DIVINE INCARNATION

Avatar or Incarnation is the coming down of the Supreme from His celestial abode to the terrestrial world to re-establish Dharma or righteousness and eliminate Evil. Krishna declares how and when an incarnation takes place in his celestial song the Bhagavadgita. “Yada yadahi dharmasya glanir bhavathi Bharatha abhyuthana madharmasya tadatmanam srujamyaham” Whenever Dharma declines and Adharma gains strength, I take Avatar to re-establish Dharma and destroy evil. All Avatars have this fundamental principle in their origin. From the Krita Yuga down to Dwapara Yuga and even Kali Yuga all Avatars have strictly adhere to this principle. Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama Rama, Balarama Krishna, Buddha, avatars have descended down to quell the evil and save the world! We are in the grip of Kali Yuga, the most sinful of the yugas and await the Avatar of Kali Avatar! Avatars guard virtue and foster it’s growth. Rama, Krishna are not just allegories or historical personages. Our scriptures do not merely bring out the inner or esoteric meaning. They are human beings of flesh and blood like all of us. They are divinities and so can be interpreted both historically and allegorically. “The Avatars are to the Brahman as waves are to the ocean.” declares Sri RamaKrishna.

Avatars like Rama and Krishna are the very branches of the tree of Sath Chit Ananda! They are blessed with Divine powers and qualities. They are capable of going into and staying in any state of realization from the highest to the lowest. Avatars possess a thin ego. In other words, in spite of their bodies, they are always in a state of Yoga and enter into Samadhi according to their Will. It is possible for them to descend to a lower plane of consciousness even after Samadhi! “ A Divine Incarnation is hard to comprehend. It is the play of the Infinite on the finite.” Says Sri Ramakrishna. When God incarnates in the world only a few recognize his Divine nature. It is said that only twelve sages could  recognize that Sri Rama was the incarnation of God! People in the immediate proximity of the Avatar do not know or understand him. Those who are at a great distance are attracted by his spiritual glow and supernatural power. The lamp has its  shadow under it while it illuminates all the surrounding areas. Avatars like Rama and Krishna, in their external manifestation, conduct themselves like common men but internally they are replete with transcendental peace beyond the field of Karma!

God's incarnation is  the manifestation of his Divinity as love! That is seen and felt in human form. Incarnation is the streaming forth of Divine Love. Boundless Divine Love is indescribable in words. It has to be perceived and experienced by the spiritual eye. It is impossible to know God fully. It is enough if we feel that He is the only reality. Sri RamaKrishna says, “Do you seek God? Then seek Him in man. His Divinity is manifest more in man than in any other object. Look around for a man whose heart overflows with the love of God, a man who lives, moves and has his being in God---a man intoxicated with His Love. In such a man God manifest Himself.” It is said the Leelas or Divine sports are four in number. They are Iswara Leela, Deva Leela, Jagat Leela and Nara Leela. In Nara Leela  God's Love gushes forth in a big torrent through a wide channel. God incarnates in human form to teach the common man Jnana and Bhakthi. The Avatar is similar to an eminent engineer who sinks a new well in a place where there is no water before. The Avatar is capable of saving even those hearts devoid of all love and dry as desert! Avatar is akin to a tidal wave that inundates rivers, streams and land. Like the locomotive engine that drags along carriages and wagons and reaches the destination, the Avatar carries innumerable men burdened with sin! The object of Incarnation is to manifest to man the perfection of Divinity. It is through these manifestations that man can talk with God and witness His play! In His incarnation God enjoysHis own transcendental sweetness

In saints God doesn’t manifest Himself fully. It is like the little honey in a flowe. “But in the Incarnations it is all 'honey'—all sweetness and all blessedness.” There is nothing impossible for the Incarnation. Most difficult and intricate problems in life are solved as the simplest of things! Discourses and expositions of the Avatar are so simple that even a child can follow and understand! Why do Avatars come? For Divine Incarnation Karma is not the cause. The evil perpetrated by the wicked and the good deeds and the yearning of the righteous are the causes for the Advent of the Avatar.

The Avatar's sole aim and purpose is to save the mankind. He is aware of the path and goal. ‘He’ is the Master of Creation. He knows the past, the present and the future of all. 'He'  leads and liberates”, says Sri Sri Satya Saibaba. (SSS Vol 7) It is surprising that the Incarnations of the Lord were not accepted as such by many. Even their parents, relations and friends hesitated to adore them! Recent examples of incarnation in Kaliyuga are Shiridi Baba and his Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Satya Saibaba. They have

come down at a time when Dharma is at its lowest ebb and re-established it on a firm footing. Pure Love and service to humanity, especially to the downtrodden and the needy have been the hallmarks of their stay on earth. They have revolutionized our society and opened its eyes to Dharma, Truth, Brotherhood and selfless service! The very fact that the entire world is following the teachings of the Sai Babas is a testimony for the visible change that is taking place in society!

