For the Indian people and a Message to the world
But waiving all conventionality and superficial mode of talk, and appealing directly to the facts of innermost experience, we see that all wise counsels, rules of conduct, authoritative obligations, categorical imperatives, “Thou shalt nots” and “thou shalts” are only vain efforts to infuse life into one who is not firmly rooted in his own godhead, whether consciously or unconsciously, and these are outside electric charges which can at best but move this muscle or that of the dead carcase, being never capable of inspiring more than a sham life.
“That which is forced is never forcible.”
Unless love build the house, they labour in vain who build it. It is true that the “Miracles of genius were always Miracles of labour,” but what seemed “painful labour” in the eyes of others was always most enjoyable play to genius herself.
That lifeless, insipid work which I (personal ego) have to labour out, I better leave alone. If the work does not do itself through you as an efflux of the soul, your strained exertion furnishes but a poor excuse for doing it. Such dull prosaic work dragged along by the credit-hunting small illusory self (egoistic consciousness) is described by Shamkara as the twin of bondage (slavery).
A boy was merrily whistling in the streets. A policeman objected. The boy replies, “Do I whistle? No, Sir, it whistles itself.”
Let a nightingale or dove be perched on the top of a stately cypress, and full, delicious notes begin instantaneously to flow from the bird.
Let the little Self be flung into Infinity. May you wake up to your oneness with Life, Light, and Love (Sat-Chit-Anand) and immediately the Central Bliss will commence springing forth from you in the shape of happy heroic work and both wisdom and virtue. This is inspired life, this is your birth right. Says Coleridge,
From himself he flies,
Stands in the sun, and with no partial gaze,
Views all creation; and he loves it all
And blesses it, and calls it very good.
“It is difficult to find happiness in oneself,” Says Schopenhaur, “but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.”
All great work is done impersonally in spite of the prudent little self, and not by it. The Sun simply shines in his native glory as a disinterested witness-Light (Sakshi), and lo! The rivers are unlocked from their snowy cradles, the breezes begin to dance with glee, all nature is set in activity, animals wake up, plants grow on, violets and roses blow on, and even the sparkling flowers of men, women, and children’s eyes open up at the mere presence of the Sun’s glorious majesty. You have simply to shine as the Soul of all, the Source of light, the Spring of delight, O blessed One, and energy, life, activity will naturally begin to radiate from you. The flower blooms and fragrance emanates of itself.
If anybody not knowing the art of swimming perchance fall into a lake, he will naturally be buoyed up by the water, but the losing of calm and his desperate struggling with the hands and feet makes him sink helplessly. So, the care-and-anxiety-worn struggling little ego is the drowning sink for man, says Jalal-i-Rumi.
“Heavenly manna was showered daily to the Israelites in the forest, but Some graceless scoffers out of Moses‟ host Dared to demand the onions, And manna was lost”.
What aches the head, bends the back, or chokes the chest? It is walking on the head instead of on the feet. Let your feet be on the earth, and your head in the air filled with heavenly joy; invert not the divine ordinance, put not the earth on your head and call it sane living, take not the appearances more seriously than the divine real Self. They say a man treading the forest in search of mushrooms tramples down oak trees under his feet. Beloved, why should your attention be dead set on petty gains and losses so as to miss the Infinite Bliss (Atman)? Is it the responsibility-ridden, duty-stricken, honour-laden (false) ego that really affects any deed? A flea on the flank of a horse might just as well claim that it makes the horse run and drives the carriage.
Obtrude not the little I (Ahamkara) in the way of the effulgent outburst of ecstatic Truth. Trust, trust that Power. The true Self whose presence caused the poor little amoeba unconsciously to evolve tip to your human form divine, that Self Supreme, that divine Law is still present; and that God being nor dead there is no fear of fall.
Like birds that slumber on the sea
Unconscious where the current runs,
We rest on God’s Infinity,
On bliss that circles stars and suns.
Says the Brahma Charin of America (Thoreau).
Whate’er we leave to God, God does
And blesses us;
The work we choose sh’d be our own,
God leaves alone.”
Trouble and pain is another name for feeling yourself a prisoner and slave of conditions and circumstances. Shake off all atheistic delusions of isolation. If the ruling Self of outside Nature were different from your own inner Self, there were no other course left for you but to wring the hands, hang down the head, and be damned. But, as it is, thou appearest on the one hand as garrisoned by environments and on the other hand thou appearest as those environments and conditions. The looking glass is in me (in my hand) and I am in the looking glass.
“I heard a knock -a hard blow
On my door and cried I “Who is it? Ho! “
I wondering waited entranced, and lo!
How soft and sweet Love whispered low,
“Tis thou that knockest, do you not know? “
According to the true interpretation of Musalman Scriptures even the Archangel was hurled into perdition by refusing to recognise the Supreme (God) in man. (Cf. Alastu Qalubala, etc.,) and even the rankest sinners inherit heaven through realizing God (Ahad) in man (Ahmad). This practical, living perception of “my Self as the Self of all others” is the true saving Islam (Shraddha, Faith).
To call it mere belief is doing no justice to it. It is the “Ultimate Science ” (or Vedanta, Jnanam). It is the Art of arts.
The final test of truth, says Dr. P. S. Jordan, is “Can we make it work? Can you trust our life to it?”
