The Philosophy of “the Seer and the Seen” of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati

By Shyamananda dasa

He who sees an object is called the seer, and an object seen by the observer is called the seen. The instrument of seeing, is called sight. It is a common error to deem the sense of sight the actual seer. Whatever we can measure by any of our senses we also call a seeable object, and he who senses it is called the seer. It is best that the jiva see himself as the object of Krishna's enjoyment. Thinking himself the seer, he sees the world as the object of his enjoyment. But thinking himself the enjoyer, under the influence of the false ego, will result only in his misfortune. It is not fitting that the jiva see the world as the object of his own enjoyment. Rejecting that outlook, and instead seeing the world as the object of the Lord's enjoyment, seeing it as Krishna's world or Gokula, is the jiva's good fortune and satisfies Krishna's senses - "I am not the seer, but rather am seen by Krishna. I am not the enjoyer, but the object of enjoyment for Krishna."

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