ABIDE IN YOUR SELF!

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

72. ABIDE IN YOUR SELF!
The innermost part of your being, the very essence, the fundamental, eternal, central
principle of your being, is identical with the supreme, cosmic, universal Spirit Divine. It is not in
any way different. For the Universal Soul is the source, substratum and fulfilment, the very stuff of
the individual soul. But something has been added on to it, so there is a duality. The added factors
do not in any way change the divinity of the essential, innermost Divine Principle. It remains the
same, unvarying. For it is reality, and reality does not change. Reality is ever the same.
Therefore, there is within you an unchanging reality—that is you—plus an ever-changing,
temporary additive which limits your consciousness, makes you unable to feel your reality in all its
glory and grandeur, in all its pristine, primal purity. These added factors that limit your real Self are
referred to as limiting adjuncts or upadhis. They are the five organs of action, the five pranas, the
five inner organs of perception—sight, sound smell, taste and touch—and the fourfold inner
instrument of thought, feeling, memory and intellect.
You must be able to clearly perceive this duality. In this lies the key to liberation and
blessedness. In this lies the solution to all the problems that you may be experiencing. For,
practically everything that goes to harass, vex, torment, and trouble you is in the part of your being
made up of these limiting adjuncts. In your real Self, the inner part of your duality, there is no
problem, no vexation, no elation or depression, no complication, no trouble of any kind.
That innermost part is a centre of blessedness, a centre of joy, peace, light and serenity.
There you find the cessation of all vexations, all restlessness, all problems, all that makes you
suffer, complain, weep and wail. All those things that belong to the outer half of your duality—that
vex, harass and trouble you—cease to exist when you reach your inner centre. They do not exist in
the real You. They are only the play, the various moods and modes of this outer half.
If you can think deeply about it, and perceive the truth that everything that makes the human
being miserable upon this earth plane pertains to the earthly half of this duality only, while the
solution to all this—the way of transcending and liberating yourself from all this—lies in the inner
half, the eternal, spiritual, divine half of this duality, you will suddenly realise with a shock, a
pleasant surprise, that within the problem lies the solution. And what is more, you will suddenly
exult in the realisation: “For all the harassments I seem to be undergoing, I amthe solution, I amthe
solution!
“Not only in this duality of the Self and the non-Self (of the eternal and the temporary,
added-on limiting adjuncts) lies the solution, but I myself constitute the ultimate solution—the
total, unfailing and only solution. If I practise the sadhana of being myself, of abiding in my reality,
then I am applying the solution and solving all problems. This one single sadhana, this one process
will instantly, within a moment, liberate me from everything that constitutes this samsara, this
prapancha, this world and all that this world implies.”
Joy and sorrow, love and hate, pleasure and pain, elation and depression, happiness and
misery and all desires and restlessness pertain to the mind, intellect or emotions—to the non-Self, to
the upadhis or limiting adjuncts. They cannot touch YOU who constitute the positive, glorious half

of this duality. Even while in this state of associating yourself, or being associated with, these
limiting adjuncts, you are still liberated in your innermost real identity.
It has no bondage. You have no bondage. You are an ever-liberated being. Bliss is your
eternal, unchangeable natural state. Peace profound is what you are at all times, whether waking,
dreaming or sleeping. At all times you are immeasurable, profound peace, which means that you are
unchangeable divine joy—awareness, joy, peace. That is you, and you hold the key.
You constitute the solution to all these temporary, evanescent, passing, little vexations that
go to make up this world. You may not be able to change the world, to alter all these conditions, but
you can always be your Self. That does not require great acrobatics. It does not require any intricate,
complicated, involved process. It is the simplest of all things.
It is as simple as it is for a rainbow to be colourful, for a flower to be beautiful, for music to
be melodious, for honey to be sweet, for sandal paste to be fragrant. It is as simple, as easy, as it is
for the sun to be bright, for fire to burn, for water to flow, for the wind to blow, for space to contain
everything—for it is your inherent nature. You are That. You are peace. You are joy. You are light.
Therefore, ponder this fact, this truth, that while you may not be able to change the world
outside or even what happens in your temporary added adjuncts like mind etc., it does not matter
because you can be your Self. For this is natural to you, and this is the most effective of all solutions
to all problems. And this solution is called you, your own Self.
Be your Self. Abide in your Self. Be what you are and see what it does to you. This is the
greatest sadhana. This is true religion. This is Yoga, this is Vedanta, this is common sense, and this
is wisdom. To search for solutions when the solution is right there within you does not make sense.
To be your Self, solve all problems and go beyond them makes sense. Therefore, glorious, immortal
Self, be sensible. Be your Self, and it is instant bliss, instant peace, instant fullness. For then you
abide in eternity and in infinity.
May Gurudev’s hand of benediction help you to perform this inner miracle—the greatest of
all miracles. May his glance of grace give you the insight, the intuition to simply be what you are, to
be your real Self, to be the Atman, not the anatman, to be the tattva, not the upadhis.
In other words: be bliss, be peace, be radiant light and put an end to this myth and dream of
anything else other than the light, peace and joy which is eternally and unchangeably what you are.
Be your Self!