Swami and the Divine Energy. Three
insights
 |
Light and Love
An Estonian Sai follower, painter and painting teacher Margus
Rump presented me this picture what I wish to share with you. He has
been many times at PN, worked there voluntary and has received
Swami's direct Darshans. Impressions inspired by Swami he expresses
through painting.
Below are three insights I should wish to share.
1. We
all know that information carries not only letters, words, colors,
figures but also energy. Kirlian method grounds on the fact, that
all material objects leave their "patterns" (information) to the
environment that surrounded them. Kirlian method is one of the
technical methods what permits to visualize this impressions in
high frequency pulsate electric field using photography or various
kinds of info-technology applies. The luminosity (aura) of living
objects is radiant, varying, rich in color, irregular, but strictly
individual, reflecting not only physical but also emotional state of
men, animals, plants. (The aura of inanimate objects is stable,
geometrically regular and as a rule one-colored).
To percept Swami's Omnipresent Energy there is no need to proof
by Kirlian camera or by others methods. This energy is as a Divine
fluid into devotees hearts. The results of this Divine flow can be
observed in practice, be it is by spreading His Teaching and having
experiences, composing paintings and books dedicated to Swami,
obtaining the skill to meditate and listen to melody of silence
within, or something else...
Avatars has incarnated with his
devotees as one spiritual entity. Swami is not separated Avatar: all
devotees are with Him and vice versa. For that connection nothing
ecxept presence of the Divine love is needed.
"The
cosmos cannot exist apart from the Divine. The Divine cannot
divorce the cosmos. The devotee creates (his own image of) God.
God creates the devotees. The common belief is that all beings
including devotees are created by God. But this is not the whole
truth. The devotee also by his spiritual sadhana creates God....
Wherefrom
does this Divine form come? It comes from the devotee's intense
feeling for a direct vision of God. Is it folly for anyone to go
in search the God. When God is omnipresent, what is the need for a
search? It is a delusion to imagine that man is in quest of God.
It is God who is searching the true devotee." (Excerpts from the
Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba at the
Summer Course in Brindavan, 29 May 1991).
When one tries to look within and exclude all temporary frames of
Maya reality, he/she can 'acknowledge' the reflection of the Self
- bodiless, wordless, omniscient, omnipresent... and can fuse into
oneness of eternal being... The last sentence is an imagination,
it is impossible to describe the Self, descriptions try to express
the bliss, eternal - where is no fear, no joy, no hope, neither
bad and nor good actions... Probably everyone has own impulse for
indirect expression the Self. For me is a special inner joy and
radiant to reach closer to the
Self through Cosmic Consciousness as
Swami's Omnipresent Energy (Form).
"Truth is one.
It is beyond mind and speech. It transcends the limitations of
time and space. Innumerable seekers have pursued different paths
to recognise this Truth. There are notable differences among the
seekers of Truth. These differences do not affect the nature of
Reality. On the contrary, it is the existence of these differences
that has spurred the continuous search for a unifying principle."
(Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. Thought for the day as written at
Prasanthi Nilayam on 4 May 2004).
2. It has known by
modern science that between the Earth and the cosmic Space is the
energetic balance. Similarly, the maintenance of a human being's
energetic balance provides the security and stability of all his
systems as science declares. This energetic balance is also
pictorially between physical and spiritual energies with high
vibrations as Swami has through His Body and His Cosmic Forms. For
most devotees and followers His first form is easier to percept. It
is the cause, why millions of devotees desire to have direct Swami's
Darshan.
Most of us are trying to
acquire knowledge and understand the sense of living. We make
numerous attempts that can often fail, but every endeavor is worth
making. Each of us is a God’s creature.
"Every atom is
permeated with Divinity. As the rays emanate from the sun, so does
Nature originate from God. Nature is the reservoir of power and
energy. When Nature, which is the creation of God, is so full of
power, you may estimate for yourself the tremendous power of God! It
is said that the workings of Divinity are most wonderful." (Excerpts
from the Divine Discourse delivered by Sathya Sai Baba "Divine
Origin of Five Elements." 15 May 2000 PM, Brindavan).
