Worship of God as Energy Principle

Truth is your true mother and Wisdom the true father, 
dharma is the true brother and Compassion the true friend; 
The true wife is Peace and the true son Forgiveness, 
These six are in fact the true relations of man.
(Sanskrit Sloka)

Embodiments of Love!

In this world, every individual has a mother. The entire humanity has also one mother and we should try to know her. This mother is Truth. Those who follow this mother will never face any problems in life.

This mother, Truth, remains the same in all periods of time, in all the three worlds and transcends all the three attributes–Satva, Rajas and Tamas. Physical mother may die or go to some other place. But, this Divine mother, Truth, remains one and the same beyond time and space to every individual. It is therefore necessary that every person must follow such a noble, Divine mother (Truth).

True Relatives Of Man

Who is father? Wisdom is the true father. Wisdom is not ephemeral, mundane, physical secular knowledge. Advaita Darshanam Jnanam (Wisdom confers the experience of nonduality). So, Truth and Wisdom are the true mother and father of man.

dharma is the brother. dharma may vary depending upon time, country, religion and tradition. However, dharma is loved by the entire humanity irrespective of caste, creed, nationality and religion. This brother is the very embodiment of love. On this basis, the Vedas gave utmost importance to Truth and Righteousness. In the great epic Ramayana, Lakshmana personified the Principle of dharma. When he fainted in the battlefield, Rama lamented saying that he could get a consort like Sita, a mother like Kausalya, but not a brother like Lakshmana. Rama said, His Divinity blossomed because He had a brother like Lakshmana.

Compassion is the true friend. In this world, a friend today may become an enemy tomorrow. But, there is no greater friend than Compassion.

Peace is the wife. Peace is the precious jewel of saints, and is the royal path in the spiritual field.

Forgiveness is the son. There is no greater quality than Forgiveness. It encompasses all the good qualities like Truth, Righteousness, Nonviolence and it is the essence of all the Vedas.

Therefore, for every individual, the true relations are Truth, Wisdom, Righteousness, Compassion, Peace and Forgiveness. The whole world is full of agitation and disturbance because of lack of these sacred qualities.

Embodiments of Love!

You should always remember your true mother and father. You cannot exist without them. The whole creation has emerged from Truth and merge back into it. There is no place where Truth does not exist. It is the good fortune of human beings to have this eternal Truth as their mother. But, today humanity does not follow such a sacred mother.

Worship Of Devi As Divine Mother

You worship Devi (goddess) in these nine days of Devi Navaratri. You consider Devi as your Divine Mother. This Devi is called Satya Swaroopini, which means she is the embodiment of Truth. So, worshiping Truth amounts to worshiping Devi. If you understand and follow this truth, you will be successful in every field. The Vedas also proclaim this Principle of Truth. There are many in this world who chant the Vedas. Many have gone through the sacred texts. But they do not seem to follow the right path. In fact, only when we tread on the right path we will know the true meaning of the Vedas and the sacred texts.

Since ancient times, the sages and saints undertook many spiritual practices in their quest for Truth. They were determined not to give up till they had the vision of Truth. Ultimately, they declared to the world that they had seen God, who is all brilliance, full of effulgence and is beyond the darkness of ignorance. They also declared that God is not far off in a distant land, but is present in the human body.

The saints had the vision of God, who is Chinmaya (full of effulgence) in the body, which is Mritmaya (made of clay). So, we should not underrate the human body and use it for mean and worldly pleasures. Body is the temple of God. This body may be compared to an iron chest. Just as the precious jewels are kept in the iron chest, so also God is present in the human body. So, the body has to be maintained and made proper use of, for the sake of the precious jewel, the Atma. You get jewels only from the earth. Similarly, you have to search for the jewel of the Atma only in the body, which is made of clay.

Let us investigate what comes in the way of experiencing the Atmic Principle. Ego and attachment stand as obstacles in our path. Only when you give up ego and attachment, you will have purity of heart, which in turn will lead you to the experience of Supreme Wisdom. The more you develop attachment, the more restless you become. Ego is much more dangerous. It has become an incurable disease in human beings. So, you have to keep ego and attachment under control and engage yourself in the quest of Atmic bliss.

Forms And Manifestations Of Shakti

During Navaratri (sacred nine days), people go through the sacred texts such as Devi Bhagavatam, Ramayana and Mahabharatam. People also worship the deities Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Goddess Gayatri has three aspects. They are: Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati. Gayatri is the presiding deity of our senses. Savitri is the presiding deity of the Life Principle. Saraswati is the presiding deity of speech. All these three are within the same Principle of Truth. Gayatri mantra begins with “Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah”. Bhur means Materialisation (Body); Bhuvah means Vibration (Life Principle); Svah means Atma (Radiation).

