Vedas, Upanishads, Bible, Gita and Koran have been available to us for a long time now, so why does mankind still need saints and spiritual Masters? It seems to indicate that unless and until man can experience spiritual Knowledge for himself, there will always be a need for realized Teachers in this world. In other words, we need the help of enlightened Masters because we don't understand the deeper meaning of the scriptures. When you read scriptures, you shouldn't just read the words, but also go into their meaning. But you can understand the scriptures only when you have spiritual insight. That is why Christ said, "I have not come to destroy the scriptures, but to fulfil them."
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When Angulimal the bandit saw Lord Buddha coming along the road, he was very happy. He said, "Now I have a victim. I'll kill you and cut off your fingers to add to my collection." Buddha replied, "Brother, you may kill me. I won't stop you, but first break off one leaf from the tree and give it to me." Angulimal reached up and broke off the whole branch, and gave it to Buddha saying, "Here, take it. I have fulfilled your last request." Buddha took one leaf and said, "Listen, I asked for only one leaf, and I've taken it, so put this branch back on the tree." Angulimal replied, "I can hardly stick the branch back on the tree." So Buddha explained, "If you can't put it back, then what right did you have to break it in the first place? I only asked for a single leaf." Angulimal was disturbed by this. He had never heard anything like it. All he had ever heard was "might is right." So when Buddha said to him, "If you can't give anything to anyone, what right do you have to take from them," his ideas completely changed and he surrendered to Buddha asking him for shelter. And that murderer became a monk. So we should think about this. We can easily hurt someone, but then so can a lion or a bull, so if we act like this we are no better than animals. In other words, if we can't give love, what right do we have to torment others? The enlightened souls gave this advice: once you have received love, spread it around; if you are honoured, then honour others. If you have received Knowledge, spread it to others.
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Now you have the same chance as Arjuna had, as Hanuman had, as Dharmdas had, as Tulsidas had. We have the same chance now to enter the gates of spirituality, yet we let this golden opportunity slip through our fingers. So awaken the humanity within yourself and let its light illumine the whole world. It is easy to get trapped in social prejudice. It is very easy to fragment society and it is done very quickly, but will this bring peace to the world? No, It will only cause fighting and more fighting.
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Satsang is such a holy thing that if you immerse yourself in it, you will definitely be liberated. But only if you dive in. Before you dive in the water, you take off your clothes. In the same way, we have clothed ourselves in confusion and impurities and wrong thinking. Until we take off these `clothes' how can we dive into the river of satsang?
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In other words, spiritual knowledge is not a matter of words, it is not intellectual knowledge. It is something spiritual, and to get it we have to take refuge in an enlightened guru. All the scriptures inspire and encourage us to find the enlightened master if we want to realize the true knowledge. Once you meet a realized soul you have a golden opportunity to accumulate such spiritual capital, and if you misuse this chance, what will happen? It will slip from your grasp. If you reach the gateway to God and then turn back, how unfortunate you are! You have let a golden chance slip through your fingers. And who knows if you will get the same chance again? Trying to evolve yourself spiritually is no easy job. How can you be sure that you can escape having to suffer the consequences of your actions. According to the scriptures there are 8.4 million species of life, and who knows what will become of you? Then how will you practice devotion? How will you elevate yourself? If you can't make good use of this life, it's useless to talk about your next life. In other words, you have an opportunity now.
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Sometimes when we are travelling, our car breaks down. We don't waste time sending for a mechanic who lives far away; we ask passing motorists to help us. When someone stops and asks what happened, we tell them that the car has broken down, and they lift up the hood and use their common sense to fix it. If someone were to shoot you and the doctor said to operate, would you ask him to first tell you his religion and where he is from? You won't ask all that. You will simply say, "Okay, take out the bullet. I am in agony." That is why one saint said, "Don't ask a saint about his caste or creed. Anyone who meditates on God becomes His." It is all a matter of meditation. If God does not discriminate between souls, why should those people who call themselves His devotees?
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Vivekananda, who was formerly known as Narendra, was a great intellectual. He had read all the scriptures, but he couldn't realize practically that thing which they all spoke about. Then he met Shri Ramakrishna, who though illiterate, taught him the Knowledge which can't be found in books and which changed him into the great saint Vivekananda. Lord Rama gave this same Knowledge to Hanuman. Lord Krishna gave it to Arjuna. Arjuna knew all the scriptures and even quoted them to Lord Krishna. However, Krishna revealed to him the Knowledge which resolved all his doubts and delusions and helped him to see things as they really are.
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Guru Nanak said, "My satguru has applied the ointment of Knowledge to my eyes and dispelled my ignorance. By God's grace I met a saint and became enlightened." Only by God's grace can a person come into holy company. The spiritual master enlightens us. This is why we need great souls. We read the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bible, and other scriptures which all glorify this divine energy, this divine entity, but still we can't realize it. But a realized soul can show us what It is. Knowledge is transmitted from soul to soul. There is no other way. There are many cookery books available, but until you light the stove these books can't help you. In the same way, spiritual Knowledge is acquired from a living soul, from a living entity. The living torch of Knowledge is passed from soul to soul.
