Know Your True Identity

One may master all forms of knowledge; 
One may vanquish one’s adversaries in debate; 
One may fight with valour and courage in the battlefield; 
One may be an emperor reigning over vast kingdoms; 
One may offer cows and gold as an act of charity; 
One may count the countless stars in the sky; 
One may tell the names of different 
living creatures on the earth; 
One may be an expert in eight forms of yoga; 
One may reach even the moon; 
But it is impossible to control the body, mind and senses. 
Turn the vision inward 
And achieve the supreme state of equanimity of the mind.
(Telugu Poem)  

Embodiments of Love!

In this world for a man to accomplish any task, ichcha-shakti (will power), jnana-shakti (power of discrimination) and kriya-shakti (power of action) are essential. Ichcha-shakti refers to the determination to undertake a task. Jnana-shakti refers to the ways and means to be adopted to fulfill the task undertaken. It is not enough if you have ichcha-shakti and jnana-shakti; you need to have kriya-shakti too.

If you want to weave cloth, you need to have cotton. The cotton has to be made into thread, which in turn has to be woven. This relates to kriya-shakti. An enquiry into the type of equipment needed to do this relates to jnana-shakti. Man has got all these three potencies in him, but that is not enough. He needs to bring them together.

Primordial Cause Of Creation

Here is a small example. Supposing you have flowers, thread and needle; can you have a garland? Should not there be someone to make a garland out of them? You have a container for oil, a wick and a lamp. But will this alone produce light? No. There must be someone to light the wick. You have gold, gems and precious stones: can you have jewels out of them? No. A goldsmith is needed to make them.

Here, you have two types of causes: One is upadana-karana (primary cause) and the other is nimitta-karana (instrumental cause). A goldsmith makes ornaments using gold, but who is the one who has created gold? He is God. So, God is upadana-karana and goldsmith is nimitta-karana. Without the primordial principle, upadana-karana (God), nimitta-karana is useless. God, the upadana-karana, is the creator of this world. Man, the nimitta-karana, is trying to experience and enjoy this creation. But, man forgets the upadana-karana and thinks, he is the doer and prides himself on his achievements.

Without the primordial basis, man cannot achieve anything. Students of science are aware of this. Two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen are combined to make water. Scientists pride themselves on this achievement and ignore God, who is the creator of hydrogen and oxygen. In this modern age, man is carried away by the sense of doership forgetting the Principle of muladhara (primordial basis). The potter makes pots, but without clay and water he cannot do so. The potter is only an instrument and hence he is the nimitta karana and God who has created clay and water is the upadana-karana.

Bharatiyas believe that there are eighty four lakh species in this world. These can be classified into four categories– 1. Andaja (born out of eggs), 2. Pindaja (born out of womb), 3. Svedaja (born out of sweat), 4. Utbhija (born out of earth). There are 21 lakh species under each of these categories. They make a total of 84 lakh species. Beings are many, but the living principle is uniform in all of them. There are innumerable waves in the infinite ocean, each looking different from the other. Waves may vary in form, but ocean is the basis for all of them. Likewise, all the 84 lakh species have emerged from the ocean of sat-chit-ananda. All have their origin in sat-chit-ananda.

Man Is Essentially Divine

What is sat-chit-ananda? Sat is being, that which is changeless and eternally present. Chit means total Awareness. Sat is like sugar, Chit is like water. When water and sugar are mixed, you have neither sugar nor water, but syrup. Similarly, the combination of sat and chit results in ananda (bliss). In all the living creatures, you find this sat-chit-ananda. But man is not able to understand his true identity, which is sat-chit-ananda and is in search of happiness outside. It is like searching for his own self outside. How can he find his own self outside? He has to look within.

In the waking state, there are four aspects–kala (time), karma (action), karana (reason), and kartavya (duty). Suppose you have decided to go to Bangalore by car to participate in a programme. You start at 5 a.m. and reach Bangalore at 8 a.m. Here kala (time) is 3 hours, karma (action) is traveling by car, karana (reason) is the programme and kartavya (duty) is participating in it. All these four aspects are present in the waking state. Now consider that at 10 o’clock in the night you had a dream. In the dream, you went to Bangalore and participated in a programme. When did you start? How did you travel? When did you reach? What was the reason? You do not know. This only means that the above four aspects do not exist in the dreaming state. In the sushupti (deep sleep state), there is no time, no reason, no duty and nothing that you do; you only experience bliss.

