Swami teaches... Parts 1-3. Strive for
Unity of Minds, Unity of Hearts
Light and Love
Swami teaches... 16 - 18 September 2007
Part 3. Strive for Unity of Minds, Unity of Hearts
"The rich heritage of Bharath is exemplified by noble people who have left
their indelible impressions in the hearts of Bharathiyas. From time
immemorial, this land has been tread by Divine incarnations, prophets,
devotees, saints and great personalities. Together they form the Soul of
Bharath.
Bharathiya culture is not based upon blind faith. It is the product of great
research done by Maharishis and great seers" (Sathya Sai Baba).
(Of such an inexhaustible culture and heritage, Swami is never tired of
speaking in His innumerable discourses).
The trend among the guides and seekers in the spiritual field is to avoid
the heights and wander in the valleys. Consider for a moment how long
worldly triumphs last. They are but the play of scintillating name and form
on the Divine, which is the core of every being and thing. Look upon your
task as a sadhana, a form of worship, in fact, the highest form.
(However, for doing a good deed, you have to cause a little harm, even that
should be regarded as a help. Nevertheless, in all such cases, there should
be absolutely no element of self-interest).
Examine yourselves and discover at what level you are by analyzing your
desires and activities. In this way, you can yourselves sublimate your
thoughts and urges.
Your revised urges must have a beneficial impact on your activities, for it
is through activity that gunas are given up or gained. Activity causes birth
and death and fills up the years of one's life. It supports good and evil,
joy and grief.
It is the Atma that illumines all, but human is in the dark about its
existence. Just as everything sweet is sweet on account of the sugar it
contains, all things and objects are cognized because the Atma is behind the
cognition. It is the Universal Witness. Establish yourself too in the
position of a witness.
The sages have laid down methods by which human can attain the status of a
witness.
Dhyana (meditation) is the most important of these. Dhyana is a daily habit
for millions of people the world over within all cultures. Dhyana is the
penultimate of eight steps, the last one being samadhi (super conscious
state of communion), and grants the wisdom to be completely unaffected. The
sixth stage is dharana (concentration). Dharana is the stage when japa, puja
and other practices are engaged in, in order to prepare the concentration of
mind for dhyana.
Dhyana is not mere sitting erect and silent. Nor is it the absence of any
movement. It is the merging of all your thoughts and feelings in God. There
is no need postures, candles, incense or any other instrument or practice.
Meditation can be performed almost anywhere at any time of the day,
providing it is in a place which offers the freedom from distractions.
Without the mind becoming dissolved in God (Absolute), dhyana cannot
succeed.
Dhyana is interrupted in most cases by worry and anxiety regarding one's
kith and kin, and one's earning of riches. But since all are manifestations
of the maya which is natural to Brahman or Paramatma (Supreme Self) in which
you take refuge will certainly free you from fear because you are (each one
is) the Atma and nothing else.
Your personality, individuality, mind, intellect - all are manifestations of
the Atma which is the prime mover of your life.
When the animal is conquered and Godhead is felt within reach, human can
assert that all these pilgrimages are within him/her. Then human has no need
to travel from temple to temple.
Bharthruhari (lived about 1300 years ago) was a mighty emperor, who ruled
from sea to sea; his decree was unquestioned. Yet, when he realized in a
flash that life is only but a short here, he renounced his wealth and power
and assumed the ochre robes of the wandering monk. When Bharthruhari gave up
his throne and went into a hermitage in the forest, the subordinate rulers
who were his tributaries laughed at the stupid step and asked him how he got
the idea and what he gained. Bharthruhari replied, "I have now gained a
vaster empire, a richer and more peaceful empire; I gave in exchange a poor
barren torn empire; see what profit I have made.This robe is so precious
that even my empire is a poor payment in exchange." So a great king,
Bharthruhari, renounced the world. He renounced the world because he had
lived in it totally and he had come to realize that it was futile. It was
not a doctrine to him, it was a lived reality. He had come to the conclusion
through his own life. Such is the measure of the spiritual path?s grandeur.
Adoration to the all-consuming Time - was the prayer of Bharthruhari. Time
is self-motivated. It halts for no one. No one can recall the time that has
flowed by.
