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Divine
Discourse on 3rd September 2005
Eschew Body Attachment
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
delivering His Divine Discourse on 3rd September 2005 at
Prashanti Nilayam
Text of the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 3rd September 2005,
in Sai Kulwanth Hall, Prashanti Nilayam, at the International
Sai Medical Conference
The Effulgent Lord who
shines in every atom and pervades the entire universe will
protect you always. He is the Omnipotent Lord of Parthi who
will grant you Bhakthi (devotion), and will certainly help
you in all your endeavours. What else is to be conveyed to
this assembly of noble souls? (Telugu Poem)
Embodiments of Love!
Man thinks that he is able to lead a comfortable life with the
help of wealth, food, clothing, houses, etc., he has acquired.
This is not true. The very survival of a human being is
dependent on God's grace. There are many wealthy people in this
world. Do they all lead a comfortable life? It is a fact that
none can achieve anything in this world without God's grace.
Hence, first and foremost man must contemplate on God. One may
read a number of books, acquire a number of academic degrees and
visit a number of countries, but these cannot help a human being
to lead a comfortable life. People think that they have acquired
high academic qualifications, but they enable them to acquire
only bookish knowledge. At present, you find that everyone is
engaged in acquiring bookish knowledge. But, they forget the
fact that people led a happier and better life without bookish
knowledge in the past. People think that pursuing academic
education and acquiring bookish knowledge is real education. No,
that is not real education. Education devoid of educare is not
real education. What is educare? Educare is that which brings
out the latent divinity in a human being. Divinity is also known
as consciousness. It is only because of the consciousness
present in him that every individual is able to know the nature
of the world around him. But, unfortunately no one is able to
recognise this all-pervading consciousness. In fact, it is only
this consciousness that is protecting every human being. In
spite of one's education and scholarship, one is not able to
realise this truth. Education is negative and artificial,
whereas educare is positive. People are going to foreign
countries to acquire such artificial education. What is the use
of acquiring such education? Instead, everyone should strive to
acquire educare. One need not go to foreign countries for
acquiring educare. It wells up from within and protects the
person constantly. Educare is the unity of thought, word and
deed.
One who has realised his own nature is an educated person in the
real sense. One may enquire, "Who are you?" "Who is he?", etc.,
but one may not know who he is. One might have acquired
encyclopaedic knowledge about everything in this world. But, of
what use is it, if he does not enquire into himself by
questioning "Who am I?" Real education constitutes enquiring
into oneself about his true nature. You may question someone,
"Sir! Where did you come from?" The person replies, "I am from
India". That very reply that he came from India connotes a
negative sense. The real 'I' is to be explored. That 'I' is the
real source. Without realising this source if one simply states
that he came from this place or that place, it is not the
correct answer. The reply that he came from India refers to the
body. The body must have travelled from India. But, the
consciousness is all-pervading. When someone questions, "Who are
you?" The correct answer would be, "I am I". If someone replies
that he came from America or India, it connotes a negative
sense. We often make a statement that this is my body, my mind,
my intellect, etc. These are all artificial and not real.
Nowadays, a lot of research is being made into the nature of the
mind. But the mind is never steady. The mind is like a mad
monkey and the body is like a water bubble. You are not this mad
monkey. You are not this water bubble. The name given to the
human race is "mankind". But, today that kindness is gone and
mankind has become monkey mind. You don't find even an iota of
kindness and compassion in human beings today.
Realising one's innate divinity is educare. That innate divinity
in man has been referred to by several people as Atma.
Without realising the nature of the Atma one cannot
understand the nature of the body. Educare consists of realising
the nature of the Atma. When someone questions you what
is the meaning of the word "self", you answer 'I'. But that is
not the correct meaning of self. It is not correct to identify
'I' with 'self', i.e., body. 'I' refers to Aham (individualised
soul). As long as one identifies 'I' with self, one cannot
understand the real meaning of 'I'. It is only when one sheds
attachment to self and develops the feeling of equanimity, can
one understand the nature of Atma. This Atma Tattwa
is equally present in every being. This is the fundamental
principle. It is only because of this fundamental principle that
every living being acquires value. One has to recognise this
fundamental principle. Only then does one deserve to be called a
human being. In this world birds and beasts live along with
human beings. Human beings can be differentiated from birds and
beasts only when man realises that fundamental 'I' which is the
Atma Tattwa. Since ancient times people in India have
been striving to realise this fundamental 'I' which is present
in all beings.
These days people are confronted with several difficulties and
worries in their life since their awareness is limited to bodily
relationship. Such body consciousness is artificial. It does not
reveal their true Self. One has to strive to realise the
fundamental 'I'. Human body is ephemeral and is bound to perish
one day or the other. When we speak of 'I', it should not be
limited to the ephemeral human body, but to the fundamental 'I'.
