Recognise the principle of 'I'

5 August 1999, Onam, Prasanthi Nilayam

Published English.

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The trees demonstrate the sacred principle of equality by providing shelter to everyone Regardless of caste, creed, religion, nationality. The mighty mountains withstand the cold, rains, and the severe heat, thereby teaching man Not to be unduly attached to the body. The birds are satisfied with what they get to eat each day. They do not store food. Thus they teach the sacred lesson that one should not be worried about the future. Death conveys the message that body is temporary and the feeling of I and mine is but an illusion. Nature is the only school that confers on man true wisdom, and God is the only .

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(the world is temporary and full of misery, so contemplate on God).

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Since ancient times, in this sacred land of , many sages, seers, and also the kings propagated the spirit of sacrifice and the principle of spirituality, showing to mankind the way to peace and security. was one such king who propagated the spirit of sacrifice through his own example, by undertaking many sacred rituals like and . He even discarded the advice of his , , who tried to dissuade him from keeping his promise to . He told his that there was no greater sin than going back on one’s own promise and that he would abide by his word to , come what may.

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Let intellect control the mind , which has given birth to such noble kings and has been the land of sacrifice, spirituality, and peace, has now become a place of injustice, untruth, and restlessness. One should never get carried away by this body, which is bound to perish one day or the other. Only the principle of the is true and eternal. One should lead one’s life keeping this eternal Atmic principle in view. and not the fleeting materialistic pleasures of the world.

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Nature is endowed with two aspects. One is related to the worldly view and the other to the spiritual view. All that you see, hear, and think is related to the physical world. The unmanifest principle of the is the basis for this manifest Nature.

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Mind exists even after death Before driving a car, one should know where the brake, clutch, accelerator, etc. are located and how to operate them properly. Our body is a car, the mind is the steering, eyes are the headlights, heart is the engine, stomach is the petrol tank, and the four objectives of human life, namely, , are the four wheels. The tyres, which are outside, are under control of the steering, which is inside. Likewise, mind is the steering that controls the direction of the journey of human life. So, one should make every effort to understand the nature of the mind. Mind exists even after death. Purity of man depends upon the purity of his mind. If the mind is polluted, it pollutes all his life.

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The declare:

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(mind is responsible for both bondage and liberation of man).

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If man follows the dictates of the mind, he becomes worse than an animal and ultimately ruins his life. His life will be sanctified only when he follows the dictates of (intellect). He who goes by the vagaries of the mind can never be steady in life. How can he then attain permanent happiness?

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Truth originates from the So, first and foremost, man should make his mind steady and sacred. Before undertaking any activity, he should discriminate whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. But man is using his power of discrimination () only to suit his selfish ends, which is individual discrimination. What is needed today is fundamental discrimination, that which is based on the sacred principles like truth, love, and righteousness.

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Truth is one and the same for all countries in all periods of time. Truth originates from the (heart). The mind can be controlled once you have total faith in truth and follow it implicitly.

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The primary effort of man should be to control the mind. This is not possible unless desires are put under check. But, today, man is filled with excessive desires. No doubt one can have desires, but they should be within limits. Today, even the (renunciants) do not have control over their desires, let alone common men. When their grow, their desires also grow more and more. Why should one have unlimited desires? declared:

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Ma kuru dhana jana yauvana garvam, harathi nimeshath kalah sarvam (Do not be proud of wealth, progeny, or youth; the tide of time may destroy them all in an instant).

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Keep control over mind in times of difficulties One should keep one’s mind under control and act according to the situation. You have just heard a singer singing ’s composition, “.” was one who understood the truth and had love for God. But, one cannot keep control over one’s mind in times of great difficulties. It is because of this weakness that one even starts blaming God for one’s own troubles. was no exception to this. When he was unable to withstand suffering in the face of difficulties in life, he put the blame on , saying, “O , my (devotion) toward You is very strong, but You do not have the (power) to protect me.” Then he enquired deeply within and repented for his indiscreet statement. He sang,

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O if You lacked power, Would a mere monkey jump across the mighty ocean? Would Mother , the Goddess of Wealth, become Your consort? Would worship You? Would the intelligent serve You? How can I, with my limited mind, Understand the greatness and grandeur of Your divine power?” [Telugu Poem]

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One has to have a broad mind in order to understand the infinite Divinity. Today, man has become so narrow-minded that he has given up (ideals) and is leading his life only to fulfil his (desires). Lead a life full of sacred feelings. Give up worldly feelings. Have total faith in God. You can accomplish anything with faith.

