“Physical to Spiritual”
April 20, 2008
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I apologise to you for the short delay. Because of a power cut at home which did not facilitate my coming over here in time, I could not make it on time. I am very sorry about that.
Well, I think we may not be meeting until June. One thing appears to be certain: we will not be meeting next Sunday. People say that on Wednesday or Thursday, it may be convenient to move out of this place, if they want to go elsewhere or attend to their personal work. But more than this I am not supposed to say!
Let me talk to you this morning on the topic of “Physical to Spiritual”.
My friends, we often think that the physical and spiritual are opposites. No! We also think that combining the physical with the spiritual is paradoxical or even ironical. No! Some feel that the physical and spiritual are contradictory; but they are totally mistaken. The physical and spiritual are complementary. One is the corollary to the other. One leads to the other; it does not go in the opposite direction. The physical and spiritual are one and the same; only our awareness makes the difference.
When we make an attempt, we can understand the superiority of the body over matter. By further investigation, we know that the mind is superior to the body. On enquiry, we know that the spirit is higher than the mind. In deep meditation, we understand that the spirit and consciousness are one and the same. By “spirit”, I mean the conscience or the individual consciousness. So to put it in a nutshell, from matter to consciousness, it is only a question of enquiry, investigation, deep study and meditation to know the reality, and to know that they are complementary to each other.
Those who take the physical as the only reality tend to be materialistic. They are prone to be animalistic. We should not limit ourselves at the physical level. We have to travel further and further to experience the spiritual in physical life.
On the other hand, those who say, “I am spiritual, totally spiritual” are living in a fool’s paradise. There can be no spiritual without the physical. The physical is meaningless without the spiritual. Both are equally necessary. The root is necessary for the fruit; it cannot be there without the root. The root without a fruit is dead wood. So, the root and fruit are both necessary. Similarly, the physical and the spiritual are absolutely necessary. Ultimately we realise that both are one and the same, and that one depends upon the other.
The next aspect is this: energy is uniform, one and the same. We cannot categorise energy in different forms. Different names are given to energy depending upon the direction in which it flows. You may call it “solar energy” or “radiant energy”; these are the names given depending upon the direction in which the energy flows, not its essential nature. Energy is uniform, one and the same. The kinetic theory of energy says that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; only it can be converted into another form of energy. That is all.
In our onward journey from physical to spiritual, as we investigate and discuss together, let us understand that energy is the bottom line. Energy is the basis for both to exist. There is nothing like physical energy, and then separately, spiritual energy. No, it is the same energy. The energy used in a spiritual direction you call “spiritual energy”. The same energy used for a physical or mundane activity in the daily routine you call “physical energy”. Both are energy.
Be that as it may, what is most important is that some people do not like to call this energy “God”. They don’t want to call it God, they prefer to say “energy”. Good, all right. If you are allergic to the name “God”, all right, call Him “energy”. Well, some say, “No, no the source of energy is God.” It doesn’t matter what you call God, but at least we can agree, God is energetic. This energy is the fundamental aspect that we will be considering this morning.
Let us dispel some misconceptions about energy. First, some people believe that there are positive and negative energies. No, in the absolute sense, there cannot be positive energy and negative energy. We cannot qualify energy because it is cosmic and universal. The only two qualities of energy are these: neutrality and namelessness. Energy is nameless and it is neutral.
The second wrong conception is that you can sublimate energy. Some say that one form of energy is sublimated or elevated to a higher level. That is wrong, a fallacy, a hallucination, nothing less than imagination. Energy cannot be sublimated; it can be merely transformed. Energy which has been flowing in one direction is made to flow in another direction. That is all. Diversion of the root’s energy into a fruit is transformation, not sublimation. I would like to make this very, very clear.
Now, if we are able to think about this energy being used for physical purposes in our daily lives, then we will be able to accomplish so many things in this world. We do hard, manual labour because of physical energy, and we study and read, doing all that mental work, using mental energy. Some people are very sharp; they have a good intellectual energy. So energy can be used for various purposes: physical, psychological, and intellectual.
