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Unfortunately the 473 pages of this ebook are not yet translated into English, but only available and free of charge in French for the moment.
Sorry for the inconvenience !
Just learn French if you really want to read it. Everybody says that it's a beautiful language, who knows ? It might be true and without a doubt a pretty big job for just reading a book.
Anyhow, here is the introduction :
"EGOCENTRICITY AND SPIRITUALITY"
Rethinking the path of knowledge and non-duality,
the Self and so-called spiritual liberation,
and other subjects concerning the mind and the ego.
Introduction
The tendency to be self-centered and to consider the outer world according to our own interest is called sometimes egocentricity, egocentrism, egotism, self-centredness, egoism, selfishness and by many other terms despite the fact that those words have more or less the same meaning. On the other hand, we can wonder if it's possible to have any real idea of how a person different from ourselves really sees the world through his own eyes and how he lives his life in his own mind. This so-called 'cult of the self' or egocentricity which comes down to associate the manifestations of the inner life and the perceptions of the outer world with thoughts generally accompanied by personal assessments is not a quality or a flaw, but the very nature of the ego. It’s even what could be considered as its character, its mental structure or just the reality of its life. The 'ego', as defined in this book and also in scientific study of mental functions and behaviors called psychology, is the point of reference to all the experiences of everyone and not an abstraction, a psychological entity or a personal identity that could be separated from what we 'personally' are. In this precise moment, it refers to the person who reads these words, the reader himself. In other words, it's you, the ego, who is reading this book. It's also obvious that such conception of the ego in agreement with western psychology and Vedanta doesn't match the modern idea of this concept influenced by so-called liberated gurus who make out of the ego a kind of demon which has to destroyed.
Does God exist ? Hindus reply 'yes' to this question, but their definition of the divine One is ambiguous. They claim that God, 'Brahman', is the Self and in some Mantra, they also use the term 'That' ('Tat' in Sanskrit), i.e. 'Being, Consciousness and Bliss'. But what do these 3 concepts really mean? Me too as a person, I am a being, a human being, I am conscious, a conscious being, and sometimes it is bliss to be alive, I'm happy or a happy being. Although the Self and God are a priori metaphysical thoughts, nothing more than concepts unrelated to the reality of our daily life, they don't refer to a supreme being separated from our world who would live in the paradise. 'Being, Consciousness and Bliss' that permeate the Self, refer to what we really are, that is to say our true nature and of course not the one of the ego. According to this spirituality, liberation results from the knowledge of this nature, of this being in itself ("l’être en soi" in French), and it proceeds from the annihilation of the illusions of the mind which hide what truly this being is. In fact, this knowledge is about spiritual experiences and realizations also called Self-realization, by opposition to a learning coming from the faculty of the intellect to think, imagine and conceptualize with its own intelligence. Since highest antiquity, the crowned knowledge of the Hindus is the result of experiences rather than speculations purely theoretical. They claim that it’s by knowing and fully realizing what we are, our true nature, that we free ourselves from the power of the mind or more precisely from the illusions of the ego which is nothing more than a concept, but also a necessary identity to express oneself. According to Hindu spirituality, there is no other way to discover the supreme truth, the Self and the presence of the Divine.
The person seeking a spiritual liberation also called 'Self-realization' in the Advaita Vedanta is in search of truths and not of new beliefs. A truth can be considered as such only if it is verified by experiences. It is claimed that matter is made of atoms because all scientists can observe this phenomenon. The knowledge about the presence of the Self brought forward by Hindu spirituality and the eventual possibility of a spiritual liberation can only be true if it fully participates in the understanding of our daily life, otherwise it's only a dogma and of little interest to those who wish to be free from an existence in which they find much more dissatisfaction than happiness. This means that the reader must recognize in his mind and heart the authenticity of this knowledge, despite the fact that some truths might be disturbing and pretty unpleasant to face. Spirituality is not a new religion ; it is a real life experience of which its basic principle, 'being', merges with consciousness and bliss. So if this knowledge is well understood, the simple fact of being and existing somewhere in space and time becomes itself liberator because being and bliss are truly one and the same. In other words, 'to be' really means to be in bliss and totally free. But the seeker of truth cannot be satisfied just by accepting this kind of assumptions ; he has to realize and especially actualize the presence of the being he obviously incarnates if he really wants to know that his life, no matter what he thinks about it, is in fact an experience of consciousness, bliss and perfection. And in this context, concepts such as fate, destiny, chance or free will won’t have anymore a real meaning. So this seeker will have to question not only his ability to think from the stand point of 'I', but also his real power to act. If he takes this knowledge seriously and understands its real purpose, one can say without any doubt that this spirituality will have important implications in all his thoughts and actions, and even more in all the details of his life.
