Gita 18.20
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते | अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ||२०||
sarva-bhūteṣu yenaikaṁ bhāvam avyayam īkṣate | avibhaktaṁ vibhakteṣu taj jñānaṁ viddhi sāttvikam ||20||
In essence: Sattvic knowledge sees one imperishable reality undivided among all divided beings—the infinite within the finite.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "How can I see 'one being' in all when clearly beings are different? A rock is not a dog is not a person."
Guru: "At the level of form and function, differences are real. The rock, dog, and person have different bodies, capacities, and roles. Sattvic knowledge doesn't deny these differences; it perceives what's common beneath them—the consciousness that illumines each, the being that allows each to exist."
Sadhak: "But a rock isn't conscious, is it?"
Guru: "From the Gita's view, existence itself is a mode of consciousness. The rock exists—that bare existing is a form of being, which is a form of consciousness at its most basic. As you move to plants, animals, humans, the consciousness becomes more manifest. But the underlying being is continuous."
Sadhak: "This seems very mystical. How do I practically develop this seeing?"
Guru: "Start with humans. Look at someone and ask: 'What do we share?' You both want to avoid suffering, both seek happiness, both will die, both are conscious. Then extend: the animal fears death and seeks pleasure too. Even the plant turns toward light. Look for the common thread, and gradually your perception shifts from separateness to connection."
Sadhak: "Why is this knowledge called 'imperishable'—avyayam?"
Guru: "Because the unity it perceives IS imperishable. Forms arise and pass; the underlying reality persists. When you identify with forms, you share their mortality. When you identify with the underlying being, you share its deathlessness. Sattvic knowledge is not just accurate—it's liberating."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Begin with a contemplation: 'Today, may I perceive what is common in all I encounter rather than only what divides.' Look in the mirror and see not just your face but the consciousness that looks through those eyes—the same consciousness that will look through every pair of eyes you meet today.
In each interaction, practice finding the shared humanity. Beyond role differences (customer-vendor, boss-employee, stranger-acquaintance), what is the same? The desire for respect, the vulnerability to suffering, the wish for wellbeing. Let this recognition inform your behavior.
Reflect: 'Where did I see separateness today that, with deeper vision, was actually connection? Where did I treat someone as fundamentally other when they were actually myself in another form?' This isn't for guilt but for gradually training sattvic perception.