Light and Love

Swami teaches...12 -16 February 2007

Part 1. Human Has the Matrix of the Creation Within

The basis of spiritual outlook is the human's Divine nature. All humans are manifestations of God as sons and daughters of God. Christ and Swami declare that humans are gods among gods. Human's potential is unlimited. The way a human look at others is a reflection of how he/she sees him/herself. The human being contains the matrix of the entire Universe within.

Human is the product of interaction of Purusha (the Supreme) and Prakriti (Nature). Consequently human should have the perennial bliss of the Divine and remain perpetually blessed.

Denoted by many names and recognized in many forms, the Divine Principle is One, without a second. It is Shivam and it is latent in each being, including human being. God is the seed, which has expressed itself as all this.
 

By ancient wisdom the secret of Creation is evident from the description of the form of Shiva. The three eyes of Shiva represent the three worlds (lokas). Shivas trident is symbolic of the Past, the Present, and the Future, the three aspects of Time. The three gunas (Satwa, Rajas, Thamas) are images of the Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The three worlds, the triune aspect of Time, the three gunas (qualities) are the manifestations of the Easwara Principle. When the Divine is installed in the heart in this manner, human can raise to the level of the Divine.

The Atma is the basis for the Divine life. The Divine Will is the determinant of the destiny of the individual or of society. Society itself is a reflection of the Divine Will. Human's supreme duty (dharma) is to act according to the Divine Will. Even free will is given to humans' by God i.e. Cosmic Consciousness is too His Will. Dharma is also the spiritual expression of the Divine Will in relation to society.
 

By Vedas and Swami human's physical body is composed of five basic elements (earth, water, fire, air and space), the subtle body has pancha kosas (five sheaths) one within the other. The first of them is the Annamaya kosa (the food or material sheath). Within it is the Pranamaya kosa (the sheath, of life or breath). Within it is the Manomaya kosa (the mental sheath). Within that is the Prajnanamaya kosa (the sheath of higher wisdom). The last sheath is the Anandamaya kosa (the sheath of bliss).
 

Starting with food human must reach the destination of Bliss. The spiritual journey is from "I" to "We". Therein lays fulfillments - the realization of the One in the many.

(It is interesting to note the Mayan usual greeting "In Lak'ech" means "I am another yourself").

Contemplate on the Atma Linga (elliptical idol which emanates from Shiva as His symbol), the Jyothir Linga (Symbol of the Supreme Light of Wisdom), and be convinced that Shiva is in every one of you. Let that vision illumine your inner consciousness. Easwara (the Supreme Lord, the Lord of every creature in the Universe; the entire Cosmos is reflected as an image in the Lord) is also symbolized in the Linga Form.

Linga is derived from the Sanskrit root, Li, which means Leeyathe, 'merges'; it is the Form in which all forms merge. Shiva is the God who blesses beings with the most desirable gift of meaning in the Universe. That is the end, beyond death, which one should strive for, the end which Shiva can vouchsafe. Realize the God in you first; then, if you involve yourself with the material world, no harm can come to you, for you will recognize the objective world as but the body of God. (However, if you try to involve yourself with the objective world first, and then try to discover God, you will see the material world only).

Why is everyone here so happy except me?

"Because they have learned to see goodness and beauty everywhere," said the Master.

Why don't I see goodness and beauty everywhere?

"Because you cannot see outside of you what you fail to see inside." (Anthony de Mello)

Shiva is eternally auspicious; He does not come embodied in other forms, with other names, as often as Vishnu. So, He is not described as Shri Shiva.
 

When you realize Shivoham (I am Shiva), then, you have all the happiness, all the auspiciousness that there is. Shiva is not to be sought on the peak of a distant range of mountains, or in some other special place. Shiva is inherent in every thought, word and deed, for He is the Energy, the Power, and the Intelligence that is behind each of them. (All energy, power and intelligence are in you; you need not search for them outside yourselves. God who is manifesting as time, space and causation is in you; why then do you feel weak and helpless)?

Have the inner vision, not the outer. Do not be attracted by the objective world; concentrate on the subjective world. You do not scatter seeds on the surface; you plant them deep enough for the roots to get a foothold.

