Amrita Vani

[The 9th annual convention of International Vedanta Society was organized on 23rd November, 1997, Sunday, at Pandu Recreation Hall, Guwahati. In the evening session the address delivered by Sri Bhagavan is presented here as it was.]

Respected audience,

The power on whose attraction we have all assembled here, the power which is being talking to you through my body and that power by which you all are listening to me, is called God. When this power is in action, then He is engaged in the creation, sustenance and destruction. When this power is without action or calm and transcended, then He is Brahman or the Self. Both are the same. So, the Self and God is undifferentiated.

A few minutes back Swami Advaitananda has told that it is directed by God¹. The prime objective of International Vedanta Society is Atman or Brahman, which is I am myself and you all are. But to reach this Supreme Truth we have to start with God. What is the need of God? We all are using this word – God, just to talk we use, but, did any of us ever think that why God is necessary for us? Does God really exist? The present age is the age of science. Everyone seeks justification. Does God exist? International Vedanta Society, fearlessly, standing firm upon Truth says, "Yes, there is God." What is the proof that God exists? Many days back Swamiji² said that Muhammad seen God in Makka or Acharya Sankar realized God is not the proof that God exists. The proof is that I can also realize God. God is realized even today. What is the need of God? What is the definition of God? He is almighty, He is powerful than all. Proof, the proof is required. Here it is written – for nine years³, but it is not, I am living with the word God for twenty five years, not nine. I have got the direct proof of Him. Today I am given a chance to speak in this Institute where I came in the year 1972. Then I was a frustrated, broke down young man in front of whom there were nothing for hope. I could not found anything other than frustration and death. Today I am feeling very happy that in this very institute of American Colony a book of Swami Vivekananda had come to my hand and a poem of that book had come to my hand. The poem is –

To An Early Violet

What though thy bed be frozen earth,
Thy cloak the chilling blast;
What though no mate to cheer thy path,
Thy sky with gloom overcast;
What though if love itself doth fail,
Thy fragrance strewed in vain;
What though if bad over good prevail,
And vice over virtue reign:
Change not thy nature, gentle bloom,
Thou violet, sweet and pure,
But ever pour thy sweet perfume
Unasked, unstinted, sure!

This poem then helped me to live. Today this poem, I hope, the age we live in, age of dangers, will help everybody to live. It will help to fight. With this poem of Swami Vivekananda in my hand I am constantly his devotee, his follower for the last twenty five years. I am obliged, I cannot be ungrateful. This life is given by him, this body is given by him, this mind is given by him, and the proof of God is here. He has given me life⁴, there is no need for a bigger proof than this. A big proof that God exists is this program of today. I am no sannyasi returned from the cave, I have not performed long religious austerity. But this is true that you are listening about God from me. Swamiji⁵ said to tell the message of the Vedanta of jungle to each and every house. But had it been imagined then that a householder, an ordinary railway employee will be able to speak about the Vedanta among peoples and peoples will listen? Is there any event of more wander than this in the world now? We have read in the Gita, ‘Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirvabati bharata’. When we have read the Gita, we have thought that how Srikrishna told the Gita so calmly inside the battlefield. You can see that inside that battlefield so calm, so tranquil Srikrishna was. But what is the proof for that?⁶ I am saying that it is possible. Why is it possible? We all are in Assam for a long time. The war in Kurukshetra lasted for eighteen days, here the war is continuing for many days. But in this situation how this Vedanta Society was made? How Vedanta Society was continued? How Vedanta Society was expanded? Yes, its proof is God exists.⁷ He is capable of making the impossible possible. He makes the impossible possible. He is behind this. By His power this play is. Let us come back to the context. What is the necessity of God today? Let us go back a bit, return to the past. In the subservient India a young man came to Thakur Ramakrishnadeva with a madly search. He questioned, have you seen God? Thakur Ramakrishnadeva answered – Yes, I have seen God. Second question – can you show me? He said – Yes, I can. This question is of eternal, ageless India. This question has been repeatedly uttered on the soil of India. Maitreyi demanded to Yajnabalka – tell me about that truth. Nachiketa told Yama – let me know about the truth. Acharya Shankar has asked, Ramanuja has asked. Thakur Ramakrishnadeva has asked, Vivekananda has asked. Thakur Ramakrishnadeva said – the purpose of our life is God realization. This is a very clear word. There is no doubt in it. The soil of India is a divine land, man will born here. Whether he is a householder or a Sannyasi that is not important. Men have been wanting God for long here and they realize God. So the question is – have you seen God? Thakur told – Yes, I have seen, I can show you also. These words are the true words,⁸ there is no ego in it, it is Truth. Upanishad tells us at the very beginning, ‘Shrinvantu Vishve Amritasya Putrah’ – Hey the children of Immortal. What a beautiful address! All of our problems are solved by this address only. We are the children of such and such has made this country divided.⁹ By only one word the sages of the Upanishads are addressing – Hey the children of Immortal; listen. I have known that Truth, you can also know that Truth. This is the message of our country.