YEARNING FOR GOD

Man is burdened with so many anxieties and worries that he fails to think of God! He is deluded by Maya and thinks that the world in which he lives is real and all his kith and kin, wife, children and property are permanent. He is caught in the cycle of Samsara from which there is no escape. The inner adversaries or the Arishadvargas run riot in his life and subject him to innumerable sorrows and difficulties. His mundane activities deny him the time and chance to think of God who is his Creator and benefactor. He forgets the very purpose for which God has created him which is to realize himself. He is enamored of the little and silly pleasures and mistakes them for enduring happiness. Egged on by the incitement of the senses he acts to his own detriment without any realization. His attachment or  ‘mamakara' for terrestrial things prevents him from contemplating on the Providence. One who yearns for God is entirely different from the ordinary mortal and is made of sterner stuff. He is distinctly devoid of attachment to worldly things. He is not too much attached to his own family, kith and kin. He is much interested in thinking of God and the way by which he can reach Him. What is that yearning and how is that cultivated? Is that an easy task or one that involves severe effort and dedication?

 One who yearns for God cannot think of any trifles like food, drink and other things. He must go mad for realization of God. Is there any one who weep and sorrow for not having seen the Lord? In other words the seeker who weeps for Him finally attains Him! “Let your heart pant for Him as a miser longs for gold. As the drowning man pants hard for breath, so must one's heart yearn for the Lord before one can find Him.” declares Bhagawan Sri RamaKrishna. He himself is a testimony for such a longing and madness for the vision of Kali, his chosen Goddess. He suffered intense agony for Her Vision and even went to the extent of cutting himself with the sword!  According to Sri RamaKrishna,  the intensity of love for God should be similar to that of a devoted wife for her beloved husband. It should be like the clinging desire for material possessions of the worldly person. It is said that once, Jesus, walking along the seashore, met a person who wanted to know how God can be attained. Jesus immediately took him into the waters and immersed him into the sea! After a while, releasing him, Jesus asked him how he felt. The man replied that his condition was desperate and that he felt his last moment had come! Jesus told him that he would attain God when his heart pants for Him as it has panted for a breath of air a few minutes back!

The devotee should feel that he should attain God immediately in this very life within a specific time.  Such violent love for God attracts the Lord and the bhaktha realizes Him quickly! It takes ages for realization of God if the aspirant is lukewarm in his love for the Divine. It is relentless yearning for God that releases man from the clutches of illusion or Maya. God Himself shows the way! God runs to his devotee who cries and weeps for Him like the mother who runs for the child that cries for her! ‘He finds God quickest, whose concentration and yearning are strongest'. The Bhagavata purana narrates the story of Gajendra who fought endlessly against the crocodile that had caught its leg. Frustrated and desperate, it prayed to Lord with intense and concentrated devotion. It surrendered itself to the Lord. It is said that Lord Vishnu, hearing the appeals of Gajendra, suddenly got up and left Vaikunta without his chakra, sankha and other train! He didn’t inform Lakshmi or summon Garuda! That is the type of response  for pure and intense love and prayers! Several instances in our epics and Puranas demonstrate how pure love and concentration and yearning for God have brought Lord to the presence of His devotee!

Brilliant example is that of child Prahlada, the darling child of Hiranyakasipu the inveterate enemy of Lord Vishnu. Even in the womb of his mother he heard the stories of Lord Vishnu and became a great devotee. His life breath was Lord Narayana! Everything thought, word and deed of his was inextricably interfused with the name of the Lord! He changed all his friends in the school and made them sing bhajans on the Lord! He knew that his father was the enemy of Lord Vishnu but entreated him to surrender to the Lord but in vain. This infuriated the father who finally decided to kill him. But all his efforts failed as the Lord saved the child devotee. As a last resort, a cup of poison was given to Prahlada but that turned into nectar! Hiranyakasipu wanted to see Hari and questioned if Narayana is in the pillar in the hall. Prahlada said that the Lord is omnipresent and is definitely in the pillar. Respecting the words of His dear devotee, Lord Vishnu was ready in every object to come out and destroy the evil genius, Hiranyakasipu! Prahlada is a classical example of pure, unalloyed, and intense love and yearning for God

Another illustration for true and intense yearning for God is the life of child Dhruva who was disappointed in not finding a place on the lap of his father! Advised by his mother to perform tapas to get his wish fulfilled, he left for the forest. On the way he met sage Narada who gave him the Ashtakshari mantra for meditation. Child Dhruva performed penance despite many obstacles with exemplary perseverance and dedication. Finally the Lord was pleased and came down to grant boons. He was granted a place among the stars in heaven!  Most of our ancient sages and seers are noted for their single minded devotion and yearning for God without which they would not have attained their greatness! The story of Markandeya is another example of intense yearning for God for the fulfilment of his desire. Knowing that he can live for sixteen years only, he wanted to remove the suffering of his parents. He performed severe penance praying for longevity but the God of Death came to take back his life. When he threw the pasa, it fell on the Linga at which the Lord was angry! He kicked the God of Death with His left foot and warned Yama not to approach his dear disciple, Markandeya! Markandeya was given a long lease of life! He became a “Chiranjeevi ”.Yearning for God raises the person to very high spiritual level and at the same time gives him added benefits that he had not thought of!!

