Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Advaita

7/28/2019 Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Advaita

1/154

PRAYER

Salutations to The One Supreme Reality,The Universal Concioousness that indwells all beings,

The Great Light that is the common spiritual linkPervading all existence.

Adorations to the Supreme,Called variously by various names and worshipped by

Various means through the different faiths,Religions and churches.

The One Whome the Christians adore as The Father in Heaven,The Jews as Jehovah, the Mohammadedans as Allah,

The Hindus as Paramatma,The Parsis as Ahura Mazda,The Buddhists as Nirvana,

And the followers of Taoism as the Supreme Tao-

The One Reality, The Changeless Absolute,The indestructible, imperishable Light of Truth.

P.P.Arya


2/154

I N T R O D U C T I O N

http://saibabaadvaita.org/contact.html

Since the very earliest of times the ancient rishis, sages and saints of India havebeen instrumental in bringing us the philosophy of Advaita. The philosophy that teachesthe most unifying way of experiencing life. It teaches that there is only One, all-

pervading, infinite Consciousness which is the Ultimate Reality and is the Truth of ourown being.

These ancient Ones were able to come upon this grand discovery by the means ofinner sound (vibrational) transmissions; by the use of the inner senses while in deep

meditation. They merged in conscious awareness with their object of focus andconcentration. This brought about in them direct Knowledge through mergence with theUniversal Consciousness or Abstract Intelligence. They gained in this way a directinsight into the nature of the Unity and Truth of all things.

Adi Shankaracharya (788-820AD), being the foremost among Advaitans, broughttogether from many parts of ancient India various teachings compromising this ancient

Wisdom of Hindu spirituality and culture. He compiled these teachings in a coherent andmeaningful structure which was passed on to his followers and disciples. He took on thiscompilation to be his lifes mission and over a long period of time went on to synthesize

the teachings of this ancient Wisdom. He also wrote commentaries on many of itssacred books which emphasized the Oneness of all life and taught that PureConsciousness was the only reality in and beyond Manifestation.

The founders of todays main religions such as Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammedand Guru Nanak, amongst many others have as their basis the teachings of thoseancient Masters. This Knowledge was transcribed into the Hindu texts known asthe Vedas which were later summarized as the Upanishads.

Buddha, for example, proclaimed the Oneness and Unity of all beings and taught

that a Pure and unsullied Consciousness confers the highest knowledge. Jesus messageof love, brotherhood and one Universal God was spread far and wide by His followers.Scholars have in fact established that Jesus spent the unrecorded missing years of His

life in India, learning from Masters the spiritual principles found in the ancient Wisdom.Thus, when He had returned to the holy land, he was able to proclaim that God andman are One. The holy Koran, that is the teachings of Mohammed, also teaches the

Unity of all beings within the reality of one God.
http://saibabaadvaita.org/contact.htmlhttp://saibabaadvaita.org/contact.htmlhttp://saibabaadvaita.org/contact.html


3/154

In time, this very basic truth of the Oneness of all beings was submerged andneglected by some of the main religious hierarchies. Superimposed upon the basic

knowledge of Unity were concepts which portrayed man as separate from God; thatman was inherently a sinner who was to be judged by a God who favoured one religionor another. Man was to be punished by eternal damnation in hell and its variations, or

was to spend eternity in Heaven if he repented and accepted the teachings of his

religion.

There have always been seekers, though few in number, whos intellectual andspiritual requirements transcended those of the majority. Such few have kept theancient Wisdom alive. They have held to the belief of the Oneness of all humankindand one infinite and eternal God for all beings. In spite of social upheavals, religiouswars, ethnic cleansings, natural calamities and personal tragedies, these few have heldto the teachings of the ancient Wisdom that all is one Unified Whole. Thus, their faith inand love for the Knowledge of the ancient Rishis, Masters and Saints, eventuallybrought the eternal Wisdom to the new world.

In India, Advaita (the teachings of nonduality) flourished and so achieved an

unbroken and nationally accepted standing within the social and cultural life of thepeople. Zen Buddhism in Japan and Tao in China were greatly influenced by theWisdom found in the Vedas and are two other eastern philosophies that share the same

religiouscultural premise as Advaitathat all of Creation is One and is bound togetherby Love; that all is merged in the Absolute (God) and is unable to be separated fromThat. Thus we find that in the east there was a much greater acceptance of ideas andconcepts which compose the body of the ancient Wisdom that have survived fromancient times. These ancient Teachings are now increasingly being incorporated andincluded in western spiritual teachings as well.

Western philosophies and concepts, in comparatively recent times, have been

integrating the Knowledge that the Rishis transmitted thousands of years ago. Forexample some of the latest scientific discoveries, especially in the area of atomic and

sub-atomic physics, show that all matter is energy in a condensed form and that thisbasic energy is indivisible and universal. This has brought the understanding andrealization that the Universe is an interrelated and interdependent Whole, as was

taught by the ancient Masters. As we examine in depth some recent scientificdiscoveries and compare them to the assertions of the ancient, Spiritual Masters it isbecoming apparent that many of these discoveries mirror the teachings of the ancient

Wisdom.

This website has been created by taking into consideration the needs of modern dayseekers who are seeking for Truth and Reality. The beauty of the ancient Wisdom is its

simplicity in expounding the truth and the ever freshness of its Teachings. So what ishoped will take place within the earnest seeker is that a firm understanding of theseteachings will reach down to the core of his being or heart centre. This may happen ifthe mind is emptied of preconceived erroneous concepts that it is usually burdened

with.

The truth of our reality is that we are not what we think we arethat is thebody/mind entity. Rather, we are Universal and Absolute Consciousness itself (Abstract


4/154

Intelligence) that is using the body and mind as instruments for its functioning in theobjective world of duality.

Shakespeare had said, All the world is a stage. This is exactly so. As individuals, we

play roles assigned to us by Divine Consciousness, or God Himself. Therefore, we arenothing more than actors or dream images acting out our roles in the Dream that

Consciousness Dreams. We as illusory separate individuals have no say in the matter;we have no say in the outcome of any action or event. In truth, we have no choice ofthe roles we play or the actions we take. All of Creation and its functioning is directed,played and managed by Divine Will or Consciousness.

There is no entity who controls this Universe from some distant place outside the

Universe. God is Absolute Consciousness and the Universe and the billions of objectswithin It exist as reflections or mirror images within Absolute Consciousness. Verily thetruth of our being is Abstract Intelligence or Universal Consciousness (Absolute

Consciousness) and not the reflections or images within Consciousness. God is theSubjective Reality that Consciousness is, that makes Creation possible and we are Hisobjective expressions which are also aspects of Him-Self. Truly speaking, all of

manifestation and us included are reflections or mirror images within AbsoluteConsciousness.

Ultimately the Divine Principle as Universal Consciousness is all there is. All thatappears in the Manifestation is but some aspect of Consciousness and is only differentregarding name and form. Reality can be intuited by the inner senses if one is able toquieten the mind and then turn it inwards. It may then be possible to Understand that

the awesome reality of Universal Consciousness is ones true Self.

The aim of the author of this website is to help those who may feel drawn to seek thetruth of Reality, to discover That for themselves within themselves. Thus the sign posts

found in these pages may be useful. It is advisable to read the pages found on this siteslowly, with care and contemplation so that the words may sink down to the core oftheir being. Thus, the Understanding may suddenly and spontaneously flash intoconsciousness and may lead to the impersonal occurrence of Self-realization. It may be

noted by spiritual seekers that many concepts and ideas are repeated quite oftenthough with different words and expressions. The reason for this, just as it was with theancient Spiritual Masters and their students, is that these pointers to the Truth have tobe brought home again and again before they emerge in the individualized mind.

Finally, it is with loving gratitude I thank my wife Marika for all the self-less help inthe presentation and editing of this website.

Should there be any questions regarding the content of these writings please contactthe author at the e-mail address given below:

Ronald Berdy,

November 23, 2009

[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


5/154

Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Sayings & Advaita

1. Abuse or praise, vilification or veneration, pertain to the body only and not to the

Atma which is beyond all the pairs of opposites. The one supreme Paramatma alone

dwells in all beings. That being the case, who is the reviler and who is the reviled? Who

is a friend and who is a foe? All are the same. The blood that is saturated with the

constant remembrance of God becomes an offering dedicated to God. Whether out of

hatred or love, lust or envy, ego or surrender, whatever be the feelings, it is enough if

the Lords name is remembered incessantly.

