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O July 16th, 2006
“As You Think, So You Become” Part 2
“As You Think, So You
Become” Part 1
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Last week we started discussing the topic entitled, “As You Think, So You
Become.” I am hopeful we will complete the topic this morning. I was bringing to
your attention certain portions from Bhagavan’s discourses which are related to
this topic. First, I explained so many of the comparisons which Baba mentions in
His Divine discourses where He draws parallels between the human mind and a
scorpion, with a monkey, and so on and so forth. I also brought to your
attention what Baba said about the mind and the way it functions. Thereafter, I
also brought to your notice how the mind functions and manifests life after
life. Now let us go to the next aspect, which is another dimension of the same
topic.
our experience of heaven or hell is based on our mind
Let us not consider mind in a simple way. Let us not brand mind silly; let us
not condemn the mind as such. The mind, when positive, will take you to the very
heaven or paradise. And the same mind, when it is negative, is nothing but a
hell. So we cannot condemn the mind as such, because the mind is also the gift
of God. So negativity about the mind is not spirituality. Total positivity
towards the mind will take you to delusion. We should have a kind of balance of
thought between these two extremes. Total indulgence, total involvement of the
mind, is nothing but attachment or bandha. Total avoidance of the mind is
nothing but a deep-sleep state. So I am not referring to these two states—I mean
transcendence of the mind. It is neither avoidance nor indulgence; it is
transcendence. Beyond the mind, beyond the mind state, is what we call moksha,
or liberation, or the kingdom of heaven, or nirvana.
ATMA operates at three levels to manifest consciousness
I would like to draw your attention to a few other points that Bhagavan
mentioned in this regard, which will make us absolutely reverential towards the
mind. He said that Atma or consciousness has three brilliant aspects, three main
aspects, through which it manifests, reflects, and functions. The Atma or pure
consciousness as such is attribute-less, blemish-less, spotless, nectarine, and
immortal; but the Atma, as functional consciousness, operates at three different
levels.
First, it acts at the level of the mind. Therefore, the mind is nothing but the
capacity, or the capability, or the ability, or the manifestation, or expression
of consciousness. Without consciousness, the mind is functionless. This
consciousness is the primary, primordial, original principle that makes everyone
operate, that makes every instrument of the human body functional. The eye
cannot see minus that Atmic power; the ear cannot hear minus that power of
consciousness; the skin loses its sense of touch minus that consciousness. In
other words, consciousness is the underlying power supply or electricity behind
all these senses. I think I am clear. So, mind is the product of consciousness;
and therefore we cannot condemn the mind and turn negative.
The second level of operation of Atma or consciousness is intellect. Mind is
manas; and intellect is buddhi in Sanskrit. We dealt at length with what an
intellect is: that which has discretion, that which decides, that which judges,
that which discriminates, that which differentiates is the intellect. So,
intellect—buddhi—is functional, because of the Atmic power, or consciousness.
The third level is will, or sankalpa. “I will do it. I will achieve it. I will
accomplish it. I will attain it.” The determination, the sankalpa, that will, is
also a product of consciousness. It is the Divine will that happens. And the
Divine will, which is universal, operates at the individual level—what we call
the will. That will, which is nothing but the Divine will, the Divine law which
is universal and cosmic, exists at the individual level in what you call will
power.
as is the thought, so is the action
Therefore, according to Swami, consciousness expresses in three dimensions:
manas—the mind; buddhi—the intellect; sankalpa—the will, or will power. Once the
consciousness expresses itself through the mind or manas, what happens? It
starts sending so many thoughts, generating so many thoughts that lead to so
many actions. The nature of the action is based on the thought behind it which
has prompted it. Therefore, the mind generates thoughts, and the thoughts lead
to actions.
Of course, we all hear of thoughtless actions which are nonsensical and
political. Most of the political actions are thoughtless because politicians are
brainless fellows. We know that. (Laughter) There was some conference organised
by the department of Bio-science here at the University called “Brain, Mind, and
Consciousness.” And I said to them, “You can talk to those fellows who have got
a brain; but if they have no brain, what is option is there?” (Laughter)
So, it is the mind that generates thoughts, and thoughts take you to action. And
then at the level of the intellect, what happens? There is the possibility of
selflessness or the possibility of self-interest. In order to go beyond
selfishness, to go beyond self-interest, the intellect is responsible. If the
intellect does not express itself, if the intellect does not manifest, if the
intellect, which is a product of consciousness, is not functional, then man
turns out totally selfish and self-centred. If he is selfless, if he is not
self-centred, it means that his intellect is so powerful, so awakened and so
sharp. Why? Because the intellect is also a manifestation of consciousness.
SANKALPAS are traits carried over from previous lives
What is the purpose of the sankalpa? We have to clearly understand. There is no
correct, exact, one-hundred-percent translation of the word sankalpa. To say it
is “will” is only an excuse or an apology. The English language is inadequate to
be able to convey the exact translation to this word sankalpa. I am sorry about
it. There are certain words in Sanskrit, that when we translate them, we just
reduce them to one-fourth of their profundity, one-tenth of their depth;
sometimes the meaning is just the contrary, just the opposite. That is the
reason why I stand corrected. Whenever Swami speaks and I begin to translate, I
stand corrected every time. Because the words that we use do not fully convey
what He really means. The English language is quite inadequate. For example:
chaitanya. How do you say that? Consciousness; conscience; awareness. In one
context, it is awareness. In another context, it is consciousness, and on some
other occasion, it is conscience. Which is true? All the three are correct.
Which do you use? Except that which you use, the remaining two are correct!
(Laughter) That is the Sanskrit language.
Sankalpa, my friends–-the determination, the certain traits I was talking about
to you last week, can also be called vasanas. Vasanas or samskaras; sankalpa, or
let me say samskara. Samskaras, vasanas—what are they? Samskaras or vasanas are
the traits brought forward from the previous life, just as we are the legal hire
to the parental property. Just as in account books, the last entry is brought
forward to the next page on the top, the samskaras of the previous life are
brought forward to this life and kept on the top, and are responsible for all
the good and bad that appear like flashes in our life.
SANKALPAS EXPLAIN OUR UNEXPECTED BEHAVIOUR
Sometimes a highly educated man behaves in a vulgar way—most unexpected of him.
A person who is decently kept in life, occupying a very high position, behaves
in an awkward way—most unexpected of him. Why? Samskaras. A person who has no
possibility to be wise, who has no possibility to be an intellectual, who has no
possibility to be a scholar, who has no literacy, suddenly comes forward with
certain statements full of truth. Some illiterate people make certain statements
full of truth. Some of the people from villages, as they talk, we have to accept
that they are wiser than all of us put together. How would you anticipate such
unexpected statements from the rural, rustic, unsophisticated, uncivilised
people far from the madding crowds of sophistication, industry, electrification,
and computerisation? (Laughter) How would you explain it? Because of the janma
samskaras, the latent, the immanent, the hidden.
All businessmen maintain two accounts: one account for income tax purpose, the
second account for their personal use. (Laughter) The second account they do not
show to anybody. The first account is never true. Therefore, we can say that all
civilisation, all these manners, cultures, and education is the “number one
account” which is not necessarily true. But sometimes we come in true colours by
making a statement which is most unbecoming of our personality and of our
stature. We entertain certain thoughts about which we are ashamed. We do certain
things of which we are never proud. Why? Because of previous lives. I am ashamed
of my own thoughts at times. Why? Yes—previous account brought forward. This
consciousness is brought forward because He is the Divine Accountant. I can
manage, at the human level, all chartered accountants. I can also bribe all
accountants of the Accountant General Office. But the Divine Accountant cannot
be managed. Because you don’t see Him. You don’t meet Him to bribe Him. He is
inside you, so you cannot bribe Him outside you; He is inside you. So the Divine
Accountant is called chitragupta. Chitra—peculiar, strange, mysterious,
un-understandable, unknown, funny. Gupta—confidential, top-secret. And there are
confidential files maintained by the Divine Accountant whom you call chitragupta.
