Enshrine Divinity in your heart and make it sacred. Then you can use the human form in a manner in which you like. You should believe that all creation is divine. (SSB 1974, p. 6.)
Man must demonstrate his superiority over the animal, by conquest over the senses. He must wriggle out of his animal shackles and assert his ‘humanity’ which is essentially ‘divinity’. (SSS Vol.5, p. 135)
To teach man the truths relating to the two aspects of Divinity - ‘anor aniyan mahato mahiyan atmasya jantor nihito guhayam tam akratuh pasyati vita-soko dhatuh prasadan mahimanam atmanah (Katha 1.2.20) - which lies beyond the ken of his normal intellect, God appears on earth as an Avatar. In Krishna avatar, keeping Arjuna as the representative of all mankind, Krishna taught these eternal truths through the Bhagavad Gita ‘Beyond the Universe’, Krishna said, ‘lies total darkness, and beyond this darkness exists Truth’. This darkness consists of the Rajasika and the Tamasika realms. Beyond the darkness lies the domain of Sattva guna - the domain of Truth and Light.
‘Truth is God’ it is said; but to realise this truth we must transcend the Rajasika and the Tamasika realms. Meditation is the means for attaining such transcendence. (SSB 1979, p. 86)
Divinity is permanent while human life is impermanent. (SSB 1979, p. 144)
The whole Universe is suffused with Divinity, Divinity that is Existence-Consciousness- Bliss! Existence as ‘seed-plant-tree’; Consciousness, which strives for expression and manifestation and unfoldment; and, Bliss, in that Fulfilment. You are also Sat-cit-ananda. Do not condemn your majesty be-wailing, ‘I am unfortunate, I am despicable, I am downhearted’. No, you are elated, you are enthroned, you are exalted. You are all this; but you are not aware of this, on account of Maya. Maya is like your shadow in the well; if you do not peep into the well, it is not there! It is there, only when you peep into it! (SSS Vol.7, pp. 402-403)
To realise one’s divinity, there is no need to embark on a long quest. Divinity is all pervading and is present in and outside every being. Every man is an embodiment of the divine. God is the embodiment of love-Man, who has emerged from God, is also an embodiment of love. But because he expresses his love towards external objects, he is forgetting the truth about his inner being. Instead of limiting his love within narrow confines, man should extend it to all and thereby make his life purposeful and worthy.
Today love is disappearing even between mother and children, father and son, husband and wife and between friends. Narrow-minded attachments are divisive in their nature. These should give place to a broad feeling of love and regard for all on the basis that the same Divine is present in everyone. (SSS Vol.22, p. 23)
Whatever you think must be in harmony with what you say and whatever you say, that you must do. Divinity is unity of thought, word and deed. And that is also the real nature of man and the deeper meaning of Swami’s often repeated statement, ‘The proper study of mankind is man’. (DBG, p. 125)
The Lord, who is the possessor of the eight forms of divine wealth (Ashta Aishvarya) is the creator of this universe. The most vital requirement for man is water. It sustains life. Three fourths of the earth’s surface is covered by water. Water is described in the Upanishads as ‘Jivam’ (the life-force). Hence; the foremost form of the Lord is water. The second essential requisite for man is Agni (Fire). This fire is residing in every man’s stomach as the digestive fire (Jatharagni). Without this digestive fire, man would be unable to digest the food he consumes and receive the sustaining energy from that food. All the seven secretions in the stomach are caused by the digestive fire. The blood, the muscles, the bones etc., in the body are sustained by the vital essences (Rasa). Hence the Lord is described as ‘Angirasa’ - One who is present in every limb (anga) as essence (Rasa): Angirasa has the form of fire.
The third requisite is the earth. The process of birth, growth and dissolution is taking place on the earth. All the food that is needed comes from the earth, because the earth is a source of joy for man, it is also an embodiment of the Divine. The fourth is air. Air is intimately associated with life. Every man utilises air in respiration. Human life is based on inhaling (So’...) and exhaling (Ham). In respiration, this process of ‘So-ham’ is continually going on. In Sanskrit, ‘Sah’ (So) means ‘He’ and ‘ahatn’ means ‘I’, ‘So-ham’ demonstrates the truth, ‘I am He’. Who is this ‘He’? It is God. Air thus proclaims the truth of Oneness. In breathing, every day man inhales and exhales air 21,600 times. If there is no air, life will be extinct. Therefore the fourth embodiment of God is Air.
