The Yogi's Journey to Understanding

 There once lived a yogi in a Vedic monastery on the banks of the river Ganga, eager to broaden his understanding of the world and himself. He saw his consciousness as "Chit" and his physical body embodying his five senses.

Though he mastered his senses, they still overpowered his mind. What troubled him most was the nature of reality that underpinned his existence.

One day, he meditated on the sun. His five senses harmonized by gazing at the rising and setting sun and feeling its heat, giving him a blissful feeling. The sound of the sun broke the silence of his meditation, revealing itself as a vibration. Drawn to this energy, he embarked on a voyage to nowhere. He focused on the moon, documenting his recollections from the crescent to the full phases.

Journeying up the Ganga, he found harmony in the sounds of the rumbling waters, chirping birds, and the serene sunset reflected by the moon. Every entity emitted an inviting vibration, leading him to seek its origin.

The lush vegetation, fruit-laden trees, and vibrant colors along the riverbanks satisfied his hunger and captivated his senses. The rain revitalized the land, creating divine freshness. Kaal Chakra's endless cycle invited him to join the infinite journey where all unite as one, making him feel a vibrating field of energy around him. He sought to synchronize with this resonance and capture its divinity.

The harsh climate of the Himalayas was the setting for his journey. Sights and sounds were limited, but he adapted to the cold, harmonizing his mind and body. The tasteless herbs sustained him, and controlled breathing, a testament to his yogic training, allowed him to thrive in thin air.

He wanted to reach the summit of the Himalayas. A harmonized mind, body, and spirit drew him forward, drawn by the sound of divinity. He realized that this sound, a vibration, was divine energy. Amid turbulence and change, his trained meditation sought divinity. Suddenly, his five senses harmonized into a singular vibration, resonating as AUM  AAAAAAA……UUUUUUU……MMMMM. 

The Bhagavad Gita discusses the role of the senses in self-realization and spiritual growth. The senses, which can lead to self-gratification and attachment to material pleasures, can also be tools for higher awareness and consciousness when aligned and harmonized properly. This is a breakdown of the notion:

1.   Self-Gratification and Dualities:

o    The senses often lead individuals to seek pleasure and avoid pain, resulting in attachment and aversion, which are the root causes of dualities (likes and dislikes, pleasure and pain, etc.).

o    Dualities keep the mind agitated and prevent self-realization and inner peace.

2.   Self-realization and awareness:

o    A disciplined practice and spiritual guidance will help one transcend the superficial pleasure of the senses.

o    A person can cultivate calmness and balance by observing and controlling the senses.

3.   Harmonizing the senses:

o    In harmony with the mind, the senses cease to distract it. Instead, they become instruments for deepening awareness.

o    This harmony eliminates dualities as the mind becomes steady and focused.

4.   Awareness to Consciousness:

o    As awareness deepens, it transitions into consciousness.

o    This consciousness is marked by unity and oneness, in which the individual feels a profound connection to the Self and the universe.

o    The harmony of the senses contributes to this state, as they are no longer seen as separate entities but as integrated aspects of one’s being.

According to the Bhagavad Gita, especially Chapters 6 (Dhyana Yoga) and 2 (Sankhya Yoga), the senses are controlled and harmonized to achieve self-realization and realize that singularity is consciousness. Mediation, self-discipline, and devotion can enable one to transcend the limitations of the senses and experience bliss and unity.

My realization! I have  distinguished between three categories of senses:

1. Desire-oriented senses (five):

    - Used for self-gratification and pleasure

2. Knowledge-acquiring senses (five):

    - Eyes (sight)

    - Ears (hearing)

    - Nose (smell)

    - Tongue (taste)

    - Touch (skin sensation)

3. Working senses (five):

    - Voice (communication)

    - Legs (movement)

    - Hands (action)

    - Anus (excretion)

    - Genitals (procreation)

The mind is the "sense within," integrating and processing information from the other senses to allow mental activity and consciousness.

This knowledge is based on ancient Indian wisdom, particularly the Tattva system and the Bhagavad Gita, which describe the senses and their functions in human experience. My insight emphasizes the necessity of distinguishing between the distinct roles of the senses and the mind, which allows for a deeper awareness of us and our place in the universe.

Hearing is a sense that perceives the truth—the story of a Yogi.

Once, there lived a yogi with the divine ability to hear all sounds around him. Where there is vibration there is sound, and nature and the universe are full of vibrations. So the yogi desired a peaceful place, where no sound existed. There were sounds of humans, animals, birds, and insects at home. Some sounds of nature were in harmony, but others were irritating. He set off for quieter places in his quest to find zero sound.

The chatter of human beings, the growling and movements of animals, water rapids, whistling winds, crackling fires, and even the bustling seeds made sounds of matchless identities. Remembering every sound, he went on – further and further, to higher grounds, higher planes, to find a heavenly world. Surely no sound will exist there.   

He journeyed to the highest peak on earth, up the Himalayas, up to Mount Everest. All the sounds he’d heard following him; the forming, breaking, melting ice – proof that all that vibrates has sound. Life forms, minerals, rocks, crystals, gemstones, and even your body have vibrations, frequencies, and crystals. Each cell, organ, and system in an organism has distinct vibrations

In frustration he sat in deep meditation, deafening all sounds he heard, down to his heartbeat and breath. When his body separated from his spirit, he understood that the mind, soul, and each idea, emotion, sound, and color had distinct vibrations. The universe stored vibrations. But unexpectedly, there seemed to be one vibration in this universe that sounded more fascinating than the rest – a particular sound that made his soul harmonious with all surrounding sounds. He followed this vibration, traveling past the sun, the stars, the Milky Way, the black holes, and supernovas, and he found the answer he so wanted. There was one vibration, of the same frequency, that each and everything, every being, had. After eliminating every sound he'd heard, only one remained. His zero sound consisted of one. When he returned from his journey, his spirit found solace in repeating AUM.