In the theatre, no matter what is projected on the screen – whether the whole city is burning or devastated by floods – at the end of it, the screen is not affected at all. In the same way, Shri Krishna states, “When you wake up to My state of Consciousness, in Me, I am alone; without duality, I alone am. Thus, Arjuna, come to realize not only My divine yoga but learn to see My true absolute nature, non-dual, one infinite Consciousness, and learn to see My glory – paçya me yogam-aiçvaram.”

You complain about this world of plurality, but do you not see that it is all His glory? The Lord is asking us to see both his yoga and aiçvarya. The integral Oneness is His true nature, the infinite Self. You don't see that and get frightened by the world of multiplicity.

Play the Game!

Some may question, “Swamiji, if I engage with the world, I will get caught up in saàsära. Therefore, I will only remain in the caves of the Himalayas!”

As far as Krishna is concerned, your realization would not be complete. After realizing your true Nature, you must be able to go down to your own lower nature and play the game, enjoy every moment and recognize His glory in all the happenings around you.

You must be able to recognize both the ocean and the waves. Look at Krishna’s life. He not only realized the highest state but mingled with life every moment. Despite having 16,008 wives (not just one or two!), none ever complained of neglect – a testament to his efficiency. Today, you can’t even satisfy one wife!

Krishna was the greatest gåhastha, a householder. He had a kingdom to rule over. He could have lived as a politician, statesman, and diplomat in his great empire. Yet, he gave it all up and became a humble charioteer to his friend Arjuna. Nobody ever knew what he was. He didn’t seek power or recognition. He did not want to become a managing trustee, a big boss, or a minister. He did not even demand pocket money! In the third chapter, Krishna remarks to Arjuna, “Am I not engaged in action for 18 hours daily? Am I doing it for any personal gain? No, I am self-sufficient.”

This is the freedom of the Man of Realization. He is in the midst of it all yet unaffected by it. “Arjuna,” counsels the Lord, “your complete wisdom is not merely in realizing the Truth and burying yourself away from the world. Realize your higher Nature, and then come and play with your lower nature. Play – not as a victim of your body, mind, and intellect but as a master of your equipment. Play, doing what is to be done – not because you want to get something, not for personal gain, but for giving continuously.”

Such a Master’s work and activities are all a concretization of his infinite love for the world.

Even though I support the entire world, I am not in the world. I am not responsible for it. All living beings are alive because of this one presence. Life is omnipresent. I support all life, but I am not in their life. They have complete freedom to exhaust their own väsanäs. But without Me, they cannot act. I am the one enlivener in everyone.

na ca matsthäni bhütäni paçya me yogamaiçvaram,

bhütabhånna ca bhütastho mamätmä bhüta bhävänaù.

All are in Me Alone

Krishna now provides an example.

yathäkäça-sthito nityaà väyuù sarvatrago mahän,

tathä sarväëi bhütäni mat-sthänétyupadhäraya.

Just as the mighty väyu, air, always exists and functions within space, similarly, all living beings exist within Me.

Air cannot exist or move in the absence of space; it can only function where space is available. Väyu is all-pervading; I am not talking of outer space, but within the atmosphere, it is all-pervading, encompassing the globe, like a belt, as it were.

The air extends approximately 14 km high, demonstrating immense power, as seen during tornadoes or storms; it can uproot skyscrapers and trees and even lift your car to a location 20 km away, where you cannot even recognize that it was a car!

Here, also, during certain months, you experience strong breezes that can lift and carry tin sheets across great distances. For instance, a man sitting down and having a cup of tea in Palampur might be struck by an iron sheet from kilometers away in Sidhbari. Such an incident has been reported. It exemplifies the mighty power of the winds – which exist and exert their strength – but all within space. Wind image here

Krishna points out that just as the mighty wind and the powers of the wind always exist, function, and exhaust themselves in space, in the same way, all living beings – from the unicellular organism to the mighty men of wealth and wisdom – exist and function in Me. Firmly understand that all living beings exist and function in Me, and they exhaust themselves in Me. All these exist and function in this one mass of vast Consciousness; their strength and vitality also are drawn from Me.

