Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj

[Guest guest]

Everything is God is grasped only by God's grace.

 

Questions: Gita says that " Everything is God " How can one realize

this ? What is the spiritual practice, the discipline or the method

to realize that All is God ? How is one to reach this understanding ?

 

Swamiji: In the Gita, God says " Vasudeva Sarvam " (Gita 7:19). " All is

God " and " Sadsacchaahamarjun . " (Gita 9:19), " I am Being and Non-

being both. " When there is nothing else besides God, then where does

the world exist ? This world does not exist in the eyes of God, nor

does it exist in the eyes of a saint, but it exists in the eyes of

human beings " yayedam dhaaryate jagat. " (Gita 7/5). " By which the

entire Universe is sustained. "

 

If we want to realize that " Everything is God, " then one way is to

firmly behold the truth that this body which we have presumed to be

our own, has been created (obtained) from the world and it shall

perish and return to the world, therefore it is not ours. This is a

fact that the body was not ours before our birth and it shall not

remain ours after death and even in the present time, it is

separating from us every moment. From the view point of Karma Yoga

(discipline of Action) the body belongs to the world, from the view

point of Jnana Yoga (discipline of Knowledge) the body belongs to

Nature and from the viewpoint of Bhakti Yoga (discipline of

Devotion), the body belongs to God. The body is not mine. Similarly

assume that all beings belong to World, Nature or God.

 

It is said in the Srimad Bhagavatam - " When a devotee holds that all

beings are God's manifestation; when he beholds Me in them, then very

quickly he becomes totally free from evils such as jealousy,

complaining spirit, and other defects including ego. " (Srimadbha

11/29/15).

 

An spiritual aspirant should have a feeling of the presence of God in

all beings. If for some reason, he is unable to have this feeling,

then another way is that mentally he should make an apology for the

absence of this feeling. There is no need to talk about this feeling

or publicize to others. We have to serve this world with that which

belongs to God (this body, mind and speech). We have to serve God,

regarding the world as God's divine manifestation. Then " Everything

is God " is realized easily, as this is not a new learning. It

requires no studying, no austerities, no effort, no incurring of

expense. All can realize this. If by mistake, we consider a person

bad, then we should seek their pardon or tender mental apology. Then

we should pray to God, " Oh my Lord! I must not forget - that You are

Everything. Let me realize this by Your grace! "

 

By depending on God's grace, the spiritual discipline of " All is God "

(Vasudeva Sarvam) will become easier. Everything is God - this Truth

is grasped only by God's grace, not by one's intellect and effort.

God cannot be realized by effort, only by His grace.