1993: Purity the Path to Divinity

Summaries of the discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on New year and Yudagi  1987 to 2009.

You are truly born, on the day you begin your journey to realize your true identity—Divinity.

 

1993: Purity the Path to Divinity

There is no specific proof for the Divine. Hence, He is called Aprameya (Immeasurable). THE phenomenal world that is perceived by us is called Vishvam (the cosmos). Vishvam means that which has emerged from the Divine with many limbs. This Cosmos is Kaaryam (action or effect). Every action is preceded by a cause. This cause is God. Hence, God and the Cosmos are related as Cause and Effect. The relationship is interdependent and inseparable.

For man to recognise the Brahman, he has to comprehend the nature of that which transcends Time. Time is consuming the body. God is the Consumer of Time itself.  Man's joys and sorrows, happiness or misery are not dependent on Time. They are based on man's actions. Time has no relations or friends. Time is not subordinate to anyone. All are subject to Time. Hence, if one has to realise the Divine, who is the Lord of Time, one has to carry out His injunctions. God looks with love only at such a person.

In this context, the Geetha has described the traits of the devotee who is dear to the Lord: one (i) Anapekshah: who is free from desire, (ii) Shuchih: who is pure in body and mind, (iii) Dakshah: who is resolute, (iv) Udhaaseenah: unconcerned, (v) Gathavyathah: free from sorrow and (vi) Sarvaarambha-parithyaagee: has renounced all sense of doership).

How is the Aathma experienced?

It is the consciousness that is experienced in the interval between one sankalpa (thought) and another. This may be illustrated by an example. Once, a man holding a time-piece in his hand and listening to the endless tick-tick of the second-hand, asked the time-piece whether it has any rest at all. The timepiece announced: “You simpleton! I have all the rest I need. It is the interval between one tick and another!" The "rest" is' given by the "Rest watch." "Watch" means "look out." Seeing the watch, you have to look at the "rest" indicated by it.

If one wishes to go up spiritually, one has to get away from the low level. Only then, will it be possible for a person to engage himself in service to others. The Ocean is a good example for this spiritual lesson. All kinds of rivers flow into the ocean. It absorbs all the waters, but its level hardly rises and all the water that comes in becomes saltish. What happens to the water that rises from the sea as vapour and cloud? It is pure and sweet. The clouds, when they produce thunder, proudly declare that by going up from the sea, they have achieved eminence as well as purity. Moreover, the clouds come down as rain and nourish the crops on earth. Can all the waters of the ocean nourish a farm? No. Only the transformation of the sea-water into vapour and clouds can serve this purpose.

All the world's problems today are due to selfishness. Individuals are concerned about the welfare of themselves and their families and do not care what happens to the rest of the world. It should be realised that the welfare of the individual is related to the welfare of society, the nation and the world.

Points to Ponder:

What is the impact of urbanization on morality in society?

Selfishness and narrowness of outlook are more prevalent among the educated than among the villagers and tribal folk. The evil practices prevailing in big cities are not to be found even in jungles.