The fifth is Akasha (space). It is the basis for all the five elements. Sound is its form. Sound is also the form of the Absolute (Brahman). Sound is all pervading. When one is asked, ‘Where is Akasha’, people point to the firmament. But that is not so. Everything is permeated by Akasha (ether or space). Wherever there is sound (or sound waves) there is Akasha. It encompasses everything and is present everywhere. Hence it is the embodiment of God.
The sixth is the Sun. He is fire incarnate. How does this fire emerge? Heat is produced when hydrogen in the sun is converted into helium. This is borne out of science. In this process, eight forms of energy are noticed. Kinetic energy (Yantra shakti), heat energy (ushna shakti), light (kanti shakti), magnetic energy (ghana shakti), electrical energy (vidyut shakti), chemical energy (Rasa shakti) and atomic energy (Anu shakti). Scientists have calculated that every second the sun is losing many billion units of energy. Nevertheless the sun will continue to be a source of energy for millions of years. The sun is the presiding deity of the intellect (Buddhi). He is the lord of the intelligence and he illumines the intellect in man. Thus sun is also an embodiment of the Divine. The seventh is moon. Moon is the presiding deity of the mind. It is through the mind that sublime ideas are experienced. The world is the projection in the form of the mind. Without the mind the world cannot be conceived. The speed of the mind cannot be equalled. For instance, you might have come here from Hyderabad or Delhi. But in one moment your mind can take you to any place. The speed of thought is greater than that of light.
The eighth is Karma-shakti (the power of action). Karma also is Divine in form. Man is born out of action, is sustained by action, and ends in action. Action is the life-breath of man. This karma was described by the ancients as Yajna. Yajno vai Vishnuh, (Yajna – action or sacrifice – is Vishnu). The cosmos is the embodiment of Vishnu.
It follows from this the entire creation should be regarded as the manifestation of the Supreme Lord who is the possessor of the eight divine potencies. (SSS Vol.24, pp. 151-152)
An effort must be made to understand the nature of divinity. ‘Daivam Manusha Rupena’, declares the scripture (God in human form). It is only when God comes in human form can human beings have the full opportunity to experience and enjoy the Divine. When human life is sublimated, it gets divinised. Life Infinity is God. Virata Swarupa (the Cosmic Form) is: Body x Infinity. Mind x Infinity is Hiranyagarbha (the Cosmic Consciousness). God, Virata Swarupa and Hiranyagarbha are not distinct entities located in specific places. They are immanent in man. All religions have come into existence to make man realise the source from which he has come and to which he should return. (SSS Vol.24, p. 28)
The difference between Divinity (as universal consciousness) and the Avatar (the Divine in human form) should be understood. The omniself is not subject to change. The Avatar has name and form and is liable to change by its own will. The omni-self has no name or form. The difference between the’ two can be illustrated by the example of the sun and the sun’s rays. They are one. Whatever the situation in which the Avatar appears, there is no limitation on the Avatar’s omnipotence. Name and form do not circumscribe the total fullness of the divinity the Avatar manifests. Name and form are the self-chosen attributes of the infinite, eternal, ever-pure, universal consciousness. Water taken from the ocean, in however small a vessel, has the same quality as the ocean. Likewise, the Avatar, regardless of Its name and form, has the plenitude of the Divine. In every respect, except that of name and form, it is identical with Divinity. People could not stand the Lord in super-human form... If the Lord came in all His majesty people would be afraid and would have no opportunity to know and love him. It is only when the Lord comes in a human body that people are able to approach him and learn to love him and know him even a little bit. But one should not make the mistake of thinking that is all there is... For instance, the airplane flying high in the sky descends to the airport. But one should not make the mistake of thinking that the plane is a ground machine because they see it on the ground. In like fashion, although the Lord has made a landing here on earth, so to speak, he is not limited to His human form.’ (SV90, pp. 65-66)
‘All men are Divine like Myself; the only difference is that they are yet unaware of their Divinity. They have come into this karmic prison through the karmas of many lives. I have taken to this mortal form out of My own free will. They are bound to the body, while I am free of this bondage.’ (SV90, p. 79)
