February 24th, 2008
“The Fundamental Truth”
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
life is a cycle
This morning I would like to talk on the subject of the fundamental Truth. Life is a circle, called the life cycle in biological terms. What do we mean by ‘life cycle’? Birth, growth, death repeated over and over is life cycle.
Experience of the self is the only way to get out of the life cycle
Our duty as spiritual seekers is to attempt to get out of this life cycle, to see that we do not have to pass through the life cycle repeatedly. Why? One should be born not to be born again; one should die so that one doesn’t have to die again. That is the purpose of a religious seeker. He should focus all his sadhana in this particular direction.
The fundamental question is how do we get out of this cycle of birth and death? Unless one realises the Divinity, unless one realises the Self, one has to go through this life cycle time and again. The only way out of it is the experience of the Self, the experience of consciousness or awareness.
Then what are we doing here? We meditate, we go through the scriptures and we do so many spiritual exercises. Why? They make our time sacred, but they are all preparatory. I don’t say that they are unnecessary; but they are only preparatory. The ultimate thing is to experience consciousness, to experience the supreme Self, that cosmic Self. That is the only fundamental Truth, and the only way to come out of this life cycle of birth and death.
So what happens between birth and death?
Life oscillates between desire and time
Bhagavan states that there are two things: One is kama or desire, and the other is kala or time (or death). Life oscillates like a pendulum between these two extremes of kama and kala. We should attempt to bring this pendulum to a standstill. It is only when we experience the cosmic or the Divine Self, which is blemishless, eternal, immortal and nectarine that the oscillation stops.
spiritual sadhana is to experience the state of reality
We may claim several things. Some say they have scriptural knowledge, some say they have had so many spiritual experiences. We do not deny them. But the fundamental Truth is to get out of ignorance. One has to get out of ignorance and step into the state of awareness.
What is ignorance? Ignorance is to feel that this life is permanent. Ignorance is to go through the life cycle unknowingly, just allowing things to happen, letting the sunrise and sunset cycle continue. I have to quote Baba: “Loading, unloading; loading, unloading.” That is one way to do it. That is all ignorance.
So what does spiritual sadhana mean? It means to come out of this ignorance and experience that state of reality!
Oh God, take me from untruth to Truth,
Oh God, take me from darkness to Light.
Until we go from the darkness of ignorance to the light of awareness, we have to keep cycling through life. Here one has to understand one important point clearly.
mental involvement is more important
My friends, we may participate in service activities, which is good. We may worship or we go around Ganesha or Gayatri any number of times. There is nothing wrong with these. But the fundamental Truth is that whatever we do with the body is useless. There is no compromise on this. Unless something is done with consciousness or awareness, whatever is done with the body is useless because the mind or mental involvement is more important.
For example, people sing bhajans or visit several places. Some people go around Ganesha, looking at the people who are there and checking to see who is watching them (Laughter). While singing, they look around to see whether the others think they are singing well or not. Sometime the next singer will be busy rehearsing his own song. These are physical activities and all that we do with the physical body is useless.
“How can you say, ‘whatever we do’? Sir, we are doing yagna!”
Good! Continue to do it. Yagna! Very good! At least some people will be engaged. It will not benefit us. It is the mind or the mental involvement that is most important. That is the reason Baba says that eating, reading, writing, talking and walking are all meditation. Baba says that everything is meditation.
whatever is done consciously is “meditation”
When you walk consciously, that walking is meditation. Walking consciously means that you walk and that’s all; you don’t think of anything else. When I am walking, I think of the next day’s programme. I think of whether these people will come in my way. It is not conscious walking. If I walk consciously, then walking becomes meditation.
I eat. If I eat with gratitude, enjoying the food and offering it to God, then eating becomes meditation. So, whatever is done consciously is meditation. That is what is meant by doing things with psychological awareness.
