26 August 2025
Tuesday
Every human being is the embodiment of the Atma. But because of Dehabhimana (identification with the body), he forgets the principle of the atma. When you give up Dehabhimana and develop Atmabhimana (identification with the Self), you will experience bliss. There are three types of beings in this world. Some beings can live only in water, some others can live only on earth, and there are some others which can live both on earth as well as in water. Similarly, there are some noble souls who spend all their time in the constant contemplation of God. There are some others who lead a worldly life but once in a while think about spiritual matters. Their life is like a two-horse race. They have one leg in the world and the other in spirituality. There is a third category of people who lead a totally worldly life and have no spiritual inclination whatsoever. Because they are afflicted by the cold of ignorance, they cannot even smell the fragrance of spirituality. It is your great good fortune that you are blessed with human birth. It is not possible for everyone to attain human life in every birth. Human birth is like a precious diamond. But man is ready to barter it away for petty things which are like pieces of charcoal. One who knows the value of the diamond, will he use it like a paperweight on the table? No. One who knows its value will keep it safely in a steel almirah under lock and key.
From Swami’s discourse of 2 September 1996
Every human being is the embodiment of the Atma. But because of Dehabhimana (identification with the body), he forgets the principle of the atma. When you give up Dehabhimana and develop Atmabhimana (identification with the Self), you will experience bliss. There are three types of beings in this world. Some beings can live only in water, some others can live only on earth, and there are some others which can live both on earth as well as in water. Similarly, there are some noble souls who spend all their time in the constant contemplation of God. There are some others who lead a worldly life but once in a while think about spiritual matters. Their life is like a two-horse race. They have one leg in the world and the other in spirituality. There is a third category of people who lead a totally worldly life and have no spiritual inclination whatsoever. Because they are afflicted by the cold of ignorance, they cannot even smell the fragrance of spirituality. It is your great good fortune that you are blessed with human birth. It is not possible for everyone to attain human life in every birth. Human birth is like a precious diamond. But man is ready to barter it away for petty things which are like pieces of charcoal. One who knows the value of the diamond, will he use it like a paperweight on the table? No. One who knows its value will keep it safely in a steel almirah under lock and key.