Individual self Vs. The Higher Self - Peeling the onion analogy - Hanuman and the three philosophies

Source: Social Media and Speaking Tree link

Are you a monkey or a man?

Lord Ram gave Hanuman a quizzical look and said, "What are you, a monkey or a man?" Hanuman bowed his head reverently, folded his hands and said, "When I do not know who I am, I serve You and when I do know who I am, You and I are One." -Valmiki from the Ramayana.

The above has no meaning for many. 

In Ramayana, Rama asks Hanuman “How do you perceive me as?”

Hanuman answered thus: 

Deha Buddhya tu Dasoham Jiva Buddhya Tvadaamsakah | 
Atma Buddhya Tvamevaham iti me nishchita matih || 

“Oh Lord, while I identify myself with my body, I am your servant. When I consider myself as Individual Soul, I am Your part. But when I look upon myself as the Spirit, I am one with You.” 

Hanuman has experienced all the three Avasthas (conditions) when He was to jump 100 yoganas to reach Lanka from Danuskoti He manifested Himself as larger showing the Samya Tattva (Equal to Brahman) in Him. After the war with Ravana and getting back Sita Devi, Shri Rama hugged Hanuman here Hanuman could experience the Ikaya Tattva (Identity with Brahman) and finally at the Pattabhishekam (Coronation) ceremony of Shri Rama, Hanuman retreats back from Samya and Ikya to Bedha Tattva (Difference with Brahman) and sits at the lotus feet of the Lord gazing at them.

For those who know about Ram (God) and Hanuman (ardent devotee of Ram) the above shows how much "love," Hanuman has for Ram. The typical devotee longing to be "one" with God.. And while that devotee is not one with Him, then he is a servant of God...

The above quote from the "Ramayana," is much deeper. It is the essence of the journey of a seeker.

It is not the question "are you a monkey or a man?" what matters. It is the response: 

"When I don't know who I am, I am your servant" 

But... "When I know who I am, then we are ONE."

A monkey... A man... A soul... That is not "who I am;" those are only labels, intellectual answers giving information but never experiential knowledge.

Thus, many people looking for God become servants of an ideal, a label, a religion. That is part of the journey. Until that KNOWING is BEING, then there is no servant nor master, the dualities vanish.

Oneness.

How to explain Oneness to intellectuals?

It is like peeling the layers of an onion. Because the journey is internal, there is nothing to add, but rather peel off. The layers are all the fluff which we believe to BE: Beliefs, Emotional Traumas, Taboos, Hang ups, Morals Do's and Don'ts...

What do we find at the end of peeling the onion?

The bulb! That is who truly I am!

No! Peel that bulb, go deeper... If you find something you will call it something and believe to be that... Go on until there is nothing...

It is empty!!!

That is exactly how everything is ONE.

Your gods, Your devils, your angels, humanity... The Uni-Verse... All ONE.

Valmiki has given the 2 states of consciousness of a seeker: The "I" playing servant to "lower his ego," by acting humble and the "No-I," which is emptiness, voidness, sunyata...

Two sides of the same coin.

So the truth is that there are 2 states of consciousness and answers will depend on the state of consciousness of the seeker?

NO!

It is the drop of the Ocean and the Ocean... Not 2 sides of the coin.

Make up your mind!!

Understanding is in "no-mind."