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GENERAL CLARIFICATIONS

Divinity 1. Had a thought that divinity is a conglomerate of divinity in everyone. Divinity is not a conglomerate. Its fullness is complete even without expression/manifestation. He expresses as Many. Union 1. Had some moments of complete absorption with feeling of flow within. After the meditation, felt strongly that the moment of absorption, the state of which is difficult to describe, I had was the taste of Union with God and that is what is the goal of life. That is the taste or smell of the garden of God. We in this system start with Yoga and go on firming up our union with Him. (This has close relationship with the system of Hindu marriage where the union is established first and then the process of understanding and development of love between the couple starts.) Craving 1. Just before the end, there was a feeling of restlessness. My trainer said it was due to the fact that we are unable to take that much grace from the Master. After all the sittings, there is always a feeling of settledness, the mood is very upbeat and there is feeling that everything is good in life. Restless is not only due to the vessel being full but also due to craving. Yatra Yatra in each knot means we have to develop the positive qualities and get rid off the negative qualities. These things are achieved more by constant remembrance of the Master and contemplating on his perfect nature. Manana and Sravana are not excluded in our system. Masters Voice has to reverberate in our being and all the pores filled by him. Dreams 1. Sometimes I get nightmares which I am scared to recollect. Nightmares are no good to have. You surely require a few individual sittings and you should be strict in cleaning your self in the evening. Doing prayer before going to bed placing yourself before the Master in total submission will help you 2. Some times during sadhana and sleep I am feeling as if am flying and walking in air. Dreams of flying denotes that you are feeling insecure and there are unknown apprehensions. 3. Dreamt that Rev. Master visited our house. Did not see His form but vaguely remember He asking to do just what He says. Then he has to go to Shahjahanpur and I opted to join Him as I have nothing else to do. Whenever we dream of the Master, it is but prudent we rise up and meditate of course after bathing. The next day also in the morning meditation we may specially recall the dream and submit ourselves whole heartedly to him. 4. Sometimes I get fearful dreams, though few. Fears relate to adhi bouthika, adhi daivika and adhi atmika i.e. they relate to fear of nature, fear of gods and fear of self. Unless the frontiers of fear are crossed the way to freedom is not even found. Try to analyse your dreams well and report. Trusteeship 1. Many a times I do get irritated, but I think about Master and get back to normalcy. I thank you for your guidance. When we do things as a matter of compulsion, irritation is the result. Try as far as possible to discharge your duties as a trustee as our Master has suggested. It may take time but you will surely succeed. Doership 1. You have repeatedly told me that the malady afflicting me is sense of doership, knowership and enjoyership. Kindly tell me how to come out of it. Doership etc., arise only when we anticipate the results in advance and in fact we really plan to get the reward. If there can be disinterestedness in the attainment of the goal the problem will be solved easily. Due Attachment Ahimsa, Asteya, Aparigraha, Brahmacharya and Satya are the pillars on which the spiritual life has to be founded. There is no choice in this so far as I know. Of course of the 5 obstacles namely Kama, Krodha, Moha, Lobha and Ahankar Master asks us to attend to the latter three while only attempt moderation in Kama and Krodha. The attachments we have are to wife, sons and property; they should become due attachment only. To the question what is due attachment my finding is that which is coming in the way of spiritual path is undue and that which does not come in the way are due. There is no point in going to details. While there is need to arrive at certain basic parameters I do not think any one can say these are the only parameters in the sense of exclusiveness. Strong attachments are good so long as they are also leading us/ or they also move along with us in the path. Otherwise in the Journey there are many halts for alleged need for water or rest or shade. Where is the time left for such a rest before we reach the Home? Do you know the search for water that we make is from the river Saraswathi? It is invisible and according to some, dried. But for us we try to bathe in that water only. This is similar to swimming in the dreary desert. Words perhaps but we live in such circumstances that our thirst is quenched by only such waters. Undue attachment to anything or any effort brings in certain amount of matter generated due to the heat of the subject concerned and the heart feels it. Awareness of fact that we are essentially Souls and our nature is that of Love and our instrument for action is Will helps us a long way. We should not think our efforts get anything nor is it necessary to consciously remember the Masters which only indicate our deficiency to some extent. We have been accepted by the Master and it is our duty to serve them. We should not remember them as we do not remember our heart consciously. Matured state of Surrender or Prapanna