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master remembered what his own teacher had taught long ago.
Freedom in God is the theme of the divine drama of
existence. God is free because there are no limits to His
expression in creation. At all times God has absolute
knowledge and will to accomplish His vision. In God s cosmic
play the seed of freedom has been planted to grow in man s
soul. Man must light the flame of freedom by discovering his
divine identity. Freedom comes when the chains of ignorance,
limitation, and ego are broken by the sword of wisdom.
Liberation causes man to live in total awareness of his
soul s oneness with the Supreme Being. Divine grace flows
into the spiritual seeker who has lit the heavenly burning
flame of constant aspiration. All pursuits of pleasure and
happiness are in reality a reflection of the soul s striving
to find the one eternal light which brings fulfillment to
life. Lasting freedom comes as an internal mystic experience
to the aspirant who has dedicated his whole life as an
offering to the Divine. The liberated soul is in direct
contact with God s presence, will, and knowledge. His vision
spans the galaxies throughout the eternal cosmic cycles. The
little ego is dead and has been replaced by the active
divine witness who now guides and commands the life of the
emancipated sage. The wall of separation between the soul
and the Supreme Being has disappeared, and only the bliss of
divine oneness and love eternally remain.
The disciple wanted to know how such freedom could be lived
daily. The master waited for divine inspiration to express
itself in these words. Freedom has to be lived in God
everyday of the year throughout one s life. Each day of the
year must present a new opportunity to discover and
experience God s reality. By aspiring to live the spiritual
adventure, a divine transformation will take place in our
life. God s freedom is always here. All we have to do to
realize this is to remove the obstacles of desire, ego, and
ignorance in order to let the divine sun shine through the
soul. The true aim of man s existence is to pursue and
discover oneness with God through meditation and devotion.
By centering the consciousness on the divine ideal, the
aspirant at last realizes and becomes one with the Supreme
Being. True freedom is found only in the heart filled with
God. Where there is eternal love, infinite wisdom, and
creative power there is freedom in God.
The disciple wanted to find the way to realize truth. The
master, from his many years of experience, gave the
solution. To realize truth one must inquire Who Am I.
Realization is the goal that is reached when the seeker
knows his identity. To realize the highest goal, the seeker
must practice such spiritual disciplines as prayer,
renunciation, self inquiry, and meditation. Truth is the
target which all of man s strivings try to reach. Truth is
eternal because it is a quality that is the essence of both
God and man s immortal soul. When the mystic discovers that
his real nature is being a part of God s oneness that is the
final truth. When the devotee finds that a divine power
pervades the universe that is the living truth. When the
goddess. Apu sat down and thought what mystery does the
ocean hold.
Now Apu was no longer a fisherman. Each day that he sat down
in contemplation hastened his spiritual growth. At first he
meditated on the vast ocean and its seawave roar. Finally he
merged in the ocean and went beyond his mind s ideas into an
infinite state of consciousness. He saw little bubbles
floating in a cosmic ocean. Thousands of these bubbles
radiated picture images showing a vast panorama of Apu s
past lives. He was a merchant, a soldier, a priest, a
farmer, a hunter, a criminal, and played numerous other
roles in life. The outer circumstances were always
different, but one luminous spark remained eternally the
same. Apu witnessed his unchanging soul occupying so many
different bodies throughout numerous lifetimes. In each life
the central character always played his role and never
looked beyond the passing show of events for a greater
constant reality and reason for living. Now Apu saw that all
these life bubbles floated in a luminous conscious ocean
which was a mind of light without any limits. Apu became
that conscious ocean and expanded beyond the range of mortal
vision. He saw all life parading in the great cycles
repeating themselves throughout eternity. All of creation
was proceeding from the idea of an infinite Cosmic Mind.
Suddenly Apu reviewed the events of his present life. He saw
himself insulting a great saint who had come to enlighten
his village. But in past lifetimes Apu saw that he was
always a humble disciple learning spiritual wisdom from this
great master. The mystic vision ended. The golden Brahmin
youth was now again visiting the village. Apu opened up his
eyes and began to preach his guru s Vedanta truth to the
quiet fishing village.
THE JEWEL ISLAND
It was a lovely marriage. Sundar, the son of a cloth
merchant, had just wed Usha, the daughter of a jewel
merchant. Both families and the whole town were overjoyed at
the marriage celebration. The two most powerful business
families of the town had concluded an alliance. But for the
just married couple the facts of money meant nothing when
compared to the joys of youthful romance. For them it was a
marriage of love, not money. When the priest recited the
prayers they looked into each other s eyes and knew they had
found a treasure that was beyond the value of money. One
month after the marriage it was decided by Usha s father
Prachar that Sundar would be his partner in the jewel trade.
Sundar agreed because there was a great challenge in
traveling to far off places to seek the best values in jewel
trading. The profits were great but the risk of life was
greater. Usha loved to be with Sundar, but she agreed with
her father that a good husband must prove himself to be a
delight inside your soul. Most men seek the jewels of this
world hoping that they will yield all the objects desired.