The Sastra (holy scripture; sacred text; that which commands, orders,
directs with authority) explained the power and influence of time on human
affairs, taking examples from epics as well as from history.
What is good today may be bad tomorrow, what is practicable today may be
impracticable tomorrow. Time has a way of making habits and customs
out-dated, anachronistic. What gives grief today may yield joy tomorrow.
(Bharthruhari classified the human beings in any given society into four
categories. According to him, in the first category, are the Sat-Purushas,
who always seek to promote the interests of others even by sacrificing their
own interest. They practice the ethics of self- effacement and universal
love, of renunciation and service. They constitute a very small minority in
any society and they are the salt of the Earth.
In the second category are the Samanyas who constitute the generality of the
people and who strive to promote the welfare of others as long as it does
not involve the sacrifice of their own self-interest. They are mostly people
controlling business and occupying high positions in society.
In the third category, are people who destroy the welfare of others in order
to safeguard their own self-interest and they are described by Bharthruhari
as veritable human demons.
In the fourth category, are the people who are absolutely unethical and who
are given to unprovoked and wanton anti-social violence and destruction as a
daily way of life.
The current trend of uncontrolled growth of people belonging to the third
category must be restrained. People belonging to the fourth category are
pictorially the enemies of all mankind must be completely prevented. All
these can be achieved only by refashioning and restructuring the worldwide
educational system).
The world needs today moral leadership, founded on courage, intellectual
integrity, and complete sense of balance.
Teachers as gurus are the planners and engineers who lay the royal road of
human values, peace, and prosperity. They are the ray of hope that illumines
the dismal night enveloping all countries and direct the eyes of the pupils
inward into the reality and invite them to revel in that light.
The teacher is known through his/her pupils. They proclaim teacher's
sincerity and excellence. They are the witnesses for his/her erudition and
endurance.
King Bhoja once arranged a scholastic duel between two renowned pandits
(scholars). When neither succeeded in defeating the other, he invited their
respective pupils to continue the debate. However, they too were engaged
without end in meeting arguments with equally valid counter-arguments. So,
the King had to honor them as replicas of their masters.
Gurus (as teachers) imbued with the Divine love and understanding are
urgently needed in every country. They are invaluable assets in every place
at any time, for they have such strong faith in their mission and their
ideals that they can never compromise or collude. Gurus must stand forth as
living examples of love and light.
The guru must encourage the spiritual seeker to become aware of the God
within human. The Guru must exhort the individual self to realize the
Universal Self. The fully worthwhile guru must facilitate that Vision of
Unity without the discords and divisions that 'mine' and 'thine' engender in
the mind of human. Such a guru was the sage Vyasa.
However, the resident of the heart is only Guru. There is no dependence on
the others. He is the only Master, the only God. This is the stage of
Swarajya, sole monarch of oneself. (The word Swaraj, commonly used for an
independent state, connotes only absence of worldly dependence). Human being
can enjoy Independence only if he/she gets rid of bondage to the senses
which drag into tantalizing ventures.
The attainment of Yoga, involving sense-control, expansion of love, and
cleansing the consciousness, so the God's glory may be reflected therein, is
the goal.
Do not waste all your years only with stone images, pictures, or idol. (Let
they be as the first stage of yours spiritual development).
Learn to see in every living vital active person, the embodiment of all
energy, all beauty, all beneficence, namely, Atma (God). God is subtler than
ether, filling the smallest crevice with His majesty. Know this and serve
His manifestations wherever you meet them.
Aspirants and preceptors use the word adyatmic (spiritual) often. What
exactly is implied by adyatmic? Is bhajana (congregational prayer) adyatmic?
Or does it involve japa or dhyana? Or does it denote religious rituals and
ceremonies? Or does it extend to pilgrimages to holy places? No. These are
only beneficial acts.
Adyatmic, in its real sense, relates to two progressive achievements or at
least sincere attempts towards those two achievements: elimination of the
animal traits still clinging to human and unification with the Divine
through awareness of unity of minds and hearts by the aspect of Atmic
Reality.
(However, many spiritual practices mostly adopted promote pride and pompous
display, envy and egotism. People proceed to the House of God as pilgrims,
but pray to Him for more money, fame and power, for their thoughts, words,
and deeds centre only around these transitory and trivial tokens of worldly
success).
