Need to move from physical form Sathya Sai to mental-form Sathya Sai or formless God Within
In response to a Facebook post here: https://www.facebook.com/mafalda.casascordero/posts/836951373040843, I commented as follows:
Viewing somebody whom one has grown to admire and trust as an elder Sai (spiritual) brother or sister, or even mother or father, and getting some spiritual advise from them is fine, IMHO. But going to the extent of viewing them as channels/mediums/communicators of Shiva-Shakti Swarupa, Kali Yuga Avatar, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is WRONG as per Bhagavan's own instructions & teachings given many, many times in public discourses. Sorry, if the word WRONG sounds harsh, but it is my duty to my beloved Guru, Sathya Sai Baba, to say the truth about what He said in this matter, however disturbing and unpleasant it may seem to some who like to go to mediums & channels & communicators.
In this immediate post-Mahasamadhi phase it is natural that many Sai devotees feel a deep void emotionally due to the physical absence of our beloved Lord. This emotional insecurity seems to be leading many to go to channels/mediums/communicators. They may get some emotional relief from these persons. But the spiritual trap they can fall into is that they may BELIEVE them to be REALLY communicators of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and thereby become kind-of spiritually dependent on them.
About communicating to Swami/formless God within, my own experience which may be the experience of many Sai devotees, is that it is not as easy as interacting with physical form of Swami. Our mind plays tricks and so what we consider to be the inner voice of Swami/formless God may actually be a mix of our mind + God within. Whereas when one interacted with physical form Swami there was no possibility of such confusion as Swami would simply KNOW and GUIDE us with a look or gesture whether we were on the right track or not.
However, if we keep praying sincerely and earnestly to Swami, and keep trying hard to listen to the inner voice, in an atmosphere of purity, then it is my experience that the inner voice/intuition/mental-form Swami/formless God comes through very clearly, and one REALIZES that it is the RIGHT guidance.
In short, I think all Sathya Sai devotees have to now embark (if they have not earlier done so), with whatever small steps they can take, on the journey from physical-form Sathya Sai to Sathya Sai mental-form or formless God in the very depths of our own hearts. We must wean ourselves away from physical forms not only of Sathya Sai (mental form of Sathya Sai is OK) but also physical forms of mediums, channels and communicators who claim to be intermediaries of Sathya Sai.
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In the associated Facebook post with the above contents, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1622306014652636, there was this following comment exchange:
Mohan MK Kumar wrote:
I think sometimes there is a necessity of going back to a sort of BALAVIKAS classes for all the adults Sai devotees, and to bring in that familiar usual awareness teachings of asking to feel the "BREATH", asking the person to "breath in" and "breath out"...a bit of "soham" explanation...and the fact that only when it is mentioned about breath that one became aware of "breathing"...and the fact that it is taking place....keeping us all ALIVE....no battery or an external energy is required...and the breathing goes on....similarly "the beating of the heart"...no external energy or battery is required.....and that energy to be related to the "ATMIC PRINCIPLE"... that is within all of us and slowly and meditatively leading the person to look within...the mental form...the breath...continuous soham (and the fact the whole humanity is under the process of SOHUM..the 'in' and 'out'...so the the same ATMA IN ALL)....and that Oxygen is so freely available to all mankind...every where (omnipresence) to take in and out.....and this can be elaborated in so many ways...a goods balavikas guru can do it and I feel many of us must have small gatherings...sathsanghs where such exercises, and meditative techniques to be done, and to internalize GOD, whom we have seen and experienced....Sorry....may be rudiments but a necessity to internalize the FORM WITHIN...the same LOVE within....in ALL...
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Ravi S. Iyer responded:
Interesting suggestion, Mohan MK Kumar. However, what I experienced in Puttaparthi with physical form Swami, was a tremendous emphasis from Swami on worship of the Lord in whatever form (or even formless aspect) that we are comfortable with, with DEEP FAITH that yes, God is there within and that He will respond to earnest prayer in a suitable way (may not be the exact way we wish it to be). So the Bhakti (devotion) aspect with the ASSURANCE that He will RESPOND, is very important. That gives courage to devotees to face the challenges of everyday life. The forceful assertion that "Devudu unnaadu" - God is (there), and a God who DIRECTLY intervenes in human life (like how He intervened for Prahlada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prahlada), or for Draupadi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draupadi#The_game_of_dice), or for Shabari (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabari)), I think was a very important part of Swami's message to humanity. Note that no communicators or intermediaries were involved in the DIRECT divine Grace showered on Prahlada or Draupadi or Shabari. So it would be good if your above suggestion is somehow blended with what I have written above.
Viewing somebody whom one has grown to admire and trust as an elder Sai (spiritual) brother or sister, or even mother or father, and getting some spiritual advise from them is fine, IMHO. But going to the extent of viewing them as channels/mediums/communicators of Shiva-Shakti Swarupa, Kali Yuga Avatar, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is WRONG as per Bhagavan's own instructions & teachings given many, many times in public discourses. Sorry, if the word WRONG sounds harsh, but it is my duty to my beloved Guru, Sathya Sai Baba, to say the truth about what He said in this matter, however disturbing and unpleasant it may seem to some who like to go to mediums & channels & communicators.
In this immediate post-Mahasamadhi phase it is natural that many Sai devotees feel a deep void emotionally due to the physical absence of our beloved Lord. This emotional insecurity seems to be leading many to go to channels/mediums/communicators. They may get some emotional relief from these persons. But the spiritual trap they can fall into is that they may BELIEVE them to be REALLY communicators of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and thereby become kind-of spiritually dependent on them.
About communicating to Swami/formless God within, my own experience which may be the experience of many Sai devotees, is that it is not as easy as interacting with physical form of Swami. Our mind plays tricks and so what we consider to be the inner voice of Swami/formless God may actually be a mix of our mind + God within. Whereas when one interacted with physical form Swami there was no possibility of such confusion as Swami would simply KNOW and GUIDE us with a look or gesture whether we were on the right track or not.
However, if we keep praying sincerely and earnestly to Swami, and keep trying hard to listen to the inner voice, in an atmosphere of purity, then it is my experience that the inner voice/intuition/mental-form Swami/formless God comes through very clearly, and one REALIZES that it is the RIGHT guidance.
In short, I think all Sathya Sai devotees have to now embark (if they have not earlier done so), with whatever small steps they can take, on the journey from physical-form Sathya Sai to Sathya Sai mental-form or formless God in the very depths of our own hearts. We must wean ourselves away from physical forms not only of Sathya Sai (mental form of Sathya Sai is OK) but also physical forms of mediums, channels and communicators who claim to be intermediaries of Sathya Sai.
-------------------------------
In the associated Facebook post with the above contents, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1622306014652636, there was this following comment exchange:
Mohan MK Kumar wrote:
I think sometimes there is a necessity of going back to a sort of BALAVIKAS classes for all the adults Sai devotees, and to bring in that familiar usual awareness teachings of asking to feel the "BREATH", asking the person to "breath in" and "breath out"...a bit of "soham" explanation...and the fact that only when it is mentioned about breath that one became aware of "breathing"...and the fact that it is taking place....keeping us all ALIVE....no battery or an external energy is required...and the breathing goes on....similarly "the beating of the heart"...no external energy or battery is required.....and that energy to be related to the "ATMIC PRINCIPLE"... that is within all of us and slowly and meditatively leading the person to look within...the mental form...the breath...continuous soham (and the fact the whole humanity is under the process of SOHUM..the 'in' and 'out'...so the the same ATMA IN ALL)....and that Oxygen is so freely available to all mankind...every where (omnipresence) to take in and out.....and this can be elaborated in so many ways...a goods balavikas guru can do it and I feel many of us must have small gatherings...sathsanghs where such exercises, and meditative techniques to be done, and to internalize GOD, whom we have seen and experienced....Sorry....may be rudiments but a necessity to internalize the FORM WITHIN...the same LOVE within....in ALL...
-----------------
Ravi S. Iyer responded:
Interesting suggestion, Mohan MK Kumar. However, what I experienced in Puttaparthi with physical form Swami, was a tremendous emphasis from Swami on worship of the Lord in whatever form (or even formless aspect) that we are comfortable with, with DEEP FAITH that yes, God is there within and that He will respond to earnest prayer in a suitable way (may not be the exact way we wish it to be). So the Bhakti (devotion) aspect with the ASSURANCE that He will RESPOND, is very important. That gives courage to devotees to face the challenges of everyday life. The forceful assertion that "Devudu unnaadu" - God is (there), and a God who DIRECTLY intervenes in human life (like how He intervened for Prahlada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prahlada), or for Draupadi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draupadi#The_game_of_dice), or for Shabari (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabari)), I think was a very important part of Swami's message to humanity. Note that no communicators or intermediaries were involved in the DIRECT divine Grace showered on Prahlada or Draupadi or Shabari. So it would be good if your above suggestion is somehow blended with what I have written above.
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