Vedantic Wednesday: Don’t Blame the darkness, Open your Eyes

“It is sure to be dark if you close your eyes.” – Chinese Proverb.

This captures the reason why we are not experiencing the Self. If the sun is rising in the east, but we stand facing the west, how will we experience the sunrise? In a similar fashion because our focus is totally directed towards the ‘anatman’ and the external objects, we fail to experience the Self present as ‘Atman’ within us.

To experience our true nature, our uncorrupted SELF, we need to turn our attention inwards. We need to search for answers to the doubts that we have about external world, inside us.  For example if you are disappointed because you cannot afford Mont Blanc pen, instead of fixing the cause on the cost of Mont Blanc, you may want to investigate from where this unhappiness is arising in you.

By directing our gaze inwards through contemplation and meditation we will be able to train our mind to catch glimpses of the eternal truth that enlivens us. But if we are going to be searching for answers outside, however hard we may search and however long we may search – answers will elude us.