Hold on to the Fundamental Principle of Oneness

Pots are many, clay is one,
Jewels are many, gold is one,
Cows are many, milk is one,
Likewise, the same Divinity dwells in all forms.
(Sanskrit Verse)

God is One, Goal is One

If you enquire deeply, you will find in this world that the same thing assumes different names and forms and is put to use in myriad ways. Seed is one, from which emerge the trunk, branches, subbranches, leaves, flowers and fruits of the tree. All these have different names and forms and are put to use in different ways. Ekoham Bahusyam (the One willed to become many). Though God is one, He assumes many names and forms.

God is the Cause of the Universe

Here you have to enquire into the two types of causes: one is Nimitta Karana (instrumental cause) and the other is Upadana Karana (primary cause). For a pot, potter is the Nimitta Karana and clay is the Upadana Karana. Pots may break and lose their form, but the clay remains changeless. The potter makes different types of pots from the same clay. Just because the pots are broken, the clay does not undergo any change. Similarly, there are many types of ornaments, for which gold is the Upadana Karana and goldsmith is the Nimitta Karana. You may change the ornaments into different names and forms, but gold remains the same. However, God who is the Upadana Karana of the universe also assumes the role of the Nimitta Karana, the Creator, and creates objects and beings with different names and forms. Here you have to understand the oneness of the Nimitta Karana and the Upadana Karana.

If there is no potter, clay cannot be converted into pots. Even though potter is there, he cannot make pots without clay. Therefore, potter and clay, both are necessary for pots to be made. For the entire universe, God is the Upadana Karana and He is also the creative force of the universe. Your bodies are like different pots. You put your body to different uses and experience pleasure and pain. Just as the pot breaks when it falls down, the body also perishes when the time comes. But God who is both the Nimitta Karana and the Upadana Karana is permanent. The same pot which is useful becomes useless when it breaks. The same can be said about the human body too.

Five Names of God

Five names are attributed to God: Para Nama, Vyuha Nama, Vibhava Nama, Antaratma Nama and Archana Nama. With these five names, God performs various tasks in this world. God dwells in Vaikuntha. Therefore, Vaikuntha Nivasi (dweller of Vaikuntha) is Para Nama. Vaikuntha is that which does not become Kunthita (deformed). There God dwells with Para Nama. Nobody has access to that place. None can enter Vaikuntha where Divinity shines resplendently. From there, God sees and hears everything and creates everything. But He is neither seen nor heard by anyone. Nobody can see His form. This is the principle of Para Nama.

The second name of God is Vyuha Nama. It refers to the One who reclines on the serpent Adisesha in the ocean of milk. There only gods and goddesses can see Him but ordinary mortals cannot see. Here God with the attribute of Vyuha Nama fulfils the wishes of gods and goddesses. You have seen this in dramas and movies. When the demon king Hiranyakashipu was causing untold suffering to people of all worlds, gods and goddesses went and prayed to Lord Narayana who was reclining on Adisesha. He accepted their prayers and incarnated on earth to kill Hiranyakashipu. Therefore, you can understand that God with the attribute of Vyuha Nama is visible only to gods and goddesses.

The third type of name is Vibhava Nama. This is the name attributed to God when He incarnates in human form like Rama and Krishna for the protection of the world. When God comes down as an Avatar, He establishes intimate relationship with the people of the world, destroys their wicked qualities and wicked thoughts, and puts them on the right path by developing devotion, noble thoughts and good qualities in them. When God comes as an Avatar, He demonstrates the intimate relationship that exists between God and His devotees.

The fourth name is Antaratma Nama. It refers to consciousness that pervades man from top to toe and protects him. There is Antaratma (indwelling divinity) in everyone. The fifth type is Archana Nama. Man worships God in this form to earn His grace through prayer, Bhajan and Kirtan with devotion and surrender.

Decline of Dharma in Kali Yuga

Since time immemorial, God has been incarnating on earth from age to age for the establishment of Dharma. The students today may be surprised to know this. In fact, anyone will be struck with awe and wonder when he hears about the mighty power of the people of Krita Yuga. It really sounds incredible. In Krita Yuga, man used to live for hundreds of years. People used to be very tall and well built, not short-statured like people of today. Their hand itself was six feet long. What was the life sustaining force of people of those days? The life principle was present in their bones. Therefore, people could remain alive even when they were reduced to a skeleton in the absence of food and water. Even if there was no flesh and no blood in the body, the life principle could remain in the bones.

