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Chapter 13
Distinction between The Self And The Not-Self
72. Faith In The Power Of The Supreme Self
20. To sum up, as long as there is attachment to the body, as long as there is fear, a sense of insecurity would continue to haunt you. Would not a snake bite me in bed, would not a thief come and attack me?—Fears like these would not let you sleep even if you shut your eyes. You sleep with a staff near the bed to use it against the thieves if they come. But can a thief not use the same staff to hit you? You are making the staff readily available to him in case he has forgotten to bring one with him! After all, whom are you relying upon when you sleep? During sleep, you are totally dependent on others for protection. It is only when you are awake that the question of your protecting yourself arises. Who protects you when you are asleep? 21. We go to sleep trusting some power; the same power which all the animals trust when they sleep. Even the tiger goes to sleep. The lion, which has enmity with the whole world and which, therefore, constantly looks back with suspicion and apprehension while walking, also goes to sleep. Had there been no faith in that power, the lions would have had to evolve an arrangement of having a few of them keeping vigil while others sleep! We too go to sleep in the lap of that all-pervading power, relying on which savage tigers, lions and wolves also sleep. A child sleeps in its mother’s lap happily and confidently. At that time, it is as if the master of the world. We too must learn to sleep in the lap of the Lord, the all-sustaining Mother, with love and trust and the knowledge that we are safe there. We should make ourselves more and more familiar with the power which sustains the whole of our life. We should feel the presence of that power more and more. The more we are convinced of its presence, the more shall we be secure. The more we experience that power, the more shall we grow. The Thirteenth Chapter gives some indication of the steps needed to be taken in this direction. |
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