The inner wheel

Forsaking the various attractions and distractions of this vast city, you have come here, to this stadium, drawn by the call of the Spirit; this is to be commended because the Light of the Spirit is the veritable Beacon for those struggling in the darkness of worldly affairs. That darkness creates confusion and makes you take one thing for another. The stump of a tree appears to be a thief, lying in wait to rob you of your purse. The knowledge of the Atma is the Light which will disperse the darkness as well as the doubts and diversifies which it creates. Without this knowledge, man is lost in the wilderness; he behaves as if he has lost all memory of himself, as if he has forgotten his name, native place and the place to which he is proceeding. He evokes pity among the wise!

Awareness of his identity, of his being Atma, is the sign of wisdom, the lighting of the Lamp which scatters darkness. That Atma is the embodiment of Bliss, of Peace, of Love but, without knowing that all these exist in oneself, man seeks them from outside himself and exhausts himself in that disappointing pursuit. Birds that fly far from the masts of a ship have to return to those very masts, for they have no other place to fold their fired wings and stay. Devoid of this Jnana, all efforts to seek spiritual bliss and peace are futile. You may have rice, dal, salt, vegetables and tamarind; but, without a fire to cook them soft and palatable, they are as good as non-existent. So too, Japam, Dhyanam, Puja, pilgrimage – all these are ineffective, if the knowledge of one’s basic Reality and Identity is not there to warm up the process. The Atma is the source and spring of all joy and peace; this has to be cognised and dwelt upon. Without this cognition, human life is an opportunity that is lost. One has to come into this wilderness again and again in order to learn the way out. The quantities of food consumed, the hours of sleep spent in bed, the riches earned and enjoyed add up to a colossal waste, if the main purpose of life is neglected.

Virtue Is Strength; Vice Is Weakness

Life is a campaign against foes; it is a battle with obstacles, temptations, hardships, hesitations. These foes are within man and so, the battle has to be incessant and perpetual. Like the virus that thrives on the bloodstream, the vices of lust, greed, hate, malice, pride and envy sap the energy and faith of man and reduce him to untimely fall. Ravana had scholarship, strength, wealth, power, authority, the Grace of God – but, the virus of lust and pride which lodged in his mind brought about his destruction, despite all his attainments. He could not dwell in peace and joy for a moment after the virus started work. Virtue is strength, vice is weakness.

Man differs from man, in this struggle against the inner foes. Each gets the result that his Sadhana deserves, that his acts in this and previous births deserve. Life is not a mechanical formula, where two plus two always make four. To some, it may be three, to others, five. It depends on how each values the two. Moreover, in the spiritual path, each one has to move forward from where he already is, according to his own pace, in the light of the lamp which each one holds in his own hand. The demons were too conceited to bend before the Lord; they put too much trust in arms and number; they ignored the subtler and stronger forces of the spirit, which could carry mountains, bridges, oceans and annihilate the anger of the elements.

You must strive to diagnose your own character and discover the faults that are infesting it; do not try to analyse the character of others and seek to spot their defects. This self-examination is very necessary to bring to light the defects that might undermine one’s spiritual career. People buy clothes with deep colour, so that they may not reveal dust or dirt; they do not prefer white clothes, for they show plainly their soiled condition. But, do not try to hide your dirt in darkness; be ashamed of soiled natures and endeavour to cleanse them fast.

Man Suffers From Fever Of The Senses

Consider also the true nature of what is now named Bhogaor luxury, a thing that drags people away into excitement and insane pursuits. All the variety in taste, colour, smell of the multiform items of food is, when you consider it fairly and squarely, a mere drug to cure the illness of hunger; all the drinks that man has invented are but drugs to alleviate the illness of thirst. Man suffers from the fever of the senses and he tries the quack remedies of recreations, pleasures, picnics, banquets, dances etc., only to find that the fever does not subside. The fever can subside only when the hidden virus is rendered ineffective. That virus will die only when the rays of Jnanafall upon it.

There are two things that draw man’s mind, Hitaand Priya (the beneficial and the pleasant). Prefer the beneficial to the pleasant, for the pleasant might lead you down the sliding path into the bottomless pit. Vibhishana spoke Hitato Ravana, but he lent his ear to the Priyathat his sycophantic ministers spoke. He exiled his brother and honoured his courtiers; he sealed his fate by this preference of Priyaover Hita. The true doctor is interested in curing you of all illness and so, he advises Hitato restore your health; the Guru is such a doctor. Obey him, even when his prescription is unpalatable, for, you can be cured only by him.

Cultivate Quietness, Simplicity And Humility

Now this country is pursuing Priyainstead of Hitaand that is the reason for all this distress and discontent. Indian Culture has always emphasised the hard way, the beneficial way; but, people are now after cultures that cater to the senses–the outer, the external, the frill and the fancies, the mirages and the momentaries. Indian Culture advises the control of the senses, not catering to them. The car is driven by means of a wheel which is inside it; when that wheel is turned, the outer wheels move. So also, the inner wheel has to be turned in man, so that he may progress. Trying to move the outer wheels is a sign of ignorance; it is waste of precious energy.

Inner concentration is to be developed in preference to outer distraction. Cultivate quietness, simplicity, humility, instead of noise, complexity, conceit. Of the twenty-four hours which comprise a day, use six for earning and spending, six for contemplation of God, six for sleep and six for service to others. You are now spending not even five minutes in the contemplation of God and you are not ashamed. What a tragedy!

Best Course To Develop Taste For Liberation

Ponder over your Sthiti (present condition), Gati (direction of movement), Shakti (capabilities) and Mati (inclinations). Then, enter upon the path of Sadhana step by step, so that you approach the goal faster every day, every hour, every minute. Arjuna became entitled to the Gita Upadesh (Message of the Gita) from the Lord Himself, because he evinced the Vishada (despondency), the Vairagya (detachment), the Sharanagati (surrender) and the Ekagrata (concentration) – essential to assimilate the Great Message. When the yearning for Liberation has become intense beyond expression, man can set aside all social conventions, worldly norms and codes of conduct, that do not subserve that high purpose. Then, Prahlada can give up his father, Bhishma can counter his Guru, Meera can desert her husband and Shankaracharya can play subterfuge with his mother.

To develop that taste for liberation Namasmarana (rolling the sweet name of the Lord saturated with sugar of His splendour on the tongue and in the mind) is the best course. This is an exercise that can be practised at all times and places by all, irrespective of creed or caste or sex or age or economic and social status. It will keep you in constant touch with the Infinite and so, it will transmit to you something of the Wisdom and Power of the Infinite.

March 16, 1966

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Bombay

Krodha and kama

Bharat Mata is the mother of Vaamadeva, who knew his identity with the Universal Parabrahmam (Supreme Divinity) from the moment of his birth; of Prahlada, who from the day he lisped uttered the Name of Narayana; of Shuka, who had the unique Advaitic Realisation even while a boy; and a Shankaracharya, who mastered the intricacies of Vedanta even while in his teens. She is the mother of heroes like Bharata, who gambolled with lion cubs; of Arjuna who could wield his undefeatable bow, in either hand; of Shivaji, who faced fearful odds to fulfil the smallest wish of his Guru Samartha Ramadas. Among her children, we have men like Shibi, Harishchandra and Karna who are shining examples of the spirit of renunciation and women like Sita, Savitri and Damayanti who are brilliant stars in the firmament of virtue. No wonder India rose to the position of the Guru of the Globe, the Teacher of all Humanity. This heritage is fast being forgotten and India started a journey away from her legitimate direction.

Man, according to this ancient teaching, is not simply a co-ordinated collection of limbs, senses and sensations. He is all these, governed by intelligence, sharpened by the modes and memories earned through many births. That intelligence itself is an instrument with a limited range of efficiency; there are many goals which it cannot achieve. These can be reached only by the descent of Grace and Power from above. Complete surrender of the ego to that Power will bring it down, fill you with itself.

Develop A Pure Unsullied Mind To Get Peace

Vibhishana was capable of that surrender and so he was accepted and assured quickly. It tookSugreeva much longer to reach that stage, for he had some personal aims to realise, through Rama and his faith in Him was clogged by doubts. Has he the skill he professes to possess? Can he kill such a formidable adversary as Vali? He surrendered to Rama only when his doubts were cleared.

Speaking of the Ramyana, you will notice that there are two little incidents, centred round two minor characters, which sparked off the entire epic: the resentment of Manthara and the lust of Surpanakha–Krodha and Kama. In the Jeevita Ramayana, the life-epic of each of you, beware of these two, Krodha (anger) and Kama (desire); a tiny spark of each is enough to destroy peace and joy. Weed them out, before they destroy you. The Mano-Nashana (extinction of the mind) – with all its likes and dislikes, its flowing out into the objective world in search of joy–can be affected, if the senses are rendered ineffective. Then, like the faggots on which the corpse is cremated, in the process of cremation, the corpse as well as the faggots both become ashes. Sensory activity is the warp as well as the woof of the mind; when that ceases, the mind vanishes. It starves and dies.

To get Santosha (satisfaction) and Shanti (peace) you must develop a pure unsullied mind, unsullied by egoism and its progeny – lust, greed, envy, anger, hatred and the rest. For this, you must seek Satsang (good company), perform Sat-Karma (good deeds), entertain only Sat-Aalochana (good thoughts) and read Sat-Granthas (good books). You may see a thousand good things or listen to a thousand good words or read a thousand good books–but, unless you put at least one into practice, the blemishes in the mirror of your heart will not be wiped off. The Lord cannot be reflected therein.

Constant practice with full faith will transmute Nara into Narayana, Manava into Madhava (man into God); for Narayana is your real nature, Madhava is your real essence. You are but a wave of the sea; know it, and you are free.

March 17, 1966

Bombay

Make the mind a mirror

India is the charming land where nature presents beauty to the eye and melody to the ear, fragrance and soft refreshing coolness. It is the heartening arena for the exercise of Viveka and Vairagya (discrimination and non-attachment to the world). India provides a rich heritage of philosophy and practical spirituality, a galaxy of eminent saints and seers immortalised by poets of pure renown. But the language of the past, the treasure house of this vast and valuable experience is now known only to a few and even they are fast disappearing through neglect and want of encouragement.

Sanskrit, which was once the language that linked the learned men and women of all parts ofIndia, from the Himalayan hermitages to the cowrie-decked ascetics of Kanyakumari, has now earned the ill-fame of a ‘dead language’ and is being consigned to oblivion by the ungrateful children of the motherland.

This mother has given birth to Vaamadev, who had realised that he was no other than Brahmam, even in the womb; to Prahlada, who recited the holy name of God even as a child, who revelled in the midst of unbearable torture in the recitation of the sacred Mantra, “Om Namo Narayana” (Salutations to God Narayana, the Supreme); to Shukadev, the unexcelled anchorite, unattached to the world of the senses from childhood; to Shankaracharya, the supreme ascetic and interpreter of the Vedas and Upanishads and the two other basic texts of SanatanaDharma, the Gita and the BrahmaSutras, the Master who revived Bhakti and sang in praise of every great Hindu shrine; to Prince Bharata who played as a child with a gambolling lion cub; to Arjuna, the greatest bowman who could shoot arrows with both his hands, the disciplined disciple of the Lord who won from Him the sublime teaching of the Bhagavad Gita; to Shivaji, the devoted servant of Samartha Ramdas, who built an empire where SanatanaDharma reigned; to Shibi and Karna, unique examples of selfless renunciation; to Sita, Savitri, Draupadi, Shabari, Meera, Andaal and many other women who proclaimed the supreme significance of Dharma (righteousness)to purify and liberate the mind, who gladly entered the raging flames rather than suffer the ignominy of disloyalty to the ideals of that Dharma; to Empress Chandramati and Damayanti who welcomed every disaster as but one more example of the loving interest that the Lord had in their progress towards His Feet.

Become The Ideal Candidate For Divinity

Man is just not a creature with hands and feet, eyes and ears, head and trunk; he is much more than a total of all these organs and parts – they are but the crude image that came out of the mould. Later, they have to be ground, scraped, polished, perfected, smoothed, softened, through the intellect and the higher impulses and the pure intentions and ideals. Then, man becomes the ideal candidate for Divinity, which is his real destiny. The impulses will be rendered pure and the intentions will be raised to the higher level, if man but decides to dedicate all his deeds, words and thoughts to the Lord. For this, faith in One Supreme Intelligence, which conceived, conserves and consumes this Universe, is essential.

The next step is to be convinced of one’s own helplessness and distress at one’s own grief. Then, surrender to that Intelligence is easily achieved. Sugreeva sought the Grace of the Lord, come as Rama; but he was afflicted with doubt regarding His prowess and His integrity. But the Lord had such love towards him that He submitted to the tests which he desired Him to undergo,casting off with His Foot the heavy corpse of an ogre, shooting an arrow right through seven sal trees, etc. But Vibhishana saw that He was the Lord in human form and he ran straight to Him for protection and surrendered unconditionally at His feet. So he was accepted without the faintest demur by the Lord, even though those around Him expressed apprehensions.

Cleanse Your Heart And Make It A Clear Mirror

Therefore, cultivate faith and surrender; then Grace will flow through you into every act of yours; for they are no longer your acts, they are His and you have no concern about the consequences thereof. All acts and words and thoughts will thereafter be pure, saturated with love, conducive to peace. Cleanse your hearts so that the Lord may be reflected therein, in all His Splendour, in all His myriad forms.

There was a famous painter who approached Krishna and arrayed before Him all his masterpieces and all his titles, medals and trophies. He offered to paint a portrait of Krishna, an offer which was gladly accepted. Sittings were granted and the portrait was ready; but it was discovered by all that looked at it that the picture was somehow different from the Krishna who gave the sittings. The painter was graciously given a few more chances, but every time his picture was found quite off the mark, for it depicted a figure which all agreed was not that of the Krishna who gave the sittings. The pride of the artist was pricked flat; he hung his head in shame and left the city utterly humilated. Narada saw him on the outskirts of the city and hearing his plight, the sage told him, “The Lord has a multitude of forms; indeed, all forms are His. So, you cannot fix one form on Him and succeed in painting Him. I shall advise you how to proceed,” and took him aside.

The next day, the painter appeared at the Court with a big framed ‘picture’ covered by a white cloth; the Lord asked him to uncover it and when he did so, it was discovered that he had brought only a mirror. Lord! You have a thousand forms; in this picture, all forms are clearly and instantaneously depicted, he said. Cleanse your heart and make it a clear mirror; the Lord’s glory will then be reflected therein.

When The Senses Are Negated, Mind Disappears

The desires that cling to the mind are the blemishes that tarnish man’s inner consciousness. Control the senses, do not yield to their insistent demands for satisfaction. When a corpse is placed on a pyre, and when the pyre is lit, both the corpse and the pyre are reduced to ashes. So too, when the senses are negated, the mind too disappears. When the mind disappears, delusion dies and liberation is achieved.

Faith in God is the best reinforcement for spiritual victory. When you revel in the contemplation of the splendour of the Lord, nothing material can attract you; all else will seem inferior; the company of the godly and the humble alone will be relished. This Maharashtra has been for long the home of saints who have sung of the Grace of the Lord, whom they had realised in the altar of their hearts. The flood of Bhakti which they brought down by their songs has fertilised millions of parched hearts in Maharashtra and other regions. By then Japa, Tapas and YogaSadhana (recitation of Lord’s name, penance and yogic practice), they have enabled many an aspirant to approach the Lord quicker and more intimately: so intimately that no disappointment can shake their faith.Kabir, Ramdas, Tukaram and many others have built the royal road of devotion for humanity. When it is a claim for spiritual excellence, Maharashtra makes it with confidence among all the states of India with Saurashtra as aclose competitor. It is your duty now to live up to the heritage handed over to you for development by the pious forefathers.

March 17, 1966

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Bombay

The Two Mothers

Your are the greatest treasure that this country has; on you, its future rests. This is the land where the sacred Vedas were first uttered, Vedic discipline realised the Divinity that they were, the land where generation after generation of pious people lived simple and contented lives full of love towards all beings. It is a great pity that you are growing up, utter strangers to this glorious heritage.The truth that the Vedas reach man is: “Soham: That is I; the Principle that is Immanent in the Universe is the same Principle that is immanent in Me, too.” Meditation on this grand thought gradually leads man to know that there is no distinction between That and I, that both are One, that there is no separate ‘Sah’ and ‘Aham’ and so there is only ‘Om’.

The Vedas also teach three other basic beliefs:

Karmaphala–Every act has an inevitable consequence.Every cause has an effect. If you act with an eye on the consequence, you have to suffer the consequence. Attachment results in bondage; detachment leads to liberation. It is the ego, the ‘I consciousness’ which tells you that you are the body, with its pack of senses that drives you into attachment. Be vigilant that it does not lead you into desires that are harmful.

You are now free, you can go where you like, hiking on your two legs; when you marry, you become a quadruped (four-footed animal) and when you get a child, you develop two legs more. Thus you grow into a centipede (a creature with 100 feet) and start crawling. Attachment makes you burdened and bound. The mind is the source of all desire; so, try to acquire, not diamond, but, ‘die-mind’. Let all desires for sense-objects die, or, concentrate all desires on God. Surrender all desires to Him. Surrender all instincts, impulses, attachments to Him. In the Gita, Krishna has assured: “When you surrender everything to Me, your welfare and happiness become My responsibility.” Start with faith, then only knowledge can grow

The other two doctrines are: (2) Punarjanma: Rebirth, according to Karmaphala (result of action); and (3) the unique birth of the Lord as Avatar to save humanity from the fall. You must start with Faith; then only can knowledge grow. Have faith in the book and start studying it; then only do you get knowledge out of it. Without getting into water, you cannot learn the art of swimming. You will get the proof you need, only when you approach with humility and faith.

Be always cheerful. Ups and downs there will always be on the road of life. Pleasant or unpleasant, take all vicissitudes alike, with fortitude. In the sky of your heart, dark thick clouds of desire and doubt hire out the brilliance of the sun of Buddhi (intellect). They are only clouds; they will pass away. Develop a strong character; reason will blow the wind which will drive off the clouds. Meditate on God and pray that they pass away; the Lord will come to your help.

Develop unshakeable faith in yourself, your capacity to live well and long, to be of service to your parents and the country. That is AtmaVishwasa (confidence in the Self). That is the root of the tree of life. The sweetness in the fruit the tree yields is the sweetness of character. Pursue your studies, not for the sake of a job alone, but, for living a good and happy life. That is to say, you must, even from now, cultivate faith in God, keep virtuous company, nourish discipline and cherish ideals of service. Control the senses; avoid seeing evil, heating evil and relishing evil sights, words and news. Bad thoughts breed bad character and drag you down into the beast. Those whom we now adore for their exemplary lives have been boys and young men like you; they did not neglect during their youth the development of their moral fibre and qualifies of sympathy and service. You too should not neglect these.

Students Should Earn The Trust Of People

Vidyarthi (student) means, a person engaged in study, one who aspires to acquire Vidya, but Vidyarthis have now become Vishayarthis (those who aspire to acquire sense pleasures and sense objects)! Vidya (study) is becoming Shunya (zero) since students are kept busy with other things than study. Not all are bad; but, the entire student community has to bear the blame, when a few among them are drawn into wrong ways.

Nowadays, students do not enjoy the confidence and trust of the people. In the olden days, when ladies or old people or sick persons had to travel in train without any escort or help, when they found even a single student in the compartment, they felt happy and relieved; for, they said, “O, we have a student travelling with us: he will take good care of us; he will tell us where to get down; he will get for us what we need.” But, today the presence of a student is not welcomed! What a fall, this is! How sad and unfortunate! Bad guidance from parents and teachers and the so-called leaders of the land, bad company at school and college, reading bad books, the craving to see films, all are responsible for the damage done to the pure-hearted, blemishless youth of this great country. Students have a natural reverence for the parent, the teacher and the leader; but, when these do not set a good example, when the teacher stoops to borrow a cigarette from the student, how can reverence persist?

Curb The Craving To Be Fashionable

Do not worry at the faults of others. Try to look into your own and correct them. For the disease from which you suffer, the drug must be taken by you only. If you are not at fault, never bother about what others may say. But, first, examine your behaviour and see that it is above criticism. Grow straight; do not grow crooked. Do not read trash and attend bad films, they warp character and extol violence and wickedness. Spend the money you have on good food instead. Develop good habits: doing Bhajan (group singing), practising Aasanas (yogic postures), meditation, silence–these will give you peace and joy, a clear brain and concentration. They will discipline the wayward mind.

Curb your craving for being ‘fashionable’. You do not know how much your parents have to sacrifice to cater to your tastes. They often borrow money, so that you can adopt the latest in dress or equipment. And, later, they are harassed by the money-lenders. Becontent; learn contentment. There is no wealth, like contentment. Use your time, as if it is something very precious. It is really the most precious Gift of God. It is fast running out; every moment lost is lost forever. Try to serve the sick, the suffering; learn how to serve them efficiently and quickly. Move about always with a smile on your face; do not make the smile, a cynical grin or a laugh of merriment. No one should feel hurt by that smile; everyone should feel happy, should catch the infection of joy.

Equanimity Is The Real State Of Samadhi

Try to have restraint and moderation in everything: food, recreation, talk etc. Have neither too much freedom, nor too much restraint or regimentation. Revere your parents; they have gifted this body to you. They are your immediate and visible Gods. Be grateful to your mother who nourished you with her own blood and bore pangs for your sake, and poured out her heart in love on you. Serving and worshipping the parents is really service and worship of God. For Shri Rama, the command of the father was as potent as Divine Command. At 7o’ clock in the morning, Rama was to be crowned Emperor; He walked towards the throne, to receive the crown and the homage. At 6.55, He was asked to walk into the forest, an exile for 14 years! He walked away as joyfully as He walked towards the throne; He had the same equanimity, whether it was this or that. His reward was the joy that He had followed the command of His father. That equanimity is the real state of Samadhi; ‘Sama-dhi’, equal awareness, undisturbed reaction to both pain and pleasure.

You are growing older every moment: you will not be young always. The friendships and contacts you develop now at school or college are temporary. After your term is over, each goes in his own path, away from the rest. These attachments will then break off and new ones will fill their place. So, choose good companies and do not develop too strong an attachment to any one.Be friendly with all, but, do not allow that friendship to grow into excess.

Impure Thoughts Lead To The Path Of Ruin

Try to get into the company of devoted and God-fearing persons. When dust joins the company of air, it rises up into the sky; when it joins the company of water, it sinks into the depths of the earth. Your future is shaped by the company you fall into now. So, be very careful; I always like youngsters and I yearn to shower upon them My Grace.

Look upon all girls as your sisters. If you look at them with evil thoughts, impure thoughts, you will be sliding down the path of ruin. If any one looks upon your sister with impure motives, how much will you be pained, how hurt will you be! Remember that and avoid hurting the others too. Try to develop brotherly and sisterly attitudes towards all you meet. Do not take delight in taunting or decrying girl students. Respect them and pay heed to their sense of self-respect. That is the means of winning My Grace.

Remember that you have two mothers: the DeshaMata (the Mother-country) and DehaMata (the mother who gave the body). If you do not have a sterling character, the Mother-country is thrown into grief. If you do not have love and gratitude, the Mother is thrown into grief. When both are happy through you, I am pleased and I will shower Grace on you. Your life is then indeed blessed.

May 13, 1968

Bombay

The Tell-tale Tongue

You are all at school; you are reading books, attending classes, and you all say, “We are students.” Because, you are studying; studying many subjects. This study will help you to do some work or get into some job, when you grow old enough. You learn the ways of health, you play and do exercises to build your bodies firm and fast. This is very good; you must learn these things well. But, there are some other things, too, which you must learn to do, learn to do well. I shall tell you of those things today.

You must speak soft and sweet words to everyone. Do you like the voice of the crow? No. You drive the crow away when it starts to cave, its speech is harsh, it is too loud for your ears. You must have heard the kokil, the cuckoo, haven’t you? That bird looks very much like the crow, it grows in the nest of the crow, with the baby crows; it is fed by the mother crow, along with her own kids. But, no one will throw a stone at a kokil. Every one likes to hear its sweet voice. Speak soft and sweet; then, every one will like you.

The eye sees; the ear hears; the nose smells; the skin tells you if a thing is hard or smooth. The tongue tastes. These five are called Indriyas (senses). Each of these five does one job, and is fit to do only that one job. The eye cannot hear or smell or taste; the ear cannot see or smell or taste or tell you if a thing is smooth or hard to the touch.

Two Big Jobs God Has Given To The Tongue

This is not true of the tongue, for it can do two jobs, and not one. And both the jobs that God has given to the tongue are big jobs. Just think for some time about the first job–tasting! If a thing tastes bad, you do not like to eat it. Of course, if you are ill, you have to take the drug, even though the tongue says that it tastes bad. So, you should not spit out all things that tastes bitter. Some of those things help to cure your illness quickly and well. Remember another fact also; if a thing tastes nice, it may not be good for your health. The tongue tells you that a thing tastes bitter or sweet, or saltish. It cannot tell you whether a thing is good for you or bad. So, you must care not to eat too much and spoil your health. When the body is ill, the mind too becomes weak, and the brain cannot work properly.

Now about the second job that the tongue is given–speech. It is a tool that you can use in order to give vent to your thoughts, your ideas, your feelings, your desires, your prayers, your joys, your sorrows. If you are angry, you use it to speak out harsh words very loudly. If you are pleased, you use it to speak soft words in a low pleasant voice. I want you to use your tongue only for your good and the good of others. If you speak harshly to another, he too talks loud and harsh; angry words cause more angry words. But, if you use soft and sweet words when another is angry towards you, he will calm down, he will be sorry that he used his tongue in that way. Do not shout, do not talk longer than necessary, do not talk when there is no need to talk; when you speak to someone or some group of friends, raise your voice to the pitch that is just right for the listener or listeners and not more. Why should you waste your energy to talk louder and longer than necessary?

Use The Tongue For Your Good And Good Of Others

Never use foul words against another. Such words should not rise from your tongue, nor should they enter the ear of the others. Remember that there is God inside your heart, as well as in the hearts of all rest. He hears and sees all things. Do you not say, “My head, my hands, my eye, my mind, my idea.” Now, who is this ‘I’, that owns the body, the mind, the brain? That ‘I’ is the spark of God that is in you. That spark is in every one. So, when you use harsh, cruel, angry, foul words against another, the God in you and the God in the other person is hurt. The tongue is a tool, as I said. You can harm yourself and harm others with it. So, be very careful; use it only for your good and for the good of others. If you use it for talking kind words, for repeating the Name of God or singing His Glory, or praying to Him–then, it is put to the best use.

I shall tell you something more about the tongue. You can learn much by watching the tongue. It stays in its own home and seldom comes out of its doorstep. It keeps quietly indoors; it knows its limits; it has no desire to wander or roam about. This is a lesson you should learn from it. Make yourself busy and useful at home; help your parents and brothers and sisters; do not run out into the street and move place to place, without aim or purpose. Do not rush into the homes of others and disturb them. The tongue never goes into another mouth; it remains inside its own home. It is not proper to leave one’s home and waste time, standing or sitting idly, gazing at all those who pass by. You must earn a good name, at home and at school, by your strict mode of life.

Watch Around You To Avoid Accidents

Do you know of another lesson that the tongue is trying to teach you? Watch your tongue when you are reading aloud or talking to some one. It moves quickly from one side to another, it moves forward and back, in order that the breath can come out as different sounds. And, when you are eating your lunch or dinner, the tongue has to move about pretty quickly. Have you noticed that during all this time, the tongue has to be very careful not to come between the teeth? There are 32 of them, all around the tiny home, with sharp edges like swords, which may cut into the soft thick tongue and wound it, causing it to bleed. Yet, see how skilfully, how cleverly, the tongue moves inside the mouth, escaping the 16 pairs of merciless soldiers that are looking out to wound it! You must also watch all round you, so as to avoid dangers and accidents. Do not fall into bad company, do not be led into bad habits, do not bring a bad name to your parents or your school.

We can learn another lesson, too, from the tongue. The tongue has no greed; it does not keep anything for itself. It does not store anything secretly, away from others’ hand, so that it can have it all for itself. If a thing is good, the tongue sends it down the throat, to the stomach; if a thing is bad, bitter, or rotten, it sends it out, beyond the lips, as vomit! It has no urge to have anything for itself. It serves others; it puts its own needs last. It does not even keep a trace of the things that pass over it, on the way out or in. It may be oil or Ghee, cream or jam; the tongue is as clean as before. It has no likes or dislikes; you must also give up greediness. Do not get too fond of any one or any thing. Do all your duties well; give full joy to your parents and teachers. Help all as much as you can. But, learn also to keep quiet for some time every day, and be calm when some thing happens in the way you do not like.

God Will Yield To Your Prayers And Get Bound

Some of you may know how elephants are caught and tamed. In the forests, the elephant is a wild beast, moving in herds and charging any one who dare go near. It is trapped, roped, and tied to a strong post, so that it cannot run away; it is made so tame that it stands on a small round three-legged stool, in the circus tent, or drags huge logs of timber, at the bidding of the Mahout! When the elephant is tied to the post, all its strength and skill becomes yours, for you can use them for your own need. The tongue is a post; Bhajan of the Name of is the rope; with that rope, you can bring God Almighty near you and tie Him up, so that His Grace becomes yours. God is so kind that He will yield to your prayers and get bound. You have only to call on Him, to be by your side, with you, leading you and guiding you.

Everyone likes to keep what he has got; he feels hurt when someone takes it away from him, by force, or by cheating him. This is called theft. If your book or pen is stolen by another boy or girl, you will be very sad, isn’t it? Do not make another boy or girl sad, by stealing her or his book or pen. Do unto others only as you would like them to do unto you. There is a song used in Bhajans – Bada Chitta Chor– where God is said to be a “big thief, who steals the hearts of persons!” The whole world is God’s. All of you belong to Him, though you may not know it. Therefore, He can take anything from any one. He is the Master of the ether, wind, fire, water and earth; He can change the sky into the earth and the earth into the sky. So, He can take hold of the hearts of people and fill them with Love.

Once people know how great is the Love that gives, they will not desire any thing else. That is why He is called Chitta Chor (Stealer of hearts). When you sing that song, you must pray, “O God! Enter My Heart also, fill it with Love, so that I may love all Your children, in all lands.” Never take hold of what others own. Do not talk ill of others. Do not talk about others but, if you must, talk only of the good in them. All are good; if you see bad in them, it is because there is bad in you. If you do not like someone, do not mix with him; keep away. But, do not try to blacken his name, and relate stories about him to others. Anger is harmful; it makes you do things blindly. You will have to repent much for whatever you do in anger; when your anger cools down, you see things clearer and then, it is too late to correct the wrong you have done!

Anger Makes You Do Things Blindly

You must read good books. Then only you claim to be good students. But, good books are now becoming rare. Cheap books and magazines give stories of bad life, dealing with crooks and cruel men, cheats and dacoits. Keep away from such books; they will dirty the mind, and fill it with anger and hate, and mischief. Read the sacred books of your religion and of other religions. Read the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Bhagavata, the Bible, the Quran and other sacred books. In some families reading of such books is done daily; so, the children know something about the sages, saints and Divine persons of the past. Such reading is not done in most families; even the elders do not know what the books have in their pages! How then can the children know?

When you ask a boy about Rama or Krishna, he answers, “O, he is a boy studying in the same class as mine.” He does not know that Krishna was God come as man, to help all men to reach Him! He does not know that Krishna taught Arjuna the Way to God, and that the teaching is found in the book of verses called Gita. He does not know that Rama was a great King, who lived as an example to everyone, for ever. He was also God come down as man, to show man the Path to God. There are many paths to God, as there are many roads to a city or as there are many tracks up a Himalayan peak, by which Sherpascan climb to the top.

Try Your Best To Make Your Parents Happy

You will find at home pictures of God, kept in a special place for worship. In every home, however, there are living Gods, whom the sages ask you to serve and worship. They are your parents. They gave you life; you owe your health and happiness to them. They love you, they serve you, they give you as much as they can, and even more. Yes; they often take less food, so that you can have your fill. They try to save money through various means, so that you can be at school, or live in a hostel, or attend a festival or go on a school tour.

The sacred books want you to honour them and worship them. “Matru Devo Bhava; Pitru Devo Bhava”, – “Let your mother be your God;Let your father be your God”–that is the teaching. Yes; how else can you thank them? What else can you give, in return, than your Love and Service? Think of all the care, all the love, all the pain, all the hunger and sleeplessness they underwent and undergo for your sake. Be kind, be soft and sweet to them. Do not be rude and disrespectful. Try your best to make them happy; obey them, for they know much more than you do of the world and its dangers. That is the way to worship them.

The sages also say, “Acharya Devo Bhava”– “Let your teacher be your God.” For, it is the teacher who opens the inner eye and makes you aware of the wonder and beauty of the world around you. He tells you of the truth of stars and sky, he teaches you how to be healthy and happy, useful and peaceful. The father and the mother brought you here and helped you to grow and gave you into the hands of the teacher. The teacher makes you bright and cheerful, skilled and serviceable to all. So, honour him, obey him and treat him with as much respect as you give to your parents.

In the book, Mahabharata, you read of a great battle that took place between cousins: theKauravas and the Pandavas. Right was on the side of the Pandavas; they were fighting for truth and justice. So, God was on their side, helping them to win. The eldest of the Pandavas was the Prince called Dharmaraja. His grandfather Bhishma and his dear teacher, Drona, had chosen the Kaurava side and were getting ready to fight against him and his four brothers.

When the battle began, Dharmaraja remembered the rule “Pitru Devo Bhava,”–”Let your father be your God,”and“Acharya Devo Bhava”–”Let your teacher be your God.” So, he walked up to the camp of the enemies, and reached the tents of Bhishmaand Drona, who were bent on defeating him! He fell at the feet of the grandfather and the teacher and prayed that they should wish him well. At this, they became soft and sweet to him; their hearts were filled with kindness; they said, “Son, you have done only right and proper things, Dharma is on your side; you will win. We have to be on this side, as we are duty-bound. But, we bless you that you may defeat your enemies and get back your kingdom.” See how Dharmaraja got the blessing of his grandfather and teacher, by observing the Dharma laid down by the sages!

Have Faith In God And In Your Own Strength

You are members of Sathya Sai Bal Vihar. You must shine as fine examples to other boys and girls. When you are at home and when some friends of your father come in, you must rise from your seat, talk politely and clearly, receive them gladly, and be nice towards them. When you have to talk over the phone, don’t shout rudely, “Hello, Hello,” to every one. Elders must not be addressed so lightly. “Hello! Hello!” is not polite; it is used only among chums. You must use some word that is especially Indian. Now, you learn only the ways of other lands and other people. At school, the first lesson is: “Baa baa black sheep, Have you any wool?” and the second, “Ding dong bell, Pussy is in the well.”

Gone are the days when the first lesson was on Rama, Krishna or some great sage or saint. Getting to know about black sheep will make children black sheep; getting to know about the great and the good will make children great and good. Children of the Bal Vihar are therefore told stories of Rama, Krishna and other Divine persons. Learn those tales and decide to live like them. Learn Indian ways, Indian tales, and be true Indians. That is easy for you, and quite necessary. For example, why say, “GoodMorning” or “Good Night.” Namaskar or Namaste is the Indian way, the really humble way. You must have Bhaya, Vinaya and Vishwasa–fear, humility and faith. Fear of what? Fear of doing wrong, of falling into falsehood. Humility before whom? Before elders, teachers, parents. Faith in what? Faith in God, in your own strength, in your own victory.

I want each one of you to grow into strong, steady, straight persons. Your eyes should not seek evil sights; your ears should not seek evil tales; your tongue should not seek evil speech; your hands should not seek evil acts; your minds should not seek evil thoughts. Be pure, be full of love. Help those who are in worse condition, serve those who need your help. Then, you shall be worthy members of the Sathya Sai Bal Vihar.

May 16, 1969

Bombay

Escape From Entanglement

This day is a sacred day which has to be spent in sacred thoughts and deeds and not in cheap debilitating sensual pleasures and pastimes, like feasting and film-going. Of course, people in their ignorance resort to these hollow hilarities, urged by the innate and inescapable urge for Ananda. The Ananda (Bliss Supreme) within seeks Ananda pure and undefiled. It can be secured only through the satisfaction of higher and more sublime desires like the yearning for freedom, for expanding ourselves to the utmost limit, for escaping from bondage, for realising the Ultimate and the Universal. Each such festival has been designed by the sages as a step in the progress of man towards this Goal. Nevertheless, we are casting many a New Year Day behind us unmindful of its significance. Year after year is wasted in misdirected effort at attaining Ananda, and in the consequent misery and despair.

Just consider! The second is the very basic unit of Time, which we measure in what we designate as a year. Sixty of them make up a minute; sixty of these form an hour; twenty four hours constitute a day; about thirty of these make a month; twelve months pass and we say a year has passed! When twelve months are over, when we come back again to the first in the list of months, we call it the New Year Day and go on a spree to mark the occasion.

Learn How To Acquire Bliss And Peace

Really speaking, nothing new has happened today. It is not the year that is new; it is the second that follows this present second that is really new. Do not wait for the celebration of something new in Time until the minutes, the hours, the days, the months add up to a year. Celebrate the immediately succeeding second by an honest effort to get lasting joy. There is no touch of meanness in trying to get joy or Ananda. It is only the means that make it unworthy and futile. As a matter of fact, it is to fill himself with Ananda that man has come to this world, equipped with mind and intelligence, memory and speech, courage and conscience. Only man has the chance and the capacity among all living beings. But man has forgotten the errand and is wandering in the wilderness, trailing behind trivial pleasures, which he assumes to be honourable and beneficial.

Man’s determination to acquire Ananda and Shanti should not flicker like the flame of a lamp placed on a gusty windowsill. He must learn how to acquire them from the scriptures composed by saints or from the wise who have won them. Then he must adhere to the Path, however sharp the criticism, whoever callously condemns it cynically. Cynical laughter cannot harm the Sadhaka. Can a storm shake the Himalayan range? Let not your faith in the goal or the road quake before trouble or trial, toil or travail, distress or despair. They are but passing clouds, casting temporary shadows, hiding for a little time the glory of the sun or moon. Do not get distracted by doubt or despondency. Build the mansion of your life on four firm pillars: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha (virtue, wealth, desire and liberation), the Purusharthas (goals of human effort) laid down by the ancient sages, each pillar bound strong and safe with every other. Do not allow the pillars to slant or tumble as many individuals, communities and nations are doing now.

Qualifications Of A True Devotee

Contemplate on Rama, the Ideal lived by God for man. Rama is virtue personified (Vigrahavan Dharma). Rama is the supreme exemplar of the virtues that man must cultivate so that he might live as a master, as a husband, son, brother, friend, or even as a foe. The other three brothers of Rama personify the other three ideals: Bharata is the embodiment of Satya, Shatrughna of Shanti and Lakshmana of Prema. Study the Ramayana with the aim of imbibing from it the ideals for happy living, for making this life worth while, and you will be amply rewarded. Then you can deservedly style yourselves devotees of the Lord.

You have now multitudes of claimants for the status and for the appurtenant benefits of ‘devotion’. You can see them being carried along the roads to holy rivers or cities by buses or railway coaches; you can see them singing spiritual songs wearing all the paraphernalia of devotion. But the claim to be a Devotee of the Lord, a Votary of the Highest, can be admitted only if the passions and emotions are pure and the character virtuous.

The tongue may utter the Name of the Lord, the ear may be open when the glory of the Lord is recited, the hand may scatter flowers on the image of God; but the tongue may not know or relish the taste, the ear may not yearn, the hand may not hanker. These can happen only when the heart is aware of the Supreme, when the mind is thrilled when the glory of God is recollected. Otherwise one is like the spoon which dips into sour and sweet with equal alacrity and insensitivity. It does not refuse or relish any of the tastes. The Vedanta which such men read is just a few pages of matter, though spiritual matter. It is not a text that is practised, that becomes part of the daily conduct and character of the person.

The First Step In Dharma Is Gratitude

The lives of Divine personages, sages and seers that men read, if not taken as tonics to improve mental health as signposts for life’s tortuous journey, are mere tales that fickle the fancy. The wise man finds in them beacons in the darkness. Bhishma, for example, has to be revered and accepted as an inspiration, even more potent than Rama so far as homage to the father is concerned. In order to cater to the carnal cravings of his senile father, craving which he could have ordinarily condemned, he denied himself gladly, spontaneously, without demur and for the entire period of his life, both wedded life and royal status. The Vedic injunction ‘Pitru Devo Bhava’ (revere father as God), was honoured by him in the fullest manner.

This moral code, the product of centuries of selfless pursuit of individual and social contentment, is now thrown to the winds by the present generation. Sons clamour for a share in the property of the father, but not for a share in his love. They close their ears to their needs and commands. Parents have conferred this physical equipment called body, with which we can attain theAbsolute, to serve God in all living beings, to glorify Him in and through Beauty and Truth; this equipment which is essential for liberating ourselves from the direst of bondages. So gratitude and honour are due to them from children. An iron box is essential to keep safe precious stones; so too, the body is essential to keep safe the precious gifts of virtue, faith, love and discrimination. The parents gave it and so they have to be respected by speech, action and behaviour. How can you expect the Heavenly Father to respond to your prayers if you do not respond to the demands of the earthly father? The first step in Dharma is gratitude; the first duty of the child is reverence to the parents. When the first step is absent, ascent is impossible.

God Can Be Found By Diligent Sadhana

Another irreverence that is harming progress is the cynical sneer with which the younger generation has been taught to welcome all reference to God and religion,“Who is this God? Where is He to be found? What does He do there?” they ask in derision. When a wandering monk was accosted thus by a gang of villagers, he asked them casually to bring him a basin of milk. He looked long at it, stirred it with his finger, shook it around and was silent all the time. The villagers asked him why and he replied, “I am trying to locate the butter which they say is in milk. I do not see any in this basinful of milk.” The gang laughed at his colossal ignorance. They told him the butter was there, in every drop of the milk, though he could not see it with his eyes or take it out with his finger; it had to be curdled, churned and collected, that was all. The monk declared, “So too, God is immanent in the Universe; He is in the most distant star as well as in the blade of grass under your feet. You can see Him provided you curdle this Universe with Viveka (discrimination), churn it with Vairagya (detachment) and collect it with Shraddha (earnestness). In the grain of sand as well as in the grandest galaxy, God can be found by diligent Sadhana. He is the core of every being, as butter is in every drop of the milk.”

Like a lighted lamp, God’s Grace spreads all round, on all who approach Him and love to be near Him; but if you interpose a shade which shuts out the light from you, you have only yourself to blame if Grace does not shine. Open the doors of your heart, so that the Sun may shine through and disinfect the vices therein and illumine its corners. You must intitiate that little effort, at least. The Sun will not open the doors and enter. To get the programme right and pleasantly, you have to switch on and tune in the receiver. That is an inescapable effort.

