21. ‘Arjuna, the body by itself is absolutely inert. It is My power that animates it in various ways and makes it do so many extra-ordinary things. Have you ever thought about that? Never! And do you know why? It is your ego that deludes you!’

22. ‘This delusion, also called Maya, misleads and fools. You paint a picture and people praise it. You immediately begin to think that you, the body, have actually done it. No! It is I who put the idea for the picture, it is I who guided your hand, it is I who allowed you to make that picture beautiful. And yet you think that it is you, the body, which did it! Tell Me, who is responsible for this delusion, you or Me?’

23. ‘This precisely is where the Yogi scores. He identifies himself totally with Me or the Atma, and keeps on saying he uses his body and mind as instruments of the Atma.’

24. Arjuna says, ‘Yes Krishna, I remember the Yogis say Aham Brahmasmi or ‘I am God’!’

25. Krishna replies, ‘Yes, Arjuna they do. But you must be careful with this chant that the scriptures recommend. Much depends on the feeling with which and the spirit in which you say Aham Brahmasmi.’

26. ‘You don’t do this chant to proclaim to the world, “Listen fellows, do you know who I am? I am God!” No! Never in that spirit! That is vain boasting and God does not know what boasting is!’

27. Arjuna asks, ‘Then what for do the scriptures recommend this chant?’

28. Krishna replies, ‘Ah, with good reason! You see Arjuna, everything has a purpose. You know elders advise, “If you fly into a rage, tell yourself I am not an animal; I am man.” That is a reminder. The chant Aham Brahmasmi also is supposed to be chanted in the spirit of a reminder. It is a reminder that you are expected to exhibit virtues like Compassion, Selfless Love, Forbearance, etc. Remember, all these are Divine qualities. They all are already in man, and all he has to do is to let them out. The chant is a reminder that he had better do the releasing!’ 29. ‘When you keep on chanting thus, slowly, unknown to you, the Divine feeling would envelop you completely. As you think, so you become; remind yourself constantly that you are God and God indeed you become!’ 30. ‘When you feel you are God, you will no longer see any differences. If someone is happy, you would feel that happiness. If someone is in pain, you would feel that pain and rush to help.’ 31. ‘Arjuna, in simple terms, going from the level of man to the level of God means giving up all this business of mine and thine, crushing ego, and wiping out all traces of worldly attachment.’ 32. ‘A man of the world may be good, but he still functions within the limits of Swartham or selfishness and Swaprayojanam or self-interest. A man who has risen to the level of the Divine does not.’

33. ‘Just look at Me? Can you find even an atom of selfishness or self-interest in Me? Impossible! I am Divine because My Heart is full of nothing but Daya or Compassion, Prema or Pure and Selfless Love, and Kshama or Forbearance. These qualities are not switched off and on. They flow uninterrupted all the time. They are My very nature.’

34. ‘Arjuna, in the physical Universe, there is the seen and the unseen. For example, you can see mountains but you cannot see air. You cannot see the mind; and so on. I am the basis for everything in the physical Universe, both the aspects that are seen and those that are not.’

35. ‘But remember, these two aspects are nothing but the superstructure of something that is even more subtle and always is. That substratum is the Real Me. It is from that substratum that is the Ultimate that Space and Time are born, onto which the Universe gets projected. So, while living in the Universe and seeing all that goes on before you, you must go back all the way to the true fundamental basis. That alone would help you to become quickly united with Me.’

36. ‘If only people would take a few minutes off and observe Me carefully, they would realise that My Life is My Message, every single second of it. But people do not, and that includes you too, I am afraid, despite our very long association! And that is why I have to tell you all that minutes before a major war is about to start!’

37. ‘If man’s life becomes the same as Mine, then man would become one with Me ever so easily! Why don’t people understand that?’

38. ‘I have drifted off from what I was saying a short while ago; let Me get back to Yogis. These blessed ones know who exactly I am, and what My true nature is. They understand fully that they have been gifted with the human form in order to rise to My level. They know fully well that man alone can rise thus and not an insect, bird, or animal.’

39. ‘The Yogis know where exactly they are supposed to go at the end of life, and they get there too! This is the privilege of all who are smart enough to burn trash in the fire of Knowledge. Why don’t you also do the same? What are you waiting for?!’

END OF CHAPTER 15