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Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.
One point I thought I would try to discuss a little at least today.
Devotion is a very strong influence and under-current in our life. Devotion simply means anything like a regard, a feeling of respect, or a kind of a connection or allegiance to whatever we have in mind in the way of God. It starts with some kind of a linkage, a fondness or a regard for God. This is the beginning point of devotion. Though it is addressed to God, this devotion in our mind and heart, really speaking, has nothing to do with God.
Suppose you purchase a mirror, and hang it on your wall. Everyday you go and stand before it and look at your face. It accumulates dust and dirt - the mirror. You have to wipe them, wipe it every day, make it clean. And every day you have to go and stand before it and with open eyes look into the mirror. Then you will find your face. Purchasing the mirror, hanging it on the wall, keeping it clean, standing before it, looking into it to find your own face! In the whole process, you tell me, is there anything that you do for the mirror?
You bought it not because the mirror wanted you to buy it. And by your buying it, whether it was in the shop or in your own house, it makes no difference at all, so far as the mirror is concerned. Poor mirror doesn’t know that you have bought it. And it has been shifted from the shop to your house. Then you hang it. Neither the wall nor the mirror knows that it has been done. Then you go and stand before it, keep it also clean. The entire process, the entire effort and exercise are only for you. Not only that only for you, it is for you at every time. People will come to your house and they will look for a mirror, they will find it. And a mirror is necessary.
Exactly in the same manner, we are thinking about God, using the concept of God so that with this concept, we will be able to grow, improve our mind as much as we want. With the thought of God, to which extent you can grow in your life, I don’t think it can be defined by anybody. By devotion, or with devotion, anything in this world you can have. Whatever is not in this world you can have it by devotion. Then what about the things of the world? When we think about the concept of God, we consider Him to be the Very source of all creations. He is not merely the source, he sustains the earth, sustains the air, the water, the sky, the stars, sun, moon, fire – everything is His gift. And he looks after them.
If all these things belong to God, and God alone is sustaining them, by being devoted to God, can you not get anything and everything that you want? Suppose you want a piece of land, you will get it. Suppose you want adequate money for any purpose whatsoever, you will get it. Some people are able to think in this manner. Others or mostly, they are unable to think. That is only because you don’t understand either God or devotion. I have always been explaining that this devotion is actually a treasure. By devotion you are not doing anything to God. Everything is being done to yourself.
I was speaking yesterday on Sreemad Bhagavatam. And a question was asked to Suta, the narrator, by the educated assembly in front, in which Brahmanas were there, saints and sages were there, Kshatriyas and Rājās were there – an assorted group and they were asking him—“our Vedas are there. So many different compositions like Itihasas, Puranas, Smritis, Prakarana Granthas—all of them are there. You have read all of them. Let us know what is the essence in the whole literature?
And Suta says, “There is only one essence, that is, when knowledge becomes pure and refined, it becomes a non-dual advaya knowledge. That advaya knowledge is the Supreme Essence that you enquired about. It is this knowledge that goes by the name “Brahman - the Supreme Reality”, “Atma – the Inmost Self”, and “God – whom the devotees look to”.
Just imagine! What does it mean? Maa was telling me by this kind of a programme, particularly all programmes that we conduct, are satsang. They call it Pāda Puja and Prabhāta Rashmih. We are creating a mood of receptivity and sublimity in all of you. And in the background of that sublimity, your Swamiji speaks a few words. What greater opportunity can you make in life to listen to something in the way of wisdom?
When we conduct a Bhagavata Saptaham or a Satram, yesterday those people who came over there would have seen, we have made a very good pandal. A pandal is made, a platform is there. A huge lamp was lit. A number of garlands were offered. And we have decorated the whole stage also beautifully. Now that creates an atmosphere of sublimity. The mind feels elevated and also ready to listen to whatever is said.
So in all these satsang programmes, what is required is – generation and imbibing of a divine, devotional and sublime attitude. In that attitude, whatever is said in the way of wisdom, we must be able to listen to and absorb. God is something like a word we are uttering and we have formed. And we have to explain it.
