Swami teaches... The particular is the Universal One, no less

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

Light and Love

Swami teaches... 9 - 10 April 2006

The Particular Is the Universal One, No Less

Like food to a starving person, like showers on a parched field, the Vedic

science of spiritual self-discovery is the life-saver for humanity sliding down

to destruction because it has lost its hold on truth, morality, peace and love.

Practise and demonstrate, do not simply assert in words and deny in deeds.

Listen in silence and patience; watch with sympathy. In his own silent way, God

will transform the mind and turn it towards sadhana and successful spiritual

pilgrimage. He cannot allow his children to lose their way and suffer in the

jungle. When you approach God and seek His help and guidance, you have taken

the first step to save yourself. You are then led to accept His will as your

own. Thus, you achieve, shanthi.

But human is a creature of society and owes everything to society. Any

society cannot find its fulfilment, any social ideal can fructify, without the

blossoming of the spirit. Humanity cannot realise the Divinity whose expression

it is, without careful and constant attention being paid to the cultivation of

the spirit. How else can this Divinity express itself than in and through

individuals? We can apprehend only the jagath (world of change), this moving,

inconstant, fantasia; we cannot see or hear, smell or taste or touch the of the fantasia, God. In the same manner, we can apprehend the

individual, but not the entity named society. For, society is no separate,

distinct, complex formed out of elemental components. Society is the Divine

proliferation produced by the Will Supreme.

The Sea is considered holy, holier than any river, because all the rivers

pour themselves into it. The conclusion, is that individual's duty is to see in

society the expression of Divinity, and to use all skill and effort to promote

the welfare and prosperity of society.

Human can be educated or nurtured into higher levels of consciousness. There

can be no privilege without responsibility. So human has to observe very many

regulations and restrictions and abide by duties and directions. The higher the

status, the heavier the burden.

Individual is equipped with a conscience and the faculty of reasoning which

can present before him/her the pros and cons of every step in thought, speech

and action. When his/her reason tells that a certain thought or speech or

action is wrong and he/she sets aside the judgement, preferring the evil, the

wrong and the low, he/she sins. (When an insane person commits evil no court of

justice punishes him/her; it is only when a person, capable of distinguishing

good from bad, deliberately chooses the bad, that his/her act is pronounced a

sin).

Human has the duty to observe consistently and sincerely the codes of

morality. The codes are framed for the guidance of living beings who can uplift

themselves by their own efforts and determination.

Others cannot utilise them or revere them as texts meant for instruction.

However arduous and affectionate the training given to a tiger may be, it can

never be made non-violent. One can feed a cat on milk and sweets for long but,

when it sees a rat, it pounces on it and relishes its taste more than all the

fine fresh food one has given for months. A beast has to be always beastly. But

a vicious person can transform him/herself into a saint. Person may be born and

bred in wicked surroundings, but can be shaped into a good person through the

influence of precept and example.

 

Every human's life is filled with actions. Actions performed selfishly with

egoism and desire for reward are karmas (that bind). Actions done unselfishly,

without ego and any expectation of reward, become Karma Yoga. But together

with activities associated with self-interest, every human should also take

part in service activities. Through service to others, divinity can be

experienced. Society is composed of the affluent, the middle class and the

poor. Social service means service to one's fellowmen. A wealthy person has

been able to acquire riches with the help of others.

(The term wealth is usually applied to material riches. But it applies

equally to the wealth of knowledge and to physical strength. One having this

triple strength should devote it for the well-being of society. In rendering

service to the poor, people should feel that they are serving the Narayana (the

Lord) who dwells in the hearts of the poor. Of course, there is no meaning in

preaching spirituality to a starving person. Feed the hungry. Offer solace and

encouragement to those in distress and despair. The educated should try to

teach the illiterate and open the minds of the ignorant to wider vistas of

knowledge).

 

Service demonstrates the unity of society that underlies the apparent

diversity. Society cannot justify itself by planning to divide the spoils

gained out of Nature either in equal shares or unequal shares. The consummation

that must inspire society has to be - the establishment and elaboration in every

social act and resolution, of the knowledge of the One Universal Atma and the

bliss that knowledge confers. Human is mortal, but, within shines Atma, as a

spark of the immortal flame.

 

The ideal of a high standard of life, instead of a high level of living, has

played havoc with human society. A high level of living insists on morality,

humility, detachment, compassion; so the competitive greed for luxury and

conspicuous consumption receives no encouragement. Now, human is the slave of

desires and does not know how to arouse the Divine Consciousness that is latent

within everybody.

 

Mere moral practices or instruction cannot help to achieve this truth. It

can be done, by spiritual sadhana. For, it is a basic transformation. It

involves the elimination of the worldly activity of the mind, which is the

arch-obstacle in the path. Grace of God, if invoked and won, can endow person

with power. And, the Grace is available within, awaiting the call. Person must

act ever in the consciousness of the innate Divinity. When that is done,

three-fold nature (composed of the three gunas - thamasik, rajasik and sathwik)

will automatically express itself through the Divine channels of Atmic Reality.

Another aspect. The argument may be raised: if one has to give up the desire

for comfort, luxury and pleasure, why should one be embroiled in society? This

presupposes the belief that society is justified only by the provision of such

worldly joys. But, what kind of society can one build on such slender

foundation? If built, it can be a society only in name, it will not be bound by

mutual love and cooperation. The strong will suppress the weak. Social relations

will be marred by discontent. Even when attempts are made to divide the

resources of Nature equally among all, the cordiality will be only on the

surface. It will not be spontaneous. We can limit the resourcesavailable, but,

we cannot limit greed, desire and craving. Desire involves seeking beyond the

limits of possibility.

What has to be done is, to pluck out desire by the roots; the desire for

objective pleasure, based on the illusion that the world is manifold,

multicoloured etc., and not that the world, nature, all creation, is One. When

one isconscious only of the One, who desires which? The Atmic Vision destroys

the desire for objective joys, for, there is no object distinct from the

subject.

 

****

One of the most important experiments on the end of the 20th century what may

change the face of science has done at the University of Paris a research team

led by physicist Alain Aspect. Later the other teams of physicists received the

same kind results. By this experiment in certain circumstances subatomic

particles such as electrons, photons are able to instantaneously communicate

with each other regardless of the distance separating them. The particle seems

to know what its partner particle is doing. Physicist David Bohm from

University of London concluded that the reason subatomic particles are able to

remain in contact with one another regardless of the distance separating them

is not because they are sending some sort of mysterious signal back and forth,

but because their separateness is an illusion. He argues that at some deeper

level of reality such particles are not individual entities, but are extensions

of the same fundamental something. The "whole in every part" nature of a

hologram provides humans with new way of understanding organization and order.

A hologram shows that if we try to take apart something constructed

holographically, we will not get the pieces of which it is made, we will only

get the smaller wholes.

The electrons from brain, body, eyes etc. are connected to the subatomic

particles that comprise every galaxy, star, tree, every heart that beats....

At its deeper level reality is a sort of superhologram in which the past,

present, and future all exist simultaneously. Thath thwam asi (That thou art)

by Vedas and Swami. Standford's University neurophysiologist Nobel Prize winner

Karl Pribram has also become persuaded of the holographic nature of reality.

****

Here modern science views (which are 'about 20 years old') as fuse into the

Swami's Teaching and Vedic wisdom. Swami asks to experience the unity: "the

whole world is one family." This is the true function of society - to enable

every member to realise this Atmic Vision. People bound by mutual interests in

a society are not merely families, castes, classes, groups, or kinsmen,

kinswomen; they are One Atma on the level of Atmic Reality.

Swami does not direct, "the Atma has no death, therefore, kill the physical

sheaths, the bodies." Swami does not encourage wars. Swami directs to

recognise the Atma as closest kin, closer than the members of your family, your

blood-relations and your dearest descendents.

The attachment to the Divine activates human as nothing else can: it

confers on him/her during the process of doing duty the highest wisdom. Hence

the advice, do not enter the objective world in the hope of realising the Atma;

enter the objective world, after becoming aware of the Atma. Then you see the

objective world in a new and creative light.

When the Atmic Unity is realised, it will promote the new way of life

through Love. What is now 'mercy' or legally enforced mutual 'help' will then

be transformed into 'Divine Love' that can effectively purify the recipient and

the giver. This consummation is beyond the region of common politics, ethics or

economics. They cannot transform the receiver and thrill the giver, however

much they attempt to equalise. They do not have the appeal and they have no

power to sustain. The equality they establish will be haunted by a shadow, the

shadow of the ego. This shadow can disappear when identity as One is known and

felt.

It may be underlined that not all desires are wrong; the rajasik ones which

harm and exploit others can be condemned; but should one renounce the sathwik

desires? Desire is desire, though the object may be beneficial and pure. The

fruit of effort, the mind that seeks it, the vitality that activates the mind,

life itself - every one of these has to be turned towards the Lord, with

devotion born out of the vision of the One. Co- travellers and the world

must be seen ever in the mirror of Sath-Chith-Ananda (Being, Awareness, Bliss

Absolute). Kinship based on this recognition will alone last.

 

Good and evil are based on the reactions of individuals; they are not

inherent in things or events. Vedanta (Vedic philosophy) or Ateism is accepted

or rejected, when one likes or dislikes it. They do not depend on logical

acceptance or rejection.

Divinity is fully immanent in every one, it is patent for the eyes that can

see dearly and deeply. Whoever denies this is only cheating oneself of one's

own reality. Anybody cannot dismiss it by denial, either from him/herself or

others. People must cultivate this expansive feeling, this inclusive thinking

and this intuitive vision.

 

The brotherhood of people can be translated into life only on the basis of

the Atmic Vision. All people thirst for peace, happiness and bliss. They are

the precious heritage which is their right, for, they are God's Treasure. All

people are of one lineage; they are of the Divine Lineage. All people are cells

in the One Divine organism, in the Divine body. That should be every one's

faith, fortune, forte, and fullness.

 

Every child must learn to live in peace and love with other children and

other families. The idea that one can live for oneself and that one need not

worry about the wants and weaknesses of others has to be removed quite earlyin

life. Encourage the youth generation to cultivate the pleasure of

'togetherness.' Tell them, "Don't indulge in fault finding and in picking

quarrels with others. Don't desire to have the best things for yourselves only.

Share with others around you the good things you are given." They will

certainly enjoy it; and, you will be sowing the seeds of social peace. The

seeds will grow into Universal Peace and Universal Bliss. (Reet's compilation

from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 7. "From every throat, his melody," Chapter 7 and

"The obliterating flood," Chapter 17; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 12. "Cells of the

body of God," Chapter 29; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 13. "Parents beware!" Chapter

3; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 16. "The human destiny," Chapter 20; Sathya Sai

Speaks. Vol. 23. "Service as duty," Chapter 30).

Namaste - Reet