Katha upanishhad verse I.2.23

[Charles A. Hillig]

At 08:51 AM 4/4/97 +1000, you wrote:
>At 09:52 02-04-97 +0200, Charles wrote:
>>Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA> wrote:
>>
>>> I am presently going through Katha upanishhhad and the verse I.2.23
>>> fascinates me.  The verse says:
>(snip)
>
>>     Shrii Shankaraacaarya points out
>>         in his commentary that the pronoun yam stands for the
>>         Atman and eshhaH for the saadhaka or aspirant. The
>>         passage is thus interpreted by him: chosen by that very
>>         Self which the aspirant seeks, the Self is known. To
>>         explain: the Self is realised by the Self of the aspirant
>>         who does not desire anything whatsoever except the Self
>>         or Atman.  But non-advaitic commentators interpret eshhaH
>>         as `the Supreme Atman (God)' and yam as `whomever', i.e.
>>         "It is attained by him alone whomever God chooses."
>
>Isn't this the same thing? At the end of the day it indicates a
>non-volitional aspect to the process of awakening. "By the Grace Of God"
>the person becomes a seeker and the Self is realized. Therefore attempting
>to realize the Self through 'will power' is fruitless. In fact, I believe
>this is counter-productive, because the harder one strives to 'accomplish'
>realization, the further one separates his or herself from the non-dual.
>
>>     The Self is not attained through discourses, nor through
>>     intellectuality, nor through much learning.  It is only
>>     gained by him who longs for It with the whole heart. For
>>+     to such a one the Self (1) reveals its own nature.
>
>Ramesh Balsekar has written:
>
>"Yes, there must be an intensity in the seeking, but that intensity is
>non-volitional."
>
>I have known many people who berate themselves for not studying hard
>enough, not seeking intently enough. Perhaps they should 'give in', accept
>that if it is their destiny to realize the Self it will happen, if not, it
>won't, after all, there is no volition so who is to do anything about it?
>
>In accepting their non-volition, they will possibly bring themselves closer
>to the realization of the fact that the seeker IS the sought.
>
>>
>>Finally, the essence of all this is expressed pithily in another
>>tradition:
>>
>>       Be still, and know that I am God.
>>                                         [ Bible, Psalm 46:10 ]
>
>
>Or as my guru Robert Adamson is fond of saying:
>
>"Let the mind be still, and know that the sense of being, of "I Am", is God
>- and this is all you are."
>
>Thanks to Gummuluru & Charles for their above efforts.
>
>Regards,
>
>
>Cameron Reilly
>The Robert Adamson Centre for Non-Duality/Advaita Studies
>Direct Lineage of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
>Melbourne, Australia
>Email: cjreilly at ozemail.com.au


Dear Cameron,

     And thank you for your thoughtful post.

     Any effort in this regard is useless and counter-productive and yet,
paradoxically, must (at least seemingly) be "done."

     However, there is never a "do-er" of the "do-ing."

                        With Blessings,

                                    Chuck Hillig