“I am a Man and Not an Animal”
March 30, 2008
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
I AM A MAN, NOT AN ANIMAL
Thanks to Swami for having made this Sunday satsang a reality. There is one statement made by Swami repeatedly: “I am a man, not an animal.” This is a simple statement made by Bhagavan. Those of you who are familiar with Sai literature, and those of you who have heard His audio cassettes or CDs, will recall this statement. Swami wants everyone to say—within one’s own self—this statement, “I am a man, not an animal.” (Of course, the word man includes women also.)
What does this statement mean? It requires some thought and application to our daily lives. Let us analyse what Swami meant, when He said, “I am a man, not an animal.” That is the topic of the day.
There are two aspects to this statement: first, I should establish that I am a man; second, I should also establish and prove that I am not an animal. These two things are my responsibilities now: to live up to the expectation that I am a human being, and also live and prove that I am not an animal.
My friends, most of you must have heard of the word ‘evolution’. Charles Darwin, in his book Origin of Species, speaks of this evolution. The evolution that Darwin speaks of has many dimensions and aspects. Since we have a professor of biology in the audience from Allahabad University, Professor Anupam Dixit, I am quite tempted to speak about evolution. I am sure the learned professor would agree with my statement.
The theory of evolution states that mineral matter came first. Mineral matter gradually evolved into trees, the trees slowly evolved into animals, and animals evolved into the human race, homo sapiens, or mankind. This is the process of evolution: matter, plant, animals, birds and then, above all, man—in that sequence. This is the evolutionary ladder; each rung in this ladder speaks of the course of evolution. This is the general understanding we have. Many biologists say man is the descendant of the monkey. It is very funny to hear and difficult to accept, but we have proved the fact many times.
unconscious EVOLUTION
Therefore my friends, let us understand the term evolution. I am not speaking in biological terms; I am not going to use any scientific jargon here. Let us think of evolution from a spiritual dimension or angle.
Evolution, as it is in biology, is unconscious evolution. No stone knows that it is going to evolve into a tree; no tree knows that it is going to evolve into an animal. No animal knows that it is going to evolve into a man. It is an unconscious process.
If you tell a tree, “Oh tree, don’t worry, you are going to evolve into animals, you are going to evolve into human society,” people will laugh at you. Trees and animals do not know, but evolution is happening. Whether the monkey wants it or not, it has evolved into man in the course of evolution. The monkey does not know. All evolution that has taken place until now is unconscious evolution. That is the first point.
Point two: whether they want it or not, evolution happens. For example, a plant cannot say, “I don’t want to evolve, so let me sit.” No, it must evolve. An animal cannot say, “I don’t want evolution.” So, evolution in biology is choice-less and unconscious.
Being a teacher, I speak in points. Please pardon me. I teach in the classroom in the same way. In spite of that, some people don’t come up to my expectations. Just yesterday when I was correcting papers, to my utter disappointment, I came to know that the girls performed better than the boys in my classroom. The girls are taught by madams, and they have written the papers far better than my boys here. It is a personal insult to me. What happened? (Laughter) Tomorrow I will finish reading the papers. I am talking to you here, but I am thinking about how I am going to handle those fellows tomorrow! (Laughter)
Point three: evolution is automatic. Whether you want it or not, you evolve. Matter automatically becomes plant kingdom—this is automatic, natural and mechanical. In biology, evolution is automatic, natural, choice-less, and unconscious. Kindly remember these words. This is what happens with regard to mineral matter, the plant world, the animal world, finally ending up in man.
Conscious evolution
Now let us divert. I am a man, not an animal. Hereafter, I must evolve in a different direction. I cannot evolve in the same way as before. Matter, plant, animal evolved unconsciously, but I must evolve consciously. From here onwards, conscious evolution starts. I know what is happening within me, I know what my frame of mind is. I know what I am thinking, how my lifestyle is changing, and how my relationships with friends are changing. There is a paradigm shift in my life pattern, a metamorphosis in my lifestyle. This kind of knowing comes with man. Plants do not know, animals do not know, mineral matter does not know—only man knows what is happening. Therefore, my friends, from now on, conscious evolution should take place. Till now, unconscious evolution has taken place. From now on, conscious evolution should take place.
