Welcome back Sadaji!

[Guest guest]

Welcome back Sri Sadaji! You have been missed. It was wonderful reading of

your lecture and meeting with ProfVK. It is a rare gift to be among such

brilliance as we find here on this list. The list moderators are to be

commended.

 

Love

Harsha

 

 

Kuntimaddi Sadananda [k_sadananda]

Friday, March 03, 2000 7:26 AM

advaitin

Re: Are you God?

 

"Kuntimaddi Sadananda" <k_sadananda

 

In a way you have touched the very fundamental question.

 

It all depends on how one defines Who is God? and Who am I? If God is

defined as the creator of this entire universe who is omnipotent and

omniscient and I am the tiny limited individual, then how can I be that God?

'I am that' equation will laugh at us. But if one strips off all the

external coverings of both I and the God, then what remains cannot but be

the same. This is beautifully stated by Bhagawaan Ramana in his Upadesha

saara

 

iishajiivayoH veshadhiibhidaa|

satvabhaavato vastu kevalam||

 

The difference between I and the isswara, the Lord is only in Vesha or the

costumes that they are wearing. Costumes, as always, make one look different

from what one is. But if one removes those costumes, what remains is the

pure existence-consciousness that is one without a second, and that essence

is one and the same. Iswara's costume is as Bhagawaan Raamaanuja describes

as 'ananta kalyaana guNa' - infinite auspecisous qualities - each quality is

infinite and they are infinite of them - along with 'jagat janmaadi kaaraNa'

- the cause for the entire world. The jiiva's costume is that - 'sakala

paricchinnam' limitaion in every respect - deshha, kaala, kaarya, vastu, etc

- space-wise, time-wise, action-wise etc. Stipped of all these 'qualities',

what is left is only I am that existence-consciousness-bliss which is the

same as the Iswara without His qualifications.

 

Pure Love, without expecting anything in return, is the expression of the

infiniteness. When one is full and does not depend on anything for his/her

happiness, then only pure love pours out spontaneously - since one loves

oneself the most and in that infiniteness there is nothing other than

oneself.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda