Swami teaches... Duties to Own Self and ways of these realisation

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

Light and Love

 

Swami teaches.... (20 -21 February 2005)

 

Duties to Own Self and Ways of These Realisation

 

Each one's power is within him/her; it is not possible to give such power to

another person. One does not have to search for spiritual power, going around

the world and spending a lot of money. Be in your own house, develop it in

yourself, such spiritual power is in you!

You are not one person, but three, the one you think you are (physical); the

one others think you are (mental); and the one you really are spiritual is God.

When you are able to realise that, and when you are able to develop the

spiritual power from within you, then you will see God.

Know that Sai is Omnipresent and so, He is present in every living thing and

you. Adore everyone as you adore Sai. This is easy if you feel that your duty is

part of your worship, that you are offering it to the Sai in the other person.

Your duty is to your own Self.

Faith in God is to be translated into action. It is an imperative act of

worship to dischargefaithfully all one's duties and responsibilities. It will

be dangerous if the right work is not doneby the right person at the right

time. You must be eager to do your duty as best as you can.

Peace and bliss are within you they are not something which is external to

you. You may think of going to the Himaalayas for getting peace. Your body may

go to the Himaalayas for getting peace; but your mind may be left behind in the

city. How to get peace, where is the help and support to this situation? It is

the good company, who can help you.

The easiest and the most fruitful method of keeping yourself free from dust

and rust, is theSathsang (holy company). The company of the good and the godly

will slowly and surelychasten and cleanse the persons prone to stray away from

the straight path towards Self-Realisation. Care has to be taken to see that

you select and stick to the proper company. The Sathsang you join must be

purer, more venerable, and sticking to higher ideals of virtue and truth than

you yourselves.

(When a smoker joins a group of non-smokers, there is every likelihood of his

giving up that bad habit; but, when a non-smoker falls into a den of smokers, he

is certain to become a victim soon! Such is the subtle influence of the company

one keeps. You must take all the trouble and welcome all the patience needed,

to seek Sathsang and remain therein).

Life is like a train journey. Children have a long way to go; but, the

elders have toalight from the train pretty son. You must learn to make your

journey comfortable and happy. Donot carry heavy unwanted luggage, with you.

That' will make the journey miserable. Do notindulge in faultfinding and in

picking quarrels with others. Don't desire to have the best thingsfor

yourselves only. Share with others around you the good things you are given.

Anger, hatred,envy, jealousy, these are the heavy luggage.

Human being sees multiplicity, he engages himself in manifold activities,

he is pulled in many directions, he is distracted and distressed. He has no

time to meditate on the One Basic Truth. He is confused by the kaleidoscopic

transformations. He is tossed between hate and love, attachment and repulsion.

Many people think that concentration is the same thing as meditation, but

there is no suchconnection between concentration and meditation. Concentration

is something which is belowyour senses, whereas meditation is something which

is above your senses. But many are underthe false impression that concentration

is identical with meditation, and they take to a wrongpath. Concentration is

something which we use involuntarily in our daily, normal, routine life. If one

wants to drive a car, unless one has concentration, one cannot drive a car onthe

road. All the normal routines, like walking, talking, reading, writing, eating,

all these thingswe do only as result of concentration.

What we have to practice is something which is beyond these normal senses.

We must rise from being below the senses (that is the state of concentration)

to the senses (that is, the middle position, called contemplation); and from

there we must rise above the senses, that is called meditation. Between

concentration and meditation there is border area which covers both and that is

the area of contemplation. To be in that area of contemplation is to free

yourself of worldly attachments. If you break away all the worldly

attachments - all the routine attachments in the world - thenyou will enter the

region of contemplation. When you have completely broken away all

yourattachments, you break through this area of contemplation and you get into

the area ofmeditation. These steps can also be described as starting from

self-confidence, and then getting self-satisfaction and then self-sacrifice,

and the last step is self-realisation. The ultimate step of self-realisation

depends upon the base of self-confidence.

