Recognise The Fundamental Principle Of Oneness
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Good and bad coexist.
None can separate them.
But one with sraddha (steadfast faith)
      will always experience goodness.
What else is to be conveyed to this august assembly?
(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love!

Today marks the beginning of another new year. Many new years have gone by, but there is no change in the life of man. What is the reason? The reason is that man is not making efforts to experience the principle of divinity, which is present in all in the form of love. Love is the true form of God. It is your foremost duty to recognise this eternal principle of love.

Today you are in search of divinity. Where is the need to search for that which is everywhere at all times? You are in search of God because you are unaware that God is always with you and in you. You are trying to have the vision of God through meditation. However, you should not be satisfied by merely performing such spiritual practices. What is meditation? Adherence to truth is true meditation. The eternal, immortal, wonderful and blissful principle of divinity is present everywhere. You should make efforts to realise this truth. This is the royal path to attain the goal of life.

Recognise your Innate Divinity

People are making efforts to realise truth, but their efforts are not yielding the desired result. Divinity is the very embodiment of eternal bliss and is present in all of us. How can you visualise it? Firstly, you should understand that there is nothing superior to truth in this world. Your foremost duty is to recognise the principle of truth that is present in you. But you are forgetting your innate divinity. You are undertaking a number of sadhanas (spiritual practices) to experience divinity. In fact, you do not need to perform any special sadhana to have the vision of God who is always with you, in you, above you, around you.

Embodiments of Love!

It is a sign of ignorance to search for God, who is all-pervasive. People perform various spiritual practices such as yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi to have the experience of divinity. What is meant by samadhi? It should be termed as sama-dhi, meaning equanimity in all situations. Equanimity is, in fact, present in every individual. It is a misconception to think that only those who perform sadhana are capable of attaining it.

Do you go about searching for yourself in the outside world? Such a person can only be called foolish. In fact, you are distancing yourself from your own sacred Self by searching for it outside. This mad search will not lead you anywhere. You are endowed with the sacred principle of love. Wherefrom does it come? Where does it go? It neither comes nor goes. It is always present in you. You waste your time just in the name of doing sadhana. Instead, realise the truth: "I am I". All spiritual practices become superfluous for one who realises this truth.

Where does this "I" come from? It is in you. Without realizing this truth, you search for it outside. It is therefore necessary for every human being to recognize this truth. He is a true sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) who realises the divinity present within him. Those who search for it outside follow the wrong path.

Many people made efforts to fathom Krishna Tattwa but none could succeed. Where is Krishna? Where is God? God is present within you. Do you ever go in the street and ask others, "Have you seen me?" Try to look within and realise this sacred principle of "I". You can know it the moment you turn your vision inward. You see all external objects except your true Self when you see with open eyes. Once, Arjuna asked Krishna about his true identity. Krishna said, "Arjuna! I am yours and you are Mine. You and I are one." We should try to realise this principle of unity.

Give up false identification with the body

The boy who spoke earlier said that he was doing sadhana. to attain the vision of God. One need not search for God in some distant corner. Sarvata Panipadam Tat, Sarvatokshi Siromukham, Sarvata Sruthimalloke, Sarvamavritya Tishthati (With hands, feet, eyes, ears, heads, and mouth pervading everything, He permeates the entire universe). Where is the need to search for God when He is present everywhere? Whatever you see is permeated by God. There is no place or form in which God is not present.

God is love and love is God.
You can connect yourself with God only through love.
Develop love and achieve the supreme state of equanimity.
(Telugu Poem)

God is present everywhere as truth. The same truth is present in you. Some people think that Lord Krishna was born at a particular place and He left His mortal coil at such and such place. No! This is a misconception. Krishna is everywhere. Whatever you see, it is Krishna. Krishna is in every form, and all forms are divine. Only the names change; God is only one. Instead of searching for God outside, close your eyes and see within to know the divinity immanent in you. Enquire who you are. Do not identify yourself with the body.

It is only when you identify yourself with the body that the question of  "I" and "you" arises. When this "I" and "you" merge into one, there will be unity. But people are unable to forget "I" and "mine". Right from your birth, you are accustomed to identifying yourself with the body. Therefore, you are unable to give up your false identification with the body. Once you realise that the same Atma is immanent in every individual, the differences of "I" and "you" will vanish.

Embodiments of Love!

Love, truth, peace, and divinity are not different from each other. They are all one. You will be able to realise this truth only when you strengthen the spirit of unity. Love is not something that is acquired from outside. It emerges from within. When you develop and expand love, you will be able to realise the truth that all are one.

(Bhagavan showing His handkerchief) What is this? This is a cloth. It is made up of thread. Thread, in turn, is made out of cotton. Cotton is the basis of the cloth. But cloth is made by weaving the threads. Similarly, the mind is also made up of the threads of sankalpas and vikalpas (resolutions and aberrations). You should know your real identity by transcending the mind.

Embodiments of Love!

