The True Self

     Ancient Vedic wisdom says that the one who sees with his own eyes is the True Self, the Seer, and the Knower. Hindu philosopher Patanjali (also called Gonardiya) suggests that "though pure, modifications are witnessed by the Seer by the coloring of Intellect. The spectacle exists only to serve the purpose of the Atman..."

     True Self or Ātman (the Sanskrit word for the impersonal consciousness within each individual) is "neither this nor that” ("Neti Neti"). It cannot be described in any other way. Everything that surrounds you and what you see or feel is you. Without understanding this, we see ourselves in a mirror and take our reflection to be the self. On the other hand, the non-dual True Self is NOT a “blank mind” or a state of no consciousness of the sensory world, which most of us like to think. It would shut out life if it were something as an exclusive state of mind. What has been called a mystical “enlightenment,” “bliss,” or “trance” in certain traditions is a state of mindfulness, one in which we can perfectly attend to all our daily affairs. It is a state of mind in which we “humble ourselves while respecting others". It is also described as the "personality" (from Latin “persona”, a theatrical mask worn by performers) that takes the path towards "bodhi" (Sanskrit bodhati " watchful", buddhah "awakened", or Lithuanian budėti "to be awake") or one who is NOT wrapped or too much engaged in the life events. It is one who has gone beyond the illusion of Nirvana (when the process is done, and one who ceases to be).

    So, when we truly know who we are, our research in spiritual teachings and religions becomes just a raft for crossing a stream. Once we step on the stones on the other side of the bank, we walk away from the raft, leaving it in the place where we landed. We don't take it with us on our journey. In other words, we become “not-knowing”, but constantly learning new things, being open and receptive, and "seeing" the world through our own eyes… 

   Yours sincerely,

   Irmina