He and He alone

Discourse of Sathya Sai Baba, Prashanthi Nilayam, 24 Feb 1971
Published by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust
Web posted at Mar 17, 2002

The Vedhaanthic teaching that Jeeva and Brahman are one, is the true wisdom. Without proceeding towards it, man is cutting himself off from the unfailing spring of Aanandha (bliss), light and peace. Without it, he sees the many, he is afraid of the many, he is confused with the many; he loves and hates, he craves and is spurned; he posits one theory and condemns another. In fact, he is caught in the coils of Moha (delusion). When Moha is conquered, man is aware of the truth and he is free.

Kurukshethra is the field of food, for 'Kuru' means food. Food indicates all that is taken in, through the gullet or the nostrils or the senses. This Aahaara or Anna (food) is what determines the nature of the impulses, emotions and passions. These have to be directed along proper channels, and sublimated to serve the goal of liberation from fear and grief.

The Kshethra (field or body) must thus be transmuted into the Dharma-Kshethra, the purified area of virtue and Vairaagya (detachment from worldly desires). Then, the charioteer will take charge, and man gets liberated, the body becomes Brahma-Kshethra (field of the universal soul). That is the life-story of a self-realised person.

Saadhana is essential to overcome faulty Vision

The self-realised person is merged in Aathmic bliss; he is not bothered by external happenings; he has the world of inner peace all to himself. If you follow such a person and pray for guidance, he will not be interested in you. Then, we have the Mahaapurusha (the high-souled or noble person). He has not reached the goal yet; he is well on the way; he knows the road only as far as he has trekked; so, he is unable to give full guidance to the aspirant. The Avathaara-purusha, however, has come solely to save mankind, and so, He is aware of the pilgrim, the path and the goal. He is the master of creation and He is fully conscious of his power. He knows the past, the present and future of all. He leads and liberates.

The mind is the source of delusion; it deludes and binds. If the mind is subjected to the intellect, then it disintegrates and disappears, leaving the field clear for the illumination that reveals, that "we and they are but He or It." As long as the world is seen as manifold, Saadhana to overcome the faulty vision is essential.

In the deep sleep stage, the senses do not work; one is immersed in the I consciousness only; that is to say, one is in Samaadhi, (the state of bliss). Only, one is not aware of it, at the time. There is just a trace of ignorance. During the waking stage, there is knowledge, but no Aanandha (bliss). In deep sleep, there is Aanandha, but, no knowledge. That is why it is said, liberation is attained the moment one is able to fix himself at the point where there is the experience of both Jaagrath and Sushupthi (waking and deep sleep).

"When you love Me, you love all"

Love is the word which indicates the striving to realise the falsehood of the many and the reality of the One. Love identifies; hate separates. Love transposes the self on to another and the two think, speak and act as one. When love takes in more and more within its fold, more and amore entities are rendered as one. When you love Me, you love all; for, you begin to feel and know and experience that I am in all. By means of Dhyaana (meditation), you can realise that I am the resident in all hearts, the urge, the motive, the guide, the goal. Yearn for that vision, that awareness and make it your priceless possession. Then, you have what you often ask Me for - Saakshaathkaara (direct vision of reality). Your love has to be as pure, as free from the taint of ego as mine so that it can merge in Me.

Of course, it is hard Saadhana. The mind is too much with you, now. One has to negate and deny, deprive oneself of many expectancies, dive deep into oneself, swim upstream against the current of generations of attachment to worldly things, including the body which one bears. The Gopees (cowherd girls) were so filled with the highest type of love that they saw and experienced the Krishna principle in every speck of dust and blade of green that they saw. Love of Krishna makes the whole world Krishna. The denial of everything else is the method of visualising Krishna in all. There is only one, the integer I. When it is repeated once again, we have two. The manifold creation is only He, and He and He, repeated so often. Dust and blade, drop and spot - each is He, He and He alone. And, you are no exception, you are also He. The realisation of this truth, this identity, this mergence, this is Saakshaathkaara.