In Treta Yuga, the height of people became comparatively less. Not only the height, even the longevity was also reduced. People could be alive so long as there was flesh and blood in the body. Then in Dwapara Yuga, the life principle was present in the blood and people could remain alive as long as there was blood in the body. This can very well be understood by the example of Bhishma in the Mahabharata war. He was lying on the bed of arrows for 56 days till his entire blood got drained out from the body. There were no life-supporting systems like oxygen cylinders those days. The life principle was in his blood which slowly got drained out over a period of 56 days.

In this age of Kali, life principle is present in the food. Man remains alive so long as he takes food. Without food, the body becomes lifeless. Therefore, in this age of Kali, man is called a Annagata Prani (one who is sustained by food). But in earlier ages, food was not important, connection with God was more important. In Krita Yuga and Treta Yuga, people gave top priority to their relationship with God. But after Dwapara Yuga started, people relied more on their head than on God. Try to understand this clearly. In Krita Yuga and Treta Yuga, people believed, Dharma Moolam Idam Jagat (righteousness is the basis of the entire world). But in Dwapara Yuga, people considered Dhana Moolam Idam Jagat (money is the basis of the entire world). What was the cause of the war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas? The greed for money was so much that the Kauravas refused to give even five villages to the Pandavas as their share of the kingdom. Therefore, money was the cause of the Mahabharata war. In this age of Kali, you should realise that it is not Dhana (money) that sustains the world but Daya (compassion). Daya Moolam Idam Jagat (compassion is the basis of the entire world). But there is no trace of Daya in the heart of man today. Hri + Daya = Hridaya. That which is filled with compassion is human heart. But due to the absence of compassion in the heart of man, he is facing many ordeals.

Avatars come to Establish Dharma

During the time when the teachings of Buddhism and Jainism were widely followed in India, Sankara was born in a small village named Kaladi in Kerala to a noble couple Aryamba and Sivaguru. What was the state of affairs at that time? There were many small kingdoms which were fighting with each other for worldly gains. As a result of these wars, people’s minds were filled with hatred. Hatred led to disunity which in turn gave rise to improper conduct, falsehood, injustice and wickedness. Not only that, Vedic scholars, intellectuals and educated people started misinterpreting the teachings of the Vedas and Sastras (scriptures). Therefore, people lost faith in the teachings of the Vedas and Sastras. Consequently, a need arose for a divine power to incarnate to set things right.

Lord Krishna declares in the Bhagavadgita:

Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanir Bhavati Bharata,
Abhyutthanamadharmasya Tadatmanam Srujamyaham.
(Sanskrit Verse)

(Whenever righteousness is on the decline and unrighteousness is on the ascendance, I incarnate on earth.)

When the practice of Dharma declines, when injustice is on the rise, when people start acting contrary to the teachings of the Vedas and scriptures, either God Himself incarnates or He sends Amsavatars (partial manifestations of God), prophets and noble souls to correct the situation. When God incarnates with all His Divine attributes, He is called Poornavatar or Vibhavavatar. The Archana Nama refers to the names of Amsavatars. Not only in India, but in all countries, such Amsavatars incarnate from time to time.

In the beginning, Jesus said, “I am the messenger of God”. Gradually, he understood the principle of indweller. Then he declared, “I am the son of God”. Being the son of God, he acquired all the attributes of God. Just as the son has complete right over his father’s property, Jesus being the son of God acquired all the divine attributes.

When he realised that the same Atmic principle is present in everyone, he declared, “I and my Father are one”. The same was stated by Zoroaster also. First he said, “I am in the light”. He declared, God is in heaven and he is living in His light. Gradually, he understood that Divinity is present within him. Then he declared, “The light is in me”. In the beginning, he thought he was in the light. Then he realised the same light was within and the light outside was nothing but the reflection of the inner being. He believed that he was being guided by the light within. When he realised the oneness of the inner light and the outer light, he declared, “I am the light”. As per Indian philosophy, these three stages are represented by Dvaita (dualism), Visishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) and Advaita (non-dualism).

