The higher Values of Life

IV

Those who know and have fathomed the mystery of life, have done wonderful work. Wherefrom came the scriptures? From within, from within man. All the inventions we have, came from where? From within man; not from without.

The greatest thing before us is to know oneself, who is the Self and what is the Self. We have seen that the fate of this physical body is death. At the time of this final change, the indweller leaves the house of the body. We are not the body, the dwelling house. We are the indweller of the house that we are enlivening by our presence.

From our very birth, the first companion that we have had is the physical body, now developed and grown up. When we depart, it is left behind; it does not accompany us. Then, how can other things which have come into our contact through our body, accompany us to the other world? If we remember this, the entire angle of vision will change.

Now we see from the level of the body. If we know ourselves – who we are and what we are – that we are the indwellers of the body, the whole angle of perception will change. You will see from the level of the soul and not from the level of the body.

At present, we are working from false premises. We are laying up treasures on earth. We are making so many houses, buildings and gathering other possessions, and hoarding up as much money as we can, never thinking for a moment that we have to leave the body and all earthly possessions. That is why, when Masters come, They simply direct our attention to this most important reality – the inevitability of death – about which we are quite oblivious and ignorant. With all our intellectual attainments, we act as if we never would have to leave the world or the body.

That is why Christ says:

Lay not up for yourself treasures on earth.

Why?

Where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal.

What should we do?

But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

What have we done for the other world? We are going to leave this body some day. Have we ever thought of that? If we leave the body what else can accompany us?

We are told that when Queen Noor Jahan was about to die, the physicians in attendance told her: Well, your Majesty, you now have to leave for the other world. Perhaps she had never known what the other world was. She simply said: All right, if I have to go to the other world, then how many people will accompany me? The physician told her, Your Majesty, none can go along with you. You have to leave all alone.

Just mark the ignorance. Intellectually, we all know that death is inevitable, that it overtakes all, yet have we ever truly realised that we ourselves will also die? Have we ever calmly considered who is it in us that leaves the body and where does it go? All Saints have been stressing the great need to know thyself. If you know the Inner Man which leaves the body, you know something; and that will change the entire plane of perception. 

I have come here from India. I know I have to go back. Well, on the airplane I can take only forty pounds of luggage. Anything beyond that limit I will have to leave behind. Then what shall I do? Shall I then hoard up too many things to carry along with me? How can I take them? I cannot carry more than forty pounds. Likewise, when going to the other world, even this body does not accompany us; what to speak of all the other possessions. 

So, there are two aspects we must remember. First, that we are pilgrims on this earth where we have to spend a certain span of time, be it less or more. After all, it is only a temporary abode and we have to leave it some day. It is something like being on your way to a destination. Night falls on the way, and you stop in some hotel to pass the night, and early in the morning you leave for your destination. Have you ever considered that you live as though you were going to stay in this world forever? Have you ever thought of death?

Secondly, man is composed of the physical body, the intellect and the soul. We know so much about our physical bodies. We know so much about how to maintain them. We know so much about our family relationship, our children, our social life, etc. We have advanced so wonderfully in the intellectual way. We have television, we can fly in the air. All this makes the world like a house. It only takes about 24 hours from India to reach America, from one end of the globe to the other. All these countries are so many rooms in the mansion of my Father, you may say. We have the atom bombs, the hydrogen bombs, etc. I mean to say that our advance in intellect and technology has been wonderful.

But what do we know about our own Self – the Real Self – that gives vitality to the physical and intellectual aspects of our life? It is the spirit or soul which we really are. Most of the physical side and the intellectual side has the background of our soul. We have developed only in two ways, and know nothing about our own Self.