Swami Sivananda

 The innermost part of your being, the very essence, the fundamental, eternal principle of your being is identical with the supreme, cosmic, universal Divine Spirit. It is not in any way different, for the Universal Soul is the source, substratum and fulfilment, the very stuff of the individual soul. But something has been added on to it, so there is a duality. The added factors do not in any way change the divinity of the essential, innermost Divine Principle. It remains the same, unvarying. For it is reality, and reality does not change. Reality is ever the same. There is within you an unchanging reality, plus an ever-changing, temporary additive that limits your consciousness, makes you unable to feel your reality in all its glory and grandeur. These added factors that limit your real Self are referred to as limiting adjuncts or upadhis. They are the five organs of action, the five pranas, the five inner organs of perception, and the fourfold inner instrument of thought, feeling, memory and intellect.

You must be able to clearly perceive this duality. In this lies the key to liberation and blessedness. In this lies the solution to all the problems that you may be experiencing. For, practically everything that goes to harass, vex and trouble you is in the part of your being made up of these limiting adjuncts. In your real Self, the inner part of your duality, there is no problem, no trouble of any kind. That innermost part is a centre of blessedness, joy, peace and serenity. There you find the cessation of all vexation and all that makes you suffer. They do not exist in the real You. They are only the play, the various moods and modes of this outer half. If you can think deeply about it, and perceive the truth that everything that makes the human being miserable upon this earth plane pertains to the earthly half of this duality only, while the solution to all this lies in the inner half, the eternal, spiritual, divine half of this duality, you will suddenly realise with a shock, that within the problem lies the solution. You will suddenly exult in the realisation; "For all the harassments I seem to be undergoing, I am the solution; I am the solution! If I practice the sadhana of being myself, of abiding in my reality, then I am applying the solution and solving all problems. This one sadhana of being myself will within a moment, liberate me from everything that constitutes this samsara."

Joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, and all desires and restlessness pertain to the mind, intellect and emotions-to the non-Self. They cannot touch You who constitute the positive, glorious half of this duality. Even while in this state of associating yourself with these limiting adjuncts, you are still liberated in your innermost real identity. It has no bondage; you have no bondage. You are an ever-liberated being. Bliss is your eternal, unchangeable natural state. Peace profound is what you are at all times, whether waking, dreaming or sleeping. You constitute the solution to all these temporary, evanescent little vexations that go to make up this world. You may not be able to change the world, but you can always be your Self! It is the simplest of things. It is as simple as it is for a rainbow to be colourful, for honey to be sweet or for music to be melodious-for it is your inherent nature.

Therefore, ponder this fact, that while you may not be able to change the world outside, it does not matter, because you can be your own Self. Be what you are and see what it does to you. This is the greatest sadhana. This is true religion. This is Yoga and Vedanta, and this is wisdom. To search for solutions when the solution is right there within you does not make any sense. Be your own Self, and it is instant bliss, instant peace, instant fullness. For then you abide in eternity and in infinity. May Gurudev's hand of benediction help you to perform this inner miracle-the greatest of miracles!