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Posted on: Dec 23, 2017

The Messenger and His Message

Part 02

What is Special about this Messenger?

How was Jesus special? We say that Jesus was the messenger of God. Well, I am also a messenger of God because I have picked up some messages from Bhagawan's discourses and am sharing them with you. Tomorrow if you give a talk and share His wisdom with others, you too will become a messenger of God.

Rabindranath Tagore says, “Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.” Bhagawan would say in His discourses, “Jesus proclaimed that He was a messenger of God. He was true, and so are all of you.”

So what is the difference between Jesus being the messenger of God and we being the messenger of God?

There is a book of John in The Bible where there are seven statements in which Jesus describes Himself saying “I am this, I am that, etc”. Some of these statements explain what we have been trying to understand so far, the concept of shravanam and mananam, and also give a hint as to what nidhidhyasanam is.

One of the statements He makes is, “I am the good shepherd. (John 10:11)”

The sheep do not ask questions but simply obey. That is why we use the expression, 'to follow like a sheep'. This is the shravanam part of the message where we simply listen to Jesus's message and blindly follow it.

Jesus also said a very beautiful statement which is very cryptic:

“I am the bread of life. Eat Me. He who comes to Me will never go hungry. (John 6:35)”

How do we make sense of this statement?

There is a beautiful Chinna Katha that Bhagawan narrates about a traveller who is on a long journey. In the early days when there were no tiffin carriers and hot packs, travellers would pack food in a cloth, tie it up in a bundle and carry it.

So this traveller was going around with a bundle of food on his back. Bhagawan says, “The bundle of food is a burden, right? The traveller has to carry a few kilos extra because of it. At one point he stops. There is a beautiful tree with a huge canopy and a nice shade. He opens the bundle, eats the lunch and rests for some time. Now the burden is gone and he is also energised to carry on with his journey.”

Bhagawan continues, “The same is with My message. If you keep carrying it in your head it will become a burden. Sit down and ingest it. Then you will be rejuvenated to carry on in life.”

That is what Jesus probably meant when He said, “I am the bread of life. Ingest Me and eat Me. Do not just worship Me but make Me a part of you.” Elsewhere Jesus explains further standing at a well:

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

Once the message is accepted and made part of one's thinking process itself, through the process of mananam or recapitulation, one can keep going back to it whenever there is a need, however different the situation may be.

The statement, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12) also suggests the same. Light does not discriminate. It can show clearly any path, if we take recourse in it. The Master's message is such; it is there to enlighten our path and it does so when we turn to it.

Why did Jesus say, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”? In another statement He says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)

We are all at the human level, aspiring to reach the divine level. Jesus comes right in between. He embodies a state which we have to go through if we have to reach the Divine.

When a messenger comes with a message and He starts living the message Himself, we cannot differentiate the message and the messenger because the message has become part of the messenger. That is the state Jesus Christ embodied! That is the difference between us being messengers and Him being a messenger.

That is why Jesus said, “You cannot go to My Father, you cannot go to heaven and you cannot reach truth if you do not go through Me.” This is an essential state everyone has to go through.

Why is it so? It goes back to the concept of Truth. There is a procedure and deservedness for everything. The deservedness to attain the truth is the state that Jesus embodied.

The Qualities Jesus Lived

Bhagawan says there are three qualities Jesus embodied and interestingly He says these are not divine qualities! He says they are 'human' qualities.

These are: mamata, samata and kshamata. Mamata is love - love for people around us and love for God. Samata is the state of equanimity - the ability to accept everything as it is without giving way to ups and downs in our emotions. Kshamata is the ability to forbear and forgive, and accept everyone as they are.

Mamata is all about love. Bhagawan always says that when we love all, we can reach the goal. But isn't that the most difficult thing to do? Why? That's because some people are more lovable than others. Put in other words, some people are more annoying than others. Some even harm us. How then do we love them? Then there are those whose existence does not matter to us. We don't know them too well or they do not influence our lives. Then how do we love them?