So Suta, and through Suta, Veda Vyasa Maharishi is telling us that “My dear devotees, all of you are looking to God. That God is actually, properly understood and studied that God is knowledge”. The moment you say knowledge, knowledge is a derivative of our intelligence. The intelligence is in the living human being. It is not necessarily the body. The body is inert. It cannot know at all. The intelligence, the mind, the ego, etc. are totally different from the body. They are associated with the brain and so many other parts of the body, that’s all. I am speaking through the tongue. I am speaking through the vocal system. But the vocal system by itself cannot produce all the words that I am uttering. In my mind I have some ideas to convey. These ideas first of all crop up perhaps in my brain. These ideas have to be communicated to the vocal system. And from the vocal system, every idea is expressed in the form of a sound combination called words. And each word has to be coined and designed by the conscious mind within.
So this knowledge is actually an inner process. It is available only in the human body and that too inside – not in the body. That knowledge is actually God. By understanding that this is so, your God becomes knowledge, knowledge; that means He is within you; he is always there. As long as you are living, you know ‘I am.’ As long as the ‘I am’ knowledge is there, God also is there. So the distance to God vanishes. The indefiniteness about him flees. Clarity dawns and you understand God is an inner un-negatable presence. Having understood it, your proximity to God, closeness to God goes on increasing; increasing. You can never forget him. You need not even remember him. He is always with you; always with you; always with you. Test, check, and verify whether this feeling is there in you or not. If it is not there, your understanding is not clear. Just imagine if knowledge is God, and that knowledge is constantly in you, then you are with God, of God, by God, in God, from God, etc. If this is the awareness you can cultivate, then what is there further for you in life? Your father is not your father; your mother is not your mother; your parents, their parents, all the humanity, along with the earth and other creatures plus the sun and the moon – all of them are God’s own manifestation!!
You don’t have the responsibility to look after the earth; to make sure that the earth goes on spinning and also doing circumambulation around the sun. You don’t have the responsibility to press your lungs in order to make it breathe; you don’t have the responsibility to press the heart in order that it will beat. All these things are taking place according to the intricate system of God. If you can understand it, cherish this understanding, I think devotion becomes the best.
All your doubts vanish, all the clarity that you look for, arises, and then you will find life is a very very smooth flow. Don’t have any expectation. Don’t have any complaint. Don’t unnecessarily think this is my duty; that is other’s duty. Whatever job is there, or you feel like doing, do it the best, best, best, best. This ‘bestness’ comes from within you.
Devotion is actually a treasure. It takes away all kinds of anxiety and burden from your mind. As I always say, our life in this world will always bring three fold miseries— ādhyātmika, ādhidaivika, and ādhibhautika. This misery, even if your life is comfortable, you will have. Uncomfortable, you will have. sukha and duhkha are the only experiences we have. The richest man has these; the poorest man has these; the healthy one has these; the sick and the dying man also have these. So, in terms of sukha-dukhas, nobody is better and nobody is worse; nobody is higher; nobody is lower. Once you start floating in this kind of a feeling of uniformity and sameness, you will find your life becomes a beautiful smooth flow. Never think in terms of ego - I have to do this; I have to do that! What can you do? Even the feeling that I have to do does not depend upon you, it may vanish. Suddenly people die during sleep by a heart attack. What are we saying? How to ensure the heart beats the next time? How to ensure the lungs bellow the next time? How to ensure that your hind foot may be taken forward and you can take a step? My dear children! Think about these matters, think about!
From satsang, you’ll get an opportunity to know about the real nature of devotion, and thereby you can test yourself inwardly, get corrected, improve, and go forward. So, satsang is the right thing by virtue of which you get more and more of viveka, whatever be the nature of the program.
So, satsang is clearly purposeful, it is to involve the listeners and participants, make them more and more enlightened about “What is God, what is Supreme Reality, what is the Soul, and how to make easy, safe, successful and glorious!”
Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.
