1. RESPOND TO THE ETERNAL CALL
Worshipful homage to the supreme, eternal, all-pervading Divine Reality, the beginningless and endless, the infinite and eternal Spirit Divine that is the source, substratum, support and ultimate fulfilment of all existence, even as the ocean is the source, support and ultimate fulfilment of countless millions and billions of waves upon its surface—ever remaining the mighty, unfathomable, immeasurable ocean, never perturbed by the infinite, numberless waves disturbing its surface!
Even so, the one great Reality, the Cosmic Being, the source and origin of countless millions of universes, ever remains the one, non-dual existence, the great silence, the great peace, the transcendental Reality, present and hidden as the subtlest of the subtle, beyond the senses and which the mind and intellect cannot comprehend. That Reality is the centre of your being. That Reality is your essential, eternal identity, your nija svarupa.
May that Reality shine forth in your consciousness as the true “I AM” beyond the little “I” that dominates our lives, that pushes us, pulls us, that twists and turns us and shoves us up and down. This little “I”, you are not.
Three words that were proclaimed by the illumined and liberated sages and seers of the Vedic era must ever pervade your consciousness, dwell in your heart, direct your intellect and guide your entire life: uttishthata jagrata nibodhata—Arise, awake and attain illumination. The whole of the process of your being and doing, thinking and acting, should be this process of arising, being awake and alert, and attaining illumination. Then alone we are living.
That is life—a steady onward and upward ascent towards Divine-consciousness, Reality-awareness, Self-experience, Knowledge. There is nothing higher than that, greater than that. It is the culminating pinnacle achievement of all existence. Call it brahma-jnana, call it Christ-consciousness, call it satori, call it the Supreme Tao, call it nirvana. It is the one, supreme, non-dual experience that liberates you forever from your bondage to yourself. It liberates you forever from this dream of being bound to a non-existent conglomeration of names and forms—this universal appearance.
The queen Madalasa rocked the cradles of her infant princes and sang this lullaby: “You are all-pure, enlightened and immaculate. Give up this sleep of delusion which makes you give value to that which has no value, to endow it with a sense of reality through ignorance. This is a great blunder. This is the darkness of the slumber of non-awareness.”
That is the call you have to respond to. That is the call of the Upanishads. Give up this deep sleep of delusion. You are the all-full. You ever shine as a centre of radiant and dynamic Divine-consciousness within your apparent physical-mental personality. Awaken to your Divinity. Affirm your Divinity. Assert your Divinity, and make life an expression of your Divinity.
This is the one and the only teaching. This is the one and the only message. Awake, answer this call. Affirm your Divinity. Express your Divinity. Make your life a dynamic expression of what you are by giving up the dream and sleep of thinking of yourself to be what you are not. That is the one great need if right here and now, in the midst of this vale of tears, in the midst of the ever-changing names and forms of this temporary universe, you are to be rooted in the strength of your true nature.
Reality never changes. You are what you are. Be what you are and make your life an expression of what you are, namely Divinity. Then life becomes true life, authentic life, real life.
May responding to this call be your one great task, great privilege. May this be your joyful duty. Blossom like a lotus in the midst of the water and mud of this samsara. Shine like a diamond amidst pebbles. Be wakeful amongst the slumbering, alert amongst the heedless, active amongst the lethargic, and thus transcend appearances. Become rooted in Reality and celebrate your life as a glorious overcoming, victory and attainment!
2. UNTIL THE VERY LAST BREATH
To enter into the spiritual life is a rare blessedness; it is a great good. To take it seriously and engage in active spiritual sadhana is a second blessedness and a still greater good. But, to persevere in the spiritual life, to be ever progressive and ceaseless in one’s spiritual life, is the greatest good, the crowning blessedness.
One makes up one’s mind: “Come what may, until the very last breath persists in this body, I shall not swerve from the path of sadhana. Until the very last breath is in the body I shall persevere, I shall dedicate myself to the divine life. I shall be a yogi; I shall ever be intent upon attaining the Goal. I shall never slacken my efforts, much less cease my endeavour.
“Till the very last breath I shall be a jijnasu, a sadhaka. Come what may I shall be a yogi till the very last. Anything else may be uncertain, but this is certain. All else may be undecided, but this is decided once and for all. I am determined that the spiritual life will be my life, the spiritual goal will be my goal. And God will be the central fact in my life. I shall live my life for God and His attainment.”
Thus, if one gladly takes upon oneself, after serious deliberation and firm conviction, this “do or die” approach and attitude to life, that would indeed be the crowning glory of one’s sadhana life. This is the greatest good; it is the supreme blessedness. And it is to such a sadhaka that success comes, success is sure, fulfilment awaits.
Here there is no doubt or vagueness. The Cosmic Being gives Itself to one who has totally given oneself to the Cosmic Being, to one who is prepared to live or die for That. This is for sure. One who has left everything and asks only for That, That gives Itself fully and totally to such a one. This is the truth.
Therefore, rejoice greatly that this choice is before you. Rejoice greatly that this opportunity beckons you. Rejoice greatly that the dispensation of the Divine is that to each seeking soul belongs that for which its life is offered and lived until the last. “Those that give themselves unto Me, to them I give Myself.” This is the declaration.
Therefore, this is the life, this is the time, this is the great opportunity. Let each day be lived with the awareness of this great good fortune, with the awareness of this supreme blessedness, of this golden opportunity. Then we shall have nothing to regret. Rather, we shall have all reason to rejoice.
There is a concept in the West which is applicable to the field of heroics: “Success and victory is to those who dare.” Again: “A coward dies a thousand times, a brave man but once.” And that one death comes in triumph, in success and in victory. It is the crowning glory, and it is assured for those who dare. More than in any other field of human endeavour, such daring and dedication, such defying of death itself is called for in the life spiritual.
May the grace of God and Gurudev make you of that stuff. Coming into contact with the philosopher’s stone, iron no longer remains as iron; it becomes pure gold. Not without meaning has the Cosmic Being brought you into living contact with the sublime, life-transforming, spiritual wisdom teachings of blessed and beloved Holy Master Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji. Having thus come into contact, be heroes in this strife. Dare to live the spiritual life unto the last and crown yourself with the supreme blessedness of success, victory and a life triumphant!