सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते ।
अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ॥ १८.२० ॥

sarva-bhūteṣu yenaikam bhāvam-avyayam-īkṣate |
avibhaktam vibhakteṣu tajjñānam viddhi sāttvikam || 18.20 ||

Sāttvika knowledge

Jñānam here has a very significant place as a fundamental coordinate of the individual, the seeker. It is jñānam that guides his vision and attitudes in general as well as in particular. Thus it can be broad, immaculate and benevolent or narrow, constricted and harmful. First Krishna speaks of the most sublime, the sāttvika knowledge that can lead to universality:

Know that knowledge to be sāttvika, by which one perceives the Singular, Imperishable and Undivided presence in all the manifold beings.

In front of our senses, the world is manifested in various forms. The senses categorize these endless, numerous objects into five – sound, touch, taste, colour and smell. In each reigns ample variety. In spite of such unlimited variety, the sāttvika intelligence will always be able to perceive the singular Presence, interpenetrating and enfolding all.

For many things to be in a place, each of them has to be distinct from the rest. This distinctness, in fact, is what conduces to variety or plurality. This is only the first fact, inevitable, no doubt. But there is equally the other deeper fact that in all these distinct individual entities, something singular and uniform also permeates. For instance, is not air present in everyone? The bodies are different, but the air surrounding and permeating them is the same. Likewise, the same kind of heat permeates the living bodies. The separateness prevailing at the bodily level is no interference to the inner unity. In fact, physical separateness is what enables the permeating oneness. But this is a point people are not given to think about. They do not feel the need for such a probe or discovery.

The sensory perceptions are there, no doubt. But that does not mean that we should not submit the variety to an intelligent enquiry to find out to which extent or to what depth the sensory variety prevails. The spiritual seeker has to be relentlessly discerning and explorative to unearth the deeper level of singular existence.

Every sensory object or entity is perishable by nature. It constantly changes, getting destroyed every moment. How can such a destructible entity last forever? Yet, the world and its contents are long-standing. Naturally, something imperishable must be acting as their support, substratum, enabling the perishability to endure.

This Imperishable is the spiritual Presence, the Soul, Brahman, not readily perceptible to the senses as an object. The perishability of the sensory entities enables and persuades the seeker to arrive at the subtler uniform Presence.

Normally, the divided and plural character of the world, as revealed by the senses enslaves the mind, generating various emotions and conflicts. And people have no means of dealing with these emotions to arrive at some kind of placidity and lightness helpful for benign behaviour and interactions.

When by spiritual introspection, the seeker becomes rich in his inner depth and expansion, his mind becomes free, and begins to unearth the singular uniform Existence (sat) permeating all entities. This deeper note of singularness or singularity will govern his mind more than does the variety and dividedness.

While with the senses he sees multiple entities, the greater vision he has will be of the single Presence revealed in them all. The plural objects become a cause and occasion to bring to light the majesty and magnificence of the single Imperishable Presence. The external loses the impact of its imprint and the inner takes over.

Is this kind of sāttvika jñāna more a pious imposition or is it a true, realistic, factual attainment?

The oneness of Creation

Let us analyze sensory knowledge and perception, to begin with. For the external existence, be it alive or non-alive, our senses are the only proof. If this be so, the subject requires further exploration with a view to ascertain how far senses have their independence in adjudging external existence.

The senses cannot work independently. At best, they are instruments of the mind. When the mind feels like seeing, only then the eyes are employed for the purpose. So the senses follow the dictates of the mind. Before as well as during seeing, the sensory function rests upon the mind.

In seeing, what do the senses do? What exactly is their role? They only act as a medium in linking the object to the mind. The objects remain where they are and senses remain in our body. One does not replace the other, nor merges or blends with the other.

Like the lens in a camera, the senses merely help in forming or gaining an imprint of the objects, inwardly by the mind itself. Every sensory perception is, in effect, nothing but a mind-imprint. Any imprint the mind causes by and in itself, can only be mind’s – mental, like a wave or bubble, which is watery. It is of the mind, in the mind and for the mind. It is not the senses that preserve and remember the imprints. The mind alone makes use of the imprints every time.

All perceptions, like their memories, are solely internal, mental. Sounds, smells, touches and tastes also are, like colours, mind-imprints and therefore mental. The same mind, an expression of Consciousness, displays all these in itself, as its products.

Imprints are various, infinitely so. Yet, all of them are but creations of the same mind and hence mental alone. Cannot the keen seeker arrive at this truth and be conscious of it every time? In other words, every perception, like thoughts and memories, is but an extension of the Consciousness alone. In every such extension, should not the discerning seeker find the same single Consciousness?

This is the content of all our perceptions and experiences. Hence whenever we perceive and interact with the variety outside, the reality is that it is all the unique display of the same inner Consciousness. Wisdom becomes sāttvika, when it comprehends this truth and applies it to all sensory perceptions, objects and existences. Sattva-guṇa is noted for light, wisdom and happiness. Hence the sāttvika wisdom will always discern matters, bringing forth the truth about them.

As the mind is present in every imprint in it, so too in every form of existence perceived by the senses, the same inner Consciousness alone permeates.

Does an image in water change the nature of water or the reflection in a mirror change its glass the least? Likewise, no imprint changes the mind’s character. This is the truth, which sāttvika wisdom alone will be able to unravel and reveal unambiguously.

Look at the huge forest. Trees, plants, creepers and the rest fill it to the full. In fact, the thick greenery conceals the whole earth below. Does this mean the greenery alone is there, not the ground, its support and source? Or the fact is that the entire green canopy rests on the single earth?

The vegetation consists of ample variety, but its substratum, the earth is but one. It is the earth’s minerals that get transformed into plants, creepers and trees. As true is the variety of vegetation, more so is the singular nature of the earth below. In a beautiful harmony are the huge forests that feast the eyes. And so too is the inner perception that delights the intelligence! Both are mutual and complementary!

To glimpse the oneness of the oceans is not difficult, because it is visually evident. But to get at the oneness of Creation, consisting of infinite variety and multiplicity, a sustained spiritual quest is needed. The difference is obvious.

To discern the truth of the permeating Oneness of existence, sāttvika wisdom is necessary. Such wisdom has the immediate effect of relieving all kinds of agitation, which plurality or diversity is bound to cause to the mind. When the mind becomes free and light, it can function and interact in the world with a natural clarity and ease, making all actions greatly facile and effective.