That is the reason why some of us are dissatisfied in spite of observing so many rituals. Some people say that they fast. Very good! Some people say that they worship. Very necessary! But we are not happy; we are not satisfied. Why? It is because the mind has not gone deep into the process of the activity. We have to see that our mind is completely and consciously involved, so that every aspect of our life turns into meditation.
Bhagavan Baba doesn’t fix a specific time for meditation. Bhagavan Baba doesn’t show a specific procedure in the name of meditation. Everything is meditation. When once you are totally and wholly in a process or in an activity, that is meditation.
What do we mean by being totally and wholly involved in an activity? I mean that my mind has gone into it, that my mind is totally involved. Why should we emphasise the importance of the mind? Why can’t we do it with the body? Why not? My friends, these are points that Baba says are very important for all of us to ponder upon.
mind is more important than body
It is the mind that creates the feeling of the existence of the body. We may not understand this; we may be literally shaken to think that while the body is here, it is the mind that creates it. But please, let us understand it.
You go to sleep every night. Where is the body then? The body is on the bed, but you don’t know. While you are asleep, you don’t feel the body. It is only when you wake up that you think of the body. So it is the mind that recognises and feels the existence of the body.
So the mind is more important than the body. A madman doesn’t know what is happening to the body; a child is not aware of what is happening to the body. Therefore, mind is the most important.
the whole world is the creation of the mind
The second point is that the mind is responsible for the whole ambience--all societal relationships, our surroundings and interrelationships—the whole creation is a product of the mind.
Adi Shankara was the greatest exponent of Advaita, and those who are interested in Adi Shankara will certainly agree with me that the world is the creation of the mind. Adi Shankara clearly says that the whole world is the creation of the mind.
Adi Shankara gives the example of the waking state, the dreaming state and the deep sleep state—avasthatraya. Avasta means ‘levels of consciousness’; traya means ‘three’. Therefore avasthatraya means ‘the three levels of consciousness’.
Once you are in deep sleep, where is the world? Where is New York? Where is Washington? Where is Delhi? Where is Bombay? None of these exist. The moment the mind starts working, the whole world is in front of you. When the mind is passive, there is no world. Therefore, my friends, the world is the creation of the mind.
Firstly, it creates the feeling of the existence of the body. Secondly, it is the mind that creates the whole world in which I am, and with which I interact. Thirdly, it is the mind that craves for a separate identity, ‘I am so-and-so’, ‘I am from that place’, and ‘I am this’. This I-ness is because of the mind.
Finally, it is the mind that is responsible for birth and rebirth. Therefore, one has to work consciously, walk consciously and eat consciously, with the mind totally into whatever you are doing. Then it all becomes meditation.
It is a false notion to think that meditation is limited to a particular process or a particular period of time. We don’t deny those practices, but these are beginning. They may be essential for a beginner, so that later the whole process of life turns into meditation; the whole life becomes meditative.
the mind’s other name is ignorance
Okay, the mind is full of illusion, the mind is full of imagination; the mind is full of thoughts and fear. What am I to do?
Nobody can say that there are no thoughts in their mind. Nobody would say that they have no desire. Such is the nature of the mind. The mind is illusive, delusive and ignorant.
We think that ignorance has to do with people who have not gone to colleges and schools. No, no, no! Those who go to schools and colleges are more ignorant than those who have not attended any of these places. Practically speaking, successful people are those who have never been to any colleges or schools. None of the prophets had any formal education.
The immediate problem then is how to get out of this ignorance of the mind. The mind’s other name is ignorance. The mind feels that it is very great, very special and that it knows many things. But I do not know that I do not know. Therefore, I am ignorant. But I do not know that I am ignorant. Such colossal ignorance! Himalayan ignorance! Therefore, my friends the mind is a symbol, the personification, the very metaphor of ignorance. The problem then is: how to get out of it? It’s very simple.
FOLLOW THE SCRIPTURES
Follow the scriptures: follow the Bible, follow the Holy Koran, follow the Dharmapada, follow the Bhagavad Gita. If you follow any spiritual text in action, not simply by reading or learning it by heart, you will come out of ignorance. It is of no use merely being vocal without practice.
