What is the ego

The ego is said to be a negative thing; something that keeps us in thrall; which must die for us to be awakened.

This is a blatant piece of misinformation, since the ego is the one that can actually not die, as long as you are alive and is the only gate thorough which the Brahman is attained.

How is that, well what is the ego, the most consistent definition of this is the feeling of I am.

In every experience that you have there is a ever present feeling of I am.

If you recognize this feeling in all experiences then you can see that this is at its core unchanging.

(At first you may not believe it, but by slow observation of this you will become ever sure of this fact)

All that happens happens outside of it (thoughts/feelings/physical stuff) does not affect the unchanging feeling of I am.

What this is is none other than the reflection of awareness in mind, and thus just like the awareness is ever constant like space and so is its child the ego the same.

By holding onto the ego you realize its source and see it everywhere, in every experience God as awareness is with you. In fact it is not with you but as you.

Enlightened and nonenlightened

Enlightenment is an unfortunate turn of phrase to describe an uncomplicated state of affairs.

Most people live in a state of near constant attachment from one phenomenon to another.

One thought to another, one worry to another, one feeling to another, one object to another.

An uncomplicated state of affairs is in which you stay as you are despite the churning of objects.

You know yourself as you are amidst this changing phenomenon, stable and peaceful.

You only see yourself as awareness of the changing phenomenon, awareness always stays as it is.

It is not changed by the every varying phenomenon.

To create gurus and reverential figures out of those that see this simple fact is highly unfortunate, but perhaps unavoidable due to deep conditioning in us of high vs low, better vs worse.

This deep conditioning operating day in day out causes mind to look in terms of good vs bad, heros vs common folk, rich and poor, enlightened and non-enlightened.

Buddha on his high pedestal vs us mere humans who can never be so great.

Belief vs Empirical in Vedanta

Vedanta has a strong empirical component, but it also has a substantial component that is taken on faith.
Here are the two components

Empirical component: The observation of I am or consciousness, identifying that consciousness is separate from the objects that appear in it even body or mind.

Faith based component: That consciousness is unified, that even matter and energy are a manifestation of consciousness, I am God.

In many cases these components are taught together, but it is good if the seeker knows what and what can be experienced.

The idea of ourselves

That we are a human a man a woman all this comes from thought.

It is just an idea that we are attached to.

If we were not to attach to these ideas the essence of us is consciousness itself, i.e. we are just consciousness.

If we were to rest in this consciousness and not let us take attachment away from it then there would be no conflict.

The whole of vedanta boils down to this: Experience is happening and you are the experiencer, if you can observe attachment and drop it you will return to your true nature, timeless limitless and bliss.

Inside or outside

Things that we see, things that we hear are said to be outside.

While thoughts that appear emotions that are felt are assumed to be inside of me.

This distinction is arbitrary and just a manner of thinking.

In reality what happens is that everything is outside of me.

I can perceive things both "inside" and "outside".

And thus I perceive all, nothing that I perceive is inside.

All perception though is through the senses. Thus the traditional view of 5 senses is quite incorrect.

Corresponding to these 5 senses there must be many others.

For example we perceive pain, now which sense is this?

Internal senses that perceive emotions, thoughts pain feeling.

If there were truly something inside me I would not be able to perceive it.

Is enlightenment for all?

Is it possible for an animal or child or mentally challenged person to be enlightened?

Very likely not and here we come to the role of discriminative intellect.

In and of itself consciousness does not know it's nature. Only through calm observation and discrimination can it appreciate the distinction among consciousness (itself) and attachment.

All this requires the discriminating faculty which is only present in (some) adult humans. Even there it is rare because it is developed through much practice in mediation (such as Vipassana).

A somewhat simplified analogy can be that of quantum physics. Although it us the way that things work and have always worked only few can grasp it and the knowledge of it took a lot of time to appear amongst humanity.

So is the knowledge of the self. Knowledge is in the nature of the intellect and not of the self/consciousness itself.

Thus the state of knowledge or enlightenment is not possible in animals children etc unless the intellect is also present.

That is it is possible but since discriminative intellect is a prerequisite it is quite unlikely.

Story of the three robbers

Once a man went through a thick forest. Three robbers stopped him on the way. They took away everything he had. The first robber tied him to a tree. The second robber said let's kill him here. The third robber said we have got what we needed, let him be, he will die on his own or survive as may be his fate.

And so off they went leaving the traveler behind.

Later the third robber returned he gave the poor traveler food and drink and when his strength was restore took him to the gates of the city.
Oh traveler you must travel from here to the city on your own said he.

But good sir you have between so kind. Come with me to the city leave those wicked people behind. A virtuous person like you surely will be forgiven. I have heard that a great king lives in these walls. He treats everyone equally.

Said the robber, oh man I cannot enter the gates of this city.

This city will burn me if I enter here.

For I like my brothers am a creature of the forest.

My work is done here. I must leave.

And off he went back.

(Originally narrated by Sri Ramakrishna)