Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! Today the whole world is strife torn. We hear of racial discrimination, class conflict, bloodshed, war, and so on. Kindly give some message to the present-day world.

Bhagavan: Today we have many intellectuals who find diversity in unity. There are only a few who notice unity in diversity. This is the reason for the present day troubles, turmoil, conflicts, wars, and so on in the world. Manava, man is behaving like a danava, demon. So we find violent, demonic, bestial, and inhuman tendencies among people. The moment man recognises and experiences unity in diversity, peace, comfort, safety, security, and happiness are ensured.

The composition of human blood is the same all over the world; everybody breathes oxygen. All tread the same ground. Hunger is one, be that of a rich man who may dine in a five star hotel or of a beggar who appeases his hunger with mere starch. Thirst is one and the same, be that of a rich man who will have a cool drink or of a poor man who drinks tap water in the street. Both feel happy in moments of joy and both grieve in times of difficulties.

The human body is composed of the five elements: earth, water, air, fire, and space. The body is inert. We breathe air into it. There is also fire within, keeping the body warm and helping us in digesting food. There is space within accommodating all parts of the human body. There is plenty of water in the body. So the five elements outside are also inside you. Everyone has them in the same proportion.

All that you have is also present in everybody else. Then, why do you stretch your hand begging from everyone? What for? What is it that you don’t have which the other man has? Basically nothing! This is the philosophy of unity in diversity. This unity is divinity.

The experience of this sort of spiritual unity is liberation, whereas the feeling of multiplicity, plurality and diversity is bondage, dualism, and attachment.

Flowers are many, but worship is one; Cows are many, but milk is one. Jewels are many, but gold is one; paths are many, but the goal is one; stars are many, but the sky is one; beings are many, but breath is one; names and forms are many, but God is one.

This is oneness or unity. Yarn is multiple, but when interwoven, it becomes a piece of cloth. This is how you should find out and experience unity in order to realise divinity. People fight in the name of religion. What a shame it is! No religion tells you to speak lies, to harm or kill others or do any such things. All religions lay emphasis on love, brotherhood, sacrifice, peace, truth, and so on. So, it is ridiculous to fight in the name of religion. In fact, matulu mancivainamatamedi ceddadi, (Telugu) ‘if your mind is good, which religion is bad’?

There is only one religion, the religion of love. To have differences based on language or race is bad. It is a sign of narrow mindedness. There is only one language, the language of the heart. It is very mean to have differences on grounds of caste. You are not born with a signboard indicating your caste. What is the caste of the air? To which caste does water belong? What is the caste of fire and earth? Therefore, there is only one caste, the caste of humanity. Wars are fought in the name of God. Don’t you know that there aren’t many Gods? God is one without a second. You may call Him by any name. There is one God who is Omnipresent.

Ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti (Truth is one, but interpreted in many ways by scholars). There are no differences in divinity. With cittasuddhi, purity of heart, you can experience the principle of unity or oneness, which is the path to divinity. First, develop purity. That helps you to achieve unity and attain Divinity.

Source: ‘Satyopanisad’ by Prof. Anil Kumar Kamaraju