We come into this world
empty, with nothing. Everything of which we perceive ourselves to be
is illusion, mere attachments which we pick up along the way. We do
not understand at this early stage why we are here, and one may never
learn or even enquire. We are born, and we just 'are'. But if that is
all, that we just 'are', then the natural question should arise -
what 'are' we? and who am 'I'? This should then naturally lead to the
search for the 'I', the 'what am'.
Sapienti sat!
“This world is full
of ignorant corpses. Life in ignorance is like death. Who is eating?
For whom is all this service? You do not know. The ignorant one
serves six ghosts (the five elements and the ego). If all that is
done during one’s life is pampering the body, one’s entire life
is wasted. After death (as per Hindu custom), the body and bones burn
like a bundle of wood,
and the hair burns like a clump of grass while onlookers weep. The dead man asks the onlookers, “Are you free from this fate? You seem to behave as I did.” Even if a toilet is cleaned thoroughly, it is still a toilet. The world is full of living corpses that give no thought as to one’s True Self. The ignorant one serves only the body, and take along with them a bundle of sins and virtues. Such is the worldly existence of an ignorant person. But when one knows oneself, and leaves off the pride for the body, immediately he meets himself. Then all his actions have borne fruit. It is impossible to describe the glory of Self-Knowledge. Human life is meaningful because it is given with the purpose of achieving Self-Knowledge. When that has been achieved, life has indeed become fully meaningful. Its purpose has been served.”
and the hair burns like a clump of grass while onlookers weep. The dead man asks the onlookers, “Are you free from this fate? You seem to behave as I did.” Even if a toilet is cleaned thoroughly, it is still a toilet. The world is full of living corpses that give no thought as to one’s True Self. The ignorant one serves only the body, and take along with them a bundle of sins and virtues. Such is the worldly existence of an ignorant person. But when one knows oneself, and leaves off the pride for the body, immediately he meets himself. Then all his actions have borne fruit. It is impossible to describe the glory of Self-Knowledge. Human life is meaningful because it is given with the purpose of achieving Self-Knowledge. When that has been achieved, life has indeed become fully meaningful. Its purpose has been served.”
- Shri Siddharameshwar
Maharaj, “Amrut Laya: The Stateless State.” Sadguru Publishing.
p. 136.
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