Enlightenment

Quiet the mind. Observe and enquire.

"The mind vanishes on enquiry into its nature. [5859] When the mind is stilled, illusion ceases." [5695]

"Resort to that which is eternal and unchanging." [745]

"The eternal is neither attained by rites, rituals, or religious practices, nor by charity, pilgrimages, or austerities, nor meditation or mantras, and not by wealth. It is attained only by wisdom and the conquest of one's mind. One's inner light alone is the means, naught else." [752, 834, 974, 4499, 4509, 9634]

"The darkness of ego sense, which veils the self is dispelled by wisdom (inner light). He who seeks to be established in the highest state of consciousness, should first purify his mind by the cultivation of wisdom (the kindling of this inner light), even as one who desires food grains tills the field." [4517]

"The study of the scriptures is not the cause for the attainment of self-knowledge. [15381] Self-knowledge is not gained by explanations and descriptions, nor by the instructions of others. At all times, everything is known only by direct experience." [6367]

"Enquire into the nature of the self (and) be an excellent person." [4521, 4525]

"Enquiry is not reasoning nor analysis but asking:
  • Who am I? [781]
  • What is it that is known as 'I'? [6077]
  • What are these moods and modes and feelings that arise within me?" [6068]
There are three attitudes: 1) I am that which exists in everything (the extremely subtle and transcendent self) 2) I am all and everything, and 3) I am my body. It is best to remain as pure consciousness.

"Live a life of non-attachment, doing what is appropriate in every situation as it reaches you." [6989]

"Give up all hopes and expectations and, freed from the wish to seek or to abandon, roam about freely. [4475] Become a liberated one while still living. [4490] Live in the present moment. [4495] However, this is said for the sake of argument: memory is impossible in the liberated ones." [14583]

"All this is done by the different aspects of the one self, or infinite consciousness. Let the eyes see, let the ears hear, let the skin feel, let the tongue taste. Where is the 'I' in all this?" [8577]

"By evil actions one is bound to this samsara,6 by right actions one is liberated." [10463] Action that unites is right action for it leads to unity, which is the one supreme consciousness. Action that promotes division is wrong action for it promotes separation, which is duality and illusion.

"These are the signs by which one recognizes the knower of truth: desire has been greatly weakened and there is devotion to the happiness and joy of all." [11316]

"When mental conditioning ceases, the body ceases to be seen or experienced, just as the dream object is not experienced on waking up." [12264]

"Be firmly rooted in contentment performing whatever has to be performed and avoiding what should be avoided. [14341] Contentment is to renounce all craving for what is not obtained unsought and to be satisfied with what comes unsought, without being elated or depressed even by them." [787]

"Absence of all expectations, fearlessness, unchanging steadiness, equanimity, wisdom, non-attachment, non-action, goodness, total absence of perversion, courage, endurance, friendliness, intelligence, contentment, gentleness, pleasant speech—all these qualities are natural to one who is free from the instincts of acquisition and rejection: and even those qualities are non-intentional and spontaneous." [4545]

"Abandon the words but remain established in the experience of the truth they indicate." [14416]

"Consider it OM and rest in peace." [14435]


6From Sanskrit, Samsara represents the continuous flow of birth, life, suffering, and death; the circle of life.

OM

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