Plants, animals, mineral matter evolve, whether they like it or not, as I said: it is natural, automatic, choice-less evolution. But as a man, if I want to evolve, I should decide to evolve. That is why we are here. We are all in Prashanti Nilayam, at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan, because all of us want to evolve into higher beings.
We have comfortable homes, relations, and properties elsewhere. We were born a long distance away. We grew up elsewhere. Why have we come here? We have all come here because we want to evolve. We have decided to evolve, and we have chosen to evolve—unlike animals, plants, or mineral matter. My friends, as a man I should choose to evolve.
MAN HAS The FREEDOM OF CHOICE
I can also choose not to evolve. Some people have chosen not to come to this place; they have decided not to evolve. They have the freedom to choose! We have come here because we have decided to evolve. A plant has no option. An animal has no option. But man has the choice to evolve or not to evolve.
Now let us think: if I choose not to evolve, what will happen to me? If I say, “I don’t want to know about God, I don’t want to know about the Self. I don’t want anything at all, I don’t want to evolve. Please allow me to remain where I am.” Some people may respond, “Let sleeping dogs lie! Let them lie down.”
My friends, by choosing not to evolve, what will happen to us? We remain where we are! We go back into our past, just as plants or animals remain, passing through unconscious evolution. If I don’t want to evolve, I remain static—dead matter from the point of evolution. So I am dead and gone. I am passive, inactive, and inert like an animal, if I choose not to evolve. That is what Baba meant when He said, “I am not an animal.” I think I am clear.
Before I say, “I am a man,” let me be clear, “I am not an animal.” Let me first know that I am not an animal. If I say that I am not an animal, what should I do? I should choose to evolve. I should decide to evolve because evolution in me is not going to be an automatic, spontaneous, natural, circumstantial, evidential, sequence of events. If I want to evolve as a man, I should decide.
Having decided, I must make an effort to evolve. We don’t see a plant praying or worshipping. We don’t see an animal meditating. No, they evolve effortlessly. But man evolves through effort and struggle. I should make an effort to evolve. First, decide to evolve, and then secondly, make an effort to evolve. This is called conscious evolution. Till now, unconscious evolution has taken place. My friends, I think I am clear.
conscious evolution TAKES MAN to Divinity
I should make an effort, and struggle to get into the stream of conscious evolution. Then we may ask a question: when a plant could become an animal, or when animal could become man unconsciously, naturally, mechanically, automatically, happily, without effort or struggle, why should I make an effort? Why should I struggle? Then what am I going to become?
I can understand that animal can become man, but by making an effort, by passing through this struggle, by this conscious evolution, what am I going to be? Am I going to be a superman, or a ghost, or a devil, or an angel? What am I going to become? Am I going to become, or am I going to realise? Am I going to experience that I am God?
Unconscious evolution has taken four steps: mineral matter, plants, animals, finally reaching the state of man. Now conscious evolution will take man to a state of Divinity, and make man experience God. This is not automatic, not natural or spontaneous. This needs effort, struggle, conviction, and decision.
SPIRITUALITY STARTS where science ends
One may question this way, “O merciful God, when You helped all those creatures, animals, and plants evolve automatically on their own, why did You curse man by making him struggle to evolve? Why? Why don’t You grant me conscious evolution to realise that I am God freely?”
“O man, you are God.” Why can’t He say that? Because He has designed unconscious evolution to take place automatically, as any student of biology knows. On the other hand, conscious evolution needs courage. It is an adventure. Unconscious evolution happens in a split second, whereas conscious evolution is an adventure that requires effort, courage, conviction and struggle, as I said.