God is One, Goal is One

Sankara, who came to demonstrate the principle of Advaita to the entire world, considered himself a servant of God. Unfortunately, his father Sivaguru passed away when Sankara was three years old. Ten days prior to his demise, Sivaguru had a vision of divine effulgence which conveyed to him that he should perform the Upanayanam (sacred thread investiture ceremony) of Sankara. Obeying the directions of the divine light, Sivaguru performed the Upanayanam of Sankara at the age of three. After the Upanayanam, Sankara started reciting the Gayatri Mantra.

Sankara Taught the Principle of Advaita to the World

After the death of his father, Sankara’s mother Aryamba took up the complete responsibility of his upbringing and admitted him to a Gurukul under the tutelage of a Guru (preceptor). Sankara was endowed with such a sharp intellect that before he attained his sixteenth year, he had mastered the four Vedas and six Sastras (six systems of philosophy). For ordinary mortals, it is not possible to study the four Vedas and six Sastras even in fifty years. But Sankara was a special boy; in fact, he was super special. He could understand and assimilate the teachings of all the four Vedas and six Sastras. The Guru was wonderstruck at the intellectual acumen of his disciple. One day, his mother approached the Guru and expressed her intention to perform the marriage of her son. But Sankara said, he was not interested in marriage and that he wanted to take Sannyasa (renunciation). He said, “I wish to offer my body, mind and everything to God. In fact, nothing is mine, everything is given by God. Therefore, I want to offer myself to God”. He was determined to become a Sannyasin (renunciant). Aryamba pleaded with him shedding tears that he should marry. It is but natural for a mother to wish her son to marry.

One day when his mother went to the river to fetch water, Sankara followed her, pleading, “Mother, give me permission to take Sannyasa”. But she did not budge. As she was filling her pot in the river, Sankara jumped into the river, and after some time, he raised his hand and yelled, “Mother, I am being swallowed by a crocodile. At least now, permit me to embrace Sannyasa”. The mother at once said, “My dear, if taking to Sannyasa saves your life, so it be! It is enough for me, if you are alive”. At once, the crocodile released its grip on Sankara and he came out of water. He told his mother, “I was being swallowed by the crocodile of worldliness. Once you permitted me to become a renunciant giving up all worldly attachments, the crocodile of worldliness left me”. Taking to Sannyasa does not mean merely to put on ochre robes; it is to change one’s outlook towards life.

Sankara offered his salutations to his mother and left home at the age of sixteen. At that time, his mother extracted a promise from him that he would come to her at the time of her death and perform her last rites. There were no buses, cars or aeroplanes to travel from one place to another in those days. Sankara travelled on foot and visited all the pilgrimage centres in the country. During his travels, he met many Vedic scholars and defeated them in debates and taught them the principle of Advaita. He told them, “You see diversity on the basis of external names and forms. Though forms are different, heads are different, heart is one and the same. That is divinity”. There may be many varieties of sugarcane, but the juice is the same in all of them. Similarly, divinity is present in everyone in the form of divine essence. At that time, Mandana Misra was considered a great scholar. He also became a disciple of Sankara when he was defeated in the debate with him. Sankara travelled widely and convinced all great scholars about the principle of oneness.

All Religions Teach the Principle of Unity

There is only one entity and not two. Ekameva Adviteeyam Brahma (God is one without a second). People are deluded by diversity of names and forms. They should hold on to the underlying principle of oneness. Nothing exists without this fundamental principle. It is not possible to make ornaments without gold nor is it possible to make pots without clay. Likewise, there is only one fundamental principle for the entire creation. It is the same for people of all religions: Hindus, Christians, Mohammedans or Sikhs. Though the divine principle is one, people of different faiths call it by different names. God is one, goal is one. This principle of oneness needs to be taught to students. It is not so easy to understand the principle of Advaita. That is why today I have told in a nutshell what it means.

What is religion? Religion is that which removes all differences. In fact, it demonstrates unity in diversity. Having established the principle of Advaita firmly in the hearts of people, Sankara left his body at a very early age of 32. What was the reason? The task for which he had come had been accomplished. He told his disciples to preserve this principle in their hearts and propagate the same. He established four centres of Advaita – Jagannath Mutt, Sringeri Mutt, Dwaraka Mutt and Joshi Mutt and made his four eminent disciples in charge of these Mutts. By establishing these Mutts and promoting the sense of spiritual oneness among the people, Adi Sankara promoted harmony in the country. He strived to spread happiness everywhere by propagating the principle of Advaita and removing differences and unrest. None can dispute the principle of Advaita that Sankara propagated.