A person's physical body is less
or more in balance with different physical cosmic energies. A human
being has consciousness and it expects not only being in balance
with physical but also with spiritual energies.
The impulses of spiritual
energy, spiritual reality (what is possible to percept as indirect
evidence of Atmic reality) contains in various aspects. The
different cultures explain them differently; however, the initial
source is the same they all are pinpointers of Atmic reality. For
example, Russian thinker G.Gourdgiev (a disciple of the Sufism
School) at the beginning of the 20th century has imagined the
spiritual vibrations as a row of musical sounds. The Pythagorean
School found the spiritual energy in using the concepts of the
Universe-wide gold-section, Phi numbers and sequence of Fibonacci
numbers. In the "Book of the Dead" spiritual cosmic energy is
compared with the range of light. The Chinese "Book of Changes" the
action of the vibrations has explained with the help of linear
geometric symbols. Dao Schools use alchemical esoteric terms. Zen
Buddhists create paradox verbal construction. Each of them describes
some aspects of spiritual energy.
For Swami's devotees the spiritual reality is represented in His
Teaching and His Omnipresent Energy, experienced by millions of his
devotees.
However,
"In this world, there
are two types of intellectuals. The first type is the scientists who
are totally materialistic in their outlook. They have in their mind
only the physical and worldly goals and gains. They are fascinated
by the external appearance of a gigantic tree with its numerous
branches and twigs, but they are not interested in finding its
"roots". Vedantins (philosophers) are the second type of
intellectuals who are not fascinated by the external appearance of
the tree but evince great delight in finding the "roots". People who
are worldly in outlook waste their time in watering the 'branches',
whereas, the Vedantins water the 'roots' and thereby enjoy the
'fruits'.> (Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai
Baba on the 1st of January 2003 in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi
Nilayam ).
It is a human ego-self what
prevents many human beings to acknowledge this truth. Spiritual
energy what is perceptible with heart is as a personal inner
feeling. A person or groups of people being not in balance with
spiritual vibrations are capable to pollute the powerful energy of
the Universe. The fact has known to all what concern to the global
chemical, physical, biological and mental pollution of five elements
creation today.
What exactly is ego-self? It is feeling that one is a separate
unique individual, and shows whenever we boast our accomplishments,
desire and fear the unknown. In Vedas has said that this is an
illusion and you are not separate from others. The modern scientist
agrees with Vedas that all objects are interrelated on all levels.
If we understand that consciousness is a field (energy, deeply
intertwined with spiritual energy, "I") which is the new
understanding of modern science. According to it there may be a
hope for spiritual growth through unison science and
spirituality. More than two thousand years ago, Buddha said that
humans are inter-beings that inter-arise in the inter-richness and
there is only the inter-richness. Today, scientists are declaring
that our bodies are recycled stardust, our blood is recycled waters
of World Ocean, our breath is recycled air, our emotions are
recycled energies, our thoughts are recycled information, our
personalities are recycled relationships, and our souls are
reflections of every other soul what all together form the same
Atman.
What then remains personally to us? Nothing except Atman
expressed through Cosmic Order and Harmony. A human being can reach
to these values through Love as Cosmic Order and Harmony is not
possible to express by other way.
"If you
want to experience true love, have full faith in God. God's love
is steady. It never diminishes. You may undergo any amount of
suffering, yet you belong to God. You are His and He is yours. No
third person can come between you and God. You say, "He is my
classmate; he is my sportsmate." But none of them can come to your
rescue. You have to look after yourself. You should have faith in
yourself. Only then can you realise the truth." (Excerpts from the
Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Have
Faith in God, the only True Friend" - 17th October 2004. Prashanti
Nilayam).
"We have to love before we have to
understand "- said Nikolaj Grundvig, the promoter the adult
education two centuries ago.
