Swami teaches... Part 2. The inner vision is important

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Light and Love Swami teaches... 4 - 6th January 2008 Part 2. The inner vision is important Humans undergo to the different aspects of development: social, moral, cognitive, emotional, ethical, spiritual, etc. These aspects of development are attempts to discover meaning in our existence on the different levels and states. On one hand, human being has a certain amount (limited) of control over his/her existence, while in other hand human being is a subject to forces he/she can’t predict or control and find peace in mind without spiritual awareness. Many spiritual aspirants have gone through long and arduous disciplines in order to win the dearest ambition of entering the kingdom where there is no bondage. There are others who have ventured with reason as their sole guide, into the realms of the inner consciousness and discovered that liberation consists in realizing the reality that is behind all the transient and manifold phenomena.

But, the experiences of these heroic persons are discarded as the vapourings of crazy individuals, by those who live on the flimsy surface of the first of the five sheaths of human personality, the annamaya kosha (physical sheath). They identify the body as themselves and do not delve behind the falsehood into the realm of Truth. The reason behind their attitude is - they do not grasp the fact that Vedanta reveals only the genuine history of each one of them. It but seeks to hold before every one the true picture of him/herself, devoid of deficiencies or exaggerations. Moksha (liberation) is no special and exclusive heaven into which one has to earn admission; it is not a special status or acquisition or possession. It is just the removal of the false notion that we are bound and limited by the body, the senses, the intellect, the mind, the ego and other fancies. What exactly is the bond which one has to free himself from? The bonds have been forged by fear and anxiety, produced by desire which holds one in its grip. Fundamentally, fear arises because you feel there is before you, another, a second. If there is no second, whom can one fear? The first person is the seer, the I; the second is "all other beings and things," which are seen, observed, Nature. People are engaged in the pursuit of wealth and position, but not in the quest of the Divine. They forget that lasting happiness and peace cannot be got by wealth, scholarship or position. Wherever you turn, you see in the world only unrest and disorder. There is littletrace of unity, harmony and brotherliness. Unrest and confusion prevail at every level from the individual to the nation as a whole. These conflicts are due to the craze for power, insatiable desires and intense selfishness. Moreover, the growth of unrest and chaos in society is also due to the weakness of government, the decline of truth and righteousness and the failure of people in themass to discharge their respective duties.

Everyone talks about the presence of the Divine, who is the embodiment of Truth andRighteousness. People speak about the Omnipresence and Omniscience of God. But few care to understand what this means, to experience it and to live according to it.

People are consumed by a limitless passion for wealth and power. (No doubt money is necessary for meeting one's daily needs. But even here there should be a limit). The vast ocean, when it swells beyond its bounds, causes disaster. Wealth is essential but within limits. When there is excessive wealth, many dangers ensue. With excessive wealth human turns arrogant and loses the sense of discrimination between right and wrong. The educated person fights for rights, without regard to the duties to be discharged. Rights and duties are inseparably inter-related. Love is the connecting link between the two. The Avatar (an incarnation of God, taking a form according to the age in which the incarnation occurs; special manifestation of God on the Earth) has come to call your attention to the profundity and profitableness of the Dharma (Righteousness). An example from the Gita. Exhorting Arjuna to see everything is the Atma (the Divine soul), Krishna revealed to him His Vishwarupa (Cosmic Divine Form), all the forms seen in the Cosmos, wherefrom they have come. Krishna revealed that all of them were in Him. He told Arjuna: "I am in the tree that you see. I am in the ocean. I am in the earth. See Me in everything."

