PROF. ANIL KUMAR – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS [226 to 229]

May 31, 2006

How do I get connected with Bhagavan? I am studying in a very good college. But I am missing the link with Bhagavan. How do I get connected with Bhagavan? (311005)

This is a question from a college student. To get yourself connected with Bhagavan is to do what is expected of you. As a student, if you study well, you are connected to Bhagavan. As a student, if you make your parents happy, you are connected to Bhagavan. As a student, if you are obedient to your teachers, you are connected to Bhagavan.

As a student, if you are always in good company, you are connected to Bhagavan. As a student, if you have got healthy habits, you are connected to Bhagavan. If you participate in some service activity or go to some educational activity of the Sai centre, like Bal Vikas, or Education in Human Values or Educare, or join the Bhajan group, or read some good book, you are connected to Bhagavan. There are so many channels to establish your contact with Swami. Swami will never leave you alone. Swami will never desert you.

BABA WILL NEVER FORGET YOU

On a flight, on your journey to Tokyo or Hong Kong, when you are helpless, when you feel strange, all alone, you will find someone on the flight with the ring given by Bhagavan. You will find someone wearing a T-shirt with "Sai Ram" written on the back! (Laughter) You will find someone reading "Man of Miracles" written by Howard Murphet. You will find someone with Baba’s picture as a sticker on his or her baggage.

You may forget Him, but He will never forget you. Baba chases you; Baba haunts you. When there is no light, you may not get a shadow. You will get a shadow only when there is light. Baba is a shadow, whether you are in the light or the dark. That light is our life. That light is our delight, from which you can never de-link. You think that you have de-linked but He will never allow you to be de-linked. He follows you.

HE IS WITH YOU, IN YOU, ABOVE YOU, BELOW YOU

There are number of instances. A fellow had to go to a Holiday Inn, in the company of people who are used to taking alcohol, because of some business session. He had to go along with other businessmen for a cocktail party. The glasses were filled. When all the others could have the taste of alcohol, this fellow’s glass was full of aqua, water, Bisleri only. (Laughter) Same bottle. Alcohol is in all other glasses. H20, water, in his glass. Even if you want to have alcohol, He will see to it that it becomes water. Even if you want to have water, He will make it milk. He will make it ambrosia, amrit.

Yes, He can do it because He follows you. He is with you, in you, above you, below you! So, there is no question of being de-linked. Impossible! This kind of link with Baba is eternal. This link with Baba is for lives to come. He said, "I shall not forsake you even if you forsake me." And He said, "I shall not leave you until I take you to that height that I want you to reach and attain. I shall not leave you."

Therefore, my friends, be assured that He is not going to leave us, which calls for greater responsibility, higher grades of simplicity, higher levels of humility, more prayerfulness, more respectfulness, more gratitude towards Him.

227. If all are the same, why must we serve? Whom must we serve? (311005)

A very good question, from a modern man, an electronic, computer man. If all are the same, why should I serve anybody? Who is serving whom? Ah! Excellent question.

The answer is this: If you really believe that all are same, when others are eating, you don’t eat. (Laughter) When others are sleeping, why should you sleep? While others have their cup of tea, why should you have your cup of tea?

You have not reached that state. You have not experienced that all are the same. You are only saying all are same, so why should I serve? You are not convinced of the truth that all are the same. If you are convinced, if you have experienced the truth that all are the same, you don’t have to serve anybody. It is only Baba who can say that.

"Swami, why don’t You eat? When all of us are eating, when all of us are at the dining table with so many delicious items, why don’t You eat?"

It is Baba who said, "Why should I eat?"

"Swami, why not?"

"When all of you eat, don’t you know that it reaches Me?"

