The upward and downward pulls

26 March 1968, Venkatagiri

Professor Kasturi's English.

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THE (effulgent subtle form of ) is represented as hanging in mid-air, between the pull and counter-pulls of a magnet from above and a magnet from below; evidently, it is of ferrous metal. Man too is like a ferrous , drawn upwards by the craving for liberation and for merging in the Super-Soul and drawn downwards by the craving for satisfying the senses and earning and possessing things from the nature around him. Now, the upward pull is becoming weaker. Respect for spiritual institutions, temples, holy places, elders and sacred books is fast declining. Pride in material wealth and competition in acquiring it, are fast increasing. This is the tragedy of the times.

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Man must be aware of the Divine Spark within The Sun is but a star among billions in space. The earth is but a speck, rotating around the Sun. The nation to which he belongs is but a fraction of that spark; his village is a microscopic dot in that fraction and he is but one among the thousands or of people residing therein. He struts about for a few winks of the eye of time, and prides himself most stupidly, as if he is the lord and master.

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You are living now in the dark, in ignorance. The knowledge that you are the Divine Spark, encased in the sheaths of bliss, intelligence, feelings, sensations and organic substances - this knowledge is the light. You must light your own lamp. You cannot walk in the light of another's lamp. You cannot exist on the money in the purse of another. Have your own money; then alone are you free. Earn the knowledge yourself. Even knowing it is not enough; you must experience it. The well has water; but that is not enough. It must be brought up in the bucket and used to wash and to quench, the thirst. The mind moves only towards the right and the pure, of its own accord; but the senses and the outer world drag it towards the wrong and the impure. The white cloth gets dirty, and when the dirt is removed, it regains its whiteness. The is commissioned to tell the people the basic principles of this process, which is way of life, a steady upward journey.

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Pull out the fangs of six cobras in your mind Individual effort and Grace, both are essential. says, "" - "through the Grace of the Lord alone can man develop a desire for the non-duality of the Universe," for the One without a second. Seeing only the One is (spiritual wisdom); and alone confers (liberation). Note down all the things for which you have cried so far. You will find that you have craved only for paltry things, for momentary distinctions, for fleeting fame; you should cry only for God, for your own cleansing and consummation. You should weep, wailing for the six cobras that have sheltered themselves in your mind, poisoning it with their venom: Lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and malice. Quieten them as the snake charmer does with his swaying flute. The music that can tame them is the singing aloud of the Name of God. And when they are too intoxicated to move and harm, catch them by the neck and pull out their fangs as the charmer does. Thereafter, they can be your playthings; you can handle them as you please. When these are laid low, you will gain equanimity. You will be unaffected by honour or dishonour, profit or loss, joy or grief. was not elated when his father proposed to enthrone him; nor was he depressed when, even as he was being led to the throne, his father proposed that he spend fourteen years as an exile in the forest! He was as cool when challenged him to battle, for having bent and broken the bow of , as when he broke it and won the hand of .

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lays down limits for man's passions yearned to share the calamities of her husbands; refused to stay back in capital, when moved into the forest. She said, "My parents have taught me the fight path for the wife; I know that the path lies along the footsteps of the husband. You are the Moon, ; I am the Light of the Moon. We are inseparable. We have to be together." , the wife of his brother (who accompanied Him into exile, of his own accord) said, "I shall remain in the capital, for, if I come you will not be able to serve the Lord with undivided attention." That was how she revealed her greatness. , the mother of , was overcome with joy when her son entered the inner apartments as she thought he had come to receive her blessings, before the coronation ceremony. But she was shocked when asked her blessings for a happy life in the forest! "Promise me that you will he full of joy, the fourteen years I spend in exile," he pleaded. She said, "I shall come with you. I am queen only in name. My life has been a stream of tears. took you away from us; I spent anxious days when you were with him, countering the demons; then when appeared before you, challenging you for a fight, I was really overpowered by grief. I can never be happy, away from you." But was able to convince her that her place was with the grieving father, King , her master and Lord. blessed Him, "May the that you revere and represent guard you ever." is the (the boundary), the limit that the intelligence lays down for the passion, emotions, impulses of man. To explain their importance and application to daily life is the task I have entrusted to the who are members of the . (man) means one who observes maim (measure or limit.)' He does not run wild and untrimmed; he submits willingly to control, regulation and discipline.