Union With God Is The Aim Of Human Life

27 April 1992, Sai Shruti, Kodaikanal, TN

Published English.

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In order to realise real happiness, one has to go through certain standard methods and procedures. To get butter, you have to churn the curd well. Persistent and pertinent efforts have to be made so as to realise the hidden happiness which is present in everyone in the form of (Existence, Knowledge, Bliss).

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What is meant by ‘’? That which is eternal and not affected or changed in all periods of time – past, present and future is or Truth. (truth remains unchanged in the three periods of time – past, present and future). Where is the need to search for Truth when it is present all over and at all times? connotes (wholesome knowledge). (bliss) is the result when and combine. is the attribute of God. God is the embodiment of bliss. God can be found only in bliss.

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The describes that Lord is present in the most minute space within the region of man’s (spiritual heart). It says, ... (the supreme principle shines like the lightning in the narrow space of man’s spiritual heart). (that all-pervasive God is present within and without). Lord can be realised as a flash of brilliance in the minute tip of the flame of the spiritual heart. He is also described as (subtler than the subtlest and vaster than the vastest). In order to realise this most subtle aspect of God, we have to expand our vision.

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We often consider certain things or aspects to be blocking our path to happiness. You put on glasses for ease of reading. Sometimes, you feel it burdensome. Nevertheless, they are necessary, as they help in getting good vision. All the (spiritual practices) we undertake are like these glasses, helpful to the pursuit of happiness and bliss.

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The Power Of Divine Name One day, sage approached Lord and prayed, “O Lord ! You are the ocean of bliss. You are the cause of all causes. You are the abode of all gods, humans and all other beings. Other than You, there is no refuge for any being. It is said that Your name carries great power. That is why I always keep chanting Your Name. You being the object of my worship, I wish to know the power of Your Name directly from You”. then said, “! You are a great scholar and a highly accomplished ; your question looks naive”.

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Now, look at the bird perched on that tree. I suggest that you go to the bird and seek the answer to your question. felt a bit humiliated; for he thought it strange that a bird should teach him a lesson. However, it being a command from the Lord, went and asked the bird, “Bird, can you tell me about the power of the name ”! The moment it heard the name , the bird fell dead. was shocked at the unexpected happening, and he became very sad that ’s name should cause a death.

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However, was determined to get his doubt cleared. He went back to and reported the incident. Instead of sympathising, gave another command, “Just now, a male calf is born to a cow in the house that is right opposite. Go and seek the answer from the calf”. could not understand how an animal, a calf could be more knowledgeable than himself. With a renewed determination, he went and put the question to the calf. The calf too fell dead upon hearing the name . rushed to and complained, “Lord, why did You make me a sinner? You know that I am a (pious man).

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How can I be a cause to so many deaths”? laughed and said, “It is unbecoming of you to wean yourself away from your determination to know the truth. Listen to Me. A male child is just now born to the king of the land. Go and seek the answer from the child”. shuddered at the prospect of causing one more death. But he could not ignore his Lord’s command! Bracing himself for the worst, went to the king’s palace. The king was very much pleased that the great Sage had come to see the newborn child. He placed the child in ’s hand and urged him to bless. was in a great fix. He took the child to a corner and asked him in a whisper, “Child! Can you tell about the power of ’s name”?

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The child narrated to , “While sitting on a branch of a tree as a bird, I heard you uttering the name , and so I was relieved of that body and got birth in the sacred species of cows. Again, when I heard from you the name of , I ceased to be an animal and took birth as a human being. Now that I have heard the sacred name again, I am totally relieved of body consciousness, and I am attaining liberation”. then understood the value and power of chanting ’s name.

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One should not evaluate any being basing on the external form. The value of devotion should not be underestimated. clearly says that a sincere devotee is most venerable of all beings. Once sought to know from Lord who among all creation is the greatest. said, “, you are not an ordinary being. You possess abundant knowledge. I wish to hear your opinion on this aspect”.

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replied, “Earth is the greatest”. Then remarked, “Three-fourth of the earth is enveloped with water. In such a case, which among the two is greater”? agreed that water was greater. said, “But Sage drank up the ocean in a single gulp. So, is greater or water”? replied, “You are right, my Lord, is greater than water”. asked again, “But, this is a tiny star in the sky (). Now, is this star greater or the sky”? replied, “It is the sky that is greater”. The Lord agreed and said, “Your understanding is correct. The sky indeed is greater. In His incarnation as , the Lord asked for three steps from King . And in the course of taking the gift of three steps, assumed the form of , covered the entire earth in one step, sky in the second, and there was no room for the third step. King had to offer his head for the third step. So, now, is God greater or the sky”? replied, “, when the mere foot of the Lord covers the entire sky, how much greater His full form would be? God indeed is greater”. “God, who envelops the entire cosmos dwells in the heart of His (devotee). So, now, is the heart of the devotee greater or God?” asked . replied, “Indeed, the devotee is greater than God”.

