Gita 13.27
Kshetra Kshetragna Vibhaga Yoga
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् | विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति ||२७||
samaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṁ parameśvaram | vinaśyatsv avinaśyantaṁ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ||27||
In essence: One who sees the imperishable Lord dwelling equally in all perishable beings—that one truly sees.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "How can I see God in someone who is clearly doing evil? That seems like moral blindness."
Guru: "You see God in them not by approving their actions but by recognizing that the same consciousness that enables your seeing enables their existing. Their actions are prakriti-driven; the consciousness witnessing those actions is divine. A criminally insane person still has awareness—that awareness is not criminal. You can oppose evil actions while honoring the consciousness in which those actions appear. This is not moral blindness; it's the deepest moral clarity."
Sadhak: "But practically, I feel different toward different people. How does this seeing develop?"
Guru: "It develops through practice. Start with those you love—see the Lord there. Then extend to strangers—see the Lord there too. Finally, the hard part: extend to those you dislike or who have harmed you—recognize the Lord even there. The feelings may still vary; the seeing eventually becomes constant. It's not that you feel identical toward everyone; it's that you recognize the same presence in everyone."
Sadhak: "The verse says 'imperishable within the perishable.' How can the unchanging be inside the changing?"
Guru: "Think of the screen and the movie. The screen doesn't change; the movie constantly changes. Yet without the screen, no movie is possible. The screen is 'within' the movie in the sense that it underlies and supports every frame. Similarly, consciousness underlies every form. The form perishes; the consciousness doesn't. The unchanging is not spatially inside the changing but is its foundation, its very existence."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Equality gazing: As you encounter others today—starting with family or housemates—practice seeing past the personality to the consciousness. 'Behind these eyes is the same awareness that is behind mine.' This one recognition, practiced consistently, transforms relationships.
Stranger seeing: With strangers—cashiers, drivers, passersby—practice the same recognition. These aren't just functional beings but consciousness-vessels. The brief encounter with a stranger is still an encounter with the Divine. Let this shift how you make eye contact, how you speak, how you wait.
Enemy seeing: The hardest practice: bring to mind someone you resent or dislike. Can you see past their actions to the consciousness within? This doesn't require forgetting what they did or excusing harm. It requires recognizing: the Lord who dwells in me dwells in them too. Tomorrow, let this seeing continue.