Adopt The Sacred Texts As Guides For Daily Life

Believe–strive–succeed; that is the message of the sacred texts. But the texts are not put to these uses by those who handle them. They are read for disputative ends, for pedantic display of intricate scholarship; or as some people do, they are worshipped as holy relics of the past. They are seldom adopted as guides for daily life, as life-belts during the perilous sea voyage called life. The Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata are mastered, but not allowed to become master. You go through them without allowing them to go through you! The volumes are bound in silk and incense sticks are burnt before them, while man prostrates before them in reverence. But no attention is paid to what the pages proclaim. The frills and fringes attract the mind, more than the kernel provided by the text.

I am reminded of an old widow who shed tears for hours on end listening to a Pandit who was expounding the Gita. At the end of the series of discourses, when the Pandit had finished the Valedictory Puja, he called the old widow near the altar and publicly acclaimed her as a sincere seeker of the Godly Path, for she was the most punctual, the most earnest and the most devoted among the hundreds of listeners, as was evidenced by the tears she shed whenever the words of the Lord were referred to. The old lady was surprised at all this. She said she had understood not a word; she did not know what the Gita was or said; she shed tears because the black string with which the palm leaf text of the Gita in the hands of the Pandit was tied reminded her of the cord round the waist of her departed husband!

Concentration Needs Faith

Thousands may attend a Gita discourse and sit through it in pin-drop silence, which gives one an impression of deep concentration and undivided attention; but who knows how few are really being transmuted by the Message of the Lord? The eyes see, but the ears wander; the ears hear, but the mind is meandering; faith is a slow-growing plant; concentration needs faith. You know the story of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, how he slapped Rani Raasmani in the face when she stood before the shrine at Dakshineswar with folded hands and half-closed eyes, to all appearance praying to Mother. He knew that she was not praying but actually involving herself with plans for a civil suit in a court of law and so he reminded her of the sanctity of the place and the need to pray for higher objectives, by that slap. The Rani acknowledged the act of service and prevented the servants from admonishing the Paramahamsa. He had done her good, she said.

The scriptures convey a living message; the idols of God convey a living lesson. They are not wood or stone. That is why Shri Ramakrishna did not support those who directed that a broken idol be discarded; he asked whether Rani Raasmani would discard Mathur Babu, her son-in-law, if he happened to break his leg. He recommended thatthe idol be mended and used for worship. Act according to your profession. Do not play false to yourself and to your ideals. To deny by your acts the truth of what you preach is a sign of cowardice and moral suicide. You say that Baba knows and sees everywhere, but you do something wrong, in the belief that Baba is somewhere else. You pray to Kali in the idol, believing it to be alive; you hide something behind the idol, imagining that no one would know about it.

The Law Of Karma Holds Out Hope For Man

The most valuable message the scriptures convey is this: Carry on your legitimate duties; discharge your obligations; live up to your rights; but do not allow attachment to grow. Be like a trustee so far as family, riches, reputation, knowledge and skills are concerned. Leave them gladly aside, when the call of death comes.

Death is pictured by some as a terror-striking God who rides a monster-buffalo, and pounces on you with a noose. No, the noose is of your own making. He does not pounce; he gives advance notice of his arrival to take you–notice in the form of intimations like grey hair, falling teeth, failing vision, deafness of hearing, folding of the skin, etc. He does not ride any beast; he is only another name for Time. It is Time that creeps steadily towards you and shears the cord of life. So, utilise the capacity for Karma (action) with which you are endowed, to liberate yourself from the clutches of Time. The Law ofKarma holds out hope for you; as the Karma, so the consequence. Do not bind yourself further by seeking the fruit of Karma; offer the Karma at the Feet of God; let it glorify Him, let it further His splendour. Be unconcerned with the success or failure of the endeavour. Then, death can have no noose to bind you with. Death will come as a liberator, not a jailor.

These great teachings of the ancient texts are the heritage of the human community; they must be handed down to the growing generation, in homes and schools. The people, as well as the leaders and rulers whom they have chosen, have to take up this task. I would ask the Minister, the Speaker and the Chairman of the Legislative Council who are here to remind themselves of this duty. The seed of devotion, detachment and duty has to be implanted early, so that the harvest of peace, contentment, co-operation and love may be gleaned. That is the task for which I have come. If they share in that task, they are certain to succeed.

Plant The Seed Of Devotion Early In Life

I have been in Bombay for ten days now and I must say that the people here have been very disciplined and they have evinced great thirst for spiritual sustenance. I shall certainly come here more often. Today is Gudi Padva (the New Year day in Maharashtra) and that has brought such a large number of you here, in lakhs, to this place. The SevaSamitivolunteers have done very good work today as well as on all these days and I bless them specially. From tomorrow, you need not trek to the Gwalior Palace for Bhajan or Darshan. I would advise you to treasure in your heart the Ananda thatyou earned there for ten days; recapitulate in the silence of your hearts your Prema and My Prema and dwell gladly in the Prashanti (supreme peace) that is the fruit of that Sadhana.

March 23, 1966

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Bombay

From Every Throat, His Melody

This land of Bharat is indeed a holy country. Here the sages have sought to discover the means of peaceful life, of happy life in communities of men, of a type of life that will put an end to grief. They discovered and taught the Atmavidya (Science of the Self), the chief component of which is Prema or Love. God is where Love is–Love expressed as sympathy, charity, reverence, affection, sacrifice. God is Love, Premamaya, Premaswarupa, Premabhaskara (full of love, Embodiment of Love, Sun of Love), as He is described by thoseWho have realised Him. So, He can be attained only through Love. Bhakti is defined as Parama–Premaswarupa (of the nature of the highest Love). It is not blind love; it need not be blind love.

I always advocate deep inquiry to strengthen the foundations of faith. Inquiry will only reinforce the springs of Love. Can there be anything more lovable than God, who is Beauty, Strength, Glory, Fame, Splendour, Wisdom, in their fullest bloom? Love of God creates in man the love for all examples of His majesty, His mercy, His magnificence, His manifoldness. Ramakrishna saw in a flower His charm; he saw everywhere His grandeur; heard from every throat His melody, His Flute song. Even filth and wickedness are loved, for God allows them to be!

Activity And Devotion Generate Spiritual Knowledge

The true Indian must have this Love, inspiring and guiding him in all actions. Love towards God is the indispensable quality of the child of Bharat Mata. The very word means just that. The great men and women of this land did not waste their lives into the pursuit of earthly possessions, but cast them off as encumbrances hampering progress on the path to God. They abdicated thrones and kingdoms, renounced war, learnt philosophy on battlefields and trekked far and wide in search of spiritual guides. Like men who had forgotten their names, they asked the wise who they were, until they knew their identity. They did not ask all whom they met, as most men do, “Who are you?” but inquired from all the wise men they met, “Please tell me who I am.” That is the way to acquire full content and peace.

The ‘I’ is the foundation on which you build your Divinity and the Mansion ofDharma. This truth can be known through Karma and Upasana (activity and dedication, deeds and devotion) which purify and clarify. Just as water and fire get transformed into steam, which moves a locomotive and drags heavy wagons along the rails, Karma and Upasana generate Jnanam (spiritual knowledge), which moves man’s life smoothly along the rails of Peace and Joy. Karma and Upasana create detachment; they teach the true sense of values; man learns that peace can be won only by withdrawing the mind from the objective world, not by allowing it to graze in the poisonous meadows of sensual pleasure.

Saints Had Full Faith In Their Destiny

When you are depressed by what appears to be loss or calamity, engage yourselves in Namasmarana, the recitation and recollection of the Names of the Lord; that will give you consolation, courage and true perspective. Remember the distress and calamity that the saints underwent with enthusiastic welcome and be calm during every storm. People laughed at them and called them mad; but they knew that they were in the Grace Hospital of God, not the mental hospital of man. They had full faith in their destiny and so they had full faith in God; they laughed when calamities tried to cow their eagerness, for they knew their latent strength of the Atma within.

Now the pupils of the VedashastraPathashala (School of Vedic Learning) at Prasanthi Nilayam will enact a play on this stage before you. They have seldom acted before such vast multitudes. The drama they enact is saturated with Adhyatmik (spiritual) teachings. It depicts the sovereignty of Bhakti, Jnana and Faith, in easy, simple and sweet song and dialogue. They will now reveal the inner significance of the devotion of Radha, a devotion that has been the target of criticism bred by ignorance and perversity. The boys will also tell you many things about the spiritual endeavour that you have to make. If others of your own age say those things, you might be tempted to protest, but when the children lisp the lessons, certainly you will love to take them to heart. Accept the lessons that this drama is intended to convey, whatever be the defects in presentation and performance. Listen in silence and patience; watch with sympathy. The boys may get nervous if you show any neglect or want of attention. Take this as another sign of My Grace and sit through the play in reverential attention.

March 19, 1967

Matunga, Bombay

The Key The Sages Own

Like an elephant which was once the leader of the herd, which is caught and tamed for hauling timber in the self – same forest where once it was the monarch forgetful of its prowess and grandeur.Bharat has forgotten its supremacy and wealth of spiritual achievement; it is hauling material lumber and feeling supremely satisfied when it gets sustenance and bondage! Man should be like the tiger, which refuses to eat grass even in the last extremity of starvation. There are certain things that man must refuse to do, even at the worst provocation or the most enticing temptation. Then only can he deserve to be termed ‘Human’. In this land where Tyaga (sacrifice) and Seva (service) to others were proclaimed as the twin paths to fulfillment, the twin diseases of greed and selfishness have spread in recent years. This is a tragedy for the entire human community.

I am emphasising this today, because I find that this vast gathering is mostly composed of students from schools and colleges. These diseases are affecting the youth of this land. The youth are the very foundation of the nation; they are the roots that uphold and feed the ideals of the nation. They must, therefore, grow in an atmosphere of reverence and humility, not in the conservatory of passion and faction. The elders must provide the atmosphere, in the homes, in the villages, in clubs, in civic bodies, in legislatures, in all walks of public life. Youths try to behave like their elders; so the elders must be good examples to them.

Those who draft the syllabi and curricula for the schools and colleges must be imbued with reverence for our national culture, which is really pure international culture. Then only can our students become true sons and daughters of India. This is the responsibility of the legislators and the rulers of whom there are some on this very platform. That is why I am telling them this.

Our Sages Had The Welfare Of Humanity At Heart

Now the students have started querying, quite against the culture of India, the very existence ofGod, the very need for morality and the very value of sacrifice and service. This is the combined effect of the home, the school, the society and the leadership. If this is overcome, the youth of this land can well raise up this land to grand heights in the coming years.

A virtuous character is the lamp which illumines the path to peace and joy. This is the teaching of sages who had the welfare of humanity at heart and who bore the rigours of asceticism to discover the key. The teachings of these ancient seekers attracted the respect of men like Dara Shikoh, the eldest brother of Aurangzeb, as well as women like Zeb-un-Nisa Begum (eldest daughter of Aurangzeb). Dara had the Upanishads translated into Persian; he adored them as the highest wisdom.

Zeb-un-Nisa was also an ardent student of the same culture. One day, when her maid was holding the mirror to her while combing her hair after her bath, it slipped and broke. She was morally afraid to be near her mistress and stood shivering in dread of her anger. But the Princess consoled her saying, “Why worry over the damage to the mirror? Even the body to which all these articles cater is liable to damage and destruction.” Like a bird that sees a lump of flesh in the far distance, but does not notice the net spread over it to catch, man too sees but the charms of material objects; he does not notice the entanglements which they cause.

Man tries to map the craters and canyons and the volcanoes on the moon, but ignores the craters within his own heart; how then can he acquire peace? Man undergoes enormous trouble to guard his Vittam (wealth), but does not spread an iota of energy to guard his Chittam (inner consciousness).

Atma Is The Source And Repository Of Everything

You say, “Seeing is believing; I believe in God only if I see Him,” but are all things seen or heard or touched or tasted as real as they seem? Is it the eye that sees? Your eye may be open and turned in that direction, but if your mind is wandering elsewhere, you will not notice anything at all. You see things only through the illumination of the Atma; you love only because the Atma is Love; you know because the Atma is knowledge. You have Shanti, for the Atma is the source and repository of Shanti. The subtle effect of Mantras (mystic formulae)mentioned in the Vedas cannot be seen or heard by the senses; they have to be experienced in and through the inner consciousness, the Antahkarana.

The sound of these Mantras has the power of transforming the impulses and tendencies. The word Mantra means ‘that which saves when turned over in the mind’. Revolve the Mantra ever in the mind; that will keep off wild talk, purposeless conversation, aimless gossip and scandal. Talk only when the talk is most essential and talk only as little as is necessary. Talk sweetly and without any reservations or circumvention.

I want students to be convinced of the excellence of these teachings of the Vedas and Shastras. I am glad efforts are being made by the Sathya Sai SevaSamiti to spread this knowledge among them. Things cannot be bettered by the grown-ups. Their attitudes have been shaped already. The youth have to develop fine qualities of head and heart. They must join and partake in spiritual groups and be useful to themselves and others. Revere your parents and be useful to themselves and others. Revere your parents and try to make them happy. That is the one item of worship which you can whole-heartedly take up, from this very day. When your parents are rendered miserable by your actions, how can God be pleased with you and listen to your prayers?

Maharashtra is the land of many saints who have spread Bhakti through their teachings. It is the heart of Bharatavarsha on account of this. Try to deserve being the children of Maharashtra by following their valuable teachings.

March 21, 1967

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Bombay

The Mighty Mahavakya

n these days, when the black clouds of hatred are spreading from state to state and poisoning the relations between man and man, spiritual discipline and spiritual illumination alone can serve as a beacon light. People feel helpless before the flood of falsehood, injustice and violence. They can be saved only by the four-fold refuge of Satya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema. They are infused in man by the religious scriptures and by the stories of the saints and sages in the Puranas which depict their search after God.

The enthusiasm which is aroused by the study of these books should not fade away, like the boiling over of milk on the stove. After a few minutes of bubbling over, the milk starts cooling off. When one reaches home, after listening to a discourse, the fervour derived from the message fades into nothingness and one slides back into the fateful routine.

This is called Purana–Vairagya – the gust of renunciation that one gets when he hears a religious discourse, which soon passes off into the realm of neglect. The Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) must crave for deeper impression; the Mahavakyas (Vedic Statements of Truth) he hears, the visual experiences he gains, have to be imprinted on the heart.

There Are No Two Entities But Only One, Brahman

All the manifold rules, regulations, limitations, directions, do’s and don’ts, have just this aim: to merge the soul with the Oversoul–the Jeevatmawith the Paramatma. The Shastras prescribe Yama (various forms of abstention from evil-doing), Niyama (disciplined observances), Aasana (physical posture), Pranayama (control of breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind from sense objects), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (super-conscious state of absorption in the Atman), etc., as limbs of Yoga; besides Japam (repetition of Lord’s name or mystic formulae), Shravanam (listening to God’s glory), Mananam (recapitulation of what was heard), Nidhidhyaasana (constant musing on God’s glory), etc.–all with this one end in view – of merging the Jivatmawith Paramatma. Spiritual Sadhana is like a duel with a tiger, Maya; it is like playing with fire, Maya. By means of the hammer strokes of joy and grief, the iron piece is shaped into a hollow vessel, so that it may not sink in the sea of Maya (world illusion).

Mix honey and sea water; the concoction will be undrinkable. In the same way, do not mix the nectarine Grace of the Lord with the greed for sensual pleasures. Develop Prajnana–the pure, unsullied vision of Reality; then you can visualise the One that is appearing as this Many. PrajnanamBrahma, says the Veda; “the constant integrated awareness is Brahma.” It is that by which the intelligence integrates, that by which the senses co-operate in bringing about workable conclusions.

The physical body and the Prajnana are related through the senses and the intelligence. When man and God operate together, like the positive and the negative, Prajnana, the current, is generated. It is this Prajnanam that establishes in you the conviction, Aham Brahmasmi, I am Brahman; not that there are two entities, Aham and Brahman, but, as in syrup, where water and sugar have merged, Aham has merged in Brahman and there is only one entity,Brahman.

The SamaVeda has the great statement, Tat Twam Asi (That thou art), meaning ‘What which is beyond Rupa and Nama (name and form) is you, who now pitiably differentiate yourself and feel distinct, by means of name and form, two transient changing insignia of individuality’. Contemplation on these grand expressions of the Truth fills one with inexplicable joy. Not being aware of these and their sweetness, man misses the great opportunity.

One Must Have Discrimination, Not Mere Ideas

The Prashanti Vidwan Maha Sabha is designed to bring this rich treasure to the door of every one in this world, for every one is entitled to it. Not only these; the Gita, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata–these too contain the message of God; they should also be taken to the doors of every man. He must be fed on it, so that he may grow in health and strength, courage and confidence; because this is something which once you get, you can never lose Jnana (Self-Knowledge). There is another thing which if you once lose, you can never get back; that is, Maya. There is a third thing, which you can never get, for it is You yourself; you can never lose also, for it is You yourself that is Brahman.

Use your intelligence and you will arrive at the correct interpretation of the manifoldness of theUniverse. Science is fast approaching the view that basically the Universe is One. Only, intelligence has to be rid of prejudice and cleverness. A Sanyasi (monk) had a bear which he fondled as a pet and took around with him in his wanderings. One day in the midst of the thick jungle, he commissioned the bear to keep watch over him and went to sleep. The bear saw a fly sitting on its master’s nose; it tried to whisk it away; but it came back again and did not move away. Incensed as its audacity, the bear brought a big stone and threw it at the fly on the nose. Needless to say, that stone killed the master. One must have discrimination, not simply a fund of ideas.

God Is The Companion And Guide Of All

The speaker who is the President, referred to Mahatmas and Divine personages, whose vision is of a universal order. But it is difficult for ordinary intelligence to grasp their meaning and mystery. Each of them has his task, his standard, his area and his method or Bhava. He said that Sathya Sai Baba knows all that happens in all. That is because I am in every one–Ishwarah Sarvabhootanam–as the scriptures say. This current is in every bulb; only, some are of low wattage, some of high wattage. There is no fundamental difference between Jivatmaand Paramatma. The Upadhis (vestures) or bulbs have differences in power, depending on the filament and its strength. The cow eats grass; the pig eats offal, the lion eats flesh. That is the speciality of the Upadhi; how can there be any comparison or competition between these?

A HathaYogi (practitioner of Hatha Yoga, a branch of Yoga) had earned many strange skills and he found people gathering in large numbers around a person whom he could not gauge. That person had characteristics which no skill can bring about; Equanimity, Truth and Love. If one’s passions and emotions have come under the control of his higher nature, then the Lord will assume responsibility for his progress towards Him. Otherwise, he will have to wait. Do not moan that you have no Natha (Guardian). God is the only A-natha (Guardianless person). All the rest have Him as the Natha. He is ever beside man, within him as Conscience, without him as Companion and Guide.

March 24, 1967

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Bombay

Unity In Unity

he basic teachings of Indian sages about spiritual value have been neglected so disastrously that selfish greed and cruel competition have robbed all happiness and peace from the heart of this land. Life has been rendered artificial and anaemic, riddled with anxiety and fear. At this juncture, you in Bombay have built in your city this Dharmakshetra (the abode of righteousness)! In this age of atom bombs, you have erected an altar for Atmic bliss!This is indeed a sign of your faith and devotion, faith in the ideals of this land and devotion to the highest traditions nourished by the sages. Seeds of the search for bliss are dormant in the hearts of men. Some nurture them; some tend them, until they blossom. Many have not recognised their existence; they cultivate thorns and thistles, trees yielding bitterness and ugly hate.

Man is not merely a creature thrown up by nature in the process of an evolutionary gamble. He has a special meaning, a special mission, a unique role. He is Divinity, encased in the human frame! Lord Krishna affirms in the Gita (Chapter XV verse 7): “Mamaivaamsho Jeeva Loke, Jeeva Bhutah Sanatana” (every aspect of this creation is a part of My Eternal Being). It is He who moves and motivates man. So, man is a unit of that unity, he is a child of immortality, set in the background of this mortal world, in this mortal flame. His mission is to merge in the God from whom he has emerged. Heaven is not a supra-terrestrial region of perpetual Spring; it is an inner experience, a state of supreme bliss.

The Two Codes Of Discipline Laid Down For Practice

When asked where you have come from, you quickly reply, “From Delhi” or “From Calcutta” or“From Thiruvananthapuram;” but those are the places from where your bodies have come to Bombay. Within the body, as its source, sustenance and support, there is the Dehi (the embodied one) distinguishable from the Deha (the body) where has it come from. That is beyond your ken. Investigate into that; discover the answer; that is the task of man. You will be released from this role only when you have overcome this colossal ignorance and realised the source, the sustenance and the support of, not only your seeming individuality, but of all the manifold million-faced sparks of that one Divine Force.Do not delay any further; the minutes are fleeing past; be inspired by the yearning to drink the nectar of the realisation of your true worth.

Knowledge is said to be acquired when you pursue the analytical method and divide things, feelings, experiences into categories, pleasant and unpleasant, harmful and beneficial, lasting and temporary. The higher knowledge however unifies, it makes one aware of the one which appears as many, it reveals the truth, on which falsehood is superimposed. To discover this truth, the classic texts have laid down two codes of discipline, one external and the other internal – the outer and the inner. The outer is Nishkama–Karma (desireless activity)–activity that is engaged in as dedication and worship; or, activity that is gladly carried out, from a sense of duty, regardless of the benefit that may accrue, with no attachment to the fruits thereof. The inner is Dhyana (meditation on the splendour of which one is but a spark). Karma (activity) has to be regulated by Dharma (righteousness) then it will lead one on to Brahman (the basic truth of the Universe, including oneself).

Let The Mind Ever Dwell On God

Of course, we have among us many who can expound these disciplines and talk very enthusiastically from platforms about them. They swell with pride that the sages of this land have explored and explained the path to peace and joy. But, exposition without experience is bound to be unconvincing; words that come from the depth of experience have the ring of sincerity which convinces. The experience of the Truth alone can foster Love; for, Truth is so all-embracing and integrating, that it sees no distinction. Truth is the current and Love is the bulb, it has to illumine. Through Truth, you can experience love; through love, you can visualise truth. Love God and you see God in every creature. Or you can start with the individual, and widen the circle of love, till it envelops all creation.

Let the mind dwell ever on God; let it see all as God. That is what is described as one-pointedness. If it is so fixed, it will give up its tendency to search for faults and foibles in others; it will not run after the foul and the frivolous; it will not accumulate the trivial and the transient. The body is as the container of the torch, the senses are the bulb and the mind is the cell, but have intelligence as the switch. Then, it will not be turned towards the undesirable. It will be used only to help man’s progress towards the Divine destiny.

The campus on which the building Satyadeep (lamp of truth) has been inaugurated today is named Dharmakshetra; it is a very appropriate name, for a place from which the message of Satya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema (truth, righteousness, peace and love) will reach the lands parched with thirst for these pure, pellucid waters.

Victory Is Always For Righteousness, Not For Greed

The word Dharmakshetra is the first word in the Gita. In the very first verse of that SongCelestial, the Kurukshetra (field of action), on which Maamakaah (my people as the blind Dhritharashtra designated them, through fond attachment and egoistic delusion) – that is to say, people motivated by greed and passion, and Pandava (the other people, the good and righteous, the sons of the fair one, the progeny of the pure) is spoken of as already transmuted into Dharmakshetra (field of righteousness)! For, victory is always for righteousness and not for greed and passion, which blind man. For the Lord is on their side; He is the charioteer, chosen as such and willing to serve as such. The word Dharmakshetra is a reminder, a warning, a lesson, an inspiration, a light. You must accept that name in your hearts–for, there too the forces of righteousness and covetousness are locked in combat and the forces of righteousness are helped by the Lord to succeed.

The Himalayas are the head of Bharat; Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) is the feet; Bombay is the stomach; Prasanthi Nilayam is the heart. The stomach receives food and distributes strength and stamina to all parts of the body. Your responsibility is great; if you neglect it, the entire land and all that it stands for will suffer. You have undertaken the responsibility of the World Conference of Sathya Sai Organisations to be held here next week, and it is a great chance for the expression of love and brotherliness. The Seva Dal of young men and women which you have trained and organised will be an inspiration and an example to all the states in India. If properly guided, the youth of India can be saved from imitative adventures, reckless wanderings into realms of fantasy; they can be led into constructive activities saturated with love and sympathy, where their enthusiasm and skill can be best utilised.

May 12, 1968

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Campus, Bombay

Name, The Never-failing Fountain

“Ascetic practices, years of constant recitation of the Name, pilgrimages to holy places and shrines, study of sacred books–these will not help the aspirant to spiritual victory as much as communion with the Godly and the good.”

“Bharat is a rare treasure-house of spiritual jewels; it can confer all boons on sincere seekers; this conference of seekers is indeed a great opportunity, and for the people of Bombay, this is a great piece of good fortune. Having thus spoken a few words as befits this glorious occasion in Sanskrit, the parent and core of all languages, I shall continue any discourses in Telugu, and it will be translated into English by Kasturi.”

(These sentences were spoken by Baba in Sanskrit.)

Bharat is the birthplace of the Vedas and of the Shastras, epics and Puranas that have elaborated the principles enunciated therein for the education of the common man. It is the nursery of music and other fine arts, inspired by the noble passion of consecrating human skills for adoring the Divine and communicating the supersensuous. It is the staff and sustenance of the mystic and the ascetic, the intellectual and the dynamic adorer of God; it is the field where the science of Yoga was cultivated and systematised. No wonder, therefore, that this land, India, has survived through the ages as the land of Yoga and Tyaga (detachment).

One Divine Principle Circulates Through All Lands

Though these traits of Indian culture may be eclipsed for some time by the forces of secular cultures, civilisations catering to material comfort, storms of doubt and disbelief that sweep through the corridor of time, they cannot be totally uprooted from the hearts of men. The duty of Indians is to foster these traits and sow among human communities the seeds of love, so that they may grow and fill the world with the fragrant blooms of tolerance and reverence. No man can live away, apart from the rest of his kind. No country can play its role alone and unrelated to the others on the world stage. Other nations influence the destiny of India; India too has its impact on others. One bloodstream circulates through all the limbs; one Divine principle circulates through all the lands and peoples. The universe is the body of God; He knows and feels every twitch, every pang, be it from a black man or white, from land or sea or air or space.

Morarji Desai uttered the word, ‘Dharma’, often during his speech now. If the leaders of India have Dharma installed in their hearts, they can elevate all their activities, in accordance with the high claims Dharma makes on conduct and condition. Dharma will compel integration of thought, word and deed. It will cleanse the mind and rid it of greed and hate. This is a gathering of representatives of all faiths, and so here you can testify that every faith is but an endeavour to cleanse the impulse and emotions, as part of the process of discovering the truth of the world, seen and unseen. No one who has trodden that path and engaged himself in that process has escaped calumny and cruelty.

Tracks Leading To One Summit Are Many

Mohammad, who sought to establish the primacy of the One Formless Absolute had a large share of persecution, defamation, and privation. Jesus who attempted to rebuild mankind on the basis of Love was crucified by little men who feared that their tiny towers of hate and greed will be toppled by His teaching. Harischandhra who had resolved never to waver from truth was subjected to ordeal after ordeal, each more terrifying than the previous one. Those who seek to know God must steel themselves to bear insult, injury and torture, with a smile.

The search is for the same treasure; the summit is One, the tracks leading to it are many; the guides are also many; they clamour and compete among themselves. Seven blind men examined the elephant and imagined that it was what each one was able to touch; each one interpreted his touch – they could not get a complete and correct picture of the animal. Hinduism is the stomach of the elephant, supplying strength and stamina to all other faiths; but one has to admit that the stomach is not all! The limbs are the other faiths.

Even those who assert that they did not find any trace of God in outer space, or who aver that God is dead, or that even if He is alive, He is no longer necessary for man, that He is a handicap and nuisance–all these have to admit that there is something inexplicable, something inscrutable, beyond the reach of reason and science, some unknown which pervades the world and affects the course of things!

Basis Of The Ancient Science Of Astrology

The intuitive vision of the highly sensitive inner eye of the Indian Yogis was able to discover many secrets of the Universe and to peep into the past or the future, as far as they desired. It is now more than twenty years after the British left India to itself. This was predicted five thousand and forty-three years ago by an Indian Yogi, who declared that India will free itself from the rule of a strange race from the far West, in the year Nanda! India achieved Independence from Western rule in the year Nanda! How could this be discovered and declared five thousand and forty-three years ago? The Bihar earthquake was accurately foretold two years previously, by the astrologers of Varanasi. On what basis does the ancient Shastra (science) of Astrology rest? Its basis is not as scientific as the modern scientist demands. It is based on intuitive spiritual experience.

Leadbeater (1854-1934; Charles Webster Leadbeater was a leading member of the Theosophical Society) has declared that the correct recital of the GayatriMantra with the orthodox Udata, Anudata and Swarita, (modulation of the voice and the higher, lower and even accents) can produce experienceable and authentic illumination, whereas incorrect pronunciation and wrong accent result in thickening the darkness! Therefore, instead of scoffing at the disciplines of recitals, meditations, prayers, formulary worship and Mantra-utterances, their values have to be accepted and their results tested and confirmed by practice and exercise.

The greatest formula that can liberate, cleanse and elevate the mind is RamaNama (the Name of Rama). Rama is not to be identified with the hero of the Ramayana, the Divine offspring of Emperor Dasharatha. He was named Rama by the Court Preceptor because it was a Name which was already current. Vashishtha, the preceptor, said that he had chosen that Name since it meant, “He who pleases.”Nothing pleases the caged individualised self more than the free universal Self. The Self is therefore referred to as Atmaram, the Self that confers unending joy.

Rama, The Priceless Key To Salvation

There is a story in the classics to illustrate the worth of the name of Rama. Sage Prachetas once composed a text with verses numbering hundred crores! The three worlds competed among themselves to take the entire text; the struggle assumed calamitous proportions and so God brought them together and persuaded them to accept a third each, that is to say, each world (Heaven, earth and the underworld) received thirty-three crores, thirty-three lakhs, thirty-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three verses each. One verse remained undivided. It has thirty-two syllables in all; so, when it too was allotted among the three co-sharers, at the rate of ten syllables each, two syllables were left over! How could two be divided among three? So, God decided that they be adored and revered by all three worlds equally – the syllables were ‘Ra’ and ‘Ma,’ making up the priceless key to salvation – Rama!

Rama is the bee that sucks the honey of devotion from the lotus of the heart. The bee loosens the petals of the flower it sits upon; but Rama adds to its beauty and fragrance. He is like the Sun, which draws the water to itself by its rays and accumulating it as cloud, sends it back as rain to quench the thirst of earth. Rama, the mystic potent sound, is born in the navel and it rises up to the tongue and dances gladly thereon.

The Vedic declaration, Tat-Twam-Asi (That-Thou-Art) is enshrined in the word Rama, which consists of three sounds: ‘Ra,’‘Aa,’and ‘Ma’. Of these, ‘Ra’ is the symbol of Tat (That; Brahman, God) ‘Ma’ is the symbol of Twam (Thou; Jeevi, individual) and ‘Aa’that connects the two is the symbol of the identity of the two.

No Particular Name Is Higher Than The Rest

The word ‘Rama’ has also a numerological significance: ‘Ra’ counts as two, ‘Aa’counts as zero, and ‘Ma’counts as five–so that, Rama adds up to seven, which is an auspicious number. We have the seven swaras of music, the seven heavenly sages, and reciting Rama for seven days continuously is considered especially fruitful.

However, since this conference will discuss this great spiritual exercise of Namasmarana, let Me tell you that no particular Names can be raised to a status higher than the rest, for all Names are His and He answers to all. I propose to dilate on this point tomorrow, at the Sessions of the Conference, for it is a beneficent discipline, not only for this country but for all the countries of the world. I shall conclude with the expression of My satisfaction that the Conference is being held in the campus of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan; surely, no better place can be found in Bombay than this for a Conference that attempts to carry the message of Bharatiya Vidya to all mankind.

May 16, 1968

Inauguration of the World Conference, 
Sri SathyaSai Seva Organisations
Bharatiya Vidya BhavanCampus, Bombay

The Revelation

You are engaged in discovering solutions to problems, arguments to overcome doubts, means to prevent new problems and fresh doubts from arising; such exercises which all conferences relish, cannot help successful navigation across the sea of spiritual endeavour. These are but frail contrivances, these discussions, resolutions, speeches and regulations. The world is much too stormy and agitated to be quietened by these. This is the time for cool calm contemplation, not quick passionate speculation and hasty decision.

You need to contemplate once again on the eternal lessons laid down by the sages of India’s past, lessons that have been neglected and cynically forgotten in recent years. The suggestions and solutions that come out of the discussions today are all good, so far as they go; but, how can a person who cannot himself swim, teach others the art? How can one whose granary is empty pour out in charity? Acquire the wealth of devotion, fortitude and peace before venturing to advise others how to acquire them. Bharat (India) has suffered slights and disregard as a result of a spate of teachers who have not cared to practise what they teach.

I know you have the enthusiasm to carry My message among the people of this country and other countries. Let Me remind you that the best and the only successful way in which you can do it is to translate the message into your own lives. Your thoughts, words and deeds must be saturated with the message. Then, they will spread effortlessly and efficiently, and the face of the world will be transformed.

Namasmarana, The Only Hope For Man In This Age

The Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Secretaries of Sathya Sai Organisations from all over the world are here. You are Officers of the Sai Army. How can you lead soldiers into the fray when you are not aware of the intricacies of warfare, when you are yourselves inefficient instruments? You can attempt to lead others only after practising the disciplines to perfection. This is true of all fields of human activity. Ananda (bliss) and Prashanti (supreme peace) have to be acquired first by you and then can be communicated to others.

Teachers in schools have themselves to be examples of what they require the pupils to be. Men in authority who exhort others to follow the paths of love and co-operation have themselves to practise those virtues. The people are now not willing to be led; the leaders have no capacity to lead. Progress is the result of mutual trust between the leaders and the led. The unrest that is rampant now in all sections of the people everywhere is due to the irresponsibility of parents, teachers, administrators and leaders, as well as of those who hunger to benefit from them.

Namasmarana is one of the basic disciplines, to which this Conference is paying great attention. The scriptures say that in this age of materialism, it is the one hope for man. Tukaram sang of the Namaratna (the precious gem–the Name). So you should not brush aside the Name as a piece of glass, or as a pebble.

Man Is Using A Gem To Play Marbles On The Road

There was once a boy who picked up a precious gem, bright and round, and used it for playing marbles on the road, with his comrades. A merchant dealing in precious stones chanced to pass along that road, and his discerning eye fell on the gem. He approached the boy, took him aside and offered to pay him fifty rupees in exchange. If the boy could know the value of fifty rupees he would have known the value of the gem! He went to his mother and told her that a stranger had tempted him with fifty rupees in return for the marble he played with. She was surprised that it was so costly and she said, “Do not go out of the compound with it; play in the garden with your friend.” When the value was revealed, limits were set.

The merchant had no sleep that night; he was planning to secure the gem from those simple folk so that he could sell it at huge profit to some millionaire or Maharaja (king). He discovered the house of the boy and moved up and down that road hoping to see the boy. When he saw the boy play with it as if it was as cheap as a marble, his heart was wrung in agony. The boy threw it on the floor; his mother emerged just at the moment from the inner apartments and it struck her foot and fell under a bush. He spoke to the boy asking for the gem in exchange for a hundred rupees, and again, for five hundred rupees! The son ran into the house in tears, complaining about the stranger who will not let him alone. The mother came out into the garden and begged the merchant to go away.

The merchant grasped the chance; he told the mother that he was ready to give a thousand rupees on the spot, if the marble was placed in his hand! On hearing this, she forbade the child to play with it outside the house; he could play only within the rooms. The merchant could not be shooed off like that; he appeared the next day in front of the house; he held out ten thousand rupees as his offer for the marble; the mother refused to part with it but kept it now in an iron safe, under lock and key! When the merchant came the next day with fifty thousand rupees she took it to a bank and deposited it in their safety vaults.

You Are Unaware Of The Value Of Name Of God

You are also playing marbles with the Name of God, unaware of its value. Once you realise its worth, you will keep it in your heart of hearts as the most precious treasure. Know that the Divine Name is the key to success in your search for consolation, confidence, courage, illumination and liberation.

Another illustration can be given from the ancient texts. On one occasion, a competition was arranged among the gods for selecting the leader of the Ganas (troops of demi-gods who are the attendants of Shiva). Participants had to go round the world quick and come back to the Feet of Lord Shiva.

The gods started off on their own vehicles; the younger son of Shiva also enthusiastically entered the competition. He had an elephantine head; His vehicle was a mouse! Therefore, His progress was severely handicapped. He had not proceeded far, when Narada appeared before Him and asked Him, “Whither are You bound?” The son was very much annoyed; He fell into a rage. For, what happened was a bad omen, doubly unpropitious for those going on a journey: it is inauspicious if the first person you come across when you are on a journey is a lone Brahmin. Though the foremost among the Brahmins (he was the son of Brahma Himself), Narada was a bad omen! Again it is a bad omen if some one asks you, “Whither are you bound?” when you are going somewhere. Narada put him that very question! Nevertheless, Narada was able to assuage His anger.

The Name From Which The Universe Has Emanated

Narada drew forth from Shiva’s son the sadness of His predicament and His desire to win. Narada consoled Him, exhorted Him not to yield to despair, and advised Him thus: “Rama – the Name–is the seed from which the gigantic tree called the universe has emanated. So, write the Name on the ground, go round it once, and hurry back to Shiva, claiming the prize.” He did so and returned to His Father. When asked how He returned so soon, He related the story of Narada and his advice. Shiva appreciated the validity of Narada’s counsel; the prize was awarded to the son, who was acclaimed as Ganapati (Master of the Ganas) and Vinayaka (Leader of All).

The Name undoubtedly brings in the Grace of God. Meerabai, the Queen of Rajasthan, gave up status and riches, fortune and family and dedicated herself to the adoration of the Lord, Giridhara Gopala. Her husband brought a chalice of poison and she was ordered to drink it. She uttered the Name of Krishna while she drank it; it was transformed into nectar, by the Grace the Divine Name evoked!

Kirtan is the word used for the recital or singing of the Name and Glory of the God. Sankirtan means, reciting or singing well or aloud and with joy or in ecstasy. We can distinguish four different forms ofNamasankirtan. Bhava (mood-filled) Sankirtan, Guna (Divine quality-oriented) Sankirtan, Leela (Divine miracle related) Sankirtan and Nama Sankirtan:Bhava Namasankirtan is the name given to recitals where the Name is sung with one or other Bhava (emotion or mental attitude) towards the Lord.

Different Attitudes One Can Show Towards God

It can be Madhurabhava (sweet emotion) as Radha was over-powered with. She saw, heard, tasted, sought and gained only that sweetness at all times and all places. Raso Vai Sah(Divinity is the very essence). She made no distinction between Nature and Nature’s God; it was all God, all Krishna. She felt, experienced, and knew that Krishna was ever present, in the waking, dreaming and deep sleep stages. She realised the truth of the Gita declaration of Krishna that His hands and feet, His eyes, face and head were everywhere. Her adoration of God is the supreme example of Madhura Bhava Namasankirtan.

Then we have the Vatsalya-Bhava (parental feeling) Namasankirtan. Yashoda, the foster mother of Krishna can be taken as the ideal for this type of Bhava. Though she had a series of experiences of Krishna being Divine, she preferred to serve Him as mother and to adore Him as her son.

Anuraga-Bhava (lover-beloved feeling) Namasankirtan is exemplified best and in the purest form in the Gopis. They installed the Lord in their hearts, rid themselves of all earthly attachments and lived only in His contemplation, all thoughts, deeds and words being dedicated to Him.

Then, there is the Sakhya-Bhava (comrade-feeling) Namasankirtan–as found in Arjuna, who believed in Krishna as his most intimate friend and brother-in-law (for he married Krishna’s sister), and confided in Him as a comrade. This too is an attitude that will attach you to Divinity and sublimate the lower impulses. Dasya-Bhava (servant-master attitude) Namasankirtan is another type. Serve the Lord, as His faithful unquestioning servant–this is the path of Hanuman in the Ramayana. He had no will or wish of his own. His prayer was to be fit instrument for the purposes of the Master.

The Name Has The Capacity To Redeem, Cure And Save

The last attitude is Shanta-Bhava (attitude of unruffled equanimity) Namasankirtan – praising, the Lord, whatever may happen undeviated by ups and downs, bearing all the vagaries of fortune as His play. In the Mahabharata you will find Bhishma saturated with this attitude; He adored Krishna, even when Krishna was advancing towards him to kill him.

Another method ofNamasankirtan is to remind oneself of the various exploits and sports, the various acts of Grace and Compassion, which the Lord has manifested in the world, while reciting His Name. This is called Leela (Divine miracle-oriented)Namasankirtan. Chaitanyaand Tyagaraja realised the Lord through this path.

Others recollect more of the majesty, the glory, the might, the mystery, the magnificence, the munificence, the love with which God has clothed Himself, while reciting His Name. This attitude is spoken of as Guna (attributes, characteristics) Namasankirtan. Most of the saints gratefully honoured in many lands are of this category.

Another category is denoted by seekers who attach value to the syllables and sound of the Name as such, irrespective of the meaning thereof. When the Name is pronounced, they say, it draws towards the aspirant God and His Grace – whatever may be the Bhava, and whether the Leelaor Gunais associated with the Sankirtanor not. The Name has a strength, a power, a capacity to redeem, cure and save, alone and unaided, they aver.

Rama-Principle Is The Atma, Source Of All Joy

The Name, Rama, was once indicated by Rama Himself (the son of Dasharatha, hero of the Ramayana, the incarnation of the Lord in the Treta Yuga) as a potent liberator. When Rama was passing through the forests, with Sita and Lakshmana, the hermits who recognised Him as Divine gathered around Him with a prayer that they be initiated by Him and given some Mantra (sacred formula) which they could repeat for spiritual uplift and victory. Rama replied that He was a prince in exile, wandering in the forests, and so He could not presume any authority to initiate hermits into spiritual path. He moved on along the jungle tracks.

Watching Him walking fast, with Sita immediately behind Him and Lakshmana following in the rear, an aged hermit exclaimed, “Friends! See! Rama is initiating us! He is awarding us the Mantra! God is leading. Nature (His constant companion, His shadow) is following; the Jeevi (individual), part of the Lord, the wave of the ocean, is in the rear; he can see the Lord only if the deluding Nature is propitiated or by-passed. This is indeed a silent lesson in Sadhana (spiritual discipline). ‘Ra’ is God; ‘Ma’is the individual, who has fallen behind. ‘Aa’ is Prakriti (Nature); ‘RamaRama’ is the Mantra He is vouchsafing so graciously. Take it and save yourselves. For me, there is no other course,” he said.

I am emphasising Rama-Nama (the name Rama) because the Rama principle is the Atma. Rama means that which is pleasant and which pleases. Now, the Atma is the source of all joy; its nature is bliss. Moreover, as Tyagaraja discovered, Rama is the Name which worshippers of both Narayana (Vishnu) and Shiva can adopt. The syllable ‘Ra’ is the key syllable of the NarayanaMantra (‘Om Namo Narayanaya’) and the syllable ‘Ma’is the key syllable of the ShivaMantra (‘Om Namah Shivaya’).

