Sutra 3.14

Translation As it is there, so it is elsewhere.

Meaning This sutra reveals the non-dual nature of reality by collapsing the perceived distance between the state of deep meditative absorption and the flux of ordinary experience. The word "there" refers to the inner space of consciousness realized during intense contemplation, where the mind is still and the Self shines forth without obstruction. The word "elsewhere" points to the external world of sensory objects, relationships, and daily activities. The teaching asserts that the essential nature of consciousness found in the depths of silence is identical to the essence permeating the noise of the marketplace; there is no second substance or separate realm.

In the Trika tradition, this indicates that the divide between the sacred and the profane is merely a fabrication of the limited mind. When one realizes that the same divine vibration (spanda) animates both the stillness of the heart and the movement of the world, the need to escape reality vanishes. The practitioner understands that the world is not an obstacle to enlightenment but its very expression. To see the divine only in meditation is to remain bound; to see that "as it is in meditation, so it is in the world" is to abide in the continuous flow of grace.

Contemplation Carry this reflection into your next routine activity, such as washing dishes, walking, or listening to a conversation. Instead of trying to quiet the mind to find peace, pause and ask yourself: Is the awareness hearing these sounds or feeling these movements different from the awareness I seek in silence? Recognize that the consciousness witnessing this mundane moment is the exact same consciousness present in the deepest state of union. Rest in the recognition that there is no place where Shiva is absent, and let your action proceed from this undivided presence.