80. Inner nervousness🔗

❖ Instead of saying, 'One's inner beauty will be visible in his face' as in Tamil, or 'Face is the index of the mind' as in English, if we say, 'the extent of inner nervousness will be seen in the face', then every one can understand it easily. There is a direct relationship between one's beauty and his inner nervousness.

❖ Inner nervousness is equivalent to the earth-quake. When one's subtle mind becomes nervous, the entire nervous system trembles. This is no exaggeration. There is scientific basis for this.

❖ Every minute the inner nervousness occurs; body's life-energy goes to waste.

❖ Inner nervousness is only the 'emergency condition' created by the habit of looking at life's ordinary matters in an extra-ordinary manner. It happens when we make mountains out of mole hills by exaggerating and blowing our problems out of proportion.

Graham Bell's telephone system had just then come into practice and was picking up fast. Because it was new, the telephone call charges were very high.

The German ambassador, who used to be always hasty, spoke on the telephone to the Japanese embassy. He said, 'It won't take more than three minutes for me to finish my talk. When I am talking, do not interrupt me to ask any thing. You should listen carefully. If you want to tell me any thing, don't say it now. You can reply by a telegram. Do you understand?' With this introduction, whatever official communication had to be conveyed, he said all of it hurriedly.

Continuing further, the German ambassador asked on the phone, 'I have said already whatever I had to say. There are still 30 seconds left for 3 minutes to end. Do you want to say any thing more?'

Some one in the Japanese embassy said, 'Yes, you have said it all. I cannot understand even one word of what you have said since it was said in such a great hurry.'

When the German ambassador asked, 'Why did you not say this earlier?' the person at the Japanese embassy said, 'You only asked us not to talk in between!' As he said this, immediately the phone connection got disconnected.

❖ An agitated state of mind and unnecessary haste are not smartness. In the name of remaining busy and smart, men have created only agitation within themselves.

When rolling a ball of thread, fingers which tremble, instead of making it all right, will make the thread ball clumsier and more knotty only. That is all. It is only the inner nervousness that converts your ordinary problems as physical and psychological sufferings.

We live only in inner nervousness in all those minutes when our peace is disturbed, stressed and pulled in all directions.

❖ Command when requested. Submit when commanded.

❖ Behaving like a sheep outside the house – quiet, subdued and calm. Behaving like a tiger within the house – making a lot of noise.

❖ Showing anger at places where calmness is required. Remaining silent at places where anger has to be shown.

When he is shaken by anger and distress, the man who confronts it, becomes a beast. This is again inner nervousness.

Even at a very grave and trying situation, one who maintains calmness and composure and is without any inner nervousness, such a person only is called as a Mahan – a great soul.

One who changed Emperor Asoka into a graceful breeze was also a Mahan – a great soul (The Buddha).

270 BC. It was a time before Asoka became a Buddhist monk. He was living a notorious life. Madness of political cunningness and power-hunger blinded his inner eye (i.e.) conscience and Asoka had started to settle scores with vengeance towards his own brother.

He tried to kill his brother. But the brother escaped. After escaping he took asylum with a Buddhist monk. Asoka got the news that his brother is hiding with a Buddhist monk.

Asoka went with his sword to take revenge upon the one who had sought asylum from the monk.

It was a time when the Buddhist monks had great love and respect from the people of India. But Asoka entered the monastery along with his men and shouted with a vengeful tone, 'Hey! Where is that fellow who is hiding here?'

The Buddhist monk, present there said calmly in a soft voice, 'Look here, Sir. Taking revenge is very bad. Trying to appease anger through anger itself is wrong. Anger should be won over by love. Taking revenge is not a solution at all.

By doing a cruel deed in response to another cruel deed, you cannot undo what has already happened. That is why I tell again without thinking of doing any harm, please go back.'

