Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

EMBODIMENTS of Love! Man, although he is inherently the embodiment of Sath-Chith Anandha (Being-Awareness and Bliss), unaware of this truth, seeks this bliss in the phenomenal world. This is because he considers the physical world as the ultimate reality and forgets his own true Divine nature. This is a mark of his Ajnana (ignorance). When one's vision is turned Godward, this ignorance disappears.

Many persons yearn for God, worship God or contemplate on God. God cannot be realised by any of these means. All these activities are based on separating themselves from God. What is needed is a sense of oneness. How is this to be obtained? When you cultivate the feeling: "I and you are one." This oneness is beyond the grasp of the mind and the senses. It is only the Buddhi (Intellect) that can experience what is beyond the senses.

There is no need for penance or japa or other austerities to realise oneness with the Divine. Love alone is enough. This is the message of Vedantha.

When Adhi Shankara set out on a tour of the country to propagate Adhvaitha, he met Mandana Mishra, a great Vedhik scholar. They wanted to have a philosophical debate. They had to choose a judge to declare who had won in the debate. Adhi Shankara, who was a thrikalajnani (one who knew the past, present and the future), chose Mandana Mishra's wife, Ubhaya-bharathi, as the judge. She was a lady who could rise above personal attachments. The debate was held and Ubhaya-bharathi adjudged in favour of Shankara. She declared in unqualified terms that Mandana Mishra had lost in the debate. Immediately the verdict was declared, Mandana Mishra took to sanyasa. Thereafter, Ubhaya-bharathi also, as Mandana Mishra's better half, followed suit and became a renunciant.

Ubhaya-bharathi established an ashram of her own to which only women were admitted as disciples. One day she was going with some of her disciples to the river Ganga for a bath. On the way she saw an ochre-robed sadhu resting under a tree with his head on a Kamandalam (a vessel used for keeping water). He was a renunciant only in external vesture but not a whole hearted renunciant. He kept the gourd water container under his head lest some one should take it away when he fell asleep.

To teach the sadhu a lesson in genuine renunciation, Ubhaya-bharathi spoke loudly to her disciples: "Ladies! Look at the man's renunciation! He has not given up his attachment to his worthless Kamandalam and is concerned about its safety." On hearing her words, the byragi (renunciant) got angry. When Ubhaya-bharathi was returning from the river, he ostentatiously cast off the gourd-bottle. Ubhayabharathi then exclaimed: "What a pity? I thought the sadhu was only a victim of Abhimana (attachment). I find that he is also filled with Ahamkara (egoism). If he was not so egoistic would he have thrown his Kamandalam at me?" She stood before the sadhu, and told him: "Your egoism is growing along with your attachment. This does not befit the robe you are wearing. You cannot be a real renunciant as long as you are filled with attachment and egoism. Give up attachment to the body and develop attachment to the Atma" She taught this lesson in a quiet and convincing manner.

In the sphere of wisdom, there are no distinctions of sex, or creed. Hearing Ubhaya-bharathi's words, the sadhu came running, fell at her feet and sought her forgiveness. He said: "Oh Mother! Because I had no one to teach me the truth in this manner, I was leading this double life. From now on, you are my guru.

In human life, many pursue different forms of spiritual exercises.

So many are engaged in formal spiritual practices of various kinds. But of what use are they to win the grace of the Divine? Are you searching for the path that will help you to earn God's love? When you earnestly search within, you will get the answer.

Among the nine forms of devotion, the foremost is the cultivation of the sakhya (friendship) of God. Friendship is followed by total surrender to the Divine.

A great devotee once lamented that all his limbs and organs were utterly useless unless each of them was used to serve the Divine, to see the Divine or to listen to the glories of the Divine. The same feeling was expressed by saint Suurdhas when he said that the gift of eyesight was of no value if the eye did not see the beauteous form of the Dime. Those with ears who would not listen to the songs in praise of the lord might as well be as deaf. (Swami sang a number of songs which deplored the pitiable plight of those who did not use their God-given organs for experiencing the Divine). True humanness consists in using all one's senses and limbs for sacred purposes and not misusing them in various ways.

The man of faith need not worry about who will take care of him if he devotes all his time to thoughts of the Divine. The Lord who is the universal provider will take care of his devotees. This faith in the Lord was emphatically proclaimed by Purandharadhasa in his songs.

How many realise the wonders in God's creation? There is a chick inside the egg. A huge tree comes out of a small seed. A human being is born from a human being. Who is responsible for all this? Only the Divine will. Without recognising these miraculous powers of the Divine, people make much of human achievements.

Look at what is happening here. What is it that makes people from Australia, Argentina and other countries come here? What is the power that draws them here? Without the power of the Divine, will they come here? Thyagaraja glorified the power of Rama in a song in which he extolled how Rama's Divine power enables Hanuman to leap over the ocean and how it induced Lakshmana and Bharatha to worship Him.

It is the same Divine magnetic power which is attracting people from all over the world to come to Bhagawan.

Once Rama desired to install a linga of Shiva while He was going to the south for the recovery of Seetha. He had asked Hanuman to bring a linga from the Himalayas within a stipulated time for performing the installation. As Hanuman did not come in time, Rama created a linga and performed the prathishta ceremony. Hanuman, who adored Rama more than any other deity, threw away the linga nonchalantly.

Later, while walking, Rama's foot hit against a stone in the ground. Rama appeared as if he had lost his balance. Lakshmana asked Rama what had happened. Rama said that it was a small stone. Hanuman came forth and said that he would pull out the stone lest some one else should stumble on it. Rama was inwardly seeking to test Hanuman and teach him a lesson.

He remarked: "Hanuman! You are capable of carrying mountains. Why do you bother about this small pebble? I shall walk more carefully. It is no fault of the pebble." Hanuman, however, was determined to remove the pebble. It was a mark of his simian nature. He tried to remove the pebble with his left hand. He could not remove it. Later he used all his strength, but the pebble could not be removed. He was surprised and asked Rama: "Lord! What is this mystery?" Rama remarked: "Oh! It's nothing." He steeped forth and lifted the pebble with a toe and flung it afar. That pebble was in fact the linga which Hanuman had cast away.

An effulgence emerged from the linga and merged in Rama. And an effulgence from Rama entered the linga. Rama thereby wanted to demonstrate to Hanuman that there was no difference between Him and Shiva. He taught that both Vishnu and Shiva should be adored alike.

Today people have their own preferences regarding the deities they adore:Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Sai and so on. Why cherish such differences? God is one. Names and forms differ according to differences in taste. But the Divine is one alone. When you develop the feeling of spiritual oneness of all beings, you become one with the Divine.

Students! Do not consider God as distant from you. Do not also entertain the crazy notion that if you worship Him, He will appear before you. Offer yourself to Him and in a moment you will experience Him within you. There is no need for any other severe penance.