The Infinite Self and the Reflected Self: Reconciling the Mystery of Consciousness
“The Self is never within the body, nor outside it. It is the limitless ground in which body, mind, and world appear and disappear. To awaken is to stop chasing reflections and turn toward the sun itself.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The Eternal Question
One of the oldest and most profound questions in human inquiry is this: Is the self within the body the same as the infinite, all-pervading Self? At first glance, the answer appears contradictory. On the one hand, the Ātman is declared in the Upaniṣads and the Bhagavad Gītā to be infinite, all-pervading, and beyond limitation. On the other hand, what we seem to experience directly is a localized consciousness, bound to the body, subject to birth and death, pleasure and pain, ignorance and knowledge.
How do we reconcile this apparent paradox? The great teachers of Advaita Vedānta, especially Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, offer a profound resolution. In Ātma-bodha (verse 17), Śaṅkara clarifies that the infinite Self is not confined to the body, but appears as though localized because it is reflected in a suitable medium: the mind. This is the starting point for a journey that spans across Vedāntic texts like Pañcadaśī and Vivekachūḍāmaṇi, and finds harmony in the timeless words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad Gītā.
“The Self is like the sun, ever-present, ever-shining. But unless there is a mirror, we do not see its radiance. The body is not the mirror, but the mind is.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Śaṅkara’s Atma-bodha 17: The Mirror Analogy
The verse reads:
सदा सर्वगतोऽप्यात्मा न सर्वत्रावभासते ।
बुद्धावेवावभासेत स्वच्छेषु प्रतिबिम्बवत् ॥ १७॥
Translation:
“Even though the Ātman is eternally all-pervading, it does not appear everywhere. It shines only in the intellect, just as a reflection appears only in a clean mirror.”
Here, Śaṅkara resolves the paradox. The Self is infinite and all-pervading (sadā sarvagataḥ), yet it does not appear everywhere (na sarvatrāvabhāsate). Why? Because it requires a reflecting medium. The mind (buddhi), owing to its inherent clarity (sattva), serves as that mirror.
Just as sunlight fills the entire space, but we perceive it directly only when it strikes a reflective surface like a mirror or water, so too Consciousness pervades everything, but shines forth as awareness only in the mind.
The Moonlight Analogy: A Reflection of Light
Consider the moon at night. The moon itself does not produce light; what we call “moonlight” is reflected sunlight. Sunlight is present all around the moon as well, but because there are no reflective surfaces in space, we do not see it. It is only when sunlight falls upon the moon and reflects that we experience “moonlight.”
Similarly, Consciousness is all-pervading, but it manifests only in the presence of the mind. The mind, by virtue of its clarity and subtlety, reflects Consciousness and becomes the locus of individual experience. Without this reflecting medium, the infinite Consciousness remains unseen, though ever-present.
Pañcadaśī: The Doctrine of Reflected Consciousness (Chidābhāsa-vāda)
Swami Vidyāraṇya in Pañcadaśī elaborates further on this reflection theory. He distinguishes between:
Chit (Pure Consciousness): Infinite, self-effulgent, beyond all limitations.
Chidābhāsa (Reflected Consciousness): The appearance of Consciousness in the mind, comparable to the reflection of the sun in water.
Jīva (Individual Self): The mistaken identification of oneself with this reflection rather than the original source.
The analogy of water and sun is especially powerful:
The sun is one, but countless ponds and rivers reflect it.
Each reflection seems like a separate sun, rising and setting, flickering or steady, depending on the condition of the water.
A muddy pond distorts the reflection; a clear pond reveals it brightly.
Yet the real sun is one, unaffected, untouched, and independent of all reflections.
Similarly, the one infinite Self (Ātman) is reflected in countless minds, giving rise to the experience of individual selves (jīvas). The distortions of the mind, ignorance, ego, restlessness, determine the clarity of this reflection. But the true Self remains ever free, never bound by the reflections.
“We suffer when we mistake the reflection for the real. Liberation is seeing the sun directly, not chasing its reflections.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Vivekachūḍāmaṇi: The Crystal Analogy
Śaṅkara in Vivekachūḍāmaṇi (verses 128 - 132) gives another subtle analogy. A clear crystal is colorless, but when placed next to a red hibiscus flower, it appears red. The crystal has not changed, but in proximity to the flower, it seems colored.
