Tag: philosophy

• February 6, 2025

  There’s No Questioner Who Asks, ‘Who Am I?’

  There is no entity by [the] name of ‘mind.’ Because of the emergence of thought, we surmise some thing from which they start: that we term mind. When we probe to see what it is, there is nothing like it. After it has ‘vanished,’ Peace will be found to remain eternal. –Ramana Maharshi as cited…
• January 29, 2025

  Darshan Is Or Is Not Moksha?

  Question: I have been waking up with a blaring thought: “This is not moksha, this is darshan.” Wouldn’t it be both? The “it” is key. Let’s start with the standard interpretation: Darshan (though the word is plurisignant and is used differently in different Indian traditions) commonly refers to the grace of, or initiation by, the guru. This…
• October 24, 2024

  Considering A Hypothetical Caste Sorting From A Metaphysical Perspective

  0. Let me speak in the hypothetical. A fictional caste-like system hypothetically makes sense, provided that one can look at the matter from a purely metaphysical (not from a political, historical, cultural, or empirical) point of view. Here’s how: 1. In lieu of believing that all beings are “created equal,” we should take stock of…
• October 22, 2024

  What Is The Relationship Between Brahman And The Universe?

   Swami Prabhavananda’s book The Spiritual Heritage of India provides a beautiful and satisfying answer to the question: “What is the relationship between Brahman and the world, between the One and the many, between Being and becoming?” The pith is that the question must be answered in accordance with the level of development of the student.…
• October 18, 2014

  Choosing the Right Spiritual Path

  The Scene of Bewilderment One is soon bewildered after one awakens to the realization that there must be more than this. The realization comes, comes surely and painfully, and cannot be taken back. Despite the realization striking home with the force of conviction, one does not know what one means when one says and believes, ‘There…