The same energy, when it is directed towards the Divine, is called “transformation” (remember, it is not sublimation). But transformation does not mean that the form of energy is changed. No! The point is that it is now being directed purposefully. The energy that we have been utilising all this time for our life purposes and for our professional expertise shall now be used in search of the Divine. It shall be used hereafter in search of Self-realisation, used along the path of self-inquiry. This is transformation of energy.
“How is it possible?” That is the third question. (And if we leave the question as it is, then we are in no way different from politicians!) Unless we have a good solution to a problem, we will not be able to tackle it well.
How do we transform our energy? How do we direct our physical energy towards spiritual goals? What shall I do?
Some people say, “Come and do exercises.” I know of many people who have been exercising endlessly, but they have landed nowhere. Some say, “It is better that we do pranayama (breathing exercises),” but in so doing, they acquire other problems.
It is clearly said in Dhyana Vahini, by Bhagavan Baba, that if pranayama is done by anybody on his or her own, they will land in a hospital. We will also develop certain other problems, problems which Baba has outlined very clearly in Dhyana Vahini. Pranayama should only be performed under strict supervised training, the professional direction of an expert. If we just read how to do it and say, “Alright,” then we will develop many other complications. With such results, we will understand that in the long run, these exercises or yogic practices have not helped us whatsoever.
Others say, “I am counting beads and holding the talisman or japamala.” But we see how many people rotate the beads of their japamala and watch everybody else! Their japa is only being done mechanically by the fingers, while the mind is elsewhere. So we have not gotten anywhere even in that system.
The very funny thing in life is that when we want to sit for meditation, more thoughts come into our minds. I have shared this with all of you many times. When we purposefully want to control our minds, more thoughts will come to us, with a vengeance. In so doing, you will be fighting with your mind.
We say, “Let us not have thoughts in our minds. No thoughts, please. Let me think of Swami, and Swami only.” But in the meantime we get tired and go to sleep. As we do this so-called meditation, with our own limited understanding, instead of giving our neighbours the experiences of samadhi, we actually disturb them with our snoring! (Laughter)
True meditation will not disturb anybody. But most people who “meditate” are asked by their neighbours to get up. “Wake up, please,” they say. I am no exception!
Therefore, my friends, even our attempts at meditation have not helped us yet. So, how do we transform the physical energy into spiritual energy? The only thing that is needed is for us to realise that the spiritual direction is more blissful than the physical direction. This will automatically get us into the state which we seek. There is a higher level of bliss, a much more blissful state in the spiritual aspect. When we realise this, the physical aspect will drop away on its own.
A simple example: Usually I am very particular about all the items I have for lunch and do not compromise in eating a hot meal. But if I have a good job and a promising career, and am given a guarantee of promotion, I won’t mind skipping my lunch—I will also work during lunch. When there is some extra financial gain, then we say, “Alright, I can be satisfied with bread or upma.” How can a fellow, who is so particular about scrumptious meals, be satisfied with a simple plate of upma, a dish that is most often tasteless? Because his career prospects are more promising than his usual lunch routine! Similarly, when we understand that there is a more beneficial, more blissful state than the one we are in, then we naturally reach a condition in which our physical concerns drop away by themselves.
But if we want to fight the attraction of the physical aspect, we will “successfully” fail. We will never be successful in fighting with the physical level. Yes, most people suffer from this obsession, as Baba has said in one of His talks.
One fellow started saying, “Oh, Swami, I am going to sleep now; let me dream of Nandi (the bull vehicle of Siva)!” He should have left it at “Nandi,” but at the same time he said, “Oh, God, help me not to dream of the Pandhi (the pig) (Laughter)!” He was saying, “Let me not get Pandhi in my dreams, but let me see only Nandi.” But this fellow got only Pandhi. So, the more you fight with the physical level, the more it will react, because it is not such a fool as to keep quiet.
