Page 44 - NAMAH-Oct-2021

Namah Vol. 29, Issue 3, 15th October 2021

is His presence. There is nothing other than
His presence. All is Him/Her/Brahman.
Laali mere laal ki, jit dekhun tit laal,
Laali dekhan main gayi, to main bhi ho gayi laal.
“Wherever I look, I see red colour of my beloved,
I went to see that colour, and I saw myself
drenched in that red colour of my beloved.”
— Saint Kabir
“He am I”
(Isha Upanissad, verse 16)
Understanding ego-consciousness
Just like an Ocean is one vastness: all the
ripples, the waves, the whirlpools, the “But what is this strongly separative self-
tides, the sharks, the fish, the innumerable experience that we call ego? It is nothing
number of creatures absolutely dependent fundamentally real in itself but only a practical
on the ocean for their existence, are nothing constitution of our consciousness devised to
but the ocean itself, or the manifestation of centralise the activities of Nature in us. We
ocean itself; they have no existence other perceive a formation of mental, physical, vital
than the ocean. If a wave or a tide begins experience which distinguishes itself from the
to consider herself other than the ocean, rest of our being, and that is what we think of
she is in a big identity crisis, and will suffer as ourselves in nature — this individualisation
in the process. Just like that, the mind, the of being in becoming. We then proceed to
intelligence, the vital, the physical, sense- conceive of ourselves as something which has
perceptions, all of the manifest is nothing thus individualised itself and only exists so
but the expression of One and only Divine long as it is individualised, — a temporary
Consciousness (Purussa) Himself. All the or at least a temporal becoming; or else we
manifestations are dependent on the Ocean/ conceive of ourselves as someone who supports
Divine, but the Divine is independent of or causes the individualisation, an immortal
the manifestation; full, content, and whole, being perhaps but limited by its individuality.
even without the manifestation. And yet, the This perception and this conception constitute
ocean is indistinguishable from the presence our ego-sense. Normally, we go no farther in
of the flora and fauna and all of its ripples. our knowledge of our individual existence.
It all is One, not two. There are no two.
But in the end we have to see that our individ-
So, poised as Consciousness, there is no ualisation is only a superficial formation,
suffering or misery. But poised in the limited a practical selection and limited conscious
mental, vital or physical suffering exists. And synthesis for the temporary utility of life in a
therefore as human beings our purpose is to particular body, or else it is a constantly changing
know ourselves as our Truth so that we can and developing synthesis pursued through
exert a conscious will on the instruments of successive lives in successive bodies. Behind it
nature — mind/vital/physical (1). there is a consciousness, a Purusha, who is not
determined or limited by his individualisation

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