Asthi, bhathi , priyam (existence, effulgence and bliss) are the characteristics of the Divine. They are the basis of everything in the Universe. When they are associated with name and form, they acquire a five- fold character. Hence all' things in creation are known as Panchaka (objects with five attributes). The world is described as Prapancha because it makes known these five attributes in creation. For the evolution of the Cosmos, the pancha bhuthas (five elements, ether, air, fire, water and earth) are needed. To nourish five elements, the pancha koshas (five sheaths) have to be developed. The sheaths have to be sustained by the pancha pranas (five vital airs). These five vital airs arise from the One that is their source. They originate by the Will of the Chaithanya (the Divine Principle). There is nothing in the Universe without this Chaithanya. From the minutest particle in its most subtle form to the vastest in its amplitude, the Divine pervades the Universe. In this context, the difference between Divinity (as Universal, Cosmic Consciousness) and the Avatar (the Divine in human form) should be understood. The Para Brahman (the Omniself) is not subject to change. The Avatar has name and form and is liable to change by its own Will. The Omniself has no name or form. Name and form do not circumscribe the total fullness of the Divinity the Avatar manifests. How can the all-knowing, all-powerful, Omnipresent Lord flee from anywhere? Where can He hide Himself? This is fanciful. When one has faith in the ways of the Lord and abides by the will of the Lord, the Lord can be understood and experienced. Name and form are the self-chosen attributes of the infinite, eternal, ever pure, Universal Cosmic Consciousness. According to Shikshavalli (in the Thaithariya Upanishad) vidhya (learning, spiritual knowledge) is not mere mastery of letters. Vidhya should blend harmoniously with life and lend meaning and purpose to it. It is said: "Learning is that which liberates." By Shikshavalli there are four samhithas (collections of methodically arranged texts; beneficial Divine instructions) - Loka Samhitha, Aloka Samhitha, Vijnana Samhitha and Prajnana Samhitha. Loka Samhitha describes the Earth three lokas (worlds) and the stellar galaxies. It is Vaagu (wind) that binds the Earth and the stellar galaxies, giving rise to the creation of akasha (space). The principle of mutual attraction governs the galaxies and the Earth. There are seven kinds of winds that circulate between the Earth and three worlds. Shikshavalli teaches that a harmonious bond between three worlds and the Earth is ensured by the presence of these seven winds. It is due to this intimate bond that the ocean swells and sways at the sight of the Moon and the clouds.

 

The second Aloka Samhitha, is also known as Jyothi Samhitha. This describes the presence of fire and the Sun and the connecting bond between two. Cosmic radiationestablishes a link between fire on the Earth and the rays from the Sun, causing the creation of water in the process. The Aloka Samhitha testifies that one who understands the nature of water can cognise the nature of the Universe as well. The second teaching of this Samhitha is that there is a link between the Sun and the human's heart. The statements ancient Sacred Divine revelations in the Veda bring out theconnection between the Moon and the mind and the Sun and eye-sight. The third Vijnana Samhitha, expounds the conjunction between the teacher and the student. It stresses, the importance of spiritual education, in addition to secular education through the education of the heart. These injunctions are the following. Speak Sathya (truth). Observe Dharma (code of righteousness). Foster knowledge with diligence. Abstain from vicious deeds. Perform worthy acts. Respect most meticulously the regulations laid down by society for leading a disciplined life in the community. Practice charity as a householder according to your capacity. Show reverence and obedience to elders. Exercise extreme vigilance with regard to your duties and relationship with your kith and kin and fellow - human beings.

After imparting these instructions, Vijnana Samhitha lays down that these teachings constitute the eternal commandments for the conduct of human.

So, do not serve for the sake of reward, attracting attention, or earning gratitude, or from a sense of pride at your own superiority in skill, wealth, status or authority. Serve because you are urged by Love.

 

The most important consideration is not the work that we do or not do, but how effectively we have been able to uproot and destroy the Vasanas (deep-seated tendencies) which lie hidden in our heart. The removal of these impurities, which have encased themselves so deeply, is the principal objective of all sadhana or spiritual practice. This is also the goal of all yoga to cleanse ourselves of all trace of the twin evils of attachment and hatred, which have harbored themselves within us. The Gita teaches A-sakthi yoga, the yoga of disinterestedness or impersonal action, in which we remain totally indifferent to any personal interest in the work that we do and in the results that accrue from it. A-sakthi yoga goes even beyond the practice of Nishkama karma what is the stage in which all our actions are performed without desiring or expecting any fruits from our labors. No person will be able to reach the stage of Nishkama karma as long as his/her vasanas (impressions), which have arisen from past actions, are impediments to spiritual progress. A person must first remove the bad qualities which are associated with bad actions, by replacing them with good qualities which are associated with good actions. Then when person is firmly established in the stage of selfless service and can go to the stage of Nishkama karma. From there person will rise to the stage of A-sakthi yoga. The Gita asserts that the true purity of the heart can be achieved only by dedicating all our actions to the Lord. For example, when food is eaten after having been cooked and prepared in a number of different ways, it is still just ordinary food, and we are subject to the good or the bad effects of eating that food. However, if this food before being consumed is offered to God, then it becomes prasadam (blessed food), which becomes the sacred gift of the Lord. By the same token, all the activities performed during the day fall into the category of ordinary karma. But when we perform these same actions, even if they are simple acts, with the intention of making them an offering to God, devoting their results not to our own pleasure but the pleasure of the Lord, then they become Karma yoga (communionthrough selfless action) as well as a yajna (holy sacrifice). A-sakthi yoga is not easily accessible to ordinary people. But with whole-hearted effort and God's Grace, seemingly impossible things can be achieved. If we persist in our efforts then with practice we will be able to reach this high level of A-sakthi yoga in all our activities. To succeed in this, the inner vision must be developed. However, the inner vision is very rare among humans; even the greatest pandits and scholars are steeped only in the outer vision.

