Where Do You Find the Divine?
Whatever you may pursue in this existence, if you pursue it steadily enough, for long enough, you will always see that what we refer to as the Divine is the dead end. Whatever you look into, whether it is the sky, a flower, a human face, an animal, or a grain of sand, if you look into it with enough penetration, the Divine is like the dead end. This is not because what you refer to as Divine is flying in the sky, sitting in a flower, flying in a bird, crawling in an insect, or sitting in a rock.
What you call as seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, or whatever kind of perception you have, is only that which happens on the inner screen. If you are engaged by the picture that plays on the screen, it looks like many things. But if you penetrate through the picture and touch the screen, the Divine is always the dead end because you are incapable of seeing anything other than your own interiority. It is not by looking up or looking down that one will know this.
There are two kinds of religions in the world. The moment you utter the word “God,” a lot of people look up—Uparwala—“the One above.” But in a few indigenous religions, they look down because they believe God is in the core of the Earth. Those who believe God is up in heaven are responsible for the disastrous ways in which we are treating this planet because they want to burn it and go to heaven. We call this “carbon footprint.” What they are leaving is ashes—burnt-out carbon. Those who believe God is hidden in this planet walk a little more gently because this planet is the abode of their gods.
|
Looking up and looking down is not a way of knowing. You cannot see anything outside. You can only see that which happens in your mindscape. There is only one place. If there were a million places in front of you and you were asked to choose, the decision-making would become too difficult. If you look at your life closely enough, with enough penetration, you will see there is only one place—the only place. And the place comes with you. You do not need to go anywhere. Wherever you go, “The Only Place” goes with you. |
The Divine is like packed lunch. You do not have to go to a restaurant, a temple, or heaven to be served. The ultimate nature of your existence always goes with you. You cannot get a better deal! Whatever images happen upon your inner scape, if you pursue any one of them strongly enough, you will touch the dead end, and the Divine is the dead end, always.
There was a wise rabbi. A young man came to him and said, “Rabbi, I don’t know what to do… I try to do all the things you taught me but I can’t help it. Every day, all I end up doing is sinning.” The rabbi looked at him and said, “Sin strongly.”
Whatever you are doing, whatever is happening, if you do it strongly enough, you will hit the dead end. For example, anger is an ugly thing. A man or a woman looks ugliest when they are angry. But if you maintain intense anger for 24 hours, you will get enlightened. You will see it is a hard path. To remain angry for 24 hours, you need a phenomenal amount of energy. You can remain loving for 24 hours, but you cannot remain angry for 24 hours—it burns you up.
Everyone can choose their way. It is not the direction which is the problem—it is the lack of intensity and focus, and wrong ideas, where people are constantly faking qualities which are not theirs. Somebody told you, “You must be loving, you must be kind,” so people are trying to act these things out and are wasting their lives. Your goodness is always in comparison to somebody else’s. That is of no value. When the only place is here, within you, comparison is a horrible way to live.
So, to hit the dead end, all it takes is an intense dimension towards any one thing. This is not possible for people who are “multitasking.” That is a very common word nowadays. It is the fickleness of approach which is the problem—the constant shifting from this to that, that to this, this to that. But if you do anything strongly enough, it will get you there.
| Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, and visionary, and a prominent spiritual leader. An author, poet, and internationally renowned speaker, Sadhguru is the founder of Isha Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to human wellbeing. (www.isha.sadhguru.org) |
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
