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Whatever the programmer feeds in the computer, there is a corresponding output. The robot in a computer function like the brain in human body, but with a marked difference of emotions. The five sense organs in a human body are like windows in the human structure through which the stimuli from the external world of objects reaches us. Whatever the eyes see, the ears hear, the nose smells, the tongue tastes and the skin touches - that is conveyed to the brain as it is. These senses, in themselves, do not play any decision-making role. After analysis, the brain and mind react to these stimuli and respond to them in the form of actions, which are executed by the five organs of action in the physical body. This continuous process of input and the corresponding output from the human system constitute the ‘Traffic of Life’. Of all the sense organs, the eyes play the pivotal role in the entire life -system.

When we see someone offering a cup of tea disrespectfully to us, our emotions and intellectual personality protest against it, even if our physical personality may want it. Again, a cigarette fills some with joy and satisfaction while it drives others mad with annoyance. Here the cigarette is the same, the vision is the same, but emotions are different.

Further, let’s take an instance when there is a light pole in the street. Beneath it passes a marriage party and also a funeral procession. Both of them do not make any difference to the light pole because there are no emotions working behind it. Here, the light pole can be compared to an individual whose heart is still beating but the brain is dead, unable to visualize happenings around him. Such a person, like a statue, is unaffected by either a garland offered round his neck or a crow sitting on his shoulder.

All this narration from our daily life experiences leads us to ponder as to what exactly equable vision stands for? Analytically speaking, ‘vision’ is an abstract noun and ‘equable’ is an adjective. It, therefore, essentially means the involvement of eyes outside and intellectual emotions within as in the case of photography where you close one eye and look at the world from the window of the camera with the other eye. One eye is coolly looking at the reality outside and at the same time stays in touch with the closed eye, which is looking inward rejoicing the warmth of emotions at heart. Finally, we can define equable vision as a combination of a cool eye and a warm heart.

To explain lucidly this definition of equable vision, it is worth quoting the example of a joint Hindu family comprising a father, two sons, two grandsons and other females totaling around ten members. There was a complete cohesiveness in the family. The atmosphere in the house was calm and soothing. Every member loved and longed to see the others. Whenever the father or any son went outside, they would bring the same or similar things for their children and nephews without any sort of discrimination. They were all emotionally attached and presented a unique example of everyone living for everyone else. This family conspicuously marked the real standard of life born out of their emotional oneness. They saw eye to eye with each other with full warmth at the heart.

Once, a male member of this enviable family went outstation for some weeks. Under various influences, he became self-centered. On his returning home, he was carrying two toys i0n his hands. When he entered the courtyard, his son and nephew ran to approach him for the toys. Watching the position of the approaching children, he immediately crossed his arms so that the better toy goes to his son and the inferior one to his nephew. This scene, of him visibly differentiating his son from a nephew, upset the emotions of his brother standing nearby and caused a rift in the family. Devoid of warmth, every one ran amok in the vain hope of raising the standard of their living. Instead of talking to each other, they started talking at each other.

The case study of this family brings out that the eyes representing vision had been the same with all the members, but the shift in their feelings from homogeneous to heterogeneous played the part of turning their equable vision to an eyesore. The continuous transaction of sense organs and the corresponding responses echoing out of the human system constitute the “Traffic of Life”. With our naked vision, we may distinguish one thing from the others but equable vision cannot book any discrimination.

To reach the goal of a perfectly happy and successful living, man needs a spiritually enlightened heart that plays the part of a friendly policeman who guides us through the traffic of life. Like the natural laws where the sun is never dark and the moon is never hot, the spiritually enlightened person is never indifferent to anyone in the Universe.

Bhai Kanahiya Ji is a legendary example of equable vision who served water and applied ointment to the wounded friends and foes alike in the battlefield. The contemporary example of equable vision is that of Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Maharaj, former head of Sant Nirankari Mission who, during a procession at Ropar (Punjab) in the mid-seventies, was shown black flags. He remained quite cool and responded, “All colours are equally pleasing to me.”

