You Are An Inseparable Part Of God

Complete Surrender Is The True Principle

Embodiments of Divine Love!

What is it that we should do to cross the ocean of Samsara (worldliness)? Spiritual practices like penance and study of scriptures are not enough. We should serve our fellow beings. But service done casually without love is not so great. We should do service with a heart full of love. In fact, our every action should be suffused with love.

Perform Seva With Love

A devotee named Devadhoota used to mingle with people every day, serve them from dawn to dusk and return home at the fall of night. He performed selfless service with a loving heart throughout the day. Looking at his divine nature, a messenger of God came to his house one day. When Devadhoota returned home, he saw through the window, light in his house. He was surprised when he found that somebody had entered his house earlier than him. When he watched closely, he found a messenger of God sitting on a chair. Devadhoota asked him through the window, "Who are you?" He replied, "A messenger sent by God." "What are you writing?" asked Devadhoota. "The names of the persons whom God loves," said the God's messenger. "Is my name in that list?" asked Devadhoota. "It is not there," said God's messenger. When Devadhoota entered the house, God's messenger was not there. He had disappeared.

Next day, Devadootha went out and performed selfless service as usual without expecting any reward. When he returned home, again, he saw light in his house. Seeing God's messenger, he asked him, "What are you writing today?" "Today I am writing the names of persons who love God," said God's messenger. "Is my name in that list?" asked Devadhoota. "No," replied God's messenger.

On the third day also, Devadhoota did selfless service and returned home in the evening. On this day also, he saw light in the house. He thought that the messenger of God would not have any work that day. When he asked him what he was writing, the messenger of God said, "I am writing the names of those in whose heart God resides, and through whom God is acting." When Devadoota asked if his name was in the list, God's messenger replied, "Yes, it is there."

We can merge in God only through Seva, full of love. Devadhoota’s story shows that it is not so important if we love God or God loves us. It is necessary to understand that you yourself are God and God Himself is you.

God Resides In Your Heart

The Sadhakas (spiritual seekers) today try to attain the love and grace of God. It is easy to love God and get His love. But we should have God in our heart. Where is God? God is not in temples, mansions or holy places. He is in your heart. Why search for Him elsewhere? Everybody should develop the firm faith that God resides in his heart. You write letters to your friends, relatives, children and others. The postal department has a procedure. If a person writes a letter, he can get acknowledgment from his friend or relative for having received the letter. Similarly, you write letters of prayer to God and keep them in the box of God's grace. But you don’t get a reply. You have written several times. Still, you have not got a reply. Your letters do not reach God. Why? Because you are praying with the ego that you are a Bhakta (devotee), and not with the faith that you and God are one. You should have the firm faith that you are part of God and there is no separation between you and God. God is in you and you are in God. A true devotee realizes that he is an inseparable part of God.

Why do you do Bhajans, Japa (chanting of God’s Name) and good actions? You do them for the sake of God who is within you. You should develop firm faith that God is in your heart, and wherever you see, there is the Divine principle. Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman, the Supreme Principle). You should develop this type of firm faith and confidence. If you think God is different from you, that is not a close relationship. If you say to God, "You are mine," that is also not the correct attitude. You should say, "You and I are one."

There is only one truth, not two. In order to attain this experience of oneness, you should understand its meaning and make necessary effort. Even if you do Seva with love and pray earnestly, you do not get the desired result. Why? Because your heart is not all right. You are always thinking that God is different from you. But you are God; develop firm faith in this truth. Every being is God. Have this expansive feeling. People chant Vedas and read scriptures without this faith. So, they stay where they are. Obey the commands of God. Do not transgress them under any circumstances.

People say one thing and do something else. They should keep their promises given to God. They should realise, "God, I am You."

Imprint God Firmly On Your Heart

For example, the residents of Mathura thought that they belonged to God and were the relatives of Lord Krishna. When we think we belong to God, we become different from Him. The Gopikas did not think so. They thought that there was no difference between them and God. They realized and felt, "Krishna, Your voice is always sweet, we hear the strains of Your flute at all times. You are always full of beauty. Your words are always nectareous. Krishna, You are the sweet principle of love in our hearts. You and we are one."

Once Uddhava brought a message to the Gopikas from Krishna. He was surprised at the condition in which they were. He returned and told Krishna, "Their mothers-in-law are shouting at them; their husbands give trouble to them, but the Gopikas are not afraid at all."

When you print a picture on a paper, the picture and the paper become one. Similarly, a true devotee cannot be separated from God. Imprint the form of God on your heart firmly and do Seva with the body. God resides in the heart. Head in the forest, hands in society. Let your thoughts remain in the forest. Let your hands do Seva in society. You will get real peace when your thoughts are soaked in renunciation. To get peace, you should have firm faith in God.

Since Swami talks, walks and interacts with you, you sometimes think that He is an ordinary human being like you. Due to the illusion caused by Maya, you forget that He is God. Though His body is like your body, your inner vision will reveal His Divinity. Prema conceals His Divine nature. In spite of seeing and experiencing the truth of Swami’s Divinity, you are deluded by your mind. The mind is like a mad monkey, the body is like a water bubble. Do not follow the body and the mind. Follow the conscience which reflects the true Atmic principle. When you imprint God firmly on your heart, everything will look like God. What is bhakti (devotion)? To direct the mind to God is Bhakti, not performance of rituals. Maya is like a shadow. So long as you follow the shadow, it will be in front of you. To remove the shadow, what should you do? Do not follow it. Turn to the opposite direction and see the sun. Then the shadow will follow you. As long as you follow the shadow, you cannot enjoy the grace of God. If you follow the sun, the Maya will become a puppet in your hand. To win over Maya, you should not follow it; you should follow the master of Maya. Because you see Maya and enjoy it, several problems arise. God is total love.

