Swami teaches... Practice the unity that underlies the apparent diversity

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram Light and Love

Swami teaches... 17 - 19 February 2006

Practice the Unity that Underlies the Apparent Diversity

 

Every human being, irrespective of the country, race or period of time in

which he is born, comes intothe world burdened with three debts. The first debt

is owed to the Divine. The second is to theRishis (sages). The third is to one's

parents. A debt is an obligation arising out of what one has received from

others. We can easily identify these debts in the human body different divine

forces are present nourishing and protecting it. This divine energy permeates

the entire body; it is called the Rasa (Divine Essence). We owe a debt of

gratitude to the Divine which has not only endowed us with this precious human

body but which also sustains it. We shall be able to enjoy these gifts of the

Divine only if we discharge this debt to the Divine. It is by rendering service

to other bodies saturated with the same Divine, by doing righteous deeds and

consecrating all actions in theservice of society.

Next, the debt to the Rishis. By selfless investigations and experiments the

sages discovered for mankind the paths to be followed for bettering our lives

here and attaining mergence. They have laid down the types of right action that

will help human to lead a good and worthy life and successfully strive for

Self-realisation. These guidelines and codes of conduct have come down to us in

the form of Sastras (spiritual sciences). The sages have taught how man can

proceed from the human to the Divine.

The third debt we have to pay is to the debt to the parents. It is by

following the example of the parents that a child grows in life.

 

Yajnas and yagas (Vedhic rituals of sacrifice) are symbolic rituals designed

to redeem these three debts. Yajnas are of two kinds: Antaryajna (internal) and

Bahir-yajna (external). The internal yajna is the striving to realise the

Divinity within. It can be realised only through Dhyana (meditation). The mind

is the sacrificial altar. One has to offer as sacrifice on this altar all one's

bad qualities. It must be realised that this is not one's first birth in a body;

many lives have preceded this. Birth as human is the final stage in the upward

evolution of the nearly million species of living beings.

The sole purpose of the internal sacrifice is to see that the mind does not

run after the whims and fancies of the senses, like a master pathetically

carrying out the dictates of his servants. The human who is a slave of sensual

desire is the world's bond-slave. One who has conquered desire is master of

this world and the next. It is desire that makes one dependent on others.

(Yajnas and yagas are not undertaken to promote self-interest. They are

performed for promoting the welfare of the world. Instead of emphasising the

inner meaning and significance of yajnas, most people pay attention to the

external features).

The internal yajna has to be performed at all times, in all places and under

all circumstances. The sacrificial altar for this yajna is within each one of

us. The real purpose of yajnas - to enable human to achieve purity in order to

realise Divinity.

You should cultivate an attitude of inseparable attachment to the Lord, who

is your very self. If He is a flower, you should feel yourself a bee that sucks

its honey; if He is a tree, be a creeper that clings to it; if a cliff, then

feel that you are a cascade running over it; if He is the sky, be a tiny star

that twinkles in it; above all, be conscious of the truth that you and He are

bound by Supreme Love. If you feel this acutely, not with the gross

intelligence, but with the subtle intelligence, then, the journey will be quick

and the goal can be won.

The sthula buddhi (gross intelligence) keeps you walking but, the subtle

intelligence flies you to the destination. The gross is too much weighed down

by the body; the subtle transcends the body and lightens the burden. You

have to make yourself transparent, free from wish and will, then only, can the

Inner Motivator be seen. You cannot argue that since it is not seen, it is not

there. To earn transparency, purity of intention, impulse and instinct is

essential; that is achieved by systematic and sincere spiritual discipline.

Take your own name. The name must be resonant of the real Self, not a

description of the body, as, for example, the Black man, the Fair man or the

Dark man. Have names that are saturated with divinity, like Rama or Lakshmana

or Bharatha or Krishna, etc. And know and follow the implications of the name.

By the way, it is essential to repeat that Krishna has given to Himself

three vows. They are mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, for all humanity to read,

know, and believe.