2. There is an intimate relationship between the external world and the internal world

within oneself. Is it the body, or the senses or the Atma that experiences the pleasuresof eating delicious food or seeing a beautiful sight or smelling a fragrant object? It is not

the body, much less the sense organs. The real experience in all these cases is the

Atma, which is the causeless cause of all that exists, and which fosters, sustains,

presides and rules over all the things in the universe. Atma is the basis of the

manifested world and the original source of motivation for the internal world. Only when

we recognize the cardinal role of the Atma as the root cause of everything, the

deceptive and transient sense organs will cease to have dominance over us.

3". To say that Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam etc. are different religions,

betrays not only narrow-mindedness but also the lack of understanding about themeaning of religion. Religion means realization. Since realization is one and the

same, irrespective of whatever religion is professed by different men, it logically follows

that basically all religions are one; or to be more accurate, there is only one religion.

4. Reality is the Atma, which is the Divine aspect of man. Thus doing, knowing, and

being are the triune manifestations of the human personality. Although the body, mind

and Atma have different names and characteristics, their harmonization and unification

help man to raise himself from the human to the Divine level. On the contrary, their

alienation from one another degrades him to the animal level.

5. In the same manner when the mind is engaged in wavering thought processes, it is

called Manas. When it is busy in the process of enquiry and discrimination between

right and wrong, it is named Buddhi-intellect. When it functions as a repository of

memories, it is known as Chitta. When it identifies itself with the physical body,

assuming the doer-ship for various activities it goes by the name of Ahamkara-ego.

Thus it may be seen that the mind, although basically one, displays these varied forms


6/154

on account of the different roles assumed by it. In fact, the mind alone is the cause of all

things. Manomoeliam idam Jagat say the scriptures. It means the whole cosmos is

nothing but a projection of the mind.

6. I am not merit, nor sin neither Happiness nor sorrow neither mantra nor holy water

neither Veda nor Yajna neither food nor the enjoyer of food. I am Sathyam, Sivam,Sundaram- Truth, Goodness, Beauty the embodiment of Sat- Chit- Ananda. Being-

Awareness- Bliss.

7. The secret of creation is known only to the creator. Others cannot hope to fathom it.

Scientists are engaged in exploring the secrets of creation. But none can plumb the

depths of natures mystery. In scientific investigations, to-days discovery is superseded

by tomorrows findings. That again becomes obsolete in its turn the day-after-tomorrow.

Continual change is in the very nature of creation. It is not permanent or immutable. The

creator is the only eternal, unchanging Reality. The spiritual path aims at investigating

the nature of the Creator and ultimately becoming one with Him.

8. The entire Cosmos consisting of living and inanimate objects, is permeated by the

three Gunas. Man should strive to understand the principle that transcends the three

Gunas. God is the embodiment of Atma. The terms like Sathyam, Jnanam, Anantam,

Brahama, Atma, Bhagavan and God are synonyms.

9. The five subtle elements of space, air, fire, water and earth emerged from the Atma.

Each of the five subtle elements is constituted of the three Gunas. Under the influence

of the three Gunas, the five subtle elements evolved into the five gross elements and

the entire Cosmos, through the process of Pancheekritam-fusion by permutation andcombination came into being.

10". Sai Baba quoting Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita I am the Atma- the Self residing in

all beings; I am also the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings. That is to say

that the entire Cosmos consisting of moving and non-moving objects is only the Atma.

Nothing exists other than the Atma or the Self. What to-days man needs to do is to

constantly contemplate on the Self, to realize the Self, to be firmly established in the

Self and to experience the bliss of the self.

11. Atmais also known as Awareness. It is this awareness that is responsible for the

I Consciousness in all beings, which is called Aham. When this Aham identifies itself

with the body, it becomes Ahamkara. This is the false I, and not the real I. What

hides the Atma always, is the mind. The clouds, which are formed due to the Suns

heat, hide the Sun itself. Likewise the mind, which is the offspring of the Atma hides the

Atma itself. As long as the mind is there, man cannot hope to understand anything

about the Self, not to speak of realizing and experiencing the bliss of the Self. That state


7/154

in which one is established in the Self at all times and under all circumstances is called

Sakshatkara- Self-realisation.

12. The first sound that emanated from the Self is I. The entire creation began only

after the emanation of the I sound. If there is no I, there is no creation. The term I,

Brahaman, Atma or Self are all synonymous. The I sans mind is the Atma or Self in itspristine purity. The I associated with the mind is the false self or Mithyatma. There is

only one Atma or Self, and that is the I.

13. If man is practicing Sadhana, it is merely for mental satisfaction. Such practices,

which are pursued for mental satisfaction, will only serve the purpose of strengthening

the mind instead of destroying it, as recommended in the teachings of Vedanta. If at all

you want to do Sadhana, the only right approach to it, is to dispel the Anantmabhava -

the false notion of the non-self.

14. It is important to recognize that as long as the mind is there, desires will not leaveyou. As long as you have desires, the false notion of I and Mine will not leave you.

As long as the feeling of I and mine is there, Ahamkara- your wrong identification

with the body- will not leave you. As long as Ahamkara does not leave you, Ajnana-

ignorance too will not leave you. In effect, it means that there is no way other than the

annihilation of the mind to attain Atma- Jnana- Knowledge of the Self, or Atma-

darshan- vision of the Self, or Atmananda- Bliss of the Self, whatever you may choose

to call it.

15". The mind, the Buddhi or intellect, the Chitta or the memory, and ahamkara or the

ego sense- what is the substratum from which these four have emerged, by which theyare sustained, and into which they will merge back? That substratum is the Brahaman;

that is the Atma of the Self. So, instead of recognizing the source of your origin and

your own identity, what is the use of your trying to attain it by taking recourse to other

pathways?

16". The right kind of Sadhana for seeking the Atma, are only those that are directed

towards the destruction of the mind. Because of his identification with his body, man is

being helplessly tossed hither and thither in various way by his ego. I am doing this; I

am enjoying that; I have conquered this thus saying to himself man is lending strength

day by day, to his sense of doer-ship.

17. You should have the firm conviction that nothing happens due to human effort.

Proof for this assertion need not be sought for in some far-off place. It can be found

right within your own body. For instance, what effort are you making of for the ceaseless

beating of your heart or for the incessant breathing of your lungs? Does the digestion of

the food eaten by you take place, because of your will? Are you able to live because

you want to live, or to die? Does your birth take place according to when and where you


8/154

desire? If you ponder deeply along these lines of thought, you will discover that your

feelings of I and mine- Ahamkara and Mamakara are being unduly fostered by your

false sense of doer-ship and enjoyer-ship- Kartritva and Bhoktritva.

18. To-day we are preoccupied with various activities just for our own mental

satisfaction. But the mind never knows any satisfaction, whatever we may do and forhow long. Mind alone is Maya-illusion. Mind alone is desire. Mind itself is Avidya-

ignorance. Mind alone is Nature- Pakriti. And mind alone is delusion.

19. Reality is one- Ekam Sat. And that is Atma. Scholars describe God as the

embodiment of Sat, Chit, Anandam- Existence- Awareness- Bliss. It is not correct. He is

Sat itself, He is Chit itself, He is Ananda itself. These three are not different or separate

from God.

20. As long as you think there is anything different from you, so long you are

submerged in ignorance. There is nothing in the universe other than you, or higher thanyou. To think otherwise or to try to prove otherwise is nothing but your Manobhranti -

mental delusion, resembling a dream. In your dream, you see many sights and

experience various things, but for how long are they real? Only as long as your dream

lasts. When the dream ends, they are all unreal. Similarly, your hardships, losses, worry

and sorrow etc are real, only as long as your mind is under delusion. Once the delusion

leaves you, they will all be unreal. They will then turn out to be castles of myths created

by your mind. Relying on the false I you are rejecting the real I. You are boosting your

Ahamkara by thinking continually that you are the body.