God Is The Harmony Of All The Names And Forms

The prejudices and factions among the worshippers of Narayana form of God and Shiva form are meaningless, because both represent the One ultimate Universal. They are distinguishable, it may be said, by the different Divine equipments. They are Shankha (conch) and Chakra (discus) in the case of Narayana and Damaru(small drum) and Trishula (three-pronged spear-trident) in the case of Shiva. But the conch and the drum both symbolise God’s accessibility through audible praise and song; discus and trident symbolise God being the maker and master of time – discus representing the wheel of time, and the three prongs of the trident, the past, the present, and the future. Narayana is referred to as ‘Hari’ and Shiva as ‘Hara’; both these Names are derived from the same root, ‘Har’, to destroy, to remove, to captivate, to attract and to harmonise – functions which God has clothed Himself with.

Man’s duty is to sanctify his days and nights with the unbroken Smarana (recollection) of the Name. Recollect with joy, with yearning. If you do so, God is bound to appear before you in the form and with the name you have allotted Him, as most beautiful and most appropriate! God is all Names and all forms, the integration of all these in harmonious charm! Gods designated in different faiths, adored by different human communities, are all limbs of the One God that really is. Just as the body is the harmonious blending of the senses and the limbs, God is the harmony of all the forms and names that man gives Him!

Do Not Make Distinction Between Different Names

Only those who are ignorant of the Glory of God will insist on one Name and one Form for His adoration and what is worse, condemn the use by others of other names and forms! Since you are all associated with Sathya Sai Organisations, I must warn you against such silly obduracy. Do not go about proclaiming that you are a sect distinct and separate from those who adore God in other forms and names. Thereby you are limiting the very God whom you are extolling. Do not proclaim in your enthusiasm, “We want only Sai; we are not concerned with the rest.” You must convince yourselves that all forms are Sai’s; all names are Sai’s. There is no ‘rest’; all are He.

You must have noticed that I do not speak about Sai in My discourses, nor do I sing of Sai during the Bhajan with which I usually conclude My discourses. And you must have wondered why. Let Me tell you the reason. I do not want the impression to gain ground that I desire this Name and this Form to be publicised. I have not come to set afoot a new cult, I do not want people to be misled on this point. I affirm that this Sai form is the form of all the various names that man uses for the adoration of the Divine. So, I am teaching that no distinction should be made between the names Rama, Krishna, Ishwara, Sai–for they are all My names.

When I know that I am the current that illumines all the various bulbs, I am indifferent to the bulbs, which you consider so important. When you pay attention to the bulbs, factions arise, sects are born. Sathya Sai SevaSamitis should not encourage discord and distinctions; they must adore the One, appearing as many, the basic Divine, which illumines all the bulbs.

Be Concious Of God’s Presence As The Motivator

I have not got the slightest intention to utilise the SevaSamitis (Service Organisations) for propagating My Name or canvas homage for My Name. No! I am content only when spiritual endeavours and disciplines to elevate and purify man are progressing everywhere. It is only through these that My universal reality will be revealed. So, do not limit Me to the boundaries of any one name and form. Your aim should be to see the Self – same God in all the Forms that are worshipped, to picture Him in all the Names, nay, to be conscious of His presence as the inner motivator of every living being, in every particle of matter. Do not fall into the error of considering some to be men worthy of reverence and some unworthy. Sai is in every one; so, all deserve your reverence and service. Propagate this truth; that is the function I assign to the SevaSamitis.

You can observe Me and My activities; note how I adhere to righteousness, moral order, truth and universal compassion. That is what I desire you to learn from Me. Many of you plead for a ‘Message’ from Me, to take to the Samiti of which you are members. Well. My life is My message. You will be adhering to My message if you so live that your lives are evidence of the dispassionate quiet, the courage, the confidence, the eagerness to serve those who are in distress, that My life inspires you with.

God is immanent in the world. So, treat the world lovingly, as you will treat your Master.Krishna served the Pandavas; He drove the Chariot of Arjuna. So, though He was not a King,He became much more, a King-Maker! Serve, whatever the obstacle, whatever the cynical ridicule you may attract. Such reactions are inevitable when one is engaged in doing good. Take My example. Praise and calumny have accompanied Me throughout the Ages. Opposition and obstacles only tend to highlight the good and strengthen resolve.

Do Not Exaggerate The Significance Of Miracles

The torture that his father inflicted to turn his mind away from God helped to bring out the unflinching devotion of Prahlada. The wickedness of Ravana served to reveal the might of Rama’s bow. Traducers like Shishupala, Dantavakra, Ravana, Kamsa are inevitable accessories of every incarnation. This Sai Rama, too, has that age old accompaniment. Now too, their brood is evident. On one side adoration and homage are piling high into a peak; on the other, abjuration and slander are also peak high. Standing between them, I bless them both, with lifted hands, for I am not elated by one or depressed by the other. For, the traducers will be rewarded with the crown they deserve; I will be crowned with My own glory.

Of what avail is it if you simply worship My Name and form, without attempting to cultivate the Samatwa (equal love for all) that I have, My Shanti (unruffled equanimity) My Prema (love), My Sahana (patience and fortitude), My Ananda (ever-blissful nature)?

You elaborate in your lectures the unique powers of Sai, the incidents that are described as ‘miracles’ in books written on Me by some persons. But I request you not to attach importance to these. Do not exaggerate their significance; the most significant and important power is, let Me tell you, My Prema (love). I may turn the sky into earth, or earth into sky; but that is not the sign of Divine might. It is the Prema, the Sahana, effective universal, ever-present, that is the unique sign.

A Unique World Conference Held For The First Time

When you attempt to cultivate and propagate this love and this fortitude, trouble and travail will dog your steps. You must welcome them, for without them, the best in you cannot be drawn out. If gold was as plentiful as dust or diamonds as easily available as pebbles, no one would care for them. They are won after enormous exertion and expense; therefore they are eagerly sought after.

Since at this place, those who have devotion are gathered and people of all nations have come, I cannot but tell you one fact. World Conferences dedicated to religion or spiritual problems have, no doubt, been held before; also, conferences of followers of particular faiths. But these have been held only after the demise of the founders and Divine inspirers. This is the very first time that a World Conference is held of persons devoted, while the incarnation is present before every one, with the body assumed for the purpose, beating the Name that is chosen for it by Itself.

I must tell you this fact, because ninety-nine persons out of hundred among you do not know MyReality. You have come here drawn by diverse needs, a taste for spiritual matters, eagerness to develop the institutions to which you are attached, admiration or affection, love or reverence or a spurt of enthusiasm to join others and share with others your own exultation.

Don’t Allow Doubt To Distract You From My Divinity

In truth, you cannot understand the nature of My Reality either today, or even after a thousand years of steady austerity or ardent inquiry even if all mankind joins in that effort. But, in a short time, you will become cognisant of the bliss showered by the Divine Principle, which has taken upon itself this sacred body and this sacred name. Your good fortune which will provide you this chance is greater than what was available for anchorites, monks, sages, saints and even personalities embodying facet of Divine Glory!

Since I move about with you, eat like you, and talk with you, you are deluded into the belief that this is but an instance of common humanity. Be warned against this mistake. I am also deluding you by My singing with you, talking with you, and engaging Myself in activities with you. But, any moment, My Divinity may be revealed to you; you have to be ready, prepared for the moment. Since Divinity is enveloped by human-ness, you must endeavour to overcome the Maya (delusion) that hides it from your eyes.

“This is a human form in which every Divine entity, every Divine Principle, that is to say, all the Names and Forms ascribed by man to God, are manifest”–“Sarvadaivathwa Sarwaroopaalanu Dharinchina Manavaakaarame Akaaram.” Do not allow doubt to distract you; if you only install, in the altar of your heart, steady faith in My Divinity, you can win a Vision of My Reality. Instead, if you swing like the pendulum of a dock, one moment, devotion, another moment, disbelief, you can never succeed in comprehending the Truth and win that Bliss. You are very fortunate that you have a chance to experience the bliss of the vision of the Sarvadaivathwa Swarupam (the form, which is all forms of all Gods) now, in this life itself.

Let Me draw your attention to another fact. On previous occasions when God incarnated on earth, the bliss of recognising Him in the incarnation was vouchsafed only after the physical embodiment had left the world, in spite of plenty of patent evidences of His Grace. And the loyalty and devotion they commanded from men arose through fear and awe, at their superhuman powers and skills, or at their imperial and penal authority. But, ponder a moment on this Sathya Sai Manifestation; in this age of rampant materialism, aggressive disbelief and irreverence, what is it that brings to It the adoration of millions from all over the world? You will be convinced that the basic reason for this is the fact that this is the Supra-worldly Divinity in Human form.

Revival Of VedicDharma Is Sai Sankalpa

Again, how fortunate you are that you can witness all the countries of the world paying homage to Bharat; you can hear adoration to Sathya Sai’s Name reverberating throughout the world, even while this body is existing–not at some future date, but when it is with you, before you. And again, you can witness very soon the restoration of SanatanaDharma to its genuine and natural status, the Dharma laid down in the Vedas for the good of all the peoples of the world. The revival of VedicDharma is the Sai Sankalpa (the resolve that Sai has) not only drawing people towards Me, attracting them by the manifestation of My powerand capability. This is not a Bhrama Tatwam (phenomenon of delusion). This Tatwam (phenomenon) will sustain truth, it will uproot untruth, and in that victory make all of you exult in ecstasy. This is the Sai Sankalpam.

Vedic Truths Are Not Merchandise To Be Sold

Some persons, even those who have reached a certain stage of leadership and authority, have started exchanging the Vedic formulae and the principles of Bharatiya culture for lucre, selling them, in fact; and Westerners too are inclined to purchase them! These truths and discoveries are not merchandise to be sold and bought. Therefore, I am going to Western countries soon, in order to apprise them of their real worth and put a stop to this bargaining. Already, the authorities of Universities in the United States of America and the leaders of the students of those Universities have written that they are eager to welcome Me and they have drawn up programmes for Me. It was only yesterday that passports for My visit to Africa have been brought, praying that I may visit those countries soon; I am proceeding to Africa before the month of June.

So utilise the chance of association with Me as much as possible, and endeavour as quickly and as best as you can, to follow the directions that I have been giving. Obeying My instructions is enough; it will benefit you more than the most rigorous asceticism. PractiseSatya (truth), Dharma (righteousness), Shanti (peace) andPrema (love), which are dear to Me; resolve to keep those ideals before you ever, in all your thoughts, words and deeds. That can confer on you the summum bonum of mergence in the Supreme Substance of Divinity.

May 17, 1968

World Conference, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Campus, Bombay

A Modernised Mahabharata

The SanatanaDharma (Eternal Religion) propounded in Hinduism is, as the Himalayas, supreme, sovereign, rich, comforting, calm and protective; why then should people crave for volcanoes spitting fire and smoke, raking up the evil passions in man? It is as cleansing as the waters of the Ganges in which no poisonous bacteria can live; why then seek the waters of the sea which cannot quench human thirst, but can only make it more acute? Alien cultures cannot suit the people of this land, for they have grown in this atmosphere for centuries; this culture is the best, for people of all climes and stages of life. It is universal; it is for all time.

Regional differences of climate, crops, terrain and history may emphasise some virtues more than others; they may lead to the prescription of some restrictions more than others. But, the common aim of the sages and saints of all lands is to lead man towards God and prevent him from sliding down into the level of the beast. Man must earn equanimity; he must be firmly established in truth and love. That will make his heart reflect the Lord within. When the road laid down for man’s uplift is overgrown with thorny bush and becomes unrecognisable, the Lord Himself takes human form and marks it out again.

Mind Can Be Controlled By Intense Meditation

Dharmasthapana, as the restoration of righteousness is called, consists of two operations: the removal of wrong and the establishment of right. At the present time, the one means by which both these can be attained is–Namasmarana (recital of God’s Name). Dharma is capable of conferring all that man wishes for, here and hereafter. It is the Kamadhenu (the celestial cow) that grants all boons. With the Nama (Name of God) as a rope, you can tie her to the post–the tongue; then, you can get from that Kamadhenu all the good that you crave for. She will rest in your heart-stall. In the beginning, this Namasmarana is best done in company. For, when you do it alone, distracting thoughts will overpower the earnestness. A single fibre of grass has little strength; but twist a large number into a rope, you can bind with it a rogue elephant to a tree! The wild mind can be bound by faith that is confirmed in godly company.

Arjuna complained to Krishna against the wildness of the mind; he said, it was Chanchala (always changing its objectives), Pramadi (full of dangerous possibilities since it makes man a slave of the senses), Balavat(uncontrollable) and Dhrudam (difficult to destroy). But, the mind can be controlled and even eliminated by means of intense Dhyana (meditation) on the immanentGod. When that stage is reached, anger, anxiety and envy will cease bothering you; the bonds of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ will break; and you will have Shanti (undisturbed peace). Your efforts must be in proportion to the grandeur of the gain you envisage, isn’t it? You crave for bliss, but cling to smaller pleasures and refuse to stake as much as is needed to win it.

Be Prepared For All The Travail To Gain An End

There was a Sultan once, who heard of the Mahabharata, which the Hindus revere as the fifth Veda; he commissioned a Hindu poet of his kingdom to write a Mahabharata, with him as the hero who wins the empire back. He threatened the poet with dire punishment if he did not complete it within a stipulated time. The poet had to agree; but he pretended he was at it, and told the Sultan that he himself is being portrayed as the eldest of the Pandava brothers and the other ‘four brothers’ were his ministers. He said, that in the Mahabharata he was writing, the enemies of the Sultan were the Kauravas. This made the Sultan very happy and he became restless, to read the epic as soon as it was finished. The poet, however, delayed long.

One day when asked the reason, the poet told the Sultan, “Your Majesty! I am awaiting clarification of one simple matter from you; it is giving me a lot of trouble, this problem. The queen is, in my epic, the counterpart of the queen of the eldest of the Pandavas; this is as it should be, since you are eldest of the five heroic brothers. But, in the original Mahabharata, she is the wife of all the brothers. In my poem, your ministers are those brothers; they are allotted those roles in this new version. Now, shall I depict the queen as the wife of the ministers also, or…” The Sultan did not wait to hear the rest; he threw the entire project overboard and sent the poet way.

When you are eager to gain an end, you must be prepared for all the travail, all the obstacles or else, you should not entertain the wish. The five brothers are the five Pranas (vital airs) in the human body and all of them constitute one entity, and Draupadi, born of Fire, is the energy that activates the body. When this is ignored and the epic is taken as a story of kings and queens and dynastic wars, the meaning is missed.

All Men Do Not Have Equal Rights Or Obligations

Every member of the SathyaSai Organisation has to be a Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant), one who is practising the discipline of conquering his egoism and greed, Mamakaramand Abhimanam (the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’). The President, Vice-President and Secretary must be keener than the members in this endeavour, and must be examples for the rest. These offices should not be regarded as positions of authority or ‘prizes’ for devotion. They must be accepted with humility and exercised with love towards the members and the public.

Love all; respect all; serve all. But do not believe all have equal rights, obligations and duties. You cannot say that all cows are equal and purchase them, by the dozen. Some may be dry, some may require more feed, some may give less milk, some may be young, some decrepit – so, you have to distinguish and decide. Not all cars are equal. Nor are all men.

The Dharma (Code of Conduct) for each has to be different for it is decided by changing factors like age, profession, status, authority, scholarship and also by considering whether a person is a male or female, teacher or pupil, master or servant, child or youth, father or son, dependent or free. But the basic principles of Dharma are Satya, Prema, Sahana and Ahimsa–Truth, Love, Fortitude and Non-violence. The various codes, written or unwritten, are only elaborations of these basic principles.

Study Of Sanskrit Must Be Taken Up First

There is much criticism nowadays about the Varna AshramDharma (codes of conduct laid down in the past, for the four castes and the four periods of life); but, there is no constructive approach, because those who try to tamper with it have no knowledge of the Shastras (scriptures) where it is propounded, nor have they experience of those codes in their daily life. Sanskrit is the language of the Shastras and the sacred texts of SanatanaDharma (eternal universal religion). So, Sathya Sai Organisation must provide facilities for the study of Sanskrit, by elders and by the children. This is one of the first things that they must take up.

The tragedy is that the very Pandits, who are the repositories of Sanskrit learning, do not teach the language to their children, though they clamour for greater recognition of their own scholarship. Sanskrit learning is fast disappearing as a result of this suicidal neglect. The fact is the atmosphere is fouled by hypocrisy and insincerity. No one stands up boldly and proclaims his conviction, and acts according to it. Pandits praise that ancient scriptures, but do not take even elementary steps to ensure that they are preserved and studied.

Leaders of the people who decry the English language on platforms send their children to schools where English is the sole medium of instruction! No member of the Sai Organisations should practise this deceit. They must be sincere practitioners of what they profess. That is the Dharma.

We can distinguish four types among men: the highest type are those who are so good themselves that they are utterly disinclined to note the faults of others, those who, therefore, see everybody as only righteous and virtuous. The middling type are those who see the good as good, and the bad as bad. The lower type are those who accept only the bad and ignore the good. Finally, the lowest, the worst are those who judge the bad alone as good and enforce its acceptance.

Strive To Rise Up To The Highest Type Of Men

You have to avoid the last type and the third one and strive to rise up to the second and the first.

All the rules and disciplines that have been prescribed by this Conference for your activities are for helping you in this spiritual effort. They are intended for your benefit, not for heightening My authority. So far as I am concerned, there is only one rule that binds you to Me; the Rule of Love. That love will inspire you, instruct you, quieten and comfort you.

Morning Session, May 18, 1968

World Conference, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Oragnisations

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Campus, Bombay

Sing The Sweet Name

The mariner uses his compass to guide him aright amidst the dark storm clouds and raging waves. When Man is overwhelmed by the dark clouds of despair and the raging confusion of irrepressible desires, he, too, has a compass which will point to him the direction he has to take. That compass is a society that is dedicated to the propagation of spiritual discipline. So long as Man is attracted by outer Nature, he cannot escape the blows of joy and grief, of profit and loss, of happiness and misery. But, if he is attracted by the glory of God within him as well as within Nature, he can be above and beyond these dualities and in perfect peace. The body is the car, where God is installed for the festival of adoration. Its four wheels are Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire) and Moksha (liberation)–the four goals of man, Dharma modifying Artha and Moksha controlling Kama.

The car can move only when the fuel of Vijnana (higher knowledge) is poured; the tyres are to be inflated with faith. The goal is liberation, immortality merger with the Divine, getting immersed in the inner and outer glory. Knowing this is the real aim of man; he who is unaware of this is ignorant. However profound his scholarship may be, he does not know the answer to the only question that is worth asking: “Who am I?” He may travel to the Moon, but, he has failed to explore his own inner Moon, the Mind. When he knows the mind, its composition and behaviour, he can know all about the Universe too, for the Universe is only a creation of the mind.

Science Cannot Confer Calmness, Peace And Bliss

Men of science must be humble that their discoveries are not as important as the discoveries of sages about the inner reality. Be thankful to the scientist for the inventions, the manipulations of material forces and objects. But, do not give him more reverence than he deserves. Science can confer ease and comfort, alleviate disease, analyse objects. It cannot confer calmness, equanimity, peace and bliss. It can improve the cart, make it firmer, more mobile; but, it cannot improve or inspire the horse. These three days, you were engaged in various discussions on spiritual matters and out of them has emerged certain conclusions, which I shall sum up for your benefit.

Measures for the elimination of egoism: the chief among these is the Bhajan. Have Bhajans (group singing of devotional songs) on as many days as you can, in your village or area. Have them in places where all can come and join, and not in the homes of some people, for in homes not all may be welcome. Have them as simple as you can, without competitive pomp or show; reduce expenses to a minimum, for God cares for the inner yearning and not the outer trappings.

Even this small unavoidable expenditure must be silently shared spontaneously by a few members of the Committee, and not collected by means of a plate or hundi pot, or a subscription or donation list. The participants must be bound by love, affection and loyalty to one Name and Form. Bhajans are best held on Thursday evenings and Sunday evenings–but, that is no unbreakable rule, for it is not the day of the week that counts. It is the heart that must be ready and eager to imbibe the joy and share it. As a matter of fact, Bhajan is a constant exercise, it has to be as essential as breathing.

Sai Organisation Members Should Not Be Fanatics

Group Bhajans must be arranged to suit the convenience of the locality and the people. Some people affirm that the Bhajans used at the Prasanthi Nilayam alone should be sung; but God is omnipresent, He is the indweller in every heart; all Names are His. So, you can call on Him by any name that gives joy. Members of Sathya Sai Organisations must not cavil at other Names and Forms of God; they should not become fanatics, blind to the Glory of other Names and Forms. They should join the groups that honour those other manifestations and demonstrate that all Names and Forms are Mine. They should contribute to the joy and happiness of all without giving up their faith.

Then there arise the issue of meditation. Apart from the Dhyana that you do individually, it is good for you to sit for ten or fifteen minutes, at the place where you did Bhajan, and after Omkar, collect your thoughts and meditate on the God whom you adored so long. Or you can meditate on the flame of the lamp in front of you and cause it to illuminate your inner consciousness and overflow into entire creation.

Dhyana sanctifies all activities and controls the mind. You can picture the God whom you adored in Bhajan, in the splendour of that overflowing light. This group Dhyana after Bhajan will prepare the ground for individual Dhyana in your own homes; the taste will grow, the duration will become longer, the peace that fills you will become deeper. I insist on Dhyana as an indispensable item of Sadhana (spiritual discipline) for every member of this Organisation.

Reading Is Not Completion Of The Journey

Then about the study circles. I am not for indiscriminate reading of books, however valuable they may be. Much reading confuses the mind; it fosters argumentation and intellectual pride. What I insist upon is putting the things read into practice–at least, a thing or two. Moreover, you must always remember that the book is only a pointer, a guide, a signpost. Reading is not completion of the journey. It is only the first step. Read for the sake of practising; not for reading’s sake. Too many books in the room indicate a person suffering from intellectual illness, just as too many tins, capsules and bottles in the cupboard indicate a person with physical illness. The reading of books or passages from books is best done at some other time, and not as a continuation of Bhajan or as preliminary to it.

Then, we have this programme of Nagarasankirtan (moving choirs). It is nothing new, forJayadev, Gauranga, Tukaram and Kabir used this type of Namasmarana (remembering of God’s Name) as a means of self-improvement and mass spiritual awakening. Gather in the early hours before dawn, say, about 4.30 am or 5.00 am, and proceed slowly along the streets, singingBhajan songs glorifying God. Carry the name of God to every door; wake the sleeping with it, purify the atmosphere of the streets, rendered unclean by angry shouts of hate or greed, faction or fight.

Let the day dawn for you and others with the thought of the Almighty, the Compassionate, the Omnipresent, All-knowing God. What greater service can you do to yourself and others? This will give you health and happiness. Your egoism will be shattered when you sing in the streets in full view of your neighbours. You will forget in your enthusiasm all pride and self-esteem. Thus, this Nagarasankirtan is a great Sadhana a great piece of social service.

The Most Precious Prasad Is Vibhuti

Another point too was raised yesterday–a small one – about Prasadam (the edible that is usually offered to the Lord after Bhajan and distributed as consecrated food to the participants). Well, the edible offering is to be avoided; the Name itself is the best consecrated offering to be shared. You can give Vibhuti (holy ash) as Prasad; that is enough. That is the most precious and effective Prasad.

It is now your duty to carry on the activities of your unit of the Sathya Sai Organisations in the most effective manner, becoming yourselves fine models of behaviour and attitude. These three days you have spent here, with fellow-pilgrims from other parts of the country and other nations throughout the world, must have given you both information and inspiration.

The Sathya Sai SevaSamiti of Bombay as well as the Prashanti Vidwan Maha Sabha (Maharashtra Branch) have made fine arrangements for your boarding and lodging and for the Conference. They have planned and executed the programmes of the Conference on a grand scale, in order to highlight the spiritual purpose of the Conference and to give you all the chance of MyDarshan, Sparshan andSambhashan(observing, touching and conversing). You must be grateful to them for this. They have set an example which will serve other Samitis in other cities. I bless you that you may, by your efforts in your places, promote the spiritual progress of yourselves and the people of the world.

Evening Session, May 18, 1968

World Conference, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Campus, Bombay

Emergence Of Enthusiasm

haratiya Sanskriti (Indian Culture) is being revered as an ideal constructive contribution to human welfare but its legitimate inheritors are neglecting it and losing the peace and joy that it can confer. This Sanskriti is a huge tree, whose branches have spread over the entire world, giving comforting shade to all the peoples. The basic discoveries of this culture that teach the methods of acquiring that peace and that Joy cannot be challenged and negatived by science, for, science can only manipulate material things and study their interactions, behaviour, composition and structure. Moreover, in science the hypothesis that is found valid today may be negatived by a new set of facts that come to light tomorrow.

The spiritual laws that the sages of India have discovered and laid down will never be over-ruled; they stand valid forever. Further research in spiritual laws can only strengthen and confirm their authenticity as further facets only render the diamond more brilliant. Bharat has contributed to the world the priceless gem of Truth: “Eshvarah Sarvabhutanam Hridese, Arjuna, Tishthati“(God is the resident motivator of all beings). Until this fact is realised by the individual, he will be tainted by traces of anger, pride and hate, for he sees others as distinct and different.

All Men In All Countries Are On The Same Pilgrimage

Karna, the eldest born of the Pandavas, did not know that he was the brother of the other five. Nor did the five brothers know this fact. As a consequence of this ignorance, Karna was saturated with hatred towards the five; he longed to destroy them; he prepared himself for battle against them with unabated vigour. The five younger brothers too, planned to destroy him and behaved towards him as if he were their deadly enemy. When Dharmaraja, the eldest of the five, came to know–after the death of Karna, which they effected successfully–that Karna was his brother, his agony knew no bounds; he was struck disconsolate and was torn by despair.

If only Dharmaraja had known the truth, all that grief could have been avoided, isn’t it? So too, until you know that all are altars where the same God is installed, all are moved and motivated by the grace of the self-same God, you are afflicted by hate and pride; once you know it and experience it, you are full of love and reverence to all. The barbarous remedy of war will be given up when this basic brotherhood is felt in the deepest core of man.

All men in all countries are pilgrims proceeding along the path to God. The progress of each is decided by the discipline adopted, the character formed, the ideal kept in view, the leadership chosen and the faith implanted. Just as trees and plants, birds and beasts differ from one region to another, the rituals, practices, disciplines and ideals may differ from community to community; each is good for that region and that stage of development. You cannot transplant one, from one human community to another. The atmosphere in which you have grown up is the most congenial for you.

For God, Universe Is The Mansion

It was this principle of Love, based on the recognition of Oneness in God, that was planted by Me in East Africa. The Atmatatwa (which is the wave – God of the Ocean – God that is in the hearts of all men) was declared by Me, at Nairobi and Kampala, in My discourses. The emergence of enthusiasm that day at Nairobi when I landed is something indescribable. People were filled with Supreme Ananda (bliss Divine) wherever I went, though in special planes and without intimation, people gathered in large numbers, their eyes shining in joy and love.

Your material eyes see countries as different; in reality, all countries are limbs of one organism; all bodies are activated by the same Principle. For God, the universe is the mansion. Each nation is a room, a hall, in that mansion. So, when I move from one room to another and come back, why do you indulge in all this commotion and celebration? I do not feel that I had been to another mansion; it was all so familiar to Me. You should not also emphasise the apparent distinction; for the Divine, all are the same.

At first, in Kampala, most Africans were gathering on one side and the Indians on another; but, the very next day, as a result of My counsel, they came together and sat in friendly company, singing the Bhajan (group singing) songs in unision. And when I left, the Africans, along with their Indian friends and companions were shedding tears at the thought of separation. Even the constables on duty sobbed and called out, “My Lord,” unable to bear the grief!

Without Bounds, Devotion Easily Falls Into Hysteria

Dr. Munshi now described Bombay as the ‘City Of Lost Faith’; people here value Dhanam (riches) more than Dharma (fight). But, I know that the citizens of Bombay are imbued with a great craving for the right, the moral and the spiritually uplifting Dharma. I know that they yearn for it and would like to acquire it. Only they have no knowledge or experience of the discipline that can confer it, the mode of life that will ensure it.

The young volunteers who regulated and served the gathering at Kampala and Nairobi were students of colleges and schools; they had no experience of such vast numbers; each one was eager to approach Me and do obeisance to Me. Yet, they served remarkably well. They had scant knowledge of Indian ceremonies as regards reception and welcome; but they attended to every detail with remarkable anticipation. You in Bombay have heard Me often and you are aware of the rules of discipline I like to be observed. But, I found that Africans were much better. However far I moved among the huge gatherings, people never ventured to rise and fall at My Feet; they did not as much as lean forward to touch them, unless I indicated that they could. They paid homage in their hearts only. Devotion, when it knows no bounds, easily falls into hysteria.

The nations of the West are yearning now for the opportunity to listen to the Message from Me and learn the lesson of Love–for they have lost the secret of peace within. Every one from the Ministers, the Commander-in-chief and the Mayor to the ordinary peasant and labourer declared that they had never experienced such Ananda before as the visit gave them. The Mayor of Kampala said when I was leaving, “We cannot give You a send-off, for You are always welcome.”

Henceforth, you will see Dharma, illumining with its splendour country after country. In every country, what is most essential is the practice of the principles they profess, the bringing into the details of daily life, the attitudes of brotherliness that devotion to God instills. In India too, children of Bharat have to be inspiring examples of what spiritual Sadhana can achieve, how much of Prema and Shanti it can bestow. Be good Hindus, that is to say, act according to the meaning of the word, Hindu. Hindu means, he who is ‘Dura’ (far from) ‘Hin’ (Himsacruelty, violence). Be immersed in Prema; you will ever be away from violence. You can then be in Shanti and others will derive Shanti through you.

July 14, 1968

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Japa, Sadhana

I am told that you are Sadhakas (aspirants of spirituality), and so I shall speak to you something about Sadhana (spiritual practice). Well. What is Sadhana, fundamentally? It is ‘Upavasam,’‘Upasana.’‘Upa’ means near, ‘Aasana’ means sitting and ‘Vasam’ means residing.

We sit near a cooler so that we may feel cool. We sit near God, so that we might derive some Godly qualities and get rid of ungodly characteristics. God is not an external contrivance or convenience like the air cooler. He is the Antaryami, the Inner Director, the Inner Reality, the Unseen Basis on which all this seeable world is built. He is like the fire-principle that is latent in wood, which can be made manifest, when one piece is rubbed vigorously against another. The heat that is produced consumes the wood in fire! Satsang (company of the good and the godly) makes you meet with other souls (individuals) of a like nature, and creates the contact that manifests the Inner Fire.

Satsang means “Meeting the Sat“, the Sat which is spoken of while extolling God as Sat-Chit-Ananda.Sat is the Existence Principle, the IS that is the basic truth of the Universe. Align with the Truth, the Sat in you, the Satya (Reality) on which the Mithya (false) is imposed by minds that do not see light. By dwelling in that Sat, the flame is lit, light dawns, darkness flees and JnanaBhaskara (the Sun of Realisation) rises.

When there is hard rock below, you have to bore deeper for tapping the underground perennial pure water. The softer the subterranean soil, the quicker the success. Make your heart soft; then, success is quick in Sadhana. Talk soft, talk sweet, talk only of God–that is the process of softening the subsoil. Develop compassion, sympathy; engage in service, understand the agony of poverty, disease, distress and despair; share both tears and cheers with others. That is the way to soften the heart, and help Sadhana to succeed. Satsang is like quaffing pure crystal water. Dussang–the company of the vicious, the ungodly, the impure–is like quaffing salt water from the sea; no amount of sugar added to it can make it quaffable! It increases thirst.

Cultivate The Conscious Of The One

Krishna is named Yogeeshwara in the Gita. What does that mean? Yoga is defined by Patanjali as the Nirodha (control) of the Vrittis (agitations) of the Chitta (mind-stuff). If the mind is stilled and free from waves produced by the wind of desire, then he becomes a Yogi and the Lord is the highest Yogi, for He is the ocean that is unaffected by the waves which agitate the surface. Krishna danced on the hood of the serpent Kaliya and forced it to vomit its poison, it is said. This is only another way of saying that He forced sensual desires to divest themselves of pernicious effects. Yoga of this type is the best means of attaining the Yogeeshwara (the Lord of Yogis); not breath control, but sense control is the prescription.

Transcend Anekatwa Bhava (the consciousness of the many) and cultivate Ekatwa Bhava (the consciousness of the One), that will end strife, grief, pain and pride. See all as but expressions of the same God, as appearances on the same screen, as bulbs lit by the same current, though of manifold colours and wattage.Feel that you and they are able to talk and walk, think and act because of the God within. Differences that strike you while you cast your eyes are illusory; you have not yet developed the vision that makes you apprehend the unity which is the truth of all the seeming diversity, that is all! The fault is in you, not the world. The world is One; but, each takes it to mean what pleaseshim most! The world is One, but, each sees it from his own angle and so, it appears as if it has multiple faces.

There Is Both Truth And Travesty In The World

The Japamala teaches you the Unity, though it has 108 beads! If it is a Sphatika Mala (garland of crystal beads) you can see the string running in and through each bead, the inner reality on which all this is strung! If the beads are not transparent, you still know that the string passes through, holds together, and is the basis for the Malato exist! Why 108 beads? 108 is the product when 12 is multiplied nine times. 12 is the number of Adityas (luminaries), that reveal the objective world, and so, symbols of the Sakaara aspect (the world of name and form); nine is the screen on which the pictures appear, the basis, the rope which deludes you as the snake in the dusk, Brahman, the Nameless, Formless, Eternal Absolute. Nine is the Brahman Number, for it is always nine, however many times you multiply it! It is immutable, for nine multiplied by any number finally adds up to nine only. So, when you turn the beads, impress upon yourself the fact that there is both truth and travesty in the world, that the travesty attracts, distracts and delights in deceiving you, diverts you into devious paths; the truth makes you free!

Now about the beads;before everything you must know the symbolism of the fingers. The thumb represents Brahman, the eternal Absolute, the Immanent Principle. The forefinger, the index one, which indicates this and that, you and other, is the Jeevi, the Individual, feeling separate and distinct. When these two are joined at the tip, held in that position, it is the JnanaMudra, the gesture of wisdom, for, wisdom consists in the Jeevi becoming One with the Brahman, the Mergence of that which felt that it had emerged! The other three fingers, represent Prakriti, the Objective World, which is negated when the mergence is effected. They are the three Gunas, the Sattvic, the Rajasic and the Tamasic (qualities of purity, passion and inertia), that by their interplay create the phenomenal world.

Japa Must Become The Very Breath Of Life

Hold the rosary over the middle finger, keeping the three Guna fingers together. This means that you are now transcending the world of attributes and qualities, of name and form, of multiplicity that is the consequence of all this transformation, and proceeding towards the knowledge of the Unity. The Jeevi finger now slowly passes each bead towards the thumb (Brahman), touching the tip of the Brahman finger when the bead passes over, so that the mergence is emphasised with every bead and every breath, for, while the fingers learn and teach the lesson, the tongue too repeats the Mantra (holy formula) or the Name, with the Pranava (the primal sound of Om).

The Japamala (rosary) is very useful for beginners in Sadhana, but, as you progress, Japa must become the very breath of your life and so the rotation of beads becomes a superfluous and cumbersome exercise in which you have no more interest. “Sarvada Sarva Kaleshu Sarvatra Hari Chintanam”–Always, at all times, in all places, Hari (the Lord) is meditated upon. That is the stage to which the Japamala should lead you. You should not be bound to it forever; it is only a contrivance to help concentration and systematic contemplation. The belt has to be discarded when you have learnt to swim, the crutches when you are able to walk.

One Can Win Guru’s Grace By Earnest Prayer

Be regular, in the beginning, in the hours you devote to Japa. On Sundays, when you have no worry of office or shopping, do more Japam until 9.00 am in the morning. Do it with love and enthusiasm. It should become natural with you to do so. Of course the Grace of the Guru helps a lot; Vivekananda was sliding into atheism and agnosticism from the more books he read, but a touch from the hand of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa transformed him completely. You can also win this Grace, by your efforts and earnest prayer.

Before you start Dhyana, your meditation session, chant Soham, inhaling ‘So’ and exhaling ‘Ham’.Soham means ‘He is I,’ it identifies you with the Infinite and expands your Consciousness. Harmonise the breath and the thought. Breathe gently, naturally; do not make it artificial and laboured. It must flow in and out, soft and silent; if you have some flour on your palm and hold it near the nostrils, it should not get fluttered the least; the breath has to be soft as that! The faster the breath, the sooner you are burnt up, the shorter becomes your life span! Slow breath quietens and calms the emotions. The mood of relaxation produced by thisSohamrecital is a procondition for a profitable session of meditation.

Other things are also needed for this relaxation have no thorn of hate in your mind, develop Prema (Love) towards all. Desire is a storm; greed is a whirlpool; pride is a precipice; attachment is an avalanche; egoism is a volcano. Keep these things away, so that when you do Japa or Dhyana, they do not disturb the equanimity.Let love be enthroned in your heart. Then, there will be sunshine and cool breeze and gurgling waters of contentment, feeding the roots of faith.

May 10, 1969

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Cults And Culture

Satyaand Dharma are the two cardinal principles of Sanatana Dharma (ancient but eternal spiritual code). They are the goals of all faiths, the teaching of all saints, the core of the achievements of all sages, the under-current in all scriptures. They spring out of the Atmatatwa (essential nature of the Self), which is the lesson taught in the Gita. The Gita is the essence of the Upanishads, the Vedanta (the concluding essence of Vedas). On the day when you are celebrating the anniversary of the Inauguration of Dharmakshetra, it is necessary to remind yourselves of this. The Vedanta declares, ‘IsaavaasyamIdam Sarvam’ (All this is enveloped by God), and so, how can man hate or deceive another? The rules and disciplines laid down in all religious systems have as their aim the application in daily life of this great Truth, the Immanence of God.

Satya and Dharma (Truth and Righteousness) are the two eyes of every religion that has emanated from the primal SanatanaDharma: of Buddhism, Christianity,and Islam. They are further elaborated and exemplified in the epics and Puranas of India.Rama entered the forests and suffered poignant agony for the sake of upholding Satya. The Pandavas exiled themselves from their Capital and swallowed, unmoved, excruciating insults,in order that the cause of Truth may prevail. Harischandra reached the nadir of grief andhumiliation, but never gave up his hold on Truth! These are the models held before the men andwomen of this land for millennia, through song, drama, sculpture, painting, poetry andphilosophy. They are beacons beckoning the people of all lands to a higher, nobler and morebeneficial destiny. Nevertheless, today the children of Bharat are enticed by tiny titillatingachievements, in the material sphere, won by western scientists and technicians, such astravelling in outer space or flying to the moon!

Might Must Ever Bow To Right At All Times

Consider the five Pandava brothers, immortalised in the Mahabharata epic by Vyaasa. The eldest is Dharmaraja, born of Dharma! The second is Bhima, of the Mighty Mace. The third is Arjuna, the foremost bowman of the age. But yet, both Bhima and Arjuna yielded ever to the slightest nod of Dharmaraja, for, Might must ever bow to Right. Transferring the story to modern times, we find that contemporary America is the Arjuna, Russia is Bhima; and both have to bow before Bharat, the Dharmaraja, who upholds the cause of Right against Might, military, economic or other. What a great tragedy is it, then, that we who have to guide the world in the path of Dharma are ourselves losing faith in that path and straying into the riotous road of Power or Might!

The Mahabharata teaches other lessons as well. Let us turn to the opponents of Dharmaraja, Arjuna, Bhima and others. The uncle, who is leading the cousins and their wicked brood against the Pandavas, is Dhritarashtra, the blind ruler. He has no ‘Vision.’ Yes; the vision that only righteousness can confer! He was blind, that is to say, he had no Jnana, the recognition of man’s incompetence and God’s Omnipotence. The Pandavas made up for their inferior military strength by faith in God’s Omnipotence and their own impotence! And, so, God Himself led them into the field and won for them victory from the jaws of defeat!

Karma illumined by Jnana brings about success. Jnana alone–the discovery that God is all – that alone can win the Grace of God; self-effacement is the first criterion of the Sadhana that can save man from bondage. Dhritarashtra was blind, because, as that name itself implies, heheld on to the Rashtra, held on to all things that were not ‘He‘! The real ‘He,’ that passes from birth to death, and again gets born only to die, unscathed. Everything that is not ‘you’ is an object; it is luggage for the journey; the less of it, the more comfortable the journey!

Dharmakshetra And Kurukshetra Are Within Everyone

Dharmakshetra and Kurukshetra are not to be looked for near Delhi or Hastinapur, on the map or on the ground. Nor are the Pandavas and Kauravas merely princely clans figuring in the tale. The human body is named Kshetra, and so Dharmakshetra, is in every one. When the owner of the body discards all desires, all passions, all impulses and all propulsions, then the body becomes Dharmakshetra! A child has in its heart only Dharmakshetra, for, it has not yet developed sensual desires. It accepts whatever is offered. Its ego is not yet ramified into the objective world of multiplicity. But, later, when it grows branches and foliage, the Dharmakshetra takes the shape of Kurukshetra–the battlefield where the mind struggles between hope and despair, and is compelled to consume the diverse fruits, sweet and bitter, of one’s acts.

The Atma is described as a Vidyullekha (a streak of lightning), of the splendour of a crore of suns! The wordGita also means ‘Lightning’ and so, that Vidyullekha is the Krishna in us, that is to say, the Gita in us, the Atma that is counselling us and correcting us, as the God within.

Do Not Throw Overboard The Bharatiya Culture

Dharmakshetra, it was mentioned, is being developed as an International Centre for Sadhakas and inquirers, eager to learn the Sanatana (ancient) way of life. India has no dearth of temples and institutions claiming to guide the pilgrims to God. In a Granthalaya (Library), only people interested in books will gather; the Bhojanalaya (Boarding House) is frequented only by those who want a meal; the Vaidyalaya (Hospital) is resorted to only by the sick; but in the Devalaya (Temple of God), we do not find today either devotees or God! This is the onlyHouse where the legitimate owner is absent! Temples were the centres for the spread of Bharatiya (Indian) culture, and, when the attraction for Western culture became strong, they were deserted, and left open to the ravages of time.

Everything is being judged with the American eye; American ears do the hearing for us! The American heart feels and fears, fancies and fashions our reactions to events and things. Of course, it is useful to learn from others. But you should not throw overboard the culture that has grown through the aeons on this soil, and fostered by the love of your ancestors, for your benefit.

How can the culture of America or that of any other country be congenial to Indians? Now the time is 7.30, evening. If you phone your friend in the States and tell him, “I am off to a film show now,” he will reply, “It is 7.30, here too. I am off for my breakfast!” When it is morning here, it is evening there; when the sun sets here, it rises there. Time, climate, vegetation, temperament, ideals, the nuances of languages, folk ways, all take on a strange colour in a country that has had a different history. So, indiscriminate imitation will result in the loss of the peace that follows fulfilment.Bharatiyas can get peace best through the folkways that have been prescribed by the folkmind of this land, as a result of centuries of observation, experience, trial and error.

