Preyas And Sreyas - What We Seek And What We Ought To Seek

22 May 2000, Summer Course 2000, Brindavan

Published English.

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The effulgence of Divinity can be seen when the six qualities of enthusiasm, dynamism, intellect, energy, courage, and valour shine in a person. (craving for sensual pleasures) and (the spirit of sacrifice) cannot ever co-exist. will not allow to come anywhere near, while would strongly resist . One might wonder, "Is it possible to sacrifice and yet be happy?" The answer is, "Yes, it is possible". If ego is effaced and there are no expectations of reward for the actions performed, sacrifice itself becomes a joyous experience; happiness and sacrifice then merge into one. Happiness is not the property of any particular individual; all are entitled to it, and everyone has the right to enjoy it. To receive your share, you must sanctify your life by serving society, using the gifts God has endowed you with.

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. The whole universe is divine.

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There are two competing factors at work in this world. The first is (force that promotes a material outlook or tendency) and the other is (force that promotes a spiritual outlook or tendency). The former is what motivates people in the various stages of life, from childhood to old age, driving them to sensual pleasures. , on the other hand, manifests as the noble virtues (compassion), (Love), (patience), (empathy), (spirit of sacrifice), etc., in the individual.

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In the , describes the actions motivated by these two as and respectively.

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What is meant by ? The prefix relates to the ; therefore, means that is in conformity with the , that is to say actions performed in harmony with the nature of the . is the driving force behind . on the other hand, relates to actions performed mainly in conformity with the dictates of the senses and the mind. The motivating force in this case is , which triggers the senses into useless indulgence. Man today hungers for , totally ignoring . While can secure fleeting pleasures, can earn God’s Grace for you. What causes rain? God’s Grace is primarily responsible for it. God’s Grace makes the sun and the moon shine, the rivers to flow, and the crops to grow. Sunshine, food, and water help you to live and be happy. God has given all these and much more for the common benefit of all living beings. Every living creature has equal right to enjoy these gifts of God.

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Always follow Every gift of God offers the opportunity to go from to . People are engaged in all kinds of worldly activities.

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You grow crops, you harvest them, you eat food, you study and acquire various types of worldly knowledge, and so on. If all these mundane activities are performed with a spiritual outlook, then you can enjoy bliss. Performing action with a spiritual outlook is the essence of . If you enquire deeply, you will realise that everything happens not merely because of your personal efforts but on account of the will of God. From the atom to the cosmos, things happen only because of God’s will.

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The gross and the subtle, ignorance and knowledge, the worldly and the spiritual – we form such pairs and thereafter make a distinction between the members of such pairs. In truth, the members of a pair are interrelated and not separate from each other. There is no duality, as we tend to make out. The two members of a pair are in fact intimately connected with each other. All actions when motivated by the heart become spiritual; but when driven by the mind, they become worldly. Modern man is dragging even the so-called spiritual actions to the mundane level. There are many today who are described as (people of charitable disposition), (people given to sacrifice), (so-called engaged in spiritual actions), and (people supposedly engaged in selfless service).

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But there is none in this world that might be called an .

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Who is an ? Not the one who follows (the path of spiritual action), or (the path of devotion), or (the path of wisdom). An is one who follows the ! There is none in this world that follows this unique path.

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The body is visible and tangible. The mind, though subtle, can be discerned through one’s experience. Everyone knows of the existence of the body and the mind. But there is none that truly understands the depth of the and has experienced It in the fullest sense of the word. He alone is entitled to be called an (the Knower of the ), who understands the real Self.

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It is therefore pointless to enquire into the principle of such an ephemeral and transient entity. Those who follow the (the worldly path) are highly body-conscious. said the other day that the mind is the Embodiment of . What does one mean by that? is the Omnipresent One. The mind too pervades everywhere, and that is why it is linked to .

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. The mind pervades the whole universe.

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Traditionally, is described as the son of , born out of the navel. In the human body, sound originates from the navel while the thought behind the spoken word is born in the mind. Thus, the emergence of words, consequent to a thought occurring in the mind is a physical symbolisation of the emergence of from the navel of . As said earlier, in the human being is the heart, is the mind, and is the word.

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When the Self is there right within you, there is no need to withdraw to the forest in quest of It. Such an act is a sign of sheer ignorance. It reflects the seeker’s inability to cognise the seat of the . The is within you, and that is what you have to know first and foremost.

