What constitutes a spiritual path

me: My idea is to first know if a path is really needed? As there have been statements like the truth is a pathless path. That makes the whole thing confusing.
Master Akshara: Not really confusing ! Because, to arrive to this understanding of Pathless Path you need a path its more of a paradigm shift in understanding which can be grossly described as 'Path".

From the original thought you had earlier on that spiritual goal is achieved through many paths, then you come to the present understanding that coming is the path actually !

Still I may not agree that you have really come to the pathless land. Because you are 'confused' as you mentioned. Which means you are somewhere on the 'path' still !


me: I do not believe that i have come on the pathless land and that is why i am dwelling a bit on whatever looks like a different path
Master Akshara: That dwelling on various ideas from time to time is the path and the journey too


me: but i have this feeling that a serious deep dive into one may be required. And i think different paths are for different kind of individuals and a specific path may work best for one. How can one figure it out
Master Akshara: First of all do not read the pathless path theory now. Stick to your venture of figuring out the right path. Because the Pathless Path is known only after reaching the destination. Till then the paths DO EXIST.

And there is no exclusive paths for each individual but paths merge and emerge. Its like when you step out of your home you may walk through a small lane which will connect to a main road, then the main road leads to highway and free way. You would be sometimes taking a bus or train and flight..


me: I get that. The only difference is that in the case of travel, the destination is known...here it is unknown. So i can not know what i am choosing is taking me anywhere or not
Master Akshara: There are more differences than what you mentioned here. The destination is 'unknown' only because it is to be achieved in some future point of time.

me: And the path is sort of map to that destination.
Master Akshara: Its both like a map and the actually time and space taken for reaching the goal. The path and journey are inseparable. Never you can travel separately away from the path. Because whatever life has brought you to is the path.


me: Even if the journey is in seemingly diferent directions
Master Akshara: Yes. The conflict in the twisting and turning is in itself the path. Not a pleasant free way but perhaps a choked up gally in Chandni Chowk you can say..still its a path.


me: Swami ji, i understand this and that has been my state till now, personally how do i go to a highway now from this choked gully.
Master Akshara: Going to highway is a sign of more clarity which has happened to you. That is when the confusion about paths and the need to select a path and trying to understand the destination etc. causes the mind to choke and as a result one is stuck up and feel not so much progressed.


me: Agreed swami ji, there is more clarity through the discussions and the quality of life is different due to it... now it is like what next
Master Akshara: What next is exactly the question that creates the 'path'. From here to what next which means...

1. Where do I go from here?
2. How do I go ?
3. How long does it take ?
4. Where will reach?
5. How far is it from here?


me: Swami ji, i am only concerned about "How do i go"
Master Akshara: This thought of going somewhere causes the creation of path.
 

me: So are you implying that i am already on this "path"
Master Akshara: Whatever you have lived till this moment is the path and whatever you are likely to experience further is the path. It is not separable from you, or from your life.

On your path, at this juncture you are chatting up with me. but you think you are yet to select a path.

Everybody is already on the path. They all have come some distance in their lives. Not necessarily in terms of money only as an ordinary mind would mistake.. but its about intellectual growth and emotional maturity and even physical growth, your psychological understandings too have gone through changes. These changes constitute the path


me: I think i am understanding it, whatever be that path...it is very tightly engrained with life itself...not something seperate to be followed as a routine for few moments of time.
Master Akshara: Exactly ! Very well said. So what happens is that you dont scramble to find a path anymore.......and dont even bother to choose between paths (the right and suitable path)........and perhaps you don't bother how to reach the goal too !


me: I think i understand it now, it is not about a specific name of path..it could be anything, a mix or nothing..it is about what growth it is bringing as you mentioned above
Master Akshara: When you have clearly understood that you are on the path from the moment you were born.....and you have always been traveling and journeying......but just that you were NOT aware and at some juncture you meet up some one who points out this truth about path......and upon being aware of it like how you become aware of it now, then that very moment most of the conflicting and confusing thoughts which have been haunting you drops off.