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People think that we are alive because we breathe, that air keeps us alive. However, when someone falls ill, and he cannot breathe, oxygen has to be forced into him with a mask and a machine. So if a machine can make a man breathe, why does he die? Can a machine make a corpse alive again? No, because the life-force is not active in that body any more; it is not manifesting itself. Air going in and out does not constitute a living power. There is a power beyond air, which actually controls the movement of air. Man does not live by air only. If air were all that were necessary, then doctors could easily reanimate a corpse. However, intake of air depends on a higher power, which keeps a person alive. This power is not dependent on doctors or scientists.
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Deep within us is the shrine of God, because it is there that the Holy Name reveals itself, and we can perceive it. The most mysterious, the most subtle element resides in your breath and manifests itself there. If you want to see it, you have to turn your attention to the place where it manifests itself, and from where it spreads throughout the body so that our faculties can function. Therefore, the Upanishads say, "It is the seeing power of the eye, yet the eye cannot see it. It is the hearing power of the ear, yet the ear cannot hear it. It is the activating power of the hands, yet the hands cannot grasp it. It is the vocal power by which the mouth and tongue speak, yet the tongue cannot express it." That is why Lord Rama described it as `secret'.
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If God were a matter of words, of language, if He could be written only in English, or French, or Hindi, or Sanskrit, He could not be omnipresent, because no single language is spoken everywhere. English is spoken in some countries, French in others. Spanish is spoken in Spain and Latin America, Hindi is spoken in India, and Nepali is spoken in Nepal. If God's Name could be expressed in a language, it would become restricted. It would become finite. So to stay infinite it must stay aloof from language. It is the power which enables us to speak. An unborn child doesn't speak any language. But the Holy Name, the power of God, which is indestructible, keeps that baby alive. When this omnipresent phenomenon manifests itself within us, we can experience it.
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Once King Janak held a huge religious function. The horns of many cows were coated with gold, and he announced that only an enlightened sage could claim these cows. Maharishi Yagyavalkya told his disciples to collect the cows. Other learned sages who were present stood up and said. "Wait! First answer our questions. We want to be convinced that you are indeed enlightened." The Maharishi was answering all their questions. Finally, Gargi, one of the sages, approached him and said, "If you can answer my questions, there is no doubt that you are enlightened." Her last question was, "Space contains all the stars, solar systems and all, but in what is space held? What surrounds space?" So Maharishi Yagyavalkya answered, "Space is contained in the Word of God." This is a very profound idea. Earth is solid, and what surrounds the continents? They are surrounded by water, a liquid, which is of a finer substance than earth. And what surrounds both earth and water? The atmosphere surrounds them, and it extends to a distance of 220 miles high. Whatever we say travels through this atmosphere. If there were no air, you could not utter a single sound, and your words could not be heard. Sound travels through air. What is beyond the atmosphere? Space, or ether, Space is the absence of air. Space recedes into nothingness, it fades into formlessness, so it is extremely subtle. That means that we are held by something which is as subtle as can be. As Maharishi Yagyavalkya said to Gargi, the most subtle thing, which is even subtler than subtle, is the Holy Word. Even the most subtle things ultimately exist in it. The subtle atmosphere surrounds us. Water stays in places like rivers and lakes, but once it is converted into water vapour, it spreads everywhere. The more subtle something is, the further it permeates. That is why one saint said, "God pervades every particle, but only those who have eyes to see can see Him."
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All the scriptures talk about an experience. For example, we say that it is cold today, but can you show me what cold is? You'll say you can't do that because feeling cold is a personal experience. When cold air comes in contact with our skin, and we shiver, we say that we are feeling cold. We can't see cold, but we can feel it, we can experience it. In the same way, God, the Supreme Power, is extremely subtle and inexpressible, but we can experience Him. He is not like a big rock or any other solid thing which can be put in front of us. If He was like that then He would not be omnipresent. Something which is all-pervading also has to be subtle.
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Man in himself is not a problem. Realized souls say that the power to solve the world's problems lies with man himself. Saints have never considered mankind to be a burden on the earth. Saint Tulsidas described the human life form as being "just right for spiritual endeavours and the gateway to liberation." God has granted us the boon of the human body so that we can achieve the state of Nirvana. If we wish, we can use it for our own good. We can experience divine love ourselves and share it with others. We have been given all the resources. For example, we have here a microphone and loudspeakers. It is up to us whether good or bad thoughts are transmitted through them. It is upto you whether you strew thorns or flowers in your life. You can make your life hell or heaven. Man has this much free will. He can, if he wishes, use his life to dig deep within himself and find the treasure of the Holy Name.