What concern to knowledge, so often quoted as the chief value in
human society, then I like to repeat the saying by Arthur C. Clarke,
”Let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is
not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the
other, and we need them all." However, when there is no Love all
these qualities vanishes into whirl of delusion.
The Truth about the Nature (laws, orders and relations -
expression of Atman in Maya reality is the same for all times and
for all nations. The humankind is existing in the conditions of
continuous Divine development.
"Although
science and technology have made rapid strides, man has not acquired
the divine qualities. Technology is the child of science. But very
much anterior to science is the Veda. Science seeks to know all
about creation, but the Veda reveals the knowledge about the
Creator. All the natural sciences are concerned with knowledge about
created things.
But there is a
Creator who is the source of all them. In the quests for
understanding the objects in creation, man is forgetting the
Creator." (Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. SSS. Vol.18, Chapter 4).
The explanations concern to this development and to the eternal
Truth in its various forms would be clear to the younger and older
generations with the different basic knowledge.
The more understandable for human consciousness is the knowledge
given through examples, pictures, performances and finally through
scientific explanations. Swami's Teaching is understandable to all:
from scientists to persons with primary education or illiterates.
Human values are within everyone and the existence of Divine spark
is not depending on the stage of education. It is one of features of
universality of Swami’s Teaching.
Whatever area of science (or other human activities) we look:
be it today's natural, technical, social, medicine, psychological,
etc. sciences we are finding a lot of fundamental identicalness
between modern science and Swami's Teaching. It is as an eternal
Truth fused with Divine Energy for human beings to discover their
real nature. Discovered it, Swami’s Teaching is a guide how to fuse
into rhythms of harmony with laws of Divine Nature.
3.
The third insight is the compilation from:
http://www.hinduism.co.za/god.htm connected with own
thoughts and Swami's quotations.
God is described as manifest and
unmanifest. Know the Self as god what is within you before you
decide about the nature of God and the world.
The Self is God. 'I am' is God. This
question arises because you are holding on to the ego self. It will
not arise if you hold on to the true Self. For the real Self will
not and cannot ask anything. If God be apart from the Self he must
be a self-less God, which is absurd. God, who seems that not exists,
alone truly exists. Whereas the individual, who seems to be
existing, is ever non-existent. Sages say that the state in which
one thus knows one's own non-existence (sunya) alone is the glorious
supreme knowledge.
"There are many in
this world who do not understand what is true spirituality and
thereby forget the reality. If someone puts a question, "Who are
you?", say with firm conviction, "I am I." Never identify yourself
with the body. He who realises this truth is a blessed one.
Worldly Gurus
undergo change with the passage of time. God alone is changeless
and He alone is your true Guru. Have total faith in God. Develop
faith day by day. Only then can you be called a true Manava (human
being). Daivam Manusha Rupena (God incarnates in the form of a
human being). Hence, consider yourself as divine. Declare with
total conviction, "I am I." When you lead your life with such a
sacred feeling, divinity will certainly manifest in you. Never be
under the mistaken notion that God is elsewhere. He is always in
you. Your reflection is God's reflection. Your reaction is His
reaction. Everything is basically divine in nature. It is God who
makes you play your role in this cosmic drama. You may call Him by
any name. But He is only one." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Have Faith in God, the
only True Friend" - 17th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
Particles of God do not separate
from Him and forms the universe. His sakti (power, energy) is
acting. As a result of one phase of such activity the cosmos has
become manifest.
"The Upanishads
declare Isavasyam Idam Sarvam (the entire universe is permeated by
God) and Easwara Sarva Bhutanam (God is the indweller of all
beings). God is immanent in every being as "Nammakammu" (faith).
Therefore, one has to cultivate faith in God, as his first and
foremost duty. All the Vedas, Upanishads and scriptures emphasise
this as duty of a man." (Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba "Have Faith in God, the only True Friend" - 17th
October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
So the fact is that Brahman
(Atman) is all and remains indivisible. It is ever realised but man
is not aware of this. Knowledge means the overcoming of obstacles,
which obstruct the revelation of the eternal truth that the Self is
the same as Brahman (Atman). The obstacles taken together form your
idea of separateness as an individual.