 

During the meditation aspirants and seekers of spiritual truth must to sit

straight and to sit quiet. When the body is straight and quiet, the mind

inside is also straight and quiet. If one cannot control the body, how is

possible to control the mind? The basis for the mind wandering is that your

physical body is also continually wandering. So the first thing one has to do

is to give up this continual wandering of the physical body. The body is a

chalice, wherein you collect the nectar of Divine Grace. That is the prime

purpose for which it has been gifted to you. For, without a cup or chalice, a

casket or jug, how can the nectar be taken? Raso vai sah, say the Vedhas: "He

is sweet-nectar, no less." And When His Grace is showered, the body is

thrilled. The body has to be kept ever clean and pure, unaffected by dirt,

disease, distress, or defeatism.

Avoid touching others. The meaning of this rule will not be apparent on the

surface. But it is highly significant from a deeper sense. The ancient sages

used to seek secluded spots and engage themselves in meditation. The mason is

there is a divine energy within the body, a kind of current flowing in it.

When a person is meditating, a divine energy is generated in him. That is

the reason why when a person sits in meditation, he uses a wooden plank one

inch above the ground, spreads a deer-skin on it and covers it with a cloth.

The cloth serves as a cushion protecting the meditator. This kind of meditation

is called Sukhadhyana (meditation in comfort). The wooden plank acts as an

insulator, preventing the energy from passing down. It should be recognised

that there is a divine energy in the human body. When this divine energy comes

into contact with the body of another person, it is likely to receive the bad

thoughts in the latter. If the other person is a good man, you may receive good

thoughts from the contact. But you cannot decide who is good and who is bad.

Hence, if you sit apart during meditation, you may experience highly elevating

thoughts.

You are affected by whatever you touch. For instance, if you touch fire, it

scalds. But when the fire is extinguished, the residue is mere charcoal. When

you touch charcoal, your hand becomes black. Thus, in either case, the contact

is not beneficial. But, what happens when you come into contact with divine

fire? All your bad thoughts and badactions are reduced to ashes. This is the

sanctity attaching to the performance of Paadanamaskar (prostrating at the Feet

of the Lord).

 

Most people live superficial lives. They are like logs of wood tossed up

and down by the waves of the sea, insensitive, dull, Thaamasik. Haste lands

them in waste; waste increases worry. They have no time to sit and meditate on

the reality of their own existence, their own knowledge and their own joy. They

don't take even the first step towards their self-inquiry. How then can they

derive self-satisfaction, at their vastness, indestructibility, infinite power

and wisdom?

Ignoring the unity of all mankind in the Atma people relish in quarrels

and factions and classifies some among his contemporaries as friends and some

as foes. It is one's own likes and dislikes, prejudices and passions that is

reflected back, that creates all this reaction of love and hatred, all this

resounding echo of factiousness and friction. Friendship and enmity arise from

your heart; they are labels fixed by you, not marks which other people are born

with. The same person is the thickest friend of one and the mortal enemy of

another. Of course, it is best that you do not develop too much attachment

with others and get entangled either through the silken bonds of friendship or

the iron chain of hatred. But, if you ask Me, it is more beneficial to

cultivate enemies. Kabeer has stated many times that it is good and very

helpful to have an enemy that is ever eager to criticise you for your faults

than a friend who will cast a blind eye on them. The faster and fouler his

abuse, the sooner and better are your future prospects brightened. The enemy

absorbs your sins and their effects. Moreover, since you are always aware of

the enemy and his tactics, you are alert not to give him any chance to point his

finger of scorn at you. He is your censor, corrector and conscience. Be thankful

to him who talks ill of you, for surely, he is doing you very great service by

examiningyour every act on the touchstone of morality, truth and righteousness.

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol 13. "The company you seek,"

Chapter 15; "The basic error," Chapter 13; "Advice to seekers," Chapter 6 and

"Parents beware!" Chapter 3. Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol 25. "The Head and The

Heart," Chapter 9).

 

Namaste - Reet