Turiya – In Gita Verse 15.9 The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.
In the profound wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, Verse 15.9, Lord Krishna articulates the ephemeral nature of our corporeal existence. He elucidates how the soul dons various sensory faculties to engage with the physical realm. Embedded within Krishna’s words is an invitation, subtle yet profound, to cultivate not just awareness but also an enhanced sensitivity towards sensory experiences. This sensitivity is rooted not in repression or in the grasping nature of attachment, but in a deep understanding and conscious interaction with the world around us.
Expanding upon this concept, the Sarvasar Upanishad serves as a guide, mapping the landscape of consciousness through which we journey – the states of wakefulness, the shadowed truths of dreams, the profound peace of deep slumber, culminating in the transcendental awareness of Turiya. Each presents a distinct thread in the fabric of our reality, weaving together to form the complex tapestry of the senses.
The waking state is our primary arena of experience, where sensation serves as both a window to and a filter of reality. Yet, this vista is often obscured, tainted by the unique interpretations and misperceptions we harbor – the veil of Maya, behind which lies the truth concealed by our own creation.
Dreaming transports us to a different realm, where the senses withdraw, surrendering their authority to the unquiet mind. The mind, a restless artist, paints with the colors of desires unmet and impressions deeply etched into our psyches. Dreams thus become a mirror, reflecting our innermost yearnings and the emotions that we have yet to resolve.
Descending further into the profound silence of deep, dreamless sleep, we enter a state that is authentically ours, stripped bare of the distractions that fray the edges of wakefulness and dreaming. It is in this state that the soul whispers its secrets, unfettered and pure.
But beyond the triad of these states beckons Turiya, the elusive fourth state. Here, we encounter the essence of pure consciousness, transcending the illusion of separation. It is as if one awakens within the dream of existence to find oneself immersed in an eternal, undivided reality. Meditation serves as the vessel to navigate toward this sacred sanctuary, teaching us to relinquish the tangled grasp of sensory preeminence and embrace the direct experience of the divine.
Lord Krishna, in his divine narrative, does not advocate a struggle against the pull of the senses, the tumult of the mind, or the enigma of dreams. Rather, he encourages a gentle transcendence through meditation – a sublime act of listening deeply to the silence between our thoughts, where we may discover our presence in Turiya, the state of pure being here and now.
The wisdom of the enlightened ones, and the sacred methodologies bestowed by deities such as Lord Shiva, offer us the precious keys to unlock the doors leading beyond the first three states of consciousness, ushering us gently into the serene embrace of Turiya.
Krishna’s teachings illuminate the path to the quintessence of consciousness, beckoning the seeker towards an encounter with the eternal. In the state of Turiya, one transcends the role of a mere visitor to the corporeal world; instead, one abides in a realm timeless and profound, an enduring inhabitant of universal existence.
May this blog act as a guiding compass and steadfast companion on your soul’s odyssey into the infinite. Within its words lies the potential for the blooming of wisdom, a light capable of guiding the seeker to the shores of enlightenment.
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