He brings forward the accounts of the previous lives, maintained perfectly. That
is what we call vasanas, or samskaras. They are also an expression of
consciousness.
human beingS ARE gifted to change THEIR samskaras
These samskaras are with us. Our duty is to be free from all the ills, to be
free from all the evils, of janmandra samskaras. I cannot tell a judge, “Sir, I
killed so-and-so because of janma samskara. So how may I be punished for my
previous lives now? I am sorry. This I have done because of the promptings of
the previous lives. How can you punish me now?” That seems to be logical. But it
won’t work out in the long run. Our business is to change the samskaras that are
evil, and to develop the samskaras that are good.
A simple example: Prahlada had good samskaras. Therefore, he developed those
samskaras so that he became totally spiritual and Divine. A human being is
gifted with a chance to change his samskaras. I cannot say, “This event is the
result of my samskaras,” and go on brooding over it. Certainly not. I will
mention a few examples here.
tURNing the mind from tamAsic to sattvic -- valmiki
The first example is Valmiki, the saint who composed the epic Ramayana. A saint
is naturally sathwic or pious; calm, cool, selfless, sacrificing, untiring–these
are pious qualities. But the same fellow, in the earlier stage, was goonda #1,
robber #1, and anti-socialite #1. All the subjects we find in the modern
newspapers do not match him at all because he believed in finishing off first,
then negotiating later. (Laughter) “Finish him off” -- that is all. And this
fellow’s earlier name was Ratnakara. Ratnakara, the goonda, the #1 thief, was
full of thamasic qualities—horrible. “Bestial” is a simple word; “demonic” is
insufficient. How to best describe him? He was matchless in his bad qualities
because he went on killing people for no reason.
This is the kind of people who were responsible for the bomb blast in Bombay
that you read about in the newspaper. People went to their offices and while
they were returning on the train, there were bomb blasts and many lost their
lives. Their family members must have been anxiously waiting for the return of
their people. Well, they had to receive their dead bodies, and some bodies were
not even identified. The perpetrators all belong to this same type of camp of
Ratnakara -- bestial, demonic, inhuman, and devilish.
So such a thamasic man, instead of crying, instead of lamenting, instead of
repenting, regretting, or feeling helpless, could improve his quality. A
thamasic, demonic, devilish man could become a saintly man. That is the power
man is gifted with. You are gifted with the quality to transform your own
samskaras, your own vasanas, rather than simply saying, “I am helpless; I can’t
do it!”
THE KILLER AND THE JUDGE
I am reminded of a joke: It seems a culprit was brought for remand to the court.
The culprit was standing there and the judge questioned him: “You, fellow, are
you the one who killed so-and-so?”
The murderer replied, “Yes, sir. “
The judge questioned, “Do you know you are going to be hanged?”
The murderer replied, “Yes, sir.” And the murderer said, “My lord, I have one
thing to say.”
The judge said, “Yes, come on.”
“Who is the killer? Who is the killed? (Laughter) Killer is God and the one who
is killed is God. Who is the killer and who is the killed? Why do you punish me,
my lord?” the murderer asked.
The judge was sufficiently intelligent. So he replied, “Who is punishing and who
is the punished? (Laughter) The one who punishes and the one who is punished are
equally Divine. Therefore, get behind the bars!” (Laughter)
MAN ALONE HAS THE GIFT OF SELF-TRANSFORMATION
Therefore, my friends, this attempt to change, to refine, to be cultured, to
transform, is the gift given to man. Baba goes further and gives one example:
You cannot ask a lion to go to the South Indian canteen and have two idlis and a
bucket of sambar. (Laughter) Impossible! A lion will never be happy with sambar
and idlis; a tiger cannot be happy with North Indian sweets. Lions and tigers
want human flesh. Finished! I cannot pray to a lion to be a vegetarian.