If one understands the scriptures and tries to live according to them, one will come out of ignorance. When one comes out of ignorance, the mind becomes meditative.
Okay, here is a very important point: if I read the scriptures and live up to them, should I pray or not? Is it enough if I read the Bible or the Bhagavad Gita and to try to live accordingly? Or should I also pray? From 5:00 to 6:00 am, shall I sing some bhajans or the Suprabhatam? Should I attend these things? Is it not enough that I read the scriptures and live according to them as far as possible? Why do we pray? What is the truth behind prayer?
Prayer gives us a sacred Life
We often think that prayer is submission, that prayer is an appeal to get out of our troubles, or that the purpose of prayer is to have our desires fulfilled. That is our concept of prayer, is it not?
What is real prayer? What is the fundamental truth about prayer?
Oh God! I pray to You. Swami! I pray to You—not for an extension of my life, such that my life would be eternal like an electric pole! No! I am certainly not praying for the extension of my life!
I pray, so that I may lead a sacred life.”
A sacred life (divya) is more important than a long life (deergha). Do you want a long life or a sacred life? Prayer gives us a sacred life. That is the purpose of prayer, according to Swami.
Then there is another point: why should we concentrate? People often tell us to close our eyes and turn inward, to feel God within. Why? Why can’t I open my eyes and look all around? The answer is simple.
the purpose of spiritual exercise is to shift from the external eye to “the real eye”
When you close your eyes and develop that spirit or intensity of concentration, what happens? All the diversions, digressions and deviations that attract us in the external world are slowly withdrawn. Therefore, this sort of concentration is necessary to cut off our link to the external world.
We sit peacefully to be calm and quiet, to concentrate so that we will be cut off from our associations with the external world. The purpose of concentration is to establish contact with the inner eye. We see the outer world with the external eye only. The external eye and the internal eye are two, rather like a mirror. The external eye sees name, country, profession, height, weight. Once I concentrate with closed eyes, the internal or the real eye naturally awakens.
The external eye is the one we have developed over a period of time due to culture, civilisation, parents, schooling, education, the norms and values of society, the personality that we develop, the image we have and the status we enjoy. All that is linked to the external eye.
Once I close my eyes and turn within and concentrate, the external eye turns back and I begin to see with the internal eye, the real eye. So the purpose of any spiritual exercise is to shift from the external eye to the real eye.
Why is this necessary?
there is only one without A second
As long as I look outside, I see variety. So long as I am external, I find heterogeneity or multiplicity, plurality or duality - short, tall, dark, white, brown, up, down. All this duality is in the external world.
Once I close my eyes and concentrate, and think of the internal eye, there is only one without a second; that is to say, the real eye, the cosmic eye, the real consciousness and the core of my being. That is the purpose of spirituality. That is why we are asked to be calm and quiet and to turn within. As Bhagavan has said, it is a very important point.
places of worship provide support to our spiritual sadhana
Another question is this: if I am to turn inward, if that’s all I’m supposed to do, what about temples, synagogues and churches? What are they for? The answer is simple: they support us.
A temple supports me, a church supports me, a mosque encourages me, a synagogue prompts me and a monastery provides me with an atmosphere. Therefore, all these places of worship, all these places of concentration, with their statues and idols, provide us with additional support for our spiritual sadhana. They are not the only thing—they are a means, not an end.
If temple-going were an end, all people would have reached salvation! All would have reached Vaikunta, the very heaven, and there would be no entry for anybody else—the hall would be already full! That’s because all temples are busy, all ashrams are busy, every guru has got at least twenty-five thousand followers! If the very visit were enough, it would be so easy, wouldn’t it.
Temples, churches and ashrams support you. But they are only a means to an end, not an end in themselves. But, it is the same with whatever we do—I don’t know how many of you would agree with me—in our actions, we think only of our own personal gain.
We think, “If I go to that man, will he oblige me or not?”