We all know the five human values of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa. But Bhagawan speaks of four other human values too. He says these are also important values and if one follows these, one would lead the life of a perfect human being - the state which Jesus embodied. That is because in the life of Jesus the line between humanity and Divinity vanished!

What are these four human values that Bhagawan emphasises? They are Mudita, Karuna, Upeksha and Maitri. People who have studied Buddhism will know that these four are specially mentioned even in Buddhism.

Karuna - Compassion

We come across many types of people in life. There are some who are in a state lesser than our own - poorer than us or more unfortunate than us, disabled or with problems bigger than ours. We also come across people who are lower in some way or the other - emotional, financial or social.

In such cases how should our love express itself? Bhagawan says it should express itself as karuna or compassion. He says, “You should show love and not indifference there.”

This is very subjective. Very often our misguided understandings come in the way of us expressing compassion too.

Let me share an incident I heard from a devotee who is no more. He said that during one Maha Shivaratri in the 1960s, Bhagawan was performing the Lingodbhavam. We have all seen how painful a sight it is!

That year Bhagawan was struggling more because the lingam that was emerging was bigger than usual. Right in front in the gathering a person was sitting. He was a priest from the royal household of Venkatagiri. Bhagawan had blessed him with a very rare opportunity - when Bhagawan had His bath, this person would stand outside and chant the Arunam, like how it is done when Abhishekam is performed for the lingam.

That evening Bhagawan was struggling to take out the lingam and bhajans were going on. Swami kept indicating for the bhajans to be sung faster. This person who was sitting right in front was in an ecstatic mood. Why? Because he was witnessing the grand Lingodbhavam! He kept smiling widely, clapping his hands and singing bhajans.

Bhagawan looked at him from the corner of His eyes. Late Mr Raja Reddy was sitting there and he noticed this scene - how the person was reacting and the way Bhagawan was looking at him. So he turned to this person sitting next to him (who happened to be the devotee who shared this incident with us) and whispered to him, “Mark my words. Tomorrow this person will get packed off!”

The next day Bhagawan called the ecstatic devotee and said, “What happened? Yesterday when Lingodbhavam was happening you looked happier than usual.” The person said, “Swami, it was the grand Lingodbhavam! It is a sight that even Gods aspire for! I was so thrilled and happy to witness it.”

Bhagawan asked, “But didn't you see that I was suffering and I was in much pain and discomfort?” The person said, “Swami, You are God. What suffering can touch You?” Bhagawan then said, “When I say that you are also God, you don't believe it.” The person said, “Swami, that is also truth.”

Bhagawan continued, “Then, the other day when your daughter was delivering her baby and there was some complication in the pregnancy, why were you sitting outside the labour ward and crying?”

Bhagawan further said, “When someone in front of you is exhibiting pain and you bring your reasoning and you don't have compassion, then you are not ready to go forward. You don't deserve to be in My presence!” And that person was indeed packed off from Prasanthi Nilayam!

Sensitivity is the first step in spirituality. If we cannot empathise when we see another's pain, we are not ready to embrace the ultimate Truth! That is the lesson Swami wanted to drive home here. Many times when we see people around us suffer, we rationalise it by saying, “Oh, it must be their own making, it is their karma!” but Bhagawan says that our love should express as spontaneous compassion or karuna when we see those in pain or in a state less privileged than us.

Mudita - Joy Unadulterated by Self-interest

Even karuna is easy but the next one, mudita, is far more difficult. What is mudita?

Sometimes we come across people who are better off than us in life. If our neighbour has a BMW car, will we be happy? One of our brothers would say in his talks, “If you are so fond of the BMW car, why are you not happy seeing the car in your neighbour's house?” My not having a BMW is less painful than the neighbour having the car at times!

Bhagawan asks us, “When you come across people who are doing better than you in life, can you express genuine happiness and say 'I am happy for you'?”

If someone tells us, “I have a very good job and I am very well-settled.”, can we genuinely feel happy for that person? Can we say, “I am very happy for you. God bless you.”?

