Your Highest Good!

By

Sri Swami Chidananda

This article is a chapter from the book Seek The Beyond.

Let not passing events merely happen and pass away without leaving something of value to you. All experiences occur to teach some lesson to human beings; they are meant to remind the human individual of something.

Passing events, by the very fact that they are passing, may not have any intrinsic value, even though they can have a very great importance and value at the time. The 2nd of October, Gandhi Jayanti, has a great importance each year on that date. The rest of the year no one thinks of it. So it is with most occasions.

People are born and people die. Those who are born have to die. This is a great truth. But we should ask what is born and what dies? And what is it that is unborn and therefore never dies? Our thoughts should go to both.

What is born is subject to janma, mrityu, jara, vyadhi (birth, death, old age, disease). The human being is born, grows, becomes subject to change, afflicted with disease, gradually declines and then dissolves. All these changes are demonstrated in the body. But the very fact that we speak of change means that we speak of change with reference to something that is changeless. Otherwise, how do we know that it changes?

It is with reference to something changeless that we speak of the changeful nature of other things that are not like it. A candle lightens a darkened room. An electric bulb lightens it still more. A battery of tube lights can make the room as bright as day. But all this is in reference to the original state of darkness. The differing degrees of brightness of light are with reference to the one condition that is always there which is darkness. It is with reference to the ever-prevailing darkness that light takes on a new and distinctive meaning.

Thus, it is with reference to some ever-prevailing changeless Principle that we speak of the changeful nature of all things. What is that changeless Being? That should be known. The use of changeful things is that at least they take our mind to the background upon which these changes take place, the substratum. No artist can paint a picture upon an empty wooden frame no matter how beautiful it is. No artist can. There needs to be a canvas nailed to the frame. Then only the artist can paint something. There has to be some support for the paint and colours and figures.

What is the support of these ever-changing objects that fill this universe, that go to make up this universe? In the language of the Upanishad, that should be heard about, that should be reflected upon, that should be meditated upon, that should be known. And that Being, the changeless, eternal Being, what is That? Who is it that knows all this change? Who is it that is able to say that there is change?

Unless there is some witnessing principle and unless that witnessing principle is a conscious witnessing principle, it cannot make the affirmation that all these things are temporary, evanescent, transitory, changeful. It must be a conscious, intelligent principle that sees this, that compares and contrasts and sees that in time everything passes away—nothing is stable, nothing is lasting. So, some Being who sees this, who is able to affirm this, who is able to grasp that they are changeful, is a conscious Being, a Being who is able to express Itself. What is that? It is You.

Why then do you say, “I, I, I”? What you say, “I, I, I,” about is something that belongs to the realm of changeful and perishable things. But the constant unvarying Being who said ten years ago that all this is changeful, who said five years ago that all this is changeful, who even now says that all this is changeful, is continuously the One who affirms change. Fifty years ago He also said it is changeful. The day before yesterday, He says changeful; yesterday He says changeful; today He says changeful. And tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, He will affirm that all these things are changeful.

One alone abides that is changeless and is the support of all, adhishthana, adhara. Who is that Being? That Being is your true identity, your true Self. You are the unchanging witness of all changeful things. You are the unchanging cogniser of all change and changeful things. You are the unseen yet unchanging affirmer of all these changes, of the fact of change. And you alone can answer the question, Who are you? Who am I?

You have the ability to go inside, to reflect and meditate. You are, therefore, the central factor in this whole set-up—the unchanging, conscious, intelligent Reality. Know yourself as such, and you will become free. That is what Svetaketu’s father told him: “O Svetaketu, know yourself to be that eternal, immortal, imperishable Being. Then liberation will be yours.”

May the grace of God and the blessings of Holy Master Swami Sivanandaji enable you, yourself, each one of you, to know yourself as such—as the changeless, immortal, imperishable Self. Therein lies your highest good. God bless you all!