What is Advaita?

Advaita literally means “not two”. In the west it is popularly known as Non-Duality. The fundamental basis of this teaching as understood by me is - everything that appears in our waking, dreaming, sleeping state is none other than the One shared underlying Reality, which is Consciousness or God, expressing itself in multiple forms in this existence and as this existence.

What do you mean by God?

According to me, God is not meant to be some Chief Operating Officer sitting somewhere and dispensing punishments and rewards to the people of the Earth based upon their deeds.

By the word “God” I point to the One underlying REALITY of existence. It is the basis of all happenings in the existence. It is from which and in which all manifestation appears and disappears. Some call this Energy, some call it Consciousness, some call it Brahman and some call it God or the Absolute Reality.

As the very term Advaita means “not two”, hence it is clearly understood in this teaching that the fundamental basis of everything that appears in our waking, dreaming, sleep state is none other than the One shared Reality - Consciousness or God, expressing itself in multiplicity.

What is the meaning of ‘life’ to you?

To be happy. Through every thought and in every action, life is about happiness.

What is Happiness?

Different people have different ideas of happiness. In the process of life, we misconstrue happiness as pleasure, and we end up chasing pleasures in life. As we grow up, our ideas of pleasure keep growing, and the search gets stronger. Pleasure will invariably be interjected with pain from time to time. Seeking more pleasure, and avoiding pain is how the general trajectory goes.

However, happiness is something very different. It does not fall in the category of seeking Pleasure and avoiding Pain. Being able to accept both pleasure in a given moment and pain in a given moment is what I call as “Happiness.”

Happiness cannot be pursued, but rather can only be expressed. Happiness is the inherent quality of who we are. It is not something to be pursued. Once this is realized, all that life is to be happy in this moment.

Do people think while meditating?

Ofcourse! Thinking happens. The problem is not the presence of thoughts. The problem of the matter is - involvement with the thinking process. When you realize thoughts are happening, you are invariably not involved with the thinking process. A sense of separation has been created between you and the thoughts.

However, for most people they believe that they are the thoughts, rather than noticing that the thoughts are appearing in them. Since this distinction is not clear, getting involved with the thinking process is very common.

Understanding that Meditation is not a ‘state’ that is devoid of thoughts is very important. Meditation is not cessation of thinking or controlling of thoughts. It is a realization that the thoughts are not yours to take care of, and you just let it be. You as an individual entity, never created the thought in the first place - it just came. Based on millions of factors that is going on in the cosmos right now, a thought gets influenced and appears in you.

Hence, as you never created the thought, you cannot send the thought away. The wind has brought it, the wind will take it away when its time. Understanding this lets you be and also lets the thought be.

Hence, it is cutting off of the involvement with the thought. In this letting it be, you experience a sense of spaciousness, freedom and undefined happiness. It is not your doing. Meditation is not your doing. It is an allowing of what IS.

How do you differentiate between genuine realization and mere intellectual understanding?

When there is peace of mind. When you do not have any doubt about ‘you’ being a separate individual doer who is acting and reacting. When you realize both anger and joy is a cosmic event happening. Initially one hears this, then understands, and then slowly lives this understanding. And in this living of this understanding, deeper and deeper realization start taking place.

What brings happiness to one’s relationship or marriage?

Understanding that you as a human being is not perfect. Accepting yourself with all your conflicts, fears, guilt, insecurities, pride, rivalry. The moment you accept yourself with all the necessary conflict within you, that very moment you will understand and accept the other - the one you are living with.

Love and Happiness cannot be extracted from the other. It is a fragrance that gets shared when one starts accepting their own truth, with all the beauty and imperfections.

If you want space for yourself at times, your partner may also require space at times. This understanding cannot come out from a prescription for a happy marriage. This can only be realized, once one starts looking into their own desires and conflicts.