Bhagawan would narrate a sweet story: there is a boy who goes to see the exam results which have just been put up on the notice board. Seeing the results he starts laughing happily. His friend comes by and looks at the list and tells the boy, “Your name is not there. You seem to have failed. Why are you so delighted?” The boy replies, “So what? I have failed but so many have passed. I am happy for all of them.”

Bhagawan would narrate this story humorously but His message to us through it was profound. Can we be like that boy? When we are doing badly can we look around and say, “Swami, Your grace is there on so many people. I am so happy.”?

Bhagawan says, If you master this one art of being genuinely happy with someone else's happiness, can you ever be sad? Can you ever be despondent, even for a moment? Let your love express itself as mudita, selfless joy. You are not going to get anything out of the other person's success or fortune, but still you are happy for him or her.

That is why in His bhajan Bhagawan sings ‘Prema Mudita Man Se Kaho’. He says, “Don't just say 'Ram, Ram, Ram' but make sure that the love bursts out from your hearts as joy - a joy that is not self-seeking or born out of self-interest.” With such overflowing joy or gratitude we must sing God's name.

Upeksha – Being Detached

Next comes upeksha which is a form of detached indifference or non-involvement.

There are some people who trouble us and some who can be comfortably branded as 'bad company'. What do we do with them? Bhagawan says, “Have detached indifference. Don't hate them! Don't curse them and say, 'May you also one day face what I am facing because of you.' Can you say 'Alright. That is your path. One day you will also come through'? Can you have that feeling towards someone who is annoying, troublesome and evil?”

We can keep away from them, because Bhagawan says “Avoid bad company.” but we can still pray for them and wish that they are transformed too. When love expresses in this manner, it is called upeksha.

The quality of upeksha is very essential. Why? It is because this is what adds to the balance of our life. Sometimes it is important to maintain our own sanity by maintaining an indifferent attitude towards certain people. Hatred and anger will again disturb our inner peace.

Maitri - Friendliness

Finally comes maitri. We will definitely come across people who are our equals in life. There will be some people in the same level - not richer or poorer than us, going through similar struggles and probably celebrating similar achievements. They won't need our compassion or indifference. Bhagawan says that we should make friends with those who are equal to us. That is why He would say that friendship is always between equals.

Reading between the lines, doesn't Bhagawan also say, “God is your best friend”? He throws a hint there. He says friendship is between equals and then says, “God is your friend.” A tacit hint that we and God are equals!

But He says that before we reach that state of Oneness with Divinity, when we come across people who are equal to us in status and accomplishments, we should have friendship with them. We must maintain friendliness.

As we speak about each of these four values, can we not see that each one of these were embodied by Jesus? That is why Bhagawan said that Jesus represented perfect humaneness.

Why are these four qualities so important?

The problem with all of us, as I see it in myself, is that when Bhagawan says, “Love all, serve all” we immediately start thinking from His point of view. He looks at all of us as one. He says He sees Himself in each of us. We are yet to have that equal vision or perspective of oneness but we try to love all just the same way.

The fact is that we have to practise 'Love all, serve all' from our state of mind, the mind which is filled with differences. So we should start with acknowledging that we presently cannot look at all as equal and then we must start loving all. That will eventually lead us to oneness.

That is why these four qualities are important. They are based on how we look at people. For example, money might not be a scale based on which I see whether people are less fortunate or more fortunate. For me, let's say the greatest wealth is Bhagawan coming and talking to me. Then the same four categories can be described based on that parameter too - somebody to whom Bhagawan speaks more, somebody who has never come to Him, somebody who keeps poking me saying, “Hey! Bhagawan never spoke to you.” and somebody who is aspiring for His grace just like I am.

So whatever be our yardstick, when we differentiate people whom we come across in our life based on these four categories, these four values are so very important. They show us the right way to deal with people in life.

The Journey from Simple to Supreme Love

That is exactly what Jesus embodied. When Bhagawan says, “Mamata, samata, kshamata” we can live these three qualities through these four other values of karuna, mudita, upeksha and maitri. That is precisely what we need to learn from the life of Jesus Christ.

