The Rooted Rock

Animate and inanimate look opposite of each other. It depends on our perspective. If I look at the reality with a narrow or close mind I see it differently than if I see it with an open and clear mind. There is wise saying in Sanskrit which says "Yatha drusti tatha srusti". The world appears as I see it. My perception is based on how I see the reality. A distorted perception will create a distorted reality. An important challenge for us is how to see the relaity as it is. No perversion, no disortation. Sadly, we live in a world where differenences create distanaces. How do I see the differences: differences in color, race, casts, and creeds. According to my understanding differences, are created by our narrow and prjudicial mind set. Our mind gets conditioned. We are conditioned to think in black or white colors. And we all know how injustice is created by our balck or white perspective. If we go beyond these walls we can see oneness in manyness. We realize unitive consciousness. A question arises in my mind. Is an inamnate the same as naminate? Outwadly they appear different; but inwardly they identical. Who or what has created such differences? According to my understanding, we ascribe postive value to those who are like us and consider them ours, and those who are not like us we consider them different from us, and lower than us. We have creted these walls of differences and divisiveness. We may also consider inanimate objects not only different but distant. This is an illusion. The divine spirit doesn't have that divisiveness. People who are noble-hearted have gone beyond these walls and they acceppt others as the citzens of the same world. I remeber an illuminating song written in Sanskrit by an enlihtened spiritual teacher, guru Adi Sahnkaracharya: Ptatha smari hrudi sansfurit atmam, Sat chit sukham paramahansa gati turiyam. Yat swpana jagarat sushiptim aveti nityam, Tad brahmanishkalam na cha bhuta sangaha. Every morning when I get up I remeber in my heart, Brahma , the creator satyam is truth. jagat-world mithya, an illusion. Every morning when I wake up let me remember in my heart, I am the divine - truth, Brahmaiava satyan, jagat mithya. The Creator the world is an illusion. Brhamaiava satyam na cha bhutasangaha- I am the Divine soul and not the collection of matter. This is a wake up call. This is the way we connect with nature and and with each other. Namaste! Jagdish P Dave