And you can safely trust your life and all to the Fact underlying all phenomena: “I and my Father are one”, “That thou art”.
The Law of Gravity might even deceive your trust in it, but the I aw of Spiritual Unity never deceives. Just feel this unity and you find all creation behaving as your own body. Gold and silver cannot insure your life, O deluded Immortal; Thou it is that lends life to Prana, lustre to gold and silver, and light to the suns and stars.
People do not make rapid progress because the load of outside opinion, conventionality and things sitting like the mighty Himalayas on their back (nay, breast) does hardly let a single step be advanced. Free yourself of unhealthy superstition, of limitation. In your mind there must be a liquor which will dissolve the world whenever it is dropped in it.
The universal solvent of Jnanam (Self-knowledge) will hold the universe in solution and yet be as translucent as ever. Provided you think aright, the heavens falling, or the earth gaping, will be music to you to march by. No foe can ever see you, nor you him. You cannot so much as even think of him. In music the different notes may succeed and precede each other in regular sequence (as cause and effect?); the symphony is not understood by examination and comparison of the notes alone but by experience of their relation to the deepest feeling which inspired the piece, which sustains the piece., which is the origin of the piece and the result of its performance, the alpha and the omega. So Nature is not explained by dwelling on its surface-laws and superficial causation, but by” its becoming the body of Man”
Unless you feel all, you know not all. Diving into the reality, sounding below the names and forms, passing free into woods and fields, mountains and rivers, into day and night, clouds and stars, passing free into men and women, animals and angels, as the self of each and all, this is life, this is Self-Knowledge, this is practical wisdom.
The whole world is bound to co-work with one who feels himself one with the whole world.
Jnana (living knowledge of Truth) being realized on the Causal Plane becomes overwhelming lore, that is to say, oneness feeling with all and the all, an abiding ecstasy which, like the effulgent Sun, although it seeks no fruit, begs no reward, and asks nothing (because it manifests itself as Renunciation on the mental plane), yet reveals itself as wonderful energy and powerful action on the physical plane.
Hence realized Jnanam, Renunciation through love in action.
I have no scruple of change, nor fear of death,
Nor was I ever born,
Nor had I parents.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,
Bliss Absolute, I am That, I am That.
I cause no misery, nor am I miserable,
I have no enemy, nor am I enemy.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,
Bliss Absolute, I am That, I am That.
I am without form, without limit,
Beyond space, Beyond time,
I am in everything.
I am the bliss of the Universe,
Everywhere am I.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,
Bliss Absolute. I am That, I am That.I am without body or changes of the body,
I am neither sense, nor object of the senses.
I am existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,
Bliss Absolute. I am That, I am That.I am neither sin, nor virtue,
Nor temple, nor worship,
Nor pilgrimage, nor books.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,
Bliss Absolute. I am That, I am That.Within the temple of my heart
The light of love its glory sheds.
Despite the seeming prickly thorns
The flower of love free fragrance spreads.
Perennial springs of bubbling joyWith radiant sparkling splendour flow
Intoxicating melodies
On wings of heavenly zephyrs blow. Yea!
Peace and bliss and harmony —
Bliss, oh, how divine!
A flood of rolling symphony
Supreme is mine.
Free birds of golden plumage sing
Blithe songs of joy and praise.
Sweet children of the blushing spring
Deep notes of welcome raise.
The roseate hues of nascent mornThe meadows, lakes, and hills adorn.
The nimbus of perpetual grace
Cool showers of nectar softly rains.
The rainbow arch of charming colours
With smiles the vast horizon points,
The tiny pearls of dewdrops bright
Lo! in their hearts the sun contain.
O Joy! the Sun of love and light,
The never-setting Sun of life
Am I, am I.
That darling dear
Came near and near —
Smiling, glancing,
Singing and dancing.I bowel with sigh
He didn’t reply.
I prayed and knelt,
He went and left.
“Why cut roe so?
Pray, stay, don’t go”
He answered slow, “No, no”
I entreated hard
“Pray, sit by me, Lord.”
He answered,
“Wouldst thou sit by me?
Then do please sit by thee”.
I -Do unto me speak.
He -“Eater the inner silence deep.”I -“I would clasp thee and kiss,
Dear, grant me but this.”
He -“Wilt thou clasp thyself and kiss,
I am one with thee, why miss? “
My form divine
I am image of thine.
Why seek the form,
O source of charm?
With thee I lie
You outward fly.
Don’t slight me so,
Nor outward go.
I have no scruple of change, nor fear of death,
Nor was I ever born, Nor had I parents.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,
Bliss Absolute. I am That, I am That.I cause no misery, nor am I miserable.
I have no enemy, nor am I enemy.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,
Bliss Absolute. I am That, I am That.I am without form, without limit,
Beyond space, Beyond time.
I am in Everything, Everything is in me,
I am the bliss of the universe.
Everywhere am I.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,
Bliss Absolute. I am That, I am That.
I am without body or changes of the body.
I am neither senses, nor objects of the senses.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,
Bliss Absolute. I am That, I am That.
I am neither sin, nor worship,
Nor temple, nor virtue,
Nor pilgrimage, nor books.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute,Blis Absolute, Iam that.Iam that .
Rama America
OM! OM!!