Why did God decide to do it this way? Why? My friends, I would like to inform you: evolution in biology has ended with man. That is all. Biology has not said what will happen to man thereafter. Biology has stated all the previous steps: mineral matter, plants and trees, animals and man, and then stopped. Spirituality begins now. Where biology has washed its hands, silently with folded hands, spirituality has taken charge. What does spirituality say? It says, “O man, now evolve. Make every effort now. Decide to know that you are God.” That is what spirituality says.
do not take things for granted
Now our question is: why should there be struggle and effort at all? Why can’t I realise that I am God? My friends, we all have one quality: we ignore the value of anything that is given freely. Take the poor housewife, poor not from a financial point of view, but poor referring to an innocent girl, a simple lady. She makes breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner diligently, excellently, tastefully and dutifully. The husband does not know her value. I have yet to come across husbands who thank their wives for making a good breakfast. People may do it—there are exceptions—but most husbands eat in a hurry, put on a necktie and shoes, and go to the office immediately, that is all. Then they come home for lunch, swallow some stuff, and go.
We don’t relish and enjoy our food made by the better half. Why? She simply supplies, she simply serves—that’s all—so she is ignored. But if you go to your friend’s house, and your friend’s wife serves a cup of coffee, you thank her. “The coffee is very nice.” (Laughter) What happened to this fellow? Why can’t he thank his wife? (Laughter) When he goes to a house as a visitor, and lunch or curry is served, he says, “Ah, very nice, nobody can make chutney like this.” Or “This is the first time I have eaten a lunch of such a high standard!” What happened to all those compliments at home? What happened to appreciation at home? It is simply because we take things for granted.
Those who reside here permanently come for darshan, take darshan and go. It is mechanical, automatic darshan. But those who pray, those who wait, and those who save money for a long time to make a journey (Laughter), look at Bhagavan, and we find tears rolling.
Let me not mention the name of a gentleman who is here, because he will be embarrassed if I mention his name. He is from Seattle, USA. Yesterday I saw him shedding tears, while watching Swami. I don’t shed a single tear. Why not? We find some devotees whose faces are like a thousand watt bulb while watching Swami, whereas my face is like a zero watt bulb. Why? It is because I have taken things for granted. I am a resident here, so I get first row: there is no thrill, excitement, joy, ecstasy, bliss, or surprise. Things are taken for granted.
Therefore, the good Lord knows this fellow will never realise the value of enlightenment. This fellow is still an animal. He doesn’t know what enlightenment is; he doesn’t understand what bliss is. Therefore He will bless him with enlightenment, awakening, only if he struggles and makes an effort. Without struggle or effort, He will not give bliss or enlightenment. Otherwise, we fellows will not know the value of enlightenment, and we will not realise it.
THE REVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION
This is very important, my friends: to know the value of Bhagavan and His darshan we should make some effort. We should also struggle. Then we will understand what it is. When the morning darshan is cancelled, the evening darshan becomes more precious. Since I didn’t have darshan in the morning, in the evening I am more eager to get His darshan. Since I could not see Him yesterday, I am more anxious to see Him today. Since I saw Bhagavan last year and have been waiting twelve months, when I see Him, tears roll down my cheeks automatically. Where there is effort and struggle, there is ecstasy, surprise, joy and bliss. Please understand this. That is why our good God, in all His mercy and compassion, wants us to struggle and make an effort to get into the process of conscious evolution.
Shall I say evolution now? No. Where there is struggle and effort, it is no more evolution, it is revolution. In biology, from matter to man is unconscious evolution, while man realising God is conscious evolution. It is really revolution, meaning evolution through revolution, because it involves struggle and effort. These are the three very precious aspects which I really wanted to share with you this morning.
spirituality is parapsychology
Another point: modern thought centres on psychology. I don’t think of mind existing in matter, or consciousness existing in the lower levels of life. In the lower levels of life, I don’t think consciousness exists; but in man, I think of consciousness. Looking at a stone, I don’t say, “I see consciousness in this stone.” I don’t say that. But this consciousness is in man. So evolution of man means evolution of consciousness.
