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Professor Anil Kumar's Sunday Satsang
Prasanthi Nilayam
The Sunday Talk Given by Anil Kumar
"God is a Journey"
June 20th, 2004
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Bhagawan's silent mission
Because of this morning's program I
think some of our brothers and sisters are delayed, on genuine
grounds. We can understand, but I have no business to make you wait
till that long.
This morning's program is put up by students of the orphanage, which
is started by Bhagavan. They have put up this program. They made the
presentation. Around sixty orphans are adopted by Bhagavan and Swami
constructed a school for them. They have their own hostel, they have
rooms and teachers, medical care, ….tory attention given to them.
Just in a record time of two years, the first batch of students
appeared for examination on around 6th I believe and I got the marks
sheets' zerox copy with me. Five of them got above 80%. One got even
92. This is the nature of Bhagavan; because I was there at that
time, while they were selecting children from different villages.
They are all orphans, left with a nun, just on the streets and the
revenue department people were asked to pick them up, make a list
and submit.
Thereafter Swami made police people to verify. Further he sent team
of teachers to go and visit everybody. So checklist 3, three levels
of checks. So, we can understand that they are genuinely poor
orphans, left with a nun. From such a category of people, how He
made children come out in flying colours, as to secure above 80, one
even getting 90 and chant shlokas there and enact a drama in
front of us. It's not an ordinary thing, its not ordinary thing.
Even rigorous schools find it difficult to make a presentation of
that order.
Swami's mission is so silent; I am ashamed to say that I have not
seen that centre till this day, though I have been here all along. I
have not gone there. Swami's spiritual revolution is always silent,
without any publicity, without any propaganda. Those of us who are
here quite for long also are not aware of things going on somewhere.
This is what the divinity is. Man believes in publicity. God
believes in simplicity. Man considers propaganda very essential; God
feels it as a duty to help his children. Therefore, He does not
expect even thanks from anybody. Man wants recognition; God expects
transformation. Man expects leadership, but God expects you to
follow Him, to follow His example. All His projects, all His
programs are going on silently over the last couple of decades. But
many many people are inspired all over the world to take up similar
programs.
Grand opportunity
In Africa, which is very well known
for its poverty, what a tremendous program, Educare program has been
taking place, is a matter of revelation quite unbelievable. Children
just in rags can't afford even a square meal a day. Such children
are brought up in an ideal atmosphere and a very high level of
education is extended to them totally free of cost, there in Africa.
How people are inspired there, is a matter of a question to a
non-devotee but it is a matter of a pleasant surprise to a devotee;
because as a devotee one accepts the reality. He never doubts, he
never questions. We are participants in this Divine program. We are
the living witnesses to what has been going on today, and this is
not a small thing. Because when one of these things go into the
record, and the future generations go through that record it is a
history. But today we see right in front of our eyes what is
happening and try to identify ourselves in our own way contribute in
our way to the Divine mission.
It is a grand opportunity given to every one of us. In fact Bhagavan
said, "I can do anything all by Myself. I don't need anybody's
support, but for your name, for your fame, for your redemption, for
your salvation, I am giving you this opportunity to participate in
My Divine mission." Therefore my friends, we enjoy every minute of
our stay here. We enjoy every scene that we come across, all that
has happened here, in front of Swami.
Qualitites of a spiritual person
As the devotees we have some times
some development or some transformation, which needs us to doubt it.
Some people say, "Sir, is this all true? This experience I had,
would you please interpret for me. What does it mean?"
We doubt our own experiences because of the lack of conviction. One
person comes and says; "I feel that I am very soft and calm after
coming to Swami. Is it any progress in spirituality? Does it
indicate any anything good? I feel very calm and soft.
Earlier before coming to Swami I am known for my anger. I am known
for my temper. I am known for my vengeance. I am known for all that.
But after coming to Swami I am soft and calm. What does it mean?" is
a question put by a very sincere devotee.
I said, "By being angry, you may be subjected to tensions, worries.
It may sometime lead to violence. You will be hurting yourself and
hurting others. By remaining calm and quite, leave alone progress in
spirituality, at least you are free from that danger of being in
anger. If you are in anger there is a threat, there is a danger. If
you are calm and soft, you are free from all these tensions and
anxieties."
