Swami teaches....Part 43

Link to Swami Teaches....Part 42

Sai Ram  

      Light and Love 

     Swami teaches... 25 - 26 October 2005 

     Health is Wealth for Realization of Life's Goal    

     For the achievement of the four main goals of life - Dharma, Artha, Kaama, and Moksha (righteousness, wealth, desire and liberation), health is essential. Without good health human cannot accomplish even the most trivial thing. Therefore prevention of disease should be the goal. Realise the value of health. Self-restraint is essential to maintain health. Regulate your habits and develop good manners. The manners should be such that they confer self satisfaction. When there is self-satisfaction there will be self-realisation. For all these you must have self-confidence. Hence, health is wealth. However, because of the influence of the present Kali (evil). Age, human is a prey to all kinds of ailments and has no peace of mind despite the possession of every conceivable kind of wealth and comforts.  

    In spite of the availability of so many amenities, why is human afflicted with disease? Indeed, more than physical ailments, mental diseases are growing limitlessly. Mental sickness caused by tension and worry gives us so many bodily ailments. It is indulgence in excesses of various kinds. Human must learn to moderate the hectic pace of living. 

    Human today is afflicted with discontent. As one set of desires are satisfied, other desires go on cropping up. If desires are reduced, contentment will grow. Moreover, because of the perversions of the Kali Age, the five basic elements - ether, air, fire, water and earth - are polluted. The water we drink is impure. The air we breathe is polluted. (All countries should, therefore, try to reduce the use of automobiles and control the emission of harmful industrial effluents).

    The food we consume is polluted. The mind as the body derives its energy from food. Pure food is conducive to purity of the mind. The first requirement is control of food and head (the mind). When you control these two, there will be no room for illness.

    The relationship between food and habits should be properly understood. We should see that proper balance is maintained between the physical body and inner feelings (spirit). Modern people are continuously not in balance and always in hurry. It causes worry which affects the physical health. The main cause of heart troubles may be said to be hurry, worry and curry. (Curry means fatty foods). What is the cause of heart ailments? Many doctors say that they are due to smoking, consumption of fatty foods, overeating and other habits. Many doctors have made investigations in this field but the results have not been made known widely. Heart diseases are found to be more rampant among non-vegetarians while vegetarians are not prone to heart ailments to the same extent. This is because of higher percentage of fats in non-vegetarian food which increases the cholesterol in the blood.

    Some people do not do any physical exercises and lead a sedentary life. Swami advices to office-goers and students to commute by cycle at least 5 or 6 kilometers a day. This cycling exercise is very useful not only for maintaining health but also for reducing the expenditure incurred on automobiles. Another advantage is the avoidance of accidents. Moreover, it serves to reduce atmospheric pollution caused by the release of harmful fumes from automobiles. The nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, carbon oxide and smoke form motor vehicles and factories are continuously polluting atmosphere air and is affecting the ozone layer above the Earth.

    Trees play a vital role in helping mankind to receive oxygen from the atmosphere while they absorb the carbon dioxide. Hence, the ancients favoured the growing of trees to control atmospheric pollution. But today trees are cut down indiscriminately and pollution is on the increase. /The relationship between human and trees is indicated by the term "Vanaspathi" (herbs) employed in Ayurvedha. 

    There are three basic factors which are responsible for health or disease in the human body according to Ayurvedha. They are vaatha (vital air), piththa (bile) and shleshma (phlegm). Vaatha accounts for 36 diseases, piththa accounts for 98 and shleshma for 96 diseases. These three factors are essential for the human body but they should be in proper balance without exceeding their respective limits. When they are in balance, there will be no disease. Moderation is the golden rule for good health.

    For the treatment of disease arising out of vaatha, piththa and shleshma, gingely oil, ghee and honey respectively are prescribed as remedies. These should be taken in moderation. The body is a gift of God and cannot be made by doctors. The body is unclean in many ways and is subject to various diseases. But in such an inherently unattractive abode dwells the most valuable divinity. 

    The classic medicine (allopathy) is based on external knowledge and experimentation, while Ayurvedha is based on inner knowledge and experience of ancients. There is gulf of difference between experiment and experience. The Allopathic system came much later. It is based on an objective, external approach while Ayurvedha is subjective. Since Ayurvedha is subjective it is more efficacious than the Allopathic system. There is a superior artistic sense in Ayurvedha. Both have to be coordinated for better results.

    There is the distinction between subjective and objective approaches. The latter has an external outlook while the former has an inner view. The object is a reflection of the subject. 

     Because of the difference between the subjective and objective approaches, in course of time, Allopathy resorted to the use of antibiotics to deal with various diseases. But, in the process of curing a disease they give rise to adverse side-effects.