Dr. Venkataraman, the previous speaker, said that the matter could be converted into energy and vice versa. From a scientist’s point of view, that is true. But, in My view, matter and energy do not exist separately. Matter is energy and energy is matter. These two are inseparable and interrelated. In fact, there is no matter in the world; wherever you see, you find only energy.

During these nine days, Goddess Shakti (Energy Principle) is worshipped. Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Forgiveness are all the expressions of the Principle of Shakti. Truth is the primal cause. There is nothing other than this. All faculties of energy are present in this Truth. So, consider Truth as your mother and follow it. The Vedas proclaim, “Satyam vada; Dharmam chara”, which means speak the Truth and follow Righteousness. Unfortunately, today people do not follow this. On the contrary, they follow asatya and adharma. This is the cause of all suffering. Ancients gave utmost priority to Truth and Righteousness. Before undertaking any work they enquired if it was right or wrong. They followed the dictates of their conscience. But today such an attitude is lacking.

The Quest For Truth

Many people say, they are in search of Divinity. Once you follow the path of Truth, you will find Divinity everywhere. A small example: The same eyes see the mother, daughter, wife and sister. Here you need to enquire as to what kind of feeling you should have towards each. This is the quest for Truth. Mother should be viewed with reverence and respect. Daughter should be considered as a part of your own being. In this way, you should enquire and understand the Truth.

If you just go by the direct evidence of what you see, you will never know the Truth. All that you see is bound to perish. There are many things, which cannot be perceived by the naked eye. In spiritual path, everyone wants Pratyaksha Pramanam (direct evidence). But direct evidence cannot constitute the entire Truth. For example: You see a person who is four feet five inches tall, weighing forty-five kilograms and fair complexioned. All these can be seen by the naked eye. But you cannot go merely by these physical qualities. You should also take into consideration the unseen qualities in him such as love, compassion, anger, etc. It is utter foolishness if you go by the physical form, which is direct evidence. It is not possible to see the direct manifestation of God. Truth is everywhere. dharma is everywhere. God, who is embodiment of Truth and Righteousness, is everywhere. So, you should practise Truth and Righteousness and enjoy the bliss.

How To Know The Atmic Principle?

For everything, conscience is the witness. If you do not follow the conscience, everything becomes unsacred. The Atma is the eternal witness and that is conscience. The Atma is everywhere. It is in every individual and every creature. It has no form. It is attributeless, eternal, ancient, unsullied and immortal. Who can understand such an Atmic Principle? You speak of Truth and consider whatever you see and hear as Truth, but all this is limited to senses. But the Atma is beyond senses. Then how to know this Atmic Principle? You do not need to search for this elsewhere. Turn your vision inward. The Vedas said: “Pashyannapi Na pashyati moodho” (he is a fool who sees, yet does not see). All that you see is Divine, but you mistake it for Nature. The one with Atmic vision will see the entire Nature as Divine. But if you have the worldly view you can only see the world. “Vishvam Vishnu-Mayam”, Vishnu pervades the entire universe. Names and forms may vary, but the Atma is uniform in all. To understand this unity, you have to turn your vision inward. There is no separate path to know God other than knowing one’s own Self.

There is no human being that has no hunger for food. Similarly, you should also have hunger for God. Some people may call it madness; that is their madness. Each has his faith, conviction and experience. No one has the right to criticise others.

Expand Your Love

It is only the body that has birth and death, but the Atma has no birth and no death. It has no beginning and no end. It is the all-pervading eternal Brahma. Who is Brahma? He is not the one with four heads as described in books. Brahma is vastness. You find only Brahma wherever you see. This expansion of love is God. The feeling of ‘my body’ is contraction of love, which is death. So, you should expand your love. Your love should not be limited to your family and relations.

In mathematics 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 becomes 4. The number increases or decreases depending on whether 1 is added or subtracted. But in spiritual mathematics, Atma + Atma + Atma results again in Atma. It does not increase or decrease. The first name of Atma is “I”. The Vedas declare: “Aham Brahmasmi” (I am Brahman). This “I” is the first name of God. It is possible to know this “I” only by following the path of Truth.