What does it mean, a man is calm and soft. This is a feature of a
spiritual man. Agitation, disturbance, worried mind, they are in no
way qualities of a spiritual man, in no way. A spiritual man always
remains calm and soft. You may say anything; he is unruffled.
Purpose of worship
When somebody said, "Baba are You God
or fraud'? He said, "I'm god and you are also god." He is not
disturbed by that silly question. Furthermore He says," If you call
Me a bald man I am not angry with you, because I am not bald. I am
not bald. If you say that I have mop of hair on My head then why
should I be angry with you. I have lots of hair. I am not disturbed.
If you praise me, well, I don't think that I'll be very much elated.
No, because you are praising for your satisfaction. You are praising
so that you may learn these great qualities. That's what true
worship is.
Unfortunately worship has come down to the level of a ritual.
Finding flowers from the market, buying them, just put it down the
picture, that is worship. I am not condemning it, it is a ritual.
But something more, true worship is emulation of the Divine
qualities. When I say, "O Baba, you are god of mercy", it means I
must be merciful. "O Bhagavan you are the one with total
compassion", it means I should be compassionate. All the qualities
that we attribute to god, all those noble qualities that we sing in
praise of god as an act of worship are simply meant to be copied, to
be emulated. That is the purpose of worship.
Every moment is a chance for
advancement
But if it is made into a timetable or
a schedule, if it's mechanical, well we spoil the very purpose of
worship. That is why even the ritualistic people, those that worship
regularly, meticulously, are known for their life unchanged. They
remain same, because, 5 O'clock meditation, 7 O'clock worship, 9
O'clock bhajans, something like a routine. But life is not
routine, life is not mechanical, life is not a schedule. Every
moment is the one of excitement. Every moment is a chance for
improvement, is an occasion for advancement.
We have to find something new in every moment. Nothing should be
taken for granted. Just watch what had happened this morning. Did we
ever expect that we'll stay this long there? Did we ever expect that
there will be program there? Did we ever expect that the program
will be a lengthy one? Did we ever expect that Swami would be there
around 8.15 or so and the program will go long like this?
And those people who think that darshan is between 7.15 and
7.30 what would happen to them when swami comes at 8.20? Who am I to
give a timetable to Him? Who am I to indicate His arrival and
departure here? Nothing should be taken for granted so far as
Bhagavan is concerned. That is spirituality.
Spiritual person is calm and soft
So to begin with this morning's
satsang, the first and foremost point, which I want to draw your
attention is this: that a spiritual man is always calm and soft. No
Sir I find some people shouting there, are they not spiritual,
certainly not. I find some people who are rough and tough. Are they
not spiritual? No, by any standards. One has to be quiet, calm and
soft. That is the first beginning of spirituality, the first step.
There lies the beauty, there lies the beauty.
The question is this: how can I be calm and how can I be soft? How
to be calm and soft; that is the next question. To answer this
question, let me know why am I not calm, why am I not soft? I am not
soft because of my indifference. I am not soft because of my
selfishness. I am not soft because of my ego. When one fully
understands why we are not soft, it may be quite easy to be soft
some day or other by making ourselves free from these evil
qualities. So a rough, tough, harsh man is egoistic, non spiritual
and irreligious. Be that a man of position or authority, whatever it
may be. This is a yardstick; he should be calm and soft.
Why am I not calm? I am not calm because my mind is not positive.
The mind, which is not positive, is never calm. The mind, which is
self-centred, is never calm. The mind, which is at extra work, mind
which is physical mind, which is worldly is never calm. So I can
make my mind calm, remain in calmness, if I am able to turn inward.
If I am able to strike a balance between the world and my own
religion, I can be calm if I learn how to forgive others. I can be
calm if I learn what sympathy is. By being sympathetic towards
others we can be calm. By being kind to others we can be calm. By
being non-egoistic we can be soft. But not allowing ourselves to
playing according to the mind, just judging what is what one can
remain soft and calm.
The quintessence, one word formula, one word formula to be calm and
soft is this, to cultivate Love. A man of Love is always calm and
soft. That adds beauty to our life. If I am calm and soft, I should
know that I am at the entrance of the temple. I am at the doorstep
of god; I am at the doorstep of divinity. This is the first point,
which I want to draw your attention to.
