Sathya Sai Vahini - Post 41

God is the true Guru

 

Similarly, the famous sage Yajnavalkya, after deciding that he would join the monastic order, called his two wives (Katyayani and Maitreyi) and told them that he had partitioned his movable and immovable properties equally, for both of them. 

 

On hearing this, the elder wife, Maitreyi, who was endowed with a high level of intelligence and insight, protested and said, with a smile on her face, “Lord! Can these riches you are handing over to me save me from death and render me immortal? If you assure me that they will do so, certainly I shall accept them, with due reverence to you.”

 

Yajnavalkya explained. “Riches make life pleasant and delightful by the chances they give you to live happily. Do you say that you do not need such valuable riches?”

 

But Maitreyi persisted. “If what you say is true, you could have continued enjoying these riches and deriving happiness therefrom. Why have you decided to give them up and become a monk? No. It is not proper to cheat us weak-minded women, holding these delusive trinkets before us. 

 

How can the riches that you refuse to keep give us peace and happiness? They are temporary objects; they are liable to destruction; they entangle us still further in bondage; they foster the ignorance that we yearn to discard; they are the chief promoters of anxiety and worry. They are basically polluted, since they are not within the realm of the Atma.”

 

When Maitreyi placed before him this truth, Yajnavalkya was silenced, and, not knowing how to proceed, he stood with his head bent before her. Then, Maitreyi fell at the feet of her husband and said, “Lord! You are master of all mysteries. You must have called us and placed before us this proposal in order to test our intelligence. I have no desire for luxury or even comfort. I do not crave riches and possessions. Instruct me about the path that can confer eternal bliss.”

 

In fact, there is only ONE: the highest Brahman. The scriptures on non-duality proclaim that “Brahman alone is true; creation is a myth. The individual (jivi) is Brahman itself (Brahma sathyam, jagath Mithya; Jeevo Brahmaiva naaparam).” 

 

All that happens in the world is as unreal as the dream experience. Dreams disappear and appear again. The pleasures and joys experienced in life are like mirages appearing on the desert sands of hatred, envy, and selfish greed. 

 

Now, how can those people who believe that this mirage is real and run toward it become gurus? Will it be proper to address them as the wise (jnanis)? They are installed on high seats of illusory authority. They teach what they do not practise. 

 

They hold forth ideals that they themselves ignore. How can such people be examples to seekers who need spiritual progress? They are not genuine, for they have not even an iota of the guru principle in them.

 

The Lord alone (Sarveswara) is the genuine Guru. For all seekers, this is the path; let them hold fast to this faith.

 

Essence 

 

The dialogue between Maitryi and Yagnavalkya appears in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad . This brings about the core essence of Vedanta, the core essence of the “ONE” essence of “Brahman”. 

 

Yajnavalkya’s teaching to Maitreyi, knowing her sincere urge to know the TRUTH.

 

Yagnavalkya says,

 

 "My dear, you have been my beloved even before and now you have resolved to know what is after  my heart. If you wish, my dear, I shall explain it to you. As I explain it, meditate on what I say." 

 

Everything is the Self, O Maitreyi !

 

Yajnavalkya said:

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the husband, my dear,  is the husband loved, but he is loved for the sake of the self  which, in its true nature, is one with the Supreme Self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the wife, my dear, is the wife loved, but she is loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the sons, my dear, are the sons loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of wealth, my dear, is wealth loved, but it is loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the animals, my dear, are the animals loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the brahmin, my dear, is the brahmin loved, but he is loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the kshatriya, my dear, is the kshatriya loved, but he is loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the worlds, my dear, are the worlds loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the gods, my dear, are the gods loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the Vedas, my dear, are the Vedas loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the beings, my dear, are the beings loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, not for the sake of the All, my dear, is the All loved, but it is loved for the sake of the self. 

 

"Verily, my dear Maitreyi, it is the Self that should be realized—should be heard of, reflected on and meditated upon.  By the realisation of the Self, my dear, through hearing, reflection and meditation, all this is known. 

 

"The brahmin rejects one who knows him as different from the Self.

 

The kshatriya rejects one who knows him as different from the Self.

 

The worlds reject one who knows them as different from the Self.

 

The gods reject one who knows them as different from the Self.

 

The Vedas reject one who knows them as different from the Self.

 

The beings reject one who knows them as different from the Self.

 

The All rejects one who knows it as different from the Self.

 

This brahmin, this kshatriya, these worlds, these gods, these Vedas, these beings and this All—are  that Self.  

 

"As the various particular kinds of notes of a drum, when it is beaten, cannot be grasped by themselves, but are grasped only when the general note of the drum or the general sound produced by different kinds of strokes is grasped; 

 

"And as the various particular notes of a conch, when it is blown, cannot be grasped by themselves, but are grasped only when the general note of the conch or the general sound produced by different kinds of blowing is grasped; 

 

"And as the various particular notes of a vina, when it is  played, cannot be grasped by themselves, but are grasped only  when the general note of the vina or the general sound  produced by the different kinds of playing is grasped;  

 

 

Then Maitreyi said: "Just here you have completely bewildered me, venerable Sir. Indeed, I do not at all understand this."  He replied:

 

"Certainly I am not saying anything bewildering, my dear. Verily, this Self is immutable and indestructible. 

 

Through what should one know the knower?

 

"For when there is duality, as it were, then one sees another,  one smells another, one tastes another, one speaks to another,  one hears another, one thinks of another, one touches another,  one knows another. 

 

But when to the knower of Brahman everything has become the Self, then what should he see and through what, what should he smell and through what, what  should he taste and through what, what should he speak and  through what, what should he hear and through what, what  should he think and through what, what should he touch and  through what, what should he know and through what?  Through what should one know That Owing to which all this is known? 

 

"This Self is That which has been described as ‘Not this, not this.’ It is imperceptible, for It is never perceived; un-decaying,  for It never decays; unattached, for It never attaches Itself;  unfettered, for It never feels pain and never suffers injury. 

 

Through what, O Maitreyi, should one know the Knower?  "Thus you have the instruction given to you. This much, indeed, is the means to Immortality." 

 

Yagnavalkya thus teaches Maitreyi that “it is the ātman that is to be beheld; it is the ātman that is to be known; it is the ātman that is to be searched for; it is the ātman which is to be heard about; it is the ātman which is to be thought in the mind; it is the ātman which is to be meditated upon. There is nothing else worthwhile thinking, nothing else worthwhile possessing, because nothing worthwhile exists, other than This."

 

Love.