21. If only we can understand one small but subtle truth, we can expand the horizons ofour thought and feelings to any extent. There is nothing other than the self in the

universe. All the things you see as existing in the phenomenal world are but the

reflections of the one Self. In the case of mundane affairs, the subject, the object and

the predicate- all these three are present. But in spiritual matters relating to the Atma or

Self, there is only the subject, but no separate object or predicate. In fact, all these three

aspects get merged into one Atma-tatwa- the principle of the Self which pervades

everywhere as Chaitanya- Consciousness. There is no place, where Consciousness

does not exist. This very Chaitanya has been partitioned, so to say, into three aspects

of Sat, Chit, Ananda for the satisfaction and understanding of the laity. These three

aspects have been described by the Vedantins as mutual reflections of one another.They have used the terms Asthi, Bhathi and Prayam for Sat, Chit and Ananda

respectively. But all these three refer to one and the same entity.

22. It is difficult to understand the nature of this principle of Consciousness. There are

three aspects of this Consciousness, depending upon its association with specific

aspects of human personality. When this Consciousness or Awareness is associated


9/154

with the senses, we use the term conscious. When it associated with the mind, we call

it conscience, and when it is associated with the Self, it is pure Consciousness.

23. God is more taintless than the sky. The Sun , the Moon and the stars are His eyes.

He is all-pervading like the air. It is only when we thoroughly recognize the nature of the

Upadhis or vestures of man like the body, the senses, the mind and the Buddhi that wecan understand the sacred, pure infinite Atma or Divine Principle.

24. One who has forgotten himself cannot recognize the truth proper. When you are

yourself the Atma, how can you recognize it by praying to some other being or doing

such other Sadhana? Because the One has become many = Ekoham bahusayam,

you have developed a liking for the diversity, forgetting the unity. All these things that

you see around you are your own reflections, as if in a mirror. Leaving the actual object,

you are running after the reflected images. Your own bhrama- delusion is binding you

hand and foot. One who is bound by bhrama cannot reach Brahman- God. All your

Sadhana are futile, if you want to experience the Self. All these Sadhanas will onlyserve the purpose of quieting the mind. The quiet mind may again become agitated.

What is important is to get rid of the mind, by understanding its true nature.

25. Remember that success and failure do not depend on your efforts or Sadhana and

such other activities. You are simply inflating your ego- Ahamkara, by deluding yourself

that you have been able to achieve things by your own effort. Look around and see the

many instances where the best of efforts have not been crowned with success, while

with little or no effort victory had come unsought in the case of many others. Instead of

getting frustrated due to failure by depending on your efforts had not been crowned with

success. While with little or no effort only, you can surely win success by dedicating allyour activities to the Divine.

26. The whole world is a combination of Kshetra and Kshetrajna- the fields and the

knower of the Fields. The Kshetra of the human body is but a reflection of Prakriti-

Nature. All the sentient and insentient aspects of the universe are in the human body.

The entire universe is a reflection of the inner being of man.

27. Self-knowledge reveals itself after the annihilation of the mind. The still and

peaceful silence that follows the destruction of the mind is itself true knowledge. This

true knowledge is our very nature, and not something to be newly acquired. However,this knowledge is hidden by the mind and its aberrations, like the cinder covered by the

ash, generated by the cinder itself, like the water shrouded by the moss produced by

water itself and like the eye covered by the cataract arising from the eye itself. Remove

the cataract and you get back your sight. Remove the mind and the self-knowledge

stands revealed automatically.


10/154

28. This knowledge can neither be obtained from books, nor given by gurus- the

spiritual teachers nor can it be conferred as a boon by the Paramatma- the supreme

soul. Indeed you are yourself Paramatma, Atma or Jnana. Sitting in solitude, when you

calmly enquire how this Jnana is present in all you will hear from within yourself a

spontaneous voice that is eternal and changeless. All the things in this manifested world

are subject to constant change due to the process of union and separation of atoms that

goes on endlessly. However, this Divine voice within is not only the same in all beings,

not only eternal but also it remains unchanged by anything.

29. People believe that every man has a free will. It is an entirely wrong belief. They

imagine that it is because of mans will, determination, Sadhana and effort that he is

able to achieve success. This is all due to the aberrations of their Ahamkara and the

reflection of their false sense of doer-ship.

30. So, even for attaining success in the matter of attaining Self-Knowledge, is foolish

to rely on ones physical, mental and intellectual abilities and resources. What is neededis to recognize and cultivate the spirit of oneness of all that exists.

31. What is meant by the heart? Not the physical hea rt full of flesh and blood. The real

Heart is that which has no connection with any particular place, time, individual or

country. It is the Divine Principle, which is equally present in all persons at all times, in

all places and in all countries. This heart has no form. What we consider as the heart

inside the human body comes in the middle and goes in the middle. But what we call as

Heart in the spiritual parlance knows no coming or going. It is eternal and changeless.

Therefore, true freedom consists in recognizing and realizing this Heart or Divine

Principle, knowing which one becomes the knower of everything.

32. As is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm. Microcosm refers to the individual and

macrocosm to the aggregate or sum total. One who knows his Self knows all. To-days

man tries to know everything about the world. He feels proud that he knows everything.

But he forgets that he does not know himself.

33. The Vedas have revealed that the mind is a reflection of the moon. Therefore we

cherish the mind and nourish it by devoting more and more time and attention to it, as

long as we do not engage ourselves in Atma vichara or Self- enquiry. It is only when

you have the mind, that you see all such differences as spiritual and secular, sacredand mundane, freedom and bondage, man and woman, Prakriti and Paratatwam,

Nature and absolute Reality, All the dualities are the creations of the mind.

34. It should be recognized that mans life is regulated by the laws of Nature on the one

hand, and by the man-made rules and regulations on the other. Such being the case,

there is no validity in everyone thinking for himself that he has freedom to act as he

likes. It is only God that may be said to have freedom to act as he likes. Even this is a


11/154

relative truth, because in absolute terms, existence is only one, and hence the word

freedom is out of place in this context.

35. As long as the mind is there, no one can claim to be enjoying freedom. In the

worldly parlance, one may say, I have money. I am giving it to him. This is my freedom

etc. But truly speaking, this is neither freedom nor free will. The mind is a mixture of thethree Gunas- Satva, Raja and Tamas. One or more of these three may become

dominant at a given time in a given person. In the present instance, the mind of the man

who is giving some money to another person is motivated by the Satva-Guna to give

something in charity to the needy person. Hence when a man acts under the influence

of the Gunas, how can he claim to have freedom of will? It is therefore impossible for

anybody who is part of the creation to have freedom.

36. The highly talented persons in different walks of life have not acquired their skills

from somewhere outside. All these are but manifestations of their own innate

potentialities. It is sheer ignorance to think that any person can be developed byinstruction by some other person. Everything is in you alone. All that you do by way of

your effort is to manifest or give an outer expression to what is already inherent in you.

So, even in the spiritual field, all the Sadhana (spiritual practice) that you need to do is

to remove the obstruction, namely the ignorance that is preventing the manifestation of

the Divinity already present in you.

37. What you find in this world is a hierarchy of controls, the one at a higher level

controlling the one at a lower level. This results in lack of freedom for all except perhaps

for the one top-most person in the hierarchy. But strictly speaking, even this one person

occupying the top most rung of the hierarchical ladder cannot be said to have freedom,because the question of freedom does not arise when there is only one without a

second. What we call individual freedom and fundamental rights may serve the

purpose of enabling us to carry on our mundane affairs. But in the absolute sense, there

is no true freedom involved in this matters.

38. From what ever angle we may consider the matter, there is no freedom for man

and there can be no freedom for man. In fact, man does not know what true freedom

means. One who has freedom does not take birth in this world. One who enters the

world with a body, cannot have freedom.

39. Anything that is bound by any limitation whatsoever, cannot and should not be said

to have freedom. This only shows that we are in the habit of using words without

knowing their correct meaning.

40. If you understand the true meaning of the Heart, you will recognize that is beyond

limitations. The same Heart that is within you is also within all others including even

those who are hated by you or who hate you. You may have the doubt that if all have


12/154

the same heart, why should their thoughts, attitudes and actions be different. All these

differences are created by the mind and they have nothing to do with the Heart. This is

not the physical heart but the spiritual Heart, which is omnipresent. It has no form but it

is the substratum for all forms, just as sugar is the common basis for all kinds of sugar

dolls of different animals which are liked by different children.