Never doubt your experience
The second point is this: we start
doubting whether this experience is true or not. Often times some of
my friends come to me, "Sir this what had happened. How shall I take
it? This is what had happened in my dream, how shall I interpret it?
This is what Swami said to me. What does it mean?" These are the
questions that many of my students and friends ask me. I think it is
also your experience; people come and ask, "What does it mean?"
My dear friends lets all give a common answer to all such questions.
Let us tell everybody, "Never doubt; never doubt your experience,
whatever it is." When you doubt your experience please note it is
imagination. Any experience doubted is imagination. Simple example.
"Swami told me to do it."
"How do you know he told you?"
"Somehow I felt he was talking to me from within."
"Oh I see, very good."
Is it true? You have put this question, "Is it true?"
"I feel that Swami is giving me this thought, I feel that Swami is
giving me this direction, is it true?"
My friend tell him immediately, when you put this question, ‘Is it
true?' it means it is imagination. Anything that is doubted is
either hysteria or imagination. But a true experience, that which is
genuine, which is personal, will never be doubted. It gives no scope
for any help.
We may doubt god but we never doubt Love. Am I not right? You may
doubt god but you will never doubt Love. Simple example. ‘My mother
loves me', do u doubt that? ‘I love my mother', do you doubt it? He
is god, but then I doubt it. That is the reason why Bhagavan always
speaks of Love. You don't doubt Love. And that Love is god. God is
Love. Live in Love. Never Love is doubted, because this Love is born
out of personal fountain of experience. It is born out of your own
experience. Therefore you never doubt. Well how to be doubtless?
That is the next question. How am I to be doubtless?
Satsang is sharing of knowledge
My friend these are all collected from
Sai literature. I am trying to put it as interesting as possible in
the form of a question and answer. Because if it is read as a long
article, well I think it may not reach your head straight away.
Certain books, like Vijaya Sutra Vahini, Jnyana Vahini,
Upanishad Vahini, they are very tough. Somehow we have to get
them sugar coated and yet see that things get into our head. Like
??. So it is in this direction that I collect these points and am
trying to get a place in our head. That's all. Not with the idea
that you do not know. No.
My friends, I repeat once again, whatever is happening here, not
talking about that that you do not know. No. We are sharing all that
we know together. We are just exchanging our views on Swami. That is
what satsang is. That's all. Satsang is not flow of
knowledge from one end that takes place in a classroom; that takes
place in a college or a university; where one man sits on a higher
pedestal and goes on teaching what he knows to a person who does not
know. That is not satsang. This is satsang. Why? Here
both of us know, both of us know and we are just reminding
ourselves. We are just sharing. We are sharing what all we know
together. That is the objective of satsang. That is what
satsang in reality is.
How to be doubtless
How to be doubtless, here comes an
answer. When the thirst, thirst or hunger for truth is total, when
hunger for truth and thirst for truth is total then there will be no
doubt at all. Because there is no total hunger, because we are not
thirsty in full, we have got doubts. We come here with fixed
notions. We come here with a feeling that we can manage ourselves.
There is no surrender.
With the spirit of surrender,
openness, ready to accept, with full thirst and hunger for god
whatever experience born out of that state is doubtless. You will
never doubt your experience at that moment. Therefore Bhagavan Baba
said, "The longing should be so genuine, so deep, just as the calf
jumps runs towards the mother cow. The calf watching the mother cow
there, goes on jumping running to be very close to the mother,
starts licking the neck, because that's love, yearning. So Bhagavan
always says that yearning, pining for god should be so deep and
total as to give birth to an experience, which will take us to a
state of doubtlessness. But when that is not so, all those things
that we get are prone to doubt.
Bhajan must go on to eternity
within you
Point 3, we participate in bhajans
we sing, we enjoy, we listen to Bhagavan's talks, we are so happy
talking to devotees. We are very much delighted to know the
experiences of our friends and relations. But there is one step more
required. All that you sing, all that you are happy about, should be
continued, because that is not a temporary state of mind. I sing,
yes during bhajans I sing ok, but there should be singing
within throughout.