     Allopathic doctors experiment with matter. They do not take the mind into account.  Medical science should recognise the role of the mind in causing sickness.  

    (Today human has to understand the true relationship between matter and mind. Only when one understands the nature of the mind can person recognise the true nature of humanness. What is the mind? It is not something negative. It represents the power of the Atma, the power of Sankalpa (Will). It can travel any amount of distance in space. It is capable of exploring the powers of the atom. The mind is capable of recognizing the truth that is valid for the three categories of Time - the past, the present and the future. It is the source of all human's strength).           

    For every human two things are essential: good health and bliss. Health for the body and mind and bliss for the spirit. With these two wings you can soar to any height. You need both the things, for which you must secure God's grace. To get God's grace, you have to engage yourself in sacred action. Bear in mind the three P's - Purity, Patience and Perseverance. With these three you are bound to acquire good health and bliss.

    To acquire God's grace you have to cultivate the love of God. Love has become today a kind of show. Genuine love should emanate from the heart.  If you develop love, disease will not come near you. As a lump of sugar sweetens every drop of water in the cup, the eye of love makes every person in the world friendly and attractive. So fill your mind with the desire to see God, be with Him, praise Him, glorify Him, and taste the Glow of His Majesty. There is no bliss higher than that.

     Love expresses itself in many forms in relation to different persons, but is essentially one. Today love is tainted by selfishness, whether in relation to the mother, the spouse or the children or others. Attachment to others is natural. But there should be a limit to it. When this limit is exceeded, it becomes a disease. This is true in every case. Because of human's excessive desires, he/she is prone to diseases of every kind.

    Human is seeking happiness from birth to death. The search starts with education. But education does not confer happiness. Human desires a job, but that does not make him/her happy. Human then seeks marriage as the means to happiness. Happiness eludes person because the wife/husband claims equal rights.

    Where is this Aanandha (bliss) to be found? Today, inspite of all wealth, human is unhappy. Ego and desire have enveloped happiness and peace. When the covering is removed, happiness and peace will manifest itself. Follow your the conscience. Human will discover that the body, the senses and the mind are all the important instruments and he/she is their master. You are-the Soul. Make it the basis for all your actions.

    The first requisite is to realise human values: Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love. For a bulb to burn, you need a connecting wire, a switch and electric current. For human, that current is Truth or God. It is energy. This divine energy has to flow through the wire of Dharma (Righteousness) reach the bulb of Shaanthi (Peace) and produce the light of' Prema (Love). 

    The prompting inside human to love mother is an expression of the Divine Nature. A person who loves is a theist, whether he/she goes to a temple or church, or not. You have to proceed from the known to the unknown. Then the love expands in ever widening circles, until it covers all nature, until even plucking a leaf from a tree affects you so painful that you dare not injure it. The green vitality of the tree is a sign of the Divine Will, which sends its roots deep into the soil. The roots keep the tree safe from storms, holding it fast against the violent tug of the wind. So too, if the roots of love in human go down into the spring of the Divine within, no storm of suffering can shake and crash person into disbelief.      

     Remember too that there is a law of cause and effect; every karma has a consequence, whether you like it or not, whether you anticipate it or not. Birth is the result of the karma done before death. This is no religion of despair; it is a religion of hope, of assurance, of encouragement to lead an active, useful, beneficent life. For the future is in your hands; tomorrow can be shaped by today, though today has already been shaped by yesterday. That is the reason why the biggest section of the Vedhas is called 'Karma Kaanda' and deals with various types of Karma, calculated to induce detachment, to canalise the desire towards eternal and universal ends, to transmute all acts into acts of worship, to offer adoration to the Devas (Gods) who preside over every force of Nature, every energy of human.  

   The Thaittireeya Upanishadh takes the student from the gross to the subtle, step by step, in its effort to teach him the Divine Principle. When Bhrigu, the son of Varuna, approached his father, saying, "Teach me Brahman," he was told in a general way, "Brahman is that from which all this originates, that in which they live, and that in which they enter when they depart," and he was asked to investigate it through meditation himself.

    Bhrigu declared that 'Food was Brahman,' and when asked to proceed with the investigation, he proceeded to the next hypothesis, that Brahman was Praana (life); later, he found that Manas (will, sankalpa, ichchaashakthi) was Brahman; then he reached the stage when he could declare that Brahman was Vijaana (intelligence); the next step was reached when he identified Brahman with Aanandha (bliss); thus the Upanishadh teaches the subtle, supreme, non-dual Bliss, hidden in the cave of the heart. From the material to the spiritual - that is the process of Upanishadhic teachings.

