Ones of Divinity – compiled from the talks given by Ratan Lal (1918-2006)

THE EFFORT TO BE WHAT YOU ARE

Sometimes, the effort to be what you are becomes counterproductive.

Pratyaksha means Being, not seeing. Without Reality existing, can there be knowledge of existence? Free from all thoughts, Reality abides in the Heart, which is the source of all thoughts. How then can we contemplate on it? To be, as it is in the Heart, is its contemplation. To the ignorant, the "I" is the Self, limited to the body; to the wise, the "I" is the Infinite Self.

There is no non-being for Being. Being means Absolute Existence. That which exists absolutely can never become non-existent. That which is not existent cannot become Absolute Existence. Therefore, there is no question of duality here. That which is its own anchor and basis is Absolutely Real, and that which is dependent on it, the projection, is relatively real. The ego makes distinctions. Humanity is only one, regardless of religion, region, caste, color, and creed. In any walk of life, be it business, social work, or even the spiritual path, the ego refuses to loosen its hold. The ego feels itself independent. It tries to decide whether Atman exists or not. The ego is difficult to control. It is more difficult to control the mind than the air. The mind is subtler than air.

See how a professional tennis player and piano player seem to play their part without effort. When they have perfected the technique of their respective professions, they are not even conscious of making an effort. It has become natural. So it will be with the practice one undertakes to be what one is. Effort is needed to reach the natural effortless state. When the mind is absorbed in its source, it should not be disturbed by any spiritual practice. If one is able to remain in silence, it is not necessary to destroy that silence by asking, "Who am I?'' The effort to be what one i's, sometimes becomes counterproductive. Being is absolute existence. It is pure Awareness.

Be what you are. With an alert mind, the rise of the ego can be spotted immediately-like radar detecting whatever comes into its field. The blank is seen by you-you are always there. What is needed is to lose the ego. You are told to seek the source because you imagine yourself to be apart from it. Meditation leads to the enduring background of silence, free from thoughts. This expanse, devoid of thoughts, is the Self. Awareness and Existence, therefore, are simultaneous and identical.

We are the intelligent indivisible unit "I," which sees but cannot be seen, knows but cannot be known ' for it is always a subject, never an object. Because we cannot see or know our "I," we mistake it for this body, which can be seen, heard, and known. To enable the mind to perceive its inherent state, the mind itself has to remove all the obstacles through self-investigation and self-control. Peace, or the freedom from pain and pleasure, is a neutral state. To be is peace; we have only to be, not to think nor do. What obstructs you from one's true being is wrong identification with the body. The real "I" has no sense of being the doer. It is the ego that has this sense, so it performs actions to enjoy their results and is bound in the process. Selfish actions are binding. Unselfish actions are liberating. Work performed with attachment is a shackle whereas work performed with detachment does not affect the doer.

The "I" – thought is said to be the shadow of the real Self. There are two ways to eliminate it. Either surrender that "I" -notion to a Higher Power, called God, or try to find the true nature of the "I" -notion. Once one tries to seek the source of the "I" – notion, the mind is absorbed into that source. If one wants to do service, do it without feeling that "I am serving," without any sense of individual doer-ship. This will purify and steady the mind. God is serving through you. Consider yourself a medium or an instrument of God, not as a separate identity or an individual doing something great. The moment one feels that one is doing something, the ego rises and unhappiness enters. The object of spirituality is to sublimate the ego.

The mind, being active, imagines that it has to do something. It does not realize that in order to be permanently happy, it has to be still. It has to subside, because its services are not required. Its help is not necessary. Happiness is one's true nature. One should not identify the real Self with the mind as the mind appears and disappears. One's true nature does not undergo any change.

Can you explain more about the state–meant "I am that l am"?

This is the teaching taught in all religions. God is the indweller in all beings.

Here is a small illustration. A very close devotee of Bhagavan Baba had shifted to a new house in Bangalore, and he prayed to Bhagavan to bless him with a visit. He added that the house did not belong to him, but to someone else. Bhagavan said, "The owner of the house is not important. What is important is the indweller." The name of the body is not important. Who is the indweller? Realizing that is important. That person, like us, was very happy that Baba was giving so much importance to him. His ego felt very happy. Well, Baba's object is to teach us that we should find out who is the indweller in us. Sometimes, through a joke or a simple conversation, Baba teaches us deep spiritual truths. We, being superficial, misunderstand these truths.

What is the object of human life?

The object of human life is to tum inward and realize your own Self. Animals cannot turn inward. God gave only man a mind and a sharp intellect. Man is using this intellect in a wrong fashion towards worldly gain.

One understands that Consciousness or the pure Atman is a unit. This Consciousness, at some given moment, decided to become many, and now, after a long time, It decides to absorb into it all this energy, just as an inhalation during breathing What is the reason for all this? This is a question of many people. People read books and hope to find the answers.

This is the result of reading many books. Consciousness does not need anything, it has no desires, it does not want to expand or contract. All are creations of the mind. Consciousness as a base does not have any desires. Bhagavan Baba says that instead of reading many books, an ounce of practice will be beneficial.

Is Sai Baba also a dream?

Divine Baba says, "Life is a dream, realize it!" We must accept God as God. Only God can awaken us from our dream, to remove our ignorance. As long as you believe in your individuality, God and the world are there. When one realizes one's true identity, then neither God nor the world exists. For the time being, one prefers to believe in one's wrong identity, and that is why one asks this question. First, one must doubt one's wrong identity, not Divine Baba's. If one did not believe in one's imaginary identity, one would not ask such questions. It is better for one to doubt the one who doubts.

One can continue one's practice no matter where one is. The sun does not hide itself, the clouds hide it. When there are no clouds, one can see the sun clearly. In the same way, one cannot have the experience of the real Self as long as the ego hides it. Recognize that the ego does not exist. Then, the body mind complex will no longer hide Consciousness. It will be experienced in a direct way and recognized as omnipresent.

Often people feel that there is greater joy in rediscovering what one imagined to have lost, than in getting something new. Why? Because what one acquires as "new" can also get lost.

What appears as "new" can also disappear. What has been with one, what is with one, is always there. That is one's real Self. What one enjoys is rediscovering what one has lost. One imagines that one has lost the real Self. One thinks that it has to be attained by making some kind of effort. The effort needed to realize the Self is to remain still in the natural, effortless state. Ultimately, it requires no effort, but only the removal of ignorance. That which is permanent cannot go away. Just as an ornament worn around the neck is considered lost through forgetfulness and is gained when the mistake is realized, the Self is attained when one's delusion is removed by the words of the guru.