
..

Basic ignorant Karma, turns into wiser Karma Yoga (bringing in Ishvara as Phala Datta, solidifying the Triangular format.
This remains firm in Bhakti Yoga, and lead to emotional and passionate (and joyful) expression in life but still a trapped and “dependent” existence.
Is this just Tradition? Habbit? Vasanas?.  A belief system to pacify Jiva for short periods of time passed down generations.

Jagat has always been every changing, very mysterious, very complex, and yet very wonderful!  Is it Jiva’s avidya to seek pleasures from Jagat? Instead of understanding that joy comes from within?
Is it Jiva’s wild projection of a Personified Saguna Ishvara that distracts him from see the Nirguna Ishvara that is the vast “intelligence” behind the nature/prakriti?

Need serious inquiry to seek Freedom!!  and rise above the triangular format.
Develop Atma/ Anatma vichara.  A major quantum leap.

Stuck at Atma/Anatma duality level?

After intense vichara,   Jiva/jagat/Ishvara are now reduced to Unchanging Atma and the changing Anatma.  A Big step.
Is this Sankya philosphy of Purusa/ Prakriti?,  with multiple Atma (per individual being)?

See the Awareness (chit) embodying this particular body/mind complex and then extend the Awareness to all living beings as SarvAatma!
However, Is there still duality of Atma (all beings) and Anatma Jagat?
However,  Jagat is constantly changing (science – energy, vibrations, dark energy etc). So how is Jagat “real”?

……..
Jiva takes “snapshots” by “Naming a Form” in nature, that is of interest to him and gives it “reality”.
This exists (issness) as a “Transactional Reality”, for interactions by him or a few (not by all beings) and entirely dependent on his mind.
Such “dependent” reality Jagat is therefore just a “shadow” to the Atma and therefore it is called Mithya.  It is not an independent Reality!.

This leads to the understanding that Sarvatma or Brahman is the only constant, timeless reality.  and that Jagat borrows its existence from the avidya of Atma.