Develop Brotherly Feelings For All

Bharatiya culture has emphasised the valid ways in which one has to spend energy and money for service of the distressed, the diseased, the hungry, the illiterate, the ill-housed, the ill-clothed. It condemns the spending of energy and money for pomp, for vengeance, for competitive faction, for material triumphs. Wealth is to be held on trust and used for promoting the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. This culture also lays down that nothing should be done to damage any one’s faith in God or in his own self. Faith is a tender plant and it needs all the nurture that you can give.

My desire is that you should not censure other religions. Develop brotherly feelings for all. God is One; there are not many Gods, one for each tribe among men! Love is One; it transcends caste, colour and creed, if it has to be genuine. Truth is One; there cannot be two. For, two can only be One, occurring twice. The Goal is One; for, all roads must lead to the One God. Why then should men quarrel and fight over the Eternal and the Absolute?

Dharmakshetra has a great part to play. It is in Bombay, which is the stomach of Bharat. The Himalayas are the Head and the Kanyakumari is the feet. When the stomach is inefficient, the entire body suffers the consequences. So, keep the Dharmakshetra efficient and strong. Do not allow it to degenerate into a Kurukshetra; let not friction and faction raise their heads here. Let the high ideals of Dharma (righteousness) be upheld here. This is the realSeva (service) I expect from you and through you. If this is done, our land will have peace and security.

May 12, 1969

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Limbs Of The Divine Body

You are calledSevaks (servant), because you are engaged in Seva (service). What exactly is Seva? Is it the way in which Bhakti (devotion) manifests itself, a consequence of devotion? Or is it the cause of Bhakti, one of the methods by which Bhakti is expressed and developed? It is neither. It is not the indispensable prerequisite of Bhakti, nor is it the result. It is the very essence of Bhakti, the very breath of a Bhakta (devotee), his very nature. It springs from the actual experience of the Bhakta–an experience that convinces him that all beings are God’s children, that all bodies are altars where God is installed, that all places are His Residences.

Consider Seva as the best Sadhana (spiritual discipline). This is a great chance that you have secured. Your work among these large gatherings is more beneficial for your spiritual development than days of Japam or Dhyanam. But do not believe that you can by means of Seva reform or reshape the world. You may or you may not. That does not matter. The real value of Seva, its most visible result, is that it reforms you, reshapes you. Do Seva as a Sadhana; then you will be humble and happy. Do not strut about that you are improving others; improve yourself. Make Seva an extension of your Japam and Dhyanam–Japamand Dhyanam put into practice, so to say. How can anyone contemplate on a God who loves the poor and the grief-stricken and yet be cold when the poor and the stricken are around him?

Serving All Types Of People Is Fine Education

I do not attach any value to the Japam within closed doors; the turning of rosaries by hands that know no help. I do not appreciate the Dhyanam that makes you deaf to the agony of pain. Dhyanam should not harden the heart; it should soften it like butter, which melts at the slightest contact with heat. Seva is a great opportunity to see the God indwelling in all. Rama could have rescued Sita unaided; but He chose to grant the Seva to the Vanara (monkey) hordes, for they were the gods who had come to claim that chance.

When you stand forth as aSevak–you will have experienced this these days–you meet all types of people; some who are very cooperative, some who are cantankerous, some who obstruct, some who argue, some who threaten, some who question your motive or authority. Contact with them is a fine bit of education. They toughen your character and train you to welcome with equal joy both praise and blame. Let me ask you, what is the one thing that you crave for most? Grace, is it not? Anugraha (favour), is it not? So long as your words and deeds are in conformity with Satya and Dharma, so long as your words and deeds are sweetened by Prema and lightened by Shanti, you need have no worry; you have the Grace in ample measure.

Helping people to get Darshan(audience), the Darshanthey seek so ardently, is a laudable Seva. You are volunteers here to help people crowding in large numbers to get Darshannot to prevent them from it. You have to see that they do not mill around, or rush forward or push the older and weaker persons. See that they sit in silent rows so that they can get full Darshanwhen I come. You have to help the infirm, the aged and the sick to enter unharmed and to take their seats.

Do not rush yourself for Darshan, as I have seen some of you do, giving up the assignment allotted to you. Do not lose your temper; be sweet and soft, whatever the provocation. Have a smile ever playing on your face. Do not come between Me and those anxious to have My Darshan. They may in their resentment push you roughly aside; you have then no right to retaliate. You should reply with a smile, an apology, a polite explanation accompanied, with a Namaste and folded hands.

Milestones That Mark The Road To Sai

I know that those of you who are posted for duty at the outer gates or in the garden, at the Bhajana Mantap (devotional singing hall) or the shoe counter, feel jealous of those who are in the inner apartments of the bungalow. Some of you go out on errands into the city and are absent from Bhajana, etc. I must tell you this. I have no special brand of Grace for those who are at My door, nor do I neglect the man at the gate. In fact, I have no geographical “far” and “near”; My “far” and “near” are not calculated by physical nearness. You may be My side, yet, far; you may be far, far away, yet, very near and dear. However far you are, if you but stick to Satya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema, you are close to Me and I am close to you. Those are the milestones that mark the road to Me.

When your eyes see a ripe mango fruit on the tree, the tongue recollects the taste, the mind craves for it, the back stoops, the shoulders bend, the hand searches for a stone, the fingers clasp it, the arm throws it; and when the fruit falls, the hand picks it, the teeth bite into it, the throat lets it down into the stomach; there and thereafter it is converted into sustenance as a reward for the effort of all and sent as strength to eye and shoulder, hand and fingers, teeth and tongue.Similarly, when you all cooperate to give Me joy, the reward of Grace will be granted to all.

Every Sai Sevak Is A Limb Of The Sai Body

You are all My Limbs, nourished by Me. You constitute the Sai Body. Sai will send you sustenance, wherever you are, whatever your function, provided you give Sai the things Sai considers sweet and desirable, like virtue, faith, discipline and humility. Be happy that you are a limb of the Sai Body. Do not complain that you are the foot and so have to tread the hard ground. Do not be proud that you are the head and so, up and above. It is the same blood-stream, the stream of Prema that circulates in both; the function of each is as valuable as the function of every other limb. The function of each limb is also unique, remember; so do not give room to despondency. Your part is something special, which only you can play. You cannot walk on your head; you cannot think with your feet. Whatever your position, win Grace by your virtue, that is the main gain.

There is no wealth more satisfying than contentment. Eat your fill, you cannot eat more. If you are forced to eat more, it becomes a torture. There is a limit which you cannot overstep without injury to yourself. Find out your measure, your limits, your bounds, and act, do not develop jealousy towards others, whose measures are more, who have less limitations, less narrow bounds. Hold firm the step which you have reached in Sadhana; then transfer attention to the next. Have a clear vision of the goal. March on.

Seva of Sai and Seva of Sai Bhaktas (devotees) is the same. When you serve the Sai Bhaktas, because they are Sai Bhaktas, you see the Sai in them, you seek to please the Sai in them, you revere the Sai in them. It is like serving a temple where Sai is installed, a room where a picture of Sai is adored. Throughout this period of Seva, you think only of Sai; so this training helps you to purify your impulses, defy your thoughts, chanalise your devotion and expand your Love. These are big steps in Sadhana, laudable victories.

Concentration Is Needed For Success In Every Operation

When you are engaged in the simple operation of threading a needle, note how much concentration is needed for success. The fingers have to be steady, the eyes fixed and clear, the end of the thread screwed into a point, the needle’s eye kept unshaken. The same care has to be taken when any other operation is to succeed. The Name of the Lord is the Bow, which you lift when you raise your voice in Bhajan. The mind is the arrow you fix; so fix your eye on Brahmam the target, and with single-pointed effort, shoot. Then the goal can be realised.

I find many young people here. I am glad that the SevaSamiti (service society) has given them this valuable experience. There are men volunteers and lady volunteers, so I must tell you another point on which I am very particular. You must consider others as your own brothers or sisters. I dislike flippant prattle, casual conversation, and even face to face grouping of men and women, at all times, and more especially during spiritual gatherings or occasions. You must be models of straight and courteous behaviour. You must be good and appear good to everyone. External beauty and charm are flimsy, they are ephemeral. Real beauty consists in virtue, selfcontrol and selflessness. Sundaram (beauty) arises from Shivam (goodness)and Shivam from Satyam (Truth). Be guided by this rule.

Be Saturated With Devotion To God And Man

It has been suggested that a permanent body of volunteers be set up, who can be called upon whenever I visit this place, so that the meetings I address and the Bhajansessions where I am present may be conducted with minimum inconvenience to all. I suggest that the purpose should be much wider and more expansive. The Sathya Sai Dal (volunteer corps) shall be the model for all other cities. The members must be saturated with devotion to God and man; they must have the skills which can make them better instruments.

I want them to beSevaks all the time in all places, not merely when I visit the city or at the places where I address meetings. How can they withold their Seva (service activity) on the pretext that I am not present in Bombay? Every Seva done with sympathy and skill to anyone in distress anywhere in this world is Sathya Sai Seva.

If a Sathya Sai Seva Dal man or woman finds a person swooning on the road, or suffering pain or agony when going towards college or office, it is the duty of the finder to render all help possible to relieve the suffering. Do not ignore it and walk on. The Dal must be eager to serve and trained to serve, for service from those who take My Name must be intelligent and sincere.

ASevak must be neither elated nor dejected; he must adhere to the middle path. When Rama asked Hanuman to proceed towards the Southern region and described the dangers of the route, he was not dejected; when He gave him the ring to be handed over to Sita, he was not elated that he had been chosen for the supreme task and given the glorious chance. He just obeyed. Sufficient unto him was the order of his Master, “Go.” Hanuman is the ideal volunteer; efficient, humble, silent, serviceable, intelligent, eager, devoted.

Develop Bhakti (devotion) and Shraddha (faithful practice) by means of Namasmarana and Japam. Practise silence and sweetness. Serve all as SaiSwarupa (embodiments of Sai); that is the best plan to realise the Sai in you.

March 29, 1967

Modi Bungalow, Andheri, Bombay

Seva As Sadhana

The Vedanta declares that the mind (Manas) leads man, either into the cage of bondage or into the vast open spaces of liberation. If it involves itself in sensual pursuits, it drags man down into the sub-human level; if it engages itself in seeking the higher truths, the deeper realities, the more lasting joys, then, it enables man to rise to the level of the Divine. Science deals with matter, Jada (things), as distinct from the living, the Chitta (conscious), having Chaitanya (Supreme Spirit). Those are the provinces of religion, of spiritual Sadhana and Yoga applied to mind control. This is the age of scientific advancement, when equal attention is not being paid to spiritual advancement, or religious progress.

The Jeevais but the reflection of Deva; which means, man is but the reflection of God. Humanity is very proximate to Divinity: but, man seldom recognises this nearness. He allows his mind to lower him into the animal level, from which he straggled up through many births. A diamond may appear as a piece of glass; but, only those who do not know its value will use it as a paperweight and keep it on the table in the office room. Wise men will keep it inside an iron safe, under lock and key. Man is a diamond, not a piece of glass; he has to shine brilliantly, after going through the process of ‘cutting’ or Samskara (purificatory acts).

Contentment And Happiness Are Attributes Of Mind

Samskara transforms man into God–Manava into Madhava. We have a watch on our wrist, which costs Rs. 500 or 600 or even 1,000. The steel out of which the entire watch was made may cost only four annas (erstwhile Indian currency, 4 Annas = 25 Paise); but, the Samskarait underwent by means of human skill and intelligence raised its value and usefulness. Man too can transform himself into a priceless instrument for God-realisation through the proper use of his mind and intelligence. By the forceful alchemy of the mind, he can attain Jnana (spiritual knowledge) and see the Truth that satisfies and illumines.

We feel that the people of our country will be happy, if we only provide them with food, clothing and housing. We feel that they are suffering, because they have not got these things in an adequate measure. That is an illusion, for contentment and happiness are attributes of the mind. The mind must be trained to achieve peace and acquire joy. Without such a mind, man is helpless even under the most affluent circumstances. A person may be strong, and charming; but, when he has lost his eyesight, he loses joy. There are many countries on the very peak of material civilisation and are very proud about the heights which they have reached. But, have they acquired mental peace? Have they got rid of fear or hate, greed or pride?

Of course, there must be a certain degree of comfort for man, physical and mental. But, gaining the things that give comfort should not be the aim of living; once that path is selected, wants multiply and satisfaction becomes impossible to find. The capacity to distinguish between right and wrong will be dulled; egoism will become sharp and strong. Thirst will increase with each quaff; hunger will gnaw more and more with each morsel of the food of material possessions. That is their real nature.

Ask yourself the basic question: Is there something that can be called Sukha? Can it be attained by the accumulation of material things? No. Sukha (happiness), can be got and retained only through Atma Jnana (the knowledge of the Self) through the Atma which is the source and spring of Ananda. We delude ourselves when we argue that happiness can be derived from things outside ourselves.

By Losing Your Separateness, You Lose Misery

Life as man is the chance given to everyone to achieve one glorious end, namely, realising the Atma and its Universality. He queries everyone about his name and whereabouts; but, does not know an iota of his own identity. Who are you, really? You are not the body or the senses or the intellect or the mind, for you speak as if you own them and are different from them, when you say, my body, my senses, my intellect, my mind. He who is the master of all these is the ‘I’, the ‘I’ that makes everyone else also feel similarly. With every breath, man inhales the consciousness that the Universal Eternal Principle that pervades and persists in the entire Creation. That is why he is repeating silently, Soham, with the inhalation and the exhalation, Soham. During deep sleep, two ideas, (the very duality) disappear. The idea of “that” and the idea of “this” go, leaving only the sense of ‘I’; ‘Sa’and ‘ham’ fade out leaving only ‘Om’, in the sounds Soham. That is the seed sound, the Pranava, which is the Prana (breath). Merge in that Om, the Primal Universal Sound and you lose your separateness and your misery and pain.

That is the ultimate stage of man–his AntaVedanta–the final stage of man, his Vedanta, his Jnana. Man starts as a Brahmachari, a student of the Brahmic, the Atmic path; he enters the Grihastha (householder) stage, the stage of apprenticeship in the joys and pleasures of the world; then he promotes himself into the Vanaprastha (recluse in the forest) stage, of detachment and discrimination; that leads him on to the Sanyasa (ascetic) stage, of intense spiritual exercise. This ends in the consummation of Samyoga (merging in the Absolute), like the river merging in the sea, losing in the process, its taste, its form and its name. He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman; the river that enters the sea becomes the sea.

Fill Every Act Of Service With Prema

You are all engaged in service of one type or other and I know that you are frustrated with the result; you are not happy at the service you do, nor are the recipients happy when they receive the help. But, try to develop Prema (unselfish Love), based on Satya, Dharma and Shanti; try to fill every act of service with that Prema, try to see every act of service that you receive with the eye of Prema; then, there will be no frustration. The person who serves is the person served; you serve yourself when you serve another. You serve another because his suffering causes you anguish and by relieving it, you want to save yourselves from that anguish. Unless you have that anguish, your service will be hollow and insincere.

Frustration is caused also by wrong diagnosis of the causes of suffering. A patient may be beating his head, for he is having excruciating pain in the stomach; his pain will not be diminished, if you apply some ointment on the head, imagining that his trouble is centred on the head which he was seen beating. Delay does not matter; discover the real root of the trouble and then apply the remedy. The real remedy for all troubles is a proper sense of values–first things first. Married couples think they will be happy, when they get a child; but, that is but the beginning of a series of worries. They worry about his health, his habits, his schooling, his friends, his mate, his marriage, his prospects–and so on, in an endless chain. The mind multiplies the roots of worry, anxiety, and grief.

There Can Be No Peace Without Eliminating The Mind

We say ‘peace of mind’; but, unless the mind is eliminated, there can be no peace. The mind is but a pattern of desires, warp and woof of wishes, resolutions, plans, ambitions, attempts, attachments. A young man of twenty with his two feet walks about free, wherever he likes. Hemarries and becomes a quadruped; his walk is rendered slow; it is circumscribed. He gets a child and he becomes six-legged. The more the legs, the slower the movement, the nearer the ground, the greater the attachment to things earthy.

You can develop detachment by dwelling on the great heritage of man; then, you will not engage yourself in low deeds and thoughts. Man is called in the Indian texts, ‘Manuja’, he who is born of Manu, the great exponent of Dharmashastra.So, Dharma (righteousness) is his heritage; he has no right to deny Dharma or act contrary to it. Contemplate on that Dharma, on Satya and Prema which are the foundations of that Dharma, and then, all your acts will be in consonance with real Bharatiya culture. See yourself in all and all in yourself. That alone entitles you to be a Sevak, to serve.

This expansive Prema was cultivated in our country, under the leadership of its sages and seers; so, many Sadhaks (spiritual aspirants) were able to succeed in seeing God’s Virat Swarupa (Omnipresence) everywhere. For some years now, this Prema has become abridged and narrowed by egoism and greed, we have become so hard hearted that we are not affected at the sight of suffering and want. People have learnt the wrong attitude of separating themselves from others; so, this land of Annapoorna (abundance in food) has to go about from door to door, in foreign capitals, asking for food for the people.

Meditate On The God Who Fills The Universe

Try to offer people your Prema; they will respond with lasting gratitude. Give them clothes, houses – they are apt to lose them. Give them education; they may or may not use it for their good. But, give them Prema; they will imbibe it gratefully and fill their hearts with it and be happy as never before. You can grow in Prema, by building the mansion of your life on the four pillars of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and Bhagavata and the Bhagavad Gita. If you are not able to read these great books and assimilate them, do not worry. Books are only guide-posts, with road signs. They do not indicate the ups and downs met while traversing the roads indicated. That can be known only by actual experience. If you are not able to understand the big texts, I would advise you to simply contemplate on the wonder and beauty of God’s handiwork, from the tiny worm to the most distant star, from the circulation of blood in one’s own body to the movement of planets and solar systems. Meditate on the God who fills the Universe and transcends it; then, that glory will fill you and you can never more be small-minded or mean. Your acts and words will echo the glory of God. Seva that comes from such experience will certainly bear fruit.

November 6, 1967

Bombay

The Will To Will Not

The mind flits fast from one idea to another; it fondles for a moment and forsakes the next. You may manage to keep your mouths shut, but it is next to impossible to keep the mind shut. Mind is of that nature; it is woven so out of the yarn of desire. Its characteristic is to flutter and flit, hither and thither, through the outlets of the senses, into the external world of colour, sound, taste, smell and touch. But it can be tamed and put to good use by man. If we keep it engaged in good pursuits and good adventures, particularly in the contemplation of the Universal, the Absolute, the Eternal, that is to say, of God, then, it will not go astray and land man in ruin; for, God is the source of undying strength, of lasting joy and the deepest wisdom.

The age span, 16-30 years, is crucial, for that is the period when life adds sweetness to itself, when talents, skills, and attitudes are accumulated, sublimated and sanctified. If the tonic of unselfish Seva (service) is administered to the mind during this period, life’s mission is fulfilled–for the process of sublimation and sanctification will be hastened by this tonic. Do not serve for the sake of reward, attracting attention, or earning gratitude, or from a sense of pride at your own superiority in skill, wealth, status or authority. Serve because you are urged by Love. When you succeed, ascribe the success to the Grace of God, who urged you on, as Love within you. When you fail, ascribe the failure to your own inadequacy, insincerity or ignorance. Examine the springs of action, disinfect them from all trace of ego. Do not throw the blame on the recipients of the Seva, or on your collaborators and co-workers, or on God.

God Allows You To Claim That You Have Served

Do not revel in the conceit that you are members of the Seva Dal–an opportunity by which thousands in this city can well profit. Egoism of that nature can undermine your efficiency as a Dal member; it will certainly undermine your spiritual progress. The sense of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ grows out of the ignorance of the majesty of God and His immanence. Anger and greed are the progeny of this evil. This malignant quartete is the root of all the calamities that man encounters upon earth.

Seva in all its forms, all the world over, is primarily Sadhana–spiritual discipline, mental clean up. Without the inspiration given by that attitude, the urge is bound to ebb and grow dry; or, it may meander into pride and pomp. Just think for a moment: Are you serving God? Or, is God serving you? When a pilgrim stands waist deep in the Ganges, takes in his palms the sacred water and, reciting an invocatory formula, pours the water as an offering to the Deity, or Arpan as he calls it, what he has done is only poured Ganges into Ganges.

When you offer milk to a hungry child, or a blanket to a shivering brother on the pavement, you are but placing a gift of God into the hands of another gift to God! You are reposing the gift of God in a repository of the Divine Principle! God serves; He allows you to claim that you have served! Without His Will, not a single blade of grass can quiver in the breeze. Fill every moment with gratitude to the Giver and the Recipient of all gifts.

Nurture the will to ‘give’, to renounce the little for the ‘big’ the momentary for the sake of the momentous? The Seva Dal badge is not a decoration, which can be secured without a ‘price’. It is a symbol of high character, generous feelings and steady endeavour. It is the external indicator of internal enthusiasm and strength, skill and faith. As iron is drawn by the magnet, these qualities that shine through you, will draw the dejected, the downcast and the distressed towards you. If you are proud and self-centred, blind to the kinship that binds all in fraternal love, the badge is a betrayal.

Progress And Peace Depend Upon Sacrifice

Eating is followed by elimination; inhalation has to be followed by exhalation; blood has to flow in and flow through, to circulate and maintain health. Taking in has to be succeeded by giving up; they are the obverse and reverse of the same process. This is true of individuals, societies, nations and the human race. Progress and peace depend upon sacrifice, renunciation and‘service’.

Do not circumscribe your Seva to the time when I am in Bombay, or to the limits of theDharmakshetra. Be alert to the call, everywhere, at all times; be ready with the smile, the kind word, the useful suggestion, the knowledgeful care, the pleasant reply. Look about for chances to relive, rescue or resuscitate. Train yourselves that you may render help quickly and well. Seva is the most rewarding form of austerity, the most satisfying and the most pleasurable! It springs out of Love and it scatters Love in profusion. It plants a seed on stone and is delighted to see it sprout!Plant it with Love, and the seed will discover Love inside the stone and draw sustenance therefrom.

Japa And Dhyana Will Render You More Efficient

Dr. Mistry has mentioned in his report that you are doing good work in Bombay, donating blood, visiting hospital wards, maintaining First Aid Centres in your blocks, leading Bhajans, promoting Bal Vihars, etc. But, it is not the quantity that matters; nor is it the variety. It is the inner joy, the Love that you radiate that is important. Mere sentiment and sympathy are of no use; they must be regulated by intelligence. Shower cheer on the sad; soothe those that have lost the way; close your eye to the faults of others, but keep them open to discover your own. All these are hard jobs. Practice alone can make you perfect – practice, not only in the item of service, but, in meditation on the Divine. Japa (inner chanting of holy words) and Dhyana (meditation) will render you more and more efficient in the field of service.

Dhyana is necessary, since it leads to Dharana (fixing the mind steadily on some desirable objective) and Samadhi (perfect equanimity). Practise Dharana, fixing your gaze at night, when you sleep on the terrace in the open, on a star that shines above your head! The practise of Seva will cleanse the mind and sharpen concentration. Many members of the Seva Dal have told Me that they are now able to do Dhyana longer and steadier. There are some who recommend drugs, soothers, and the like, to those eager to do Dhyana. But they do not know that drugs are deceptive, debilitating and dangerous, they have deleterious consequences. I recommend Seva.

You may be full of the urge to serve, but without vigilance and intelligence, service cannot be fruitful. Each little detail has to be attended to. For example, you compel some people to sit down, instead of standing and obstructing the view for others; you do not realise that there are some who are unable to squat on the floor as a result of physical handicaps! You move more at the back and on the sides of the gatherings, leaving the central mass unattended. You need not fuss around Me; attend rather to the needs of the old, the sick, the children, those in the sun, the thirsty, the exhausted. Do not hurt the feelings of anyone, by harsh treatment. Do not hinder any one’s chance of Darshan. Show each one the courtesy you extend to theguests you receive at your own homes. This is your home and they are your guests. Let them have sweet memories of their visit to Dharmakshetra and of the Seva Dal.

This is an Adhyatmik army – a spiritual platoon – engaged in cleansing itself. This movement must spread fast in India and march soon into overseas lands. Members of the Dal can be sent to other places in order to train others in this practical Vedanta (philosophical essence of the Vedas). For, if a person is imbued with the urge to serve and the belief that all are embodiments of the Divine Principle, that is itself the most potent Japa the most beneficent Dhyana.

Practise what you preach; be what you profess to be. Your word and your work have to tally. Keep your senses and the mind, under rigorous control; be sweet and soft in speech, do not injure the feelings of even a little child. Then, this Dharmakshetra will become a Prasanthi Nilayam, the Abode of Peace and Joy. If the Seva Dal and the volunteers of Bombay city, men and women train themselves on these lines, and succeed in this Sadhana, one of the festivals now celebrated at Prasanthi Nilayam can well be held here! We can tell people that they got this grand chance as a result of the goodness, virtue and efficiency of the Seva Dal.

May 19, 1969

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Beside, Behind, Before

Man is subject to sorrow, from birth to death; joy, or what he calls happiness is an interval between two sorrows, that is all. These sorrows arise as a result of three reasons:Adhyatmik (spiritual), Adhidaiwik (deific) and Adhibhautik (material). The material objectsthat one craves for, endeavours to acquire and laments when lostare all Bhautikand so, the sorrows that sprout out of them are defined as Adhibhautik. The senses are the instruments of cognition; one sees an object through the eyes. Yes, but not through the material eye, but with the eye operated by the deity that presides over it, namely, the Sun. You do not see in the dark! The Sun helps you to see; without Him, you are helpless! Each sense and limb, nerve and cell, joint and gland of the human body has a deity that activates it and is resident therein. If these deities are hostile or displeased, the body suffers and sorrow ensues. This is the second reason for misery; the Adhidaivik. Then, we have the Self–the witness of both inertia and activity, joy and sorrow, exultation and examination. When you ignore the existence of the Witness, when you divorce your daily life away from the awareness of that seat of peace, you invite sorrow to torment you. That is the Adhyatmik or the spiritual quality, the Cross that each man carries along the trail of Life.

Three Paths To Gain Awareness Of Divine

It can be said that these three are the basic reasons for man’s appearance and reappearance on earth, to unlearn the delusion and learn the lesson of Wisdom. When any Mantra is concluded, the reciter usually repeats, as you must have noticed, ‘OmShantiShantiShanti’ –three Shantis! Why three? Why Om? Om is the designation of the Universal Brahman. Constant repetition of Om and intense meditation on its meaning are recommended for aspirants who seek cognition of the Indwelling Divine. Shanti means Peace; and Peace is invoked thrice, in order to allay the three sources of sorrow mentioned already, operating through the individual organism, the deities and the Cosmic Intelligence.

There are three paths laid down for the awareness of the Immanence of the Divine: Karma, Bhakti and Jnana. These three are not distinct and diverse; they are composite and complementary. For example, you have the knowledge that Sai is everywhere, seeing all things and knowing every activity of yours. You are devoted to Sai and you are eager to be directed and follow the directions to the best of your ability. And, you desire to utilise the skill and efficiency you have earned for the service of others, because you feel that they are kinsmen of the Sai family, whether they know it or not. It is really very satisfying that you are rendering Seva to the people in various parts of this city, encouraging them along the Nine Directions to deepen their faith in God.

Bhajans, study circles, the staging of plays, the singing of Kirtansin chorus by groups of devotees along the streets in the early morning hours, these are all commendable activities. Also, the helpful activities of the SevaDal. I find that a great deal of time is devoted to the cultivation of talents along fruitful channels of children in Bal Vihars; this is sure to kindle the flame of spiritual yearning in them and beautify their lives with the charm of joy later on.

Man Binds And Shackles Himself To Sorrow

An enormous quantity of precious time is being frittered away now, by man in wasteful, even damaging, task. The effort that is undertaken for these tasks leads nowhere, they only deepen despair or darken the gloom, already filling the heart! People find time to queue up for hours before cinema booking booths or waiting for a bus to take them there! They have no time to spare, for attending a Bhajan session or to join a Nagar Sankirtangroup! They have time to play cards and sit at the club table, chatting on trivialities for hours together. This is because people live only on the surface or bottom of things, they are either froth or dregs. They shirk responsibilities. They do not introspect, or think calmly of the end for which they are struggling frantically and flippantly.

Examine this question, for example: Is man enslaved by external objects and the attraction they exercise over him, or, is it some inner impulse that urges him forward to shackle himself to sorrow? I shall give an example: There are professional monkey-catchers in the villages, who employ a crude device for the purpose. They place in the orchards or gardens infested by the marauders a number of narrow-necked earthen pots, with a handful of peanuts inside each. The monkey approaches the pot, knows that it has the delicious nuts inside, puts its long hand in and collects the nuts in its fist. Now, it finds it cannot take its arm out; the neck is too narrow for the nut-full fist!

So, it sits helpless and forlorn and is easily caught and transported! It thinks that there is someone inside who is holding back its arm, when it tries to take it out! If only it had loosened the grip and got rid of the attachment to the nuts, it could have escaped! So too, you are the victims of desire and attachments that the desire entails. You are bound by the shackles you have yourselves fastened around you! Liberation too is in your own hands. Contemplate the unchanging Glory of God; then, the desire for the transient baubles of the earth will fade and you can be free.

Faith In God Has To Be Stable And Strong

Ask anyone the question–How do you provide for yourself in your old age? The answer will be, “O my son is well placed; I get the interest on my deposits; I have a pension; I have lands from which I can draw what I need,” etc. But, no one answers, “I rely on God!” Without faith in God, without Divine help, how can any of these give succour during the stormy voyage through life’s declining years? Faith in God is the secure foundation on which hope has to be built. The faith has to be stable and strong. The feeling that God will come to our rescue has to be vivid and vital, motivating and activating all that we do or speak or think. Service rendered to others in this spirit will be a great source of joy to you as well as to the recipient.

First, you must engage yourself in Karma-Jijnasa, the discriminating selection of activity; then, you have to enter the region of Dharma-Jijnasa, the search for the eternal laws of the spirit that mould and shape the waves of consciousness. Last, you penetrate into the problems of liberation through Brahma-Jijnasa, the Sadhana that convinces you of the reality of the One and the unreality of multiplicity, the apparent world based on the real Brahman.

Train Yourself To Like What You Have To Do

There is no doubt that volunteers, Seva Dal members, Bhajan leaders and participants, and everyone else who is engaged in the activities of the Sathya Sai Organisation are on this path, at different stages. Most of you are in the first stage, the Karma-Jijnasa stage, able to distinguish the right from the wrong so far as your activity is concerned. Nature, the Individual, and God – of these three entities, Karma-Jijnasa has to consider all three, whereas Dharma-Jijnasa has to do with the last two and Brahma-Jijnasa deals only with the last, viz. Brahman. Remember the last stage, even when you are in the first, for, that is the end of the journey, the Goal.

When you have the Goal in view, wherever you are, it will fill you with genuine joy. Do not seek to do things that give you sensual or temporary satisfaction only. Do not crave to do what you like, but train yourself to like what you do, or what you have to do. It is Sadhana (spiritual discipline), when you willingly undertake work that promotes your real welfare. Then only can Nature and the individual self be eliminated and the Brahman alone established in the consciousness. Now, you have to cultivate the attitude of the servant of the Lord. Work is worship. In that spirit, you offer service to others, whom you have to adore as embodiments of God. It is this attitude that gives maximum satisfaction to the pining heart.

Basis Of Radha-Krishna Relationship

Two Gopis were moving about on the sands of the Yamuna, talking about Krishna and lost in the contemplation of His Sports and His Majesty. Of them, Neeraja had a doubt suddenly arising in her mind, “When I practise identity with Krishna and feel that I am Krishna, I am afraid that I will lose the thrill of being with Him, conversing with Him and hearing His sweet voice. I long to be distinct from Him, and to taste the Love and Glory that He is.” Then, Sarala, her companion, consoled her and said, “No! Your fears are baseless. For, Krishna too is contemplating on you and your purity. By the time you are transformed into Krishna on account of the Sadhana of identity, Krishna would have become ‘you’, as a resultof His longing for you and so, there need not be any apprehension in your mind!”

Prakriti is Dhara (Earth, Creation). Think of it always. Long for it. Pine for Dhara, Dhara,Dhara and you find you are pining for Radha, Radha. So, Radha is the Becoming andKrishna is the Being; the desire of the Being to become, the longing of the Becomed for the being–this is the Radha-Krishna relationship, which has been sung by seers and poets, condemned and caricatured by ignorant critics, appreciated and apprehended by aspirants, analysed and realised by sincere scholars of spiritual lore.

You are the image of the Supreme Atma, the image that is reflected in the body that is part of Prakriti (Nature). Your body is kith and kin of all the objects that surround you in nature; your body is an object among so many. The original Divine Spirit, the individualised spirit, which is the image, and the objective world of which the body is a part–these are the three entities called Ishwara-Jeeva-Prakriti. Success in Sadhana is won the moment you are able to either deny the objective world as a Delusion or recognise it as nothing but the Supreme Spirit itself.

Purify The Mind To Cognise God In Everything

In ordinary day-to-day arithmetic, three minus one is equal to two; but, in the arithmetic of theAtma the three (Ishwara-Jeeva-Prakriti) minus one (Prakriti) is equal to not two, but one(Ishwara) for, when the mirror (the Prakriti) goes, the image (Jeeva) also disappears! When the mirror is eliminated, two entities disappear, the mirror and the reflection it can cast. And you merge in the Divine!

The path of Seva that you have chosen now will lead you gradually to the stage when the mirror can be transmuted beyond existence, by means of Vairagya (renunciation). When you see the Idol as God, you transmute the stone out of which it is calved, of which it is composed, out of existence; the stone has been eliminated, when you see only God in the shrine! Purify and cleanse the mind so that wherever you turn, not only in the shrine, not only in the idol, but, in everything, at all times, you will cognise only God; then, the mind becomes your best friend, your most efficient instrument of liberation.

The mind plays infinite pranks, and so, it is labelled as an ape. There is another characterisation also, not so popular. It is referred to as a snake. For, it does not move straight. It sizzles over the earth, in a zig-zag course. The mind delights in crooked stratagems, and clever contrivances. It avoids the straight path of veracity and sincerity. Again the snake injects poison, and grabs living beings that come in its way. But, the mind-snake can be charmed into innocence. The snake charmer uses the Nadaswarainstrument and when he blows music out of it, the snake sways its hood entranced; so too, the mind will sway in unison with the music that emanates from the Namaswara, the recitation of the Name of God! The mind projects on others its own defects and deficiencies. That is its deadliest effect on our progress. One has to overcome this nefarious tendency.

Inward Vision Alone Can Reveal The Truth

The sage Paramananda had ten disciples, each a notorious example of sloth and stupidity! On their travels, they came across a river, which they waded through, to the other bank. The water came up to their necks in some places, and so, when they struggled on to land, they decided to find out whether all had arrived safe together. They feared that some of them must have been swept away by the swift current. Fear and the consequent confusion heightened their native stupidity. At last, they discovered that one of them had been washed away, for, whenever each of the ten counted the others standing in a line before him, he left himself out and found only nine men before him. All ten confirmed the conclusion that one of them had disappeared in the flood! And, the ten wailed for the last man and were so plunged in sorrow that the hullabaloo they raised brought a farmer to their side. He asked them why and got the answer that of the ten who waded across, one was drowned! The farmer saw that there were ten men before him! They challenged his verdict and he demonstrated how they counted and verified that one had really been lost. The farmer told them that each one had omitted to count himself. “The outward vision was wrong; the inward vision alone can reveal the truth,” he advised them.

We are trying to discover God searching for Him throughout the Universe, but, we omit to investigate His existence within ourselves, as the very core and keystone of our Being. When you discover yourself, all wailing ceases and you attain supreme happiness. This is real self-knowledge. You come to know that you are a spark of the Divine Flame. Very soon, you realise that others too are sparks from the self-same fire. How then can hate or anger or envy or greed survive in the sunlight of this Vision?

Have In View Always The Glory Of The Goal

You are now having your feet on the very first rung of the ladder, which will take you to the heights of Bliss and Peace. The climb is arduous and full of the dangers of slips. But, you have to bear them in steady perseverance, having in view always the glory of the Goal. How much agony the stone has to suffer in order that it might be turned into an exquisite entrancing Idol! Even this chair was a block of misshapen wood; it was sawed, planed, cut, shaped, fixed and smoothened, and it suffered all that torture so that it could serve us and get the joy of the service.

The saints Jayadeva, Tukaram, Kabir, Gauranga, Ramakrishna, Ramdas–all had to go through travail and tragedy, so that they could see God and merge in Him. They have won permanent niches in the temple of human memory.Take the instance of Pundalika. He had such impregnable faith in the Vedic injunction to revere the mother and the father (Matru Devo Bhava; Pitru Devo Bhava) that he refused to serve Lord Krishna when He appeared before him (as Vitthala) to shower His Grace; for, at that time, he was engaged in massaging the feet of his parents! He would not interrupt that service even for a split second to touch the Feet of the Lord.

His Guru Tukaram came in at that moment and admonished him for being so adamant in the observance of the Vedic rule. “My God is just now here, before me, asking that the feet be massaged! Let this God who has come wait, until these Gods are served. This God has put in His appearance only now, but these have been with me ever since birth. I feel the Divine Presence in them every day of my life, and I recognise them as Divine!” The service he rendered to his parents pleased Krishna so much that He stayed on, and still stays on at Pandharpur!

Experience The Divine In Yourselves First

Before you experience the Divine in every being in the Universe and in every cell and storm, you have to experience It in yourselves. Each act, word and thought must be charged with that awareness. There was a millionaire once who was bothered by two aches, one in his stomach and the other in his head! He was diagnosed and treated. He was examined and treated by a galaxy of medical experts; he consumed heavy loads of drugs, and underwent hundreds of injections. But, the aches persisted, with greater vigour than over before! At last, a Swami (monk) arrived at the scene of his agony. He spoke very kindly to him, and pronounced the fault to be in his eye! Set right the eye, and the head on top and the stomach below would both behave very sweetly! To improve the eye, concentrate on only one colour. Concentrate on green, he suggested. Do not let your eyes fall on red or yellow, or any other colour.

The millionaire got together a group of painters and purchased barrels of green colour and directed that every object on which his eye was likely to fall be painted thick green. Just as the Ashtagrahacalamity (the ominous astrological phenomenon of eight heavenly bodies reaching a straight line in space, which was sought to be avoided by superstitious persons through ceremonials of exorcism) resulted in a rich harvest for priests, the millionaire’s malady resulted in a rich harvest for paint craftsmen.

Clarify Your Eyes To See God In Everyone

When the Swami came back to him after about ten days, the craftsmen ran toward him with a bucket of green paint, for he wore a red gown! He wondered why, and got the answer that their master dare not cast his eye on any colour other than green, lest the aches may return! The Swami reprimanded the patient, and said that he had wasted lakhs of rupees as a result of his monumental stupidity. “If only you had purchased a pair of green spectacles, worth perhaps four rupees, you could have saved these walls and trees and pots and fans, and chairs and sofas and also a pretty large share of your fortune! You cannot paint the world green.”

Change your vision, and the world will appear accordingly. Let the eye be charged with the Divine, it will see all as God. It is foolish to try to shape the world; shape yourself as the embodiment of Peace, Love and Reverence. Then, you will see all as Love and Compassion and Humility. Your work, as Seva Dal members and as volunteer helpers, must correct your vision; clarify your eyes, enable them to see God in everyone; then, that awareness will transmute every word, thought and deed of yours into a benediction.

Cleanse the heart, by listening to spiritual discourses;seeking the company and comradeship of the righteous, the simple, the sincere, the seekers; and by cultivating goodness of character and sweetness of disposition. Fill your hearts with the sweet fragrant waters of Prema. Then,every act of yours, every word of yours (which are like the water drawn from the tank through the taps – tongue, hand, brain, etc.) will be sweet and fragrant. If the tank is filled with pollution, how can the word be helpful or the thought beneficent or the deed commendable?

Seek Chances Of Helping Others

Embodiments of the Divine! 

All these days, you discharged the duties willingly undertaken, in the right spirit and with real sincerity. I am very pleased with you. You can draw nearer to the Divine if you continue to mould your lives in the pattern, even after this urgency passes off. You are setting a good example to Sai volunteers in other parts of the country. Of course, something turns up now and then even in your work which is not quite up to the mark, some reservation, some twist or turn or speech or action, which had better not been! But, this is quite natural and can be corrected with some cautious watching.

I know that you are serving with so much enthusiasm and joy, because it is Swami’s work and Swami’s service, in which you feel you are engaged. As a matter of fact, Dharmakshetra is yours, your own home. And, your hearts are My home! Swami will safeguard the purity of your heart which is His home! Now that you are carrying on this part of His Mission so satisfactorily, Swami will bless you with His Presence, around, beside, behind and before you. I shall be here again in the course of this year; for, I appreciate the work that you and all others connected with the Dharmakshetra are carrying on.

Meanwhile, remember three things always: Continue Seva, wherever you are. Seek chances of helping others. Never lose an opportunity of using your skills and enthusiasm for the alleviation of sorrow, pain or distress. Again, do not omit to neglect or postpone your own particular spiritual Sadhana – study, Japam, Dhyanam, Bhajan, NamaSankirtan(recapitulation, meditation, group singing of the name and glory of God), and other such disciplines. Above all, have the faith that Swami is with you, at all times and all places.

May 21, 1970

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Bring Me The Pain

The fulfilment of human life consists in the service that man renders, without any thought of return, in an attitude of selflessness. Service rendered in this spirit sheds light in the dark interior of man, widens the heart, purifies the impulses and confers lasting Ananda. This country has been emphasising the fundamental unity of mankind; this truth can be fixed in the experience, by means of dedicated service. India is a garden of fragrant colours; it has a variety of faiths and creeds, all emphasising this unity and this path of service, in order to realise it. All creeds here declare that everyone is brother or sister to everyone else–that is the message of every saint and sage in this land.

With the passage of time, and the inroads of alien cultures and ungodly attitudes, this message has been neglected and we are in the pathetic plight of factions and fights between those who once were brothers! Passion and blind emotion have filled the heart of the nation, which was responding bravely to the call of brotherhood and service. Passion and emotion are as calamitous as earthquakes; their consequences can be felt far and wide. We have to cool down the passions and develop a sense of balance and equipoise in the human mind, through the cultivation of Prema.

Satsangs Can Arouse The Latent Love In Man

This is the land where Tukaram, on his way from Kashi to Rameshwaram, with sacred Ganges water in a pot on his shoulder–water that he had vowed to pour ceremonially on the Linga at Rameshwaram–saw a donkey dying of thirst! And, the sense of unity with all living beings overpowered him so much that without a second thought, he poured the holy Ganges he had carried so far for the sacred purpose, down the parched throat of the ‘brother’ and was happy to see in him the Linga he longed to adore! So, Universal Love is latent in the traditions of the people; what is wanted is only awakening them from slumber. Satsangs (good holy company) can arouse the latent Love; this work has to be done among the youth, at the present time. For the burden is on the shoulders of youth.

