What if God was not outside, but within you all along?
This is the truth that Chivality reveals. God has never been far away. He is right here, inside us.
Yet, most of us spend our whole lives searching for Him outside – in temples, in idols, in photographs, in books, in rituals. We look everywhere except the one place where He actually lives – within ourselves. But why don't we feel His presence there? Why does He seem so far away when He is actually so close? The answer lies in understanding the two types of space that exist within us.
Every human being has two types of space inside them – pure space and impure space. The pure space is God, the Pure Spirit. This space has no limits and is always still. The impure space is what we refer to as the mind. It is limited, full of conditions, and always restless with thoughts.
What is God as Pure Space?
Space is not just emptiness. It is living consciousness, eternal awareness, and ultimate stillness. It is the foundation of all beings and all movements. Every form, every energy, and every vibration arises from this vast, formless space. It is completely free from all impurity, desire, and duality.
When a human being looks deeply within, a speck of this same Space is found beyond his intellect and mind. It is ever-present, but hidden behind the veil of thoughts, emotions,and personal identifications. Just as clouds hide the clear sky, the pure consciousness of God is hidden by the restless activities of the mind.
The Impure Space - The Human Mind
The mind is the impure space within us. It is the space that has been conditioned by impressions, desires, fears, and attachments. Though it too is a form of space, it is diminished and distorted by thoughts and emotions. Because of this impurity, a person perceives duality, limitation, and suffering.
The mind, filled with impurities, keeps dividing everything into good and bad, self and other, success and failure. It cannot remain in peace because it is built upon movement and reaction. The more a person identifies with this impure space, the further they move away from the natural stillness of the Pure Spirit.
God as Pure Positivity
The Pure Spirit (God/Chivam) is fully positive. In this state, there is no negativity, no duality, and no division; only pure bliss remains. All positive qualities, such as love, compassion, peace, patience, and humility, arise from this source.
The mind cannot create true positivity; it can only imitate it for a short time. When the impure mind is removed, positivity flows naturally, like fragrance from a flower. It is not emotional but existential, a natural expression of one’s inner divinity.
Dissolving the Impure Mind – Realising God Within
To realise God is to realise the Pure Space within oneself. This realisation comes through Chivality practice — through Silentation and the remembrance of the Master — as it works to dissolve the impure space, the mind, so that the Pure Space (God)can shine forth naturally. When the mind becomes silent, thoughts lose their power, and desires and fears gradually lose their meaning, leaving pure stillness and positivity.
The Master’s energy works silently within, guiding the seeker beyond the mind and into absolute stillness. This is not the creation of something new, but the revelation of what has always been there. Imagine a pond covered with mud and dead leaves. The clean water is already beneath, but you cannot see it. Once the dirt is removed, the pure water appears. Similarly, the dissolution of the mind reveals the state of Pure Spirit, or Chivam — the condition of Nothingness and ultimate bliss.
When the seeker reaches this state, he becomes free from all limitations. He is no longer a separate being searching for God. He becomes God himself — the Pure Spirit, the speck of the infinite Space that was always within, waiting to be discovered.
Beyond the Gunas: A Journey to Becoming Chivam
Every human being possesses three qualities: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas Guna. These qualities shape our daily life and spiritual journey.
Sattva Guna relates to the brain and brings clarity, focus, and the capacity to learn and absorb knowledge. Through Sattva, we gain understanding and develop wisdom.
Rajas Guna relates to the mind and is reflected in our activity, energy, and engagement with the world. It enables us to work, create, and bring our intentions into reality.
Tamas Guna is often mistaken for inactivity or laziness, but it holds deep spiritual significance. It is related to the soul and represents calmness, rest, and silence, where the body and mind are rejuvenated.
How Gunas Shape the Journey of Life?
According to Hindu philosophy, the ideal human life spans 120 years, divided into two equal and complementary halves, with the three Gunas guiding our growth through each stage.
