April 23rd, 2007
“The Goal of Life”
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams to Swami,
I know that we need to assemble here by 12:20 PM, so our time is short. However, brother Sainath insisted that I say a few words . . . because wherever you hear the name ‘Anil Kumar’ or I make an appearance, a speech is expected! (Laughter). Anyway, it is always nice to talk about Swami on any occasion, at any moment, with anybody!
FROM GOD, IN GOD AND TO GOD
Bhagavan said at one time, “You are from God, you are in God, and you go back to God.” It is clearly said that the goal of life lies in going back to the place of origin. The great joy lies in going back there. For that, we should know our origin. Swami clearly said that the origin is the centre from which the mind and the intellect have emanated.
So what is the origin of mind? What is the origin of the intellect? What is the origin of the ego? The origin of all these three is ‘consciousness’. All these are born out of the Atma (spirit) or consciousness. Having been born in that Atma, they have to merge back in that source. We have to find the consciousness out of which the mind, intellect and ego have emerged. That is a life process.
CONSCIOUSNESS IS INEXPRESSIBLE
Consciousness is eternal, immortal, nectarine and blemish-less. Swami drives home that point. But the point is, we cannot define that consciousness. I can define what a glass is, or I can define what glasses are; I can define a table; but I cannot define the consciousness.
How do you define Atma? What is it? You cannot, because it is indefinable. All definitions fail. I can describe and define all materialistic objects. I can describe all which is subject to the perception of the five senses. But how can we define Atma Thathwa (the reality of the spirit) that transcends all sensual perception?
You can describe what you see; you can talk about what you hear. But what can you say about that which cannot be heard or seen? You can try using the theory of denial. “Is this a glass?” “No.” “Is this a table?” “No.” You can state what it is not. But what it is, you cannot define. I think I am clear.
So you can say, “The body is not Atma; the mind is not Atma; the intellect is not Atma.” So what is Atma? Well, I do not know; I cannot say. That is the beauty. It is not subject to explanation; it is beyond description or definition. Impossible! I cannot define Atma because it is inexpressible; it cannot be expressed.
There are many things in life which cannot be expressed, but still their existence cannot be denied. I cannot put ‘love’ on view, but I cannot say there is no love. I can’t show you ‘truth’, but I cannot deny its existence. I cannot show you ‘sacrifice’. So certain things, though they are not given to expression, still exist. They cannot be discounted just because evidence, proof, or direct perception can’t be supplied. One should always think about that consciousness and contemplate on it, which gives the greatest joy. What is the greatest joy? I will give some tips from Ramana Maharshi, a great sage.
By the way, I urge all our friends to go through the literature of Ramana Maharshi, In fact, we wanted to spend some time on that last year, as a separate satsang (a spiritual fellowship meeting). Some Russians asked for it, do you remember? I wish in the coming year that Baba should bless us with that opportunity. Why do I say ‘opportunity’? Well, having such meetings helps me to understand because I need to prepare and ponder over the subject before explaining it. Therefore, you and I are equally benefited by satsangs because we are travelling together. We are on a pilgrimage; we are on the same road, on the same path leading to the Divine. So we should not miss any satsang opportunity.
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE?
This was a question put to Ramana Maharshi: “What is sadhana (spiritual practice)?” Such a good question: What is it? If we ask our friends, they would say, “To get up at 4:30 in the morning, to attend Suprabhatam (the 'Awakening hymn' to God).” OK. “Waiting in darshan” (the assembly to see Sai Baba). Good. “Reading a spiritual book or doing puja (worship).” Correct.
But Ramana Maharshi’s answer to this question is: “True sadhana is to find identity with consciousness.” It is to be One with Atma, to be One with consciousness. So contemplating on Atma and merging in Atma is sadhana, according to Ramana Maharshi.
WHAT IS THE PATH TO EXPERIENCE ATMA OR SPIRIT?
The second question for Ramana Maharshi was: “What is the path to experience Atma, to know Atma, and to merge in Atma?” He said, “There is no path.” (If you want to find some jokes in spiritual literature, kindly go through that of Ramana Maharshi’s. His jokes are really good.)
Then he was asked, “Swami, what should I do to reach God?” He said, “Don’t do. That is the way to reach God.” The person laughed and said, “Swami, you say to be one with Atma, and yet you say there is no path to reach the Atma. What is all this?” (You see, if I say there is a railway station, I will also show you the route. But if I say there is a station but no route, you would think me a crackpot!)
