You describe it as that which is everywhere; which is all-powerful; which is responsible for this creation, for its maintenance, and for its dissolution; which is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient.
You say “I want to see God” and when you want to see God as something, as an object, then it’s not everywhere. The moment you see God, there is a distance between you and God; then you are not God. You want to see God, and this wanting to see God as separate from you is again an illusion; and if you are seeing God, then God is not omnipresent!
Like love is felt in the heart, so is God’s presence. You cannot see air, but you simply feel the air. You cannot see heat or cold, but you just feel it. So in the same way God cannot be seen.
If you see God, then He is outside there; He is away from you and isolated. God is never an object of isolation. God is the sum total. When you dissolve, God remains. When you are there, there is no God. Either you can be there, or God can be there, not both. So when you meditate, you become one with God. You are God. That is why, it is said, ‘tat tvam asi’, meaning, “thou art that”.
So, God is to be felt in the depth of your heart. In deep meditation when your mind is still, calm, hollow and empty, you suddenly feel, “I am not there. There is only one big existence.” So, don’t worry about God. First know yourself then you also know what is God, almost simultaneously.
Who are you? Do you know about yourself? Just find out about yourself first. If you think you are just the body, it is not possible, because body has its limitations. If you think you are the mind, that’s also not possible because mind has its limitations, it’s another layer.
If you know that you are silence or you are space, then it is possible; God is also space. Space is God. Can you see space separately? There are three types of space: bhootha aakash— outer space in which all this universe is hanging. Chitta aakash— in your mind, there is a world with impressions, thoughts, dreams; you live in that world, all the visions come in your mind. Chida aakash— it’s the sky of consciousness that is all permeating; the consciousness, the basis of all creation, that is divine, that all knows.
Lord Rama himself had asked a question once. He was curious to see so much love, devotion and dedication in Hanuman that he wondered and asked Hanuman what it felt like being Hanuman? Hanuman told Rama, “When I am in body consciousness, I am your servant; when I think I am an individual, I am in soul consciousness, I am a part of you; and when I am in my being consciousness, when I am in myself then I am you; there is no difference between me and you.”
It’s the same when somebody blames your child; you take the blame don’t you? There is so much oneness; in fact, there is really nothing other than God. God is that which is present everywhere, all the time.
Don’t worry too much about philosophy or descriptions of atma(self) — Paramatma(God). Let’s forget about God and observe this moment; this moment has a mind of its own. The whole existence has a mind of its own. Like you have a mind and it has such intelligence, that’s why it keeps everything orderly. Similarly, this moment is seen by this mind. This mind you can call it atmaor God and that is what you are. Yesterday is not here right now, tomorrow is not here but the present is here, now!
Respect this moment, adore this moment. See, this moment is not flat; it’s very deep. When you accept from the head, you can have the horizontal idea; from the heart you experience the depth; and both together bring true wisdom and knowledge.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji
