There is nothing else besides Divinity (Existence). In that Divinity there is neither ‘I’, nor ‘You’ nor ‘this’ nor ‘that’. The existence of the world is merely assumed, it is not real. That Divinity is ‘Is’ while the world is ‘not’. ‘Not’ is not (non-existent) and ‘Is’ is ‘Is’ (existent)—‘Nasato Vidyate bhaavo, Nabhaavo vidyate satah:’ (Gita 2/16). ‘Not’ is naturally non-existent and ‘Is’ is naturally existent. That ‘Is’ is the End (God) to be realized by us. How can ‘Not’ which does not exist, be the end (Aim, God)? That ‘Is’ is not to be reached, but that ’Is’ is an embodiment of realization or realization personified (already Is).
Really speaking, a seeker, an aspirant is he who can’t live without the ‘End’ (God) and an ‘End’(God) is that which can not live without the Aspirant. An Aspirant can not be separate from the End (God) and an End (God) can not be separate from the Aspirant. The reason is that the Aspirant and the End – both have one existence. No one can be separate from ‘Is’. Therefore if we are Aspirants (seekers of Truth), we should attain the End (aim, God) immediately. An Aspirant is only he who does not accept any other entity (existence) besides the End (God). He need not depend on anything else. Neither depend on an object or an action. Only depend on the End (God).
What an Aspirant that can live without the End (God) and What an End (God) that lives without the Aspirant? What a child who lives without the mother and what a mother who lives without the child? Our End (God) cannot live without us, it has no power at all because at the root Existence is only one. As in the ocean, and the wave, there is only existence of water, so is there only one Existence in the aspirant and the end. The wave is merely an assumption. So long as there is affinity with the inert body in the form of the wave, he is an aspirant. But when affinity with the inert matter is totally renounced, he does not remain an aspirant, but becomes an End (God).
If an aspirant lives without the End (God), it should be understood that besides the End (God), he also aspires for something else (pleasure and prosperity). He has given importance to them also. As much importance he attaches to the perishable, to the same extent there is deficiency in his aspiration. That deficiency keeps him away from the End (God). As soon as he becomes a perfect Aspirant, he attains the End (God).
The End (God) appears to be unattained by a striver because he regards the body as ‘I’, ‘mine’ and ‘for me’. An excellent means to attain the End is not to accept any other existence besides the End (God). Therefore a striver should firmly accept the fact that the world does not exist. It didn’t exist in the past, it will not exist in the future and at present also it is perishing every moment. It does not exist at all. The current of the creation and the dissolution appears as its existence.
An aspirant should have faith and love (devotion) in his End (God). The faith and love should persist in that End (God) which is not against one’s power of discrimination. It is against one’s ‘vivek’ (power of discrimination) to have faith and love in the things which are acquired and lost. If one of these two – Faith or Love are aroused, both are cultivated. If faith is strengthened, love will be automatically cultivated. If there is no Love, it means that there is deficiency in Faith. i.e. Besides faith in God, there is also faith in the world. When there is full faith in God, no other entity besides Divinity (God) will persist. If there is deficiency of faith in God, there will also be deficiency of faith in the means (spiritual discipline). That is, besides God, other desires will also persist. The extent to which he desires other things, to the same extent there is deficiency in his means (spiritual discipline).
At the root of all desires, there is the desire for God. All other desires are based on it. We commit the mistake that we want to satisfy this natural desire for God with the help of the body. In fact, in the attainment of God, there is no need at all either of the body or of the world. God is ours, so He will he realized by doing nothing. There is need of the body to do something, but what is the need of the body if nothing is to be done? Eyes are needed to see, but what is the need of the eyes, if nothing is to be seen? But recitation of the Lord’s holy name and loud chanting etc., should certainly be done because by doing them, a striver becomes capable of doing nothing.
We are a fragment of God, so we have our affinity with God We have our affinity neither with the body nor with sense-objects such as sound, touch, sight, taste and smell. We are God’s – a striver should firmly believe in it. If he is unable to have a firm belief, he should invoke God. It is a mistake to assume that we belong to the body and the world. It needs time to realize a mistake as a mistake. But once it is realized, it is rectified in no time.
It is a cosmic law that God is not realized by the unreal (objects and actions), but He is realized by renouncing affinity with the unreal. In order to totally renounce affinity with the unreal (transient, temporary), it is essential for a striver to accept three facts –
- Nothing at all is mine
- I need nothing
- I am nothing
Now seriously reflect over these three facts. The first fact is – Nothing is Mine. In order to accept this fact, a striver should think over – when we came to this world what did we bring and when we go, what shall we take with us ? On reflection it is clear that we neither brought anything with us nor can we take anything with us. It means that the thing which is acquired and lost can’t be ours. The thing which is born and destroyed cannot be ours. The thing which appears and disappears can’t be ours. The reason is that the self is neither acquired and lost, nor is born and destroyed, nor it appears and disappears. It proves that in infinite universes nothing not even a particle of dust is mine.
The second fact is – I need nothing. A striver should think over, when he has nothing as his own in the entire universe, then what does he need? When he regards the body as his, then he needs food, water, clothes and a house etc. But when he (the self) is really separate from the body, then what does he need? It means that when a striver accepts the fact that nothing is his, then he is capable of accepting the fact that he needs nothing.