The spiritual rebirth of today has innovated a very funny expression that we can hear as much on behalf of sincere seekers of truth as from very official representatives of spirituality. This expression is 'My ego…, your ego…, he is under the power of his ego, you identify yourself with your ego, etc.'. Those who use this kind of expression are generally seeking liberation, or they teach how to be free from bondage and suffering, implying of course that they already liberated themselves from their own ego. Let us recall that this ego is not a mental monstrosity which would enjoy a malicious pleasure to make suffering the person who tries to break free from it. It is only the 'I', a personal identity, the simple awareness of being oneself and not someone else, this very 'I' who thinks of his past, the present and the future, of all the realities and activities which define his life. One can thus wonder to whom this ego belongs and what the nature of the one who seeks to be free from it is. Would it be a super ego dissatisfied with its ordinary ego? 'Being in itself', which, by definition, cannot be disturbed by anything? The intellect tired to harp all day long in its thoughts 'I, I, I...'? Or would it simply be the ego itself which tries to get rid of what disturbs its peace of mind by sublimating its own existence, but knowing very well too that it has absolutely not the intention to wipe it out? Ultimately, what is the mental faculty which enables a seeker of truth to imagine that such attempt of liberation is possible? Let us ask the question in a simpler way : "is the 'I', that is to say this 'myself' which points to and represents a person, in search of a supreme absurdity or of an experience more authentic than all that this person has lived so far?"
It’s by challenging what spirituality is and the search for liberation - questioning that can be very positive for those who have a sincere interest in this subject, and also for those who have no precise idea about what spiritual life is - that we can make sure to be on the right path of knowledge and really studying non-duality which states that only the Self is true and the world in which we live is an illusion. This path of knowledge called 'Jnana Yoga' in India is not new; it is implicitly defined in some of the oldest writings of the world, the Upanishads. The truths which this unmemorable knowledge reveals are unique, of a disconcerting simplicity, and foolish too. They certify that our true nature is absolutely perfect and therefore doesn't have to be purified or free from anything. Instead of trying to destroy the ego and the sufferings which motivate its own spiritual quest, it’s truly enough to realize what the true nature of the being we incarnate is, and so, not to suffer any longer of what this being has never been. There is an amazing misunderstanding in western culture between being and 'I', i.e. the ego. The first is bliss; the second is to say at the very least a real headache. The absence of the process of identification which generates all the manifestations of the ego is called in this Yoga 'Self-realization' or 'Sahaja Samadhi', the natural state of being.
The ego wants his own liberation because it’s obviously a personal concern ; he wants happiness worthy of a god. When the sacred knowledge of the Upanishads explains that the true nature of the being that he thinks to be is pure, perfect, infinite and eternal, or as it is said in the sacred scriptures 'an ocean of bliss', he is delighted. But when informed that the nature of this being in itself is universal, or in other words impersonal, and that the ego himself and the reality in which he lives are an illusion, this knowledge becomes theoretical, philosophical or metaphysical, which means far too intellectual to be realistic and meaningful. The liberation that the ego desires and cannot know before to make it a true experience is a quite conceivable objective. Perfection, infinity and eternity are not difficult and abstract ideas ; they have a very clear meaning. But if the being that he is supposed to incarnate is on the other hand deprived of any personal characteristic, this statement doesn’t really make sense. And even worse, if spiritual liberation results in fact only from his own annihilation, this kind of knowledge becomes less and less appealing. Why? What the point to look for a liberation that 'I', the ego, cannot enjoy personally if this liberation depends on of the disappearance of his own manifestation? So he goes back to his search for spiritual experiences, mystical ecstasies and occult powers in hope that they will liberate one day his existence from miseries. Spiritual experiences as any others are always meaningful and rewarding, but they do not hold the power to liberate someone from his illusions. Here is in short the paradoxical situation of the ego in search of the truth ; everything that enhances his self-importance has a meaning. However, the knowledge which asserts his nonexistence is too theoretical to be of significance for becoming a fact more real than his very personal understanding of life.
