Religious Experiences – In Gita Verse 14.10 Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance, O son of Bharata. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy.
Krishna’s Insight: Embrace Change and Illusion to Ascend to Witnessing
In the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna imparts a truth that life is in constant flux and what we perceive as reality is often an illusion.
From Bhagavad Gita Verse 2.54, it becomes clear: our gravest delusion lies in our identification with aspects of existence that are not truly our own. This attachment leads us astray, and thus, the dream begins to overshadow the truth.
As we navigate through life’s sequences, we find ourselves in a relentless competition for supremacy. Yet life itself, a divine flow, remains untouched by our claims of ownership. The illusion of possession represents our deepest misunderstanding.
In envisioning a future where the study of religion attains the precision of science, we acknowledge the diversity of global religious thought. Varied are the names and forms – God, soul, Brahma – shifting with cultural landscapes and philosophical orientations. But despite this splendid diversity, there stands one invariable constant across the entirety of spiritual thought: the sakshi, the witness.
This witnessing consciousness forms the cornerstone of religious experience, irrespective of its geographic or cultural lineage. It is the internal observer, the universal presence within each of us, that transcends the specifics of doctrine and dogma.
The revered Upanishads, ancient Indian philosophical texts, emphasise this quintessential truth. They do not preach the worship of a deity as an absolute requirement, nor do they insist upon the belief in a specific metaphysical concept. Instead, they converge on a singular pivotal teaching – the realisation of the sakshi, the witnessing self within.
To know the sakshi is to stand on common ground with all spirituality, for it is through the lens of the witness that the truest understanding emerges. Our spiritual pursuits, regardless of their starting points, seek to reveal this watcher, the pure awareness underlying our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions.
The Upanishads point toward an inward journey, guiding us to discover the sakshi. It is a journey to the core of our being, a path that leads to the essential self, which silently observes the play of life – an observer unswayed by the external world’s tumult and illusions.
This is a journey beyond names, forms, and concepts, into the realm of direct experience – the ultimate truth of our existence.
Understand this: Our awareness is like an arrow shot from a bow, racing towards its target, while the bow, representing our inner self, stands empty. Whenever we direct this arrow of awareness towards an object, we become attached and disillusioned. Our awareness should be like a two-edged sword – perceptive of the exterior allure and conscious of the inner source from which it springs.
Witnessing happens in duality: When you observe beauty and feel your awareness pulled – pause. In that moment, become cognizant of both the observed beauty and the internal source of your observation. By doing so, we step into the domain of witnessing.
Let’s delve into the essence of witnessing through a dialogue. When you listen to someone, instead of merely hearing their words, also be conscious of yourself as the listener. This simultaneous awareness of both speaker and listener births the witness within you. Acknowledging this third point – the observer of both the speaker and the listener – is to attain the state of sakshi.
Krishna beckons us to immerse ourselves in life’s changes and illusions with joy, for it is through these experiences that we rise to the art of witnessing.
Tags: Religious Experiences
