Swami teaches....Part 34
Link to Swami Teaches....Part 33
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Sai Ram
Light and Love Aspect of the Spiritual Kinship
To listen Swami's discourses and directions, to read His Teaching is the valuable opportunity for our generation. They have been printed upon our hearts and put into practice over the world by different ways in different conditions in accordance with own conscience as reflection of Swami's Omnipresent Form within.
God incarnates for the revival of Dharma (righteousness) which includes morality, truth, virtue, love and a host of other qualities that uphold the communities of people. The other purposes, such as serving the devoted, destroying the wicked, reestablishing the sacred tradition - these are all secondary. Swami will fulfil that task, whatever the comments that others may make. Comment is a natural corollary. Swami does not pay any attention to it; nor should you. The higher the hill, the deeper the valley. The unshakable foundation on which Swami's work is proceeding is Aanandha (Bliss). He cannot be moved away from it by any one, at any time. Swami's world is the world of the spirit where values are different from worldly ones. If you are happy, with faith in God and fear of sin, that is enough "service." God resides in every one pictorially as Lingam, in the subtle Form. In the anga (body), there is sangam (contact with the outer and inner world); in the sangam, resides the jangam (the moving, traversing, changing place) and as the basis of the jangam, there is the Lingam. The Linga is a symbol of the universal into which all particulars merge, from which all particulars emerge. The Linga is the real Form of the Reality.
See God in every one you meet; see God in everything you handle. His Mystery is immanent in all that is material and non-material; it has been discovered that there is no matter or material. It is all God, an expression of His Mystery. Derive joy from the springs of joy within you and without you; advance, do not stand still or recede. Every minute must mark a forward step. Rejoice that it is given to you to recognise God in all and welcome all chances to sing His Glory, to hear His chronicle, to share His presence with others. God has His hands in all handiworks; His feet on all attitudes, His eyes beyond all horizons, His face before every face.
The Truth that there is perfect identity between the individual and universal is proclaimed at every breath by the silent announcement your breath makes' Soham (I am He). God is present everywhere, at all times. He is the richest and the most powerful guardian. The Lord is here, near, loving, accessible and affectionate. But, many do not open their eyes to the great opportunity. The Name will bring Him nearer to you. Now, the Name is on the tongue, the world is in the mind and the owner of the Name is in the heart. The world and its attractions are distracting you, obliterating the answer the Lord gives to the call of the Name.
The ideals laid down by Sanaathana Dharma (Eternal Religion) for ensuring a happy peaceful life for man, individually and for society are valid even today; the disciplines marked out therein are as beneficial today as when they were first ordained in the Shaasthras. Their value is unchallengeable, unchangeable. The sages of India gave up the paths of superficial pomp and temporary security; they sought to gain inner peace and lasting joy. They discovered that these can be gained only by drawing the sap of life through the roots of one's own inner reality called Aathma (soul). Though this lesson, that was revealed to them by God, is repeated, elaborated and propagated all these centuries by countless scholars, poets and speakers, but few accept it as the basis of life. The Name of God, with all its halo of glory and majesty, can cleanse the mind of passion and emotion and make it placid and pure. When the Name is repeated without concentration and without reverence, it cannot cleanse the mind. The vice and wickedness will remain. Millions recite the Name of God, but few have steady faith; few seek the Aanandha (bliss) that contemplation on the Glory of God within the Aathma can confer. They do so out of habit or for social conformity or to gain reputation for religiousness. Therefore the japam (recitation) does not cure pain, grief or greed. The Pandiths, who have learnt the ancient texts containing Aathma-vidhya (Science of the Self), do not put into practice what they repeat orally; they have no faith in the assertions made in the Vedhas. The canker of doubt has undermined their reverential attitude to the Vedhas; they do not ensure the continuance of Vedhic studies. They devalue the Vedhas into rupee-earning devices, and when they do not get money through them, they are disappointed; they envy those who follow secular avocations. But, if they only develop faith, the Vedha itself will foster them and ensure for them a happy contented life. And note, that one who is righteous will be guarded from harm by righteousness itself.