Evolution of consciousness begins with man, and it should take him to the level of the Divine. This is revolution, as I said, and should be called spiritual growth. Today, in modern society, people always think of the mind: how the mind acts, conducts, directs, manoeuvres, and manages. This is called psychology. But spirituality is parapsychology: it is beyond the mind.
The study of that which is beyond the mind, what we call consciousness, is conscious evolution. Conscious evolution requires travel beyond the mind, or we can say it is transcendental. Conscious evolution is transcendental; unconscious evolution is automatic and natural. Conscious evolution amounts to spiritual growth. Unconscious evolution involves physical growth: as when a plant or an animal grows huge, or when the nervous or the circulatory systems grow more and more. Physical growth is unconscious evolution, mental growth is in man.
To be transcendental—beyond the mind—is the ultimate state of conscious evolution. My friends, in the course of conscious evolution what should I do? I should go beyond the mind. I should be transcendental. I should experience what is beyond the mind. Only then can I say that I am a man. This is the second aspect.
spiritual evolution is individualistic
I am a man, not an animal. If I don’t grow beyond the mind, if I remain at the state of the mind, or if I come down still further to the level of the senses—I am not man, I am an animal. I can say that. Why? I have come down to the level of the senses, I have come down to the level of the body, and therefore I am only an animal. But if I grow beyond the senses, the body, and the mind, I am man. If I go beyond the mind, I am God.
My friends, conscious evolution will make man experience God. God can be experienced in the transcendental state, or ‘no mind’ state, or ‘beyond mind’ state, a state to be obtained or attained by effort and struggle. This is called spiritual growth.
Another point to which I would like to draw your attention is this: all plants evolve together, all animals evolve together, but do we all evolve together? No, that’s impossible. One may be an evolved soul or one may not be; one is realised and another is yet to realise; one experiences, another is yet to experience. We are not uniform, but all plants are uniform, all animals are uniform. No two persons are uniform or alike, not even twins. Even among twins, there are differences.
None of us are alike. Why? Conscious evolution is individual, while unconscious evolution is collective. All plants grow, all animals grow; they all evolve en mass. But man does not evolve collectively, because the individual is important in conscious evolution. It is your individual choice. We don’t evolve collectively. Therefore conscious evolution is individualistic, while unconscious evolution is collective. Unconscious evolution is physical, while conscious evolution is spiritual. This is what I would like to share with you.
UNDERSTAND SWAMI’S STATEMENTS
Then what should we do now? What is it that Baba does in His discourses? How does Baba help us in this course of conscious evolution? My friends, as I said in the beginning of my talk, when I heard the statement, “I am man, not an animal,” Baba’s repeatedly saying it made me think in this direction. I collected some points about this morning’s topic, so I can assimilate and understand that statement.
I think all of you can agree that most of us quote Baba at our own convenience. Suppose a fellow does not come for darshan. If we ask him, “Why did you not come for darshan?” do you know what he replies? He says, “Baba says duty is God. Therefore I have not come for darshan. I was doing my duties.” But Baba has also said darshan is a boon, a bonus, a fulfilment, a reward given to you as a result of the merit accrued over several past lives. Whereas this fellow says, “Duty is God, therefore I miss darshan,” for his own convenience.
swami’S statements have deeper meaning
My friends, most of us—I don’t say all of us, but most of us—quote Baba freely at our convenience to support our stand, action, or argument. But this is not correct. Here is a simple example: “Slow and steady wins the race” is a proverb. Baba says, “Haste makes waste, and waste makes worry, so don’t be in a hurry.” But there is also another statement, “Start early, drive slowly, reach safely.” These are the two statements.