"The Divine is
the basis of everything in the cosmos. The integral relationship
between the Divine and the Universe should be properly
understood.... The omnipresence of the Divine from a piece of stone
and a mighty emperor should be recognised. Man should be grateful
for the ennumerable benefits provided by the Divine... Self-realisation
is the goal of every human being." (Excerpts from the Divine
Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba at Summer School in
Brindavan, 21 - 05 - 1993).
Among the many thousands of names
of God, no name suits God, who abides in the Heart, devoid of
thought, so truly, aptly, and beautifully as the name "I" or "I am".
In the mere presence of God, who
does not have even the least volition, the living beings, who are
engaged in innumerable activities, are embarking upon many paths to
which they are drawn according to the course determined by their own
Karmas, finally realise the futility of action, turn back to Self
and attain liberation.
The actions of living beings
certainly do not go and affect God, who transcends the mind, in the
same manner as the activities of the world do not affect that sun
and as the qualities of the conspicuous four elements (earth, water,
fire and air) do not affect the limitless space.
It is inscrutable God's Will that
samsara- creation and manifestation is full of sorrow and evil.
No motive can be attributed to
that power - no desire, no end to achieve can be asserted of that
one infinite, all-wise and all-powerful being. God is untouched by
activities, which take place in his presence. Compare the Sun and
the world activities. There is no meaning in attributing
responsibility and motive to the one before it becomes many
.
It is not possible for anyone to
do anything opposed to the ordinance of God, who has the ability to
do everything.
"If you want to
know God, imbibe the principle of oneness. When you have the feeling
of oneness, you can see the direct manifestation of God. The sages
of Vedic times adored the sun as the direct manifestation of God as
described in the Gayatri Mantra. Consider God as your mother,
father, friend and everything." (Divine Discourse delivered by
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Have Faith in God, the only True
Friend" - 17th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
Iswara has individuality in mind
and body, which are perishable, but at the same time he has also the
transcendental consciousness and liberation inwardly. Iswara fot our
generation is Swami. How easy to understand this outlook, when we
have the living God as an example for His devotees.
Iswara, the personal God, the
supreme creator of the universe really does exist. But this is true
only from the relative standpoint of those who have not realised the
truth, those people who believe in the reality of individual souls.
From the absolute standpoint the sage cannot accept any other
existence than the impersonal Self, one and formless.
Iswara (as Swami) has a physical
body, a form and a name. Today Swami's darshans are the evidence of
this. Iswara (Swami) can be seen in visions in the form created by
the devotee. His essence is the same as ours, the real Self being
only one without form. Hence, forms he assumes are only creations or
appearances.
Iswara is immanent in every person
and every object throughout the universe. The totality of all things
and beings constitutes God. There is a power out of which a small
fraction has become all this universe, and the remainder is in
reserve. Both this reserve power plus the manifested power as
material world together constitute Iswara.
Swami gives an additional
explanations concern to the different Vedic schools.
"The Advaita
(non-dualistic) philosophy of Sri Sankaracharya advocates the
oneness of Jiva (individual soul) and Brahman (cosmic soul). The
Visishtadvaita philosophy of Sri Ramanujacharya presupposes that
Jiva and Brahman are different. Sri Madhwacharya explained that
there are, in fact, three concepts, namely, Dehatma Bhava (body
consciousness), Jivatma Bhava (individualised form of God) and
Paramatma Bhava (the universalised soul or the Supreme self). Nobody
need hold on to a particular school of thought or deride the others.
The question of adhering to a particular school of philosophy
depends upon the mental frame work of the individual."
“I am That” and
“That I am”. When you are able to realise this truth, you will find
that the principle “I” underlies everything in the universe as the
principle of unity. The only aspect you have to realise is “I am
Brahman”. “I am I”, “I am the word, I am the form and I am the
name”. This “I” represents and explains everything.