Asoka said, 'Keep your teachings to your monks. As you talk this far, are you prepared to die for the sake of the one who is hiding here? Come on, let me see, can you win over my anger with your love?' Asoka challenged the monk in this manner.

The Buddhist monk said with the same composure, 'Yes, you can cut me. But the monastery is a sacred place. It should not become polluted. I will come out. Cut me.' So saying, he came outside the monastery.

The Buddhist monk accepting his challenge in a very ordinary way was the first shock for Asoka.

Still, as anger and irritation simultaneously drove him further. Asoka pulled out the sword from its sheath, and tried to cut the monk saying, 'What a fool you are...'

Without any semblance of movement or even the slightest fright in his eyes, the monk remained with the same composure from the beginning and continued to remain so even at this stage. This made Asoka nervous.

This was the second shock.

Amazed at the monk's firmness, and absence of any sort of nervousness, Asoka's raised hand stopped abruptly and remained there motionless. Asoka could not kill the monk.

One thing was understood by Asoka at that moment, that the person before him was not an ordinary man. 'Can a man remain like this at all? If one can be calm and composed at a life-threatening situation! How calm and happy will this man be in ordinary times?' thinking in this manner, with anger gone and eyes full of wonder, Asoka asked, 'How is this possible...' The Buddhist monk taught Asoka, with love, the paths for attaining bliss.

It was only on that day, the seed was sown in the mind of Asoka, to change him as a graceful breeze to spread Buddhism later on. Only a Mahan, a great soul, can make a rude man become calm.

'Man can live very comfortably and harmoniously without any sort of inner nervousness.' For this those great souls (Mahans) who have thus lived and showed us, are the proofs. The presently living great souls are the witnesses.

A Zen saying which gives the method to come out of nervousness:

'Make it up-side down, what has become up-side down! Life will hold its head high!'

An example to understand this statement.

You might have watched the struggle undergone by a bug or a cockroach which has turned upside down, to turn over and attain its normal posture.

If you just turn the bug, which is struggling, the problem is solved. The frightened bug will immediately begin to fly off joyfully.

In the same way only, man has turned over inside within himself. That is why he goes on struggling.

He approaches life and the people in his life, quite the opposite way. He continues to struggle, being unable to understand.

Becoming angry in a situation where he has to be calm; and taking it calmly and silently where anger has to be shown. On such occasions the soul will be shaken harshly with feelings. Genuine feelings will be suppressed.

On account of these, the body's life energy will be misused.

If we carefully examine, we can recognize and find inner nervousness. Recognizing it just once is enough. It will be easy to throw it away. The lesser and lesser the inner nervousness becomes, mind will become more and more clear. Face will become clear and bright.

If the mind becomes beautiful, and the face also becomes beautiful, you can flutter and fly in your life.

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A meaningful incident.

Nitti asked Kuljith, 'What is your experience before and after the marriage?'

Before: All will say this about me, 'His very sight will make us shiver.'

After: Others now say this about me, 'Her very sight makes him shiver.'

❖ Yes. In real life, man's inner-nervousness goes on increasing. Do you realize?

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No.35.

It is only during times of danger that one must be more careful.

If some one close to us is in danger, our becoming impatient, is it attachment, or acting or our inability?

It is a conclusive opinion of psycho-analytic research scholars that, 'In the case of most people, it is only an outpouring of one's inability.'

If on seeing that a beloved person is wounded and is bleeding, you get upset and you swoon, your beloved one will only be pushed to a still worse and pitiable condition. Is it not? If you also swoon, who else is going to save him?

For the person who is wounded, only affection and protection are the immediate necessities! Impatience at that moment will only increase the troubles for you and for that person. That is all.

'Impatience' is not a measure to show your depth of affection.

It is only a measure to indicate 'the absence of maturity to handle and tackle an unexpected situation.'

For a person who does not have inner nervousness, his body and mind will be fully awakened only in agitative situations.

Only the amount and extent of patience that comes out of you at testing situations is the index of the health of your body and mind.

