As in the sesame seed oil exists,

As in milk ghee is present,

As fragrance resides in a flower,

As the juice exists in a fruit,

As fire is latent in a faggot

So is the Divine immanent in subtle form.

Oil is present throughout the sesame seed. Ghee is present in every drop of milk. Fragrance is present in an invisible form in a flower. A fruit is filled with sweet juice. In every piece of wood fire is latent. In the same manner the Divine is immanent in the entire cosmos in a subtle form. God is present not in some country or some body. Like vision in the eye and hearing in the ear, God is present in the mind as (Chaitanya). The cosmos is visible manifestation of invisible Supreme Self.

While the Divine is in such close proximity to him, man in his ignorance goes seeking God everywhere. The Divine is effulgent in every man as Sat-Cit-ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss), the Cosmic Consciousness. (SSS Vol.28, p. 132)

The Divine is a wine, that would intoxicate you. It is produced by the nectar that the Name of the Lord is saturated in. Taste it and you forget everything else; you are transformed. (SSS Vol.8, p. 153)

The divine is now denoted by various words that are common currency in limited human vocabularies. These words describe and propose a meaning to the divine- ‘miracles’, ‘magic’, ‘wonders’, etc. Of course, men cannot contain in their minds more than they can hold. They cannot express in words the inexpressible. Only those who have dived deep and contacted the underlying principle of love can picture divinity with some clarity. The divinity that is ME has not been acquired or earned, nor has it been added to or evinced after the lapse of some years, in the middle of this career.

The divine has to reveal itself through these manifestations, largely shaped and modified by the nature of times, the region, and the cultural environment. The signs and wonders that I manifest are given names that do not connote the purpose of effect. They can be classed as chamatkara, leading to samskara, which urges one on to paropakara resulting in Sakshatkaram. Chamatkara is only act which attracts on account of its inexplicability. This aspect of attraction is inherent in the Avatar. The very name Rama means ‘he who pleases or causes delight’. Karshati Iti Krishna, Krishna means he who attracts or draws towards himself. This attribute of attraction is a characteristic of divinity.

Why does the divine attract? Is it to deceive or mislead? No, it is to transform, reconstruct, reform- a process called samskara. What is the purpose of reconstruction? To make the person useful and serviceable for society, to efface his ego, and to affirm in him the unity of all beings in God. The person who has undergone samskara becomes a humble, humane servant of those who need help. This is the stage of paropakara. Service of this kind done with reverence and selflessness, prepares man to realize the one that pervades the many. The last stage is Sakshatkaram. The Vedas proclaim that immortality (the stage when one is merged in the birthless, deathless, universal entity) is feasible through renunciation and detachment only, and not through rituals, progeny or wealth. When one renounces selfish desire, his love expands into farthest regions of the universe, until he becomes aware of the cosmic love that feeds all the four processes mentioned above. It is important that you know this underlying urge in ail that t do.

Let us consider the chamatkara acts that attract and cause wonder. You see a flower. You long to hold it in your hands only when its colour or fragrance is attractive. You enter the market and see heaps of fruits. If the fruits are not attractive, you have no urge to possess them and benefit by them. Attraction is the very nature of the divine.

When the person is drawn near, the process of samskara starts. Without this, man remains hollow and feeble. He has no dignity or personality. Two annas work of stainless steel is transformed by skilful manipulation and reconstruction into nuts, screws and springs, into a watch that is worth two or three hundred rupees. This is the result of samskara, which, turned it into a useful tool for indicating time. So too, man can be transformed into a noble efficient, happy and disciplined member of society by implanting of good thoughts, good feelings, good deeds, and good emotions. Man can be transformed into Mahatma (great soul). Such transformed persons will spontaneously engage themselves in the task of promoting human welfare. They will be promoters of the ideals of the brotherhood of man and Fatherhood of God.