Dasa develops into its maturity when our orientation to Master is total. Fortitude and forbearance are small rewards of that condition. You are right in understanding that the only attachment we should have always is with God/Master but that does not mean that we can ignore our responsibilities that emanate due to our being trustees of everyone under our care. Do not react sharply for everything think over and decide appropriate course of thought and action. Denial is the path of Sanyasins and not of Grihastas. Our path is due attachment and no denial to anything that is there. Balanced living is the goal 1. Sir, could you kindly suggest how to develop due-attachment to work? There can be only one attachment that is due and that is to the Divine. We should include work, office, home, friends and host of the other things in the work that is due to the Divine as a trustee. 2. My Attachment to work is putting bar to my advancement in sadhana. I have gone (and still going) through lot of struggle with this. In a recent discussion with the trainer, we felt that hidden career aspirations could be preventing me, from surrendering to Master. Intellectually I understand the idea of not being a ‘doer’, the real condition is not owned up. There is nothing wrong in seeking what we are entitled. If that does not become an obsession it is fine. Everything has a place in life and their just and due places should be accorded by us. I am not able to understand the link between efficiency in work and progress in the same with the state of Surrender. Arjuna was efficient in the use of weapons and did aspire for the kingdom along with his brothers and yet at the same surrendered totally to Lord Krishna. I myself moved up the ladder in my career to be the Head of a Govt. Department at the State level and was totally surrendered to my Master. They are compatible is what I want to stress. 3. Attachments are verily some of the hindrances for my progress. Throughout this month I have been checking myself in this aspect. I felt I did not know the difference between Sat and Asat. I do not know the transitory nature of existence. I felt I do not know what is due attachment. Attachments are the problem for any person and it is that, that creates our wishes. Attachment to body, attachment to mind, attachment to property and so on are all capable of creating their own worlds of desires. But if all these attachments are replaced by the one attachment to the Divine the problems get resolved slowly but steadily. That you are having and therefore there is no need for you to be unduly concerned with that. 4. I was feeling happy for myself that I have less undue attachment. But then my husband left for Hyderabad and my son too went to his friends' place for a sleepover and I realised that I have a lot of undue attachment. In my husband’s absence I realised that I used to depend on him for doing my sadhana regularly but during that period I became responsible for my own sadhana and for attending satsanghs regularly and being oriented. Have you read/heard of Sri Ramas' pangs of separation when Sita devi was carried away by Ravana? Do you think Rama was overly attached? Or would you say that when Pradhyumna was carried away by a Rakshasa from the bed of Rukmini that she and Lord Krishna are overly attached? Please know we are grahasthas and we have a duty to perform and we have our own emotions and feelings and are not sanyasins. As for our own Master he used to feel bad even when his dog died. 5. Not able to clearly distinguish between due and undue parts of my duties. Remember you are only a trustee and then due and undue becomes clear. 6. Mostly, during meditation, I don’t have the awareness of the self. I felt deeply absorbed in meditation but I could not carry on with that feeling throughout my day. If it continues through the day how you can work or attend to other duties? Kindly read more on Constant remembrance. 7. When I am very much in Master’s orientation, there seems to be a feeling of laziness leading to inaction. During this time, I may not be attending to work at my job to the best possible extent. Orientation to Master should lead to efficiency in our performance of our duties. That is possible by practicing the attitude of being a TRUSTEE of the Master. 8. Had the feeling that if we were to give up our everything and focus on displaying the Master totally, we would not have any problems in life. God is every where. You agree that God is all happiness. Then happiness alone is every where. All is His and we can enjoy as much as we want but we cannot possess any. The cool breeze near the bay, the pleasant wind near the mountains, the fresh air from the gardens are all only AIR- they appear to possess some qualities because of the situation in which they are placed. We are trustees of God and God you should have noted by now trusted your body also which is His only. There is no question of giving up anything. What can you give up when you own nothing and it is only a duty of a trustee you have? 9. I realized that even unknowingly ego builds and prejudice creeps in even as one thinks doing Master’s work. I will do my best to guard against such feelings by resorting everything sincerely to Him and His work and doing prayer most sincerely and with humility. So long as we remember our Master whose Grace is illimitable and whose presence is had for the asking by any trainer, the problem of ego may not assume any serious proportion to disturb our