From: classics@crash.cts.com (Baruch Schwartz)
Subject: The mind and the ego
Organization: CTS Network Services (crash, ctsnet), El Cajon, CA
Date: 15 Nov 92 21:09:48 PST

The following excerpt is from Babaji-The Divine Himalayan Yogi.

                         THE WORLD AND THE MIND


B: What is this world?
MB: This world is nothing but Sound (inner Sound: OM, Aum, Amen, Amin) and its 
permutations. The world consists of the objects of the five sense organs. When 
your mind is aware of these five sensations through the five senses, then you 
see this world. When this is the case, how can the world consist of other than 
the mind? This world is relative. It is relative to the knowing mind. When you 
see this world, you behave and try to prove it to be real. But every time you 
seek to prove its reality, it is mocking at you, if you first do not know 
yourself. How can the knowledge of an object arising in relative existence to 
the seeker who does not know the Truth about himself or herself (the Knower) be 
real knowledge? When you know perfectly the Truth behind yourself (the Subject),
ignorance, relative knowledge and knowledge itself (these three states which are
immersed in illusion) will cease automatically. Only then will you be perfectly 
established in absolute Knowledge or Truth.

B: When does this world show first appear before us?
MB: When you wake up from sleep, a light appears which is the Light of the Self, 
and passes through cosmic   Consciousness.
"I am the light of the world [i.e., of the cosmos."]    John 9:5
The Light falls on the ego and is reflected from there. Due to the reflected 
light, the body and the world appear, and are perceived by an act of the mind. 
When your mind is illumined with this Light, the mind is aware of this world, 
and, as a result, you see this world. When your mind is not illumined, it is not
aware of the world. In fact, you see the objects of the world by forgetting your
own Self. If you hold onto the Self, you will not be able to see the objective 
world. This is certain.

B: Is this world real?
MB: If you make an honest inquiry about whether the mind exists, you will find 
that the mind does not exist. It is merely a myth. If you seek to know what this
mind is, you will find that mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts, and 
thoughts cannot exist except for the ego, who is the very dear friend of almost 
everyone. But if you seek to know wherefrom Mr. Ego arises, then the other 
thoughts simply will disappear, as they are unreal. So you see, the mind, 
thoughts and ego all are myth, and, therefore, non-existent. Because you have 
taken them to be true and existent, you are troubling yourself. When the world 
is the reflection of the mind and the mind is non-existent, how can the world be
real?

B: Can you explain with an example?
MB: Suppose a figure appears who watches the actions of the whole world on a 
movie screen. Can you discern the reality behind the subject and object in that 
show? You know very well an illusory man watches an illusory world. You and this 
world are as real as the movie figures.

B: You said the world and the mind are relative; you also said that the world is
the reflection of the mind, and that the world and the mind are synonymous. Will
you please comment on this?

MB: It is useless to talk about this world, saying that it is illusory, that it 
is an appearance, or manifold. The world and the mind rise and set together as 
one. But of these two, the objective world owes its appearance to the mind 
alone. These two are inseparable, rising and setting in one infinite, pure 
Consciousness which never moves (rising or setting). This Consciousness is the 
Self.

B: How does one realize the Self?
MB: If you make an honest inquiry regarding the mind, then automatically you 
will turn away from this world or the mind, and during that inquiry, you will 
find that thoughts are disappearing. You will end in the discovery of something 
within you which is behind your own mind. It is the pure Consciousness of the 
Self.

B: What is the relationship between the mind and the Self?
MB: You will realize in the inquiry that the mind has no independent existence. 
The Self exists without the  mind, never the mind without the Self. As is your 
mind, so is the world for you.

Copyright 1992 The Sanskrit Classics

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