Now, person who have no experience or knowledge of spiritual science or no conception of the divine make pronouncements on subjects into which they stray. The eye can see, but it cannot hear; the tongue can talk but cannot hear. The ear can hear but can neither see nor talk. Each has to accept its limitations and be content. The divine can be grasped only through love, through faith, and sadhana (spiritual work) surcharged with universal love. Reason is too feeble an instrument to measure it. Denial of the divine cannot negate it. Logic cannot, reveal it. All the tirades now being made on the divine are from atheists who are opportunists. So, your duty is to preserve your equanimity. Be true to yourselves and do not waver. I am unaffected by praise or blame My love and compassion envelope all; my grace can be shared by all. I am declaring this so that you may face all this with fortitude. The more you dig, the deeper the derision; the higher the mound, the latter the praise. People with a disease in the nose cannot appreciate the fragrance of a flower. Those who cannot appreciate or recognise the divine are suffering from illness which handicaps them. (S&M, pp. 232-234)

Consciousness in the Nature is not purposeless. When it is filled with ego, it gets deformed; when it is turned towards the Atma, it becomes Divine. To whom is consciousness to be dedicated? Not for selfish ends. It should be offered to the Divine. However, man today is caught up so much in selfish pursuits that he has degraded himself to the level of animals and is displaying demonic traits. At every step he is violating Dharma (Righteousness). Every desire is turning into greed. Large-heartedness is on the wane. Man’s vision has lost the light of love. Truth is the casualty in man’s speech. Spirituality has become a form of ostentation. Qualities like kama (lust) and krodha (anger) are having a free reign. Consciousness has become dormant in man. Human relationships have become mechanical and artificial. In fact, humanness has virtually disappeared.

In this situation, what is it that man should seek? How can he attain peace and happiness? The first requisite is the cultivation of the love of God. The Puranas and the ancient sages have declared that the Divine incarnates to punish the wicked and protect the good. This is not correct. The Divine incarnates to inculcate love in mankind and teach how love should be promoted and practised. Only when such love is developed will man be free from sorrow and trouble. Sins will be wiped out and fear will cease to haunt men. (SSS Vol.21, p. 81)

Many people declare that God is present within them. This is wrong. This statement belittles the divine. When I hold a flower within my palm, the flower is obviously smaller than my palm. If you say God is within you, you suggest that you are bigger than God. The truth is; you are in the Divine and not the Divine in you. It is only when you have such a wide vision that you can experience the Divine. (SS Apr 89 , p. 96)

The entire cosmos is subject to the sway of the Divine. The cosmic Divine Lord is governed by Truth. That Truth is governed by a Uttama (supremely wise person). Such a noble being is the very embodiment of God- ‘Uttamo para Devata.’ (SSS Vol.26, p. 108)

All the study of scriptures is of little avail if genuine love of God does not flow spontaneously from the heart. It is only through such love that the Divine can be realised. Love and sacrifice are the two greatest qualities in life. It is on the basis of these qualities that our ancients dealt with the problems of society so that the individual, the family, the community and the nation may pursue the path of Dharma. (SSS Vol.17, p. 8)

‘Advaita darshanam Jnanam’ (Perception of the one without a second is the Supreme Knowledge). What everyone has to realise today is the omnipresence of the Divine. ‘Sarvam khalu idam Brahman’ (Verily all this is Divine). The unity of the body, mind and spirit should be understood. No actions can be performed without the body. Without actions the eternal verities cannot be recognized. There can be no Self-Realisation without recognizing the verities. (SSS Vol.28, pp. 279-280)

Divine is being split up --- The Divine belongs to everyone and is not the sole preserve of any one. There is only one God, but He manifests Himself in many forms to please different people. Sadhana alone is not enough to enable one to understand this truth, The spirit of enquiry is also necessary. Today numerous divisive forces are at work. What is essentially one is being regarded as many. In this process, the true concept of Divinity is lost. In the pursuit of worldly interests and out of commercial considerations. The Divine is being split up. As a result, men are unable to grasp the true nature of the Divine. This leads to a failure to distinguish between what is true and what is false. (SSS Vol.19, p. 186)

All the animate beings in the cosmos emerge from the Divine, are sustained by the Divine and merge in the Divine. The Divine is the root cause of creation, sustenance, and dissolution. Man is born out of desire, lives on desire and passes out by desire. Man s life is based on desires or thoughts (sankalpa). As are his thoughts, so are his actions. As are the actions, so are the fruits thereof. The fruits determine the goal. It follows that man s destiny is determined by his thoughts. Cultivate sublime thoughts, lead ideal lives, realise the highest fruits and strive to reach the supreme goal. (SSS Vol.24)