Achariya Ajay Jeffrey Bauer
Speaks on "REALIZATION OF THE SELF"
Sunday, January 11, 2015 at 11:00am
"Lead us from the unreal to the real, From darkness to light, From death to immortality."
— "Brhadaraṇyaka Upanishad"
Since the dawn of civilization the evolution of humankind can be understood as the continuing search for that which is real. Both science and religion have had, and continue to have, the pursuit and understanding of “reality” as their primary goal. What is the ultimate reality of this universe? It is God, Sat-Chit-Anandam, Consciousness-Existence-Bliss Absolute. The entire manifested universe is projected from that one Absolute Reality. Realization means “to make real”. Self-realization means perceiving God the Absolute as the ultimate reality of our being.
—Acharya Ajay
From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM
Behold the forms of creation. From what have they come? When they vanish, to what realm do they go? Close your eyes and contemplate the Source. All that is visible to you, all thought and all feeling as well, have come out of that Source. Do not be afraid of formlessness. It is the Reality that has given you life. By its existence, intelligence and perfection all your noble aspirations will be realized. Into that Reality alone you are bound. You meditate that your whole life will steadily, joyfully, radiantly emerge into the pure consciousness of its transcendental being.
—Swami Kamalananda, “Reflections on Still Waters”
"Realization of the Self is the highest ideal of man. Self is pure, Self is perfect. It is not defiled by the limitations of mind and body. Every man is the Self. The realization of the Self reveals Wisdom-Existence-Bliss Absolute."
—Swami Premananda, “Realization of the Self”
"The Eternal Father, God, Swami Parambrahma, is the only Real Substance (Sat) and is all in all in the universe."
—Swami Sri Yukteswar, “The Holy Science”
Noble Thoughts: ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)
"What is, tell me, the absolute reality That leaves no room for any doubt whatsoever?
Listen carefully! Stop becoming attached to this or that, And, dwelling in your true absolute nature, Take pleasure peacefully in the reality of the world!"
—Abhinavagupta, in Daniel Odier, "Tantra"
"The individual soul has to change the human or egoistic for the divine, supreme and universal view and live in that realization. It is necessary, therefore, to have the knowledge of the Transcendental Self, the sole unity, in the equation so'ham, I am He, and in that knowledge to extend one's conscious existence so as to embrace the whole Multiplicity.
All parts of the lower being must consent to this realization; to perceive with the intellect is not enough. The heart must consent in a universal love and delight, the sense-mind in a sensation of God and self everywhere, the life in the comprehension of all aims and energies in the world as part of its own being."
—Sri Aurobindo, "Isha Upanishad", translation and analysis
"Multiply the efforts of the ordinary person a hundredfold, and you can actually master this Tao. Even if you are ignorant you will become enlightened, even if you are weak you will become strong—no one who has done this has ever failed to reach the realm of profound attainment of self- realization."
—Liu I Ming, in Andrew Harvey, "The Essential Mystics"