Human's mind is too full of the world; stomach is demanding too much of time and energy. Desires and wants are multiplying too fast for capacity to satisfy them; human's dreams are far too real for; they lead into false victories and absurd adventures. Engrossed in the analysis of the material world, human being has lost all sense of spirit, sweetness and sublimity; under this new dispensation, truth has become just a word in the dictionary. Compassion is reduced to a meaningless travesty. Humility patience, reverence - these are as invalid as a flameless lamp in the far distance. People are enamored of happiness derived from outside themselves, they are immersed in sensual, objective pursuits, and they reap the reward of grief and death. Human has become artificial, crooked, twisted out of his normal shape. Human being has left behind the simple natural ways and made mind a lumber-room for ideas, worries, anxieties and terrors. Also many people are reluctant to follow tradition and so, for example, they hold the palms as if they are trying to shield the rays of the Sun from their eyes or vigorously shaking them defiantly at the face of the person who is sought to be honoured (!). But, this is the meaning of the Namaskaar, where you fold both palms together and hold them on your chest, near the heart region. The ten senses surrender to the person adored, with real sincerity in the heart.
The only hold that human has in this dreadful darkness is the name of God. That is the raft which will take him across this stormy sea, darkened by hate and fear, churned by anxiety and terror.
Human has to pay attention to 26 categories. The 5 senses of action (Karma-indhriyas); the 5 senses of knowledge (Jnaana-indhriyas); the 5 vital airs (Praana); the 5 attributes of the elemental principle, smell (of prithvi or earth); taste (of water); light (of fire); touch (of air); sound (of sky); and the remaining four manas (mind), buddhi (intellect), chittha (differentiating memories) and ahamkaara (the selfish ego).
The jeevi
(individual soul) the wave is the 25th;
it has the 26th, the Param-aathma (the
Supreme Self or Reality) on one side and
the 24 principles on the other. It has
to illumine all the 24, and draw them
all to the Reality, namely, the 26th
category, the Paramaathma. When they are
illumined, they disappear, for they
cannot survive light; they are but
creatures that are the progeny of maaya
(delusion and illusion). When the 24 categories are analysed and known, nothing is gained. For, they belong to the realm of the relatively real, not the absolutely real. They are jagath (world), the moving, changing, the transitory, the untrue! The Vedhas, Shaasthras and Puraanas have not mentioned anything about the origins and dissolutions of these, with any degree of certainty, because they are concerned more with the rescue operations of the I that is entangled in them and with validation that they are of no importance. Know thyself; you know the world, which is but a projection of thy mind.
When one
proceeds to attain the Aathmic vision,
one has to negate everything as Not
this, until at the end of the journey,
the Aathma alone is cognised. It admits
of no definition, no description, no
designation, It is the end of enquiry,
the summum bonum of all endeavour, the
silence that swallows all speech. The
primary seed of knowledge is "I am not
the body."
The statement says, I am not the body,
that is, it declares that Nature, the
Universe, all created things and beings,
are not I (the true Self), but, only
appearances of I. The multifarious efflorescence of maayaa, the primal desire which proliferated into the Universe - all that is the permutation and combination of the five elements, to cognise which human has equipped with the nose (smell, earth attribute), tongue (taste, water attribute), eye (perceptible form, attribute of fire), skin (touch, attribute of air) and ear (sound, attribute of space). Human can realise the goal either by picturing something that is different and distant, and praying to it, adoring it, worshipping it - such ways are useful only up to a limit, to purge the mind of low desires, sensual urges etc., or by delving into oneself, to reach the truth. The realisation of the One cannot be won by means of advice, listening to talks and discourses, study of books or austerities. It worried even Naaradha, who approached the sage, Sanathkumaara, for the vision of the Infinite. With this decomposing body and the deteriorating intellect, human cannot experience and contain the boundless surge of bliss that accompanies the realisation that he/she is the absolute. The wisdom that comes of actual experience is as the rain drop, when compared with sea water which is saline and undrinkable book-knowledge or derived knowledge. Through the inter-action of the rays of the Sun, the salinity was removed and the water that floated into the sky became sweet and sustaining. Saadhana that turns the physical into the meta-physical is the solar action that confers potability. Light and Love, so essential for being really helpful to human, have to come from the recognition of spiritual kinship.
