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| Sri Sathya Sai in Trayee Brindavan |
The Basis behind all Creation
The hidden secret in everyone’s thought, word and deed is consciousness. Everyone lives due to consciousness. Consciousness is Sat. It is Saalokyam, Saameepyam, Saaroopyam, and Saayujyam (the four stages of one’s spritiual evolution). Everyone lives because these are existent. Each river has a name and form like Ganga, Krishna, etc. But this is only till it reaches the ocean. When the river merges in the ocean, there is no separate name, form or taste. Krishna has sweet water, and a curved flowing path. But when it merges in the ocean, the sweetness is lost and running water becomes steady water. This happens when the merger is complete. When the river merges in the ocean, the ocean comes up. The river bends down in a manner of surrender. As it surrenders, the ocean as a master accepts it. At the junction of merger the water is salty at the top and sweet at the bottom. At the junction therefore, both good and bad is present. The Gita tells this in the stanza, ‘Sukha Dukhe Same Kritva, Labhalabhau, Jayajayau’ – One needs to be equanimous in happiness and sorrow, in gain and loss, victory and defeat. Sat (Truth) is Sthira (permanent). Each man is Sat. Sat has no birth or death. It is the true God. Truth does not mean telling what one has seen. Truth is changeless.
Satya teaches Jananam (Birth) and Antam (Death). Brahma is not the one who has four heads. He is the all-pervasive consciousness. Brahma means Brihat Swarupam (Cosmic Form). This principle is omnipresent. Wind is everywhere. But none can see it or hold it. But one cannot live without it. That principle is God.
The principle regarding the five Bhootas – Shabda, Sparsha, Roopa, Rasa, and Gandha (sound, touch, sight, taste and smell) was taught in the Upanishadic story involving Uddalaka and Nachiketa. Nachiketa wanted to learn Atma Jnana (knowledge of the Self). Uddalaka put some salt in a pot of water. He asked, “Where is the salt in the pot? Can it be seen or touched? Where is it?” A drop of water is enough to tell the taste of the water. Only experience can show its existence, not seeing or touching. The same is the case with the Self. God is in Prakriti (Nature). It can’t be touched or seen. It can only be experienced. Therefore, try for the experience. The ancient sages taught this as direct experience (Pratyaksha Pramaana). Scientists want direct demonstration. For this they use the mind. But what is the form of the mind? It can’t be seen. In fact one cannot see one’s own back or face directly! We need a mirror for it. Similarly, with the help of love, one can know one’s true form. Love is God. Live in love. Start the day with love, fill the day with love, spend the day with love, and end the day with love. That is the way to God. God is love. Every man has love. There is no one without love. They may love their child, wife, or possessions. Each man has love. We generally describe a person based on his Gunas (attributes) and Roopa (form). But this is only description of the form. What are his other descriptions? He is Prema Swaroopa (embodiment of love), he has Daya (compassion) and Tyaga (sacrifice). These qualities have no form. Thus, a person becomes full only with these qualities. External descriptions can be seen. But to it one must add the internal descriptions also. One must not see only the Aakaara (external form). One must also see Nivritti, the inner good qualities. Therefore, both positive and negative must be combined. The body and the mind inside are negative. The soul is positive. When both are combined, man becomes full. Man cannot be known only through the negative. Divinity is both positive and negative. For example, if you want to make water, both oxygen and hydrogen are needed. The sun rays mix both oxygen and hydrogen to make water. But who created oxygen and hydrogen? This is the Shrishti Tatva (the principle of creation). This is Divinity.