If we change our dietary habits or physical exercise all of a sudden, our bodies will react. They don’t keep quiet. Our bodies will say, “You, fellow, you nurtured me so long and now you want to silence me! Alright, the doctor will settle this in the form of his bill.” So, never fight with the physical level or with your senses. And never fight with the mind, because you will fail. Those who say they have succeeded are Bogus Number One. Please take it from me! It is not so easy to control the mind. It is not so easy to control the senses, and it is nothing but audacity and foolishness to declare that we have conquered our senses. Let us avoid the man who says he has, because it is not a simple task.
We must understand that this physical energy and our own goals on the physical level are far inferior to spiritual ends. Spiritual goals hold far more promise. They are much more blissful, and during that time, the physical attentions will naturally drop away on their own.
It is just like when people begin to talk amongst themselves. Some people talk loudly and some forcefully. But, however disturbing their talk is, when Swami starts to talk, immediately there is total silence. No one has to say, “Shhh! Swami is talking.” Our talk simply stops the moment Swami starts. Similarly, our godliness, our Divine thoughts, our Divine attention, and our spiritual energy start to allow for the physical aspect to drop away by itself, without fighting.
Fighting with the mind and body is suppression. It is repression. The body will not accept suppression or repression. It is a sign of slavery, and the mind will never agree to it. Because we have been carrying this ego for the last many lives, it will never accept repression. Therefore, let us not fight with it; let us compromise. Show it that there is a higher thing available, a better thing, and as we proceed, the physical aspect recedes into the background.
Relatively speaking, fighting at the physical level, being inimical to our senses and the mind is negative. Moving spiritually upward is natural and positive. This is positive, while fighting and repression are negative.
Positive energy transformed into the spiritual aspect is called meditation. Meditation is nothing but positive energy—physical energy transformed into spiritual energy which promises a better, more blissful state. This is called meditation.
But most often our idea of meditation is to simply get up at a particular time, in the early hours of the morning, and ask everybody not to open the door. We sit there straight; if we have back pain, it is more of a problem. We sit there straight so nobody will disturb us, and we will be able to sleep in that room. But at coffee time, meditation ends! (Laughter) We know this. Yes! Coffee time is not meditation, my friends.
As I said previously, meditation is a thoughtless state, a state when there are no more thoughts. This is a state where you have this spiritual energy, where you feel more blissful than you otherwise would feel. This is meditation in the strict sense.
And the next aspect which I want to draw your point is this: “naturality” is spirituality. If we are more natural, we will be more spiritual. Some people think that by being serious they can be spiritual. I don’t know, but I know one thing for certain: they are sick. They are sick, so they are serious, and therefore they never smile. It is only humankind which is gifted with the ability to smile, and if that is gone, we will devolve to the animal kingdom. Therefore, seriousness is not spirituality.
Fasting is not spirituality either. Let me not name this person, but I know someone who was quite well-built, healthy, and very beautiful. However, today, they are almost a skeleton. I questioned, “What is wrong with you?”
The person replied, “I am fasting.”
“Why?”
“To be more spiritual.”
I said, “Next life! (Laughter) You are closer to the grave than to heaven.” Therefore, fasting is not spirituality, certainly not!
Fun, music, and dance are not forbidden. Some people don’t like music because they are “spiritual”. Oh, I see! (Laughter) I am not sure of that reasoning. All saints are excellent singers. Thyagaraja, Annamacharya and Tulasi Das—all are singers. So, if you say that you don’t like music because you are spiritual, there is something wrong with your psyche.
Some say, “I don’t like dancing because I am spiritual.” They are mistaken. Krishna is a wonderful dancer, and another name for dance is Siva (as in the Siva Tandava). So, than, how can you say that God may like these things, but you don’t like them? Is it because you are more spiritual than God Himself? I see. That person is a very funny creature. Therefore, let us try to be natural.
Some may say, “I don’t like food and I don’t sleep.” Oh, I see, please get yourself examined. You need a doctor!
Therefore, if we are natural, we are more spiritual; and if we are unnatural—with a neurotic and sickly mind—we can never be spiritual. Please take it from me. That is the reason why in photos or paintings of saints, we always find a smile on their faces. You don’t find any picture of saints so frightening that you run away and close the door. They always have a smile that is very pleasing and peaceful. Peace, bliss, a smile, music, dance, laughter, and ecstasy—these are spiritual qualities.
