Swami teaches... All is One Supreme's manifestation - experience its proximity

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram Light and Love

Swami teaches... 2 - 3 December

All is One Supreme's Manifestation - Experience Its Proximity

In the world, we are continually experiencing the same round of days and

nights. What is the universe? What is the goal of life? What is its primary

purpose? Few care to enquire into this basic question.

Common folk look at the visible universe as it appears to them physically.

This is a common experience. To view the universe as Divine, calls for a

supreme exercise in spirituality. "Viswam Vishnuswaroopam" (the Cosmos is a

manifestation of the Divine); "Easwarassarvam" (The Lord is everything). On the

basis of these Vedic pronouncements, the whole universe should be regarded as a

manifestation of God.

God has been envisaged as the embodiment of Time. God is characterised as

the One who holds Time in the womb. He is the source of the Yugas. He presides

over Time. He is the Time-Spirit and the container of Time. Time is the

devourer of the physical. The Lord is the devourer of Time itself. When there

is faith in God, human transcends the physical. God is all-pervading, and

yet, we have some scientists who assert, “We have searched all outer space, we

have looked for Him on the Moon; no, He is nowhere to be found. He does not

exist.” God is all this and more; He is in all this and beyond. He is the inner

motivator of the very scientist who “denies” Him. It has been said: "Pasyannapi

na pasyathi moodho" (Even while seeing, the fool does not see). That is, even

while seeing God, experiencing God and enjoying God, one says, "I want to see

God. " However, everything is Divine. The basic reality is the Atma in

everyone. The Vedas have described all as "children of Immortality." People

talk about the spirit, but behave in a manner that belies their belief. There

should be unity in thought, word and deed. To achieve this triple Unity, one

has to understand the truth about the Atma (Spirit). Whatever may be the change

in the various reflections there will be no change whatsoever in the original.

Remember that you are that changeless original - the Atma.

 

The Divine bliss is described in many ways, but it is one and the same

thing. Likewise, God is the one Supreme Who has different names and forms.

Vedanta has declared: "Acharam charameva cha" (The One who is non-moving is

also moving). This means that He is both unmoving and the moving object. There

is an apparent contradiction in this statement: “God is unmoving; He is also

moving." The Vedanta has given a beautiful explanation for this.

In the dream state, we experience ourselves in all kinds of movements. But

the body that is seen in the dream as moving is in fact lying motionless on the

bed. The body in the dream is moving. Both the bodies are one and the same. In

one state of consciousness it is still and in another it moving. Vedanta

declares that in the physical state, there is movement but in the Brahmic

(spiritual) state, there is steadiness. Hence, the purpose of Dhyana

(meditation) is to achieve the Brahmic state of steadiness.

There is a Japa (which means constant remembrance of God) that goes on

incessantly and automatically within you in the breathing process, whatever be

the work in which you are engaged. And that is So-Ham. This is the real

Sadhana, because it goes on without any conscious effort on your part. What is

the use of all your intelligence and all your worldly acquisitions when they

cannot give you Atma Santhi (the untrammelled peace of the Atma). Experience

and contemplate about it.

(Hence what humans have to examine is how we can lead an ideal,

bliss-filled, spiritually-oriented life which will serve as an example to

others. People are engaged in sadhana. But when the outcome of these exercises

is examined, it is found to be without meaning. All these exercises are purely

designed to provide some sort of mental satisfaction and nothing more).