The world (and not God who is expressed through it and beyond it) is the centre of attention at the present time. The reaction to the world depends on the feelings which prompt the dealings with it; the feelings depend upon the experience gained already; the experience is coloured by the desire which urged the contact and drew the reaction. Desire is based on ignorance of the real nature of the world. The world is Maya, a mixture of fact and fiction, but it is valued as Truth! It is a fiction built on the basis of fact. The fact is Divinity; the fiction is variety. This deluding agent is God, for, the fact is hidden and the fiction is imposed by the Leela (play) of God. And, God is but the appearance in Form of the Formless, Intangible, Immanent, Absolute, the NirakaraParamatma, the Aakash(space) within the Hridaya (heart) of man and all living beings as well as of all the other Bhutas or Principles, unbound, without beginning or end.

The attribute by which Aakash can be cognised is Shabda (sound) or the Word! In the beginning was the Word! The word became the object, it got embodied, concretised. That is why we call “object” as Padartha. ‘Pada’ means word, ‘Artha’means meaning or purpose. The“object” is the purpose of which the word was uttered, the meaning which makes the word valid. We have the word ‘tree’ and the meaning is the tree that stands opposite! We have the word ‘man’ and the meaning is you. The word and its meaning are inseparable, indistinguishable. The word did not arise without the object, nor the object without the word.

God Is And Can Be, Only One, Not More

The word God too is the indication that there is the Padartha, that there is God. If there was no God, the word God would not have originated and gained currency. You may see God or you may not, but the word is proof that there is God.God is Omnipresent; He is in the past, the present, the future. I am placing this garland on my finger. See, the part of the garland to the left of the finger is the future, the part to the right is the past and where it contacts the finger, that point is the present. Now, I roll the garland on the finger and pull it to the right. The future comes up and becomes the present and moves down into the past, but, the present is always present. God is always present, watching the future rolling on into the past!

And, God is and can be only one, not more! 

“There is only one God and He is Omnipresent!

There is only one Religion, the religion of Love.

There is only one Language, the language of the Heart.”

This God has to be visualised by means of constant spiritual discipline. Do not involve yourselves in doubts and hesitations. If only you observe the disciplines and purify the Consciousness, you can see the God installed in yourheart. There is sugar in the cup, but the water is insipid, for you have not stirred it well. There is God in the world, and by stirring the Divine well into every drop or atom thereof, you can make the world a sweet thing to live by. Intelligence is the spoon; Sadhana is the process of stirring. Saturate every moment of life with God; it becomes sweet thereby.

God Is The ‘I’ In All Beings

As a matter of fact, you are even now dedicating everything to God; only, you do not do it consciously, with the joy that is your due! You say, “I do it for my pleasure. I go there to be happy. I am reading it for my satisfaction, for my progress.” Who is this ‘I’ that is doing, going, acting, reading, enjoying, being pleased? It is the ‘I’ that sees, that hears, that thinks with the eye, the ear, the brain, etc. It is the ‘I’ that Ratan Lal says, he is! Sohan Lal, Pran Lal and Indu Lal all say “I, I, I.” This ‘I’ is in everyone. It is the individualised Atma in each, it is the Universal that is reflected in the particular. So when you say, “I do it for my pleasure,” you do it really for the pleasure of the ‘I’ within you, namely, God. That is why the Gita says, “Maam Anusmaran; Maam Ekam Sharanam Vraja”(Surrender yourself to Me!) Who is this ‘Me’? God. Why is He called ‘I’? Because He is the ‘I’ in all beings.

In the Annamaya Kosha (material sheath), that is to say, when man is established in the physical, and in the Praanamaya Kosha, when he is in the nervous and vital spheres of activity, he feels that life is fulfilled by means of food, recreation and a contented, comfortable existence. When he rises up into the Manomaya Kosha (mental sheath), his imagination opens further vistas, and he gets glimpses of the glory and majesty of the Divine, which makes him adore and revere. The next Kosha, the VijnanamayaKosha (intellectual sheath), then steps in and makes him inquire into the validity of the experiences and leads him on to the fifth Kosha, the Anandamaya, the stage of Bliss, with the confirmation of the hypothesis of the Divine, that the intellect framed. This liberates man from fear and doubt. Wisdom alone can grant full freedom. Just as the end of culture is progress, the end of knowledge is love, so, the end of wisdom is freedom.

BhaktiYoga Alone Can Save And Sustain

Do not fritter the days in attaining affluence in material possessions, which are often impediments in the journey of life. Money comes and goes; morality comes–but, grows! Money is not true wealth; it loses value, it bloats the ego and hardens the heart. If it does not circulate, itdestroys health, as blood does.

Embodiments of the Divine! 

Do not take it amiss, for, I am telling this only out of the fullness of My love. Nowadays, there are many who go about with various shortcuts to liberation, paths which they have marked out and are determined to preach, attracting disciples and forming groups. They concoct these out of Hatha Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Raja Yoga, and some fromVedanta and then, start out as guides and leaders. But, the fruits they confer are only flippant and flimsy; they are not lasting or truly liberating. BhaktiYogaalone, as laid down and practised through the centuries, can save and sustain. God can be realised only through love. Without love in the heart, God will not reside in the desert. Other paths develop conceit, separate man from man, man from beast. They contract, they do not reach out, they shrink your sphere of awareness of the Divine! Love is expansion and expansion is Divine Life. Sow Love; it blossoms as compassion and tolerance; it yields the fruit of Peace (Shanti).

Respect Everyone Since The Same Atma Is In All

God is reflected in the medium of Nature, in everything His image is to be cognised. If the medium is Sattvic (pure), then, God is as Divine in the image as in His own Divine state; if it is reflected in the Rajasic (the active passionate) medium, the image becomes the individual Jeevi; when the Tamasic (the dull) medium reflects it, then, the image is ‘matter’. The ‘Moon’ is one; and it is so distant and unaffected; but, its reflections in various pots of water differ in brightness and steadiness, according to the clarity and calmness of the water.

The Sattvic is the pot of gold, the Rajasic is the pot of copper, and the Tamasic is the iron pot! Their value may differ, but, the moon is reflected equally well in the water that each may have in them. Again, the golden pot is the Mahatma, the copper one is the believer, the iron one is the atheist; but, in all three, the Atma is the inner motivator, the indweller. So, respect everyone, since the same Atma is in all.

The teacher must practise what he teaches, avoid what he wants his pupils to avoid; then only can his teachings affect the lives of those who are committed to them. Now, the Guru is riddled with desires and he coolly advises his disciple to discard desire! He smokes cigarettes but warns him against the habit! Such Gurus care more for publicity than genuine practice. The Sathya Sai Organisation has no desire to exhibit any superiority; it tries to hold forth the ideal, to be witness to the truth of certain fundamental spiritual truths and the validity of certain spiritual disciplines.

Authenticity Of Sai Avatar

Embodiments of the Divine! 

This is the best time to tell you something about the authenticity of this Advent. I am saying this, not for establishing a claim for superiority or importance for this Body. I only wish to communicate the Truth. There are many who cannot bear or tolerate the splendour that I am manifesting, the Divinity that is expressed in every act, the wonders and amazing happenings that are the result of Grace.These people label these as acts of mesmerism, miracles or feats of magic! They hope to bring these down in the estimation of people. Let Me tell you this: Mine is no mesmerism, miracle or magic. Mine is genuine Divine Power.

There are others who cavil at these, and whisper that miracles are not conducive to spiritual development, that they will be handicaps in the process of realisation of God, and they persuade you to stray away from the true path. These people are too weak to conceive the Divine; they have no strength or stamina to understand its magnificence and majesty. They have small minds and limited intellects.

Kamsa, the wicked uncle of Krishna, knew that he was to meet his death at the hands of Krishna; so, he was so terror-stricken that he saw Krishna wherever his eyes were turned! He saw Him beside him, before him, behind him, above him, all around him! So, he shook his fist against the appearance and saying, “Krishna, fie upon Your magic! I spurn Your tactics to terrify me!” He boasted that his physical prowess could overpower the effects of the direct magic. But, when the little sevenyear old boy, Krishna jumped up in the arena and gripped him by the neck, and sat on his chest, when he fell, to pound him to death, Krishna shouted into his ear, “Uncle! This is Magic! Magic! Magic!”You cannot declare that you have understood a phenomenon when what you do is simply to trivialise it by the use of a certain word!

You Have No Reason To Suffer In The Play Of Love

God can do anything; He has all power in the palm of His Hand! My powers do not abide in Me a while and then, fade away! Indra Jaalam Idam–All this is apparent manipulation by Divine Will. My Body, like all other bodies, is a temporary habitation; but My power is eternal, all-pervasive, everlasting! This body has been assumed, to serve a purpose: the establishment of Dharma and the teaching of Dharma. When that purpose is over, this Body will disappear, like the bubble on the waters.

The other day, a very serious illness came upon this body, in Goa. When they came to know about this, many devoted to Me were plunged in anxiety! Illness can never affect this Body; it cannot approach it. If it comes sometime, that is but a passing phase, it belongs to someone and it comes to Me and goes, just as it came! When it comes, this body ‘appears’ to be ill! But, I have no contact with it, no affliction! Many people, when such a thing happens, take courage even to suggest to Me ways of dealing with the situation!

They tell Me, “Why Swami! Why do You allow the illness of another to come upon You? If he suffers from it, only one person suffers! But, when You allow it to come over You,lakhs of people suffer? Leave it to him, Swami!” they say. When this body is ‘suffering’, it is the nature, the duty of devotees to suffer in unison; but, I must also follow My duty! To take upon Myself the sufferings of those who have surrendered to Me is My duty! I do My duty, and you; may do yours. But, when you look at the Truth squarely in the face, you will know that I have no ‘suffering’ and you too have no reason to suffer! The entire thing is the play of Love! It has been taken over by Me on account of Love and so, I have no pain or suffering. You suffer on account of Love. It is Love, Love, right through; there is no reason for sorrow or pain or suffering!

Never Deviate From Your Faith In God

Cultivate Love; become intoxicated with it. We have here tens of thousands gathered, calling themselves devotees, but, when you try to find out how genuine they are, you have to admit that ninety-nine per cent of them are only part-time devotees, not full-time devotees! Had you known the Truth about Me, you would not have suffered at all, at the news of illness from Raj Bhavan, Goa. There were some who had their faith severely shaken when the news came in! Devotees must shine ever steady, in the joy of faith.

A mother and son developed disagreement so fast and so seriously about the property rights of each that they were completely estranged, and they stood in court, facing each other, in oppositeboxes, before the judge. The judge asked the lady, “Do you know this young man standing there?”And the lady replied, “Yes, he is my son!” However violently she might hate him, she has to admit that he is her son! The young man is asked, likewise, “Do you know this lady?”And he replied, “Yes, she is my mother!” You too must never deviate from that faith whatever might happen, to pull you and God apart!

Pray For The Welfare Of All Mankind

Faith as stable as this, is fast becoming a rarity. When your wishes fail, you deny God; when wishes fructify, you adore Him with greater pomp, and have a few more pictures in your shrine, and you spend more money on flowers and incense! God has no preferences and prejudices; His is but reaction, reflection and re-sound! He comes, to confer Ananda, to foster Ananda, to teach ways of acquiring and activating Ananda. He takes upon Himself the pain and sorrow of the world, in order to prepare the hearts of men for Love!

This day marks the beginning of the Christian era, the year of Christ. Christ sacrificed His life for the sake of those who put their faith in Him. He propagated the truth that service is God, that sacrifice is God. Even if you falter in the adoration of God, do not falter in the service of the living God, who has assumed human shape and is moving all around you in such large numbers and wearing such manifold costumes of apparel and speech!

Only those who can pour out compassion to fellow-men can claim a place in the Grace of God. This is the highest spiritual discipline; it impresses on you the unity of the human community and the glory of God’s immanence. May this discipline which the Seva Dal has taken up with genuine delight spread all over this country, and may the land be happy and prosperous. May the world have peace and happiness, and loving trust. That is My blessing. I want you to pray for the welfare and prosperity of all mankind.

December 25, 1970

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Link By Link

Iam glad that the OfficeBearers of the various units of the Organisation in Bombay have gathered here and are asking Me to tell them some words about Sadhana (spiritual discipline). A life of Sadhana involves the dedication of all acts to God, the offering of whatever one does or thinks or speaks at the Feet of God. You can do this only when you are aware always of the Presence of God, in and around you. Your awareness must not deviate for a moment from God. The mind must revolve round one centre, God. Your concentration must be strong and steady.

You are now able to attain concentration when you walk, talk, write or cycle along. But, you say you are helpless when it is a question of concentrating on God. Why have you to struggle to acquire it? The reason is: you have no yearning, no fond attachment, no Love towards God. But, carry on with the endeavour. By means of continuous culture, it is possible to acquire it. The Gita says, ‘Shreyohi Jnanam Abhyaasaat’. Abhyasa (practice) is the crux of the problem. Through that, victory can be won. Concentration can be mastered in Dhyana (meditation) and this will lead to disinterestedness in the results of one’s actions, for the actions are not one’s own, but God’s. The results too are not one’s; they are God’s. When you become detached from the fruits of your actions, though intent on action (offering to the Lord your skill and energy), then, you attain peace of mind, Prashanti. If, however, you cultivate attachment to things of the world, and houses, bank balance and insignia of power, then, Dhyana fails.

Follow The Dictates Of Divine Father In Action

Sincere effort and actual activity entitle you to the Grace of God. When Jesus Christ entered the precincts of the Temple of Jerusalem, and found people sacrificing doves and other living beings to God, He released the birds and condemned the acts of blood. The priests and scholars resented His act and argued that the God in whom they had faith accepted the sacrifice and was propitiated thereby. They asked Him for evidence of authority to interfere with the dictates of religion. Christ went on to tell them a parable. Once there was a farmer. He had two sons. He asked his first son to go out to the field so that he may watch the crops ready for harvest. The son refused to obey him. Thereupon he asked the second son, and he readily agreed. But, what really happened was, the second son later calculated the bother and the sleeplessness which the watching will bring to him; he did not go. The first son later repented for this refusal to do as bidden; he went and watched the crop.

Now, Christ asked, who among these two pleases the father more–the son who declared his assent by word of mouth and disobeyed in action or he who disobeyed by word of mouth but obeyed in action? You obey in words but disobey in action. My action reveals that I do acts which God has commanded. You are your own witness, whether you follow the dictates of the Divine Father. I have greater authority than you, for your action shows that you disobey whereas My action proves that I follow His commands.

Sadhana Is A Uniquely Precious Activity

You are OfficeBearers and so, you have the responsibility to carry out in actual practice, in your own lives, the rules and restrictions andrecommendations laid down by Me. I warn you against falling prey to exhibitionism and display; there are many who desire that others must admire and applaud, and so, they do Japam or sit in Dhyana, where many will be seeing them. Theirs is not theattitude of indifference, which says, “I don’t care what they say, or who sees me or who does not.” Their innermost craving is for people to notice them and publicise their spiritual attainments. They are eager for audiences and spectators! But, Sadhana is a uniquely precious activity, which will be vulgarised by public gaze.Fish is sold in open shops, or in open daylight, by the side of public thoroughfares. Diamonds are however sold in shops that admit only genuine purchasers and they are kept in strong underground vaults. Sadhana is more valuable than diamonds. It will wither in the open.

This is the reason for Sadhakas (spiritual aspirants) retiring into lonely mountain caves, or into solitary temples in inaccessible regions of the Himalayas, or in the depths of jungles. But, you need not imitate them; you can create enough privacy in your own home, screening off a portion of some room. There you can sink into yourself and discover the Inner Reality as the Reality of the Universe Itself. You need not be told that perfect amity between husband and wife is essential for domestic peace. When they are at loggerheads, it is not a home, but hell.

In the body of man, the Atma (inner real Self) is the husband and the inclinations are the wives. Every act and word and thought must subserve the needs of the emancipation of the individual, by the recognition of the sovereignty of Atma. The Primal, Formless, Absolute wedded Desire and Mind was born. The mind wedded two wives, inner contemplation and outer activity. The first gave birth to five sons, Satya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa (truth, virtue, peace, love and non-violence), the five Pandava brothers. Mind was infatuated more with the second wife, and so, she gave birth to a 100, each one with a name indicative of badness and wickedness, the Kauravas. God was on the side of the Pandavs, and they won.

Cleanse Your Heart Of The Cancer Of Ego

In the Gita, you don’t find the slightest fear in the make-up of the character of Arjuna. Krishna appreciated him and served him as the charioteer, because he was so solicitous of Dharma. Arjuna’s most serious argument against the battle of Kurukshetra was that the slaughter of millions of warriors will lead to the widowing of women and depreciation of public morals as a result of their enforced celibacy. 

God has established, as the Vedas say, Brahmanas (representing the Divine face) to learn and teach the path to emancipation. Kshatriyas (warriors) are His shoulders for they establish and maintain peace so necessary for the good life. The Vaishyas (traders) are, it is said, the stomach of God; for, they provide the sustenance and the strength. The Shudras (service people) are the feet, for they move about and carry the Divine Message from door to door, through precept and example. All the four castes are dedicated for the upkeep of Dharma. So, when Arjuna pleaded the cause of Dharma, the Lord was pleased, and He decided to remove the delusion of the dispirited hero.

Share Wholeheartedly In All Festivals

By Dhyana you develop Jnana (spiritual wisdom) and by Japam (recitation of God’s Name) you develop Bhakti (devotion) and by both, you cleanse your heart of the canker of ego. You can link yourselves with God, by a chain of love, through the recitation of the name, in silence and with full awareness of the meaning and its nuances. Each Sai Rama, HareKrishna, Hare Rama, or Vitthal is a link; the more the links the longer the chain, the firmer the bond. But, each link has to be well forged out of well tempered steel. One false link, that is to say, the Name once uttered in sloth or slight, indifference or anger, resentment or rancour, will constitute a weak link and the bond will not bind!

Be careful that you do not cavil at another’s faith. There is a road from each heart to the Source of all joy, namely, God. Each one will come in his own good time, at his own pace, through his own inner urge, along the path God will reveal to him as his own. You can have in your home, a shrine, where you can worship the Name and Form you desire to invest yourselves in!  But, so far as your activities as a member of this Organisation are concerned, you must wholeheartedly share in all festivals and functions that promote faith, devotion and dedication.

Have love towards all. Do not allow the weeds of pride and envy to hamper the harvest of peace. Do not monopolise the time in Bhajan, by singing one song for six or ten minutes, repeating the same line often. Repeat each line twice and no more. Have only two speeds: one slow and the other fast. In this way, you can have in the hour of Bhajan, more songs on more Forms, more tunes and more variety, giving more people the chance. Let Me tell you that, even if Narada or Tumburu, the Divine Musical pair, sing if they croon the same monotonous tune, listeners will have to take refuge in Saridon tablets! Or, it may be Subbulakshmi or any other artist of this region, but headache is bound to result.

When a Namavali extols Shiva, the next one will have to be on Krishna, the next on Rama and so on. A person whose favourite form is Rama or Shiva will feel neglected if out of inadvertance, you stick to only one form. Let the atmosphere of Bhajan be free from competitive conceit and fanaticism. That is My advice.

January 5, 1971

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Thirst And Quest

Na Shreyo Niyamam Vinaa–“No progress without restraint!” Control heightens power; regulation puts it into the best use. As volunteers trained and eager to serve, where the chance opens up, you are like the young men who were growing up in the Rishikuls (the ancient Indian system of education where students lived with the Guru in his Ashram), under the loving care of sages. Now, these Rishikuls have lost the ‘R’ and are merely Shikuls (transformed phonetically, into schools). Discipline comes to the rescue, during crisis, when the world flows towards you, as a dark flood of hate or derision, or when those in whom you put your trust shun contact and shy away. Without discipline, the mind of man is turned into a wild elephant in rut. You have to catch it young and train it so that its strength and skill can be useful to man and harmless to life around.

At this period of life, when you are in the flush of youth with your physical, intellectual and mental equipment in perfect trim, you must resolve to keep it running on right lines, and not injuring itself, or the operators. Discipline must be welcomed; it should not be enforced by an outside agency, like the Samiti or your parents or friends. It must be spontaneously sought after, and sincerely practised.

Prepare Yourselves For Serving Others

This birth has been undertaken by you, for this very mission: the mission of crucifying the ego on the cross of compassion. An opportunity to be of some service to fellowmen comes to you as a gift from God. Serve with that sense of gratitude, for it is God who accepts it from you. Prepare yourselves for serving others, not only by learning the skills of first aid, the rules of the road, the technique of blood donation, the art of handling mikes and loudspeakers, wiring and fitting electric lines, etc., but, at the time when you are not actively engaged in some such activity, be busy with Japam, Dhyanam or Namasmaranam, fill yourselves with God, lest you go dry and cruel.

Keep the mind busy with these, for once it strays into the bylanes of the world, it will get infected with evil. Guard the tiny flame of sympathy with suffering, from the gusts of cynicism and miserly greed. Service to others is the duty you owe to society, which has given you the culture you fed on, the breath you live on, the warmth you crave for, and thesecurity you seek. Man is born helpless, and is laid on the lap of society. Society gives him a name and a form, a personality, an individuality, an armour of beliefs, a playground of doubts and diversions. Man is the only animal that knows it has to die, and that yearns to survive death or by pass the fangs of death. Man alone has the strange thirst for the nectar that confers immortality. That is his special task, his special quest, the quest for the Truth that emancipates.

Understand the deep significance of service; it will lead to your becoming ideal leaders, who are in great need today, all over the world. You fulfil yourselves by sharing; you empty yourselves by grabbing. Do not behave in such a way that people are wary of you.Be open, without harmful eyes, lascivious ears, false tongue, foul minds and pernicious hands. Your eyes give you away easily; look upon all without the guilt of lust or scandal; speak to all, of all withlove blooming out of adoration; let your hands give, never take what is not yours. Treat the distressed, the diseased, the old, the helpless, the child with great respect, and intelligent consideration.

“Do What Will Win The Approval Of Baba”

Lead simple lives; do not develop an attraction for high life, gaudy outlandish dress and manners; invite the reverential attention of those who need service. They will be kept away if you walk about swell, talk raucously, and begin pushing people around, with swagger and swearing. Test every gesture, every mannerism, every whim of yours, on this touchstone,“Will this win the approval of Baba?”

Here is a young man, whom I will call a good boy! Do you know why? Yesterday, when I moved among the thousands gathered in the Pandal, he was standing – as a volunteer – on the outer fringe. I shook My little finger at him. This morning, when I went round the same place, he was at the same post of duty but, with his side burns removed! He knew what Baba disapproved, and he corrected himself immediately. I appreciate that. Side burns is a side issue; there are more serious misdemeanours, which you know I do not encourage. Be free from every one of them. When you recognise Me as the dweller in your heart, these will fall off, and you will walk on the path of Self-knowledge, Self-confidence, Self-satisfaction and Self-realisation.

January 7, 1971

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Be And Be Blessed

Activity is the keynote of the Universe; by activity, all beings are born, by activity, they maintain themselves, and through that activity, they perish. Constant breathing, inhaling and exhaling, keeps the body temperature even and comfortable. The One that is beyond all activity assumed the forms of the five basic elemental materials–sky, earth, air, fire and water–in order to act and activate. To be active, yet, to be always aware that it is all mere acting, is the secret of happiness. That is the Dharma (virtue) which must regulate and sanctify the Karma.

The achievements of technology which have taken man to the moon are also events in theCosmic Drama, where the principle performers are only working out His Plan; identification with the adventure and its success or failure will make the performers proud or depressed–states which would not help inner peace and joy. The secret of good Karma is, do Karma as an act of Worship, a dedicatory rite offered to the source of all energy and intelligence. And, never take the consequence to heart. By this means, one can approximate to the Divine Principle, which is beyond activity.

That Divine Principle is the very core of man. Becoming aware of this Truth is the goal of life; it is source of strength which is unfailing and irresistible. Close your eyes, you feel there is no one else here, though there are thousands. If you suffer from cataract or worse still, if you are blind, you cannot know the truth. So, too, the Divine is here, before you, behind you, inside you, outside you; the intelligence through which you can recognise It is also with you; but, you are either blind, or diseased with defective vision or worse still, wilfully inclined to close your eyes!

Search For The Unreal Is The Root Of All Fear

You have a bird in your very hand; but, you are wasting your time and energy conspiring to catch the bird hiding in the bush; the notes that make you believe there is a bird in the bush are, you do not know, only the echoes of the notes from the throat of the bird in your own hand! The Guru reveals the Truth and makes you free from the travail and the trial, the search for the bird in the bush. In a flash, you know, and the Knowledge is Bliss. Why crave for the non-existent? Why ignore the ‘existent’? That is to say, the Sat? It is the search for the unreal that is the root of all the fear, the sorrow, the sickness of humanity. Learn, while you can, the key which will open the door of escape.

Have all around you the curtain of ‘NaamaJapam’ (the repetition of God’s Name); then, unhealthy yearnings for self-aggrandisement will not pester and poison you. NaamaJapamwill not allow you to ignore the essential hollowness of worldly affairs and the essential absurdity of getting too involved in it; you behave as if you ate the designer of your destiny; you are only a wave, formed on the breast of the ocean by storm and surge.

When his dearly loved son, a stripling of sixteen summers, Abhimanyu, was surrounded and cut to pieces by the Kaurava cousins who trapped him in a labyrinth, Arjuna gave vent to his anguish before his eldest brother, Dharmaraja, the consistent follower of righteousness. He placed on him the entire blame for the death of his son; indeed, he said that they could have avoided exile, poverty, infamy, dishonour, disgrace and all the elaborate preparations for the war of vengence had he been cleverer and more adaptable. Dharmaraja sat silent during the shower of these allegations and abuses. He knew that Arjuna himself, in his cooler moments, will recall the teachings of the Gita that every single happening is His handiwork, that no one is killed or no one kills, if only you know the Truth, that everyone is a puppet in His hands.

Seva Fulfils The Aims Of All Paths To God

The quickest and easiest way by which one can realise the basic absurdity of attachment is the path of Seva. Pour out Love, whether it is returned or not, whether it results in success or not. Let Love be ever translated into Seva, into beneficial acts, sweet words of consolation, comfort and courage, and thoughts of sympathy and compassion. I do not declare that other paths like Bhakti or Jnana are of no use.Worship of God in temples and shrines has its place in sanctifying time and sublimating the instincts and impulses. Inquiry into reality has its use in clearing the fog of doubt. But, activity in the shape of Seva (selfless service) charged with Love fulfils the aims of all paths to Godhead.

“Sarvatah Pani Paadam, Sarvatokshi Shiro Mukham,” says the Gita.“All hands are His, all feet, all eyes and all faces and mouths are His.” He works through all hands, He walks through all feet, He sees through each eye. He eats and speaks through every mouth. Everything is He. Every step is His, every look, every speech, every act is His. That is the lesson that Seva instils.Pray in agony, “Lord! Have You no ears?” and His ear will be listening. Pray, “Lord! Let me fall at Thy Lotus Feet!” and the Feet will present themselves before you. They are at; all places, at all times. Your call compels the manifestation, that is all.

Attach More Value To The Kernel, Not The Husk

When you get a parcel by post, what do you do? You remove the packing and take out the article sent, don’t you? Take away the packing and secure the thing of value. You say, “For me peace is required.” Remove the packing on both sides of the thing you really want–’For me’ on one side (indicative of egoism) and ‘is required’ on the other (indicative of desire, want, sense of incompleteness). Don’t have egoism and desire; you have Peace! It is the packaging that hinders the securing of the Reality. You attach more value to the husk, not the kernel.

A certain village had a few philanthropic people who provided it with a drinking water well, an overhead tank and a distributory system of pipes and taps. They were so pleased with it and so proud of their possession that they decided to invite the Governor of the State to inaugurate the system, by opening one of the taps, on an auspicious day and moment, selected by astrologers. The Governor graciously agreed. The philanthropists were elated; they fitted a length of gold pipe, and had a golden tap made for the occasion. Festoons and flags were hung on the pavilion put up around the tap. Bands of musicians with their complicated and costly instruments were hired from the metropolis. Pandits (scholars) were gathered from various Pathashalas (traditional schools) to recite Vedichymns as the water would start to flow.

Connect The Act Of Service With Love In The Heart

There was no dearth of V.I.Ps, that morning; hundreds of cars streamed into the tiny hamlet. The great moment came; the Governor solemnly approached the golden tap. He gave it the right kind of twist; but, no water flowed! The Vedic recitation rose to the skies; there was no trickle, not even a drop or the sign of one! Everyone wondered why. The well was full, the pump worked well; the tank was not leaky. The golden pipe was there, with the golden tap. What was really the fault, they asked each other. At last someone discovered that the golden pipe had not been connected with the regular supply system; it had not been screwed in.

Have you connected your act of service with the reservoir of Love in the heart? Are you doing it with God-consciousness? Or is it merely a superficial ceremonial routine act, done for publicity or personal pride? Really, the power that man holds in himself is unsurpassed; no other created being has it. For he is the living image of God, the precious casket enshrining the Divine Itself. If you are weak, grief-stricken and ignorant, the fault is yours; do not blame others: you have not tapped the spring of God within you. This is the sin,the turning of the blind eye to this patent fact. Diagnose the faults in the eye, and have the blind spots or the cataract cured. You can do it, by prayer or by resorting to a Guru.

There are three stages in this process of awareness: Jijnasa, Mumukshu and Aaroodha – Inquiry, Yearning and Attainment. (1) The period of study, (2) the period of being employed in a job, when what is studied is applied in practice, and (3) the period of life when one lives without care on a well-deserved pension–these can be compared to the three stages mentioned above.

Worldly Loss Or Profit Are Playthings Of A Day

You may have a picture or two of the Form of God you like; “O Lord,” you may cry before the picture and prostrate before it, in humility and contrition. It helps to ensure peace of mind. But, do not pray for paltry gains, or petty-vengeances against others! Such prayers will take you away from Grace; your faith will suffer set-backs.Wordly loss and profit are playthings of a day; they are like baubles with which you sport in dreams; when you awake, they are gone! When you are awake into knowledge and awareness of the God in you, they melt away from your consciousness. Why bother with gaining them or losing them?

All are of one essence; let this truth be established in your heart. Then there can be no faction, no fear, nofanatic attachment to someone. For want of this vision, we have at present cliques in every family at cross purposes over every matter! The Ramayana and the Mahabharata hold forth examples of avoiding such situations and establishing Dharma in the home, the village and the nation. Wives like Sita, husbands like Rama, brothers like Lakshmana and Bharata, Arjuna and Bhima are delineated therein.

Do not try to avoid contact with others or with external nature. Develop a wider, a universal outlook. Look upon external nature as the vestment of God; it is the expression of the Will of God, it is the manifestation of His glory, His power, His might, His majesty. See these in every blade of grass, in every floral petal, every slice of fruit. Learn lessons from the river, the mountains, the star and the sky.

The Message Of The Seers Of India

Through this worshipful attitude to man and beast, plant and stone, you must remove the veils of Tamas (ignorance), Rajas (passion) and even Satwa (goodness) and achieve equanimity–the stage where judgement itself is given up. Then, you become aware of your own Self, behind and beyond the three veils. “Yanna Bharati, Tanna Bharat,” says the scripture. “Where there is no Vidya, there is no Bharat.” Intelligence is the sign of the true son of India; he yearns to discriminate between the Real and the unreal through purified and clarified intelligence.

Discriminate and decide; dive and declare the depth; eat and judge the taste. That has been the message of the seers of India. Mere axioms without the chance to prove their value to oneselfwere not thrown at the pupils by the ancient preceptors. The pupil was told then that Divinity was dancing in every cell of his; that he can therefore be fearless. Meet hatred with your innate Prema (Love); meet grief with innate Joy; meet anger with the shield of Shanti (Inner Peace). You are bound to win. Loka is Lokesha – theUniverse is the Universal Principle manifested in multifarious particulars. Man is Madhava (God) in miniature. The human body has been acquired as a gift in return for the meritorious lives spent by you in the past. The nature of man is genuinely Divine, in the past, present and future, for ever. There was never a time when it was not.

To plead that one has no time for spiritual Sadhana of this type is sheer sloth, sheer cowardice; for, it is an endeavour that can co-exist with other activities and even fertilise those activities into fruition. There is nothing to be gained, except awareness of what already is. Simply ‘Be’; that is the state of Bliss, of Peace and Truth and Love.

May 11, 1971

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

The Two Poles

This was to be a gathering exclusively for Office Bearers of the Units of the Sathya Sai SevaOrganisation in Maharashtra; but, what have we to confer only among ourselves? The Organisation is designed to promote the welfare and progress of all and so, I am glad devotees and volunteers are also participating.

You must be clear about the objectives of the Organisation of which your unit is a limb; for, without having the goal clear in the mind, how can the journey end in success? Whatever you do – reading, writing, meditating, doing Bhajan (group singing), going on pilgrimage–can be valid and worthwhile, only if you have the objective clearly in view. You must know why certain things have to be done, and why certain other things have to be avoided.

Imagine you are on a journey to, say Prasanthi Nilayam. En route, you have to change trains at Guntakal, from the broad gauge line to the metre gauge line, isn’t it? You wish to take a little rest and you go to a Travellers Bungalow. The man in-charge asks you,“Whence do you come? Where do you wish to go?” Now, if you have forgotten the answers to these universal queries, how awkward will it be! You can neither go forward, nor return!

You are now an individual, contained in this body or that; you are moving every moment towards your home, the place where you came from, the Atma, the Paramatma (the Supersoul of which your own soul is but a spark). The Upanishads ask the questions, “Whence, Whither, Who, Why” and, when you pine for the answers, they teach you the solutions and advise you to practise the disciplines for experiencing the answers and their truth yourselves.

God Acknowledges His Devotee As His Friend

Know whence and whither, both. The letter must have the address of the person from whom it has come, so that it could be returned to the sender, in case of need; it must, of course, have the address of the person to whom it is to be delivered for, else, why write at all? Now, since the letter, that is, ‘your life,’ is not aware of whence and whither, it rots in the post box only, or perhaps, it might reach the Dead Letter Office! Why waste lives like that? Learn from the Guru, and move forward, from the box to bliss. Everyone has the basic urge to imbibe the immortality from which he has fallen off! Some, like flies, flit from fair to foul, are swooped for their pains! They are avoided as disease carriers; they do not give ease to those that contact them; they only tease and torment. Others are like bees, seeking only honey from fragrant flowers, and fructifying them in return for the sweetness they derive. Every being has a latent, basic urge to know the Supreme Self, the Paramatma.

Some persons boast that they are devotees of God, that God has blessed them in such and such ways, that God’s Grace has helped them thus and thus; do not give ear to these ego centred pretenders. You become a devotee when God has acknowledged your devotion. The ego is the greatest obstacle in the way of such acceptance. God has said, “Yo Mad Bhaktah Sa Me Priyah” – “He who is My devotee is My friend!” Why has God mentioned both ‘devotee’ and ‘friend’? The devotee reveres God, he fears God, and so, cannot be quite close to Him. A friend is most close to Him. But, if one is only a friend and not a devotee, there is the danger that he might take liberties with Him, which might not be pardoned. Freedom must not turn into licence!

Everyone Has To Guard Land, Faith And Wife

Bhishma was a mighty warrior. He was famous for the grandeur and glory that he won, through both detachment and Divine Grace. In the vicinity of his kingdom, Bhishma once had to encounter a person called Gadadhara. This man had undergone severe austerity and received from God as a reward for pleasing Him, an invincible discus Chakra (discus) so people hailed him as Chakradhara (the wielder of the Divine discus)! The fellow had become so insolent and wicked that he wrote a most insulting missive to Bhishma, on the death of Shantanu, Bhishma’s father. Chakradhara wrote, “Either send the widowed queen to my palace or meet me in battle!” Who could tolerate such insults and keep quiet? It is said that everyone has to guard Dharani (land), Dharma (faith) and Dharmapatni (wife).

Bhishma said to himself, “What is my life worth, if I cannot avenge this insult, if I cannot save my mother’s honour?” But, the Brahmanas of the court advised him that he should engage himself in combat with Chakradhara only after ten days; for, during the ten-day-period after the death of his father, he had ceremonial pollution and during that period, he should not handle the Divine missiles he had with him. He could not utter then, the holy Mantras which can activate them. “Finish the religious rites to appease the departed soul of your father and then destroy the foe in battle,” they advised. Bhishma realised the propriety of their counsel and sent a message to Chakradhara, inviting him for the fray ten days later!

Skill Reinforced By Divine Grace Can Work Wonders

But, Chakradhara could not delay that long; he was itching for victory; he directed his newly won weapon at Bhishma! But, a wonderful thing happened! That Chakra which had come from the hand of God would not harm a son who was doing his scriptural duty, performing the Vedic rites for the Pitrus (manes)! It rotated in the sky for ten days, waiting for the funeral-pollution period to end! When one is devoted to his duty, one is surrounded by such powerful protecting influences that no injurious forces dare approach. That is the way Grace operates. Personal skill when reinforced by Divine Grace, can work wonders, as happened when the horde of monkeys successfully built a bridge across the sea to Lanka.

One Has To Go Through The Act Of Expiation

A study of the lives of the great men of past ages in Bharat will reveal that they were candid enough and brave enough to confess their sins before everyone. They were also willing and ready to accept punishment for the sin committed. They sought to know what the Prayashchitta (expiation of sin) wasthe means of purifying and cleansing the erring mind. They went through the process with a sense of contrition and contentment.

The horse that was let loose and allowed to wander through whatever realm it willed, a preliminary to the Ashwamedha Yaga (Horse-sacrifice) resolved upon by the Pandava brothers, was being guarded by Arjuna, who followed it at a certain distance. When the horse passed through Manipur (ruled by Babhruvahana, his own son born of Princess Chitrangada), the King held it captive in his stables!

Arjuna marched towards the city.When Babhruvahana heard of his arrival and knew that he was his father, he went forward with all his courtiers, kinsmen and priests to give him the welcome due to the father. But, Arjuna invited him for combat.He said, “Having stopped the horse, you must fight and not cringe before its guardian. Earn it on the battlefield; do not be a blot on the fair name of Kshatriya!”His mother too urged him not to shirk his duty, whoever be the guardian of the horse or whatever his kinship with him. When the call of war is heard, no Kshatriya should creep back, she asserted.

So Babhruvahana went back and fought so valiantly with his own father that Arjuna was overwhelmed by the rain of sharp arrows. He fell dead on the ground, between the two armies! Babhruvahana was plunged in agony. At that moment, a Divine nymph, Ulupi by name, came upon the scene, and consoled the son “Do not grieve! This is but the play of Fate. It is written that Arjuna should suffer death at the hands of his son, as an act of expiation for his misdeeds.Now, touch him and he will rise up alive!” This was done and Arjuna regained consciousness. The two entered the city happily and were welcomed by Chithrangada.

Arjuna himself had asked for this calamity, in order to cleanse his mind. During the battle of Kurukshethra, he had killed his own Guru and grandfather, Bhishma, and repented pathetically for that sin. He had invoked, a punishment on himself for the wrong, ”To redeem me from this sin, may I die at the hands of my own son!” Constant cleansing of the heart is essential, so that the spiritual journey might be smooth and without accidents.

Serve Your Family As A Duty

You are all nuts, bolts and screws. If even the tiniest screw thinks, “I am just a small screw; what does it matter if I am not cent per cent efficient?” a fatal accident can easily happen! Do not neglect your duty wherever it lies. Have self-control, so that the senses may not run amuck. Serve your family as a duty, not with more attachment than is due.Frogs croak all round the tank, sitting in hundreds along the shore, when the tank is full; when it goes dry, not a single one is seen! Kinsmen crowd in when you are in affluence; when your riches are drained by misfortune, you are left severely alone!

There is the story of a rich man, who was being led away on death to the world beyond. He pleaded with his angelic escort that he may be allowed to halt a while, and turn back once. They allowed him to do so; he turned and had a good look, then, he said, “Well, now I am ready; lead me on!” The messengers were surprised at his strange willingness to accompany them; they asked him what had happened to make him so resigned and determined. He said, “I amassed vast wealth through sin and crime; I fed and fostered a large brood of friends and kinsmen. I looked back to see whether at least one among them is now following me, eager to help in my sorrowful plight! Not a single one is worried about me. I shall now walk forward to wherever you take me.”

God is the truest friend. A sage has described the spiritual family, which will never hurt you with such ingratitude. Truth is the father; Love is the mother. Knowledge is the son; Peace is the daughter. Devotees are brothers; Yogis are the friends. Cultivate this type of family; you can be happy in their midst.

Bliss Obliterates All Worries And Anxieties

Sathya Sai SevaSamitis have been formed, to enable you to achieve peace and joy. They are not to be used for advertisement of Myself or yourself. Some people ask,“Why rules and regulations in a spiritual organisation?” How can progress be achieved without disciplining the mind? Regulation, strict regulation, is essential up to a certain stage of individual development.

The aeroplane runs on wheels for some length on the ground, before it takes off into the air. You may ask, “Why wheels for air-plane?” So too, when you reach a certain height in spiritual Sadhana, rules and regulations can be folded up, as the pilot folds up the wheels when up in the air. While serving others through the Samiti, do not forget to do some Sadhana for your own advancement. ParaSeva (service of others) is the negative pole; AtmaSeva (service to oneself) is the positive pole; and when they meet, the flash of Ananda (Bliss) emanates. Bliss obliterates all worries, all fears, and all anxiety. March on to that consummation, through Sadhana and Seva. That is My Blessing to each of you.

May 13, 1971

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Not Twice, But Thrice!

You are all sharing the joy of serving others, doing good to others, according to your capacity and skill. The main objective of the Sathya Sai Organisation, which you must always keep before you is to help man to recognise the Divinity that is inherent in him. But, this Divinity is latent; it is veiled; it is not always apparent to oneself or others.

There is nothing wholly bad or wholly good in Creation. There are few who do not commit mistakes; there are few who do not perform good deeds. Both good and bad, beneficent and maleficent, constructive and destructive, are ever present everywhere. You, as members of the Managing Committees of the units of the Samiti (Organisation), and as Members of the SevaDal (Voluntary Service Corps) and of the Mahila Vibhag (Women’s section) are unique, because, you have dedicated your talents and time to the service of others, and, ultimately, to the promotion of your own best interests.

First of all, I want that you should give up the blind imitation of other cultures, other social systems and other ideals. This tendency has now conquered 99 out of 100 people, in our country. Your conduct and behaviour, your dress and food habits, your sports and games, your methods of agriculture and industry, your art and architecture–all are borrowed from other societies. Even your intelligence follows the processes of other cultural groups. You are leading lives which have no roots in the past; it is guided and controlled by these other civilisations.

