Gita 6.29

Dhyana Yoga

सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि । ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः ॥२९॥

sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni cātmani | īkṣate yoga-yuktātmā sarvatra sama-darśanaḥ ||29||

In essence: The yogi sees one Self dwelling in all beings and all beings dwelling in one Self—the ultimate vision that dissolves the illusion of separation.

A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply

Sadhak-Guru Dialogue

Sadhak: "Guruji, this verse says the yogi sees the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self. I understand this philosophically, but I certainly do not SEE it. When I look at other people, I see separate bodies, separate personalities. Where is this universal Self that I should be seeing?"

Guru: "Look at my face right now. What do you actually see?"

Sadhak: "I see your face—eyes, nose, mouth, skin, expressions..."

Guru: "Those are forms, shapes, colors. But is that all you see?"

Sadhak: "What else would there be?"

Guru: "Look into my eyes. Not at them—into them. What do you perceive?"

Sadhak: "(looks carefully) I perceive... presence. Awareness. There is someone looking back at me."

Guru: "That presence, that awareness looking back—is it different from the presence that is looking FROM your eyes?"

Sadhak: "I... I never thought about it that way. The looking itself feels the same. The presence behind my eyes and the presence behind yours... it is hard to say they are different."

Guru: "This is the beginning of sama-darśana. The forms are different—my face is not your face. The personalities are different—my thoughts are not your thoughts. But the AWARENESS in which all these appear—is that different? Can you actually find a boundary between your awareness and mine, or do you simply assume one exists because the forms are separate?"

Sadhak: "I assume it. But the assumption is so strong that it feels like direct perception. I feel so clearly located HERE, behind these eyes, and you seem so clearly THERE."

Guru: "Feel that sense of being 'here.' Can you locate its edge? Where exactly does 'here' end and 'there' begin?"

Sadhak: "(pauses, investigates) It is strange... I cannot actually find a boundary. 'Here' feels like it goes out into space. Even 'there' where you are feels somehow... included."

Guru: "You are beginning to see. The sense of being a localized self is a thought-construction, not a perception. When thoughts quiet—as they do in deep yoga—the construction becomes transparent. What remains is awareness without boundary, presence without location. And in THAT, all beings are seen—not as separate selves outside you, but as appearances within the one Self that you are."

Sadhak: "But practically speaking, even if I have glimpses of this vision, I still have to function in a world of apparent separation. How does sama-darśana affect daily life?"

Guru: "Consider: if you truly saw yourself in everyone you meet today, how would you treat them? Would you be able to speak harshly, knowing that the pain would be felt as your own pain? Would you be able to ignore suffering, knowing it is yourself who suffers? This vision naturally transforms behavior—not through effort or ethical discipline, but through accurate perception. You do not have to practice non-harming; harming becomes impossible because you see that there is no 'other' to harm. Kindness becomes effortless because it is simply self-care extended to all your forms."

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🌅 Daily Practice

🌅 Morning

Practice 'One Self Meditation' for 20-30 minutes. Sit comfortably, close eyes, and establish basic presence. Then begin contemplating: 'The awareness that is aware of this moment—is it located? Does it have edges?' Explore the sense of 'I am here.' Gently question: 'Where is here? How big is it?' You may find that awareness feels boundless—not located in the head but everywhere, containing all perceived objects rather than being contained in a body. Now recall three people—someone you love, someone neutral, someone difficult. Visualize each one. For each, ask: 'What is aware behind their eyes? Is it different from what is aware behind mine?' Do not answer philosophically—look. See if you can perceive the same presence in all three. Finally, expand to all beings everywhere: 'The same awareness that animates me animates every creature. One Self, countless forms.' Rest in this recognition.

☀️ Daytime

Practice 'Same Self Recognition' throughout your day. In each significant interaction—with family, colleagues, strangers—take a moment to look past the form and recognize the presence. When you see someone, silently acknowledge: 'This is the Self, appearing as this person.' You might use a brief phrase like 'Tat tvam asi' (You are That) or simply 'Same Self.' Pay special attention to interactions with people you find difficult or tend to dismiss. The homeless person you walk past—recognize the same awareness. The annoying colleague—same awareness. The person who cut you off in traffic—same awareness. This does not mean you approve of all behavior, but you recognize the being behind the behavior as yourself. Notice how this recognition changes your internal state: does it soften judgment? Increase patience? Evoke natural kindness? These changes indicate sama-darśana is becoming experiential, not just conceptual.

🌙 Evening

Practice 'All Beings in the Self' reflection. Sit quietly and consciously expand your sense of self. Imagine all beings you encountered today—family, friends, strangers, even animals—existing within your own awareness. They are not outside you; your awareness contains them all. Extend further: all beings in your city, your country, the world, all life everywhere. Let them all be contained within the limitless space of awareness that you are. Now reverse: feel yourself as contained within the Self of all beings. You exist within their awareness as they exist within yours. These are not two different things but one interconnected reality, like Indra's net where each jewel reflects all others. Rest in this recognition: 'I am in all, and all are in me. There is only one Self, seeing through all eyes, living through all lives, being all that is.' Let this become not just a thought but a felt sense, a glimpse of what the yoga-yuktātmā sees naturally and constantly. End with gratitude for the precious opportunity of encountering the Self in all its forms today.

Common Questions

If I see all beings as my own Self, will that not create confusion in daily life? How can I function if I do not distinguish between my body and others' bodies?

Sama-darśana operates at the level of consciousness, not physical form. The yogi continues to perceive physical differences perfectly well—they do not confuse their body with another body or try to eat through someone else's mouth. What changes is the sense of identity: while forms are recognized as different, the awareness animating all forms is recognized as the same. Think of actors in a play: each character is distinct with different costumes, lines, and motivations. But all characters are animated by the same director's vision. The director does not confuse the characters, yet knows they are all expressions of one creative source. Similarly, the yogi functions perfectly in the world of forms while knowing they are all expressions of one Self. This actually improves functioning because it removes the emotional charge of self-other conflict.

This sounds like it could justify harmful actions—'It is all One, so nothing really matters.' How does sama-darśana prevent moral nihilism?

True sama-darśana prevents harm, not enables it. The logic of moral nihilism is: 'Others are illusory, so harming them does not matter.' But the yogi's perception is: 'Others are myself, so harming them harms me.' This INCREASES moral sensitivity, not decreases it. Consider: you do not harm your own hand because it is 'all one' with your body—you protect and care for it precisely because it is you. Sama-darśana extends this self-care to all beings. The nihilistic misinterpretation comes from intellectual understanding without actual perception. When you SEE yourself in another's eyes, the question of whether to harm them does not even arise. It would be like asking whether you should stab your own eye. Furthermore, because all beings are seen in the Self, their suffering is felt as one's own suffering—compassion becomes automatic, not optional.

This vision seems to erase individual uniqueness. If everyone is 'the same Self,' do we not lose the beautiful diversity of personalities and perspectives?

Sama-darśana does not erase diversity; it provides its proper context. Individual uniqueness is fully preserved and even more appreciated because it is seen as the Self's creative expression rather than random separation. Consider a diamond with many facets: each facet is unique, reflecting light in its own way, creating distinct patterns. But all facets are expressions of one diamond, one light. The unity does not diminish the facets; it makes them meaningful. Without the diamond, a facet is just a random piece of glass. As an expression of the whole, it participates in something magnificent. Similarly, individual personalities are not flattened by sama-darśana but elevated: your unique expression of consciousness is not a random accident but the universe knowing itself through this particular form. The yogi appreciates diversity MORE, not less, because they see it as the one Self playing all roles, exploring all possibilities, delighting in infinite expression.

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