Jnana Marga: Path of Knowledge

Spirituality
#1

I am a Jnana margi, meaning I am a follower of the path of knowledge, as enunciated within the Vedic philosophical and spiritual tradition. However, the path of knowledge also has strong similarity with non-Vedic traditions like Gnosticism. In the Vedic tradition the path of Jnana is seen as the antidote to human suffering and attaining final liberation.

The path of knowledge is considered to be the highest path by the Upanishads, and by all the philosophical schools that have emerged from the Upanishads: Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya and Vaiseshika. However, their approach to Jnana is peculiar, although they all are Jnana traditions, they each have a different way of approaching Jnana. This makes it a confusing for a genuine eclectic Jnana margi like me on what exactly is the best way to live Jnana.

Nyaya and Vaiseshika

Starting with the Nyaya and Vaiseshika approach. These are similar philosophical schools, hence why they can be considered to be one tradition. This is an analytic and empirical school of Jnana. Their expressed purpose is given in the opening Sutras of their respective core texts:

Nyaya Sutras, Book 1:

  1. Supreme felicity is attained by the knowledge about the true nature of the sixteen categories, viz., means of right knowledge, object of right knowledge, doubt, purpose, familiar instance, established tenet, members [of a syllogism], confutation, ascertainment, discussion, wrangling, cavil, fallacy, quibble, futility, and occasion for rebuke.

  2. Pain, birth, activity, faults [defects] and misapprehension [wrong notion] on the successive annihilation of these in the reverse order, there follows release.

Vaiseshika Sutras, Book 1, Part 1:

  1. Dharma (is) that from which (results) the accomplishment of exaltation and of the supreme good.

  2. The authoritativeness of the Veda (arises from its) being the Word of God [or being an exposition of dharma].

  3. The Supreme Good [of the Predicables] (results) from the knowledge, produced by a particular dharma, of the essence of the predicables, substance, attribute, action, genus, species, and combination [inherence], by means of their resemblances and differences.

Thus, we can see the approach of the Nyaya-Vaiseshika school is to classify the empirical world of reality to obtain a correct knowledge of what is what, what species and class does it belong to, so we do not conflate them(e.g., soul for body; mind for senses; pain for pleasure) It also enables us to understand the universal laws of dharma, so we no longer violate them. This kind of right thinking produces right action.

Thus the Nyaya-Vaiseshika approach is an action orientated Jnana. By living the highest dharmic life, adhering to the laws of dharma, we attain the supreme good.

Samkhya and Yoga

The next level up from the Nyaya-Vaseshika school is the Samkhya-Yoga approach. Although Samkhya and Yoga share some similarities, it would be misleading to combine them into one school as Nyaya and Vaiseshika. So let us look at them individually, starting with Samkhya:

Samkhya Karika:

  1. A permenant solution to curing the three kinds of pain is inquiry. To say that this inquiry is unnecessary because other means exist to alleviate pain is invalid, because the means only offer temporal relief.

  2. The ritualistic means is impure and does not produce certain removal of the pain. Knowledge of the unmanifest, manifest and the cognizer offers a permenant solution.

Samkhya is also an analytic approach like Nyaya-Vaiseshika, but the difference is that it takes a phenomenological approach, and not an empirical one. The Nyaya-Vaiseshika school are interested in classifying all of empirical material reality, but Samkhya are more interested in the construction of empirical reality in relation to the perceiving consciousness. Thus they look at what is happening at the fundamental level of material reality: Prakriti, and how exactly does that relate to consciousness. The conclusion is that all consciousness is completely separate from all material phenomenon and agency, consciousness is only a pure witness, not an agent. Agency such as willing, deliberating, acting, thinking all belong to the mind(the faculty of buddhi), which is a material product:

37(with commentary of Mishra) The intelligence is the closest in quality and promixity to consciousness, and thus consciousness directly experiences the movements of the intelligence, and the feelings of pain and pleasure which take place within it. The intelligence is what wills, makes decisions and brings about experiences. It is also what guides consciousness to truth and discerns the subtle differences between matter and consciousness. When the intelligence is unrefined, the intellect creates an awareness that there is no difference between consciousness and matter.

Hence Samkhya conclude Jnana is:

  1. Thus from the practice of truth the wisdom is produced, “I am not”, “Nothing is mine” and “not I” which is pure knowledge, free of error and doubt and absolute.