The first half of life, the first 60 years, is dedicated to material achievement and worldly engagement. During childhood and student years, Sattva Guna helps with learning and intellectual development as we gain education and skills. As we move into professional life, Rajas guna becomes more active, empowering us to implement knowledge, establish careers and financial security, accumulate wealth, build stability, form relationships, and fulfill social obligations.
The latter half of life represents a fundamental shift in focus—from outer to inner, from acquisition to renunciation, from doing to non-doing. Particularly after retirement, Tamas Guna grows in importance during this phase, offering the rest and inner quietude necessary for deeper reflection. It is Tamas guna that enables us to withdraw from compulsive activity, settle into stillness, create a relaxed mind, and cultivate the peace required for spiritual realization. This ideal progression, however, depends on one critical factor: balance.
What Happens When Gunas Are Imbalanced?
While the Gunas guide us through life's stages, their influence must remain balanced. Each guna, when excessive, creates a problem. Sattva guna in excess cultivates pride and ego, creating barriers to further progress. The light that should illuminate becomes blinding, and knowledge becomes a source of arrogance rather than wisdom.
Rajas Guna in excess creates restlessness and compulsive activity. The person becomes trapped in workaholism, unable to rest and unable to sit quietly. This constant activity drains both mental and physical energy, leaving the body and mind exhausted.
Tamas Guna in excess during youth or working years creates stagnation. Growth stops, and potential remains unfulfilled.
Which Guna Helps After Death?
A crucial question emerges: which of the three gunas serves us not only in this life but also beyond death? The answer reveals an important truth about spiritual preparation.
Sattva and Rajas guna certainly help us live well in this world. They bring happiness, achievement, and fulfilment while living. However, their usefulness ends at death. In the afterlife, there is no knowledge to gain, no work to accomplish, no goals to pursue.
When Sattva or Rajas Guna remains dominant at death, the soul continues to pursue its unfulfilled work. Without a physical body, it cannot study or work. This creates a tragic condition; the soul wanders restlessly, driven by unfulfilled desires, unable to satisfy them, and experiencing immense suffering.
Tamas Guna, by contrast, serves us both in life and after death. In life, it provides the rest and rejuvenation essential for health and balance. But its deeper significance lies in its spiritual dimension.
Practising to keep quiet, without doing anything, creates a state of deep calmness and silence. This quality cultivates Nemmadi.When Nemmadi is achieved deeply during life, it continues beyond the physical body. This is the peace that death cannot disturb.
This naturally evolves into Yoga Nidra, the divine sleep exemplified by Lord Ranganatha. Most significantly, Tamas Guna leads toward Nirguna—the doorway to self realization. But what exactly is this state that lies beyond all qualities?
What Is Nirguna?
Nirguna is a state without any qualities (Guna), where only bliss (Ananda) is experienced. The ultimate goal of spiritual practice is to become Chivam, the pure spirit. Chivam is described as Nirguna, Nirakara (formless), and Achanchala (unchanging). Understanding this intellectually is valuable, but the real question remains: how does one actually reach this supreme state?
Becoming Chivam
The journey requires a specific process, guided by one who has already transcended.
The Master, who exists beyond all Guṇas, guides seekers toward the same Nirguna state by allowing his Chivam energy to work within the practitioner. He serves as both guide and catalyst.
Initially, all three gunas: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, must be balanced so that none dominates destructively. Through remembrance of the Master and the practice of Silentation, all qualities (gunas) are gradually dissolved. Ultimately, the practitioner transcends all gunas entirely and becomes Chivam. A condition of absolute stillness, bliss beyond experience, and consciousness beyond subject and object. It is Nirguna, the stateless state, the goal of all seeking, the end of all journeys.
Here, the soul finally rests in its true nature, free from the cycle of birth and death, established in eternal peace, realized as the infinite awareness that was always present.
Yeh Dosti: The Friend Who Never Leaves
Have you ever imagined what it would feel like to have someone who walks with you through every season of your life? Someone whose presence remains constant through your highest victories and your deepest struggles? Not someone who necessarily tells you what to do, but whose unwavering companionship gives you the strength and courage to face anything that comes your way? A friend who celebrates when you succeed and offers comfort during setbacks simply by being there—one who never abandons you, no matter what?
