Develop Integrated Awareness

Maya Is The Vesture Of God

Man is born and brought up in Maya but he is so foolish that he does not understand what is Maya. Life is Maya, worldly attachments are Maya, family is Maya and even death is Maya. Knowing fully well that life is full of Maya, man still gets trapped in Maya. How strange it is!

(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love!

What is the form of Maya (illusion)? We talk about Maya, but no one knows its form and nature. That which is non-existent is Maya. That which is perceptible is also Maya. Why do you search for God here and there? Is He not present in your heart? God is within and without. Ekoham Bahusyām (the One willed to become many). The formless God assumes many forms. Maya is the vesture of God. Assuming this vesture, God manifests in many forms. Man is deluded by the Maya of God. He can have the vision of God when he overcomes this delusion.

Man should Recognise Tremendous Power within him.

Maya manifests in three qualities – Sattva (serenity), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (sloth). All beings and the whole world is filled with these three qualities. No one is an exception to these qualities. Man can get rid of Maya when he transcends these qualities. Basically, Moha (attachment) is the creation of these qualities. Attachment has three forms: Dhaneshana, Daresana and Putresana (desire for money, wife and progeny). As much as man reduces his attachment, so much he increases his divinity.

The human body is encased in five concentric Koshas (sheaths): Annamaya Kosha (food sheath), Pranamaya Kosha (life sheath), Manomaya kosha (mental sheath), Vijnanamaya Kosha (wisdom sheath) and Anandamaya Kosha (bliss sheath). While the other four sheaths are common to all beings, wisdom sheath is present only in a human being. So, it is only man who can investigate and recognise the wisdom sheath and derive bliss. But, unfortunately, man is not utilising this special faculty properly, and is not able to discern Divinity from Maya. He experiences only three lower sheaths of food, life and mind, but does not reach the wisdom sheath which can lead him to the sheath of bliss. This wisdom is not worldly, physical or ephemeral. It should originate from the sacred heart of man. Then only can he experience real happiness. But man leads his life at the level of food, life and mind sheaths only, which engulf him in Maya. So, he cannot recognise the tremendous power that is within him.

Modern Education System Creates Unlimited Desires

There are two types of seekers, those who consider that God has a form and others who think He is formless. But God is one only. Along with rain, there can be hails too. Due to the effect of coolness, the rain water solidifies into hails; and due to the effect of heat, the hails melt into water. But the basic substance is water only. The hail is Maya and water is Divinity. Water can exist without hail, but hail cannot be formed without water. Can anyone travel without being followed by his shadow? Divinity and maya are inseparable. They are like the object and its reflection, light and shadow. Man undertakes spiritual practices to differentiate Maya from Divinity.

He follows the nine paths of devotion: Shravanam (listening), Keertanam (singing), Vishnusmaranam (contemplating on Vishnu), Padasevanam (serving His Lotus Feet), Vandanam (salutation), Archanam (worship), Dasyam (servitude), Sneham (friendship), and Atmanivedanam (self-surrender). But who listens, chants, worships, etc.? It is only man. But man is like an actor on the stage of the world. The world is a stage, all are actors, and God is the Director. Life has to be based on His direction. In earlier days, when the population of the world was only 100 crores, most people treaded the spiritual path. They undertook spiritual practices to attain Divinity and liberation. Considering human life as evanescent like a water bubble, they sought to know the eternal truth. Now the population has increased to 600 crores. The population has increased but desire for liberation has decreased.

The reason is the modern system of education. This system of education creates unlimited desires in man. It does not inculcate the desire for liberation. The students, the educationists and the patrons of education, all struggle to fulfil their worldly desires. The first plan of a student is to take up a course of study which would provide him wealth and high status. The only aim of education is to earn a living. Is education meant merely to fill the belly? Only stomach is not important, head and heart are more important. What is the responsibility of the head? Its responsibility is not only to secure job and business for you. This leads to Pravritti (worldliness). The world is, in fact, an illusion. The path of Pravritti leads to illusion. The world is nothing but a dream.

All That Is Subject To Change Is Maya

During the dream, we consider the dream as real, forgetting the experiences of the waking state. But the dream is true till we wake up. Similarly, all experiences of waking state are true till we go to sleep. One is a day dream and the other, a night dream. Neither of these is real. Only you are real, who is a witness to both these states. You are omnipresent, you are truth, you are divine. The world is the creation of Maya. You call a house as yours. But when you sell it, only the money is yours; the house is no more yours. When you deposit the money in a bank, only the cheque book is yours. So, everything is subject to change like passing clouds. Everything that is temporary like passing clouds is Maya. A person, holding a 100-rupee note in his hand proudly smiles. The currency note laughs and says, “Oh foolish man, you are thinking that I belong to you. You know, before coming to your hand, I have seen umpteen number of people. How long will I remain with you? I never remain with any person for long. That is my nature”. All that undergoes change is Maya. But man considers everything that is changing as true. This illusion is the sign of his ignorance.

The ocean is a stable body of water, but its surface keeps on shaking restlessly. It is because of the wind. When there is no wind, there will be no waves. But waves are not different from water. The one and only Divinity takes various forms and appears as many entities. The head of a house is called father by his son, husband by his wife, son by his father and a grandfather by his grandson. Similarly, the same God is called Brahman by some and Atma by others. Some call Him Rama, Krishna, Jesus or Allah. Basing on their respective faiths and feelings, people give different names to God.

Religions are many but goal is one. 
Clothes are many but yarn is one. 
Jewels are many but gold is one. 
Cows are many but milk is one. 
Flowers are many but worship is one. 
Beings are many but Atma is one.

