Page 245 - WLMIG_6132004.indd

suffer. Even deeper, when we understand that we are divine (our ultimate value) and understand the path to God, we understand the real merit of everything else.
Dharma calls us to deepen our faith and to surrender to God as we face the challenges of establishing dharma in our communities. Faith and surrender, once achieved, bring contentment. Guidelines of goodness and rules of righteousness protect us from conflict.
Dharma Grants Immortality
Swami frequently emphasizes the importance of dharma, saying that immortality is attained through overcoming immorality. I was in an interview with Swami when he discussed this very subject.
A number of us were siing at his feet when Swami took a handkerchief and poked it through a circle formed between his thumb and index finger. Just a piece of the handkerchief was visible. Swami said, “Is this awareness?” Most of us didn’t understand what he meant, and when he directed the question to me, I said, “I don’t think so, Swami.”
With a big smile Swami said, “No, this is not awareness.” Then, pulling the whole handkerchief through so that we could see the totality of it, he said, “This is awareness, constant integrated awareness, awareness of all.”
He then explained that man is able to have constant integrated awareness, which to me is the awareness of the oneness of all at all times. If we could achieve this awareness, there would be no place for hopelessness or anguish in our lives.
Swami continued, “You are sat-chit-ananda. Sat, truth, the absolute unchanging is like sugar. Chit, awareness, is like water. When sat, the sugar, is mixed with chit, the water, it brings ananda, bliss. This is who you are: sat-chit-ananda.”
Swami then said, “Am I a man? Am I a man?” We all answered, “Yes, Swami, you are a man.” Swami said, “No, that
245