I think it is not a coincidence that to
so many the experience of enlightenment
happened in the suicidal, death-related
thoughts. I think “survival instincts*
are the most basic bondage that exists.
And, as I see it Enlightenment,
Freedom, Liberation basically means
going beyond the survival instincts.
Surrender is basically the letting go
of the survival instincts.
As I see it, all [mental] pain and
suffering, is ultimately linked to the
survival instincts – these desire to
*exist* and after letting go that
desire, the freedom is felt for the
first time. Moreover, this letting go
of survival instincts needs to be
really genuine and not a just a “trick”
or “shortcut” to achieve the ultimate
goal. That is the reason, that while
many long time spiritual seekers in
spite of many attempts of pretended
“surrender” – some seemingly non-
spiritual people experience amazing
Clarity and Freedom in the face of Death.
Further, I think the basic approach,
which is pretty much used world over
and across the culture, and, which is
called “Wake Up” – is wrong and
misleading. Because, only one which can
hear, interpret “wake up” and can
attempt to “wake up” is the ‘mind’, the
‘ego’ and by further ‘waking it up’;
the basic problem is only intensified.
In order for the clarity to shine, the
survival, me-centric ‘mind’ needs to
‘sleep’ [, if not die,] and not “wake
up”. The Truth is to found by its
returning to THE SOURCE – to the place
where I “came from” and it is not a
destination that it can reach forward.
And, it can RETURN to the source by
ceasing to exist… or, by at least
Sleeping!
Therefore, Gorakh is right when he says:
Die O Yogi Die
And, it is no surprise that Ramana
experienced *reality* amidst of
thoughts of impending death and Tolle
experienced it amidst suicidal
thoughts. It is also therefore no
surprise that nonduality calls Deep
Dreamless Sleep, the purest state –
and, you reach there by putting that
which has *woken up* to *sleep* and not
by “waking it up” even Further!
आनन्दधारा आध्यात्मिक मंच एवं वार्षिक पत्रिका 