The Self is one. Ever still, the Self is
Swifter than thought, swifter than the senses.
Though motionless, he outruns all pursuit.
Without the Self, never could life exist.
The Self seems to move, but is ever still.
He seems far away, but is ever near.
He is within all, and he transcends all.
Those who see all creatures in themselves
And themselves in all creatures know no fear.
Those who see all creatures in themselves
And themselves in all creatures know no grief.
How can the multiplicity of life
Delude the one who sees its unity?
The Self is everywhere. Bright is the Self,
Indivisible, untouched by sin, wise,
Immanent and transcendent. He it is
Who holds the cosmos together.
“Those who see all creatures in themselves and themselves in all creatures know no fear.” I recently read Anita Moorjani’s Dying to Be Me, in which she recounts and reflects upon her extraordinary near death experience. She reports that during that NDE she felt as though she were connected to the entire universe and everything contained within it. She writes, “I found that every thought, emotion, or action I made while expressing through the physical body had an effect on the Whole. In fact, in that realm of Oneness, it felt as though the whole universe were an extension of Me.” This so validates the teachings of these ancient texts that you almost have to wonder if they were written by teachers who themselves had a near death experience! And just as the Upanishads predict, Moorjani returned from her experience with a near total deficit of fear.
The use of the word “Self” to describe the Divine releases me from seeing myself as a small, limited personality, an insignificant speck in the grand scheme of things. I am led instead to entertain the thought that I am profoundly connected to all that is and to the Creator. Stop for a moment and feel what it feels like to identify with the small, limited self. I immediately feel a pulling in, a protective hunching of the shoulders and a guarding of the heart. I am vulnerable and open to attack. I have to spend every moment watching my back. Now consciously shift to the idea of being one with the large Self – “Indivisible, untouched by sin, wise, immanent and transcendent.” That which holds the cosmos together. You are a part of that! What does that feel like?
To me the transition feels something like stepping on a garden hose—thereby constricting the flow of water to a trickle—and then releasing it, allowing the water to flow freely and strongly. As I continue to work with that image the hose expands into a full throttle, wide open fire hose!
I can now connect that metaphor with the text, “The Self seems to move, but is ever still.” When I allow that “fire hose” connection to happen, I experience it as a powerful movement within and through me. But what I am connecting with is the vast and serenely still reservoir of the Self.
Blessings,
Roger
Links:
Anita Moorjani: www.anitamoorjani.com
Isha Upanishad: www.easwaran.org