Charms of technology have enthralled the public almost as a danseuse will. If we carefully look back on the history of the world, it is clear we are the saddest generation of humanity. But why? The caveman had his laughter and was happy. The modern days of rat race show improvements only on the outside surface.
In the absence of a set of values for ourselves, how can there be happiness for human living? The over-development of one cell to the exclusion of others is called cancer in medical terms. The faster development of one facet of citizens irrespective of the other facets is the cancer of modern times. Instincts and impulses rule us.
Each one of us is honestly searching for happiness in the wrong direction. Desire after desire is what makes us unhappy. What is the purpose of existence? There is an infinite variety in nature. Who created this variety? Why? Such questions do not arise in the animal mind. Question, Enquiry, Discovery – this should be our style of living.
Everything is conditioned by Time and Space. BMI is constantly changing. So is FET. At our present level of evolution, man cannot observe the world objectively. Einstein himself despaired because of two changing factors. ‘Jagat’, the universe, itself comes from the root word which means change or flux. So to the question ‘What is unchanging?’ you cannot answer from your experience. Only the Rishis can answer.
There exists something which does not change. Who is knowing that everything is changing? When you watch the roadside traffic, you are the Subject; everything else is the Object. Is there not in you a centre which is observing, knowing and becoming conscious of all changes? If I am also changing I cannot observe the change. If you are part of the system of movement, you cannot be a witness to the movement. But you are conscious that everything is changing. Therefore you must be the changeless.
There exists something in you which is changeless – in your BMI. This subjective essence in me is changeless, because it is not conditioned by space and time. This immortal essence, essential ‘I’ in my true nature, is the pure Consciousness, Light or Awareness. All our experiences are dancing about because of this. They are all shining because of this Awareness.
That which you are not aware of does not exist. That there exists such an essential Reality is the theme of all scriptures. There exists something higher in every one of us. It is called Brahman. That is not a thing in itself. It is represented by AUM. It stands for the changeless centre from which one picks up all his conscious experiences.
Matter is inert (no locomotion) and insentient (no awareness). “I” am also matter but “I” have locomotion and sentience. Therefore there exists something other than matter. In the bulb there exists something other than the bulb which makes it glow. In the steam engine there exists something other than the engine which is propelling it.
It is the Power, Shakti. We perceive, feel, think and express. Life in you and me is the speaker, thinker. The power in the incandescent light is the electrical energy. Life is one such energy. It expresses you in you, me in me, the bird in the bird and the plant in the plant.
Life is one. Its expressions are of infinite variety.
Excerpted from jnanajyoti.com. The 102nd birth anniversary of Swami Chinmayananda was celebrated on May 8
Swami Chinmayananda