Bhajans or some time, should be a guideline for bhajan
to eternity within. Yes. If there is bhajans going on to
eternity within, I can remain calm, soft, peaceful and blissful. But
we don't do it. Because bhajan time is between 6 and 7,
bhojan time from 8 to 10. …. So when once we feel within, all the
external joy, all the external merriment, dance, ecstasy, music,
within throughout, that is real spiritual sadhana, that is
the real spiritual practice.
The real spiritual practice is to chant within continuously, to sing
within throughout for which purpose the external schedule is meant.
Akhanda Bhajan
Because somebody came to Swami and
said, "Swami we had bhajan for 24 hours'. They thought that
Swami will praise them to skies.
But Baba said, "What were you doing next, later? You did bhajan
for 24 hours, later what did you do? Stop, wait for next year,
to do bhajans, 24 hours."
It's not so. And Bhagavan also in of the discourses He said,
"Akahnda bhajan, akhanda bhajan meaning infinite incessant
continuous. But the so-called akahnda bhajans we start at 6
in the evening, conclude in the morning at 6, Bangalore standard
time or next day 6 Puttaparthi standard time. Akahnda bhajan. At one
of the discourses towards the conclusion of the akhanda bhajan
what Baba said is this, "When you start at one time how can you
call it akhanda. Akhanda means infinite, continuous. When you start
it is khanda, finite, limit, fragmented. So we do khanda bhajan,
khanda, fragmented, piece meal, scheduled, time bound and call it
akhanda bhajan, infinite.
Then the question will arise, ‘Alright shall I do bhajan
throughout my life? What shall I do about my living?' It is not that
my friend. There is bhajan going on silently within. The
silence is more powerful, silence is more powerful than sound. The
sound gives a kind of relief of gas from a cylinder, that's all.
There is no depth in word; there is no depth in verbal
communication. There is fathomless depth in silence. That is the
reason why every sage, every saint, every aspirant, every avatar,
made the silence compulsory to every follower and every devotee.
Silence, Baba said that it is only in the depth of silence that you
will hear the voice of god.
Silence is the sound of god
If you go through the literature of
Ramana Maharishi, the sage of Arunachala, arre re what
wonderful things he has said. The silence, out of that silence, the
Himalayan silence if we calculate in terms of height, or silence as
deep as an ocean if you want to calculate it in the form of, in
terms of its depth. That infinite silence is more powerful than any
word, any expression, any language, any sound. Why?
That silence which is within out of which mind is born. Mind is the
product of that silence and the mind gives rise to thought. And
series of thought interwoven constitute the jagat or the creation.
The whole creation, the world is nothing but a bundle of thoughts.
And out of these thoughts comes the word or expression. When I say
my word or expression is so powerful how shall I take that silence
which is the bedrock, which is the very foundation of expression?
That's the reason why Ramana Maharishi says, "Silence is more
powerful than word. Silence is more powerful than expression,
because silence is a language of god. Silence is the speech of god.
Silence is the sound of god."
This silence within will help us to withdraw our mind, to withdraw
our mind slowly and slowly. The sage of Arunachal, Ramana Maharishi
speaks more of silence, the depth of silence the significance of
silence, the charm of silence, the charisma of silence, the
influence of silence, the philosophy of silence. While I don't think
anyone has spoken about silence as much as Ramana Maharishi, when
time comes we will get into the topic later.
So, the point is out of the silence, the bedrock which is the seed,
sprouts the mind, out of the mind, the thought and the thought leads
to expression or word or verbal or vocal. Therefore that word is
least powerful when compared to the silence.
Silence helps in self-evaluation
Bhagavan wants us to observe silence
necessarily everyday for some time. This has been prescribed even to
bala vikas children, because silence helps us to examine
ourselves, self-examination. But we're busy in examining others.
Silence helps us to evaluate myself, but I evaluate others. Silence
is a guide to judge myself, but I am busy in judging others.
Therefore this sort of silence is necessary just as thermometer is
necessary to know the temperature.
Silence will show the temperature of
owns progress in the spiritual field.
There is one great saint by name
Ekanath, a great saint from north India. He goes one step forward.
If you are to talk, if you are to open your mouth, if you are to
express by word, my son, speak about god and spirituality, or else,
keep quiet. "You should not speak anything other than god and
spirituality, says ekanath. To impress this statement, Ekanath goes
one step further. He says all our thoughts is filth, is dust, ugly,
and if u r to talk yes talk about god, talk about spiritual
sadhana. Most of us who have chosen to live here with the desire
to improve ourselves take the lesson of Ekanath.
