AANANDHA SAI

[Guest guest]

AANANDHA SAI

By G. V. Subba Rao, Prasanthi Nilayam, June, 2002

Summary of a Talk given in Brindhavan)

 

Bliss comes with Blessings The day before yesterday, I had indicated that I

would talk on the sacred topic “AANANDHA SAI”. But yesterday in the evening,

Baba gave a talk on “AANANDHA”. It is thus a great blessing. The thoughts

coincided with Baba’s grace!

AANANDHA translated means BLISS. Only with the Divine Blessing does the word

AANANDHA give one a capacity to experience Bliss. Blessing goes with Bliss.

Swami defines AANANDHA as: “A” meaning AATHMA – The inner Reality. “NANDHA”

meaning the offspring. The offspring of the Reality – one who is born of the

Reality. This emphasizes your origin which is the never changing Reality –

Absolute PARABRAHMA. PARABRAHMA is our original abode.

In the BHRUGU VALLI of the THAITHIREEYA UPANISHATH it is said:

AANANDHO BRAHMETHI VYAJAANATH. AANANDHADHYAIVA KHALVIMAANI BHUTHAANI JAAYANTHE.

AANANDHENA JAATHAANI JEEVANTHI. AANANDHAM PRAYANTHYABHISAMVISHANTHEETHI.

SAISHAA BHAARGAVEE VAARUNEE VIDHYAA – Bliss as BRAHMAN; From Bliss, indeed all

these beings originate; Having been born, they are sustained by Bliss; They

move towards and merge in Bliss. This knowledge is realized by the sage Bhrugu

and imparted by Varuna.

The AANANDHA VALLI of the THAITHREEYA UPANISHATH explains

YATHO VAACHO NIVARTHANTHE. APRAAPYA MANASA SAH – Bliss is indescribable,

unspeakable Because it transcends speech.

It is the Super Conscious Reality, the Supreme Source, the Origin of all

Creation, of all the multiplicity of the Universe – EKAM SATH VIPRAH BAHUDHAA

VADHANTHI. There is no BECOMING in Bliss, because it is BEING, IS-NESS;

EXISTENCE. The UPANISHATHS explain absolute Reality. Bliss is not obtained by

doing; it is just Being.

Swami is the embodiment of the Divine Bliss. UPANISHATHS are the sum and

substance of all the VEDHAS. The great sages, sacrificing, practised austerity,

penance and explored the inner regions of their own Self, and the Reality was

revealed. These were Revelations, not intellectual conclusions. They appeared

in SAMAADHI – Deep Absorption, there is no triadic differentiation in that

state.

There is no Seer – Seen - the Act of Seeing;

There is no Actor – Action – the Acting;

There is no Subject – Object – the Relationship;

There is no KARMA – KARTHA – KRIYA

All these threefold characteristics or distinctions, the THRIPUTI, are present

only in the world of relativity. There is no distinction in SAMAADHI – the

Super conscious state.

SATHYAM JNAANAM ANANTHAM AANANDHAM BRAHMA

This is repeatedly mentioned in the THAITHIREEYA, BRIHADHAARANYAKA and above

all, the SHVETHAASHVATHARA UPANISHATHS.

The Divine, the PARABRAHMA is the embodiment of Truth, Knowledge, Infinitude and

Bliss. Infinite, because it is ever expansive, unlimited, omniscient and TRUTH,

because it is unaffected by Time, Space and Circumstance. When you are aware of

absolute Reality, you are in total Bliss. Bliss is the very nature, the essence

of PARABRAHMAN. We originate in Bliss. Bliss is the highest of all forms of

feelings, of joy, happiness, delight. It is not a summation of all the worldly

feelings; it is a transcendental entity.

Swami continuously reminds us of our Divine origin, the essence of Divinity is

Bliss absolute. In the worldly arena, we are seeking sense satisfaction; senses

are limited. Bliss is beyond. These sensual pleasures are pale reflections of

Bliss. When Swami sings the BHAJAN. “SATHYAM BRAHMA, JNAANAM BRAHMA, ANANTHAM

BRAHMA, AANANDHAM BRAHMA” He is asking us, “Do you know your origin?”. BRAHMAN

is our origin and abode.

