The Guest Within

The Guest Within

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

                             Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

The human experience is often a journey of seeking; seeking happiness, meaning, love, and fulfilment. Yet, throughout the history of humanity, a few rare beings a Krishna, a Jesus, a Zarathustra, a Buddha, a Kabir, a Nanak and a Mahavira have realized that what we truly seek is not something external but an inherent presence within us. This presence, often veiled by conditioning, is the unspoiled essence of our being—the Guest Within. To receive this Guest is to transcend the mechanical operations of the conditioned mind and enter the realm of pure awareness, the Heart.

The Mind: A Prison of Conditioning

The mind, in its natural state, is boundless and clear, like an unclouded sky. However, over time, through societal influences, traditions, fears, and personal experiences, it becomes conditioned. These conditioning shapes our perceptions, decisions, and emotions, creating a mind that reacts mechanically rather than responds consciously. A conditioned mind is fragmented, carrying the burden of prejudices, beliefs, and acquired knowledge that limits its ability to see reality as it is. Such a mind operates in the domain of memory and repetition, leaving no space for true love, compassion, or understanding.

In this mechanical state, the mind confuses the Heart with emotions and impulses, as propagated by popular culture and mainstream cinema. Love, in this realm, becomes a fleeting sensation or a dramatic attachment rather than a profound state of being. Compassion is often reduced to a mere duty, while joy is perceived as something dependent on external conditions. But the Heart, in its truest sense, is far beyond these misconceptions; it is the purified state of the mind, where all conditioning has been dissolved.

The Heart: The Mind in Its Purest Form

When the mind embarks on an inward journey, inquiring the reality of its conditioning, a transformation occurs and it is bound to occur on its own accord. Through deep inquiry, self-awareness, and a willingness to confront illusions, the impurities of the mind begin to fall away.  This rigorous inner exploration, undertaken with sincerity, leads to a purification where thoughts are no longer contaminated by past influences. It is in this purification that the mind ceases to be mechanical and becomes the Heart.

The Heart, therefore, is not an organ of sentimentalism, nor is it a repository of fleeting emotions. It is the unconditioned mind, free from the chains of past conditioning. It perceives without distortion, acts without self-interest, and experiences joy that is independent of external circumstances. Compassion and love do not arise as emotions but as states of being, flowing naturally from this awakened awareness. Love, in its highest form, is not about possession or desire but about seeing oneself in the other, about a unity that transcends individuality.

The Bliss of Being

When the mind is no longer weighed down by conditioning, it rests in its natural state; pure Being. This state is not something to be attained; it is what we already are. The Guest Within, the silent presence that has always been with us, is revealed when all distractions and delusions are set aside. In this realization, joy is not an outcome of an experience; it is the very nature of existence. Bliss arises not because something external has changed, but because the inner distortions have ceased.

This is the state of the Heart, the state of freedom. A person who dwells in this state moves through life with a quiet grace, unburdened by fears, untouched by suffering that arises from attachment. Love is not something they seek; it is the fragrance of their being. Compassion is not a practice; it is the inevitable expression of their freedom.

Receiving the Guest Within

The path to realizing the Guest Within is not through accumulating knowledge but through shedding illusions. It is not through external achievements but through inner clarity. This journey requires courage; the courage to question, to unlearn, to sit in silence, and to observe the workings of the conditioned mind without identifying with it. When this observation deepens, something shifts. The mind loses its rigidity, and a new space emerges; a space of stillness, awareness, and profound love.

This is the Heart, the dwelling place of the Guest Within. When we awaken to its presence and open ourselves to receive it, we no longer chase after joy—we embody joy itself.

By Dr Deepak Bijalwan 

References:

----Gita Press. Ishadi Nau Upanishad. Gita Press, Gorakhpur.

----Osho. The Guest: Talks on Kabir. Jaico Publishing House.

----Prashant, Acharya. The Beautiful Heart. 2016.

----Guru Granth Sahib