Know Your True Identity
What you assert exists, does not exist in reality.
What you say does not exist, actually does exist.
Only God exists everywhere and at all times.
The world is but an illusion. Understand this truth.
(Telugu Poem)
Since time immemorial, people have made concerted efforts in quest of God. Our ancient sages did intense penance in dense forests and dark caves to have the vision of God.
Divinity Is The Seed Of All Living Beings
They dedicated all their lives to achieve this goal. However, only some of them could succeed in their endeavour. They declared, Vedahametam purusham mahantam adityavarnam tamasah parastat (I have visualised the Supreme Being who shines with the effulgence of a billion suns and who is beyond Tamas, the darkness of ignorance). They revealed this truth to the entire world. Lord Krishna declared in the Bhagavad Geeta: Sarva bhutanam beejam tadaham (I am the seed of all living beings). This very seed has grown into a gigantic cosmic tree with many branches and sub-branches. Many crores of living beings have emerged out of this tree. They are like fruits, each of them containing the seed of divinity. Ancient Rishis of this sacred land understood this truth and disseminated the message of divinity to all corners of the world. They made all efforts to protect and safeguard this cosmic tree.
Lord Krishna made another declaration, Mamaivamsho Jeevaloke jeevabhutah Sanatanah (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). Every being is part and parcel of divinity. There is no separate entity. Divinity is present in the form of a seed in every individual. The individual is not merely an aspect of divinity, but God Himself. Never doubt that God is here and not there. He is present everywhere and in all beings. Our ancient sages propagated this truth with strong faith and determination. Divinity shines resplendently in one and all. Who is God? Does He really exist? Many people are obsessed with such doubts. It is foolish to entertain such doubts. God is present in all. It took many years of research for scientists to recognise that atom is all-pervasive. However, the same truth was proclaimed by child Prahlada thousands of years ago. He said, Never doubt that God is here and not there. Wherever you search for Him, He is there.
(Telugu Poem)
There is no scope for doubt in this regard. You cannot deny the existence of a person who is standing right in front of you. Likewise, you cannot deny the existence of all-pervasive God. How can you say that He is present here and is not there? Wherever you look for God, He is there. There is nothing in this world that is not a manifestation of God. He dwells in every object and all beings. How is this possible? Here is a small example. When you sow a seed, it grows into a tree bearing a large number of fruits. In every fruit, you find the same seed that you have sowed. Likewise, the seed of divinity is present in all. God is present not only in human beings but also in birds, animals, and insects.
Develop Steady Faith To Experience God
Today, science has advanced, but the senses have degenerated. Consequently, doubts are ever on the rise in man. What is the impact of science? What science discovers today may not hold good tomorrow. Science is concerned merely with the investigation of the matter. You should not just investigate but enquire into the truth with discrimination. Only then can you understand divinity. You cannot say so and so is not here unless you know the person. Likewise, you have no right to deny the existence of God. He is here, there, and everywhere. He is present in all forms. Names and forms may vary, but God is one. Everyone must strive to recognise and experience this truth. God is not a separate entity. He resides in all beings. He is the embodiment of bliss. Nityanandam, Parama Sukhadam, kevalam jnanamurtim, Dvandvatitam, gagana sadrsam, tattvamasyadi laksyam, Ekam, nityam, Vimalam, Achalam, sarvadhi sakshibhutam (God is the embodiment of eternal bliss; He is wisdom absolute, the One without a second, beyond the pair of opposites, expansive and pervasive like the sky, the goal indicated by the Mahavakya Tat Tvam Asi, the eternal, pure, unchanging, the witness to all functions of the intellect).
One cannot comprehend the Divine principle by merely reading books. You have to transform bookish knowledge into practical knowledge. You should develop a sacred heart. You should not give room to even a trace of impurity or doubt in your heart. Due to the effect of the Kali Age, man has become a doubting Thomas. One must have a steady and strong faith to realise God. God exists for those who think He exists. He does not exist for those who deny Him. He responds to you in accordance with your feelings. You have to change your vision to realise divinity. Positive change in your vision will take you closer to God.
Embodiments of Love!
You should have steadfast faith in God. You may call Him by any name. You may contemplate on any of His forms. You may call Him Jesus, Allah, Rama, Krishna, Zoroaster, or Buddha. Different religions attribute different names and forms to God. These are only external forms. The fundamental principle of all names and forms is within you. All that you see in the external world is only a reaction, reflection, and resound of the fundamental principle. But you are deluded by the reflection, and you consider it to be the reality. You suffer from self-created delusion. In this manner, you deceive yourself. You betray yourself. Your feelings are responsible for this. Your doubts are the cause of this.
Embodiments of Love!