The third point is – “I am nothing”. All the people perceive the body and the world, but have not perceived the “I”. The body is perceived and the Self is realized, but “I” is neither perceived, nor realized. “I” is merely assumed. When an aspirant accepts the truth that he needs nothing, then he becomes capable of accepting the fact “I” am nothing. That, in which there is the sense of mine for the world and there is curiousity to know God, it is said to be “I”, but in fact “I” is nothing. “I” does not exist. In deep sleep the self remains, but ‘I’ does not persist (it merges in ignorance). All persons realize this fact.
‘Nothing is mine’ and ‘I need nothing’ – when a striver translates these two facts into practice, then ‘I’ merges in Divinity or Existence i.e. in ‘Is’. It means that the sentient fragment merges in the sentient Divinity (Pure Consciousness) and the insentient fragment merges in the insentient inert matter. Then nothing remains besides Divinity.
The nature of Prakriti is – objects and actions. Objects are born and die. Actions begin and end. Dependence on the objects such as body etc., is dependence on the objects such as body etc. is dependence on the alien (non-self), while dependence on actions is ‘labor’. For God-realization, actions and objects are not needed at all. In the world ‘action’ (doing) is important while I God ‘inaction’ (non-doing) is important. God is not realized with the help of the body and the world. How will Divinity, which pervades everywhere, be attained by action? Rather, by actions God will be further away.
The body, senses, mind, intellect, ability and power etc., all belong to Prakriti (Nature). Dependence on them means dependence on Prakriti. How will God be attained by depending on Prakriti? The body belongs to Prakriti (Nature), so it is neither ours nor for us. Therefore whatever is done with the body, should be done for the world. Recitation, meditation, worship, pilgrimage and fast etc., – what is done with the body should be done for the welfare of others. He who does any action for himself, is a Bhogi (pleasure-seeker) not a ‘Yogi’ (equanimous person). It means that the body is a fragment of the world, so every action performed with the body is for the world, not for us. Only God is for us because we are His fragment. Therefore ‘depence on the alien’ and ‘labour’ are ‘Bhoga’ (pleasures). He who having renounced ‘dependence on the alien,’ adopts ‘dependence on God’ and having renounced ‘labor’ adopts ‘repose’ is a Yogi (equanimous person). But he who adopts ‘dependence on the alien’ and ‘labor’, he is a ‘Bhogi’ (pleasure-seeker).
All are servile in ‘dependence on the alien’ and in ‘labor’ but in ‘dependence on God’ and in ‘repose’ all are independent. ‘Dependence on the alien’ and ‘labor’ are for the world, while ‘dependence on God’ and ‘repose’ are for one’s own self. As much deficiency an aspirant perceives in himself, to that extent there is ‘dependence on the alien’ and ‘labor’ in him.
When ‘dependence on God’ and ‘repose’ are cultivated in him, his human life attains perfection. The reason is that besides God there is nothing or no one else who may remain with us forever and may never separate from us. An action is to gain the world while repose is to realize God. By action there is reduction of power, while inaction i.e. repose, there is accumulation of power. Not only this, all powers are revealed by inaction. After the hard labor throughout the day, a man goes to bed and by sleeping his fatigue goes away and he regains power to act. But such happiness which arises from sleep is declared to be ‘Tamasa’ (of the mode of ignorance) – ‘nidralasyapramadotham tattamasamudaahyatam’ (Gita 18/39). Repose for one’s own body etc., i.e. to remain inactive is ‘Bhoga’ (pleasure-seeking) but ‘repose for God’ is the spiritual means because God is Supreme-Repose-personified. Therefore one should repose for God, rather than for one’s own body etc. Even to remain established in God is ‘to repose for God’. ‘Repose for God’ is not Tamasa (of the mode of ignorance), but being Sattivika (of the mode of goodness) transcends the modes. Therefore for a striver there are two most valuable things – ‘dependence on God’ and ‘repose’. By ‘dependence on God’ and by ‘repose’ the spiritual desire is satisfied and worldly desire are wiped out. If a striver has no faith in God, but has faith in the self, he can depend on the self. If he has faith neither in God, nor in the self, he can depend on duty. I am God’s, God is mine – this is dependence on God. Nothing is mine and I need nothing – this is dependence on the self. Objects and actions are only for the welfare of others – this is dependence on duty. Dependence on God is ‘Bhaktiyoga’. Dependence on the self is ‘Jnanayoga’. Dependence on duty is ‘Karmayoga’. In all the three paths, dependence on Prakriti (Nature) in the form of objects and actions is renounced and a striver realizes that he is axiomatically established in Divinity. But out of these three paths, dependence on God is the base because basically we are fragment of God. By dependence on God besides salvation, devotion is also attained which is the ultimate aim of human life.
By knowing that there is nothing else besides ‘Is’ (Divinity), salvation is attained and that ‘Is’ is ours – by assuming (accepting) it, devotion is attained. In fact that ‘Is’ can be ours. How can that, which is ‘Not’ be ours? If an aspirant does not accept the existence of the unreal and has no insistence of his own, devotion is naturally attained.
Narayana ! Narayana !! Narayana !!!
From “For Salvation of Mankind” by Shradhey Swamiji Shri Ramsukhdasji Maharaj
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