Similarly, the inert mind, when illumined by the Self, appears sentient. Consciousness itself does not change or become confined; it simply shines through the mind, giving rise to the sense of individuality.
This illustrates why the Self appears “within” the body. It is not because the Self is trapped, but because the body-mind complex becomes the reflecting surface, much like a crystal glowing with borrowed color.
Reconciling the Paradox
From these Vedāntic insights, the reconciliation becomes clear:
Absolute standpoint (Pāramārthika): The Self is infinite, all-pervading, unconditioned, and never bound.
Empirical standpoint (Vyāvahārika): The Self appears individualized because it is reflected in the mind.
Thus, the Self is one and universal, but its reflections give rise to the illusion of many selves. Liberation (mokṣa) lies in shifting identification from the reflected self (jīva) to the original Self (Ātman).
Bhagavad Gītā: Krishna’s Confirmation
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the supreme teacher, affirms this truth repeatedly in the Bhagavad Gītā.
Gītā 2.17
“That which pervades all this (Consciousness) is indestructible. None can destroy the imperishable.”
Here, Kṛṣṇa affirms the all-pervading nature of the Self, identical to Ātma-bodha 17.
Gītā 10.20
“I am the Self, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all beings.”
The infinite Self manifests as the “inner Self” in the heart, precisely because the heart-mind serves as the reflecting medium.
Gītā 13.31 - 32
“Though dwelling in the body, the supreme Self is beginning less, attributeless, and imperishable. Just as space pervades everything without being tainted, so too the Self is never tainted by the body.”
This is a direct parallel: though the Self appears “within” the body, it is never confined or altered by it.
Gītā 15.8
“When the embodied being departs, it carries the mind and senses, just as the wind carries fragrance from a flower.”
This verse distinguishes between the reflected self (jīva) that moves with the mind, and the original Self (Ātman), which never moves.
“The Self does not travel from body to body. Only the reflection, tied to the mind, seems to journey. The sun never rises or sets; only reflections do.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The Space Analogy: The Untainted Witness
Śaṅkara often used the analogy of space (ākāśa). Space pervades everything, pots, houses, temples, yet is never touched by them. When a pot is broken, the “pot-space” is not destroyed; it merges into space, which was always one.
Likewise, Consciousness pervades all bodies. What we call “my consciousness” is simply “pot-space,” an apparent localization of the infinite. When the body perishes, nothing happens to the infinite Self. Only the reflecting medium dissolves.
Practical Implications for Spiritual Seekers
This teaching is not merely philosophical; it has immense practical significance.
Freedom from Limitation: By recognizing that the Self is not confined to the body, one overcomes the fear of death and limitation.
Detachment: The joys and sorrows of the body-mind belong to the reflection, not the original. The true Self is untouched.
Equality: Just as one sun reflects in many waters, the one Self shines in all beings. This recognition gives rise to compassion and non-violence.
Meditative Practice: The seeker turns the mind inward to purify it, making it a clearer mirror so that the reflection of the Self shines unobstructed.
“Meditation does not create the Self. It only polishes the mirror of the mind, so that the ever-present sun of Consciousness may shine forth.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The Path to Liberation
The culmination of this understanding is liberation (mokṣa). Liberation is not the attainment of a new Self, but the recognition of what has always been true:
I am not the reflection (Chidābhāsa), the flickering light bound to body and mind.
I am the original Consciousness (chit), infinite, timeless, beyond birth and death.
When this knowledge becomes firm, the illusion of bondage collapses. The individual recognizes, “I was never the limited self. I am the infinite Self.”
The Sun and Its Reflections
To return to the central imagery: The Self is the one sun, ever-luminous, never bound. The minds of beings are mirrors and waters, reflecting that one sun in countless forms. The reflections may appear bright or dim, steady or disturbed, but the real sun is always the same.
The self within the body is not a separate self. It is simply the infinite Self shining through the lens of the mind. Once this is known, the seeker is free.
“The Infinite Self is like the ocean, and the individual self is like a wave. The wave rises and falls, but the ocean remains. Realize yourself as the ocean, and you transcend all fear.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Thu Sep 11, 2025
Launch your Graphy