Always Contemplate On The Atmic Principle

1 May 1997, Sai Shruti, Kodaikanal, TN

Published English.

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There is no penance comparable to peace. There is no wealth greater than contentment. There is no disease other than desire. There is no greater than compassion.

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In this world, everyone struggles from dawn to dusk to attain peace. What are the spiritual practices required for this purpose? No spiritual practices are necessary for acquiring peace. Peace is very much inherent in you. When you know the , you experience peace. Peace lies in your principle. Peace has no shape of its own. The basis of peace is the . Neither penance nor rituals are required for peace to emerge from your heart. There is no need for any spiritual practices to attain peace. All these practices are related to the physical and worldly plane.

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Endless Desires Are the Cause of Many Diseases Man acquires many things for his bodily comforts and thinks that this is happiness. He assumes that sleeping on a costly mattress in an air-conditioned room will give him happiness. But there is no happiness without peace. What is happiness? Real happiness emerges from the divine vibrations emanating from the heart. Worldly happiness is impermanent as it lasts for a few hours or days only. In order to derive everlasting happiness, contemplate on the principle. There is no greater happiness than contentment. Happiness is heaven, sorrow is hell.

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Man is bound by many desires. These very desires are the cause of many diseases. Some of these diseases are not related to the body. Perversions of the mind are responsible for a number of diseases. Many diseases will be eradicated when we curtail our desires. Man is duped by his endless desires, which make him the victim of many diseases. Happiness, peace, and health are dependent on our thoughts. There is no greater than compassion. Compassion is the basis of all religions. The kindness that emanates from our heart is verily compassion.

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Four According to Indian culture, there are four (objectives) of man’s life, namely, , , and (righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation). Not only in India, these goals of life are prevalent in other countries also. The four are related to the . Some say that these are meant only for men and not women. What is meant by ? does not mean man. It refers to the and consciousness. The consciousness does not distinguish between men and women. The real is the which is the same in all.

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It is generally thought that refers to charity. But this is not correct. Those deeds that help man to attain Divinity come under . The actions that induce bliss in the heart, manifest non-duality and advocate oneness constitute . The innermost feelings that reflect Divinity come under . Everyone must practice this . In fact, human life is destined for this very purpose. Man should realise the truth that he is born to manifest Divinity. does not refer to the stages of life, e.g., (householder stage) or (renunciant stage). These stages of life are related to the world and not to the . Man forgets his inherent humanness and gets caught up in worldly and mundane problems in his day-to-day life. As a result, his life remains disoriented to the Supreme Principle.

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as a goal of life is related to the principle. It is generally thought that refers to wealth, worldly possessions, and property. God-awareness is the real . This awareness means wealth of knowledge and not money or currency notes. Experiencing Divinity is in itself . This is what we have to attain and propagate.

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Contrary to the popular belief, refers to the desire to attain liberation and not the worldly objects that are of a temporary nature. But we do not try to find out the actual meaning of these words. People do not understand the real meaning of and associate it with worldly pleasures and mundane desires. They should understand the real meaning of these terms, recognize the true goal of life and spread this knowledge.

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is a state which is devoid of entry and exit, birth and death. said, “There is an endless cycle of birth and death and one has to stay in the mother’s womb again and again. This ocean of worldliness is difficult to cross. Oh compassionate Lord, protect me with Your boundless grace". He advised a scholar, “Oh foolish man! Worship , when the god of death beckons you, your knowledge of grammar will not help you in any way”. What is the way to liberation? Always remember God and meditate upon Him. Tread the sacred path and attain the highest divine state where there is no birth and death. We attribute worldly meaning to the words and take to the wrong path. God is perfect. Perform perfect actions befitting Him.

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Darwin attained perfection in a similar way. He was a renowned scientist, highly intelligent and wise. What practices did he undertake to become so? Whose help did he seek? While he was a student, he had a teacher named Henslow whose command he always followed implicitly. Ever immersed in the thoughts of his teacher, he followed in his footsteps. Once his teacher invited him to a meeting. Both Darwin and Henslow were standing next to each other and they looked alike. How was this possible? It was due to the fact that he followed his teacher perfectly. When coal comes in contact with fire, it turns into fire. The teacher is the fire and the disciple is the coal. But in , people do not try to realise this truth. When we remember God, we should follow His command also. You may hear any number of discourses, but it is sheer waste of time if what you hear does not penetrate your heart.

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Once a sculptor brought three dolls to the court of King . All three looked alike and beautiful. The emperor summoned the Prime Minister and asked him to decide which among the three dolls was the best. The Prime Minister brought an iron wire and put it in the ear of one of the dolls. The wire came out from the other ear. He then remarked, “This is the worst doll”. When he put the wire in the ear of the second doll, it came out from its mouth. He said, “This doll can be given second prize”. When he put the wire in the ear of the third doll, it went inside and did not come out. The Prime Minister then declared, “This deserves the first prize”. What does it mean? It means, the person who assimilates what he hears is the best.

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What does it imply? If what one hears with one ear comes out from the other ear, it is sheer waste (like the first doll). Whatever we hear is shared outside through the mouth, it is of the medium level. But when whatever is heard is contemplated upon and digested, it is the best. The three dolls denote the three categories of people. Some convey to others what they hear. Some ponder over what is heard. But listening, contemplating and practicing together will fill you with satisfaction and capability. This is to be followed if you want to lead the best life. This is the essence of ’s discourses.

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Nature Is The Manifestation Of Divinity God is also a sculptor and everything in this universe is His creation. But no two things in His creation are identical. In this world, there are more than five hundred people. But no two people resemble each other. Even in the case of twins, some differences do exist. It is true that man produces identical products. But it is not so in the case of Nature. There are thousands of leaves on a tree appearing alike. But they are not completely alike.

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First Jesus said, “I am the messenger of God”. Then he said, “I am the son of God”. As the messenger of God, he propagated Divinity to others. But he felt that he did not have close proximity with God; he was distant from Him. When you spread God’s message, you attain proximity with God. You are then called the son of God. In this capacity, God is the subject and son is His reflection (image). You then know that you are the ancient one and the same is present everywhere and in everyone. Saint sang: “Oh Lord! I suffered because I had forgotten You. You are everything for me and everything has been bestowed upon me by You. You are my Father and the valuable jewel in the box of this body. Oh Lord! I am not an orphan or beggar as long as You are there as my Supreme Master. You are providing me education and advice. You are my Master and Saviour. As long as I am dependent on You, I am neither poor nor destitute. Oh Lord! You are the very form of sweetness. You are providing me everything. I am a puppet in Your hands”. When Jesus said, “I am the son of God”, he was aware of all this.

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( brought His Discourse to a close with the Bhajan, “…”)