Breath
The very first act with which the career of a living being starts is “breathing and vibration of vital airs”. When one thinks of it, it is wonderful how it happens. It is an amazing mystery. No human being resolves, at the moment of earthly life, to draw in and breathe out the air that exists around him. It proceeds without being willed or wished for. Not only people but every living organism is evidence of this great marvel.
~Sathya Sai Vahini
It is said, “Easwarah sarva bhoothanam (God is the indweller of every living being).” But with what form? How can one contemplate on God with an invisible form? What is the use of such contemplation? Divinity is the very life breath that can be perceived and heard. How can one recognize and experience the sound of this divine breath?
The Upanishads have given the names of Brahman and Atma¾invisible divine breath in human beings. But one cannot understand these abstract concepts with any amount of explanation.
What is the meaning of Easwaratwa (Divinity)? It can be understood as the divine auspicious breath of soham that emanates from a human being. Soham means “I am that ” (Divinity). The sound of the breath in human beings, i.e., soham establishes the nature of Divinity. If one tries to contemplate on the form without recognizing the sound, he will not be able to understand the nature of Divinity. Soham is satwic (pure, serene) in nature. This satwa guna is Easwaratwa (the Shiva Principle).
There is another principle that emanates from this divine breath, namely, Vishnutwa (the Vishnu Principle). What is the form of this Vishnu Principle? The feelings in the mind. In other words, mind is the Vishnu Principle. There is yet another form that emerges from the navel of Vishnu, namely, Brahma. Thus, the principles of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara are emanating from the Soham Tatwa in a human being itself.
~Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 35 (2002)
Before you start dhyana, your meditation session, chant Soham, inhaling So and exhaling Ham. Soham means¾’He is I.’ It identifies you with the Infinite and expands your consciousness. Harmonize the breath and the thought. Breathe gently, naturally; do not make it artificial and labored. It must flow in and out, soft and silent. If you have some flour on your palm and hold it near the nostrils, it should not get fluttered the least; the breath must be as soft as that! The faster the breath, the sooner you are burnt up, the shorter becomes your life span! Slow breath quietens and calms the emotions. The mood of relaxation produced by this Soham recital is a precondition for a profitable session of meditation.
~Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 9 (1969)
Sorrow springs from egoism, the feeling that you do not deserve to be treated so badly, that you are left helpless. When egoism goes, sorrow disappears. Ignorance is just a mistake, mistaken identity of the body as the Self! In fact, you must each one try to become egoless, and then the Lord will accept you as His flute. Once, when a number of people were asked by Me what they would like to be in the hands of God, I got various answers. Some said the lotus, some the conch, some the discus, but no one mentioned the flute. I would advise you to become the flute, for then the Lord will come to you, pick you up, put you to His lips, and breathe through you. Out of the hollowness of your heart due to the utter absence of egoism that you have developed, He will create captivating music for all creation to enjoy. Be straight, without any will of your own. Merge your will in the will of God. Inhale only the breath of God. That is divine life, that is what I want you all to achieve.
~Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 1 (1953-60)