   The first step to it  reflects a story about a Guru and a pupil. The pupil prayed that he may be given some advice to make the pilgrimage to God easier and faster. The Guru sat silent for a while and then told him, "Go. Light that Lamp." The pupil tried his best, but he could not light it. It was filled with water, not oil. So, the Guru asked him to pour the water out squeeze the water from the wick, dry the wick, wipe the lamp clean, fill it with oil and then light it. The water is 'desire,' the Sun that can dry the wick is 'renunciation' and the flame of the lamp is 'Wisdom.'

    But human still believes that Aanandha can be got from the external world. Person hoards wealth, authority, fame and learning, in order to acquire happiness. But he/she finds that they are fraught with fear, anxiety and pain. The millionaire is beset by the tax-gatherer, the cheat, the donation hunter, the house-breaker, and his sons and kinsmen who clamour for their share.  

    Struggle to realise the Atma, to visualise God; even failure in this struggle is nobler than success in other worldly attempts. The dull, activity-hating Thaamasik persons cling to the ego and to kith and kin; their love is limited to these. The Raajasik (active, passionate) persons seek to earn power and prestige, and love only those who will contribute to these. The Saathwik (the pure, the good, the equanimity-filled), love all as embodiments of God and engage themselves in humble service.

   There was a king once, who questioned many a scholar and sage who came to his court, "Which is the best service and which is the best time to render it?" He could not get a satisfying answer from them. One day while pursuing the forces of a rival king, he got separated from his troops, in the thick jungle; he rode a long way, exhausted and hungry, until he reached a hermitage. There was an old monk who received him kindly and offered him a welcome cup of cool water. After a little rest the king asked his host the question that was tormenting his brain: "Which is the best service?" The hermit said, "Giving a thirsty man a cup of water." "And, which is the best time to render it?" The answer was, "When he comes far and lonely, looking for some place where he can get it."

    The act of service is not to be judged, according to the cost or publicity it entails; it may be only the offering of a cup of water in the depth of a jungle.

    Serve people with no thought of high or low; no service is high, no service is low, each act of service is equal;

 it is the readiness, the joy, the efficiency, the skill with which you rush to do it that matters.

    Train yourselves to serve God by serving man, in whom there is God installed in the heart. Convince yourselves that the service of man is worship of God. The fire of detachment will fry the seed of desire, down to the last trace of life in it. Detachment has to be supplemented by the knowledge of the hollowness of the objective world.

    In the old days, Imperial Princes, who studied in the hermitages had to seek alms and live on what they collected thus. This is for the removal of silly egoism. As pilgrims yourselves to the holy temple of sath-karma (righteous action), keep away your luggage (egoism) and enter the shrine, to purify the heart. Deposit your luggage in the vaults of "surrender" (sharanaagathi). Remember the persons whom you serve are temples, where God is installed. 

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 7. "Lead or Gold," Chapter 23;  "Moving Temples," Chapter 31 and  "The wet wick," Chapter 39; Sathya sai Speaks. Vol. 26. "Integral approach to human ailments," Chapter 4; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 28. "Health, diet and Divinity," Chapter 16).

 

    Namaste - Reet


Sai Ram

Light and Love

Swami teaches... 22 - 24 October 2005

Swami's Sankalpas for Benefit of Human's Spiritual Progress

Swami's Teaching contains a huge amount spiritual approaches which analyze and explain nearly the same basic topics from different angles and situations. The basic spiritual truths are always the same as today so, pictorially to say, 8000 years ago and after 8000 years in the far future. Swami's teaches humanity more than 60 years. During this time the life on the planet has changed much. Levels of awareness, education and professions of participants His Discourses have been (and arein present) extremely different. Swami has found His Own Divine approach to every of them.

However, in all His works there are links which are always the same. They are - the basic spiritual guidelines, spiritual truths and the illumination of the Divine power. This Illumination has infinite amount subtle nuances which as fondle every spiritual seeker by its own way what is beyond the words.

Human being's pilgrim set on a long journey; pictorially it has started from the stone and water, moved on to the vegetable and the animal, and has now come to the human stage. Human has still a long way to go, to reach the Divine.

The Samskrith word Maanava means Maa (not), nava (new). That word intimates that human has had a series of births and deaths and is heavily laden with burdensome heritages of good and bad. By the laws of creation God (Atma) is the dweller in everyone in an unmanifested form.

He who can clarify the truth of God has never yet been born; nor will he be ever born. One can only relate what one has felt or experienced through His Grace. Who among the writers or painters or actors has seen Him? The epics and Puraanas relate only an infinitesimal fraction of His Glory; they set limits to the limitless, for words have a limit.