Thus, this book proposes to the reader to question his or her spiritual quest and help him or her to discover the essence of Vedanta, the knowledge of the Vedas. Those who have a general interest in spirituality will find without any doubt matters to think about, and sometimes also topics they would rather prefer to ignore. As for the intellectuals who study the truth in the scriptures and tread the path of knowledge with concept and logic, it should provide them with invaluable information in order to keep going in their research, not to be mislaid too far in their thoughts and most of all to always come back to what is really important in this Yoga, that is to say Self-inquiry and renouncement, Vichara and Vairagya. But this book is above all a tribute to two remarkable and perfect gentlemen : my Guru, Swami Girdanandaji of Uttarkashi (also known under the name of Girijyanandaji), Guru without teaching who preferred to simply answer questions and directly reveal the truth instead of speaking about, and Mr. Brahma Chaitanya of Gangotri who, on the contrary, encouraged me five years later to study many books and commentaries concerning Vedanta, the knowledge which enabled me to put an experience very difficult to understand into perspective and to be honest, I was not seeking to understand and explain to anyone. It's in the Himalayas, next to Goddess Ganga and after a journey of about thirty years in Asia where I still live that I take the liberty to submit to the reader some meditations concerning the principles on which rests the crown jewels of Hindu philosophy, the Advaita Vedanta. The first intention of this book is to express my infinite gratitude and respect towards these two extraordinary characters, and of course many thanks to 'Bharat Matar', Mother India, 'Saraswati', the beautiful Goddess of knowledge and arts, my friends and also other people who taught me much on the best and worst of human nature, and perhaps above all, life and the creation in its totality without which nothing could be possible. It should also clarify the purpose of seeking the truth provided that the seeker sincerely wishes to reconsider his or her own existence under all its aspects without limiting it to its spiritual dimension which quite often is an easy pretext to flee reality as it is, and to provide this seeker with practical considerations in order not to be liberated from an ego that never had the opportunity of being anything more than a personal identity, but to realize what really this liberation is. A glance on the last sentence of the final chapter of this book will inform very clearly the reader about this subject which could be disturbing, but nevertheless absolutely true.
Do you want to know the supreme truth ? Search and you will inevitably find it. But know that on the path of knowledge, you cannot make any concession with what you really are. You have first to be true with yourself before being able to know the final truth.
And as it should be in respect to the tradition:
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
Om Tat Sat Om
(The last sentence being, for the English reader who obviously cannot read the book before to be translated, a verse of a great teaching of Shankaracharya called Vivekachudamani : "There is no birth no death, no one in slavery, no one in search of liberation, not even a liberated one. That’s the ultimate truth." And that’s bliss and true liberation for those who realize the real meaning of their spiritual life.)
Contents
Introduction
Chapter I
Spirituality and truth. Wrong research of the simple fact of being. Rudiments of a proper introspection. The impression of being and its origin. The single principle of existence and knowledge : consciousness.
Chapter II
Different meanings of the word “God”. The dreamer and his dreams. The temporal dimension. An illusory or real universe. Inner life and outer world. The importance of sacred knowledge. The origin of suffering.
Chapter III
Personal identity and individuality. Subject, object and perception. Intellect and mind. Do we live in the past or the present ? Non-duality. The intent of metaphysical thoughts. Constitution of the self: from the physical to the spiritual. The impersonality of the intellect. Desire and pleasure. The ignorance. The world in the image of the ego. Causality. Psychology and knowledge.
Chapter IV
Meanings of the concept "Karma". Good and evil. Ethics or necessity. Spontaneity, wisdom and thoughts. Selfishness generates evil or suffering. Liberation is the supreme good. The Dharma. The ego cannot free itself from the mind. Karma, free will and destiny. The power of thinking.
Chapter V
Yoga of action. Yoga of love. Emotion and sentiment. Life teaches love. Yoga of meditation. Attention and mental concentration. Process of identification. The emptiness of the mind. Definition of the ego. The concept of witness and “I”. Questioning the purpose of meditation. Psychology and problems.
Chapter VI
The Yoga of knowledge. Vairagya: renouncement and imperturbability. The feeling of insecurity. Life without desire. To believe or to be. Change of perspective. The power of attention expresses the presence of a purely conscious space. Discrimination between true and false. Letting go, grace and Satsanga. "To understand." Experience of emptiness and the annihilation of the ego. Search for mystical ecstasies or Yoga. Neti Neti. The concept of witness and the personal identity. Vichara. Integration, integrity and introspection. The importance of mental purification in the Yoga of knowledge. Felicity. “I” and his mystical experiences. Spiritual liberation is the ultimate desire of an illusory entity.
Chapter VII
Understanding, experiences and actualization. Liberation is a concept, the presence of the Self is a fact. You do not become what you already are. Confusion between being and personality. The truth and spiritual nonsense. What is Self-realization ? Intellect, intelligence and consciousness. Mystical experience, enlightenment and realization.
Chapter VIII
The Jnani is a being or the absolute being ? Karma and immanent justice. Guru and disciple. The difference between spiritual master and Guru. The absence of teaching of the Guru. Illusory liberation or the truth. Consciousness and the silence of eternity. The egocentricity of an entity in search of its own liberation.
Chapter IX
Wisdom, ethics and society. The pursuit of well-being or truth. The purpose of philosophy and Advaita. To believe or to know. Manichean vision of the world. A masterpiece of perfection beyond the mind. The seeker can only find. Personal development and the Yoga of knowledge. Ego and its psychological problems. Modern society, science and the sacred. What really means "understanding" ? The secret of all secrets.
Epilogue
Glossary
Recommended readings