Divine Discourse on 25th October 2004: Your Reality is in Your Own Self, not Elsewhere

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Your Reality is in Your Own Self, not Elsewhere

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Prashanti Nilayam, October 2004, Dasara Celebrations

Text of the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 25th

October 2004 at Prashanti Nilayam, Sai Kulwanth Hall

By which power of love the earth does rotate without axle or bearing,By which

power of love do the stars remain in the sky without falling on the earth,By

which power of love do the oceans confine themselves to the limits without

inundating the earth,By which power of love does the wind-god blow cool breeze

in all the worlds,That mighty power of love is verily the Atmic power.That

power of love is most wonderful, unique and all-pervasive.The entire creation

is permeated with love. (Telugu poem)Embodiments of Love!Man need not undertake

any special sadhanas to visualise the all-pervading truth. We call God by

different names like Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. These are the names given by

man to God based on some imaginary forms. But, who has actually perceived these

forms? None so far. There is only one power in the world, which is

all-pervasive.That is the power of love. It is only by

love, are human societies formed. There can be no humanity without divinity. It

is only when man establishes contact with divinity to some extent, he can

acquire a little of that divine power which is omnipotent.Embodiments of

Love!In fact, all modes of powers are immanent in Manavatwa (humanness) itself.

It needs no special agent to vest it with any extra powers. The divine power

fully manifests itself in a human being. Human power cannot function without

the help of Divine power. There are four Mahavakyas in the Vedas, namely,

Tattwamasi (That Thou Art), Prajnanam Brahma (constant integrated awareness is

Brahman), Ayam Atma Brahma (This Atma itself is Brahman) and Aham Brahmasmi (I

am Brahman verily). The essence of these Mahavakyas is further explained in the

Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. But, man is getting deluded as he is unable to

understand the import of these Mahavakyas. He is not able to

realise Divine power which, in fact, is in his own self. The divinity in

humanity expresses itself as Sakthitattwa (energy). Today, man is striving to

acquire several powers and make use of them for getting relieved of his sorrows

and sufferings. In fact, these sorrows and worries are the stepping stones to

Divinity. Man should not give too much importance to these worries. If one

analyses carefully, what is there in human existence, which does not cause

worry? Man's life from birth to death is full of worries. I often quote a poem

to describe this fact:To be born is a worry, to be on this earth is a worry,The

world is a cause for worry and death too;The whole of childhood is a worry and

so is the old age;Life is a worry, failure is a worry;All actions and

difficulties cause worry;Happiness too is a mysterious worry. (Telugu

poem)Embodiments of Love!Some people say they had the vision of the Divine in

their dream. Some

others say they had it in their meditation. Yet others declare they had seen God

through their Jnana Nethra (eye of wisdom). Most of these claims are the result

of man's delusion. They are not real. Some people claim to have seen God in

their dream. Where is dream? Where is God? In fact, dream experience itself is

not real. It is only an illusion. They are deluded to think that way. The day

man gets rid of this delusion, he will acquire Divine power. Hence, everyone

should come out of such illusion. Some sit in meditation and think they are

contemplating on somebody. Some others claim to have seen some effulgence in

their meditation. What is meditation? It means ekagratha (concentration on the

inner vision of the omniself). It is visualising a Drisya (scene) in a state of

absolute stillness of the body and mind free from illusion. But wherever a man

is, there is his mind as well. There is no place in this world without the mind

being present. The mind is

all-pervasive. It is said, Manayeva Manushyanaam Karanam Bandha Mokshayoh (the

mind alone is the cause for bondage as well as liberation). We say we are

happy. Where does this happiness come from? Certainly, it is not from outside.

It wells up from one's own heart. The nature of the mind is chanchala

(fickleness). This fickleness is in our own nature. It has not come from

outside. All relationships we maintain in the objective world are only

illusory. Supposing you marry a girl. From then on, you maintain a man and wife

relationship with her. Even prior to the marriage both of you were existing in

the world, but this relationship was not there. From the moment you both are

married you think she is related to you. Thus, it is a mental

relationship.Embodiments of Love! Even Maya (delusion) is associated with love.

You do not find anything in this world, devoid of love. Love is in everything in

this world. All relationships between people in this world

are established and cultivated on account of love. Again, love becomes the cause

for separation of two individuals. There are several types of Sadhana in this

world; Bhrama Sadhana (coming out of delusion) is one such. In fact, Brahma,

Vishnu and Maheswara cannot be visualised in your Sadhana (meditation, etc.).

What all you see in your meditation are only reflections of your feelings.

Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara are not really existing in this world. They are

only your imaginary forms. What really exists in the world is Manavattwa

(humanness). Unable to believe the humanness that is present right in front of

your eyes, if you contemplate on Divine nature, how can you find it? The name

and form that you attribute to Divinity, namely, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara

are not real. They are only a mirage born out of your delusion. Everything is

contained in the human being. You are Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara and every

conceivable name and form attributed to Divinity. When you begin to

believe that you are everything, there can be no cause for any kind of worry.

When you are able to realise Aham Brahma, Aham Vishnu, Aham Easwara (I am

Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara verily), there is no scope for any doubt. All

these names and forms are products of your own imagination. There is no power

greater than humanness in this world.Embodiments of Love! You say that Swami

appeared in your dream last night. This is not correct. I do not appear in

anybody's dream. When you intensely desire that Swami must appear in your dream

and constantly think of the same, that intense desire will assume a form in your

dream. God does not assume a form or change into another form. Some people think

that God is angry with them. This presumption is also not correct. God has

neither love towards somebody nor anger towards another. All these presumptions

are of your own making. You attribute anger or other feelings to God. Instead,

if you live in

love constantly, you will not find anger in others. In fact, love is your true

form. Man is born out of and brought up with love. Not only a human being, but

every living creature experiences love right from its birth. There is no force

more powerful than love in this world. No power on earth can change love. Do

not get deluded by the thought that you have acquired this power and that

power. All these are only illusions (bhrama). Bhrama is not Brahman. Nor can

Brahman be equated with Bhrama. Embodiments of Love! What is meant by Divyatma?

It means Divine Atma. Atma is nothing but consciousness. And, that consciousness

is all pervading. You do not find a place where there is no consciousness.

Consciousness is omnipotent. There is one aspect to be borne in mind in this

context. Consciousness is movable. But we are deluded to think that it is

static. In fact, the real power is within you only. That is Atma Sakthi

(atmic power). We have already known that Atma is consciousness. Therefore, Atma

Sakthi is chaithanya sakthi (power of consciousness). This is all-pervading.

This enables you to witness different forms. The immense power in humanness is

Divine in nature. It confers peace and happiness. You may think that Divine

power is some special power. It is not true. Your own power of contemplation

assumes the form of Divine power. Therefore, first and foremost you realise

your own innate Divine nature. All that is written in the books or read by you

are not in fact true. There are some kinds of power which are temporary. They

are not eternal. Such transient powers should not delude one. You are learning

the Vedas. Every sound that emanates from the Vedas emerges from the navel

only. We are experiencing the sound emanating from our own navel. Supposing you

go to a hill and shout "Oh!" the sound comes back to you as resound. Similarly,

good and bad emanates from you only. They

do not come from somewhere and get into you.Embodiments of Love!For example, you

go on repeating loudly a particular sentence taken from a book. After sometime,

you will get it by heart. But, the sentence memorised by you is not yours. It

is only a resound. In God's creation, everything is reaction, reflection and

resound. All that we experience in the outside world is only a reaction,

reflection and resound of the inner being. We are, however, deluded to think

that this reaction, reflection and resound are real ones. Whatever feeling

comes out of your heart and takes a shape outside is the real form. It means

that, that form has already been conceived by you. Supposing you imagine a

particular form for Lord Rama. Then, contemplate on that form, closing your

eyes. You can visualise the same form, as a reflection of your inner thoughts.