Let us think of Swami, let us think of
our own sadhana, let us exchange our experiences, let us
encourage each other. That should be only the centre and topic of
our thoughts. Nothing else as we understand, because let us know one
basic fact. People are mistaken, if they think by coming here that
it is be all and end all. Some people say, "I am in Puttaparthi, yes
what more I want." I am sorry there are many people in Puttaparthi.
Your stay here is not be all and end all. I'm sorry, our stay.
Whatever statement I make includes me or begins with me. I'm not
different from anybody, least of all of you, least and last of all
of you. I have no false claims, as on today. I have no extra
authenticity or authority more than anybody else. I am very sure
about it. We are fellow pilgrims. We are moving towards together,
along the same path of journey towards god that's all. Fellow
pilgrims. We are walking along the footpath towards god. That's all.
God is not a goal, god is journey
So it is in this context that let us
not feel anytime that I am here therefore everything is done. That
nothing more is required. No. If you think by being here that this
is the goal of life we are mistaken. Why? God is not a goal. Because
if you think god is a goal, the road ends there. No. God is not a
goal. But god is a journey. He is not a goal. He is a journey. That
is the reason why we go on moving, we go on travelling we don't
stop.
If He is a goal, yes I saw Him yesterday, why should I see Him again
today? If He is a goal, I came to Puttaparthi, it is my goal of
life. ‘Alright, I can sleep in my room.' It's not a goal. God is a
journey and he is not a goal. Love is the beginning. We should begin
every journey towards god with love, because Love is the beginning,
god is the journey. God is not a goal, but a pilgrimage. God is a
pilgrimage but not a goal. Pilgrimage is an activity that takes
place throughout our life. Its not seasonal, it is not incidental,
it is not accidental. Therefore my friends our being here is an
eternal travel and to begin with Love is the requirement. And it is
travel: continuous, eternal, infinite because we believe that god is
the journey. God is a pilgrimage and that He is not the goal.
Spirituality is an Eternal quest
That's the reason why Bhagavan always
says one thing. "Swami, he has been here for last 20 years. Swami,
he has been visiting this place for the last several years." That
will not make god happy.
He says, "Bus conductor comes here everyday. Bus conductor comes
here everyday. There are number of shops outside. They have been
here for the last several years. Casual labour, carpenters,
electricians, masons number of them are here. Do you think they are
all liberated souls? Certainly not."
So they are here. It is not the physical presence or location, it is
an attitude in life. That is an attitude in life, which is the real
spiritual pursuit. Then what happens? If your attitude is positive,
if my attitude is tuned to god, god will come to you, you don't have
to come to god. If Mohammad is not prepared to go to the mountain,
the mountain will go to Mohammad, that's what it is. If you are
tuned towards god you don't have to go to Him, He comes to you.
That's what is happening all over the world today. In 160 countries
there are Baba's devotees. In 160 countries there are Sathya Sai
centres. They are not all here. Everyone has got his own experience
to share. Everyone has got his own excitement to share with his
friends. Why? Because though he maybe in New York, but mentally he
is here though his body is in Sydney, psychologically he is here.
Though he is functioning in his office, continuously singing
bhajan made him stay here, enjoy the Divine bliss.
So spirituality is an eternal quest, is an eternal quest. We should
not put a full stop at any particular stage, because every physical
activity has a full stop but spiritual activity is a never-ending
process. Furthermore a great philosopher calls it, it is a pathless
land. It is an endless journey. We are all on eternal quest, which I
wanted to share with you.
Spirit and philosophy behind
bhajans
Alright, if I am to go like that
throughout relentlessly, ceaselessly what is happening in the
meantime. I go on, go on and on and on as a pilgrim in this
pilgrimage of life, in this pilgrimage of divinity. What happens in
the process? Simple example. When you sing bhajans full
throated, have you examined at that moment what is happening to
yourself. When you sing bhajans, full throated, not talking
to anybody, not scratching the back. In full awareness when you sing
bhajans, have you ever watched what is happening?