In the name of being patient, behaving in an unconcerned manner at times of danger to others, and behaving like a machine, without a humane touch, is only an expression of a rigid, tight, stiff and stone-like mentality.

Being impatient is inner mental nervousness. Remaining unconcerned is mental tightness.

For both these, the common approach of sympathy alone should emerge out of a person.

When a person is in danger, put together the qualities of helping them and showing sympathy towards them then your impatience and inner nervousness or mental tightness will change as patience. Practise this as a way of expression emerging from you. Express it.

Both these are meditations, which will change you altogether, for the better.

Make all times of danger as times of meditation!

81. Why not you become God?

A young Israeli girl, who had earlier tasted fruit salad only from a glass cup, had come to India along with her family. It was a great wonder for the girl to see for the first time a full bunch of bananas hanging in a petty shop.

'My dear, this will also be tasty like the fruit salad that you usually eat' so saying, her father skinned a banana a little and gave it to her.

After eating the fruit, the girl extended to the shop keeper the skin of the banana.

When the shop keeper asked, 'My child, what do you want actually?' the child said, 'Please fill up this skin once again with the fruit.'

❖ The human mind has assessed about God like this child only.

Can the skin be filled with fruit? Can God be understood by the mind?

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❖ God can be seen. God can be felt. God can be experienced - the moment you become God!

❖ KADAVUL is God in Tamil; KADAinthu means crossing the ocean of life and delving deep into the self what remains there when you go in(ULZHAE) is God.

❖ Until such time man becomes God, man cannot imagine God. Man can imagine God only as a very high form of man, or as an aggregation of wonderful super-human powers.

❖ Man cannot understand God. God can be understood only by God. So become God!

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Two branches of a mango tree talked to each other. The branch that was growing up rather slowly asked the other one which was growing up fast...

'Why are you so eager to grow so fast?'

'I want to become a mango tree myself. That is why...' said the branch which was growing fast.

The branch of a mango tree cannot become a mango tree by itself. It should realize that it is a part of the mango tree only. Same rule applies to the God called man.

Once again read the title of this chapter with due care and inquiry and then read on...

Whether you want it or not, your body breathes air. You live in air.

In the same way, whether you like it or not, your soul absorbs God's energy. You live in God's energy.

A dog does not know that it is a dog. A cow does not know that it is a cow. Dog and cow are names created by us. As far as the dog or the cow is concerned, it knows itself as it is. That is all.

Only man knows that he is a man. He understands so. The reason is because he has a mind.

There is a state beyond the mind known to man. That only is called 'beyond-mind state'.

If the feeling of the self, which is beyond mind, emerges from within for a person, then God can be seen as one within himself.

If the truth of God is experienced just only once, then the word God will be clearly understood experientially.

It will change as: Self is every thing; every thing is self.

One small incident.

Madhuvathan was wandering with a sincere quest of 'Can we see God?'

Madhuvathan happened to meet his childhood friend Ragakeerthanan, whom he had parted with many years back. Ragakeerthanan was very joyful, had bright eyes and was very enthusiastic.

With the desire to know the secret of Ragakeerthanan's joyful disposition, Madhuvathan asked with wonder, 'What is the secret of your being so joyful?'

Ragakeerthanan very casually said, 'I am living with God. That is the secret.'

Madhuvathan asked with surprise at its peak, 'What are you saying?' The reason for his surprise was his search for seeing God was for two long years.

Ragakeerthanan asked, 'Do you want to see God?'

Madhuvathan said, 'If that is possible, take me there immediately.'

Both of them started to go. Throughout their journey, as Ragakeerthanan was giving a full description about his God, Madhuvathan's eagerness to see God increased. In the end Madhuvathan started running eagerly to see God.

Finally, Ragakeerthanan took Madhuvathan behind a big banyan tree, told him, 'Go to the front side and see! My God will be sitting blissfully calm.' So saying, he took him to his Master Sakkiya Muni.

