Unity and Purity: Message of Ramzan

12 July 1983, Ramzan, Prasanthi Nilayam

Professor Kasturi's English.

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There are three aspects connoted by the 'I'. 'I am this body' is the first; 'I am the life-force in it' is the second; 'I am the (Divine Self)' is the third.

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'I am dark', 'I am fair', 'I am short', 'I am tall' these are statements generally made. 'I am young,' 'I am old', 'I am a ', 'I am a Non-' - these statements too are indulged in. These qualities concern the body only. When a person is unconscious or in deep sleep, or dead, he is not aware of any of these characterisations regarding his body. They are extraneous to the real 'I', for the attributes adhere or fall off when time elapses or when circumstances change.

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Next, the (individual being) principle or Life Force: The incessantly active consciousness is ever wayward and restless. We say, "My intelligence is not clear," "My mind is perplexed." These apply to the second facet of the 'I' only. This facet too is linked with the body through the objects-senses-mind-reason complex.

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The is immanent all over the world Now, the third, the (Divine Soul):

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"I am , , ! I am , I am . I am all. I am . ."

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The body is mortal; the -principle undergoes transformation; but the is Immortal. The persists in unaffected glory in the waking, dreaming, sleeping and the fourth level beyond. The gross body is active in the waking stage; the subtle consciousness is alert in dreams, the Causal is dormant as 'I' in sleep. The real I or has no exclusive affiliation to one body, one country, one nation or one sex. It is in every being everywhere, in bird and beast, plant and tree. Each of these reveals its existence. The is all pervading and immanent in (India), Russia, America, England, all over the world. All founders of religions have heard this impersonal Voice of God revealing the that activates the entire Creation. Just as the (revealed sacred scriptures) were 'heard' and propagated as 'heard' (), the too was 'heard' by .

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The has and as the two eyes. means prayer; means charity. Those who consider charity as a high duty and elevate their consciousness through prayers and continuous meditation on God are Muslims. Islam is a word which denotes not a particular religion but a state of mind, the state of total surrender to the Will of God. Islam means dedication, surrender, peace, tranquillity.

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The can never be hurt by insult Every human being has three needs: food, clothing and shelter. Seeking to fulfil them, man has developed a variety of foods to fill his little stomach ignoring the purpose of eating them. Clothing has to be worn to protect the body from cold. But we are attaching enormously exaggerated value to clothing. Of course, one must have a house to live in and lay the body down for rest. The Muslim, Gibran, asks why build these gigantic dwellings then? They are erected not for oneself but to hoard one's treasure and riches. Gibran says these mansions are tombs erected by the dead for the living.

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announced the message of God that he had heard to the townsmen of Mecca. At that time, people did not give heed to the Divine Declarations. They forced him to leave the place. But, . knew that truth will win and God will prevail. He knew that the insult and injury were only for the body; the can never be hurt. The month is set apart for the holy task of bringing into memory and practice the teachings that conveyed and attaining that stage of unity and purity which is truly Divine. Islam gives importance to the Moon which regulates the months. consider the Moon as the deity presiding over the mind. With the of the New Moon, the fast begins and when the New Moon is seen again, the fast ends. 'Fast' does not consist in merely desisting from food and drink. The fast starts at sunrise and is broken only after sunset and is observed most rigourously.

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During month rivalry is avoided Waking as early as three or four, in the , prayer is started, and throughout the day, the constant presence of God is sought to be experienced. This is the meaning of (fast). Also, during the month, rivalry is avoided, hatred is suspended. Husband and wife live apart though in the same home, mother and children both follow the same spiritual regimen and an atmosphere of brotherhood is maintained. The body, the senses and the mind are subject to rigourous discipline.

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Periods of fast comprising a month are prescribed in all religions. The observe it in and months. Zoroastrians and Christians have allotted for themselves months for the same purpose.

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The lays down that all men should cultivate the sense of unity, of interdependence, of selfless love and of the immanence of Divinity. Generally, all men take food of some kind or other for the body five times a day: an early cup of coffee in bed, breakfast two hours later, a heavy lunch at noon, tea at four and a fat dinner at nine. Islam prescribes food for the spiritual nature of man and directs that it be taken five times a day, as prayer. For the arousal of the Atmic consciousness, for earning spiritual joy and for promoting the manifestation of Atmic illumination, prayer is prescribed as many as five times a day, from the dawn of discretion up to the moment of death.

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Unity is the basic teaching of every religion Prayer, in Islam, is also a congregational activity. Prayer in a group produces beneficial vibrations. Islam promises a greater flow of ecstasy when God is adored by a huge concourse of yearning: hearts. All of them bow low at the sight of the . They sit in rows on their bended knees and lean forward until their palms and foreheads touch the ground in humble submission to God’s Will. Misunderstanding, conflict and enmity should not disturb the serenity of the occasion.

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Thus Islam emphasises the One in the Many, the urge for God which manifests in various degrees in various minds. Unity is the basic teaching of every religion. Faith in Unity is cardinal. Without it, no system of belief and conduct can be a religion. God is One and the teachings in all faiths that exalt Him are all on Love, Compassion, Tolerance and Sympathy. The tragedy is neither the Muhammadans, nor the , nor the followers of other religions are practising these qualities in daily life.

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brings together in bonds of love kith and kin, near and far, friend and foe. This type of negligence is happening in every religion. The followers adopt the rules they like and break those which they find exacting. So, they become narrow-minded and crooked. And, they rationalise their defects and justify their failings. They have become habituated to this practice of self-deceit.

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Demonstrate love and tolerance in daily activity Since Islam means surrender to God, all who in a spirit of surrender and dedication, live in peace and harmony in society, do really speaking, belong to Islam. Islam insists on full co-ordination between thought, word and deed. Muslim holy men and sages have been emphasising that we must inquire into the validity of the 'I' which feels it is the body and the 'I' which feels it is the mind and reach the conclusion that the real 'I' is the Self yearning for the Omniself, God. The month, the fast and the prayers are designed to awaken and manifest this realisation. Whichever may be the religion, its emphasis is on unity, harmony, equal-mindedness. Therefore, cultivate love, tolerance and compassion, and demonstrate the Truth in every daily activity. This is the Message I give you with My Blessings.