As a result of that you suddenly find yourself airlifted from the Chandni Chowk to a free way and you would be journeying more spontaneously and without much struggle or effort and thats the sign that you have come much closer to the goal.

me: The understanding looks quite simple and yet profound

Do we control our Life?

me: The place we left last time was tough for me to understand, also when you talked about the "decisions happening in present" !!
Master Akshara: Yes ! The so called 'decisions' happen only on the spot. But certainly the universe is not moving in a 'decisive' manner. It is spontaneous and momentary, always new and eternally now.

me: Meaning the future is not at all prepared by anyone and it is kind of painting happening ?
Master Akshara: Yes. Its a ongoing process just like a painting. 'Its always a completed painting but still in the process'. This painting has no start or end.

me: So the question arises, if as an individual i am just ignorant that i am taking a decision in present, then what takes it. The issue for me here is that i like it that the future is not pre decided and i do not like it that i am not the ultimate controller of my decisions in present
Master Akshara: 'You' are not the controller of your life but you can possibly control such a belief that you can control your life.

Nobody controls anything for that matter but it appears to be that way.

me: so are we going towards a collective consciousness ?
Master Akshara: Consciousness is always ONE and perhaps 'collective', it is never divided but for our convenience we always divided it and then try to call it as the collective consciousness by putting all non existing pieces together.

me: ok, i understand. The consciousness is the painter?
Master Akshara: Yes the painter and the painted too and even the canvas and all the colors too
all of them as ONE.

me: So, the next question becomes tough. If there is no individual divided consciousness, then why this individual looking life at all?
Master Akshara: The individual driven life is apparent and a very important aspect of the creation and it is not substantiated with any truth but only a mirage like.

me: The energy force in the humans is this consciousness or something else?
Master Akshara: The energy moves and hence it is an expression of the consciousness and consciousness supports not only life BUT ALSO DEATH.

me: inorganic matter too?
Master Akshara: EVERYTHING IS CONSCIOUSNESS. Including the organic and inorganic.

me: So it is like back to square one for me. Now consciousness is everything, how is this painting unfolding...something i am missing there ??
Master Akshara: Unfolding is like a process. Every moment of it alone is real but there is never a sense of beginning and 'end to this painting any moment is a complete painting already'.

me: so in that terms nothing to achieve for consciousness ?
Master Akshara: Exactly ! Achieve from and for what ?

me: Swami ji, it looks unbelievable today that my individuality does not exist !
Master Akshara: It never existed. But I'm sure the picture is yet to be complete for you. I mean there is just little more distance to go towards the right understanding.

me: of course it is not complete for me...the question is how to reach the truth..not intellectually but really !!!!
Master Akshara: There is nothing wrong with the individuality or the ego. The ego is false only when it does not know its root and try to imagine itself to be independent
of the root called Consciousness or Atman.

When ego(ahamkar) is ignorant of consciousness(atman) then it is a false. But the Truth is when your individuality realized that it does not and cannot function by itself, but only with the back up of the hidden and unknown self.

That realization does not destroy the ego but only modifies your ego little bit which appears like losing the -original- ego and taken some new shape now which is only a addition to ego now unlike before. Earlier on it was only EGO

-> then the search begins by the ego about some Consciousness

-> then EGO is busy trying to remove itself in order to find the CONSCIOUSNESS

-> then it also imagines that it has lost the ego totally and found the consciousness fully (many people believe this way and claim themselves to be enlightened and even teach others the same)

But true realization happens when you (EGO) know that you are not alone but there is some driving force that sustains your life and gives shape to this creation as a whole then without losing the ego or your individuality you simple connect to the underlying force or the Being called Consciousness.

Then what happens is ego + consciousness = awakened you

Ego awakens to the hidden consciousness. In order to awake there has to be a sleeping individual and that individuality is you, then you wake up to the fact
there is something more to you than just what you know now......which means not that you lose what you are now or what you have now but only add the new found thing to you......which as if change the way you presented yourself till then.

So there is never a loss of individuality in the true spiritual awakening.

me: I understand it Swami ji, Now my question is that is consciousness growing...i mean scientifically it is said that universe is expanding and does few people becoming enlightened contribute to it in any ways?
Master Akshara: The expanding of the Universe in a spiritual sense is not like the astronomical expanding. Spiritually speaking, the expansion can be called as 'growth' just the way you grew up these many years, which can also be said as expanded from point A to B.

So It is not spatial or even astronomical but the expansion is more of psychological.

me: so in that way could this growth be called as goal of consciousness ?
Master Akshara: Goal ?

me: lets say consciousness wanting the whole painting and canvas and colors to be aware and thus in a way we can say Goal ?
Master Akshara: Never. Consciousness has no goal or even a path to reach that goal. It does not have an agenda.

me: my question arose as it is said that humans only have this ability to perhaps understand it and still most die without understanding, why this process then ?
Master Akshara: What perhaps is missing in your understanding presently is that the consciousness does not only belong to the 'awakened' ones but also to the ignorant ones too.