What happens is this: you as an individual do not exist. You as an
individual do not exist. Why do you say that, I am there I am
singing. Why do u say I am not in existence? I am sorry. If anybody
watches you form a distance as you clap, as you go on singing: if
anyone takes a photograph and shows you later Polaroid film, you
begin to doubt. "Is it I that did bhajans like that? Was my
face like that? Did I clap like that? Did I move like that? Was I
ever a dancer? What happened to me? What happened to my head? What
happened to me?"
Because that ‘I' ness, that ‘me me me' is gone totally, because you
melt in bhajans. You merge in god's name; you disappear as an
individual. Three things happen. That's why bhajans are very
important. That's why I love people who sing bhajans. That's
why Baba encourages bhajans. He sits there. What next?
Swami's bhajans. C'mon sit. Though the program runs for one
hour He still wants bhajans. Because bhajans are the
surest, simplest, most guaranteed path to divinity. Yes.
Similarly when you put your fingers in the fire they are sure to be
burnt. Is there any doubt about it, whether in America or in Russia?
No sir, the Russian fire will never burn your fingers. Oh oh, it is
not fire. Fire anywhere will have to burn you. Similarly, the fire
of god's name, the fire of His glorious …..ous name, the fire of
bhajans will make you melt. Melt. Why should I melt? Because my
heart is a stone. My heart is a stone. It is not tender and soft
like butter. It is indifferent; It is so selfish; it is so arrogant.
Such a type of heart first should melt.
That's the reason why unknowingly tears start rolling on the cheeks.
Just watch. Some people start doing bhajans, but tears start
rolling. Just look at him. He will look at you.
"Why do you look at me? You do bhajans. Why do you look at
me?"
"Arre, why are you crying? Is that so? I am sorry."
He doesn't know. Tears start rolling on the cheeks without your
knowledge. Why? You melt in bhajans. Melt. Like ice that
melts, like sugar that gets dissolved. Like that you melt in the
process of bhajan. Then merge. You merge in God's name. You merge,
because soon after bhajan is over some people don't get up
because they are still in the world of bhajans.
Those that get up immediately, they have been watching their watch,
every time, when to get up. It's very silly. How can you get up
immediately after bhajans. Is that possible? Because you are
not there. So you melt in bhajans. You merge in the name of
god, in the name of god and disappear. Merge, melt, disappear. Melt,
merge, disappear - these are the three words, which we should
remember. Let the heart melt, let the ego merge, let you disappear.
That is the spirit and philosophy and the depth behind true
bhajans.
Difference between music and spirit
of bahajan
Singing of the bhajans, if I
come and ask you how my singing is, then better we be away from such
fellows. If anyone comments that the second bhajan is not as
good as the first bhajan, then he is stupid. Because he is still
existing there as an ego. It only means he has not melted. He has
not merged, he has not disappeared as an ego. Therefore he goes on
grading the standards of bhajans. Whenever I ask some
students, "C'mon sing", they feel shy. "Sir, sir not now." I tell
him, "This is not music competition. We are not having music
competitions. I don't expect from you a top singer. No. The standard
of a top singer, no."
Bhajan means the spirit, not merely the form. The spirit of
the song is bhajan, mere song is music. Mere singing is music; the
spirit of singing is bhajan. That's the difference between the two.
The singing, the music is just the melody, beat, tune. But the
spirit of bhajan, the spirit of singing, the spirit of bhajan
is to make you melt, merge and disappear. That's what it is
according to Bhagavan Baba.
Let us also be aware of what we have right now on hand. Simple
example. If we do not know what we have how valuable this
opportunity is. If I am not convinced of this, if someone puts a
question then my feeling starts wavering, it is worthless. It is
useless to be here any longer. Having been here, having been among
the path of Bhagavan, we should be so convinced beyond doubt. Simple
example. A jeweller knows the value of the diamond, knows the value
of the gold. Whereas, an illiterate, a rough thick totally ignorant
person does not know the value of the diamond. Plays with it like a
stone. But jeweller knows its value. That's the radon why let us
adore Bhagavan. Let us sing his glory in full understanding, in full
awareness of its value rather than simply making it a mechanical
process.
Watch your mind
And it is in this context; I can also
share with you another thought that Bhagavan has given us. Watch
your mind. "Watch your mind", said Bhagavan Baba. Statement is
understood but is it possible? How to watch my mind? Who is to
watch? Who is to watch my mind? That is the dilemma. These are
certain things that require in depth study and enquiry. It is not a
simple story. It calls for introspection. It calls for meditation
and contemplation. It is not simple narration or describe or
description of a source. Watch your mind.