According to the teachings of the Vedas and the Upanishads, man should be totally free from doubts. He should be firm and steady. But, today man is filled with doubts. Where do doubts come from? They arise out of his own imagination. Truly speaking, man is the very embodiment of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute). He is the repository of truth and righteousness. He is a spark of divinity. But his doubts bring about his doom. He sees God everywhere, yet he thinks he has not seen Him. God is in you, with you, around you, above you, and below you. He is present all over. There is no place where God does not exist. Who are you? You are yourself the embodiment of divinity.
The seed of divinity is present in everyone. Consider this seed as the fundamental principle of life. When you sow a seed, it grows into a tree and bears many fruits. There is a seed in each fruit. You sow one seed, and it gives rise to so many seeds. Similarly, every living being is like a fruit containing the seed of divinity, i.e., the Atma. But you are not making efforts to know the seed. You eat the fruit, drink the juice, but discard the seed. Today, man is not able to discriminate between truth and falsehood. He craves for ephemeral things and ignores the true and eternal principle. He feels he does not need it. He fails to understand that everything is contained in the eternal principle, i.e., the seed of divinity.
It is possible for everyone to experience God, who is the embodiment of love. You do not need to search for Him here and there. Wherever you look for Him, He is present there. Why do you forget such a compassionate Lord who is easily accessible to you? He is present in everyone in the form of consciousness. Consciousness pervades the entire universe. You cannot pinpoint even a single place where consciousness does not exist. As you do not realise that consciousness is God, you are ignoring its presence. You have to experience truth by yourself. Consciousness shines in everyone. It has no form. Here is a small example. Are you able to see the air you inhale and exhale? Are you able to hold it in your hands? No. But you cannot deny its existence for the simple reason that your survival depends on it. In the same manner, divinity is present in you. It is foolish to look for it elsewhere.
You have to develop faith in the first instance. Consider Vishwasam (faith) as your swasa (life-breath). Love originates from faith. You love your mother because you have faith that she is your mother. Hence, faith is essential for everyone.
Where there is faith, there is love.
Where there is love, there is truth.
Where there is truth, there is peace.
Where there is peace, there is bliss.
Where there is bliss, there is God.
How can you experience God if you do not have confidence? Firstly, have confidence in yourself. One without self-confidence cannot have faith in God.
Divinity Pervades The Universe
You see God day in and day out. Where do you see Him? All the forms that you see are His. Sahasra sirshah purusha Sahasraksha Sahasra pad (God has thousands of heads, eyes, and feet). You see thousands of heads, yet you think that you have not seen God. How foolish it looks! You think they are merely external forms. What you see outside is the reflection of your inner being. You are forgetting the reality and getting deluded by the reaction, reflection, and resound.
Embodiments of Love!
You see only God everywhere. There is no second entity. (showing His handkerchief) What is it? You say it is cloth. But it is not merely that. Without threads, there can be no cloth. Without cotton, there can be no threads. Cotton is the fundamental basis for a cloth. Similarly, divinity is the fundamental basis of all names and forms. Divinity shines in every man. You find different bulbs here, but the same electric current is passing through all of them. Bulbs cannot shine without current. Each individual is like a bulb. There is divinity in everyone in the form of Tejas (radiance). You should make efforts to visualize this radiance. A blind person or one whose eyes are closed cannot see the light. A person with his eyes open can see the light everywhere. The light of divinity is everywhere. Sarvatah Panipadam Tat Sarvatokshi shiromukham, Sarvatah Srutimalloke Sarvamavritya tishthati (with hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth, and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire universe).
The eyes have the ability to see. Where does this power come from? That is divinity. The power of vision in your eyes is divinity. The power of taste in your tongue is divinity. The food you eat is Divine. Your matalu (speech), atalu (games), and patalu (songs), everything is Divine. A bird hatches out of an egg. A huge tree emerges out of a tiny seed. A flower gives fragrance. Divinity alone is responsible for all this. Divinity is present in everything. You cannot deny its existence. Some argue that there is no God. Such an argument is totally baseless. Even the words you utter come from God. The sound is God. That is why God is described as, Shabda Brahmamayi, Characharamayi, Jyotirmayi, Vangmaye, Nityanandamayi, Paratparamayi, Mayamayi, and Shreemayi (embodiment of sound, mobility and immobility, light, speech, eternal bliss, perfection, delusion, and wealth). God is present in the world in all these eight forms of wealth. You can see these eight treasures of God everywhere.
One may be a fool or a wise person. One may be a scientist or a saint. But there is God in all of them. A scientist speaks of experiments whereas a saint speaks of experience. A scientist says the atom is all-pervasive, but a saint says Atma is all-pervasive. Sarvam Vishnu-mayam jagat (Vishnu pervades the entire universe). Sarvam Rama-mayam jagat (Rama pervades the entire universe). Scientists may not agree if you say God is all-pervasive. They say the atom is everywhere. Their argument is based on experiments. God cannot be understood by experiments; He can only be experienced. Physical experiments reveal only temporary truths. But an inner inquiry into the Atma reveals the eternal principle.