In fact Consciousness is both the awakening and the slumbering too. The goal is always the goal and is never to be attained in some distant future. Its always in the attained state.


me: So too consciousness? It does not matter how many get awakened. It is available for both, the difference is in understanding....Swami ji how to bridge the difference. You mentioned the process briefly above when talking of Ego
Master Akshara: From the ego point of view it is a process and from consciousness point of view it just IS simply, there is no process for the consciousness.

me: Swami ji.. i think i understand this Swami ji, can we discuss on the process for the Ego in next chat ?
Master Akshara: Sure Puneet ! we will 'proceed' on the 'path'

What you seek is exactly what IT IS NOW

me: Can enlightenment come without ever seeking it ?
Master Akshara: Basically you should know what is enlightenment first before talking about when it would come.

Unless you have an idea how do you know whats coming ? Or can you tell whats coming is enlightenment ?

me: I do not even use the word "Enlightenment" for the same reason as the word would normally confine to a meaning, which in this case is not true.

swami ji, in other sense i can say that the end of all seeking is enlightenment or attainment of truth
Master Akshara: True


me: but there is a definite quality to this end...kindly specify more on it ?
Master Akshara: When you know what you seek is exactly what IT IS NOW then the search end now or any moment in the NOW then
 

me: It is said that this end may not be always pleasant, the truth could be horrifying or is it possible that a seeker may not be able to handle it properly?
Master Akshara: On the contrary this end is the most pleasant one its a great relief and perhaps you would breath really free for the first time.

You would see life as it is for the first time You would speak, touch hear as if for the first time.


me: so any of such beliefs which may bar seeker from IT are really unfounded and maybe coming from past impressions ?
Master Akshara: Yes from the past impressions which make you imagine about future in a particular way, thus drifting you away from the 'goal' of the here now.
 

me: Also it is said that we should not really seek IT as a 'Goal'. There is very genuine question that why would one then one really go for IT ?
Master Akshara: When you stopped going for IT(Enlightenment) you enter BEING then the being 'becomes' the goal

me: So it becomes a living experience is what i understand !
Master Akshara: Yes. Every moment, moment by moment.

me: Could it be that some people experience IT in moments and it does not become their being, could it be the start of search into spirituality for some ?
Master Akshara: The starting always happens for almost all in the future as a 'future' reality as a distant goal to somehow reach or attain.

me: So is it inbuilt in kind of DNA of humans to reach this 'Goal' or to a few this seeking happens ?
Master Akshara: The DNA must be playing a truant here too, but the DNA of the seeker who would 'attain' does not decide anything by itself, because the DNA itself was built by something else to behave that way.

me: That is amazing direction then, though i used DNA in a generic way, it usually describes the directions in which a body will go in terms of height, health etc and it is predecided as you mentioned...but what i get from here is that is the future direction of life of a human is also pre decided ?
Master Akshara: Pre decided can be a precarious term because when we say 'Pre' then as assume there was a past which decides the future.

But the past is NOT having existence (it is only a memory) and whatever happens is not based on a decision made by something or someone, but it happens and at the time of its happening, the 'decision' also happens, like some kind of on the spot decision.

me: At the time of this happening, probability theory would provide alternates in decision making, so the question is that are these alternates available to a normal unenlightened person?
Master Akshara: To the 'unenlightened', the probabilities always exist. He thrives on them in fact. He does not realize that it is a illusion. He wants to believe that there are many options and ways and paths and he thinks he can choose and follow a path decisively as per his plan.

But his true enlightenment happens only when he wakes up from such a assumed notion or a plain illusory thinking.

me: My understanding was that past karmas or impressions take a person to a particular decision and as an enlightened person is free of karmas, he can take decisions completely in present. But from your answer it looks different. ?
Master Akshara: The 'enlightened' is not some special creature endowed with special power as if he conquered the matrix and exited the time space dimensions. But a simple being waking up from the 'beliefs' and 'notions' about a life trapped in time and space.

He would continue to still live under the influence of time and space but deep within he had already gotten over with both time and space. As a result he seems to have the freedom to live life without any doubts and fears and the seemingly inevitable 'urge' to reach somewhere.