The Balance between the Positive and Negative
Therefore, that which does not change must be known through the changing body. Body changes, it is impermanent. ‘Asthiram Jeevanam Loke, Asthiram Yauvanam Dhanam, Asthiram Dhaara Putradi, Satyam Keerti Dvayam Sthiram’ (Life is temporary; wealth and youth are temporary; wife and children are temporary; only truth and good name are permanent). The body is like a water bubble. It is negative. Bhagavad Chintana (remembering God) is positive. The education that one gets helps in earning money, home, property, etc. But all this is negative. What comes from the heart is positive. Qualities like compassion, love and sacrifice have no form. What comes from the heart is permanent. But what comes from the head is not permanent. Today, we believe more in the negative. Instead, if we believe in truth, which is positive, we will always be blissful. Ananda (bliss) comes from the positive. For example, bulbs are negative. The light and the wire are true and permanent. Bulb represents Dharma, the filament is Shanti, and Prema is the light. With Satya, Dharma and Shanti, we get Prema. Just as we cannot get light unless the wire, bulb and filament are brought together, similarly for the light of love, the three qualities are needed. Without Satya, Dharma, and Shanti, a person cannot call himself a human. Among the many qualities we possess, some are temporary while some are permanent. Truth is permanent. Truth is God. Whomsoever we worship, we are actually worshipping truth.
God – The Bestower of Peace and Bliss
There was a rich Patel in Gujarat. He worshipped God for long hours daily. Once his friend came from America. He had to wait for a long time to meet the Patel, and got restless. He asked the Patel, “Why do you spend so much time in worshipping God. You have wealth, children, health, etc.” The Patel replied, “I don’t pray to God for these, as I already have them. I worship God for what I don’t have. God has peace and bliss. I don’t have peace and bliss. God is Nityanandam and Paramasukhadham – eternal bliss and the abode of supreme bliss. Peace and bliss are with God. I therefore worship God for them. I don’t worship God for money, but for mental peace”. There is no peace in this world. It has only pieces. Only God has peace. The Pratyaksha Tatva (direct principle/experience) gives joy. One must understand the difference between happiness and bliss. We may feel hungry. We go to the canteen and have two chapatis and we feel happy. But for how long? Just two hours. It is temporary. Bliss comes from God. When you listen to God, or think of Him, you get bliss. He is always with you. Happiness is worldly, bliss is different from it. Happiness is called Santosha, i.e. ‘some thosa’. It is very little. Bliss is Ananda, Aaa…nanda!
Cultivate a Relationship with God
When we worship the direct form of God, we get bliss. You must think of Saguna (Divinity with a form). You must have the Divine Saguna form in your heart. But today you don’t see the Saguna. Even if you see, you see and forget. You hear and forget. Keep Saguna always with you, in you around you. Then you can enjoy the world. Saguna is like nectar - Amrita. Tulsidas said that God’s bliss is higher than even Amrita. One must struggle to attain it. Along with it, one can do any worldly activity. But worldly activity itself is only for a short time. For example, students learn to spell the word ‘milk’ as M-I-L-K, telling each letter separately. But this is done only till they get the spelling correctly. Once you master the spelling, you stop telling the letters. Similarly, till when should you think of God? Till His form is imprinted in your heart. Then, you yourself become God. You become Love. Then there is no need to search for God elsewhere. You are God. Then, you will forget the body. Till you have body attachment you will introduce yourself as so and so, with a name. You were not born with this name. Your parents have given this name. But God gave you life, not your parents. Parents did not give you the Atma Tatva (Principle of Atma). Your relation with your parents is only as long as you have the body-feeling. Before your marriage, you didn’t know your wife. But after marriage you introduce her as your wife. Wife and husband relationships are like passing clouds. Your wife didn’t come with you at birth, nor will she accompany you at the end. But God came with you at birth and will come with you at death. But God is there with you life after life. You must yearn for a relationship with God. Along with this relationship, you can also learn worldly education. In fact if you know God, the world itself will teach you everything. A drop of water held in the hand evaporates after a while. But when put in the ocean, it becomes the ocean. You are attached to the body and have small desires. Instead contemplate on God. Unite in this the body, mind and senses. Then you will get eternal bliss.
OM SAI RAM:)
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