Re: Questions for desi atheists
My interpretation would not do justice to McPendo - post 117. But I will try humbly - since that post was really deep.
Batin - is one’s inner self. A person who does not look deep within oneself knows very little about his batin - the only thing he knows is to eat when hungry, shout when angry etc. But once you start looking within yourself (this can take different paths - some may do this through Allah, some through Ram, some through just spirituality and meditation), you may find more about yourself, where you belong in this universe, your role, and your purpose.
Zahir is your outer self - just physical characteristics. We tend to put too much emphasis on this - at the expense of getting in touch with our batin. The Gita I think also preaches something similar - dont be too enamored with outer beauty - be beautiful on the inside.
If I were to capture the post in 2 words - know thyself.
My sincere apologies to McPendo if I am off base.