It is only the one endowed with vision of sacred knowledge, of union with God or of selfless devotion for God that can have a glimpse of that Effulgence. Those who know will not speak; those who speak do not know, cannot know.

Nature is Brahman, but Brahman is not Nature; it is only the rope which was mistaken to be the snake. When Wisdom dawns, when Light illumines, the snake disappears and the rope alone remains. God is sweetness, you are sugar; He is fire, you are fuel; He has no heart; every heart where He is installed is His.

There is one path to God that will satisfy the aspirations of the Jeeva thathwa (essential nature of individual). It is quite easy to follow. That is the path of Bhakthi (devotion), of dedication of all activity to God and surrendering to His Will. This is called the Bhakthi marga (path of devotion). But, Bhakthi has to be built on conviction, not on blind unreasoning belief. That is why Swami emphasises the role of intelligence. Intelligence is a special gift from God to human. Peace and happiness depends on the choice of the right means and this is a matter to be decided by the Intelligence. Prosperity too depends on the intelligent exploitation of the resources.

The present situation in the world is like a typhoon, causing unrest and confusion. No one has mental quiet; fear and anxiety stalk everywhere; panic reigns even while the conquest of space and the mapping of new planets is being hailed.

Besides devotion you should learn the secret of Santhi (peace). This opportunity should not be missed, for that is the wisdom that will save you. The present system of education aims at making you bread-winners and citizens, but it does not give you the secret of a happy life; namely, discrimination between the unreal and the real - which is the genuine training you need.

People craves for peace. Though the source of peace and bliss is within people seek them in the external like one pursuing a mirage. Having got the precious human form, people must seek to live according to the true requirements of that form. Human being is born for a higher destiny and should live up to the role conferred on him/her.

Stepping along the path of devotion do the Namaskaaram (respectful obeisance) with faith. When you fold both your hands and bring them together, feel that you are offering at the Feet all the actions of the five Karmendhriyas (organs of action) and the five Jnaanendhriyas (organs of perception) as indicated by ten fingers. The purpose of Namaskaaram is to touch the Feet (sparshan) of God. The negative pole, power of illusion, and the positive pole Supreme divine power have to meet in order to produce a spiritual current that will flow through you.

Human is the synthesis of all the feelings, emotions and reactions that arise in mind. When the mind is clean, the world cognised by it will also be clean. Many people blame the world, without knowing that the fault lies in themselves. Their thinking is crooked; their thoughts are not wholesome; their minds are restless, because they are too full of unfulfilled desires. Rich or poor, educated or uneducated, high or low, they see the world through the glasses of their own prejudices and predilections and they condemn or extol it in order to please themselves.

If you examine the nature of mind, you will find that it is very much akin to the lens of a camera. The body is the camera, the mind is the lens, the heart is the photographic plate, the thought is the flash, and the intelligence, the switch. Turn the lens towards the source of happiness, not, to the seat of anxiety and fear; then, you will berewarded with a fine picture imprinted on your heart. It is difficult, nay, well nigh impossible, to turn the lens to the direction we are told by saints and seers.

Spiritual life is not isolated existence. Human has to sow the seeds of love in his heart and harvest peace. Person should share that peace with all. There is happiness only in the vast, the limitless, the huge; not in the little, the small, the limited. Love leads to expansion. This is the basic teaching of the scriptures of Sanaathana Dharma.

Religion begins where science ends. In science, when one door is opened, and a passage is revealed, ten doors are discovered in that very passage, and each one of them has to be opened in turn. Science transforms things, rearranges them, studies their composition, regroups their pans and releases the energy that lies latent in them.

Science has its vision, directed outside, towards gadgets and machinery providing external comfort and convenience. The scientist examines the objective world of matter. It is external vision. The one who examines the soul and develops the internal vision is the Saint. The Scientist plans machines, the Saint relies on manthra.

Swami asks to pray to God to grant you the capacity to think straight and right, and to stick to the correct decision once decided on, without being affected by egoism, greed or hatred. Swami asks to pray for a balanced mind unaffected by prejudices and passions.

Prayer for some benefit or gain should not be addressed to God. For, it means that God waits until He is asked. Surrender to Him; He will deal with you as He feels best and it would be the best for you. God does not dole out Grace in proportion to the praise He receives. When you pray for a thing from God, you run the risk of condemning Him, if for some reason the prayer is not answered the way you wanted it to be, or as quickly as you wanted it to be. This contingency arises because you feel that God is an outsider, staying in some heaven, or holy spot, far away from you. God is in you, God is in every word of yours, every deed and thought. Speak, do and think as befits Him. Do the duty that He has allotted to the best of your ability, and to the satisfaction of your conscience. That is the most rewarding ritualistic worship.