What should we do now? The fellow who wants to do things hurriedly must slow down; a fellow who is dead slow must be made to run fast. One thing is applicable to a single situation. For example, suppose I want to meditate, but I cannot. I say, “Waste makes worry, so don’t be in a hurry,” and postpone meditation to the next lifetime! But that quotation is not applicable in this case. Should I postpone meditation until 2009 or 2010? What I should say is, “Start early; start meditation today!” All of us have learned to quote Baba freely, but we do not know or understand the application of the quote.
We don’t make an effort to understand every statement in depth. Every statement should be understood in depth. It begins with me—why you?—it begins with me! When I heard this statement, “I am man, not an animal,” I thought I should do something or learn something about it. I thought I should think seriously about itp; then I could connect all these points. In this way, my friends, you are helping me by attending satsang. We are helping each other by deliberating about each of Bhagavan’s statements, so we can apply them to our life situations. This is the objective of the satsang.
you are not the body, mind, or intellect – you are God
What is Baba doing now for my conscious evolution, for me to know that I am God? What is Baba doing now? I know I need to struggle and make an effort. I need to decide to evolve. What does He do? Why should I come here? I can be more comfortable in my native place, so why should I come here? What does He do here? What does Sadguru confer or grant to us, as we go through this conscious evolution of rising from manhood to Godhood? From animal-hood we have come to manhood; from manhood we should rise to Godhood.
So what does Baba do for this process? If you go through at least ten of His discourses—choose any ten from any decade, the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s—you will get the essence of His teachings. Read any ten of them. What does He do? What does He convey in His discourses? What He says is this: “You are not the body, you are not the mind, you are not the intellect, and you are not the senses,” nothing else. “You are Divine. You are also God.” This is the statement repeated by Baba in almost every discourse, or every other discourse. Why? This is the main sadhana we should undertake.
swami repeatedly reminds us
Somebody asked Baba, “Swami, You always talk about prema (Divine Love). Why every time?”
“It is because you don’t have prema. I should repeat it more often.” Baba also said, “Why do you worry if I repeat myself? You eat repeatedly, you drink coffee repeatedly, you wear clothing repeatedly, you gossip repeatedly, and you spread rumours repeatedly.”
Already rumours have started. “When is Baba going?” someone asked me. “When is Baba going?” I said, “When He is here, why do you worry about His going? (Laughter) Why should you think of His going, when He is here?” You have nothing else to talk about, therefore you ask this question. I really don’t like this question.
Once, in a private conversation, I told Swami, “Swami, someone wanted to know when you are going.” I know it’s a very risky thing to say to Swami. Whatever answer I give, He will put me in a hot oven, I know. I know I am running a risk.
Immediately Baba asked, “What did you say?” He wanted to know directly from me what I had told the questioner (Laughter), so that I would be held within my limits.
I answered, “Swami, I told him that You are not going.”
Then Baba replied, “How do you know? (Laughter) Did I tell you I am not going? How do you know?”
I said, “I want You to stay here. (Laughter) I wish You would continue to stay here. People saying that You are going is a rumour. When I say You are here, it is a fact.”
“Manchidelevayya annaru,” He said. “It is okay.”
Somehow I came out of that Divine risk without being finished off! (Laughter) It is highly risky to answer God. When we are not able to talk to our fellow man, it is even more difficult to talk to God! Silence is golden in front of Him. Unless one’s insurance policy is ready for maturity (Laughter), it is a risky thing.
BABA removes Layers of attachment
My friends, to help you in the process of conscious evolution, Baba removes the outer layer. Remove the coat, remove the shirt, remove the banyan (undershirt), so that you will see the chest—removing layer after layer. He removes the first layer of senses, the second layer of body attachment, the third layer of identification with the mind, and the fourth layer of the feeling of intellectual domain. Then He takes you to reality.
