In English
("The is the indweller in all human beings"). The body is transient. The is eternal and real. The is known as such not because it is in a body. The entire Cosmos is the body of the Divine and therefore the term applies to this Cosmic Consciousness. To realise the nature of this all-pervading (soul), which is the unchanging reality, it is not enough to seek authority from the (ancient scriptures) alone. The is not realised through . The realisation of the Self has to be obtained on the basis of the authority of the , but through one's own earnest (spiritual efforts). The (ancient sacred scriptures), , and (ancient scriptures of spiritual wisdom, metaphysical treatises and mythological legends) all serve as sign-posts. They indicate the direction one should take. They show the goal that should be sought, but the journey has to be made by ourselves. The teachings of the begin in the second canto with the words of the Lord: (You grieve about things for which you should not grieve). Starting with this statement, the gradually reveals the means by which sorrow can be eliminated. The Lord tells : "You are having grief about things over which one should not grieve." The devotee who is dear to the Lord All things in the Universe have five qualities - , , , and (Being, Awareness, Bliss, Form and Name). The first three qualities , and are also called , and (Being, Awareness, Bliss Absolute). These three attributes are eternal and therefore Divine. For them, there is neither birth nor death. But form and name are artificial creations. Because they are artificial products, they are liable to change. They are like relations in a family. They come and go and are not permanent members of the home. Likewise, joy and sorrow are also family relations, who come and go. To imagine that these passing relationships are eternal realities, and to develop permanent attachments to them, is wrong. These relationships are liable to change and to disappear. To feel grief over loss of such relations is not proper. How is one to recognise the transience and falseness of these relationships? has indicated in the (Divine Union through Devotion) of the. that the man who has cultivated the 26 good qualities mentioned therein is the devotee who is dear to Him. It is not necessary to cultivate all these 26 qualities. As one stick in a match box is enough for lighting a lamp, even one of the qualities mentioned by the Lord is enough to develop one's spiritual awareness. If some of the important good qualities mentioned in the are made the basis for our spiritual endeavour, a great transformation will take place in our lives. The cultivation of good qualities implies getting rid of all bad qualities. Among the latter, two are particularly undesirable. They are (jealousy) and (hatred). These two bad qualities are like two conspirators, one aids and abets the other in every action. is like the pest which attacks the root of a tree. is like the pest which attacks the branches, leaves and flowers. When the two combine, the tree, which may look beautiful and flourishing, is utterly destroyed.