You have to enquire as to what extent you have understood the principle of love, which is uniformly present in all. Man is carried away by his identification with the body and, therefore, he perceives diversity in creation. In fact, it is unity alone that is behind the apparent diversity. Whatever differences are there, they are only the creations of your mind. If you want to eliminate these differences and realise the principle of unity in diversity, you have to realise your true nature. You experience diversity when you turn your perception away from this fact of unity. Recognise the principle of unity. You are God. God is not separate from you. It is a mistake to consider yourself separate from God. This difference is the result of your deluded vision. When you rectify this defect in your vision, you will realise "I am I".

When you identify Sai Baba with the physical form, you become separate from Him. It is only these feelings of identification with the physical form that create differences between individuals. The feelings of "I" and "mine" are behind all this multiplicity of forms. If you stand before a mirror, you see your image. Even if there are many mirrors, you see the same image. Though the mirrors are many, the image is one. You should realise this oneness behind multiplicity.

Embodiments of Love! Students! Boys and Girls!

You should try to know the fundamental principle of oneness. If you know this, everything else will become known to you. This world has a plethora of forms but there is one divinity, which permeates all these forms. Know this truth. Ekam sath viprah bahudha vadanti (Truth is one but wise men call it by many names). You see diversity due to the effect of maya (illusion). There exists only unity everywhere, not diversity. It is your illusion that causes diversity. Forget this diversity and contemplate on divinity. You may ascribe any number of names and forms to God but God is one.

At one time, Radha realised her oneness with Krishna. But later she was overcome by delusion and started considering herself different from Krishna. This feeling of separateness is a big mistake. Reminding Radha of her true identity, Narada told her that she had no separate identity. It was her mistake that she had identified herself with her name, he said. He added that she was not separate from Krishna, and she was, in fact, Krishna.

Embodiments of Love!

Whatever you see, whomever you come across, consider every form as nothing but the manifestation of divinity. Do not entertain differences of "I" and "you". You look into a mirror and say that you are in the mirror. In fact, you are not in the mirror. It is only your reflection that appears in the mirror. When you go behind the hill and shout "Oh!", you will hear the echo of your voice. You may think that someone is shouting at you with the same intensity. But it is not so. That voice is yours and nobody else's. Similarly, all that you see in the world is only your reaction, reflection, and resound.

It is a mistake to consider the reflection as reality. When you understand the true nature of the reflection, you will know the truth of oneness. Here is a small example. Once, a young cowherd took his cattle to the forest for grazing. While the cattle were grazing, he began singing loudly. The song created an echo from the hills. The innocent boy thought that someone was imitating to make fun of him. He grew angry. After he returned home, he told his mother, "Mother! I will not take the cattle to the forest tomorrow. There is someone in the forest who is imitating whatever I sing. I feel humiliated."

The mother said that she would accompany him to the forest the next day. He took her behind the hills and started singing loudly. Again, an echo of the song was heard.

Then the mother said, "Son, it is not that someone else is repeating your song to make fun of you. Whatever you sing, its echo is being heard by you." Similarly, you should understand that everything in this world is your own reflection, reaction, and resound.

Understand the Principle of Unity

If you want to see God, you should firmly believe that you are not the body. You identify yourself with the body due to your illusion. Students should try to understand this clearly. All that is seen outside is only a reflection and not the reality.

You see Sai Baba in front of you. You identify Sai Baba with the body. But I am not the body. You and I are one. Once you understand this truth clearly, there will be no difference whatsoever.

If you slap someone on the cheek, it amounts to slapping yourself. If you abuse others, it amounts to abusing yourself. You are bound to face the consequences of your actions. You are the cause of your happiness or suffering. Others are not responsible for it. In fact, there are no others. All are one. It is your own thinking that creates the feeling of separateness in you. You should make efforts to understand your true identity.

You are the very embodiment of love. The principle of love is one and the same in all. You share your love with your children, parents, and spouse. The feeling toward each of them is different but the fundamental principle of love is the same. You should recognize this fundamental truth. The fundamental truth is one without a second. That is the Atma.

Embodiments of Divine Atma!

The Atma. is one, not two. Once you recognize the truth that the same Atma. is present in all, you will be free from all differences and conflicts. Develop firm faith that the same Self is present in all. Understand this principle of unity. Only then can you experience truth. All the students have immense love for Me. They are happy that Baba loves them. Understand that it is only Baba who loves all. (loud prolonged applause.)

You see differences in individuals. But in My view, all are one. I am you and you are I. Have firm faith in this unity. Only then can you transcend duality. When you enquire deeply, you will be able to understand this truth. Have patience. Do not feel disappointed that you are unable to have the vision of God. When you understand the principle of unity and hold on to it firmly, you become Sai Baba yourself.

You are "divine". But you are unable to realise it because you are intoxicated with the "deep wine" of worldly desires. All are the embodiments of divinity. I am not different from you and you are not different from Me. We are one. When you go on contemplating on this thought of unity with the Divine, you become one with Him. Then, all differences will disappear and you will attain the experience of unity with God.

[Bhagavan concluded His Divine Discourse with the bhajans, "Hari Bhajan Bina Sukha Santhi Nahin" and "Govind Krishna Jai Gopala Krishna Jai".]