What happens if one knows this Truth? God realization – what happens by that? Narendranath Dutta became Swami Vivekananda. But what does it mean by God realization? Thakur had asked Narendranath – What do you want? He replied – I want to be immersed in samadhi like Shukdeva. Thus the word came with God realization – samadhi, nirvikalpa samadhi. We have now heard with this word. Nirvikalpa samadhi is required.¹⁰ To become Swami Vivekananda nirvikalpa samadhi is required. Today’s international youth day – is after that nirvikalpa samadhi.¹¹ We can take the name of somebody with pride, the name of Swami Vivekananda. But before that when Thakur was about to leave the physical body, he said – Thakur, please do something for me. Please make myself in samadhi, I have not yet realized samadhi. So the samadhi is required, nirvikalpa samadhi. This is Brahma-jnana. Thus it has come slowly from God realization to Brahma-jnana, Atma-jnana. We have seen Thakur that he is calling – mother, mother. Mother Kali. But at some point of time it has been seen that He himself is eating the food offered to mother Kali. He is putting the flowers for the mother on His head. That means He has reached to Advaita, He has reached to Brahma-jnana, He has reached to Brahman. It has been the non difference with the Mother to Him.¹² Here in the Vedanta Society the practice of Brahma-jnana is done. Strange! How can it be? That is because it is transmitted through Guru. My Guru was in Purulia. His birthday is 19th November, and on this 19th November our Vedanta Society was established.

Today a few minutes back Advaitananda has told what Vedanta Society can do. Swamiji has spread this Vedanta in the whole world. But we should know that the work Swamiji wanted to do, have not finished. Thakur had told before His death – ‘Naren will teach people’. What teachings Vivekananda gave? Vivekananda clearly said – tell this message of the Vedanta of jungle to each and every house. The reason for the declination of India is not Religion, the main reason is we were not able to serve this highest message of religion, this classic message to the peoples. Since a poem of Swamiji, Swamiji’s words have given me life, I became inspired by that word to spread the message of the Vedanta to each and every house, for fourteen years, not nine years, for fourteen years sitting in a small quarter I have been speaking the Vedanta regularly. I am telling people only about this, because I have got life. So I am telling the people – you are that, you are that. That infinite power is within you. You are not weak. Abhih. You are That. This is Vedanta.

