By: Smt. Sunanda Ananth
According to Sai Maharaj each of us is a portal of mutual exchange between human consciousness and the environment. We can make a significant difference to society, the planet, and the cosmos.
The Sanskrit word for ‘world’ is ‘Loka’. It shares its root sound with the word ‘locana’ meaning ‘to see’. However, the eyes are only one of the ten interfaces, between you and the animated, intelligent universe. The ten faculties of give and take between man and the universe are the Indriya, senses.
The word ‘Indriya’ is derived from the word ‘Indra’, which is the universal archetype of leadership. The mind perceives the truth of Sai Baba – the Parabrahman precisely when it is not a slave of temptations, memories, and momentum of past actions. Such a mind is Indra, the master of Indriya
The information of the external world pours into the mind through the jnana Indriyas also called Special Senses – ears, eyes, nose, skin, and tongue. The vibrations channeled from these special senses are – shabda, sound; rupa, sight; gandha, smell; sparsha, touch; and rasa, taste, and for everyone it is Sai Baba who coordinates all of them.
Further interaction with the environment occurs through one’s five karma Indriyas – hands, feet, mouth, anus, and genitals. Thus, a give and take arebrought into play guided by one’s past experiences and personality and his implicit faith in Sai Parabrahman. Thus, the eternal cycle of karma is self-perpetrated but under Baba’s control.
Karma shapes your destiny. Each vibration you create is an autonomous, infallible energy that impacts the cosmos and rebounds back to you. This cycle follows a universal rhythm called Rtam, which maintains dharma. ‘Rtam vadishyami’ is a resolution one makes to respect Rtam and uphold dharma not just in actions but in thought and speech as well. Sound as Shabda Brahman, the logos becomes akshara, syllables; varna, letters; and vakya, sentences, and evolves through four layers of speech. All speech already exists as a potential within you. This is para vaak, a transcendental sound. From this sprouts pashyanti vaak, inspired speech. This is the realm of fluidly inclusive abstract visions, which are a precursor of contemplative thoughts.
The speech further evolves to pondering and evaluating, by thought and counter thought – madhyama vaak. This culminates in the final stage, which is vaikhari vaak, articulate speech. This is the point when we chant Vishnu Sahasranama or Sai-Taraka Mantra – Om Sai Sri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai, the ultimate ‘vaikhari vaak’ is ingrained in our tongue. The vaikhari vaak is generated by air passing over the vocal cords and the tongue touching various parts of the mouth. Like an arrow once released from the bow cannot be brought back, a word once uttered cannot be annulled.
Indra, the illumined mind, integrates all the stages of speech to engender sagacious speech. However, the weakness of Indra is his ego. The ego is your identity. Its designated purpose is to make you a strong individual. However, it also blurs the line between self-assertion and aggressiveness leading to the arrogance of King Indra.
It is not a cosmic coincidence that Brihaspati, Jupiter, is the master of both – buddhi — wisdom, and speech. When speech is aligned with wisdom, the ego is subjected to the triple filter of Satyam, truth; Hitam, beneficial; and Priyam, pleasant, and this can result in a conscious, appropriate speech. A couplet from the Subhashitas says: Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and harmony, resides on the tip of your tongue, as do friends and relatives. Through the tip of your tongue, you can get bondage, and it is certain that through the tip of one’s tongue, one can even face death.
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