(Laughter) I cannot request the tiger to be an herbivore. Impossible!
But man can be vegetarian, non-vegetarian or both—omnivorous: carnivorous and
herbivorous. He can be both. He can change his habits. You may believe me or
not, but one of the contributions of Sathya Sai Baba to the world community
today is this: Many have taken to vegetarianism after having come to Swami’s
Lotus Feet. Many have taken to vegetarianism. Many countries which were totally
non-vegetarian have got some vegetarian restaurants today because there are a
number of vegetarians now. Most of them are influenced by Bhagavan Sri Sathya
Sai Baba. Therefore, the third aspect of sankalpa is the ability to change
ourselves.
We can also think of another example: Vishwamithra. Vishwamithra was a saint;
but earlier he was a king, a man full of ambition, a man full of passion, a man
full of possessiveness, a man full of attachment, a man full of ego and the
spirit of domination; a man who wished to establish an empire, who believed in
killing people and bloodshed alone.
But this King Vishwamithra became a saint later. The spirit of ego, the spirit
of domination, supremacy, overruling – these are rajasic qualities. That rajasic
quality became a sathwic quality in due course of time, and he became a saint.
Who is this Vishwamithra? He is the one who gifted the Gayathri mantra to the
entire world. The Gayathri mantra that we chant today is given by Vishwamithra,
the saint. Yes. He himself taught this Gayathri mantra to Sri Ramachandra, and
we still repeat it today. What was his history before? Top supremacy and
domination; that is, everybody should be under his thumb. Such a man became a
sathwic man later. So you are given this capacity, a chance, a scope, to
transform your samskaras or vasanas.
GOING beyond THE three gunas: sutha-sathwic
Let us go to the third example. There was one king in Mahava, in Bhagavatha.
This was Jatavaratha. To start with, he was rajasic, full of emotions. But later
he became sathwic, pious, peaceful, and then above that -- attributeless. He
could go beyond the trigunas of sathwa, rajas, and thamas.
The three gunas keep one in bondage; it is only a difference in quality. Baba
has said, “Thamasic is an iron chain; rajasic is a silver chain; sathwic is a
gold chain. But a chain is a chain. The change is only in the metal. Therefore,
the sathwic becomes sutha-sathwic, or beyond the three attributes.” That is what
Baba has to say on this subject. Most interesting!
killing the mind–impossible
We often use one word, “manonasana”. What do you mean by that? Manonasana means
“annihilation of the mind.” People say you have to kill your mind. I do not know
what they mean. Kill your mind? Who should kill the mind? Where is the mind?
Where are you? Therefore, Baba says “manonasana”.
withdrawal of mind–possible
Annihilation of the mind or killing the mind is a meaningless expression. It is
a meaningless set of words. But what you can do is withdraw the mind, not
annihilate the mind. Oh! I see. What is withdrawal of mind? Who should withdraw?
How to withdraw?
I don’t have to explain. As a teacher, I know many students withdraw their mind
when the teacher teaches in the classroom, and they go into samadhi—a good sound
sleep. (Laughter) Students are the best examples because they constantly
withdraw their minds. Therefore we have to teach them again and again. And their
withdrawal of the mind is so total that they go into deep sleep, samadhi. We
have the greatest rishis—saints—in the classroom today, and we have many saints
and rishis in the Sai Kulwant Hall also! (Laughter) Because, when Swami speaks,
some can get into samadhi immediately. They sleep. Arrah! When Swami speaks, how
do you sleep? That is sadhana—spiritual practice. (Laughter) They are gifted. So
we all know what withdrawal is. Alright!
Coming to our stage, a simple example: I go on praising myself, bragging about
myself—“bragging” means self-praise. If I go on boasting and boosting myself,
you will be nodding your head. But if I ask you what I said, you will say, “Yes,
I followed.” But you are not really interested. We don’t want to hear anybody
praising their own self (ego). Let him be the topmost man in the world. The one
who indulges in self-praise is the dirtiest man. Better we be aware of this
type. Self-praise is as much a sin as condemnation of others is. Condemnation of
others is as much a sin as self-praise is.
