Swami teaches... Part 3. The spiritual lesson before Sri Rama Navami celebration

[Guest guest]

Light and Love Swami teaches...

 

Part 3. The spiritual lesson before Sri Rama Navami celebration

 

Spirituality is recognizing oneness of all beings. Spirituality also is discovering who you really are. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galations 5:25). Here is an example. When we close our eyes, we cannot see anybody. However, the moment we open them we can see the surrounding with trees, street, people… Where have these trees, street, people come from? If you enquire into the truth, you will recognize that your eyes notice all heads. They have not come from anywhere outside. Spirituality is not merely singing bhajans, performing worship, and going to temples or on pilgrimages or undertaking any other good activity. To recognize unity in diversity is spirituality. There is only one Atma in all beings. The entire creation has emerged from Love. Therefore, from this aspect there is also no difference between spirituality, educare and religion. Whatever impression we have about others is a reflection of our feeling towards them. Therefore, you shouldnot find fault with others. You do not have the right to find fault because your assessment of a person is limitedto your experience. There are so many aspects concern to the personality of this or that person you do not know. If you want to know a person completely you should investigate into all the aspects of his personality. "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (Matthew 7:1-2).

 

In modern times, people go by the physical appearance and judge people based on their external actions. Hence, defect lies in the vision. When you put on red glasses, everything appears red and when you put on blue glasses, everything appears blue. Here is a ring, a chain and the earrings - all these are different forms of the same gold. If one realises this unifying truth then where is the scope for multiplicity? Therefore, God is One though He may appear to you in different forms. The Vedas speak of four varnas (social groups). Varnas are directives for the exercise and experience of the rights and responsibilities of individuals in ancient Bharath (India; descendent of Bharath, first emperor of India).They declare that the Brahmin group, the 'intellectuals and the spiritual seekers must serve as the face of society - the face that hears, sees, tastes and 'smells' the changing moods of the community. This group has the duty to warn the community of impending calamity, of oncoming distress and latent drawbacks. They have to guide, lead, counsel, and comfort the rest of the people aright. They represent the Head of the Cosmic Person. The Kshathriya group is the "arm" of the Cosmic Person. The group consists of the rajasic individuals who equip themselves for guarding the country against internal and external danger. They dedicate their all for the safety and security of the country. The Vaisya group is the "thigh" of the Cosmic Person - the support and sustenance of the arms and the head. They gather and preserve the where-withal on which the community lives and prospers. They adhere to the limitations imposed on profit and exploitation. The Shuudhra group is "the feet" of the Cosmic Person, bearing the burden of feeding and fostering the community. The four varnas form one organic whole one indivisible unity. No one can do without the other. On the harmonious cooperation of all the four depends the peace and prosperity of the community. The head is immediately aware of what happens to the feet; the slightest pain anywhere is cognized by the entire body. When a thorn pricks the sole, the eye reprimands itself for not noticing the thorn and warning the foot in time. It sheds tears of repentance. The eye has the responsibility of warning, leading, guiding, and saving the foot. Every caste has to ensure the prosperity and strength of all the rest ones. When you invite a person into your home, you cannot request him to bring in only his head. The feet too have to be welcomed with equal solicitude. The feet are important. In fact, homage is offered' at the feet of the Lord. The feet of the Lord are the objects of adoration and worship. The limbs may be different, with distinct names, forms, and functions. But, they function only because of the unceasing grace of one Heart which supplies each with a single stream of blood. The qualities of each limb and its special activity may be different but the same Divine Impulse activates each one. There can be no question of inferior or superior, when all are cooperating in one common endeavor. One Divine Impulse activates all the limbs. (The pictorial comparison to four social groups is four Yogas - Bhakthi, Jnana, Karma and Raja - all four are needed, and all four contribute to the ultimate victory. Karma yoga is the earthen lamp; Bhakthi yoga is the oil in it; Raja yoga is the wick; Jnana yoga is the light.) /Caste by Vedas has to be determined on the basis of qualities though a human belonging to a caste can be judged fit or unfit, on the basis of karma. If caste has to be decided on the twin bases of guna and karma (qualities and actions), as evidenced by the character and activities of the individual, a person will have to be labeled differently every hour or every minute. Good karma will lead to the attitude of devotion and dedication, seeing God in all beings, witnessing the hand of God in all happenings. This leads to worship; as a result of worship, breathing of the vital airs, the process of concentration - all set themselves right; and, as the climax of all this sadhana (spiritual practice), the reality is revealed in its full splendor/. The fundamental basis for everything is Love. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith" (Galations 5:22).