Since ancient times, the Vedas have been teaching profound truths. They form

the basis for a peaceful and prosperous society. (The term ‘Veda’ refers to

‘wisdom’, ‘discrimination’, and ‘being’). There are many people who chant the

Vedas from dawn to dusk, but few are trying to understand the utility and

significance of the Vedas. Sage Vyasa thought that it was well nigh impossible

for human to study the infinite Vedas within the limited life-span. Therefore,

he classified the Vedas into four broad categories:Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama

Veda, and Atharvana Veda. Yajur Veda was further divided into Krishna Yajur

Veda and Shukla Yajur Veda. The vastness of the subject of the Vedas is

conveyed by their several other names, such as Sruti, Trayee, Chandas,

Swadhyaya, Nigama, Agama, etc. The Vedas also are divided into three Kandas

(sections): the Karma Kanda, the Upasana Kanda and the Jnana Kanda. These are

associated with three types of yoga: Karma yoga (the yoga of Action), Bhakti

yoga (the yoga of Devotion) and Jnana yoga (the yoga of Knowledge or Wisdom).

Each Veda consists of three parts: Mantras, Brahmanas, and Upanishads,

including Aranyakas. The Mantras are the hymns in praise of gods. The Brahmanas

deal with the performance of sacrifices - yajnas and the yagas. Aranyakas

consist of the Mantras chanted and practiced by the Vanaprasthas in the forest.

Whatever difficulties or trials may occur, they can be overcome with faith

in God. People may not readily accept this, but there is no surer recipe for

peace than this faith. Even if they do not have full faith, a small fraction of

it will be of help.

 

In giving the duration of the different yugas and estimating the life of

Brahma (the Creator) in terms of the yugas, the scriptures have given the

life-span of Brahma as extending over many crores of years. As these crores

convey no meaning by themselves, the scriptures have described Brahma as Anaadi

(without a beginning). Scientists today are trying to fix a date for the

beginning of creation. Instead of declaring that creation began so many

billions of years ago, is it not more sensible to say that it is Anaadi

(beginningless)? By worldly modern views if Brahma is described as Anaadi, it

is treated as superstition, but if some fabulous date is given, it becomes

science.

Human's ego gets puffed up on the basis of knowledge, physical strength,

power and position, handsome looks and such other accomplishments. (In ancient

Valmiki, Nanda, Kuchela, Sabari, Vidura, and Hanuman are examples of devotees

who realised God, but who could boast of no great lineage, wealth or

scholarship. Their supreme quality was freedom from ego. Hence, giving up the

notions of one's own doership, human must regard God alone as the doer. He is

the giver, He is the recipient and He is also the object that is given).

What is the cause that the differences between person's words, thoughts and

deeds are not in accord?

There are three causes for this aberration: Mala, Vikshepa and Avarana.

Mala refers to a mental state comparable to a dust-covered mirror. The mind

can see clearly only when the dust is wiped away. The heart that is naturally

pure is covered by impurities created by the three gunas - Satwa, Rajas, Tamas.

Instead of removing these impurities, human is adding to them.

Vikshepa refers to the vacillations and unsteadiness of the mind caused by

doubts and suspicions arising from attachment and hatred. The root cause of

this is the lack of full faith even in him/herself. Human therefore, has to

cultivate firm faith, if not in God, at least in him/herself. Such faith will

lead to faith in God, because human being and God are not different.

Avarana refers to that which envelops man. That is desires. Human is bound by

every kind of desire - for wealth, health, power, position, fame, etc. Desires

are not bad in themselves. But there should be a limit to all of them. Desires

should be gradually reduced. Recognise the Divine in all that you do and

dedicate the fruits of your actions to God. It is not the physical form that

makes one a human. Without the spirit of enquiry and the practice of right

conduct, one does not become a true human being.

 

The scriptures have declared that it is difficult to acquire a human body.

The deha (body) was acquired by means of the good and bad that was done in

the previous birth. They are called collectively, karma. Karma is caused by

attachment and hatred, affection and disaffection. They are the products of

sheer ignorance (ajnana), ignorance of the unity of all creation including

oneself. Ajnana can be removed by acknowledging the universality of God and the

merging of your individuality in the Universal.

First practise the attitude of "Nenu neevaadu" ("I am yours," in Telugu).

Let the wave discover and acknowledge that it belongs to the sea. This first

step is not as easy as it looks. The wave takes a long time to recognise that

vast sea beneath it that gives it its existence. Its ego is so powerful that it

will not permit it to be so humble, as to bend before the sea.

