Perceptions are our realities – however, how real are these perceptions? The reality persists until we get to understand the other side too. Long back, I met Sai Kaka and he told me very interesting lines explaining how we are stuck and how the “beyond” is experienced. If you look at many opinions and “-isms” you would realize that almost all are bound and jailed in the opinions of their own. What Sai Kaka told me was this –
Sanskar yukt chaitanya jab (संस्कार युक्त चैतन्य जब)
- chintan karata hai to usko chitt kahate hai (1. चिंतन करता है तो उसको चित्त कहते है)
- manan karata hai to usko man kahate hai (2. मनन करता है तो उसको मन कहते है)
- nirnay karata hai to usko buddhi kahate hai (3. निर्णय करता है तो उसको बुद्धि कहते है)
- asmita ka bhan karata hai to usko aham kahate hai (4. अस्मिता का भान करता है तो उसको अहं कहते है)
- inme se sansakar nikal jaye to jo bachata hai vo shuddha chaitanya hai (इनमे से संस्कार निकल जाए तो जो बचता है वो शुद्ध चैतन्य है)
This in English means –
When a conscious filled with rituals (or say the lessons learnt about ‘way of living’)
- thinks we call it mind (imagination)
- contemplate we call it Mind [there is a difference between Chitt and man which I am not able to translate in English]
- makes a decision we call it intellect
- perceives pride we call it Ego
Now when the rituals or ‘way of life’ learnt, get out of this conscious mind, what is left is the pure consciousness.
I recalled these lines from Sai Kaka when I read the story of Prayer’s of the frog on Perception.
Story from Prayers of the frog
A monk was walking in the monastery grounds one day when he heard a bird sing. He listened, spellbound. It seemed to him that never before had he heard, but really heard, the song of a bird.
When the singing stopped he returned to the monastery and discovered, to his dismay, that he was a stranger to his fellow monks, and they to him. It was only gradually that they and he discovered that he was returning after centuries. Because his listening was total, the time had stopped and he had slipped into eternity.
Prayer is made perfect
when the timeless is discovered.
The timeless is discovered
through clarity of perception.
Perception is made clear
when it is disengaged
from preconceptions
and from all consideration
of personal loss or gain.
‘Then the miraculous
is seen and the heart is filled with wonder.
Ashtavakra Geeta talks about Wonder, Janaka responds to Ashtavakra with astonishment. This veil takes time to cast-off. Our perceptions create our reality and we are stuck with that reality with our preconceived notions. When this perception, way of life, Sanskar is removed what is left is consciousness – pure bliss ( इनमे से संस्कार निकल जाए तो जो बचता है वो शुद्ध चैतन्य है).
I have thoughts on the conflict of perception, in my mind that I shall try to put next week.