balance. There is no limit to humility and that we should cultivate and at the same discharge our duties as effectively as we can as trustees of the Master. Undue Attachment Attachment of any kind to anything or person or place is a bondage and one in the path has to get out of the shackles and he can only be bonded to the Lord. This arises only when there is goal clarity. It is for each one to know that. I can only say that if one were to analyse the thoughts and thought patterns that one gets aware of during waking state, dream state and during meditation practices there will be an awareness of the bondage. These invariably relate to the five kosas, five vikaras and the three Ishanas. The mosaic is so very difficult to decipher that it requires enormous amount of dedication to the goal and of course the grace of the Master. We are the lucky few that have access to the grace of the Master and the remaining portion is better left unsaid and it would be the sadhana of the individual. While one has access it is also the experience of the discerning sadhakas that one does not get it unless one deserves it. This is to be done through an effort to develop devotion. As the Master puts it “Our primary motive is to develop devotion and for that service is only a means. We serve in the real sense only when our motive is sincere and honest. It carries with it a sense of DUTY as well as of LOVE, both being INSEPERABLE from, each other." One in the path also understands that Devotion is a consequence of the Atma swaroopa jnana and is not something one has from the beginning as it is assumed with the recitation of slokas and mantras, poems etc. Kartrtva Bhavana is the root cause for the formation of all samskaras and all bondages. Unless this is got rid off at every level the question of going beyond the chains of bondages of various categories already mentioned above does not arise. More on Undue Attachment 1. I request you to clarify me about undue attachment. "Undue attachment which is Positive (Raga) and negative both are poisonous to spiritual progress" This I saw in the "Thought for the day". My understanding to this is, Positive undue attachment is the one which can be had towards God. Your understanding is far fetched. We are attached to Things and persons and that is called Raga and we also dislike and hate many which is called Dwesha. Raga Dwesha are the two subjects well discussed in traditional literature. Master is referring to that only. Both these are detrimental to sadhana. Attachment to God is only Bhakti and not one of these. Duty 1. Inspite of knowing the fact that it is He who is the doer, knower and enjoyer, dropping off of abhyasies disturbs at times. Trying to come out of that feeling. Our duty to pray for them need not be neglected. When they do not do their duty that also becomes ours and that is real love. 2. If some of my relatives is not financially doing well and I intend to help him rather than donate that money to a charitable institution. Would this be my attachment because I feel a stronger urge to help my relative rather than donate to a charitable cause? It is sense and duty to help your relatives. If there is a quantum of money you intend to spend as Dharma and Dana you should also learn to proportionally distribute the same. Dana is giving the needy and dharma is doing a general good. The actual breakup you have to work out. But the total amount of dana and dharma may be not less than 10% our income. This is what I practice. 3. Saw my mother during sitting. Later my trainer clarified that undue attachments are going away. It was surprising to me as was all along feeling that I do not have much attachment towards mother That is not right. We owe our life to our mother and father and there is considerable attachment in all cases. It is not undue attachment to mother (it can never be undue as pitr runa has to be paid). Her presence in the sitting means she is seeking spiritual fraternity with us and is seeking Masters’ Grace. Be happy that you are discharging your runa. Tradition 1. Sometimes I get a thought of going to Temple and feel I miss it also. For the past few days I am getting this thought. But suddenly I awake my selves and get into master's thought. I do not know the reason for this thought. It comes to me sometimes not always. When we think about God, we think of temples also. This has been part of our life. So long as we know that realisation/liberation does not come from visiting temples and also know that it is only social custom there is no problem about going to temples 2. I am following the system more seriously for the past 1 year. First of all it took me some time to come out of my daily slokas, poojas and some vrathams. Now I am clear in my path. Poojas and slokas have their own purpose and surely it is because of such pious practices you have now come to this system that helps us move towards our real goal. God is samavarthi and therefore no effort goes waste. 3. I felt that Lord Hanuman is flying in the sky and seeing all people on the earth and I am in Hanuman seeing all people. Our path is too straight to accommodate the personalities of yore however great they are. In fact none of them respond to us and it is fancy of our imagination that runs wild due to pseudo religious and pseudo traditional knowledge we acquired from our elders and well wishers. Please do attend to cleaning more assiduously. 