The words of the Vedanta would seem very difficult at the first sight, but it is not difficult at all. See me. You all know about me. I am an ordinary employee of railway, ordinary man. Now I am aged. I have not read much. I am not much aware of reading. But, if I, by the grace of my Guru, if the Guru can teach me, if I can understand the Vedanta by the words of Guru, and if this Vedanta makes a turning in my life, today such a big organization is running around the whole Maligaon, so many boys and girls have become inspired madly by that power, then why cannot you do? Cannot all of you do? Let me tell a small word. When a baby born in a very highly educated family, do the members of that family then say that the baby is uneducated, it is a stupid, it will not understand our language? No, we all know that someday it will grow up like us. So the great men have said this Advaita Vedanta, words of this Upanishad – Tattvamasi, Aham Brahmasmi. This is not difficult. We have not heard these words for long. Everybody of India is the child our family. We are the children of the same family, if we gradually listen from Guru regularly, listen regularly from the scriptures about Atman, about myself, one day it will gradually become clear. What is Vedanta? Vedanta does not deny the world. Vedanta says – Brahman is truth, the world is falsehood. But here the proper nature of the world is depicted. In the dark of night a rope is fallen, a man shouted in fear – snake, snake. Vedantic Guru said – no, this is not snake, this is rope, don’t worry. Thus he has given the proper introduction. Let me start with a small word, let me start with a story, it will help to understand. Vedanta says, there is nothing to worry about. Nineteen years ago when I have told my Guru – Gurudeva, you are telling me Vedanta, Swami Vivekananda said, this is the subject of the sannyasis, without sannyasa brahma-jnana doesn’t come. He then said me with laughter – no, no, Sarada Ma has said – for the householders it is inner sannyasa. In ‘Swami Shisva Samvad’ Swami Vivekananda told to Saratchandra Chakrabarty – my dear, you are of a new style, neither householder, nor sannyasi. Saratchandra Chakrabarty was a disciple of Swamiji, whose famous book is ‘Swami Shisva Samvad’. We are also that neither householder nor sannyasi. Swamiji has said; it happens; and it happened. Hence, it is needed. It is a developed human. Only we are not aware. We are getting afraid all around, this fear will be cured by Vedanta.

A small story. Besides a road there was a rich man’s palace. At the palace of that rich man two Alsatian dogs are chained. Due to the fear of those Alsatian dogs nobody goes near. And everybody abuses that man – does he know that we the commuters walk by this road? He has chained two dangerous dogs in such a way. He has money, so he is very egoist.

One day the rich man asked his attendant – what’s the matter, why doesn’t anybody walk by the road in front of my house? Then the attendant asked a commuter – my master has asked why don’t you walk near our house? He replied – two dogs are chained in front of your house. Someday the rich man caught a commuter and asked – why you are not walking in front of my house? Answer came – out of fear; two huge dogs are chained there. So horrible! As if they will bite. How can I go near? By the way, why did you chain them in such a way? It was not supposed from you. We are not being able to walk. Then the rich man replied with laughter – come with me. My dogs won’t bite you. He slowly brought the commuter near. The commuter saw – two dogs are chained; but those are made of stone. A sculptor has made two dogs of stone. The commuter was getting afraid seeing those dogs so far, the same man uttered in joy – wonderful! What an art! What a beautiful creation! Similarly seeing this world we get scared at every moment. We sought – How disastrous! How horrible! See carefully; Swamiji said – see carefully this world, you will see God here, and everyone is God. This is Vedanta. There is nothing to worry about. Guru breaks this fear. What is making him afraid is actually an art. There is nothing to worry about anywhere. Today its proof is that in this twentieth century, in the age of star TV, in this age of degradation, so many of us are listening the Vedanta. Words of Swamiji are successful – tell the message of Vedanta to each and every house. Today in this place we were to discuss about the increment, promotion, pay commission of railway employees. But no, we are being able to discuss about Vedanta. We are listening these words. It is possible for us. It has become possible by the grace of God, by the grace of Swamiji. Swamiji said – spread the message of Vedanta to each and every house.

Before finishing let me tell a bit more about the Vedanta. How can this brahma-jnana, atma-jnana be attained? The way is – we have to listen from the Guru. Guru will explain gradually. Then the knowledge will come. What is knowledge? We have so many atmans. But scriptures say – ‘Ekam Sadvipra Bahudha Vadanti’. That means truth is only one, Brahmins tell it in many ways. But we are being looked so many; many divisions. Let us think for a while. Let us assume ten clay pitchers are full of water. On the sky there is the real sun. Only one sun is there. Reflections of that sun are being seen from each and every pitcher. The water is moving. Reflection of the sun is not being seen clearly. When the water came to a still then the counting has started. Everybody is seeing that there are ten suns. But on the sky there is one real sun. One pitcher was broken, the remainder being nine. Nine pitchers and one real sun were there. Nine reflected suns were there. Thus breaking the pitchers one by one when there remained one pitcher then it was seen one real sun and one reflected sun. When the last pitcher was also made broken, what remains – that is. That cannot be uttered. This is samadhi, nirvikalpa samadhi, abangmanasogocharam.