Man Is Changeless In All The Three Periods Of Time

In the waking state, you undertake different tasks with your body. In dreaming state, you create everything including your own self. In deep sleep, you enjoy bliss. You are one and the same in all the three states. On this basis, it can be said that man is changeless in all the three periods of time and experiences bliss directly or indirectly. He experiences oneness in all the three periods of time. When once he understands this spirit of oneness, there will be no scope for differences and conflicts. So long as you identify yourself with the body, you find only multiplicity.

Once Adi Shankaracharya went to Kashi and prayed to Lord Vishwanath thus: “O, Lord! I have come here to redeem myself of the three sins I have committed”. He had not harmed anyone nor did he steal anything. Then why did he call himself a sinner?

He explained the first sin in the following words: “It was I who declared, ‘Yato vacho nivartante aprapya manasa sah’. Though I know that you are beyond the ken of thought and word, I tried to describe you in a string of words–Isha, Girisha, Naresh, Paresha. I have committed the sin of not practicing what I preached. This is my first sin. Though I declared that God is everywhere, I have come all the way to Kashi to have Your darshan as if You are present only in Kashi. I have committed the sin of saying one thing and doing another. This is my second sin. It was I who said, ‘Na punyam, Na papam, Na sukham, Na duhkam’, which means there is no sin, no merit, no joy and no sorrow. Yet I am praying for the atonement of my sins. This is the third sin I have committed”.

The significance of Shankaracharya’s statement is that the disharmony of thought, word and deed is in itself a sin. “Manasyanyat Vachasyanyat karmanyanyat duratmanam”, the evil one is he who does not observe the unity of thought, word and deed. “Manasyekam Vachasyekam karmanekam mahatmanam”, he is the noble one who has achieved the unity of thought, word and deed.

Lord’s Name, The Only Saviour

Every action of Shankaracharya is a teaching to humanity. When he was returning from Kashi, he found a person who was trying to memorise Panini’s grammatical formula by constantly repeating, “Dukrin Karane, Dukrin Karane”. Shankaracharya decided to give him a teaching. He went and asked him what benefit he would get by repeating Panini’s grammar. That man said, he could become a great pandit, join the court of the king and earn lots of money and lead a happy life. When Shankara asked him, what would happen to him after death, he said he did not know. Then Shankaracharya told him, “O foolish man, understand that the body, money and power are temporary. Attain the eternal bliss, which you can enjoy even after your death”. Shankaracharya sang the following verse:

Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam 
Govindam Bhaja Mudhamate, 
Sampraapte Sannihite Kale 
Nahi Nahi Rakshati Dukrin Karane.
(O foolish man, chant the name of the Lord. When the hour of death approaches, it is only the Lord, who can save you and not your grammar).

Though Shankaracharya had no personal gain, he strove hard for the emancipation of humanity.

Engage Yourself In Sacred Actions

Not only Shankaracharya, Krishna too did the same. In Bhagawad-geeta, He declared:

Na Me Parthasti kartavyam Trishu Lokeshu Kinchana, 
Nanavaptamavaptavyam Vartayeva cha Karmani.
(I don’t have to do anything in these three worlds, nor do I gain anything. But yet, in order to teach humanity, I constantly engage Myself in action from dawn to dusk, so that people follow My ideal and sanctify their lives).

Only through action man can redeem himself Karmanyeva–adhikaraste Maphaleshu Kadachana, (you have got right on action, not on the results). Karmanu bandheeni Manushya-Loke (humanity is bound by action). No one can spend his or her time without involving in action.

When I ask some of the foreigners, what they are doing, they say, they are doing nothing. They think action is related to involving in some kind of job or business. In fact, our inhalation and exhalation process is also a kind of action. Even the movement of eyelids is action. Day in and day out, body is engaged in some kind of activity or the other. The noblest way is to engage the body in sacred actions such as Shravanam (listening to the Lord’s stories), Keertanam (singing His glories), Vishnu-smaranam (remembrance), Pada-sevanam (service to the lotus feet), Archanam (worship), Vandanam (salutation), Dasyam (servitude), Sakhyam (friendship) and Atma-nivedanam (offering oneself to the Lord or self–surrender).

You should understand that whatever sadhana you do, be it japa, tapa, yoga, dhyana or bhajan, it is for your own satisfaction. God does not need them. Some people think they worship for God’s sake; it is a mistaken view. Whatever man does is for his own sake and to meet his selfish ends.