  2. By means of this discriminative knowledge consciousness realises itself as the pure witness(not agent) and beholds the true reality of matter, which now ceases from evolving forms, giving consciousness a pure and clear vision of reality.

Thus the Samkhya approach is a contemplative approach, where one attains knowledge that they are only a pure witness of reality, and not actually an actor. This immediately makes one think that we need to practice meditation, but the Samkhya does not directly suggest this. It only says that we need to contemplate this knowledge.

According to Samkhya matter serves two purposes:

  1. It works towards fulfilling our desires by evolving the experiences that we need towards their fulfillment
  2. It simultaneously works towards our final liberation by bringing us closer to discriminative knowledge.

Though lifetimes of spiritual development, the witnessing consciousness gradually renounces all desires through realizing that all desires(including pleasure seeking) are of the nature of suffering, and the real purpose of life is liberation from desire. When this true knowledge of discrimination dawns, one automatically desists from these activities and matter ceases to produce thos experiences.

Thus the Samkhya approach is an contemplative-orientated Jnana.

Yoga more or less borrows the entire theory of Samkhya and emphasizes upon its goal of attaining discriminative knowledge and realizing one as the pure witness, but its approach is based on practical psychology:

Yoga Sutras, Chapter 1:

  1. Now begins the study of Yoga
  2. Yoga is the cessation of all modifications of the mind-field
  3. Then, the witnessing consciousness is revealed its unconditioned form

Thus, Yoga actually does not have to rely on any theory. It is already presupposed that one has already studied the theory and understands the need for Yoga. Yoga approach is introspection, where one directs all their attention on watching their mind. It is considered the hardest and royal path because introspection is considered the hardest thing to do, because the mind is wild and difficult to observe. It requires very strong will power to do. Patanjali is aware of just how difficult this process is, hence why he prescribes ashtanga Yoga, a Kriya yoga, whereby through various physical, mental and ethical practices one facilitates introspection. However, through this practice discriminative knowledge arises automatically, without the real need to contemplate scriptures.

Thus the Yoga approach is an experience-orientated Jnana.

Vedanta

Finally, we have Vedanta. Vedanta is out and out theistic. It prescribes absolute devotion to god. However, in classical Vedanta of Advaita god here means the ‘Self’ which is the true lord of all of existence and which is satchitananda, existence, bliss and consciousness. One must completely dedicate their entire life to the blissful self. Constantly contemplate upon it, chant on it as their constant mantra and meditate on only that(Hence in the Upanishads any other meditation other than on the ‘Self’ is condemned) It is believed that by constantly reading about the absolute self and realizing that everything else is nothing but Maya, an illusory projection of the Self, one day an instant Zen-like enlightenment is produced.

Thus the Vedanta approach is a devotion-orientated Jnana.

#2

The various Jnana approaches can be summarized as:

Nyaya-Vaiseshika, action-orientated Jnana: There is dharma, universal laws that we must know to attain the highest good. This is the empirical scientific approach, whereby knowing laws of nature, we can improve our lives manifold times, like innovate technologies. Incidentally, the Nyaya-Vaiseshika school has been highly influential in Indian technical arts like engineering, architecture, logic and grammar.

Samkhya, contemplative orientated Jnana. There is fundamental nature(prakritr) and this entire cosmos, including our subjective cosmos of mind, senses, intellect are all just material products and have nothing to do with ‘I’ Through this phenomenological approach we realize we are completely separate from the cosmos, eternally free and isolated.

Yoga, experience orientated Jnana. There is a fundamental self, a pure and unconditioned state of the mind free from all impurity and errors. This natural state of the mind has god like omniscience and power and it exists within everyone of us. To realize this fundamental self we must purify ourselves physically, mentally and morally. Thus Yoga is a negative discipline where we gradually remove all our impurities from our body-mind system.

Vedanta, devotion orientated Jnana. There is god, who is verily existence and consciousness, supreme bliss, supreme power. There is in fact nothing but god, everything else is just god appearing in various forms. If we penetrate into any single point in reality we will find god only. Thus Vedanta is a positive discipline whereby we affirm our identity with god.

