How to Glimpse the Source?
Ram S. Ramanathan MCC
Systemic, Sustainable, and Spiritual Self Development Coach Author: Coaching the Spirit & Re-creating Your Future Books & Programs
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When the unchanging consciousness of Self appears to take on the shape of that finest aspect of the mind, it is possible to experience one's mental process.?
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The mind is in control of its witnessing consciousness and operates with? countless impressions.
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All these verses in Kaivalya Pada require deep reflection, spiritual intelligence, and a state of mind to understand. They need some knowledge as well as experience in meditation to believe and have faith that what is being described is possible. Science has not fully understood all aspects of the mind and its functions and processes. Yet, the mind works despite the lack of science.
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For instance, no one knows how altered states of consciousness, whether due to drugs or meditation, work. All we know are the external symptoms. The fact that some parts of the brain light up does not mean we understand how and why. For instance, we don’t know why people go into coma, and stranger still how some come out of coma after weeks, months or years. We don’t know why amnesia occurs or how it recedes. The body itself is a mystery with illnesses such as cancer. The mind is a far bigger mystery, whether concerning illnesses such as dementia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s etc. At best, we have some vague ideas about which parts of the brain are affected, that too vaguely, not how or why. Science is in its infancy regarding the mind.
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What Patanjali says is about the subtlest and the most invisible parts of the mind, and the most powerful as energy systems. What we know from Quantum Science is that like all matter the human body too is energy. We have no idea where the battery, the power source or the operating system are.
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What Patanjali says here are the experiences who have been in the energy consciousness state and have glimpsed the Source. Since that energy state itself is incomprehensible due to its subtle nature, any description of the process and pathway leading to it are at best indicators.
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In verses 4.20 to 4.24, Patanjali clarifies the relationship between the mind and its owner, which is the energy consciousness of the Self. In an earlier verse, 4.20 Patanjali said that the mind cannot cognise or understand its master, the Self. Therefore, one mind can't understand the workings of a higher Self. Since energy consciousness as the energy Self is common to all creations, even the understanding of another mind governed by the Self is impossible. While the Self is common, the individual mindbody frameworks are different in form as well as in character, due to guna, and no individual self can be aware of the workings of another self. So, one mind cannot read another mind. This would mean that there is an infinite series of minds knowing each other, which Patanjali says is not possible.
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Let’s look at this differently. Let’s look at the self of the individual and the Self as the common cosmic Source, as reflections in a mirror. Our self, the individual mind, cannot directly perceive the energy consciousness of the Self. However, the Self if realised can allow it to be glimpsed as a reflection. As a reflection, the Self can shed light on one’s mind, Self, allowing it to understand its internal processes such as sensing, memory, ego and intelligence.
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For this to happen, two things need to happen. First, the mind self needs to be still, recognising the mastery of a higher energy Self. Next, the mind self should allow itself to be taken over by the Self, which is the finest and subtlest aspect of the mindbody. This happens when one is in a state of disengaged meditation.
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In this state, the mind self can perceive both the external object seen and the internal aspect of the Seer. Even though at any point in time one’s mind may have multiple sensory inputs, desires and action items, with the aid of this higher Self it’s able to witness and engage as needed with one and all as needed.
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Reflection
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The ordinary mind, the self, as the operating system of the mindbody is an executor at best. It may be the CEO but is governed by a higher authority who decides on its lifetime as well as a locus of control. Despite all our ego and arrogance, wealth and power, someone else can pull the plug on us anytime, anyplace, anyhow. Anyone who does not understand this is a moron.
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This is why the sags of the ancient East looked inward to understand a bit more about that power source controlling us. When they did find that source they had no desire to get back to the operating device, whose plug could be pulled out anytime. They wanted to be part of the Source.
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This is the Hero’s Journey in Yoga. The first step is the awareness of the Source. The next step is to follow the instructions to glimpse that Source. The third step is to stay in the reflection of that Source. Each of these steps has multiple steps within. When one is in the reflection of the Source, the ultimate step of oneness is not in the device’s control. It depends on the faith of the device and the grace of the Source.
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Ram is a co-founder and mentor at Coacharya. Ram's focus is the integration of Eastern wisdom with modern science, spiritually, systemically and sustainably.
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