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 8 "Death: a welcome voyage," Chapter 6; "Atom of majesty," Chapter 8 and "The sour and the sweet," Chapter 10.Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol.11. "Saline turned sweet," Chapter 4 and "Love and serve," Chapter 7).
Namaste - Reet Sai Ram
Light and Love The Vedic Lesson for the Mind "Sathyam vada. Dharmam chara" (Speak the truth; practise righteousness). "Om iti Brahma" (Om is Brahmam). "Sathyam, Jnanam, Anantham Brahma" (Truth, knowledge, all are Brahamam). "Ekam Sath; Vipraah bahudhaa vadanthi" (The Real is One; the wise call it bymany names). "Ekoham bahusyaam" (I am One; let me become many). "Eko vasi sarvabhutha antharaatma" (The One is the Indweller in all beings) these aphoristic pronouncements acquired the form and power of mantras spread throughout the world and generated bliss among people by raising their consciousness.
Knowledge of
all the shaastras and Vedhas
The Vedantic method of arriving at Oneness by the process of Neti ("not this, not this") leads to the Atmic truth. The "I" exists in everyone. Once you have cultivated this "Ekaatma bhaava" - the spiritual oneness of all there will be no room for differences and discord. In spite of training Vedic explanations before every generation, from ancient times, the questions, "Where is God?" and "How does he appear?" have been agitating the minds of people. The answers have been sought by different ways of investigation, The believers, non-believers, those with doubts and others have not been able to get clear answers to these questions. To comprehend the truth, one should look within oneself. This cannot be learnt from text-books or from teachers. Chaithanya (Consciousness) is there in the mind and pervades everywhere. People are using the sense organs but do not know the source of the power which activates them. Chaithanya cannot be comprehended by the physical vision. It is within everyone in very close proximity. The entire Creation is a manifestation of the Divine Will. Prakrithi (Nature) is the manifestation of God. Human is also part of Prakrithi and thus has the Divine power in him. The seed of the entire Universe is Chaithanya (Pure Consciousness) what is Sath-chith-aanandha. It grows in full bloom in the human being and blossoms into the flower of Awareness. Thus God incarnates in human. To understand this truth is the goal of human life. It is the mind that stands in the way of this realisation. Thinking on the physical plane and looking at the external world, human is not able to understand the Divinity within. However, the physical world also reflects Divinity. There are two entities, Svabhava and Prabhaava the former emanating from the True Inner Self and the latter from worldly pursuits. Human forgets own true Divine nature and as consequence, is wallowing in troubles and tribulations, reflecting animal qualities in his/her actions. Human life today is riddled with many problems. People are confused as to what they should believe and what they should reject, what they should do and what they should eschew. They believe in the unreal and has no belief in that which should be believed. The reason for this is self-interest. It is only when human behaviour is reformed that the world will get transformed. The process of change has to begin in human's minds. Thoughts lead to action. And actions account for the state of the world. When the thoughts go astray, the actions also are improper. The state of the world, good or ill, depends on the behaviour of individuals. Unity in a family is the basis of unity in society. Though there are lots of common features among mankind, people are not able to visualise their unity, but promote only their differences. The cause for the lack of peace in the world is the absence of harmony in thought, word and deed in each individual, which is reflected in the lack of unity among different individuals. Spiritual values have been given up, resulting in the turmoil that we see today.
To live in the world completely free from troubles is not possible. Recognising the difference between good and bad, you have to lead a balanced life. Happiness and misery are inseparable twins which are inextricably linked to each other. One is the beginning and the other is the culmination. Beginning and end go together. Only the Divine is free from a beginning, a middle or an end, but in worldly affairs, everything that has a beginning, has an end. Grief is not something which someone thrusts on you from outside. Troubles and difficulties are not imposed on you from outside. Grief and trouble arise in the natural course of things.