We can take a relativist approach and say that each of these Jnana approaches are valid, just different starting points - like the all roads lead to the summit of the mountain argument. However, this approach is not shared by the individual traditions. The path of action is not supported by the Samkhya school, which considers action as an inferior and impermanent means to removing pain. It grants that good deeds can only guarantee you a better quality of life and metaphysically speaking ascension to higher planes of reality, but it cannot bring you liberation. So simply doing good deeds like giving to charity, service to society, pilgrimages or simply being a good Samaritan cannot bring one liberation. It can only give one good karma, and once that good karma has been exhausted, one is back to where they started from.(This view is ratified by Vedanta)

The path of contemplation of Samkhya is not supported by Yoga. Simply having intellectual knowledge(tattva jnana) of the difference between matter and consciousness does not bring about the realization of the difference between consciousness and matter. I agree, because despite knowing the differences myself like, “I am not the body” has not actually produced any realization of that truth. I still act like I am the body, mind and intellect. I simply cannot see how this would change no matter how many times I read the Karika or the Yoga sutras. Perhaps, the emphasis here is to know the difference between consciousness and matter than desist from certain activities based on the intellectual conviction e.g., knowing that smoking is bad for you, do not engage in smoking. In this way gradually renounce every desire. But surely this is very difficult to do without having real internal realization.

The Samkhya approach can be seen like an NLP approach “Act as if” Even though one is not confident for example, one acts like they are confident - emulating the behavior of a confident person, until it becomes internalized and second nature.

Yoga chimes in and says that intellectual realization is not enough and cannot by itself bring about real realization. Real realization is not just something you add on, but rather it is something which is already there which you reveal by removing the obstructions gradually but surely. The Yoga approach would not be very comfortable with the NLP approach, because it sees such emulations to be born of just another set of concepts, and the approach in Yoga is to go beyond all concepts: a mind completely free from any conditioning.

Vedanta does not agree with the Yoga approach entirely. This is because it sees Yoga as a very slow, laborious process that hinges on the assumption of time and space and oneself as an individual soul on an individual journey. One spends several lifetimes seeking and climbing up the spiritual ladder. Eventually, Vedanta agrees that one will reach liberation as a biproduct of the mind becoming purer, but the realization will come that there was no matter, time and space after all, it was just that ONE infinite Brahman appearing as matter, time and space. They will kick themselves, that in every single moment they were that ever present Brahman, and they spent lifetimes upon lifetimes seeking what was right under their nose(so to speak) all that time. Thus Vedanta prescribes that we focus all our attention on Brahman alone, realize Brahman is all there is(All is Brahman) and dedicate our entire life to Brahman. Then one day, but within this life alone, we will win the grace of Brahman - saving ourselves countless lifetimes.

Vedanta makes A LOT OF SENSE. Except, I am now starting to question whether it is practical to apply the truth of absolute reality to relative and empirical reality. Is it simply enough to constantly repeat the Mantra, “I am Brahman” when our actual experienced reality is that we are definitely not Brahman, but an individual struggling in a material world. Will constant repetition or constant contemplation on Brahman someday magically produce a Zen-like enlightenment where we wake up as Brahman? A lot of Vendatins seem to believe this, but I have strong doubts that this is possible without first having a purified mind to begin. A purified mind could be awakened to Brahman by simply hearing about it, but an unpurified mind would just gloss over. I must have an unpurified mind because no matter how many times I read the Upanishads proclamation that I am Brahman it does absolutely nothing for me. And I cant see the status quo changing no matter how many times I re-read the Upanishads. Incidentally, I have seen countless Vedanta monks in India who read and study the Upanishads day in and day out and practice devotion to god, and also seem to be nowhere closer to enlightenment.

Thus perhaps Yoga is essential and we must indeed go through many lifetimes before we attain the ultimate truth of Brahman. Thus the only Jnana approach that is practical is Yoga. We must all undertake the Kriya Yoga practices to purify ourselves before we are even ready for something like Vedanta.

Any opinions from other Jnana margis?

#3

I am a Jnana margi, meaning I am a follower of the path of knowledge…The path of knowledge is considered to be the highest path by the Upanishads,

We know that you [I]think[/I] you are on the highest path, but from what I’ve seen, your actions don’t reflect that. You would be better served by learning to practice simple yamas and niyamas. Try practicing some actual yoga.

