Part 8 of 46
Our eyes don’t rest even in sleep. Dreams are full of rapid eye movements, where we are searching and seeking.
‘Those who have felt the eye of the eye have touched the immortal spirit.’ Kena Upanishad 1-1-2
It is not what your eyes see — but with what eyes you see — that really counts. Eyes betray the chaos of the soul. Eyes reveal the state of inner being.
Chances are, you have so far played the game of life with restless eyes — your victories have been equally restless — and your losses quite devastating. The more the turbulence, the more life passes by in a daze.
Influences around you are designed to keep you in that daze. Mark this, the state of your eyes is of strategic importance to society. The global economy runs on it. God forbid if everyone developed calm and peaceful eyes. You wouldn’t be a sucker for a million marketing tactics that ‘grab eyeballs’ and morph minds. The advertising industry’s job is to keep your eyes and mind destabilized. That’s how raging desire is created for products you don’t need or want.
Our eyes don’t rest even in sleep. Dreams are full of rapid eye movements, where we are searching, seeking, and never relaxing. Daytime brings on the sleeping chaos awake and the cycle never ends, except in death, when we finally close our eyes fully, irrevocably, forever.
All religions are thankfully friends of your eyes. The reverential gazing at the altar of the Christian church or Jewish synagogue, the darshan of Hindu temples, the half closed eyes of Buddhist meditation, the steady gaze towards Mecca in the mosque, all these have a deep meaning and purpose. They help soothe your turmoil.
Their ancient healing chants assure you that the search has ended.
In minutes you calm down. A deep feeling of peace follows as the eyes relax from the pain of endless seeking.
Whatever your religion or ritual, if you practice giving relief to your eyes, they will become aware of something that was always there — something you missed noticing in the chaos. They will naturally feel out the eye of the one who is watching you as you watch the world. That is the ‘eye of the eye’.
Normally the question as to who is watching you seems irrelevant. Not any more — as you discern the witness— just observing… not passing judgment, not saying anything. Its presence, even when unfamiliar, is always assuring, comforting, healing and a mystery. It is in you, yes, but it is also not you.
Vedanta calls it the immortal spirit, but that understanding is personal to its unknown author. One fine day, in a flash of understanding, you may appreciate it for what it is. But know this — whatever it is — it is beyond words.
You cannot spin around quickly and catch sight of it, because it can move faster than the fastest thought you are capable of. Such is the ancient teaching of the Upanishad. It always guides you up to a point and asks you to discover the rest as direct intuition.
Vedanta Rocks. Go ahead take the plunge.
( Source: Mani Shankar/ Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad 1st Feb 2009 )
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