Education should be a training of the mind and not a stuffing of the brain. The first aim and function of all education should be to bring enlightenment to the students. Stuffing the student’s mind with facts and formulae is not education because it does not bring enlightenment nor confer energy. Training of the mind and not stuffing of the brain is what we need. Thus alone will the student be able to acquire a luminous mind and increased energy of personality.

The two kinds of knowledge:

The teacher must distinguish between knowledge and Wisdom. Knowledge is of things, acts and relations but Wisdom is of Supreme Reality alone; and beyond all things, acts, and relations, He abides forever. To become one with Him is the only Wisdom.

The path of knowledge leads to Truth as does the path that combines knowledge and love. The path of love too leads to this goal. The way of love is as true as the way of knowledge. All paths ultimately lead to the same Truth. But as long as god keeps the feeling of ego in us it will use knowledge to reach its own goal, just like love whereas ego conditions love to his own liking.

The teacher sees that God is immovable and actionless. They are in God. But God is unattached and beyond the 3 worlds.

The teacher further sees what is God, the Personal God. He who is beyond the three with His six supernatural powers. Living beings, the universe, mind, intelligence, love, renunciation, knowledge – all these are the manifestations of His power.

There is nothing in mere scholarship. The object of study is to find means of knowing God and realizing Him. A holy man had a book. When asked what it contained, he opened it and showed that on all the pages were written the words ‘aum’, and nothing else.

What is the significance of this? It is what you find by repeating the word ten times. It is then reversed into ‘tagi’, which means a person who has renounced everything for God. And the lesson of the Gita is: ‘O man, renounce everything and seek God alone.’ Whether a man is a monk or a householder, he has to shake off all attachment from his mind. The book such as the Bible should be read, then you should realise your reading is translated by personal meaning to the words through experience and therefore needs to let go. Not your knowledge but his wisdom will lead you to the truth. Be thankful all the way.

A man set out on a pilgrimage. One day he saw a man reading the holy scriptures and another man, seated at a distance, was listening and weeping. His eyes were swimming in tears. The man asked him, ‘Do you understand all this?’ The man said: ’No, revered sir, I don’t understand a word of the text.’ ‘Then why are you crying?’ asked the man. The devotee said: ‘I see a great vehicle before me. I see Christ and the disciples seated in front of it talking. I see this and I weep.’

Why does the teacher keep an attitude of love toward God? The answer is that ‘Iconsciousness’ persists. It disappears in the state of pure devotion no doubt, but it comes back. In the case of ordinary people the ‘I’ never disappears. You may cut down the tree but the next day sprouts shoot up..

Even after the attainment of Knowledge this ‘I-consciousness’ comes up, most do not know from where. You dream of a fearful situation… Then you awake; but your heart keeps on palpitating! All our suffering is due to this ‘I’. The cow cries, ‘Hamba!’ which means ‘I’. That is why it suffers so much. It is yoked to the plough and made to work in rain and sun. Then it may be killed by the butcher. From its hide shoes are made, and also drums, which are mercilessly beaten. Still it does not escape suffering. At last strings are made out of its entrails for the bows used in carding cotton. Then it no longer says, ‘Hamba! Hamba!’, ‘I’ ‘I’, but , ‘Thou!’ ‘Thou!’ Only then are its troubles over. O Lord, I am the servant; Thou art the Master. I am the child; Thou art the Mother.

Once the holy one asked the disciple, ‘How do you look on Me?’ And the disciple replied: ‘O Lord, as long as I have the feeling of ‘I’, I see that Thou art the whole and I am a part; Thou art the Master and I am Thy servant. But when, O Lord, I have the knowledge of Truth, then I realize that Thou art I, and I am Thou.’

The relationship of master and servant is the proper one. Since this ‘I’ must remain, let the rascal be God’s servant.