But Ramana Maharshi’s answer is that you are Atma, so there is no path! When you already are Atma, where is the path to yourself? Suppose I come to you and ask, “Where is Anil Kumar?” You will say, “Sir, this is not a place for mad people; go elsewhere!”
Therefore, when you are Atma, when you are essentially Divine, where is the question of a path? There is no path.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO KNOW MYSELF?
And the third question: “How long will it take to know myself?” We are always in a hurry. The bus leaves at 6:30 am; the flight is 2:30 pm; the canteen opens at 11 o’ clock. Everything is time, time, time. We are always in a hurry. So, how long will it take?
Ramana Maharshi replied, “It doesn’t take any time. It doesn’t require time. It is not related to time.” This person said, “Why, Swami?” Because to go to the mandir (temple) takes two minutes, to climb down the steps takes two minutes (more so, ten minutes if with older people). (Laughter)
Yesterday, a professor from America was just limping along. I know him as he works here. I told him, “Professor, you belong to Puttaparthi now.”
The professor said, “Why do you say that? I have been here for two years only.”
I answered him, “You have joint pains and have started limping. That is enough for citizenship. You have earned the right to vote, so get yourself enrolled. Joint pain is the first essential qualification!” (Laughter)
He just laughed and laughed about my joke. So, it doesn’t take time when you are already ‘that.’ When something is different or distant from you, there is a time and space. To go from one room to another can take two seconds, even if it is only a yard away. So there is time and space between two different objects or individuals or entities. But to know you are so-and-so, how long do you need? Two hours? You see, you are already that. That’s what Ramana Maharshi said.
WHAT IS THE WORST OF THE SINS?
Then came another question for Ramana Maharshi: “Swami, what is the worst sin?” (We commit so many sins; and in those sins there are degrees, you know, running from minor to the worst of sins.) (Laughter)
The answer given by Ramana Maharshi was: “To consider yourself separate from Atma.” To think that you are different from Divine, that you are the body and the mind…to declare that God is distant from you.
THREE ESSENTIAL SPIRITUAL TEXTS
See how beautiful is the literature of Ramana Maharshi! His many books! Of course, this is not propaganda. To read three spiritual texts before the close of our life is essential. Life has to come to an end someday or other. In some cases, there is direct promotion to the domain of the spirit; in other cases, it is slow and gradual. But anyhow, promotion is definite. As Baba said, the data of manufacture, the date of birth, is known; but the date of expiry is not known. Every medicine has two dates, the date of manufacture and date of expiry. The second date is not known, that’s all. So life is a journey and when it ends, no one knows. One should be prepared.
The three spiritual teachings which I consider essential reading are: the literature of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the literature of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, and the literature of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Those persons who have extra time can read Aurobindo also. But we don’t seem to have the time, though actually we have nothing to do! That is the Prashanti way of life!
“What are you doing?”
“I am not doing anything.”
“Are you free?”
“No, I am very busy.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” (Laughter).
The Prashanti life, you see! Very busy…
Moreover (adding fuel to the fire), nowadays, books may not be carried into darshan. So people don’t take books or pens there - because these could be bullets. Books are bullets and pens are guns! (Laughter). A pen is not a gun! Impossible! With the result, people don’t have anything to do while they wait for Swami. Either they sleep, or disturb the sleep of others (Laughter). But it is really worthwhile to read Ramana Maharshi or Paramahamsa, and Aurobindo. God willing, I pray most sincerely for Bhagavan Baba to give me an opportunity to make a comparative study of these three. I love this.
WHAT IS THE RIGHT ACTION, KARMA?
If you should ask someone, “What do you think is right action or karma?” one answer might be, “To spread the carpet on Swami’s pathway.” Another would say: “To push everybody out!” (Laughter). This is not right action. Ramana Maharshi said, “The right action is to know the Self.”
But we are so busy, my friends; we are so busy in our own area. But I don’t say that what we do is useless, no. All that we do, whether hospital or college work, is just a preparation. The bhajan (devotional singing) we do is just going to the dining table; and the path of Self-enquiry, meditation, is the process of eating and enjoying the dish.
Bringing groceries from the market is karma yoga (spiritual practice through right action), cooking is bhakthi yoga (spiritual practice through devotion to God), and then eating is jnana yoga (spiritual practice of union with God). So getting all the provisions and vegetables elsewhere is the beginning step of our activity, developing love for God is the second step, and then Self-enquiry, to go within, is the final step. Therefore, this is a beautiful journey.