It is a veritable proof of the age-old truth that the one in whose heart dwells God, he looks at every body with equable vision. For an enlightened person, gold and dust are just one and the same and he sees both the rich and poor alike. Taking everyone as the image of God, he loves one and all. He beholds God in every object, whether it is beautiful or ugly one. The equable vision is thus the bye-product of spiritually warm heart and carries with it the objective message of universal brotherhood:

Ik Noon Jaan Ke Ghat Ghat Andar

Sabhna De Naal Piar Karan

Ik Noon Jaan Ke Ghat Ghat Andar

Sabhnan Da Satkar Karan.

(Avtar Bani-228)

(Perceiving the One in every one,

The enlightened heart loves everyone.

Realizing that God dwells in every one,

So, the enlightened respects everyone.)

Man’s relationship with God is directly linked with the dealing and doings with his fellow beings. Cultivating this divine relationship has actually been the subject matter of religion, which stands for reunion of human soul with God and eventual oneness with the entire human family. But, somehow, the religion which was meant to be the binding force has lost its gravity and has in itself started working as a dividing force - disturbing social harmony and world peace.

Visualizing the grotesque picture of the world, the renowned Urdu poet Dr. Iqbal lamented:

Aankh Jo Kuchh Dekhti Hai,

Lab Pey Aa Sakta Nahin,

Mehv-e-hairat Hoon Ki Duniyan,

Kiya Se Kiya Ho Jayegi.

(What the eyes see cannot be brought on lips. I wonder, what is going to become of this world.)

Through this heartfelt expression, Dr. Iqbal wanted some prophet to come and redeem the situation. The breakthrough occurs when there is a breakdown. To vouchsafe equable vision for every human being in the world, there is a need to transform religion into spirituality. Today, Her Holiness Satguru Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj head of the Sant Nirankari Mission is fostering the understanding of spirituality through a living revelation of God, thus paving the way to universal peace, unity and fraternity all over the world. Satguru Mata Ji says that distance between all physical places on the globe can be covered by one or the other mode of conveyance. But the distance among the hearts of persons can be abridged by a singular method of revelation of Fatherhood of God. Satguru Mata Ji says that the religion like the white light of heaven stands broken into many-coloured fragments by the prisms of men. The Sant Nirankari Mission is changing this many-coloured radiance back into the white light of the heavenly Truth.

The Sant Nirankari Mission thus represents the mainstream of spirituality carried on by prophets and sages, down the ages, reiterating and translating into action the same religious message: “Where there is a righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character, where there is beauty in the character, there is beauty in the home, where there is beauty in the home, there is order in the nation and where there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.” With this fast-spreading message of the mission all over the world the aforesaid words of Dr. Iqbal, said in pensive mood, can be repeated in positive and promising sense:

Aankh Jo Kuchh Dekhti Hai,

Lab Pey Aa Sakta Nahin,

Mehv-e-hairat Hoon Ki Duniyan,

Kiya Se Kiya Ho Jayegi.

With the compass of righteousness fitted in their hearts, the Nirankari devotees see God in all and all in God. They look upon others with the equable vision bestowed by the True Master (Satguru) and listen them with the ears of the True Master. The following couplet marks the backbone of their saintly life:

Sabar Shanti Te Samdrishti

Sant Jana Da Gehna Eyn

Sant Jana Da Vadda Zever

Bhane Andar Rehna Eyn.

— (Avtar Bani -28)

(Saints are adorned with the ornaments of contentment, peace and equable vision. The greatest ornament of theirs is to remain always submitted to the divine will.)

The equable vision seems to be the secret of discovering new dynamism in our activities to bring about a greater happiness in the world outside. To serve the society at large, each one of us will have to put his shoulder. Thinking globally and acting locally, we will convert our own little place or corner of activity, a place of worship.