‘I’ and ‘mine’ – these constitute ignorance. ‘My house’, ‘my wealth’, ‘my learning’, ‘my possessions’ – the attitude that prompts one to say such things comes of ignorance. On the contrary, the attitude born of Knowledge is: ‘O God, Thou art the Master, and all these things belong to Thee. House, family, children, attendants, friends, are Thine.’

God laughs on two occasions. He laughs when the physician says to the patient’s mother, ‘Don’t be afraid, mother, I shall certainly cure your boy.’ God laughs, saying to Himself, ‘I am going to take his life, and this man says he will save it!’ The physician thinks he is the master, forgetting that God is the Master. God laughs again when two brothers divide their land with a string, saying to each other, ‘This side is mine and that side is yours.’ God laughs and says to Himself, ‘The whole universe belongs to Me, but they say they own this portion or that portion.’

God cannot be realized through mere reasoning. But while my mind has understood, My heart has not; She cannot be realized by means of mere scholarship. One must have faith and love.

Faith and devotion. One realizes God easily through devotion. He is grasped through ecstasy of love.

The means of realizing God are ecstasy of love and devotion – that is, one must love God. He who is the knowable god is addressed as the Mother.

When we talk of fire we automatically mean also its power to burn. Again, the fire’s power to burn implies the fire itself. If you accept the one you must accept the other.

As is a man’s meditation, so is his feeling of love;

As is a man’s feeling of love, so is his gain;

And faith is the root of all.

Of little use are worship, oblations, or sacrifice.

If a man comes to love God, he need not trouble himself much about these activities. One needs a fan only as long as there is no breeze. The fan may be laid aside if the southern breeze blows. Then what need is there of a fan?”

The activities that you are engaged in are good. It is very good if you can perform them in a selfless spirit, renouncing egotism. Giving up the idea that you are the doer. Through such action one develops love and devotion to God, and ultimately realizes Him.

The more you come to love God, the less you will be inclined to perform action. When the daughter-in-law is with child, her mother-in-law gives her less work to do. As time goes by she is given less and less work. When the time of delivery nears, she is not allowed to do any work at all, lest it should hurt the child or cause difficulty at the time of birth.

By these philanthropic activities you are really doing good to yourself. If you can do them disinterestedly, your mind will become pure and you will develop love of God. As soon as you have that love you will realize Him.

Man cannot really help the world. God alone does that – He who has created the sun and the moon, who has put love for their children in parents hearts, endowed noble souls with compassion, and holy men and devotees with divine love. The man who works for others, without any selfish motive, really does good to himself.

There is gold buried in your heart, but you are not yet aware of it. It is covered with a thin layer of clay. Once you are aware of it, all these activities of yours will lessen. After the birth of her child, the daughter-in-law in the family busies herself with it alone. Everything she does is only for the child. Her mother-in-law doesn’t let her do any household duties.

Go forward. A woodcutter once entered a forest to gather wood. A holy man said to him, ‘Go forward.’ He obeyed the injunction and discovered some sandalwood trees. After a few days he reflected, ‘The holy man asked me to go forward. He didn’t tell me to stop here.’ So he went forward and found a silver mine. After a few days he went still farther and discovered a gold mine, and next, mines of diamonds and precious stones. With these he became immensely rich.

Through selfless work, love of God grows in the heart. Then, through His grace, one realizes Him in course of time. God can be seen. One can talk to Him much like I am talking to you.

The words I have spoken are really superfluous. You know all this; you simply aren’t conscious of it. There are countless gems but he himself isn’t aware of them.

There are many wealthy people who don’t know the names of all their servants and are even unaware of many of the precious things in their houses.

The Blessed Lord said:

But thou art not able to behold Me with these thine own eyes; I give thee the Divine eye.

He can have this divine vision only with the help of the divine eye bestowed upon him by the Lord. He who has supreme devotion to the Lord and on whom the Lord showers His grace can enjoy this wondrous vision.

Neither by the study of the holy scriptures and sacrifices nor by gifts nor by rituals nor by severe austerities can I be seen in this form in the world of men by any other than thyself, o lord.

