Sai message for the day

[Guest guest]

Pardon us for misunderstanding the scriptures. We feel that certain

statements are contradictory to each other, and we are at a loss to

know what is to be accepted and what is to be rejected. One scripture

says 'brahma satyam jaganmithya,' `God is truth while the world is

illusion'. You said, " There is no maya. " How are we to understand the

scriptural statement in the light of what you have told us about

maya? Moreover, the same scripture says; `sarvarn visnumayam

jagat,' `The whole Universe is Divine.' Then, what and where is

delusion or maya! Of the two statements, contradictory to each other,

which one is true?

 

Both the statements are equally true though they seem opposed to each

other. The whole mistake lies in your understanding or rather your

misunderstanding. They apply to your own mental state; your

experience determines your own level of understanding the truth.

 

Here is an example for you. Suppose I ask you " When did you come? "

your reply would be, `Just now. Swami!' Isn't it? Analyse your

answer. When you said, " I have come just now " , what is it that has

come here? Your " I " , does it refers., to yourself or to your body?

You have identified yourself with your body. You think, you are the

body. So, the one that has come now is your body (you are the body-

feeling). Later, you start complaining, " My leg is paining " , " My head

reels " and " My hand shakes " . Examine these statements clearly. You

say " my leg " , " my hand " " my head " and so on. Now, put a question to

yourself, " who is this my? " When you say, " This is my hand " , it means

you are different from your hand. You are different from the limbs,

senses, etc. You are the owner or master and all the rest are

instruments. In these statements, you indirectly or unconsciously

convey that you are .not the body. Earlier, when you said, " I have

come now " you meant the body and now when you say " my leg " , " my

head " , you mean you are different from your body.

 

Similarly in sadhana when you view from body identification from the

dualistic standpoint, the first statement, brahma satyam

jaganmithya , is true (body identification - I have come now). But,

when you speak from the atmic view, spirit, or non-dualistic

approach, your second statement that you are different from your body

(my leg, my hand, my head. etc) is true.

 

So, the truth conveyed in `sarvam visnumayam jagat' holds good. You

have to understand the statement in this sense. You should never

consider the statements of our scriptures as contradictory to each

other. They are stated to meet the needs of people of different

mental levels.