The body is made up of
five elements and is bound to perish sooner or later but the
indweller has neither birth nor death. The indweller has no
attachment whatsoever and is the eternal witness.
(Telugu Poem)
The Deha (human body) with
which we identify ourselves saying 'I', is subject to birth and
death again and again. But, the Dehi (indweller), is the eternal
Devadeva (Paramatma). While the vesture of Deha
(body) has birth and death, the Dehi is beyond birth and death
and is omnipresent.
Consciousness has
neither birth nor death. It has neither beginning nor end.
It is present in all beings as the eternal witness.
(Telugu Poem)
You might have observed a
beggar standing in front of your house seeking alms with a
request Bhavathi Bhikshaamdehi (give me alms). He is
reminding you of your true nature of Divinity by addressing you
so. The word 'Dehi' refers to Divinity. He is seeking alms from
God Himself. Hence, true education is realising the Dehi.
Education is not merely reading a number of books, which confers
only bookish knowledge. Why do you run after these books? This
bookish knowledge will enable you to merely eke out a
livelihood. But, there is something beyond this bookish
knowledge and livelihood, which all of you have to pursue.
Can you call all those
who know how to read and write educated?
Can one be called educated merely for acquiring degrees?
Can you call it education which does not confer virtues?
If education is just for a living, don't we find birds and
beasts carrying on their lives?
(Telugu Poem)
One may acquire a lot of wealth
and become a millionaire with the help of bookish knowledge and
high academic degrees. But, ultimately people will give value to
a realised soul and not to the one who has accumulated enormous
wealth. As long as the body is present, people will refer to a
person as "so and so; a very rich person; a king, etc."
At present, man is exposed to unrest and lack of peace. What
could be the reason for this state of affairs? Not even one
individual is living peacefully. The whole world is in a state
of turmoil. It is true that secular education is necessary for
one's living in this world. But, one has to go beyond this level
and explore into the realm of universal consciousness that leads
and motivates every living being. That consciousness is present
equally in every human being right from a pauper to a
millionaire. The fundamental 'I' is present in you, him and
every individual. Here is a small example. Supposing you
question somebody, "Who is the doctor?" The doctor will
immediately rise to answer, 'I' am the doctor. In this example,
the doctor identifies himself with his profession and says 'I'
am the doctor. But he forgets about the fundamental 'I' present
in him. When a question is put, "Where is God?" The natural
answer would be, "He is present in all." The same truth is
enshrined in the aphorisms, Easwara Sarva Bhutanam (God
is the indweller of all beings) and Isavasyam Idam Sarvam
(the entire universe is permeated by God). Different varieties
of sweets like Mysore pak, Gulab Jamoon, Laddu, Khova, etc., are
prepared. Names are different, but the fundamental ingredient
(sugar) in all these sweets is the same. Similarly, one who
realises the truth that the same Atma Tattwa is present
in every human being and, in fact, every living being, is the
happiest person. Several persons today must attain such a level
of consciousness. People in ancient times strove to attain that
state and therefore they were aptly referred to as Yogis. They
realised the truth that every human being was actually a
three-in-one entity ? 1) the one he thinks he is, 2) the one
others think he is, and 3) the one he really is. All the three
aspects are present in one individual, with no separate entity
for each aspect. This principle is changeless and eternal.
We often come across people who claim that their sons are
employed in lucrative jobs in America. As a matter of fact, who
is your son? You say that so and so is your son, keeping in view
the bodily relationship with someone who has a name and form.
Devoid of name and form, who is the son and who is the father?
All these names and forms are acquired only after a person is
born.
When man emerges from
the womb of his mother, one does not find any garland around
his neck. There are no jewels made of pearls nor are there
glittering gold ornaments. There are no chains studded with
precious stones like emerald and diamonds. But there is one
garland around his neck. Brahma strings together the
consequences of his past deeds into a heavy garland and puts
it around his neck at the time of his birth.
(Telugu Poem)
As long as there is bodily
relationship between you and him, you call him your son. If the
body perishes, whom do you call your son? All these
relationships are worldly and physical. As long as the physical
relationship exists you consider someone as your relative,
friend or foe. Hence, do not ever give excessive importance to
these physical relationships. It is only when you rise above
these physical relationships that you will realise the Antaryami
(inner motivator). You may enquire from any of our boys, "Where
is God?" They will spontaneously answer, "Everywhere. In fact,
you are God." Their relationship with God is beyond the physical
level of the body.
We are always leading a life based on physical relationships.