“If I read the Bhagavad Gita, will I get salvation or not?”
“If I sing bhajans, will I go to heaven or not?”
“If I have darshan of Swami, will it help me in any way or not?”
We have doubt. And the doubt does not end there. If the doubt ended there, we would be very lucky people! Doubt takes you to fear.
“Oh, I see! I may go to heaven, but I have got so many insurance policies and properties, how about those things? How about those things? I have not made my will, and some interest is yet to be added to my bank account.”
The fear develops. The scriptures ask us to develop detachment. “Okay! But will detachment help me?”
Doubt is followed by fear: “If I detach myself, then who will get attached to me? (Laughter) Somebody should serve me. So when I detach, somebody should get attached to me, because somebody should help me!”
Therefore, my friends, doubt and fear are like high blood-pressure (hypertension) and sugar (diabetes)—they go together (Laughter). Blood pressure doesn’t leave by itself; it waits for its twin brother–sugar. They play together nicely (Laughter). Therefore, how do we get out of this doubt and fear?
That is our next question. We don’t question, we don’t introspect; we come and go, and allow life to become a routine.
If I ask somebody, “Where are you going?”
They reply, “For bhajans.”
“Why do you go?”
“There is nothing else to do.” (Laughter)
“Why do you go?”
“All are going, so let me go too.” (Laughter)
“Why do you go?”
“Since I am here, let me go.”
“Why do you go?”
“It may help me in the future.”
“Why?”
“Let me try.”
That’s all. It has become a routine. Life has become programmed or conditioned. That will not help us my friends. The moment anything becomes mechanical, the moment anything becomes routine, anything becomes programmed, it becomes real boredom. There is nothing more boring than anything that is mechanical.
God forbid that anything of that sort should happen to any one of us! Every moment should be fresh. Every day should be energising, every day should be a matter of celebration, and we should enjoy life every day! It should not be a matter of routine. No!
Unconditional surrender can make life “a celebration”
How do we make life a celebration? How do we ensure that life is not mechanical? How do we make sure that life is not programmed? What is the permanent solution to making life interesting all of the time—morning, noon and night? Bhagavan has given a good answer.
When you surrender to God, when you just allow things to happen, accepting good or bad, profit or loss, when you accept it all unconditionally with a spirit of surrender, life is happy.
You are wondering how we can say this. Christ was persecuted, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa suffered towards the end of His life, Sri Ramana Maharshi suffered towards the end of His life, and Socrates was forced to die by drinking hemlock. They knew this; they suffered and yet they smiled. Even in extremely painful moments, they were happy. How?
They accepted it as God’s will. “It is God’s will; therefore it has happened. It is a Divine design; therefore it has happened. Okay, I will take it.”
Therefore, to live life as a celebration, the key is unconditional surrender or total acceptance of God’s will. The sooner we accept this, the better it will be. Let us enjoy God’s will. Therefore, to make life interesting, we have to surrender, to accept what has been given to us. To develop this kind of attitude to accept God’s will unconditionally, what should I do?
My friends, being a teacher, my job is to go through His talks, arranging things in a sequential order in the form of questions and answers, almost like a chain reaction in chemistry or steps in mathematics theorems. That is what I do. And Swami gives a simple example to answer this question.
So, to develop that unconditional surrender, to develop that spirit of acceptance of the Divine will, what should we do?
Baba tells us in a very simple way. He says, “Feel that your scholarship, your status, your properties, your dignity, your community, your nationality and your prestige are all outside. They have nothing to do with the real you. You have nothing to do with your status. You have nothing to do with your dignity, the respect people show you, or anything like that. It is all external.”
People may love me because I have a position; once I retire, that fellow won’t even say, “Sai Ram!” (Laughter) Only this morning, he said, “Sai Ram”; this evening he refuses to recognise me because I retired in the afternoon! (Laughter) We feel so proud of our scholarship, but in front of a greater scholar, we are nothing.