Do not dig the seeds into the soil too deep. Follow the middle path. Do not tighten the strings of the violin or veena too much; nor leave them loose. Do not get too bound with the world; do not also give it up.

Several areas of modern science have reached near to the Great Oneness, Atma by several discoveries from different area of science what are suggesting to this universal oneness on the deep level of reality as Swami's Teaching declares. (Technology is the child of science. But very much anterior to science is the Veda. Science seeks to know all about creation, but the Veda reveals the knowledge about the Creator. All the natural sciences are concerned with knowledge about created things. But there is a Creator who is the source of all them. In the quests for understanding the objects in creation, human is forgetting the Creator. This is the purpose that we can speak only about suggestions what science has discovered).

Recently, theologians and scientists have come together to discuss how to develop better understanding of how science and religion can complement each other.

SETI Institute and NASA Astrobiology Institute research team focuses on the co-evolution of life and its planetary context. This project will directly impact the Institute's search for evidence of life that, like us, is sufficiently complex to reflect upon its own origins.

The team seeks evidence of life's origin at ocean bottom hot spots, in the rocks and soils of Mars, and in the interstellar chemistry of our galaxy. They seek evidence of intelligence by searching for signals from technology that transmits from distant planets.

What might be found can best be understood from a basis of self-knowledge. Where did we come from? Where are we going? What else is out there, and how did it evolve? What will we become.(2) ?

Many people are interested in quantum physics. Are they really searching for answer to this physical topic? Maybe they are searching the answer from quantum physics to the question, " Who am I?"

Science needs the inner vision of the Spirit to see God. The physical eye can see only the physical world. Through a process of enquiry, you have to realize the Omnipresence of the Creator who permeates and sustains the Cosmos. (Wrapped up in own ego, human pursues the wealth, power, position, and strength. All these are transient).

Below is a brief physical description of Cosmos.

By recent outlook of general relativity, space and time are merged into one four-dimensional grid, whose properties are uniquely specified (via gravity) by the bodies inhabiting them. Gravity curves the space-time grid, so general relativity thus describes gravitational interactions as manifestations of the space-time curvature. Objects "fall under gravity" from less curved parts of space-time to more curved parts of the space-time. (When space-time becomes infinitely curved, as in the case of black holes, the gravitational force is so strong that space-time closes on itself).

According to Einstein's general relativity equations, the space-time containing matter cannot remain stationary and must either expand or contract. Galaxies and other sources, then, are not strictly expanding away from each other but rather are attached to the fixed grid on the expanding fabric of space-time. Thus, the galaxies give us the impression of moving away from each other. Imagine the surface of a balloon, on which you put dots.

By general relativity, since space-time is linked to matter, there is no outside to the surface of the balloon. By spiritual outlook pictorially it means that this balloon is one entity, there is nothing outside, all is inside....

The other scientific example from latest discoveries.

According to quantum mechanics, not only photons but also atoms may behave as waves as well as particles. This enables atoms to do some counterintuitive things, such as passing through two openings at once.

Usually, each atom displays its wavelike behavior independently of all its neighbors, like a crowd of soccer fans each waving their arms about at random. But if a group of atoms is cooled to very low temperatures (a mere fraction of a degree above absolute zero) then they may all come into similar step.

In this state, called a Bose-Einstein condensate, information encoded in a light pulse can be transferred to the atom waves. Because all the atoms move coherently, the information doesn't dissolve into random noise and get lost (1). Let's atoms be as examples for unity of humanity where degrees of temperature are in the role of several aspects of Swami's Teaching put in practice.

Yet another example.

Scientists have discovered that 'the third eye' center is associated with the pituitary gland (hypophysis*). It is a small endocrine gland with reddish-gray body about the size as cherry or less and lies at the base of the brain.

The hypothalamus and the hypophysis are two glands placed behind the base of the nose. Sometimes hypophysis is called the master gland of the body because all the other endocrine glands depend on its secretions for stimulation.

Scientists have verified that hypophysis contained 'brain sand' (acervulus cerebralis). The grains have the spherical certain siliceous structures in the size about one - two mm. Though it have at all people from the moment of birth, what for it is necessary, scientists do not know.