41. All the differences you find in the world are only reflections of your mind. Whether

you love someone, or hate some one, or ridicule somebody, they are all your reflections

only. If you give up these reactions, resounds and reflections of your mind, which

appear to you in the phenomenal world, and get hold of the Heart called Reality, then all

these differences in thoughts, feelings, actions etc. would disappear. God does not have

thoughts and feelings of any kind. But he appears to respond suitably according to the

thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and actions like worship, prayer etc. of the devotees. He

has no likes and dislikes. Nor is He angry with some and pleased with some others. He

does not have moods that change from time to time in respect of the same person or

different persons as is imagined by many of you. God does not differentiate or

discriminate between high caste and low caste, between the young and the old,

between men and women, between people of one country and another etc. These are

all mundane differences pertaining to the phenomenal world but have nothing to do with

Divinity. God will never have such differences. If one understands rightly the nature if

the Divine Principle of the Atma, there will be no scope for such petty, narrow-minded

differences and discriminations.

42. Spirituality means merger with God. You are not different from God. You are God,

God is you. If you are firmly established in this faith, you need not undertake any other

Sadhana or spiritual practices. Of course, some people repeat parrot - like I and you are

one, but they do not live up to it.

43. The eye of wisdom is highly essential to every man. Jnana- Netram- (the eye of

wisdom.) Divya- Netram-(the Divine eye,) Atma- Netram- (the eye of Self,) Brahama-

Netram- the eye of Brahaman- all these names are synonymous. Only when you have

the firm faith that all is Brahaman- Sarvam Brahaman,you will see the entire universe as

Brahaman. That is why the scriptures have exhorted; Fill your vision-Dhiristi, with Jnana

-wisdom, and you will see the Srishti- creation, filled with Brahaman- the supreme

Absolute. The color of the entire Prakriti-Nature, depends upon the color of the glasses

through which the physical eyes look at it?

44. According to one of the most important mantras in the Veda, immortality can be

obtained only by Tyaga-renunciation but not by good actions, progeny or wealth etc. But

what exactly is renunciation? It does not mean giving up ones wife and children, or

house and other properties. What actually is your bondage? It is the delusion of your

identification with the body. You must give up the false idea that you are the body and


13/154

imbibe the truth that you are the Atma. Then alone can you achieve liberation-

Moksham. Deha- virakthi- detachment from the body consciousness will free you from

the grief of bondage and Daiva Aasakathi- attachment to God will give you the bliss of

Moksha- liberation and merger with God. How to get rid of Deha-bhaaranthi- body

consciousness? Not by giving up food and drink, reducing the body to a skeleton and

courting death, but by asserting with faith that I am not the body. The body, the senses,

the mind and the intellect are all my instruments- Upadhis. You must give up your body

- consciousness, just as you remove your soiled clothes.

45. All things happen according to the Divine will- Daiva Sankalpam. By your own effort

you cannot achieve anything. It is only due to Ahamkara that you wrongly appropriate to

yourself both doer-ship and enjoyer-ship- Kartritwa and Bhoktritwa. You are the very

embodiment of bliss. Bliss is your very nature. But it is a tragedy that you are unable to

recognize it and experience it. This bliss is veiled by likes and disl ikes, the sense of I

and mine, hesitation and doubt, pleasure and displeasure etc. Raaga and Dwesha -

attachment and hatred, are the thick clothes, which shroud the bliss in you. When you

get rid of attachment and hatred you can discover your own real nature. How strange

and foolish it is that despite yourself being the very embodiment of bliss, you are

searching for bliss elsewhere! Although everything is within you, you are unfortunately

running after petty desires and silly sensual pleasures in the phenomenal world. What is

the reason for this mad race? Ignorance of the truth, that you are yourself the source of

all bliss.

46. Nityanandam- eternal Bliss, Brah-manandam- infinite Bliss and Advaitnandam-

non- dual bliss is the very nature and form of man. But lured by the momentary

sensuous worldly pleasures, man is unable to seek, to understand and to enjoy this

supreme Divine bliss. Unlike the so- called bliss derived from material things, the bliss

of the Atma is never tainted by sorrow.

47. It is sheer foolishness on the part of man to identify himself with a house while he is

only a simple resident in it. It is as good as identifying oneself with a car that one is

driving. As the body is a harmonious composition of eyes, ears, legs, hands, etc. and

not a mere eye, ear, or hand, similarly the Atma is the harmonious entity embracing the

entire universe. The Atma is the driver who operates the senses, the organs, etc. It is

the Atma, that makes the eyes see, the ears hear, and the hands work. It only proves

that Atma is the true master of the body. An earnest inquiry into the human system,

reveals that the different organs in the body, are only instruments, the Atma is the

master. The conglomeration of Mind, the Buddhi (intelligence) and Samskara

(tendency) is Atma.

48. You think you are engaging in the action, but it is your body doing so, or your mind,

or your intelligence. But God is working through them. It is only the Atma in you that is


14/154

the source of action. The Atma is God. God is using your intelligence, mind, and body

as His instruments for doing that particular work.

49. Creation is from the Atma. The Atma, God, is the positive. Body is the negative.

They join and action results. Otherwise, nothing---- Creation is not a projection from the

Atma. The Atma, God, is permeating every fiber of creation. The form is justappearance--- it is energy, God, the Divine Energy which causes the form and which is

the actuality or the form.

50. He who recognizes that the Atma in him and in all beings is o ne and the same

dwells in the constant presence of God, whether he is a householder or follows a path

of renunciation, whether he is alone or in a crowd. Everyone has to recognize the

divinity that is inherent in all human beings.

51. Atma is permanent. No one can suppress this permanent Atma. No one can

destroy this Atma. There is no death or destruction for Atma. As one changes a wornout garment for a new one, so also when the body is worn out, the Atma will get into

another body.

52. Atma is eternal; it cannot die or decay, diminish or disintegrate. Only those that

have not realized the Atma principle suffer from the delusion that the body is

themselves; until then, even the most learned are led into that error. Being enamored of

the body as if it is you is ignorance, being aware of the Atma, which you really are is

wisdom. Getting the knowledge of the Atma is as precious a piece of good luck as

getting a diamond in the dust. The Atma is the gemstone embedded in this mass of

flash.

53. When one is merged in the Divine bliss he is the witness of his bliss. The person

loses his limited awareness for Gods total awareness. Deep sleep is samadhi, where

there is no world and no mind but only the experience of I. Freedom is that same

experience in full awareness--- Happiness is temporary and given to us by others. Next

comes joy. One is joyful when filling the stomach-it comes and goes. But bliss is ones

rightful nature; it does not come and go. Bliss is not something that comes to one; it is

ones real nature and is permanent.

54. Supreme Consciousness is the ocean, nature is just a wave of that vast ageless

and boundless ocean- and the individual soul is just a drop of that wave. You cannot

give up the wave or the sea. You can only merge, leaving the name and form to drop

off. Once you enter the depths of the sea, it is all calm, it is all peace; agitation, noise,

confusion all are only on the outer layers.

55. The different states of consciousness are mutually excusive. You cannot

experience in one state what you have gone through in another. For instance, in a


15/154

dream you may weep over the death of a person. But when you wake up, you dont

weep for the person who died in the dream. What happened in the dream is true only in

the dream state. In the waking state, it is unreal. Likewise we do not lament in a dream

over a person who died in the waking state. Each experience is real only in its state of

consciousness. But the one principle that is common to all the states of consciousness,

waking, dream and sleep- is the Atma. Atma is not bound by the limitations of time,

space and circumstances.

56. What is creation? Creation means the expression of the will of God. It is called

nature. Everything that has emerged from nature must necessarily have the quality of

nature. Man is born to express the quality of nature. Creation refers to manifestation

of thoughts.

57. Creation has to be viewed as a cosmic stage. God is the director and dramatis

personae in this play. He assigns all the roles of the characters in this play. All creatures

in the world are manifestations of the Divine. The good and evil in the world areexpressions of the Divine Consciousness. Man should not be misled by these

expressions. Behind all the various actions of the actors, the Divine director is at work. It

should be realized that though names and form may vary, languages and nationalities

may be different the human race is one in its Divine essence. All are sparks of the

Divine- The Lord declared in the Gita: All beings in the world of the living are aspects of

my Eternal Self.

58. People have become worshipers of that which is created. However, it is acceptable

if they do not differentiate between the Creator and the creation, and if the accept

creation as being a part of the Creator. In spite of doing spiritual practices for manyyears or for many life times, if people still think of creation and the Creator as two

separate entities, they cannot realize their true nature. People should use their

intelligence to realize theirtrue nature.

