Self Realization – Staying the Course 3/3
In this video, Ryan explains that Self-realization is not what you think it is. It requires that you go beyond the mind, which takes dedication and willingness to confront erroneous ideas about who and what you think you are. Preconceptions can get in the way of real progress.
Ryan references Yogananda’s cosmic experiences in Autobiography of a Yogi to illustrate that all experiences are different and that everyone experiences God in a unique way. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that everyone sees the form of God in different ways. It’s all right to read the stories of others, but keep in mind that it is not going to be the same for everyone. Consider what enlightened people what did, the practices they undertook, the way they thought, and the way they interact with the world. Ask yourself, “What will it be like for me?” That’s the key.
You may have interesting perceptions in meditation, but it may be for you to just sit there quietly. The key is always to ask, “What more is there? What is beyond this?” Eventually, there will come a time when there will be nothing more, and it will come as an assurance, an inspiration, that there’s nothing more. When you reach that point, you will know there’s nothing more. But if you are wondering if that’s it, that’s not it.
Self-realization is knowing the Self, knowing what you are, knowing that you are always It. The first step is learning to accept that you are It. You are the Self. Everything that you do and think, everything, is an expression of the Self. That’s a good start.
The purpose of meditation and yoga practice is to have the direct experience of what you are. When you have the direct experience, you will know. It is not a thinking state. It is not a feeling state. It is simply a being state. You will know when you experience it. What you are doing now is learning to remain as the Self and to be appropriate, content, and still while allowing this stillness to pervade your life and the lives of others no matter what’s going on. Even if you are engaged in activity, you can be still. You just know that it is the Self acting—not you.
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