Atma - Jnana

Aum Sairam

Atman or Brahma is one. But the hearts it occupies are different. It is one and the same. Atman that runs through all the hearts. As per pain and pleasure, these are not the functions of Atman, but only of the hearts. To make the heart, a heart, is the function of the Atman.

Sri Sai Baba advocated Atma – Tatwa as ‘Sat-Chit- Ananda’ involved in the body-mind complex. The involved Atman is called ‘Jiva’. The pure heart, the Divine spirit in the body, the real self is ever, as it immutable. The individual soul is internal. The creation of soul is only secondary. Birth and death are only to the body and not to the soul. What originates is its connection with its gross and subtle bodies which are unreal. The soul is pure intelligence which is never lost under any circumstances. The soul is really Brahman and its identity with Brahman is known in meditation only. Soul springs from Brahman like sparks from the fire. In the stage of bondage, it is atomic, but this is not its true nature.”

Baba always says: “Human birth is wasted if Atma is not realized. Freedom from Samsara cannot be obtained without self realization.

The form of one’s Atman be distinctly visualized by one, in the same manner as one’s image is seen in the mirror. One should enquire into the Self by the Self. One should enter into Self. Self is hidden. Self is the goal for the Self. Therefore, attain Self-mastery by the Self, like a trader who protects his horse.

The supreme subject is subtle, that which existed in the past, present, and future, that forms the basis of this world of names and forms. That which is the Paramatma constitutes the Atma for this body. Being deathless, it is the Truth. That becomes the resting place for the individual soul during the state of Susupti and death.

Atma is the subtler than the subtlest. That God-hood is known as Atman. The Supreme one is our real nature. We are neither the doer nor the enjoyer nor the giver. We are the Pure Consciousness embodied in the form of Supreme-Self.

Atma-Jnana is the only benefactor of a man. If man is devoid of Atma-Jnana, he will not have happiness or peace, inspite of his several possessions and enjoyment of pleasures.

Atman does not die. It is not that which did not exist earlier and is born now. It is birth less, eternal and ever – existing. It does not die. Immortality will be attained from the knowledge of Atma and it will not be obtained by rhetoric. Only when a Guru imparts the sacred knowledge, it is easily known that Atman is birthless and deathless. It is not the product of any process. It is not bound by the cycle of births. It is ever existing, eternal. Atman will not kill nor it is killed.

The seeker, who is also the sought will clearly understand the nature of Atman. The wicked, who lack peace and single mindedness cannot see the Atman. Intellect is higher than the mind and Atman is greater than the intellect. Atman has no duty to perform “Kartavyam”. It begets no fruition of Paap or Punya. It is Nirmalam and taintless. Atman has no Bandham or Liberation.

Atman has no difference of Akara or Nirakara. Atman is of an auspicious nature, (Mangalaswaroopam). Baba always tells: “You should always look at Atman every moment and do Manana. Those who had Atma – Sakshatkara shall be merged with Paratatwam irrespective of the place of death. The one who realizes Atman as oneself will realize cosmic power. Chitshakti generates Pran – Sakti and flows into your body and flows through your nerves causing their movement.

Baba Says: “First know what is Atman. He becomes ‘I’ and ‘I’ becomes ‘He’. That is Atman”.

Visualize Atma. Know it, recapitulate it and meditate upon it. Then only it can be perceived. After attaining that state, we can get salvation wherever we die and what ever may be its circumstances. Know Atman as Atman only. Do not take all our people for granted, as our Atmeyulu. Only Self- seekers are our people. Then only the radiance of Atman can manifest. This is the quintessence of Philosophy of Atman.

There is no permanent existence for the destructible bodies. The Atman never ceases to be. Realization of Self results in the total reversal of this identification, when the aspirant identifies himself with the Atma and is fully aware that the body is only an adjunct to his Self. Then there is no more delusion about the ephemeral nature of his body which he understands, to be the effect of Karma.

The eternal nature of the wise is to get over the fear of death. The Self is Akarta and Abhokta. Only an intelligent man understands this. A Jnani only identifies himself with the self Ajnani identifies himself with his body. Till realization takes place, death continues to cause fear in us. It is consciousness of Atma, which is reflected in the functioning of the body and the mind which are the effect of Karma.Karma cannot touch the Atma. Till the knowledge of the Self dawns, the mind continues to be deluded by the ego and hence transmission goes on. We must know that only self- realization can cut the knot of ignorance and put an end to re-births.

Supreme God exists in the form of Atman throughout the life of an individual and silently remains a mere on-looker. ‘Brahman’ never interferes with the activities of individual, who exists in the world. The real nature of every person is that of the Supreme God, because he derives energy for his existence from Brahman, who remains inside his body itself. Our Physical and sensory organs are mere ‘Sporting tools’ of Brahman. Hence all of us must develop the ability to be willing tool of Brahman and we should not react emotionally or physically for the events that occur around us from time to time and be a mere witness.

