Genuine non-dual teachings do not say there is no right or wrong or no good or bad at the relative level of phenomenal objects.
On the relative level there are clearly some things that are more desirable in society than others, and some actions that are more harmonious and constructive than others.
This should be obvious in any clear-thinking human being that has not been brainwashed by an ideology.
Genuine non-dual teachings always encourage ethical and responsible behaviour.
Anything else, such as the notion that relatively speaking there is no right or wrong or good or bad, is just pure conceptual intellectualism, an erroneous pit of conceptual belief
🙏❤️
Author: Tom Das
Non-Duality is NOT total acceptance of everything!
Q. Non-dual means total acceptance of everything. Everything!
Tom: No, that is just acceptance (of duality), for the ego-mind. ‘Everything’ means duality and multiplicity, and ‘accept’ means an action for the ego. (Note that practising acceptance can be a wonderful practise for some – that this can be a wonderful practise is not being denied here)
Even if we talk about the innate acceptance of awareness spontaneously ‘accepting’ all phenomena, there is still a subtle duality there.
Q. How so?
Tom: There is still the duality of awareness on one hand, and the phenomena which rise and fall within it on the other. That is still a duality, albeit a more subtle one. Non-duality is much much deeper that this, much more profound, and in its essence, much simpler too.
Genuine non-duality cannot be reduced to merely accepting whatever happens as it happens. Genuine non-duality is a shining sun, blissful, infinite, beyond all comprehension. In non-duality there is no ‘everything’ to accept, nor any entity that could accept.
It is the cessation of all phenomena, suffering and duality. There is no separation, nor any appearance of separation.
It is bliss and beyond words, infinite and bright, prior to and beyond both birth and death.
It is your true nature.
Turn within, humbled, with love and heartfelt earnest devotion and surrender, armed with and surrounded by Bhagavan’s (The Beloved’s) Grace, and discover what you truly are.
🙏❤️
The ‘great secret’ which many non-dual teachings do not mention
Q. Today after meditation I find myself again in a non dual state, completely present and not separate. So why does anger, irritation, fear, loneliness, sadness etc still arise?
Tom: There is a “great secret’ which many non-dual teachings do not mention, and without this vital teaching, liberation will not occur for most (for some this teaching can occur spontaneously without it being taught, but for most it will need to be taught outright).
The reason disturbances and difficulties keep on coming back is this. However when the mind first hears this teaching, it may often resist it based on what it thinks it knows about non-duality. So it is important to keep an open mind when reading about these teachings, otherwise your mind, due to its beliefs and conditioning (eg. about the nature of non-duality and non-dual teachings), will not allow you to see the truth or effectiveness of what is being presented.
The key teaching seldom taught is this: it is that you will never attain liberation as long as you stay on the level of objects (savikalpa, which means on the level of objects).
This is why all the great sages and great teachers, and all the ancient non-dual teachings recommend that the mind should go within, away from objects, which is called ‘nirvikalpa’ (without objects), and discover the self or your true nature within.
Then, and only then is the genuine non duality reached in which suffering and egotism never returns. Otherwise these both keep on returning, together with the associated frustration and bemusement.
I explain this in more detail in this video here below. Please also see the introductory articles on tomdas.com together with the recommended reading list which go into more detail. The rest of the website goes on to answer almost every single question you can have on this path. All the teachings are available for free 🙏
Here is the video, please take a look if you want to know more:
https://youtu.be/s9LgE9u6PhI?si=25hBbMfLdYZ-lud7
The excellent path ‘Who Am I?’ (Parts 1 and 2) | Self-Enquiry guidance and support| Ramana Maharshi
After the invocation to Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, Tom offers a vital talk on what Ramana discovered as the foremost path of all — Self-Inquiry, the question “Who am I?”.
He invites us to reflect: What path are we really following? With vivid metaphors and images, Tom illuminates how the practice of Self-Inquiry is unlike any other activity, spiritual or worldly. Instead of planning, scheming, playing, creating… we turn toward the “I” itself — the doer we believe ourselves to be. This is the source of all problems, the very root of suffering.