What do we understand by this example? Our jeevatman and paramatman are being seen two, but actually one. He is being reflected among all. He is among all. So is this much Love, Affection, Oneness. Vedanta believes in oneness, not tolerance. It is not universal brotherhood, it is universal oneness. Because he has found this oneness, there is only one sun, not two. Everything in this world – is in only one sun. Because of that the prayer of our sages -

Om Jabakusum Shamkashyam Kashyapeyang Mahadyutim
Dvantarim Sarvapapaghnam Pranatohsmi Divakaram.

From the side of science we have to accept that the sun is everything for us. This word, this life – are only for that sun. Similarly there are not many atmans. There is only one atman and that is paramatman. "Rupam Rupam Pratirupo Babhuva". When the water was moving, even then the reflection of the sun was in the water, but then we could not see it clearly. This is ignorance. But the reflection of the sun was there, reflected sun was there. When the water came to a still, that is when we became still, calm Brahman became evident. This is knowledge. God realization, or atma-jnana, brahma-jnana happened. When all the pitchers were broken, then what remained – that is nirvikalpa samadhi, abangmanasogocharam. That is what that remained. What was broken? The name and form was broken. When this pitcher of name and form is broken then satchidananda remains only. This name and form; I am such. Asti-Bhati-Priya-Nam-Prpu. Asti-Bhati-Priya is always there. He is atman, paramatman. This name-form, when this name-form of ego breaks then I am God only. I have not even an iota of difference from atman, neither you have, nobody has. After that when this knowledge becomes firm then Love comes. Ramanuja felt this love, Acharya Shankar felt this love. At the deep of this knowledge, love comes. Chaitanyadeva felt this love, he run madly from here to there. He said – say Krishna once. Say Krishna once. It cannot be made understood – why they say. After becoming mother it is understood that what motherhood is. Before that it cannot be made understood. She becomes mad seeing her child. After this farm realization of Brahman, when love comes in the life of men, love comes in the life of great men, then he runs after men, says – say Krishna once, say Krishna once. You and Krishna are the same. Krishna has run after. Thakur Ramakrishnadeva did not remain still after nirvikalpa samadhi. He went up the roof and said – where are you all, come, come, come. He is crying – please come. What a call! What a call of love! Nobody has called us like this – please come, please come! I am waiting for you all. Swami Vivekananda ran from this corner of the world to other. He is also the same, he also had the same cry. He said – so far even a single dog of India will remain with empty stomach I will come again, I will come again. Swamiji has run whole over India, whole over the world. But one day he wanted to be in samadhi like Shukdeva. Thakur replied – there is much higher state than this – it is that love. A few small drops of that love have fallen on our Vedanta Society. Other than this we really have nothing more. Today somebody my dear asked me about the fund of our Vedanta Society. I have replied – we have nothing; empty hand. I have come to you with empty hands. I said – believe me, we really have nothing. How did the day spend? By love only. I have told people – believe me. In this age of disbelief I have told only to believe a bit. Believe me, everybody is not fraud. On the soil of this country, man takes birth. What shall I do, it happened, what can I do? So with this appeal, with this appeal of love I have come to you. You have come, you have listened to my appeal of love. We are glorified. Four years back when we made program there was not more than thirty people. Today we are overwhelmed, our love is successful, we have become competent. You all try to spread this message of love to the whole world. I also live in this world. From Pandu by this road I also get tired walking. When people hurt me, I also feel hurt in the chest. But when people hug me with love I feel happy. For this happiness I went to my Guru. Naren has come to Thakur Ramakrishna. Naren has said – I don’t like you, I don’t obey all of your words. Thakur replied – then why do you come to me? Narendranath then said – because I love you. A small word – I love you. It has been uttered many times in this world. But even now if we can say this properly then man becomes mad. This is the gist of the Vedanta. Vedanta is not dry. This divine, love is in Vedanta, it is in Vedanta Society. A few drops. We have not yet become totally competent.

Today, I am saying to conclude – what happens when this love comes? Then everything turns into love, everything turns into consciousness, everything turns into Rama. That is oneness. That is love, that is a madly love. In that love it is felt that – you too come here, we too come here, you and I become one. We are not separate. Let us start thinking from the beginning. Let us build a civilization from the beginning. That will be the civilization. I conclude here. My pranams to all of you. Pranam.