4. As for the question how long you should do the Shraddha and Tarpana etc., I have no answer to give. In the present circumstances the way given by Rev. Lalaji in Truth Eternal, in the chapter on Karma regarding customs and religious rites may be the best course. You may think and take appropriate decision. I do not have any expertise on religious customs and rites, which if I remember right I, had always contempt for, the apparent hypocrisy. Whenever I did any such thing it was to please my wife and also to see that the poor Brahmin community is also fed properly. Self-Pity Self pity is a great luxury. Please do not fall into this pit. We can manage all other luxuries and get out of them. 1. In your letter you expressed a feeling that you were not able to mould any person so far. Again is it any of our concern? Is not moulding ourselves so that it may arouse a feeling of piety and love in others the Commandment? Every Jiva has its own samskaras and vasanas and our task shall be never to tinker with them. It is a Divine decree and sacred pact with the Divine the Jiva has as was well stated by Swami Vivekananda. Who are we and How are we to do the job of moulding others? Is the self-effort evident here? Comparisons with others in this regard thinking that they have moulded others, do you think are justified? You can see the play of Ego in all these views. We are participating in the great task undertaken by the Master and it is His work alone. The greatness of Revered Lalaji Maharaj is that he was able to make a plea and succeed in bringing the Centre yawning towards the circumference. Ponder over that. That is the basis of Pranahuti. The Pranasya Pranah has yielded to the request of the Grand Master How can humanity repay this debt? NEVER, NEVER, NEVER. That we are, enabled to work in this great task is our luck, perhaps that is itself the Grace: Don't you also see in this statement of yours a sense of self-pity? Watch out your feelings and come to the correct perspective so that this phenomena does not bother you much. Intellect It is necessary that the manas should take a priority over intellect(buddhi). At the same time intellect is necessary to understand and explain the system to others. Regarding the role of intellect and intellectual presentation of matters and justifying it by the sacred Gayatri mantra, I can say the Dhi mentioned in the mantra is definitely not the buddhi. Further reality can never be appreciated by the buddhi and it is matter of the heart and feelings only. Love is beyond intellect and the barriers of intellect and its logic will not apply in the spiritual sphere. No one writing excellently using his intellectual prowess was able to change the nature of a single person. While everyone knows what is good only few do good. This is because intellectual conviction does not generate the love that is the basis of universal brotherhood. You know this yet the power of the intellect is such that it traps you. I went through this phase and after Master repeatedly pointing out this defect, with lot of reluctance and almost unwillingly I stopped this practice. Now I dare say it is a VYASANAM and we should come out of it. A Prapanna abides in God/Master and never asks Him anything even by way of clarifications. Clarifications and explanations are in the realm of intellect which has no access to the heart and feelings which is the real language of God/ Master. The drama of the manifested Divine were described to some extent truly and to a large extent with extraordinary imaginations and if we seek to tally our experiences with it, So far as I know it is not possible. The Omniscience that is supposed to emerge from an understanding the real nature of Brahman / God as spoken of in the traditional texts and what we have learnt from the learned is true only when occasion demands it. And Omniscience is not granted for idle curiosity or imaginary tasks that we seem to undertake. The Reality that is presented to us is naked and has its own beauty though it is dry and almost void. 1. Undue attachments are verily decelerators for spiritual progress. By the time I am aware of it, it is like I was already in it. Is emotional attachment to Master an undue attachment? That is how the intellect fools us. Desire to reach the ultimate is no desire and attachment to Master is no attachment and yet the monkey(mind) plays its joke. Beware! Power Grossness The power that is vested in the trainers should be utilised lest power grossness develops. Any amount of justification for lapses will not yield the desired results to get rid off the grossness once it develops. Attachments to our so called men and women who in reality are His, helps none in the path. Promises made to Master need to be kept lest Untruthfulness casts its mark on the soul. You did not have individual sittings for some years. Therefore in addition to normal grossness you have developed power grossness also. This needs to be attended to immediately. Try to comply with instructions and come for individual sittings. Karmic Law 1. I cannot understand as to why you have to bear this ill health at current stage of spirituality what kind of samskaras(yours or ??) / cleaning/bhog . Please ignore if this does not require explaining or is beyond my comprehension. Your question is peculiar. Do you think that spiritually evolved persons do not have ailments? I am told by Master that our great grand Master Lalaji Maharaj was suffering. I saw our Master having never any thing that can be called good health. I know my father was also sick. I understand that Sri Aurobindo suffered for too long and Maharshi Ramana was no exception. Ofcourse I am not all that spiritually evolved to merit comparison with the above persons. Perhaps your question is based on your affection towards me if so I thank you for the concern. So long as the body is there the samaskaras of the past go on clearing themselves and it may not only be through sufferings or pain or diseases. 