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Divine
Discourse on 9th October 2005 - Dasara
Purity of the Heart is
True Sadhana
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
delivering His Divine Discourse on 9th October 2005 at
Prashanti Nilayam
Text of the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 9th October 2005,
Dasara, in Sai Kulwanth Hall, Prashanti Nilayam
Without any real work,
chatting throughout the day, is this Sadhana, do you
think? Following a regimen of feeding your belly thrice a
day, do you think it is Sadhana? Vigorous activity by
day and deep sleep by night, do you think this is
Sadhana? Is this for which God has created you? You spend
a whole lot of time in this kind of regimen but this is not
Sadhana. Do not waste your time in this manner. From
this moment strive to know-recognise-God. This alone is
Sadhana.
(Telugu Poem)
Embodiments of Love!
The all-pervading consciousness is termed as Divinity. It is
also said that Divinity is present in all living beings. But,
there is none who has seen that omnipresent Divinity. It is only
a human being who can contemplate on and realise the Cosmic
Person. In fact, human life itself is the manifestation of
divine power. But, some people do not agree with this statement.
Divinity is manifest in every living being. The same Atma
Tattwa is present not only in human beings, but in every
living being in the universe. But, one has to have a pure and
selfless heart to realise this truth. In order to realise this
truth, every human being has to constantly contemplate on God.
By doing so, your heart will become pure and peaceful. The
moment you attain that stage, God will surely perceptibly
manifest in you. This must be your Sadhana. It is not the
practice of dhyana alone that can make God manifest to
the Sadhaka. God is present as an indweller uniformly in human
beings as well as insects, birds and beasts. Suppose you put a
question, "Where is God now?", the spontaneous answer would be
that God is present in you also. Several people undertake
sadhanas like dhyana (meditation) to find answers to
such questions.
Sage Narada affirmed that God could be realised through the nine
forms of devotion, namely, Sravanam (listening),
Kirtanam (singing), Vishnusmaranam (contemplating on
Vishnu), Padasevanam (serving His lotus feet),
Vandanam (salutation), Archanam (worship), Dasyam
(servitude), Sneham (friendship) and Atmanivedanam
(self-surrender).
There is no one in this world in whose heart God does not dwell
as the indweller. Therefore, is meditation required to visualise
such an all-pervading and omnipresent God? There are many who
teach different techniques of meditation today. However,
meditation is meant to acquire purity of the spiritual heart,
for, without attaining purity of the heart, the seat of
awareness, God cannot be realised. Hence, one has to strive to
attain purity of the spiritual heart. What kind of sadhana
did Kamsa do in Dwapara Yuga? In fact, he was constantly
abusing Lord Krishna. However, Lord Krishna was so compassionate
that He gave His darshan to Kamsa. No sadhana
would help in realising God, if one is devoid of purity of the
heart. The different kinds of sadhana like fasting,
meditation, etc., would help to develop one's faith in the
omnipresent God who, in fact, resides as the indweller in you.
People generally think that God gave darshan to such and
such person. But the truth is God never gives darshan to
people who have no purity of the heart. Hence, if you wish to
have the darshan of God, you must develop purity of the
heart. All kinds of sadhana are meant only to attain
purity. The moment you attain purity of the heart, the
omnipresent God will manifest right in front of you.
Unfortunately, today in the world there is a dearth of Gurus
who can firmly lead the seeker on the path of purity. They
confine themselves to some mechanical techniques of meditation,
in exchange for money.
In fact, one does not need to undertake any complex system of
meditation. One can undertake the simple sadhana of
constant contemplation on the omnipresent God. Few teach such
simple methods nowadays. People listen to and read about several
intriguing kinds of meditation and start their sadhana
that catches their interest or imagination.
Embodiments of Love!
If you want to visualise God, you must attain purity of the
heart. You refer to a certain individual and say that he is your
father. But, the father is embarrassed at such reference since
he is, in reality, the same Atma Tattwa that is present
in all the human beings. You marry some girl and refer to her as
your wife. But, she is in fact, the embodiment of the divine
Atma. Similarly, you caress a child affectionately calling
it as your son. But, the same child may tell you that he is not
your son in reality, but the embodiment of divinity. Thus, all
relationships in this world are in fact, Atmic
relationships only.