The process is somewhat like eating an orange: when we eat an orange, we don’t swallow like an elephant, do we? No, we don’t. We take off the peel, remove the skin, and eat it. Baba also removes the peel, something like peeling an onion. When you remove all the peels of an onion, what do you find inside? Hari Om! Nothing! Nothing! We eat onions, but we have not tested this—please do so. Take your wife’s permission this morning. Take one onion and try this: keep removing peels. What do you find at the end? Nothing, only space! Sarvam shunyam, that’s what Buddha said. Everything is empty, there is no peel. There is no name, no form, empty, that is, Divine. Nameless, formless, emptiness is Divinity and is God.
THE PROCESS OF REMOVING ATTACHMENT
First, Baba removes the peels of the body, mind and intellect, thereby helping us in the course of conscious evolution. Secondly, what does He do? Baba gives a number of examples. He really takes many pains to talk to us, to convince each one of us.
On this topic I can speak for a couple of days, because as a teacher, that is what I do. I only collect facts and repeat, as in a classroom. But I know you are far better than me in every aspect. All of you practice at least one or two aspects of Swami’s advice. I repeat like a parrot, that’s all. So I am perfecting myself as a teacher, while you are perfecting yourself as a seeker. You are the seeker, while I am the teacher. Sometime we should exchange our positions and let me be like you.
My friends, the second point: after removing all the peels, Baba speaks of your inner being, the Atma. He speaks of your inner being and makes you feel it, experience it. When Swami speaks of Atma, or Divinity, or of our inner being, you feel a shock. Swami speaks of the inner being hidden in you. He brings it to light and makes you experience what it is. That’s the second point. First, remove the peel. Second, reveal the Being.
Three: recently Baba said, “Those of you who are in Prashanti Nilayam are very fortunate. You have bhajans (devotional singing) morning and evening; in the early hours of the morning, you have Suprabhatam (morning awakening chant). You have the good company of other devotees. It is not easy to get company like this.”
VACATION WITH RELATIVES
If we go for a holiday to our native places, most of our relatives don’t want us to be with them. Let me be very honest: they don’t want us to be with them, and we don’t want to be with them either. So it is only a forced union—togetherness because of pressure. We go for a holiday and we spend time with our relatives. What do they talk about? They talk about plots and flats, jewels, their promotions and bank accounts, their status and dignity—things in which we are not at all interested. It is a bit boring to hear about that. We left them and came here. Why hear the same record again?
It is a bit boring to hear the talk of our relatives when we go for vacation. It is true for everyone. And they don’t want us there. Why? They are thinking, “This fellow is a stone, not contributing. When I speak about market shares, when I speak of a higher percentage of interest in this or that bank, that fellow is like a stone, not smiling. His mind is somewhere else, trying to avoid me.” So we are a killjoy to them and we want to run away from them. This is a holiday? How ridiculous it is! We go for a vacation, and this is how we spend our vacation. Sometimes we decide it is better not to go. Why should I get tortured unnecessarily?
THE ATMOSPHERE OF PRASHANTI
Sometimes we think of our stay in Prashanti Nilayam while we are attending an event, perhaps a wedding. Suddenly we find some poor chaps around us, and we tell them that this is normally darshan time in Prashanti Nilayam. It is wedding time there, and we speak of darshan time. They may reply, “A wedding is going on, so why do you speak of darshan?” Though you are physically there, you are mentally here. That split is agonising; that split is torture. That is tension.
Therefore, it is better to remain where we are. Like those people thinking of properties multiplying, let us think of what we have been thinking about all along. Baba said we have bhajans and Suprabhatam given to us here, which help us grow beyond the physical and experience the transcendental. The only way transcendental experience is possible is through our routine and schedule in Prashanti Nilayam.
When bhajans are going on full speed, where are you? Where am I? Bhajans may be going on in tempo, a very popular bhajan. The boys know very well the preferences and choices of Bhagavan. They see His mood and sing songs. Naturally He is lost and we are lost. We are lost; the boys know that. Sometimes, when they go on singing songs composed by Swami forty or fifty years ago, Swami once again becomes Vatapatra Sai, or Sri Ranga Sai, that is, the child Sai. When we think of His bhajans, we are also lost in ecstasy.
