Growing up, the younger-me was often curious about the Divine, and would demand in the mind to see God.
Inspired by stories in Indian mythology of ardent devotees being given the blessing of seeing God in live form, I too wanted that. And yet, that never quite came out to be.
I should acknowledge with gratitude, however, that I’ve been fortunate to experience the Presence palpably.
Why is it that we cannot see God?
For one thing, most of us have a mental conception of “God”. And what we are demanding to see is that mental conception!
Well! There are inherent problems in that you can readily see.
For another thing, we see nature reflect to us this very same message quite clearly. A child resting in the mother’s womb cannot see the mother and cannot demand for mother to show up. They are both there at the same time, but cannot see each other at all. Yet, the child can experience the mother’s presence.
Just in this way, we are children in the womb of the Infinite Truth, the One.
We can’t see the One with our senses. But we can experience the One.
How to experience the One?
To quote the old testament, “Be still and know that I am God.”
To quote Ramana Maharshi, “Be silent.”
Ramana Maharshi’s real teaching was without words. In the supreme eloquence of his silence, visitors and followers alike, could experience That which is unnameable. His simplest teaching in words was “Be Silent.” Yet, people would keep asking him for a method, a technique if you will. His response would invariably prompt the questioner to look into the “I” that was seeking, that was questioning. In turn, he was pointing people to diligently undertake the inquiry, “Who Am I?” Still, people would complain that this Self-Inquiry was difficult to do. My early attempts to do this Self-Inquiry was challenging for me too, until it became natural. For those who find Self-Inquiry to be challenging, or are new to that approach, my book, “Awaken: An Experiential Exploration of Enlightenment” provides guidance on Self-Inquiry, the direct path to Self-Realization, the experiential realization of the essence of the “I” you think you are.
Love
Sundar.
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