(When you stand before another, his image is in your eye, and your image is in his; haven't you observed this? You are in me, I am in you. When you have faith in this, you are on the right path. When you are not on this path, when it is a question of sharing Divine Grace).

Every person has to pay attention to three basic duties in quest for happiness:

1. Person should forget what he/she has to forget, namely, the world around and its tantalising pleasures.

2. Person has to reach where he/she has to reach, namely, the goal of the Divine, the Presence of the Almighty.

3. Person has to give up what he/she has to give up, namely, material desires and pursuits.

The Vedhic prayer Asatho maa sath gamaya, Thamaso maa jyothir gamaya, Mruthyor maa amritham gamaya (Lead me from untruth to truth, lead me from darkness to light, lead me from death to immortality) summarises these aspirations nicely.

There are three kinds of Ichcha-sakthi (wishing abilities) which have an active role in person's spiritual development.

1. Swechcha (wishing freely).

2. Parechcha (carrying out the wishes of others).

3. Anichcha (without wishing).

Swechcha does not mean freedom to act as you please, using your strength and possessions as you like, regardless of the rights of others. True Swechcha consists in taking a decision with your own mind, carrying it out in action and accepting the consequences. The freedom that you desire in doing what pleases you should imply that equally freely you accept the consequences flowing from its fulfilment.

Parechcha refers to what one does at the prompting or bidding of others and laments the consequences resulting from such actions, casting the blame on others for what one suffers.

Anichcha refers to fortuitous happenings that occur without one's own willing or as a result of actions prompted by others and are accepted as providential.

Move away front thoughts and anxieties about this body, subject to decay and death and become aware of the Immortal Soul, which you really are. Whatsoever garland can teach a great spiritual lesson. This one thread has strung all these different flowers together in beautiful harmony. It is called Suuthra (connecting thread) in Samskrith. So also, there is the Brahma Suuthra, the Universal Brahma Principle which passes in and through every individual and binds them all in the atmic bond.

When God is recognised as dwelling within, every one will perform his/her duty as an act of worship. But human devotes considerable time and energy to decorating his home, expecting to derive joy from it. How long can this last? What he should seek to beautify is his/her heart. The heart is beautified by qualities such as love, forbearance and compassion. These qualities confer enduring bliss on human. Follow the dictates of your own clear conscience. Time is the body of God. He is known as Kaalaswaruupa (of the Form of Time). So too, the physical and mental talents given to you by God as capital for the business of living should not be frittered away. Do not copy wishes and resolutions from some one. God is enshrined in your heart; He is ever ready to guide you. He is not somewhere away from you, some one distinct from you. The Inner Voice speaking ever with you. You need not seek Him, He is there ready to respond to the call from the heart.

The proper study of humanity is human beings. Their thoughts originate in the mind, they express themselves through words and are materialised through deeds. These three have to be properly coordinated by the Intellect; or else, life becomes a tragedy. The mind has to be trained to develop a taste for the good and the godly; not, for money and material gains. Human asserts that he/she lives for him/herself only, eats and drinks, looks after own health and comforts only. Two persons may be sleeping on the same cot, but, each has dreams that stroll independently into strange regions of its own. But, the truth is quite different. Contraction is extinction. Expansion is life. Human has to feel him/herself a limb of the society.

You have to transform your life through service. You should give no room for arrogance or selfinterest to the slightest extent in your service activities. Install in your heart the feeling that the service you render to anyone is service to God.

Born in society, brought up in society, educated by society and deriving countless benefits from society, what are you doing for society? Social service should be regarded as an expression of gratitude to society for what it has done to us. Without society we cannot survive.

Every culture has a body of customs and conventions laid down by the sages, to maintain peace and prosperity in the community. They are tested in the crucible of experience, and they are often grouped under the word, Dharma (duties). Or, they are known as neethi (ethics). To go against them - is to break the rule which binds human to human, and human to God. Such are Swami's sankalpas (resolves) that you progress in spiritual development. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 1. "Examine, experience," Chapter 9; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 2. "Shiva sankalpa," Chapter 16; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 12. "The prescription," Chapter 6; "Restore the balance," Chapter 7 and "Your image in His eye," Chapter 14; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 16. "The uniqueness of man," Chapter 15; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 22. "Live up to your role," Chapter 6).

