Apart from Self-luminous Self which is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, all other instruments such as eyes, brain nerve centre, mind etc. are matter only. They have no light, no knowledge of their own. They get all the light, all the knowledge from the Self. All the knowledge is hidden within every one of us under the thick layers of false ego.
With open eyes, we see this gross body but with closed eyes in deep meditation we perceive that, in reality, we are not this gross body but the eternal divine current of Life Consciousness within the body. When we close eyes, we see thick darkness and dead stillness all around with an endless flow of irrelevant thoughts just like the roaring waves of an ocean – one giving way to another.
That leads to great turmoil and an upheaval in mind and, in desperation the aspirant may give up. Doubts may arise in his mind how he can get rid of these bewildered thoughts. How can there be any light behind this grim darkness. Gurudev Shri Swami Vishvas Ji assures us that:-
चलो वो ज़रा सा उजाला बहुत है।।
Regularity and consistency in meditation diminish the influx and eventually eradicate it. The aspirant experiences the immense bliss and perceives that Light. This light (Jyoti) - everlasting light (Jyoti) is there behind all these veils of darkness.
The path of perception is meditation which eventually leads to the state of super-consciousness that provides us the inspiration which transcends reason though does not deny it. This life is a master novel written by God. Man would go crazy if he wants to understand which reason alone. For that deep meditation and inspiration are required.
Doctrines and dogmas do not make a religion. True religion lies in percepts. Have we ourselves perceived the Reality? Are we the Upanishads witnesses. Unless we ourselves realize the Reality face to face, we are engrossed in deep darkness irrespective of numerous scriptures we may have studied. The twisting and tearing of a book on rain-forecast won’t give us a drop of rain.
We who tread on the path of perception must be able to endure the hard cold light of day. We can’t make steel until we have made the iron red hot in fire. It is not meant to harm. Troubles and tribulation have a lesson for us. Our painful experiences are not meant to destroy us but to burn out our dross.
Spiritual advancement is measured not alone by the light that surrounds one when he meditates or by the visions he had of saints but by what he is able to endure. Christ’s greatness was not only that he could go into meditation and gloriously realize his oneness with the Father, his absolute identity, but also that he could endure. When we realize our true nature of Divinity in deep meditation, we are endowed with the power of endurance.
Path to perception is the unwavering faith in Self of milk women crossing the river while chanting the name of “Lord” without any “ifs” and “buts” or “doubts”. A young girl standing near the window and looking at a mountain outside the window had heard that faith moves mountains. She closed her eyes and prayed, “O Lord move the mountain out of my sight”. After five minutes, she opened the eyes to find that the mountain was still there. This sort of wavering faith is not the path of perception.
We must consider God as a giver of gifts. All the gifts starting from this valuable body to all the comforts and luxuries of life are bestowed upon us by Self. We must never ever think what we are doing for Him. We must bow our head in obeiscence what He has done for us. If in any aspect, we are not getting the drop of His mercy, we have unfolded our umbrella of ignorance and wickedness over our heads. The folded sails cannot catch the wind of His Mercy. It is not wind’s fault.
झोली ही मेरी तंग है, तेरे यहाँ कमी नहीँ।।
Numerous are your gifts bestowed upon me. My own limitation and weaknesses deprive me of taking any more of your gifts whereas there is no shortage in your treasure and Blessings. This sincere feeling from the core of heart is the path of perception.
The path of perception is the super conscious state. In the conscious state, thoughts come and go continuously. Thoughts stop when we go to sleep or when we are not aware of ourselves. The state in which we are away of ourselves, we are conscious of ourselves but thoughts vanish completely is known as the super conscious state.
In that state of super conscious we perceive our true nature, our true personality which is All Existence, All Knowledge and All Bliss. The way to attain that state is Vishvas Meditation which gives us an assuring note that
ये सैर क्या है अजब अनोखा, कि राम मुझ में मैं राम में हूँ
I and my Father are one.