Swami teaches... Comments on Krishna; forms of God; true education

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

Light and Love

 

Swami teaches.... (2 February 2005)

Comments on Krishna; Forms of God; True Education

God is the One who manifests Himself in the cosmos with a myriad

heads, a myriad eyes and a myriad feet. When this eternal Divinity is so near

us (by His omnipresence) we are searching for Him all over the universe.

No one can comprehend or describe the glory and mystery of Prakriti

(Nature). Nature is areflection of the sport of the Divine. It is animated by

the three gunas, which are manifestationsof the trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and

Siva). God is nourishing and promoting Nature by using thethree gunas in

multifarious combinations and forms. The purpose of life is to experience

thesacredness of nature as a projection of the Divine.

In commenting on the Krishna story in the Bhagavatha, many writers have

indulged in all kinds of misinterpretations. One such misinterpretation relates

to Krishna's wives. In the human body, there are what are called Shadchakras

- six spiritual centres. Of these, the two most important are: the

Hridayachakra (the Heart Centre) and the Sahasraara (the thousand petalled

centre). The Hridayachakra is also known as the Hridayakamala (Lotus of the

Heart) and the Sahasraara is called the Thousand-Petalled Lotus. The lotus of

the heart has eight petals. These eight petals symbolise the eight worlds,

the eight directions, the eight guardians of the world, the eight bhutas

(spirits) and the eight parts of the earth. Because Krishna was the lord of

these eight petals, He was described as the husband of eight queens. The master

is called Pathi and those under him are described as wives. This is a symbolic

relationship and not a husband-wife relationship in the worldly sense. It is

because the esoteric significance of these relationships was not properly

understood, the Bhagavatham came in for misinterpretation. It is also stated

that Krishna was wedded to 116000 gopikas. Who are these gopikas? They are not

cowherdesses in physical form. In the human head there is a lotus with a

thousand petals. The Lord is described as the embodiment of the 16 kalas. As

the Lord of the Sahasraara(thousand-petalled lotus), He presides over the 16,000

kalas which are present in this lotus.

 

The Kundalini Sakti, which starts at the bottom of the spinal column

(Mooladhaara), rises andmerges with the 16,000 entities in the Sahasraara. This

is the esoteric significance and themeaning of the role of the Divine within the

body. Oblivious to this inner meaning, peopleindulge in misinterpretations and

perverse expositions. Krishna's encounter with the demon Naraka has to be

understood against this background."Naraka" means one who is opposed to the

Atma. Naraka does not mean a demon. It is the name of the satellite which

revolved round the earth. When people were filled with apprehension about the

threat to the earth from this satellite, when it seemed to be approaching the

earth, Krishna removed their fear by destroying the satellite.

The legendary version of the Narakasura episode describes the demon as

master ofPraagiyothishapura. The symbolic meaning of Praagjyothishapura is that

it is a place which hasforgotten the Atma. The inner meaning of this is that

demonic forces dwell in any place wherethe Atma is forgotten. All the chaos and

evil in the world today are due to the fact that ones have forgotten the Atma

(the Supreme Spirit). Everyone is conscious of the body and of theindividual

soul, but is not conscious of the Paramatma (Divinity) within him. By taking

refuge in Krishna, the destroyer of Narakasura, one can get rid of the demonic

qualities in him. According to the legend, Krishna killed Narakasura with

the help of Sathyabhama. What does this signify? Each of us has to fight and

destroy the demonic forces within each by resorting to Sathya (Truth).

"Sathyameva Jayathe" declares the Upanishad (Truth alone triumphs). "Speak the

Truth" is a Vedic injunction.

People bandy the word Vedanta. When a scholar is asked, "What is Vedanta?"

the answer is: "The Upanishads, which come at: the end of the Vedas, constitute

Vedanta." That is not the real Vedanta. The ending of the "I" (the ego) is

Vedanta. If you wish to know Me, you have to first know who you really are.

Look into yourselves. Without understanding who you really are, how you can

seek to understand Me? When your vision is concentrated on the external, how

can you understand the inner being?