59. The Vedas, the most ancient scripture of mankind proclaim the truth of creation as

the projection of the Divine through its own Will, when it was disturbed by the desire to

separate itself from itself, Ekoham Bahusyam- I am ONE: I shall become many. Being

willed to Become, say the Vedas. Baba says that we are the many, which He became.

Therefore, as truly as He is God, We too are Gods. He says, I am in you; you are in

me. We cannot be separated.

60. There was no one to know who I am until I created the world at my pleasure, with

one word! Immediately, mountains rose up; oceans, seas, lands and watersheds, sun,

moon and the desert sands sprung out of nowhere to prove My existence. Came all

forms of beings, men, beasts and birds-flying, speaking and hearing. All powers were


16/154

bestowed upon them under my orders. The first place was granted to mankind and my

knowledge was placed in mans mind.

61. When I love Myself, I love you. When you love yourself, you love me. We are One. I

only separated Myself from Myself so that I can love Myself.

62. Things which have to happen will always happen. Even if you hide yourself in the

forest you can save yourself from diseases, death and old age. You are bound to go

when the time comes, leaving behind everything. It is the Grace of God which alone is

permanent.

63. No one is competent to determine where a certain thing should take place. Life may

end in a town, in water, or in a forest. Each ones life will end in the place, the manner

and the time prescribed for him. This is inescapable. This is according to the operation

of Natures law based on the pairs of opposites in lifewhat ever has to happen, how,

and what time and in what manner, has been predetermined and the mere fact that I amnear by will not serve to alter them.

64. Your reality is the Atma (God viewed as the particular), a wave of the Paramatma

(God viewed as the Universal). The one object of this human existence is to visualize

that Reality, that Atma, that relationship between the wave and the Sea. All other

activities are trivial; you share them with birds and beasts; but this is unique privilege of

Man. He has clambered through all the levels of animalism, all the steps in the ladder of

evolution in order to inherit this high destiny.

65. The Divinity present in man and God are one and the same, though the bulbs are

many. The bulbs differ in their radiance due to the difference in the voltage of the bulbs.

Some people complain that the Divine radiance in them is dim. In these people the

Divine radiance is dimmed by narrowness of mind. The Divine radiance shines

resplendently only in those who have broad mind. But many people today are selfish

and narrow-minded and their concern is limited only to themselves and their family.

Unless their concern envelops the society and the world, the Divine radiance can never

burn resplendently in them.

66. The Divine is the core, the essence of your being. God is everywhere; when He is

recognized and adored as the indweller of your body, it becomes a Temple, and it is no

more a burden. God is shining, announcing Himself through you; He is expressing

Himself through every thought, word and deed that emanates from you. In the Temple

that is built and put together, we have an idol that is sculpted and molded by man. But,

in this temple that is gifted by God, God shines in His own light, and manifests in His

own Glory as Love, Power and Wisdom. He shines and manifests, thus not only in a

single body, but in all bodies. He is the indweller in each .


17/154

67. Man is not merely a creature thrown up by nature in the process of an evolutionary

gamble. He has a special meaning, a special mission, and unique role. He is Divinity

encased in the human frame! His mission is to merge in the God from whom he has

emerged.

68. It is part of human nature that man desires to reach the presence of the Almighty,to see Him and be ever with Him, for deep within the human heart is the urge to reach

the place from which he has come, to attain the joy he has lost, the glory which he has

missed. Man is himself Divine and so it is a matter of the deep calling unto the deep, of

the part calling for the whole.

69. Divinity is nearer than anything else in the world. If you consider it as far it will

appear distant, but if you regard it as near, it will be near, as long as man is conscious

of the body, he cannot comprehend a formless Divinity. Hence, he must adore the

Divine in human form. If, for instance, a buffalo or a fish thinks of God, they can only

conceive of God as a huge buffalo or a gigantic fish. Man also conceives the form ofGod only in terms of his own human form and attributes. As long as man is attached to

the body, he cannot realize God. Only when he sheds his attachment, he can

experience the Divine.

70. All the three worlds are contained in man. In this vast cosmos, among innumerable

living beings the human being stands foremost. Although it has been proclaimed that in

all living beings the Divine exists as the indwelling Spirit, not all living beings can

recognize this truth. Only a human being has the capacity to recognize it. This unique

ability invests human birth with its rare quality, as proclaimed by the Vedas.

71. When does man experience the pure Divine Self? It is in the Turya state or the

fourth state of consciousness, (beyond the waking, dream and deep sleep states). This

is the state of the Over-Mind. In that state man is one with the Divine. He has no

attributes. Therefore he is all pervading. Nature is bound by the five qualities of sound,

touch, form, taste and smell (these are the qualities of space or ether, air, fire, water,

and earth, the five basic elements). With the loss of each quality, starting from smell, a

process of expansion takes place. Finally we have Akasa (ether or space), which has

only one quality (sound) and is all pervading. That being the case, how much more

pervasive must be the Lord who has no attributes?

72. God takes on a human form and appears as a human being. But when the human

being recognizes his basic nature he becomes the Divine. As long as one thinks he is a

mere human, he remains a human. But when he considers himself as Divine with deep

conviction, he will be transformed into the Divine.

73. All that you see, hear, think and do are due to the power of Brahman (the

Absolute). The feeling that you are the doer and the possessor is the source of all


18/154

troubles. It is only when man. It is only when man realizes that everything is permeated

by the Divine that he will be able to experience the Divine bliss.

74. To recognize Divinity there is no need to master the scriptures or study the

Upanishads. A single visible experience is enough. The nature of Divinity cannot be

described or defined. It is beyond description. What is needed is development of faith inthe Divine, through weal and woe. In the pursuit of the Divine, perseverance is

essential. The quest should not be given up in any circumstances. Either God should

bless you, or you should forget yourself in thinking of Him. People today lack such

determination and perseverance.

75. It is wrong to identify the I with the body. Over the ages, by identifying the I with

the body, its true nature has been grossly underrated because of ignorance, perversion

and false attachment. The truth is this I is subtle and incomparable. It is beyond

change. This is the characteristic of Divinity. Men have to recognize their inherent

divinity.

76. The primary reason you have acquired this body is to enable you to engage in

activities which allow you to reap the rewards of the past actions your past karma. But

why did you accumulate this karma in the first place? The reason of karma is desire or

attachment you have for some things and dislike or repulsion you have for other things.

Then what is the reason of this attraction and repulsion? The reason is duality. You

believe that this world is real and is filled with objects and things, which are separated

from yourself. Where did this duality come from? The reason for this duality is

ignorance, the dark well, which covers the knowledge of your true reality. You have

forgotten the fundamental unity of all beings you have become unaware of the Divinebasis of all things. You have lost sight of Atma your real Self. It is on account of this

ignorance that you experience so much grief and sorrow. If you want to be free of this

darkness of ignorance, you must obtain the light of wisdom.

77. How can man realize the truth, only when he can experience non-dualism. As long

as he is steeped in dualism (that he and the Divine are different), he is bound to be

racked by the opposites: joy and sorrow, the real and the unreal.

78. You are not the body, a bundle of flesh, blood and bones. Neither are you the un-

manifested desires, nor the manifested mind. You are also not the infatuating delusionthat thwarts your liberation. But you are the Eternal Paramatmam, if only you recognize

your innate power. The body, the senses, the mind and the intellect are only the

vestures put on by man. Only when we understand the nature and significance of these

adjuncts, can we make proper use of them.


19/154

79. True surrender brings you closer and closer to God, for you are in constant

communion with Him during each day. Also, you begin to see God in everyone and

everything, all around you, all the time, everywhere, always.

80. The next higher stage is reached when a devotee experiences the truth, that all is

God and there is only One God. It is a revelation that touches him deeply. To him isopen the door to the inflowing of the God-force so that it reaches the innermost part of

his being. It is there within, it is there without, and when he surrenders, he allows the

two to join in perfect unison. From that moment onwards, he lives in perfect harmony

with God. Such a devotee, soaked in the Love of God, lives and works only as the

instrument of God for the welfare of humanity.

81. The highest level on the spiritual path is achieved when the devotee and God

become one. His consciousness expands to the level of God consciousness or Super-

consciousness and for him all distinctions between Sai, God, and himself, disappear

and he becomes THAT. Having annihilated his ego completely and achieved total non-desire, he transcends body consciousness to achieve total equanimity and remain

eternally immersed in God- consciousness- Sath- Chit- Ananda; I am Existence, I am

Knowledge, I am Bliss.