Namaste - Reet


Sai Ram

Light and Love

Swami teaches... 20 - 21 October 2005

Human and Nature are Cosmic in Whatsoever Form

In this vast world, there are hundreds of crores of human beings. There may be differences among them in name and form and in their food and recreation habits. But from the physical point of view, all human beings are one. The infinite number of human beings in the world are like the waves of the ocean. Each of them is essentially the same as the ocean. From the ocean of Sath-Chith-Aanandha (Being-Awareness-Bliss), endless waves of human beings arise. The difference among the waves is only in quantity and not in quality.

The Divine is present everywhere in the Universe. When you see Nature, you see only its worldly aspect. When you mind is centred on the Lord, you see the Divine in everything. Therefore, from the outset, you have to view everything as a manifestation of the Divine. The difficulty in recognising the truth about the Divine was expressed by the Saint Surdas when he said, "Oh, Krishna! How can I recognise you? You are subtler than the atom and vaster than the vastest. You are present in the eighty-four lakhs of species in the universe, permeating everything in the cosmos, from a blade of grass to the vastest thing in creation. How can I recognise your infinite form?" The great ones experienced the Lord in this infinite form, recognising that the Divine was present even in the wicked and the evil-minded.

People often recommend that one should enlarge his heart. But enlargement of the heart will compel you to go to a cardiologist. What you have to do is to broaden your mind, your vision. The heart, meaning not the physical heart but the spiritual heart, is inherently broad. It is one with Cosmic Consciousness. There is no need to broaden it. As long as human is immersed in sensuous pursuits, he/she cannot experience the effulgence of own true nature. When human cultivates detachment by realizing the transience of sensory pleasures, then he/she begins to be aware of own true essence. All forms of ritualistic worship are of no use because they are rooted in duality. However, these forms of ritualistic worship are as leading lights on the way to outgrow this state duality and realise own oneness with the Divine.

Swami's suggestion is to spend some time regularly with your Inner Consciousness to keep it in good trim. Spend one hour in the morning, another at night and a third in the early hours of dawn, the Brahmamuhurtha as it is called, for japam and meditation on the Lord. You will find great peace descending on you and great new sources of strength welling up within you.

The body is like a wall clock. It is when a large number of good acts are done by the body, represented by the movements of the second hand in the clock, that the mind, represented by the minute hand, moves once. It is when the mind engages itself in pure thoughts that the Atma (the hour hand) experiences bliss.

The physical body is visible to the eye. The body is made up of twenty five constituents: five Karmendhriyas (organs of action), five Jnaanedhriyas (sense organs), pancha-praanas (five life-breaths), pancha Thanmaathras (five sensory faculties). In addition, there are four inner instruments: the mind, the will, the ego, and the Anthahkarana (Inner Motivator). All these total twenty four. When these are associated with the Life-Force, you have altogether 25 constituents. As these twenty five constituents have emanated from the cosmos, the embodied being is called Vishva. The physical body is cosmic in form. It is not something that is individualistic. The human state is a manifestation of the collective.

The second body is Suukshma dheham (the subtle one). This is made up of seventeen constituents: the five sensory faculties, the five senses and the five vital airs. Together with the mind and the intellect, they make up seventeen constituents. As these constituents have the quality of Thejas (luminescence), the subtle body is called Thaijasa. The results of human's good and bad actions are experienced by this subtle body. This body is also Yaathana (experiential) body because it is a prey to various experiences.

The third is the Kaarana shareera (causal body). It is made up of only two constituents: Chittha (will power) and Prajna (Constant Integrated Awareness). Because of its association with Prajna, this body is called Prajnaanam or Prajna.

The fourth one is Mahaakaarana (the Over-Mind). This is self-luminous and effulgent in its original form. This is called "Uniki," (a Being that is self-knowing). Because of its capacity for self-knowledge, it is also called "Eruka" (Awareness). As against Awareness, there is its opposite, forgetfulness. The physical, subtle and causal bodies belong to the latter (of forgetfulness). The three states of Jaagrath (waking), Svapna (dream) and Sushupthi (deep sleep) also belong to the state of forgetfulness (or non-awareness of the true Self).

Awareness is the subtle base. Forgetfulness is gross. But in both the subtle Awareness and the gross Forgetfulness there is a Divinity that is present equally.

This is described in metaphysics in a different way. The Jeevaathma is present always in all the three states of Consciousness and in Awareness as well as Forgetfulness as the Inner Being.

In every padhaartha (object) in the world, the Paraartha (transcendental) is immanent. The object is perceptible. The transidental is present in it as energy. Although padhaartha (matter) and Paraartha (Energy) appear to us as two different entities, their unity constitutes the Divine principle immanent in the cosmos. They are inextricably inter-related. In both the form and the formless, the principle of Sath (Being) exists as one and the same.