To speak the truth, real Atma Sakshatkara (self
realisation) is the merging of the individual self (Jiva) with
Brahman (Supreme Self). Anyone you come across, is verily
God. How can there be human beings without such omnipresent
divinity? Lord Krishna declared that He incarnated again and
again whenever there was decline in the practice of Dharma
(righteousness). He also declared that He was the beejam
(seed) in all the living beings. Though He moved intimately with
the Gopalas and Gopikas, He was never bound by their
relationship with Him. The Gopikas who were aware of this truth
constantly contemplated on Him chanting the divine name
"Krishna! Krishna! The very name Krishna brought the embodiment
of divine Atma before their eyes. The Gopikas were highly
realised souls who had the firm conviction that the same Atma
Tattwa was present in every individual, nay, every living
being. That is why they could visualise Krishna in every
individual and every object of the world. All that we see in the
objective world, say, for example, this Hall, this pandal, the
buildings around, etc., are not really objects. People often get
deluded into thinking so, seeing their external forms. The
universal Atma Tattwa is present in all these objects. It
is only the Gopikas who realised that Supreme Truth naturally
and spontaneously. They could visualise Krishna in all
individuals and objects. We often refer to individuals as my
son, my brother, my father, my mother, my wife, etc., keeping in
view the worldly relationships. But, the truth is that the same
God is manifesting through all those individuals. Hence, one has
to consider every individual as the embodiment of divinity. The
entire universe is permeated by Brahma Tattwa. All the names and
forms attributed to the Atma Tattwa are all our own
making.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to perform several methods/modes of
worship to Mother Kali throughout the day. One day the Divine
Mother appeared before him and enquired, "Ramakrishna! You are
getting mad day by day. You worshipped Me in a particular form.
Why do you confine Me to this form and that form. In fact, all
forms are Mine. Whomsoever you come across, consider them as the
embodiments of divinity.
God is pure and attributeless. Such an attributeless and
unsullied divinity is present in every human being. All human
beings are, in fact, the reflections of such an omnipresent
divinity. Hence, every human being has to be considered as the
embodiment of divinity and respected. Though God is omnipresent,
He assumes a particular form and serves the human beings in many
ways. Right from now, realise this truth that all names and
forms are His. Anybody you come across, consider him / her as
the embodiment of Divinity. When you develop such an attitude,
you can see God anywhere and everywhere.
You go to Mathura or Dwaraka and see how people are still
worshipping Lord Krishna with the same devotional fervour,
though He left His mortal coil in Dwapara Yuga some 5000 years
ago. When God incarnates in human form, it is natural to
consider Him as an ordinary human being. This is not the correct
approach. I often reiterate that I am God. But, I also remind
you that you are verily God. You should not give scope for any
confusion and difference of opinion in this regard. Everyone of
you are embodiments of divinity in reality. When you develop
such a firm conviction, you can visualise God in every human
being. It is only in keeping with this concept that the
expression Yad bhavam tad bhavati (as is the feeling, so
is the result) asserted in the scriptures. Since people are not
aware of the real nature of divinity, they refer to certain
individuals as father, mother, uncle, etc., keeping in view
their physical forms and the relationships with them. If people
are so deluded on the basis of physical relationships, they are
bound to get confused about the real nature of divinity. Lord
Krishna declared once while revealing His omnipresent divinity
that there was none other than Him in the entire universe. The
same truth is contained in the declaration Ekam Sath viprah
bahudha vadanti (truth is one, but the wise refer to it by
various names). For example, the number 1 is only 1. When you
add three numbers to it, it becomes 4. Thus, we go on adding
numbers to 1 and arrive at different numbers. However, the first
number remains the same, namely, 1. That is divinity. This is
what the profound declaration states, Ekoham Bahusyam
(the One willed to become many).
People often use two terms 'Deva' (God) and 'Jiva'
(individual being). In fact, there is no Jiva at all! All
are embodiments of Divinity only! Then the question arises why
do people die? Since people are not able to realise the immortal
nature of the Atma residing in the physical body, they
make use of the term death. Atma has no death at all! It
is immortal. Those who realise this truth, merge in God. For
those who cannot realise the truth, Jiva remains as
Jiva and Deva as Deva. The dual feeling
persists in them. What is the underlying meaning in the
declaration, Ekameva adviteeyam Brahma (God is one
without a second)? Since there is no entity other than
Brahman in this universe, it is declared thus. This is the
Vedic declaration. The Upanishads explain our true nature in the
Mahavakya Tattwamasi (That Thou Art). In another
Mahavakya, they declare Prajnanam Brahma (Brahman
is Supreme Consciousness). To whom shall this declaration refer?
Again, it is to that God Absolute. Thus, all the Vedas and the
Upanishads proclaim the non-dual concept of Jiva and
Deva as one and only one. But, no one is making an effort to
realise this truth. In the end, they think God is separate from
them.