So all the things about which we feel pride are external. When the mind is ready to accept anything as God’s will, you realise that they have nothing to do with you.
“Oh Swami, I am an MSc; I have 45 years of service.”
“Okay! Continue to serve.”
“I am very rich.”
“Continue until the income tax people collect money from you!” (Laughter)
So, in the absolute, all that we think about is false. When you disconnect from that, the mind is ready to surrender. You are not asked to drop it or forsake it or deny it. No! Rather, while being in that, understand that you are not that. Being in that, I should know that I am not that.
THE Beautiful example of the lotus given by Bhagavan
The lotus flower grows in mud and water, and yet the flower is untouched by mud and water. It grows above the surface of the water, untouched. Though the lotus flower is on the water, the water does not get into the flower.
Take the example of a boat on the surface of a river. Though the boat is on the surface of the river, the water does not get into the boat. Though the boat is on the river, the river is not in the boat. These are the examples that Baba gives.
Similarly, my friends, we may have a thousand things like position, status, dignity and property, but let’s not allow these things to get into us. Let us remain in the midst of them. When we are able to act in this way, the mind is prepared to accept God’s will unconditionally, as Bhagavan has said.
from the ‘individual I’ to the ‘cosmic I’
There are other two points on this question of fundamental Truth. One, I feel that I am, I know that I am, but this ‘I am’ should grow into universal I-ness or cosmic I-ness. What do I mean by the ‘individual I’ and the ‘cosmic I’?
Take a simple example. Suppose I go to a hairdresser. The hairdresser will have a number of mirrors all around. Supposing there are ten mirrors; then I will find ten Anil Kumars all around! Oh! I see, ten! I am not one, but ten! If it’s a big place with twenty mirrors, then I shall see twenty Anil Kumars! The more mirrors there are, the more Anil Kumars there are!
So left to myself, I am one; in the mirrors I am many. That is the cosmic I: only you, but in several forms. You are the same one in several forms. So the ‘individual I’ is the ‘cosmic I ’ in the many: the one in the many. I think I am clear. That has to be fully understood. How do we do that?
We follow Bhagavan’s discourses very closely because He does not leave us with questions. Our good God also supplies answers. If somebody leaves us with questions, it is the same as listening to the talk of a diplomat or a politician. Swami is neither. Out of His compassion, He gives a problem and suggests a solution. Now what is the solution that He has given? What should I do to grow from the individual to the cosmic I?
be alert and awake with your mind
Bhagavan has said that when you meet a person, when you face an object, or when you are in a situation, watch what is going on in your mind. Watch, be alert and be awake to all that is happening in your mind in any given situation.
Here’s a simple example. When I see this silver cup, what is my immediate thought? I wish I could own it! I hope that the owner hasn’t seen me, because I want to grab it! If he sees me, he may not invite me next Sunday! (Laughter) When we see something interesting, the mind naturally wants to own it.
When I meet a big officer I say, “Hello sir, how are you?”
But what I am really thinking is, “Can I ask him some favour? Oh! He is a convenor. Will he help me to sit in the front row?”
So, when we meet a person, we naturally make these connections. We wonder if it is possible to derive some kind of advantage or benefit from the situation. When we see an object, we want to own it if possible. When we see a beautiful building, we think, “Oh! How nice it would be if I lived there!” How can you live there? It is not your building! (Laughter)
If I go to a beautiful shopping mall, I think, “Wow! This is very interesting! Suppose it belonged to me?”
watch your thought process
So, the point is to watch the thought process and to observe how the mind thinks in a particular situation. Then you will understand that it needs so much correction. Normally we do not watch our thought process; we simply see an object and want to have it.
My thought will be, “Oh! This is so nice! I don’t have one at home. Very well, let me have it.” Then I preoccupy myself with thoughts about how to take it, wondering if I have ever seen such a thing anywhere, or whether it is available anywhere else. It is freely available here—it can be in my pocket! (Laughter)
Instead of getting identified with that thought--the thought that I have seen this and I want to acquire it--observe the thought and then you will realise how many thoughts are useless. “I have seen this small file and I want to have it. How petty! No, no! It’s not mine.”