But I know you are different. In past lifetimes, in another
age, you worshipped me constantly in this cave with your
sincere prayer Mother of the universe reveal thy love.
This jewel island is of another purer age, and soon it will
disappear. But before my crystal image vanishes take its
third eye and wear it as a locket. Whenever you or your wife
gaze at this crystal locket with the prayer Mother of the
universe reveal thy love , I will appear within your
consciousness and bless you. I protect my devotees
throughout eternity." The words and vision of the crystal
goddess had faded in Sundar s awakened consciousness. But he
took the third eye of the crystal goddess for a locket and
again prayed to leave the jewel island and soon be with his
wife Usha.
Prachar had a dream. He told Usha that a lady whose body was
made of crystal jewels came to him telling the location of
the jewel island where Sundar was stranded. Usha asked
Prachar what he wanted most, the jewels or Sundar. Prachar
was honest and told his daughter that he wanted both the
jewels and Sundar to return. So Prachar built a bigger ship
and sailed toward the jewel island. But all was not so
tranquil on the jewel island. Deep rumbling noises were
exploding inside the earth. Finally, Prachar and his crew
reached the island. Sundar embraced his father in law and
showed him where all the jewels were. Then Prachar told
Sundar about his dream of the crystal goddess, and Sundar
told Prachar about his experiences in the cave. Just as they
had boarded the big ship and set sail for home, the jewel
island exploded in one gigantic volcanic eruption and
disappeared into the sea without a trace. Sundar and Prachar
returned safely home. With all the jewels Prachar was rich
beyond his wildest expectations. Suddenly he remembered the
crystal goddess of his dream, and all worldly greed left
him. Prachar built a magnificent temple to the crystal
goddess, and every year distributed large sums in charity to
all those who were in need. Sundar, with the rediscovered
knowledge that he had been a devotee of the crystal goddess
in past lifetimes, began teaching his wife Usha the secret
of the crystal locket. By meditation and prayer they
discovered within God s spiritual wishfulfilling Chintamani
jewel that put them in the divine presence.
THE BIGGEST MIRACLE
"Make way, make way for Shandu the magician." A ten foot
tall grey elephant with a dark man wearing a turban slowly
approached the royal palace of King Bhadrayu. The day was
sunny, and the kingdom was at peace. On such days the king
took great delight in being entertained. The king had seen
many illusions performed by magicians, but there was one
trick that he longed to witness. That feat of magic was the
ancient Indian rope trick. Many had heard of it being done
in the past, but none had ever seen it performed in their
lifetime. King Bhadrayu offered the most precious prize to
anyone in his kingdom who could do this trick. He knew that
army and then the rest of the king s army would strike from
the rear. But the distance between hopeful plans and reality
is sometimes as wide as the space between two mountain
cliffs.
The sun arose waking up thousands of warriors on both sides.
The bright glistening sky overhead and the vast plain of the
sandy earth below became a huge arena waiting to witness the
explosion of the coming war. Both sides were armed and all
tense for the grand killing to begin. Suddenly Lomar s band
of cavalry rode headlong toward the enemy s center with
arrows and shouting filling the sky. The enemy king s
response was to form his troops into a half moon semicircle
to trap the attacking thrust of Lomar s cavalry. Something
went wrong with the plan of Lomar s king to attack from the
rear. They delayed too long, and Lomar was forced to turn
around and ride in swift retreat. The enemy army sped on in
hot pursuit. Suddenly a frightening scene appeared to
Lomar s outnumbered retreating cavalry. The battlefield
ended as they rode toward a mountain cliff whose bottom
seemed to have no end. Ten feet separated the mountain cliff
from another large stretch of land that appeared as an
impossible hope for freedom. The horses were racing too fast
to be stopped.
Suddenly Lomar awoke all alone. The sun had set. The brave
warrior felt ashamed of his retreat. He was a stranger in a
new unexplored land. A gentle wave of string music was
coming closer. A luminous misty cloudlike form was
manifesting before his startled eyes. A golden robed woman
touched his hand. Lomar felt her hand and knew that this
touch was not that of an earthly woman. Amela told Lomar
that she was his guide. Lomar asked her where he was to go.
Amela told Lomar when he was a boy he always dreamed of what
lay beyond the perilous mountain cliff. Amela taught Lomar
that there is a universal king who made his devoted subjects
live in eternal freedom. Lomar said he was ready to see the
king of freedom. Amela made Lomar promise never to let go of
her hand in their journey, no matter what happened.