82. The you who was present as pure consciousness in both the dream state and the

waking state, that you who witnessed both these states, is the true reality. Life during

the daytime is a daydream during the night it is a night dream. They are both illusions.

They are filled with defects and flaws because they constantly change from one thing to

another, so the cannot be real. Only you who remain unchanged in all these states are

real, free of all change and illusion.

83. The Self is the Eternal; so establish yourself only in that and not in the transient

non-Self illusion or objects. Life is a struggle to achieve victory over the illusion, which

haunts; I am the Eternal Self in you and in all. So fix the mind on me and engage

yourself in the struggle, confident of victory. Thus spoke Krishna exhorting Arjuna, with

a great deal of affection. One must realize in this body itself the Eternal truth and the

Relationship between man and that truth, before death takes its toll.

84. The self in man and the Divinity that dwells within him are one and the same. Add

infinite onto yourself and you become the Divinity itself. Unfortunately having becomeembodied you have forgotten your Divinity, your unlimited infinity, you are aware only of

your limited individuality. If you want to attain the infinity, you must make an inquiry into

the Divinity which is inherent in you.

85. You are the infinite come in the finite, the formless infinite appearing as the form-full

infinitesimal, the Absolute pretending to be the relative; the Atma behaving as the body,

the metaphysical masquerading as the merely physical.


20/154

86. Now we are developing superficial understanding and outer vision. But it is the

inner vision that is important; it alone is true and sacred. We lose sight of the one reality,

of our own Truth because we pay attention only to the impermanent outer vision and

forget completely the permanent inner vision. Gods mission is to restore the sacred

inner vision. That is what He does when He comes as Avatar.

87. The inner Voice, Antar Vani, is the voice of the Sadguru or the Divine Voice. It is

incorporated in the Ajna Chakra, which has its focus point in the region of the third eye

or the eyebrow center. When this chakra is awakened and the kundalini energy ascends

to it, the Inner Voice or the Gurus Voice can be heard. In order to awaken the Kundalini

shakti (power) and make it rise to the Ajna chakra you have to sharpen your

concentration on this chakra. You have to sharpen your concentration to a very fine

degree and shut out all other sensations, feelings, thoughts and emotions. Then, in the

void can be heard the Inner Voice. It can be heard only in the state of mindlessness. It

is not enough if you merely hear the Inner Voice. More importantly, you should listen

to it- follow its advice and carry out its instructions implicitly and unquestioningly,

because the advice and instructions are those of the Divine Sadguru. It is only when

you listen to and obey the Voce that you will find peace and happiness.

88. Adi Sankara proclaimed the supremacy of the path of knowledge for the realization

of the Self. In his Anandalahari he declared that Ananda (bliss) is mans goal and it can

be secured only by Gods grace. He firmly asserted that Brahaman alone is real and

there is no second. Even for such a staunch exponent of Monism, devotion became

necessary. Without cultivating devotion, Jnana (knowledge of the Divine) cannot be

secured.

89. Months come and go, but God neither comes nor goes. In this context you have to

bear in mind three things. The first is that which goes, and after it goes will not come

back. The second is that which after it comes, will never leave. The third is the one that

neither comes nor goes. That which, when it comes, will not go is Jnana (the highest

knowledge). When this sublime knowledge comes to us it should not leave us. The

knowledge, which come and goes relates to the waking and sleeping states. But true

knowledge when once it is acquired, will never go away. Knowledge which is lost is not

true knowledge.

90. Ignorance is that which, once it is gone, will not return. If it returns, it is ignorancepiled on ignorance. This has been described in Vedantic parlance as delusion within

delusion. That which does not come and does not go is the Atmic principle. That which

is omnipresent, where can it go? You set up a door to separate yourself from the

outside. If there is no place outside, there will be no need for a door. There is no place,

where the Divine is not present. Where can the Divine come or go? Such questions are

the product of confused book knowledge.


21/154

91. The world presents a motley spectacle of people undergoing varying experience.

There are some men who appear to be ever peaceful and there are also men that

appear to be ever sorrowful. There are also men who appear to be experiencing joy as

well as sorrow and there are also men, lost in the Divine intoxication, totally blissful.

What is the cause for the different states of man? Mind is the cause for all this. The

presence of the demon, the beast, the human and the Divine in man is the cause and

but for all this, the mind is the main cause. It is only in man that we have the Human

Divine, the Human Human, the Human Demon and Human Animal, all these are

deeply rooted in the mind of man.

92. All living beings are actors on this stage. They take their exit when the curtain is

rung down or when their part is over. On that stage, one may play the part of a thief;

another may be cast as a king; a third may be a clown and another a beggar. For all

these characters in the play, there is ONE who gives the cue! Here, some points have

to be understood clearly. The prompter will not come upon the stage and give the cue,

in full view of all. If he does so, the drama will lose interest. Therefore, standing behind

a screen at the back of the stage, he gives the cue to all the actors, irrespective of the

role; be it dialogue, speech, or song, just when each is in most need of help. In the

same way, the Lord is behind the screen of the stage of Nature, giving the cue to all the

actors for their various parts. So every actor must be conscious of His Presence behind

the illusion screen; he must be anxious to catch the faintest suggestion. He might give,

keeping a corner of the eye always on Him and having the ear pitched to catch His

voice. Instead of this if a person forgets the plot and the story (that is to say, the work

for which one has come and the duties that appertain there to), and neglects to watch

the Presence behind the screen and simply stands dumb on the stage, the audience willlaugh at his folly and charge him with spoiling the show. For these reasons, every actor

who has to play the role of man on the world stage must first learn the lines well and

then, remembering the Lord behind the screen, await His orders. The attention must be

on both: The lines one has learned for the role and the directions one may get from the

stage manager.

93. Before ones birth, one has no relationship with the world and its material objects.

After death, they and all kith and kin disappear. This sojourn is just a game played in the

interval. Getting fascinated with this three-day-fair is foolish, indeed There is no

pleasure in being born again and again. There is no pleasure in being born only to dieand in dying only to be born again. Why should we be born if it is only to undergo the

repeated cycle of births and deaths? One should be born in such a way that he

becomes immortal and is never born again. One who is after finding their path to arrive

at such truth is the wise person.

94. We should ask if we existed before the body was born and if we would exist after

the body dies. It is only in the interval between the birth and death that the human body


22/154

exists. What we have said applies to all that we see in the creation, including the hills,

trees, animals and so on. These will all get merged with eternity in due course of time.

The entire creation, which is the result of our own imagination, will merge with time. All

matter that we see around us is subject to decadence with time. For us to recognize the

Divinity in human beings, each individual should recognize his nature and true form.

Before you are born, who are your parents, friends, relatives and enemies? To who

does this wealth, gardens, homes and fields belong? Where from have we come and

where are we going? Where will we go after the body dies? Where from has the body

come? We do not know the address from which we have come and the address to

which we go. We should realize that we have come from the Universal Absolute and

that we will ultimately go to the Universal Absolute.

95. There is life throughout the Universe, for creation is endless. But within the whole

universe there is no other planet that has human life or a similar life formRebirth can

never be in other regions of the universe. All life may aspire to human birth but the

human birth is the only opportunity to attain both full realization of the Divine and

escape from the cycle of birth and death, and only on earth may this take place. In no

other planet or region throughout the indescribable vastness of the universe does this

opportunity exist. It is unique.

96. What is Maya? It means invisible, something, which is unseen. When you refer to

maya in terms of illusion you understand is as something intangible. But Maya has a

force, which is tangible. Otherwise how can it function? If you take the wind, for example

you cannot see it but you feel its force, its power and energy when it blows. So, the

wind, for example you feel its force, its power and energy when it blows. So, the wind is

intangible but it has a force which is tangible.

97. It is Maya which gave rise to creation.It is Maya which is behind the entire

created universe. Maya is the cause. Creation is the effect. All the things you see

around you- the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms, man and everything else existent

in the universe have their source in maya. From Maya they come and into Maya they

go, for all created things are subject to decay, destruction and death.

98. Everything you see around you- the plants, birds, animals, earth, water, mountains,

even human beings- seem to be real, do they not? You can see them, touch them,, feel

them, smell them and hear them, so they all seem to be very real to you. But in actualfact, they are not real. They are only apparently and seemingly real. They are Mithya.

