Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba teaches that in the beginning only God exists as pure Consciousness
and then he says “I separated Myself from Myself so that I could love Myself”.
What follows is the process of involution and evolution whereby
- God projects an aspect of Himself as the gross material world (involution)
- From this evolve plants, animals and, ultimately, man
- Man in turn has to evolve to realise the divinity inherent within himself completing the circle in the diagram below
- God (Atma, Brahman, Consciousness) therefore permeates the whole of creation
INVOLUTION/EVOLUTION
(“Ekoham Bahusyam” – “I am One; let Me become many”)
Animals Plants
Man 5 Elements, Earth
GOD
- Through this process man inherits tendencies from the previous stages of evolution:
“Man is a triune composite of body, mind and spirit (Atma). As a consequence he has three natures in his make up:
(1) a low, animal nature, (2) a human nature, replete with worldly knowledge and skill, and
(3) the genuine nature of man, namely, the divine Atmic nature.”
Vidya Vhaini Chapter 21.
“There
was no one to know who I am until I created the World at My pleasure, with one
Word! Immediately, mountains rose up; oceans, seas, land and watersheds, sun,
moon, and the desert sand sprang out of nowhere to prove My
existence. Came all forms of being, men, beasts and birds—flying, speaking, hearing. All powers were bestowed on them under My orders. The first place was granted to mankind and My knowledge was placed in man’s mind”.
Loving God p372
“See in me, yourself,
for I see Myself in you. You are My life, My breath,
My soul, You are all My forms. When I
love you, I love Myself. I separated Myself from Myself and became all this so that I may be
Myself. I wanted to be Myself, that is, Anandaswarupa, Premaswarupa
(embodiments of limitless Divine Love and limitless Divine Bliss). That is what
I am and I wanted to be that. How can I be Anandaswarupa
and Premaswarupa? And give Anand
and give Prema? And to whom
am I to give Anand and to whom am I to give Prema? So I did this. I separated Myself
from Myself and became all this.”
A Compendium of the Teachings of Sathya Sai Baba p500
On Janmashtami
in 1974, He (Baba) sent this letter to the college students at Brindavan. (It may be news to some, but it will not
surprise His devotees to know that these letters are written by Baba Himself in
English). "Come, one and all," He writes, "and see in Me, yourself, for I see Myself in you all. You are My life, My breath, My soul. You are My
forms, all. When I love you, I love Myself; when you
love yourselves, you love Me. I have separated Myself
from Myself, so that I may love Myself. My beloved ones, you are My Own
Self." This is only further evidence supporting Baba's declaration that He
created the universe of Himself, with one word, to become all this diversity (Ekoham, Bhusyaam).
Sathyam
Sivam Sundaram (“Words with
Wings”)
The Cosmos is Real. The forms in it may change.
Bodies may change. Change is the
characteristic of the evolutionary process. But what should
be recognised is that at the core of all things is a
fundamental Reality. This is the triple principle: Asthi,
Bhaathi, Priyam (Existing,
Shining or manifesting and Pleasing or loving) or Sath-chith-ananda
or Sathyam, Shivam,
Sundaram (Truth, Goodness and Beauty).
When we recognise that the body, which is the
basis of life, is subject to change, how can the phenomenal world be described as a delusion just because it is also subject
to change? The universe has come from the Brahman, the Universal Consciousness.
The multiplicity of forms are like the different kinds
of figures made from sugar to attract children. The forms are different, but
the basic consciousness is one. Just as a doll made from sugar is dissolved in
the mouth, the external form of the body should dissolve in the experience of Atmic bliss. The source of life is Brahman.
Change and evolution are natural to it. But the presence of the unchanging Divinity
should be experienced within the changing body.
In the evolutionary process, the Brahmic
principle, existing in the matter, evolved to life. The mind evolved by a
leap from consciousness in life. The mind should not stop there. It should evolve
towards consciousness of the Divine and ultimately merge in the Universal Consciousness---the
Sath-chith-
Discourse in the Poornachandra Auditorium on Maha Shivarathri Day,
Questions
1. How do the teachings of this section relate to the scientific theory of the “Big Bang” as the beginning of the Universe?
2.
3.
Further
Study
- Watch the video Hymns from the Vedas: Song of Creations
- See Baba’s teachings on the
nature of the 5 elements from Summer Showers 1990 Chapter