2. In our system when the trainer clears off impressions how does the requisite bhoga taken care off as per karmic law regarded as inviolable? Who ever said that the trainers clear off the impressions? In Toto ? It is repeatedly asserted that we go through Bhog in meditation, dreams and cleaning sessions. If all the karmic load is cleared off where is the being? Karmic law is inviolable and one has to go through the effect in some plane or the other. 3. Is it because of the connection established with the Special Personality the Mahaparishad there is this facility to redefine the karmic equation or Karma Vipaka that the whole load passes off almost imperceptibly, the Mahaparishad enjoying freedom to define the Karma Bhoga as he chooses in a particular case? This is total misunderstanding of the system and is a great wish that is based on greed and unaccountability. The Maha Parishad or even Avatar has his Karmic load. The question is totally un-understandable from a person who has been practicing the system this long. I have seen the Masters suffering the karmic load and if you carefully study the stories of the Masters I am sure you will understand the silly question. Law of Karma if is violated the Rtam itself is affected and no spiritual person will ever ask for that. You may have to read the Commentary on Ten Commandments a few more times in a spirit of prayer. Influence of the Environment 1. I had different levels of calmness this month, may be due to stay in multiple environments (US & India). Environment has a influence to some extent: but we should be able to balance ourselves in all places. Orientation to Master instead of our self helps a lot. 2. Maybe since I am staying in new place (hotel) for this month, I had less devotional thoughts while in hotel. Also Need to develop more viveka for effective Sadhana. Please advice regarding this. Please give a suggestion that the new place is cleaned by the force of your will and then stay in such places. Always have your own cloth or towel over the pillows and sleep on that. You cannot change the hotels you can adjust to them by cleaning the atmosphere in the room by the force of your will. Sadhana surely improves with Viveka and also it promotes Viveka. 3. I was in India for the month of January and came back to US on 31st January. I feel sorry to state that my determination has not grown that strong as to with stand an environment that is not so condusive to Sadhana…meaning by my practice had many misses during my stay there. Which made me be grateful for the environment here (in Fremont) that is so much in tune with our goal. Okay. Many times the external circumstances are not that easy to handle and that is part of karma phala. But in the true spiritual order we are to maintain an attitude to accept the external rather than try to change the same. Here in comes the practices of tolerance, patience and fortitude. You will surely grow into those realms with determination and love to Master. Effect of Movies You had already observed that the cinemas have an effect on you during meditations. You may think over this and slowly reduce the time spent on them. Thoughts so long as they do not disturb our meditation need not be given importance. You may try to read again the articles on Control of Mind and Concentration of our Master. Values to Children 1. Sir I would like your advice on how to raise children with good values. I ask kids to say prayer in their own words before going to bed. They ask me who is God and where is God? They point to Bala Krishna's photo and ask is he God? (They are 3 and 5 years old). I tried to answer them that he is in sky and looks after us like how we were taught. Can you please give us some advice on what to answer them properly and teach them good values and practices? It is good you are trying to explain the concept of God. Abstract concepts of God cannot be easily explained to children. The best method is to expose them to the stories of Bhagavatam where there is so much of interest to them in the stories of Avatars and most interesting Hanuman. Ask them to repeat Rama nam before going to bed as much as they can. Values are taught through fables and stories. panchatantra is an excellent book to start with for children. If they like Bala Krishna say that he is God; in fact Krishna is the Avatar till Kalki comes. Stick to tradition and teach them some good lullabies. Perfection in action 1. Thoughtless condition of previous month seems to be increasing also. Sometimes I try to think of something to break that mode. Along with that forgetfulness also seems to be there. Couple of instances it proved to be a little costly too. I am sorry the thoughtless condition we have should not lead to any inefficiency. It is not good to loose and least of all when the fault leads to expensive loss. Yoga should lead us to perfection. Forgetfulness of course comes to us because of the development of Vairagya and attachment to the Divinity. But we should mould ourselves to be more balanced. 