The unusual information of 'brain sand' has detected: these micro crystals contain the holographic information on all individuals' body.

(We are not a body; we are carriers of holographic information by holistic** science, Atma by spiritual science).

That 'brain sand' is as carrier holograms also from the main centre of human body, giving a rhythm of it spatial and temporal existence. In view of this scientific hypothesis, humans' consciousness is not more than a holographic reflection of Atma. Swami indicates that human being's real Self is Atma what equally illuminates in all.

By Dr. of biology A .M. Panichev and Dr of technical sciences A. N. Gulkov, synchronization of this centre is not carried out without participation external radiations of a not electromagnetic nature. Scientists expected that the basic property of 'brain sand' is ability to draw from space (from Atma by spiritual science) at the moment of conception some kind field component and to start its process of manifestation (3).

As brain's activity in large is probably holographic, consequently for brain is easier to interpret holographic images as similar to itself. It seems that the influence of this information on one's corporal or mental condition can be more direct and stronger.

It seems that for human's intellect, code of holographic (alias Atmic) reality is interpreting in a 'language' of Maya reality. Whatsoever relations with other human beings, with outer or inner environment occur in a 'language' of Maya reality. The last is as decoded by a brain back on its true atmic 'language' code by the ciphered information in a crystal of sand (as an 'antenna' for being directly connected with Atma; giving and receiving information to/from Atma) in hypophysis.

When to compare the concept of 'brain sand' (what is carrier holograms of consciousness as reflection of Atma) giving a rhythm of humans' spatial and temporal existence then the similar principle of unity in diversity has given by Swami through Vedic wisdom.

Maybe, the verified fact of presence in hypophysis a 'brain sand' and its purpose will bring human beings closer to the Truth that behind all one can percept is the Creator (Absolute, God, Cosmic Consciousness, as one likes to call) whose holographic patterns humans are.

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 12. "Teacher of teachers," Chapter 4 and "The Shiva in all," Chapter 27; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 18. "From Creation to Creator," Chapter 4; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 20. "Samanvaya and Samarasa," Chapter 8; Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Vahini. Eternal Truths; Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse "What Avatars Mean," 23 Feb. 1990).

References:
1. http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070205/full/070205-8.html

2. Darwin Day: A Dialog between Science and Religion By Edna Devore, Director of Education and Public Outreach SETI Institute 08 February 2007.

3. "On the Verge of Impossible" No 15, 2002. ('Na Grani Nevozmo novo', in Russian).

PS: Additions * and ** in the end of the part 3.

Namaste - Reet

Light and Love

Swami teaches...17 -20 February 2007

Part 2. Human Has the Matrix of the Creation Within

The yogis who have opened less or more 'the third eye'*** can observe the events occurring on huge distances and in any time: in the past, present or future. For the less advanced the pictures was not so clear and have momentary character. The master step of an openness of the 'third eye' is accessible to single Divine persons. Their spiritual sight allows knowing and seeing everything irrespective of time and space.

Probably the same quality allows Swami to be aware of all what happens in the micro- and macrocosms, in human society. Swami's Omnipresent form - it is His nature, and 'the open third eye' is a micro detail, what belongs to the Omnipresence Being.

In the wild nature, 'the third eye' has snakes, lizards, perhaps birds. It was found that their bodies are especially sensitive to millimeter wave band, ultrasonic and infrasound. Therefore, reptiles and other representatives of fauna beforehand feel natural cataclysms. The other opinion is that through the properties of 'the third eye' they perceive the information about future from the Great Oneness of Atma.

Vedic saints worshipped the snake. The inner meaning of snake worship is the following. The human's spinal column ends with the 'thousand-petalled lotus' in the brain. In the science of Kundalini Yoga, the vital energy lying dormant like a coiled snake, at the bottom of this column in the lowest Muuladhara Chakra (the Basal Plexus) is awakened and aroused, so that it courses up through six more wheels (centers of superior consciousness) until it reaches the Sahasrara (thousand-petalled Lotus Energy Centre) at the very top of the skull.
The worship of the Snake, ridiculed as superstition, is the symbolic counterpart of this great yogic sadhana which confers vigor and vitality. By the way, one of the hills is named Seshagiri, meaning, Snake Hill. From the plains, the range gives the appearance of a snake with a raised hood.