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The uniqueness of spirituality is that God is the shelter of the weak. Contrary to the materialistic outlook of most people, spiritual people say that human beings are the temple of the divine energy. After all, whatever we have achieved in this world has been due to our human energy.
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One saint said, "Prostrate yourself at the guru's feet countless times. Just as the bhringi wasp changes other insects into its own shape, so the guru makes you like himself."
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This world is so large. It is impossible for us to imagine how vast the solar system is. There are stars whose light hasn't even reached us yet. We can't even imagine the limits of the galaxies. A person who thinks that he knows everything is so full of pride that he is not willing to bow his head to anyone. He refuses to realize the truth. There is a good example of this in the Ramayana. When Lord Rama succeeded in breaking the bow of Shiva, Parashurama arrived, extremely angry. He wanted to know who had broken the bow. He didn't stop to think that someone who could break that bow could not be an ordinary man, that he must have superior powers. He simply flew into a rage and swore revenge.
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It is a very basic and significant question, and only when we think deeply about it will we understand its mystery. The Vedas, the Bible, the Upanishads and the Koran have long been available to us, so why do we need saints and holy masters? It seems to mean that as long as man cannot practically experience spiritual knowledge for himself, there will always be a need for enlightened souls in this world. In other words, we need the assistance of enlightened masters because we don't understand the deep and secret meanings of the scriptures. I have met religious scholars who are so learned that if you give them one word they'll complete the whole verse for you. You can take a line from any part of the Ramayana, and they will complete the whole section for you, including all the couplets and verses. They have mastered the scriptures. Accomplishing this feat can affect a person in two ways: He can think that he knows all there is to know, and that he doesn't have to be taught anything, or he can feel that there is something else he ought to know which is beyond the scriptures. Scientists do research and experiments, but none of them will say that he has discovered all there is to know. If they thought like this, then there would be no more inventions and no more Nobel prizes. Science keeps on developing and discovering new things. If this did not happen, it could not advance. Socrates' admirers used to say to him, "Sir, you have attained great heights, you are very wise and intellectual. How did you become so great?" Socrates answered," Because I know that I know nothing"
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Truth is always one and the same, but there are many ways of expressing it. There is only one truth, but realized souls explained it in their respective ways and languages. But plurality of languages does not mean plurality of truths. What is Supreme Entity which all saints came to tell us about? For thousands of years, since Vedic times, scriptures have been available to us. So why did great souls have to come into this world? What is the need for divine incarnations?
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Your impact on the world at large begins with the smaller world of yourself. You will foster freedom and peace when you are free of ego's control and know the peace of your higher self travelling the path of the sacred quest. One of the first steps along your path is learning tolerance by practising seeing the world as it is rather than as you demand it to be.
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The paradox here is that you will affect the world in the ways that you wish when you cease trying to improve conditions with intolerance and judgment. It is only when you are not controlled by ego that you can choose to not control others. What you believed was power when you dominated others was actually the external activity of ego controlling you.
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When Mother Teresa was asked if she would march against the war in Vietnam, she replied, "No, but if you have a march for peace. I'll be there." When you become peaceful within, that is what you will have to give away. When you are dominated by your ego, you dominate others. If there is no inner harmony, there is no outer harmony. Ego needs the illusion of enemies in order to control you. When you are controlling others, it is because you have permitted ego to be in control.
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Your higher self knows that letting go of intolerance does not imply endorsement of evil. The evils that exist in the world are independent of your opinion about them. We will eradicate evil and bring peace to the world, not by judging others but by radiating love. If you let go of judgment and the inclination to dominate and control others, you are able to replace hate and intolerance with love and harmony.
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Your higher self has absolutely no need to dominate anyone or anything. This is the ticket to freedom. Right now, though, in this very moment, your ego is working to convince you that higher self and tolerance are ridiculous ideas. Ego will argue that tolerance means permitting criminal behaviour and health and social problems. Your higher self can see beyond this logic, so of course you can too. If you are willing.
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You won't choose tolerance if you are unable to get free of those false ego beliefs. But when you gain the awareness that all of us are connected in this universe—with the same divine intelligence running through each and every one of us—and that the higher self is knowable and real, then all the surface satisfactions of dominating, controlling and judging others become unappealing.
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Ego projects its controlling attitude on others to keep you from seeing it at work within you. At the same time, it causes you to view tolerant people as controlling attitude on others to keep you from seeing it at work within you. At the same time, it causes you to view tolerant people as controllable. Clever ego gets you coming and going. It gets you into dominant behaviour to hide its way of controlling you and at the same time it makes you dislike the tolerant, controllable persons. Why would you ever want to choose tolerance with this model?
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People are the way they are, and you need to dominate or change them in any way is the edict of your false self. Your ego is, as usual, trying to convince you of your separateness. It also doesn't want you to catch on to how it is controlling your life, so it convinces you that if you don't dominate others, they will get the best of you.
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