THE TRUE MEANING OF SATSANG
Someone asked Ramana Maharshi to come and give a talk and wanted to know what he would speak about in the satsang. Ramana Maharshi said, “Understand first the meaning of satsang.” We always say satsang means ‘good company.’ If you ask a person if he goes to satsang, he will say, “I don’t go because there are no good people. I am the only good man - all the rest are bad.” (Laughter)
But Ramana Maharshi gives this meaning to satsang: Sat means existence, sat means Divine. The union with God is satsanga, not a discourse or talk. So when you contemplate, or meditate and think of the Self, that is satsanga. Satsang is to be One with the Divine, to be One with Spirit, to be One with Consciousness. That’s what we are supposed to do in satsang.
WHO ARE YOU? WHO AM I?
My friends, all of you are fully aware of the leelas of Bhagavan, of all His service projects. The next stage is to know ourselves. We see what Swami is doing and we see what Swami is and we hear what He speaks; but we don’t hear Him from within, we don’t see Him from within and we don’t walk to Him within. Therefore, it is time (as most of us have had sufficient innings in this life) that the remaining part of our life should be ‘to know ourselves’.
There is only one question, who am I? If we know the answer to this, everything else is known. If I don’t know who I am… even if I know the rest of the world… it is all ignorance. If I know who I am, it is all wisdom, all the knowledge that the universe could ever offer to me.
As I said the other day, the answer to “Who are you?” is information; the answer to “Who am I?” is transformation. So we are not here for information; we are here for transformation.
I am so happy to share these points on Self or consciousness with you. Somehow lately I have been drawn to this topic… my mind is always running after that (perhaps a problem of my age, I don’t know!) (Laughter) But I love to read Ramana Maharshi more and more; I love reading the core points of Sai literature more and more. We have had the days of stories and miracles, and we enjoyed them. We are the witnesses and we are the participants. All right. Then comes the Divinity. As Baba said, “All My miracles are of the size of the mosquito. My Divinity is the size of an elephant.”
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
I thank Sainath and his wife for their courtesy, and I thank all of you for your time. I don’t want to take any more time as you have lunch to follow, and also we have to go for darshan. But feel free now to ask me questions. Yes, sir, please feel free to ask any questions under the sun. This is a family gathering - there is no restriction whatsoever.
Question:
About two decades ago I had the opportunity of receiving blessings from Swamiji, and because of His kindness, sat with Him for an hour and ten minutes. That day, I asked Him a question. I will ask the same question today. This doesn’t mean that I have not realised these past two decades; but the more I realise, the more doubts I have.
Anil Kumar:
Naturally, that is why people don’t want to realise; they want to analyse. (Laughter)
Devotee:
The more we know, the more we like to be informed.
Anil Kumar:
Correct, correct.
Question from same devotee continues:
The miracles, as you rightly said, are only a mosquito bite, while Divinity is an elephant. For whom then is the mosquito bite?
Anil Kumar:
Good, good. Puttaparthi people don’t need to say, “Mosquitoes want us and we want them. Unless they are around, we can’t sleep! We are used to their music!” We certainly know of the many mosquitos here. As our good friend, whom I have known for a long time, put it, “For whom is the mosquito meant?”
‘The mosquito is a miracle.’ The first purpose of a mosquito bite (a miracle) is to create faith in me, because I have had no experience of God up to now. I don’t know where He is; I don’t know what He is. I don’t even know the need of knowing God! When this miracle of a mosquito bites me and steps into my life, then I realise there is something beyond the material aspects of life.
The second purpose of a miracle is to give a definite direction in life to those who do not know where to go.
The third purpose of a miracle is to bring out the Divine qualities within me, to allow them to manifest. The Divine qualities like sacrifice, truth, and non-violence, which are so precious, have to be fostered, developed and shared with the members of the community.
The fourth purpose of a miracle is to encourage me to enter into a spiritual path. A simple example: Swami has given me a miracle, perhaps materialised something that I never expected. Then you want to know more about Him. Suppose when I meet you for the first time, I am very attracted and would like to know more about you. What do I do? I try to get closer to you. So a miracle is a means to bring you closer and closer to the Divine; to foster an interest, to know more and more about the Divine. These are the advantages of a miracle. Am I clear?
Devotee:
Yes, sir, thank you!
Question:
Professor Anil, I have a lot of faith in Swami and I think He is beyond miracles, even beyond human nature. But I have many friends who ask me, “Why does your Baba do miracles? Why does He bother with materialising vibhuthi, the chains and rings?” I say to them, “Is it not a miracle that we are standing here? So why bother about all those other things?”