When you sit in Kulwant Hall for darshan, somebody will say to you, “In 1974,
what happened, do you know?” 1974 is out of context. First, whatever happened
then, it happened to you, so why should I know? (Laughter) Irrelevant! Both of
us have come here for Swami’s darshan today, so why do you speak about things
that are out of place? What manners! Oh, I see. “What did I say?” “I don’t
remember.” By withdrawal of the mind, we know it means to become indifferent, to
pay a deaf ear. If you want, at 2:30, our students will come and you can ask
them how to withdraw the mind! (Laughter)
In our office, we also do it. We withdraw our mind when the boss tells us
something. Therefore we don’t do what is expected of us. “Sir, I have
forgotten.” He remembers—“Chod dho. Leave it.” He is not so serious about it. So
withdrawal of the mind is possible; but annihilation of the mind is nonsense
because annihilation or killing of the mind is impossible. In the kinetic theory
of energy, energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Only one form of energy
can be transformed into another form of energy. Similarly, the mind, its
expressions, its manifestation, and its potentiality, may be varied, but it
cannot be annihilated. So, remember that Baba says manonasana is not possible,
but withdrawal of the mind is possible.
merger of the mind
The greatest thing is manolaya, meaning merger of the mind. So we have three
states of the mind:
1. Manonasana: total killing, which is impossible, which is nonsensical
2. Withdrawal of the mind, which is a common occurrence
3. Manolaya: merger of the mind
A simple example: A river has a name, a form, and a taste. Eventually the river
flows down and merges into the ocean. Then where is the river? The river is no
more. The river is only a river until it merges into the ocean. Until then, it
has got a name and a form. After merging into the ocean, it loses its name and
form. That is what you call manolaya—merging. It is possible. How it is
possible?
When Swami begins singing, where is your mind? When Swami stands in front of
you, where is your mind? When Swami gives you an interview, what happens to your
mind? Why did you forget to tell Him about your joint pain problem? (Laughter)
Why did you forget to give the letter given by your wife to Swami? Why did you
forget to pray for a visa? Why did you forget to tell Swami that you have a
daughter yet to be to be married? Why? The mind is switched off. Once Swami
stands there in front of you, Swami is the ocean and you are the river. You are
the river until Swami gives darshan. I am so-and-so, M.Sc., Ph.D., that and
this. Okay, good. And once that you is gone, He remains. Because, He is the
ocean and you are the river.
So “you” the river merges into ”He” the ocean—then that is what we call
manolaya, the merger which is quite possible. In singing, in bhajans, you are
lost at times. Some of the bhajans that you like, or some of the meanings in the
bhajans may apply to your situation at that moment (a moment when you need His
help very badly, when you need His support immediately for medical reasons or
professional purposes, or for a business deal where you need His intervention)—a
particular bhajan song may be of some appeal to you. It makes you forget
everything, and you get lost. Sometimes people start crying there in the bhajan
hall. They are not mad. You are mad to think that they are mad! Let us also pray
to be mad like them.
Suppose a bhajan… (Anil Kumar starts singing :)
Devaki Thanaya Dayaa Nidhe
Dayaa Nidhe Kripa Nidhe
Daya nidhe: You are the ocean of daya or compassion. Kripa nidhe: You are the
ocean of mercy. This meaning will apply. This meaning is understood when we want
Him at that moment, when we need Him at that moment, in that hour of the need.
In the same way, “you” are no more; you are lost in that bhajan.
When you are in a happy mood, when you are in a thankful mood, when you are in a
grateful mood… (Anil Kumar sings)
Gopika Mala Hari Pyari Maayi Meri Mana Vihari
Madhana Mohana Murali Ghana Krishna Jai
When that song is the same wavelength as your psychology, when that song is
correctly tuned to your thought process, then you are lost; “you” are no more.
