“Tat Tvam Asi- You are That” – Chandogya Upanishad
Going back to the rain example, the phenomenon of rain is fleeting.
However, there is something subtler- within that rain or no rain
event, there is something that doesn’t change at all. That eternal
space is beyond time.
The fact that people are attracted to mountains, oceans, forests, and
all kinds of nature outings shows that we want to live in a space that
is beyond the fleeting miseries of this world. There is something
eternal within us that finds shelter in nature. We are a non-dying
spirit soul and in the presence of a traditional temple or an ancient
forest or river Ganga in the Himalayas, we feel spiritual. And that’s
not without a reason. It’s precisely because the permanent being
within us has found shelter in that eternal reality that exists even
within this world.
Home-state is an activity or state of being when we live in the second
and third space- real (but temporary) and permanent space.
The Vedas refer to the Home-State as Brahman- the essence of
everything. It’s the one eternal and only truth in a world of illusion
and temporariness.
If you are plagued by questions like who you are or what is the
meaning of it all; or what is for real in this world or maybe you
ponder what’s your place in this gigantic cosmos? Have you ever
thought of your thoughts; where does intelligence come from? Where
does anything and everything originate from? What the hell is this
world? Is there something beyond form and names? The one answer that
answers all questions is ‘Brahman’ – the eternal reality beyond all
matter and fallibility of this creation. Both in the macrocosm as well
as in our microcosmic world, Brahman shapes our fortitude and
happiness. As cyclones of miseries attack us from both within and
without, it’s our Brahman state- the real ‘I’, or the unchanging,
observing self that alone guarantees deep fulfilment and happiness.
Let’s translate this abstract phenomenon to our daily lives.
Brahman is a real state characterized by ‘stability-clarity-love’ or
also known in Vedic parlance as ‘sat cit ananda’. Sat refers to
eternity, a state of stability and balance. Cit means consciousness or
cognizance, and ananda is pure bliss that is experienced when one
feels fully loved.
To be continued…