Child Prahlada said God was everywhere. His father Hiranyakashipu pointed at a pillar and asked, “Does your God exist in this?” “Certainly exists”, replied Prahlada. Hiranyakashipu at once hit the pillar with his mace. Lo and behold! There emerged the Narasimha Avatara. What is the inner meaning of this incident? It is said, Deho Devalaya Prokto Jeevo Deva Sanatanah (the body is a temple, and the indweller is God) God is present in the body. When you break body attachment, He will at once manifest before you. You cannot have the vision of God so long as you do not give up body attachment.
God exists everywhere. But you are unable to experience this truth because your heart is filled with doubts. Suppose, you have a matchbox in your pocket. There is a fire in each matchstick. But, will it burn your pocket? No. Fire is produced only when you strike a matchstick on the matchbox. In the same manner, there is the matchbox of divinity in every man. When you strike the matchstick of Divine name on the matchbox of divinity, the fire of wisdom is produced.
Remove Doubts, See God
Embodiments of Love!
God exists in everyone in the form of love. Love is God. There is nothing superior to love. When you fill your heart with love, you can see God everywhere. Yad bhavam, tad bhavati (as is the feeling, so is the result). God responds to you in accordance with your feelings. You are unable to see God because you lack love in your heart. You have love for your friends and relatives. But it cannot be called love in its true sense. It is termed attachment. You have to get rid of body attachment to develop true love and realise God. Body attachment gives rise to doubts which will ultimately ruin your life.
Today man is filled with doubts. There was a doubting Thomas among the disciples of Jesus. He always had doubts regarding the divinity of Jesus. Even Vivekananda once doubted whether Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was Divine. He put a coin under his bedsheet and waited to see his reaction. As soon as Ramakrishna touched the bed, he withdrew with a start as if ants had bitten him. When the bedsheet was removed, a coin was found there. He asked, “Who kept the coin here?” Vivekananda accepted his mistake saying, “I kept it to test you.” Ramakrishna told him, “Son, I do not want the test. I want love. Love is my taste. Share your love with everyone.” During the time of every Avatara, there are doubting Thomases. So long as one is filled with doubts, one cannot recognise divinity. Doubts ruin the very human nature. Hence, give up doubts in the first instance. Have faith in yourself. Only then can you have faith in God.
You cannot deny God just because He is not visible to you. You can see Him only when you develop love and faith. You should have full confidence that God is everywhere. Even if there is an iota of doubt in your mind, you cannot see Him. Our eyes, each barely an inch long, can see distant stars in the sky. Who has endowed them with such a mighty power? It is the power of divinity latent in our eyes. Doubt is like cataract that blurs our vision. A person with cataract in his eyes cannot see his wife and children even if they are standing by his side. Similarly, one with doubts cannot see God. You have to undergo a ‘cataract’ operation to have sakshatkaram (vision of God).
Realise Your Divine Nature
Man is endowed with immense power. The power latent in man is unparalleled and cannot be found anywhere else. There is nothing that he cannot accomplish. He has made significant progress in the field of science and technology. He has travelled thousands of miles into space and reached the moon. But, he is unable to travel inward and look into his heart. What is the use of all your worldly knowledge if you do not know yourself?
Embodiments of Love!
Everyone is endowed with the sacred qualities of love and truth. Contemplate on these Divine principles. Truth is the same for all. There are no different truths like the American truth, Pakistani truth, Russian truth, etc. Truth is the truth; it is all-pervasive. Truth is God. Strictly adhere to truth. Never utter untruth under any circumstances. Speak the truth with love. Love is God. Live in love. Develop love more and more. Love is your true nature. There is love in every man, but he is diverting it towards his wife, children, friends, relatives and worldly possessions. Divert your love towards God and contemplate on Him. Then you can certainly see Him everywhere. You may wonder whether it is possible. Believe Me, it is possible. You are searching for God here and there without realising your own Divine nature. You are God yourself. How can you search for yourself elsewhere? Know your true identity. All of you are the very forms of God. That is why you have gathered here. As there is divinity in you, you have developed love towards this Divine Form. I and You are not different. There is only one Divine principle. Do not give room to any differences based on caste, religion, and nationality. Share your love with everyone with the firm faith that there is God in all. You are God. There is none superior to you. Develop such faith in yourself. Once you develop faith, you will develop love.
Embodiments of God!
You do not need to search for God. You need not travel miles to see God. People go to the Himalayas and visit various pilgrim centres to see God. But where is God? He is within. How can you find God if you search for Him outside forgetting your innate divinity? Know yourself. Divinity pervades everything right from an atom. Anoraneeyan Mahato maheeyan [(Brahman is) subtler than the subtlest and vaster than the vastest)]. God is smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest.
