When it comes to nurturing our awareness of silence, we must remember that our souls are perpetually grounded in a state of pure consciousness. In yogic terms, this pure consciousness is referred to as “chit,” which means blissful silence, awareness, and luminosity. Yogananda called this soulful consciousness “super-consciousness.” Of course we want to experience super-consciousness, but the problem is not with our souls; it is our minds, restless and full of desires and fears, that hinder us. All of this restlessness is called “chitta” in yogic terms (not to be confused with “chit”). To the degree that we are identified with the mind’s reactive fluctuations, with chitta, the soul’s blissful silence remains a distant dream.
Our job is to move our awareness away from chitta and in the direction of chit. Often, however, this shift can be difficult, especially in the beginning of our spiritual journey. We need the help of the guru, who is a gravitational force field of divine energy that draws us into the soul’s silence. Whether in meditation or while engaged in activity, turn to the guru for help in overcoming the disturbing fluctuations of the mind. Yogananda tells us, “Visualize the guru in the spiritual eye and the Lord’s power will flow through the channel of the guru.” In this way, we grow established in the silence, peace, and stillness of our souls, in super-consciousness.
Beloved Guruji
I will look for you
through my third eye
So that you can pull me
From the rip-tide of chitta.
