Manah Sodhanam -Verse 15

Past two days have been hectic. 14 hour work day left me with no time for anything else but to come home, eat, sleep, get up and go to work. In fact, I didn't expect to come home any sooner than 9 pm today also. So am doubly happy to sit and write this post today.


Verse 15 little intense for me. It talks about perceptions and realities and truth.


SATYABUDDHIRYADA  DRSYE  SVATMANO  BHINNATA  TATHA
SUKHABUDDHISTADA  TASMIN  DUKHABUDDHIRHI VAA BHAVET

When there exists a notion that the perceived world is different from me, then there alone arises the notion that the world gives me joy or sorrow.

When I look at the tree, I say it is green and brown in colour. That is how I am perceiving the tree. But if I look through the eyes of the dog, then the tree is going to be in black and white. So what is the true nature of the tree here? All my observations and perceptions are completely based on how my mind interprets the inputs received from my senses. Similarly, Swami Tejomayananda beautifully brings in the concept of happiness and sorrow. He says, one object may be a source of joy for one person, but the same thing may be the source of sorrow for another. He then goes on to say that "if an object were itself a source of joy, it would give equal joy to everybody." How true!


I am sure we all have seen this picture where the size of the earth is compared with other planets in the solar system, with the sun, with the galaxy etc. It makes us realize just how incomprehensibly huge and unending our universe is. When I know this, it becomes very obvious that I am a part of the whole and I am no different form the sun or the stars or the vast infinite space. How you ask?

Well, we have millions of cells in our body. Each cell is a living organism of its own. All these cells form our organs, which again is a living entity. But, our hands, heart, liver, brain etc are a part of the whole body. I feel, similarly, all humans and other living and non living beings, are a part of the whole universe. We are all like the cells that constitute our body -here the single infinite body is the universe.

We all strive for establishing ourselves as individuals. It goes against my very instinct to accept that I am not a separate entity, but am connected to everything around me and I am a mere cell in this universal body. But as my Guru says, only with this acceptance, I can experience this one universal truth. Hari Om!



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