But, these are not permanent. Such relationships exist today,
but may cease to exist tomorrow. As long as there is life in the
body, you say, "I am". Once the body perishes how can you call
yourself 'I'? When you enquire into the matter deeply,
everything in this objective world reduces itself to zero. All
that we see in this world are zeros. Unfortunately, today we
consider the zero as hero. However, there is one fundamental
principle 'I' which is eternal. That fundamental principle is
hero. It is present in every individual, but it is not noticed.
It is the inner motivator. We often refer to our human body
consisting of flesh and blood as 'I'. Our physical body is not
eternal. It is like the passing clouds which come and go.
Considering such transient body as the eternal 'I', we often
struggle to keep the body in comfort. This is not the correct
approach. The body must be employed for the purpose for which it
was given to us. Man is born to realise the eternal truth. Here
is a small example. You performed the marriage of your son and
brought a girl into your house, claiming her as your
daughter-in-law. Before her marriage to your son, who was this
daughter-in-law? The relationship ceases to exist once you leave
this world. Such relationships are like passing clouds.
Unfortunately, today we are passing our lives keeping such
passing clouds as our true relationships. This is not the proper
thing to do. Every individual should desist from leading a life
based on Dehabhimana (attachment to the body). Even educated
people have attachment to the body, they constantly strive to
maintain the physical body feeding it with comforts. It is only
because of attachment to the body that they are exposed to
sorrows and difficulties. Hence, shed body attachment and
cultivate attachment to the Eternal Truth. People crave for the
Darshan of Rama, Krishna and other deities, which are the names
given to the physical body donned by Divinity in different ages.
As long as you are attached to the physical body, you cannot
realise the Atma Tattwa. In fact, Atma does not
have any attachment. The Atma is present in you, Me and
every individual and every living being in keeping with the
aphorism Ekatma Sarva Bhutantaratma (one Atma
dwells in all beings). Realising the nature of such an
all-pervading Atma is considered to be true spirituality;
not just performing some rituals like worship, religious vows
and Bhajans. When someone enquired of Sita, "Where is your
Rama?" She replied, "Sri Rama is always with me only." What
people generally refer to is the physical body of Sri Rama, the
son of King Dasaratha. In fact, the real Rama is not related to
any individual ? neither the son of some king nor the son-in-law
of another king. He is immanent in every living being. Keeping
in view the bodily relationship, people often make enquiries,
"Where did your uncle come from?" Where did your aunt come
from?", etc. Supposing you question the same person, "Where did
you come from?" He cannot give a correct answer. The truth is
all people come from the same source. When one realises this
truth, there will no more be any worry or sorrow. Hence, one has
to realise this universal truth. If you do not develop faith in
unity, but follow diversity, your entire life will be chaotic.
Do not develop attachment to the world. Instead, cultivate
spiritual attachment. When you live in harmony with your fellow
human beings, you will derive happiness. Then you will enjoy the
unity between human beings. The real devotee is one who has
realised such unity. Unity leads to purity, which in turn leads
to Divinity. One who has not experienced such unity, purity and
divinity confines himself to body attachment and will be trapped
in the birth-death cycle.
You are all aware of the havoc of tidal waves that shook the
coastal villages on the east coast of India (Tsunami), a few
months ago. More recently, in America a very devastating
hurricane submerged several towns and villages. The entire
region presented the picture of a vast sheet of water. No one
knew who survived and who died. It is only after the water
receded, an estimate of the extent of damage caused to life and
property could be made.
Embodiments of Love!
Eschew body attachment and realise the unity in divinity present
everywhere. That is real Sadhana. Today, people undertake
Sadhana to achieve something, all the while thinking of
something else. As a result, they are unable to achieve their
goal. Such divided attention is the fault of the concerned
individual, but not that of the objective world. Ensure that
your Sadhana is on the right track. Only then will you be
able to realise the unity in diversity. Several people live long
years of age, some even 100 years. But, they are unable to
realise this unity. Instead, they visualise duality everywhere.
This cannot be termed as real Sadhana. One who has
realised the non-dual (Advaita) Brahman alone can
be considered to be a real Manava (human being). Hence, try to
realise the unity in diversity by removing the feelings of
duality and experience bliss. In fact, unity is divinity and
that divinity is immanent in you. As long as you are under the
influence of duality, you will not be able to realise that
unity. Realise unity, experience unity and spread unity to the
entire world. Unity alone brings purity and purity develops
love. If only you develop such pure love, you will be able to
understand everything in the spiritual realm. I will take some
other opportunity to explain in greater detail the concept of
pure love. If you entangle yourself in worldly attachments and
still aspire for divinity, how is it possible? Hence, keep
yourself away from all attachments and attain unity.
(Bhagavan concluded His Discouse with the Bhajan, "Prema
Mudhita Manase Kaho ?")
Source:
http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/08_International_Medical_Conference.htm |