The Vedantic
concepts lead to endless arguments and counter-arguments. Do not
enter into them. Always be under the awareness “I am I”. This “I”
principle is beyond names and forms. It represents Brahma Tattwa,
which is one without a second entity." (Excerpts from the Dasara
Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Who
are You? I am I" - 20th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
Existence of Iswara follows from
conception of Iswara. Let us first know whose concept he is. The
concept will be only according to the one who conceives.
God, the creator, the personal
God, is the last of the unreal forms to go. Only the absolute being
is real. Hence, not only the world, not only the ego, but also the
personal God is of unreality. We must find the absolute – nothing
else.
"Make
efforts to understand the principle of spirituality. Have firm
conviction that you are the embodiment of Atma and there is no
second entity in this world. Develop firm faith in your 'real
nation' i.e., the Atma. Believe in yourself. Have firm conviction
that God is everywhere." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Have Faith in God, the
only True Friend" - 17th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
By such contemplation, God is as
an idea.
If the individual is a form, even
Self, the source, who is the Lord, will also appear to be form. If
one is not a form, since there then cannot be knowledge of other
things, will that statement that God has a form be correct? God
assumes any form imagined by the devotees through repeated thinking
in prolonged meditation. Though he thus assumes endless names, the
real formless consciousness alone is God who does not reside in any
place other than the Heart. It is due to illusion, caused by the
ego, the 'I am the body' idea, that the kingdom of God is conceived
to be elsewhere. However, God is within you. The unlimited space of
Turiyatita (beyond the four states, i.e. the Self), which shines
suddenly, in all its fullness, within the Heart of a highly mature
aspirant during the state of complete absorption of mind, as a
unknown experience, is rarely attained and true kingdom of God,
which shines by the light of Self.
Usually it is said that the jiva
(individual soul) is subject to the evil effects of illusion such as
limited vision and knowledge, whereas Iswara has all-pervading
vision and knowledge. It is also said that Jiva and Iswara become
identical if the individual discards his limited vision and
knowledge.
The Vedic saints' explanation
concern to the relation between individual soul and Iswara (Swami)
is following.
First get rid of your own limited
knowledge. Why do you worry about Iswara? He will look after
himself. It is indeed a great thing if we can take care of
ourselves.
"The Atma
is a synonym for Brahma which is nothing but the Chaitanya
permeating every human being. Man has a name and form but Chaitanya
has no form. The Chaitanya that is present in the human body is
called 'conscience'. The all-pervasive Chaitanya is called
'consciousness'. When the individual understands the principle of
unity in diversity, the 'conscience' gets transformed into
'consciousness'." (The Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba on the 1st of January 2003, Prasanthi Nilayam).
To worship God with name and form
is seems not wrong as that would be limiting the limitless, giving
form to the formless. As long as a devotee responds to a name there
is no objection worshipping a God with name or form.
It is difficult to believe in a
personal God. Easier to believe in an impersonal God, a divine force
and it would be a great help and source of faith and inspiration for
many devotees. More easier to believe, imagine and try to follow
Swami's explanations and directions.
"You are a part of
Nature. So, you should strive to merge into Paramatma. There is
nothing bad in the creation of God. Mistake lies in man who puts
them to misuse. Change your attitude and you will see good in
everything. Treat praise and blame with equanimity. By adopting this
positive attitude, you will realize that there is no Yogi greater
than you; there is no Thyagi superior to you; there is no one
greater than you." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse Sathya Sai
Baba "Divine Origin of Five Elements." 15 May 2000 PM, Brindavan).
The most known famous physicist of our days Stephen Hawking (who's
life is a legend itself), some years ago explained his outlook
concern to the God. He reached to this fact through modern academic
science.
"It is difficult to discuss the beginning of the Universe without
concept of God. My work on the origin of the universe is on the
borderline between science and religion... It is quite possible that
God acts in ways that cannot be described by scientific laws." (Dr.
Henry F. "Fritz" Schaefer, III, Stephen Hawking, the Big Bang, and
god.
http://www.origins.org/articles/schaefer_bigbangandgod.html).
|
|