Sathya Sai Vahini - Post 8

Chapter III.

The One Alone

The very first experience in the history of Indian thought is the thrill of wonder. This is expressed in the hymns (riks) found in Rig-veda, the earliest revelations of the Indian mind. These hymns are all about the demi - gods (devas) or the Shining Ones. 

There are many such deities — Indra, Varuna, Mitra, and Parjanya to name a few. They appear in these hymns, one after the other. 

Of these, Indra, with the thunderbolt (vajra) as his weapon, is the chief. He is the mighty one who confers rain upon the earth. Indra is so called because he is the master of the senses (indriyas) He is the mind that handles the senses. He is also known as Puruhutha — puru meaning “often”, hutha “invited”, and the entire name meaning “the God who is most called upon”.

The mind (which is identified with senses since it masters them) is also adored in the Vedas as Rudra. The mind contacts the objective world and experiences it through the instrumentality of the five senses; this aspect of the mind is the Indra aspect. It has another capability. 

It can master the senses and become aware of the universal inner truth of the multiplicity called the objective world. This aspect of the mind is designated “Rudra”. Therefore, the Vedas describe Indra and Rudra as the One with two names.

 

One God with many names

It is possible to quote many such descriptions about the other Gods. Yet, ultimately, all descriptions lead to the same conclusion. 

First, the hymns (riks) adore deities as presiding over some function or other. Then, these latter get transformed into different names and forms of the One God who has all the worlds, who is the Witness, resident in all hearts, and the Sovereign of all creation. Gradually, all other meanings and reactions are suppressed as not relevant.

For example, an element of fear is associated with the deity Varuna. Fear sprouts and spreads in some hymns, but soon the wisdom of the Aryans (noble seekers) subjugates the fear. Many hymns are prayers to Varuna from people afraid of being punished by him for their sins. 

But the idea of a terrorizing God cannot flourish on Indian soil. Nor can many Gods of many natures. Indian culture and spiritual outlook upheld the One God or Iswara.

There is the One God (Iswara)! This axiom, that there can be only One and not many, has been current in India since very ancient times. Even in the ancient Vedic and Samhitha literature, this faith is already evident as an age-long belief.

But the notion of a personal God struck the thinkers and practitioners of this land as rather elementary, a kind of unripe stage in spiritual progress. It did not satisfy their highest aspirations. 

This attitude, found in the revelations of sages (rishis), has not been understood or appreciated by scholars and writers of other countries who have studied and commented on the Vedas and affiliated texts. They still dwell on the earlier belief in “many gods” or the later belief in “one personal God”. Ignorance of this kind brings a smile to the lips of the Indian (Bharathiya).

Daring search for the Supreme Oneness

Really, even those who learn in their mother’s laps to put faith in a God equipped with attributes, known by a name, and having a recognizable form, have later to rise to a stage higher than this and become aware of the One, which is spoken of as “having many names and many forms”. 

The spiritual disciplines (sadhanas) are directed to the realization of this truth. “The ONE —in Him alone is all this flux, all this changing cosmos established. He is the guide and guardian of every consciousness.”

All such denotations touch only the fringe of the ONE. Westerners said that one’s intelligence can succeed in this venture. But the seekers of this land showed a heroism that could not be measured or limited — a fact that cannot but be accepted. 

Western philosophers, renowned for their daring insights into the realms of the spirit, have shown only a tiny spark of this heroism, so they are amazed at the intuitive and experiential heights reached by the sages of India.

This feeling of wonder was charmingly expressed by Professor Max Mueller. “Into whatever unknown realms of experience their causative and positive inquiry led them, the Indian seekers ventured boldly therein. For the sake of success in this adventure, they never hesitated to discard whatever they felt as an encumbrance.  They were not affected by fear of how others might judge them.” 

Max Mueller exhorted people to involve themselves in the nectarine stream of the search for the Supreme, flowing in India, for he felt that the Indian spiritual aspirants pursued the path of right, the path of truth.

“One alone is; the wise speak of It as many (Ekam sath; vipraah bahudhaa vadanthi).” This indeed is most sublimely meaningful. This is the basic truth behind the spiritual efforts of India (Bharath) for ages. Even the theistic principle and practice that will spread all over the world with unprecedented benedictions in the coming years have as their basis this great axiom laid down by the sages of India, long  ago.

 

Introspection

Words fail to describe or even express how beautifully Swami takes us through, in the above part of chapter 3.

1)     Swami takes us through the ancient vedic literature which describes different deities like Indira, Varuna etc.

2)    Then, He subtly takes us through the fact that both Indira and Varuna have to do with mastering the senses and in that sense, He brings about the one ness in them.

3)    Then, He describes the urge for Ancient scholars to do away with this variety of names which resulted in one “Easwara”, who is the cause for this creation, a principle, which has nature (nature to create universe) but no form.

4)    Western philosophers were moving from this many deities to One God, in Indian scriptures, back and forth.

5)    Indian scriptures did not leave the world of seekers with this “Saguna, Nirakara Eswara” (In Panchadasi session, 2nd stage of starching the canvass, i.e. willingness to create).

6)    Swami brings in Max Mueller’s quote to highlight this continuous search of ancient rishis/true seekers – 

“Into whatever unknown realms of experience their causative and positive inquiry led them, the Indian seekers ventured boldly therein. 

For the sake of success in this adventure, they never hesitated to discard whatever they felt as an encumbrance.  They were not affected by fear of how others might judge them.”

7)     Their quest for truth culminated in one truth, the SELF/Brahman, who is formless and attribute less. 

Swami concludes thus:

“One alone is; the wise speak of It as many (Ekam sath; vipraah bahudhaa vadanthi).” This indeed is most sublimely meaningful. This is the basic truth behind the spiritual efforts of India (Bharath) for ages.”

No words to express what goes on within, as we read today’s most valuable and subtler expression from the source of all sources, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

 

Love.