Swami Chinmayananda's speech at Chennai on 7th Nov. 1992

[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

In going back through some of my old notes I hit upon the

following speech of Swami Chinmayananda at Chennai on

November 7, 1992. The subject is Logic of Spirituality.

What I write below is my own teloegraphic summary (not a

verbatim report) as extracted from my notes. I hope still

it will be of interest to several members of this list. For

me it happens to be the last speech from Swamiji that I

heard personally.

 

Logic of Spirituality

 

Charms of technology have enthralled the public almost as a

danceuse will. If we carefully look back on the history of

the world, it is clear we are the saddest generation of

humanity. But why? The caveman had his laughter and was

happy. The modern days of rat race show improvements only

on the outside surface. In the absence of a set of values

for ourselves how can there be happiness for human

living?

 

The over-development of one cell to the exclusion of others

is called cancer in medical terms. The faster development

of one facet of civilization irrespective of the other

facets is the cancer of modern times. Instincts and

impulses rule us. Each one of us is honestly searching for

happiness in the wrong direction. Desire after desire is

what makes us unhappy. What is the purpose of existence?

There is an infinite variety in nature. Who created this

variety? Why? Such questions do not arise in the animal

mind. Question, Enquiry, Discovery – this should be our

style of living.

 

Everything is conditioned by Time and Space. BMI is

constantly changing. So is FET. At our present level of

evolution man cannot observe the world objectively.

Einstein himself despaired because of two changing factors.

‘Jagat’, the universe, itself comes from the root word

which means change or flux. So to the question ‘What is

unchanging?’ you cannot answer from your experience. Only

the Rishis can answer. There exists something which does

not change. Who is knowing that everything is changing?

When you watch the roadside traffic, you are the Subject;

everything else is the Object. Is there not in you a centre

which is observing, knowing and becoming conscious of all

changes? If I am also changing I cannot observe the change.

If you are part of the system of movement, you cannot be a

witness to the movement. But you are conscious that

everything is changing. Therefore you must be the

changeless.

 

There exists something in you which is changeless – in your

BMI. This subjective essence in me is changeless, because

it is not conditioned by space and time. This immortal

essence, essential ‘I’ in my true nature, is the pure

Consciousness, Light or Awareness. All our experiences are

dancing about because of this. They are all shining because

of this Awareness. That which you are not aware of does not

exist. That there exists such an essential Reality is the

theme of all scriptures. There exists something higher in

every one of us. It is called Brahman. That is not a thing

in itself. It is represented by AUM. It stands for the

changeless centre from which one picks up all his conscious

experiences.

 

Matter is inert ( no locomotion ) and insentient ( no

awareness). “I” am also matter but “I” have locomotion and

sentience. Therefore there exists something other than

matter. In the bulb there exists something other than the

bulb which makes it glow. In the steam engine there exists

something other than the engine which is propelling it. It

is the Power, Shakti. We perceive, feel, think and express.

Life in you and me is the speaker, thinker. The power in

the incandescent light is the electrical energy. Life is

one such energy. It expresses you in you, me in me, the

bird in the bird and the plant in the plant. Life is one.

Its expressions are of infinite variety. This essentiual

Reality is the centre of every one of us. Without it we are

zero, without expression, without emotion, without

understanding. This Life is in the core of every one of us.

 

 

The Rishis said “God” instead of “Life”. They say: By “His”

Grace. It is only a question of language. This Life is my

true nature. I play the part of the physical me, the

psychological me, the intellectual me. They constitute the

little ego, little self. We must realise our own higher

nature.

 

When you have lost your car key and keep searching it all

the place and finally your finger touches the key in your

own pocket, you cry: “Hurray, I have got it”. You have not

‘got’ it; it was already there. So also you realise your

own Self by a spark of illumination.

 

In your own non-apprehension of Reality, you misunderstand

everything. You are not ‘this’ which you think you are.

You are ‘That’. Rishis awaken you to that state of

Consciousness. Just as the entire world of dream experience

merges in the Seer, so also the different planes of

Consciousness merge in that one Consciousness. But

preparatory qualities are necessary to enter that state.

Similarly, contemplation is not possible if you are

preoccupied by OET. Only a still quietened mind can turn

the instrument of Consciousness higher. To strive for that

or not is your choice. Whoever forgets his own nature we

call him mad, cranky, crazy. We have forgotten that our

true nature is divine nature.

 

Darwin could not know it. He said the higher species is

‘Super Man’. Not Super Man, but Man in perfection is God.

This is the highest goal.

 

What will happen to the world if every one reaches this

goal? The question is like asking: If everybody becomes

healthy what would happen to the hospitals and doctors?

Then why am I telling you all? To strive is itself the

goal. Striving to reach the highest, you reach a higher

peak of existence. Then your reaction, your response, your

relations with others will radically change. You are

potentially capable of higher things.

 

You don’t have to go to the Himalayas to do it. Stay where

you are. Nature has kept you in the right place. Strive.

Learn to stand erect. Keep the integrity. Judge for

yourself. Make the mistakes yourself. Don’t allow others to

make them for you. How many times have you fallen before

you learnt cycling? How many times have you drank water

before you learnt swimming? How many times have you tumbled

before you learnt to walk? Uphold the dignity of the

intellect. Learn to live a noble life. Hari Om.

 

PraNAms to all advaitins on the list and to Swami

Chinmayananda.

profvk

 

 

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

 

New on my website, particularly for beginners in Hindu philosophy:

Empire of the Mind:

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/HNG/ManversusMind.html

 

Free will and Divine will - a dialogue:

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/HNG/FWDW.html