We are all blessed to have such a person’s presence in our lives. He is our beloved Subramanya Shiva Balan—our dear comrade.
Beyond Master and Disciple
While he has been a Master, offering guidance and wisdom, what truly makes the relationship between us as disciples and him as Master beautiful is when we accept him not just as a guide, but as a dear person in our lives—perhaps a brother, a father, or a friend. When we embrace him as someone close to our hearts, the connection deepens and becomes stronger.
Ultimately, it is not wisdom alone that transforms us—it is his energy. And perceiving him as a dear person helps us love him unconditionally and accept him wholeheartedly. This loving acceptance is what enables us to internalise him, and in turn, draw his transformative energy more deeply.
So, how do we call a friend or brother affectionately? By their name. So too, we can call our dear comrade by his name with affection, as “Balappa” or “Balanna”.
A Presence Beyond the Physical
Though we are not always physically present with him, his energy is always with us. This is the beauty of true connection—it transcends physical boundaries. His energy flows to us wherever we are, in whatever situation we find ourselves. Knowing he is with us bringscomfort. Establishing him within us brings transformation.
The Power of Internalization
Internalization is the key to establishing him within us. Once he is completely established within us, we will experience something truly marvelous. But how do we establish him within us? The answer is beautifully simple: constant remembrance with love.
The Secret of Constant Remembrance
Here lies the secret: Don't ask him for anything. Just remember him. Feel his presence in your heart. Expecting him to help us through difficult times, or asking him to solve our problems, actually hinders his energy from working freely within us. When we attach expectations to our remembrance, we create barriers. Simply remember that he is always with us, no matter what. This constant remembrance—without demands, without requests, without conditions—allows his energy to flow through us without obstruction.
The Transformative Benefits of Remembrance
1. Mind Becomes Calm and Silent
When we remember him with love, the mind's noise begins to fade. Thoughts lose its strength because remembrance connects us to the energy of stillness itself.
2. Negativity and Suffering Diminish
His presence within acts as a purifier. Fear, anger, anxiety, and worries begin to weaken as his energy silently removes impurities from our minds, dissolving suffering at its root.
3. Connection to Higher Energy
He is the living source of divine energy. When we remember him sincerely, we become receptive to that energy. It flows into us naturally, guiding and transforming us even without conscious effort.
4. Protection and Positivity
Continuous remembrance creates a protective field around us. We begin to feel safe, strong, and positive even amid difficult circumstances. His energy silently shields us from harmful influences—his remembrance becomes our armor of light.
5. Clarity and Right Direction
When his energy works within us, confusion dissolves. Decisions become clearer, and our lives align with inner truth. His remembrance opens our intuition and awakens the voice of truth within.
6. Transformation of the Mind
Through deep remembrance, the ordinary human mind begins to change its very nature. It slowly transforms from desire, expectation, and ego into purity and nothingness—Chivam—the ultimate goal of Chivality.
7. Continuous Presence and Oneness
When remembrance becomes natural and effortless, we begin to feel he is everywhere, in everything. We are never alone—we are immersed in his energy as long as we remember him. And ultimately, when he is completely established within us, something beautiful happens: we forget to remember him because we have become one with him.
Conclusion:
The greatest gift of friendship is not advice or intervention—it's presence. And that's exactly what he offers us. Not rescue from our struggles, but companionship through them. When we stop seeking solutions and simply cherish the presence, when we stop making demands and simply rest in love, something shifts. This friend becomes the very breath within us.
So remember him. Call him Balappa or Balanna—with the same ease and warmth of calling an old friend. No rituals needed. Just pure, simple remembrance. Remember him when you wake, when you work, when you rest. Remember him not to get something, but because he is dear to you. And in that remembrance, watch how life unfolds differently. He is here. He has always been here. And he will always be here—in every stumble and every victory, in every doubt and every certainty. “Yeh dosti hum nahin todhenge,” this friendship is eternal.
