ENLIGHTENMENT

The Sage does not care where he or she is. It's all the same. A true Sage does not have to travel everywhere, trying to pick up devotees, or disciples. Couldn't care less if anybody heard of him or her. Never looking for name or fame. Not really interested in publishing books, putting out tapes, making him or herself well known all over the world, so people can come. A true Sage just doesn't care about these things, because there's no self left to care about these things. The ego has been totally transcended. There is no ego that needs to do anything. That is why Ramana Maharshi never left Tiruvannamalai, Arunachala. There is nowhere to go. It's all the same.

Robert Adams

“The highest teaching in the world is silence – there is nothing higher than this.

A devotee who sits in the company of the sage purifies his mind just by being with him. The mind automatically becomes quieter. No words are necessary. Silence is the ultimate reality and everything in this world exists through silence.

This means, literally, going deep inside yourself to the dwelling where nothing is happening; this place transcends time and space. This is a brand new dimension of nothingness. That is our real home and the place to which we actually belong. In this state, there is only deep silence – there is no good, no bad and no state of trying to achieve anything. It is a state of pure being.

The ultimate freedom is to reach this state of deep silence in which you transcend your body, your affairs and the universe.

The other lesson to be learnt is that you are real. What you appear to be is false. Identify yourself with the real you and not the false you. Do not accept everything that you see as reality.

The only freedom that you have is to turn within. One day, you will awaken from this dream, for this is also a dream, and you will be free, liberated. There is no such thing as birth or death. Nobody is born, nobody dies and nobody prevails in between. Nothing that appears exists. Only the Self exists. All this is the Self and I am that. You are the absolute reality. You are consciousness, emptiness, and sat-chit-ananda – existence, consciousness, bliss – that is your true nature. Why not abide in it and be free? Empty your mind and become still; everything will happen of its own accord. There is really nothing that you have to do – just be still. Be still and know that ‘I AM’, God. ‘I AM’ is the Self. Accept that and be free.”

– Robert Adams

"The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment, and the ego likes to keep it that way,

BUT IT IS SIMPLY YOUR NATURAL STATE OF FELT ONENESS WITH BEING.

It is a state of connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible, something that, almost paradoxically, is essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form."

~ Eckhart Tolle

“DO NOT THINK THAT ENLIGHTENMENT IS GOING TO MAKE YOU SPECIAL, IT’S NOT.

If you feel special in any way, then enlightenment has not occurred. I meet a lot of people who think they are enlightened and awake simply because they have had a very moving spiritual experience. They wear their enlightenment on their sleeve like a badge of honor. They sit among friends and talk about how awake they are while sipping coffee at a cafe.

The funny thing about enlightenment is that when it is authentic, there is no one to claim it.

Enlightenment is very ordinary; it is nothing special. Rather than making you more special, it is going to make you less special. It plants you right in the center of a wonderful humility and innocence. Everyone else may or may not call you enlightened, but when you are enlightened the whole notion of enlightenment and someone who is enlightened is a big joke.

I use the word enlightenment all the time; not to point you toward it but to point you beyond it. Do not get stuck in enlightenment.”

~ Adyashanti

BHAGAVAN'S DARSHAN

“I was fortunate to get Sri Ramana Maharshi's darshan through my guru Vasishta Ganapati Muni. This was in Samvat 1974, corresponding to 1917. The impact was so powerful that I wrote 'Ramana Vibhakti Ashtaka' wherein I have drawn a picture of Sri Maharshi's state of samadhi and his real 'swarupa' form. By reading it one can have a real mental darshan, a vision of the Maharshi's supreme state. 

He has reached a state beyond all the four ashramas and therefore is called 'Ativarnasrami' or one who has transcended all the ashramas. He is firmly established in the state of sahaja samadhi or steady Self-abidance. He is free from all thoughts, desirable or undesirable, happy or unhappy etc. Erudite scholars, great yogis, and saints seek his company fascinated by his divine Self-knowledge. 

The benefit derived from Sri Maharshi's darshan and his teachings is immense, wonderful and beyond description. This fact can be realized by experience only. His very sight removes all doubts from one’s mind. His eyes always glitter in spotless light, full of peace and pure love. Like gods, his eyes are without constant action of opening and closing and are always open with no visible cause for doing so. 

Even though his eyes are wide open, they remain very steady and introverted, fixed in the Self alone. In other words, he does not see external objects with a desire to get any impression from them. He is always absorbed in the Heart, in the state of silence. He is ever reveling in the spontaneous joy of the Heart. On account of his divine Self-knowledge and supreme peace, his lotus-like lips look always pleasing to the eyes. Serenity is writ large on his face. The mere sight of it gives exceeding joy to everyone. 

His natural samadhi resembles the waking state but is itself sleep for he is in the state of natural rest. To sit and gaze at his motionless, peaceful and pleasing countenance itself is an act of true worship. By getting his divine sight people forget the world itself. They do not feel the pangs of hunger and thirst. The feelings of anger, hatred, etc., also subside. They become so engrossed in its sweetness that they do not like to leave his presence. All efforts to get Sri Maharshi to look at us during his introverted state prove futile. Many persons try to catch his eye in various manners like prayer but the Maharshi's introversion never wavers even for a moment. It is evident that it is not an artificial state brought about by sadhana or spiritual practice. It is a state arising from constant awareness of his true being. 

When he comes out of his inner state of his own accord all questions put to him are answered. Sri Maharshi's voice is as melodious and soft as that of a child. It is exceedingly sweet and at times it is so low-toned that it is not even heard clearly. It must be heard with full attention. When we hear his voice we feel as if we hear a divine and subtle voice coming across the firmament. 

Even in speech, behavior, modes of eating etc., his state is like that of a child. While engaged in activities his introverted state fixed on the Self remains steady. One never notices languor, unsteadiness, or any defects in his speech mind, and body. Just as the lion, the king of the jungle, always lives in his forest-abode, enjoying full freedom with fearlessness and at ease, in the same way, Sri Maharshi is fearless and free from all restrictions because of his steady Self-knowledge and perfect peace.”

- Deivarata in ‘Timeless in Time’

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Self-realization comes when you no longer think about it, when you no longer want it.

When you totally surrender to the Sage saying, not my will but thine be done.

Keeping the Sages form and face before you all the time.

The Sage realizes when you're ready, then grace comes, liberation comes, but do not think of these things.

Your job is to develop a tremendous humility.

When I speak of developing humility, I'm not speaking of you becoming a stepping stone for people.

Real humility is strength, power.

Real humility means nothing bothers you anymore.

Nothing has the power to disturb you, to upset your equilibrium.

You have a tremendous compassion.

You develop loving kindness for everything, for the mineral kingdom, for the vegetable kingdom, for the animal kingdom, for the human kingdom.

You're stepping out of your humanhood, taking a step forward in eternity.

Not comparing yourself with other people.

Not trying to do anything to anybody else.

You simply see the Sage in your heart all of the time and then you finally become the Sage yourself.

🌷Robert Adams