Remembering Who You Really Are

Sutra 26 from The Radiance Sutras: An Exploration Of The Heart’s Sanctuary

written by

Anthony V. Lombardo


Sutra 26 - Radiance Sutras

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    We still find ourselves empty.

    In this era of content creators, digital nomads, and online influencers, where the internet and technology have opened doors for everyone to explore their passions, we still find ourselves adrift, grasping at straws for the profound. We’re bloated with information and frameworks, yet starved for meaning and purpose. We can take Zoom calls in our bedrooms and join communities with people from across the globe, yet we still yearn for connection.

    More than ever, we need to remember who we are.

    Sutra 26 from “The Radiance Sutras” offers us such an invitation. These mystical sutras are a collection of ancient Indian teachings full of timeless wisdom and serve as a guiding light through the complexities of our contemporary world.

    “There is a place in the heart where everything meets. Go there if you want to find me. Mind, senses, soul, eternity, all are there. Are you there? Enter the bowl of vastness that is the heart. Give yourself to it with total abandon, listen to the song that is always resonating there. Quiet ecstasy is there — and a steady, regal sense of resting in a perfect spot. Once you know the way the nature of attention will call you to return, again and again, and be saturated with knowing, “I belong here, I am at home here.”

    Let’s unravel these words of wonder line by line, applying them to our modern-day virtual world.

    “There is a place in the heart where everything meets.”

    Amid the digital noise, in a landscape where choices seem boundless, there’s a place deep within you — the heart — where the various facets of your existence converge. Your thoughts, your senses, your deepest aspirations, and your very essence. The notion of eternity itself all gathers in this place. It’s akin to a grand intersection of the self, where the chaos of life’s crossroads settles into a harmonious symphony.

    It’s here, only in this space that you can begin to fathom the unity within your own complexity.

    “Go there if you want to find me.”

    In the endless pursuit of standing out and seeking recognition, we often lose ourselves, becoming mere avatars of who we think we should be. In this context, we are invited to embark on a journey, not to escape our present circumstances but to delve into the inner landscape of our hearts. The phrase “to find myself” implies discovering one’s true self, the essence beyond the roles played in the external world.

    This is your quest, a pilgrimage within yourself, where your heart becomes the map leading you home to your most authentic self. This quest is the ultimate treasure hunt, where the prize is touching your alchemical gold — a profound understanding of who you are at your core.

    “Mind, senses, soul, eternity, all are there. Are you there?”

    This line beckons us to pause and reflect on our day-to-day lives, evaluating the quality of our awareness. It reminds us that even amid the digital clamor and virtual experiences bombarding our senses, the same tried and true questions remain:

    Are we truly present, or are we passive spectators in this digital circus?

    • Are we intentional with our actions, mindful of our thoughts, and wise to our feelings?
    • Are we really living — or have we been swept away by the external world’s distractions and demands, or worse, stuck on autopilot?
    • Are we bearing witness to our very experience itself?

    Here we are called to recognize that the all-encompassing nature of our heart’s sanctuary is always within reach, waiting for us to acknowledge its existence.

    “Enter the bowl of vastness that is the heart.”

    The imagery here is striking — portraying the heart as a boundless, expansive bowl with the capacity to hold a myriad of emotions, thoughts, and experiences. It’s like a vessel that holds space for all that we are, all that we’ve felt, and all that we aspire to be simultaneously. You can hold logic and paradox, illusion and truth, joy and pain.

    The heart is infinite.

    In a world of information overload and where choices often overwhelm, by entering this metaphorical bowl of vastness, we tap into wisdom, embarking on an exploration of our very own consciousness. It’s a call to embrace our complexity and depth, to navigate the intricate aspects of who really are, and to fully immerse ourselves in the richness beyond what we can see with our eyes.

    ”Give yourself to it with total abandon, listen to the song that is always resonating there.”

    This line carries a sense of surrender and devotion.

    It encourages us to relinquish control, allowing ourselves to be consumed by the heart’s inner song, and tune out the noise from the outside world. To give oneself “with total abandon” is an invitation to let go of inhibitions and reservations, and have the courage to look inside and not turn away. It is a call to put aside our preconceived notions, expectations, and judgments, and simply be present in the moment.

    “Listen to the song that is always resonating there” suggests deep within this heart-bowl, there’s an eternal melody that is uniquely yours. This song represents your innermost desires, your passions, and your purpose in life. It plays continuously, like a timeless symphony. By listening attentively, you attune yourself to your true calling, embracing the rhythms of your soul.

    In a world where we become conditioned to chase validation through likes and follows, this line challenges us to find validation within ourselves, in the eternal melody of our own passions and authenticity.

    “Quiet ecstasy is there — and a steady, regal sense of resting in a perfect spot.”

    Within the heart’s sanctuary lies a state of “quiet ecstasy” which implies a state of bliss that is not flashy or loud but deeply peaceful and fulfilling. It pales in comparison to the rush of dopamine from the attention on social media or the satisfaction experienced from external achievements.

    Instead, it’s a serene contentment and composure that arises from knowing that where you are is exactly where you are meant to be, and that right here, right now is always the right place. It’s like sitting in your favorite chair by a warm fireplace after a long, cold tumultuous day and you are filled with a profound sense of comfort that you have arrived where you truly belong.

    So, this line reminds us of the age-old wisdom, that while our endeavors in the outer world may offer fleeting happiness, true joy lies in savoring life’s simple pleasures — moments of quiet awareness. It’s why we are easily enamored by the beauty of a sunset, or feel at home in nature.

    “Once you know the way, the nature of attention will call you to return, again and again, and be saturated with knowing, ‘I belong here, I am at home here.’”

    Having discovered our inner beingness, this concluding line reminds us there is no going back, as it becomes a guiding star within our consciousness.

    “Once you know the way,” tells us that once we become more acquainted with the truth of who we really are, we will naturally be drawn to return to this inner sanctuary repeatedly. It becomes a place of refuge, a touchstone for grounding ourselves amid life’s challenges and uncertainties.

    It’s like returning to a safe haven whenever life’s storms rage.

    The phrase “saturated with knowing” implies that through this journey, we become fully immersed in the understanding that peace and freedom reside within ourselves, that our true home is not the virtual reality we cling to online each day or even a physical place, but a state of self-acceptance found in our own awareness. It’s the realization that the search for meaning and purpose begins and ends within the depths of our own hearts.

    This now becomes the ultimate knowing — that you belong here, in the embrace of your very own heart space. It’s a homecoming within yourself that cannot be put into words, instead only felt as an unshakable understanding that your true self resides where it’s always been — within the boundless nature of existence itself.

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