1. "For the protection of the good and the punishment of the bad, for the

establishment of the Moral Order, I shall concretise Myself, age after age".

2. "Whoever is wholly immersed in My contemplation, with no other thought, I

shall be ever with Him and I shall bear the burden of his welfare".

3. "Surrender unto Me, giving up all other duties and obligations; I shall

liberate you from all sin; do not grieve."

There is also significant to add some notes about Krishna's image. The hymn

describes Krishna as "Kasthuri thilakam". Each of these words has a deep

significance.

The thilakam or dot of kasthuri or musk on the forehead of Krishna is the

symbol of the Eye ofWisdom, the Inner Eye, like the third eye on the forehead

of Shiva. Kasthuri means jnanam or supersensual knowledge or wisdom. Then the

hymn speaks of kowsthubha gem on the chest. It indicates the ananda in the

heart, the untarnished ananda of the Lord. Next in the poem is the shining

pearl on Krishna's nose-ring. It is indicative of the success that attends

one-pointed concentration on His Glory for which the tip of the nose is

considered by adepts in yoga as a point of help. And, the pearl is, in Hindu

mythology, produced out of the rain drop, from the first, pure, unsullied

showers that is swallowed by the oyster that has been waiting long for the

precious gift from the heavens. It indicates the transforming effect of

yearning and the natural thirst for the pure and the true which irks the human

heart. The next item is the Flute in the hand. That reminds all of the need

to make oneself into a hollow reed, with no trace of the pith of material

greed. Become straight, empty yourself of all obstructing desires and the

Lord's breath will flow through you, making sweet music that awakens every

soul.

Everyone should realise the integral relationship between Nature, Human and

God. This Nara (human) is Narayana - the Supreme Universal Consciousness. If

human did not have the cooling power of the Divine, he/she would not be able to

bear the heat generated by the body, the mind and the vital air.

 

Every second is a new moment in your life. Utilise every second to purify

your heart and fill it with love. There is no human being in the world without

love. (That love expresses itself in many ways). You will then realise that God

is yours and you are with love. Purity of mind is an essential for enjoying

Divine Bliss as purity of body is essential for bodily health.

To secure the grace of the Divine, it is not necessary to seek wealth, power

or position. Purity of mind alone is enough. Every cell of one's body will be

filled with the Divine when God is worshipped with pure and single-minded

devotion.

The cleansed mind can reflect more clearly the Light of Wisdom; the Light of

Wisdom will reveal the Truth and human will be saved from the consequences of

the ignorance. The destruction of the insidious poison of egoism is essential

for the restoration of health and happiness of the mind.

Higher than all the knowledge that can be acquired in the world is the

Atmajnana (knowledge of the Self). It is attained when the ego-sense is

destroyed and there is prayerful submission to the Divine. Prayers must issue

not from the lips but from the heart. Prayers from the lips are like a

telephone number call. They will not reach the person you want. Prayers from

the heart are like a "particular person call." They will go straight to God.

Buddha emphasised the need for discrimination. The, first prayer, "Buddham

Sharanam Gachchaami" is a call for cultivating wisdom and discrimination, the

Buddhi (intellect). The second prayer, "Sangham Sharanam Gachchaami" (I

surrender myself to society). The third prayer: "Dharmam Sharanam Gachchaami"

(I take refuge in Dharma). To reach your goal, the royal road is Dharma

(righteousness). It is when these three are combined - Wisdom, social service

and righteousness that there is fulfilment in life. (Prayers, again, are

used for seeking fulfilment of material desires. Out of the millions who offer

prayers, very few seek God Himself with pure hearts. Many people talk about the

"Divine," but are interested in "deep wine." They talk of "compassion," but are

concerned only with "fashion." They mouth the word "Cooperation," but indulge

only in "operation." Devotion has been reduced to a pompous show).

