Miscellaneous - Religion   

Light of awareness

CHENNAI: The Upanishads claim that all matter is a manifestation of the Supreme Being who operates at all levels of being. In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna elucidates the essence of the philosophical truths pertaining to the individual, the universe and the Supreme Being. Swamini Satyavratananda pointed out in a lecture that the Lord's teaching focuses on the highest ethical values that must be practised while living in this world, so that one is able to attain the right kind of knowledge. It is this knowledge that confers on the individual purity, perfection and everlasting peace.

It is the Supreme Being who is manifest as the entire universe pervading each and every aspect of it. He is independent of all existence while all else depends on Him. It is similar to the way electricity causes the respective activity in a lamp or a fan. They cannot function independently and have to remain inert if there is no electric supply. But they are necessary to indicate the presence of electricity. Likewise the Eternal Principle/Consciousness depends on the created universe merely for the purpose of manifestation.

Human beings are endowed with consciousness, intelligence, sense organs, desires, elements of matter and the soul. The body at the micro level and the entire universe at the macro level become the Field (Kshetra) where life and interaction become possible. The Conscious principle, inactive and detached, lies behind all active states as witness. This Consciousness or awareness is known as the Knower (Kshetrajna) — observer or witness of all objects. This is the distinction between the Consciousness and the objects that the Consciousness observes. Grasping this inward principle is the way to enlightenment in an individual, for only then he is able to discriminate between the Field and the Knower. The inner Self (that belongs to Consciousness) becomes the Knower when it recognises the temporary nature of the Field (body), and is witness to the interactions that take place therein.

In this state it perceives its indestructible soul as distinct from the body. If it failed to do so, it would be guilty of the fallacy of identifying oneself with one's possession. Can the owner of a house be identified as the house? This subtle knowledge is the one that liberates the Self.

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