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The or the Self within is not localised. It is all-pervasive, universal in nature, and the fountainhead of all creation. The being the source of the five elements, wherever the elements are present, so is the . Thus, since your body is made of the five elements, it should be obvious that the is also present in you.

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God has created all the five elements for the benefit of mankind. Air and water, for example, sustain life. Again, air, water, and land are all needed for growing crops; this is another example. Without food, the body would wither away; for the sustenance of life, food is a must. All the five elements have originated from the Self or the . It is therefore necessary to examine the spiritual overtones of the five elements.

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The (Universal) Self or the , is the fundamental basis for the existence of all the five elements. The same underlies all – the elements do not have of their own.

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The same Universal Spirit or Self pervades all beings and entities.

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Today, mankind is facing various problems because it is not focussing on the underlying unity in creation. Instead, it is being deluded and carried away by the superficial diversity. You must see unity in diversity and concentrate on the underlying divine substratum. The true seeker goes in quest of this unity, and this search in turn leads to or the wisdom of the Self.

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Ignorance is just the opposite of this wisdom; its characteristic is to see diversity where there is unity. You should not fragment the One into disjointed bits and pieces. This would weaken you, though superficially you might feel strong. To comprehend the Principle of the , it is sufficient to see unity in diversity.

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The is responsible for all this! is also known as , and the Atmic Principle is the same as the Principle of or the Divine Principle. Who is this ? is the One who is all-pervasive.

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When God manifests as Word, He is called . The scriptures describe this Supreme One as follows:

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Sabdabrahmamayi, Caracaramayi, Jyotirmayi, Vanmayi, Nityanandamayi, Paratparamayi, Mayamayi, Srimayi. God Almighty is the Primordial Sound, the Immovable as well as the Movable, the Divine Light, the Word, Eternal Bliss, the Supreme, Illusion, and Ultimate Wealth.

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This is a comprehensive description of God. This divinity manifests in the individual as the divine trinity consisting of , , and . The heart of man represents , the mind represents , and word represents . All the attributes that describe apply equally well to the Perfect Individual. They also apply to the word because word is God. The spoken word is the form of , who is an aspect of God. Speech is born of the mind, which is an aspect of . Thoughts are shaped by the feelings of the heart, which is an aspect of . , , and are not different; they are just aspects of the same, one and only God, also known as or .

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Vacanam Madhuram, Caritam Madhuram, Vasanam Madhuram, Valitam Madhuram, Calitam Madhuram, Bhramitam Madhuram, Madhuradhipaterakhilam Madhuram.

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His words are sweet, His eyes radiate sweetness, His gait is sweet, and His smile too is sweet! The Lord of [] is sweet, sweet and nothing but sweet!

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. Words and the mind fail to describe God and His sweetness.

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These two base qualities represent animal tendencies, and are not representative of the true nature of man. Man is the embodiment of truth and love. He is the one of peace. Although he might not be aware of it, man’s life is sustained by , , and . It is by recognising this underlying principle that the ancients of India declared:

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. Always be truthful; always abide by righteousness.

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These declarations are a testimony to the greatness of (Indian) culture. Never forget Truth!

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Where is this Supreme, Universal Cosmic One? It is not out somewhere there but right within you! Man today is indifferent to this remarkable and eternal truth. People read all kinds of spiritual books and engage in various types of (spiritual practices).

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What does really mean? It means the transformation of the bad into good. But what happens in practice is just the opposite!

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People do in such a confused and mistaken fashion that they end up forgetting the good and welcoming the bad! Man is not making effort to understand what means. = sa + . Sa means the Atmic Principle, and means wealth. Thus, the principle of the is true wealth, health, and happiness. Where is this true happiness or bliss? Bliss is where you came from. You were born of bliss. Why don’t you recognise your roots? You are prepared to believe anyone and everyone but not your own heart! Twenty-one thousand and six hundred times a day, your inner voice cries out , , – I am God, I am God. This is the spiritual message conveyed to you by your breathing process. You are foolish to ignore this Inner Voice and pay heed to what ignoramuses outside proclaim. Where is God?

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He is in you! said earlier,

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. The body is the temple, and God is the Indweller.

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God has so many names. or I – that also is a name for God. If you say [I am God], there is a slight tinge of duality in that statement. Here, there is a reference to I as well as God. A better declaration would be: "I am I!" That is all there is to it. This is true [philosophy of monism].

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I am not this or that; such statements imply duality. If you say, "This is mine," it implies that you are separate from the thing you are referring to. "I am I," is the correct and proper way of declaring your innate divinity. This is I, that is I, that also is I, and so on [here, pointed to various people and objects].

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Immersed in illusion, people worship this and that. Such actions are based on external perceptions and feelings. If you have a worldly outlook, you will win worldly rewards. Worldly feelings and thinking are negative; do not have such an attitude. Always have positive thoughts – positive, positive, positive! Positive thinking alone is the foundation of the (Principle of the ), which is the same as (Principle of Awareness), which is the same as (Principle of Love) and also (Principle of Bliss). See how all these different principles are one and the same!

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Embodiments of Love! God is not separate from you; in fact, He resides in you. He manifests when you are virtuous and have the right tendencies and attitudes. The or tendencies of a person are strongly influenced by food and life style. If these are such as to promote body-consciousness, then the six deadly enemies, (desire), (anger), (greed), (attachment), (pride), and (jealousy), overwhelm the person. If one rises above the body to the level of the heart, then the divine qualities of (love), (compassion), (patience), and (empathy) all manifest in the person. These virtues constitute the essence of [ often refers to this also as ]. Actions performed for the sake of the Real Self constitute . Practice of leads one to experience the bliss of the Self or the .

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Bliss is within, and you do not have to go elsewhere in search of it. In fact, there is nothing other than you! What you think you see outside is only a reflection of your own Inner Self. Some of the reflected images may appear distorted but that is a fault of the mirror, and has nothing to do with your Real Self. or nature is the mirror in which you see yourself. is based on (tendencies or attributes), which leave their imprint on the images that you see. Looking at the distortions, you draw wrong conclusions. This is not correct. One who understands the principle of the Self will see through these distortions and aberrations. He will not be deluded by them. There is a mole on ’s left cheek, but in the mirror, it appears as a mole on the right cheek. Can one straightaway accept what one sees in the mirror? If you have confidence in the Reality of the Self, then you will not be deluded. But if that confidence is lacking, then you will be easily swept by the opinions of others. You have a mind of your own, and you have been blessed with the power of discrimination; why then should you allow yourself to be misguided by others? Follow God and not others. First know thyself, i.e., your innate Divinity, your Real Self, which is the Inner Reality.

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However, when the pure love latent within manifests outside, it gets modified by the tendencies of the person concerned. People are worldly in their outlook, and that is why people are also so diverse in their attitudes, despite the common underlying divine basis. Worldly outlook is characteristic of . , on the other hand, makes one turn to God; such a person has no other interest, especially of a worldly nature. Therefore, always follow or . Do not be bound or limited by , which is based on bodily considerations.

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. God is present inside, outside, everywhere.

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Seek and not Students! You are all studying here in the hope that the degree that you will acquire will get you a nice job. Employment is necessary no doubt. But remember this: what you are taught in the class relates only to the external world. It constitutes secular knowledge. This secular knowledge must be supplemented with a strong dose of spiritual knowledge, which comes only by following the (spiritual path).

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(worldly outlook) and (Spiritual outlook) are like left and right. You have been given a left hand and a right hand.

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has mentioned this before – when you do , you bring your two hands together. One palm represents the worldly path and the other the spiritual path. is an act that is symbolic of the fusion of the two paths. Do not compartmentalise certain things as purely secular and other things as purely spiritual.

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Both are intertwined, and any separation that one seeks to make is entirely artificial. thus symbolises unification of the two paths. Some people greet by taking one hand to the head – they do a kind of salute! This gesture is not appropriate. It gives the impression that you are knocking your head, ruing your fate or misfortune! = na + ma + skaram. The first two words mean, "I am not", and the word in full implies, "I do not have any ego." Ego brings ruin and must therefore be totally avoided. Perhaps you have some worldly desires, but excessive desires would breed ambition, which in turn would make you wicked. The only desire one must really have is for God. Saints like and clearly understood this, and made God their sole priority. They realised that God is the Indweller, and worshipped Him with great devotion. God alone can be within; no one else can. There is a person who claims to be your friend; can this friend of yours be within you? Worldly friends are external but your true friend is inside; that is God! He alone can be both inside as well as outside, and He has the right to be so! Your heart is a single-seat sofa, and there is place for only one. That one seat must be reserved for God. If you lead your life filled with this feeling, not only would your life be always happy but, in addition, you would be able to spread that happiness all around you. Your family would be happy. If families are happy, the whole village would be happy. When all villages and towns are at peace, the whole country would be peaceful. Today, we mechanically repeat , not just once but three times. The one that leads the chant is himself not at peace! Whom else is he praying for?