#4

Asuri as always you contribute nothing of value to be responded to. I don’t think you can help yourself :smiley: And if there is anybody who needs to learn to practice Yama and Niyamas, that is yourself, and you can start with Satya :wink:

According to the Jnana tradition I am already a long time practitioner of the Jnana Yoga path.

#5

Or we?re already there; this human illusionary experience, mirrors reflecting mirrors, is so good we simply have a difficult time recognizing it as we remain entangled in time, space and all the other maya we project, where?s the proof of rebirth?we?re already there?it?s impossible to die we?ve never been born?timeless, spaceless?infinite.

#6

[QUOTE=ray_killeen;71738]it’s impossible to die we’ve never been born…timeless, spaceless…infinite.[/QUOTE]

You say this, but I am pretty sure you have a birth certificate, and sorry to say eventually(wish you a long life) a death certificate :wink:

How can the conclusion that we have never been born, we are not really here, this world is only an illusion, be of any practical significance in our life? Surely, like everybody else you need to work, pay your bills, eat and drink, play, and occasionally have sex? Yes or no?

This is why I made the point earlier that I am starting to question whether we can apply the truth of absolute reality to our relative and everyday reality.

#7

I was watching Donald Trump on television last night, and he said something interesting. He said

I think the point is, it doesn’t matter how wealthy you are. If you’re scum, you’re still just scum.

#8

I think the point is, it doesn’t matter how wealthy you are. If you’re scum, you’re still just scum.

Obviously you are insinuating here that “I am a scum” despite my wealth of knowledge. However, neither am I scum, and nor are you. We are both primordially the same unconditioned and pure consciousness, except our consciousness has undergone different modifications by coming into association with different and various adjuncts, which has lead to our current condition of mind, with its current set of habits. However, we are neither of these habits, because these habits are changeable and do change over the course of our lifetime with different experiences.

I feel no need to jump into a thread you start and insinuate you are scum. This gives a good indication of where our respective practices of Yoga are at, especially in regards to the Yamas :wink:

#9

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;71739]You say this, but I am pretty sure you have a birth certificate, and sorry to say eventually(wish you a long life) a death certificate :wink:

How can the conclusion that we have never been born, we are not really here, this world is only an illusion, be of any practical significance in our life? Surely, like everybody else you need to work, pay your bills, eat and drink, play, and occasionally have sex? Yes or no?

This is why I made the point earlier that I am starting to question whether we can apply the truth of absolute reality to our relative and everyday reality.[/QUOTE]

Yes to all those things, there’re a few giants amongst the spiritual (Vivekananda, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramana Maharshi) who drew and sorted through a wealth of Vedic knowledge, they all resonate the same; no one can do it for you, you’re not going to find the answers out there, rather inquire within, over time this has lead me to become less and less mindful and more and more conscious, I’m functioning fine at work and personal life with a new clarity, I told you before “wake up take a shower go to work” before and after the perspective went from illusion to reality.

The body and the mind are only symptoms of ignorance, of misapprehension. Behave as if you were pure awareness, bodiless and mindless, spaceless and timeless, beyond ‘where’ and ‘when’ and ‘how’. Dwell on it, think of it, learn to accept its reality. Don’t oppose it and deny it all the time. Keep an open mind at least. Yoga is bending the outer to the inner. Make your mind and body express the real which is all and beyond all. By doing you succeed, not by arguing. ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj

I tusted them, then applied it and saw for myself.

#10

@Surya Deva

My post makes a philosophical point, but if the shoe fits, wear it.

#11

Yes to all those things, there’re a few giants amongst the spiritual (Vivekananda, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramana Maharshi) who drew and sorted through a wealth of Vedic knowledge, they all resonate the same; no one can do it for you, you’re not going to find the answers out there, rather inquire within, over time this has lead me to become less and less mindful and more and more conscious, I’m functioning fine at work and personal life with a new clarity, I told you before “wake up take a shower go to work” before and after the perspective went from illusion to reality.

I certainly do not undermine the spiritual importance of Vivekananda, Nisargadatta, Ramana Maharishi, but the Vedanta that they prescribe is known as Neo-Vedanta, which is a syncretic form of Vedanta combining older and modern thought. It is not traditional Vedanta of which has been practiced for thousands of years in India, and still practiced in traditional Vedanta ashrams all over India.