Sadism, finite pleasure, negativity, and masochism—these are all irreligious features. Self-torture is masochism; torturing others is sadism; being suspicious of everything in life is negativity. These are all irreligious qualities. Some people may think they add to their efficiency—woe unto them!
Therefore, my friends, let us be happy. The happier we are, the closer to God we are. We are godly if we are happy. Laugh, experience ecstasy, and be blissful! This is the positive state to which I would like to draw your attention.
This next subject may seem to be so easy at times, but it requires an enquiry to understand it clearly. It needs a sort of deep search that one has to ponder over within himself and then discuss at length. At face value, however, it may appear very simple.
Baba said this: “Talking, walking, reading, eating and everything else we do is meditation.” If talking, eating, reading, and everything is meditation, then why should there be so many books on meditation in the library? Why should so many people go to the forest to meditate if it is so common? The statement appears to be so simple, but it has depth; it has profundity. Taken as Truth, it has many deep-seated implications and wider ramifications.
But what does He mean? Talking, walking, reading, eating and everything is meditation. What does He mean?
I would like to view this from a particular angle, the angle of awareness. Anything we do consciously is meditative. Eating, reading, walking and talking are all meditative only if we do them consciously—that is, if we are totally in it, doing it with full awareness.
However, usually while talking with friends we think of our families. While eating, if I think of my office, it is not meditation. While eating, if I think of tomorrow and about what I have to do, it is not meditation. While in the office, if I think of what pickle I should have in my lunch (Laughter), it is not meditation. (I said pickle because I am now after pickles. What to do? This is the season, the summer season, the season of pickles! [Laughter]) Therefore, my friends, we never think of the thing we are doing, so it cannot be meditation.
Here is a simple example: a person may have some problem with his wife at home. Then he goes to his office. There in the office, he is an officer; but he behaves as the husband there, and if anyone says, “Good morning,” to him, he replies “Grrrrrrrr,” because his wife gave him an earful at home earlier! (Laughter) So, he is the officer in the office, but not the officer at home. The husband at home has come to the office, but the real officer in him is gone. Do you see that?
We are not completely in any of these actions. So walking, reading, talking and everything is meditation—only if you are conscious of it. If you are conscious of these things, then they are meditation, when they are done with a meditative mind. Everything else, all that is unconsciously done, is just instrumental.
While riding the cycle, we are thinking of the cinema, or while driving the car, we are thinking of a political development. What happens? Just like the legs that cycle or the hands that drive, we are merely instruments. That is all. We have no involvement and no identification with the action. Totality is missing; a holistic approach is missing. Therefore, we are unconscious.
So, there are two levels of functioning: a conscious level of functioning and an unconscious level of functioning. By “unconscious” I do not mean being given anaesthesia or taking drugs. I mean not being totally in our actions. The unconscious level of functioning is a mechanical, robotic, and computerised life, while the conscious level of functioning is meditation. This is what Baba meant by meditation.
How does this view help us? How does conscious action, which becomes meditation, help us?
For example, while I am getting my salary, being at the unconscious level of functioning, I am just carrying on my routine. How would a meditative mind help me? The non-meditative mind is unconscious, and the meditative mind is totally conscious. How does it help us? We are very down-to-earth and business-minded people, so we want to know the benefits. What will we get out of this meditative mind?
The first thing is that a meditative mind will turn into a witness. A meditative mind is a witnessing mind. How does it help me? Well, a witness is never disturbed, while a participant is always disturbed.
My grandfather used to tell me a very funny thing that happened in his childhood. It seems a drama called “Harischandra”, the story of a king, was enacted in a village. At one point, the villain Nakshatraka is torturing Harischandra’s boy, and the king was crying because he was about to lose his kingdom, his wife, and his son. His wife was also crying.