The Geetha has described this relationship as the one between Kshethra (the Field) and Kshethrajna (the Knower of the Field). The whole of Nature is Kshethra. The Kshethrajna is the One who pervades the whole of Nature and animates it. Without the Kshethrajna (the Knower), the Kshethra cannot exist. Without the Kshethra, the Kshethrajna cannot be perceived. So be fixed in the consciousness that yourself is the immortal Atma, which is indestructible, which is holy, pure and divine. That will give you unshakable courage and strength. Then you must develop mutual love and respect. Tolerate all kinds of persons and opinions, all attitudes and peculiarities.

All beings have to do karma (sanctified activity); it is a universal inescapable obligation. Some feel that only meritorious and sinful or virtuous and vicious deeds are entitled to be called karma. But your very breathing is karma. There are certain karmas the fruits of which you cannot give up. There are physical, mental and spiritual karmas and doing each one of these for the good of the Self is called dedication.

Karma which is natural and automatic like breathing becomes vikarma (an impious act) when it is done consciously, with a definite result in view.

Karma becomes Yoga when it is done without any attachment; a true sanyaasi (monk, who is firmly fixed in the faith that this world is a mirage of the mind) should not even remember whatever he does, he should not do any karma anticipating any result. That is the Nishkaama (desireless action) ideal at its highest. The best karma is that which is done at the call of duty, not because it is advantageous to do it. The best karma is done when person has spiritual awareness. Good, when this awareness has obtained from Swami's Teaching as the unique carrier the Divine energy.

Nature will not give real bliss as long as it is viewed from a physical and worldly point of view. The pleasure to be derived from any object in the world depends on the condition in which it is enjoyed.

The mind proclaims its astonishing uniqueness to the world by its capacity to express feelings, recognise forms, appreciate the beauty of colour, enjoy different smells, as well as its power of thought. As the world is permeated by these qualities of the mind, these five qualities are allpervasive.

In this context, it should be realised that it is by the power of the mind that creation, sustenance and dissolution take place in the cosmos. This truth is expressed in the Brahma Suthra as: "Thath Jalaan." "From That everything is born, is sustained by it and merges in it." Thath (That) is also called Akshara Purusha (the indestructible Supreme person). Kshara and Akshara contain the secret of life. Akshara in common parlance means that which is indestructible. Kshara means that which is liable to change. From the Akshara emerges the effulgent Divine, which is a combination of both Paramaathma (the Omni-Self) and Prakrithi (Nature). Prakrithi is not inert. It is by the union of Nature and the Divine that humanness acquires its effulgence.

Rarely human being is aware of own innate glory. If one dwells in the constant consciousness of own uniqueness, the life would be lighter, more beneficial and fully saturated with ecstatic delight. Human being then will strive unceasingly to reach higher and higher levels of consciousness enveloping both the objective and subjective worlds. Human has the power of choice to rise or fall, to become the Lord or a beast or a demon. Human can use the unique intelligence and memory enshrined in language to widen the vision, to adjust reactions to nature and society and to benefit by the knowledge and experience of others. Human can influence society as much as society influences him/her.

People suffer because they have all kinds of unreasonable desires and attachments. If you look upon nature and all created objects with the insight derived from the Inner Vision, then attachment will slide away, though effort will remain; you will also see everything much clearer and with a glow suffused with Divinity and splendour. Close these eyes and open those inner eyes and what a grand picture of essential Unity you get. Attachment to
nature has limits, but the attachment to the Lord that you develop when the inner eye opens has no limit.

The Lord is the Immanent Power in everything; those who refuse to believe that the image in the mirror is a picture of themselves, how can they believe in the Lord, when He is reflected in every object around them? The moon is reflected in a pot, provided it has water; so too, the Lord can be clearly seen in your heart, provided you have the water of Prema (Love) in it. When the Lord is not reflected in your heart, you cannot say that there is no Lord; it only means that there is no prema in you.

There is divinity in the mind and in the heart at first sight as in latent state. But only when the mind and the heart unite does the radiance of Divinity shine. (When the match-stick is dipped in water, you cannot produce fire by striking it. Likewise, when the mind is immersed in the waters of sensuous desires, it loses its power to radiate the Divine effulgence).

The senses activised by the mind bring in experiences which are collected and coordinated by the mind. Buddhi (intellect) illumined by the Atma examines these and directs action along beneficial lines.

Starting from the "I", you should go on expanding your consciousness to embrace your family, your town or village, your nation and the entire world. Then your divinity will shine forth in all its brilliance. This is described as having the vision of one's own true universal Self. This is called the Mahaa-purushathva (Infinite Divine). This divinity is within you. You do not need to acquire it from outside, from anyone else. Strive to realise it. When you have got rid of the consciousness of the waking, dream and deep sleep states, then you can recognise the Mahaakaarana state (the state of the Super Causal Consciousness).

