What Exactly Happens with Self

On Self-realization, one comes to know the very first announcement with which the game of this world began. The one who forgets the first announcement gets entangled in the announcements that came later. But the day he remembers the first announcement, he remembers the purpose of life in this world. He realizes the temporary nature of the world. Self-realization is the remembering of the first announcement as to why the world has been created.

The original state of Self is at rest when the world is not created – an unexpressed state where Self alone exists, where only subject exists. This is the state when the Experiencer is present, but cannot experience himself. This is the Self-at-Rest state.

When there is only one without another, one cannot know oneself. It is only when there is ‘another’ that one can feel one’s own presence. So as to experience Self’s own presence, the Self-in-Rest brings about the state of Self-in-Action… the expression of Self. The subject creates the object, so as to experience its own presence. When Self manifests as the mind comprising thoughts, it is the state of Self-in-Action. Self experiences itself through expression.

However, when Self gets identified with the mind and body, it assumes “I am the mind, I am these thoughts, I am this body.” This gives rise to an illusion of many separate bodies, many separate selves, due to an imagined sense of separateness and individuation. So, if I am ‘this’ body, the assumption is that I am not ‘that’ body, or ‘those’ bodies. So whatever is inside the body-skin is assumed to be ‘I’ and whatever is outside appears to be ‘others’. However, this is merely a projection, an illusion that the Self gets entangled in. In this entanglement and false identification, the real purpose of experiencing Self’s own presence is forgotten.

When Self begins to dis-identify from this illusion of separateness, inner Self-witnessing gains precedence over witnessing of the world. The ultimate purpose is realized only when there is a permanent shift from ‘witnessing the world’ to ‘witnessing the witnessor’.
While looking at a mirror, if you do not see yourself, then the purpose of the mirror is not served. In the same way, while witnessing the world of forms and phenomena, the focus should shift to witnessing the Self. The interest should be solely transfixed on knowing the knower. The world serves as a mirror to bring awareness of the presence of the knower.

When Self-realization is attained, the conviction about nonexistence or falsehood of the separate individual is established. The original nature of Self is recognized. Self continues to be in action, and yet remains dis-identified from the mind-body.

Self-realization is when the ultimate purpose of Self behind creating this world is realized… when the real-‘I’ is realized, the identification with an assumed separate personality comes to an end.

Man may imagine that Self-realization is occurring within, or that he has attained Self-realization. But, when Self-realization actually happens, the individual ego-sense, which imagines this, disappears.

Thereafter, everything happening through the body is impersonal Self-expression. Thereafter, whenever thoughts arise in the body, there is no such notion that these thoughts are ‘my thoughts’.

The understanding that functions in the body is: This thought has appeared because it is required for some purpose, because someone is in need of this answer. Personalized thoughts that arise in the body due to egocentric desires end automatically. The thoughts that arise are all impersonal.

Summary:
Self-realization is when the ultimate purpose of Self behind creating this world is realized… when the real-‘I’ is realized, the identification with an assumed separate personality comes to an end. Thereafter, everything happening through the body is impersonal Self-expression.