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Heart is like (ocean of milk) on which Lord is said to recline. But in this age of , the ocean of milk is changed into a salty ocean, making way for sharks and crocodiles. These beasts can be driven away by means of (chanting of God’s name). God is described as (ever blissful). Where can the bliss be found? In fact, all beings are residing in the ocean of bliss. Nevertheless, people are unable to experience bliss. Outward vision of people is the reason behind this irony. (he is a fool who sees, yet does not recognise the reality). When your vision is changed, you will know that everything is filled with bliss. Your own heart is the abode of bliss.

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Ignorance Is The Cause Of Man’s Unhappiness One day was looking at the ocean, when he noticed that the waves were throwing on the shore all scum and dirt. He then asked the ocean, “Ocean! You have such a vast body of water. But you seem to have no tolerance at all. Why are you throwing out this small amount of scum and dirt”? The ocean replied, “If I start accepting trash and muck, one day I will have to lose my own identity”.

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Bliss is hidden in the body. The describe that the (sheath) of (bliss) is covered by four concentric within the body of a being. The outermost sheath is the grossest of them and is known as , the symbolic sheath which entirely depends on food. The next sheath is called (life sheath), the sheath of life force. Under this is the sheath known as (mental sheath), under which is the (wisdom sheath) by which the (bliss sheath) is surrounded. You get white rice only when you remove husk from the paddy. You get clean water only after removing the moss that covers it. Removal of cataract from the eyes restores good vision. Sunshine is enjoyed in full when clouds disappear. Similarly, happiness is experienced in full only when outer sheaths are discarded. As the weather at this place, , is chilly, you have to wear a vest, a shirt and a sweater over it. To see your own chest, you will have to remove the sweater first, then the shirt and lastly the vest. Man is not able to realise bliss as it is covered by three (attributes), namely (serenity), (passion) and (sloth). Take the example of a (musk deer). This animal perceives a fragrant waft, becomes curious and searches all over the forest to find its source. After a long trek of search, the deer gets tired and lies down on the ground with its snout touching the belly. Only then it realises that the sweet smell comes from its own belly, and from nowhere else. Similarly, man is searching all around the world for the source of happiness which is within him.

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You recite this prayer often: (lead me from unreality to reality, from darkness to light). There is no darkness where light is. There is no sorrow where there is joy. Bliss is present all over. (world) is the effect, and (God) is the cause. In fact, human life is filled with bliss. Just as water is for fish, a tree for a bird, the mother for a child, bliss is for man. All the pursuits of man such as education, job, business, etc., are for the sake of happiness only. At each and every moment of life, man craves for happiness. Even when the doctor is giving you an injection, you feel that it should be done painlessly. It is due to his ignorance that man does not recognise the source of happiness in his life.

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A poor man was living in a hut, and he lived on begging all through his life, without knowing that a big treasure was lying under the floor of his own hut. Such is the plight of worldly man. Man’s ego clouds his vision and he cannot see this treasure. He has to kill his ego in order to obtain the treasure of (bliss).

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God’s Permanent Address Lord said in the , (I incarnate for the protection of the good and the annihilation of the evil-doers). God comes on the mission of protecting good and destroying evil. Man has to leave ego, anger, jealousy and other bad qualities to experience happiness and peace. During the autumn season, you find trees shedding their leaves. The says, . Anandena Jatani Jivanti. Anandam Prayantyabhisamvishantiti (all beings here are, indeed, born from bliss; having been born, they remain alive by bliss; and on departing, they enter into bliss.) All beings are born out of bliss, they live in bliss and merge in bliss.

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One day, Sage approached Lord and urged, “Lord! Tell me Your permanent address”. The Lord replied, (I reside where My devotees sing My glory, ). That is God’s permanent abode.

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Happiness is fame, happiness is glory and happiness is ornament. For the sake of happiness, you should be prepared to sacrifice something. When you go to a shop to get a new handkerchief, you should be prepared to pay some money. If this is the case with worldly objects, imagine what an amount of sacrifice is needed to obtain the most precious treasure of divine bliss. (immortality is not attained through action, progeny or wealth; it is attained only by sacrifice), says the uUpanishad. had 100 sons and he ruled over a vast kingdom. But what was his fate in the end? Real glory is obtained only through sacrifice. Removal of immorality is the only way to attain immortality. The moment you leave ego and anger, you derive bliss. It is in this sense that bliss is said to be Divine. You cannot understand Divinity with an outlook of diversity. Union with Divinity should be the goal of your life.

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After long penance and pious pursuits, the ancient proclaimed: (I have visualised the Supreme Being who shines with the effulgence of a billion suns and who is beyond – the darkness of ignorance). They said, they had realised the Almighty God who is most brilliant and is beyond the darkness of ignorance and sorrow. They exhorted one and all to follow their path and realise the Embodiment of Bliss. But people do not care to realise bliss.

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