Immediately one man from the audience got up onto the dais, took off his slipper, and started hitting Nakshatraka with it: tak, tak, tak.
“Useless bugger, how long have you been torturing him like this?” he shouted. “Come on, I will take care of you.”
Then the actor said, “Sir, this is a drama. Please, sir, this is drama. Please forgive me!” (Laughter) So, my friends, the man who got up to the dais and started fighting with the actor, giving him one or two heavy blows, had completely identified with the process occurring on the stage.
Likewise, we find many women crying in cinema theatres. Nowadays people even cry in front of television serials. Why does it go this far? Because the more they cry, the more successful the serial is? I don’t know.
What is the difference between an actor and the audience? As Baba likes to joke, they receive money for crying and we pay to cry. That is the difference! That is all.
Usually when we just watch a cinema, we are fully aware that it is a cinema. Even if the heroine cries, you don’t cry; if the villain goes on being inimical towards the hero and tortures the heroine, you don’t cry. After all, that is cinema. You know you are only witnessing the cinema and therefore you are not disturbed. If there is some wonderful romantic dance or romantic scenes going on, you don’t get excited. No, because it is a cinema. Nothing disturbs you because you are a witness.
Therefore, my friends, a meditative mind serves as a witness. It will never get disturbed. It will never get frustrated. It will never get elated. It will never be proud. It will not be humiliated. Humiliation or jubilation are the qualities that get into you when you are the participant (with a non-meditative mind), whereas a meditative mind—the mind which is a witness—is not at all disturbed by what is going on.
Here is a simple example: very recently—during the Tamil Nadu New Year, I think—two speakers each made a presentation. One was a judge and the other was a doctor, and both of them narrated their experiences with Swami, including their miracles and all that.
Please check your recordings of the Divine discourse that day, because the first sentence Baba said was this: “Those who spoke preceding Me, the judge and the doctor, spoke about all the physical aspects, but their speeches had nothing to do with spirituality. This is not spiritual.” This was the first sentence He said—that is Baba! I was up in heaven when Baba said it! It is a tragedy if we missed that first sentence.
By this, Baba meant that all the miracles that we speak of are merely physical and worldly, and have nothing to do with the spiritual realm. If we link miracles with spirituality, then when all things are positive in our lives, we will be more spiritual. But when anything turns negative, we will naturally in be in search of some other god, some other guru, or some other scripture. (This human tendency is why we have so many political parties!)
It is possible to experience true spirituality only if we have a meditative mind. A meditative mind will never run after miracles; it will never run after experiences. Only the non-meditative mind is opportunistic and political; it is dual. It is selfish, and it runs after miracles and miraculous experiences. It is really high time we develop the sort of meditative mind that is merely a witness to everything that happens.
How does a non-meditative mind (meaning a worldly and materialistic mind) function? For example, look at the people who smile with a purpose, only when they want a favour from you. When they say, “Sai Ram, sir, how are you?” you know they will ask you for something. However, the next day, they won’t recognise you. This is a non-meditative mind, a materialistic mind, a worldly mind.
For every book there will be a preface, and for every personal agenda, there is also an introduction. For these people, love is merely a preface—the smile and friendliness. They begin by saying, “How are you? Is everybody fine?” then they ask, “Would you mind doing this for me?” Love is the preface for a non-meditative mind, a worldly mind.
However, for a meditative mind, love is not a preface; it is a fragrance. Love is a fragrance. When a rose or jasmine flower is placed before you, the fragrance, the smell of it, will be here throughout; it will be all-pervasive. So, in the case of a meditative mind, love is the fragrance; while in the case of a non-meditative mind, love is the preface.
We find a kind of artificial life today. Baba has said that even smiles are artificial. There is one gentleman whom I know, who has a very broad smile, but it is 99% meaningless. We don’t know why it is necessary to smile that much—to show us all his 32 teeth. But he is venomous in reality. That is why Shakespeare said: “One may smile and smile, yet be a villain.”
A non-meditative mind will have love as a kind of initiative, a motive, or as a beginning or prologue. Love is a prologue to a non-meditative mind, whereas to a meditative mind, love is an epilogue.
