Swami teaches... Inner Reality and science by spiritual position

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

Light and Love

 

Swami teaches.... (20 March 2005)

 

Inner Reality and Science by Spiritual Position

 

Everything in this world undergoes change from time to time and that is the

reason why the world is declared to be illusory. Sankaracharya (a great ancient

saint) did not say that the world is absolutely unreal. He called it illusory,

because it is a mixture of reality and unreality, appearing at one time and

disappearing at another time. There is a substratum of reality underlying the

illusory world. The changeless reality of Brahman is the substratum underlying

the everchanging, illusory world.

Bhaarath is the birthplace of the Vedhas and of the Shaasthras, epics and

Puraanas that haveelaborated the principles enunciated therein for the

education of the human. It is the nursery of music and other fine arts,

inspired by the noble passion of consecrating human skills for adoring the

Divine and communicating the supersensuous. It is the staff and sustenance of

the mystic and the ascetic, the intellectual and the dynamic adorer of God; it

is the field where the science of Yoga was cultivated and systematised.

The intuitive vision of the Indian Yogis was able to discover many secrets

of the Universe and to peep into the past or the future, as far as they

desired. It is now tens years after the British left India to itself. This was

predicted five thousand and forty-three years ago by an Indian yogi, who

declared that India will free itself from the rule of a strange race from the

far west, in the year Nandha! India achieved Independence from Western rule in

the year Nandha! The Bihar earthquake was accurately foretold two years

previously, by the astrologers of Vaaraanasi. On what basis does the ancient

Shaasthra (science) of Astrology rest? Its basis is not as scientific as the

modem scientist demands. It is based on intuitive spiritualexperience.

Thyaagaraaja (ancient poet and saint) sang of the dilemma that faces every one,

when confronted with riches on the one hand and the Inner Reality of God on the

other. Thyaagaraaja rejected riches and sought the Reality, instead. On this

path towards Reality the main discipline for you is the control of the senses;

if one gives them free rein, they will drag the seeker into calamity. Education

must render you monarch of your talents, your tools for acquiring knowledge. The

eye, the ear, the tongue are like wild horses that have no bit between the

teeth; learn the art of dhyaana by which the senses can be controlled and the

will directed inwards, towards the mastery of feelings and emotions.

You can calmly consider own inner nature and resolve upon ways and means by

which you can mould own destiny along the lines of Love and Contentment. The

ideals laid down by Sanaathana Dharma (Eternal Religion) for ensuring a happy

peaceful life are valid even today. Seekers attracted by its ancient lessons,

teaching the way to acquire inner calm and inner light. They have found that

manthras (sacred formulas) have potency to transform nature, that Vedhic

recital can infuse harmony, that wrong pronunciation of manthras has

deleterious effects. The Truth that there is perfect identity between the

individual and universal is proclaimed atevery breath by the silent

announcement your breath makes' Soham (I am He). But, many do not open their

eyes to the great opportunity. Reason is a bad guide in spiritual matters,

unless it is rinsed of all traces of ego.

Dedicate your heart to God; He will be one with you, the heart of your

heart. However, be aware that devotion, when it knows no bounds, easily falls

into hysteria. The experienceable and authentic Divine illumination can

produce the correct recital of the Gaayathri Manthra with the orthodox

Udhaattha, Anudhaattha and Swaritha, (modulation of the voice the higher, lower

and even accents), whereas incorrect pronunciation and wrong accent result in

thickening the darkness! Therefore, instead of scoffing at the disciplines of

recitals, meditations, prayers, formulary worship and manthra-utterances, their

values have to be accepted and their results tested and confirmed by practice

and exercise. The greatest formula that can liberate, cleanse and elevate

the mind is Raamanaama (the Name of Raama). Raama, the mystic potent sound, is

born in the navel and it rises upto the tongue and dances gladly thereon. Raama

is not to be identified with the hero of the Raamaayana. Vashishtha, the

preceptor, said that he had chosen that Name since it meant, "He who pleases."

While every one else pleases the sell nothing pleases the caged individualised

self more than the free universal Self. The Self is therefore referred to as

Aathma-Raama, the Self that confers unending joy.

 

One bloodstream circulates through all the limbs; one Divine principle

circulates through all the lands and peoples. The universe is the body of God.

The summit is One, the tracks leading to it are many; the guides are also many;

they clamour and compete among themselves. Seven blind men examined the elephant

and imagined that it was what each one was able to touch; each one interpreted

his touch - they could not get a complete and correct picture of the animal.

Pictorially, Hindhuism is the stomach of the elephant, supplying strength and

stamina to all other faiths. The limbs are the other faiths. Even those who

assert that they did not find any trace of God in outer space, or who aver that

God is dead, or that even if He is alive, He is no longer necessary for human,

that He is a handicap and nuisance - all these have to admit that there is

something inexplicable, something inscrutable, beyond the reach of reason and

science, some unknown which pervades the world and affects the course of

things!

