This beautiful passage from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita teaches us the same truths as Heschel in Keys to Nondual Interspirituality 1 but within our heart-mind our inner self;
“Like two birds of golden plumage, inseparable companions, the
individual self and the immortal Self are perched on the branches of the
self same tree. The former tastes of the sweet and bitter fruits of the
tree; the latter, tasting of neither, calmly observes.
“The individual self, deluded by forgetfulness of his identity with the
divine Self, bewildered by his ego, grieves and is sad. But when he
recognizes the worshipful Lord as his own true Self, and
beholds his glory, he grieves no more.”
The passage sets up our two selves, corresponding to Heschel’s two Realms, as two birds. The first is in our self ‘as defined in the dual, contingent world’ with its ‘sweet and bitter fruits’. The second Self is the true Self – accessible when? – ‘When the heart-mind is quietened – then there is only Oneness – the dual world slips away…..’
Of course the dual world comes back with a bang – the phone, the door-bell, the delivery of an unpaid bill.
But with as little as a single breath we can return to the self-less ineffable realm. Hallelujah!
Author: Roger - Dr Roger Prentice
Now I write, teach and coach mainly self-understanding. At advanced levels About 21stC 'interfaith as inter-spirituality' - and how we can grow closer to our True Self.
In the past I :
.
1) I ran courses and give talks at conferences and in universities and colleges in the UK, China, USA, Canada, Scandinavia etc.
.
2) I provided materials, outlines and lessons for Schools.
.
3) My range of interests include personal development, learning and teaching, photography and film, the arts generally, spirituality and educational practice and theory.
.
4) At the same time I continue developing the human-centred studies SunWALK PDS (People Development System) - a whole-person, high-achievement model for individuals, and for use in, NGOs, schools and other organizations.
.
5) The key question that continues to animate me and my work remains, "What is it to be fully and positively human?"
.
Contact me via onesummit AT gmail DOT com (replace At with@ etc.).
.
All good wishes
Roger (Dr Roger Prentice)
.
For those interested;
My first degree is in English and Education.
My masters is in Adult and Community Education.
My doctorate presented a new holistic meta-model of education called SunWALK.
View all posts by Roger - Dr Roger Prentice