To attract children, people make sugar dolls in the shape of various birds and animals and sell them in the market. You may break any part of the doll, say, the tail, the ear, or the trunk, and put it into your mouth. Every part tastes sweet. Just as sweetness pervades a sugar doll, divinity pervades the entire universe. Without realising this truth if you go in search of God, you will only be wasting time. Time is God. God is the embodiment of time. He is the embodiment of karma (action). That is why you have to offer your salutations to karma before undertaking it. You can never escape from karma. It follows you like your shadow wherever you go. Once you realise divinity, the shadow disappears, and the reality remains.
Consider Love As God
First and foremost, develop the faith that God is everywhere. Then you can see Him. Do not think that God is present only at a particular place. You need not travel long distances to see Sai Baba. He is within you. You cannot attain Him if you look for Him somewhere else. There is a great treasure in the earth under your feet. But you cannot acquire it unless you dig at the right place. Likewise, you have to develop love, discharge your duty sincerely and follow the path of truth with unwavering faith to attain divinity. The Upanishads describe man as Manava. Who is a Manava (human being)? One cannot be called a Manava just because one has a human form. One who is endowed with love, truth, and faith is a Manava.
Suppose you see a baby in the arms of its mother when you are walking on the road. When you smile at the baby, it also smiles at you. Likewise, whatever you see in the world is only a reaction, reflection, and resound of your inner being.
Foolish people go here and there in search of God. You do not need to go elsewhere. Just close your eyes and look within. You will certainly find God. No Jeeva (individual) can exist without daivam (God). Jeeva is daivam. The individual is known as vyashti (individual) whereas God is in the form of samashti (society). Hundreds of individuals make society. Hundreds of trees make a forest. Hundreds of houses make a village. Names may change, but the fundamental basis is the same.
Divinity is not confined to a particular place. It exists everywhere. There is only one Divine principle. It is present in all of us in the form of ‘I’. You and I are not different. We are one and the same. Make efforts to understand this truth. God is not separate from you. He is in you, with you, around you, above you, below you.
Embodiments of Love!
Develop love in you. Love everyone. Do not hate anyone. The hatred you show towards others will come back to you as reflection. You should control your senses. Suppose you come across a person who hates you. Greet him saying, “Hello my friend, how are you?” Talk to him with love. Then he too will reciprocate the same feeling. On the other hand, if you hate and abuse him, he too will do the same. Hatred and anger are your worst enemies.
One with anger will not be successful in any endeavour. He will commit sins and will be ridiculed by one and all.
His own people will abandon him.
He will lose all respect.
His anger will ruin him completely.
(Telugu Poem)
Truly speaking, evil qualities such as anger, jealousy, and hatred are contrary to human nature.
Embodiments of Love!
Do not have hatred towards anyone. Be friendly with all. But remember that God alone is your true friend. Friendship is one of the nine paths of devotion. To develop friendship with God, you need to cultivate love in your heart. You can conquer anyone, even a wicked person, with the weapon of love.
Once when Buddha was walking in a forest, a demon approached him with the intention of harming him. The eyes of the demon were red with anger. In a thunderous voice, the demon asked Buddha, “Who are you?” Buddha smiled at the demon and replied, “I am your friend.” At once there was a total transformation in the demon. He said to Buddha, “I am also your friend.” He assumed the form of a dove, a symbol of peace, and flew away. Wherefrom do you get peace? You get peace from love.
So, love all. Do not hate anyone. Love even your worst enemy. Then you will certainly attain peace. Today people are in search of peace. But, there are only pieces in the world. There is no peace anywhere. Peace is in you. You are the embodiment of peace. You are the embodiment of love. You are the embodiment of truth. You are the embodiment of God. Buddha taught, Buddham Sharanam gachchhami, Sangham Sharanam gachchhami, Dhammam Sharanam gachchhami. All noble personalities have laid importance on the need to cultivate love. One without love is not a human being at all. Love is our life. We will experience everlasting bliss once we fill our heart with love.
When Buddha was on the verge of attaining Nirvana (liberation), his cousin Ananda, started shedding tears. Buddha said, “Ananda, does my attaining Nirvana cause grief to you? Why are you shedding tears? You too should strive to attain this blissful state by developing love.” With these words, Buddha left his mortal coil. Ananda followed the teaching of Buddha implicitly and experienced ananda (bliss).
First and foremost, develop love. Where there is love, there is God. There is plenty of money in the bank. Can you get it for the mere asking? No. You cannot withdraw money from the bank unless you have deposited money earlier. Likewise, you have to deposit the money of faith and pure love in the Divine bank. Only then can you get the wealth of Divine grace.
[Divine Discourse, 18-5-2003, Kodaikanal]