The Inner Sun

Let me state the obvious. Most of our lives we do not walk experiencing ourselves as a being of pure, radiant consciousness. We experience ourselves as a being of pure, radiant consciousness. We experience ourselves as harried housewives, aggressive salesman, bored students, starving musicians, or whatever.

An athlete or a sick person or a high- fashion model may remain intensely identified with her physical body. Her attention is most often directed at her health or strength or appearance. That is her reality.Hinduism says that no matter how well she cares for her body, one day it will die. But the Inner Self hidden behind her self-image will not.

A Scientists or intellectual or computer programmer may be very intensely focused at the level of thought. A lover or a new mother or a neurotic may be very intensely focused on their emotions. But eventually the field of experienced with which they're identifying will pass away. Their Higher Self will not.

You may feel who you really are is the mano maya kosha- your work-a-day thoughts and emotions. You may feel your real identity is your good old material body, the sthula sharira. Hinduism says that all our bodies, including the physical one, are nothing more than fields of energy, called prakriti in Sanskrit. They reflect the light of spirit and because of this appear to be independent and conscious, just as the Moon appears to shine with its own light but actually just reflects the Sun's.

What you experience as your mind has no more independent reality than your body. When you enter the state of deep sleep, for example, the light of spirit withdraws from your mental body for all practical purposes your mind cease to exist!

The Tripura Rahasya compares the Inner Self to a splendid gem locked in a chest that's fallen in the sea and become covered with mud. You have to find the chest, clean off the mud, and break open the lock. Then you"ll see for yourself the shinning gem of incalculable value. All Hindu spiritual practices are designed with the ultimate goal of helping us find the " pearl of great price" that lies buried in our minds and encrusted with the mud of our generally petty, run-of-the-mill thoughts. That gem is the pure, undying awareness that illuminates our lives.