Later on, Ramanujacharya modified Advaita and called it Visishtadvaita. Just as juice is the same in all types of sugarcane, the divine essence is the same in all beings. This was the principle of Advaita taught by Sankara. But how long can one keep sugarcane juice? Sugarcane juice cannot remain as it is with the passage of time. But if the same sugarcane juice is converted into sugar, it becomes long-lasting and can be added in any preparation. You may add it in wheat flour or rice flour or any flour for that matter; it gives sweetness. Anything that comes in contact with a sweet substance like sugar will acquire the property of sweetness. Sugar is permanent and can be used in anything. Therefore, instead of preserving the sugarcane juice as it is, it is better to convert it into sugar and use it. This is the principle of Visishtadvaita advocated by Ramanujacharya.

The third principle was Dvaita. This was advocated by Madhwacharya. Sankaracharya, Ramanujacharya and Madhwacharya are the exponents of three types of philosophy, Advaita, Visishtadvaita and Dvaita respectively. But all the three agreed on the fundamental principle of oneness. Sankaracharya called it sugarcane juice, Ramanujacharya called it sugar. Madhwacharya said, “If Divinity is like sugar, I don’t want to become sugar; I want to be the one who enjoys the sweetness of sugar. If I also become sugar, how can I enjoy its taste”? Therefore, he prayed, “Oh Lord! You remain sugar always, but make me the one who enjoys Your sweetness”. When can you become the one who enjoys the sweetness of divinity? It is possible only when you offer yourself to God completely. Till such time you may perform any type of Sadhana like Japa (chanting), Tapa (penance), Dhyana (meditation) and Yoga, you may study any number of sacred texts, you will not attain the deservedness to enjoy the sweetness of divinity. All these spiritual practices will give only temporary mental satisfaction. Since all these practices are performed with the help of the heart, offer your heart to God. This is what Madhwacharya taught:

Oh God, I offer the heart which You have given me. What
else can I offer at Your Lotus Feet? I pray to You to accept it.
(Telugu Poem)

Man should Know his Humanness to Realise his Divinity

When you say, “Oh God, I offer my heart to You”, God says, “Here I give you the experience of the sweetness of divinity”. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati (as are the feelings, so is the result). God is changeless. He will respond to you in accordance with your feelings. What is the form of water? And what is the form of air? They have no form of their own. God is also like that. Out of His immense love for His devotee, God assumes the form of His devotee’s choice. Air assumes the form of football, when it is filled in football and takes the form of a balloon when it is filled in a balloon. Similarly, water also assumes the form of the container or the tank in which it is put. Likewise, God assumes the form which you contemplate upon. God has no preference for this form or that form.

Sarva Rupa Dharam Santham, Sarva Nama Dharam Sivam,
Satchidananda Rupam Advaitam, Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram.
(Sanskrit Verse)

(All the names and forms are but the manifestations of the Supreme Being who is ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute and nondual. He is the embodiment of Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Truth, Goodness, Beauty).

Though God has no form, He assumes all forms and considers all names as His. Though Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram appear to be different, they are in fact one and the same. Truth is beauty. Where there is no truth, how can there be beauty? There can be no beauty in untruth; there may be attraction but no beauty. Therefore, that which is true is beautiful. When truth and beauty come together, goodness manifests. Truth, beauty and goodness are one and the same. The same truth was taught by Plato to his disciple Aristotle. He said, “My dear, I have studied all the scriptures and have realised that God is the embodiment of truth, goodness and beauty”. When man has these three attributes, he also becomes divine.

Man today does not understand what humanness is. He is unable to recognise the human values present within. Then how can he recognise his innate divinity? Lakhs of years have passed since the birth of human being. But so far humanness has not taken birth in him. The day man realises his true human nature, he will visualise his own innate divinity. Unless he knows his humanness, how can he realise his divinity? How can one who cannot touch the roof reach the sky? Therefore, first of all, man should try to acquire human qualities. Then it will be easy for him to develop divine qualities. Students should understand how noble souls in those days realised divinity. When they follow the path shown by them, they will be able to develop noble feelings, selfless love, and lead a peaceful life.

(Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, “Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam…”)

– Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 6th September 1996.