Vision Of The True Self

As you inhale, you make the sound ‘So’ and when you exhale, you utter the sound ‘Ham’. Together So’ham means “I am That”, which means you are God. When you go on repeating So’ham, So’ham, where is the need for any sadhana? Where is God? How to see Him? These questions of seeing and experiencing God have been there since ancient times. In fact, you have been there since ancient times. In fact, you have to take to spiritual path in order to know your true identity, Divinity. He who knows his true identity is a true aspirant. Without realising this truth, all spiritual sadhana will be a waste of time.

Sharira-madyam Khalu dharma Sadhanam (body is gifted to undertake righteous actions). What is our dharma? Love is our dharma. Truth is our dharma. Peace is our dharma. We should follow our dharma. The quality of sugar is sweetness; if it is not sweet, then it is not sugar. Similarly, love is your natural quality. Without love, you cannot be called a human being. There is love in you, but you are limiting it to your family, friends and relatives. But remember that your relatives will come with you only upto the burial ground. It is only God, who is with you always, even after your death.

Jantunam Nara-janma Durlabham (human life is the rarest of all living beings). Such a sacred and noble life should not be wasted. Having taken birth as a human being, you should set an ideal. A dancer always keeps the rhythm in her mind, while dancing. Similarly, you should always remember your innate divinity in whatever you do. Maya (illusion) is like a nartaki (dancer) always trying to distract you. In order to control this ‘nar–ta–ki’ you have to reverse the order of the letters and do ‘Keer–ta–Na’ i.e., singing Lord’s name.

Harernama, Harernama Harernamaiva Kevalam, 
Kalau Nastyava Nastyava Nastyava Gatiranyatha.
(In this age of Kali, Lord’s name is the only refuge).

What Is True Liberation?

Many people aspire for sakshatkara (vision of the true self). Westerners say that they want liberation. But they do not know what it really means. If you want to see your Self, you should give up body attachment and develop attachment towards the Self. Only then you will have sakshatkara. At birth, you cry, ‘Koham, Koham’ which means “Who am I? Who am I? You should not die with the same question on your lips. When you die, you should be able to assert cheerfully, ‘So’ham’, meaning ‘I am God’. Finding out the answer for the question, ‘Who am I’? is true liberation.

Today you have endless worries such as birth, death, old age, losses, failures, family life etc. All these are of your own making. They arise because of your attachment and delusion. God does not give them. Who is the giver and who is the receiver, when you are God yourself. So long as you have ‘bhrama’ (delusion), you cannot attain Brahma (God). Just as ash covers the fire, likewise maya conceals your true identity. Fire is seen when ash is blown away. Similarly, you can have the vision of the Self, when you give up body attachment.

Divinity Through Unity

Vedanta says, “Ekam sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti” (Truth is one, but scholars refer to it by many names). The same water has different names in different languages. Similarly, God is one, but He is worshipped in many forms and names. ‘I’ is the first name of God. Right from the pauper to a millionaire uses the letter “I” while introducing himself. This “I” is your true identity. The single letter “I” refers to atma, while the three–lettered ‘eye’ refers to body. Body has three attributes; whereas, the atma has none. Atma is Supreme Bliss. It is the eternal witness and beyond all descriptions. “Ekatma Sarvabhutantaratma” (It is the same Divinity that is present in all beings).

Embodiments of Love! 

Try to enjoy and experience the love that is in you. If someone says there is no God, tell him, “May be your God does not exist for you, but my God exists for me. You have no right to question the existence of my God”. You have to argue with conviction. Such an argument will silence the person. Each one is mad in his own way. The world itself is like a mental hospital. There are some who derive pleasure in self–praise. There are some that beat and accuse others. But the madness for God is the noblest. God sees to it that you give up madness for the world and become mad for Him. Only a fortunate few will be blessed with this madness for God. If only the entire humanity develops this madness for God, the world will be rid of disturbances and peace will prevail.

Do Not Imbibe Negative Feelings

Students! Embodiments of Love! After every bhajan session, you are praying for the peace of the world– “Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu”. You find only ‘pieces’, but no peace in this world. In fact, if you develop love and tolerance towards fellow beings, there will be no need to pray for peace; the world will automatically become an abode of peace.

Develop love in you and share it with at least ten persons in a day. There are 95 crore people in this land of Bharat. If each one goes on sharing his love with others, then all will be one. Out of this unity, you will attain Divinity. Where there is mistake, there is fear; where there is love, there is no fear. Why fear when I am near and dear? You should have full faith in Divinity. Many devotees come here, but how many are firm and steady in their faith? All the worldly desires are negative in nature. The negative feelings stand in the way of attaining the positive. So, do not imbibe negative feelings. Develop positive feelings and think of God with unwavering faith.

Discourse at Prasanthi Nilayam on 26-9-1998.