All that is manifested in the outside world is only a reaction, reflection and

resound of your inner

being.Embodiments of Love!You yourself are Rama, Krishna, Easwara, etc. You

think that you are Easwara and contemplate on that form. You will become

Easwara, verily. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi (as you think so you become).

Similarly, you think that you are Rama, Krishna, etc., and you will become Rama

and Krishna. Today, people sit in meditation. It is only for developing

concentration, not with a view to contemplate on God. People mistake

concentration for meditation. This is not a correct method. All these exercises

are reaction, reflection and resound. Only you are real, you are the truth. You

are able to visualise God only in human form. Man cannot conceive or visualise

anything greater than him. You are everything and everything in creation is

immanent in you. Unfortunately, man today is forgetting his real nature and is

imagining something which does not exist. This is the result of delusion,

which, in fact, is of his own making. It is only when man

comes out of this illusion that he will be able to realise Brahman. Embodiments

of Love! Love is the most important factor. If you pray to God with intense

love and devotion, your prayers will certainly be answered. Such is the power

of love. Devoid of love, nothing can be achieved even in this mundane world.

Love is God, live in love! The whole world becomes a vacuum, without love. That

love alone assumes a form. Realise this truth. You sit in your so-called

meditation, and try to forget yourself through imaginary experiences. If you

forget yourself, how can you visualise the truth? Constantly live in the

awareness "I am God, I am everything and I am the reality. All forms are

subject to change". For example, an infant at the time of birth will be small

in size. Then it will grow into a child, a boy, youth and an old person. In all

these different stages of life, man alone is the reality. "All are one, be alike

to every one". This is the lesson one

must try to learn.Embodiments of Love!Let the flame of your love be steady, not

flickering. There is no greater Sadhana than love. That is the spiritual

practice you have to adopt. That is the Divine practice. Divinity is

omnipresent. You have to realise that omnipresent divinity within your own

self. It is present in all the three states of consciousness, namely, dream,

wakeful and deep sleep state. One has to strive to experience that divinity

constantly. That is Prajnanam Brahma (constant integrated awareness is

Brahman). That is Sakshatkara (vision of divinity), an experience which

transcends all the three states of consciousness.Embodiments of Love!You are

worshipping several forms of divinity. However, you cannot afford to forget

your own innate divinity. In fact, you yourself are ascribing umpteen number of

names and forms to divinity. But, divinity is only one, which is changeless.

That changeless eternal

divinity is immanent in you. All external forms and names are like fleeting

dreams. And those dreams are not real. Hence, strive to come out of that bhrama

(delusion). It is only when you come out of that bhrama, you will be able to

realise Brahman. You have witnessed something in your dream. What is it? It is

your own self, nothing other than that. You are visualising your own self in

the dream state. Your real nature is love. Hence, you manifest your real

nature. There are several aspects which you have to learn in future. What is

future? Future is uncertain; past is past; only present is what matters. Both

past and future are contained in the present. You alone are present in all the

three - past, present and future.Embodiments of Love!Divine powers and Divine

manifestations are immanent in the human being; they are not to be sought from

elsewhere. By constant Sadhana, man can realise this truth. Your reality is in

your own

self, not elsewhere. In order to visualise that reality, one has to turn his

vision inward. Reaction, reflection and resound - all the three are existing in

your own self; they are not external. Supposing you have a brother who earned a

good name and fame. Who is he? He is your brother. He represents a particular

form. From where did this form come? It came from reality. And that reality is

his true nature. Thus, a form that manifested from reality deludes us from

visualising the reality itself.Dear students!If you wish to understand certain

aspects more clearly, I will explain in greater detail after sometime. The kind

of meditation you are doing is not correct. You are keeping one form in your

mind and contemplating on that. Where did this form come from? It is of your

own making. You are deluded to think that God is confined to only this form.