 

Do not worry about religion. There is only one religion, the religion of Love. Religions are many but the path is only one and we need to discover this path. No religion is bad for the one who has a good sense of understanding. Everything in life including all the religions and belief systems of the world are a learning experience, a primary principle of why we are here. Every religion has elements of truth, but the Absolute truth is a thread that runs through all. You can pray to God - Allah, Jesus, Krishna or Zoroastra. It does not make any difference. Develop virtues and get rid of vices. Resist the temptation to satisfy the senses, to acquire what the world can give, to accumulate material gains. Set limits to your wants. There was a pupil once, in the kingdom of Raghu, who asked his preceptor at the conclusion of his studies what dakshina (thanksgiving offering) he would accept from him. Dakshina means offerings made in gratitude for service rendered. The Guru told him that he needed no other dakshina than his gratitude; it was enough if he lived according to his teachings and brought honor to his preceptor thereby. Nevertheless, the pupil insisted that he must indicate his need and tell him some sum of money or gifts that he would accept. Therefore, just to ward him off and get rid of him, the Guru named an impossible sum of money; "You learnt sixteen Vidyas (branches of knowledge) from me; well, bring me sixteen lakhs of gold nishkas (coins)." At this, the pupil went off, to collect the sum. The disciple went to Emperor Raghu, and got from him the promise that he will fulfill his every desire; then he placed his petition for sixteen lakhs of gold nishkas before him. Raghu was rendered desperate by the vast sum needed; though Emperor, he was too deep in austerity to have the sum on hand. Still, in order to keep his plighted word, he invaded the realm of Kubera (the God of wealth), and brought back as loot enormous stocks of gold. "Take all this and give your preceptor what he has asked for; keep the balance for yourself" the king said. The pupil refused to take a coin more than what he had to offer as dakshina to his Guru. "I have brought them for you; it is all yours, take them," insisted Raghu. But the young man resisted the temptation and stood his ground. The word 'religion’ consists of two parts' 'Re,' meaning 'again,' and 'ligio' meaning 'come together' or 'unite.' That is to say, "Reuniting with God" is Religion. People consider religion as a bundle of doctrines and of rigorous do's and don'ts prescribed for people. This is totally wrong. All religions have come into existence to make human realize the source from which human has come and to which should return. So the sacred aim of religion is to remind human of own Divine origin and help to lead human back to God. Religion is realization. Religion is realization of your own Self. Only when you realize the truth about yourself, will you stand what religion is. Life X Infinity is God. Body X Infinity is Virata Swarupa (the Cosmic Form). Mind X Infinity is Hiranyagarbha (the Cosmic Consciousness). God, Virata Swarupa and Hiranyagarbha are not distinct entities located in specific places. They are immanent in human. This profound truth is contained in the Upanishadic dictum: "Tat Twam Asi" (That Thou Art). "Uniting That with This" is the meaning of this declaration. "Prajnanam Brahma" (Brahmam is Cosmic Knowledge) is another declaration which is designed to remind human of own Divine essence and enable to merge in the Divine. "Ayam Atma Brahma" (This Atma is Brahmam) is another declaration expounding the same basic purpose of religion, namely, to make the individual realise the oneness with the Supreme. The dictum "Aham Brahmaasmi" ( I am Brahmam, the Absolute), is the final declaration by the Self-realized person.

 

The essence of the religion of Bharatiyas as proclaimed in the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Vedas, is the attainment of the unity of the individual with the Divine by the recognition of human's inherent Divinity. The hymn to this inherent Divinity is the Gayatri Mantra, the cosmic hymn to the Great Oneness. Gayatri does not belong to any particular religion or country. It is only the name and the form of a deity. It represents the three aspects of materialization, vibration and radiation. These three are present in everyone irrespective of one’s country and religion. In this Mantra, one prays for inspiration and stimulation of one’s intelligence. Swami does not force anyone either to chant it or not to chant it; you can do whatever gives you joy. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 4. "Sai Sankalpam," Chapter 15; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 8. "One-fourth and three-fourths," Chapter 14; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 14. "Four in One," Chapter 25; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 24. "Ideals of the Rama Avatar," Chapter 6; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 33. "Pari Prashna -The Divine Answers" Chapter 21). References: http://www.masterstech-home.com/The_Library/The_Bible/Bible_Chapters/Galations/5.html Namaste - Reet