The Isha Upanishad tells us: He who sees all beings in the Self itself, and the Self in all beings, feels no hatred by virtue of that (realization).
In this state, there is no rigid individuality, no sense of
separateness. Individuals who remained in
such a state are known to have shown great compassion and established loving
relationships with
others. They lived like masters, not like slaves of desires and distorted
emotions. When this state is
achieved, strictly speaking, there are no more relationships. There is only
‘one’, and that ‘one’ includes me and all others. It seems a utopian ideal, but
mystics and prophets have demonstrated through their lives that it is much more
than an abstract ideal — it is a living truth. Their example could guide us in fostering
loving relationships.
When we stop perceiving ourselves as mortal physical humans
and start seeing ourselves as the children of immortal Bliss, our relationship with others is spontaneously
divinized. Our ordinary human nature is burnt and is replaced by an abiding
sense of divinity. The subconscious, which is the storehouse of our desires and
foibles, is transformed. There is no more relationship at a human level as
such, since there is no ‘other’ to be related with — a Self-realized person is
one with the whole humanity.
The task then is not to search for piecemeal solutions, not
to do a patch-up work, not to look for
‘corrections’, but to transform ourselves completely. Corrective or partial
solutions may help us occasionally, they may have a temporary utility, but to see
them as the final solution is a mistake. Sceptics may wonder that all this is
too far-fetched, impractical, or even a figment of our imagination. But who can
deny the transient nature of relationships built on the ever-slippery sands of
the ego? Human desires are infinite and they are bound to cause upheavals in
our relationships. Only by replacing our distorted limited self-image with a
divine one can we provide a healthier and more stable base for our relationships.
Achieving this goal appears to be a colossal task; the ideal
is seemingly unattainable. But an attempt
at it is worth the effort. Even a little effort will show us that our daily
relationships start improving as
our self-image starts getting transformed. We may have to resort to stern
measures occasionally, but we shall soon discover that once our egos have been softened
our relationships do not get permanently damaged. We may get into arguments,
but that will not wreck our friendships. By constant introspection on our
thoughts and motives with reference to the examples of such lives as Swami
Vivekananda’s or Sri Ramakrishna’s, we become more aware of our situation. By
meditating on our divine nature we gradually bring about a transformation
within ourselves. Maintaining relationships based on our puny egos with its
desires no longer remains an issue. We transcend the concept of relationship
itself. We go beyond human relationship.
Teachings From Murugan And Avvaiyar Conversation