Once you are watchful of your own thought process, then when you are in front of an individual or object, or in a particular situation, the thought process gets corrected on its own. It gets rectified and the intensity slows down.
A simple example: if I want to take away the file, but I watch my thoughts, I’ll think, “No, no! This file is beautiful, so let it be there. It will be more beautiful left there. Let me not take it.” The intensity of this feeling of grabbing it, of holding or possessing it, will slow down when you are watchful of your thoughts. Please understand this point.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI
Sri Ramana Maharshi developed a whole philosophy around this. What does He say? He says, “Be watchful of your thoughts.”
We watch everybody, but we do not watch ourselves. That is the tragedy. We know that the other is bad. All right, but we don’t know how bad we are. (Laughter) Maybe we are worse!
I know some who are good people, I know some who are bad people, but I don’t know whether I am good or bad. I always think I am the best! (Laughter) No hope of improvement for hundreds of lives to come. Impossible!
Therefore, my friends, Ramana Maharshi, one of the greatest sages the world has ever seen (the highest being Adi Shankara) always said, “Watch your mind, watch your thoughts and know how you are thinking.”
How can we know how we are thinking? Here is a simple example. A thought has come to me about lunch. I acknowledge this thought.
Another thought has come to me now: this evening there is a probability of Bangalore campus students putting on a programme because I see the warden walking on the veranda. So, now I acknowledge that this thought is there.
If anybody says that they don’t recognise their thoughts, that thoughts just come and go, I don’t agree. We have not yet got to the point of being a lunatic!
So, know your thoughts. Once you watch your thought process, the intensity and your reactions will slow down. You will get corrected, rectified, modified and altered on your own, says Ramana Maharshi. That is also what our Bhagavan says.
When you concentrate on god, you become god
Then we get to another point. Okay, I am devoted.
Some people say, “You know, Mr Anil Kumar, my wife is a great devotee.”
“That’s very good! How about you?” (Laughter)
Your wife is a devotee, but that doesn’t mean that she is going to donate 50% of her devotion to you. No! Some people say that they have been a devotee of Bhagavan for the last 50 years. “Please show me your service register!” (Laughter) It is all false you know. How we get carried away!
Baba tells us the way, my friends. I gain more and more benefit from collecting these thoughts and talking about these things. I get lost when I think of these things—the deepest, core philosophy that is most necessary.
Should we not go into the philosophy, go to the depth, to the very core of what Baba has said? I am not saying anything on my own. Let us know what Baba has said, lest we forget it. We have sugar-coated tablets. We take the sugar, but we don’t take the medicine. So, we forget the essence, the philosophy of what Baba said. That is the whole problem, a perennial problem!
Please, my friends, each statement of Bhagavan’s has to be deliberated and discussed at length, each of His beautiful statements. So what does He say?
You are a devotee. Yes, agreed. Now comes the problem: I am a devotee of Baba; devotion is a process between the devotee and Baba. There is a process of devotion, a link of devotion between the devotee and God. But what does Baba say about it now?
When you concentrate on God, sing in praise of God, this link disappears. There is no link anymore, no more connection, no more devotee—you are Baba. You are God! That is what Baba means whenever He says you are God. We get tired of hearing these things, because we know that we are not! (Laughter)
When I am thinking of a hot cup of coffee right now, how can I say I am God? (Laughter) We are not able to digest; we are not able to accept the fundamental Truth that we are all God. We are not able to accept it because we have our own idiosyncrasies, preferences, choices and weaknesses.
you are GOD – “aham brahmasmi”
What does Baba say? He says that when you sing bhajans or meditate on God, you think it is bhakti or devotion. But slowly this process stops, and you become a non-entity, you are That. Aham Brahmasmi—I am That. That’s all. That is the reason why some people get lost in meditation.
When Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was in a meditative mood, people thought that He was gone. His parents cried very close to His ear, “Oh! Come, come, what has happened to you?”
Then after some time, He would come to consciousness. In meditation, at the age of eight years, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa lost himself. He became stone-like. Why? He was not there, only the Divine was present. When ‘I’ am here, meditating on God, I will be looking at my watch thinking, “Oh! 11:10 am…five more minutes now.” (Laughter)
When ‘I’ remain, am I comfortable? I wonder if the microphone is working properly and if people are listening to me. When ‘I’ am not there, there is no time. When ‘I’ am not there, there is no space. Then who is there? Only He is there. That is the process of evolution, of progress of the spiritual heart.
So, in the beginning, I am God, the next state is only God. In the first state, when both God and I remain, there are factors like time and space. Once only God is there, there is no ‘I’, and there is no question of time and space. That is what Bhagavan says in one of His discourses.
Naturally, we are very intelligent people, because we are born in the computer age. So we may ask, “All right, when He and I are one, why should I come to Sai Kulwant Hall? Why come to darshan? What happens when I see Bhagavan?” The fundamental question is this: what happens in the presence of Bhagavan?
Baba’s Divine vibrations spread all AROUND DURING darshan
We don’t say it loudly because others may misunderstand us and think that we are atheists or non-believers, but what happens during darshan? When you and God are one, what happens during darshan? When God is in you and you are in God, when there is no link like devotion, when you do not exist, and only He exists, why should you go to Sai Kulwant Hall for darshan? This is the question that Bhagavan answers, my friends.
Swami gives a simple example. A flower’s fragrance is all around. The flower may be here, but the fragrance will spread all over. Am I not right? Similarly, Baba may be on the dais, but His Divine vibrations will spread all around. We are all touched by the Divine vibrations.
We have enough of the kind of vibrations we receive from our friends. Sometimes they even cause high blood-pressure. They are rotten vibrations. So it is necessary to be in the company of holy people. It is very necessary that we should be in good company--that we should be in the company of good seekers, aspirants and knowledgeable people, because they have positive vibrations. Therefore, in the presence of Baba, we receive Divine vibrations.
Okay! How do I know that I receive vibrations? If I receive prasadam I know because I can eat it! (Laughter) How do you know when you receive vibrations?
you will get transformed unknowingly in baba’s presence
Baba has said this: the proof of receiving vibrations is that you will come out of your vasanas or bad habits. You will slowly come out of those old bestial habits, the animal qualities of self-centeredness and selfishness. You will come out of that old cocoon of selfishness. You will slowly take off that cloak of body identification. You will slowly come out from under that blanket of self-centeredness. That is the effect of the vibrations.
I’m already bad; but if I am in the company of a bad fellow, then with the effect of his vibrations, I become worse. Whereas, in the company of Baba, there is a possibility of evolution, of getting transformed unknowingly. That is the greatness of Divine vibrations.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa touched the head of Vivekananda and immediately Vivekananda had a transcendental experience and became a saint. When Swami looks at you, you are transported to another world. When Swami talks to you, you are on the top of the world. When you look at Him, you are joyful. He need not talk to you, He need not touch you. If you look at Him, you will get transformed naturally. These are Divine vibrations.
Please understand, my friends: Baba has said that one look is enough to bring about transformation. The silence of the Divine Master is eloquence, is a message. The silence of the Divine Master brings about unbelievable transformation. Swami may be sitting there silently, but transformation takes place within you unknowingly. That is the greatness of a Divine Master.
Thank you very much for being here. We will continue next week. God bless you.
Next week is the last Sunday before Sivarathri. So next Sunday we will have literature relating to Siva. I will certainly talk to you about Siva and all Baba has said about Siva - the spirit of Siva, the philosophy of Sivarathri and the observance of the Sivarathri festival.
Hopefully, prayerfully, see you on the same day, at the same time, next week. God bless you.
Sai Ram. (Applause)
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
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki Jai!