Experience Oneness, the All Important Virtue

July 11th is the auspicious occasion of Guru Poornima, the day when Sai is adored and worshipped as the Sadguru, the Supreme Divine Preceptor. Let’s recapitulate what Swami had said on this occasion way back in 1989.

Emodiments of Divine Love! The trees provide cool shade and sweet fruit equally to all, whether they have fostered them or harmed them. They teach man this lesson of equal mindedness. The mountains, by bearing heat and cold, wind and rain alike, teach man not to care too much for the body. The birds take no thought for the morrow and are content to live on what they can get. They teach man the lesson of contentment and indifference to the future.

The departed convey the message of the impermanence of life and its pleasures. Nature thus teaches man in many ways to give up ideas of “I” and “mine” and look upon God as the supreme preceptor. Although Nature has been teaching these lessons from the beginning of time, man has not learnt to give up the ideas of “my people” and “others” and to develop the sense of oneness and equality of mankind and realise his divinity .

We are seeing people being born and people dying. In spite of all that is seen, or heard or experienced, man is unable to get rid of the delusions relating to the body. Hence he is caught up in the coils of bodily attachments. He does not learn the lesson of the impermanence and fleeting nature of physical existence….

Prakriti (Nature), which is constantly teaching these lessons, is the true preceptor. The cosmos is a University. God is the Cause. The cosmos is the result. God pervades the entire Universe. Nothing can exist in the world without the power of the Divine. The Universe is a manifestation of the Divine….

Oneness Must Express Itself in Universal Love

What we must seek to experience today is Ekatvam (unity in diversity ). Advaita (Oneness) is expressed in three forms: Bhaava-Advaita (oneness in mental attitude); Kriya-Advaita (oneness expressed in action); Padaartha-Advaita (oneness as seen in all objects). Only when oneness is experienced in all these forms can Divinity be understood….

Oneness must express itself in universal love. Those who speak about love do not practice it. It is the divorce between thought, word and deed which is at the root of all the troubles in the world today. It is also the cause of the rise of atheismin in this sacred land of ours.

Harmony in thought, word and deed is the highest human value. Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema (Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love) are not mere words. They are fundamental values to be practised in thought, word and deed as far as possible. Only then can divinity be realised.

It is not necessary to undertake all kinds of sadhanas (spiritual exercises) to recognise the Divine. If the happenings in daily life are properly enquired into, the Atma principle can be recognised easily. Hethu (cause) is one of the names of the Divine. This means He is the cause of creation. He is both the cause of and the means used in creation. Another name for God is Vikshara (Imperishable). All objects in creation are liable to decay and destruction. God alone is beyond change and decay .

Nature is Like a Clean Mirror

God’s love is unbounded. It knows no growth or diminution. Worldly love is momentary and fickle. Divine love is unchanging and eternal. God is the embodiment of love. His infinite love is offered to all in equal measure. Some may feel that they had experienced God ‘s love for a time and had been deprived of it later. This reflects only their own feelings and not the attitude of the Lord.

Nature is like a clean mirror which reflects your feelings and attitudes. It is your own actions and thoughts, whether good or bad, which are reflected back to you. The Lord ‘s love remains the same always .

Pleasure and sorrow are not inherent in the nature of man. They are products of the mind. Bliss is the true nature of man. But it can be realised only when the love of God is experienced. The sense of “my -ness” has to be totally eradicated. You must strive for the welfare of all… Fill your hearts with this sacred feeling. Banish from your minds all thoughts of hatred and envy .