Anil Kumar:
Correct, correct. Yes, professor, I can put it this way. When people ask you, “Why does He perform miracles?” please correct their English. Tell them He does not perform miracles, miracles happen. Sunlight is a miracle. Breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide is a miracle. Going to sleep and getting up fresh in the morning is a miracle. Birth is a miracle, death is equally a miracle. Anything that is unexpected, beyond reasoning, comprehension or explanation, anything beyond human limitations, is a miracle. Good, this is a good question.
Question:
I have a question concerning the observer and the observed, and the non-experiencing?
Anil Kumar:
Did you all follow the question? The consciousness is a witness, but who is the experiencer? When Atma is the witness, when consciousness is the witness, who is the experiencer? Who is experiencing pleasure and pain?
The answer is simple. It is the mind. It is the mind that experiences pain and pleasure, profit and loss, defeat and victory. Dual experiences are to the mind, while Self is the witness. As is described in the Upanishads (Vedic scriptures), there is a tree on which there are two birds. One bird is eating the fruit, while the other bird is simply watching. The bird that watches is the witness or consciousnesses. The other bird, which eats the fruit, is the mind or individual soul (jiva). The tree is the tree of life.
Another simple example: there is a television screen. Many pictures are on that screen - dancing, pop music; but the screen is a screen, unaffected by the pictures on it. You can’t see the film without the screen, can you? There has to be a screen. Therefore, for the mind to even function, Atma is necessary. So the mind is projected on the screen of Atma … pleasure and pain.
Therefore, Ramana Maharshi says, withdraw the mind and then there will be no projection, no film, only the screen. You nod your head because of the music, but if there is no music? Should I cry because the heroine has problems? No. The screen is just a screen when there is no projection to create any kind of emotion, pulsation or vibration.
The Atma is the screen, the eternal witness, while the mind is a projection, the experiencer or individual soul. When the mind is withdrawn, when there is a merging of the mind or its annihilation, then there is only the screen that is Atma Sakshatkara. (direct perception of the Self.) Am I clear, sir?
Question:
What about free will? Could you comment on that?
Anil Kumar:
Certainly. The point is nothing happens without the will of God, but the mind thinks it is the doer. Suppose you say, “Mr. Anil Kumar, your talk was very nice.” Aha! Let me restrain myself – because the mind is ready to take the credit. On the other hand, if anyone should say, “Sir, this is not the time to talk about serious matters. You can speak on the menu, you can speak on the food.” What sort of topic is this! The mind reacts, it jumps, cries, laughs, dances. But if the mind is withdrawn, then you can say. “Everything is Divine.” But we are unable to say ‘everything is Divine’ because the mind wants to take the credit; and it wants to suffer because of taking this credit. That is the reason why all religions want us to cross the barrier of the mind.
Question:
In the Geetha, 5th chapter (Hindu epic containing a sacred dialogue between Arjuna, a warrior, and Krishna, the Avatar of Dwapara Yuga), Arjuna poses a question to Krishna. He says, “Bhagavan, I have grasped the nature of the Atma; but the mind is so unstable. How is it possible to bring such a turbulent mind under control? It is not so simple.” The Lord says, “I do agree that the mind is unstable, but there are two methods for you - abhyasa (steady practice) and vairagya (detachment or renunciation).” Sir, what is the method or abhyasa that we can use on the mind?
Anil Kumar:
Arjuna puts a question to Krishna, “Oh, Krishna, how can I control a mind which is so strong, wavering, and disturbed?”
Here is a simple example: I sing bhajans full-throated, not looking around to see who is watching me, or if they think my voice is nice or not. (Laughter) No, no. You sing full-throated because you are not singing for others. This is not a music concert where people buy tickets. I am singing to myself. When I sing to myself, I don’t think about the tune or the beat. So the song remains, the singer does not remain.
Jagadoddharana Kaaranahe
Sai Krishna Janaardhana Hey
Bhava Bhaya Jaladhee Kaaranahe
Sadguru Brahma Sanatha Hey
Parama Dayaakara Paavana Hey
Janmaja Dukkha Nivaarana Hey
Jagadoddharana Kaaranahe
Sai Krishna Janaardhana Hey
Janaardhana Hey Janaardhana Hey
Sai Krishna Janaardhana Hey
Bhava Bhaya Jaladhee Kaaranahe
Bhava Bhaya Jaladhee Kaaranahe
When you just sing in praise of God, you are lost. Your mind is not there. The mind becomes identified with the song totally. Then there is no question of ‘I-ness’. Singing is a path; service is one path; Self-enquiry is another path. There are several paths to follow in order to grow beyond the mind.
God bless you. Thank you very much!
As the time was over, Professor Anil Kumar closed with the prayer,
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