Some people said, "Swami, how to watch? Should my mind watch my
mind?" People say that there are two halves here. This half of the
mind should observe this half of the mind or this half of the mind
should observe this half of the mind. Who is to watch whom? Watch
the mind. Who is to watch? And Bhagavan says, "There is watcher
beyond the mind. Watcher. The witness is beyond the mind". That we
do not know. Whether there is anything like beyond the mind. Because
we think that we are the mind. Everyone identifies with the mind.
That is the reason why we are so egoistic.
Anyone comes and says, "You are a good man."
"Oh I see. Is that so? Has he come to know only now? I have been
good all along."
If anyone says you are wrong. I am very much disturbed. All this is
because of the mind. I think I am the mind. By identifying with the
mind, I am not able to go beyond the mind. There is a state beyond
the mind. When I go to a state beyond the mind, I can take it for
granted that I am along the spiritual path. That's what sage Ramana
Maharishi told. Ramana Maharishi always lays emphasis on this. Go
beyond the mind. We are not able to go beyond the body. One should
go beyond the body, then go beyond the mind; then one can reach the
state of witness.
The purpose of meditation
The third stage is witness. That
watcher is called witness, that's what Baba says. He gives a
beautiful definition. Really all of us love Swami because, just as
the scientific law in simple terms He gives beautiful definitions to
Vedantic doctrines, to philosophical nomenclature. He gives
simplest definitions straight. What is meditation? Baba says, "True
meditation is to go beyond the mind. To go beyond the mind."
So if I say, "In mediation I saw a beautiful swan, in meditation I
saw so many colours, in mediation I got directive", that is all
imagination. Because you are not there. If you report what had
happened; if you go on repeating what had happened it is super
imposition. It is the mind that records. It is the mind, which is
the computer. It is the mind that reports, records, records,
reports. But true meditation is beyond the mind. When one is beyond
the mind there is neither recording, nor reporting.
So, reaching the witness, the watcher, the more distance between the
mind and the watcher, is because of meditation, which is better, all
the more good. Wider and wider gap, distance between the mind and
the watcher, the witness that; is the purpose of mediation.
Summary
This morning let me conclude with
these three important points for the benefit of those who joined us
late.
The first point is if one is soft and calm, he is spiritual. Once
can be soft and calm if he has Love in him. The contrary behaviour
is because of the absence of Love.
Point number 2, god is not the goal, but god is the journey. Love is
the beginning; god is the pilgrimage. Spirituality is an eternal
quest.
Point 3. The joy, the bliss that we show externally during bhajan
or during meditation or during some activity, during darshan,
it should not be time bound. Such dance, that music, that ecstasy
should be there within me throughout. The joy, the bliss should be
within me throughout. So the external and the internal harmony,
synchronicity, synchronicity, harmony; the unity of the external
pleasure and internal bliss, the external singing and the internal
singing to the beats and the rhythm is the true sign of a spiritual
man.
Point 4. If my hunger, if my thirst for god is total and full, I
don't need to be worried; god will come to me. Without this full
thirst and hunger even if I go to god, I am not going to be
benefited. If you are not hungry, whether you go to western canteen
or the south Indian canteen, or north Indian canteen, it is useless
because you are not hungry. If you are hungry, very hungry, wherever
you go that hunger will be satiated, that hunger will be appeased.
That's what it is.
Point 5. Lets watch our mind. Let us go beyond the mind, because the
purpose of meditation is to create a distance between the watcher
and the mind. Wider the gap, more the distance it is all the better.
That is the purpose of meditation. In on sentence, to go beyond the
mind is the objective of meditation.
With these thoughts I take leave from you for this morning; with a
prayer that we will meet once again positively, next week, same day,
same time.
OM…OM…OM…
Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka
Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Source:
http://www.internety.com/anilk2004/20.06.04(E)central.htm
© Anil Kumar Kamaraju 2004 - Here
reproduced for personal use of the devotees for the purpose of
seva. Anil Kumar website:
http://www.internety.com/anilkhome/ -
http://www.internety.com/saipearls/ |