“We see things not as they are but as we are” – Immanuel Kant
What we see is shaped by our inner world. Our inner vision is like becoming aware of the lenses through which we perceive reality, and spirituality introduces a new dimension to that perception. Our beliefs, knowledge, experiences, current emotional state, and our personality are the basis of our interpretation of what we see and hear. If we become more aware of what our inner state of consciousness is, then we are able to perceive the deeper meaning of what lies beyond our physical sight. In the same way as specialists in their subject have a deeper understanding of what they see. A doctor understands patterns of physical conditions and can diagnose accurately. An engineer can see a blueprint and understand deeper structural issues. A lawyer looks at a document in a completely different way from a layman, and understands the nuances and interprets them with a deeper understanding of the law.
Many of us have come to understand that under the law of physics, a solid table is not really as solid as it seems. It is made up of atoms, and is in fact, 99.9 per cent vacuum, yet even having that understanding, we are unable to perceive that constantly, and treat the table as a solid piece of matter. Our physical world is so much more dynamic than we can perceive through our physical eyes. We go about our daily life locked into roles of parent, teacher, our place in society, our nationality, and behave accordingly. If we could hold our inner vision in the awareness of who we really are and what we are really doing, our lives would be so much richer. More than that, we would really see the deeper meaning in everything that is happening, especially what is happening directly around us.
The way to become free of our limited awareness is to understand that life is really just a theatre. All of us have roles to play, but we are not the roles. We do not even originate from the theatre. Just like all actors, we have a home to which we will return. We actors are higher beings, extremely subtle points of consciousness, light, similar to stars. We sparkling entities come onto the stage and adopt our costumes and masks, and initially experience it all to be a glorious and joyful game. However, just as those who like to experiment with virtual reality begin to experience that virtual reality as real, and the longer the headset is on and the game is playing, the more likely they are to ‘forget’ they are human beings, so too, over time we have also lost sense of what is ‘real’. On stage, actors know who they are. Some are very clever at observing themselves as actors while acting their parts – they do not buy into the story and the roller coaster of emotions they are being asked to play out. They keep themselves above and give a perfect performance while understanding what is happening and appreciating the other actors and their roles.
In the same way, the more we can hold on to the awareness of who we really are, the more we are free to play our parts with the full depth of experience and with love and compassion for others. Everyone is good, everyone’s truth is beautiful, whatever is happening, because it is all an immense and seemingly chaotic drama. But, as with all dramas, there is a plan and all is working exactly as it should. We are all on a journey and when we are ‘awake’ to what is really happening, the love we generate transcends all the limitations of the stage.
As with all good plays, there is One who remains beyond all the action. The One who is in a position to remind us that we are not of the stage, but on the stage, as actors. That is the One bright star of Supreme consciousness that cannot be seen with physical eyes. This Friend can be felt and perceived through meditation, and because He constantly sees us in our own perfection, we can define ourselves not through our roles, but through His vision.
Sarah Fitzgerald is an interior designer, English language teacher, and Rajyoga teacher with the Brahma Kumaris in Cambridge, UK.