The saints and seers of Bharath never spoke lightly or acted irrelevantly. When they invested some places as holy and named some days as sacred, they also prescribed the rules and ceremonials to be observed by pilgrims and sadhakas, so that time, expense and effort could be used for the expansion of Love and the education of the instincts and impulses. The object of every rule was to bring the realization of the Atma, as one's Reality, a few steps nearer.

You must realise, by constant contemplation, that the world is the body of God. And, you are the cell, in that Body. The prosperity of the world is your prosperity; feel so, act in that spirit; think in those terms. That is the real spirituality. The sadhaka cannot cut him/herself away from the world and escape in solitude, for, the world will follow into the deepest cave or the darkest forest. The sadhaka can claim progress only when he/she has established within faith in the oneness of humanity.

 
The Body enshrines the Atma. Worldly life should be in consonance with spiritual aspirations. But human today is identified with physical existence as the only reality, he/she has to be taught the knowledge of the spirit. This knowledge is timeless, spaceless as Atma what reflects as intellect on the arena of Cosmic Consciousness.
 

Usually people tend to believe that at the old age they will become helpless. However, every single cell in our body is continuously renewing. Even the brain cells are renewing in old age when they are busy and performing different tasks.
 

Adult brain cells do keep growing as the recent discoveries show. The apocryphal tale that you can't grow new brain cells isn't true. Neurons continue to grow and change beyond the first years of development and well into far adulthood. The experiences have recently done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in USA ( Wei-Chung Allen Lee. Journal for the Public Library of Science Biology, Dec. 27 2006).

Swami explains that the buddhi (intellect), like the Moon, has no light in itself. Like the Moon, it reflects light from another source adjacent to it, namely the Atma. Buddhi can operate only by reflecting the Cosmic Consciousness. How close to these aspects the newest scientific discoveries (briefly described in the previous part) have reached!

Humans genetic blueprint by modern science consists of 3.42 billion nucleotides packaged in 23 pairs of linear chromosomes. Interestingly, humans and all animals have a large excess of DNA that does not code for the proteins used to build bodies and catalyze chemical reactions within cells. In humans, for example, about 2 percent of DNA actually codes for proteins. What is the purpose of about 98% DNA?
 

For decades, scientists were puzzled by this phenomenon. With no obvious function, the noncoding portion of a genome was declared useless or sometimes called "selfish DNA." In 1972 geneticist Susumu Ohno coined the term "junk DNA" to describe all non-coding sections of a genome.
 

Typically these sections of "junk DNA" come about through transposition, or movement of sections of DNA to different positions in the genome. As a result, most of these regions contain multiple copies, which are sequences that literally copy or cut themselves out of one part of the genome and reinsert themselves somewhere else.
 

In summer 2006 developmental biologist's Gill Bejerano (now a professor at Stanford University), team discovered that during vertebrate evolution, a DNA fragment, reverse-transcribed from RNA, can insert itself anywhere in the genome. These and countless other examples demonstrate that DNA elements are hardly "junk" but rather are important, integral components of eukaryotic genomes.
 

In the serial "Swami teaches... 27 -28 Dec. 2006 " Towards Awareness of Cosmic Form of the Divine;" Part 3 was the explanation of eukaryotic Universe by modern science from cosmological aspect. Now it appears that genomes also have the same quality, as the proof of the Unity of the whole Creation from genetics aspect.

Fragments, described above, reflect the discoveries of modern science and science only. But, for more complete awareness the spiritual knowledge in needed.

The spiritual process may be compared to the conversion of milk into butter. The body is like a house. The heart is the vessel in which the milk of consciousness is boiled over the stove of devotion The vessel is covered by the lid of earnestness (sraddha). When the fire of discrimination is lit, the cream of understanding comes up from the boiling milk. To prevent the cat of Maya from getting at the milk, the door has to be barred by the gate of wisdom. After the milk is cooled by tranquillity and the buttermilk of the Divine Name is added to it, the curd of Divine Grace is formed. When this curd is churned with the rod of knowledge and the rope of love, the whey of ignorance is separated and the butter of the Atmic Reality (the Jivi) emerges. It is such a realized Self who attains oneness with the Divine.
 