You become one with the song, you are one with the bhajan; you are one with the
form and the name of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. You are no longer there. This
is what we call manolaya, as explained by Bhagavan.
FOUR STATES OF MIND: First, Super-mind or duality
Swami also spoke of “super-mind”. This word “super” is very often misused. This
is very often misunderstood. What is super-mind? In fact, prior to Bhagavan,
there was Sri Aurobindo, the great Aurobindo, who spoke of different levels of
mind.
This super-mind, as Swami explains, is the dual mind. The dual mind is the state
of mind where identification with the body is relatively higher. This state is
the dual state, the state which is called the super-mind.
SECOND, HIGHER MIND Or Thought consciousness
The second state, as Swami calls it, is the higher mind. Please don’t say,
“Never mind.” (Laughter) This is the higher mind. What is this higher mind?
Higher mind is beyond the body consciousness. It is above the physical level. If
it is at the physical level, it is super-mind. If it is above the body level, if
it is above the physical plane, it is higher mind or what you call “thought
consciousness”.
Thought consciousness raises one above the animal level. The animal level is the
physical level; the human level is a higher level. Animals go according to body.
But in the human, one goes by thought, which is above the physical plane. This
thought consciousness is what we call the higher mind.
THIRD, illuminated mind OR Divine consciousness
The third level is the illuminated mind. The illuminated mind is when one
understands that everything functions because of an undercurrent of Divine
consciousness. One does not think that it is the eye that sees. A blind man may
have better eyes than you and I. The blind man has eyes, but he cannot see. A
deaf person has ears that may be more attractive, but he cannot hear. So the eye
of the eye, the ear of the ear, or the power of vision behind the eyesight—what
prompts, what causes vision is this Divine consciousness.
Sekat Shekshu Sektshu
Shrotrakshu Shrotherehu
Nethraksa Nethrahu.
The power behind a functioning object, the Divine energy or consciousness, is
something like electricity there in the fan or in the bulb or in the microphone.
That is what we call realisation in an illuminated mind. The illuminated mind
will think of the electricity (the Divine power) and not the bulb (the name and
form). The illuminated will think not of the microphone, but the electricity.
The power behind everything--the power behind my vision, the power behind my
talk, the power behind my audition, the power behind my sense of smell, the
power behind my sense of touch--that power is the Divine power, which we call
illuminated mind.
FOURTH, over-mind or the totality of Divinity
The fourth state of mind is the over-mind. What is over-mind? Over-mind is
nothing but the totality of Divinity--totally Divine. A simple example: The air
within me which I breathe in and out is very much the same as the air around me.
The air around me is so vast and limitless. That is over-mind. The air within me
which sustains my life, which maintains my life, is the illuminated mind. That
which is universal is within me also. Am I clear?
So, super mind is life in this body; higher mind is life beyond the body.
Illuminated mind is the awareness of Divinity behind all senses; while over-mind
is the experience of Divinity in its totality. These are the thoughts of
Bhagavan, who has explained this on many occasions.
Swami said, “You cannot kill the mind.” Okay, I am not ready to kill it because
I don’t know what to kill as I don’t know where the mind is. So let me forget
about that. Secondly, Swami said, "It is possible to withdraw the mind.” I have
been practising it and I am very successful. And thirdly, Swami said, “Try to
merge the mind, manolaya.” Yes, I experience at times, during bhajans, during
darshan times, during meditation, during contemplating hours, during a pensive,
reflective, or meditative mood—yes, I do experience that merger or the manolaya
state.
ONE cannot realise the self IF ONE STILL HAS DESIRES
Now Swami asked, ”Why all these? Why should you do that?”
Where will the merger take you? These are the steps. As long as the mind is
present in its solid form -- a solid bed-rock of very hard stone -- so long as
it is there, you can never be free from desire. To repeat, so long as the mind
is solid, you can never be free from desire.
