| | Issue 243 - August 29, 2021 | | ātmano mokshārtam (Emancipation of one's self) | | Excerpt From Divine Discourse | What Happens When You Truly Believe That You Are God?
We all have heard that God exists in everything and in everyone. If God can exist as a fish swimming in water, as a tortoise crawling on land, as a bird flying in the sky, and can come out of an inert pillar as a half-man half-lion form (Narasimha Avatar), then He can definitely come in the form of a human too. In fact, God's ways are unique and mysterious. Those who try to understand God with their minds and the faculty of their senses, only meet with failure. The one who cannot be described in words and cannot be understood by the mind is Divinity, says the ancient Indian scriptures. Therefore, it is a waste of effort to analyse, to understand, to describe, and explain God and His ways. However, if one tries to open the heart without any reservations and ideologies, and experiences God as the sweet, nectarine, divine, pure, blemishless, unconditional love—that alone is the experience and understanding of Divinity.
As you progress further on this path of spirituality, you will realise that you are not different from God. This realisation that God and you are one is available to all; in fact, it is the very birthright of all, provided one is ready to put efforts on the spiritual path. The less of 'i' and more of 'Sai' is the key. God may take any form at any point in time. From this day onwards, let us understand that 'All are Divine'. When you believe truly that you are Divine, all that which is not Divine in you—your attachments, ego, and all the negativity will simply disappear, just as the dew drops vanish when the sun rises in the sky. When this ātmodayaḥ happens, when you realise the Divine spirit within, all these dew drops of ego, attachments, greed, anger, etc. just disappears.
The world needs examples to follow. If someone has done it, others get the confidence that they too can do it. Therefore, I am only presenting an example and encouraging everyone, so that everyone believes that they are Divine. Get rid of all that which is not Divine; and follow this path of spirituality and service till you completely establish yourself in truth. An excerpt from the Divine Discourse delivered by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai on the auspicious Guru Purnima day – July 18, 2019 | | INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK | "Your belief become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny." - Mahatma Gandhi
| | Great Truths In Little Stories | The Missing Tenth Member
Ten students used to study together under a wise, learned and a realised guru. One day, they all went to attend a function in the neighboring village. While travelling, they came across a river which they crossed safely with absolute ease. However, on their return journey, there was a heavy downpour and flash flood due to which they found themselves inundated by the strong currents of water that flowed in torrents in the very same river. Somehow, with great difficulty they managed to reach the shore.
After relaxing for some time on the river bank, the leader of the group wanted to make sure that all the ten members in their group was safe and no one was drowned or lost. Therefore, he took a quick head count. To his great dismay, he found out that only nine were present in the group and somehow one among them was missing. That made him very anxious.
He wanted to make sure that he made no mistake. Therefore, he asked others to line up before him and took a re-count by touching each one of them. Still, his count didn't match the total. This alarmed him and the others in the group as well. One of the students offered to recheck the count. He exchanged the place with the leader and counted just as the leader did. He too found that only nine students were present and the tenth one was missing.
At last, the count was confirmed as nine and they realised that a tragedy had struck them. The tenth student was mysteriously missing. They did not know what happened, but somehow their number did not tally. Therefore, all of them sat on the river bank and began crying and wailing, since they believed that they had lost their kin in the flood accident.
At that time, a jñānī (wise man) happened to pass that way. He was a wandering mendicant, who had spent considerable time in contemplation and austerities. Seeing the group of students lamenting, he took pity on them and enquired about their problem. The students, who were sobbing uncontrollably, narrated to him the whole story and explained how they had lost one of their mates. After listening to them, the wise man understood their problem.
Having realised what had happened, the wandering wise man assured them that there was no cause for worry. "No one is missing. It is just your delusion or ignorance that makes you feel that you have lost one of your peers", the wise man said. Encouraged by his words, the students took refuge in him and approached him with a request to enlighten them.
He made them stand in line and asked the leader to count them again. The leader counted all his friends and came up with the number nine. The wise man interrupted the leader, caught hold of his hand and pointed it towards the leader and asked him to count himself. The leader instantly understood that he excluded himself from the count and he was indeed the so-called missing tenth person. He was filled with joy as he figured out that all were safe and no one was missing. The students felt happy and relieved. They rejoiced in the knowledge that they all have crossed the river without anyone missing. With great relief and joy in their hearts, they profusely thanked the teacher for opening their eyes, correcting their mistake and enlightening them with wisdom.