Though this is deeply challenging for the mind, Tom reminds us that awakening to our true nature is the freedom we long for. Nothing special is required; by opening up to the question, “Who Am I?” along with sacred silence and Bhagavan’s grace, liberation shines and delusion and ignorance are seen to have never occurred.
Here is Part 1:
In this second part, Tom responds with clarifications and pointers to help deepen understanding. If you have your own reflections or questions, you’re welcome to share them in the comments below.
Here is part 2:
What is Spirit? Spirituality defined
Q. What does spiritual mean to you? What does the word mean? And what is spirit?
Tom: to me spirit means something ineffable that you are. Or it can mean the ineffable divine power that is within you and all around you, that moves all and can also teach you and guide you.
Both are ultimately the same.
Spiritual means pertaining to spirit.
Ultimately spirituality means to know yourself as you truly are (ie. as spirit)
Q. Thanks for your reply, there Tom! Would you say that, ‘Energy, Vibration, Frequency’, fits the description you commented?
Tom: I prefer not to use any of those words to describe spirit, for they pertain to movement and form, whereas spirit is ineffable and beyond movement or form.
🙏
Ramana said everything you need to know for liberation is in this text
Sri Ramana Maharshi said everything you need to know for liberation is in this text, and he even translated it himself.
(It seems that some people are unaware that Ramana Maharshi wrote a translation of the entirety of Shankara’s text Vivekachudamani, a relatively short and accessible masterpiece that has guided spiritual seekers for over 1400 years. As far as I know, Ramana Maharshi’s translation of this text was his first and longest spiritual written work.)
I’ve collated a bunch of free resources together for those who are interested, see here for more:
The Sage or Guru is the form of Ultimate Reality
“Those who say that the reality has no form are those who do not know the reality. For the form of the Sage [sahaja nishta] who correctly knows and abides in the reality, Self, the nature of which is like the [all- pervading] nature of space, is verily the form of the reality. Know this.”
Sri Ramana Maharshi, Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 656
Commentary by Sri Muruganar:
Through this verse, Sri Bhagavan disproves the saying, ‘The reality has no form’. How? Since the Sage [sahaja nishtha] who has known the reality as it is, is none other than the reality, He Himself is the very form of that reality. This is what is meant by saying, ‘Jnani Himself is Self’. Sri Muruganar here refers to the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 7, verse 18, in which Sri Krishna says that the Jnani is Atma.
Humility, Vulnerability, Surrender and GRACE | Holy Bhagavan Sri Ramana, the Self Within! Bhakti, poetry
by Tom Das
(Please see if the following is helpful for you…)
Total and utter humility and total self-honesty are keys to liberation:
Realise how fragile you are, how little you really know, and how vulnerable you are to suffering.
Your beliefs, your ego, your defences, your conceit and your thought patterns convince you that you will be safe, that you can weather the storm…but admit the truth! That you are totally helpless and totally vulnerable to immense suffering and calamity. Admit it.
At any moment you are liable to crack open, break down and become a nervous wreck. Be truthful with yourself – admit it.
So…
Instead…
Be small, be vulnerable, be humble…
And then you can,
With tears of pining despair flowing,
Admit how much you want to be with HIM,
SAFE IN HIS ARMS:
Take refuge in HIM
– only in HIM are you safe:
Withdraw from the many objects into the SUBJECT,
HIM,
– ‘Out there it is unsafe’…
Therefore,
Timid, vulnerable, cowing,
Withdraw within,
Fearful and quivering,
TAKE REFUGE in HIS PRESENCE
Wherein he will cleanse you and MAKE YOU WHOLE.
Guru Bhavagan Sri Ramana has told us:
“O heart of mine, it is not wise to stay out.
Safe it is to stay within. Conceal yourself from maya
Which plans to draw you out to destroy you.
Stay within.”
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 187)
and
“For those who ever think of and cling to the Feet of
the Sadguru, who is the blazing flame of pure Jnana,
through the Grace obtained by such Guru-bhakti, their
minds will become clear and they will achieve Mei-
Jnana [True Knowledge].”
