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Most people seeking understanding of a nondualistic perspective of reality seem to be looking to teachers who are into Advaita Vedanta. What Advaita points to is for the most part true. The right words are said because it is a pretty straight forward and simple to follow concept. Of course, it is trying to bring people beyond concepts altogether to a direct seeing into what is really taking place, to the core of our being. If it really did bring people to see reality then that would be wonderful. However, there is a problem in the teachings where a person, even the teachers of Advaita, turn the teaching itself into a concept. Then thinking they 'understand' the concept, think they know the truth. One cannot understand the truth behind these teachings without a direct awakening on their part. People can get high from the ideas/concepts/beliefs taught in Advaita, just as one can get high from any belief system, and then try to live by these beliefs. One of the beliefs that Advaita teaches is that there in no one to be responsible. This is the main reason this is being written, to go into this question of responsibility.
Advaita teaches, rightly so, that there is no separate self because what we think of as our selves are just the minds conceptual thinking. Just as there are no things. Things also being concepts within the thinking mind. This of course is misunderstood by everyone until they actually awaken to the fact. No matter how well the intellect thinks it understands, it is still in a dream.
Take the fact that there are no things. If one does not see the reality beyond the concept, they come up with all sorts of misunderstanding. They feel that because Advaita has shown them that nothing exists, that there are no things, then the world is a dream. The world is not a dream. What we have overlaid in concepts and beliefs is real, but we cannot see that reality because we are the dream. If you believe the concepts of Advaita to be true and you haven't gone beyond those concepts, you are as lost as you were before you ever heard of Advaita.
Advaita says that there is no one to be responsible. When it is realized that there is no separate self, then who is going to be responsible? To the unawakened mind, this makes sense. However, in practice it is not that easy to get out of being responsible. Just as there is thinking but no thinker, there is responsibility without someone who is responsible.
When we awaken, it is all perfectly clear that we had been dreaming. The sense of ego is seen through, yet there is still a fully functioning something that walks, talks and has needs to maintain the body. Individual traits make up a personality. Character can take many forms and express itself in many ways. Yet, there is no one there. There is still intelligence, or the lack of it, and the capacity to use it. We don't become zombies walking around with smiles on our faces.
Intelligence, wisdom, makes whatever we come across in our lives clear. When we see our environment is being destroyed we don't just say, "This is Gods Will, I am not responsible." We are moved to act. Life responds and that is responsibility. We are responsibility itself.
Far too often when people try to understand what it means to be enlightened they bring into their minds all sorts of "Spiritual" notions. These can be very distorting and mislead them into more concepts they will have to give up to really understand. It is far better to not think anything is spiritual. Just watch and see the facts. What one comes to when we awaken can seem very spiritual. However, on deeper understanding we see this is just the fact of life. We are living beings on a wonderful planet. We have been dreaming we were something we never could be and distorting all we perceive. This has caused great suffering to those who are dreaming and those who get in the way of the dreamers.
Life responds. Everything in the Universe is constantly responding to It's own movement. It is happening on levels that we will rarely if ever be conscious of. We are responding to millions of years of evolution. We are responding to subtle changes on distant stars and planets. We are responding to the thoughts of others, both living and those from the past and even from those we think of as the future. Responsibility is our natural condition: respond to life. The ability to respond is responsibility. It needs no actor to take place.
Awaken and be responsible. Not as a dreamer feeling they are responsible and then feeling guilty if they fail, but as wisdom in action, responding to our day to day reality.
This site would not be here if there were no sense of being responsible. It is clearly seen that there is no such separate person called Melvyn Wartella. Yet, the mind understands there is a great need on this planet for people to start to awaken and change the way we are treating our home and all life. Therefore, action takes place. Others doing the same thing feel the same need or they would not be doing what they are doing. Of course, there are no others. It is the same wisdom expressing Itself in each of us. We speak from a little different perspective because of our individuality and to reach those who feel comfortable with the way we express it. However, it is always the same intelligence speaking. This doesn't mean that every teacher/writer is coming from an awakened state. Some are just conning themselves and their followers. Within you is the same Wisdom that is in all life. If you are truly open to seeing what is real, then you will know who is conning you and who is telling the truth. Be responsible.
Melvyn Wartella |
