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Its le wing is sathyam \[truth\]. The main body of the bird is Mahat Tatwa \[the great principle “That Thou Art," meaning you are God\]. Its tail is called yoga \[control of the mind and senses, which brings balance between the two wings\]. The buddhi, in its complete form, is thus composed of five constituents and is extraordinarily powerful. (SSB)
In the course of practicing dharma, each one of the above mentioned aspects of our conscience is challenged and purified. Faith, truth, sense control, self-control, and unity of thought, word, and deed are refined. Our awareness that I and the other are one is deepened. Psychological and spiritual growth relies on the development of our conscience, and when we stop trusting our conscience we become lost.
The body is a water bubble, the mind a mad monkey. Do not follow the impermanent body or mind; Follow the conscience. That is divinity. (SSB)
Accepting Responsibility
An essential step in life is to accept responsibility for developing and perfecting our discriminating conscience. Many would like to depend on others for discrimination, but we cannot shirk this responsibility; no one can do it for us. It might be frightening to take responsibility for our life, but we must learn to develop an inner divine voice (conscience) that gives direction.
The Inner Voice
Developing confidence in following our conscience, called by some our “inner voice,” is an essential spiritual process that is oen misunderstood. I once treated a devotee who thought that the inner voice was actually distinct from her own
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