जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः | शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः || ७ ||
jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
jita-ātmanaḥ—of one who has conquered his mind; praśāntasya—who has attained tranquility; paramātmā—the Supersoul; samāhitaḥ—approached completely; śīta—cold; uṣṇa—heat; sukha—in happiness; duḥkheṣu—and distress; tathā—also; māna—in honor; apamānayoḥ—and dishonor.
“For one who has conquered the mind and has attained peace, the Supreme Self (Paramatman) is realised in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, in honour and dishonour.”
The Paramatman — the Supreme Self — is always present in all circumstances. But it can only be 'known' (samahita — gathered into) by the person who has stilled the mind's reactivity. Cold and heat, pleasure and pain, honour and dishonour represent the full spectrum of life's dualities. When the mind no longer lunges toward or flees from these dualities, the Paramatman shines through every experience without obstruction.
Make the pairs of opposites your spiritual training ground. The next time you are uncomfortable — whether from cold, criticism, or disappointment — instead of reacting immediately, pause and look for the awareness that is experiencing it. That awareness is unchanged by what it witnesses.