Humans can direct their spiritual efforts in either of two ways:

1. Follow the commands of God, and He will be pleased to raise him/her up.
 

2. Follow the path of inquiry and discover where He resides, and realise Him there.
 

These two ways are not separate but interconnected. A fence is necessary to protect growing crops; but, when no crop is growing, why spend time and money on a fence? Outer ritual is prescribed to shelter the inner message from being tampered with. (However, human nature prefers the easier path of outer formality to the path of inner discipline and direct experience).
 

Swami's explains that karma (action) and upasana (worship) depend upon the dharma of the particular stage of life, as well as the guna (attribute) that rules person. Even amritha (nectar) will be harmful to life, if it is drunk through the nose. There is a way of life, a method of uplift, a path of progress, distinct for every seeker, different from those of others. Go straight along the path of action (karma) and virtue (dharma) towards the Supreme Reality (Brahma). This is the destiny of human. Each has own allotted task, according to the status, taste, tendency and earned merit.

In the current article we are describing the fragments of the first way mainly from aspect of Shiva consciousness.

Shiva is described as Bhuthanatha - the Lord of all created beings. Bhutha refers to creation. Shiva also means the Supreme person (Purusha). Hence, the entire cosmos is reflected as an image in the Lord.
 

The crescent moon on Shivas head symbolizes the consciousness in human beings, the Ganga symbolizes the Life Force. In His throat, He has the holocaust-producing poison, Halahala, that can destroy all life in a trice. On His wrists, ankles, shoulders and neck He wears deadly cobras, which live in life-giving breath of air. Shiva lives in the burial ground and the burning ghat, the Rudhrabhuumi, as it is called - the land of Shiva or Rudhra. Shiva is teaching that death cannot be shunned or frightened away. It has to be gladly and bravely met.
 

The snakes on Shivas body represent the myriad of living beings. He resides on a silver mountain. His dearest friend is Kubera, the Lord of Wealth. Despite being endowed with all these, why was He obliged to carry the begging bowl? Through begging bowl He pictorially teaches that renunciation, detachment, indifference to good fortune or bad, are the paths to attain Him.
 

Shiva is also known as Mrthyunjaya (He who vanquishes death). And, He is also the the destroyer of desire. These two names show that he who destroys desire can conquer death, for desire breeds activity, activity breeds consequence, consequence breeds bondage, bondage results in birth and birth involves death.
 

Shiva renounced everything. It is through renunciation Shiva became the eternal embodiment of supreme bliss.
 

Shiva is worshipped with the three-leaved bilva, for, He is immanent in the three worlds, in the three phases of Time, in the three attributes of Nature. He removes the three types of grief; He has no basis outside Him; He is the source of Bliss; He is the embodiment of the sweetness and efficacy of Nectar.

Shiva is known also as the repository of all the resources essential for prosperity. The most important resource is jnana (spiritual wisdom). Three kinds of jnana are demarcated:
 

Jiviprajna (concerning the individualized Divine),
 

Easwaraprajna (concerning the Cosmic Manifestation of the Divine) and
 

Atmaprajna (Concerning the Universal Absolute of which the individual is the temporary-particular).

Visiting Shiva shrines, arranging for worship through priests of Shiva Lingams, pouring sanctified waters, fasting, vigil and such other activities are resorted to on the Day of Shiva. But, these are not quite relevant to the real purpose of the festival. To fulfill these rites and vows, one need not wait one full year and consult the astrologer of holy days. When human takes in food four times a day, in order that his body may keep functioning, efficiently, is it too much to ask him to feed the mind with good thoughts and godly acts, at least once every day? The mind too needs clean and sustaining food.

What greater offering can you give God to glorify Him than the ash signifying your triumph over tantalizing desire? Ash is the ultimate condition of things; it cannot undergo any further change. Ash cannot fade as flowers do in a day or two; it does not dry and disappear or get soiled as water does; it will not lose color as leaves do, in a few hours; it does not rot as fruits do in a few days. Ash is ash for ever and ever. So, burn your vices, your bad habits; worship Shiva, rendering yourselves pure in thought and word and deed.