Iswara (God) is said to have three forms.

One' Viraat-Swaroopa (the Cosmic form).

Two' Hiranyagarbha (the subtle form).

Third: Avyaakruta (the Causal entity).

Viraat-Swaroopa is Viswa-roopa - the entire manifested Cosmos is His form.

All the myriad forms and names in the universe are contained in His form. This

is described as Jaagrata-Swaroopudu (the Cosmic form as experienced in the

waking state).

The second one is the Divine as experienced in the dream state Hiranyagarbha.

In the waking state we use our limbs, see with our eyes and hear with our ears.

In the dream state, we perform many actions. When all the organs and senses of

the body are not functioning in the dream state, how do these experiences occur?

That is the subtle form of Hiranyagarbha. Avyaakrutudu, the third form, is

the Causal entity. It has no specific form and therefore is called Avyaakruta.

But Ananda (Bliss) is present. There is consciousness of experience. You are

the same person experiencing the waking state, dreaming in the sleeping state

and enjoying the bliss in the sushupti (deep sleep) state. The one entity

existing in all threestates is the Atma (i.e. Brahman,Iswara) in the body in

the waking state, in the mind in the dream state and in the Chitta (Higher

Consciousness) in the deep sleep state. The Iswara principle unifies all the

three entities.

“Isaavaasyam idam sarvam" (All this is pervaded by Iswara). He is

omnipresent. There is no place, object or being without presnce of God (i.e.

Brahman, Aathma, Almighty, Iswara...). When God is omnipresent, what need is

there to go in search of God? The search is meaningless.

Many people come to Swami and ask: "Swami! Show us the way." All that you

have to do is to go back to the source from which you came. Where is the need

for seeking the way? TheBhagavatha has declared that it is the natural destiny

of every living being to go back to theplace from which it came.

To understand this eternal truth education must broaden the heart, it must

expand one's love. Fortitude and equanimity belong to the Reality in person.

I have come to illumine the human heart with the Light Divine and to rid

human of the delusion that drags away from the path of shaanthi (peace), the

perfect equanimity born of Realisation.

Along with subjects related to worldly knowledge, Sai University will

impart instruction in ethical, moral and spiritual codes and saadhanas. It has

as its goal the cultivation of the student's mind on these lines. Virtues,

purity of the mind, adherence to truth, dedication to the Supreme, discipline,

devotion to duty - these qualities will be fostered and promoted in this

University. Such seats of learning were established in ancient times by the

sages and seers. This culture has sprouted from the vision they had of God, in

every atom in creation. "God resides," it proclaims, "not only in the idol

installed in the temple, but in every atom and cell, without exception."

Students are My all. If you ask Me, what is My property, My answer is: "My

entire propertyconsists of My students." I have offered Myself to them.

I know that all the thousand fruits that a tree bears do not ripen into

tasty edible ones. Some are stolen; some rot away, some are attacked by pests'

only a few ripen and confer aanandha on others. In running race, all do not win

the first place. Many drop along the track. If at least a few students rise

up to the high ideals we have set before us, I am confident this country can be

prosperous and happy.

There are many who are engaged in criticism and calumny. Many papers publish

all types ofwritings. All kinds of things happen in the world. My reply to all

these is a smile. Such criticisms and distortions are the inevitable

accompaniments of everything good and great. Only the fruitladen tree is hit by

stones thrown by greedy people. No one casts a stone on the tree that bears no

fruit!

Even if the entire world opposes Me unitedly, nothing can affect Me. My

mission is essentially Mine. I am engaged in doing good. My heart is ever full

of benediction. Ihave no ego. I do not own any thing. This is My truth. Those

who have faith in this, My Truth,will not hesitate to dedicate themselves to

it. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 22, "The divine and the

Demon" Chapter 35 and "From love : to love," Chapter 5;

Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 15. "An ideal university," Chapter 33;

Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 1. "Shikshana," Chapter 16).

 

Namaste - Reet