Page 31 - Wisdom Unfurled

Realisation and Its Means
From time immemorial God realisation has been trumpeted to be the goal of human endeavour (purushartha) and existence, specially in India. But just like the concept of God (i.e., Ultimate Reality) the idea of God realisation too has become shrouded in such sheaths of mystery that a sincere man of reason and science begins to feel disgusted at the very mention of the term.
Most of the scholarly saints have defined the state of realisation in numerous odd ways, but to me it appears that so far as it can be defined, it is not realisation. It is really a dumb state which is beyond expression. Feeling or observing luminosity within or outside is not realisation at all. During the early period of my abhyas, I often felt and witnessed luminosity. But that not being the goal, I proceeded on under the watchful support of my master. Really it is a tasteless state – unchanging and constant. There is no charm, no attraction, and no anandam in the popular sense of the word. It can more appropriately be described as ‘sang-e-benamak’ (i.e., a lump of salt from which saltishness has been taken away). One having attained the state of realisation develops an unfailing will in the spiritual sphere.
Generally, learned men express their opinion about realisation or its conditions on the basis of learning and not on that of their experimental knowledge, which is the real one. For that reason I regret to say that realisation has now become a present-day art. The Reality, in fact, has sunk down deep leaving out its colours according to their mental taste and skill. The result is that people begin to focus their attention on those very paintings and get into them to the extent that is neither spirituality, nor Reality. I believe that one must not have the right to touch the subject of realisation unless he has attained it in the true sense, whereby the divine wisdom has awakened in him. Only the life of practicality is required for the solution of the problem.
Realisation can better be defined as a state of changelessness, which is a condition seldom bestowed upon man even in the course of thousands of years. But if one happens to get a master who has attained it in full, and the abhyasi too is keenly interested in and earnest about it, it becomes quite easily attainable. But so long as there exists the feeling of ‘is’ (existence), it is not complete realisation. It follows therefore that even bliss is a drawback.
People often ask me to let them know first what realisation is, and afterwards they would start worshipping. It is just as one may say, “Let me first understand the thoughts of Shakespeare or Milton, and afterwards I shall try to learn the alphabet.” It is the same as an abhyasi saying, “Let me first realise God, and then I shall start worshipping Him.” When the very thing you seek comes to you, why should you then worship at all. He alone can climb up a height who has created in himself the recognition of his low-lying state. The