Get The Vision Before Questioning It

Isaiah,

Thanks so much for your replies!

I did some more reading on the site and I realised that, as you say, I had missed something basic - like the tenth man who can count only nine the self is unexperiencable.

Also that the self is that which witnesses the waker, the dreamer and the sleeper (which is you point above I believe)

Now, I've entertained some quite 'sophsticated' thoughts in my time: e.g. that the subject-object division (on which vedanta rests) is merely a by-product of language.

However I don't think I'm clear enough at the moment (for the last few decades actually) to really sort that out, I've generated a very rajasic life, and it looks to me as though priority one is calming things down. To that end I'm treating my rajasic tendencies as a vasana to be renounced, there's some progress already.

Also, I need to see the vision of non-duality clearly before I presume to question it.

So that's where I am, for the next while, Karma Yoga to calm down, study to get the vision clear.

Thanks again

Jack

Dear Jack,That's perfect, you are completely spot on! Judging by your replies, I could tell that there was a lot of rajas operating in your mind. It makes contemplation so difficult because it obscures the vision of the self behind a moving screen of agitating,

extroverting energy. However, I didn't mention it because I knew you already had part of the antidote in place: karma yoga. Good for you Jack. Keep it up. Additionally, seeing that you have to develop a more sattvic lifestyle (the other part of the antidote) in order to facilitate inquiry shows you have good discrimination. The mantra for rajas is: more, better, different. The mantra for sattva is: less is more. Simplifying your lifestyle as much as possible, as well as removing excessively rajasic foods, situations, activities, entertainment, relationships, habits, etc. will help you build a lifestyle suited to inquiry. If you stay dedicated to inquiry, along with consistently maintaining a sattvic lifestyle, you will progress very quickly.

Take care,Isaiah