Already That

Stillness and peace is realization. There is no moment when Self is not...When the not-Self ["little me"] disappears, the Self alone remains. To make room, it is enough that objects be removed. Room is not brought in from elsewhere. 

Reading some beautiful words of wisdom from Maharshi this morning on Tat Tvam Asi....

There is no reaching the Self.  If Self were to be reached, it would mean that the Self is not here and now and that it is yet to be obtained. So it will be impermanent.  What is not permanent is not worth striving for. So I say the Self is not reached.  You are the Self, you are already that. 

That really leads to  some "aha" moments, doesn't it?  This understanding of Tat Tvam Asi; "You are already that!" is so essential to yoga understanding. Michael A. Singer speaks to these teachings in his book, living untethered. Singer teaches that the objects that need to be removed are samskaras and Maharishi teaches that what must be removed is  our ignorance as to who we really are, our wrong knowledge or "wrong view"[as the Buddha would have referred to it].  The point is we don't bring more space in from the outside world so we can  have room to do this...we remove what is in the way for the room that is already there to be known. We don't bring in peace and happiness and stillness from out there so we can experience it in here...we remove what is in the way of what was, is and always will be there. These teachings are universal. 

The fact is you are ignorant of your blissful state. Ignorance supervenes and draws a veil over the pure Self which is bliss. Attempts are made only to remove this veil of ignorance which is merely wrong knowledge.  The wrong knowledge is the false identification of the Self with the body and the mind. This false identification must go, and then the Self alone remains. 

Ramana Maharshi, from  Be As You Are( Arkana, S.  Kindle Edition)

So much wisdom to grow with.

All is well!