Thus, right from the beginning you are with a deluded belief. If only you come

out of this delusion, can you

visualise the truth. Do not ever be under the illusion that God is somewhere in

a distant place. You are, in fact, God verily. Your own form is Divine. Your

bliss is Divine. Your reaction, reflection and resound are Divine in nature.

Never deviate from the firm faith that you are God. Always contemplate on one

aspect: Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman). What is the meaning of the Mahavakya

Tattwamasi (That Thou Art)? Tat is that. Twam is this. Together they become

Asi. They become one. Thus, all these four Mahavakyas Tattwamasi, Prajnanam

Brahma, Ayam Atma Brahma and Aham Brahmasmi lead you to the same truth, that,

you are God verily. Adi Sankara had expounded and explained this great Advaita

philosophy in ever so many ways and ultimately merged himself in that great

truth. Thus, reality is not somewhere in a distant place. It is within you.

Your very nature is reality. How can you realise this truth? Only by

cultivating pure, selfless and Divine love. Without love, nothing can be

achieved in this world. Love is the source and sustenance for the entire

universe. Love is God and God is love. Embodiments of Love!All of you are

Embodiments of Divinity. Your forms are Divine. You and God are one. You are

not different from God. Experience this unity. Ekam sath (truth is one). Unity

is truth. Unity is divinity. God is not separate from you. God is manifest in

you. Unfortunately, you are forgetting this truth. If you forget your own

nature, it amounts to forgetting everything else. Never forget your reality.

Without forgetting that reality, meditate on it. Always remember one fact:

wherever I am, I am always Divine. Hold on to this firm belief, steadfastly.

That is the truth contained in the Mahavakya Tattwamasi, the inseparable and

non-dual nature of Divinity. Do not be under the illusion "Rama has appeared in

my dream, Krishna has appeared

in my dream, Swami has appeared in my dream". This is a sign of ignorance. All

these are dreams only. How can a dream be called a reality? The very word

"dream" explains its nature. As long as you are in sleep, this experience may

be true. The moment you wake up, the experience vanishes.Embodiments of

Love!Keep your love securely. Never give up love under any circumstances. There

is no God other than love. Love is God, verily. Love is your path, and goal.

Never deviate from this path of love. If you find any difficulty in treading

this path or if you have some doubts to get clarified, I am always there to

help you. Try to reduce your doubts. These doubts will lead you to delusion.

Always get yourself firmly established in the truth Tattwamasi (That Thou Art).

It is a mistaken idea to think that this form has visualised that form of

Divinity, for you and God are not separate. Brahman is very much immanent in

this body. Brahman and

Aham are one and the same. Undertake Sadhana to realise the oneness of these

two. That is the ‘Pathway to God'. If you wish to meditate on God, never allow

your thoughts to be disturbed by worldly objects. You meditate on your own real

nature, which is Divinity. In that divinity, everything else is contained. If

you thus meditate on your own innate Divinity, you will realise your unity with

divinity. In fact, that unity is Divinity.The four Mahavakyas Tattwamasi,

Prajnanam Brahma, Aham Brahmasmi and Ayam Atma Brahma are Vedic declarations

which emphasise the oneness of the individualised soul and the Supreme Soul.

They exhort the individualised soul to realise this truth. Therefore, one has

to strive to attain that state of unity. As you gradually progress in that

Sadhana, you will ultimately reach that goal. Supposing you want to learn the

spelling of a word; just think how many times you will be repeating that

spelling.

In the same way, you must set out on this path of Sadhana. This is a scared

Sadhana. If you are able to know the true meaning of these Mahavakyas, you will

be able to realise the truth.(Bhagawan concluded His discourse with the bhajan

"Prema Muditha Manase Kaho…")

Source: http://sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/25-10-04_Discourse.htm

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