INSIGHT

What is insight? The Concise Oxford Dictionary gives the meaning of the word 'insight' as 'the capacity of understanding hidden truth'. We know what is meant by 'seeing outside' i.e. observing objects in the phenomena with our senses. In contrast, there is an art of 'seeing inside' i.e., observing thoughts arising inside. There is a third factor i.e., ' seeing from within' which means unifying both the ' seeing outside' and 'seeing inside' , and at the same time, remaining aloof as a witness. This 'seeing from within' is INSIGHT known by different names such as 'enlightenment', 'realisation', 'awakening', 'understanding', 'passive awareness', 'natural state', liberation, 'atma- sakshatkaram', 'sakshi' etc.


In our search for pleasure, we encounter emotions like desire, greediness, possessiveness, jealousy, hatred, fear, anxiety etc. We are ignorant of the fact that the apparent pleasure and the absence of the same felt as pain, do not exist, as such. The pleasure and pain emanate from Peace in a distorted form. Because of our entertaining a sense of individuality and sense of doership (both are illusory in the apparent movement of Consciousness) we experience the duality of pleasure and pain. Peace is the nature of Consciousness,(Our swaroopha) and this only appears as pleasure and pain, in a distorted form, when reflected in an 'individual'. We do not bother to ' see within' leave alone to acquire ' insight' ( to see from within). We bring in an external God and pray to bestow pleasure and remove difficulties. We are ignorant that God - whose nature is Peace - is not to bestow pleasure or remove pain. He is a sakshi to his own leela for purpose best known to Him. Our experiencing pleasure and pain is out of ignorance about our true nature ( i.e. Peace, our swaroopha) God has bestowed us with 'intellect' , a source of knowledge through which we could realise our swaroopa. This is also a part of His leela. In His 'leela' , God let the 'individual' (apparent individual) to come out of the ignorance, to realise his swaroopa (Peace) and to witness the modes of prakrithy exhibited through him. In the macrocosmic aspect, God is Sakshi viewing His own creation i.e. prakrithy's function. The 'individual' out of ignorance thinks he is the doer, meaning he has the freedom of functioning. He doesnt know that it is prakrithy which is performing action.


There are certain persons who withdraw from the activities of ' living' and remain as a recluse, and search for the truth within. Here also, prakrity only shapes their living as a recluse. To realise our real nature (swaroopa) we need not forcebly withdraw our normal activities which amounts to suppression of physical activities which does not help to erase the mental activities. An intellectual comprehension of our real nature would lead us to the final understanding of Wisdom -Truth, i.e. INSIGHT, known by various names such as Enlightenment, Awakeninng etc., referred to above. The awakened is a 'witness' witnessing thoughts and events without being affected by either. The Witness never entertains a sense of individuality or freewill . He accepts the fact that it is 'prakriti' which is acting, and his real swaroopa --Peace- is never affected. He views with equanimity all dualities which otherwise would bring him pleasure or pain. Equanimity is Yoga - "samatwam yoga ucchathe" (B.Geeta). Intellectual comprehension, in the normal course, has to be attained through the practice of 'sadana chatushtyam', through 'sravana,manana,nidhityasana, through 'ashtanga yoga'. There were, however, exceptions like Sage Ramakrishna, Sage Ramana, who were blessed with Enlightenment without going through such intellectual exercise. The function of the 'intellect' and how far it helps to have 'insight' need some elucidation. The 'anthakaranam' with which one is equipped, comprises of mind, intellect, chittam (store house of tendencies) and ego (feeling of individuality and sense of doership) The mind functions as a transmitter and receiver. It transmits the stored tendencies received from chittam) as well as impressions received from outside, to the intellect for process. Intellect, as such, is pure and reflects the consciousness and can take decisions with wisdom knowledge. But the irony is that ego the fourth element (which is illusory) interferes and influences the intellect to take decisions according to its (ego's) whims and fancies! This is the root cause for the distortion of Peace.


To sum up: CONSCIOUSNESS IS OUR SWAROOPA. APPEARANCE IS SWABHAVA. SENSE OF INDIVIDUALITY (EGO) IS ILLUSORY. COME OUT OF THIS ILLUSION. OBSERVE THOUGHTS AND EVENTS WITH CONTEMPLATIVE VISION (INSIGHT) OF SWAROOPA. EXPERIENCE PEACE AND HARMONY.