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 305)
Abide with HIM, the SELF within,
Immerse yourself in HIS GRACE,
Drown and anihilate your ego-self, the SOLUTE
in HIM, the DIVINE SOLVENT.
As Guru Bhavagan Sri Ramana has told us:
“Worship of [ie. surrender to] the Feet of the Guru,
with Guru-bhakti, is the real mantra, which will
destroy all the rising vasanas and bestow Jnana,
in which there will be no fear of Maya’s delusion.
Thus should you know.”
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 306)
You – the ego – who are the source of all suffering and pain,
DISSOLVE YOURSELF in HIM
So that ONLY HIS RADIANT PRESENCE remains
Abiding silently as SELF WITHIN
is to BE WITH HIM
-This is the highest WORSHIP OF HIM
As Bhagavan Sri Ramana says:
“Extinguishing the triple fire,
The Guru’s Feet have given us shelter.
To abide there and control the mind
From craving for the world of sense
Is worship of those Flowery Feet.“
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 318)
Do NOT allow the world to take you away from him
Do NOT allow the world to prevent you from BEING WITH HIM
Do NOT allow the world to prevent you from BEING IN HIS BLISSFULL EMBRACE
Do NOT allow the world to prevent you from WORSHIPPING HIM EVERY SPARE SECOND YOU HAVE
Do NOT allow your thoughts to take you away from HIM
Do NOT allow your thoughts to prevent you from WORSHIPPING HIM IN SILENT BLISS
Do NOT allow your thoughts to stop you WITHDRAWING INTO YOURSELF and taking HIM AS REFUGE
Tell yourself:
I will NOT allow the world to take me away from HIM
I will NOT allow my thoughts to take me away from HIM
I will NOT allow the mind and world to take me away from MY WORSHIP OF HIM,
MY BEAUTIFUL REFUGE WITHIN
BE WITH HIM
Be in his PRESESNCE
BE STILL
and
BE WITH HIM
DISSOLVE YOURSELF IN HIM
So ONLY HE,
The Residue,
Remains.
Tell yourself:
I will allow myself to DISSOLVE IN HIM until ONLY HE REMAINS
Holy Mount Arunachala,
The FORM OF THE SELF,
Holy BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA,
The FORM OF THE SELF,
May I gaze upon thy form,
outwardly and inwardly,
May I take refuge in thee,
May I entrust myself to your BLISSFULL EMBRACE,
WITHIN
And become one with YOU
Destroying myself
Discovering myself
So that only YOU remain
As Maha Guru Sri Bhagavan says:
“By coming near to the Sadguru
and by depending completely upon His Grace,
with great Guru bhakti,
one will have no misery in this world
and will live like Indra.”
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 324)
!Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya Om!
!Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya Om!
!Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya Om!
The Infinite I AM conference – watch free this Saturday with Tom Das
THIS SATURDAY – FREE TO WATCH LIVE
Just a reminder that I will be speaking here at this conference on Sat 15th Nov 16:30pm GMT – it’s FREE to attend the event live.There are many other speakers too and the conference starts on Friday, all are free to watch live, do join us!
Please click on this link* to register to attend:
https://the-infinite-i-am-conference.heysummit.com/?sc=xI8mSzLf&ac=wJqbtObV
*This is an affiliate link, so clicking on the link will support my attendence at the conference and I will receive some commision from any purchases made.
Namaste
Tom
🙏🙏🙏
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: in self-realisation there is no perception of a body, mind or world | Ajata | Advaita Vedanta | Maya and illusion
The following quotes are all from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (NM), taken from the book ‘I Am That’ by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
NM gave many different teachings, depending on the level of the seeker and the context. The ego-mind often clings to the lower teachings for safety and security – here only the higher teachings are included, so please only read the following if you have a deep and sincere interest in liberation.
If you read carefully, you will see the following themes stated and expounded by NM:
- The self-realised jnani has no consciousness of having a body.
- The self-realised jnani has no consciousness of a world or phenomena arising.
