Who stands between you and realization?
The only person standing between you and realization is you.
Yes, you read that right. The only thing that truly stands between you and realization is the notion of “I.”
The essence of all spiritual sadhana is to dissolve this sense of “I” and discover the all-pervading consciousness.
Thus, becoming selfless is the true indicator of spiritual progress.
There is a beautiful incident from the life of Sai Baba. When a photographer attempted to take Baba’s photograph without His permission, Baba asked Shyama to stop them. Baba said that if they could destroy the wall that separates them from Him, then they could meet Him. The wall Baba referred to was the wall of “I” and “mine.”
Thakur Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa conveyed the same truth through the parable of a salt doll that wanted to measure the depth of the ocean. As the doll entered the sea to measure its depth, it gradually dissolved and disappeared before reaching the bottom.
In the same way, the purpose of sadhana—like diving into the depths of the ocean—is to dissolve the sense of “I.” When this dissolution happens, one realizes that there exists only ONE (Eka), without a second (Dwitiya).
The dissolution of the ‘ego’ formed the core of Sri Ramana Maharshi’s teachings.
However, a note of caution is necessary. No one can live or function in this world without an ego. What a sadhaka needs, therefore, is a purified ego—one that understands, “things happen through me, not by me.”
How can one attain this?
The paths of Knowledge (Jnana), Devotion (Bhakti), Action (Karma), and Yoga are all ways to reach this realization.
Special mention must be made of seva (service) and satsang (holy company) for their power to dissolve the sense of “I” and aid progress on the spiritual path.
In Baba’s sampradaya (tradition), sharanagati (true surrender) to the Guru is the path to dissolve ego.
Everyone experiences a glimpse of this truth in everyday life. When we wake up from deep sleep, the first thought that arises is “I am awake.” With this thought appears the sense of “I” and the perception of the outside world. But in deep sleep, there is no such sense of separateness—the “I” is absent. That is why deep sleep brings a profound sense of peace and rejuvenation.