Unlock the Actor

13 August 2001, 11:45pm IST
K M Gupta, TNN.

``we are both actors and spectators in the great drama of existence,'' says niels bohr. the soul, the i , is a `two-in-one' ^ the actor i and the spectator i . the actor i is the i that goes through one's roles in life, the agent, sowing actions and reaping fruits. the spectator i is the pure self, pure consciousness, atman , the silent observer or the sheer witness -- sakshi cheta kevalo nirgunascha . the two i s are so immediate and proximate that normally we do not and are not able to see them apart. but look closer. study an intense dream or experience. there are two i s, one `experiencing' and the other `witnessing'. everything in life is the actor acting out an acknowledged role ^ father/mother, son/daughter, brother/sister, the employer/the employed, the boss/the subordinate, the friend, the tenant, the neighbour, the citizen, the taxpayer and so on -- under the watchful eye of the spectator within which is the bystander conscience, or the atman . normally we lump the two together, not teasing the actor and the spectator out. the educational and career grooming we go through does not prepare us to differentiate the two i s. this is our spiritual illiteracy and poverty. this spiritual privation strains and spoils relationships, scuttles skills, gifts and faculties, muddles attitudes and behaviours and we end up looking for stress-busters and peace capsules. all the weight that sits on us and is crushing us by way of stress and peacelessness is the weight of a lumped up i . separate the two i s and the weight goes. the essence of spiritualism is the separation of the actor i and the spectator i and the resultant freedom for the latter from emotional involvement in the roles of the former. that is the gist of the vedas, the upanishads, the gita, the yoga sutras and all. the ashtavakra gita and many such other works are exercises in awakening the spectator self to the knowledge and remembrance that he is just the witness and it is not his business to lose himself in the actor self emotionally. the spirit is the spectator standing by the actor and watching the latter going through his roles and functions. practising spiritualism is training oneself to identify oneself with the spectator and keep aloof from the actor. when the actor and the spectator are lumped together, it is egoism. the weight of life on us is the weight of egoism. it is the culprit where relationships are strained or soured, be it between husband and wife, father and son, friend and friend, neighbour and neighbour, the boss and the subordinate. it is the destroyer of efficiency and aptitude at work. separation of the two i s is the key to the best possible social, family and work culture. at home, keep reminding yourself that you are acting out several roles ^ father, mother, son ^ and you have to act best. out in society keep reminding yourself that you are acting out the roles of friend and neighbour and you have to act best. when you sit in your chair in your office, remind yourself that you are the actor donning a role. likewise pass each and everything to the actor and his roles and be relieved; and that is the essence of spiritualism. there is an easier way to practice spiritualism. wake up every morning, sit up on the bed cross-legged and close your eyes for just one full minute, addressing yourself. detach yourself from the actor i and assume the spectator i . tell the actor i to go through his/her roles for the day. assign each role --father, worker -- its jobs and instruct it to do things to perfection or as best as possible. tell the roles that they would be under watch and would be pulled up for shortcomings. and at night before going to sleep, sit up addressing yourself for another full minute. call each role and review its performance for the day. pull them up for shortcomings and praise them for good performance. divide the losses and gains, failures and successes and bouquets and brickbats amongst the roles, keeping nothing for yourself, and be unburdened and free, and go to sleep with a clean and peaceful mind.