(Telugu Poem)

There can be no differences such as jasmine worship or rose worship. Flowers are different but worship is the same. People worship God and recite His several names such as Narayana, Govinda, Madhava, etc. One God has thousands of names. When we recognise this truth, we become free from illusion. Sat (truth) and Chit (consciousness) are the basic reality of everything. When this is understood and experienced, there can be no question of worry or sorrow. Before the marriage, you did not know anything about your wife or her sufferings. But five minutes after the marriage, you are greatly concerned when she undergoes some kind of pain. You even forego food for her sake. How has this connection and concern cropped up? Before the marriage, you were never concerned about her nor was she about you. Pain and pleasure are caused by attachment. In the stream of time, beings come together and get separated. Human life is full of attachment and detachment. Both are nothing but Maya.

Destruction Of Attachment Leads To Liberation

Here is a small example. This is a common experience of people all over the world. You go to see a movie. You do not pay any attention to the screen, which remains passive all through the show. You are concerned about the pictures which are coming and going. You see various scenes on the screen. An actor appears and cries on the screen. When the actor cries, you also start crying. The actor cries in order to earn money, whereas you spend money, go to the cinema and get into the act of crying! Pictures come and go, but the screen is always there. The screen is the truth and pictures that come and go are illusion. But screen and picture are inseparable. Without the screen, you cannot see the picture. Birth and death are also like these pictures.

Punarapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam (Oh Lord! I am caught up in this cycle of birth and death time and again). Truth is like this screen and all pictures are illusion. The Upanishad says, Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagat (Vishnu pervades the entire universe). Truth is constantly associated with Maya or illusion. Man must endeavour to transcend Maya to establish himself in Divinity. But man today is beset with all types of illusions. These illusions are due to Moha. Moksha or liberation is attained when all the attachments are conquered. Moha Kshaya Eva Moksha (destruction of attachment is Moksha). Moksha is not something that descends from heaven; it is not something which emerges from the earth. According to scriptures, removal of the veil of ignorance is Moksha. Ignorance is the other name of Moha. It is based on three basic qualities known as Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. As long as one is entangled in any of these attributes, the principle of Divinity that is beyond all attributes cannot be realised. God is beyond all attributes; and hence called Nityanandam, Parama Sukhadam, Kevalam Jñanamurtim, Dvandvatitam, Gagana Sadṛsham, Tattvamasyaadi Lakshyam, Ekam, Nityam, Vimalam, Achalam, Sarvadhi Sakshibhutam, Bhavatitam, Trigunarahitam (God is the embodiment of eternal bliss, wisdom absolute, beyond the pair of opposites, expansive and pervasive like the sky, the goal indicated by the Mahavakya Tattvamasi, one without a second, eternal, pure, unchanging, witness of all functions of the intellect, beyond all mental conditions and the three attributes of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas).

Follow The Path Of Spirituality

Suppose you enter a room of mirrors. You will find your images all around. As an intelligent being, you know that they are all your own reflections. But when a dog enters the room of mirrors, it regards those reflections as some alien dogs trying to attack it, and it starts fighting with those images. The mirrors get broken and each piece appears as a separate dog. He who regards the world as an integrated entity of God is God indeed. He recognises the unity in diversity of all objects in the world. One who considers the world as consisting of fragments of objects has an aberrated or perverse vision. He is no better than a dog. This kind of divisive outlook is due to illusion. Where is the question of fear for a person who considers all as one? Only a divisive mind will have fear. There is no delusion when there is no fear. God is beyond attributes; and yet He is present in them. There is mud in a pot, but there is no pot in the mud. Pot got a name because of its form. Similarly, even though there are no attributes in Him, all attributes are contained in God. God is eternal, dispassionate, ever pure, having no specific name or form. Where there is a form, there is a name. Where there are forms, there is Nature. Names and forms relate to head, whereas qualities such as Satya, Daya, Prema, Sahana, Samadṛshti (truth, compassion, love, patience and equanimity) relate to the heart. They do not have any form or shape. They relate to Nivritti (spirituality). Man should endeavour to change his attitude of Pravritti (worldliness) into Nivritti. This is what is known as Sadhana.

It is the outwardly projected mind of man that prevents him to take to the path of Nivritti. The mind is like a dog which will not allow you to remain stable. The Upanishad says in this regard, Mano Moolam Idam Jagat (the mind is the basis of the entire world). In reality, he who has controlled the mind is man (Ma-ni-shi). He who has become a slave to the mind can be regarded in the reverse direction (Si-ni-ma) or cinema. It is said, Manah Eva Manushyanam Karanam Bandha mokshayoḥ (mind is the cause of bondage and liberation of man). Bodies are different. Names and forms are different. But the divine principle in all is one only. So long as we do not understand this truth, we remain in illusion. The world is illusion, all worldly relations are illusion, and family is illusion. Foolish people do not understand this illusion. They are born in illusion, grow in illusion and die in illusion without understanding the truth. When we experience oneness in all things, it means we have achieved Prajnanam or supreme consciousness.

Man is born in society, grows up in society and dies in society. But he does not make efforts to know the nature of society. He who endeavours to know himself is a real human being. Can the snake be killed by just rubbing over the ant-hill? Man must delve deep within himself to understand his true nature. How can man call himself a human being without knowing himself? He may be a human being in form, but not in reality if he does not act according to his human nature.

Can all the birds of green colour talk like a parrot?

Can all the insects that crawl on the flowers become 
the bumble bees? 

Can an oversized pig become an elephant? 

Can one who does not know about himself acquire
 knowledge of the Self?

(Telugu Poem)

It is not the form that is important. Behaviour is important, habits are important, discipline is important. A real devotee is one who observes discipline. Good behaviour, good habits and strict discipline make one a real human being.

– Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Sruthi, at Kodaikanal on 23rd April 1993.