None can reveal the self within!

When we depend on a thing, condition or person, we become slave thereof said Sathya Sai Baba once. But we all depend on many things in our life. Initially we depend on parents, later on our friends and others during school days. Later we develop friendship with others when we reach teen age. Further, we depend on gadgets, money and earnings. Our priorities always shift as we grow in age. The interests in toys wean away soon in childhood. Hence each time, the parents bring different varieties of toys to suit our age. With frequent use, every thing becomes insignificant. A kind of emptiness develops even during young age.

After our education, we start hunting for suitable jobs. Once we are able to get a job, we hanker for promotions and more salary. Then we marry, beget children and here our requirements multiply. We have more mouths to feed and a small apartment becomes insufficient. Thus, everyone in this world develop dependency. I heard a nice quote once. As a bachelor, we had two legs and our movement was free, we added one more member as wife and now we become quadruped.. After that our movements become restricted. Once you get children, you start moving like a centipede. In that stage your movements are greatly restricted. Whether you depend on the family or they depend upon you, both are one and the same. You are bound inextricably into family life. With more responsibilities, you grow old very quickly. Stress has brought additional gifts like BP and sugar. This is the calendar of events in anyone’s life.

Only at this stage, man starts contemplating about the good old bachelor days! It is too late. You can never retrace your steps in the family. With more and more problems, man starts thinking about god and other spiritual subjects. Even then, it is never late. “All those who are weighed down by unbearable loads, come to Me, I will give you solace and rest”, said Jesus. Yes, if you are prudent, turn towards god at least at that time!

Yes, it is never too late. Though we need lessons on spiritual subjects from children days, it is always good that at some point of time, we turn towards the savior. We start reading religious books and scriptures. Wisdom slowly dawns that we have wasted our precious life in mundane pleasures of the senses. We realize that ‘no pleasures can give us permanent Joy”. It is with a purpose, god has created the senses so that one day, out of frustration, man will turn towards god. The pleasures are purposely transient, momentary and casual. Unable to get constant pleasures, man turns to more and more varieties. Alas! He fails miserably in his quest for the perennial happiness.

The source of perennial bliss is in the realm of spirit. Yes, the self is termed as “Sath Chit Ananda” in Hindu scriptures. It is pure existence, knowledge and Bliss. It is not granted to mankind since he has to seek it only in the realm of spirit. We too are embodiments of the spirit. The only difference between us and god is that we wear a form and name in which we are deeply attached. When we relinquish our attachment to the false self which is the body/mind complex, we are on the way to eternal spirit. The Self is not outside us. It is the core of each individual. It pervades the creation and cosmos. The Self transcends the creation. Hence the spirit is not measurable and it is not bound by the known laws of universe. It is beyond the mind and intellect. It is beyond the senses. It is beyond words of expression as well as imagination. How a fish can explain an ocean? The spirit is incomparable to any things perceived in the universe!

Hence the sages of yore said, it can be explained as “Not this, not this” In a way, it is pure witness of all. It knows no birth or death. It exists as it is. It was not part of the creation but it is the BASE of the entire creation!