A 10-year old's reflections on Nirvana Shatkam wisdom
The other day my 10 year old daughter came to me and said: "Mom, I just had the weirdest experience. I was looking at a photograph of myself, and I realized - I have a body. Then I looked in the mirror, and realized - That’s Me!”
And we talked about how up until that moment it hadn’t really occurred to her that she is looking out at the world from inside of a body that everyone else calls “her".
Maybe you can remember a moment from your own childhood of kind of spooking yourself by looking into the mirror and trying to see yourself in there.
I told her it was really interesting because in one of the companion study circles I teach, we have been talking about reversing the idea that “I am the body.” I told her that what happens for most people is they forget that they are actually a presence that isn’t the body, and they start to believe they are only the body.
She looked incredulous. She said that it makes no sense. How could people think they were just the body?
I’m sharing this sweet, innocent, yet profound reflection from her as a reminder to all of us:
There was a time, in this very lifetime, when it didn’t occur to us that, “I am limited to and defined by this body, it’s appearance, its abilities, its relationships, and gratifying its wants and needs.”
This journey through Vedic Wisdom (and so potently through the Nirvana Shatkam verses), is a return to that natural, organic, unencumbered state of transcendent awareness.
We are looking at Verse 4 in this week's Nirvana Shatkam Companion Study session on Monday, Jan 6th at 6pm PT. No previous study of the text is required to participate.
You are welcome to join, whether or not you feel as free as a 10-year old. 💛
Your daughter is wise beyond her years, may she always have such clarity and perspective on who she truly is.