Persons with a narrow, self-centered outlook are prone to express doubts about the powers of the Divine. They may ask how Shiva, covered with ashes and living in the burial ground, can come to the rescue of the needy, and doubt how Vishnu reclining on the bed of a serpent on the ocean and remote from the world, can protect mankind in any way. It is such perverted notions that lead human astray in the present. To correct such tendencies one should listen to sacred sayings, ruminate over them and lead a righteous and godly life. To be concerned only about one's own happiness or comfort and be indifferent to the happiness and needs of others is a form of selfishness which creates bondages in the present.
 

Bondages for the future are created by your actions in the present. When you entertain bad thoughts and indulge in wrong actions, they lead to bad consequences in the future. Peace of mind is lost and one is caught up in perpetual worry. The way out of this vicious circle is to turn the mind towards God and refrain from causing harm to others.

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 12. "Teacher of teachers," Chapter 4 and "The Shiva in all," Chapter 27; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 18. "From Creation to Creator," Chapter 4; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 20. "Samanvaya and Samarasa," Chapter 8; Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Vahini. Eternal Truths; Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse "What Avatars Mean," 23 Feb. 1990).

PS. *** - Additions are after part 3.

Namaste - Reet

Light and Love

Swami teaches...21 - 23 February 2007

Part 3. Human Has the Matrix of the Creation Within

Subrahmanya (the son of Shiva and Parvathi, Shiva's consort) etymologically means: one who has attained the realization of Brahman, the Universal Absolute, the Primal Cause, the Cosmic Consciousness. Every appellation of God has deep significance. In the Vedas, Vishnu is the cause as well as the effect, for; there was nothing else when Time began. The One became many; the many disappear, the One remains.

To teach the Unity behind the appearance of multiplicity, that is to say, to help realize the Adwaitha (Non-dual nature of Existence), Shankara, the greatest expounder of that school of thought, established four seats of practical philosophy called Mutts in the four regions of India.

The very first step in the endeavor to realize this Unity was, according to him, Upasana or worship of the concrete symbol of God, which gives one the experience of the ecstasy of Union.
 

By legend one day, Shankara was seated in meditation on the bank of the Ganga River. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Lord! I am yours; but, surely, you are not mine." His pupil, Thotakacharya was by his side then; he was astonished at this statement, which, according to him, went against the Adwaithic stand. So, he asked him how he could ever declare any distinction between I and you. Shankara replied, "The waves belong to the ocean; but, the ocean does not belong to the wave. The wave is the ocean, but, the ocean is not the wave." The whole ocean is reflected in the wave as the holographic pattern by science. Such is the Cosmic Eternal Truth for humans.

The mind, like the waxing moon which grows to fullness and shines brightly, has the capacity to grow and expand till he becomes one with the Diane. But this does not happen today because humans' minds are filled with narrow ideas and petty differences which limit their sympathies and aspirations.
 

Inherently people should give no room for the sense of 'mine' and 'thine'. Everyone should cultivate pure, selfless love and largeness of heart. Interlopers should not be allowed to get entrenched in the mind and control it. It is like allowing a gang of thieves to enter your house and make themselves the masters. The mind should be the master and not the slave of the senses. Human's six enemies are lust, anger, pride, envy, delusion and greed.
 

Human is subjected to three kinds of bondages in life:  bondages derived from the past, those arising in the present and those created for the future.
 

Below is a story to illustrate the first kind of bondage.

There was once a man who was keeping a cow to earn income for supporting his family. In course of time, all his kith and kin passed away and the cow also died. He began to think what for he had striven all these years and he went to a guru to seek his advice on his predicament. The guru asked him whether he had done any spiritual sadhana in his life. The man replied that he had done no sadhana and that whenever he sat for meditation the image of the cow, on which he had lavished great affection, appeared before him. The guru said that this was because of his intense attachment to the cow. The guru advised him to look upon the cow as a manifestation of the Divine and to regard it as an expression of "Sat-Chit-Ananda" (Being-Awareness-Bliss)--the triune nature of the Divine. He told the man that the three primal qualities - Asthi (being, existence; is-ness; synonym for 'sat'), Bhathi (that which shines, illumines, synonym for 'chit'), Priyam (love, dearness, existence, expression, and utility) - are qualities to all things, while names and forms are varied.
 