If somebody says, “I have got a desire, but I have gone beyond the mind”, we can
tell him, ”You have neither a sound mind, nor can your desire be fulfilled.”
Desire comes from the mind only. So long as the mind is so strong and powerful,
you can never get out of this realm of desire. “Okay, sir. I have desire, but
why do you bother? I have my own desire, why do you bother? My desire won’t harm
you. I have got my desires. I will try to satisfy them. I will try to fulfil
them. Why should I not be desire-full?” (Not only desire, but desire-full --
full of desires!) Why not?
As long as you are desire-full, you can never be free from abimana or mamakara—
I and mine. You can never be free from I-ness; you can never be free from the
“my” feeling: my people, my group, my community, my, my, my. . .
Swami says this “my, my, my” is maya or illusion. To repeat, this “my, my, my“
is maya or illusion. Antha Mayi. Everything is maya or illusion. Therefore, the
point is this: So long as the mind is in the solid state, you cannot get out of
desire. So long as there is desire, you are bound to be attached. This I-ness,
the feelings of “I and mine” will continue.
“Okay, sir. I am attached. Why not?” Yes, fellows like me are attached to a hot
cup of coffee. Yes. Some people are attached to ice cream. Some people are
attached to pizza. Some are attached their positions, to money. Yes. Why not?
All right. As long as you are attached, you can never be free from ego, ahamkara.
Ego will be there. Ego is not pride. Please understand: pride and ego are
different. Ego is I-ness. Ego is identity. Ego is a claim and pride is an
expression. Pride is a product, while ego is the origin.
So this feeling of separate identity or identification is I-ness. I am this. I
am that. Yes, “I”. I am so-and-so. This is what we call ”I”. All right. If ”I”
is there, what will happen? If I-ness or ahamkara is there, what will happen?
You will never have the knowledge of Self or Atma Jnana. Knowledge of the Self
is impossible. Awareness of the Self is impossible. How is that? Unless the
curtain is lifted, the cinema will not start. Unless the curtain is lifted, the
drama will not start. You cannot watch the drama. You cannot witness any film
unless the curtain is lifted, until the curtain is raised. Am I clear?
Now let us go in the reverse order. To have Self-knowledge, to have the
awareness of the Self, we must know what the real Self is. Many people say, “I
know what Self is.” What he knows is selfishness, not Self. Self is different
from selfishness. Therefore, to say, “I know the Self” also has no meaning,
because you are the Self. If I say, “I know the Self”, who is this “I”? That ”I”
is the Self. “I” and “Self” are not separate. Sometimes we use these words.
A PURE HEART IS the temple of GOD
There was one song. I don’t exactly remember which one, but I remember the word
Atmanivasi, which means “the one who resides in the Self”, or the one who lives
in the Atma or spirit or consciousness. One time, a boy was singing that song,
and he came to the word Atmanivasi, and Baba said, “No, no, change it into
Hrudayanivasi, the one who lives in the heart.”
Somebody asked Swami, “What is the difference?”
Swami answered, ”When you say ‘Atmanivasi’, the one who lives in Atma, it has no
meaning because Atma is everywhere. Consciousness is everywhere. How can you
live everywhere? So it is wrong. Hrudayanivasi: He is present in your heart. A
pure heart is the temple of God.”
Iswara Purdese Arjuna Thistathe.
God installs Himself in the heart. Heart is the centre of God. I say
“whole-heartedly”. I don’t say “whole-mentally” unless I am mental! (Laughter)
Mind is extra. It is the heart that takes you there.
withdraw the mind to realise the self
Therefore, in order to have Self-knowledge, there should be no ego. Ego is the
curtain. To drop this curtain, you should be free from attachment to the mind.