The fact that it is not the traditional Vedanta is not a valid criticism of its efficacy, but the criticism is that it is misinterpreted Vedanta which fosters spiritual complacency because it leads its practitioners into believing they are enlightened even before they are and often leads to fatalistic and do-nothing like attitudes

As we can see on this forum alone there are at least two prolific posters, Amir and Futurehumandestiny who are convinced they are enlightened or highly spiritually advanced, both of which have been exposed to Neo-Vedanta and Zen. This is indeed the sign of our modern times where we find in the spiritual community a dime a dozen people claiming to be enlightened, masters, Indigo children, star seeds. The vast majority of them are based on direct or indirect Neo-Vedanta exposure. Neo-Vedanta has wielded a major influence on the New-age movement.

If I interrogate what you have said I find that you too seem to be showing spiritual complacency:

I’m functioning fine at work and personal life with a new clarity, I told you before “wake up take a shower go to work” before and after the perspective went from illusion to reality.

In traditional Vedanta self-realization is not something trivial that you are functioning better or have more clarity than before, or you are more conscious in your daily life. Self-realization is waking up as Brahman, as infinite consciousness and attaining all its glories and powers. It is an absolute, irreversible change which brings about total liberation and perfection. There is nothing left to be achieved in life. There is no less or more. It is absolute freedom. Totality. You either are self-realized or you are not. There is no such thing as more self-realized or less self-realized.

Thus a traditional Vedantin never contents himself with small gains like they smile more, are more conscious in life, or even the acquisition of powers. As these are all limited changes, they are temporal: Smile today, frown tomorrow.

. Behave as if you were pure awareness, bodiless and mindless, spaceless and timeless

But how can you behave like you are infinite, when you are a finite being. And surely whatever you consider to be “behaving infinite” is just a finite interpretation. If I say behaving infinite is standing tall with spine straight, that is finite not infinite behaviour. No finite thing could behave infinite.

Likewise, how can you behave like you have no body, if everyday you wake up to take a shower, feed it and nourish it, and pleasure it? Surely enough, you would not behave like you had no body, if I threw a brick at you; you would get out of the way!

If I behaved like there was no gravity, and jumped out of the top floor of a high rise building, will I float? Of course not. There is what we believe to be true, and what is actually true in experience. And what is actually true I am definitely not a space less, timeless, bodiless entity of pure consciousness. That is simply not my reality.

A student once came to Adisankaracharya, fully convinced of the truths of Vedanta and kept repeating, “I am Brahman” Sankara told the student to pick up a hot coal from the fire and eat it. The student protested, “No, otherwise I will get burned” Sankara replied, “This rock is also Brahman, and you are Brahman, and yet you are afraid of the rock burning you, then you surely are not Brahman and have no right to assert it” The moral of this story is that we cannot prematurely declare our identity with Brahman, even if the absolute reality is such. As we do not live in non-dual absolute reality, we live in a relative and dual reality and thus are forced to conform to its laws or face consequences. Which means no pretending to be superman and jumping out of the top floor of a high rise building!

#12

By the way two of the most famous examples of prematurely declaring ones identity with the absolute met with the death penalty:

Jesus Christ, "I am the way, the light and the Truth"
Sufi saint, “I am the truth”

There is the enlightened, and there is the stupid.

#13

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;71746]If I interrogate what you have said I find that you too seem to be showing spiritual complacency:[/QUOTE]

If you insist on misidentifying your self as the body and mind it?s pointless to discuss further.

#14

If you insist on misidentifying your self as the body and mind it’s pointless to discuss further.

You are missing the point. I have already indicated many times before that I believe the absolute reality is pure consciousness, and space time and matter are illusory. I am smoking the same stuff you are smoking mate :wink: However, the point I have made is how you can apply the truth of absolute reality to relative and temporal reality?

You may not consciously insist that your self is the body, and this is born out of your beliefs, but it is obvious what you really believe to be true when you wake up in the morning and shower, brush your teeth, empty your bowels, when you sit down for breakfast, lunch and dinner, when you seek pleasure through gratification of parts of your body, and when you jump out of the way of car heading for you or a brick thrown at you. You believe the body is the self, like 99.99% of the 7 billion human population on Earth.

