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Shri Atmananda from Spiritual Discourses: Consciousness alone, perceives...

CONSCIOUSNESS ALONE, PERCEIVED OBJECTIVELY AS WELL AS SUBJECTIVELY
1. Light by itself is not perceptible to the naked eye. You perceive light only when it
is temporarily obstructed by an object. This perception of light you wrongly call
the object. This is a phenomenon usually misunderstood; and the fallacy is, on the
face of it, obvious.
Similarly, pure Consciousness is not perceivable, as is evident in deep sleep. But
when it is confined or limited to a particular object, it seems to become perceptible.
Even then, it is not the object but it is Consciousness alone that is perceived.
Therefore, nobody has ever seen or perceived an object, but only light or Consciousness.
2. Take hold of an object. You find the object cannot appear without the help of
Consciousness. Take hold of Consciousness that is in the object. This is possible
only with the help of a Guru. Then you reach pure Consciousness objectively.
Take hold of Consciousness in the senses or mind in the same manner and you
reach pure Consciousness, your real nature, subjectively. Both being one, you
stand in advaita.
If you achieve that degree of identification with the light of knowledge as you had
with body in the waking state, there is nothing more to be achieved. Then the impersonal
becomes stronger than the personal. The sadhaka [aspirant] who stands as the
personal does the sadhana [spiritual work] of acting the part of the impersonal.
‘I know I am.’ In this, the ‘am’-ness does not belong either to the senses or to the
mind. This is intrinsic. This is the nature of self-luminosity.

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