Tvameva mata cha pita tvameva,
Tvameva bandhushcha sakha tvameva,
Tvameva vidya dravinam tvameva,
Tvameva Sarvam mama Deva Deva.

(Sanskrit Verse)

(Oh Lord! You alone are my father and mother, friend and relation, wisdom and wealth. You are my everything).

Many people say "Oh God! You are my mother, father, relative and friend." This prayer conveys that God is different from you. If you call God your father, you are his son. If you call God a friend, then you are His friend. Do not say like this. Say, "God! You are myself." This is the easiest path. Jesus first said, "I am the messenger of God." That was the first step. Then Jesus said, "I am the son of God." When he said messenger, there was no relationship between God and him. When he said son, the relationship of father and son existed. Finally, Jesus realized, "You and I are one; there is no difference." That was the Holy Ghost. You should reach that state. Do not be satisfied with Dvaita (dualism) and Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism). You should rise above these. If you think, I am a devotee and You are God, that is Dvaita. This attitude is improper. This is not right. You must realize, "You and I are one; there is no difference. The consciousness in You and that in me are the same, not two. Think that you are Divinity."

Total Surrender Earns God’s Grace

The happiness you get by contact with worldly objects is not at all happiness. To obtain Ananda, you should achieve oneness. Art is outside and heart is inside. The heart represents the inner feelings. It is always right. It cannot be left out or ignored. Working with good feelings always gives good results. Finally, complete Sharanagati (surrender) is the true principle.

Once when Rama, Lakshmana and Sita were wandering in the forest, Rama sat down at a place pretending to be tired and asked Lakshmana to build a hut at a place Lakshmana liked. Lakshmana sat down and started weeping. "Why are you weeping? What has gone wrong?" asked Rama. "After dedicating my everything to You, do I have any separate liking? I carry out whatever You like. I have dedicated my mind, body, senses, everything to You. I am empty inside. There is nothing of my own." Lakshmana had surrendered completely to Rama. Rama said, "Yes, this was my mistake." When you surrender like this, God Himself will come down and get all the work done through you with boundless grace. You should not have the feeling of mine and thine. To say mine, mine, mine is the cause of sorrow. Everything is Maya. When there is no mine or mind, you experience peace and bliss. Do not have the feeling of mine. Consider everything as Prema-tattvam (principle of love). You are all embodiments of love. God is Love, Love is God. Consider life as a stream or a flowing river.

Take the example of a pot full of water. Like that, consider the body as a pot full of holes. If you fill this pot with love, only love will flow out from its every hole. Just like that, only love should come out from the mouth. That is, your speech should be full of love. Only love will emanate from your vision and hearing because only love is there inside. That is why only love comes out. Fill the heart with love that will not change under all circumstances. There should be no divisions in the heart. There should be only oneness. God may give you troubles, but consider them as forms of love. The whole world is filled with love. This inner vision is Bhakti.

A bulb shines when positive and negative currents combine. But even powerful currents will be useless if you do not have a bulb. You have to connect the positive and the negative. The individual is the negative and God is the positive. When the two join, you get the experience of the Atmic principle. When you say, "I am Atma" you have two words ‘I’ and ‘Atma’. This is duality. A person with dual mind is half-blind. Say, ‘I am I’, ‘I am I’. This is true non-dualism.

Man Is Not Different From God

The Mahavakyas (profound statements) of the Vedas, viz., Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman), Prajnanam Brahma (Brahman is Supreme Consciousness), Tat-tvam-asi (That Thou Art) and Ayam Atma Brahma (This Self is Brahman) lead man to the path of unity and divinity. We have to examine and explore this also. Finally, it will be clear that everything is Prema (love). Love is God. Love only exists.

There is water in a tumbler and there is sugar which is settled at the bottom of the tumbler. If you drink the water from the top, it has no taste. God says, "Mad fellow! Know that worldly pleasures are tasteless." These are experiences gained through the mind. Take the spoon of Buddhi, put it into the tumbler and stir it well. The sugar dissolves fully in water. The sugar is now above, below and all around in the water. What exists is only one truth. There is sugar of divinity at the bottom of the heart. But we have filled our heart with the water of worldly desires. When we mix sugar of divinity with water of worldliness, everything becomes divinity without distinction. Water becomes sweet. There is no distinction between world and divinity. Similarly, the body, the mind, and the Atma are three entities. We should combine these into one. Without the Atma, there is no body. In an evolved person, the mind, speech, and action are in unison. They manifest true love. To think something in the mind, talk something different and do something else will be like separate threads which can be easily broken. If all the threads are woven, they will be strong like cloth. In the cloth, it is the joining of the threads that gives strength. If the mind, Buddhi and Antaryami (indweller) are all in unison, it will be like all the rivers merging into the ocean. All individual streams become ocean itself.

Embodiments of Love!

Whatever you do, do it with love. Convert each word into a Mantra. Make each thought sacred. Convert each place into a temple. Man is not different from God. People think that individual soul is new and God is ancient. This type of difference was created by science. The split of love is science; the spirit of love is God. The full experience of love is God. Perform all actions in society with love and love alone.

(Bhagawan brought His Discourse to a close with the Bhajan, “Prema Mudita Manse Kaho…”)

– Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Sruthi, Kodaikanal on 24th April 1997.