I am that I AM – Part Two

The thoughts that a person thinks not only make up the nature of that personality, they also determine the character of events which unfold in the course of life.

Everything that happens to us in our lives is ultimately the result of what we ourselves have thought. Our thoughts are projected in the form of an outer universe, which then interacts with us in the form of events which happen to us.

The link between this interaction of thought and circumstance is known as desire. Desire is the chain which binds the observer to what is observed. It is the cause of the entire manifestation of the universe. As Maharaj responded to a question that was put to him:

Question:  “What is the projecting power?

Maharaj:  It is imagination prompted by desire.”  2

When there is a desire to experience, the entire cosmic dance begins, and for as long as these desires continue, the ego or personality remains bound by the results of these desires. Desire is the personal attachment to a particular object of thought.

We think of objects or events, and we wish to possess them or experience them. This sets in motion a train of circumstance whereby life seeks to fulfill these desires.

It is the continual sequence of desire, followed by fulfillment, which binds us to this world, and is the cause of our personal journey through the living landscape of joy and sorrow. We become inextricably entwined in the web of circumstance which we have spun with our own desires.

It is from the bondage of these chains of desire that Sages seek to liberate us. They patiently point out that the world we find so alluring is a product of our own imagination. We have bound ourselves to this world by our desire for experience.

Until we finally come to recognise the true nature of our chains, and the way in which they have been forged, we will never liberate ourselves, or experience the bliss of eternal freedom from all limitation.

The price we pay for this liberation is the currency of desire. It is only when we surrender our personal desires, that we can snap the links of those chains that bind us to this world.

Until we are ready to do so, we remain trapped in the bitter-sweet world of opposites – condemned to seek the pleasurable, while we are remorselessly stalked by those things that bring us pain. The snare of desire is described in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad:

“As a man’s desire is, so is his destiny. For as his desire is, so is his will; and as his will is, so is his deed; and as his deed is, so is his reward, whether good or bad.”

Karma is that unceasing cycle which brings to every person the fruits of their desires, in the guise of personal destiny. We base our actions upon our desires, and then reap the consequences of these actions.

Whatever we actively desire in life sets in motion a force which seeks to fulfill that desire, within the framework of time and space, which are themselves products of the mind. The entire universe then conspires to answer each desire. The power of desire is both mysterious and miraculous, as Maharaj explains:

“Your mind projects a structure and you identify yourself with it. It is in the nature of desire to prompt the mind to create a world for its fulfilment. Even a small desire can start a long line of action; what about a strong desire? A desire can produce a universe; its powers are miraculous.”  13

Life is nothing more or less than the universal pageant created by the desire to experience. The universe dances to the cosmic sound expressed within each individual soul. Within the universe, which is the arena we have built for the realization of our desires, we are free to desire anything which we can imagine.

Whatever we wish for can be achieved. Anything in life is possible if we desire it strongly enough. The universe automatically works to manifest it for us. The plain fact, to which the Sages have attested, is that there is no limit to what we may desire, just as there is no limit to the ability of the universe to grant us our desire.

We truly are the Gods of our own creation. Through the miracle of creative thought we are free to stamp our wills upon the cosmos. We are not pawns ground remorselessly down by an uncaring universe.

The cosmos is alive, and it dances to the melody of our pipes. We are free to dance the cosmic dance, and to drink deeply from the cup of destiny, until at last we grow weary of its charms. We have the assurance of Maharaj that we can attain whatever our hearts desire.

“When you work for something whole-heartedly and steadily, it happens, for it is the function of the mind to make things happen.”  14

Yet we doubt the efficacy of Maharaj’s words, for we see little evidence in our lives to support the truth of its telling. Our lives are filled with too many sorrows. We are only too painfully aware that the reason for our pitiful condition, is simply that our desires are not fulfilled.

In fact, if they only could be fulfilled, our lives would undoubtedly be resplendent with joy. If what Maharaj says is true, that it is possible for all desires to be attained, then why is it that our desires are not fulfilled? The following questioner speaks for our troubled state.

Question:  “I am full of desires and want them fulfilled. How am I to get what I want?

Maharaj:  Do you deserve what you desire? In some way or other you have to work for the fulfillment of your desires. Put in energy and wait for the results.

Question:  Where do I get the energy?

Maharaj:  The desire itself is energy.

