Existence Consciousness and Bliss
A couple of weeks ago I published A blog about my paranormal experience at the hotel that my book, The Hotel, was based upon. Toward the end of the blog, I made this assessment:
I was very simply moved by this experience. It’s not my new religion, but it also doesn’t make me want to return to my old one. It was very simply just an enlightening experience that I would gladly do again.
Just like I’m not an expert on the paranormal, I am also not an expert in Yogi thought, but it’s very interesting to me. One of the critical elements of this is the phrase, Sat Chit Ananda. Sometimes the words are combined and sometimes they are separate. The first time I heard them was from Deepak Chopra in a meditation, and I have been curious about them ever since.
I am not an expert on any of this, but I am extremely curious, and this is a record of my exploration up to this point. For most of my life, my exploration of spiritual things and how the world works has been mostly focused on the little I know about science and my fascination with an ancient book called the Bible. I have not only studied this ancient book, but I have also studied the theologians who came before me, so I know all the theories and various arguments. I gained some obvious wisdom, but it now seems like a waste of time to have discussions and arguments about Christianity. Sorry, not sorry, theologians.
One of the big questions we always have is what is reality, or maybe what is truth? We know that the mind constantly evaluates these things, and we also know that what we determine in our mind sometimes changes our reality. I have also discovered that the body plays a bigger role than I ever would have imagined. Understanding this and paying attention to my body instead of ignoring it like Christianity told me to do, I could find true healing by being present with the parts of me that are wounded. This was revolutionary for me.
But what about the more profound things that don’t fit into the body or the mind? Most of us believe that something about us is eternal, and many worldviews would agree that we could call that spirit. It is the more foundational part of all of us the yogis describe as Sat Chit Ananda, or Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss. They are separate ideas, but they also go together from what I understand. As I often stress, I hope this blog encourages us to look a little deeper at this idea.
SAT
The best translation of the Sanskrit word Sat is most likely “existence” or “truth.” When I first learned about this word, it reminded me of when God and Jesus both said, “I am,” which also could be translated as “I exist.” As you may know, I wrote a book called Being when I was just beginning my examination of these types of things. This is not our identification with our social status or our body or emotions—it simply is what is true and eternal about us beneath what we think or imagine because of our conditioning.
In some ways, this reality is also connected with the eternal existence of everything.
CHIT
The best translation of the Sanskrit word Chit is probably “consciousness” or “awareness.” Carl Jung talked a lot about consciousness, unconsciousness, and collective unconscious. Some would say that the unconscious is just another consciousness. But life seems to have a desire to know itself, and when we can experience this awareness and get past all our assumptions and conditioning, the purer our state of being can be expressed.
How is it expressed? I’m glad you asked.
ANANDA
Pure bliss is not because of events that happened to us or anything specific. It is not something we can demand or manufacture, but it is probably profoundly connected to the former two topics, existence, and consciousness. More of a natural component of and not a result of what we think or do or pray for. If you will, it is transcendental happiness and not at all related to the happiness that we generally try to produce through control. It does not answer the question “What do you want to do?” It is a component of the whole, not a result of some transaction.
I hope that this discussion has not left you more confused, because sometimes I feel that way after learning something new. I would encourage you to investigate it further, without fear that you’re breaking some kind of arbitrary rule. I gave Christianity and organized religion for 55 years of my life. So now, it’s time to explore some new areas and I believe that can only help me be a better human.
Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss – Happy Exploring!
Be where you are, Be who you are, Be at peace!
Karl Forehand
What Happens When We Go on a Journey of Discovery
Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward, Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity. He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community. He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston. His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here
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