So...
Just as teeth need to be brushed before and after enlightenment, the necessity of using the Guru's 'mirror' to continuously affirm there is no entity called 'me' is helpful in the realization of ones true identity. It is like brushing the teeth of the supposed 'me' and realizing, 'Oh! There is nothing there with which to make contact'. The 'me' (whose teeth need brushing) is just the personification of a calcified identity and until a tool of wisdom (such as self-inquiry) is applied to the false teeth (misidentification) of the 'me', there will continue to be the unfounded belief that an identity called 'me' is real. When the plaque of identification builds up and becomes uncomfortable, the Guru (as Divine Dentist) drills down to the root of the problem and exposes the 'me' (which is imagined) as the ache behind the painful 'I' tooth of identity.
Well, that was quite a metaphorical mouth full! The point being made is: a Guru takes care of 'me aches' just as a dentist takes care of tooth aches. One uses physical tools for a physical problem and for a metaphysical problem, a Guru works with the tools that probe into the nature of existence (such as Self-inquiry). Once the non existence of a 'me' causing a phantom pain is revealed, it becomes a simple matter of checking for that non-existent 'me' just as the tongue might return to the hole left behind after the rotten tooth was extracted. This looking for the 'me' which seems to be having a psychosomatic response to an imagined cause, confirms the truth of the matter over and over again until it is no longer a deception gone unchecked, but a direct verifiable fact: IT DOES NOT EXIST!
Who would attempt to pull their own tooth (belief in a 'me') without the proper tools? Even though the suffering caused by such a belief might be excruciating, the fear caused by the thought of living without it (and the pain of it's extraction) might be an even greater threat. This would make it almost impossible for the 'tooth' to be removed without expert help. On the other hand, if a perverse neo-advaita 'tooth fairy' came along and implied, "Hey idiot, there is no 'me' with a sore tooth-just get over it!", would it be helpful? No, it would just be a further kick in the proverbial teeth and add insult to injury. It might be, for some, enough to create a kind of shamed sense of denial or a numbing which could provide temporary relief and distraction (and for the rare one it might be just the shock needed) but there is a much kinder and wiser response which comes when there is trust given to one who is skilled and efficient at dealing with the abscessed and swollen ego.
The Guru as Divine Dentist simply instructs the one who believes they are a 'me' which suffers pain and needs help, to check over and over to see if that 'me' does truly exist and as what can it be identified in actuality?
The first visit to the Divine Dentist might be difficult and fraught with anxiety and misgiving. The probing can hit several personal nerves which are sensitive when suddenly exposed. But if one is able to follow the instructions and look deeply into the mirror the Divine Dentist provides, there will be immediate relief and gradually the me ache subsides as the simple looking is relied on instead of the blind acceptance of the 'me' and it's associated aches and pains.
These appointments (satsang) with the Divine Dentist have only one purpose-to remove all suffering as a result of something that is thought to exist but doesn't. Those who are willing to accept the compassionate yet challenging prescriptions of the Divine Dentist will, on completion of a thorough exam into the cause of the problem, see how simple it has been all along. It doesn't have to be like pulling teeth at all. It (Self-realization) is a simple matter of seeing the T(r)ooth of the matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment