Question:Dear Ektaji, Can you please advise how we can both be in wonder and saakshi bhaav?  Aren’t these two opposite states? Or does it mean when we are in sadhana, we have to be in saakshi bhaav and other times in the state of wonder.  I am not sure if this question makes sense or even if its relevant but I am struggling to practice it due to the confusion.

Answer:

Real wonder happens when you are in Sakshi bhava [witnessing consciousness]. You cannot experience wonder without being a witness. The moment you get involved [lose the witnessing state], you lose wonder as well. You get into questioning and answering and that state is opposite of wonder. In wonder there are no questions and no answers, there is just a state of awe!

For e.g. You are watching the sunset, the beautiful golden ball of fire setting over the mountain top spreading the colors of pink, orange, red and purple all over the sky. When you are watching this beautiful sight, you are in total awe! There is no question, no answer, there is just wonder! There is just amazement! You cannot have questions and amazement together. All questions drop away when you are watching that beautiful sunset. All desires drop away. You do not have any weird desire to possess the big ball of Sun and take it home in your bag. You are in total wonder! Total awe! Total Sakshi bhava! Total witness!

When you are a witness to all that is happening, you are in total wonder. You do not get involved. Do every action in life, just like that. Be a witness. Don’t jump in and get involved. Life is a flowing river, you just go with the flow without struggling with the current. Struggling against the current or swimming faster with the current, both is involvement. You just spread your hands wide apart and float like a leaf! That is being a witness! Witnessing is not being a spectator. A spectator gets involved. His emotions run high and low. A witness is just there! Just be!Whether it is sadhana time or family time or office time or grocery shopping time, just be in wonder, just be a witness! Don’t get involved in the drama. Every time Maaya pulls you into the drama, just take a step back to the witnessing consciousness state and remind yourself, ‘not my circus, not my monkeys’. Just be!

Happy Witnessing!