Applying the Kabandha Symbolism to Ourselves

Question

Today’s talk… I think I’ll need to record and listen to it once or twice more, Sister, because personally it feels a bit difficult at first. It will become simple if we put it on ourselves and think that way.

Answer

The best way to reflect is to see ourselves clearly. Let me understand myself as an ordinary person—completely ordinary. There’s some grossness, I don’t think very subtly. So if someone says something to me, or someone talks nonsense, idle criticism—I grab on to it and sit with it. An ordinary person does that: holds on to it.

When we apply it to ourselves like this, everything starts becoming easy to understand.

Then try the second stance on yourself: suppose my mind has become pure. Now I am someone with a pure mind. If I am pure-minded and someone outside speaks useless things to me, holds useless feelings or a certain outlook—how will I respond? You have to look at every point by putting it on yourself; then it will become easy.

It’s actually very simple—very simple. There’s just a lot of symbolism, so you have to keep your attention on that. “Sthula-shira” means a thick-headed person: sthula means gross or thick, shira means head. Then Indra—everyone knows—Indra signifies the pure mind. And Rama–Lakshmana—you all know—stand for being established in the true Self.