You and I

Discourse of Sathya Sai Baba, Prashanthi Nilayam, 8 September 1963
Published by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust
Web posted at Jan 13, 2001

As Subbaraaya Shaasthry said, the Deha (body) has to be used to ascend the ladder of the three Gunas, from Thamas (inertia) to Rajas (activism) and from Rajas to Sathwa (goodness), so that finally, you may get beyond the ladder into the heights above. The Deha is the root of all the grief and all the disquiet which is now the lot of man. Why? The Deha was acquired by means of the good and bad that was done in the previous birth. They are called collectively, Karma. Karma is caused by attachment and hatred, affection and disaffection. They are the products of sheer ignornace, ignorance of the unity of all creation including oneself. The Ajnaana (ignorance) can be removed only by Su-jnaana (good knowledge). When a man suffers from stomach-ache, the best treatment will be salts or a hot water bag applied to the stomach, and not medicated collyrium for the eye!

Ajnaana can be removed by acknowledging the universality of God and the merging of your individuality in the universal. First practise the attitude of "Nenu neevaadu" ("I am yours," in Thelugu). Let the wave discover and acknowledge that it belongs to the sea. This first step is not as easy as it looks. The wave takes a long time to recognise the vast sea beneath it that gives it its existence. Its ego is so powerful that it will not permit it to be so humble, as to bend before the sea.

The three Steps to reach Non-Duality

"I am yours. You are the Prabhu (master), I am a Dhaasa (servant). You are sovereign, I am bound." This mental attitude will tame the ego, make every activity worth-while. This is the religious outlook named Maarjaala-kishora - the attitude of the kitten to its mother, mewing plaintively for succour and sustenance, removing all trace of the ego.

The next step is "Neevu naavaadu" ("You are mine" in Thelugu) where the wave demands the support of the sea as of right. The Lord has to take the responsibility of guarding and guiding the individual. The individual is important, worthy to be saved, the Lord is bound to fulfil the need of the Bhaktha. Suurdaas said, "You are mine; I will not leave you; I shall imprison you in my heart; you shall not escape."

The next stage is: "Neevu nenu - ("You are I" in Thelugu) - I am but the image, You are the reality. I have no separate individuality; there is no duality, all is One. Duality is but delusion.

The first sign of spiritual life is Vairaagyam (detachment). If you have no Vairaagyam, you are illiterate so far as spiritual scholarship is concerned. Vairaagyam is the ABC of Saadhana (spiritual effort). Vairaagyam must become strong enough to make you discard the bondage of the senses. Just a few minutes of thought will convince any one of the hollowness of earthly riches or fame or happiness. When you are affluent, every one praises you; when the tank is full, hundreds of frogs croak all round. When the tank is dry, not a single one is there to address the tank.

Seek the difficult Road of God-Realisation

If a corpse had a few jewels on it, the proverb says, many will claim kinship with the dead person; if it has no valuables on it, not a single person will come forward to weep for it! Consider when you are adding to your bank account further and further sums of money whether you are not accumulating troubles for yourselves and your children, making it harder for your children to lead clean, comfortable and honourable lives. When you struggle to achieve paltry fame be devious means, remember who among crores of your countrymen are honoured today and for what? Don't you see that only those who gave up, renounced, sought the more difficult road of God-realisation, instead of the easier path of world-realisation, are honoured everywhere?

Welcome all the blows of fate, all the misfortunes and miseries, as gold welcomes the crucible, the hammer and the anvil, in order to get shaped into a jewel; or as the cane welcomes the chopper, the crusher, the boiler, the pan, the sprayer, the dryer, so that its sweetness may be preserved and used as sugar by all. The Paandavas never demurred when disasters fell thick upon them. They were happy that they helped them to remember Krishna and call upon Him.

Submit to the Will of God in a resigned Way

Bheeshma was in tears on the arrow-bed, when he was about to pass away. Arjuna asked him why and he replied, "I am shedding tears because the miseries undergone by the Paandavas pass through my mind." Then he said, "This is done in order to teach the Kaliyuga a lesson: Never to seek power, position or pelf, but to submit to the Will of God, in a completely resigned way, so that you may be ever happy and unmoved."

The Lord rushes towards the Bhaktha (devotee) faster than the Bhaktha rushes to Him. If you take one step towards Him, he takes a hundred steps towards you! He will be more than a mother or father. He will foster you from within you, as He has saved and fostered so many saints who have placed faith in Him.