People often ascribe distinctions between different forms of
divinity, for example Rama, Krishna, etc. Since they try to
identify themselves with a particular form, they entertain
feelings of difference. By doing so, they move away from God and
remain as Jivas only. All such differences exist in the
individuals only. God is only one. In fact, He is not different
from you. He is in you, you are verily God! If it is not so, why
should the Vedas declare Tattwamasi? You develop the firm
conviction that you and God are only one. When you attain such a
firm conviction, you become one with God. For example, you keep
a number of photos of Sai Baba in your Puja room. But, in all
the photos, you will find that the same God is photographed in
different poses. When you realise the underlying unity of
divinity, there can be no room for any confusion. You will be
able to realise the truth. Whatever I speak is only Truth. Since
you are not aware of this truth, you are unable to develop faith
in it. There are several people nowadays claiming to be godmen,
who lecture upon this concept endlessly. Believe Me, they are
all meant to confuse the devotees. In fact, when you develop
firm faith in the declaration that God is only one, you will be
able to realise the truth. One who is able to realise this truth
will have no confusion and doubt.
Do not use harsh words about anyone. In fact, there are no
enemies in the world. You should not consider anyone as an enemy
and abuse him or her. One day, he may be an enemy to you; but,
you may become friends on another. You should not consider
someone as separate from you. All are friends.
Embodiments of Love!
You are worshipping and praying to God with great love. Continue
to love God and develop faith in Him. Only then all your doubts
will be cleared and you will be able to understand the nature of
divinity in full. Doubt implies duality, that is, a feeling of
separation between you and God. In fact, there are no two
entities ? God and you. Everything is "I", "I", "I". Hold on to
the truth Ekameva adviteeyam Brahma. For example, how many hours
does the clock show? Twelve hours. When the hour hand crosses
twelve, it again moves to one in the clock. When it crosses one,
it moves to the next hour. Thus, it is only when the hour hand
crosses one, it moves to two. Similarly, there is nothing that
can be called the second. God is only one. However, when you
wish to entangle yourself in worldly matters, duality comes. In
fact, there is no duality with regard to divinity. Sometimes I
wake up the children sleeping in My room and ask them, "What is
the time now?" They reply, "Swami! It is 12 o' clock." I again
enquire from them, "Is it 12 o'clock in the day or night? They
reply, "Swami! It is 12 o' clock in the night." Thus, when 12
hours of the day are added to 12 hours of night, it becomes 24
hours. Strictly speaking, there are no 24 hours. It is only
because the day is followed by night and so on, that you find 24
hours. Hence, do not make a distinction between day and night.
The railway people make such distinction for their operational
convenience. For us, night follows day and again the day starts
after the night. Both day and night are one for us. Therefore
develop firm faith in the principle of unity in all that you
come across in the world. God is one and only one. If you do not
develop firm faith in this principle, it is possible that you
will worship one form of God and hate another. You should always
hold on to the principle of oneness of God. That is the truth.
If you are not able to develop such faith, ignore it and do not
make it a matter of dispute and strife. Do not ever attribute
duality to God. God is always one and only one. When you are
able to understand and develop firm faith in the oneness of God,
your life will go on smoothly.
(Holding a bunch of flowers in front of the audience Swami
enquired) What is this? It is a bunch of flowers. There are a
number of flowers strung together with the help of a thread,
with the result it assumed the form of a bunch. Though the
flowers are of different varieties, the thread that holds them
together is only one. The same principle has been explained in
the Veda as Ekameva adviteeyam Brahma. The above example
demonstrates unity in diversity. When you refer to a single
person, you say he is a man. When you refer to a number of
persons grouped together, you call them a group. Though there is
a vast difference in the terms we use while referring to a
single person and a group of persons, there is a fundamental
unity in the classification. That unity is divinity, which shall
never be forgotten. Unfortunately, in the present times, people
tend to look at the apparent diversity in this objective world,
ignoring the underlying principle of unity. Take for example,
the Pandavas. Who were they? The five Pandava brothers were the
sons of Kunthi. One mother, but five sons. In the ordinary
worldly sense, they are five in number.
You may not be able to understand this principle of oneness of
divinity, but in due course when you are able to recognise the
principle with a mature mind, you will understand that truth is
one, not two. This is a handkerchief! (showing a handkerchief to
the audience). There are several threads in it woven together.
Since the threads are woven into warp and woof, it assumed the
form of a handkerchief. The cloth is one and the threads are
many. One has to recognise that principle of unity in diversity.
We find several students gathered in this hall. Each one appears
to be different. But, they are all students of Sri Sathya Sai
College. Thus, one has to strive to develop that unity.
Dear students!
I am extremely happy to see you all. I attend to a number of
tasks and participate in a number of programmes right from early
morning till I go to bed. I feel very happy and energetic. There
is no one else who enjoys bliss as Myself. I am always happy and
cheerful. I do not at all pay attention to praise or scorn from
any quarter. They are only the outward manifestation in words of
one's feelings. I have nothing to do with them. I do not
entertain any feelings of difference at all. "All are one, be
alike to everyone".
(Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Govinda
Krishna Jai ?")
Source:
http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/9_Oct_05_Discourse.htm |