You have to transcend the gross, the subtle and the causal bodies and realise the Super Causal body. By this process you proceed from the Super-mind, the Higher Mind and the Illuminated Mind to the Divine, which is called the Over-Mind. This is the state beyond the mind; it is called Amanaska (where the mind is absent). It has also been described as the state of Vidheha (where the body consciousness is absent). Bliss can be experienced only through the Over-Mind.

How is one to reach the Over-Mind? Vedhaantha prescribed the offering of four things as the means Pathram, Pushpam, Phalam, Thoyam (a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water). The Lord is not secured by offerings of wealth or by flaunting one's power or position. Something, however small, has to be offered to the Lord to secure his grace. This is for example the Bhaaratheeya practice of taking some flower or fruit as offering to the Lord when one visits a temple.

What is the inner significance of the reference to the four kinds of offerings? Pathram refers not to some kind of leaf which is subject to withering. Your body is the leaf that has to be offered.

Pushpam refers to the flower of your heart. Phalam refers to the fruit of your mind. And Thoyam signifies the tears of joy flowing from the devotee's eyes. These are to be offered to God.

When one offers these things to the Lord, he enters the state of the Over-Mind. This devotion, moreover, should not be a part-time exercise. It should be present all the time, through weal or woe, pleasure or pain. The The true devotee is immersed in the Lord all the time and performs all actions as offerings to the Lord. Any action you do, when you do it in the name of the Lord, it becomes a pious offering. This is the easiest way to sublimate the mind. (Avoid doing anything in a hurry. It is not difficult to attain the state of the Over-Mind if one has the determination to realise it. When everyone tries to act according to the dictates of his conscience, he/she will realise the sublime consciousness within).

There are two basic elements in human, the heart and the head. When these two are put to right use, the hands will act in the right way.

Bhakthi and Jnaana are like the pair of bullocks for the cart; both have to pull in unison. Each must keep pace with the other and help to drag weight quicker. Jnaana has to help the increase of Bhakthi; Bhakthi has to contribute to the growth of Jnaana.

Bhaarath has been blessed with many saints and sages. A doubt may arise why such appearances take place in Bhaarath, more than in any other place, when the world is so big and we have humanity everywhere to be saved and guided. There is a reason for this. In Bhaarath is a mine of spiritual wisdom and spiritual treasure: the Dharshanas, Upanishaths (metaphysical sciences and revelatory scriptures), the Geetha and the Vedhas. There is a vast field of spiritual virtue in this land.

By this spiritual wisdom Prakrithi (Nature) is puraathana - a very ancient entity. The jeevi (individual soul) too is puraathana, having had many previous entries and exits. But now it has come in with a new dress; it is nuuthana (modern). The jeevi must have a guide. That Guide is the Lord Himself: the Guide books are Vedhas, the Upanishaths and the Shaasthras. However, only reading is not enough; you may master all the commentaries and you may be able to argue and discuss with great scholars about these texts; but without attempting to practise what they teach, it is a waste of' time.

Just as you tend the body with food and drink at regular intervals, you must also tend to the needs of the inner Atmic body by regular japam and dhyaanam and the cultivation of virtues. Sath-sanga, Sathpravarthana
and Sath-chinthana (holy company, good attitude and sacred thoughts) are all essential for the growth and the health of the inner personality.

Repeat the name of the Lord, keeping His Glow always before the mind. The Lord is as the Divine wish-fulfilling Tree that gives whatever is asked. But you have to go near the tree and wish for the thing you want. The atheist is the person who keeps far away from the tree; the theist is the one who has come near; that is the difference. The tree does not make any distinction; it grants boons to all. The Lord will not punish or take revenge if you do not recognise Him or revere Him. He has no special type of worship which alone can please him. Earn the right to approach the Lord without fear and the right to ask for your heritage. You must become so free that praise will not emanate from you when you approach the Lord. Praise is a sign of distance and fear.

You can call on the Lord by any name, for all names are His; select the Name and Form that appeals to you most. That is why Sahasranaamas are composed for the various forms of the Lord.

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 1. "An attitude of challenge," Chapter 6 and "Examine, experience," Chapter 9; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 16. "The uniqueness of man," Chapter 15; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 24. "Enjoyment through sacrifice," Chapter 10; Sathya Sai Speaks.Vol. 26. "Beyond the Mind," Chapter 20 and "From the Mind to the Over-Mind," Chapter 22).

Namaste - Reet

HOME PAGE