If there is going to be a nuclear holocaust that will wipe out the world, the might and strength of nuclear power will express itself and exhaust itself – in Me alone.

They exist in Me, function in Me, and destroy themselves in Me. All these are happening in Me alone. Just as the mighty winds exist in space, space is not broken by the wind, shattered by the wind, blasted by the storm. Space is unaffected; it allows the wind to express its might and glory, exhaust itself, and then return to serenity and calm.

Your war, your destruction, and your manmade tragedies are all happening in Him. All your lust, passion, disturbances, your physical, mental, and intellectual activities, and your experiences are all happening – in your Consciousness. The world that you are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, or the world of emotions you are experiencing, the world of thoughts you are entertaining – are they not all pervaded by and existing in the beam of your Consciousness? That Consciousness is the higher Nature. All the others are the lower nature.

The Higher is not affected by any of these lower activities. And it is immaculate – nirmala, untouched by anything. It is just as the screen in the cinema theatre remains nirmala, immaculate, irrespective of the picture that is thrown on it. Likewise, waves may come, dash, break, and go, but the ocean remains the same. You may murder, loot, or plunder in the dream, but the waking mind is unaffected by it. The waking mind is immaculate as far as the dream is concerned, and the curtain is immaculate as far as the pictures are concerned.

Paçya me Yogam-aiçvaram!

In the beam of Consciousness, all experiences have existence, vitality, and validity; all these are happening in the infinite Consciousness. Just as the mighty winds exist in space, express their might and glory, exhaust themselves, and become quiet and calm – all in space. Yet, space is not affected by it. You cannot have a better example. It is to give you an illustration to turn your mind in that specific direction, to Me, the Pure consciousness in which all these exist. They are in Me. I am not in them. Full stop! Stay like that.

You protest, “But Swamiji, at that time, I remember my late husband, my child who left me, the wealth that I lost, the family members who wronged me… all these experiences are true….”

“Remember: they are in Me; I am not in them. They are My mahimä, My glory. It is a play of the lower nature.”

When I visit your town, and you take me for a ride, you might point out, “Swamiji, that’s my house.”

“Okay! It is a palace! Not a house.”

“Yes, it’s true, by Bhagavan’s grace.”

I point out, “There are so many people – 15 or 20 – working in your garden!”

“Swamiji, my wife is very particular about it.”

“That is very expensive, isn’t it?”

“No, Swamiji, they are all from the factory.”

“Why should the factory workers work in your garden,” I ask.

“Swamiji, factory house.”

“Oh! So, it is not your house?”

“Swamiji, it is where I am staying just now.”

Then, we arrive at the next stop. “Swamiji, this is my factory. My glory.”

“Hey, you have got a huge factory!”

“Yes, Swamiji, somehow or the other, we manage it. The government covers 80%, we secure 10% with an external loan, local contributors provide 5%, and I chip in a mere 3% – with my wife’s father contributing the last 2%! My factory!” Image of man showing off here

Then, the gentleman proudly points to an Alsatian dog with its head held high, tongue hanging out, inviting admiration, “Those who love dogs come by to praise it. They are all my glories – my grand house, expansive factory, beautiful wife, and wonderful dog – are all part of my aiçvarya.”

Therefore, Arjuna, see both my yoga and my one Truth; I am that all-pervading Essence, recognize it, as well as learn to enjoy the world of plurality as My glory. This is also divine. The waves are not anything other than the ocean. The dream is nothing other than your waking mind. Don’t separate them. See that all are nothing but that one infinite Consciousness. When It is in movement and disturbed, it is the pluralistic world. When It is still, it is pure Consciousness.

This talk has been transcribed and edited from a rare series of discourses on Chapter 9 of the Bhagavad Gita given by Pujya Gurudev at Sidhbari, India, in 1986. This can be viewed on Chinmaya Channel, YouTube.