#181 Being all vs Being special
The vision of the wise person is described by Bhagavan Krishna as someone who has the vision of sameness everywhere – sarvatra samadarshana.
All that is here is the Atma, Consciousness, one without a second.
Being all and being everywhere with no limits and no boundaries means that one is not special.
To be special means being better or different than the other. But there is no other.
Then, how does one reconcile this with the need to feel special?.
We thrive on feeling special and having exclusive taste in clothes, food and entertainment choices. We want to blend in and still stand apart from the rest of crowd.
‘Special’ announces its presence, wafts in with a unique fragrance, an exclusive taste, a one-of-a-kind experience. Media brands and the service industry vie with each other to make us feel special.
The unexpected upgrade from economy to business class;
The complimentary desert that arrives when you are celebrating a special dinner at the restaurant;
The extra privileges on your bank account; the special treatment you look forward to, on your anniversary which must be different than another regular, ordinary day;
the special darshan at the temple;
a conversation with the guru which the others have not had.
‘Special’ creates that warmth in the heart, a validation of being important, and a spring in the step. We try to make our loved ones feel special and also wait to feel special. Great. So far so good.
And yet, feeling special and wanting to be unique is rooted in individuality.
We want to be distinguished from the other because we want to feel significant. Sometimes wanting to be special extends to a sense of superiority too – Person x is my guru; I belong to y community; I only wear x brand; I listen to only these kinds of music. I eat only in graded restaurants; We only cook at home; Our club or group across social media platforms is different.
Individuality reigns supreme and fosters our ragas and dveshas.
What I like and must consume becomes more important than what is good for the environment.
Modern society encourages individuality but it comes at a cost.
The greater your sense of uniqueness, greater the sense of separation from the other and greater the need for connection. It is this individual that seeks moksha.
The culture we live in has a role to play.
Individualistic cultures ( of the US, UK, Europe) value independence far more than interdependence. Being dependent upon others is often considered a weakness. Since the individual is at the centre, individual rights become more important than the collective well being. In individualistic cultures, people are considered “good” if they are strong, self-reliant, assertive, and independent.
This contrasts with collectivist cultures like in the East, where characteristics like being putting others before oneself, being dependable, generous, and helpful to others are of greater importance.
One interesting phenomenon that cross-cultural psychologists have observed is how people from individualist cultures describe themselves compared to how those from collectivist cultures describe themselves. A person from an individualistic culture might say “I am analytical and self reliant, .” This can be contrasted with self-descriptions from people living in collectivist societies, who would be more likely to say something like, “I am a good husband and loyal friend.
Whichever culture one belongs to, Moksha is not rooted in individuality.
All that is here is one without a second. This means that all forms are valid and all are special. The corollary is that no form is special.
You are not more special than the other.
Ishvara pervades your body-mind-sense-complex as much as the other.
You are made up of the same panchamahabhutas, as the other.
You are subject to the laws of karma and partake of the laws of karma as much as the other.
The individuality that we thrive on based on the form is not absolutely real.
The Atma that one is, pervades the person who lives with you and also the one who is locked in a battle with you.
Samadarshana, the one who sees sameness recognises that the Atma is everything. One can hold the vision of sameness of all beings, and also recognise the differences in individuals and their functions.
What we refer to as an individual is just another name and form, much like different golden ornaments – chains, bangles and rings. What is common to all, is gold.
The gold chain enjoys appreciation by being around the wearer’s neck and is the object of some envious glances. The bangle complains of being banged around especially when the lady is doing the dishes and dusting around the house. The gold chain derives a sense of significance from being unique, exclusively crafted and providing job satisfaction to the owner. She had been and was much admired. After the owner bought more jewellery, her significance waned but she still revelled in being the first and most important in the owner’s life. The bangle has had a tough life from the start. Having a rather active owner, who does not have much help in the house, from morning to night the gold bangle has to bear the brunt of it all. Occasionally she gets rest but it is a tough life.
The trajectory of the gold chain and the bangle may be different, their joys and sorrows are different, their identities are different but what is their unnegatable reality? Their existence as gold. In fact they have no separate or independent existence apart from being gold.
Their individuality is sustained by reality.
As long as they hold onto their individual identities of being bangle and chain, the yo – yo of joy and sorrow continue. The sense of uniqueness is of no help.
Atma associated with one body becomes the ahankara, the I notion, the jiva, the individual.
The individual is just a name and a form and has some functions in the limitless awareness that one is. Every individual has a unique biography but what sustains the form?
Satyam, Consciousness that can never be negated.
Satyam that always is.
Satyam that is not a part of you nor a property that is changing not even a product of your actions.
Satyam that pervades all individual forms and yet is free from all the forms.
Satyam that survives the birth and death of all forms. That satyam is you.
Being one is being all and being all is being one.
And that is special!