While holding Amela s golden hand, a giant golden eagle with
wings of fire waited to help their journey to the king of
freedom. They both sat on the bird of heaven, and the
journey beyond earthly reality began. This Garuda bird was a
celestial eagle that the gods rode upon in heaven. Higher
and higher they went as the earth and the stars began to
recede into nothingness. There was only an endless wall of
light stretching everywhere. Suddenly a ringing music with
bells and a flute came nearer and nearer. An infinite tree
was seen growing from a vast garden. A little child was
lying asleep on a lotus leaf. Amela told Lomar to prepare
himself to meet the king of freedom. The divine child opened
his blue eyes, and the tree and garden disappeared. Lomar
suddenly felt that his guide Amela had also vanished. Only
the divine child existed. He played on his flute and became
all the worlds and, at his will, became again just a
sleeping boy. Lomar knew within his heart that he had met
the king of freedom who no earthly mind could comprehend.
The smiling divine child told Lomar that in many lives he
struggled hard to realize God s presence. Lomar asked the
blue boy how he knew about past lives. The divine child told
Lomar that as the eternal king of freedom he lives beyond
time and body limitations in a playful way that no human
mind could comprehend. The divine child promised to teach
Lomar more about the realization of God in his next
lifetime. After spending vast ages in the celestial kingdom
of the golden lotus, Lomar was again reborn on earth.
It was so dark and still that one could feel an invisible
presence overlooking the coming battle. Two kingdoms were
preparing to destroy themselves for land and glory. The sun
arose waking up thousands of warriors on both sides. So
Arjuna woke up that day finding Krishna by his side.
THE LOST CALF
One afternoon a group of cowherd boys were relaxing in the
bright green meadow. The cows were slowly wandering through
the pasture nibbling bits of grass. Next to some of the cows
their frisky calves were jumping with the joy of youthful
spring. Just as the cowherd boys knew who their parents
were, each calf knew with the instinct of love who was their
mother. This link of affection was happily shared by the
cows moving through the pasture. Suddenly one tan cow let
out with an awful cry. The cow ran this way and that way.
The cowherd boys woke up from their afternoon sleep. All the
other cows were tranquil except this one agitated cow. This
cow knew with the instinct of a mother that her lovely
little calf was missing from the meadow. The cowherd boys
counted the cows in the fields and found that one calf was
indeed missing from the herd. So they decided to bring the
cows back to the village and let one cowherd boy remain to
search for the missing calf. When something is lost in this
world, one must carefully search for it until it is found.
Surya was young and alert and had much courage for this
task.
Surya knew that his mission would be made more difficult
with the darkness of evening approaching. Still he moved
quickly through the grass searching for clues that would
reveal the trail of the innocent calf. He searched for areas
growing food and near water. His ears listened carefully for
the sound that a frightened calf would make. The sun set and
the moon arose, but still Surya would not give up in his
quest. By now Surya had long since left the green meadow and
was passing through a forest. He heard many strange sounds
but was not afraid. The one who had set out in search of a
he was hidden deep in the heart of the doctor. Every man has
this soul of divine nectar waiting for the first customer to
taste the ecstasy of union with God.
IMMORTAL LOVE
In the early days of creation there lived a divine couple in
love. The woman was radiantly beautiful and brought joy
wherever she moved. The man was serious and brought peace
wherever he resided. It was a strange union of opposites
between life s creativity and Spirit s withdrawal. Each
needed and lived for the other. The whole universe was their
palace of love. Everywhere they went life reflected their
bliss and serenity. But on the dark side of the universe
there were the masters of materialism. These wizards of the
lower powers planned to turn creation in a path entirely
opposite that seen by the divine couple. The masters of
materialism wanted a world to develop that was governed only
by ego, strife, and short lived sensual pleasures. So all
the lords of the lower powers decided to perform a sacrifice
whose success would determine the future course of life s
evolution in this world. Everyone was invited to attend this
pompous grand sacrifice except the divine couple. With the
ingredients of wealth, desire, and violence being magically
poured into the sacrificial flame the ceremony of the
masters of materialism moved ever closer to completion. Only
one force could stop this sacrifice of the wizards of the
lower powers.
The divine woman of bliss and beauty decided to end this
dark sacrifice by throwing her life into the flames. So
while her divine husband was lost in the Spirit s
contemplation, she separated from him and went toward the
place where the sacrifice was being held. She was an
uninvited guest, and her appearance startled all the masters
of materialism. It was an absolute contrast of
characteristics. On one side was all the darkness and limits
of ego s growth in matter, while on the divine woman s side
was all the hope and possibilities of the Spirit s growth in
creation. To make the world s evolution into Spirit safe,
she jumped into the flames of the evil sacrifice. Her body
was burnt to ashes, but she vowed never to separate from her
ascetic husband. She would return and join with the divine
ascetic in a love that would never die for the welfare of
all of creation.
The divine ascetic awoke from his meditation with a shock of
anger. He saw in his yogic vision his wife s supreme
sacrifice to end the scheme of the lords of the lower powers
to conquer and control the future evolution of life in the
universe. From out of the divine ascetic s third eye