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Sleep is a symbol for ignorance, and tamasic persons are ignorant, not only ofthe Self but also of themselves and goings-on in the world.Tamas, all that is heavy and sleeping in nature, is the power of inertiaand entropy inherent in things. Physical substance, solidity, substantiality,and insentiency evolve from Tamas. An indispensable force, it is responsiblefor the most universally loved and necessary activity - sleep. Without it themind would never rest and the organism would die.On a psychological level, moderate Tamas conduces to a practicalearthy intelligence, a preponderance to ignorance, dullness, inadvertence,lethargy, depression, and sloth. Just as Rajas is responsible for the universaltendency to project, Tamas is responsible for an equally universal tendency -veiling or denial. When the mind sits under its delusory cloud, the soul can'tdistinguish between the real and unreal, nor accurately assess its ownstrengths and weaknesses, nor keep the mind fixed on goals. Apreponderantly tamasic mind is spiritually useless because its heavy cloudscover the luminous nature of the mind, making meditation and Selfrealization impossible.Tamas inspires the tendency to escape one's duties and responsibilities,discourages ambitious undertakings, and leads to a sensuous, inadvertent andmiserable life, one plagued by accidents, losses, and mistakes. An excess ofTamas in the subtle body creates conditions suitable for disease because itblocks the flow of shakti, the energizing and healing power of the Self, to thephysiological and cellular levels.When the gunas are balanced, the body and mind are healthy and thesoul relatively happy. Unfortunately the gunas are in a state of continualflux; one predominates for a few hours, then a second, and finally a third, sothat throughout the day one may experience intense activity, moments ofclarity, and mind-numbing dullness.Experience has demonstrated a direct connection between mental andemotional pain and a predominance of Rajas and Tamas relative to Sattva.Because the mind is the instrument of meditation and knowledge, it has alsobeen noted that a preponderance of the light element is conducive tomeditation and Self realization. When the mind is covered with tamasicclouds perception is veiled and knowledge, therefore, inaccurate. Like astrong wind rajasic projections whip the mind into frenzied waves, distortingperception and knowledge.Three buckets of water stand in front of a white wall. The sun reflectsoff the water producing three reflected suns on the wall. A strong windroiling the contents of the first bucket produces a dancing image of the sun68
on the wall. The second, filled with muddy water, produces a dull dark spot,and the third containing clear and still water generates an accurate reflectionof the sun. If the purpose of meditation is Self realization and the mind is theinstrument through which the Self is known, it stands to reason that accurateidentification of the Self depends on a clear still mind.PURE MINDExperience has proven an ironclad connection between the state ofpositive happiness and a pure mind, one capable of channeling Self bliss intothe emotional plane, reflecting Self intelligence off the intellectual plane,uplifting and divinizing thought, and pouring the shakti into the body tocreate radiant health and a dynamic life.When the meditator consistently feels a sense of uncaused happinessand unexplained peace the mind is pure. Happiness can't be attributed to aspecific situation, change in status, person or persons, belief or belief system,the presence or absence of a physical object, or any other worldly item.Secondly, a pure mind is free of the belief that attainment of objects oraccomplishment of activities will increase one’s sense of well-being. Desireis no longer compulsive, indicating that Rajas has been reduced to amanageable level. Because Tamas is controlled, perception is accurate andknowledge true to its object, allowing the individual to make decisions basedon fact, and not on unconscious projections. Finally, spontaneous and deepmeditations happen automatically, or are produced with minimum effort.Complete purification of Rajas and Tamas is neither possible nordesirable. A small proportion of Tamas is necessary for groundingexperience, both worldly and spiritual, and a larger proportion of Rajasunderwrites the vitality necessary to purify the mind. But the aim of allspiritual and religious work is to see that the lion's share of the mind issattvic. A sattvic mind is meditation-worthy, capable of discriminative Selfinquiry.A SIMPLE TECHNIQUEThe verse asks the meditator to “meditate with unswerving attention onthe Self.” Practiced properly the following technique will introduce themeditator to the Self.69
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SELF-KNOWLEDGE"I am composing this
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REMOVING THE WALLIf happiness or un
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"Action cannot remove ignorancefor
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lowing blissful cosmic experiences,
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Something tells me this knowledge s
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ody.We aren’t our feelings and em
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The belief that I am a waker comes
Page 18 and 19: If I’m the sleeper ego, the bliss
Page 20 and 21: itself out and disappears back into
Page 22 and 23: imaginations; ego, filled with self
Page 24 and 25: The next few days saw many experien
Page 26 and 27: here, however, the subtle part, the
Page 28 and 29: state manifests as awareness and ac
Page 30 and 31: At this point in the text the “No
Page 32 and 33: time when it was appropriate? Greed
Page 34 and 35: Simply knowing that everything is a
Page 36 and 37: in the light of the Self.”(19)Tho
Page 38 and 39: ationalized or self-validating cred
Page 40 and 41: through which the Enlightened Being
Page 42 and 43: Of course the idea of a deluded Sel
Page 44 and 45: Since ultimately all transactions,
Page 46 and 47: Nearly everyone has, at moments of
Page 48 and 49: The complex process of experience i
Page 50 and 51: can't. The creative process is, acc
Page 52 and 53: eautifully mixed by the Mind (see "
Page 54 and 55: (Intellect's preoccupation with the
Page 56 and 57: attentioninwardsubtle bodystilledag
Page 58 and 59: attitudes, especially those which e
Page 60 and 61: specific results. For example, we t
Page 62 and 63: DESIRE IS STRESSOne major source of
Page 64 and 65: Meditation and Self knowledge go ha
Page 66 and 67: Put together, the sattvic elements
Page 70 and 71: THE BODYNo particular physical posi
Page 72 and 73: THE BREATHThe breath, as you’ve u
Page 74 and 75: If the ego insists on intruding, ma
Page 76 and 77: of objects in the Self alone and ex
Page 78 and 79: (40)One symptom of enlightenment si
Page 80 and 81: “As dawn dispels darkness before
Page 82 and 83: Listen carefully to the next conver
Page 84 and 85: This, the last, and the next five v
Page 86 and 87: Imagine Consciousness arranged in l
Page 88 and 89: nothing more is to be seen, and whi
Page 90 and 91: The word, it is said, "killeth." Ho
Page 92 and 93: agitationattentionfactor“Third Ey
Page 94: OM TAT SAT94
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