Sai Baba Gita - This Body is only One of Many you have Worn

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This Body is only One of Many you have Worn

Similarly, you may have done a number of spiritual practices and enjoyed a

variety of spiritual experiences in a previous birth, after which you gave up

your life. Now in this life, you resume your spiritual journey and even before

you attain old age you may gain spiritual fulfillment. In thinking about this

kind of thing you may be taking only the present life into account, considering

only the efforts and consequences of the actions of this birth. But in the eyes

of the Lord, all your past lives, all your past efforts and past consequences

are considered. Krishna said, "Dear child, in the end, each body is destroyed

by time. Know that you have existed in countless bodies and have gone through

countless cycles of births and deaths for ages past, as far back as anyone can

count."

The very meaning of the word for body in Sanskrit, is 'that which wears out'. It

is born as a lump of flesh. During its growth it becomes a beautiful attractive

body, but then ultimately it becomes old and loses its strength and

attractiveness. The body is an inert, insentient thing. During a lifetime it

undergoes a number of changes and then eventually gets worn out. But now you

may have a doubt. How can the body be called inert and insentient? It is

talking, it is walking, it is living, it sees, it hears, it feels, it

experiences pain, it is full of activities. This living body cannot be called

inert. But, once you wind the mechanism of a watch, it also starts working and

moving. From that moment on, the hands of the watch will be going around and

the bell will be chiming every hour. But that is not sufficient reason to say

that the watch is alive. Because of the power it got when you wound it, this

watch functions properly. In the same way, because of the life energy given by

God, your body talks and performs various functions. Without the divine

principle animating it the body cannot function, just as the watch cannot

function without being wound.

But now another question arises. A watch is working but it does not change its

form and size, whereas a body will be growing. How can you account for this? If

it is merely an inert thing how can it grow? Inert things do not grow. But if

you sweep the floor and collect the dust and put it in a dustbin, even that

heap will grow. When you go on feeding this body with all sorts of food, this

body also grows. As the food heaps up inside, the body grows. A heap of dust

may grow but you cannot say that it has life. Similarly, just because you find

your body growing you cannot infer that it is alive. The body itself is just an

inert thing. But it is full of consciousness, because its very basis is

divinity. Always remember that basis. It is this divine consciousness that

supports and activates the living principle in all beings.

http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/saigita155.html

Sai Baba Gita, Compiled and edited by Al Drucker - Published by Atma Press -

http://www.atmapress.com - ISBN: 0963844903Online Edition:

http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/index.html

 

 

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