Parthi Update 20-10-2004

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Parthi Update

 

20-10-2004

 

Today is a very significant day for the entire humanity, for today

was the day, 64 years back that Bhagawan declared to His physical

family members, "My Devotees are waiting for Me, I am going to them.

I have no connections with you…..". Yes, today is the Avataar

Declaration Day!

 

This morning, we have almost completed doing Grama Seva in the

Puttaparthi Mandal. Tomorrow onwards we will be covering the

Kothacheruvu Mandal (adjoining Puttaparthi).

 

This morning, Bhagawan came for Darshan at the usual time. As He came

onto the dais, He walked from one end to the other watching the boys

and pointed at one or two who were not chanting Vedam. Today one

could perceptibly make out the raise in volume of Vedam chanting. All

were chanting full-throated – in response to yesterday's Discourse!

The Convoy of vehicles left for the Grama Seva at 8.05 a.m. with

Bhagawan's permission.

 

In the evening, Swami came out by 3.35 p.m. As usual there were three

talks. The first one in Telugu by a student of the II M.A. class

named Ranganatha Raju, an expert orator. Telugu prose and poetry just

flows from his lips as water in the river. He gave a fantastic talk,

which received thunderous applause every now and then. At the end

Bhagawan too joined in by Blessing him with a golden chain!! The

second speaker was Sri Ravi Mariwalla, an alumnus of the Institute

(MBA student) who currently works in the Super Specialty Hospital in

Parthi – in the Cardiology Department. The last speaker was Prof.

V.E. Ramamoorthy, a faculty in the School of Business Management,

Accounting & Finance.

 

At 4.55 p.m. Bhagawan commenced His Divine Discourse. The highlights

are as follows:

 

A Bharatiya does not necessarily mean an inhabitant of India alone.

The culture of Bharath is like the Mother and the sacred land is like

the Father. Anyone who has full faith in the Bharatiya culture and in

the sacred land is a Bharatiya. This sacred land is the birthplace of

many a seers and sages who have shown us the path to Divinity.

 

The one who is held in high esteem and who spread the Bharatiya

culture to the nook and corner of this land is Adi Sankara. He

preached Non-dualism in a variety of ways. Then came Ramanuja who

propagated the twin principles of devotion and steadfastness.

Subsequently came Madhavacharya who stood for the principle of Dvaita

(Duality), considering the fickle mind that cannot comprehend the

reality all at once.

 

The Non-dualism of Adi Sankara, the qualified Non-dualism of Ramanuja

and the Dualism of Madhavacharya are all one and the same. The common

aspect in all is the Atma Tatvamu.

 

Sankara gave the example of the thread and the cloth. He said that

the thread is one but the cloth woven from it may appear different

and may be utilized by different people in different ways. Cows are

many but milk is one, jewels are many but gold is one….Adi Sankara

started enquiry into the truth of life at an early age and completed

his mission in 32 years. Ramanuja followed in his path. He talked

about the object and the reflection and the relationship between

them. He said that without thread you cannot have the cloth, without

gold you cannot have the jewels. But gold is one, thread is one. All

of them understood that Truth!!

 

Sankara picked up a jewel and called it gold. Ramanuja identified it

as a chain based on the form, though in essence he agreed that it is

gold. Sankara said, "Ekam Eva Advitiya Brahma". But Ramanuja stressed

on the object and reflection relationship.

 

Another example is of sugarcane juice. We make so many sweets with

this juice. The forms of the sweets may be many, but the juice is

one. This is what Sankara believed in. But Ramanuja put it in another

way saying that the juice is definitely one but the sweets have

different forms!! Since then, until today, there goes on endless

arguments regarding these aspects!!

 

Modern students dismiss all this as mere hypothesis. Brahma Satyam

Jagath Mithya. Ekatma Sarva Bhootantaratma. Isavasyam Idagam Sarvam.

Rain is one, the water that flows is one, the sand on which it flows

is one. Sand is also Brahman. Whatever you see in this world is

Divine! But now let us consider this argument. Here is a man, there

is an animal. Can they be one? YES. But their behaviour is different.

The difference is based on life pattern and life style. But the

essence is ONE! Do not give scope for any difference.

 

This is a white kerchief (pointing to His kerchief) and this is an

orange robe (pointing to His robe). Colour is different but the cloth

is the same. Only the usage may differ. The fundamental basis is the

same!! When we go by the fundamental unity, there will be no

differences. A boy, a youth, a man and an old person are all

basically a human being. We go by the name and the form, forgetting

the primordial unity.

 

Adi Sankara composed the song, "Bhaja Govindam…". (Swami sang the

song). When the end is near, all your scholarship will not come to

your rescue. "Punarapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam…". What is it that is

born and what is it that dies? It is the body only. The body is

active because of the life force. Once the life force leaves the

body, the body becomes inert. Birth and death apply to the body and

not to the spirit.

 

Once the son of a great philosopher was chanting the Vedas. His

mother died at the age of 40. The boy felt very sad. He cried out, "O

Mother why have you left me and gone?" Then the Guru came to him and

asked him, "Why are you crying my boy?" The boy replied that he was

crying because his mother had left him. The Guru replied, "You mother

has left you? Are you crying for the body of your mother? In that

case the body is very much here. Why do you cry? The body has not

left you. Then are you crying for the life force that vitalized the

body? That life force has no death. Why do you cry then?" It is the

life principle, which is truly our Father and our Mother.

 

The Vedantic Wisdom is so simple, but people complicate it with

jugglery of words. Students, we take Vedanta in a very light way,

narrow way and dismiss it. No. Vedanta is very Grand! No explanation

is adequate to describe it. Understand it's meaning and know it's

reality.

 

Ayam Atma Brahma means "I am Atma and I am Brahma". If you are asked

who you are, do not say, "I am Anil Kumar". You must respond, "I am

I, I am I". Keep on telling this to yourself, any length of time. The

Truth remains the same. Brahma Tatva is one. `I' in all is only ONE.

It is only when you consider others as separate that all the problems

arise. I am a boy, I am a youth, I am a man, all these depend on age.

After death what happens? We do not know. Never give up this

basic `I'. If anyone asks who you are, say `I am I'. If they cannot

understand, do not bother about them. You should be clear about it,

that is enough. Tomorrow, I will speak about the other aspects of

Vedanta.

 

I did declare on the 20th of October, "Know that I am Sai, Do not

have any attachments….(Swami spoke the entire verse in Telugu)". We

consider this day – the 20th of October as a big event and we

celebrate it. Once, Rukmini invited Lord Krishna on His birthday. At

this Satyabhama got angry and said, "For you it may be the birthday

but for me it is the wedding day". Such an argument went on. However,

Lord Krishna is beyond all this. Do not observe these differences.

Understand that God is ONE and beyond all these events.

 

Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the song, "Bhaja Govindam Bhaja

Govindam…." All devotees joined in a loud voice and after the

singing, Swami sat down on the sofa. He indicated the Vedam group to

start chanting. They began chanting Narayana Suktam. After a few

lines of chanting, Bhagawan beckoned the Pujari to give the Aarti.

The Aarti song merged with the Vedic chant even as the chant faded

away, thus bringing the auspicious day to a memorable close.

 

Sairam