Question:

What mirror is Kabir talking about in the following Doha?

Hirday ma hi aarsi, mukh dekha nahi jaaye

Mukh to tabhi dekhiye, jab dil ki duvidha jaaye

There is a mirror inside, but the reflection is not clear.

One can clearly see his face only when the clouds of duality fade

Answer:

Kabir is explaining the same aspect of knowledge from Advaita Vedanta called ‘Chittachayaa’ or ‘Chidabhasaa’ – a reflection of consciousness.

What is the reflection of consciousness?

Consciousness is like an infinite ocean. The ocean’s inherent quality is life/isness / to be / to exist.

When a wave arises in this ocean, it borrows the quality of life/isness from the ocean. The wave seems to have its own separate existence. This lasts for a short while. The wave then dissolves into the ocean and loses its previous appearance of ‘separate existence’. So, in short, the wave borrowed its life from the ocean.

Similarly, the body/mind complex borrows:

• • its sense of ‘separate existence’ [SAT].
  • its sense of being alive, the sense of being conscious [CHIT].
  • its sense of natural bliss in the form of pleasure/happiness [ANANDA] which the mind attributes to external objects as it is unaware of the source within.

This borrowing is short-lived and is described as a reflection.

The one who starts recognizing the truth of the inner witness consciousness also recognizes that there is only a projected universe outside that in turn borrows its existence from the conditioning of one’s own mind [reflection of a reflection]. He clearly sees that:

• • There is no proof of the existence of matter [even in science today].
  • There is no proof that this waking state is different from the dream state [where there is a dream subject experiencing a dream world].

But this clarity in seeing is possible with only one single condition – THE ABSENCE OF DUALITY [the absence of conditioning]. Kabir calls this DUVIDHA.

When one moves away from the duality of:

• • ‘I’ the subject & ‘universe’ the object.

then the duality between ‘I’ & ‘You’ drops and the truth becomes apparent!

Therefore, the only solution is to:

• • recognize the difference between the ‘assumed I’ [mind/body/ego] & ‘Universal witnessing I’
  • drop the ‘assumed I’
  • abide in the ‘Universal witnessing I’

Only after a prolonged abidance can one truly recognize the completeness of his own nature. More power to you to see who you truly are!

#Non-Duality