You’re So Focused on the Finish Line, You’ve Forgotten Who You Are
JOY in prāptasya prāptih ātmanisthā
You’re So Focused on the Finish Line, You’ve Forgotten Who You Are — Image by Author.
Imagine a life free from endless striving, a state of profound peace rooted in the simple truth of who you are. This is the tantalizing promise first articulated by the renowned sage Gaudapada through the principle of Praptasya Prapti within the rich tapestry of Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
prāptasya prāptiḥ ātmaniṣṭhā
“The attainment of the already attained is through the Self.”
(Gaudapada — Mandukya Karika 1.2)
Liberating message
It whispers a liberating message: the fulfillment you so desperately seek is not something to be attained, but a fundamental reality waiting to be recognized. This realization has the power to shatter the shackles of our self-imposed limitations, opening the doorway to an existence unchained by the constant pursuit of more.
As we embrace this truth, each moment becomes a celebration of the wholeness that was always present, inviting us to dance with life in a state of unbounded presence.
Beyond the Surface Self
Our day-to-day lives are often dominated by the needs and desires of the surface self — the ego. We strive for better jobs, fulfilling relationships, and a multitude of experiences that promise to make us whole. Yet, even when these goals are reached, a lingering dissatisfaction persists.
As Gaudapada taught, Advaita Vedanta invites us to look beyond this surface identity and contemplate a deeper question:
What is the unchanging essence behind the ever-shifting flow of our thoughts, feelings, and experiences?
This inquiry strikes at the heart of our misidentification with the ephemeral, encouraging us to turn our gaze inward and rediscover the timeless ground of being that supports the grand play of existence
A call
It is a call to awaken from the trance of mistaking the mask for the face and to reclaim our birthright as beings of infinite depth and wonder.
The answer lies in the concept of the Atman, the true Self. While the ego is temporary and bound to worldly ups and downs, the Atman is pure awareness, the eternal witness of existence itself.
Crucially, this Atman is not merely a part of something greater; it is identical to Brahman, the boundless, infinite reality that underlies all that is. This non-dual truth — that your essential nature is one with the ultimate reality — is the transformative core of self-realization and the essence of Praptasya Prapti as expounded by Gaudapada.
To realize this is to shatter the illusion of separation and to know oneself as the vast, unbounded expanse in which all manifestation arises and subsides. It is the supreme discovery of one’s true nature as the very ground from which the universe springs forth in an eternal dance of being and becoming.
The End of Seeking
The implications of this profound understanding from Gaudapada are life-changing. If our true Self is already complete, perfect, and one with the infinite source of existence, the frantic search for external validation loses its grip.
Imagine the freedom of discovering yourself as eternally whole!
True peace doesn’t lie in some future state to be attained but arises from directly recognizing what you already are and have always been.
This recognition is the very essence of spiritual liberation, a homecoming to the deepest truth of one’s being that renders all seeking obsolete.
It is the ultimate paradox — the realization that there is nowhere to go, for you have always been the destination itself. With this understanding, each step becomes a celebration of the ever-present fulfilment that pervades every fibre of existence.
The Beauty of Unveiling
Praptasya Prapti as taught by Gaudapada invites a shift in our spiritual practices. Instead of the constant push to become something different, it emphasizes unveiling the splendour of our true nature.
Meditation practices become voyages of self-discovery, peeling away the layers of illusion to reveal the radiant core that lies within.
Inquiry into the nature of the Self, through practices like those described in sacred texts like the Upanishads, becomes a way to dissolve the boundary between the limited self and the limitless reality. It is a sacred unravelling, a gentle disrobing of all that we mistook ourselves to be until we stand naked and resplendent in the glory of our divine essence.
With each veil lifted, we come to recognize the cosmic mirror in which the infinite beholds itself through our very eyes.
Life Transformed
As this recognition of Praptasya Prapti deepens, your relationship with yourself and the world changes. The anxiety of never being enough fades, replaced by a profound sense of contentment. Actions flow with less attachment to outcomes, as you come to know yourself as the eternally fulfilled witness of experience and not simply the doer.
Each encounter becomes an opportunity to revel in the sheer profundity of existence, a sacred play where the boundaries between actor and audience dissolve into the rapture of pure being. Life itself is transformed into a masterpiece, a symphony of consciousness that celebrates the miracle of its unfolding in every fleeting moment.
And…so?
This understanding from Gaudapada offers a vast doorway into the transformative wisdom of Advaita Vedanta. If you’re ready to take the plunge, consider delving into the work of sages like Gaudapada and Adi Shankaracharya. The journey inward is not always comfortable, forcing us to confront the deepest assumptions we hold about ourselves.
Yet, the reward, the peace of recognizing your boundless nature, is unlike anything the external world can offer. It is a homecoming to the vastness that has always been your birthright, a reunion with the infinite that shatters the illusion of limitation forever.
Praptasya Prapti as elucidated by Gaudapada whispers a profound truth: You are, already and always, the wholeness you seek. Will you heed its call?
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