But by single minded devotion can I, of this form, be known and seen in reality and also entered into…

He who does all actions for Me, who looks upon Me as the supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who bears enmity towards no creature, he comes to Me.

How can the Lord be seen? The heart must be overflowing with true devotion to the Lord.

Sanatkumar said: Speech is, verily, greater than a name. Speech makes one understand the science of serpents, and the fine arts, as well as heaven, earth, air, space, water, fire, gods, men, cattle, birds, herbs, trees, animals, together with worms, flies and ants as also righteousness and unrighteousness, the true and the false, the good and the bad, the pleasant and the unpleasant.

Verily, if there were no speech, neither righteousness nor unrighteousness would be known, neither the true nor the false, neither the pleasant nor the unpleasant.

Speech, verily, makes us know all these. Meditate upon speech. He who meditates on speech as I can, of his own free will, reaches as far as speech reaches.

Is there anything greater than speech?

Of course there is something greater than speech. Mind is verily greater than speech, the mind holds speech and a name. For when a man thinks in his mind that he would read the sacred texts, then he reads them. When he thinks in his mind that he would perform actions, then he performs them. When he thinks in his mind that he would have sons, then he desires them. When he thinks in his mind that he would have this world and the other, then he desires them. Mind, indeed, is the Self; mind is the world.

Meditate on the mind. He who meditates on mind, of his own free will, reaches as far as mind reaches.

Is there anything greater than mind?

Will is verily, greater than mind. For when a man wills, then he thinks in his mind, then he utters speech, and then he employs speech in (the recital of) a name. The sacred hymns are included in a name, and all sacrifices are included in the sacred hymns.

Will, indeed, is the goal of all these (beginning with mind and ending in sacrifice); from will they arise and in will they all abide. Heaven and earth willed, air and space willed, water and fire willed. Through the will (of heaven and earth etc.) the rain wills; through the will of the rain, food wills; through the will of food, the pranas will; through the will of the pranas, the sacred hymns will; through the will of the sacred hymns, the sacrifices will; through the will of the sacrifices, the world wills; through the will of the world, everything wills. Such is will. Meditate on will.

He who meditates on will as the holy can, of his own free will, reach as far as will reaches.

Is there anything higher than will?

Consideration is, verily, greater than will. For when a man considers, then he wills, then he thinks in his mind, then he utters speech, then he engages speech in (the recitation of) a name. The sacred hymns are included in a name, and all sacrifices are included in the sacred hymns.

Consideration is, indeed, the goal of all these (beginning with mind and ending in sacrifice); from consideration they arise and in consideration they all abide. Therefore if a person is without consideration, even though he possesses much knowledge, people say of him that he is nothing, and whatever he knows (is useless); for if he were really learned, he would not be so inconsiderate. But if a person is considerate, though he knows but little, to him people are eager to listen. Consideration, indeed, is the goal of all these; consideration is the Self; consideration is the support. Meditate on consideration.

He who meditates on consideration, being permanent, firm, and undistressed, obtains the worlds which are permanent, firm and undistressed; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as consideration reaches.

Is there anything higher than consideration?

Meditation is, verily, greater than consideration. Earth meditates, as it were. The mid-region meditates as it were. Heaven meditates, as it were. The waters meditate, as it were. The mountains meditate, as it were. The gods meditate, as it were. Men meditate, as it were. Therefore he who, among men, attains greatness here on earth seems to have obtained a share of meditation. Thus while small people are quarrelsome, abusive, and slandering, great men appear to have obtained a share of meditation. Meditate on meditation.

He who meditates on meditation , of his own free will, reach as far as meditation reaches.

Is there anything greater than meditation?

Understanding is, verily, greater than meditation. Understanding makes one understand the fine arts; heaven, earth, air, space, water, fire, gods, men, cattle, birds, herbs, trees; animals, together with worms, flies and ants; and also righteousness and unrighteousness, the true and the false, the good and the bad, the pleasant and the unpleasant, food and taste, this world and yonder (world). Meditate on understanding.

