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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