Introduction:
“Uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet |
Ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ ||”
(Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga, Verse 5)
“Let one elevate oneself by oneself. Let one not degrade oneself. For oneself alone is one’s friend, and oneself alone is one’s enemy.” This is the profound message imparted to us by the Gita.
At first glance, the verse may appear to refer merely to self-effort. However, for a spiritual seeker journeying along the spiritual path, this verse unfolds to reveal the profound secret of the Grace of the Guru.
The Search and the Advent of the Guru:
Only when a person sincerely strives to elevate oneself does the need arise within to seek a ‘Guru’ who can guide and uplift them. When this search develops into an intense longing (Mumukshutva), the Guru appears simultaneously within and without to fulfil that longing and elevate the seeker.
Duality Disappears, and One Abides as the Self:
When the seeker rises to a higher state with the support of the Guru, a remarkable transformation takes place. The feeling of duality—“I, who am being elevated, am different from the Guru who uplifts me”—gradually fades through the Guru’s grace. Ultimately, in the state of oneness known as the formless ‘Self’ (Pure Consciousness), this duality completely disappears.
It is in this state that one fully realises that one has “elevated oneself by oneself.” For there, the limited ‘I’ has dissolved, and the Guru-consciousness and the seeker remain inseparably united. As a result, the idea of lowering or degrading oneself no longer holds any significance.
Who Is the True Friend and the Enemy?
The unchanging Guru-consciousness (Awareness), which remains inseparably united with us within, is always present as our true friend. When we recognise this truth and remain established in that very Awareness, we become our own best friend.
Conversely, when a person fails to recognise this inner Guru-consciousness and becomes entangled in the illusions of the external world and in feelings of inferiority, that ignorance transforms into an enemy. As a result, one becomes one’s own enemy.
Conclusion:
To begin with self-effort, dissolve in the Grace of the Guru, and become firmly established in the true nature of the Self—this is the real path to elevating ourselves by ourselves.
Let us firmly grasp the sacred feet of the Guru within and become our own true friends!
Sri Gurubhyo Namaha 🙏
