Our mind itself is the biggest and the only problem. Hence, religion, philosophy, psychology and psychiatry come up with many solutions, many conclusions, but no conclusion is conclusive because instantly, many more problems keep arising.

That’s where spirituality differs. Spirituality means not trying to solve a particular problem, but looking at the root of all problems and cutting the root. It solves nothing. It simply dissolves the source of the problem — the mind.

In fact, existence of mind itself is a disease and a disease can never be healthy. There are only two conditions of mind: normally unhealthy and abnormally unhealthy. Very few in this world have transcended the mind itself and attained perfection. A vast majority of us have a normally unhealthy mind. Everybody is a lunatic, but the one who can analyze one’s delusion is a philosopher.

The true potential of human beings is not in the power of the mind. The ultimate goal of human existence is to transcend the mind itself and reach a higher state of thought-free, object-less, pure blissful awareness. In that state we are truly in the divinity that we descended from. Till we reach that state of unity with what we truly are, we are in turmoil.

Our experience teaches us that the mind is active in the waking and the dream state of consciousness. That is where we experience all the ephemeral miseries, sorrows, pain and anguish. As soon as we enter into dreamless sleep or the deep sleep state of consciousness, we remain untouched by the tragedies, miseries, sorrows, pains and anguish of the waking and the dream state. When we wake up from the deep sleep state, we say ‘I didn’t know anything, but I enjoyed it’. What did we enjoy? Without indulging in any of the objects of the world in the deep sleep state, yet we enjoyed it.

So, what is the difference between the waking and the dream state on one hand and the deep sleep state on the other hand? The difference is the presence of the mind in waking and the dream state, while its temporary absence in the deep sleep state along with the ego that identifies with it. But our existence is a continuous one, through all three states of consciousness. So, in the absence of the mind, we are happy, without the need to indulge in any objects of enjoyment. In the absence of the mind we are closest to our Real Self, which is of the nature of Infinite Bliss. All of us want to be happy, not miserable, and sorrows and miseries are felt only in the mind. That is the normal state of the mind, which is unhealthy. When such a mind gets afflicted by psychological diseases, it becomes abnormally unhealthy. Now it is clear that it is the mind which causes all our problems.

Once we know that we are not the mind, the great transcendence has happened. We start being a witness to the contents of the mind rather than identifying and being carried with it. Suddenly, all problems become insignificant; slowly they evaporate. We are left with a profound peace. This peace is the answer to all the problems created by the mind. This is the miracle of spirituality; it dissolves all problems in a single blow. It is a sudden leap, a quantum leap.

Who looks for solutions and where? The mind, which is the source of problems, looks for solutions — and in the mind! See the absurdity of it all. It is like lifting ourselves up sitting in a bucket, which is not possible. Yes, the mind will fabricate many solutions, but they will only be superficial. It will never come up with a solution that will lead to its own annihilation. The basic question will remain untouched and many more will arise and it is a process — ad infinitum.

The period of transition, from imperfection to perfection, is the most difficult period for every spiritual seeker — one may start falling apart. If we go to a psychologist he will say, ‘This is a breakdown.’ It is not a breakdown; it is a breakthrough, but psychology still has no idea of this breakthrough. Hence, psychology is groping in the dark because it is still unaware of the fact that we can go beyond the mind and body identification.

Unless one goes beyond both, one never knows anything about the breakthrough. Man is falling apart all over the world because of this idea that man is nothing but body or nothing but mind, or at the most, both. A breakthrough is possible, if one can analyze and come to the conclusion that by no stretch of imagination, can one ever be the body, sense organs, mind and the intellect. One’s existence is independent of these.

When the identity with the body, mind and intellect equipment is dropped, in the waking plane of consciousness, by weakening and dissolving the ego, we go beyond the limitations of time and space into the infinite.