This was beautifully put. I agree with how you put the 7 points. The only thing I will stress in this from experience, is that it is good to desire, but the seeking should be for illumination and not not necessary something you have told yourself to expect. It is as you say a process of constant surrender, and part of that surrender is to simple allow what is to be given, to be given. If you are looking for something you expect, then you are not open to receive. If any expectation, it should be that God will meet you as you surrender.
Thank you for your kind words. I agree with what you say.
Regarding not to expect anything - I have told in another post, that do not meditate with expectation that you should have this experience.
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I always ask the question WHY? Why this upadesha is given. Not all upadesha is applicable to all. Not Whole of Gita can be understood and implemented.
To cut short. I understand what you say. Moksha is the desire and great illusion. But to remove this illusion of bondage, one has to take support of moksha.
After one has emptied all desires and thoughts from mind. One desire remains - I want moksha. This has to be uprooted to. So now the updesha is given. Who is the meditator? who are you?, etc. Then a matured sadhaka will quit this thought - I want Moksha, and will enter into samadhi.
One is not steady in samadhi until mind is destroyed. Sri Ramana Maharshi has experienced complete separateness. But he did not stop there and opened an ashram to preach non-duality. He meditated for many years until he was steady in SELF and there was no more need to meditate.
Ashtavakra Gita says this kind of stuff. So it is not for everybody. But today, even commentaries on brahma sutra, upanishads are available. Only person who is steady in Self should write a commentary and that too if he gets direct orders from God. But here most commentaries are written from intellectual level and hence cannot uplift you to nirvikalp samadhi. Feeling inspiration and thinking that I am getting inspiration is not enough says Sri Ramakrishna. God has to appear before you and order you to write commentary and give discourses. Even shankaracharya wrote commentary on brahma sutra after Lord Shiva (in form of chandala) came, tested and then ordered him to write commentary. It is alsi said that ved vyasa gave 16 more years to shankara. He even tested shankra's knowledge and his commentary on brahma sutra. After that adi shankara wanted to quit body, but it was Ved Vyasa who told him to walk length and breath of India and preached True advaita.
Same was with Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Ramana Maharshi. They never interacted with any one during sadhana days. Same was with Buddha bhagavan. Only after establishing themselves steadily in Brahman, and after order form God, they began to teach or preach.
Some upadeshas are only for advanced seekers and not for laymen. What will happen to a person who has just started his spiritual journey, never experienced detachment and is in sarira bhava, if the upadesha is told that - 'Who is the one who is meditating' - It is a disaster waiting to happen. He may leave his puja-path, etc and do as he pleases.
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The thing is - if you are totally surrendered to God, God will definitely show you a step further, show you correct way, change / correct the path and will take care of you. So do not worry, just go for it.
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As per my understanding, the OP is not having any experience of Self Realization. It is a divine experience but not of the ultimate truth - the advaita sthiti. So no question of falling up and down. It is all or none theory. Either you are realized or you are not.
As I have said, having a glimpse and being steady in Self are 2 different things. One is not a Jivan mukta if one is not effortlessly steady in Self and requires no process or any kriya or any need to meditate.
Aum
Amrut