Since my early twenties, I have two favorite scriptures that have inspired me, stayed with me and been my friends and guides these many years, They are the “New Testament” sayings of Jesus, and the teachings of Krishna in the “Bhagavad Gita.” In terms of pure poetic imagery and concise Truth, these two Avatars are truly amazing. I have never made a study of either of these from an academic viewpoint, rather I use them for inspiration. I may have read through them from beginning to end but a few times, if at all. I am much more likely to pick up the narrative at God’s prompting and latch on to a few verses. Soon I have the inspiration I need; my soul is lifted on these scriptural wings that elevates my consciousness and delivers me into Heavenly Realms; finally, my soul merges into Spirit; self becomes Self.
This morning I pick up the Gita, and my eyes rest on this:
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Verses 8-10
The cognizer of truth, united to God, automatically perceives, “I myself do nothing”— even though he sees, hears, touches, smells, eats, moves, sleeps, breathes, speaks, rejects, holds, opens or closes his eyes— realizing that it is the senses (activated by Nature) that work amid sense objects. Like unto the lotus leaf that remains unsullied by water, the yogi who performs actions, forswearing attachment and surrendering his actions to the Infinite, remains unbound by entanglement in the senses.
There are times when it seems that Jesus is quoting Krishna; such as when he says,
“When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing myself; but as my Father taught me.” (John 8:28)
Let us take this idea, “It is not this ‘I’ who acts.” In fact, this “I”, is what both Krishna and Jesus start with, “I do nothing.” The “I” has gone through a change, from “the one acting” into a witness of what is being done. The “lifting up of the son of man” is the transformation that leads us from ego consciousness to being “united with God.”
You may sense in yourself how fundamental this notion of doership is to your nature: “I am doing this, feeling this, thinking this.” From a purely human standpoint, if you do not have this sense of being the doer, you are labeled with a dissociative disorder. However, feeling like you are unconnected with your body or its actions because of psychological trauma is not what is being described here. No, this state of consciousness comes as an earned experience, it is an advancement in the psyche, not a setback.
You can begin to get an idea of this state through practicing being the witness to what you are doing. Many years ago I read a book, “Zen in the Art of Archery,” By Eugen Harrigel. In it, he describes the discipline of the Zen monk watching himself go through all the motions of shooting a bow and arrow. Sounds easy enough. Nothing can be further from the truth. It is years of practice, observing every movement of muscle, stringing the bow, setting the arrow, pulling the string, bending the bow, aiming at the target, and releasing the arrow. Everything is done with full mindfulness; without the mind wandering here and there, totally focused on the action being performed. When done correctly, shooting a bow and arrow becomes meditation; you are the witness; then something extraordinary happens: the Zen state of mind.
While reading this book I decided to do my own kind of “witness” practice. When I was doing the simplest of tasks, I observed myself in the doing, every muscle being moved, the sensation of moving in space, sounds in the room, breathing, even the heart beating; everything was to be noted by the observer within. And what did I experience? Physically and mentally I slowed down, I was aware of minute movement. And something more, my consciousness moved from the “doer” to the observer. The practice shifted me into a meditative state as the body continued in its action. It was very nice.
Through time and experience this practice took on new dimensions, even though I was no longer practicing as inspired by the book. Rather, being the observer took on its own life. I felt that Prakriti (the power of Nature) was moving through me—prana, or life-force, was doing the work through this body. Then, another level of awareness. It is God, the supreme power and intelligence that is beyond Nature that is acting, speaking and even thinking through this form.
I have to say, these are magnificent realizations to be had. They change your life, and if you let them, they transform you. The “son of man” in you is “lifted up;” you become the “cognizer of truth, united with God.” In that union you know in truth the statement, I do nothing, it is my Heavenly Father who doeth the works. Now, everything that is said and done through this form comes through the “I” witness from a much higher Source.
When any aspirant “lifts up” the human consciousness (the son of man) into the Divine Consciousness (our Heavenly Father), then you know the same transformation, the same truth. Whatever happens to the body and the world becomes like water slipping off the “enameled leaf,” leaving the inner Son of God ever in oneness with the Heavenly Father.