He who meditates on understanding attains the worlds of understanding and knowledge and can, of his own free will, reach as far as understanding reaches.

Is there anything greater than understanding?

[Note: Strength: the power of the mind produced from food]

Strength is, verily, greater than understanding. One strong man causes a hundred men of understanding to tremble. When a man is strong he can rise. If he rises he can attend (on the teachers). If he attends on them he can become their intimate companion (as a pupil). If he is their intimate companion he can watch (their conduct), listen to their instructions, reflect on what he hears, become convinced of what he reflects on, act, and enjoy the result of action. By strength the earth stands firm, by strength the mid-region, heaven, mountains, the gods and men, cattle and birds, herbs and trees and animals, together with worms, flies and ants, by strength the world stands firm. Meditate upon strength.

He who meditates on strength, of his own free will, reaches as far as strength reaches.

Is there anything greater than strength?

Food is, verily, greater than strength. Therefore, if a man abstains from food for ten days (or longer periods), even though he might live, yet he would not be able to see, hear, reflect, become convinced, act or enjoy the result. But when he obtains food, he is able to see, hear, reflect, become convinced, act, and enjoy the result.

He who meditates on food obtains the world rich in food and drink; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as food reaches.

Is there anything greater than food?

Water is, verily, greater than food. Therefore if there is not sufficient rain, then living creatures are afflicted with the thought that there will be less food. But if there is sufficient rain, then living creatures rejoice in the thought that there will be much food. It is water that assumes the form of this earth, this mid-region, this heaven, these mountains, these gods and men, cattle and birds, herbs and trees, and animals, together with worms, flies and ants. Water indeed is all these forms.

Meditate on water.

He who meditates on water obtains all his desires and becomes satisfied; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as water reaches.

Is there anything greater than water?

Fire is, verily, greater than water. For, having seized the air, it warms the space(Akasa). Then people say: ‘It is hot, it burns; it will rain,’ Thus does fire first manifest itself and then create water. Furthermore, thunderclaps roll with lightning upward and across the sky. Then people say: ‘there is lightning, there is thunder; it will rain.’ Here also does fire first manifest itself and then create water. Meditate on fire.

He who meditates on fire becomes radiant himself and obtains radiant worlds, full of light and free from darkness; he can of his own free will, reach as far as fire reaches.

Is there anything greater than fire?

The Akasa (space) is, verily, greater than fire. For in the Akasa exist both the sun and the moon, lightning, stars, and fire. It is through the Akasa that a person calls another; it is through the Akasa that the others hears; it is through the Akasa that the person hears back. In the Akasa we rejoice (when we are together), and in the Akasa we rejoice not (when we are separated). In the Akasa everything is born, and toward the Akasa all things grow. Meditate upon the Akasa.

He who meditates on the Akasa obtains the worlds extending far and wide, luminous, free from pain, and spacious; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as the Akasa reaches.

Is there anything greater than space?

Memory is, verily, greater than the Akasa. Therefore, even when many people assemble, if they had no memory they would not hear anyone at all, they would not think, they would not understand. But surely, if they had memory, they would hear, think, and understand. Through memory, one knows one’s sons. Meditate on memory.

He who meditates on memory, of his own free will, reaches as far as memory reaches.

Is there anything greater than memory?

Hope is, verily, greater than memory. Kindled by hope, (a person endowed with) memory reads the sacred hymns, performs sacrifices, desires sons and cattle, desires this world and the other. Meditate on hope.

He who meditates on hope all his desires are fulfilled through hope, his prayers are not in vain; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as hope reaches.

Is there anything greater than hope?