During lifetime, we all interact with many different people under many
different circumstances and different situations. There are many situations
in life, a common one of which is conflict with others. As a rule,
situations will arise that we feel are unjust. When faced with such a
situation, take time to consider at first the situation from all
perspectives.
People in general can look at things only from their personal point of view.
They cannot have an integral view of things. In addition, many people have a
tendency to see only those things they want to see.
Agonies dwell forever within us. Without the
tranquility of the mind any amount of wealth cannot be of any use.
Surrendering the fruits of action with a dispassionate mind and faith is
eligible to be termed sacrifice what is sweeter than enjoyment. Sacrifice
and faith should become the aim of life.
Selfless service (the fortunate ones should help the less fortunate) and
faith into own True Atmic Reality is fundamental, both from an individual
perspective and from the perspective of the entire human race. This
awareness includes the progression of humanity.
"The greatest discovery ... was not in the realm of the physical sciences,
but the power of the subconscious mind touched by faith. Any individual can
tap into an eternal reservoir of power that will enable them to overcome any
problem that may arise" (William James, Harvard Psychologist, the Father of
American Psychology).
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks.Vol. 9. "Assert with every
breath," Chapter 25; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 14. "The Sadhguru speaks,"
Chapter 27; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 16. "Guidance for the Gurus," Chapter
21; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 18. "The Victory," Chapter 17; Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 21. "Karma and Divine Grace," Chapter 8).
References:
http://members.rediff.com/saivani/Bharthruhari.htm
http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_041213.htm
Namaste - Reet
Swami teaches... 12 - 15 September 2007
Part 2. Strive for Unity of Minds, Unity of Hearts
Many are affected by the problem of what caused the Cosmos. How did it come
into being? They advance various theories and lay down many opposing
hypotheses. However, there is no need for seekers to beat about the bush so
much. Just as a dream results when one is cut off from reality in a state of
sleep, the Cosmos is a result of being cut off from reality by Maya in a
state of ignorance. The Cosmos is as ephemeral and as vagarious as a dream.
It is difficult to discover laws that explain
or govern infinite mysteries of Cosmos and human's consciousness. More
profitable than inquiring into the mysteries is the inquiry into possible
ways of benefiting by them and learning from them.
You are a part of creation, so try to understand yourself and keep your goal
in view.
The primary is Brahman which, when reflected in maya, seems to be broken
into God, Nature and human. These three are the unreal images of the One. In
addition, the maya, too, is an aspect of Brahmam "Mama-maya" (my maya), says
Krishna in the Gita. Hence, when we merge in Brahman or win the Grace of the
Lord, His maya cannot exist for us.
One can be rid of maya if one can discard the three gunas from one's make
up. The sathwa guna, too, has to be transcended. The Gita directs that even
the eagerness to be liberated is a bond. One is fundamentally free; bondage
is only an illusion. Krishna says, "Arjuna! Become free from the three guna."
In truth, the word 'guna' means 'rope,' for all three gunas bind the jivi
with the rope of desire. Liberation means liberation from delusive
attachment. When the ideas of 'I' and 'mine' disappear, human's only
thoughts are of 'thee' and 'thine.' Then human finds only 'thee' everywhere
and thus achieves the Vision of Unity.
What for does birth take place? To perform actions. Karma is the cause of
birth. It is the life-sustaining force. The body is the instrument of this
vital force. Karma sustains life in the body, through the body. Every action
is described as karma. Person's present state is the result of the past
actions. The Vedas have emphasized the important role of karma.
So our condition in life is determined by our actions. Our habits are
governed by our actions. Habits determine conduct. Moreover, conduct
determines our future. To claim that "I am the doer, I am the experiencer
and I am the enjoyer," is a sign of egoism. Good and evil result from
actions, whether one is aware of their consequences or not. Everything is an
aspect of everything else. This is an important aspect of karma, from which
there is no escape.
(Though all this is simple and explained in
various texts that are expounded by eminent teachers everyday to thousands,
the truth in most cases is not experienced, the identity is not tasted. It
is all stage acting. The words are not from the heart; they follow the cue
of the script, written by another person).
It is not easy to explain in what form and in what manner karma follows a
person. Hence one must bear with whatever troubles that may come, treating
them as the consequences of past actions. But the effects can be mitigated
or removed by earning the grace of the Divine.
(People today do not view things in this
manner. Considering some person as the author of own misfortunes, they tend
to abuse person, without thinking about their own actions).
How are actions to be done? Actions should be filled with dharma
(righteousness). Through righteous actions one should realize the Brahman.
(Today usually actions are related to physical needs and dharma is concerned
with getting on in the world. There is no awareness of the Supreme).
Action is not limited to what you do with your
hands. What you hear, what you see, what you speak, and even what you think
- all of them constitute action. This means that the things you see, the
words you hear, the thoughts you think and the speech you make should all be
pure.
Every one of your actions should be filled
with devotion. (Devotion is not confined only to bhajans and exhibiting a
yearning for Swami).
Each one is the architect of his/her destiny.
You are a part of creation, so try to understand yourself and keep your goal
in view.
Intelligent persons may discuss matters of
moment. The small-minded may discuss personalities. Both types of
discussions are likely to be exercises in futility. What should be realized
is that nothing happens without a cause and that every result is the outcome
of a particular action. Once the cause is understood, one should act on that
understanding, avoiding actions, which are bound to have undesirable
consequences, and performing actions, which will yield beneficial results.
Do not be concerned whether someone is watching your actions or not.
The edifice of human's life is erected on four walls: janma, karma, dharma,
Brahman (birth, actions, duties, and Supreme Reality). These four walls are
interdependent and inextricably connected with each other. (Without four
bare walls, even a cottage cannot be erected).
Human is equipped with a wondrous instrument - the body which could engage
in fruitful activity on righteous lines. The word Manush in Samskrith
(meaning "man") indicates that human is essentially Manas (mind). The mind
involves human in thoughts, thoughts lead human to action, and action brings
about grief and joy. (When one is not as healthy as he deserves to be, the
reason has to be sought in the nature of his actions and thoughts).
The mind is engaged in thought without rest. Constantly dwelling on one
subject, attachment and relationship develop. Thus, desire is aroused; when
it is frustrated, anger arises, and in the frenzy, discrimination
disappears. Harsh words end up in hard blows. Human widens the gap between
'his/her' and 'theirs' every second. This duel is not genuine human nature.
Usually people build castles on the foundation
of muscle and passion, of group and emotion, not on divine, grace, and
righteous life.
While on the pilgrimage of life, human's activities are three-fold - Akarma,
Sakarma and Nishkama karma.
Akarma starts with high hopes and much fanfare
but at the first touch of disappointment, all activity is given up and the
human shuts up for good.
Sakarma is undertaken without discrimination.
Whatever comes to hand keeps one busy. This is the rajasic approach.
Nishkama karma, gladly done as duty, as
worship, as grateful homage, with no eye on the benefit therefrom.
Human has physical urges like hunger and
thirst and needs like sleep and exercise. A person may be a scholar in many
fields of knowledge or a famous figure crowned with diverse powers, but not
anybody can escape these urges and needs. However, human has also spiritual
urges and needs. While the physical urges are transient and temporary, the
spiritual ones have deeper sources and longer satisfactions. They clamor for
purity and unity.
The purification of the mind is attained
through humility, integrity and a sense of justice. The educational process
prevalent now cultivates only the intellect of human; it does not unfold and
cleanse the mind. An expansive mind is more laudable than an expert brain.
One-person shedding love is more desirable than a hundred hard-hearted
companions are. When love expands and flows over vast areas, it becomes
divine. Truth, too, is established in the heart from small beginnings
growing steadily to purify all activities.
(Falsehood grows quick and wild. When truth is
yet putting on its shoes, falsehood would have traveled round the globe.
Untruth spreads fast. Truth strikes root slowly. No one can hurry the
process).
Persons who have attained a higher stage believe that they are jivis
(distinct individuals). For these, the mantra can be "Soham" (I am He) so
that the sense of distinctness can be eliminated. In fact even this mantra
has a face of distinction, for it posits an "I" and a "He."'
People are urged on towards this adventure by very breath, which repeats
21,600 times a day So-Ham (He-I), emphasizing the identity of the Indweller
with the Principle that is Immanent in the Universe. You may declare with
your tongue, "There is no God," but, the breath repeats, 'So' as it goes in
and 'Ham' as it goes out, making it clear that the He who is Immanent is the
I that is resident.
When human reaches this level of consciousness, the idea of 'I' as different
from 'He' disappears. That is to say, So (He) and Aham (I) fade away and "Soham"
is elevated into Om. Pranava or Om is the mantra for persons conscious of
the Atma in them.
Youth today are enmeshed in the coils of the body-mind complex. So, they are
engaged in acts prompted by pride, envy, and ignorance. (The reason is,
education fills the brain, instead of fashioning character. Education has to
develop insight along with skills).
Remove this pollution, acquiring true wisdom.
Teachers must advise youth thus, so that they may become aware of their
innate Divinity.
The world's innate nature is duality - the entity and the result, the cause
and its effect. This duality is evident in the alternating experiences of
joy and grief, praise and blame, victory and defeat, profit and loss.
Dharmaraja once asked Krishna, "Why did you bring about this disastrous war?
Forty lakhs of warriors died in this battle. Only the Pandavas have
survived. Is there any justice in sacrificing the lives of forty lakhs of
men for the sake of the five Pandavas?" Krishna replied, "Dharmaraja! You
are looking at the numbers involved; I am looking at the principles at
issue. Can any crores of insects equal a lion?
"Kurukshetra is comparable to the body. Kuru
means work. The body is the instrument of action. Because it is the field,
in which action takes place, it is called kshetra (field).
The evil qualities in the Kauravas were like
cancer in the body politic. Hence, acting as a surgeon, I carded out the
operation of the Mahabharatha war, with Arjuna as my assistant. There is no
sin in this," declared Krishna.
After the end of the Mahabharata war, Krishna approached Dharmaraja and told
him, "Dharmaraja! The battle is over. You must now be crowned as king."
Dharmaraja did not accept Krishna's advice, "Did I kill so many of my
kinsmen and friends only to assume the crown? I was also responsible for the
death of many others. I do not wish to be crowned."
Krishna thought that Dharmaraja would be more amenable to advice if it came
from a venerable elder like Bhishma. So He took Dharmaraja to the grandsire
of the Pandavas, who was lying on a bed of arrows.
Bhishma looked at Dharmaraja with tears streaming from his eyes and said, "Dharmaraja!
Will you wholeheartedly respect my words?" Dharmaraja held the hands of his
grandsire and reverently promised him that he had never gone against
Bhishma's injunctions in the past and would never do so in the future.
Bhishma then said, "Dharmaraja! Before the
war, you relied on Krishna. He, whom you revered as your mentor before your
ends had to be realized, is worthy of the same regard even after your
purposes have been realized. It is unworthy of you to ignore Krishna's
advice now. You are looking upon him only as a kinsman. Krishna is God
incarnate. No doubt he is your kinsman and friend, but you have no
conception of his powers.
Look within and see the Truth," advised
Bhishma. Dharmaraja replied: "Grandsire! I know full well with what love you
brought us up when we were left fatherless.
But we fought against you in the war and
brought you down. We resorted to a deceitful stratagem to make our Guru
Dronacharya, lay down his arms. We killed numerous dear kinsmen and friends
in the war. After all this, what joy can I derive by ascending the throne?
Bhishma smiling at Dharmaraja said, "The world
is bound by Karma. Nevertheless, you speak about killing so many people. Who
are the killed? And who are the killers? You do not have the power to kill
or to make others kill. Killing and getting killed are consequences of past
karmas. Let me illustrate this by a story."
Bhishma related the following story: "A woman who had an only son lost her
husband. Taking her son with her, she was going through a forest to go to
another village. On the way, she rested under a tree with her son sleeping
on her lap. Suddenly the boy woke up with a shriek and started crying. The
mother woke up and noticed that a cobra had bitten her son and was wriggling
back into an anthill. Within a few moments the boy died. While the mother
was wailing helplessly over the death of her son, a highway robber, who was
passing by that way, heard her cries and enquired about the cause of her
grief. Learning about the death of her son from snakebite, the robber
decided to dig up the anthill and kill the cobra. At that stage, the woman
took hold of the robber's hands and pleaded, "Dear man! Please do not kill
the cobra. Will my son get back his life if you kill that cobra? I cannot
escape my fate."
The robber said: "That poisonous snake can
cause the death of others who may come here. I have a duty to destroy
poisonous creatures." Then the mother replied, "Son! It is by the dictates
of Kala (Time or Fate) that this poisonous cobra bit my son. His death is
the result of his own past karnum."
Yama, the God of Death comes in innumerable
forms at the appointed time. Yama is called Time or Destiny, Dharmaraja!
Karma is responsible for everything.
Finally Bhishma exhorted Dharmaraja in these words: "The Divine Will is the
basis of all action. The Divine can annul the consequences of these actions
or provide the means of expiation for them. Hence, your duty is to carry out
faithfully the Divine command. If you act to the contrary you will be
ruining your life. Bow to Krishna's command and get yourself crowned."
All results follow from the actions. The
wicked Kauravas, although they knew the principles of morality and justice,
subjected the noble Pandavas to such troubles and ordeals that ultimately
their entire clan was destroyed.
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai
Speaks.Vol. 9. "Assert with every breath," Chapter 25; Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol. 14. "The Sadhguru speaks," Chapter 27; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 16.
"Guidance for the Gurus," Chapter 21; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 18. "The
Victory," Chapter 17; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 21. "Karma and Divine Grace,"
Chapter 8).
Namaste - Reet
Swami teaches... 10 - 11 September 2007
*
Part 1. Strive for Unity of Minds, Unity of Hearts
Swami insists on the development of the sense of unity, a bond of
brotherhood, and an awareness of dignity. (One should not strive for the
temporary association of the moneyed people or persons in positions of
power). You deserve to be called a human being when you cultivate the spirit
of unity.
It is real that differences can exist between person and person in health,
education, wealth and temperament, etc. Nevertheless, fundamentally, all
people are equal and should be treated as such.
Earn the vision that sees the Divine inherent in all.
We are not troubled when something is good, but only when it is bad. This
goodness is natural and evil is an aberration. We are worried and alarmed
when someone slides into wrong or is in pain or in sorrow.
The run of the Universe is immutable. That same immutable run of the
Universe is within each person as an expression of God, and accordingly it
is for each of us to align ourselves completely with that run. You are
immortal; you are Bliss, Power, and Wisdom. "It is said that people are made
in the image of God, but perhaps not the personified image, the deity in
human form, but rather we are made, in the spiritual image of God, who is in
us, through us and is us" (Adrian Cooper).
If you want to realize God, you must be immersed in Bliss. To experience
Bliss, you have to follow Truth. To pursue Truth, you have to install Peace
in your heart. To achieve Peace, you have to cultivate Love. It is
confidence that begets Love.
Human's foremost duty is to share love with others. (However, unfortunately,
such idealism is not found today). You may not believe in the fatherhood of
God, but you must have faith in the brotherhood of human.
You should fill your life with Love what is
the Divine magnetic power present in human. True human value lies in sharing
and experiencing the supreme Love.
(However, there is no point in talking sweetly
if there is no sweetness in your heart. Sweetness in speech and bitterness
in heart is not the quality of a human being).
Even when you come across your bitter rival,
talk to him/her with love. When you address him/her as brother/sister, the
rival's heart probably will melt and hatred will disappear. You can conquer
the whole world with the weapon of love.
In all the sacred epics like the Ramayana, the Mahabharatha and the
Bhagavatha, you find love as the undercurrent. Love is light. It illumines
your path. Your journey of life will be safe and secure when you carry the
Light of Love with you.
You may acquire various types of knowledge and travel across the globe. But,
in spite of all your worldly achievements, you may not able to understand
the principle of Love. Once you have the taste of Love, you will see the
world in its real form.
God incarnates in human form in order to spread the message of Love. The
Gopikas had realized this truth. That is why they prayed to Lord Krishna,
"Oh Krishna, play your sweet flute and sow the seeds of love in the desert
of our loveless hearts. Let the rain of Love fall on earth and make the
rivers of Love flow."
People usually love their motherland and teach the same to their children.
Every nation has a flag as the symbol of victory and independence of
motherland. However, pay attention to another flag to symbolize another
laudable victory over one's lower instincts, impulses, passions, emotions
and desires, the flag that has to be unfurled on every human to spread the
love what dwells in every human's heart.
Mankind has asked from time immemorial how to realize an eternal life of
eternal bliss. The philosophers of all lands and all times have sought to
discover the truth about God, the objective world and human being, as well
as their mutual relationship.
Maya (apparent deluding reality) is the Will
that causes all three. Maya is like a mirror. The mirror reflects within
itself all that is before it. The convexity or concavity of the mirror, or
the covering of dust that might have settled on it, will certainly blur the
reflected image, but it cannot distort the objects themselves. It is a clear
flawless mirror.
When the sathwic nature is reflected in that mirror, God results; when the
rajasic nature is reflected, the jivi (individualized Self) results. It is
ever anxious to grow, to grab, to survive, and to be secure. When thamasic
nature is reflected, matter (the objective world) is the result. (Three
dimensional objective world as observed by means of the senses and by
science, existing at the lowest rate of vibration and the highest density).
All three are Paramatma, but they derive their
reality as Its reflections. When undergoing reflections, they attain
different forms and combinations of characteristics. The One becomes many;
every one of the many is real only because of the One in it. Maya too is a
component of the One; by the emphasis on that component, the One transformed
Itself into the many.
(The clouds appear to be stuck to the sky; so,
too, maya gives us an untrue picture of Brahman. It makes us believe that
the world is real. Its impact warps our reasoning process, our sensory
impressions, and our views on God i.e. Absolute on creation and on human. It
spreads before us a diversity, which tantalizes and deceives).
Maya is only the Divine Will that inaugurated the manifestation of the
Cosmos (Ekoham, Bahushyaam - I am one; I will be many). Maya inheres in
every being and every activity of that being. Concern to the every being it
has three aspects of achievement through the three modes and moods of that
Will - the sathwic, the rajasic and the thamasic (the calm, contented,
equanimous mood; the potent, passionate mood; the inert, slothful, sluggish
mood).
So the world is the triple complex of gunas
(attributes) - sathwic, rajasic and thamasic (the balanced, the passionate
and the dull).
The Upanishadhs say the that thunder teaches a
three-fold lesson, dha dha and dha -dhaya, dhama and dharma, - to the
persons entangled in these three gunas. Dhama (self-control) to the sathwic
who craves for Ananda (bliss); Dharma (right conduct, ideals of
righteousness) to the rajasic, who craves for adventure, heroism and
activity; and dhaya (compassion), based on Love, which enables attachment
and sublimates greed to those who dominated by the thamasic qualities like
craving for objective pleasures through attachment to senses).
When maya prompts us into the sathwic mood of
that Will, we become progressive seekers of jnana (spiritual wisdom) that
reveals the unity. When we are overwhelmed by the rajasic quality of that
Will, we are deluded into the pursuit of worldly victories and ephemeral
wealth and renown. The thamasic nature of that Will seeks the quickest and
easiest ways of happy living.
These are the reflections in our minds of the
basic modes of the Will that Brahman assumes when It is moved by the primal
urge to express Itself. The facets of that Will are called Jnana shakthi,
Iccha shakthi and Kriya shakthi.
Three modes affect beings and things in
various proportions and permutations, and so we have all the variety and
diversity of the objective world. Atma (whether individualized or
universalized as Paramatma), is One only. The jiviatman (individual soul)
and the Paramatma (Supreme Soul) are one and indivisible.
There is no separation in the Universe. The separation is nothing but an
illusion brought about by the tricks of the five physical senses which
perceives and "decodes" the Atmic Reality. People, as a rule, accept only
for what they perceive as "themselves". Whatever our actions and thoughts
affects the entire Universe. The humanity should be aware of this fact, what
was experienced by modern science in the world of subatomic particles.
(Also, damages the environment by
consumer-society rules in huge destructive ways are equally damaging an
aspect of all humanity at the same time.
When humanity fully understands the
implications of all of these actions in the context of the entire Universe
and the individual path of evolution, will this terrible and needless
environmental destruction cease, and the Earth finally have the opportunity
to recover).
The basic truth upon which maya projects its kaleidoscope is described by
seers as Sath-Chith-Ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss Absolute). This does not
mean that Brahman has three attributes. It exists beyond time and space; It
knows and can be known; It is the source and acme of Bliss. They are not
three distinct characteristics; they indicate the One, of which the three
can be grasped by experience - not by words. We cannot assert that Brahman
(Supreme Being) belongs to a class or genes, nor can it be defined by the
three basic qualities. It cannot be described as performing any specific
activity, for It is ever motionless. Nor can It be explained in terms of
relationship with other entities for It is One, without a second.
Iswara, Prakriti and jivi (the Almighty God,
objective world i. e. Nature and individualized Self), all three are images
of Paramatma (Supreme soul) reflected in the mirror of maya and warped by
the gunas (qualities) that tarnish the surface of the mirror. It is the
mirror that pictures the One as many. But the One is ever One.
This One is comprehensive of all this.
Therefore, It has no wants, no desires and no activity to realize anything.
The macro cosmos and the micro cosmos - the brahmanda and the pindanda (the
universal and the individual) - all arise from the One Truth. They are
manifestations and emergent of that Truth, which is not affected by either.
That Truth is known as Brahman. When this unmodifiable, transcendent and
immanent Brahman, instead of just 'being,' decides on 'becoming,' It is best
designated as God, i. e. Iswara (Almighty).
The Divine ground of everything is the
spiritual Absolute, called Paramatma (Supreme Absolute Self). It is also the
ground, the base, the core, the reality of human being.
However, in spite of 'becoming,' which is only
an illusion imposing multiplicity on the One Being, It remains One. So long
as inquiry is postponed, only the multiplicity is cognized. The multiplicity
is neither real nor unreal. It is relatively real, temporarily real,
pragmatically real, mithya, not sathya, but an amalgam of sathya (truth) and
asathya (untruth), apparently real but fundamentally unreal, real for most
practical purposes (vyavahara) but unreal when the basic nature is
unraveled.
Krishna tells Arjuna, "There is nothing I have to do in any of the three
worlds", He has willed the world as His Sport. He has laid down that every
deed must have its consequence. He is the dispenser of the consequences, but
He is not involved in the deeds.
Therefore, it becomes plain that neither the
personalized God, nor the individualized Self, nor even the objective world
can ever succeed in discovering the beginning of the maya, which brought
them into existence and started the chain of 'act-consequence-act.'
Nevertheless, one can succeed in knowing when
maya will end. When the objective world is ignored, set aside, denied, or
discovered to be immanent in the Divine, the jivi is no more. When the jivi
is no more, the Iswara (Cosmic Being or personalized God) is also
superfluous and disappears. Moreover, when the Iswara has faded out, the
Brahman (Absolute Reality) alone Is.
When a personalized God, a personality
separate from the rest, called jivi, and the mental creation of that jivi,
called Prakriti (the objective world), are non-existent in the developed
consciousness of human, maya, the progenitor of all three, cannot persist.
When space is enclosed in a pot, it appears limited and small. However, once
released from the container, it again merges in the infinite sky. The sky is
not reduced or transformed in shape or quality by being held in the
container. So, too, the Atman that is pervading the bodies and lives of
billions of beings does not get affected by the living beings to which it
adheres for some time.
The sages discovered the truth 'Thath Thwam Asi' (That Thou Art). That is
the Divine, out of which all this arose, of which all this is, into which
all this merges. It can be known by the Bhakthi marga - the path of
dedication, of devotion and surrender of the Self.
The 'Thou,' that is to say, the individual can
be understood by the Karma marga - the path of selfless activity, of the
abnegation of the consequences of all activity, done in a spirit of
adoration and with as much sincerity as an act of worship. Seva rendered in
the faith that all are forms of the One God is the highest Karma. (You must
watch and see that the inspiration for the seva comes from the heart, not
the head).
Bharthruhari in Neethi shathakam has said,
"Though you are born with a karma, exercise discipline to change it".
Then, the process of identification of Thath
and Thwam (That and Thou) called the recognition of the Asi (Art) has to be
consummated, through Jnana marga - the path of knowledge, of sharp and
relentless discrimination. When bhakthi and karma merge, it leads to jnana.
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai
Speaks.Vol. 9. "Assert with every breath," Chapter 25; Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol. 14. "The Sadhguru speaks," Chapter 27; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 16.
"Guidance for the Gurus," Chapter 21; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 18. "The
Victory," Chapter 17; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 21. "Karma and Divine Grace,"
Chapter 8).
* There was a pause 11 August -10 September, inevitable for spiritual
studies.
Namaste - Reet