The minute Madhuvathan saw Sakkiya Muni, he felt a wonderful feeling spreading within him. It was such a joyful feeling, which he had not so far experienced.

On seeing Madhuvathan, Sakkiya Muni asked with a smile, 'What?'

Madhuvathan asked, 'Are you God?'

Sakkiya Muni asked, 'What is your problem?'

Madhuvathan said, 'There are no sins in this world, which I have not committed. To pardon me from all my sins, only God can do it. That is why I am asking, 'Are you God?'"

Sakkiya Muni said, 'One thing is for sure. I am not the God you are thinking. Still, I can give a solution to your problem.'

Further he asked, 'What is your problem?'

Thinking to himself, 'He is not the God I am thinking. But, then, is he greater than God?' Madhuvathan thought to himself laughingly...

He said, 'I have ruined the lives of five girls. I have tortured and killed four persons, whom I did not like. I killed my eldest son after teasing him very much and gave him as a sacrifice to my beloved God. I have brought many families to the streets.' In this manner he was listing out his atrocities and narrated the happenings with worry and remorse.

Continuing further, Madhuvathan, 'From the time of reaching manhood, I am wandering and searching for some thing, but I never got that.

All these atrocities are only as a result of my search, thinking whether I will get it in this, or that, or the other one...All the atrocities done by me are teasing me. What is the way to get myself released from the guilt of these atrocities totally? However difficult it may be, I am prepared to do that antidote as atonement for all my sins.'

Sakkiya Muni said, 'Antidote is very easy.'

Madhuvathan asked, 'Is it so? What is it?'

Sakkiya Muni said simply, 'Become God.'

Madhuvathan said, 'What are you saying? I am an atrocious man. More or less like Satan. You are asking me to...' he shouted with confusion.

Sakkiya Muni once again asked emphatically, 'Why can't you become God?'

The firmness present in Sakkiya Muni's voice shook Madhuvathan.

He went on thinking, 'Why not I become God?' for many, many days and after that he reached a state beyond thoughts.

He experienced and enjoyed the 'beyond-mind state'.

The divinity that is prevalent everywhere, he found out that it is within him also. Having realized God, he began celebrating the bliss.

He only was later on known as a very great spiritual leader by name, 'Sri Sri Madhuvathanar'.

Whoever you may be, you can also become God. You can also feel God.

But you cannot certainly become the God that you are thinking. Divinity is only that state, which is beyond thought and mind.

Whatever you are thinking as God are all your own mental ideas and extreme imaginations only.

It is impossible for the human mind to imagine about God. If one is able to imagine, then that cannot be God.

To become God it is not necessary to take a separate Avatar, a divine birth. You too can become God.

The first step for that,

Ask the question, 'Why not I become God?' with full conscious feeling and awareness. The path is born.

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A meaningful incident.

The Zen Master slapped the chin of his disciple, who asked, 'When will I become Buddha?'

He blessed him saying, 'How can Buddha become Buddha. You, who are sleeping inside, when you wake up, you, who are now mad, will become Buddha.'

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No. 36.

I have not come to prove that 'I am God'. I have come to prove that 'Each one of you is God'.

Do not think, 'What sort of a pungent statement is this!' The reason: If you think so, it will simply remain so at the thought level. It should not stop like that. This is out and out a truth. It is a fact, an oath. So meditate on this statement. It should become an experience.

❖ Lowering your status saying, 'God is great'.

❖ Lowering the status of God saying, 'God is a friend'.

Both these are sub-standard statements.

Meditate deeply on the Vedic truth, 'You are God'. History has recorded so many, who got enlightened simply by doing this.

After having read all these, do not allow your mind to dream, holding on to the respects that God gets.

Right from now, make the wonderful qualities of God, as your own qualities. Let divinity enter and spread within you.

As the ray of divinity goes on radiating through you, you will become God!