What to do with all this?

Viveka talks – exercise 18.

Read the 18^th Chapter from the book “Viveka – the Voice of Inner Guru” entitled “What to do with all this?”.

Remember: this article/chapter is tokenized, and you may buy it as a “writer’s NFT!”

Points to consider

Before answering the question of “what to do with all this”, let me remind you what viveka is about.

• discovering, not learning
• letting go, not doing something
• being, not experiencing
• recognizing illusion, not creating or achieving something new

Viveka deals with the structure of consciousness, as it is present within us and within our minds in the form of original ideas. It is based on common sense and the ability to discern, which is already present in the manomayakosha ()the mind) of every human being.

Correct application of viveka leads to liberation (moksha), a natural, authentic, non-warped state of reality – a true reality.

There is no manual describing how to do it. But there are guidances, hints and pointers. You received it through Viveka talks exercises.

What to do with all this?

The first answer is simple: nothing.

But the question is: can you do it? Can you let it go and, for a while, forget about the truth and liberation? Can you devote your time to experiencing life, whether it is an illusion or not?

Some people will say yes, and simply decide to wait for liberation to happen (because it will, eventually) spontaneously.

But, for those with really strong mumukshuta (desire for liberation), this is not an option. They can do one of the following:

• try to do it alone
• find a viveka mentor

The first option: do it alone

It can be done, but it is hard work with many downsides.

You’ll have to write — a lot. On paper, count on at least ten to twenty notebooks, maybe more. Of course, in the age of computers, a couple of gigabytes of text would suffice.

Writing is the only efficient tool if you want to examine your thinking. Talking to yourself or someone else is not recommended. While speaking, people tend to include emotions, defense mechanisms, and behavioral patterns. You don’t want that to get in your way. And if you were hoping that you could do it by only thinking to yourself — forget it.

Practice analyzing all ideas and concepts; see if they are conceptual or categoric constructions. While doing that, pay attention to the subconcepts requiring belief, hanging onto thin air, or the ones that are just plain wrong. Reject such subconcepts and, with it, reject the conceptual constructions they helped build.

Downsides:

• If you succeed in working on the purification of your mind diligently, that could require occasional or permanent withdrawal from everyday activities.
• Next, disillusionment is an emotionally tricky process. Your mood can fluctuate, and the presence of other people can prove to be challenging, if not impossible.
• You’ll be alone all the time, which means losing a lot of time being stuck in your ideas without encouragement, support or an example from anyone.

All in all, your mumukshuta must be enormous for you to endure through that process, stay sane, and finish enlightened.

Second option: find a viveka mentor

There are not many around. And actually, this is the only downside of such an approach. Everything else with mentorship is better, quicker and easier than doing it alone.

If your destiny brings you to me as a mentor, here is what we will do.

There is a structure of seven key questions. You should not know what the questions are before starting the process. The reason for that is the innocence of your mind and minimalizing the possibility of spoofing yourself with in-advance-made answers. The questions may be different, but the seven I work with are quite efficient, so I like to stick with them.

So, instead of leaving you to yourself and the influence of the ups and downs of your life, we have a systematized approach. One more change is that you will not be alone. I usually work with small groups of five to ten. We don’t have to be in personal contact, at least not live. Online communication works just fine.

The writing part is the same as described before, but this time it will be viewed by each group member, plus by myself as a mentor. Emails are perfect for such a purpose.

So, you’ll write like hell, every day, sometimes a couple of emails daily, for at least four to six months. The writings will not be personal (that you can do for yourself). The group will try to find an answer to each key question. Together. We will not move to the next question until each member of the group confirms the understanding of the answer.

If four to six months seems a lot, you are mistaken. It’s the shortest time possible. The idea is that during that time, you’ll travel the same path that would take you years if you try to do it alone.

The upside of having mentorship and a guided process of deconstruction of an illusion are: it takes much less time than doing it alone; emotionally, it is more comfortable with the support of the group, and intellectually, it is more challenging due to the interventions of the mentor. The group inspires and enables continuous work; the mentor provides clear directions and fast reactions to mistakes. The process is quick, direct, and without compromise.

Downsides:

• There are not many people in the world who can serve as viveka mentors.
• There is a possibility that someone from the group fakes the process. There are spiritual tourists out there, who will apply to this process just from curiosity, and who will go through it like observers. Of course, that is not a concern for the rest of the group. If there is such a faker among participants, he or she is doing that at their own cost.

***

So, there you have it. Now you know what to do with all this. Good luck.

Questions for thinking

Before deciding what you want to do, go back to the Viveka talks exercise number six (Living student), and read again about mumukshuta and other prerequisites for the viveka approach.

After you remind yourself about that, ask yourself: “Is my mumukshuta strong enough to enter the process of deconstruction of illusion RIGHT NOW, or would I rather wait.”

If you feel that waiting is not an option, and you also understand that mentorship is a rear opportunity, then you should know what to do. (Before you contact me, prepare an extensive explanation in writing why you think I should devote my time to mentor you.)

It is your turn now. Write your thoughts, comments, or questions.

This post is also available in: Croatian Slovenian