In Creation, everything is objectified, starting from the body of a person to the universe itself. Within the microcosm of the body, the gross and subtle components such as senses, mind, ego, intelligence, breath, speech, heart, etc. are objectified. While counting the organs or parts of the body, we do not count the soul/Self. The māyā (illusion) of the creation is that, all these receptors of knowledge in the body try and seek to experience sensory objects outside, rather than turning inwards and finding the Self within.
पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत्स्वयम्भूस्तस्मात्पराङ्पश्यति नान्तरात्मन् ।
parāñci khāni vyatṛṇatsvayambhūstasmātparāṅpaśyati nāntarātman |
Meaning: The senses are created to go outwards and experience the world outside and not seek the ātman within.
The knowledge of the Self is the ultimate knowledge. It is the true knowledge which dispels one's ignorance and delusion. By knowing the Self, one overcomes all the dualities of life and can be established in eternal bliss and peace. | Simply Follow the Wise Words
Guru is an inextricable part of every individual's life. It is the Guru, who shows, guides and helps one to traverse on the spiritual path till one reaches the ultimate destination. It is impossible to reach the goal without the guidance and grace of a Guru.
Not all born on this planet are bestowed with this blessing, to find a true Guru who is realised and established in the Truth. It is given to a few chosen ones, who are personally hand-picked by the almighty Himself.
Sri Adi Shankaracharya in His literary work vivekacūḍāmaṇi says,
शास्त्रस्य गुरुवाक्यस्य सत्यबुद्ध्यवधारणम् । सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते ॥
śāstrasya guruvākyasya satyabuddhyavadhāraṇam | sā śraddhā kathitā sadbhiryayā vastūpalabhyate ||
Meaning: Sages define śraddhā or faith as—acceptance with firm judgment, the truth behind the words of the scriptures and the Guru, which alone leads to the experience of reality.
Only when the disciple completely surrenders himself/herself at the lotus feet of the Master and believes in His words without questioning Him, and tries to imbibe His teachings in daily life, the disciple can reach the ultimate destination.
Earlier Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and now Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai has been reminding the entire human race that everything and everyone is Divine. His mantra is—ahaṃbrahma sarvaṃ brahma—I am Divine and so is everyone else.
Let these words be etched in every single heart, so much so that it manifests itself as reality. Having received such a rare and blessed opportunity to learn under the direct tutelage of a Sadguru, let us sanctify every moment of our lives with the experience of His teaching. | | Can You Believe It? - Just Believe! | Belief Breathes Life into Words
A milkmaid used to supply milk to a learned brahmin priest living on the other side of a river. Owing to the irregularities of the boat service, the milkmaid could not be punctual in supplying milk to the priest, many a day.
Once, when she was rebuked for her late arrival, the poor woman said, "What can I do? I start early from my house, but I've to wait for a long time at the river bank for the boatman and co-passengers."
The priest exclaimed, "Woman! There are people who cross the ocean of life by uttering the 'name' of God, and can't you cross this small river?" The simple-hearted woman instantly became glad on learning that there is such an easy means to cross the river—the name of God! From the following day, she continued to supply milk early in the morning, at the right time that she was supposed to. One of the days, after observing the consistent punctuality of the woman, the priest asked the woman, "How is it that you are no longer late now-a-days?" The milkmaid replied, "I cross the river by uttering the name of the Lord as you asked me to do. Now, I don't need the assistance of a boatman to cross the river."
The priest could not believe this. He said, "Can you show me how you cross the river?" The woman walked up to the river bank and continued walking on the river like as if she was walking on the land. Witnessing the unbelievable sight, the priest thought of trying it out. So, he went near the river bank and lifted his dhoti (lower garment) and kept his feet on the water. The very next moment, he drowned himself in the river.
Words that are spoken without belief are empty and lifeless. It is only belief that matters. Dust you think, dust you are. God you think, God you are! | | | | | |
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