"I am yours." - the attitude of the kitten to its mother, mewing

plaintively for succour and sustenance, removing all trace of the ego. The

next step is "neevu naavaadu" ("You are mine" in Telugu). The Lord has to take

the responsibility of guarding and guiding the individual.

The next stage is "neevu nenu" - ("You are I" in Telugu ) - "I" am but the

image, you are the Reality. "I" have no separate individuality; there is no

duality. All is One. Duality is but delusion.

The Lord rushes towards the bhakta (devotee) faster than the bhaktha rushes

towards Him. If you take one step towards Him, He takes a hundred steps towards

you. He will be more than a mother or father. He will foster you from within

you, as He has saved and fostered so many saints who have placed faith in Him.

 

One who ought to dedicate life to the pursuit of the Divine and experiences

bliss is on the path of Nivrithi marga (the Inward Path). One who makes a slave

of his senses and wastes life in the pursuit of the External Path - Pravrithi

marga. Of what avail is the human form if one's actions and thoughts are not

conducive to the realisation of personal inherent divinity? By concerning with

the demands of the body, person is perennially filled with discontent and

dissatisfaction what affects in two ways. One is lack of peace of mind. The

other is unhappiness resulting from lack of peace.

What is the root cause of discontentment? It is envy. When envy is

eradicated from the heart human will haveself-satisfaction what leads to the

feeling of equal-mindedness both towards those who are better off you and those

who are worse. Such equal-mindedness is a Divine quality. In general there is

nothing wrong in aspiring for higher positions when this aspiring dedicated to

the Supreme One.

 

Today, we have knowledge of many sorts in the world. These categories of

knowledge do not constitute what is regarded as Jnana in Vedantic parlane. Atma

Jnana (knowledge of the Spirit) is true knowledge.

Ordinary knowledge may be knowledge of material objects, sensory knowledge,

or any other kind of knowledge acquired by investigation. But none of these can

be Atma Jnana. In the highest sense Atma (the Spirit) and Jnana (Knowledge) are

one and the same. That is why the Vedas declared: Sathyam, Jnanam, Anantham

Brahma (Brahmam is Truth, Wisdom and Infinite). Truth, Wisdom, Infinity and

Brahmam are all different names for the Paramatma (Omni-Self). They are

synonymous.

Jnana is the awareness of Swaswaroopa (one's real nature). Jnana implies

freedom from all thoughts.

Devotion is when self-knowledge becomes one with the Self.

The Jnana-Marga (the path of Knowledge) calls for the control of thoughts by

appropriate efforts. Whether one takes to the Jnana-Marga (the path of

Knowledge) or the Bhakti Marga (the path of Devotion), the resulting

illumination is the same. The Sun's light has been compared to Jnana and the

Moon's light to Bhakti. Jnana is effulgent, while Bhakti (Devotion) is

blissful. Thus Bhakti and Jnana are the beginning and the end of the same

process.

In the phenomenal world, we recognise three entities - Kartha, Karma and

Kriya (the doer, the act of doing and the goal of the action). This is

characteristic of devotion. The Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) is the Kartha

(doer). The Sadhana (spiritual exercise) is the Karma (what he does). Getting

the vision of the Divine is the Kriya (goal).

The same process is described as Jnana (knowledge), Jneya (that which is to

be known) and Jnatha (the knower). In the highest sense all these are one. They

appear in three different, forms at different stages. (Reet's compilation

from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 3. "You and I," Chapter 23; Sathya Sai Speaks.

Vol. 22. "Eschew envy : Uphold truth," Chapter 2; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 22.

"Eschew envy : Uphold truth," Chapter 2; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 24. "Time is

God," Chapter 1 and "Time and the timeless," Chapter 5; Sathya Sai Speaks.

Vol. 32, part 2. "Follow Divine Commands," Chapter 7).

 

Namaste - Reet