When names and forms are ignored, one can perceive the Divine nature of everything. "Meditate on the Divine essence of everything", advised the guru. Following his advice, the man meditated on "Sat-Chit-Ananda" and in due course merged in the Divine. There is no point in dwelling on the past and gloating or grieving over what is dead and gone. It is futile to think about past successes or failures, pleasures or pains. The past should not become an incubus on the present.

Attachments to illusory objects bind human. When the illusory nature of the objects is revealed, the attachment falls off and person is free. These attachments persuade person to tarnish the acts of worship also; for, one prays to God for granting different trivial boons.

There are many who bargain with God, and offer Him gifts, of money or articles if He would confer Grace. If one believes that God can be mollified by the gift of a coconut or a purse of 116 rupees, I wonder what kind of God person has in his/her mind? Those who encourage the payment of money for spiritual gains or for gaining Divine favour are also to be condemned.
 

This is the reason why the Gita lays down that God will be pleased by offering leaf, flower or fruit or even a drop of water. But even these four articles are materials.
 

The Gita does not intend that you should pluck a leaf or flower or a fruit from some plant or tree and place it before God. Nor does it ask you to bring water from a well or river or the roadside tap. The Leaf is your own bodies, which like the leaf, sprouts green, fades, and finally falls off from the branch. The Flower is the heart freed from the insect pests of lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, hate, etc. The Fruit is the mind, the consequence of its yearnings, which have to be dedicated to God. The Water is the stream of tears that flow from the eyes when one is in ecstatic Bliss at the contemplation of God's Glory.

Giving these four is the real act of total surrender.
 

There are some who declare glibly, "O, I have surrendered my body, mind, and intellect to God." These people have no mastery over their reason. How can they give to God what is not theirs? What rights have they? How can any one accept the gift of something which does not belong to the giver?

In fact, you need not surrender anything at all. Love all beings - that is enough. Love because your very nature is Love; Love because that is the form of worship you know and like. When others are happy, be happy likewise. When others are in misery, try to alleviate their lot to the best of your ability.
 

Love brings people together; hatred drives them apart. You cannot be happy, when you cause misery to others. God showers Grace when the nine steps of bhakthi (devotion) are observed. When success is achieved by means of unrest and violence, it has to be preserved and prolonged only by further unrest and violence.
 

Shiva is in all beings and all things. He is the inner motivator. Be aware of this always; do not cause pain to any one, do not harm or injure, anyone, or hurt others self-respect. Love all alike, cultivate tolerance and spread brotherliness.

Human has overcome the eight categories of pride - pride of physical prowess, material wealth, scholarship, beauty, power and others. God's grace is needed to conquer these evil traits because they have such a powerful hold over human.
 

There was an old woman in a village. She sold a patch of land that she owned, and with the money, she had four gold bangles made, two for each arm. She wore them with great joy and went along the streets very proud of her new acquisition. But, she was disappointed, because no one in the village turned aside and looked at her bangles; she could as well have not worn them, for the villagers did not notice any difference in her.
 

One night she could not sleep at all, for, this neglect pained her much. At last she got a brilliant idea which, she decided, must succeed; the villagers must be drawn to notice the bangles.
 

Next day, after sunrise, she set fire to her own dwelling house! When the flames rose, and commotion ensued, the villagers rushed towards her, sitting and wailing in front of the burning house. She shook her hands pathetically, at the faces of the frightened villagers, causing the bangles to jingle and shine in the red light of the high flames, crying out, "Alas! My house is on fire," "O, pity my fate," "God, don't you see my plight?" Every time she shouted a sentence, she put out her arms vigorously at some one, so that she or he could not miss sighting the bangles.
 

She was so anxious to exhibit her bangles that she did not care for her house itself; the house was on fire but she was happy her bangles were noticed. The scholars who are lost in admiration of their own cleverness are as foolish as this old woman.

