Attainment versus Self-discovery
00:00:06 Speaker: Welcome friends, in this awakening world. Today, I want to talk a little bit about the difference between self discovery and attainment. And I always hope that these these blogs and these podcasts, even already on a conceptual level, uh, clarify a lot of the doubts that you have or a lot of what, what is unclear. Oftentimes when people want to realize themselves, self- realization, then they think that it is another form of attainment and it either people think that something suddenly happens to you and you realize the self. And that's why many people then say, okay, this isn't for me because, uh, like being struck by a lightning, uh, how, how, how great are my chances. And the other part of often misguided spiritual people thinks that it is another form of attainment. Like we have so much that's, that's, that's how we are conditioned. We're conditioned That if we just learn enough, or if we work hard enough, or if we study hard enough, or if we, um, transcend hard enough, or if we become just in immensely subtle, you know, subtler and subtler and subtler in my energetics or in my, uh, in my, uh, spiritual field or, you know, all these things that then I will someday or if I ascend hard enough, that's another one. Uh, you know, then I will realize the Self. Self-realization is not an attainment. It is a discovery. It is a discovery because you're not adding or changing anything about your structure. So you're not becoming more subtle. You're not needing to become more better. You're not needing to reach a certain level of X, Y, Z. You don't have to ascend further. You discover what you already are. That's why it isn't an attainment, because you are simply actually discovering your essential nature. That also then brings another point forward, namely, everyone is that you are already looking from that you just have forgotten and well, you know why? Why is it that you don't remember is because then because you have forgotten what you are, you have falsely identified with this body mind, with perceptions, thoughts, emotions, sensations arising within awareness that get then picked up and are identified with as what you are. That's a mistake. So the discovery that you want to make is obviously what you have falsely identified with. You have to experientially discover that this is a false identification and you have to discover what is not identified and what exists beyond the mind, but what you always already are. And what is already here now. So what's the difference? You know, I can see minds then asking then, what is what is discovery different to attainment? Like if you still feel like, whoa, I don't, I don't really understand. So for example, if you have never actually become aware of your natural breath, this has nothing to do. Please. This has nothing to do. Now with self-realization. It's just an example of what is a discovery. So your whole life you have never been aware of your natural unconscious breathing. Like, for example, how many seconds is your inhale unconsciously? How many seconds is your exhale? Is your exhale longer than you inhale? Is your inhale longer than your exhale. You're usually not aware of that. You're not even so much aware of how you're breathing is. It's still always already there, isn't it? It's a natural part of how this system functions is your breath. Now you can become enormously aware of your unconscious breath and also then of, for example, the conscious breathing capacities of yourself. You know, someone if someone does traditional pranayama. Then. Then these parameters start to become interesting to you. You're starting to become aware of something that you haven't been aware of your whole life, even though it has always been a part of you. That's a discovery and a revelation. You know, something that that you usually aren't aware of. So there are many, many things that we can suddenly become aware of or that we can be guided to become aware of because we aren't aware of them. And some of these, some things, we know this also are easier to become aware of if we are pointed to it. But you can also just discover this at any moment. So again, no attainment, just a discovery that needs to be made. You need to discover this. Obviously admittingly is a very subtle discovery to be made. And in my humble opinion, it is easier if you also discover experientially what has been falsely identified with. This also remains just a theory in your head. Or some people say I'm not identified to my thoughts. This isn't true. You know, mind streams run the show until you realize you are not found in them. So even to start actually discovering what is ignorance, what has been falsely identified experientially. That's that's the, that's the second part about a about a true discovery. It has to be experientially. Doesn't mean it's an experience. It means something comes alive for you. You innerstand something, you realize something, you recognize. You recognize what you are, and you recognize what you have never been. And then there are all these very subtle identifications, you know, that that, uh, people still grasp on. That discovery also has to transcend conceptual understanding. That's why you know, like, just in like, by thinking about it, you cannot realize what you are. There is an actual inner discovery that is asked from you. Oftentimes this is also, don't get me wrong, this is also not really landing or not really, um, getting to you because on some level, you already know that you aren't this body life. On some level, you always already know that who is living this life is not this personal construct. Because if it was. Wouldn't your life have unfolded in the manner of your mind, your likes and dislikes all the time? So. And obviously it hasn't. You know, there's a deeper something deeper here. That is living this life. But because on some level, you know, you already know you are the divine, you are consciousness. You are pure awareness. This is very alive, you know, for so many spiritual people, actually, this is very alive. Meaning. Yeah, I know this, I am that. If this is just kept again on this conceptual level and there isn't an actual discovery of that. You will also not know. But that's why oftentimes, you know, you can say, hey, I know all this. I listen to these talks. I know I'm consciousness. Of course you do. But you have to realize it, that you are that and that you aren't that. One of them is your nature. One of them is your expression. Like a piece of clothing that you wear. And you would never think you are this piece of clothing. You can also love that piece of clothing. You can love your expression. Hopefully you do. But it's not your nature. It isn't what you are. And because you don't remember your divinity, all these filters come in. And because everything's outside of myself. Perceivably. Seemingly. Duality comes in. Duality also. Duality also has its place for experience, but you won't discover what you are. You want to remove those filters that obscure your divine essence. And so This is a discovery that you need to make an actual discovery, and it has to to be that you go inside. It is not an attainment. It is a realization, a recognition that comes through a discovery. A discovery of what is here? The discovery of what you essentially always already are. The discovery of what you have forgotten. The discovery of what you have falsely identified with. The discovery of what has obscured your divinity, the discovery of already being perfected. The discovery of reality. The discovery of. What is illusory? Illusory. not in the sense of not valuable, but illusory, in the sense of ephemeral. Illusory in the sense of not arising outside of your mind. Illusory in the sense that it doesn't tarnish or define. Or even point to. What you already are. This exploration or discovery also has to be made inside, not induced. You know. Meditation is the greatest, the greatest thing ever. If it's no longer object focused but focused on you, discovering reality, discovering yourself. And then this discovery deepens, you know. Essentially, you are pure love. Pure peace. Pure joy. Why not discover it for yourself?
