Originally Posted by
Atanu Banerjee
The Self:
According to the ancient sages of India, the Self is neither the body, thoughts, feelings, nor intellect, but rather all pervasive Being/Consciousness manifesting as the Heart in all beings, from which emanates the awareness of "I" and Knowledge of the Self, which includes the realization that all knowledge is in and from the subject-"I", the seer, not the object.
Katha Upanishad
"That in which the sun rises and in which it sets, that which is the source of all the powers of nature and of the senses, that which nothing can transcend - that is the immortal Self"
"The Self-Existent made the senses turn outward. Accordingly, man looks toward what is without, and sees not what is within. Rare is he, longing for immortality, shuts his eyes to what is without and beholds the Self."
Dear Atanu:
That is beautiful Atanu! I could not have said it any better myself! While it is nice to be reminded of the vary nature of “self” in the manifest creation, the question still remains - how does one un-complicate the “self”?
For all the beauty in poems that describes the “higher-self” and its simplicity, yet while in creation the question remains not so much about the beauty of the “self” but more about getting to this “self” from the baseline level of material self! And, that brings back in full circle about the practical nature of our journey, the role of Grace, and the starting point of our journey etc.
I can sit in my living room and admire the beauty of Hawaii all I want but that will not get me there. Seeing beauty of a flower blooming can give one a moment of pleasure but it will not make the higher self bloom in one! While I can stop for a moment and enjoy the beauty in all poetry that sings about “self” but it is only undertaking practical journey that will get one there. My struggle in all this is to find the best possible way to reach there. With all my self-efforts of its own, which seem to take me no where above the base line, I find only the hand of grace leading my effort to take me there.
I hope I am not condescending with my remarks but only expressing personal strive in my own journey and highlighting the goal and purpose of an exchange like ours!
Blessings,
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