Therefore, my friends, we find that we grow in Prashanti Nilayam. Baba has given us an atmosphere in which we can grow from the physical to the transcendental. Baba has blessed us with this atmosphere. This is the third thing that He does—help us grow beyond.
swami helps us experience Three States
The fourth point is this: Swami helps us experience that which is not known to us till now. Before coming here, what do we know? We know the taste of coffee only! We know the taste of sweets and hot stuff, we know the taste of arguments, and we know the taste of everything. But after coming to Baba, we have the taste of something we did not know till now, meaning He takes you from the known to the unknown.
First, He makes you know that you do not yet know the unknown. You know only the known, such as shirts, houses, and all material things. But He will make you know the unknown also. There is God, a Master, behind all this. There is a Director behind all this. This is not the end of all things. In the last state, the third state, He will make you know that which is unknowable. This is a dangerous point!
There are three states: first, that which is known; second, that which is unknown. He will make you know that there is God. If I have not known till now about God, then I should know about God. I should concentrate, contemplate, and meditate. Finally, He will make you know that which is unknowable.
From known, to unknown, to unknowable—these are the three states, my friends. Bhagavan will help us know the unknowable: avyaktha, meaning inexpressible; achinchya, that which is incomprehensible; and gupta, or hidden, beyond the mind, therefore unknowable. If it is within the mind, it is knowable. That which is known is known by the mind only; that which is unknown is known by the mind only. How about the unknowable? The mind is useless then!
THE mind cannot fathom divine knowledge
The mind cannot know the unknowable, because the mind is only the instrument for the known and the unknown. The unknown can be known at a later time, but the mind is not the instrument used to reach the unknowable. Unknowable Divinity is to be experienced. That is the course of evolution: to experience the unknowable is sadhana.
To know that which is unknowable is Divine knowledge. All that we speak about is only knowledge, not Divine knowledge. Divine knowledge is Brahma Vidya. All that we speak about is vidya, or knowledge. Vidya or knowledge is knowable; Brahma Vidya or spiritual knowledge is unknowable. Vidya, knowledge, is knowable by the mind. Brahma Vidya, the unknowable, is beyond the mind. These are the things that we learn from Bhagavan’s discourses, and Bhagavan says these things repeatedly to many people.
Someone says, “Swami, I’ll do this, I’ll do that.”
You know what Baba says? He says, “How long do you want to do that? How long do you want to practice the letters a, b, and c? How long?”
“Sir, I am only thirty-five.”
“What are you doing?”
“I am learning alphabets: a, b, c.”
“I see. Very good.”
This is not the place for him! Put him in the zoo! So as one’s age advances, one should also advance in spiritual practice or sadhana. One should also advance in spiritual awareness, spiritual understanding. Therefore Baba is not concerned about what you are or what you do. Please understand that Baba is not concerned about what you do.
Some people may say, “Swami, I meditate.”
“Very good.”
“Swami, I sing bhajans.”
“Very good.”
“Swami, I do a lot of work.”
“Very good.”
He is not concerned about it. Baba is concerned about what you can be, not what you are doing, but what you can be. Here is a simple example: He is not bothered about the seed; He is bothered about the tree that would come from it. A seed is the potential, and is capable of growing into a huge tree. Similarly, man is capable of experiencing God. That is Baba’s concern. Baba’s concern is not what you are doing; Baba’s concern is what you can be. That’s what it is.
reaching godhood is our goal
My friends, Swami speaks of a manhood which is altogether new to all of us. Manhood is in between Godhead and animal. I am in between animal and God—I am a man. Manhood should reach, attain, and experience Godhead. That is the final state which we call conscious evolution, for which we need to make an effort and struggle with conviction. So I am a man, not an animal, is the topic of the day.
Thank you very much for your time. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you. God bless you. Sai Ram.
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