Yearn For True Education
Swami urges constant Self enquiry & explains how to do so:
It is within everyone’s capability to discover the existence of God. You do not need degrees, education, skills, or proficiencies for this achievement. All that is required is an effort to understand the secrets of Creation.…
Thus, the unseen Divinity underlies the visible world. Some people think, “I have attained this,” “I have made this discovery through my experiments.” They gloat over the smallest of achievements. What the man of today knows is close to nothing. But the pomp is huge. One who knows does not indulge in publicity. The vessel full of water remains steady. The half-full vessel rocks back and forth noisily. Those who yield to self-praise have half-understanding.
Enquire, enquire, and enquire. Make a determined attempt. Don’t relax your spiritual efforts in any way. What we need to recognize is the mooladhara [primal] principle. This principle is not visible through a telescope and cannot be captured through camera. You only need yearning in your heart, which gets transformed into spiritual enquiry. Without yearning, search for God cannot be sustained. Every student should cultivate yearning. “I should know, I should know.” Then you will realize the fruits of your search for God, sooner or later.
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1995 pp. 161-162
Students should recognize one fact; You can see the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits of a tree. But the bases for their existence are the unseen roots. Which are more important—roots or branches? Without roots, branches cannot exist. However, you may chop off the branches and the roots will make them grow again. Those who are content understanding the branches, venturing no further, are scientists. The ones who go to the roots are Vedantins.
Scientists describe the branches, the effects, not the cause. Therefore, the mooladhara—primal cause—is very important. Once we find the primal cause behind everything, we can build a foundation upon it and live in the world as we please.
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1995, p. 160
If you ask a person, “Who are you?” he answers, “I am the son of…” Or he may say he is a doctor or a lawyer. Or he may say, “American,” “Indian,” Italian.” None of these are correct. When you base your identity on your father, you speak out of body-consciousness. Doctor or lawyer is your profession. The third response is your country of birth. These answers are like artificial dialogue heard in a cinema. Your true nature is atma. No one can change the conscience in each person. You may change countries and behavior, but not the conscience.
The principle present in everyone is the atma. Modern people do not perform such subtle investigations and so, do not believe these truths. They dedicate their time, body, and actions to this temporary, physical existence. Hence, they give only worldly responses. Atmajnana [knowledge of self] is the best kind of knowledge. Once you have atmajnana, you may blend other sciences in it. atmajnana is the ocean, worldly sciences are rivers. All rivers merge into the ocean.
If you recognize the Divine spark present in yourself, you become the knower of the omnipresent Divinity also! That is why Vendanta urges man—“Know Thyself.”
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1995, p. 157
