The Transformation of Reality and the Path to Pristine Awareness

No, the perception of reality is no longer exactly the same. The way it is understood has fundamentally changed. 'Things' are no longer perceived as separate entities. Everything is unified through the senses, but the mind is no longer driven by the compulsive need to divide perception into separate entities. As a result, the diminishing of comparison, judgment, and critiquing becomes evident.

With awakening, the illusion of 'me' is seen through and no longer believed. There is no 'me' to cope with. Therefore, what remains is what-is, without resistance and denial. This is a transformative journey where the self is no longer sensed within the confines of the body as an inner I. It is not an endpoint but rather a continuous flux and flow, akin to a river.

It is important to note that we are never the same being at any so-called time. There is thisness, and no one is left to cope with anything. The perception of reality is constant change, and there is no stable point to make any comments from. The flux and flow of life means that nothing can truly be held as a fixed truth. But, what else to do but to love?

Theological and Philosophical Perspective Through Raja Yoga

I share this experience while reflecting on Raja Yoga, a part of my upbringing within an Ashramic environment. Raja Yoga, or the Royal Path, is a practice aimed at achieving spiritual transformation and self-realization.

Adhyatmic Awakening, the inner journey towards understanding the self and the nature of existence, can be illustrated through the metaphor of a village beside a river. The river provides life's necessities without issues, but some people wonder where the river originates and where it is going. A few decide to follow the river to its source, symbolizing the awakening journey.

Awakening is not a magic wand. It is a result of ethical living and the use of intelligence. We take for granted certain relativistic beliefs, such as the existence and change of the world, and the self as a body that thinks in the first person. However, our reasoning often fails to question the initial assumptions of self, time, and space. To truly understand reality, a complete rewriting of the core logic is necessary. This is where the practice of Yoga steps in, replacing the logic of realism with that of idealism.

The first step in Yoga is to get rid of the existing logic, which requires one-pointedness of mind (uninterrupted focus or dharana). This is cultivated through Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pratyahara, and Pranayama. Through these practices, one begins to disintegrate the narrative created by reasoning, senses, memory, and imagination, leading to the collapse of the perceived 'real'ness of reality.

When the realization hits, it is like waking up from a dream. The 'real' world crumbles, and one begins to question the perceived reality established by cause-effect relationships. The awareness of this narrative is what we call consciousness. With the awareness of the narrative, the idea of 'I' collapses, leading to the urgent quest for the real 'I'. This is the true seeking.

The Path of Seeking and the Secret of Time and Space

This quest is the process of developing new logic and reasoning with this new logic to untangle the concepts of self, time, and space. This journey ends with merger, revealing the secrets of time and space. While modern science has some ideas about dealing with relativity, it cannot explain the philosophy behind it. It is a journey that leads to refinement and peacefulness. The members of one's family may find it difficult to cope with the 'slightly' changed person.

Ultimately, the question of awareness remains. To realize awareness, one must first get rid of all object ideas and emotions. Then, one must get rid of the idea of self, time, and space. In this state, one is aware but with nothing to be aware of. Awareness can be realized but not described. This is the state of pristine awareness, a place where one can truly realize the truth and a place one desires to reach.