In creation there are many things which are naturally bad. Out of these bad things, good emerges. When one desires something, the desire is associated with aversion to something else. Human's life is bound up with likes and dislikes, with good and bad thoughts, with union and separation. Hence samsara (worldly life) has been compared to a vast ocean on which the waves are constantly bringing about union and separation. Life is full of trials. If these difficulties are not there, life will have little value.
Human existence can become meaningful only when, human at the very outset, recognises the nature of the mind and bases the actions on that understanding. The mind is subtler than the subtlest entity. There is no end to the waves arising from the ocean of the mind. The five elements, the five life breaths, the five sense organs, the five sheaths are all based on the mind. The mind is responsible for differences in opinions, likes and dislikes, and diversity in attitudes. The world is perceived through the mind. The world is permeated by the mind. Without the mind there can be no world and no attachments and hatred, no joy and sorrow. Human can achieve nothing without the motive power of the mind. People do not realise today the prodigious powers of the mind. The powers of the mind are indescribable. In one moment it can encompass the universe. In another moment it can be a total blank. The mind is the cause of both good and bad. It is because the immense power of the mind is not recognised, human life is ruined. By belittling the mind, human is dehumanising himself and behaving either like an animal or as a demon. In the worldly life usually human gets puffed up with pride on the basis of own wealth, physical strength, scholarship and position. Hatred and attachment is plunged human today in misery. As the mind is the root cause of all this, human has to go beyond the natural infirmities of the mind to the Over-mind to be able to recognise Divinity. To experience the great fragrance emanating from Nature, its unity with the Divine has to be realised. For this, it is necessary to transcend the limitations of the ordinary mind and proceed to the Super-Mind, the Higher-Mind, the Illuminated Mind and the Over-Mind what is nothing more than experience the pure Divine Self. It is in the Thureeya state - the fourth state of consciousness beyond the waking, dream and deep sleep states. This is the state of the Over-Mind. In that state human is one with the Divine. He has no attributes and is all pervading. Nature is bound by the five qualities of sound, touch, form, taste and smell (these are the qualities of space, air, fire, water and earth - the five basic elements). With the loss of each quality, starting from smell, a process of expansion takes place. Finally, we have Akaasha (ether or space) which has only one quality, sound, and is all-pervading. That being the case, how much more pervasive must be the Lord, who has no attributes. The mind and thoughts are closely interconnected by inner cosmic-divine grids. Thoughts influence the vision, which, in its turn, affects the mind. Thoughts too may assume good and bad forms. (This is the message of the three monkeys pictured as one with closed eyes, another with closed ears and the third with a closed mouth "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." Today the entire environment is polluted by evil things which offend the eyes, the ears and the tongue. Everyone should free himself from this three-fold pollution). Thought waves radiate very much like heat waves, radio waves, light waves, gravitational waves, etc. They exists in spite of that science cannot discover essence of the Divine Creation by wordly methods. The thought waves are the cause of human's joy or sorrow, health or disease, birth or death. The whole cosmos is made up of thought waves; hence, the scripture declares: "The mind is at the root of the cosmos." There is no place, or form or action wherein the mind is absent. Hence, all human's thoughts should be turned in the right direction. When good thoughts, good feelings and good intentions are developed, the mind becomes pure. Only when the mind is pure, can the action be pure and the fruits thereof be pure. Today we sow the seed of thought - karma - and reap the fruit of action. From the seed of karma arises the fruit of behaviour. Out of the seed of behaviour comes the fruit of character. The seed of character yields the fruit of fortune. Thus, from thought to fortune, the chain of human progress can be perceived. Our good and bad luck are thus linked to our thoughts. The mind immerses human in impenetrable darkness through bad thoughts. The same mind can lift human to sublime heights by good thoughts. The entire human existence is based upon thoughts and their results. As thoughts lead to actions, one's behaviour, speech and conduct affect the tendencies of the mind and give rise to good or bad impulses. The natural state of a human's heart is pure. But by letting in the poisonous snakes in the form of evil thoughts, he is inviting trouble. Bad thoughts in the mind are worse than poisonous reptiles in the house.