All people in all countries are pilgrims proceeding along the path to God.

The progress of each is decided by the discipline adopted, the character

formed, the ideal kept in view, the leadership chosen and the faith implanted.

Just as trees and plants, birds and beasts differ from one region to another,

the rituals, practices, disciplines and ideals may differ from community to

community; each is good for that region and that stage of development. You

cannot transplant one, from one human community to another. The atmosphere in

which you have grown up is the most congenial for you. Human eyes see countries

as different; in reality, all countries are limbs of one organism; all bodies

are activated by the same Principle.

 

Today's human has learnt to fly in the air like birds, and swim in the sea

like fish. But human has not learnt how to live as noble person on the Earth.

Religion can teach how to live as human on the Earth. So if science were to

foster the all-round human's development it has to seek the aid of religion.

Religion does not mean blind adherence to some beliefs. On the other hand,

religion helps to attain the goal of human life based on discrimination and

sacred values.

No religion can ever be bad. That is why the great scientist, Einstein,

declared thatreligion without science is lame and science without religion is

blind, thereby stressing the needfor a judicious combination of science and

religion to serve the needs of humanity. Religion is of immense help in

fostering the integral development of the human personality. True religion

teaches the harmony and unity of all religions. The essence as well as the

goal of all religions is the attainment of the purity of mind and heart. No

religion preaches hatred, untruth or unrighteousness. "Speak the truth,

practice righteousness" - enjoin the Upanishads. Similar sacred injunctions are

to be found in all the other religions too. All religions emphasise the human

values and serve as beacons for the proper progress and development of

humanity.

However, with the passage of time, scientists themselves are veering round

to the view that the Universe is being guided and governed by some divine

power. The innumerable stars and planets in the universe are whirling at

tremendous speeds. Who has ordained them to adhereto their speeds and orbits?

Light travels at the rate of 1,86,000 miles per second. In the Milky Way there

are innumerable stars unknown to us. The light from some of the stars has not

yet reached the Earth, despite the lapse of aeons since their creation. Even

the scientists are in doldrums to understand fully such aspects of creation.

What a contrast between the scientist who swells up with pride on account of

discovering but a minute fraction of the mystery of creation, and the Creator

(God) who is spreading the whole universe peacefully, silently, patiently and

lovingly.

Not this alone. The way this creation or Nature is functioning is amazing

beyond words. Forinstance, the carbon dioxide exhaled by human is being taken

up by the plants and the oxygenreleased by the plants is being inhaled. The

scientist may explain away all such things as the "Law of Nature." But are

these scientists able to transcend Nature or to dispense with the materials

available in Nature ?

We are prone to take the creation for granted, thinking that it is but

insentient Nature, therebyignoring the Sentient Principle that regulates nature

and imparts a proper balance among itsvarious constituents. Scientists and

technologists, in pursuit of selfish interests as well as of name and fame,

utterly disregard the security and welfare of the society by upsettingthe

balance in Nature, which results in various accidents, calamities, losses and

misery to thepublic at large.

In prehistoric times, men killed each other using bows and arrows; now they

kill entire populations with the help of atom bombs; this is praised as

remarkable advance! The scientist cannot stop the rise of greed and hate in the

human heart; he can only forge the weapons they require and improve upon their

lethal efficiency. Mankind lives in daily dread of extinction as a result of

the discoveries of science; for, any moment, the storm of hate may rain the

bombs on their homes!

The indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources by the scientists and

technologists such as various types of mines for extracting minerals, mica,

coal, petrol and other oils results in imbalance and pollution of the five

major elements, leading to catastrophes like earthquakes, and volcanoes, etc.

The rapid and excessive proliferation of industries, facto-ties, automobiles,

etc., with the attendant pollution of the atmosphere is responsible for the

increasing incidence of diseases like eosinophilia, asthma, deafness, pneumonia

and typhoid, etc. However, science per se is not bad; what is necessary is for

man to put it to proper and judicious use. About fifty years back,

scientists believed that them is no greater power than the atomic energy. They

expressed the fear that if the atomic power is further split, it will lead to

disaster. At present the scientists have been able to discover that there are

greater powers than the atomic power. Along with physical sciences you should

also try to understand the spiritual science to some extent at least. (Reet's

compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 8. "Atom of majesty," Chapter 8,

"Name, the never-failing fountain," Chapter 18 and "Emergence of enthusiasm,"

Chapter 25; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 9. "House and home," Chapter 13; Sathya

Sai Speaks. Vol. 25. "The Mysteries Of Creation," Chapter 17).

Namaste - Reet