Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Thought for the day

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.