I am That!

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Text 66


“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”

Here is one crucial 'takeaway message' of the Bhagwad Gita.

Remember, chapter one starts with the fear of Arjun. In this shloka, it assures 'do not fear', and resolves Arjun's dilemma: ignorance of his true nature of self.

Explanation


There is material dharma (when one identifies with the body) and spiritual dharma (when one identifies with the soul).

The Gita starts with a philosophical system and offers move to a free spiritual dharma. Krishna instructs Arjun, to discharge one material duty from the body (to fight the war), but to think of God in the mind.

Then it breaks away from its own structure: If one forsakes the material it is a dereliction of one’s duty, but not if one has taken shelter in the spiritual dharma. In this, the Gita affirms that our lives must be on the basis of the infinite, with total surrender, not predetermined by this or that or for that matter any dharma. In essence, existence is not just being nature , or a wheel of law, rather it is a constant manifestation of the Spirit. Know that You are That.

Let me build on the notion of 'refuge in the spiritual self, abandon Dharma'.

Again in the Diamond Sutra, Buddha clarifies that there should be no notion of an Anahat who believes he has actualised or has gained attainment (supreme enlightened mind), as that would still be an attachment to a being, life, soul, or Dhamma and does not abide in senses: touch, smell, taste, sound, sight, etc. Instead mere recital of the sutra (even 4 lines) and sharing with others would help gain merit, manifold more than charity/donation. There are no teachings to be taught. The universe is not real but merely called Universe. Focus is on cleanliness of. mind, from which ignorance is stripped away and one sees the true nature. As I understand the essence of the Diamond Sutra, it essentially says " What IS (called) is Not" - it is mere appearance. An appearance as it comes from an attachment to 'form' - being, should, life, senses or Dhamma. He extolls, 'avoid all forms, recite the sutra'. 84000 buddhas received the sutra earlier, many more boddhisatvas to follow. In other words, there is No Dhamma by which one attains an enlightened mind. In fact there is no Dhamma called a Bodhisatva stage, that itself is but a notion. The absence of an ego, a personality is who may be called a Bodhisatva. There is no past, present or future mind, which can be found, yet like as many sand grains in the Ganges, so too thus many minds are inherent in the buddha mind.


No Dhamma is Dhamma. "just so, just so", says Buddha replying to a question from his disciple (if he indeed had attained anything), "I have not attained anything, yet what I have attained is called Enlightenment." It is to be remembered that the void is neither emptiness, negativity or held in duality. It is merely calling out that both positive affirmation and positive denial can co-exist. All forms exist merely in the mind. All 'particles' are named substances which do not exist, except in the mind. A mind's perception should be seen as such: mere perception. (Maya, if you like - a bubble, an illusion, if you like).