Only Thoughts Exist – In Gita Verse 14.22-25 The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O son of Pāṇḍu, he who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present or long for them when they disappear; who is unwavering and undisturbed through all these reactions of the material qualities, remaining neutral and transcendental, knowing that the modes alone are active; who is situated in the self and regards alike happiness and distress; who looks upon a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is equal toward the desirable and the undesirable; who is steady, situated equally well in praise and blame, honor and dishonour; who treats alike both friend and enemy; and who has renounced all material activities – such a person is said to have transcended the modes of nature.
Krishna unveils the qualities of the mind in the Bhagavad Gita, leading us to the pivotal realisation that the mind itself is the root of all complexity in our lives. Comprehending the mind’s true form – is it a tangible entity or an ephemeral process; is it a solid structure or merely an illusion – is essential for resolving life’s challenges.
Striving to solve individual problems without addressing the foundational issue is destined for failure, for the root problem – the mind – remains untouched.
The visible is merely a shadow; the invisible root is the key. Engaging in battles with mere symptoms does nothing but deplete your energy, leaving the core issues to resurface repeatedly. Look into your own life experiences, and you will witness this truth: Solutions lie not in addressing the manifestations of the mind but the mind itself.
Peace is not a trait of the mind – it is the essence of no-mind. The innate nature of the mind is to be agitated and confused. Clarity, peace, or silence cannot be achieved through the mind but rather in its absence. Therefore, do not seek a silent mind; this quest from inception is misguided.
First, understand the nature of the mind; then, transformation can commence.
In observing, one finds no solid entity called ‘mind’ – only individual thoughts in rapid succession, their speedy transit obscuring the gaps. It takes a deeper level of awareness to discern these intervals between thoughts. When insights deepen, the illusion of a continuous ‘mind’ shatters, revealing only discrete thoughts, much like the individuals that together suggest the presence of a ‘crowd’.
Through this awareness, the mind’s illusion breaks down, setting the foundation for transformative changes. This understanding must become a lived experience, not just an intellectual acceptance of ancient wisdom.
Watching the mind reveals its true terrain – thoughts adrift, separated by intervals where no thoughts linger. The more mindful you become, the more gaps emerge between thoughts. To an awakened observer, these intervals become expansive, revealing more of the underlying emptiness.
In these spaces lies the potential for satoris – sudden flashes of deep insight. It is here that the divine visits, where the ultimate truth approaches softly. And when awareness becomes total, what remains is an immense space of nothingness.
Like clouds parting to reveal glimpses of the boundless sky, so too do thoughts clear to provide insights into the vastness of your true self. You are the infinite blue sky; thoughts are but transient clouds. Understanding this is to experience a satori, and to live this is samadhi. The journey from satori to samadhi involves deep insight into the nature of the mind.
Satori emerges as an enlightened flash – a moment of stark, unfiltered awareness. It is when the tumultuous sea of thoughts and perceptions momentarily stills to reveal the vast, serene expanse of your true essence. Unlike an intellectual epiphany, satori is a direct experience of your complete integration and indivisibility with the whole of existence.
Krishna’s dialogue on transcending nature’s modes speaks to the liberation from the restless ebb and flow of material life – rising above the pull of material traits that ensnare the self in a seemingly endless cycle of desire and repulsion, action and reaction.
In the brief but profound opening of satori, the veil of duality lifts, illuminating the inherent unity of all that is. It is a transcendent moment where the barriers of self and other evaporate, revealing a seamless reality in which all distinctions merge into one undivided whole. This is the heart of Krishna’s wisdom – the realisation of oneness with all, the true symphony of existence playing out within and without.
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