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Only one with the mind is (truth), (righteousness), and (sacrifice) constitute humanness. is (morality), is (code of conduct), and is (reputation). The combination of all these three is (human race). But all these are missing in modern man. So, we find only (human in form) but not (human in practice).

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Today man is restless due to the vagaries of the mind. But the mind is essential for man. Only the one with the mind is (man). Bereft of the mind, he is not man. Therefore, man should conduct himself fully aware of the divinity within. Unfortunately, many do not believe in the existence of God. Where is God? He is all-pervasive.

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Sarvata Pani Padam Tath Sarvathokshi Siromukham Saravata Srutimalloke Sarvamavruthya Thisthati.

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Experiencing Oneness is true wisdom The present population of the world is approximately 600 . But the principle of ‘I’ is one and the same in everyone. Each refers to them as ‘I’. How can one know these 600 crore people? Once you recognise the principle of ‘I’, you would have recognised all. Here, you find many bulbs glowing; the same current flows through all of them. Similarly, the principle of ‘I’ is the same in all. Instead of questioning, “Who are you?” question yourself, ‘Who am I?” Know yourself first, then you will know all.

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(the same is present in everyone).

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This principle of oneness is . Viewing this oneness as many is or (illusion). This is responsible for the restlessness in the world. True spiritual practice lies in cultivating the spirit of oneness. There is no greater than this. Whatever one undertakes, one should do it with love. Then, there will be no scope for anger and jealousy.

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(God dwells in all beings), (all this is verily ),

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(neither wealth nor progeny nor good deeds can confer immortality; it can be attained only through sacrifice).

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People respect you as long as you occupy exalted positions in society. But nobody follows you when you lose your position and power. The address human beings as . Live up to that title. You are (sons of immortality), not (sons of falsehood).

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Understand the truth that you are God There is (awareness) in (physical body). That awareness is true wisdom. The refer to this as (constant integrated awareness). This constant integrated awareness makes the body, mind, and intellect function.

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All four , namely, , , , and , speak of this constant integrated awareness.

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Understand the truth that you are God. You may think that you are separate from . But in fact, I and you are not separate. ‘I am yours, you are Mine,’ ‘You and I are one.’ Understand this truth and act accordingly.

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(experience of oneness is true wisdom).

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There is only one without a second. If you go on adding the number 1 to itself, the value increases. On the other hand, even if of ‘I’s are added to ‘I’, it still remains ‘I’. That ‘I’ is Divinity. Once you understand this truth, you will realise that all are embodiments of Divinity. The essence of is contained in these four .

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Vision of God through Love You have all come from . You might have heard the arguments of many atheists that they do not believe in the existence of God, since He is not seen. Where can you find anything without form? One cannot deny the existence of air just because it is not seen. Likewise, one cannot deny the existence of God. God exists, but you cannot see Him. All names and forms are His. Once you develop this faith, you will develop love for God.

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could not bear the pangs of separation from when He left for . On deep enquiry, they realised that there was no separation between and them since He is present everywhere at all times. The one that went to was not ‘’ but his body. Realising this truth they sang this song, “O , can we ever understand You? You are smallest among the small and mightiest among the mighty. You are present in all the 84 species.”

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None can decide that God is here and not there. He is everywhere. Only through love can one have the vision of God. One can see one’s own reflection in the mirror only when a particular chemical is coated on the other side. Likewise, coat the chemical of love on your (heart) in order to have the vision of God. Fill your heart with love; then there will be no place for evil qualities like jealousy, anger, and hatred. Wax melts when it comes into contact with heat. The heart also melts like wax when the rays of love fall on it.

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The story of is direct proof of this. He constantly chanted the name of with all love even in the face of innumerable hardships. He was pushed from the mountain top and thrown into the sea. Attempts were made to get him trampled upon by huge elephants and bitten by poisonous snakes. But not even once did he give up chanting . Love of melted the heart of the Lord, and He came to His rescue in times of need. True devotion lies in being in a state of equanimity in both pleasure and pain. stands testimony to this. He had neither grief nor fear in the face of severest sufferings. He had total faith that God was within him.

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(one should remain equal-minded in happiness and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat).

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All are embodiments of love. Love is the fundamental force. When once you develop love within, you will never hate anybody. Today, hatred is on the rise everywhere. Ego is the root cause for hatred. Give up ego and you can have the vision of . All this can be accomplished only through love. You should lead your life with love. There is no greater devotion than this.