When you wish to overcome a powerful enemy, you have to get help from someone more powerful than your enemy. Sugriva had to seek the friendship of Sri Rama to overcome Vali after convincing himself of the superior powers of Rama. Likewise, to overcome the power of Maya (the delusion that subjects human to the physical and the sensuous), human has to seek the grace of the Divine. By surrendering to the Divine and developing a heart filled with devotion and love, one can face all the challenges of life.

When a person is ill, the physician prescribes not only medicine for the disease but also a dietary regimen to be observed strictly. Likewise, for the diseases arising from mundane attachments, in addition to the prescribed drugs - the Karma, Jnana, Bhakti and Yoga margas (paths of selfless action, Meta physical wisdom, devotion and inner communion) - qualities such as forbearance, calmness, fortitude, love and compassion have to be cultivated as dietary regimen. Without these qualities, the spiritual practices alone will be of little avail. When the two are combined, like the positive and negative ends in an electric cell, the disease gets cured.

One, who is engaged in the battle of life, needs the amour of spirituality. With it, person can face any situation anywhere. If instead of wearing the spiritual amour, people are enveloped in ignorance, they will be haunted by fear and anxiety. As long as rice is covered by husk, it cannot be consumed. Likewise, human cannot experience bliss until he/she gets rid of the cloak of ignorance. Human must develop the quality of forbearance. Through forbearance and sadhana, gradually the shackles resulting from past actions must be broken.
 

The tendency to cavil at the ways of the Divine will gradually wither away. One will begin to appreciate the lessons to be learnt from every day-to-day experience.
 

For instance, when a beggar comes to your house and says, "Please give me food," you should not turn him away as a mere beggar, but regard him as a messenger of God. When he is begging for food he is indirectly conveying a message: "I am today begging for food because in my previous birth I did not offer food to those who begged for it. Please see that by turning me away without food, a similar fate does not overtake you in your next life." You must go to the help of others to the extent of your means.
 

The Upanishads declare: "Immortality can be attained only by renunciation and sacrifice and not by wealth, progeny or religious rites."

Along with studies, one must practice tolerance, equanimity and serenity. These qualities cannot be got through books or teachers. They can be got only through persistent enquiry and discrimination. It would be desirable if this quest is made part of a collective effort instead of being purely an individual pursuit. The lone individual does not constitute a community. One should develop those sacred qualities which will promote the well-being of the society.

"Samanvaya" (the spirit of harmony) and "Samarasa" (serenity or a sense of respect for all points of view) are essential for accomplishing anything good in life.

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 12. "Teacher of teachers," Chapter 4 and "The Shiva in all," Chapter 27; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 18. "From Creation to Creator," Chapter 4; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 20. "Samanvaya and Samarasa," Chapter 8; Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Vahini. Eternal Truths; Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse "What Avatars Mean," 23 Feb. 1990).

PS:
 

*Hypophysis can rotate similarly to an eye and it has a lenses and receptors for perception of colors. There is indirect evidence that hypophysis gives special information opportunities for human being. Some people who are dealing with spiritual practices, their bone on the top of the head will become thinner so, in that place may remain only a skin.

**Holistic science accepts doctrine that wholes are more than the sum of their parts.

***By ancient scriptures and New Age aspects 'the third eye' and its functions in general are as an inner 'sight', an internal reflection, the center of psychic powers and higher intuition.
 

The third eye is the gate that opens to the space of consciousness and inner worlds. It is also the main organ through which the body of energy can be awakened and governed. In practice, 'the third eye' acts as a 'switch', which activates higher states of consciousness and experiences of spiritual vision.

The development of spiritual vision requires the patient building of some new 'organs' of energy, of which 'the third eye' seems, be a master. These new structures are not physical; nevertheless, they are real and tangible. Once fully developed, the perceptions coming through them appear clear, sharper and far more substantial than the physical senses do.
 

For obtaining the deeper concentration during the prayer ancient saints, priests used a special 'hat' - a cube from leather, connected on a leather platform with two thongs. Inside of a cube, there are the cylinders from hardly braided parchment which axes were directed perpendicularly to a forehead. Was the purpose of 'hat' to activate the 'the third eye', more easily to be enlightened by Atma, Oneness of Cosmic consciousness?

(The serials "Swami teaches..." articles now and after will be performed in US English).

Namaste - Reet