Do Not Give Importance To Differences Of Religion

To escape the pull of these alien attractions and material pleasures, faith in God as your InnerReality and the source of immense power is essential. The Sathya Sai Organisation must recognise and reestablish this Truth–that the Atma (Divine Self) is the Reality of everyone, however, distinct they may appear in physical form and mental equipment. When one lamp lights many lamps, all shine with equal brilliance. The Paramjyoti (the One Supreme Effulgence) is the origin and source of all the Jivan-Jyotis (particularised effulgences). ‘Ekam Evadvitiyam Brahma’ (There is only one without a second). The same wind is referred to as breeze, whirlwind, storm, typhoon, hurricane etc. The same God is referred to by different Names. This is the very foundation of our culture.So, your duty is to emphasise the One, to experience the One, in all that you do and speak.Do not give any importance to differences of religion or sect or status or colour. Have the feeling of oneness permeating every act of yours. Only those who do so, have a place in this Organisation; the rest can best withdraw.

The Ever Present God Notes All That You Do

You have to re-establish the moral outlook and the righteous behaviour in this great country. That is the tradition appropriate and native to India. However, do not look down upon the cultures of other countries; do not try to discover faults onother cultures and decry them. The Bhagavad Gita advises that you should be “Adweshta Sarva Bhutanaam,”not condemning or hating any being.You have been in this Organisation since seven or eight years. It is time for you to ask yourselves, whether you are in it out of compulsion or of your own free will; whether you are giving it the best you can, in efficiency and enthusiasm. Has the work been exhibition-oriented or has it been genuine? Is your faith in genuine service visible in every act of yours?Let me tell you that if you serve with your whole heart, the result will be Ananda (Divine Bliss) for you; half-hearted work will give only superficial joy or fame. Remember that the God you worship by this work is resident in your own heart. Others may or may not see; but, the ever present God sees and notes all that you do or feel. He metes out to you the consequence, in full, of whatever you do or feel.

There was a rich man once who owned a rice mill. He heard a Pandit (scholar) expound that the service that God appreciates most is the gift of food to the hungry. So, he decided to serve food to the poor in his village. But he had no mind to use good varieties of rice for the purpose. He felt that any rice is good enough for them. So, he got the rice that was rotting in his godown–he did not care even to remove the worms that infested it; he cooked it and served it to the hungry poor, who ate it and suffered many illness as a consequence. His wife disagreed with him and told him that good food given to 10 persons would be more meritorious than bad food given to hundreds! But, he was in no mood to listen to sound advice.

Everyone Has To Suffer For The Injury He Causes

The wife therefore hit upon a plan to him. She placed on his plate every day food that was rotten and full of worms. When he grew angry and castigated her, she replied, “The Pandit said that everyone has to suffer for the injury he causes others. You have to eat, in the other world, rotten food, full of worms. I am giving that type of food to you, even now, so that you may get used to it. It will help you to eat the consequence of your evil deed.” At this, the husband realised his wickedness; he repented for his wrongs and learnt better ways of service to the poor.

When you visit the patients in a hospital serve the patients with a full heart, sincerely and to the utmost extent possible. I must say that the service programmes you have undertaken in Bombay city are being carried on very well. They can be the ideals for other clues to follow.But, do not put a full stop; have only a comma. Move on with greater and greater enthusiasm, and achieve more progress in all directions. Service is a life-time programme, it knows no rest or respite. This body has been given to you so that you may devote its strength and skills to the service of brother-man. Serve man, until you see God in all men; then, what you do will be elevated as worship.God is love and can be reached and realised through love. God is truth and can be reached and realised through truth. But, are you concentrating on the development of love and truth?

The Tender Age Is The Best For Religious Instruction

I must say that the Mahila Vibhag is evincing greater enthusiasm and love in their work–the Bal Vikas classes, for example–than the men, in the Samitis. This is, I know, because the men have not got as much leisure to devote to Samiti activities; but, they can use the available time in sacred ways and to greater benefit. The kind of Seva which the women are doing in the Bal Vikas is very useful, for it ensures a good future for our country. The children are trained in a very fine manner. These children will bear the burden of the country, better and more intelligently, with more attachment to the culture and traditions of Bharat.

Tell the children what they cannot learn by themselves, by observation, namely, the stories of Ramayana, the Bhagavata, and the Mahabharata. Tell them also stories from the Bible, the Buddhist texts, the Zend Avesta and the Quran. That a horse has four legs is a fact which one need not teach the child; it can discover it in a moment. What is not known to the children are the stories and verses that embody our culture.Do not be deterred by people who say that the information and inspiration you give will be too much of a burden on the tender minds. It its only grown-ups that would find learning new facts burdensome; the tender age is the best for this kind of instruction. Tell them the importance of Om and its significance, as the basic sound of all creation. It is meaningful symbolic sound; it is quite unlike the useless jargon which children learn today, in the very first lesson at school; “Baa Baa, Black Sheep! Ding Dong Bell; the Pussy is in the well!”

Aim At The Promotion Of Faith In God

The Seva Dal members must spend their leisure time in Satsang(good company) and not waste even a moment in frivolous play. Take some good books and read them out to illiterate brothers and sisters, spread the Message of our culture among all those who have no chance to know about it. Do this service to the slum-dwellers, the people who live in hutments, and the villages.The city dwellers are used to silly story books and novels that drain their brains and plant evil thoughts in their minds. But the poor in the villages and in the huts will welcome you and listen to the stories and lives of saints and Divine Incarnations. Transmit to these people the sacred texts of all religions and the lives of the saints of all faiths.

Do not imagine that your task is to propagate Sai and speak of Sathya Sai and His Message. This is not right. But, through the name of Sathya Sai and the emphasis on the message, aim at the promotion of Godliness and of Faith in God. Create the spiritual attitude; promote spiritual discipline. It does not matter what Name you use, or what Form they concentrate upon. Through some Name and some Form, lead them into the path of Faith and Sadhana (spiritual discipline).

Just now, some among you felt that the sun is scorching the spot where I am and you wanted to do something to avoid it. But this is happening to many people here, and you should not be content with measures to prevent the sun from hurting one individual. Seva Dal must care for the comfort of all. There is the Atma in everyone. This body is for you and all these other bodies are also Mine.

Your Prema, your Shraddha, your Bhakti (love, steady faith and devotion) have persuaded Me to come over to Bombay, twice a year! If you promote these virtues even more, in a still larger measure, I will come to Bombay not twice, but thrice a year, and give you Ananda (Divine bliss). I give you blessing for all the Seva that you have undertaken and all the love you are sharing with others.

January 6, 1975

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Service And Sadhana

Living in this land of Bharat with its rich rewarding culture but yet not absorbing its broad all-inclusive insight, not delving into the secrets of its survival and freshness, how can any one achieve progress and ensure the peace and prosperity of the world? Uttering the voice of peace while shattering by deeds all hopes of establishing it can only be termed as deceiving oneself. World progress is not an abstract ideal; it means series of concrete achievements in the community of nations, the diversity of societies and the entities of individuals. Each of these has to march forward to the same goal, in concord and with cooperative effort.

In spite of the amazing victories that man has won over the forces of nature, man has yet to win peace and joy, for himself and his fellowmen. For, these can be gained only by the mastery of the inner impulses and the sublimation of the inner emotions.Lions have as their motto, “Together, we serve better.” This togetherness inspires mutual help and service. It must inspire those who serve and those who are served and bring both into the bond of Love.

Man Is No More The Master, But The Slave Of Habits

The path of Love and Service is not smooth: it abounds in struggle and disappointments. Life itself is a pendulum between sighs and smiles. But, every obstacle is an invitation to your intelligence. “Life is a challenge; meet it! Life is a dream; realise it.”

Mankind is terrified by a crowd of problems at the present time – scientific, technological, economic and moral. These cannot be solved by material means alone. Mental transformation too must happen. The ideals laid down by the seers who moulded our cultural tradition have to be honoured and practised. They hold before the eyes the means to fulfil the years of life, not through the multiplication of material comforts, but through serenity and simplicity. Bigger mansions, swell cars, rare luxuries are eagerly sought after. Man is no more the master; he is the slave of the habits, the pleasures and the riches he runs after. He counts the number of years he has grown; he forgets that each year, his life-period is being shortened. Erudition sans humility, expertise sans discrimination, work sans wisdom, life sans love, music sans melody can never receive honour in the community.

When virtues are few and studies are huge 

What is the gain, what is their worth?

When desert land one has acres ten,

What is the gain? What their worth?

A patch is a treasure if fertile it be.

Character is the measure of man. Character insists on keeping vice and wickedness at a distance. It reminds man of obligations and responsibilities, of the high ideals and goal of human life. Life not sanctified by character is a home without lamps, a coin that is counterfeit.

Money Makes Many Things And Wrongs Too

Many a time, the game ends even before one recognises the Master. So, while life is on, one should devote it for some sacred activity – the most sacred being Seva (Service). It ensures fellowship and kinship among all men. It discloses the unity inherent in all the Divinity. In India, people have clubbed together in the name of Seva or service as Lions Club, Rotary Club, Cosmopolitan Club, etc. Their ideals are really sacred and the projects too are commendable.They revere all men as a single family. Many worthy persons perform devoted service as members of these Clubs. It is indeed a fortunate chance for them, for there can be no good work, higher than this.

They say, “Money makes many things” but it is more correct to say “Money makes many wrongs.” Not all, of course, are ruined by affluence. They can help such organisations to do more and better service. They can supply medicines to those who render health service to the poor. They can visit slums and offer help in various ways to the dwellers. These are all laudable. But, collecting money and paying others to do the service is not enough; we must assess what services we ourselves are offering directly. And, we must not be content – the doctors, lawyers, the rich, the educated–with spurts of service, off and on. It must be a continuous process, according to a settled time table undertaken every week. Doctors must proceed to slums and villages and help the dwellers. There is urgent need for this type of Seva. Lawyers must take up the cases in which wrongs are committed on the poor through their ignorance and plead on their behalf for justice. They could devote time for at least two or three such cases per week. Their pleadings on behalf of the poor should not be cursory and casual. They must be as earnest and as effective as the rest.

Love Is Selflessness, While Self Is Lovelessness

Embodiments of Love! 

Members of the Lions Club have high ideals and are urged by sacred feelings. They have frequent meetings in order that they can come close to each other. Some Clubs meet in five star hotels and spend huge sums. At home, we can feel happy with a full meal on five rupees but in hotels, even fifty rupees won’t suffice. We lose forty five rupees each, whenever we have a meeting. The amount gained by discontinuing this practice can be spent on helping the poor. Our aim should be the work, the practical solution and not publicity only. Even from our personal point of view, we should so manage our affairs that money is not wasted. What is most important at this juncture is the consideration of the problems facing Bharat. These problems require the promotion of Love and Service. Love is selflessness, while Self is Lovelessness!

I wish the citizens of Bombay to stand shoulder to shoulder with you and ensure the success of all your efforts on their behalf. They must co-operate with all their hearts, all their resources and with all their skills. We waste heaps of money but we do not feel they are best utilised in service projects such as you have planned.This day is really a day of joy. I am happy I am amidst persons dedicated to service. It is essential that members of such Clubs pay attention to our spiritual advancement also, for that ensures our attainment of the goal of Life. The worldly and the spiritual are like the two wings of a bird, the two wheels of the vehicle, equally essential and equally important. By means of spiritual Sadhana, earn spiritual wealth and share it with those whom you serve.

January 22, 1983

Regional Conference of Lions International

Cricket Club of India, Marine Drive, Bombay

Spread The Message Of Love

The individual, the society and the nation constituted an inextricably linked organism. The peace and welfare of the nation depend on the peace and progress of society, which in their turn are dependent on the peace and good conduct of individuals. Unless individuals develop mutual regard and tolerance and cultivate equal-mindedness towards each other, there can be no peace and harmony in the community. Material progress alone cannot bring about peace and harmony and happiness among people. America is an example of a country with a high degree of material progress, in which the people have little love for each other and have neither happiness nor peace of mind.

The astonishing progress of science and technology has not brought with it corresponding powers of discrimination and wisdom. Man must realise that the sense organs, through which he explores the external and discovers the powers latent in Nature and the physical universe, function because of the Divinity which is immanent in them. Without the power of the Divine, the eyes cannot see or the ears hear or the mind think.

Unselfish Love Is The Only Way To Attain God

Our ancients were not ignorant of science. But in pursuing scientific enquiries, they did not rest content with knowing all about creation. They were keen to understand the Creator who was responsible for the creation. They sought to know the nature of the unchanging reality that was behind the continually changing phenomenal Universe. This spiritual quest leads to the realisation of the Divinity that is present in all living things and permeates all things in the Universe.

Members of the Sai Organisation must carry on their work in the firm faith that all are children of one God. They must carry on their service activities in a spirit of unselfish dedication to the Divine. The practice of pure unselfish love is the only way to attain God. They should purify their hearts and minds, regarding their body as the temple of the Divine.

Today we see disorder, violence and hatred in various parts of the country. Conditions appear to be deteriorating from day to day. In this situation, the duty of Sai devotees is clear. They must cultivate Prematatwa (the principle of Love) and make it the basis of all their actions. They must wean the villagers away from bad habits and advise them not to fall victims to the divisive forces that are rampant amongst them. There is no place for party politics in the field of rural betterment.

Sai workers should identify themselves with the interests of the villagers and serve them with love and sympathy. This is the Sadhana (spiritual effort) in which they should engage themselves.

May 12, 1984

Sixteenth Anniversary Celebrations,Dharmakshetra

Bombay

The Most Profitable Job

On the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the Institution called Pinge’s Classes, I am glad I have this opportunity to emphasise the moral and spiritual aspects of education; for, Pinge has dedicated his life to the fostering of these aspects. No praise is too small for such endeavours as these classes; such institutions have to multiply in this land, and all encouragement must be rendered to them, for they supply that extra, which is so urgently needed.

You all know and declare that India is Yoga Bhumi, TyagaBhumiand KarmaBhumi (Land of Divine Communian, Sacrifice and Selfless Action), par excellence. Picture the land in your mind; the first and the most prominent feature that you see is the Himalayan ranges, the silver peaks piercing the blue sky. From these peaks flow the pure pellucid waters of the Ganges–the symbol of Indian Culture.

Indian Culture is the very basis of human progress. It will uplift humanity by promoting brotherhood, upholding righteousness, and saturating every thought, word and act with reverence and humility. This culture will stand unshaken so long as the Ganges flows; no attempt to suppress or destroy it can succeed. It can disappear only when the Ganges goes dry! The history and traditions of Bharat are as pure as the Ganges; as holy and sanctifying, as curative and as precious. The origins of both are cool, comforting, spotless snows!

Habit Of Prayer Will Inculcate Confidence

This country is suffering from social, political, and economic ills, because those who are responsible for laying down guidelines for educational progress have not endeavoured to instruct the boys and girls of India in the principles of Indian Culture. When man is not trained to live a good and godly life, teaching him various skills and tricks, only makes him a danger to himself and to others. There is unending controversy now about the language which should be the medium of instruction; but, no one seems interested in the language of the heart, which uses the vocabulary of Love and the idiom of self-examination and self-sacrifice.

Now, schools and colleges are engaged in stuffing facts and fancies into the heads of the pupils; they do not equip them to face the fortunes of life, to bring the best that is in them and place them at the service of the community. The habit of prayer will inculcate courage and confidence; it will provide the pupil with a vast new source of energy. No effort is made to introduce the pupil to the sweet experiences of meditation and Yoga, or to the joy of inquiry into one’s own reality.

When the course of studies is over and the pupil has come out of the drill and grill, he is awarded a Degree, at the Convocation! This Degree is, in effect, only a begging bowl! With that in hand, the Graduate can go to every office, and clamour before every door, “Give me a job! Give me a job!” Present day education converts youth into beggars, seeking food from door to door. They cannot stand on their own legs, and earn food, independently. This is not a sign or characteristic of Bharatiya culture. No. The mistake lies in the teachers and leaders, the leaders and their advisers.

Don’t Be Ungrateful To Parents

They are the sculptors, who are charged with the carving of boulders into lovely figures that can inspire and elevate the mind. They do not chisel at all; they leave the boulder as it is. In the name of freedom, they promote licentiousness. Freedom involves restraint; restraint alone can heighten energy. “Vidya Vinaya Sampanna” (Education is complete only with humility), they say.Education must foster humility and discipline.

Ask any student why he is attending school or college–he seldom gives a clear answer! The answer usually will be ‘I want to read,’‘I want to study;’ but, if that is all he wants, he can read at home or study at home, under the guidance of some one. Why should they attend schools and colleges that are far from their home, spending huge amounts of money? They do attend schools and colleges in order to cultivate discipline, control emotions, canalise passions, learning just a small fraction, of what can be gained from schools and colleges. They instil into the pupils the lessons of mutual co-operation, good manners, courtesy, compassion and comradeship, adjustment to limitations, overcoming of obstacles with calm deliberation.

The marks you get in the tests and examinations in each subject are not so important; I attach more importance to the ‘remarks’ that you earn–whether you are judged good, bad or indifferent, fresh, fair and free or wicked, vile and vicious. Parents put themselves into a lot of privation, in order to provide their children with good education. And in return, if you cause greater privation to them, turning into a never-do-well, a person whose character is so bad that no one dare take you into his care, how ungrateful you are! Give them the peace and joy they deserve, for all the service they have rendered, all the sacrifice they have made.

Seek Character More Than Intellect

Students should not have any dealings with politics. Now, contact with politics is ruining students, in schools and colleges. Politics without principles, education without character, science without humanity, and commerce without morality are not only useless, but positively dangerous. Character is to be sought more than intellect. Now, you may consider bad behaviour to be just an adventure; but, later, when your own sons behave in that manner, you will realise the mistake of dismissing it as such. The attitude today is the root on which the future grows. The consequences of action can never be avoided. If you give joy to your parents now, your children will be a source of joy to you in your declining years.

In schools, we must learn to cultivate unselfish love, with no fear or suspicion. Teachers must lead lives based on upright conduct, moral grandeur, and spiritual Sadhana. The teachers of tomorrow are the students of today; so, cleansing of the atmosphere of the classroom is very necessary, in the interests of the future. Teachers are reservoirs from which, through the process of education, students draw the water of life; so, every effort has to be made to see that the reservoir is not contaminated by hate or pride. Schools and colleges should not be engaged merely in the processes of teaching and learning. Reading, writing and arithmetic do not exhaust the task of the school. The inculcation of great ideals and the attempt to put them into practice are also equally important tasks.

Learn The Art Of Living Together

You have many teachers in a school; of them, the history teacher teaches from the book with maps; the maths teacher works out sums on the blackboard; the science master has his lab; but, the physical instructor has to stand before the students, drawn in lines, and himself swing his arms and legs, bend and rise, turn and twist, just in the same way he wants his pupils to do! You must do well, and be an example to others. This is the only way to ensure a glorious future for this country.

A curious paradox is now gaining force in tiffs land: it is fraught with dire consequences.Though the world has become a very small globe, as a result of fast means of communication and transport, man has not yet learnt the art of living together in close proximity, as brothers, as children of the One God. The closer men are brought, the larger the differences appear! Thus, the little world is now fiddled with problems of conflicting cultures, competing creeds and contesting ambitions. The sorrows of one State spread fast into all its neighbours and infect the whole world. The world has become one vast battlefield.

When infectious diseases leap over boundaries, and slay men without distinction, immediate steps are taken to control the havoc and relief is despatched in haste to the scene of disaster. But, the infection of greed and hate cannot be held in check so quickly by any government. Let us try to answer the question. “What kind of government is the best?” The answer is: “That government is best, which helps us to govern ourselves.” Make your Conscience the Ruler, do not depend on the external Ruler.

Those who diagnose the ills of the world suggest various remedies to mend affairs; but, no analysis reveals the correct reason. The fundamental reason for the state of disease is “want of confidence in the Self.” There is no faith in the Atma as the source and spring of Bliss. So, man allows his mind to run after worldly pleasures. And, grief is the result.

God Seeks The Pious Seeker

The Bible says: “Pious seekers seek God;” but Annie Besant said: “God seeks the pious seeker!” God is seeking for the pure heart that longs to reach Him. The world is reduced to a theatre by man, for, devotion to God has become a histrionic performance. You find people weeping in their heart of hearts, but, laughing their lives away. We find people who laugh in their heart of hearts, but, to all observers, weeping profusely over their fate. Worship is more for effect, a play acted with the pit in view; there is no sincerity.

You find some one parades all of a sudden some ‘ism’, as new and revolutionary, Socialism, for example. Socialism, which means, recognising the equality of every individual with everyone else, was in fact practised in India long ago. Rama, the undisputed sovereign of a vast empire, gave heed to the flippant scandal uttered by an irresponsible washerman, during a quarrel with his wife, and sent his Queen, the very Queen for whom He had waged a war of tremendous carnage, into exile, regardless of the fact that she was pregnant at the time!

Every one’s voice was given equal weight in the empire ruled over by Rama. “Workers and peasants,” that is the slogan nowadays, isn’t it? These two classes were given their due share of social importance and honour, in the KrishnaAvatar. Now, people are honoured even if they grow, not food, but, cash crops! Foreign exchange is what we are after and so, people are encouraged to produce what others can buy, not what we need–milk and a variety of milk products, which are highly nutritious foods. Balaram, the elder brother, an Avatar in his own fight, had as his weapon, the plough! It declared the worth of agriculture as a consecrated occupation.

It Is Not Impossible To Realise God

God appears in human Form; He promotes pasture of cattle and agriculture, in order that the food might sustain the Head and render it intelligent and clear enough to realise God. The body has to be nourished for the sake of the head, so that Jnana (spiritual knowledge) can be attained and liberation gained. Food-Head-God – that is the chain of events.

You dread that it is very difficult, nay, impossible, to realise God. It is very simple; its very simplicity makes you feel that there must be some hidden trap. You do not appreciate simple things and habits. For example, there is nothing as simple as speaking the truth; yet, how many stick to Truth! If you venture into untruth, you have to invent new stories all along the line and keep in memory all the stories and all the persons to whom you have related them. It is all very complicated and confusing.

Students! You are embodiments of the Divine! There are two aspects of Vidya (education) that you have to master; Vijnana–understanding the world around us, science: and also Prajnana – the higher learning, the art of controlling the inner feelings and the many layers of Consciousness. Benefactors and beneficiaries you are in the educational field, and so, listen to this. Each student has a watch on his wrist. And, you look at the watch at least a hundred times a day. Well, learn from the watch a great lesson. When you watch the watch, remember thefive letters of the word, WATCH; each is giving you a fine lesson for life:

“W tells you, Watch your Words;

A warns you,Watch your Action;

T indicates, Watch your Thoughts;

C advises, Watch your Character; and

H declares, Watch your Heart.”

When you are consulting your watch, imbibe this lesson that the watch is imparting.

Understand The True Test Of A Good Life

Dr. Gokak, Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University, spoke of the four fundamental aims of education. He said they are: Knowledge, Skill, Balance and Insight. Of course, knowledge is being gained by everyone, through the senses as well as through inference and other categories. The voltage may be different, but, each bulb illumines to some extent. Gokak said that the knowledge has to be transformed into skill. But usually the ‘S’ is removed and knowledge is used only to ‘kill’. Knowledge is killed in the process of using it to kill. In that process the balance is upset; and, so, instead of insight, the fourth principle (Gokak’s fourth principle) is transformed into ‘out-sight!’

I call upon the students to revere their parents, for, that is the true test of a good life. I bless Pinge that Pinge’s Classes may go on into the Golden and the Diamond Jubilees, so that I may come on those occasions also and bless him and this institution.

I wish that in these classes, not only the syllabus and the curriculum prescribed for the various examinations for which students are coached are taught; teach also some great scriptural texts, so that they may not miss this precious treasure. I suggest that you should have prayer as an important item in the time-table of the classes; for, through prayer you can draw down unto yourselves the Grace of God. Have Bhajan and Kirtan also, for the Lord has said, “Wherever My Glory is sung, there I install Myself.”Bhajan cleanses the atmosphere and sanctifies the air you breathe. Shri Bharde spoke about Meestablishing a college in this city. But, before the college is established, students worthy of entering its portals must be ready. Prepare the students; teach them the spiritual truths and the discipline that promotes their translation into daily life. That will hasten the foundation of the College you long for.

May 13, 1970

Rang Bhavan Auditorium, Bombay

Prahladas For The Present Age

If I ask you, who you are, you may reply, “We are teachers,” or some of you may even say, “We are students.” But, both statements are not true! You are Sadhakas (spiritual aspirants); that is the real fact. I am glad your Sadhana is moving at a satisfactory pace. You have brought Me among you, as a result of your sincerity and enthusiasm. I am always especially interested in the service done to children and I must say, you have taught them good lessons, in a spirit of love. Some of you, I find, are a bit over-enthusiastic! You have taught the children stories that are too long, and made them cram the whole stuff. Do not tax their memory overmuch. Short stories, 20 to 25 lines long will be the best. Don’t make them learn by rote, for, what they learn under pressure, because I am coming and a programme of story telling has to be arranged, will soon be forgotten. It will not transform the mind by soaking into it. The incidents and the morals they illustrate have to be imprinted on the heart. They must learn not ‘by heart,’ but for and through the heart.

I find you are instructing them in Bhajan, story telling and writing stories and essays. The stories they recite or write are culled from the epics and Upanishads (scriptures of Supreme Reality). Good. But, instruct them in meditation too, for a short while, each day. Let that habit be inculcated even at this age. Five minutes of prayers and another five minutes of Dhyana (meditation) will be a good exercise, whose taste itself will persuade the children to make it a habit. The tender mind has to be fed, with tenderness.

Story Of Shabari’s Entry To The Hermitage

Shabari had a very tender compassionate heart. How she came to Sage Matanga and stayed at his hermitage is a very interesting story. Her marriage was arranged by her parents, and as was the custom among the Adivasis (tribal folk), a goat was to be offered to the tribal Goddess, on the night previous to the ceremony, in order to win the Grace for the couple. When Shabari came to know about this slaughter, she wept, and fell at the feet of her parents, praying them to save the goat. She asked, “How can our married life be happy, when the dying bleat of this goat is the prologue?” But, the father pushed her aside and proceeded with the cruel rite. That night, Shabari stole out of that den of torture, and hid herself in the depths of the jungle that was not far off.

When day dawned, her parents as well as the groom’s party were plunged in grief and anxiety; they combed the area, even where she was lying low amidst the thick bushes, and they went back, saying among themselves, “She could not have gone to the hermitage, for no woman would be given asylum there.” She heard these words and so, she concluded that the hermitage was the safest place for her. She felt that some monk will take pity on her, and not send her back. Matanga noticed her and gave her permission to be in his habitation. He told her that God in the form of Sri Rama was coming to the hermitage some day, since he has been exiled into the forest for 14 years and He is eager to save the monks and seekers doing Tapas (penance) in the forest from the ravages of the demonic enemies of peace! Rama, he said, was proceeding from one region to another, with His consort, Sita and His brother, Lakshmana.

Shabari’s Heart Became Rama’s Heart

From that day Shabari had no other thought than of Rama, no other desire than the desire to have the Darshanof Rama, the chance to touch His feet and the opportunity to speak withHim. Her heart was saturated with the Ramrasa (the sweet juice of the Rama principle). She had no other Japam or Dhyana (repetition of God’s name or meditation) or spiritual exercise. She spent her time preparing for the visit of Rama to the hermitage; just as she cleaned the paths, she cleaned her heart, too. Pebbles and thorns disappeared from both, through her efforts. She walked through the undergrowth and removed overhanging creepers and briars, for she imagined Rama would not have combed His hair and it might get caught. She broke the lumps of earth, for she feared the tender soles of Sita will be hurt when she walks over them. She gathered fruits and tubers from the jungle trees and plants and kept them by every day, for no one knew when Rama will arrive! And, she took no risks. She tasted every fruit, whether it was bitter, sour or sweet, so that Rama could eat the best. She smoothed the surface of all stones that lay by the side of the tracks in the jungle for she expected Rama, Lakshmana or Sita to sit upon any one of them when they got tired of walking. She hoped that one of them would rest awhile on one of the rocks she had polished with great care. Thus her heart became RamaHrudaya (Rama’s heart)!

The children of the Sathya Sai Bal Vihar must know the Sathya Sai that is residing in their hearts. Teachers also must take it as a Puja (ritual worship) of Sai Rama. How to reveal the Sai Rama residing in their hearts to the children –that is the problem that must be directing your work. Sai Rama has to move about in the jungles of your heart; so, render the tracks wide, smooth, free from thorn and pebble.

Shabari’s High Level Of Sadhana

Shabari was so immersed in Rama that the ascetics lost all awareness of her sex; they allowed her to remain in the hermitage, after Matanga related to them her high level of Sadhana (spiritual practice). Matanga also left his body and gave up his hermitage to Shabari, saying, you alone deserve to be here when Rama arrives.The Sadhana that Shabari did to earn the bliss of serving Rama, you do, when you serve Sai Rama in these children. By this service, you realise the Self.

People say that they are doing Paropakara (good to others) and Lokopakara (good to the world). Really speaking, this is an empty boast. Let us take it that you invite ten people for dinner; when the ten sit at table, you too sit as the eleventh, don’t you? So, you too consume a share of the dinner. How then can you call it a dinner for others, an act of hospitality for others? When you do good to the world, you receive a share in that good, and so you cannot say that you are serving others. It is self first and help next. When you carry out the duty you have undertaken to do, God will shower Grace!

You are both-teachers and students, remember; for, you teach these children and you learn from Me. You must not have the consciousness that; they are children belonging to others. Treat them as your own.

Make Children Take Up Some Positive Task

When you relate stories to the children, select such stories as have some reference to the background of the children’s home life. Tell them stories which will implant in the mind genuine disgust for evil sights, evil entertainments, evil deeds and evil habits. Tell them how they must forget the wrong done to them by others and the good that they do to others. Make them take up some positive task and the negative attitudes will fall off. Good habits will drive out bad ones.

A wicked man once went to a Guru (preceptor) for initiation into spiritual life. The Guru asked him to give up at least one of his bad habits; he gave up uttering falsehood. That night, when he went to the Royal Palace to commit theft, he found on the terrace another person, who said, he too was a thief. He too announced that he was a thief and both broke into the treasury and divided among themselves the diamonds found there. The other person was none other than the king; he pretended to be a thief and he knew where the keys of the treasury were! While the diamonds were shared, the honest thief felt pity for the King of the realm who was losing his entire stock; he asked his companion to leave one diamond behind, in the safe. And, it was done.

Next morning, when it was discovered that the treasury was looted, the Minister was sent by the King (who had acted as thief the previous night) to assess the loss. The Minister found the diamond that had missed the eyes of the thieves. He quietly transferred it to his own pocket and reported at court that all the diamonds were gone! One step in the right direction leads to another. The King had got from the honest thief his address, the previous night, while they parted company, with their separate bags. So he sent for him and when stood in court before the King, he confessed that all but one of the diamonds were stolen by him and his unknown associate. The diamond was discovered in the pocket of the Minister and the King dismissed him for the lie. The honest thief was appointed Minister, instead, and he gave up his other evil habits too and pleased his Guru, by his fame as a virtuous administrator.

One evil habit, if acquired, will lead to a whole gang of them taking possession of the mind.There is a story for this too. You can tell the children this. A King once announced that he will honour any Brahmana who will agree to do any one of three evil things: (1) He must aver that the Vedas are false, or (2) He must drink liquor, or (3) He must elope with another’s wife. For a long time, no one within the seven seas came forward to do any one of these atrocious things. At last a poor Brahmana on the verge of starvation came into court and offered to drink liquor, an evil which he considered the least reprehensible of the three. But, as soon as he got drunk, he began to swear and in the excitement of intoxication, he shouted in the streets that the Vedas are a tissue of lies; he entered the house of his neighbour and assaulted the lady of the house, like the worst criminal of the land. One thing led to another, just as in the other story, one step in the right direction led to another.

Make Yourselves Holy By Consecrated Service

I know that you are telling the children fine moral stories that will impress on them, silently and spontaneously, the value of restraint and of love in dealing with nature and life. I know that your other responsibilities do not give you the chance to serve them as much as you desire. Train as many as you can, within the limits that now exist; the Samiti (Sai Organisation) cannot ask more from you.

This is no imposition from above; it is an inspiration from within. You are engaged in so many activities that do not lead to any good; you have to move in groups that you may not like; these are inevitable under present conditions. So, make yourselves holy by this consecrated service. This will bring you the saving Grace. By shaping these children in Divine Form you are helping their parents too to set their minds right; you are brightening and cleansing the homes of the pupils.

When that little boy recited the story of the Gita, so feelingly, everyone was moved; when towards the end, he turned to Me and said, “Now, we have this Sai Krishna…” he was so overcome with Ananda (bliss) that he sobbed and shed tears of joy. Perhaps, he had a vision of Krishna! So intense was his faith and his sincerity. His heart was echoing every sentiment that his tongue was expressing. Children such as he are needed for our country at this juncture. You have read of Prahlada, Dhruva and other children filled with devotion to God; they lived in ages that have gone by. You have seen now that such children are here, in this age too; I am sure they will reform and transmute many Hiranyakashapus (unbelieving fathers) by their unflinching devotion and transparent dedication.

Do What God Likes, Not What You Like

Arjuna announced at the commencement of the battle of Kurukshethra, “I will not fight against these people.” Then, Krishna asked him, “Won’t you do what I like?” and he had to reply, “Yes. Of course.” Then, the Lord told him, “Look here: I have come as man in order to reestablish Dharma (righteousness); yours is the Kshatriya Dharma; it casts on you the duty to fight against unrighteousness. You will be doing what I like if, according to the demands of Kshatriya Dharma, you fight, as first planned.” Do what He likes, not what you like–that is the way to win the Grace of God. He likes you to revere all beings, not to injure or insult any being; he likes you when you do not bear in your heart the tiniest grudge against any being.

The BalVihars run in schools, in the hours now given to them out of the school time table, are not as successful as those run by you in your home centres, I know; the School Vihars try to make the children successfully ride two horses at the same time–the regular curriculum and the Sathya Sai Ideals. You are doing your best, I know, and that is enough. Develop cordiality among yourselves, exchange experiences and share your ideas for improvements. This is an excellent opportunity for you to feel the bonds of the Sai family, where each teacher is a sister of the other.

January 3, 1971

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Full Circle Or Half Circle?

You have joined the Study Class at Dharmakshetra, and are engaged in poring over all types of books and gathering information and instruction. But, what have you gained? Knowledge about what this author says or that sage teaches is not what your Study Circle must aim to acquire. Not information, but transformation; not instruction, but construction should be the aim. Theoretical knowledge is a burden, unless it is practised, when it can be lightened into Wisdom, and assimilated into daily, life. Knowledge that does not give harmony and wholeness to the process of living is not worth acquiring. Every activity must be rendered valid and worthwhile by its contribution to the discovery of Truth, both of the Self and of Nature. Of what use is it to know everything about nature, if you do not know anything of the Self? Nature is only a projection of the Self, and so, unless the Self is known, knowledge of Nature is either distorted or deceptive. The Self is Atma, of which the entire Creation is composed and so, knowledge of the Self alone can quench the thirst of man.

You Are The Infinite Universal Absolute

You tell Me that you have read the Bhagavata Vahini and all other Vahinis that I have written for you. Good. But, let Me ask you, have you put at least a single direction given in them into daily practice? Question yourself calmly and decide to benefit by practising the processes mentioned in them. This is the proper plan of study–reading, reflection and regular application in life. Study is Work. Inquiry into the value and applicability of what is studied is Worship; the experience of the validity and value of the practice is Wisdom.

You must first learn about ‘what others think you are’. They deal with you as a body, with a specific name and an identifiable form. Then, you must learn about ‘what you think you are’. You are aware of your mind and its monkey tricks, its prejudices and preferences, itspassions and pursuits. You are aware of your individual consciousness, of your version of ‘me’ and ‘mine’. Learn about the mind as an instrument, which can harm you if used unwisely or help you, if used wisely. You have to learn about yet another ‘you’! The YOU ‘you really are’. For, you are neither the body, nor the mind. You are the embodiment of Purity, Power, Love, Bliss. The miserable little prison named ‘Individuality’ has to be denied. You are free, but, you fancy you are bound and mope in the cell you imagine is limiting you. See the Truth that will set you free. It is within you, feel it. Feel it. You are not the body, the mind, the intellect, the brain, the heart, the denotable diminutive ego. You are the Infinite Universal Absolute. You have to get yourselves established firmly, unshakeably in this awareness. Paramahamsas (ascetics of the highest order) have that awareness. Every one of you can attain that state; it is your destiny, your duty to yourself. Merely finishing the study of book after book serves no purpose. Practising one line from any one book is enough to save you from aeons of darkness, of ignorance, and of yearning for Light.

External And Internal Sadhanas Are Both Essential

Mere gymnastics will not do. The Bhagavad Gita can be used as aBhagavata Duta (Messenger from God) if only you welcome It into your heart. Once a famous Pandit was expounding the Bhagavad Gita before a massive gathering. He gave an elaborate explanation of the Shloka (verse) recounting the Glory of the Lord, through the media of different epithets. The Lord, he said, is Kavi (He knows the past, the present and the future), Puraana (the Ageless One, the effulgent light and life-spirit in all beings), Anushaasita (He who lays down the Law which regulate the Mind and lead it on to its source and sustenance, the Universal Spirit). The audience was amazed at his encyclopaedic scholarship; but, that was all. He had no experience of the God whom he was delineating in such attractive colours. He had only learnt it from books, parrot-like from teachers.

You must be guarded against pride that infects the scholar who has mastered a certain number of ancient texts. Do not judge others as inferior, because they do not participate in Bhajans (group devotional singing), Nagarsankirtans (public devotional singing by moving groups), or your type of Study Circles. You can be very wrong, if you estimate a person’s spiritual development, by mere externals. Inner purity cannot express itself through pompous show. Only He who sees into every heart can know who resides therein: Rama or Kama (God or selfish desire).

Of course, disciplines like Bhajan, Nagarsankirtan and Japa (silent repetition of God’s name) are needed for cleansing the mind; to cure the terrible malady of birth and death, the external medication of these Sadhanas (spiritual practices) and internal medication of Dhyana and Sheela (meditation and virtuous conduct) are both essential. External discipline is DharmaVidya (the acquisition of righteousness as a way of living); internal discipline is Brahma Vidya (the acquisition of spiritual experience as a perpetual treasure). That is why the Vedas command “Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara”–“Always speak Truth. Always do Right.” This is the way to God.

Have The Goal Of Putting Into Practice What You Read

Each one of you is a pilgrim on that road proceeding at your own pace, according to your qualification and the stage reached by its means. The advice that appeals to one of you or applies to one of you might not be appropriate to another, who has travelled less distance or reached a more advanced state. When I tell one person to follow one line of Sadhana (spiritual discipline), it is specifically for his benefit; do not take it as prescription for your benefit also, saying, “Swami told him thus; let me also adopt it.” Each has a different make-up–mental, physical and spiritual. The doctor directs one patient to drink curds and prohibits another from drinking it. When a man is obese, he advises certain types of food; when he is lean, he advises other types. When doctors who treat diseases of the body have to prescribe different remedies, how much more specific and personal must be the remedies for the complex and varied conditions of mental situations and spiritual yearnings and aspirations?

Unless you make earnest inquiry, you cannot discover the remedy applicable to your temperament and its problems. Study with faith and devotion. Delve into the significance and the meaning of what you read; and, always have before you the goal of putting what you read into practice. Unless you do so, the Study Circle will remain a half-circle for ever; it cannot be a full circle.

And, pay attention to one other point also. Do not confine your studies to this Circle and these Books. The whole Universe is University for you. You can imbibe wisdom from the sky, the clouds, the mountains, the rivers, the daily phenomena of sunrise and sunset, the seasons, birds, trees, flowers, the insects–in fact, all beings and things in Nature. Approach these teachers, with awe, reverence and humility; they will respond with their lessons. Do not worry that you have no mastery of Sanskrit; Samskar (purificatory act) is enough equipment, for the University that lies around you. Sanskrit is the language of the ancient Scriptures and of Classical Literature; Samskar is the Language of the Heart, the refined medium of fruitful communion with Nature, in all the manifold outpourings of Divinity.

March 3, 1974

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Culture – Agriculture

India is a sacred land, whose glory has spread over all the continents, whose sons and daughters have won by their material and spiritual excellences eternal fame amidst all mankind. They have freed their motherland from the shackles of foreign rule; they have added to human happiness by their attainments in music and the fine arts. Even today, India has a name that is revered and held in high esteem. You have a great responsibility, for, you have to maintain and develop the splendour that was India.

We have met here today in a spirit of prayer and Sadhana (spiritual discipline), to dedicate ourselves for a new step in education. The objectives of true education are two and only two. The first and the most basic of the two is education for the provision of food, clothing and shelter, for the promotion of health and harmony in society, for avoiding pollution and promoting honesty. In the olden times, when the student underwent the basic training under the teacher, he learnt, before he was 15 years of age, to spin, weave and procure clothes for his own use; to produce the food he required; and to look after his needs for basic comfort. He was contented and happy, with simple habits which gave him ample leisure for Sadhana, and contemplation of Nature. Everyone must endeavour to be self-reliant and self-sufficient, so far as food and clothing are concerned.

Education Should Develop The Culture Of The Mind

The rulers of this land are scared of the growth in population and they are excitedly advocating wrong and dangerous means to curb the increase. But, they forget, that with every extra mouth that has to be fed, we are getting also two extra hands, and a pair of legs, besides a brain that has vast potential for development into a national asset. We have no scheme to use the two extra hands and the precious little brain for national uplift and national prosperity. We encourage laziness, by making it the sign of affluence; we do not condemn it, wherever found. We have no strategy to maximise production and minimise waste, even in food. If only everyone in this land will consume just the quantity of food that he needs and nothing more, there will be no scarcity at all. This country has never lacked in the wherewithal to feed her children. This is the land of Goddess Annapoorna (Food plenty).

The second objective of education is the culture of the mind and the spirit.This too is very much like agriculture, which provides food and clothing for man. We want Dhaanya (grains) to sustain the body; we require Dhyana (meditation) to sustain the spirit. In agriculture, you prepare the soil, plant seeds, feed the plants with fertilisers, and reap the harvest. In heart-culture, we have to plough the HrudayaKshetra (the field of the heart), remove the weeds and wild growth, and plant the seeds. The weeds are pernicious tendencies, attitudes and habits; the fertilisers are devotion and dedication. Water to help the plant grow is the quality of love. The seeds are the Names of God, which are deposited within the purified heart. The harvest which is the reward of all this spiritual discipline is Wisdom.

Plant Seeds Of Love; Reap The Harvest Of Wisdom

Heart-culture has been the goal and aim of SanatanaDharma (Eternal Universal Religion), the ancient religion of India. It is essential for a happy contented peaceful life. This Dharma exhorts us to plant the seeds of Love and reap the harvest of Wisdom, for the sake of social harmony and national prosperity and the uplift of all humanity. SanatanaDharma makes you realise the Unity that underlies all the diversity that is apparent. The unity is the basis and the justification for loving all, with no desire for any benefit therefrom.