Sometime ago, Swami asked us “Do you know what NARA is?” The normal answer which

came to the mind was “NARA means MAN.” The word NARA derives from the concept of

“nerves”. Man is a bundle of nerves. This is the conventional way of

understanding. Man is the Human being that has the maximum number of nerves.

When we mentioned 72 000 nerves, Swami corrected us 7.2 million nerves! NARA

also derives from NEERAM or water. The human body is predominantly water.

Nearly 99% of the body is based on the water principle. Swami went further and

said “We are not only nerves and not only water, you are more than that, you

are: “NA” meaning No or Not; “RA” that which is destroyed (the Agni Beeja –

Seed syllable for Fire God); “NA-RA” thus means “That entity which cannot be

burnt”, i.e.,

AATHMA.” The only indestructible entity in the Cosmos is the AATHMA. NARA also

means AVINAASHI – Indestructible. In spiritual terms both NARA and NAARAAYANA

mean the same. Swami emphasizes the Divine principle all the time. JALA or

water is JADA, not alive. JADA PRAKRITHI is the nature that is not conscious,

everlasting, outlasting even time. We are divine. We originate in Divinity. And

the realization of that origin is the goal of life.

Thus, the word AANANDHA is not a qualifying phrase. It does not qualify the

multiplicity of aspects of BRAHMAN. It is not just one of the many outer

characteristics. It is the inherent characteristic, the innermost quality;

SVARUUPA. You live in Bliss. Bliss is God, Divinity. This Bliss sustains you.

If someone is happy, you do not ask, Why are you happy? Because happiness is

our natural state.

In Kodaikanal, we asked Svaami, “How do we understand the divine mystery,

Swami?” Swami said, “you really cannot understand. You will have to stand under

Me for so long until your legs collapse!” "Swami, can we then experience You?”

"No, because it is relative; limited. You cannot fully experience;

experiencing is like experimenting – it is experimentation." All experiences

with Svaami, for example, His materializations, His miracles are

experimentation. You nourish the experience in the mind; mentation is limited

to the mind. Mentation is mental act. Swami cannot be reached by the mind.

YATHO VAACHO NIVARTHANTHE; APRAAPYA MANASAA SAH says the THAITHIREEYA

UPANISHATH. "If we cannot really understand and it is

also beyond our experience, then, how do we grapple with the Divine mystery,

Swami?" He laughed. "It is AANANDHA – enjoying, end-joy, end in joy!"

Swami is supremely detached within, but intensely active without. He is Bliss

based; of the nature of Bliss Divine. Bliss is not comparable with other

states. It is Absolute, everything in Itself. It is a sense different from

love. In respect of love, there is the Lover – Loved – and Loving. But in

respect of Bliss, there is no such triad as Blisser, Blissed and Blissing!

PREMA is a more appropriate word than Love, because PREMA is beyond senses; It

is nothing but the manifestation of Bliss. When you translate PREMA as Love,

you have the Thriputi, Subject – Object – Interaction. Bliss however is

undifferentiated. Bliss exists in C.I.A. – Constant Integrated Awareness.

“Swami, you are SATH CHITH AANANDHA AVATHAARA”. Look at His miracles of over

flowing Love. “HIS STORY” is the divine story.

That is the true history. The PURAANAS and VEDHAS mention the concept of

AVATHAARA. AVA means descent; THARA means to liberate. He liberates us from our

ignorance, worldly bondages, and attachments.

Why do we forget our origin? There are three reasons, ego – AHAMKAARA,

attachment – MOHA and desire – KAAMA. Ego – AHAMKAARA is a self imposed

limitation. It arises because of VAASANAS – Impressions and imprints arising

from literally hundreds and thousands of births in the past. Attachment –

BANDHA is the root of the word “Bond”. This limits us, clouds our thinking. The

solution is: “Detachment from worldly matters through inner silence, the abode

of our inner Being." Swami Himself is supremely detached within and intensely

active without, outside. MAMATHVAM, the feeling of desiring objects, is the

third reason. The ego-identity is necessary for us to operate in the world.