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DHYANA OR MEDITATION

Dhyana or Meditation is an important component of Ashtanga Yogas—the eightkinds of yogas that lead to spiritual elevation and salvation.  Man's mind is compared to the silly and mischievous activities of a monkey! It can never keep quiet. Numerous thoughts crisscross in the mind disturbing its stability. What is Yoga? Sage Patanjali, the author of Yoga Sastra defines Yoga as “ Yogas chitta vrutti nirodhaha” The object of Yoga is to arrest the activities of the mind. It is through Dhyana or Meditation alone that the unsteady and vacillating mind can be controlled. But to sit in Dhyana is not an easy task. It requires proper initiation from a qualified Preceptor or Guru. “ In order to calm the mind and keep it on an even keel, Dhyana is prescribed as a Sadhana. Dhyana is the process by which the positive and negative aspects of the mind are regulated out of existence.” Says Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Saibaba. (SSS VolX) It is very difficult to gather and concentrate the mind which runs after mundane things in diverse directions. It is as difficult as gathering the mustard seeds that escape out of a torn package and are scattered in all directions. Dhyana has been practiced by innumerable sages and seers from time immemorial.

What is Dhyana? It is not mere sitting erect and silent. It doesn’t mean that you are without any movement. It consists of merging  all your thoughts and feelings in God. Dhyana cannot be successful till the mind is merged or dissolved in God! There should be no other extraneous thought or feeling except God. In the Bhagavadgita , Lord Krishna says that He shall take over the burden and responsibility of the person who adores Him without any other thought or feeling. “ Ananyaschintayanto mam ye janah  paryupasathe tesham nityabhiyuktanam  yoga kshemam vahamyaham.” People capable of such Dhyana are very rare. Interruption to Dhyana are the worries and anxieties  relating to  family, property and riches. Some, during Meditation strike at the mosquitoes that pester them. It is wrong. One should  lose himself in Dhyana until he rises above all mental urges and impulses. Meditation should be done with purified mind. It is not as if you can do it in your spare time. Cultivate fine virtues and concentrate on  good thoughts. Peace of mind can be yours if you avoid needless desires, envy, hatred, anger and lust. “Real meditation is getting absorbed in God as the only thought, the only goal. God only, only God. Always God breathe God love God, live God.” Remarks Swami in His Divine discourse. (SSS Vol V) If you are conscious of meditation, your meditation is off the track! You should lose yourself or merge in God and forget everything. It is in this process that the mind stops naturally.

According to Sri RamaKrishna “The easiest way of concentrating the mind is to fix it on the flame of the candle. The in most blue portion corresponds to the causal body or the 'Karana sareera.’ Power of concentration is obtained through this process. The bright portion around the blue flame is said to represent 'Sukshma sareera’ or the subtle body. Outside of that signifies the gross body or 'Sthula sareera'. When in meditation the mind should concentrate on the object of meditation and on nothing else.  That is what the ordinary man is unable to do! When can you say that there is perfect meditation?  It is when nothing else is heard or seen! All feelings disappear. One doesn’t feel the creeping snake on his body!! He becomes unconscious of everything outside like the birds building nests in his hair!! We hear of such tremendous tapas and meditation by our ancient sages and seers who had the bliss of the vision of God! In deep meditation the senses are inhibited and the function of mind is arrested as if the door is closed. The objects of the senses stay outside unseen! This is because the mind should remain absolutely calm for union with God! In great Yogis, sages and seers the mind is under their control while  the ordinary mortal is under the control of mind!
 Man's inherent Divinity is perfected by Dhyana or Meditation. It should not be overdone or done casually or carelessly. Can anyone train another in meditation? It is possible to teach a person the posture, the pose, the position of legs, feet or hands, neck, head or back, the style of breathing or it’s speed. But meditation is the function of the inner man. As Bhagwan Sri Sri Satya Saibaba remarks it  “Motivates deep subjective quiet, the employing of the mind and filling oneself with the light that emerges from the Divine spark within. This is a discipline that no textbook can teach and no class can communicate. (SSS Vol VII A)  Time is an important part of Dhyana. It can be on any form one likes during the time interval called “Brahma Muhurtha” which is from 3am to 6am. “Padmasana” is prescribed for performing Dhyana. Sitting on the bare ground must be avoided. Sit either on a wooden plank or on a mat. Spread a piece of clothing over it. The reason is that you shouldn’t be disturbed by the power of conduction of the earth.

It may not be possible to perform Dhyana in one and the same place. Care must be taken to see that there is no change in the  time for meditation. “ What you have to give to God is Prema. It must be Prema coming from within your heart. It must be at the appropriate time. So, if you give heartfelt Prema at the appropriate time then God will certainly receive it and God will shower on you all happiness”,  remarks Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. Let us follow the footsteps of our ancient sages and seers and perform Dhyana under ideal surroundings with imperturbable faith in God and derive indescribable bliss!

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