It is a universal fact that every person’s physical body invariably undergoes changes. Every person, who is living in the world, is born as an infant. By the process of Growth, the infant grows into an adult. The duration of each stage of life is fixed. For example duration of infancy is 12 months; the duration of childhood is 12 years. Similarly specific duration is also present for adult and old age. During adulthood, every person possesses as the ability to reproduce. During the old age, every person’s physical body begins to dwindle or decay. Finally, due to death the physical body totally vanishes.

Atma is devoid of all these modifications. Atma is not physical body. The real nature of every person is ‘Atma’ (self). Hence every person is none else than ‘Atma Swaroopa’. It is consciousness which enables us to identify human beings and objects. So consciousness is the character of Atman. This Atman alone as the ability to identify all, yet remains changeless.

Sri SaiBaba said: “The Atman, constituting the root of everything in the internal or the external world, is also the very content of all experiences.” That means – the Atman is the sole real entity enveloping all forms, as well as formless. Such a realization overturns one’s ordinary distorted perception of Reality. Here we may recall Baba’s identification with dogs and all living beings giving proof of His physical oneness with these living beings. Because everything springs from the Self, is dissolved in it, and remains imbibed with ‘IT continuous ‘it’ cannot be perceived apart from the self. Therefore everything is the Self.

Sri Sai once said, - “Since atman pervades everything and is the only reality and it is within you only and try to listen within the follow the direction you get. You must look as you and that it guide you. The Atman which is within you constitute your own nature, Self – Effulgent. The Atman is your true Guru and that is the voice of your conscience.”

Atman is the ‘Self’ of every individual and this dwells inside every person. It is the individual’s physical organs which perform various actions and it is the sense organs of the individual which are enjoying the fruits of the actions. Atman is none else than Supreme God. Whenever our mind gives birth to various types of thought-waves, Atman remains merely as a ‘Sakshi (witness). Let us assume that ‘Sakshi state of Brahman’s wave less portion of an ocean called ‘Consciousness’. Pure consciousness is the absolute state of supreme God’.

Constantly think of Atma. Atma is indivisible. Cause and effect are not concerned with Atma. Atma is not bound by God or bad results of action. When the mind gets purification by doing duty bound actions, then one can attain 'Jnana'. Then only one can realize the pure Paramatma, residing in all animate and inanimate objects. When we are performing actions which are ordained to us, as our duties in a selfless manner, we will get purity of mind. If we do not do this, we will be wasting our time in pleasures of life.

We must first of all know 'What is Atma'. The 'Atma' that is present everywhere is God. There is nothing except God, we must know this clearly. If we are in constant meditation, we can visualize Atma and that the entire Universe is seen in Self-Effulgent Atma. The whole world is a mirage. It is a projection of Maya. As we are not having real knowledge of Atma-Swaroopa, we will see the tricks of Maya as real. When we attain real knowledge, the Maya gets dissolved.

Atma and its power are eternal. It is pure knowledge independent of any attachments. It will never get tied up with any action. So, the truth is that man is a permanent embodiment of Atma. Atma is not a thing to be cultivated. Its always present. This is a supreme truth. All worldly activities in due course of time get destroyed and merged in Atma. That is why, Atma is said to be Ekam and is without a second. Atma is permanent and does not change, but the world is impermanent and will always be changing. We must know that the basis of the Universe is Atma only.

If one tries to know his true-self, that is Atma and then he will get rid of worldly attachments. He, who is enjoying the Atmananda, will get detached from dualities of the world, from birth and death cycle and gets salvation. If we attain such state, there will not be worldly disturbances in us.

Atma is the active principle. From this, arises the world which is originally inactive. So try to reach the active Atma and thus attain peace. All worldly things arise from Atma and get merged in it finally. Even the mind will get merged in Atma. We must know this.

Atma is self-effulgent. It will not have any change due to worldly activities or due to time. It will always be one. This Atma is the Self and the Atma is the Universe, both get merged in Paramatma. The indestructible Paramatma will never get destroyed and is beyond space, time and causation.

Atma is permanent and is without any change or alteration. It is full of knowledge, bliss and purity. If we are in the state of Atma, we will always be happy. So, all of us should do Sadhana and try to fix our aim and visualize Atma. Know Atma is not an artificial, conventional thing. The source of the Universe is the power of Atma.

If we practice the following good habits, we will have Divine perfection and realize the Atma in ourselves. They are:

1. Purity of Anthakarna;

2. Resistance of external indriyas;

3. Reading philosophical books;

4. Straight forwardness;

5. Charitable nature;

6. Avoiding criticism of others;

7. Peace of mind;

8. Having mercy on all living beings;

9. Not having bad desires;

10. Not doing bad actions;

11. Not having wavering mind;

12. Having Saburi;

13. Having external and internal purity;

14. And not having egoism.

If we perform all these things perfectly, we will have Atma-Jyothi darshan.

Allah Malik