For spiritual progress three things are essential. A heart free from

attachment and hatred, a tongue that is not tainted by untruth, a body not

polluted by violence - the one who has these three is of sacred birth. You have

to pray incessantly for Divine grace to confer these qualities. Realise that the

Divine is within you.

Become the ruler of the senses, not their slave. Be silent yourself; that

will induce silence in others. Reduce contacts to the minimum. Carry with you

an atmosphere of quiet contemplation, wherever you happen to be. Why did the

sages go into the jungle? To sink their minds in the silent calm of the forest;

to dwell ever in the thought of God whose voice is heard when all other voices

cease. If you close the windows that bring in the other voices, then, your home

can be transformed into a Forest of Freedom, a Hermitage of thapas (penance.)

 

Dwell over on your own Atmic reality; you are pure, you are indestructible;

you are unaffected by the upsand downs of life; you are the true, the eternal,

the unchanging Brahmam, the entity which is all this. A mere five-minute

inquiry will convince you that you are not the body, or the senses, the mind or

the intelligence, the name or the form, but that you are the Atma Itself, the

same Atma that appears as all this variety.

Character, conduct, daily behaviour, attitude towards others - these are all

important, for Dharma (righteousness) what is essentially Social Morality. The

Sruthi (holy scripture) says, "On Dharma, the World is installed." Dharma

endows human with joy and keeps away grief. Every being in the world, whether

it is aware of it or not, is dependent on Dharma, for peace and happiness. All

triumphs, whether acknowledged soor not, are earned only through Dharma. Hence,

one who is remote from Dharma is also distant from God.

Dharma is classified as general and special by the sages: general, including

the virtues of truth, love, charity, etc., which every one has to cultivate and

cherish; special, meaning those duties that are incumbent on one, as a result

of his social obligations, professional status, etc.

 

The individual and society are intertwined inextricably. There must be

illumination, for both. Ananda (Divine bliss) must surge out of the individual

and fill the lake of society, and from thence, stream into the Ocean of Grace.

Society is just a name for a group of individuals; but, it has no corporeal

body. Individuals are the limbs, that nourish and support the 'corpus' called

society.

Society shapes the individual, provides the arena for person's development

and sets the ideals before him/herself. When the individual is stronger, more

intelligent, more service minded, and more efficient as a worker, society

benefits; when society is more aware of its role and of the need to cleanse

that role with humility and wisdom, the individual benefits.

In ancient scriptures God is considered and adored as the creator. God

created the living creatures but these beings are "creating" God. Hence these

beings are also creators. God is not created by Himself. It is the devotees who

are "creating" God. It follows that every being is a creator. Every human

being is Divine. But, because of identification with the body, human considers

as an ordinary being. The difference between creation and the Creator relates

only to the external forms. When the physical form is ignored, what remains is

the Spiritual Reality. For all things, the root cause is the human heart. When

the idea of oneness gets entrenched in the human heart, the ideal of human

unity will be realised. The One Absolute, who is Being, Awareness and Bliss,

is the embodiment of peace in all His forms. All His names are auspicious and He

manifests the triune attributes of Truth, Auspiciousness and Beauty.

Sathyam, Shivam, Sundaram - Truth, Goodness and Beauty - these three

constitute the essential nature of humanness In ancient times, this was the

description given by Plato, the Greek philosopher. The Greeks could see the

oneness underlying these three attributes. Plato expatiated on "Truth, Goodness

and Beauty." Though there is a difference in the language of the words used,

their essential meaning is the same. Such correspondence between concepts in

Indian metaphysics and the doctrines of Christianity and other faiths exists in

respect of ideas regarding the relationship between human, nature and God.

 

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 5. "Kare kankanam," Chapter

4; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 12. "Nearer and nearer," Chapter 23; Sathya Sai

Speaks. Vol. 16. "The triple debt," Chapter 25 and "Devotion and Divine Grace,"

Chapter 32; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 30. "Transcendental value of Sathya and

Dhama," Chapter 5).

 

Namaste - Reet