The prana is, verily greater than hope. As the spokes of a wheel are fastened to the nave, so are all these (beginning with the name and ending with hope) fastened to the prana. The prana moves by the prana. The prana gives prana to the prana. The prana is the father, the prana is the mother, the prana is the brother, the prana is the sister, the prana is the teacher, the prana is the holy man. The prana is the self of all, and includes action, the agent, and the result of action. It manifests itself in three principal forms: the body of the external air, and the principal vital breath in a living creature. The self (atman) dwells in the body with the support of the prana. When the prana departs from the body, the Self, too, gives it up. The Self, of which the prana forms an limiting adjunct, and the consciousness which is behind the body are both non-different from the Supreme Self. All entities beginning with names and ending in hope- are fastened to the prana. Of these, the name is the effect and speech the cause; speech is the effect and mind the cause. The cause is greater than the effect. All these entities, bound by the chain of hope, are fastened to the all-pervading prana, which is greater than hope.

If one says something unbecoming to a father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, or (priest), then people say: ‘Shame on you! Verily, you are a slayer of your father, a slayer of your mother, a slayer of your brother, a slayer of your sister, a slayer of your teacher, a slayer of a priest.’

But if, when the prana has departed from them, one shoved them together with a poker and burns every bit of them, no one would say: ‘You are slayer of your father, a slayer of your mother, a slayer of your brother, a slayer of your sister, a slayer of your teacher, a slayer of a priest’.

The prana, verily, is all these. He (i.e. the knower of the prana) who sees this, reflects on this, is convinced of this, becomes an superior speaker. If people say to such a man: ‘You are a superior speaker,’ he may say: ‘Yes, I am a superior speaker’; he need not deny it.

[Note: The word superior speaker refers to a person who knows not only all the entities that should be known- that is to say, from names to hope- but also the prana, or conscious Self, which is beyond them.]

The knowledge of the Truth.

But in reality he is a superior speaker who has become an superior speaker by the knowledge of the Truth.

[Note: ‘Truth’ means that which transcends all phenomena and is infinite.]

Truth depends upon Understanding.

When one understands the Truth, only then does one declare the Truth. One who does not understand the Truth does not declare It. Only one who understands It declares the Truth. One must desire to understand this understanding.

Understanding depends upon reflection.

When one reflects, only then does one understand. One who does not reflect does not understand. Only one who reflects understands. One must desire to understand this reflection.

Reflection depends upon Faith.

When one has faith, only then does one reflect. One who does not have faith does not reflect. Only one who has faith reflects. One must desire to understand faith.

Faith depends upon single-mindedness.

When one is single-minded (in one’s devotion to the teacher), only then does one have faith. One who does not have single-mindedness does not have faith. Only one who has single-mindedness has faith. One must desire to understand singlemindedness.

Single-mindedness depends upon concentration.

When one performs one’s duties (i.e. practises concentration), only then does one have single-mindedness. One who does not perform his duties does not have singlemindedness. Only one who performs his duties has single-mindedness. One must desire to understand the performance of duties.

Concentration depends upon bliss.

When one obtains bliss, only then does one perform one’s duties. One who does not obtain bliss does not perform his duties. Only one who obtains bliss performs his duties. One must desire to understand bliss.

The Infinite is bliss.

There is no bliss in anything finite. Only the Infinite is bliss. One must desire to understand the Infinite.

The Infinite and the finite.

Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, understands nothing else- that is the Infinite. Where one sees something else, hears something else, understands something else- that is the finite. The Infinite is immortal, the finite (is) mortal. In what does the Infinite find Its support? In Its own greatness- or not even in greatness.

Note: ‘Where one sees…’ There exists no seer or organ of seeing other than the nondual Infinite, all empirical differentiations are absent in the experience of the Infinite. ‘Immortal’ means changeless. ‘In Its own …’ If one wishes to know the support of the Infinite, then it may be said to rest in its own greatness. But the fact is that the Infinite is without support; It is non-dual.

It is said that the Infinite rests on Its own greatness. How then can It be without a support?

