Sutra 3.33

Translation The mentation upon pleasure and pain is external.

Meaning In the third section of the Shiva Sutras, which deals with the individual soul or the limited being (anu), this aphorism defines the very boundary of limitation. To be trapped in the cycle of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain is to be confined within the realm of duality. When consciousness identifies itself with these fluctuating sensations, it turns outward, away from its own luminous nature, and becomes fragmented. The mind that constantly calculates, evaluates, and reacts to comfort and discomfort is operating in the sphere of the external, even if those sensations arise within the body or the psyche.

True freedom, or the state of Shiva, is not found in the manipulation of circumstances to ensure only pleasure arises. Rather, it is found in recognizing that the witness of both pleasure and pain remains untouched by them. As long as one's mental energy is consumed by the drama of liking and disliking, one remains an object of experience rather than the Subject. This sutra points out that the very act of obsessing over these dualities is what constructs the wall between the limited self and the universal Self.

Contemplation Throughout your day, notice the precise moment when a sensation arises and the mind immediately labels it as good or bad. Instead of following the impulse to chase the pleasant or push away the unpleasant, pause and ask: Who is aware of this labeling? Rest your attention not on the feeling itself, but on the silent space that holds both the pleasure and the pain without being stained by either. Let the waves of sensation crash while you remain the ocean.