What is the ultimate result of the meditative mind, the spiritual energy, the transformation of physical energy into spiritual energy (about which we have been talking all along)? The ultimate result is friendliness. You will be friendly with everybody. If I say I am friendly to only these people, then something is wrong. You cannot be truly friendly to some people and unfriendly to many; it is not possible.
Friendliness is the effect of a meditative mind. It is an attribute, a quality of a person with a meditative mind, because their mind is a witness. It cannot make anybody an enemy or a friend.
A meditative mind will be compassionate, friendly, and highly grateful. If a person is an ungrateful wretch and claims to meditate everyday, it is in no way true meditation. If those qualities are not there, we can easily say it is not true meditation we have been doing; we have yet to grow in this process. The spiritual energy has not yet been moved in the upward direction; that physical energy has not been transformed and transferred in the way we want.
The difference between a meditative mind and a non-meditative mind is in our response to desires and temptations. We have so many coffee centres in Prashanti Nilayam which are so tempting! Not only in my case, but we also find many people who slowly, slowly walk into the Mandir (temple), but they run to the stores and ice-cream stalls! God can afford to wait, but pizza cannot! (Laughter)
Let us be true to ourselves, my friends. As I have been telling you from the beginning, I am no exception. We are just sharing our own experiences with each other, that’s all.
Suppose a man decides to be spiritual from now on. He says, “I won’t go to the stores. I won’t go to ice-creams stalls, and I won’t go anywhere.” This is what is called avoidance. You avoid because you think it is meditation, because you think it is spirituality. No! Avoidance is not spirituality.
Some people say, “I will buy toothpaste here only because it is Sai toothpaste. Let me purchase slippers here (Laughter) only because they are Swami’s slippers.” Because we think that if we buy something outside the ashram, it is not Swami’s; and if we buy something inside, it is pakka (correct)—Swami’s brand! (Laughter)
There should be some method in our madness, you see. But there is none. (Laughter) If you talk to anybody and ask what they want, they will say, “I want what Swami has said I want.” But I didn’t ask you what Swami said! I know that what you mean is total indulgence.
There are two points, my friends: one is avoidance and the other is indulgence. One does not want to drink—this is avoidance. One wants to drink constantly—this is indulgence. But spirituality is not indulgence and it is not avoidance.
“I don’t drink, I don’t drink,” you go on saying. You may say, “I don’t drink,” but the thought of drinking is there all the time. The mind is drinking and it is only the mouth which is not partaking. This is why avoidance is more dangerous than indulgence.
One fellow drinks; that ends the matter. Another fellow does not drink and tells everybody, “I do not drink,” and “I won’t drink.” He says to everyone, “Drinking is a bad habit, so please stop it.” By not drinking, he is not serving the society or the country; he is only saving some money and preserving his health.
When we actively avoid, we constantly think about what we desire. We say, “I don’t play cards. I don’t gamble.” So what? One fellow played cards, but fully stopped and forgot about it, whereas this other fellow constantly thinks about it. It now becomes card meditation, or bottle meditation. How ridiculous it is!
Therefore, avoidance and indulgence are equally bad. Spirituality is transcendence. A meditative mind transcends. A meditative mind never indulges and does not avoid, but rather transcends. It is beyond.
Therefore, my friends, true meditation is a thoughtless state, a positive approach. The mind becomes meditative by conscious effort applied in a positive direction in each and every one of our activities. It thereby acts as a witness and results in the qualities of friendliness, gratitude and compassion.
I wanted to share these thoughts with you because it is high time we think of these things that have been stated by Bhagavan Himself. Because we have our own personal agendas, we don’t pay 100% attention to the spiritual aspects that He mentions during His discourses. We have our own personal problems, like giving Him a flower or a letter, so we miss the most valuable things stated by Bhagavan.
Somehow my attention today is directed to sharing these serious things, of very high value, that Baba mentions in His spiritual discourses. In the name of religion, in the name of spreading spirituality, there are many, many people who teach. But we don’t take the lessons in the correct sense, and often we are misguided.