That’s why He doesn’t eat. Just to make others eat, just to give company to others, He pretends as if, as though, He eats. If I copy Swami’s style of eating -- just one spoon of ragi – by next Sunday, you will not see me! (Laughter) Then there will be someone else to talk to you. (Laughter) Impossible! Not only should I eat, I should eat spicy stuff also -- oily stuff and all that. (Laughter) We have got preferential eating. So at this stage, I cannot say all are the same. No, no, no! I am different. Spicy food is necessary for me.

So, "all are the same" is an experiential, existential conviction. It is an experiential, existential conviction, not just a verbal, vocal, oral expression. Therefore, until you experience this conviction, you will have to serve others.

228. I am well educated and learned, with good cognisance of spiritual precepts and Baba’s teachings. I know myself as a part and parcel of God for sure, without a doubt. I know that Swami and I are one. And I have all the correct knowledge and mastery over desire. Still I don’t have money; I don’t have a job, (Laughter) and no shelter. What am I to do? I know that I am God, but have no job. I know I am God, but have no shelter to live in. (311005)

Waah! No shelter, what am I to do? I know that I am God, but I have no job. I know I am God, but I have no shelter to live in. Arey! Poor God! Have the correct idea of God, at least. (I am not speaking from the point of experience.) If I conceptualise, if I visualise, if I have an idea in accordance with the scriptures, God does not need a shelter because God is everywhere. A shelter is required for a person who is at some place. We need shelter. Yes. Because I am here, I need shelter. But when I am everywhere, why do I need shelter? So I am God; but saying, "I have no shelter" means you are not God! Because God does not need shelter as He is everywhere.

TRAVEL FROM DUALISM TO NON-DUALISM

He is inside; He is outside. He is within; He is without -- in the ocean, in the sky, on the mountain, in the deep valley. He is everywhere. Why? All are in Him. The cosmos is in Him; the universe is in Him. Then, why does He need a shelter?

So, this is only a non-dual statement with a dual background: "I don’t have a job." When all jobs are God’s and your job is God’s job, you are God, meaning you give jobs to everybody. So why do you bother about your job? You say, "I am God." God gives us jobs – His is the employment exchange office! Then why do you worry about your job as you are the giver of all jobs! So it is not so!

You are dual. Definitely you are dual. You are separate from God. So, you need food and shelter from rain. Being separate from God, I need all these things. Therefore, let me travel from duality to non-duality. Let me make a journey from duality to non-duality. Let me speak of non-duality, while my life is dualistic. Let me slowly travel from dualism to non-dualism. That’s what I can say.

229. It seems in one of the discourses, Swami said, "You are only a puppet." Are we puppets? How can we be puppets? It has disturbed our minds. Why? Why should we be puppets? (311005)

To say, "Why should I be a puppet?" is the quality of a puppet. (Laughter) To feel "Am I a puppet?" is the quality of the puppet. A puppet does not know that it is a puppet; whereas the Master knows that you are a puppet. Do you understand?

Therefore, "why should I be a puppet?" That feeling arises out of ignorance, ajnana. To know that I am a puppet is Jnana or wisdom. Wisdom lies in knowing that I am a puppet, in being aware that I am a puppet. "I am an instrument" is the awareness or knowledge.

"Am I a puppet?" Good. You are a child. "Why should I be a puppet?" Very good. Himalayan ignorance! (Laughter)

HIGHER LEVEL OF AWARENESS

So, the real knowledge, the real awareness knows that I am a puppet and I have to dance and act in accordance with the director, the puppeteer behind it. The puppeteer goes on moving the strings and the puppets dance on the surface. They do not know why and how they dance because the puppeteer is behind, pulling the strings in different directions.

Similarly, this question arises out of ignorance. This question arises due to a lack of awareness. This question arises because of our worldly nature. This question arises because of our little, simple achievements and attainments.

"I am the boss of my office! Oh! Am I a puppet? Why?" Oh! I see. Being a boss is also a puppet show. (Laughter) Part of the puppet show. So, to know that I am a puppet is a higher level of awareness.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Courtesy: http://www.saiwisdom.com

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