The final posting for the Digital Blackboard is from the newly completed English translation of the book written by Nisargadatta Maharaj called Adhyatmadnyanacha Yogeshwar, which roughly translates to "The spiritual science of Self-Knowledge and God-Union." This post is somewhat long, and in it Shri Siddharameshwar Maharaj does not beat around the bush, as He clearly states in strong words the meaning of spiritual life and spiritual practice. This seems the perfect ending for the Digital Blackboard as it introduces the interested aspirants to some of the content that awaits in this new book. Sometimes strong words from a Saint can be a hard pill to swallow.

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Veda is the mother of all. As mother gives shelter to all, so is this mother called Veda, for all. He who has not taken resort to this mother, is surely sorrowful however strong he may be otherwise. The ordinary mother is eager to marry their sons to some woman and thus puts them to the treadmill of family life, but this Veda-mother is not like that at all. Marriage is really a calamity which puts man into bondage. He who is taking shelter with this mother, Veda, is free and he becomes the Primordial Self.

Only a Sadguru throws open the great store-house of Vedas and gives freely the cream of knowledge to all. It is Sadguru who transforms the miserable life into a thing of joy. Saint Tukaram based his allegory on this fact when he said that the golden sun has arisen which partakes of nectar. It is the Sadguru who has the power to bestow total freedom and the Absolute state (on his disciple). The compassion of Sadguru is itself the vast sky. Sadguru is the ferry to go across the ocean of life. He is the sheet anchor of the devotees. Sadguru is the controller of that Time which does not spare even the three gods i.e. Hari, Hara and Brahma. He is himself the support in the other world and is the home of happiness. One who surrenders himself to such a Sadguru, loses his sense of separateness. You should bow to him by yourself being beyond the body consciousness.

This worldly life is an extended dream, in which people are babbling through their illusion. They think - "I have become a fish in the dream and my wife has become another fish". This is only a lump of flesh which is uttering "I," again and again. The illusion within the dream is taken by him as truth. That one has become the father of this Jeeva. He does not serve anybody except wife. The worldly wise think that the saints are nothing but calamities in their life. (By having a glimpse of saints and listening to them, mundane interests are broken, and the confidence in active family life drops away. Therefore those who are traditionally attached to family life, who are slaves to Maya, cry vehemently against the saints.) In the dream full of ignorance, a man says everything belongs to him, but men who say so are really monsters. Those who simply enjoy the objects of senses, are human beings and one who is extreme in relinquishing everything is like God Almighty. To talk without knowing anything is called overflow of talk.

When the sun of knowledge sets, the universe is filled by the darkness of ignorance and then the star of piety is even not visible. This confused mind does not see who he himself is. He has forgotten completely. The ego, who is a king on the throne of body consciousness, has had a dream. He was stranded in a dense forest, got tired and became very sorrowful. He married there with a female. He used to cut wood, sell it and earn his living, eat the meat of various beasts and lived very miserably. Suddenly he awoke due to extreme suffering. Similarly you are experiencing this dream. This world is not real. That king ruled there for 17 years. The five sense - organs, the five active organs, the mind, the intellect and five life - forces (pranas) make up 17. These are his 17 years. The Jeeva has to suffer due to these. You are asleep, you are not awakened. You die in it, you are born in it. In that sleep only you wander indefinitely. Instead of realizing your own greatness, you have become a sufferer. Therefore you must have knowledge of your own self. This spiritual knowledge is the greatest science. (Adhyatma - Vidya) What is existing from the beginning? Who is there from the first ? The beginning, "The First" means before you experience something. The First Self is ourselves.

To know what it is, how it is, and what is its Nature means to know, to have understanding; and when that understanding becomes fixed, definite, it is called "spiritual knowledge" or Adhyatma Vidya. Only the listener who listens with all his senses turned into one, is really worthy of spiritual knowledge. He can understand ten volumes, others should not open this volume; he will not understand the meaning of this. Only he who says that "Let all else be lost. I don't care; I wish only to follow the spiritual path" can benefit by this path. Only he is really spiritual. The lord Krishna says "One who is totally concerned about me, gets all that is mine with all my glory." The whole world, all the objects are my (i.e. Krishnas) army. The devotees of Hari only choose Shrikrishna. Paramatman is attained by his devotees without discriminating between men or women. The yogi who walks on my path, is surely met by me; that devotee becomes one with Paramatman, and is merged into the Absolute.

What is the duty of the aspirant ? He has to follow the instruction of his Guru and by doing Sadhana, to merge into the God. It is useless to do any degree of penance if you keep faith in your family life. Faith in Knowledge is what is necessary there. It does not matter in what occupation he is. Only he who has faith in Knowledge can reach the state of Paramatman. Man gets according to his earnest yearning. One who is having faith in Knowledge gets inspired when he listens to devotion, thinks about devotion all the time and only he gives up attachment to the body. He does not care whether he has the body or loses it. A salt crystal becomes sea when it meets sea. One whose faith is in Knowledge may even do a wrong thing, still he is merged into me. His actions do not effect him. When saint Chokhamela was driven out of Pandharpur, many people began to fall sick, but when he was brought back to the temple, all people became healthy. I like devotion - the physcial action does not matter. The bad actions of my devotees are also good deeds for me. In his case, good or bad - all becomes merged into God. Actions bind only that man who is proud. The actions of a real Saint do not bind him. The word power vested in a devotee of Guru is so great that he can do anything because Guru's blessing is with him. He is the greatest in the world. Even the deity of death fears the devotee of Guru.

The wisdom of Brahman is of no use to a man who always blames the Guru. That man must be avoided. So long as there is no brilliant light of the Self (Atman), there will be bad actions, or good actions. When there is the light of the Self, in it, all actions are auspious. Religion means attainment of unity with me, that is unity with Almighty God. That is right behavior. If there is possibility of being united with God, you may even do a thing which others normally despise as sin ! (Pralhad disobeyed his father, Vibheeshana left his brother, and Bharat despised his mother - only to be with God.) When you meet The Universal God, all actions are good. When sun rises, the darkness in the town is gone.

My devotee attains a state of being where the space and the time are not exisitng. Great yogi is he who gives up identity with his body. Great is he who is one with the Self and has faith that he is really the Self. Even if a lot of spiritual knowledge is poured on a worldly person, it is of no use to him. Calamities are there in the lives of my devotee, only to uphold and librate him. If a man becomes proud of his body and does not pay heed to my teaching, he is bound to go towards downward path. Even though you are deathless in essence, if you do not listen to me, you will suffer. Even if you are beyond birth and death, you will have to die again and again if you are attached to your body. O Arjun, I will give you the fruit of immortality if I am pleased with you. Neither birth nor death will turn their attention towards you." There are two birds - one gives birth and death, while other gives liberation.