The refinement of life calls for continual sadhana (spiritual practice). Without such practice, life gets degraded. Sadhana is necessary to elevate life from the trivial to the sublime. No one is a scholar at the moment of birth. It is only through various endeavours that he becomes a scholar and a righteous person. There is a saying: "Anything can be achieved by Sadhana." Sadhana means converting bad into good, transforming evil into virtue. This calls for the right use of the mind as human is not aware of the potentialities of the mind.
Discharge of
your duty is the daily yajna
(spiritual offering) you have to
perform. That is the primary spiritual
exercise. That is the penance you have
to do and that is the goal you have to
keep in mind. Next one should have a
mind filled with Samarasa, a vision of
equality, the conviction that
fundamentally all are same. You should
try to have complete knowledge of
anything. Partial knowledge is
dangerous. You should study the nature
of the heart. He has a broad vision,
while human beings have a narrow
selfish outlook. You should also
expand your heart - not the physical
but spiritual heart. This heart with
dhaya (compassion) is Dhaivam (God).
Compassion is the most essential
quality of a human being. A
compassionate heart reflects divinity. It is not easy to subdue the mind immediately. But you must begin to bring it under control. When the mind desires something, you must immediately set the Buddhi (intellect) at work. Why? So that the intellect may give you the proper advice. The mind has to be taught to examine your desire, using the power of discrimination to find out whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. Do not wish to acquire whatever you desire. When you try to teach the mind in this manner, it loses its potency. This Vijnaana is full of intelligence and common sense. It is called Divine Intellectual Will. The Divine Will Power has to be acquired by everyone. Only then, they can realise their true human nature. It is through this Will Power that the Cosmic Divine nature of the universe can be recognised. This Cosmic Power has to be seen with the eyes, experienced mentally, practised through the body and made an integral part of one's being. Develop the feeling: "I and God are one." This should not be purely a verbal exercise. You must realise the implications of the manthra you recite God's name or such as "Soham" (I am He) and live up to it. There is no difference between the Cosmic Divine and the Inner Divine But when it is experienced by the individual, it is described as Inner Divine. When the individual experience is extended to the entire universe, it is called Cosmic Divine. The Individual Self and Paramaathma (the OmniSelf) are one, like the rind of a fruit and the juice inside. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 24."The human predicament and the Divine," Chapter 16 and "Face the challenges of life," Chapter 18; Sathya sai Speaks. Vol. 26. "Beyond the Mind," Chapter 20; "Thought waves make up the Cosmos," Chapter 21 and "Role of the Avathaar in the cosmic play," Chapter 30).
Namaste - Reet Sai Ram Light
and Love Swami teaches.... (29 - 31 July 2005) Fundamental Wisdom of Upanishads and Message of Taithiriya Upanishad There are many things, which cannot be learnt through the physical sciences, which can be understood from the Upanishads. What science has discovered so far is very little. Spirituality affirms that even in the microcosm there is the macrocosm. From the microcosm the macrocosm emerges. In the macrocosm the microcosm exists. When this process is investigated, it will be seen that the minutest atom and the infinite Cosmos are basically one. Only the forms differ, but the substance is one. This is one of the profound mysteries revealed by the Upanishads. Spirit that dwells in all beings is one and the same Cosmic Spirit - "Ekaatma Sarvabhuta antaratma." When this consciousness of oneness is realised by all, the world will experience peace and prosperity. Each Upanishad has sought to disclose the secret of creation. In attempting to understand the Upanishads, different persons, according to their intellectual abilities, interpreted them variously. These differences are related to their different natures and state of their spiritual awareness. One and the same object appears differently to different persons according to their outlook. They arise from the worldly habits of the people concerned. Hence, good habits are essential to develop right attitudes. The Upanishads should not be regarded as of no relevance to ordinary human beings and as valid only for sages and ascetics. The notable advances in science and technology we witness today represent the essence of the Upanishads. The Upanishads are the final phase of the Vedas. Hence they are known as Vedanta. The Upanishads are the quintessence of knowledge. They are the very embodiment of the highest knowledge. They are illuminating. Physical and mundane knowledge is concerned with the world. But to achieve peace of mind and joy of the Spirit, knowledge of the Upanishads is vital.
One of them, Taithiriya Upanishad is valid for celibates, householders, renunciants and ascetics equally in its message and its practical application. It has an appeal and relevance for every human being. Its teachings are essential for persons in the four asramas (stages in life).
The Taithiriya Upanishad contains significant message given to the disciples by the preceptor at the end of their education in the preceptor's hermitage. In this message, two paths are indicated: the Preyo-marga and the Sreyo-marga. The Preyo-marga relates to practices which will give pleasure to the senses from time to time. These are momentary, impermanent and unreal. Most people prefer this path of Preyas. Very few seek to follow the Sreyo-marga (the. sublime path), which confers permanent and unchanging good. Human is eager to get quick results and does not want to wait and is in a hurry all the time. Even the desires are confined to immediate results. Human desires a good name, a good environment and an enjoyable life. Human usually does not seek good knowledge, good conduct or good sense, which are the requisites for following the Sreyo-marga. The path of Preyas (the mundane path) is concerned with achieving temporary name, power and position. Let's look to the basic aspects of this Upanishad
The primary message of the Taithiriya Upanishad is closely connected with a section of the Krishna Yajur Veda. It tells that among the necessities of life food comes first. But a full stomach does not fully satisfy the mind. Human cannot merely rest on a satisfied appetite and has to move about and engage him/herself in work. While doing work, one has to ask "What am I doing? Why am I doing and how am I doing? When one enquires into these questions, he/she can derive meaning and joy from this work and recognises the purpose and value of what one is doing.
In this Upanishad, every utterance has the import of mantra. Every word in it is filled with the power of mantra. Starting with food, attaining bliss is the final goal of life. Realising what is good in the actions, one makes it a part of own life. One experiences the joy derived from these actions and shares that joy with others.
Mantra does not merely mean pronouncements like "Om Namassivaya" or "Om Namo Narayanaya." Mantra is that which redeems by contemplation. Mantra is that which gets established in the mind by the process of contemplation on it.
The Sikshaavalli section of the Taithiriya Upanishad sought to teach the disciples how to realise Brahmananda (the Supreme Bliss). The term Brahmananda is a compound word composed of Brahma and Ananda. When this compound word is examined in its two parts, it will be 'seen that Brahma is different from Ananda. When this Ananda (bliss) is united with Brahmam, it becomes Brahmananda. Hence, it is evident that there is an inextricable association between human and Brahmam alias Absolute (the Omni-Self). Brahmananda is not a commodity obtained from somewhere. It is Self-realisation, which confers supreme bliss. The first requisite is for people to realise their humanness and have respect for human values. All the violence and discord in the world today are due to the eclipse of human values. In the pursuit of desire, all values are sacrificed. Of what use are acquisitions if humanness is absent?
It is not useless to repeat: learn to have single-pointedness and try to obtain the knowledge of the Absolute. Through concentration, it is possible to open the inner eye, clear and complete, so that man may visualise God. By taking to repeating the Name of God and picturing in the mind the glory of God who has that Name, as well as a thousand others, slowly the cataract of the inner eye will disappear and, human can see the God who is in everybody's innermost heart, installed in the altar therein. All powers are found in human. The powers not found in human cannot be found elsewhere in the universe. Because of external vision human is unable to recognise that all that he/she sees externally is within himself. So Brahma-Vidya (the knowledge of the Absolute) is not something beyond human attainment. It relates to spiritual practices concerning daily life. These practices have to be observed regularly every day. Brahma-Vidya can be got only through Brahmam. But, human is bound to worldly attachments, forgets the truth about the Absolute and is lost in mundane concerns. The common person, who is a prey to desire, fear and hatred, is far from experiencing Brahmananda. If desire, fear and hatred are given up, people will be able to understand to some extent the nature of this Supreme Bliss. But renunciation of these three alone is not enough. Love of the Lord should be fostered. Even that is not enough. You have to qualify yourself to be proximate to God's love. But even nearness is not enough. You must rely entirely on the the Supreme truth. Only then the human can become the divine.
The Viraat form is the gross physical form assumed by the Atma in the waking state for leading a long life in the world. He manifests himself in many forms under many names. The entire cosmos, consisting of animate and inanimate objects, is the form of Viraat, permeating the five basic elements. The Viraat Purusha (the Cosmic Person) is manifest in every creature from an ant to the Absolute, demonstrating thereby that the cosmos is a manifestation of the Divine. Everything that is seen is a manifestation of Viraat. The Viraat Swaroopa (the Cosmic Form) is related to the external physical universe. Assuming the gross physical form, the Viraat Purusha (Cosmic Person) stands forth as an ideal. The second form is Hiranyagarbha. He is the source of all kinds of knowledge - ethical, spiritual, physical, scientific and social. He may be described as Jnana bhaskara (The Sun of Knowledge). The entire creation emerged from Hiranyagarbha at the beginning. From Hiranyagarbha, the first to emerge was the mouth. Sound started from the mouth. Then came the nose, from which arose air. Then came the eyes, from which emanated fire. The ears came thereafter. The directions arose from the ears. Hiranyagarbha is the primary source of the origin of human and the prime source of all living beings. It is Hiranyagarbha who endowed all these beings with the power of discriminating between the eternal and the ephemeral between what should be sought and what should be renounced, between what ought to be and what ought not to be done. Hiranyagarbha offered to human the knowledge needed for this purpose. This is the primary activity of Hiranyagarbha. Hiranyagarbha has two other names: Suthratmaka is one. This means that he is present in all beings like the string that keeps together the gems in a necklace. This string is called Brahma-Sutra (the string of Brahmam). The principle of Hiranyagarbha indicates how the Divine unites all human beings equally like the string of a necklace. Hiranyagarbha thus demonstrates a divisionless universe. The other name for Hiranyagarbha is Prana. Hiranyagarbha assumes a subtle form in the dream state of a human being. He is the entity who is awake in the dream and sleeping states. In the waking state, the Viraat Swaroopa creates the visible cosmos. In the dream state, Hiranyagarbha creates the figures in the dreams. All objects in this state have no physical basis and are the creations of Hiranyagarbha. The third form is Avyaakrita. He is one who has no form of any kind. He is present in the Kaarana Sarira (causal body), without any form, and enjoys the Sushupti state of human (the deep sleep state). Though he has no form, he has control over everything. Without limbs or organs, he performs all actions. He travels long distances. Without eyes, he sees everything. Without ears, he hears everything. He is thus engaged in all activities relating to creation, but has no form. This Avyaakrita has two other names: Antaratma and Iswaratwam. Antaratma means one who impels from within all activities (Antaravaani or inner voice). Every impulse arises from Antaratma. The Antaratma is the basic source of all sounds. Iswaratwam is the third name for Avyaakrita; though he is the possessor of all forms of wealth, he is the entity who judges good and bad actions and metes out punishment or reward according to deserts. He presides over actions. Hence, he decides on good and bad actions and metes out justice. He is known as the giver of Aiswarya (wealth). But good and bad deeds are comprised in Aiswarya.
Viraat, Hiranyagarbha and Avyaakrita are not entities existing in some separate place. When you examine carefully, you will find that every human being is an incarnation of Viraat, of Hiranyagarbha and Avyaakrita. This profound truth is not realised by humans because of their narrow outlook.
On account of attachment, fear and hatred, human forgets own true nature. This fact can be witnessed in the dream state. You have a dream in which you are travelling by a train. You pass a number of stations in the dream. Wherefrom did the train come in the dream state? It is a creation of your mind. All that was experienced in the dream are products of the mind. Nor is that all. You created even yourself in the dream. This is the activity of Hiranyagarbha. The states of consciousness vary, but the experiencer is one and the same in all the three states. All the variations in experience are related to differences in time, place and circumstance. The body is made up of time, actions and obligations. No one can be free from action even for a moment. For instance, also sleeping, sitting, respiration, circulation of blood, etc. - all are actions. The breathing, circulation of blood, etc processes goes on irrespective of what you do or feel. These go on in different states of consciousness. Such automatic actions relate to the functions of body are called Aadhi bhautikam.
Aadhi atmakam relates to actions of the mind. Aadhi daivikam relates to actions prompted by the Divine. These three categories of actions are governed by Viraat-Swaroopa, Hiranyagarbha and Avyaakrita respectively, in the different states of consciousness.
The Viraat-form is the human body multiplied by infinity. Mind X Infinity = Hiranyagarbha. Life X Infinity = Avyaakrita. These three forms are related to the gross, the subtle and the causal bodies of human. All the three bodies are in the human being. The five basic senses (representing the faculties of sound, sight, smell, taste and touch) are in the human body, as well as in the cosmos. The body is Prakriti (matter or earth). The inhaling and exhaling process is based on air. The body is composed of water (the fourth basic element). When human is engaged in motion and action, heat is generated. This is the fire element in man. In this manner, all the five elements are within the human body and hence is regarded as a manifestation of the Viraat-Swaroopa (the Cosmic Person).
By section of Taithiriya Upanishad there are five kinds of Fire-principle: Udara-Agni, Manda-Agni, Kama-Agni, Soka-Agni and Badavaa-Agni.
1.
Udara-Agni refers to the burning
sensation caused by hunger (Fire in
the stomach).
4.
Soka-Agni does not refer only to
consuming grief caused by worldly
disappointments and losses. It
pertains also to the burning sorrow
felt by one who is yearning for God
thirsting for experiencing oneness
with the Divine. Soka-Agni is not
consuming sorrow over the lack of
worldly possessions. It is a grief
felt for the sake of Dharma and God. All these five types of "fire" are related to physical conditions. They have no relation to the Atma (Spirit) which is different from the body. The Spirit is a witness to all the experiences resulting from these five forms of fires. Utilising these five fires as experiences witnessed by the Spirit, the Upanishad revealed the truth underlying physical phenomena.
Human beings are classified under four categories*: Daiva (Divine), Manava (Human), Danava (Demonic) and Pasutva (Animal). Of these four categories, the first is Manava-Daivamu (the divinely human). The "Divinely human" being is one who is conscious of the Divinity residing within, who dedicates all his actions to the Divine, who recognises the Divinity present equally in all beings and has love and compassion for all living beings and devotes life to the service of God. Manava-manavatwa (Human-humanness) is a one who is devoted to Truth and Righteousness. In this world of delusion, the one who has his sights on Truth and Righteousness, preaches and practises the two virtues and shows love and compassion to his fellow-beings. Such a person practises Dharma, engages himself in charitable activities, harmonizes his thoughts, words and deeds and leads a godly life even though living as a householder. Performing this duties, perrson stands out as an example to fellow-beings. Manava-Danavatva is a demonic human being is addicted to intoxicating drinks, who harasses people, inflicts pain on others for selfish reasons, who is without love or compassion, and who is totally immersed in selfish concerns. Manava-pasutvam (bestial-human being) is a person without wisdom is equal to an animal. Governed wholly by the senses, considering sensual enjoyment as the sole purpose of life from birth to death, spending his time in eating and sleeping and forgetting the basic human nature. The chief quality that distinguishes a human from an animal is wisdom the power of discrimination as to what is permanent and what is transient. One who lacks this capacity is no better than an animal. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 8. "The bandage removed from the eye," Chapter 4; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 24."The human predicament and the Divine," Chapter 16 and "Experiencing the Bliss Divine," Chapter 17).
PS: * This classification of human beings has been mentioned already in earlier contribution several months ago. However, it seems to serve a purpose to mention about it in present context.
Namaste - Reet |