Resting in the Self… Even the words themselves bring a sense of quiet. For many, there still seems to be a misunderstanding between self and Self. Both are often seen as the “I”, the personal identity. The self, written with a lowercase letter, can generally be understood as the individual identity. But the Self, written with a capital letter, refers to the Absolute — God, the Cosmic, Brahman, or whatever divine name we choose to give it.
The Self is all in all. It is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. Outside the Self nothing can exist; in truth, only the Self exists. Within the Self, countless projections arise — appearances, contrasts, dualities — which seem real to us, yet are nothing more than the magical illusions conjured by a master magician: they appear real, but they are not. Our personal identity is also nothing more than an appearance.
All well and good — but how do we live with this in our so‑called reality? Since the mind is immensely powerful, nearly undefeatable, and constantly presents us with a reality (Maya) that is not truly real, the simplest method is not to fight it, but to rest as a silent witness in the Self. You let things pass by — like ebb and flow, like clouds drifting across the sky — and you watch them, unmoving and still. Meanwhile, you simply perform your daily duty and live your dream.
With our best wishes for profound peace
Sannyasin Anamika
