The Seeker and the Path
Man forever wants to know. Even if the mind does not ask it, there is an inward urge which
shouts out all the time to ask one question only, and that question is, “Who am I?”
Divinity is there. The only qualification needed by a person to find his inner self is sincere
seeking.
To get back to our primal innocence is the duty and purpose of life.
Being by nature inquisitive, a person has to inquire and inquire and inquire. He wants to know
the cause of things. He wants to know why this flower grows, why the wall stands upright, and a
million things of that nature. He thinks that by knowing the causes of exterior things he will be left
somehow to find the causes of himself. Again his questing comes down to one question: “Who
am I?”
Knowledge, as we know it, is an accumulation of facts with which we burden our little brains. But
wisdom is a knowingness, and this knowingness that wells up from within cannot be acquired with
a half dozen Ph.D. degrees. If it could, then every university professor of philosophy would be a
self-realized man, and he is not. After having studied every possible philosophy, a professor of
philosophy is often more confused than before, and less able to answer the crucial question:
“Who am I?”
The main question inherent in all human beings is, “Who am I?” This question can go through
many superimpositions, and our search begins by inquiring into various facets of life, such as
science and the arts. To find the answer to the question, “Who am I?” a person starts searching
outside of himself.
Now the modern scientist is no better than the primitive man—the only difference is that now he
inquires in a more sophisticated way. Primitive man, searching outside himself, created the river
gods, mountain gods, cloud gods, rain gods, and so forth, that could answer questions for him.
The primitive man’s mind got involved in various superstitions. Modern scientists’ minds get
involved in various dreams. The difference between superstition and dream is very fine. A
superstition is but a projection. A dream is also a projection. The difference is that the
superstitious primitive man believed in what he thought, while the dream of the scientist is devoid
of belief until he can verify the dream.
The purpose of the acquisition of knowledge is to find oneself; everything else is secondary.
Even on the spiritual path there cannot be self-satisfaction because the forces within us, the very
forces that constitute the ego—the three gunas—are forever in turbulence, and it is this very
turbulence that pushes one on and on and on. There is no rest for man until he reaches self-
realization.
Brahmacharya is the most misinterpreted word that has ever been given out to this world. Many
people feel that Brahmacharya means celibacy—complete continence, non-indulgence in sex.
Brahmacharya does not mean this. Brahma means Divinity, achar means the way, the path. So,
to be a Brahmacharya, means to walk in the path of Divinity. That is the true meaning of
Bramacharya.
As we said before, as above, so below. What is below is above. It is just a different level of
existence, and man can live at a higher level of consciousness. People call it an altered state of
consciousness. There is no such thing. You cannot alter consciousness, you can only live at a
higher level of consciousness. Consciousness remains the same. What alters is you, yourself.
shouts out all the time to ask one question only, and that question is, “Who am I?”
Divinity is there. The only qualification needed by a person to find his inner self is sincere
seeking.
To get back to our primal innocence is the duty and purpose of life.
Being by nature inquisitive, a person has to inquire and inquire and inquire. He wants to know
the cause of things. He wants to know why this flower grows, why the wall stands upright, and a
million things of that nature. He thinks that by knowing the causes of exterior things he will be left
somehow to find the causes of himself. Again his questing comes down to one question: “Who
am I?”
Knowledge, as we know it, is an accumulation of facts with which we burden our little brains. But
wisdom is a knowingness, and this knowingness that wells up from within cannot be acquired with
a half dozen Ph.D. degrees. If it could, then every university professor of philosophy would be a
self-realized man, and he is not. After having studied every possible philosophy, a professor of
philosophy is often more confused than before, and less able to answer the crucial question:
“Who am I?”
The main question inherent in all human beings is, “Who am I?” This question can go through
many superimpositions, and our search begins by inquiring into various facets of life, such as
science and the arts. To find the answer to the question, “Who am I?” a person starts searching
outside of himself.
Now the modern scientist is no better than the primitive man—the only difference is that now he
inquires in a more sophisticated way. Primitive man, searching outside himself, created the river
gods, mountain gods, cloud gods, rain gods, and so forth, that could answer questions for him.
The primitive man’s mind got involved in various superstitions. Modern scientists’ minds get
involved in various dreams. The difference between superstition and dream is very fine. A
superstition is but a projection. A dream is also a projection. The difference is that the
superstitious primitive man believed in what he thought, while the dream of the scientist is devoid
of belief until he can verify the dream.
The purpose of the acquisition of knowledge is to find oneself; everything else is secondary.
Even on the spiritual path there cannot be self-satisfaction because the forces within us, the very
forces that constitute the ego—the three gunas—are forever in turbulence, and it is this very
turbulence that pushes one on and on and on. There is no rest for man until he reaches self-
realization.
Brahmacharya is the most misinterpreted word that has ever been given out to this world. Many
people feel that Brahmacharya means celibacy—complete continence, non-indulgence in sex.
Brahmacharya does not mean this. Brahma means Divinity, achar means the way, the path. So,
to be a Brahmacharya, means to walk in the path of Divinity. That is the true meaning of
Bramacharya.
As we said before, as above, so below. What is below is above. It is just a different level of
existence, and man can live at a higher level of consciousness. People call it an altered state of
consciousness. There is no such thing. You cannot alter consciousness, you can only live at a
higher level of consciousness. Consciousness remains the same. What alters is you, yourself.
| The path of Yoga is not as simple as it seems. The path of Yoga, Vivekananda said, is the path of heroes, the path of the warrior. There has to be determination. Krishna said, “There are a few types of people that want to reach me: the one that wants worldly gain, the one that is in distress, the one that is a seeker, and last, but not least, the one that has real spiritual knowledge and wants to remain forever in touch with his Maker. He wants to be at home all the time, and not stray away.” Raja Yoga is the royal path to that union. |
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