In the world, only Truth exists; there is no falsehood. If you find falsehood, the mistake lies in your Drishti (vision) and not in the Srishti (creation). If you put on blue glasses, the world appears as blue in colour; if you put on red glasses, you will find only redness all around. The defect lies with the colour of the glasses, but not with the world. The very principle of creation is Divinity. “Sarvam khalvidam Brahma”, so revere everyone as Brahman. Love everyone as Brahman. Then there will be no scope for hatred or enmity. What is the reason for all agitation in this world? It is the lack of equanimity; it is only through equanimity you can develop love.

Embodiments of Love!

In these seven days of Yajna, we have seven modes or worship. We call it Saptaham (seven-day event). What is the significance of having a Saptaham? This number seven is very significant in Numerology. In music, we have Saptasvaras (seven notes). There are seven oceans, Saptarishis, seven colours and seven worlds. They are all within us. There is nothing beyond you. It is foolishness to think that God is separate from you and search for Him outside. You are God. But since you identify yourself with the body, you are not able to understand this Truth. Body is like a water bubble, and mind is like a mad monkey. Why do you rely on these two? Follow your conscience. Only then you will have self-satisfaction.

Only Sacred Qualities Should Emerge Out Of ‘Hridaya’

Atma symbolises ‘hridaya’ (spiritual heart). God dwells in ‘hridaya’. ‘Hridaya’ is the centre of Love and Peace. Only sacred qualities should emerge out of ‘hridaya’. But instead animal qualities like anger, hatred and jealously emerge; then you are a beast, not a human being. Such a heart is a dwelling place for animals, not God. If you conduct yourself with peace, love and compassion, you are God. The Navaratri worship has been started in order to foster sacred qualities in us.

You would have heard the name of Dasharatha. Who is he? He is not the king of Ayodhya. Dasharatha refers to one who has control over human body that has got five senses of perception and five senses of action. The master of these ten senses is Dasharatha. This body is a chariot and Dasharatha is the master of this chariot. He had three wives. They signify Sattvika, Rajasika and Tamasika qualities. He had four sons. They signify the four objectives of life; dharma, artha, kama and moksha. What is the capital of Dasharatha’s kingdom? ‘Ayodhya’, which means it is a place where no one can get into. It signifies ‘Hridaya’, where no wicked qualities can enter.

Your Happiness Is Heaven And Your Misery Is Hell

The entire universe is within you. The mountains may appear smooth from a distance, but once you go near, you will know the truth. It is the distance that lends enchantment. As long as you think that Kailasa, Vaikuntha and Svarga are at a distant place, you will be crazy about them. Actually all of them are in your ‘hridaya’. Your happiness is heaven and your misery is hell. The concept of hell and heaven was introduced in order to see that you do only good. Heaven and hell are not separate; they are in your mind.

What is the cause of misery? Your own actions. Buddha did penance for six long years. One day he opened his eyes and said that he had caught hold of the thief. Who is the thief? It is the mind. He realised that mind was the root cause of all suffering. If you control your mind, you will never suffer.

Churchill said, “Man has conquered everything, but he has not conquered himself”. Man is trying to know everything without understanding his true Self. Know Thyself, then you will know everything. This is what the Upanishats said, “Try to know and experience that by which everything is known and experienced”. That is Atmic bliss, which is eternal and supreme. True happiness lies in union with God. If you are with the world, you will never get happiness.

Human heart can be compared to Ksheera-sagara (the Ocean of Milk), but today it has become Kshara-sagara (Ocean of Salinity). Lord Vishnu dwells in the Ocean of Milk, which means He resides in our heart. But if we make our heart Kshara-sagara, then whales and sharks (bad qualities) will enter. Human heart should be pure, only then Lord Vishnu can reside in it. If you understand God, you will not search for Him outside. God is with you, in you, above you, below you and around you. There is no one nearer than God. God is nearer than your physical mother. So, worship God who is the embodiment of Truth, as your mother.

Experience And Enjoy The Banquet Of Bliss

I begin My discourse with a shloka or a poem and conclude it with a Bhajan. Do you know what they are? The first poem or shloka is like a plate, the discourse can be compared to the various delicious items that are served on the plate, and the Bhajan in the end is like a plate covering the delicious items. Do not treat this as a mandu (medicine), thereby taking only a little of it. Treat this as a vindu (banquet) and partake of the delicious items that I serve to the maximum extent. Experience and enjoy this banquet.

Students! Embodiments of Love!

You have to learn many things in daily life. First, know the mistakes in your life and try to correct them. Love is essential to become a complete human being. If you follow the path of Love, everything becomes Love.

Discourse at Prasanthi Nilayam on 25-9-1998.