Question:  Then why does not every desire get fulfilled?

Maharaj:  Maybe it was not strong enough and lasting.”  15

Here we have the key to the fulfilment of desire. We are all free to desire, but we have to invest these desires with the energy necessary for them to be fulfilled. Each desire can only be fulfilled if it is powered by sufficient energy. Desires are powered by the intensity with which they are formed, and the persistence with which they are pursued.

As the Tripura Rahasya points out: “The desire must be strong and abiding, in order that it may bear fruit. The effects are in proportion to the intensity and duration of the desire.”  16

The more intense our desire is, the more energy we bring to its achievement. But in order for it to be achieved, this desire must first be clearly focused. As Maharaj explains:

“When your desire is not clear nor strong, it cannot take shape. Besides, if your desires are personal, for your own enjoyment, the energy you give them is necessarily limited; it cannot be more than what you have.”  17

Our ability to achieve our desires depends on our ability to frame our thoughts clearly, so that our personal energy can be focused on the attainment of these desires. If we do not focus our minds clearly on our objectives, they remain hazy and ill-defined. They cannot therefore manifest clearly and effectively in the physical world.

When our minds are able to concentrate upon a single objective, to the total exclusion of all other interfering thoughts, they become a powerful force for change. Ramana Maharshi explains:

Maharshi:  “The wavering of the mind is a weakness arising from the dissipation of its energy in the shape of thoughts. When one makes the mind stick to one thought the energy is conserved, and the mind becomes stronger.

Question:  What is the meaning of the strength of the mind?

Maharshi:  Its ability to concentrate on one thought without being distracted.

Question:  How is that achieved?

Maharshi:  By practice.”  18

In order for our desires to manifest in the outer world, it is necessary for our minds to be clearly focused upon the objectives of our desires. The more clearly we hold an image in our minds, the more power we direct towards the attainment of that image.

As we repeat this process the mind becomes more concentrated, and so gains strength. Once a fully concentrated mind is focused on a thought, and is not weakened by other conflicting thoughts, it is able to manifest that thought within a very short space of time.

In the case of Sages and those who have cultivated perfect concentration, thoughts are able to manifest instantaneously, without any intervening delay.

The power of the individual mind is limited by the personal power of the individual concerned. This power varies from person to person. It increases with robust health and diminishes with illness. It is vital and effective in youth, and fades, unless carefully cultivated, in old age.

Whatever power a person may possess, that power can be made more effective by practice. Any desire can be more rapidly achieved the more often the mind is focused upon it. We infuse energy into our desires by the power of imagination, which allows us to visualize the objective that we have in mind. If this objective is frequently held in the mind, it will manifest more readily in our world of experience.

It is obvious that the more distracted the mind becomes, and the more objectives it tries to focus upon at any one time, the more its power will be dissipated. Contradictory objectives serve to undermine one another. So contradictory thoughts or doubts, which are negative thoughts, negate the power of the original thought.

As Dattatreya explained to his pupil Parasurama:

“The will conceives effectively or ineffectively according as it is uniform or broken up by indecision. One should forget the old associations in order to make one’s new conception effective and this endures only so long as it is not obstructed by the old one. A conception is forceful unless obstructed by an antecedent one and thus destroyed. It is effective only when forceful; in that way even great things may be achieved.”  19

Our most common error in life is to fritter away our energies pursuing conflicting objectives, and to allow our dearest desires to be haunted by debilitating doubts. We hold briefly to one goal, only to drop it and move on quickly to the next. One objective gives way to another in rapid succession, and our personal reservoir of energy is soon dispersed.

Most of us live fruitless and ineffective lives, as evidenced by the words of the poet William Wordsworth:

“The World is too much with us, late and soon. Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:”  (Personal talk)

Continued in Part Three

References:

2 “I Am That”, Conversations with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, translated by Maurice Frydman, Book I, Chetana, Bombay, 1973, p. 178.

13  Ibid, Book I, p. 100.

14  Ibid, Book I, p. 233.

15  Ibid, Book I, p. 28.

16  “Tripura Rahasya”, translated by Swami Saraswathi, Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, 1962, p. 161.

17  “I Am That” Book I, op.cit., p. 29.

18  “Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi”, recorded by Swami Saraswathi, Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, 1968, p. 87.

19  “Tripura Rahasya”, op.cit., p. 102.

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