अप्पा अप्पम्मि रओ

Summary

The text discusses the nature of the self (Atman) and the path to self-realization. It explains that all senses are directed outward, toward objects, and are not needed for perceiving the self. Turning the senses inward means preventing the energy of the eyes and ears from going outward. Knowledge gained through the senses is indirect, while self-knowledge is direct because the self is self-luminous and requires no external light. The body is irrelevant for knowing the self; it is only useful for knowing others. The text describes three layers of existence: body, mind, and self. Most people live only in the first two layers, remaining unfamiliar with the inner chamber of the self. The first layer is full of sin, the third is sinless, and the mind, caught between them, is always conflicted. Suffering arises solely from being disconnected from the inner center. The text quotes the Kathopanishad, stating that the self-existent Lord made the senses turn outward, so people see external things, not the inner self. A wise person, desiring immortality, turns the senses away from external objects to see the inner self. The story of Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi illustrates that everything is dear for the sake of the self, and by knowing the self, everything is known. The text uses the analogy of a cinema screen: the moving images are like life, and the still screen behind them is the eternal self, which is never born and never dies. The story of Alexander and a sage demonstrates that the self cannot be killed or forced. The self is self-luminous, as shown by the Sufi story of Hasan, who realized that no place exists without a witness, including oneself. The text concludes that the self is the seed and the supreme self (Paramatman) is its expansion. The goal is to realize the self, which is described as being absorbed in itself, unaffected by praise or blame, like a healthy person unaware of their body.