One of the most beautiful and practical messages which Jesus said is, “Start with doing unto others what you want others to do unto you. That is the least! How can you treat somebody the way you don't want to be treated?”

I had a moral science teacher in school and she would always say this, “Look! If you call that boy names, it means you don't mind being called the same names.” That really put reins on our tongues because she said, “You will treat a person the way you don't mind being treated.”

So the first sign of goodness or the way to approach goodness is to think, “Can I at least refrain from doing things which I don't want others to do to me?” That is the starting point - the basic form of mamata or love.

Then Jesus says, “After mastering this, take it one step further. What is so great in loving those who love you? Even a criminal or dacoit will love those who love him. Even an animal loves the man who loves it. But you will become truly great if you are able to love even those who hate you.”

So after having mastered the art of doing unto others as we want them to do unto us, can we go from 'mamata' to 'kshamata' or forbearance where we are able to love even those who are not so 'lovable'? How can we go to that state? It is through the state of equanimity or samata which is best received by surrender.

We must be able to say, “Nothing comes to me unsanctioned by my Lord. Nothing can come into my house or life if He does not permit it. And what He has sanctioned becomes prasadam for me and so I have no resentment.”

That is exactly what happened when Jesus was on the cross. For a moment He asked, “What happened? I didn't do anything to deserve this.” But the very next moment He said, “But Lord, if this is Your will I accept it, Thy will be done.”

The moment that attitude comes, nothing is liked more than the other and nothing is hated more than the other. The quality of samata or equanimity which is so dear to Swami appears.

These three qualities are so closely interrelated. Since Jesus had the equanimity to accept and love towards all, forbearance or kshamata became so easy. Without any hatred He could pray, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). He could forgive and love even those who put Him through unbearable pain.

Today we are celebrating the life of the messenger who lived the message!

Celebrating Christmas in Prasanthi

In Prasanthi we celebrate the message no doubt, but we celebrate the messenger too. In fact, that is the beauty of any celebration in Bhagawan's presence. It is a complete observance. For instance, during this festival of Christmas, the hall is so beautifully decorated. Seeing all the lights, the flowers, the festoons and the colours, we feel, “Oh! It's so breathtaking!” Our sense of sight is gratified.

Then we go sit in the Kulwant Hall and listen to such soulful music - the early morning carols, the children's choir and the international choir. Our sense of hearing is gratified. Of course there is good food too. But with all this Bhagawan would give His message. He did not say, “Today is Jesus Christ's birthday. From morning till evening I am going to tell you only about His message.” No! It is a complete celebration. He said, “You give pleasure to your eyes, ears and other senses but don't forget to give importance to the message too. Celebrate but recall the message too and resolve to follow it.”

I started with how the Truth is undivided. I feel there is no place other than Prasanthi Nilayam where the unity of Truth can be witnessed.

On Christmas morning I happened to be sitting in the bhajan hall when the early morning carols were being sung. The daily worship that happens in the bhajan hall was also in progress. It was such a beautiful experience, because whenever the carols stopped, I could hear the Rudram being chanted in the bhajan hall and then the carols would resume again.

On one side the Rudrabhishekam was going on and Rudram was being chanted; on the other side carols were being sung in the praise of Jesus! This can happen only in a place where people are consciously holding on to the Truth even as they celebrate diversity.

Today we celebrate the messenger who brought us the message. But how fortunate we all are that we are celebrating this day in the presence of the Master who sent us the message, through this messenger and many such messengers. Is there a better time in history to grasp the message?

The Lord who keeps sending His messenger found that we are getting excited and euphoric about the messenger and missing the message, like those who were panicking when they received a telegram. So He decided, “Let Me go Myself!”

The Lord has come in a lovable form, carrying the same redeeming message. How fortunate we all are to be celebrating Jesus Christ in the presence of our beloved Bhagawan! Let us all thank Him from the bottom of our hearts for this opportunity and vow to make His message our nourishment, our light and our way.

Go to Part 01

- Radio Sai Team