“Discover that Self by losing that self.”

A paradox is a statement or proposition that appears self-contradictory yet appears to be true. Yes, life is a paradox operating in coexisting contradictions, revealing that we have spiritual awareness beyond the ever-desirous emotional mind. We look for meaning and purpose in a world that simply exists. We seek happiness but discover it when we stop running after it.

In a world of constant change, we yearn for permanence. We strive for freedom yet remain entangled in our desires. It is like being in sound as well as silence because, between any two sounds, there is a gap of silence. The cognitive mind functions in dualities, but it is also consumed by non-duality, which unites the spirit and the soul, allowing for awareness through consciousness to perceive the unity behind dualities. It means we are not against paradoxes but welcome them with an aware and conscious mind.

Therefore, we live in a world of paradoxes, where things seldom seem what they seem. It occurs in most aspects of our lives, as our existence is dependent on dualities and opposites. We must rely on its opposite and relate it to something meaningful. Therefore, what is honest or suitable for one person may be unreal and detrimental to another. Life would have little meaning without experiencing both. The cycle of birth and death itself is a paradox, where death is not the end but the beginning of a new life cycle. This is where paradoxes come in, confusing and making us imbalanced and inadequate.

We, as humans, have been blessed with the power of choice. This blessing is also a curse because choice creates conflicts. Material life forces us to choose between two dualities, discriminating through our intellect and selecting what will provide comfort and security in our self-interest. Hoping this will give us everlasting health, wealth, and comfort. Instead, the more you have, the higher the insecurity.

I spent decades chasing material happiness, seeking name, fame, wealth, and recognition. However, there was always something amiss; my mind was never at peace until I discovered that serene silence and stillness in the mind. Contentment, clarity, calmness, and clairvoyance are what we should aspire for to fill that void created by paradoxes in dualities. Do not try to differentiate between good and bad, or beautiful and ugly, but think of them as one, just as nature has meant them to be. Then you are in unison with nature; you will have a balance of both material and spiritual.

In spiritualism, it is crucial to know, understand, and experience to realise your true self. To know yourself, you must forget your identifications, attachments, and accumulations of ‘me and mine.’ When the “I” vanishes, the Self radiates. When you meditate mindfully, you are present in the moment, with nothing but sheer presence. In that nothingness – shunyata – you shall find your true self as nothing but aware-conscious energy, the non-dual self, going through a journey of dualities in illusions (Maya) in a play (Lila) to temporarily engage and experience what life is all about. Hence, do not struggle with life. Accept it graciously and with respect; it flows best when we surrender to it with our third eye open.

In our concrete world, where life is primarily driven by egocentricity, we need to be aware and conscious; otherwise, we bind our minds, depleting our energies and becoming mentally and physically weak. Spirituality guides us that even if we must decay eventually, we live a complete life with capital, comfort, contentment, and compassion. Do not be indifferent to any; all are required for that fulfilment so long as you exist. You may not realise the equilibrium of unity and continuity in the absolute, but centring towards that direction shall bring you joy and peace.

As Plato, the great Greek philosopher, said, “I am the wisest man alive for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”

Throughout life, we seek happiness in some form, narrowing down selfishly to only being happy when we get what we want; otherwise, we are not. Existentially, happiness is not an activity you may seek; it is your essential nature. The more you pursue, the higher the agitation, anxiety, and anguish. You will never be truly happy or satisfied if you cannot be content with who you are.

The paradox arises because we presume that both dual characters exist as two; in reality, the absence of one creates the presence of the other. It means that sadness appears in the absence of happiness; both are, in fact, one in their absolute nature.

The path to freedom does not involve unrestricted liberty in pursuing desires; rather, it necessitates mastery over one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. You may rebel as much as you want, thinking it will free you from bindings. Freedom is not in escaping; it is in being meditatively aware in the present of all your duties towards life.

We should live with divine deeds in divinity, for the sake of divineness, to experience and realise that divine sleeping within in the form of spiritual awareness – ‘Prajnanam Brahma.’ Your true nature is in the presence of your being-ness, i.e., awareness from one moment to the next. It is always free, the eternal, infinite, timeless, spaceless, and formless spirit.

Therefore, there is nothing to seek at the highest level of awareness, for you are already that. The paradox is that we live through dualities of this and that while being inherently non-dual. We seek meaning, making all efforts to acquire money, name, fame, and wisdom, yet there is nothing to seek in pure awareness. Life is impermanent, but our inner self as spiritual awareness is eternal. We believe that free will exists, but we often fail to realise that determinism in the universe is deterministic. We fear loneliness and emptiness, not realising our inner self is full of pure potential. We keep seeking the material or the spiritual, but there is nothing to seek because we are already that divine spirit that we seek. Life’s journey is but an illusion in the grand play of existence.

NAMASTE