‘The taste of the vast ocean can be found complete and undiminished, in every drop of its waters. But this does not mean that the drop is the ocean. Though we consider the drop and the ocean as separate entities, the nature and taste of both is identical. Similarly the Sarvantaryami Paramatma and the gross form and name, which He assumes and through whom He is worshipped and realised, are not separate entities. They are identical. (SV90, p. 171)
To recognise divinity there is no need to master the scriptures, or study the Upanishads. A single visible experience is enough. The nature of divinity cannot be described or defined. It is beyond description. What is needed is development of faith in the divine, through weal and woe. In the pursuit of the Divine, perseverance is essential. The quest should not be given up in any circumstance. Either God should bless you or you should forget yourself in thinking of Him. People today lack such determination and perseverance. Part-time devotion can only receive part-time grace. Adore God with firm determination. The right time for starting on this quest is when you are young as students. Remain unflinching in your faith. Contemplation of God should he kept up always at all places. Whatever work you do, dedicate it to God. Divinise every word and action. (SSS Vol.28, p. 28)
This Motherland of ours gave to the world
Noble souls renowned in all the continents.
It is the land, which ousted the foreign
rulers and achieved freedom.
This Bharat is reputed for its scholarship.
It is the sacred land, which stood forth
As the exemplar in the realms of music,
literature and sacred lore;
Born in the land of Bharat,
noted for its fine arts and natural beauty,
Oh devotees! It is your bounden duty to foster
The glory and prosperity of the Motherland
Divinity is more resplendent than the sun,
Purer than the purest snow,
Subtler than the sky and space,
And is immanent in all living beings.
Divinity pervades the microcosm and the macrocosm.
God is unattached, though He is present in all.
You are in Brahman and Brahman is in you.
In fact you and Brahman are one.
What else is to be conveyed?
(SSS Vol.31, pp. 428-429)
Once in Shirdi, Tatya Patil’s wife prayed to Baba to visit their home and partake food there. Baba accepted her request and promised to visit their home. She prepared everything for Baba’s visit and kept everything ready. But Baba did not come at the appointed hour. She served food in the plate and went to Baba’s photograph and said, ‘Baba why are you putting me to shame? More than my humiliation, you will be called a liar if you do not come. Why do you utter a lie? You should keep up your word!’ Meanwhile, a dog came into the house, started eating the food in the plate served for Baba. When she turned round to see what was happening, she found the dog. She got angry and beat the dog with a stick and sent it out. She was very sad the food served for God was eaten up by a dog. Next day she went to Baba and pleaded with him, ‘Baba! Should you not keep up your words? Why should you utter falsehood? Baba got angry and shouted at her. ‘Shaitan! What is the need for me to utter falsehood?’ In Shirdi, Baba used the word ‘Shaitan!’ often, now Swami uses the word ‘Dunnapotu’ (buffalo in Telugu). Baba continued angrily, ‘There is no need for me to utter any lie even if it is to satisfy you. My form in Truth but you are not able to recognise it out of your narrow thinking. You assume that Sai Baba is only this body measuring five and a half feet. All forms are Mine! You do not have such broad mindedness. You are narrow-minded. The dog was none other than Myself.’ (SSS Vol.25, pp. 252-253)
We have to understand, in the first place, four aspects. This is the only way by which these problems could be solved in one moment. The first one is Parameshti (divinity). The second is Srishti (creation), the third Samashti (community) and the fourth Vyashti (individual). Divinity, creation, community and the individual are not separate altogether.
The body has so many organs. Though the various organs are different in their forms and functions, they altogether constitute the body. This is a hand; it has a palm. The palm has fingers. Though the hand, the palm and the fingers are different, they are one and the same. In the same manner, we should know Parameshti (divinity). We can know the mysteries of creation when we understand divinity. We know the significance of Samashti (community) when we know the mysteries of creation. The moment we comprehend divinity, then you will have the individual.