Here on earth people describe cows and horses, elephants and gold, slaves and wives, fields and houses, as ‘greatness’. I do not mean this, for in such cases one thing finds its support in another. But what I say is: That Infinite, indeed, is below. It is above. It is behind. It is before. It is to the south. It is to the north. The Infinite, indeed, is all this. The Infinite with reference to ‘I’:

I, indeed, am below. I am above. I am behind. I am before. I am to the south. I am to the north. I am indeed, all this.

Note: ‘That Infinite…’ Now is explained why the Infinite does not rest upon anything. It is because there is nothing apart from the Infinite on which It could rest. The Infinite Itself is everything. Therefore It does not rest upon anything. ‘

‘Next follows..’ The purpose of the text is to show the oneness of the Infinite and the individual soul.

[To the ignorant the word ‘I’ signifies the body, but here it signifies the Atman, or Self.] The Self, indeed, is below. It is above. It is behind. It is before. It is to the south. It is to the north. The Self, indeed, is all this.

Verily, he who sees this, reflects on this, and understands this delights in the Self, sports with the self, rejoices in the Self, revels in the Self. (Even while living in the body) he becomes a self-ruler. He wields unlimited freedom in all the worlds.

But those who think differently from this have others for their rulers; they live in perishable worlds. They have no freedom in all the worlds.

Note: ‘He who sees this:’ That is to say, who knows the Self to be unborn, (in experience) all-pervading, and free. ‘Delights in the Self’: All his love is centred in the Self alone. ‘Rejoices in the Self’: The pleasure which ordinary people derive from the company of others is enjoyed by the wise from the Knowledge of the Self. ‘Revels in the Self’: He does not derive any joy from the objects of the senses. ‘He… self-ruler’: His freedom is unlimited. ‘Perishable worlds’: Worlds of diversity.

Self-knowledge

For Him who sees this, reflects on this, and understands this, the prana springs from the Self, hope springs from the Self, memory springs from the self, the Akasa (space) springs from the Self, fire springs from the Self, water springs from the Self, appearance and disappearance spring from the Self, food springs from the Self, strength springs from the Self, understanding springs from the Self, meditation springs from the Self, consideration springs from the Self, will springs from the Self, mind springs from the Self, speech springs from the Self, the name springs from the Self, the sacred hymns spring from the Self, the sacrifices spring from the Self, all this springs from the Self.

All this: All things perceived to exist.

Prior to obtaining the Knowledge of the true Self, one believes that all entities, from the name to the prana, spring from and disappear into something other than the Self. But when one has realised the Self, one knows that all things appear from and disappear into the Self alone.

On this there is the following verse: “The knower of Truth does not see death or disease or sorrow. The knower of Truth sees everything and obtains everything everywhere.

He (the knower) is one (before the creation), becomes three, becomes five, becomes seven, becomes nine; then again he is called eleven, one hundred and ten, and one thousand and twenty.

1165 the discipline for inner purification by which Self-Knowledge is attained when food is pure, the mind becomes pure. When the mind is pure the memory becomes firm. When the memory is firm all ties are loosened.

The knower of Truth’: That is to say, he who sees all things in the Self. ‘Becomes three’: That is to say, fire, water and earth. ‘Becomes seven’ etc.: The various numbers are intended to show the endless variety of forms the Self assumes after the creation. Again, at the time of dissolution, the Self returns to Its pristine unity. ‘Food’: in the text means anything that is taken in by the senses, that is to say, sounds, sights, smells, etc. ‘Mind…pure’: Free from aversion, attachment, or delusion. ‘Memory’: That is to say, the memory that He is the Infinite Self. ‘All ties etc.’: Ties created by ignorance, which have accumulated through numerous births and which reside in the heart. ‘Darkness’; Ignorance: He who knows the origin, the end, the birth and death (of all beings), and also ignorance and Knowledge- such a one is called a holy man/wise man.

 

02-07-2008

Moshiya van den Broek