Integeral or Sacred Vision
Whoever is fully awake and has developed his powers of discrimination will not suffer from sorrow nor be subject to fear. Only a person who has attachment to the body and attachment to objects will experience fear and suffering. Therefore, Krishna told Arjuna to develop an integral vision.
The term used for integral vision is sudarshana, which means good vision. Today’s man has three kinds of vision. The first is body-oriented vision. This is a superficial vision; the nature of such people is to see only the external appearance of others such as the dress and the ornaments that are being worn, the facial features, the body size and characteristics, the peculiarities of speech, etc. This type of vision is totally oriented toward the phenomenal world.
The second kind of vision is mental vision. Rather than focus on the external characteristics, those who have mental vision perceive the behavior of others, as reflected in their conduct and expressions. Therefore, those with mental vision try to ascertain the feelings emanating from another’s heart and the thoughts going through their mind as these manifest in what they say and do. In other words, the mentally-oriented person focuses on outward actions that reflect the inner being. The attitude of one with such a vision is that people will always speak and act as they feel and think.
The third kind of vision is atmic vision. Those who have atmic vision do not restrict their perception only to others’ external features or their inner feelings as revealed by their behavior and expressions, but the third type of people have developed an integral vision. They see the inner unity, the divine consciousness that pervades everyone despite differences in body and behavior. They realize that feelings, thoughts, and behavioral characteristics all undergo change and transformation. Therefore, those with atmic vision do not develop any interest or any special like or dislike for people’s bodily makeup or way of expression. Their vision is wholly oriented toward the indwelling divinity. This is sacred vision.
People with such an integral and wholesome vision are in the hands of God, they truly become God themselves. The Upanishads [scriptures] say that one who knows Brahman [Supreme Reality] becomes Brahman. So that a person who gains such a sacred vision takes on the nature of divinity. As one perceives, so he becomes. To become a stithaprajna, a person of the highest wisdom, one must develop this integral vision or sudarshana, and steadily abide in the inner unity that is within all the outer diversity. Therefore, Krishna’s command to Arjuna was to always turn his vision toward atma and to maintain this integral vision under all circumstances.
Digest 2, Pp. 166-167