You see I have been honest enough to admit to myself what I really believe to be true as opposed to what I think is true. What I really believe is very clear from my behaviour. I think and say there is no matter, time and space, while I wake up in the morning to get to work on time! I say I am Brahman(god), but if I am walking back home alone at night and I hear a loud noise, I panic and look back to see if anybody is following me :smiley: I say I am independent and free, but when somebody I like does not reciprocate, I feel upset and inadequate.

Be honest with yourself.

#15

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;71750]Be honest with yourself.[/QUOTE]

My life is no different than yours, a series of momentary events, I have become rather detached, I don’t view things happening on a personal level as I once did, I watch, attempting to move through existence functioning spontaneously, not becoming absorbed or entangled in the delusion of conceptual nonsense that floats the mind, it’s quite liberating, most seem to get involved, stuck and move along with the events.

#16

Then it would be more correct that you are practicing Yoga and not Vedanta. In Yoga there exist degrees of clarity of the mind(dull mind, agitated mind, scattered mind, one-pointed mind) and it is unlikely you have attained one-pointed mind, as this is an advanced stage of clarity. There are also several stages of success(various samadhis) which are attended by several attainments and powers(siddhis) Again it is unlikely you have attained any stage of samadhi. Prior to reaching the highest Samadhi, every mind is a conditioned mind. It is simply not right to say that our mind is unconditioned or not deluded, before we attain the highest samadhi where all vrittis have been successfully dissolved and all kleshas have been removed(ego, ignorance, attachment, aversion, clinging to body)

To keep ourselves grounded in our practice and preventing us getting ahead of ourselves we must be very vigilant of any kind of spiritual complacency creeping in, such as pride in smaller attainments, because that will halt our progress. Amir and Futurehumandestiny are unfortunate cases of people who become beset by spiritual complacency and their progress has now halted, because they already think they have reached enlightenment and have internalized this as a belief system, which now established will be difficult to let go of. This is why Patanjali prescribes the yama of satya, we must be very honest with ourselves on the path of Yoga. Say what we think, do what we say. This frees our mind from conflict produced by lies, exaggerations, distortions, wishful thinking, and the anxieties of facing the pure truth. It also endows whatever we say with potency(shakti) because it links our thought, speech and action, that whatever we say carries power and can manifest in the world. Moreover, an honest person wins the respect of others.

#17

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;71747]By the way two of the most famous examples of prematurely declaring ones identity with the absolute met with the death penalty:

Jesus Christ, "I am the way, the light and the Truth"
Sufi saint, “I am the truth”

There is the enlightened, and there is the stupid.[/QUOTE]

I think this remark is really outside the bounds of common decency. If you find this post offensive, then please report it using the triangular icon on the lower left. If enough people complain, maybe the moderator will feel compelled to do something about it.

#18

not offended, actually i dont think Jesus was enlightened, but i dont remember him saying that he is enlightened either.

#19

You just don’t talk about somebody else’s religion that way. To refer to a figure that millions revere as stupid is not only offensive, it is purposely offensive. But you are right not to get too riled up about it, because that’s what he wants.

#20

I never actually said Jesus was stupid. If I did, quote me where I said, “Jesus is stupid” I said, “There is the enlightened and there is the stupid”

As for my views on Jesus. I would not say stupid, but I would say naive. My views on Jesus are already famous in the various threads in the religion forum. I do not consider him enlightened, because enlightened people do not go around proclaiming as if from roof tops, “I am the way, the light and the truth, there is no way to god except through me” in deeply religious societies. Jesus would not have been treated any less differently if he went to modern day Iran or Saudi Arabia and said the same. Even in the West, behaviour like that would get you put in the asylum.

There is a kernel of truth in the statement, “I am the way, light and truth” in that it mirrors the statement, “I am Brahman” or the Sufi equivalent, “I am the truth” or the modern equivalent, “I am the universe” because it is true absolutely, but it is not true currently for us. The jury is still out for me how shifting ones identification to absolute reality can bring about a realization of absolute reality. I just can’t see how repeating this statement even infinite times could produce that realization. I tried to live this truth of behaving like a god, until I realized that actually I had become very arrogant. I started to walk like I was a giant among men, and talk with a boooming voice as if it was coming from above in the clouds. Suffice it to say, I could not maintain the act. I eventually came back to my ordinary earthly self.

To other Advaitists/Vedantins on this board, how does exactly one live the absolute truth, “I am Brahman” ?