2. One day in a meeting in office suddenly I felt that I am not talking about what is being discussed in the meeting rather I am explaining the attendees about our system. Everybody seems to be quiet and listening to me very carefully. Startled by the awareness of this thought as I came back to normal senses I found that I am still continuing with the meeting matter only. It happened twice. Second time the awareness came much later. Yogah karmasu kausalam. Beware of being lost and become irrelevant. It is essential we should be very attentive to the task in hand. Treat work also divinely ordained and it is your duty to be perfect. 3. My attitude about sadhana has changed. I used to think that I have to do everything properly. Now I feel it is my duty to do sadhana and the rest what ever happens during meditation or day to day life is Master's. Your attitude should always be to do everything as perfectly as you can. Yoga really means efficiency in action. It is not sitting in some corner meditating all the time. Meditation is only a part of our sadhana as you must have understood by reading the Commentary on Ten Commandments. Surely everything is ultimately possible only by the grace of God but that should not lead us to complacency or neglect of duties. 4. Feeling less interested in work (less passionate) and other social matters We should be detached and yet our work should be the best and our relationships with others are that of mutual respect. 5. Feeling less tolerant of mundane discussions at work or home. If it is all wasteful talk it is alright. But our participation in essential discussions is a must so that others evaluate as competent and efficient. Yoga should be such that we are competent: Yogah karmasu kausalam is the rule. Inner Peace Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to inner peace and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world. Some signs and symptoms of inner peace: • A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences. • An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. • A loss of interest in judging other people. • A loss of interest in judging self. • A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others. • A loss of interest in conflict. • A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom). • Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation. • Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature. • Frequent attacks of smiling. • An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen. • An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it. WARNING: If you have some or all of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of inner peace may be so far advanced as to not be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of these symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk. Sensuousness 1. In this month I was also feeling very sensual for couple of weeks during night times and pressured by my basic urges and I think it was the result of the impressions I formed during my college days and early marriage days. During meditation also I was getting such thoughts on some of the days which I have mentioned below. You may kindly note that sensuous feelings and awareness of urges lose first their strength or the impulsive tendencies and slowly get into the stage of moderation. Even when a person is in Brahmand these urges have their sway (umpteen stories of Indra may be recalled) even as Master himself has acknowledged their presence in his auto biography. I did mention about this in the book Path of Grace also. So be kind to yourself and evaluate as a grahasta. I do not thereby say we can be indulgent. Astral Body 1. Can you please clarify what is astral world and astral body? For any thing that has form there are three things 1. Physical form 2. The idea behind the physical form and 3. the reason or cause behind these two. Ex: a chair. It has a form. This has a design behind it and this is the astral form of the chair. There is a purpose for having the type of design it has and that is the causal form of the chair. Just as physical forms exist in physical world; the ideas/plans/designs behind the physical forms (which constitute astral bodies) exist in the astral world. Gunas 1. I recently read the book on Koshas and was wondering if there is any connection between the Koshas and the 3 gunas as defined in Gita. In Gita the Lord says that each Guna has its own characteristics and these characteristics match with some of the Kosha characteristics. The three gunas are always there and even Vedas deal with them only. Activity(rajas), indolence (tamas) and samatva (balance) govern everything in life. The kosas relate to the 5 layers of consciousness which are in a great mix. The kosas are also influenced by the gunas and we in the path of spirituality seek to use the Satva guna operate in all the layers. These things were all discussed in the workshops on the kosas and you may read them carefully. Identicality 1. What is identicality of state? Gross ego is present in Pind desh, I ness remains in Brahmand to considerable extent. Identity is something that will be there even when we reach the central region. Self 1. For couple of days there was a question like what does self-mean? The only answer could find was "nothing". That is philosophy. Self is a bundle of Ego, Intellect, Feelings and Awareness. Nothingness is a condition that is arrived at after passing several regions. In Nothingness there is no self as it has to be sacrificed at the altar of the Almighty.