To be free from attachment to the mind, you should be desireless. To be
desireless, the mind should be withdrawn. This is what we call a reversible
reaction, as taught to chemistry students. The chemistry student will learn: a
-> b; b-> a. Similarly, the mind, once it is withdrawn, automatically takes you
to awareness of the Self or Self-knowledge. If mind is there, then there is no
Self knowledge at all. This is explained by Bhagavan Baba Himself.
follow the intellect, nOT THE MIND
Now Swami comes to another point. What He has mentioned is in so many poems, but
I don’t want to repeat them in Telugu as that language is not known to many
people here. So it will be a futile attempt to read it out in Telugu, except for
the vanity of exhibiting my scholarship, and it is too late in my life to
cultivate that habit now!
But I will give you the meaning of the poem: The man who goes by the mind, who
runs after the mind, will be worse than an animal. The man who goes by the
directions of the intellect is closer to the Divine.
Mansaatharavu Manovundu
Pasukante Hinayamani Paatananumu.
Buddhaatharau Budda Jananaundu
Paasupathika Maaranunu Palkey Parthi Sayi.
Those who know Telugu will understand the beauty of the poem. Pasupathike Maranu
means that he becomes God Himself. But if he follows the mind, he is pasu, an
animal. If he follows his intellect, he is pasupathi or God Himself. So follow
the intellect, not the mind.
the quaLITY OF YOUR THOUGHTS DETERMINES THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE
Then Swami also mentions another point:
Sadhu Sankalapamala Sertha Sadhuvaganu.
With all good thoughts, you are a pious man.
Dushta Sankalapamala Sertha Dushtututaganu.
With all wicked thoughts, you are a wicked man.
Sagala Sankalapa Sununoda Santhivuda.
If you are thoughtless, if you have withdrawn your mind,
you are saint, you are totally Divine.
This is what Bhagavan has said. Furthermore, Swami said that if your thoughts
are so pure, you are bound to be successful in life. If your thoughts are
impure—well, you will be a failure in your life.
THINKING IS WHAT SEPARATES MAN FROM GOD
It has happened many times that when Swami was speaking, I have been
dumbfounded, and all I could say was, “Aha! Aha!”
One time Swami asked, “What happened to you? You are here to translate My talk.
Why ‘Aha’? (Laughter) What happened to you?” He asked.
Then I said, “I am not a machine. I am not an electronic gadget. I am not a
simple microphone. I love Your message. Some points in Your message go so deeply
that I am dumbfounded, and I remain speechless!”
“Heh! Next, next! Fast, fast! (Laughter) Tell what you have to. You can speak of
your madness later! (Laughter) First do this.” That is what He said.
Thala Pulandu Veru Deivam Anabu Kaladani.
In thought you think God is elsewhere. In thought God is separate from you. In
thought God is away from you. It is thought which separates you from God. It is
thought that thinks God is away, God is different and God is apart from you.
Thalachi Naradu Thannu Thanne Marasu.
Thinking that God is elsewhere, man forgets himself, and man gets lost in the
jungle of life. Man is drowned in the ocean of family. Man has become forgetful,
man is intoxicated, and man is in full of disillusionment. Why? It is thought
that separates him from God.
Thalachi Thannu Thanne Marasu.
He forgets Him. Why? He thinks God is away from him, that He is separate from
him.
Thalapulani Veda Thane Deivambagu.
Vah! Vah!
Thalapulani Veda Thane Deivambagu.
Once you drop your thoughts, once thought is gone, once mind is withdrawn, once
mind is in total merger with the Divine, then Thaane Deivambugu, you are Divine.
You are God. So this kind of distancing, this sort of dualism or dichotomy, this
separateness, is only because of mind.
Therefore, my friends, we come to the end of the topic: “As You Think, So You
Become – Part 2.” Next week we will take up another topic, and also answer some
questions which I received. Thank you very much for your gracious presence and
for your rapt attention. May God bless you.
(Anil Kumar finished his satsang by singing “Sai Narayana Narayana.”)
OM…OM…OM…
Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
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AUDIO Of Prof. ANIL KUMAR SATSANG Sunday
Satsang at Prashanti Nilayam.
Prof. Anil Kumar visit to Brazil - photos