There are many people here who are misguided. I know because some people come and tell me, “Sir, I heard such-and-such from somewhere; I heard someone mentioning this-and-that.” Or he will say, “Someone wanted me to do this thing in that place.” And then I put to him, “Have you done this here, the thing that Baba has recommended?”
My intention is to see that our attention is not deviated or diverted, and that our loyalty would not be questionable. By knowing the value of true meditation, and of the true spiritual aspects in our daily lives, we may dive into deeper depths and experience spiritual bliss.
May God bless you and thank you very much for your time and for being here.
When we read the scriptures, such as the Mahabharata or Ramayana, we find lots of miracles of Rama and Hanuman, such as when he crossed the sea. In the case of the life of Krishna, He just lifted Govardhanagiri and killed all the demons. Not only are the scriptures interesting, but when you read all those things, you realise the gods are superhuman. We can more easily worship them because, it is said, God has come down. But, if miracles are not necessary as such, as you say, and are not spiritual, then everything becomes drab and dry. People may not read the scriptures at all. Even if we take Swami’s life as an example, you will see a lot of miracles from childhood on, and many things that are so interesting about Swami. Miracles alone have been responsible for drawing so many people to Swami.
Very good, sir. I am sorry if I misled you. I did not mean it that way, sir, please. Let me be very clear. I am not against miracles. In fact, it is the same sort of miracles and experiences that brought me here into Swami’s fold. How can I be against them? No one can be against them. As you say, the life of Krishna is nothing but a collection of miracles.
But one thing to remember is this: Krishna’s miracles were witnessed by the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Both of these groups saw His miracles; but the majority of them remained the same, without any transformation. Therefore we can conclude that mere miracles do not create change. Duryodhana did not change; he got a doctoral degree in changelessness. (Laughter) And Dushasana–-no miracle could change him.
Miracles are a means to an end, but not an end by themselves. A miracle should take us to a particular level of thought, a particular level of comprehension, a particular level of understanding, and a particular state of sadhana. They should take us on a new path, give us a new direction, create a maturing temperament and attitude. There is a new energy altogether.
To quote Baba: “Miracles are like mosquitoes, and spirituality is the size of an elephant.” That was what Baba said in the year 1972, in the summer discourses in Brindavan, Bangalore. Yet we think of these miracles as larger than the size of a mosquito and we forget the elephant altogether! We forget Krishna’s teachings, contained in the Bhagavad Gita, and we think of the miracles only. But I am not against them, please understand. How great Krishna is to have done these miracles! But His main intention was to spread The Bhagavad Gita.
To quote Baba again, “A miracle is a visiting card.” It is given to you in order to taste Divinity; but life is not going to be only miracles throughout. Furthermore, miracles don’t necessarily have to be positive. Death is a miracle. Birth is a miracle, so why shouldn’t we say that death is? Birth and death are equally miraculous.
Profit and loss are equally miraculous; but we tend to call “miracles” those events or things which only benefit us. If I get a medical college seat, it’s a miracle; but if I don’t get it, then it is a double miracle. Because, if you get a medical college seat, you only become a doctor; but if you don’t get a seat, you may become a collector, or minister, or a district judge—double miracle, triple miracle, and multiple miracles!
Therefore, a miracle depends on how you look at it. A miracle which seems positive now may later turn out to be negative, in the long run. I have ten lakh (one hundred thousand) rupees now, a miracle! Very good! But the next day, there will may an income tax raid, and I will lose everything. It then becomes a miracle for the income tax officer, who takes away all the money!
Therefore, my friends, something becomes a miracle depending only on how we look at it. Truly, every sunrise is a miracle and every sunset is a miracle. Every blossoming flower is a miracle; every smiling child in the cradle is a miracle; our daily life is a miracle. But only when something happens that is especially in our favour do we see it as a miracle.
We should attain that higher state in which we say that whatever that happens is God’s will. It is not a miracle—it is God’s will. So, from miracles to God’s will.
Thank you very much, sir.
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