When our Prema for God crosses all boundaries, the limitations of the body are also transcended.
From the book: How the Sathya Yuga is coming
Feelings Make an Avatar!
30 August 2003 Morning meditation
Vasantha : Swami, in Your Krishna Jayanthi discourse You
have said that Vasudeva was in trance when he carried the newly born Krishna in
a basket and that when the basket was put down, it was Radha who saw Krishna
first; the form of the Lord came to dwell in Radha’s heart from that moment.
That impression, that association, that imprint has made me mad… why? Tell me, what is the cause?
Why
she saw first? How did she realize it was Krishna? What is the reason? Tell me
the reason why have You made me mad
like this?
Swami : Do not cry. I will tell you the reason. During
the Rama Avatar all loved Him. Saints, sages ordinary
people, all loved Rama. Yet Rama did not allow anyone to come near Him, nor
touch Him. He didn’t touch anyone except Sita, even in thought. All were
surprised at this purity and wondered, “Is it possible?” Sita herself was
surprised and was filled with a sense of gratitude towards Rama.
As
time passed, an answer emerged to the question, ‘Is it possible?’ The Prema of
Rama and Sita took form as a star and incarnated as Radha. This child came into
the hands of Shiva and Parvathi and was then given to Vrushabhanu, the father
of Radha.
Radha
did not open her eyes after birth. Only when she was twenty-six months old did
she open her eyes for the first time. Krishna’s form was the first thing she
saw. This is the reason why Krishna’s form became deeply imprinted in Radha’s
mind. Radha did not see anyone after this, till now.
It
is Radha’s feelings, her Prema that brought Krishna. Krishna danced and played
with the Gopis and Gopas; He later married many princesses. Yet, Radha’s
feelings of Prema were not shaken, they remained strong as ever.
Afternoon
meditation
Vasantha : Why was I married in this life?
Swami : It is to show that even after getting married
and leading an ordinary life, your
sight did not waver from Me.
I contemplated on this. Radha came as an
answer to the question, ‘Can there be a love such of that of Rama and Sita?’
Rama and Sita defined Prema and epitomized chastity. When their Prema and
chastity united, the form of Radha emerged. The letters ‘Ra’ from Rama and
‘Tha’ from Sita came together to form Ratha or Radha. Radha did not see anyone
after her birth; she opened her eyes after 26 months to see her beloved
Krishna. Radha’s intuition, her inner feelings, thus showed her the Lord of her
Prema, Sri Krishna. Radha is the embodiment of the Prema of Rama and Sita. She
came to prove that not only can one have the Prema of Rama and Sita, but one
can even go beyond that.
Her feelings brought an Avatar who could
contain her boundless love. Sri Krishna Paramatma of Dwapara Yuga descended at
a time when dharma needed to be reestablished. He took form in response to
Radha’s Prema.
With her first sight, Krishna’s form became
deeply imprinted in Radha’s mind. She, who came as a response to a question,
saw the One who was the source of that feeling, that response. After this, she
did not see anything else.
In meditation Swami said, “Her sight was only
on Krishna. Her thought and mind did not search for anything except Him. Her
mind, intellect and senses were centered only on Krishna. Even though she lived
in this world, she lived only with Krishna.”
Sight
does not mean just seeing with the physical eyes. It indicates one-pointedness
of thought, senses, mind, intellect and consciousness; all these constitute
ones sight. It is the thought that does not attach itself to anything but to
Sri Krishna, inside, outside, everywhere only the Lord.
One may wonder, ‘Is it possible to be like
this!?’ It is possible.
Radha is living in the same thought for two
ages. Her sight has been one-pointedly fixed on her Lord. Ages change, many
people come and go, different events take place; however amidst all that
happened around Radha, her sight did not change.
People were surprised by the one-pointed love
that existed between Rama and Sita. They wondered is it possible to have such
love? The union of their Prema came as Radha. Rama and Sita enjoyed physical
nearness. Radha is the Prema, which flowed from their nearness. Now since the
same Radha is not enjoying the proximity to Sai Krishna, more and more love
flows from her towards Him. Prema grows in separation.
For Radha, Krishna was like a fruit, a
delicious fruit that was beyond reach. How was she able to taste that which she
could not reach? There was no physical connection between them; their pure
Prema was united at the Atmic level. Though they are not together physically
and are separate, they are one in feeling. So in truth Radha and Krishna are
never separated. Worldly people give great importance to the body and therefore
cannot think beyond it. Prema is divine; it has nothing to do with the body.
True Prema can only arise when one does not have body consciousness. So this
feeling of oneness is not worldly, it is not connected to the body. It is
transcends the body and senses; it is borne in the Atma, it is a merger of
feelings.
That is why it is a fruit that can be tasted
though not touched. Now this same Prema continues with Sathya Sai and Vasantha
Sai. Because they are the same Radha and Krishna this Prema continues. It is
not affected by time; it flows continuously from age to age, since the
beginning of eternity. Radha’s total surrender continues now also.
After 64 years of penance, I totally
surrendered myself at the feet of Swami. Swami accepted me. This offering is
only one half of my goal.
Now the question may arise why I have the
desire to see Swami and talk to Him physically. If this Prema is beyond the
body then why do I have this desire?
It is because my goal in life is to merge this
physical body in the physical body of Bhagavan. From a young age I have aspired
that at the time of death my body should not become food for earth or fire, it
should merge in Swami’s body. This bond is only to attain that end. When this
body turns into a jyothi and becomes one with Swami, then alone my sadhana will
come to an end.
I asked Swami for Universal Liberation. To
attain this boon my penance continued beginning the second phase of my life.
Now I am continuously praying that all my children should experience the bliss
I am enjoying; all should attain Mukthi. My feelings of Prema that were
directed only to Bhagavan have been converted into motherly feelings and are
showering on the people of the world. Prema feelings are often difficult to
understand, not all can perceive them.