Here is a story that illustrates this. Once upon a time, King Janaka called an assembly of great scholars. The assembly was composed of such giants that there was no room at all for ordinary people to enter in. The daily meetings were presided over by King Janaka himself, and of the highly select group in attendance, only the most outstanding and accomplished were given the opportunity to speak and present their views. It was to this magnificent and august assembly that Ashtavakra, young in age, devoid of formal scholarship and twisted in physical form, sought to gain admission. But who would permit Ashtavakra to enter? He did not have any credentials or any recommendation whatsoever. The only help he had was his deep faith in God. For three days Ashtavakra waited at the gate of King Janaka's palace. Ashtavakra was not prepared to give up his resolution to join the assembly and participate in it. He waited at the gate patiently day after day. There was one observant and sympathetic old scholar who noticed Ashtavakra standing by that gate, whenever he entered and exited through it, morning and evening. The kindly old scholar informed King Janaka that there was a young boy outside, waiting for some days to enter the assembly, although he did not have any of the usual qualifications necessary for being inside.

 

King Janaka directed his assistants to find the boy and bring him to the assembly hall. Shortly after King Janaka had taken his seat, and the meeting began in the solemn and sacred atmosphere befitting such an august assembly, Ashtavakra entered the hall. The moment they saw the young boy with such crooked form come to take part in the assembly, most of the great scholars began to laugh. King Janaka who was keenly observing Ashtavakra as he entered, did not laugh. Ashtavakra looked carefully around the hall, and then quite inexplicably started laughing even louder than the scholars seated there. This loud burst of laughter from Ashtavakra was quite inadmissible and greatly surprised the scholars; it became a real problem for them. "Why should this uncouth stripling be laughing at us?" they thought. "There certainly is reason enough for our laughter, considering how funny he looks, but there is nothing at all strange about us, so what conceivable reason does he have for all this laughter?" They were very much puzzled and irritated by what they considered the boy's impertinence. One of the scholars asked, "Oh stranger, who are you? We do not know you. When we looked at you as you came in, your form made us laugh. In response to our laughter you are laughing even more loudly. What is the reason for this? What strikes you so funny about all the renowned scholars seated here that you have not even for a moment stopped laughing." Ashtavakra replied, "Well, Sir, I entered this gathering thinking it to be sacred assemblyconvened by the famous Emperor Janaka to discuss the holy scriptures. I waited patiently for many days and then entered this hall thinking that the greatest living scholars would be assembled here. I looked forward to being in the company of such sacred souls. But, alas, I find nothing but cobblers here, only shoemakers, who stitch chappals and work with leather." When they heard this all the scholars became furious, feeling greatly insulted by Ashtavarka for using such an abusive word.

 

Ashtavakra continued in the same vein, "Only cobblers, only people who work with hides and skins will think about the worth of a particular skin; others will not be bothered about it. All of you are laughing at my skin and have obviously decided it is not worth much, but not even one of you has made an effort to know about my scholarship. Pandits should have a capacity to look inward, but you only seem to care about the outer covering." The scholars hung their heads in shame. King Janaka who understood very well what Ashtavakra was saying, invited him to take a seat in the assembly, and subsequently bestowed numerous honors upon him.

 

As was the case then, so is the case now throughout the world. However great we may be, we have developed only the external vision. We do not bother to cultivate the inner vision. When we examine a person we pay attention only to his physical features, his wealth, his status, his education, his degrees and so on. On the other hand when God examines a person, He looks at the purity of his heart. He pays attention to the peace that is within him. It is such inner vision that we must develop. By practicing patience and forbearance we will be able to acquire all the other important spiritual qualities, such as mind control, renunciation, endurance and concentration. This will bring a state of inner purity and abiding peace. The Lord is ever present both inside and out. Therefore, both inner and the outer, the entire place where the Lord is to be found, must be purified and sanctified. Then the indwelling God will protect you wherever you go. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 11. "Liberation from bondage," Chapter 17; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 17. " Divinity of Avathaar," Chapter 26 and "Uphold Sai ideals," Chapter 28; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 20. "Developing the inner vision," Chapter 11; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 27. "The Avathaar and the devotees," Chapter 31; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 29. "Render unto God what is His," Chapter 19). Namaste - Reet