THE REALITY BEYOND....................

In ancient days there was a wise householder named Yajnavalka who had attained to the highest Knowledge.
His wife Maitreyi also was greatly devoted to the spiritual idea. 
   The time came for this sage to renounce the world; so he called his wife to him and said  :

" My dear, I am resolved to begin a life of renuciation. I proposed, therefore, to hand over all my property to you."

The wife replied," My lord, If I possess all your wealth, shall I also attain immortality?" " NO " answered the sage,"Your life would be that of the rich, and none can possibly hope to gain immortality through wealth." To this the wife rejoined, " Then what need have I of wealth? I would rather learn about the way to immortality."

In this reply, the sage delivered a famous discourse ;

" Dear, to me you have always been,Maitreyi (friendly), and the time has come for me to reveal to you that TRUTH which is nearest to my heart. Come and sit beside me, and I will explain to you.

 It is not for the sake of husband, my beloved,that the husband is dear, but for the sake of the self. 

It is not for the sake of the wife,my beloved,that the wife is dear but for the sake of the self. 

It is not for the sake of the children, my beloved, that the children are dear, but the sake of the self.

It is not for the sake of the creatures,my beloved, that the creatures are dear,

The Self is to be known.

Hear about it,reflect upon it,meditate on it.

By knowing the self,through hearing,reflection,meditating,one comes to know the self.

There is no existence apart from self.

Know the Self.

As a lump of salt thrown into water cannot be taken out, and wheresoever we test,the water is salty, so even does the individual self dissolve into the Eternal Consciousness.

Individuality arises by the identification of the self,through ignorance, with the elements; and with the disappearance of consciousness of the many, in divine illumination, it disappears.

Where there is realisation of the Self,individuality is no more.

That is it, my beloved, that I wanted to tell you."

The wife did not understand, so she rejoined: "You say that where there is consciousness of the Supreme Self , individuality is no more. This confuses me."

The sage replied; "Let nothing I have said  confuse you. Only meditate well upon the truth that I have spoken. As long as there is duality one sees the other, knows the other; but the illumined soul knows that everything is dissolved in the Self. Then, who is there to be thought of and by whom? Who shall be knower and what is the known? The Self is described as 'not this ,not this.' It cannot be comprehended. It never attaches, Itself,for it is never bound. By whom, then, shall the knower be known? This is the truth of immortality. You will fnd immortality only in the Supreme Self."

Adventures in Religious life--Swami vereshwaranandji

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