- The apparent consciousness of the world is only due to ignorance, also known as the ‘I thought’ or the ‘I am the body sense’. This ignorance is also known as ‘imagination’, ‘illusion’, ‘ego’ or ‘the mind’.
- Ignorance of what you truly are projects the (false) appearance of a world, which includes the appearance of the body-mind and world. These do not appear to a jnani.
- All conversation, teachings, words and thoughts are in illusion only, as are all teachers. Similarly, birth and death only (appear to) exist for the ignorant.
These are of course the Ajata teachings, and you can read about them here in this article and also in the introductory articles on the tomdas.com homepage.
Some may say that this notion of liberation is not appealing at all (for the ego-mind), but of course it is actually everything you are looking for and more. It is the treasure found within, this is the ‘kingdom of God’ within us. Anything less and the seeking, the doubts and the sense of ego will not end, and so suffering and duality will continue; hence the value of these teachings in reminding us to continue to go further with our sadhana until all objective phenomena have dissolved rather than stop prematurely.
Many of these quotes below are also found in the wonderful book The Seven Steps to Awakening, one of the best books ever written on self-realisation and liberation. This book goes much further than this article and clearly describes other aspects of the teaching including the method by which self-realisation can be attained.
Here are the quotes from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj:
The body and mind are only symptoms of ignorance, of misapprehension.
——-
He who knows the state in which there is neither the world nor the thought of it, he is the Supreme Teacher.
——-
What do you know of me, when even my talk with you is in your world only?
——-
NM: The body appears in your mind; in my mind nothing is.
Q: Do you mean to say you are quite unconscious of having a body?
NM: On the contrary, I am conscious of not having a body.
Q: I see you smoking!
NM: Exactly so. You see me smoking. Find out for yourself how did you come to see me smoking, and you will easily realize that it is your ‘I am the body’ state of mind that is responsible for this ‘I see you smoking’ idea.
——-
Nothing dies. The body is just imagined. There is no such thing.
——-
In my world nothing happens
——-
Without imagination there is no world.
——-
If you seek real happiness, unassailable and unchangeable, you must leave the world with its pains and pleasures behind you.
——-
You are neither the body nor in the body – there is no such thing as body
——-
NM: My world is real, while yours is made of dreams
Q: Yet we are talking.
NM: The talk is in your world. In mine – there is eternal silence. My silence sings, my emptiness is full, I lack nothing. You cannot know my world until you are there.
——-
It is not at all as you imagine and I am not bound by your imaginings.
——-
Q. If all that passes has no being, then the universe has no being either
NM: Who ever denies it? Of course the universe has no being.
——-
In reality, nothing ever happens.
——-
No doubt imagination is richly creative. Universe within universe are built on it. Yet they are all in space and time, past and future, which just do not exist.
——-
In pure consciousness nothing ever happens
——-
The moment you allow your imagination to spin, it at once spins out a universe.
——-
There is no body, nor a world to contain it; there is only a mental condition, a dreamlike state, easy to dispel by questioning its reality.
——-
All experience is born of imagination; I do not imagine, so no birth or death happens to me.
——-
To take appearance for reality is a grievous sin and the cause of all calamities
——-
It is by your consent that the world exists. Withdraw your belief in its reality and it will dissolve like a dream.
——-
What is real is nameless and formless.
——-
Do understand that what you think to be the world is your own mind
——-
I take my stand where no difference exists, where things are not, nor the minds that create them. There I am at home.
——-
All thinking is in duality. In identity [Tom: ie. self realisation] no thought surives
——-
Now go within, into a state in which you may compare to a state of waking sleep, in which you are aware of yourself, but not of the world. In that state you will know, without the least trace of doubt, that at the root of your being you are free and happy.
——-
To know yourself, turn your attention away from the world and turn it within.
——-
The world appears to you so overwhelmingly real, because you think of it all the time; cease thinking of it and it will dissolve into thin mist.
——-
To see what Sri Ramana Maharshi thought of the same Ajata teachings please see this article here.
This article here also goes into what Shankara wrote on these Ajata teachings.
Tom Das 