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The search for witness is spirituality.

The search for the witness is the very search for the centre of your being. In the world of constant change, where everything you see, feel, and think is continuously fluctuating, there is one element that remains a constant – the witness.

The quote is inviting us to go on the most profound voyage that a human being can undertake, the journey within. The witness is not something that you can find by changing your external circumstances; it has to be found within the realm of your own consciousness.

Spirituality, in essence, is the exploration of self – not just the egoic self that is created by societal constructs and personal experiences, but the deeper self that is connected to the universal consciousness. It is beyond the mind; it is the consciousness that observes the mind.

To expand on this, imagine that your life is a movie. In this movie, there are characters, there are plots, there are ups and downs. Most people are completely lost in the story, identifying with the joys and sorrows of the characters. They are actors, forgetting they are playing roles. But the witness is like the one watching the movie. It is detached; it observes all the emotions, all the drama, without being swept away by them.

In meditation, you come closer to this witness. You watch your breath, your thoughts, your feelings, and eventually, you realise that there is a part of you that is simply observing. This observer is not part of the drama; it is unchanging, silent, and peaceful. It is pure awareness. And in finding this witness, you realise your true nature which is not limited by your physical body or your mind. You realise the part of you that is eternal.

However, the paradox of the search is that the witness cannot be found because it is not lost. It has always been there, simply overlooked. The search is about removing the layers of conditioning, beliefs, and identities that cloud the awareness of the witness.

These layers are what create the illusion of separation, of individuality separate from the cosmos. Through practice, such as meditation, mindfulness, and self-inquiry, one peels away these layers to reveal the witness that has always been there – the unblemished part of you that is connected to all things, the part that is one with the divine.

Thus, spirituality is not about accumulating knowledge or experiences, but about subtracting the non-essentials that keep you from experiencing your true nature as the witness – pure consciousness, unbounded and free.