How to recognise the divinity? The individual has to develop and improve his natural good qualities, worship God, be one in the community and experience creation. This is the inner significance here. We have to experience this creation. You should be one with the community if you want to experience creation. If you want to depend on the community you should have faith in the creation. You should know divinity to rely on this creation.
In order to lead a perfect life, we should understand community. There are so many problems and other related things in this community. The combination of so many individuals constitutes the society. This oneness is the cause for divinity. We can experience oneness only through this community living. (DTB Vol.5, pp. 1-2)
He who returns good for harm is the very embodiment of Divinity. (SSB 1996, p. 95)
Divinity has five names. The first is Para-namam. Second, Vyuha-namam. Third is Vibhava-namam. Fourth, Antaryami-namam and Fifth, Archavatara namam. The Divine functions or forms in the cosmos in these five names.
(Para Manifestation)
Para-namam refers to the abode of the Supreme, Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means that which is unchanging. There the Supreme Lord dwells under the name Para-namam. No one can enter that abode of the Lord. The Lord dwells there as an effulgence. He oversees everything. But He is not visible to anyone and no one can see His form. He is Paravasudeva.
(Vyuha Manifestation)
The second is Vyuha-namam. This name refers to the Lord who reclines on a serpent on the ocean of milk. The Lord in this form can be seen only by Devas (the various deities). Only those with special powers can see the Lord here. Ordinary beings cannot do so. But the Lord in His Vyuha form fulfils the desires of the Devas. You are aware of the story of Hiranyakashipu. He was harassing the Devas in various ways. So, they went to the Lord’s couch on the ocean of milk and prayed to Him. In answer to their prayers the Lord agreed to incarnate on earth.
(Vibhava Manifestation)
Third is Vibhava-namam. This refers to the various human forms in which the Lord incarnates on earth as Avatar of Rama and Krishna to protect the good and punish the wicked and turn them to the righteous path. The incarnations that are adored as the ten Avatars belong to this category of Vibhava-namam. In this form, the Lord manifests the relationship between God and the devotees.
The fourth is Antaryami-namam. In this form, the Lord pervades every part of a human being as an indwelling spirit. This indwelling spirit is Divine.
The fifth is Archavatara-namam. This refers to the form in which the Divine can be worshipped, praised and adored for securing His grace. (SSS Vol.29, pp. 301-303)
(Archana Manifestation)
Whatever you seek in the external world is present in you. There is nothing outside which is not within. When you open your eyes, you are able to see thousands of heads. Once you close your eyes, you cannot see anyone. From this, it is clear that all that you see with your physical eyes is transient. So long as the physical eyes are functional, you are able to see the world. Once they become non functional, you cannot see any thing. But there is something that you can see whether you open your eyes or close them. That is Divinity. It is changeless and eternal. It is neither birth nor death. In fact, you are the embodiment of Such divine principle. Understand this truth. (DD on 10-10-2002, p. 4)
The devotees are accustomed to contemplate upon and worship those Forms since millennia. They wish to visualise God in those forms. God is beyond description and is not limited to a particular form. No painter, however great he may be, can ever paint the picture of God. How can a painter paint the form of God, who is forless? However, God assumes different forms as per the wishes of devotees. Whoever wishes to Visualise God in whatever form of his liking, God manifests in that form. It is for that particular moment only. It is not permanent. Divinity is beyond name and form. (SSS Vol.42, p. 57)
You were born as a child and grew up as a boy, youth and elderly person. All these different stages in life are for a limited period only. But, you the individual are there in all different stages. The Avatars come, fulfil their mission and disappear. You must, therefore, mediate upon Divinity which is true and eternal. . (SSS Vol.42, p. 61)
There are numerous faiths, sects, beliefs and practices prevalent among mankind. All these are products of human fancies. The Truth, however, is one. It does not differ from caste to caste or nation to nation or from time to time. It is not governed by time or place. Likewise the basic elements – fire, air,water, etc, are universal in their nature — not varying according to community or place. They belong to all. Likewise, Divinity is One and universal, but men are fragmenting it and experiencing it diversely. It is wrong to limit the Divine in terms of nation, caste, creed, place or time. (SSS Vol.19, p. 184)