Body – mind – intellect equipment is given to us like a boat, to cross the

ocean of SAMSAARA – the worldly suffering. When you have crossed the waters,

you leave the

boat.

DHEHO DEVAALAYAH PROKTHAH – Body is the temple of God. JEEVO DHEVAH SANAATHANAH

– The JEEVAATHMA is the PARABHRAMA. Svaami relates English with Sanskrith and

translates AYAM AATHMA BRAHMA as “I AM AATHMA BRAHMA!” I am the Supreme, all

pervasive divinity. BRAHMAN is neither near nor far, He is in you. He is You.

"You are also an AVATHAAR!" says Baba.

The PURUSHA SUUKTHAM states the THRIPAADH VIBHUUTHI; The entire universe is only

His feet. There is so much more that is invisible. The entire PRAKRITHI – Nature

is only a small part. God is far beyond. All this cosmos, the millions of

galaxies are only a minute particle of the VIRAAT PURUSHA, the cosmic divine

person.

We move from the gross to the subtle and then to the subtlest and even beyond,

to the realm of Bliss Divine. “Bliss” is the innermost KOSHA – Covering. The

process of enquiry into the five sheaths covering our inner Being reveals the

essential truth. The ANNAMAYA KOSHA (The physical Sheath) – is the Body

complex. It is the grossest sheath. The PRAANAMAYA KOSHA (The Vital Air Sheath)

– The PANCHA PRAANAS vitalize and maintain and nourish the body system. The

MANOMAYA KOSHA (The Mental sheath) – The process of thoughts and counter

thoughts. The VIJNAANAMAYA KOSHA (The Super Intellectual Sheath) – It is the

capacity to reason and discriminate. NISCHAYAATHMIKA BUDDHIH – is the Innermost

essence. It is the tail of BRAAHMIK consciousness. Bliss is ever expanding Love.

“SATH CHITH AANANDHA”.

“AA” – Means Total.

“SATH” – is Delight. AANANDHA is total delight, Bliss.

“CHITH” – Awareness or Consciousness.

Swami is the “SATH CHITH AANANDHA AVATHAAR”. He is Omniscient - Bliss

personified. Develop your consciousness. Body orientation limits you to the

small boy. By going deeper, the basis on which you stand is revealed as BLISS,

not EMOTION. Svaami says, "I keep telling stories and performing miracles in

order for you to enjoy your innermost essence. Do not be lost in the worldly

sensory attractions." Go for the UPANISHADHIK essence, the eternal Truth. The

absolute Truth; Leave out the DEHAATHMA BHAAVA – “I am the body” feeling.

Develop DHEHYAATHMA BHAAVA – the feeling that the I am the indwelling Spirit in

the body. Bliss is the stable element in the Body which is the Temple of God.

KOHAM? Who am I? NAAHAM DHEHAM – “I am not the body”. SOHAM – “I am GOD”. The

body itself experiences SO-HAM, with every breath. The body continues to

breathe even in sleep.

VAIRAAGYA and ABHYAASA – The practice of detachment is the means for getting out

of body consciousness. By leaving the qualities of RAAGA and DHVESHA – likes and

dislikes, SAMYOGA and VIYOGA – meeting and separation, we can reach the point of

equanimity. ADVAITHA DHARSHANAA JNAANAM – the Vision of Non-duality is true

knowing. MOKSHA – Freedom or Liberation, is defined by Svaami as MOHA KSHAYA –

The decay of attachment. Liberate yourself from all attachments. Detach from

your desires, your bonds. Deflate your ego. Keep your head down. Offer all that

you do to the Lord. BHAKTHI is the easiest path, says Svaami. BHAKTHI, PRAPATTHI

and SHARANAAGATHI – devotion, deep yearning and complete surrender is the steady

and sweet path to reach Divinity.

OM THATH SATH

Sharing Swami's Love, Ram Chugani, Kobe, Japanrgcjp

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