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Try to experience Oneness The (cowherd maids) of always strove to experience Oneness. They said, "O God, we have this body, which is transient. It may collapse any moment. We must make proper use of it while it is with us. You have now taken a Form and come amidst us. We would like to take advantage of this and develop a proper relationship with You." They then sang:

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This was the intense devotion and the sense of unity that the had. You too should feel the same way because, truly speaking, there is no plurality; there is only One. You should never be deluded by diversity and superficial differences. Your father, mother, , etc., – at the body level all these are different; but the divine Principle in all of them is the same. Why then do you entertain a feeling of difference? Why then do you experience diversity instead of unity?

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Here is this body [ points to His body]. It is made up of the five elements. There is another body [ points to a person nearby]. That too is made up of the same five elements. Therefore, both are one; where is the scope for difference? Your mother, father, friend –every one of them is made up of the same five elements.

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Thus, even from the purely material point of view, there is only one, reflecting the philosophy of or monism. In the entire universe, there are only the five elements; there is no such sixth [gross] element. No matter where you search, you cannot find a new element; everywhere, it is only these five. Yet, within a human being, there is a separate and distinct element. It is not gross but subtle. And that is Supreme Love! This Supreme Love may be regarded as the sixth element; it reflects the Indweller and the divine Principle. The Vedic aphorism meaning ‘That thou art’, reflects this divine Principle. You must aspire for this sense of unity between yourself and God.

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This is the positive attitude and sense of Love that you have to develop. You must be charged with , , , , , enthusiasm, dynamism, keen sense of discrimination, energy, courage, and valour. These are the six forms of wealth that you must go after. Where these are present, there one can see the effulgence of Divinity.

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Or else, it becomes brackish and unpotable. Man then sheds tears, which too are salty! What is described as [water] in the scriptures is not this type of useless water but crystal clear and pure water, as God Himself made it. What is the you must offer back to God? Tears of joy! God gave water to man with love. Man must offer back love to God; God’s love can be secured only with love.

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The other day, mentioned that God is described as [the One who steals the Heart]. If a devotee happens to say, "God, You are a big robber," then others would object.

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They would ask, "How dare you describe God as a thief?" and then thrash the devotee! However, if with love the devotee sings , then others join in the singing with great joy. Therefore, express your love for God through music!

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. Pleasure and pain are not really different; they merely represent two aspects of the same occurrence or event.

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As often says, a man with a dual mind is half blind. If you expose yourself to duality, you would automatically become half blind. Duality is a part of Nature, and the world cannot be non-dual. But, using your discrimination, you must be able to see through this duality; that is the only way to secure happiness.

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Embodiments of Love! always addresses you by the endearing term Embodiments of Love; you must strive to become worthy of that description. Never go against the dictates of Love.

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Nityanandam, Paramasukhadam, Kevalam Jnanamurtim, Dvandvatitam, Gagana Sadrsam, Tatvamasyadi Laksyam, Ekam, Nityam, Vimalam, Acalam. This is the state variously described as: Eternal Bliss, Supreme Happiness, Supreme Wisdom, Beyond Duality, All-pervasive, the Embodiment of Oneness, Eternal, Pure, and Immovable.

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How can one in a state befitting such a description ever be in sorrow? will discuss this point tomorrow.

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Students! Time flies! Time is flowing fast but are you getting closer to the goal? If you want to go to , you must drive in that direction. If instead you drive in the opposite direction, how can you ever get to ? Life’s journey may be slow, but must be toward the proper goal. Do not get disheartened by obstacles that are bound to come en route. You must be determined to reach the goal. Where exactly is this goal? It is within you.

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That is why often says: Art is outside while heart is inside. God is in the heart. That also is why [ancient Indian philosophy] advocates the development of inner vision.

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At the conclusion of the discourse, sang two : and ....