Mithya means that which is transient, temporary, mutable not permanent. How is

something, which does not last, real? So, the entire creation itself is unreal, Mithya,

since it is bound by the laws of dissolution, decay and deathFor example, if you take

a tree, it is subject to decay; so, it is not lasting and therefore it is Mithya. But the energy

or force which gave life to the tree is lasting and this is Maya.


23/154

99. And now, we come to the third factor-Nithya. Nithya means, eternal, immutable,

ever- permanent and ever- lasting. It is something that is even subtler than

MayaWhile Maya is constantly moving and changing Nithya is ever still and

motionlesstake the case of an actor on the stage. The actor puts on a disguise and

adopts certain mannerisms and characteristics. With the help of these aids, he projects

another and totally different personality to the audience. He creates a new person

altogether. This new personality presented to the audience is Mithya. The disguise with

all its appendages is Maya. The actor is Nithya. Once the disguise is removed, what

happens? Everything crumbles, only Nithya remains.

100. What is Maya? It is the combined expression of the three gunas- Satva, Rajas and

Thamas (the pure, the emotional and the lethargic). The Vedas have declared that it is

only when man overcomes the three gunas that he would be able to get rid of Maya (the

illusion), which makes one see the unreal as real.

101. Just as our shadow will always accompany us and can not be separated from us,so also Maya will always accompany God and will not separate from Him.

102. Now here we come to the question of duality and non-duality. It is true that there is

ugliness of Nature and in all creation, but everything has its place and purpose. Nothing

was created without a reason. What is ugliness, after all? It is the other side of

beautyThus we have two sides to every aspect- good and bad, beauty and ugliness,

truth and untruth, light and darkness, knowledge and ignorance, and so on. They are

complementary; where one exists, the other also will. Can you appreciate beauty unless

you know what ugliness is? Can you be good unless you know what is bad? You

must learn to discriminate between Maya and Mithya and this will help you to perceiveGod in everything. In this way you will develop a feeling of closeness to Nature and to

God and awareness of oneness.

103. To God all objects in the universe are alike because they are manifestations of the

Divine. The scriptures declared about this Divine manifestation: Sarvam khalvidam

Brahma- All this verily is Brahman. Hence, whoever worships the supreme Lord

should also worship Prakriti (Nature of the phenomenal universe). He should love

Nature and adore Nature. Nature is not different from the Supreme Self. Nature is the

effect and God is the cause. Nature is the expression of the relationship between cause

and effect.

104. In nature everything functions to its specific qualities declares the Upanishads.

Everything behaves according to its specific nature. It cannot be altered or destroyed by

anyone. This is the inherent attribute of Nature. It manifests the Divine Principle, which

is eternal, immutable and unchanging. To bring out this Divine aspect in Nature and

make it manifest,, all things have been endowed with certain qualities (gunas). To


24/154

endow nature with these qualities, certain media are necessary. These have been

described as Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara.

105. Paramatma is present everywhere and is all knowing. He is present everywhere in

His creation and by seeing Him everywhere, it will be possible for you to live in this

world, getting correct knowledge of the nature around you. By atmic knowledge, you willbe able to enjoy happiness on the spiritual side of the world. Paramatma is the

embodiment of truth and wisdom, and is infinite. In that form, He is present in all the

organs that make up your body. He is effulgent in the body in the form of Atma.

106. The I in you is Paramatma Himself. The I is the tiny wavelet that plays with the

wind for a moment, over the deep waters of the sea. The wave gives you the impression

that it is separate from the azure and timeless ocean below. But it is just an

appearance, a creation of the two ideas- Name and Form. Get rid of the two ideas and

the wave disappears in the sea; its reality flashes upon you and you know.

107. Divine vision is seeing through the ephemeral illusion and abiding in and with the

reality Divine vision is the result of practice and of Gods grace. At times, Divine vision

may appear to arise spontaneously, but it is because of work done by a person in a

previous life The person of Divine vision is known as a raja yogi. He retains some

body identification, and thus continues to live with the bodyIf one lives and keeps

himself within the reality found within, with Godly thoughts, desires, and interests, if one

keeps his life centered on the Godly side of consciousness, the consciousness

becomes a mirror coated on its outer surface with the dust of the sensory world. On the

pure inward surface of this mirror, on the pure mind and the pure heart, one may see

the reality of himself reflected. This constitutes Self-Realization.

108. Listen! You whose real nature is the same as that of Supreme consciousness!

Seek to discover your true Self, your genuine reality, attain the knowledge that you are

Supreme Consciousness itself; exult in this alone; taste the undiluted, incomparable,

unlimited bliss of the awareness of the real Self. Let time merge in Him whose form is

Time. That is the highest task of man, as taught in the scriptures. With the amulet of

wisdom around ones arm, one can escape the influences of negative starts called

sensual attractions.

109. There is no need to retire into a forest or cave to know your inner reality and toconquer your lower nature. Win the battle of life by being in the world- but free from

attachments. That is a victory for which you can be congratulated.

110. The Self is not visible from the outside. The Self is neither visible nor invisible. It

has no special form that is attached to it and is all pervadingThe Self cannot be what

we can hear with our ears; what we can feel with any of our sensory organs. These can

only be a means or instruments in a limited sense for understanding the Self. As we can


25/154

experience the presence of matter with our sensory organs, the body is experiencing all

the creation around it with its senses. Like a lamp that helps one to find out things,

functioning as an ancillary instrument, so also all the organs help the body to

experience the surroundings. It is not right to describe this body, which in that manner

depends upon various ancillary instruments as Self. We now recognize that the mind

the intelligence, the body, the consciousness and the inner consciousness are all

distinct from the Self. Intelligence has been given a special position, a position which is

higher then those of the sensesIn order that we may discover and understand the

Self, this container, the human body, can become instrumental and can be helpful.

111. The first thing which we have to do is recognize the Self which is only a witness

and is not subject to pain and pleasure which the body experiences. For experiencing

the Self as our reality, control of the senses, removal of the physical attachment and

truth are essential. Only by throwing off the attachment to the body, and purifying the

mind and the intellect can you merge in your truth and earn the eternal bliss, highest

Peace, the purest Wisdom. Thus only can man earn liberation from the bondage of birth

and death.

112. That which has to be given up is the feeling of separateness and individuality.

Who is the individual (jiva)? The true individual Self is GodGod and the individual Self

are not separate. Because of ignorance, one gets the feeling of separateness When

one realizes that the supreme God is everything, he or she will be free from the feeling

of individuality and worldly- mindedness. One will be free from sorrow when one

realizes that the individual Self is none other than God. Know that God resides in the

universe and that, similarly, the universe resides in God. It is a unique and friendly

relationship between God and the universe. This relationship is inseparable.

113. What is the goal? It is reaching your original home or source. What is this home?

Knowing ones Self is reaching the original home. God has enabled humans to realize

this truth. How can one search for ones Self? You cannot search for your Self in just

any place; it can only be found within. It is madness to search for God outside. Gods

eyes, feet, hands and ears are everywhere and all things, is pervaded by God. To know

ones Self is to reach God. In Vedantic parlance this is described as the method that is

nethi, nethi (not this, not this). By this method, you try to enforce the idea that you are

not the body, mind, intellect or conscience. But realize that all these belong to you-they

are your instruments, and you are the master. When you realize the truth that you are

the master and pervade everything, then sorrow cannot touch you.

114. Every cell has got in its center a life-atom which is an embodied Soul. Each sperm

also contains an embodied Soul. This may correspond to one of the numerous spices of

living beings ranging from a virus to a man.


26/154


27/154

122. The universe is the body of God; every particle in it is filled with God, His glory,

His might, His inscrutabilityBelieve that God is the inner truth in everything and being.

He is truth He is wisdom. He is Eternal. Be humble before the evidence of His Power

and Majesty.

123. Puranas(ancient Hindu scriptures) say that this universe has a beginning and anend and that its life span is , multiplied by to the th power years. This duration is

considered as years when counted in the units of time pertaining to the universe just as

astronomers speak of light year in their astronomical units. According to this measure of

time, one second of universal time is equivalent to one lakh (,) years of mans time.

124. After the previous universe disappeared, time was incomprehensible. In other

words, there was no time. Time, space, objects and movement took birth

simultaneously. Therefore the beginning of this universe is the beginning of time.

