श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च | अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते || ९ ||
śrotraṁ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṁ ca rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva ca adhiṣṭhāya manaś cāyaṁ viṣayān upasevate
śrotram—ears; cakṣuḥ—eyes; sparśanam—touch; ca—also; rasanam—tongue; ghrāṇam—nose; eva—also; ca—and; adhiṣṭhāya—presiding over; manaḥ—mind; ca—also; ayam—this one (the soul); viṣayān—sense objects; upasevate—enjoys.
“Presiding over the ears, eyes, touch, taste, and smell—as well as the mind—the soul enjoys the objects of the senses.”
The soul does not directly experience the world; it presides over the sense organs and mind which act as its instruments. The soul is the witness-consciousness that illuminates the experiences gathered by these instruments. Understanding this distinction between the witness-self and the experiencing instruments is the beginning of self-knowledge, and it dissolves the identification that causes suffering.
Practice the distinction between the one who is aware and the experiences that arise. When you see something, notice that there is seeing happening, and that there is also an awareness that is aware of the seeing. This witness-awareness is the jivatman. This simple shift from 'I am experiencing' to 'experiencing is happening within awareness' gradually loosens the grip of sensory compulsion.