THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AWARENESS

"Life does not always grow from the present, but in many active points lying in life that spreads forward or backwards."

It was part of the early years of my life that on a Saturday morning — the day of no school — added to other small duties, my mother had the three or four of us of suitable age (out of a family of nine children) meet in the nursery, to read together and learn by heart, passages chosen by her from both the Old and New Testaments. I am sure we were not pleased! But such was a part of the Victorian era in a Protestant environment.

I remember very clearly the passages of scripture chosen. Today I realize how enriching they were in expression and meaning, and I can only be grateful.

Unfortunate indeed, it seems to me, is the absence of including in education or culture the matchless and profound beauty of these eternal Truths.

Amongst them, for example, are passages from the prophet Isaiah, Chapter 55 from Verse One to the end:

"Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price."

"The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me."

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling symbol and though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not love — I am nothing."

"Let not your heart be troubled, ye who believe in God believe also in Me."

"In My Father's House are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you — I go to prepare a place for you."

From the Epistle to the Hebrews:

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.''

"I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in Me."

Is it not life's experiences that bring up to the surface what is already there — in this case, awareness? And this is what Baba has come to awaken. Not consciousness which was there in its completion at the time of human birth, but the awakening and unfoldment of a consciousness of the unconscious, which in its final aspect is Infinite Consciousness or Divine Love.

Perhaps you will recall the message from Baba's Discourse entitled, "The Avatar," in which He tells us:

"Those who are spiritually awake have been aware for some time that the world is at present in the midst of a period such as always precedes Avataric Manifestations. Even unawakened men and women are becoming aware of it now. From their darkness they are reaching out for light, in their sorrow they are longing for comfort, from the midst of the strife into which they have found themselves plunged, they are praying for peace and deliverance."

"I have come to bring about a revolution in man's thinking, the slowest of all revolutions."

Surely this is one aspect of spiritual awareness in practical form to which Baba has awakened us all, and made us — if not fully aware — at least more aware to the extent of participation and sharing in various kinds of service work, which carries out Baba's words of bringing knowledge where there is ignorance and strength where there is weakness.

We have touched on two aspects of awareness — the mystical and the practical. But there is also another perspective we have not yet considered — that of scientific awareness. This concept, Baba emphasized, would play its part in spreading His message when He manifested, or broke His Silence — a voice out of the Silence which would be heard throughout the world.

Baba did not say in what way awareness was a great help to Him in His work, and we cannot confine the concept to just two avenues of approach — the mystical and practical. Baba's work touched on all aspects of life including working with the masts, the poor, the helpless, the disabled.

We too, I feel, must not limit our vision. Where would we be without the awareness of men and women such as Newton, Einstein, Madame Curie, Pascal and others if their perception and vision had not persevered to prove their discoveries?

Awareness does, I believe, include advances in science and technology which can be used for solving world-wide problems. Therefore before closing, I would like to share a few excerpts from a letter I received recently.

Less than a month ago, I thought I had nothing more to add to this informal sharing of ideas when late one evening, the telephone rang and a Baba follower, but one unknown to me, asked, "Are you Kitty?"

"Yes," I answered, and he began to express a vision he had recently had concerning scientific technology leading to an awareness that could alleviate world poverty.

And it came to me in a flash — why yes, we have not considered the tremendous growth of awareness in relation to science and technology. And Baba has told us not to divide life into compartments — emphasizing that all knowledge comes from God and that life in its various directions, if correctly applied, can be helpful toward fulfilling God's Universal Plan.

  For Baba's work with masts, see Dr. Wm. Donkin's The Wayfarers. BACK