125. Vibhuti is the most precious object in a truly spiritual sense ---( It represents theburning of desires that agitate the mind and cause confusion.) When there is no desire

to warp the mind, love will be true and full. What greater offering can you give to God to

glorify Him than the ash signifying your triumph over desire? Ash or vebhuti is the

ultimate condition of things, it cannot undergo any further changeIt should inspire you

to give up desire and offer to God the ashes of destruction of tantalizing desires as the

most valuable of all the articles you have earned.

126. What I materialize is a manifestation of Divinity with a potent significance as well

as symbolism. It is symbolic of the cosmic, immortal and infinite nature of all forms of

God. Atma or the spirit- that is, what is left when everything worldly, transient andchangeable has burnt away.

127. In the first place, it is symbolic of the life -death cycle in which everything ultimately

reduces itself to ash. For dust thou art, and to dust shall thou return. Ash or dust is the

final condition of things. It cannot undergo any further changes. In he spiritual context in

constitutes a warning to the receiver to give up desire, to burn all passions, attachments

and temptations, and make one pure in thought, word and deed. It is in order to press

home this lesson that I materialize ash for those who come to me with love and

devotion. Like other materializations, it also acts as a talisman, healing the sick, and

giving protection to those who need it. It is the symbol of Divinity, quite different from themagicians trickery mentioned to you.

128. Everything is the Will of God. For every small act, Gods command is the cause.

Without His Will, not a blade of grass can move. Good and bad are projections of your

feelings, but in the eyes of God, everything is the same.


28/154

129. Understand that there is no free will for individuals. They are constrained by

various limitations. God alone has total free will. All others are bound in one way or

another. Whatever ones efforts, the ultimate outcome is with Providence. Therefore,

place your faith in God and do your duty, wherever you may be.

130. Bring the recurrent desires of your mind to me, every time they emerge. Theycannot shock me for I willed them! Bring me your confusion, your fear, your craving,

your anxiety, your inability to love the world, your hesitation to serve, your jealousy, all

the deficiencies that defy your Sadhana.

131. Man must realize the immensity of the play of the Divine Will which manifests itself

in such abundant variety. But what does science say of this Will? It only declares that

we should not believe things that we do not see. The Divine Will is beyond our power to

see and so it cannot be testified to be real! This attitude is not correct. Take this

handkerchief, which I drop from my hand. It falls to the ground instead of going up in the

air. We attribute this to the gravitational pull, even though we do not see the pull.Creation posits a Creator; nothing can happen without the will to make it happen. Before

the beginning of things, there must be some Will that willed them to become. It can only

be He that has become all this, whatever is the name or form that these have assumed.

That Will is love. It is wisdom. It is power, it is bliss.

132. Think of the incomprehensible joy that will surge within you when you approach

the shore of Liberation! Ride safe on the raging waters of Change; be a witness, do not

crave for the fruit of action, leave the consequences of all the good acts to Gods will.

He is the doer, you are but the instrument.

133. God decides and man has to adjust his plans according to Gods decisions. It is

not right for him to stick to his own plan and make decisions whether you are in pain, or

in sorrow or trouble, or in happiness all these have to be considered as the Grace of the

Lord.

134. Nothing is wrong with you- where there is a will there is a way is eminently true.

At first the will is your own which has to be strengthened by the thought of God until you

convert it into the almighty will of God. You seem to be playing a particular game, which

you do not really desire to throw up. You can change the game if you will. You are not

weak and helpless. Every strength and power is within you. GOD- vision is yours thatvery instant when you will it with concentration. Why dont you? Simply, because you do

not choose to trust in the supreme will in all circumstances. The vision of truth means,

vision of the root principle of all creation. If GOD wills means only if you assert your

own all- powerful will. The solution therefore is to awaken the inherent power and

splendor of your Soul. Do it. You are verily the immortal truth; the great deathless and

changeless reality.


29/154

135. To see with clarity, that everything we are doing is being prompted by God, is

suddenly to be free from all worry and anxiety. Then there is no sorrow, no

disappointment, no fear of any kind, for then all is God. He is playing every role and

whatever happens can be accepted as His Will, as the way that He, the consummate

actor, is developing the destiny of the character being portrayed. Baba advises. Let

God work through you and there will be no more duty. Let God shine forth. Let God

show Himself. Eat God, drink God, breathe God, realize the truth and the other things

will take care of themselves.

136. People think that wisdom can be obtained by bookish learning. But, bookish

learning is only an artificial exercise, and true wisdom can never be obtained by artificial

means. True wisdom, is harvested by the heart alone. First and foremost, man should

erase the feeling that he is different from God. One day, man will realize that he and

God are one if he persistently practices the faith that I am God. But mere lip service of

such statements yields no result.

137. The attitudes of elation and dejection, happiness and unhappiness towards the

fruit of action exist because you think you are the doer of actions and the enjoyer of

fruits. As long as this idea exists, you will be bound by the cycle of birth and rebirth. But

once you realize that you are only a silent witness and onlooker, you will be freed from

the cycleyou think that you are the body, the mind, the intellect and so on. That is why

you react emotionally to the consequences of action. You think that the body does and

the body enjoys. But who are you really? You are not the body. You are something

different and separate from the mere body, mind, intellect and ego. You are the Atma,

untouched and unaffected by any action or result. You, the essential you, are the Atma.

You are only a witness to what is going on around you, for the Atma does not engage in

action. Whatever is taking place does not affect the real You. God is the only Doer of

all acts and He is the only Enjoyer of all fruitsall acts are done by Him and all fruits

go to Him. He is present everywhere and in everything as Atma. The Atma is the source

of all action just as the current is the source of all light. You are only instruments in the

hands of God God acts through you. And since He performs the actions, only He is

entitled to enjoy the fruits of the actions.

138. Learn to let all conflicts spawned by the mind to play themselves out and cancel

each other out, as the Yadavas did on the final battlefield. Be a witness to the

holocaust. The ultimate solution to the conflict is not decision or even choice, but

passive being. Dare to remain inconclusive. See the endless quandaries of the mind as

Divine Leela, His sport, as the natural function of the bundle of desires called mind.; do

not rally to its assertions and appetites.

139. For attachment, hatred and for all the differences that we entertain mind is the

cause. The mind envelops all and encircles all. When there is no mind, there is no world


30/154

at all. Where the world does not exist, hatred and attachment cease to exist; where

attachment and hatred do not exist, sorrow and joy cease to exist. Such a state free

from sorrow and joy is the real state of man. For the sorrow and suffering of man,

attachment and hatred are the cause. For hatred and attachment world is the cause and

for the world, mind is the cause. Hence it is said: Mano moolan idam jagat. It is only by

transcending the mind that man can ever hope to attain Divinity. Man is bound by the

power of mind in the waking state, the dream state and the deep sleep state as well.

Man can become God only by attaining the state that transcends these three states.

140. The Infinite Eternal Brahman can be cognized as having three attributes, for the

convenience of awareness; Sath, Chith, Ananda. The minutest particle in the universe

has these three characteristics, and the vastest too. Man too is the embodiment of Sath,

Chith, Ananda (being, awareness, bliss); but since he is too attached to the body and its

impulses he is unable to dive into his reality and benefit from the springs of Chith and

Ananda that are there.

141. The basis for the acceptance of God as the Eternal Being and as the Cosmic

Enrapture is His indestructibility. Indestructibility is the form of God and for the

indestructible God, AUM is the name. AUM, the primordial word, contains the essence

of all the Vedas and is the source of all scriptures. It provides the basis for the core of all

religious teachings and eclectic knowledge. AUM is comprised of three syllables A U

and M, each of which has profound connotations. AUM is the primordial Word, which

gives life to all other words. It is not possible for anyone to fully cognize or even

describe the integral form of the sacred word AUMIt is divinely precious and should

be recognized as the name of God.

142. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is really Sathya Swaroopa. He is in reality

Sathyam, Sivam and Sundaram. That is Sath, Chit and Ananda ( a supreme state of

Existence, Knowledge and Bliss). His real nature is that He is Siva Sakthi Swaroopa

and He has taken this human form in order to reform us and to re-establish our old

Sanathana Dharma. He is an embodiment of Prema, Karuna and Shanti. The Leelas

and miracles performed by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Baba clearly prove that He is the God

in human form. He is the Lord of the nature, which is His own creation and agency and

therefore though in a human body, He has supreme control over Nature, which is ever

at His service for carrying out what

Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Advaita

Documents

Transcript of Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Advaita