But, Indians have developed so much cynicism and scorn about their heritage that they ascribe the discovery of the Vedas (sacred-revealed ancient scriptures) and their compilation to the crooked designs of some Brahmins! Muslims revere the, Quran as the Word of God; Christians revere the Bible as the word of God; but, Indians treat the Vedic scriptural texts as negligible teachings of interested persons! And, they stray away from the right path into distress and discontent. Max Muller (a German born expert on comparative religion) said that, what is not found in Indian culture is not found in other countries. But, as soon as Indians learn English or any other foreign language, they develop so much of ego that they start decrying their own ancient culture and adopting the manners and mannerisms of the alien civilisation.

Everyone Is At Cross-Purposes With The Rest

Gandhi said, “My India is the India of villages.” The freedom that has been won and the prosperity that is looked forward to, can be ensured only when the villagers are free and prosperous. And, this depends in its turn on the freedom and prosperity of each family in the village. Now, there is no unity, no mutual co-operation, no love between the four or five brothers in the family; everyone is at cross purposes with the rest. How then can the village enjoy freedom and peace and prosperity? And, what to speak of the country, when the condition of its villages is so bad?

Every person seeks positions of authority, without trying to deserve the authority by means of the qualification necessary to use it in the right way. Of course, if a person who has good intentions and full capabilities and the vision of the Divine, he can well seek authority and discharge it well. But, we seldom see anyone thinking of one’s duty; everywhere, people are after the acquisition of positions of authority.

As a result, several malpractices have entered the field of education. Money is paid to gain admission into schools and colleges, money is paid to acquire marks and degrees. The teacher does not transmit taste, style, attitude or outlook; it is all a matter of books and more books. The student is left to gather these from outside the educational institutions. Moreover, more value is attached to information and its collection; no attempt is made to gain transformation and to the correction of habits and characteristics. How did the great artists who drew the frescoes of Ajanta and carved the temples of Ellora learn their trade? They did not attend any school; they learnt from the teachers, the master craftsmen, the inspired artistes.

Books cannot give the guidance and the inspiration for real good work. Also the worldly aspects must be harmonised with the spiritual aspects in order to live a full life. Then only can man have self-confidence and avoid the imitative path. Mental peace cannot be secured by blaming others and avoiding one’s own responsibility.

Fill Your Heart With Love And Light

Today, we are establishing this Agricultural Polytechnic, so that those who study here may not depend upon others to give them a job but, so that they can earn a livelihood for themselves by their own skills and effort. This will be a spiritual discipline also and it will give them ample chances to develop their spiritual attainments too. Students here will be encouraged to practise working with others in mutual and productive co-operation. The five fingers of the hand have to come together so that a thing can be grasped firmly. Nowadays, you know they appoint what arecalled ‘Committees’ for all kinds of works, a committee for water supply, a committee for the supply of electricity, etc. But, they do not work smoothly; there are bickerings and factions. They ‘come for tea’ and do not deliberate and determine anything.

Mutual respect can be built on the faith that all are children of God and all are Divine. Then on that basis, there can be co-operation, and enthusiasm for work. Each will then do his best, knowing his duty and his responsibility.The future of the country depends on the skill and the sincerity of the youth. Therefore, the necessary enthusiasm and encouragement must be generated among the youth. All my hopes are based on the students, the youth. They are very dear to Me. They are faultless; it is the parent and the school that are at fault for all the waywardness and violence. They lead them into wrong directions. Instead of filling your heads with facts and figures, fill your heart with love and light. Have confidence in the vast powers of the Atma (soul), which is your reality. Have faith in the Grace of God, which you can secure by prayer.

Do Your Work With Devotion As An Act Of Worship

While praying and using Mantras, sacred formulae or such expressions, one must know the real meaning and significance of the words and their deep implications. One individual for example did not know the full implication of the word ‘Shiva’; he meant by that word, the Form of God who is supposed to live in Kailash with His consort and family. He told me that ‘Shivoham’ meant, ‘I am Shiva’ and was shocked when asked, “Then, what is Parvati to you?”

Many people do Japa (repetition of holy names) and join Bhajans (group singing of devotional songs), but, they are not aware of the meaning and value of the words they utter mechanically. Elders who propagate Mantras and pose as spiritual teachers do not themselves know the inner meanings of what they recommend to others or hand on to their disciples. Shivoham means that you are Divine.

In Education Spiritual Values Should Be Emphasised

Man must be engaged in work; he must do it with faith and devotion, as an act of worship. In this way, he will derive wisdom. But, the education imparted today does not direct him along these lines. It is sterile instruction, as it is. I hope that in this Polytechnic, whose foundation stone I am laying now, will pay attention to these points also. Moral and spiritual principles have to be emphasised all along, even while merely material subjects are taught and learnt. I want the Committee in charge of this Institution to propagate the ideals of service, love and Sadhana, which SanatanaDharma embodies. Even a small number of such Institutions will be enough in our country to serve as examples and guides to others.

A college in every city is not necessary. We do not have several commanders-in-chief: we have only one, though soldiers are a million or so. This one college in the city of Bombay, if run in an ideal manner, can spread the ideals of the Unity of Man and the Value of Love throughout its vast population and even outside its limits.

Students who undergo training here, in this College, when they go to the other states will spread the ideals they have imbibed here. The role of the teachers is also important, for, if a student deteriorates, only he will suffer. We must try to raise in this College good teachers for similar colleges in future. The citizens of Bombay should endeavour to promote educational Institutions of this type and also institutions fostering the health of people, so that the land may have peace and prosperity.

Now Man Is Devalued Into A Machine

Today, there is a great deal of talk that this country is lacking in peace. But, this is not right; for, the lack of peace of mind is an intensely individual complaint and phenomenon. The country has not deteriorated at all! It is the individual that has to be cured; it is their thoughts and feelings that have to be corrected and cleansed. It is not possible for any one individual to change his ideas, his habits, his attitudes and impulses. For example, we find that the price of every article is soaring sky high. The rulers of the land are devising various plans to bring down the price. But, this can succeed only through one means: raise the value of man, and the value of everything else will come down. Now, man, is devalued into a machine. Man too has forgotten his worth. He is demeaning himself into a beast and not realising that there is Divinity in him. Today, commodities are valued as essential, but, man is not so valued.

If man is valued at his true worth, and treated as a Divine spark enclosed in the body, then, he will rise into new heights of achievement and produce all the necessities of life in profusion. He will not grab or cheat: he will be a good worker, a pure person and a sincere Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant). He will cultivate the inner vision and realise that he is not the body or senses or mind or even intellect. He will be full of Prema (love) and self-confidence.It is not good for man to be constantly engaged in exciting things–exciting food, talk, books, films and games. They are Rajasic(passionate) things that disturb and agitate the mind. Nor is it good for man to be engaged in cruelty–cruel thoughts or actions.

Today, the foundation has been laid for this Agricultural College. I hope a beautiful building will come up here before long. I hope there will not be any misuse of money in wasteful expenditure. I hope students who are trained in this College will become efficient farmers, self reliant young men, who depend on their own skill, character and stamina for earning their livelihood. I bless you all.

January 5, 1975

Foundation Stone Ceremony of the Agriculture College

Bombay

Parents Beware!

Seeing this Rally, listening to the Marching Song, and witnessing the other items you presented, I can now say that what happened this morning is not the rise of the sun, but, it was in fact the rise of Ananda (Divine bliss). People, are talking about the glory of India’s past – they go on praising endlessly about the reign of Rama, or in recent times of Ashoka, or Krishnadevaraya. They try in vain to assess the present in terms of the past; they close their eyes to the dismal present and dream about the past. If children are put into the right path, and guided along the path that you are now treading, Rama Rajya can again be established in this land.

Every child of this land has four debts to discharge–reverence to mother, respect to the father, obedience to the teacher, and adoration to God. Besides these, every child must learn to live in peace and love with other children and other families. The idea that one can live for oneself and that one need not worry about the wants and weaknesses of others has to be removed quite early in life, by the Bal Vikas Gurus. Encourage the child to cultivate the pleasure of ‘togetherness’. They will enjoy it; and, you will be sowing the seeds of social peace. The seeds will grow into Universal Peace and Universal Bliss.

Share With Others The Good Things You Are Given

Life is like a train journey. You, young children have a long way to go; but, the elders have to alight from the train pretty soon. You must learn to make your journey comfortable and happy. Do not carry heavy unwanted luggage, with you. That will make the journey miserable. Do not indulge in faultfinding and in picking quarrels with others. Don’t desire to have the best things for yourselves only. Share with others around you the good things you are given. Anger, hatred, envy, jealousy, these are the heavy luggage I asked you to avoid taking with you in the journey.

I must give the elders, the parents who are here in large numbers some advice. Do not set bad examples for these children to follow. If you are truthful, just be calm under provocation and full of love in all your dealings with others, these children too will grow up in Satya (truth.), Dharma (righteousness), Shanti (peace) and Prema (love). If you tell your son, when you are actually at home, to speak through the telephone, when someone is calling, to reply that father is not at home, you are sowing a poisonous seed, which will become a huge tree.

Parents Should Be Good Examples To Children

Let me tell you a story to illustrate the danger of such small beginnings. A mother carried her son on her shoulder, when she went to the market. A woman with a basket of fruits passed by her.The child lifted a banana from that basket and started eating it. The mother noticed it, and when she was told that he had cleverly lifted it from the basket of a passing fruit seller, she complimented the son on its smartness. This made the child indulge in petty thieving and picking pockets, as it grew into a boy and in actual house breaking and dacoity. Once during a dacoity, he committed even murder, and when he was caught and jailed, he expressed a wish to see his mother before being hanged. The wailing weeping desperate mother was brought before him. She was sobbing at her son’s fate. The son asked her to come closer to him; suddenly he tried to strangle her, and the guards separated them. The son said, “She deserves the punishment; for, it was she who brought me to this doom. Had she reprimanded me when I stole a banana when I was a child oftwo years instead of complimenting me, I would not have fallen into this evil way.”

Parents set bad examples uttering falsehood, scandalising others, gambling, drinking, behaving violently, inflicting injury, becoming addicted to night-clubs, pictures and drinking parties, quarrelling at home after arriving home past mid-night. How can children used to such low sights and sounds learn to become bright fresh flagrant flowers of the Sanatana Garden of India?

Many such parents do not allow their children to join the Bal Vikas Classes, or to attend Bhajans and Satsangs. If the children clamour at home that they may be permitted, they shout at them, and call them mad. They say that religion and God are only for idlers or old senile people, and that the path will lead them on to Sanyas (mendicancy), which is a calamity to be avoided! They reverse the very values of life. Parents must correct themselves before they try to correct their children.

Children! Learn the best teaching of all faiths, put them into practice. Chant the Name of God with your whole being. Imbibe the noble qualifies that those Names represent. Purify yourselves and purify the world. That is My blessing.

January 6, 1975

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Combine Morals With Business

The world attracts man in multifarious ways, but it will not allow man’s thoughts or intelligence to go beyond its own limits. Content with the satisfaction derived from the physical world, man does not consider what is in store for him in the future. He devotes all his energies, physical and mental, and all his resources to achieving material comforts, power, position and honour, but makes no attempt to show his gratitude to the society from which he derives all these comforts, wealth and position.

For right living, righteousness and character are essential. The Divine is the life-breath of man. The fulfilment of life consists in dedicating all one’s energies to these objectives. Man, however, does not have faith in the Divine. Whether one believes in God or not, one can see from moment to moment evidence of the presence of Divinity wherever one turns. Without Divinity, humanness will not blossom. A man’s life shines amidst enormous vicissitudes only when he displays qualities like equanimity and compassion. Because man covers his mind in a cloak of ignorance, blinkers his eyes with egoism, and closes his heart with the doors of pride, he forgets the Lord who created him and protects him.

Such a man is unable to listen to any teaching. He worships at the shrine of the sense organs. As his desires go on mounting, he is unable to listen to what is wholesome for him. He has no relish for the company of the good. He has no awareness of the transience of life. He does not realise that his life and all that he enjoys may pass away in a moment. He does not recognise the passing nature of both joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, success and failure. Obsessed with the acquisition of wealth and power, he does not realise the Divinity that is his essential nature.Immersed in ignorance, he wastes his life in the pursuit of impermanent things.

Thirst For Wealth Has No Limit, It Is Insatiable

It is on the basis of this fact that Sri Shankaracharya declared in a famous verse in the Bhaja Govindam: “Oh! Man do not be proud of your wealth, progeny or youth. All these will be taken away in a moment by Time. Destroy this world of illusions and enter the seat of the Eternal.” The Trishna (thirst) for wealth is folly! Trishna has two meanings, “thirst and desire.” It is natural for man to have desires and thirst. But there is a difference between desire and thirst. It is natural for men not to be content with what they have, but to desire for more and more goods and more and more comforts. But in seeking fulfilment of such desires, one should take care not to cause any harm or suffering to others. Trishna is different from desire. It has no limit. It is insatiable.

One Should Earn His Living By Just Means

Dharma (the code of righteousness) lays down for men a regulatory path. Like the effulgence of the rays of the sun, Dharma illumines the paths which men should follow for the welfare and progress of society. Among the laws of Dharma, Nyaayam (justness) is most important. Rectitude means that one should earn his living by just means and be an example to others by just living. Justness consists in making no difference between oneself and others. Whatever may happen to oneself or one’s relations, whatever difficulties one may have to face, one should not swerve from the path of rectitude. Justness is like the mariner’s compass. In whatever way you put it, the needle will point only towards the North. Similarly, justness reveals the Divinity in man and makes him enjoy the bliss of the Divine. Hence, the ideal human life should be one in which rectitude forms the basis for every action.

Today, whatever prosperity one enjoys, whatever comforts one secures, all of them are derived from society. Some rules of Dharma have been laid down for ensuring that the wealth that is earned from society is devoted to the benefit of society. In the process of acquiring wealth one may be guilty of some lapses. It is to make amends for such lapses that one must practise charity.

Life consists of a constant interchange of pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, heat and cold. Happiness is an interval between two pains. The sour rind that covers an orange protects the sweet juice inside. We must look upon pain, anxiety and sorrow as the protecting cover for the peace and bliss that is experienced later. It is a mistake to seek an unending series of pleasures and comforts in life. Real happiness cannot be found that way. Without experiencing difficulties and troubles one cannot know the value of peace and pleasure.

People Suffer Because They Set No Limits To Desires

Man thinks that the more he has of worldly goods the happier he would be. But, as desires grow, disappointments and troubles also increase. There should be a limit to our desires, attachments and ambitions. The world is suffering from numerous troubles because people set no limits on their desires. Nature has prescribed limits for everything – for the temperature of the body, the capacity of the eye to tolerate light or for the ear to listen to sound. When these limits are crossed, harm is caused to the organs concerned.

Life itself is like a limited company. All actions in it should be governed by the limits applicable to each of them. When desires are controlled, genuine happiness is experienced. Even in practising charity, limits should be observed. One’s gifts should not exceed one’s financial capacity. Nor should they be below one’s capacity. In the former case, one will face financial troubles. In the latter, one will be withholding from those in need what is due to them. Charity is not limited to money alone. One must share one’s physical, mental and spiritual resources with those in need in society. It is through such sharing and sacrifice that the awareness of the Spirit (Atma Jnana) is achieved. Charity should not be indiscriminate. Help should be rendered according to the needs of the case. The hungry must be fed, the naked must be clothed.

Although one may know how much good can be derived through Tyaga (sacrifice), one does not make any sacrifice. One may aspire for wealth, but one should only seek what one is entitled or competent to get. A bank cashier handles lakhs of rupees every day. But he is entitled only to his salary. He should not desire for more money than what he can earn legitimately. Excessive wealth carries with it many dangers. Human values are forgotten by the affluent. As long as there is wealth, the evils resulting from it are not realised. It is only when it is lost that one begins to realise one’s follies. It is better to be forewarned and learn to lead a righteous and upright life from the beginning. Wealth may come and go. Morality is what one should cultivate. What is morality? It is right conduct in accordance with time and place.

Businessmen Are Responsible For Today’s Corruption

What is the rootcause of all the disorder, chaos, crime, falsehood and violence that prevail in the country today? It is the behaviour of people contrary to the dignity of human nature that is responsible for the present situation. All the education that one receives has no relation to human values. Whether it be in the sphere of political behaviour or social conduct, economic activity or spiritual pursuits, all one’s actions are based upon the tendencies of the mind. No change in any form of activity is possible unless the mind is changed. That is why the Vedas (ancient scriptures of spiritual wisdom) proclaimed that the mind is the cause of the bondage and the liberation of men. One who wants to change others must first change himself. The heart is like a lock and the mind is like a key. If you turn the key to the right, you open the heart to God; if you turn it to the left, you turn it towards attachment to worldly things.

There is no use blaming the government for all the evils prevailing today. The people are responsible for the injustice, the wickedness, the falsehood and the corruption prevalent in the country. The people cannot disown their responsibility for the actions of a government which has been placed in power by their votes. Whether a government is good or bad depends on the people themselves. There is widespread talk in the country about corruption. Many come and ask Me: “Swami! When will corruption end in this country?”Who is responsible for this corruption? Is it the government? No. It is the businessmen who are directly responsible for this corruption.

Engage In Business With Faith In The Divine

For their own selfish reasons and private gain, businessmen have been financing those in power and making them more and more powerful. If you businessmen live up to your principles, all this corruption can be ended in a moment. It is true that there is no one who does not desire wealth. An old Telugu proverb says that even a dying person will get up if he sees somebody offering money. It is not surprising if, when bribes are offered, officials do not refuse them. It is for businessmen to set a limit to their business and their profits and utilise their abilities for the promotion of public good. It may be difficult to combine business with morality. Therefore, the first requisite is to install morality in the heart and, with faith in the Divine, engage oneself in business. If this is done, the nation will benefit from the businessman’s efforts and he will be serving society.

Today,everyone talks only about what he wants. He says: “I want this, I want that.” If he loses anything he bemoans his loss. The whole of life is spent in acquisition and losing and there is no peace of mind. Businessmen have to understand the basis of human relations and cultivate harmony and understanding. Unless such a broad-minded approach is developed, businessmen will not experience the bliss of the Divine.How long can the pleasure derived from education, wealth, health or position last? Like the lamp that sheds its light on all alike, you must cultivate love towards all.

Purify Yourself By Engaging In Service To Society

Love lives by giving and forgiving.Self lives by getting and forgetting. Everybody seeks Liberation. Everyone wants immortality. But how is immortality to be got? Removal of immorality is the only way to immortality. If we are filled with hatred, envy, pride and other evil qualities, how can we hope to achieve immortality? You must cultivate good thoughts and do good actions. You must engage yourself in service to society. By this process you purify yourself. You cannot reach the Divine unless you are pure. The unchanging, eternal, ever pure, blissful Supreme is the goal. By your steady pursuit of Sadhana (spiritual effort), you must strive to reach that goal. While remaining in the world of business, you must keep this high goal in view and carry on your business, whatever it may be.

Do not regard all your various possessions, houses, vehicles, wealth, etc., as permanent. There have been great emperors in the past who ruled over vast empires. When they passed away, what did they take with them? Posterity does not care even to remember their names.What you cannot take with you does not really belong to you. You are filled with fear, like the ticketless traveller who gets into the train. In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear you must have the ticket of a good conscience. If you adhere to right conduct, you will have no need to fear any one.

Seek Peace Of Mind Through Good Deeds

The great conqueror, Alexander, when he was approaching his end, called all his warriors and told them that when he died, his body should be taken to the grave with his two hands held upwards. On seeing the funeral procession with hands of the emperor held up, the people asked why the emperor was being carried in that manner. They were told that the great emperor, who had amassed immense wealth wanted to show that when he was leaving the world he was going empty handed, taking nothing with him. The lesson of this episode is that we should seek not unlimited worldly possessions but contentment and peace of mind through good deeds. All that we accumulate is really not our property. It belongs to the people.

If conditions in Bharat are to be improved; it is only businessmen who can do this.Businessmen can even reform the government. Businessmen can promote the world’s progress. They can also ruin the world economy. By their own right conduct, businessmen should try to set right the administration.

Bharat is the land of our birth. It is a TyagaBhumi, sacred land (devoted to sacrifice), KarmaBhumi (devoted to right action) and Yoga Bhumi (devoted to the practice of Yoga). We are trying to convert such a sacred country to Bhoga Bhumi (a land of luxury and pleasure). All the sources of Bhoga (pleasure) are in fact the causes of Roga (disease).This is the biggest mistake we are committing. Our willingness to sacrifice constitutes real Yoga.

Of the four Purusharthas – the objectives of life, (Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha) – the ignorant man confines himself to Artha (wealth) and Kama (worldly desires). The Jnani (wise man) seeks only Dharma (virtue) and Moksha (Liberation). However, every person should seek all the four Purusharthas. This should be done by associating Artha (the acquisition of wealth) with Dharma (virtue), and Kama (satisfaction of desire) with Moksha (Liberation).

The Four Avenues For Utilisation Of One’s Earnings

You must earn wealth by adhering to Dharma (right action). Utilise the wealth for right ends. Our ancients laid down four avenues for the utilisation of wealth or earnings. One fourth should be used for personal use and for supporting the family. Another fourth should be used for charitable and religious purposes. A third quarter should be spent on other living things like animals, birds, etc. The remaining fourth should be offered for supporting the State. It is only when one’s wealth is utilised in this manner will it be really beneficial and meaningful.

Today many persons give money for charitable purposes. But the reason for their action is to reduce the burden of taxes in one way or another. You all know how large temples are being built at Benares, Prayag, Delhi, and other places. There are Birla Mandirs (places of worship) at many pilgrim centres. They are quite impressive and attractive.They are built in marble and are additions to the nation’s architectural achievements. Crores are spent on them. It is no doubt good to build temples.But the real temple is one’s own body. Without purifying one’s self, what use is there in building temples? Temples built at the cost of crores of rupees are not properly maintained. Swarms of beggars ruin the surroundings of the temples.

Service To Society Is Everyone’s Primary Duty

How much better would it be if the crores of rupees spent on erecting temples are used for improving the condition of the poor, the destitute and the helpless? Institutions for helping the indigent unfortunates are more useful than edifices for worshipping some deities. To give a helping hand to the helpless is real service. Love towards one’s fellow beings is the best spiritual discipline. Misuse of money is a great evil. Wealth must be used only for good purposes. Money is capable of leading man to any place, good or bad. Hence, he should take care to see that wealth does not lead him to bad ways, or bring a bad name to this great country.

By limiting their desires and reducing the amenities required for comfortable living, the wealthy should devote themselves to the service of the poor and the forlorn. Seek to derive happiness from service to your fellowmen. Happiness is union with God. The Sathya Sai Organisations should not be content with conducting Bhajans (group singing of devotional songs). Their motto should be Seva (selfless service) all the time. They should take up every form of activity and give it a spiritual meaning. It is only those who are imbued with the spirit of selfless service that are fit to become leaders of the nation.

Service to society is everyone’s primary duty. Businessmen should develop a moral approach, use right means for earning wealth and utilise it for the benefit of society.I may have caused some uneasiness to all of you. But without minding it, you should all take to heart what I have said and try to practise what I have said. Thereby you will be achieving real happiness. I bless you all.

May 14, 1984

Discourse at the Indian MerchantsChamber Meeting

Brabourne Stadium, Bombay

From Creation To Creator

Although science and technology have made rapid strides, man has not acquired the Divine qualities. Technology is the child of science. But very much anterior to science is the Veda. Science seeks to know all about creation, but the Veda reveals the knowledge about the Creator. All the natural sciences are concerned with knowledge about created things.

But there is a Creator who is the source of all of them. In the quest for understanding the objects in creation, man is forgetting the Creator. By forgetting the Creator, man is failing to develop the quality of love. Why? Because God is Love and Love is God.When we forget Love, we forget God. When God is forgotten, how can Love grow?

Science has been enormously helpful and has achieved many wonders. But, simultaneously, it has done incalculable harm. Science as such is not to be blamed for this. It is the wrongful use of science that is responsible. Science discovered for man the secrets of nature and the cosmos. But what is the benefit we delve from knowing these secrets? Knowledge is one thing; its proper utilisation is a different thing. Of what avail is it to know the power of the atom if we have not learnt how to put it to good and beneficial use? The knowledge delved from science should be used for sacred and righteous purposes.

Man Has Lost Respect For Life

We need today a science that can promote love. Instead of Spirit of Love, we are witnessing today a “splitting of Love.” The Spirit of Love is being broken up and destroyed. Thereby love is receding to the background. Imagine what should be the state of man in an age in which science and civilisation have advanced to such a degree far beyond anything conceivable in an earlier era. Yet, in the so-called dark ages of man, without much knowledge, man led a purer and nobler life. Man today indulges in greater cruelty than wild animals. It would be an abuse of language to regard as human beings people who indulge in large scale killing of each other. Man has lost respect for life. Where, then, is our boasted progress?

Man has explored the secrets of Nature and has even acquired control over the five elements. But he is not aware of his own true nature. Long time ago, in an earlier epoch, the young lad Prahlada told his father, “In a brief period, you have been able to conquer all the worlds; but you have failed to master your senses and your mind.” Likewise, today we are acquiring mastery over the external universe, but are unable to control our senses. It is only when we use science for control of the senses will we be able to bring Science and Spirituality together and integrate the two. Today, love seems to be absent even between parents and children, between husband and wife. Science must seek to discover means of promoting love and turning mankind away from the path of self-interest.

Science Should Be Linked To Spirituality

There is an internal relationship between Nature and Divinity. The ocean, the moon and man are interrelated. The ocean swells on full moon day. What is the connection between the ocean and the moon? The mind and the moon are inter-related. Without our being conscious of it, our minds are affected during full moon days. Mental afflictions are aggravated during those days. The scientist should develop an integral approach towards Nature, Man and Spirit. Only then can he realise the underlying Divinity that unites the man and the cosmos.

Men today act upon what is stated in an almanac. But when the Vedas declare “Tat TwamAsi”(That Thou Art), they are not prepared to believe in it. Men who are prepared to believe in some tale in a newspaper or a novel, will not believe in the Vedic pronouncement of their inherent dignity.Many scientific inventions are extremely useful to man. But if they are not properly used they can cause great harm.For instance, television can be valuable means of educating and entertaining people. But how is it being used today? As soon as a boy returns from school, he throws away his books and starts looking at the TV. His mother serves him food near the TV set. Both mother and son keep watching TV without regard to their other duties. Several hours of precious time is wasted in watching TV. The fault lies not with the television, but with the excessive and wrongful use of the instrument. It is like a knife which can be used for slicing vegetables or stabbing a person. It is only when science is linked to spirituality that the results of science can be fully harnessed for the good and elevation of mankind.

January 26, 1985

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Practise What You Learn

A study circle does not mean only just reading and discussing and taking information into the head, but also putting into practice what is learnt. If knowledge is stored in the mind, it causes confusion and confusion leads to blowing of the fuse. How will real Jnana develop if there is too much confusion? For instance, if you go on eating all the 24 hours, it will result in indigestion. This will lead to disease. What is eaten should be digested and then only you should eat again. In the same way, you should listen (eat) in the Study Circle and put into practice (digest) what you have learnt. Again you can have another round of listening in the Study Circle. Now what you are doing is only loading and loading and no unloading. How much can you sustain like that? So, you should go on loading and unloading, listening and practising. You have to practise whatever you have learnt. Then only it becomes a real Study Circle.

It Is Important To Learn Your True Nature

In the Study Circle, whatever we listen and assimilate in the mind should be distributed to others. In that way, we show gratitude for what we have receded. We should not listen and keep it to ourselves only for our benefit. Whatever we hear and practise should also be distributed to society at large. Such gratitude is very important for man. If one does not have gratitude, he leads the life of an animal. Even a dog shows gratitude if you give a little rice. In the Sathya Sai Organisation, keeping this in mind, we should maintain unity and help the world. Other organisations may not know the inner meaning of this, but in our organisation we should know the inner meaning and we should practise it, otherwise it is of no use. You should therefore be an ideal to others.

In the Study Circle you can learn a lot of things, but the most important thing to be learnt is your own true nature – your AtmaTatwa. Learning all about external things without knowing your real self is like studying the branches of a tree, ignoring its roots. There are many fruits on the tree. We can see the fruits. What happens if you water those fruits? They will fall down. But if you water the roots down below, the tree flourishes and will give fruits which can be enjoyed. You have to develop self-knowledge and self-confidence and then only you can help others.

January 30, 1985

Address to the Study Circle for Industrial Workers

Shanti Deep, Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Give Up Selfishness: Cultivate Unity

All the ills Bharat is suffering from are due to the lack of unity. The prevailing deplorable situation in the country after four decades of Independence and the disorder and violence prevailing everywhere are due to the ubiquitous growth of selfishness and self-centredness. It is only when you have ideal leaders, ideal parents and ideal teachers that the students will be inspired to act on right lines.

Embodiments of Divine Love! 

The people of Bharat have long been the upholders of Truth and Righteousness. Justice has been their basic way of life. Every Bharatiya is the inheritor of Truth and Righteousness. It is the bounden duty of every true Bharatiya to adhere to Truth and right conduct without deviation. The welfare of the world is the basic belief of Bharatiyas. This is their vow and their penance. True Dharma (righteousness) consists in constant practice of Truth and right conduct. In this lies victory.

Forgetting this sacred truth and pursuing transient worldly pleasures, man has become a prey to all kinds of troubles. What Bharatiyas have to protect is not the country but Truth and Righteousness; these will themselves protect them.Every Bharatiya youth should have Satya and Dharma as his twin ideals and regulate his daily life on that basis. Today the advance of modern science and technology has swept away the old culture and moral values like a typhoon. Moral values are fundamental for human life. Alas! These values have been almost totally destroyed. Science and technology have created formidable problems for mankind in their physical existence. Man’s entire life is absorbed in selfish and self-centred pursuits.

Benefits And Harm Brought By Science

It is true that science and technology have conferred some benefits. But they have done greater harm than good. They are undermining the very root of humanness. While providing temporary and transient comforts, science and technology have turned humanity away from the spiritual quest altogether. They have served to encourage ostentation, possessiveness, self-interest, self-conceit and jealousy.

As a result, you do not find any trace of those good qualities which ought to distinguish man as a human being. At every step, man is straying from righteousness. In every word that is uttered, falsehood prevails. Love is absent from his vision. Every desire is misconceived. Every craving is inspired by greed. Sublime ideas have vanished. Spiritual concepts are treated with levity. The human consciousness is getting weakened. Likes and dislikes, attachment and aversion are having free play. In short, what we are witnessing is the eclipse of all that is human. Entire life has become artificial. The urgent task today is to nourish and cherish the Human Spirit.

Youths Then And Now

Fifty years ago, young people strove for the freedom of the country in a patriotic spirit. They tried to follow the example of great national leaders like Shivaji, Samarth Ramdas, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sardar Patel and others. They walked in their footsteps. They used to adore the pictures of these leaders.

If you examine the attitude of young people today, you will find chaos and confusion in their hearts. Patriotism has disappeared. Self interest and selfish concerns rule the roost. In theirrooms, in the place of pictures of national heroes, you see only pictures of film stars. These are the deities whom they worship. On their tables you see transistor radios and video sets. Love of the nation has vanished from their thoughts. What is the reason for this?  The root cause is theabsence of exemplary parents and teachers. Even among the leaders, there are few that can be considered ideal examples. It is only when you have ideal leaders, ideal parents and ideal teachers that the students will be inspired to act on right lines.

Therefore, if today we seek to set the students on the right path and raise them to a higher level, the parents should consider it their primary duty to set the right example. But parents do not seem to pay much attention to this.

Peace Has Become A Casualty

In society today, love of God, fear of sin and social morality have disappeared. It is only when these three are promoted that you can have real human advancement. Peace has become a casualty all over the world, because people have lost the fear of sin, the love of God and basic ethics in social relationships.Wherever you turn, you see only disorder and conflict today. Fear has gripped everyone. You are haunted by fear whether in your home or out in the streets. Fear grips you when you get into a bus or a train, whether you are going in a car or in an aeroplane. How is life to be rid of fear?

The whole nation is afflicted by fear in many ways. When will we be utterly free from fear? “Tyagenaike Amrutatvam Anasuh,” declares the Upanishad (Only by renunciation can immortaility be achieved). It is through Vairagya (detachment) that fear can be banished.Today, people do not understand the meaning of desirelessness. They think that giving up hearth and home is renunciation. This is not what Vairagya implies. Whatever we do should be done in a spirit of goodwill and service. Everything you do should be regarded as conceived for the nation’s well-being. The welfare of all must be looked upon as the motto of the nation.

From very early times, Bharatiyas have been offering to other countries treasures of the Spirit. From times immemorial they have lived upto the ideal: “May all the worlds be happy!” To uphold this ideal, the rulers, the scholars, the sages and others made many sacrifices. Today the spirit of sacrifice is not to be seen anywhere.It is selfishness that is the cause of all the cruelty and violence today. It is more than four decades since Bharat achieved its freedom. What is it we have accomplished after attaining Independence? All that we have achieved are strife, disputes, riots and violence. Selfishness has reared its head in these forty years.

Get Rid Of Selfishness

Embodiments of Love! 

Get rid of selfishness. Regard yourself as an integral member of society. Develop the faith that your welfare is bound up with the welfare of the society. Develop your social consciousness.In human life, there are three important things: one is the individual; the second is the family; the third is the society. Today in whatever he does, man is concerned primarily about his individual interests. From there he proceeds towards concern for the family. But few care to take any interest in what concerns society as a whole. If society is not in good shape, how can individuals be well? Individual welfare is based on social well-being.

Consider every human being as a spark of the Divine. Every man is a child of immortality. Today we are failing to cultivate that sense of unity. All the ills Bharat is suffering from are due to the lack of unity. Union is strength. Lacking unity, we are becoming weak. To promote unity, we have to give up selfishness.

People talk about spirituality. What does it mean? Is it performance of Japa or sitting in meditation? No. Spirituality means the quest for oneness. It means discovering the underlying unity in the apparent multiplicity. Preoccupation with one’s own destiny is not spirituality. That also is a form of selfishness. Hence, in every way, the awareness that “Vishwam VishnuSwaroopam” (Cosmos is manifestation of the Divine) should be obtained. The truth of the Upanishadic declaration, “IsavasyamIdamSarvam” (All this is permeated by the Divine), should become a firm conviction. Everybody is like a bulb in each of which Truth shines as a manifestation of Divinity. The One has willed to become the many. Therefore, spirituality consists in recognising unity in diversity. All are children of one God. Like the waves of the ocean and the rays of the sun, Love emanates from the Divine in infinite drops. There is an inextricable relationship between God and Love. Hence, “Love is God; live in love.” Your lives have to be lived on this basis.

Mental Transformation Is The Need Of The Day

These days, men go through changes but minds do not change. The clothes are varied, but qualities remain same. We need today mental transformation.

I have been coming to Bombay for the past nearly thirty years. You have listened to many discourses and read many books. You have gone to many high-souled persons. You have performed many kinds of service. But how far have you reformed yourselves? There is little change in you. The essence of spirituality is mental transformation.

It has been said: “The mind is the cause of bondage or liberation.” Without mental transformation, what is the use of all spiritual Sadhanas? What is the use of prayers? Prayer does not mean uttering words with the lips. Prayer must come from the heart.

Embodiments of Love!

Remember that the hands that serve are greater than the lips that pray.Dedicate yourselves to service to all. Real humanness consists in the spirit of service. Quantity does not matter; it is the quality of service that counts.

There is competition whether in performing Japa, Dhyana (meditation)or Bhajan. This is not proper. Whatever is done should be performed whole-heartedly and spontaneously. The primary requisite is purification of the heart. When the heart is purified, man gets JnanaShuddhi (the Supreme Wisdom). Fill your heart with the Divine. Dedicate every action to the Divine in a spirit of detachment. Divine love can be secured only by dedicated service to the Divine. God responds bounteously to what you offer. Kuchela got, in return for a handful of parched rice given to Krishna, limitless prosperity. Draupadi was rewarded likewise. How can you expect God to love you if you do not love God? God’s grace is like a bank. You can draw money from that bank only to the extent to which you have built up deposits through Tyaga (sacrifice). Earn God’s grace through love and sacrifice.

Lead Ideal And Exemplary Lives

When people claim to be Sai devotees, they should lead ideal and exemplary lives. Broaden your minds. Cultivate Human Values. Love, Truth, forbearance and compassion are the highest human qualities. Hatred, envy and greed are animal qualities. If you develop at least a few human qualities, you can progress towards God-realisation.

At present, when you approach God, it is only out of selfish concerns. Selfishness is rampant in every action.  It is most essential to get rid of selfishness. Only then Divinity will manifest itself in you. Develop sacred love in your hearts. The feeling “I and you are one” should grow. Spirituality consists in filling the heart with love, dedicating all actions to the Divine and striving for the welfare of all.

April 27, 1990

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Stone As God, Not God As Stone

In the culture of India, all religions and faiths are integrated harmoniously for, it emphasises Righteous life, Love and Service, beyond which there is no higher Sadhana. But people have grown deaf to the call of this Message, and those whose duty it is to attract people’s attention to the lapse have been rendered weak and vacillating by the attraction of alien attitudes.

Throughout history, India has drawn the loyalty of her children to the four goals of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha, or rather, to the worldly ideals of Artha and Kama to be worked out within the limits set by Dharma on the one side and Moksha on the other. Artha (wealth) has to be won through Dharma (righteousness); the only Kama (desire, yearning) worth encouragement is the desire for Moksha (Liberation). Love is the impetus and Truth is the gain; they are the two wheels of the chariot of life. “Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah” “Non-violence is the most meritorious activity.” These axioms have been the life-breath of this nation since millenia, and they have become the heritage of each man, woman and child. Therefore, it must be said, the present plight when we find violence stalking the land, and brother stands with dagger drawn against brother, is a standing disgrace to all that the land has been proclaiming as precious.

God Can Be Cognised By Pure Consciousness Only

‘Hin’ means Himsa (violence) and ‘Dhu’ means Dura (distant), so that Hindu means a person who is devoid of violence, who loves and sympathises, who helps and serves – not one who hides and hits, harms and draws blood. The same sky is over everyone’s head; the same earth supports everyone’s feet; the same air enters everyone’s lungs! The same God brought all forth, brings up all and brings about the end of this earthly career. Why then this inhuman role of foe and fanatic, of fight and feud?

In the Gita, the Lord has declared, “Beejam Maam Sarva Bhootaanaam“(I am the seed for all beings). The tree is a broad spread of leaf and flower, fruit and green. All have grown out of one single small seed! And, every fruit of that tree has seeds of the same nature inside it! So too, contemplate for a while on the magnificent multitude of life, all its rich variety of strong and weak, prey and hunter, distressed and delighted, creeping, crawling, flying, floating, walking, hanging, burrowing, diving, swimming – all this uncountable variety of created beings have come out of the Beejam (Lord) and each of them has in its core, the Beejam, again (the Lord)!Visualise this Immanent Divinity; you become humble, wise, and full of love.

The God who is the origin and the goal can be cognised only by the pure consciousness, after Chitta Shuddhi (cleansing of the mind) is attained. And, to cleanse the consciousness, one must start early. The race is won by those who start early and drive slowly; then, they reach safely, not otherwise. Put the little feet on the path of God; the joy of the first steps will lead them forward. We in India see God in trees, in plants, in birds and beasts; we worship Him everywhere, in all things. People laugh at you when you worship a picture; and, some weak-minded persons feel ashamed themselves, when they do so. But, we are treating the picture as God, and not treating God as a picture. Worship the stone as God, not treat God as stone!

Sadhana Is Necessary To Get Vision Of God

Seeing alone is believing, for these critics. Will they deny the Sun in the sky, when the clouds hide it from view? It is the cloud of Maya, the curtain of confusion that hides God from the consciousness of man. The eye affected by cataract swears that there is no lamp in the room; but, an operation to remove it is needed for him to become aware of the lamp. That operation is the symbol of the spiritual discipline that one has to undergo, in order to get the Vision of God.

Man is flying to the moon, and diving into the sea; but, he does not know how to live on earth with his fellowmen, in love and peace. He moves towards the moon for fear that others may reach before him; and dives through the sea to strike terror, himself terrified of others! The wayto live without fearing or causing fear is laid down in the Gita, the very first Shlokaof which is aboutDharmakshetra (field of righteousness). TheShlokais about a question which Dhritarashtra asks. Who is this Dhritarashtra? The word means, he who holds fast to the kingdom, who will not give it up, who is attached to it fanatically. Now, what is the Rashtra (kingdom) for a person? All that is not he are his possessions; that is to say, his body, his senses, his knowledge, his feeling, emotions, besides his house, car, lands, reputation, etc. Dhritarashtra means, any person who treats things not his, as he himself, a person who identifies himself as his body, for example. He asked Sanjaya to tell him what was happening in Kurukshetra and Dharmakshetra– the fields of Action and of Virtue.

Develop Nearness And Kinship With God

Sanjaya means one who has won the victory, the victory over the senses and other forces that limit and divert the higher faculties which lead man Godward. He was asked about the progress of the battle that was being fought in Kurukshetra, which was also Dharmakshetra; his answer is summed up in the very last, the 700^thShlokaof the Gita: “The side that merges in the Yogeeshwara, the Lord of those who seek to merge their identities, to lose their separate names and forms, Lord Krishna, that side will gain the victory.” The first Shlokahas the question and the last, the answer! The rest of the text is the elaboration of this theme.

People have specialised in the various methods of worshipping God; there is a host of rites, ceremonials, hymns, festivals, fasts, vows, pilgrimages; but, the best form of worship, the one that will bring the Grace of God in ample measure, is to obey the commands of God. Adulation is poor adoration! Placing God at a great distance from you and praising Him as Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent will not please Him. Develop nearness, proximity, kinship with God. Win Him by obedience, loyalty, humility and purity.

Make your lives simple; fill the daily tasks with love and mutual co-operation; be tolerant towards the errors and failings of others; look upon them with sympathy and understanding; be calm and without agitation, under all conditions. Then, you can be happy and the country can be happy. Your sentiments will be unselfish and your emotions, tender. Envy, hatred and vindictiveness can gain no entrance into the stronghold of your mind, where mercy, benevolence and indulgence stand guard.

Disappointments Test Your Fortitude

God is not involved in either rewards or punishments. He only re-flects, re-sounds and re-acts! He is the Eternal Unaffected Witness! You decide your own fate. Do good, be good, you get good in return; be bad, do bad deeds, you reap bad results. Do not thank or blame God. Thank yourself, blame yourself! He does not even will that creation, protection and destruction shall take place. They follow the same law, the innate law of the Maya-ridden universe.

This electric current, for example, can be used by us, to turn the fans and give us coolness in this sultry weather; it can be used to give light; to magnify human speech and take the sound nearer to you; it can be made to produce many copies of a printed sheet. In all these cases, it creates. But, if you are so overcome by all the good that it does and your admiration goes a little too far and you grasp the wire that carries it to you, you are killed! The current creates; it protects; it destroys; it depends on how we utilise it.

Let the petty wishes for which you now approach God be realised or not; let the plans for promotion and progress which you place before God, be fulfilled or not; they are not so important after all. The primary aim should be to become Masters of yourselves, to hold intimate and constant communion with the Divine that is in you as well as in the Universe of which you are a part. Welcome disappointments, for they toughen you and test your fortitude.

The gold that was melting in the fire, before the goldsmith with his blowpipe, told him: “Do not exult when you drop me into the fire and I am molten and the alloy is taken out of me. Remember I am rendered purer and more valuable every moment, whereas all that you get for your pains is smoke in the face and soot in the hand!”

Believe That Ills Draw You Nearer To God

This is the lesson the Mahabharata teaches! Never give up God, holding Him responsible for your ills; believe rather that the ills draw you nearer to God, making you call on Him always when you are in difficulty. You suffer stomach pain and the doctor gives you the pain of operation, in order to reduce that pain and give you relief. Then, you say, you have joy! Joy is but the interval between two moments of pain, and pain the interval between two moments of joy.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had a boil on his throat and he could not swallow any food or even drink liquids without much pain. At this, Vivekananda pleaded with his Master, and prayed to him to seek the Mother’s Grace so that he might take in at least liquid food. Ramakrishna replied that he did pray to Mother and the Mother answered, “Are you not now taking enough food through all these billions of throats, the throats of all living beings in the world? Unable to take in through one out of the billion, why are you so upset?” The one Atma (Consiousness) is pervading everywhere; that was the lesson taught by the Mother. Everyone is just a wave, a part of the Universal, the Paramatma. That is the Truth, the Satya.

“SatyaanNaasti Paro Dharma“(There is no higher Dharma than Truth).Be true; that is the acme of righteousness, the essence of all morality. The truth of the One-ness of all involves Love, Service, Peace and so, it is the basis of moral living. All distinctions are temporary walls erected by ambition or hate.

All Differences Are Trivial Transitory Marks

Now,Hindu Dharmaor ChristianDharma orMuslimDharmais identified with external conformities like dress, hairdo, facial hair-styles, rosaries and caste marks, and other attitudes like whom one can touch and yet remain ceremonially pure, when one can pray, where one has to eat and what, and such trivial, transitory marks. It is mostly superstition and mumblery, don’t touch this, don’t touch that!

Dharma must be surging from the heart as the cool energising water of Prema and Shanti (love and peace). Youcan learn what exactly Dharma is from the Ramayana. Rama is the very embodiment of Dharma; every word and every deed is resonant with its message. Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, who followed his footsteps throughout his earthly career, is the symbol of the Mind; walking on the footprints of Dharma, it never lost its way; it triumphed in the lap of Victory. The Ramayana is a text-book for Dharma to be lived out in every home, by the father, the mother, the son, the brother, the members of a joint family–both men and women.

Gandhiji dreamed of Ramrajya in Bharat; he wanted that people here must live like the subjects of Rama in Ayodhya. But look at the sad contrast! Then, the brothers Rama and Lakshmana reached the supreme state of identity as a result of the Love between them. Now brothers reach the Supreme Court, in their attempt to resolve differences and disputes, over some paltry properties, which are not proper ties at all! People climb rostrums and shout “Brothers and Sisters!” but that platitude remains a flatitude! As soon as they descend from that altitude, the sentiment melts into thin air. The brotherhood one has to cultivate is the readiness to give love for love, heart for heart and life for life!

Purify Yourselves And Purify The Atmosphere

Bharatiya culture condemns violence as bestial and even worse. Though the epics and ancient tales of this land speak of demons, men and gods as diverse, they are names only for traits, which all share to a more or less extent. Humanity has to get rid of the dross of demonism and invest itself with splendour of Divinity.Take the story of Krishna in the Bhagavata. Kamsa has Asuric(demonic) character; his sister, Devaki, is human, and she brought forth Krishna, the Divine that incarnated to rescue the world from perdition! The person who married Devaki, the person who had the honour to be the father of the Incarnation was Vasudeva. His sister’s son, Shishupala is an Asura (demon)! And, strangely enough, Shishupala nearly married the future Queen of Krishna, Rukmini. Krishna carried her away from the wedding gathering and saved her from being wedded to the demonic personality, Shishupala! So, it is clear, that the inclinations and behaviours of persons decided the category into which they were thrown–demon, human or Divine.

Be therefore ever vigilant that your activities do not drag you down into the depths of demonhood; let them elevate you into the heights of Divinity. It is really commendable that in this city so many of you are engaged in Bhajans, Nagarsankirtans and Namasmaran. Let the Name of the Lord proceed from the heart, not from the lips. Be Prahladas, in the land that is sick with too many Hiranyakashipus. The Name of the Lord is the Narasimha that will save and sustain! Purify yourselves and purify the atmosphere, in which and by which you have to live. That is My advice and My blessing.

May 12, 1970

Bombay

Nut And Bolt

Today is an auspicious day, for the New Year is welcomed with great expectations and the old year is given a grand farewell, on this holy day. Every year, man has been bidding farewell to the old year and giving welcome to the New Year; this has been going on since the history of man began. But, what is the net result? Only despair and distress, anxiety and insane fear! This is an occasion to inquire and discover why it has been so.

Everyone seeks and strives to be at peace with himself and with society (the community in which he has to live) and find his fulfilment. He has tried to get this peace, by accumulating wealth, which gives him power over others and the ability to command the conveniences and comforts which will confer peace. He has sought to hoist himself to positions of authority and influence so that he can shape events suited to his aims and fancies. But, he has realised that both these paths are beset with fear, and the peace that he secures thereby is liable to quick and sometimes violent extinction.

How then can man achieve peace? Only through Love! Shanti (peace) is the fruit of the tree of life; without it, the tree is a barren stump. It has no value or validity. The fruit is encased in a bitter skin, you must have noticed, so that the sweet juice may be preserved and guarded against marauders; you have to remove the skin, before tasting the sweetness within, and strengthening yourself. The thick rind is symbolic of the six evil passions that encase the loving heart of man: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate. Those who can remove the rind and contact the sweetness within, through hard consistent discipline attain the peace we all desire; that peace is everlasting, unchanging, overwhelming.

Reason For Insecurity Stalking The Land

Of what avail is a car, a bank deposit, a bungalow in a posh extension in this city? If you have all these but no love in your heart, the heart becomes a dark deserted temple, where the bats of lust and anger breed in everlasting night. Such hearts are foul, diseased with terror and error.We have this vast gathering of the workers of the Kamani Organisations, in the various fields of Kamani enterprises. The Industrial, the Agricultural, the Mercantile, the Political and theAdministrative–these are like the five vital airs that sustain activity in man. These five must not be at loggerheads; they must work in unison, prompted by love and mutual respect. Then only can the community have peace, security and happiness. If they do not understand each other and co-operate, or if any one of them strays away into a cross-road, disaster is inevitable.

This cooperation is unfortunately not visible at the present time. Factional interests, on the other hand, are predominant and the competitive struggle is on, in all fields–in labour, politics, administration, commerce and agriculture! That is the reason why anxiety and insecurity stalk the land, both in rural and urban areas, and people have to go about their business, with death or disaster threatening them round every corner! An ominous uncertainty shadows them, at every turn. And, human thought turns to violence and revolution, as the obvious cure.

Duty Is God; Work Is Worship

But, that can never cure; it can only worsen the illness. Excitement blinds the reasoning faculty.Passion, violence, and cruelty create more problems, without solving any. These are now flooding the land as a deluge; persons who have no training and no sincere yearning to bear responsibility and discharge the obligations of office are raised to positions of authority. Ability as well as willingness to discharge duties and to bear burdens–these alone entitle men to hold authority over others. Duty is God; Work is Worship. The power that office confers has to be handled with that attitude of gratefulness and reverence.

If this is remembered and practised by every worker, however placed, wherever placed, work will give happiness, contentment and peace, both to the person concerned and to the society of which he is a limb. The Kamanis erect transmission towers all over the country. It is only when each nut and bolt is fixed fast and firm, faithfully, that the towers can stand up to the rigorous test of wind and weather, isn’t it? Who can say, how can we judge, whose share in the erection is more important and whose is less? The work of each is essential and valuable, so far as his share of the responsibility extends. Having the skill and the willingness to carry out that share of the responsibility is his title to that position, in the common enterprise. You cannot declare one item of work as high and another item as low. That will only engender malice and hate. And it is not correct, either.

Each One Must Use His Skill And Intelligence

A man sees while going along a road, a ripe fruit, on a tree by the side. The mind craves for the fruit, but that by itself cannot fulfil that craving. The feet take him near the tree. But, that does not bring about the consummation. The trunk stoops, the hand picks up a stone, the shoulders throw the stone at the fruit, and the fruit falls on the ground. But that does not end the story. The fruit has to be picked up by the fingers, transferred into the mouth, the teeth have to bite into it, and masticate it well and the tongue has to take charge in order to make it reach the stomach. The eating part of the task is thus over.

But, that does not end the story of the craving for the fruit. Since so many instruments co-operated in the fulfilment, gratitude has to be rendered to each of them. So, the stomach sends strength and satisfaction to every limb that shared in the adventure of securing the fruit and eating it–the eye, the feet, the hands, the fingers, the shoulder, the tongue, the teeth, the gullet. No one of them is neglected or discriminated against.

Each limb must act effectively at the exact juncture to meet the duty entrusted to it and accepted by it, so that the body may live in health and in tip-top efficiency, alert with all its skills and potentialities. This is true also of the enterprises which man undertakes with others of his kind.Each one must resolve to use his skill and intelligence for the discharge of his obligations.

The More Love Is Shared, The Deeper It Becomes

Man has not come into this world to strut about for a while on the stage, consuming food and gaily gallivanting. Man comes into the world so that he may bask in the Presence of God, through the exercise of love and the cultivation of love. The earth is a great enterprise, a busy factory, where the product is love. By means of Sadhana (spiritual practice), it is possible to produce love and export it to millions and millions of people, in need of it. The more it is shared the deeper it becomes, the sweeter its taste, and the vaster the joy. By means of love, one can approach God and stay in his presence, for God is love, and when one lives in love, he is living in God. If you deny God angrily, you are drying up the strings of love in your heart. If you declaim that God is nowhere, you are installing night in your heart and making it ready for dark schemes and misdeeds.

Once upon a time, a monk wearing the ochre robe chanced to enter a village full of atheists; he fell in with a gang of defiant youth who challenged him to show them that the God whom he was adoring actually existed. He said, he can; but before doing so, he asked for a cup of milk.When the milk was placed before him, he did not drink it; but, sat, looking at it, long and silently, with increasing curiosity. The youth became impatient; their clamour became insistent. The monk told them, “Wait a minute, I am told that there is butter in milk; but, I must say, this cup does not have it, for, I do not see any of it, however hard I look into it!” The fellows laughed at his innocence and said, “Silly man! Don’t rush into such absurd conclusions.Milk has butter in every drop; that is what makes it so nourishing. If you must see it as a separate concrete entity, you have to boil the milk, cool it, add sour curd, wait for some hours for it to curdle, then, churn it, and roll the butter that floats into a ball.”“Ah,”said the monk,“that makes my task of showing you God much easier! God is in every thing, being, atom of the Universe; it is because of this that they exist, and we can recognise them and enjoy them. To see Him as a concrete entity, you have to follow a prescribed procedure, earnestly, strictly and sincerely. Then, at the end of it all, you can experience His Grace and His Glory.”

The Divine Is Everywhere, Near And Far

The nature we have around us and with us is the vesture of God. We have evidence of His Beauty, Goodness, Wisdom and Power, all around us, wherever we turn our eyes. But, the art of recognising Him is strange to us and so, we deny Him, and live on in darkness. We have all around us in the atmosphere the music emanating from all the broadcasting stations of the world, but they do not assail your ear at any time. You are not aware of any station. But, if you have a receiver, and if you tune it to the correct wave-length, you can hear the matter broadcast from any particular station; if you fail to tune it correctly, you will get, instead of news, only nuisance! So too, the Divine is everywhere above, around, below, beside; near as well as far. For cognising it, you require not aYantra (machine) but aMantra (mystical formula, potent with psychological undertone). Dhyana (meditation) is the fixing of the exact location of the station in the band; love is the correct tuning in; realising the reality and the bliss it confers is the happy clear listening!

Work in the spirit of love; it leads you on to Worship, that is to say, work without any regard to the proportion of benefit you derive from it; work, since it is your duty; work, since you love to work; work since that is the way you can offer God the gratitude for the skills God has endowed upon you. This kind of work leads to wisdom. Wisdom means the recognition of the immanence of the Divine in every being.

Habits Of Discipline Alone Can Ensure Happiness

The relationship between the worker and the employer should be that between the heart and the body. Both are bound intimately with each other; they depend on each other for their very existence. The employer must take upon himself the role of the father and the employees must accept the role of the children, attached by love and gratitude to the father. Love and affection have to govern the relations between the two, not hatred or envy. If the anger and irreverence of a few are allowed to blind the rest, all will suffer.

In the Community Hall inaugurated by Me just now, I want weekly or monthly Bhajan (group singing of spirituals) sessions and Satsang(spiritually oriented) gatherings. Arrange some good Aadhyatmic (spiritual) talk or discussions, on these occasions. I desire also that you should run a Bal Vihar for your children, where they will learn stories from the scriptures, the epics and the lives of saints belonging to all religions. Children must also be taught habits of cleanliness and mutual help and co-operation. They can also be taught to sing Bhajan songs and enact little plays on themes selected from classics. They will also learn habits of discipline, for, these alone can ensure happiness, individual and social.

Embodiments of the Divine Spirit! 

I am happy to meet all of you. May the New Year grant you mental peace and may your life’s ideal of self-realisation be fulfilled. May all comforts and full contentment be added unto you. That is My blessing. 

January 1, 1971

Kurla, Bombay

Sabko Sanmati

You are citizens of no mean land; Bharat is indeed a Divya Bhoomi–a land saturated since ages with devotion and dedication to God. The path to God was sought for, by even the common folk. Spiritual discipline permeated every activity of life and every detail of daily life. You are the inheritors of a great culture, which has survived the onslaughts of alien rule and political suppression.

This culture has upheld strength of mind and purity of thought, which are translated into beneficial resolutions and desires, as the essential requisites of a progressive human being. The mystery and splendour of God can be grasped only by a pure mind and a clear vision. That is why the Lord granted a new eye to Arjuna in order that he might not be confounded by His Glory. A resolution adopted by the mind is like a stone thrown into a Sarovara or lake. It produces ripples that affect the entire face and unsettles equanimity. A good Sankalpa (resolution) sets up a series of such thoughts, each contributing its quota to the process of purification and strengthening. Bharatiya culture insists on purity of Sankalpa because, like a flagrant flower in the hand, it will spread its beneficial influence on others and through others, on the society and community, in which the individual operates. A bad thought desecrates the individual as well as the community. Misery too is infectious; your impurity can pollute too. When the Mind acts in subordination to the Intellect or Discriminating Reason, it will help theRealisation of the Inner Truth. When it yields to the pull of the senses, then, it will tighten the bonds.

Be Equipped With Humility To Win God’s Grace

Good ideas have to be accepted and bad ones eschewed. Each idea has to be judged in the Supreme Court of Viveka (Wisdom). And, the ruling has to be treated as inviolable. It is in this context that we have to remind ourselves of the prayer of Gandhiji, “Sabko Sanmati De Bhagavan”– “O God, Bestow right understanding on all.”

Again, the individual born in the lake of Society must swim and float in the calm waters, and joining the river of Progress, merge in the Ocean of Grace. Man has to move from the stance of “I” to the position of “We”.This day, we see only the wild dance of ego-stricken individuals, who hate society and behave most unsocially.

Water flows from a higher level to the lower levels. God’s Grace too is like that. It flows down to those who are bent with humility. So, give up the ego, overcome jealousy, and cultivate love. How can man be truly at peace with himself and with others, if he does not endeavour to win the Grace of God? While trying to get the best out of Nature’s Gifts, you must first be equipped with humility and simplicity; otherwise, you will only be dragged along into ruin, through many unfulfilled desires. Ravana desired Nature (Sita, who was found as a child in a furrow of ploughed land); but, he was not chastened by the effort to win the Grace of God; and so, he met his downfall. Desire leads to anger, when it is foiled; and anger weakens the body. It impairs the digestive system and chases him fast into old age.

Remember, when Prema (Divine selfless Love) is installed in the heart, jealousy, hatred and untruth will find no place there. Live in Prema, live with Prema, move with Prema, speak with Prema, think with Prema, and act with Prema. This is the best and the most fruitful Sadhana (spiritual effort). Do not want Prema from others, while yourself refusing Prema to others. This is not a one-way traffic.Love for all should spontaneously flow from your heart, and sweeten all your words.

March 30, 1973

Chembur, Bombay

The Basic Error

You may have cows of different breeds and bands, colours and continents, but the milk they give is everywhere the same in composition! You may get gold from different places and engage different goldsmiths to make for you different types of ornaments but the basic substance does not undergo any diminution in value. It remains gold for all time. Living beings belong to widely different species but, the Spark of Life, the Jeeva (individual being) in each is the same. God is the goal of every prayer, in whatever language or dialect it is spoken. You may see people kneeling or prostrating, with folded palms or arms extended, in church or mosque or temple but they are all asking for help, succour, strength, wisdom, security or happiness from the inexhaustible reservoir of happiness, wisdom and power, God. But, people in their pettiness, do not recognise this basic truth, they pride themselves on their holiness and disparage the others, as having gone astray! They do not have mental peace themselves, nor do they allow others to live in peace. Such is the stupidity of the fanatics.

It Is Good And Helpful To Have An Enemy

Ignoring the unity of all mankind in the Atma (Divine soul), man relishes inquarrels and factions.He classifies some among his contemporaries as his friends and some as his foes. He manufactures duality where basically there is only unity. It is his own likes and dislikes, prejudices and passions that is reflected back, that creates all this reaction of love and hatred, all this resounding echo of friction. Friendship and enmity arise from your heart; they are labels fixed by you, not marks which other people are born with. The same person is the thickest friend of one man and the mortal enemy of another–both because of his one act or one word!

Of course, it is best that you do not develop too much attachment with others and get entangled either through the silken bonds of friendship or the iron chain of hatred. But, if you ask Me, it is more beneficial to cultivate enemies. Kabir has stated many times that it is good and very helpful to have an enemy that is ever eager to criticise you for your faults than a friend who will cast a blind eye on them. The enemy takes delight in abusing you and it is said in the Puranas (mythological legends) that, as a consequence, he goes on diminishing and wiping off from your account the demerits you have to live out in misery. The faster and fouler his abuse, the sooner and better are your future prospects brightened. The enemy absorbs your sins and their effects.

Moreover, since you are always aware of the enemy and his tactics, you are alert not to give him any chance to point his finger of scorn at you. He is your censor, corrector and conscience. Be thankful to him who talks ill of you, for surely, he is doing you very great service by examining your every act on the touchstone of morality, truth and righteousness.

Most People Live Superficial Lives

But, the best path for Sadhak (spiritual aspirant) is to transcend all dualities and recognise the oneness of the Atma behind and beyond the diversities of Nature. Mistaking the One to be the Many is the basic error that has led man into pain and misery. He sees multiplicity, he engages himself in manifold activities, he is pulled in many directions, he is distracted and distressed. He has no time to meditate on the One Basic Truth. He is confused by the kaleidoscopic transformations. He is tossed between hate and love, attachment and repulsion.

Only recently when I was touring the Delhi area I asked some persons who came to Me with the complaint that, since they did not attend 60% of the Bhajans, the Committee meetings, etc., their names are threatened to be removed from membership. “Why could you not attend even that number of meetings?” You will be surprised at the reply they gave Me. “Swamiji! We have no time even to die!” That is the plight to which this fundamental ignorance of the One (that appears as Many) has driven people.

Man does not delve deep into the significance of all that happens around him. Siddhartha, who became the Buddha, had that urge to know and inquire. Most people live superficial lives. They are like logs of wood tossed up and down by the waves of the sea, insensitive, dull, Tamasic. Haste lands them in waste; waste increases worry. They have no time to sit and meditate on the reality of their own existence, their own knowledge and their own joy. If that is done, they can contact the source of all existence, all knowledge and all bliss. They don’t take even the first step towards their self-inquiry. How then can they derive self-satisfaction, at their vastness, indestructibility, infinite power and wisdom?

Duty Must Be Done With Skill, Sincerity And Love

You have it in your power to make your days on earth a path of flowers, instead of a path of thorns. Recognise the Sai resident in every heart and all will be smoothness, softness and sweetness for you. Sai will be the fountain of Love in your heart and in the hearts of all with whom you come in contact. Know that Sai is Omnipresent and so, He is present in every living thing and you. Adore everyone as you adore Sai. Allow the other man as much freedom as you like to enjoy; do unto him just as you would like to be done to you. Don’t do unto him anything you don’t like to be done unto you. That is the sum and substance of Sadhana (spiritual effort).

One individual goes along the road swinging his walking stick merrily. He is quite happy with himself and his conditions. He has every right to do so. But, he has to remember that others are also walking along the road and have every right to do so. So, his stick should be so swung that no harm or injury is inflicted on other rightful users of the road. Your freedom is restricted by the freedoms you have to grant to other members of the Society in which you live and thrive. As a matter of fact, if there was no other person, you have no duties at all. Duty arises when you have another person to deal with. You have a duty so far as the other person is concerned and he has the responsibility to see that he deserves that duty which you feel bound to fulfil towards him. Duty must be deserved by the other; it must be done with skill and sincerity and love. This is easy if you feel that your duty is part of your worship, that you are offering it to the Sai in the other person. Your duty is to your own self, the Sai that is your real core.

Be Aware Of Both Your Duties And Responsibilities

You will be false to Sai if you delay doing it, or do it clumsily or half-heartedly. Your station in life, your position of authority, your account, your kinship with others, your status as father or son, husband or wife, master or servant, teacher or pupil, each has its own Swadharma (individual morality and duty)–both of duties and responsibilities. Abide by them; be aware of them always. Bharatiya Culture has emphasised this in every scripture and every epic.

Begin yourSadhana by offering the joy ofthe Jeeva (individual being) to the Deva (Divine being)! Of course, Deva does not need the offering of joy made by the Jeeva. The waters of the lake do not need fish swimming in it; its joy is not lessened by their absence. But the fish need the waters. Do not be led to believe that God will be feeling a void, if there are no devotees or worshippers! The person with devotion in the heart, with the thirst for Truth in his brain, with the yearning for surrender in his mind, will certainly feel lost if there is no God whom he can approach and adore.

Be Eager To Do Your Duty As Best As You Can

Faith in God is to be translated into action. It is an imperative act of worship to discharge faithfully all one’s duties and responsibilities. It will be dangerous if the right work is not done by the right person at the right time. You must be eager to do your duty as best as you can. Maintain your own self-respect, by this attitude and by this sense of obligation. You must also be vigilant about the honour and reputation of your family and fore-fathers.

There was a washerman in a village, who belonged to the family that washed the clothes of its residents, since generations. It was his hereditary profession. Every one, high and low, rich and poor, gave their clothes to him for cleaning and ironing. He had two donkeys to bring the soiled clothes from the house to the river and to carry the burden of the washed clothes from the river to the streets and the houses of his customers. He had also a dog to watch over the washed clothes hung for drying in the open spaces by the side of the river.

One day, the washerman had to wash a big lot of silken sarees and Dhotisbecause of a marriage in the house of the richest man of the village and he had kept them all nicely washed and ironed, in one of the rooms in the hut. It was night. The dog and the donkeys were in the backyard, of the house, dozing off. The washerman had, in his anxiety to get all the clothes washed, had forgotten to feed the dog that evening and the poor animal was both hungry and angry. So, when a thief stole past him in the darkness and began breaking into the hut to steal the silken clothes, he kept mum.

The donkeys noted this and were upset because their master was being robbed right before their eyes. So, they raised a hue and cry, braying their loudest. The washerman was awakened by the noise; he came out of the house, red in the face, because the donkeys had disturbed his sleep. He took up a cudgel and beat up the donkeys mercilessly! They suffered because they took upon themselves a duty that did not rightfully belong to them. It was not their Swadharma.

Humility, Forbearance, Sincerity–these are the primary virtues of a genuine son or daughter ofBharat. Your duty is to cultivate these and make the city of Bombay, which is the stomach of Bharat, healthy and clean. Then only can Bharat be happy. That is why the Dharmakshetra (Mansion of Morality) and the Dharma Stupa (Monument of Morality) have both been erected first in your city.

May 11, 1975

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Controlled Pride

he awareness of the Atman (the Divine in man) can neither be gifted to another nor be accepted from another. It is there all the time, hidden behind the veil of ignorance. When the false image disappears, the Truth shines in all its Glory. It is like the sun behind the passing cloud. Your duty is to deny this veil and let the Sun of Awareness shine forth and illumine your thoughts, words and deeds.

As people from Andhra, it is desirable that you revere your native region and native language. But the reverence should not lead to irreverence towards other regions and languages. Be proud of your language and culture– in that there is no harm. But let not that pride lead you to dislike other languages and cultures.The languages by which thoughts are expressed may be varied, but the thoughts, emotions and feelings are the same. The language of the heart is the same, but when it comes to the tongue, it may take various forms. When it is known and appreciated that the One manifested itself as the many, and that the One is known by many names, there is really no scope for hatred or irreverence.

Satsang Helps To Develop Freedom From Delusion

Attitudes of tolerance and reverence can be cultivated only along the spiritual path. That is the one path for attaining peace and harmony in this world of ceaseless striving and never-ending despair. The Satsang, the gathering of Godward-bound seekers, is a must for the sprouting of spiritual desire and its fulfillment. Even the tardy will soon develop a keen enthusiasm for the spirit through the influence of Satsang. A piece of string may be bright and white, but no one will wear it on the hair and round the neck. However, let it get entwined through some fragrant flowers and make of them a garland, and people will love to have it in their hair or round their necks. The Satsangof flowers gives it that high status.

A boulder, lying neglected beside the road, will receive the adoration of millions if through association with a sculptor it becomes an Idol for a temple. The common rat, despised as a pest, becomes holy when worshippers of Ganesh find it associated with Him as His vehicle. On the other hand, fire, which is worshipped as Agni Devata, becomes the target of the hammer when it enters a ball of iron. That is why Shankaracharya has sung in Bhaja Govindam, “Through Satsang you develop freedom from delusion, through freedom from delusion you develop faith in Truth, and through faith in Truth you attain liberation Itself.”

Egoism Is The Crown Of All Evils

We become what we feel and act. Karma (action) shapes the future as it has shaped thepresent. Karma is the supreme maker of one’s destiny. So one must seek Satsangin order to purify one’s Karma, which otherwise might act as a shackle. It is impossible to escape from the consequences ofone’s Karma. TheShruti (revealed sacred text) requires you, therefore, to prostrate before every Karma that you do, praying that it may not bring harm to any one or to yourself.

As child of Immortality, man is entitled to live a noble life and realise his Reality. The lotus takes birth in slush, rises through water, and dies when thrown out of water. It cannot survive for long when deprived of water. Man, too, is born in the world, lives in it, and has to exist in it. You must have heard the dictum, “All honour rendered to man reaches God.” Hear also another statement, “All dishonour inflicted on man reaches God.” It is the law, as inescapable as the law that makes this piece of cloth that I hold in My handfall to the ground when I release the hold.

Only when man is able to have the Grace of God and the reinforcement of Dharma (righteousness) will he not be led into disaster. He will then be led along the path of spiritual progress, for Dharma protects its protector.So long as man lives a life devoted to objective pleasures and objective victories, he cannot escape sorrow, fear and anxiety. Only the Inner Vision can grant him Ananda (Divine bliss). For the Atman is the fountain head of Ananda just as egoism is the crown of all evils. Man must develop humility and a sense of proportion as regards his aims and ideals.

You have fostered this educational Institution. You must lay emphasis on universal ideals in the field of education. You must encourage those who talk the language of the Atman, and not merely the language of Andhra. The latter provides food for the stomach; but joy for the eye and bliss for the heart–these are given by the former. Man is not merely body; he has a mind, a heart, many levels of consciousness and a thirst for the Reality. Many practise Dhyana (meditation), but the evidence for progress in Dhyana is to be sought in a more universal outlook, greater steadiness, peace, forbearance and more eagerness to serve fellow-beings. Dhyana must reveal the Divine in man and thereby induce self- confidence, self- sacrifice and self- satisfaction.

So regulate your lives in such a manner that you do not dislike others nor have others dislike you. Love all as embodiments of the same Divine Principle. Demonstrate by your lives, these ideals among the Maharashtrians. Let them speak of people from Andhra as broad-minded and warmhearted. With the co-operation of the Maharashtrians you have built up this Institution, and I am happy to bless it and give all guidance and help. You are Mine; I am yours. When it is an educational institution, I take special interest in it, and I am ever ready to visit it and bless the students.

December 30, 1977

Andhra Educational Society Junior College,Bombay

The Flowers That God Loves

t is in the experience and practice of the citizens of Bharat that they generally worship God with flowers, offer Puja (ritual adoration) and make obeisance to God. But there is something which is more sacred than this. There is a distinctive type of devotion by which you worship God with a good, clean mind and good conduct. This has been given the name of ParaBhakti. By worshiping God always with Puja and flowers, theSadhaka (spiritual aspirant) will remain stationary in his place. This is good in a way but to remain in one place all the time and failing to rise to a higher position is not good. It is a superior type of worship–to worship God through good qualities, good conduct, good thoughts and good company. The Shrutis (scriptures) have described this kind of worship as worship through good qualities. By offering what kind of good qualities can we please God?

The first flower with which we can worship God is Ahimsa–non-violence. The second flower is Dama (control of senses). The third flower isDaya (compassion to all living beings). The fourth one is Kshama (forbearance). The fifth flower isShanti (peace). The sixth flower is Tapas (penance). The seventh one is the flowerof Dhyana (meditation). The eighth is the flower of Satya (Truth). The inner meaning of this statement is that God will shower grace on you if you worship Him through these eight flowers.

The flowers in nature fade always, drop down, lose fragrance and also develop an odour which is not pleasant. Instead of worshipping with such worldly flowers, which are impermanent, and receiving impermanent rewards from God, we should worship Him with what is truthful and thereby attain a stage which is higher.

The True Meaning Of Ahimsa

The flowers which you are using for worship have not been created by you. You are bringing flowers which have been created by the Sankalpa (Will) of God on some tree or in some garden and are offering them back to the Creator Himself. What is the greatness in using the flowers created by God and giving them back to God Himself? Many people bathe in the Ganges, take the water from the Ganges into their palms and offer it back to the Ganges itself. This is not what you have created. This is not what you have the right to offer.

From the tree of your life, to pick out such fruits which you have protected and which you have grown in the form of good qualities and offering them to God, there is some distinctiveness in that. In order to promote good qualities, you have to undergo several troubles. So, it is through these good qualities that your mind can also acquire a Divine concentration. Without good qualities and without good thoughts, how can you fix your mind in meditation?

The first flower is Ahimsa Pushpam. We regard the word Ahimsato mean not causing harm and hurt to other living things. The true meaning of the word is not to cause hurt and harm to any other living being either through your thought, word or deed. Cleansing and purifying these three–thought, word and deed–has been called a Triputi in spiritual parlance. This kind of flower of Ahimsahas been described as Trigunam, Triputi, Ekabilvam. All of them should be harmonised and brought together to one unit of flower.

Use The Sensory Organs Along The Right Path

The second flower is the control of sensory organs. Our senses run without any control. If running horses or animals are not controlled, they pose a danger.God has created each organ of the human body for a specific purpose. It is only when we use these sensory organs along the right path for which they have been created we will be entitled to God’s grace. God has given us a nose. We should make an attempt to breathe in and breathe out through the nose and only accept fragrance through the nose. If we use such a nose to take snuff into it, the purpose will become useless. In the same manner, He has given us the mouth and a tongue in order that we may take Sattvic(pure) food. If we use the mouth to take in unholy food, intoxicating drinks, then we will be using the mouth for a wrong purpose.

In the same manner, we should understand under what conditions and in what times and in what manner we should use each of these organs and put them under control. Our inner strength will become less and less on account of excitement or unnecessary sorrow. The body will become ill by mental agitations and distractions. Man ages very quickly through excitement and sorrow. The reason for your not preserving this sacred instrument in sound condition is lack of control over these sensory organs. The second flower of sensory control should be used for worshipping God.

The third flower is compassion to all living things–Sarvabhuta Daya Pushpam. Looking merely and superficially at human nature, which had diverse aspects, we are forgetting God in this field.From the seed of Divinity the tree of creation has grown. In this tree of creation the fruits are the human beings which are the Jeevatmas. In each of these human fruits, there is Divinity in the form of seed. That is why in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna has said, “Bijam Maam Sarvabhutanam” (I am the seed in all the living beings in the form of Atma). Recognising the truth that God is present in the form ofAtma in all living beings, we say that compassion to all living beings is the third flower.

One’s Love Should Encompass All Living Beings

The fourth one is Kshama Pushpam. Kshama or forbearance truly is the highest quality of a human being. But in human life because he develops narrow ideas, man wants to live in a constricted place. He thinks ‘I’ and ‘my family’ are what matter, others are all different from ‘me’. It is not possible for us to develop the flower of forbearance as long as these ideas are in us. It is only when we love that we can have patience and forbearance. One’s love should encompass all living beings. That will fructify as forbearance.

There is a small example. In our home there are our children. Along with our children, there is also a servant. In the house, a son may be pilfering something or the other and developing bad habits. In many ways we will try and control that son by beating, by scolding, and persuading him to return to good ways but we will never take him and hand him over to the police. In the same house, if the servant boy steals a small spoon, at once we will take him and hand him over to the police. What is the inner meaning of the situation in which we do not punish a son, even if he steals day after day, but we hand over a servant boy immediately to the police when he steals even a small thing? The reason for this is the narrow idea ‘that this boy is my son’. Because the servant does not belong to you, there is no place for forbearance and patience. So you see that when you have the broad idea ‘that everyone is mine’ there is room for patience and forbearance.It is only then that our love will also grow.

With Truthful Thoughts Man Will Have Peace

The fifth is the flower of Shanti–ShantiPushpam.This flower of peace should not be interpreted to mean that you should be silent whosoever is attacking you, or whosoever is blaming you. It is not that. If you are unmoved and unperturbed in spite of anyone finding faults in you, this can be called real Shanti. If you can fill your heart with love, then peace will come into you from outside. Through bad qualities, to some extent, we lose peace. With truthful thoughts, a man will have peace. With untruthful thoughts, a man will not have peace. If you can get rid of all thoughts, you will become a saint. It is only when you can be free from all thoughts that you can have peace. Your own bad thoughts are responsible for all your pain and sorrow. By good thoughts and by good ideas, you will become a Sadhu. Sadhu does not mean one who merely wears an orange robe, shaves the head and wears Rudraksha (holy beads). He who has good thoughts and good ideas is a Sadhu. A Sadhuis one who is a Satya Sankalpa Swarupa (embodiment of truthful thoughts).

In the state of peace, human nature will be like the unruffled water surface. If there is water in a vessel, you will find there are ripples on account of the wind. Your reflection also will be disturbed on the surface of the water. On an impure surface, our reflection is also impure. On a clear surface of water, our reflection is also clear. In the same manner, although the basic truth is only one, whenever reflection takes place in a mind which is full of Tamo Guna (materialism) you will find there is impurity in the image. If the reflection takes place in a mind of Rajo Guna (egoism), that will be called Avidya (lack of knowledge). On the other hand, if the reflection takes place in a Sattvic (balanced) mind, that will be called Maya (mere appearance). Ishwara (God) has Maya as His robe. The reflection in Rajo Gunais individual and that in Tamo Gunais creation. While the basic truth is one, yet the three reflections, creation, Jeevaand Maya are not different from the basic truth. We should make an attempt to recognise the nature of the basic truth. We take a fruit. Even if it be a neem fruit, when it is fully ripe, it becomes sweet. When you attain the totality of peace, then only you find the sweetness of it.

The Flowers Of Penance And Meditation

The sixth one is the flower of Tapas–TapasPushpam. Tapas (penance) is not to give up your wife and children, go to a forest, put your head up and feet down; that is not Tapas. When we think of real Tapas we should abandon bad thoughts from our minds. The co-ordination of thought, word and deed is Tapas. Whatever thoughts sprout in your mind, to utter them as word and to put them in practice as your work that is Tapas. It is in this context that it is said–Manas Ekam, Vachas Ekam, Karmanyekam Mahatmanaam–that one is a Mahatma (great soul) who can coordinate his thought with his word and his word with his deed. Giving up bad thoughts from your mind will become sacrifice. That sacrifice will become Yoga. But giving up one’s property and one’s wife and going to the forest is not Yoga.

The seventh flower is one of meditation–Dhyana Pushpam. Today, meditation is taking many forms. Many types of meditation that people are adopting today are against the culture and tradition of Bharat. To sit in Padmasana (lotus posture) and to make the KundaliniShakti rise fromMooladhara (basal plexus) toSahasrara (the cranium) isnot Dhyana. True Dhyana consists in recognising the presence of God in all types of work. God is Sarvantaryami (omniscient), Sarvabhutantaratma (the indweller of all) and is Sarvavyapi (omnipresent). To make an attempt in your Dhyana to confine Him (God) to one place which you choose, cannot be Dhyana.

The Flower Of Truth Is The Form Of Divinity

When you are driving a car, the car is your God. When you are doing business in a market, the market is your God. According to the culture of Bharat, we first make obeisance to the work which we have to do. Before we undertake to do any work, we should regard that work as God. Tasmai Namaha Karmane– that is what the Upanishads are teaching us: “The work I have to do, I regard as God and make obeisance to God in that form”. Let us see the person who plays on the tabla. Before he begins to play on it, he pays obeisance to the tabla. The harmonium player will make obeisance to the harmonium before he starts. A dancer before she begins her dance will make obeisance to her Ghungroo. Even a driver who is going to drive a lifeless car, before he holds the steering wheel, makes Namaskarto the steering wheel. You do not have to go so far. While driving, if the car hits another person, immediately we make Namaskarto that person. The significance of all this is the faith and belief that God is present in all things. Thus, to regard the entire creation as the form of God and to perform your duty in that spirit is meditation.

The next flower is Satya (Truth). If you simply speak what you feel and tell what you have done, this can be called Laukika Satyam–worldly truth. This cannot be called truth. Truth is that which does not change at any time. What you have seen is truth at that moment. At the next moment, it becomes untruth. All material things which you see in this creation are things which will decay, which are bound to change. In this transient changing world, how can what you see and what you hear become truth? Truth is God. This truth is the eighth flower. This truth is the form of Divinity. In the world, we experience truths of a relative nature.

Let us take Chemistry as an example. You take some chemicals and mix them together. They change and you get some other chemical. If you mix turmeric in lime, you get red colour. This is chemistry. You take Physics. If you take a three inch needle and put it in fire, it will become a longer needle. This is the truth of Physics. How long do these truths of Chemistry and Physics remain? These are temporary, worldly, scientific truths. But spiritual truths are such that they will remain unchanged whatever you may do to them, whatever fire you may use on and howsoever you may change the circumstances. So, whatever does not at all change is truth. Cruelty and harshness are predominant in the world today because we are not attempting to promote such sacred qualities. Today, among believers, non-believers and the believing, the same kind of attitude is developing. That day when we can promote such good qualities in the minds of the believers, the non-believers will disappear from this world.

Recognise Society As A Form Of God

We must try to rise to higher stages from natural devotion through ParaBhakti. Although 12 years have elapsed since the establishment of Dharmakshetra, with having the chance of rising higher and higher in the manner now described, remaining stationary in the same position, you are feeling much disappointed. Perform your Bhajans, perform your Pujas, but when you enter society, recognise society as a form of God, recognise what exists as omnipresence in society and thereby acquire good qualities in serving society. Forget the agitations in the world. Then you can have peace and enjoy bliss. If you develop an idea that God, who is omnipresent and is in the entire creation and the universe, is confined in a picture which is three inches by four inches, you are narrowing your conception of God.

Broadening your heart and making it bigger and bigger, you should make it as big as GodHimself. If you look at a balloon, in the initial stage, it is flat. If you go on blowing air into it, it will go on bigger and bigger and at one stage it will burst. Though beginning with the ideas of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, if you ultimately move on to the place that “all are mine”, “all are one,” gradually you will become broader in your vision and you burst and merge into God who is omnipresent. You should recognise the truth that man’s life should consist of making the journey from the position of ‘I’ to the position of ‘We’. If all the time you simply stay, sit in the place of ‘I’, you will remain where you are. This creation is like the bridge which connects man with God. ‘I’ is one hill. ‘God’ is another hill. The bridge between the two is the aspect of creation. If you break and destroy the bridge, you can never reach the destination. I am hoping that you plunge into society and do service to society and thereby use the bridge to reach God.

May 12, 1981

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Singing The Name

The present Age, often condemned as Kali Yuga, is in fact, the age in which one can attain liberation most easily. This is revealed in every scriptural text. The reason according to them, is that one can be liberated now by the Sadhana of Nama Sankirtana–singing the glory of the Lord, and listening to the Name being sung. Among the nine steps of devotion, Shravanam (listening to the Name being sung) and Kirtanam (singing the Name) are mentioned as the best. Kirtanam is singing the Names which denote the glory of the Lord and Sankirtanammeans “singing the Names continuously, aloud, without interruption, and without hesitation.”

Whereas Kirtanacan be by one individual and can promote one’s own spiritual progress, Sankirtanamis by a group of people. It can help the process of liberation not only for the members of the group, but it will also be beneficial to those who listen and even to those beyond the circle of listeners; the whole world can benefit by the vibrations.

Sankirtanam is generally described as of four types, with distinct characteristics. They are: (1)Guna Sankirtanam, (2) Leela Sankirtanam, (3) Bhava Sankirtanam, (4) Nama Sankirtanam. Let us examine these types in some detail.

Signs Of Weakness In The Devotees

Guna Sankirtanam aims at describing and adoring the Gunasor attributes and qualities of God, in order to exalt Him and win His Grace. But God is Gunateeta, beyond Satwa, Rajas and Tamas; He is really attributeless. Ascribing qualities to Him is lowering His Glory. They exist in the imagination of the devotee and praising God as possessing them can give the devotee only momentary satisfaction.

Leela Sankirtanam is the second. The entire Creation represents the Leela (play) of God. Not only that. Its maintenance (Sthiti) and dissolution (Laya) are also God’s Leela. How can anyone describe the manifold Leelasof God? They take diverse forms. As Leela, one can imagine that the entire Universe can disappear! His Sankalpa (will) is all-powerful. Whatever happens, good or bad, is God’s Leela! Unless one has cultivated an attitude of equanimity towards good and bad, one cannot claim to have understood God. The Sadhakas (spiritual aspirants) of today are happy when something good happens; when something bad comes about, they slide into contrary thoughts. When the entire Creation is the Cosmic Leelaof God, to demarcate a few and sing in terms of those few reveals only feebleness of vision.

The third is Bhava Sankirtanam. Devotees who are attached to this path of adoration adopt one or the other of six special (Bhavas)–approaches, attitudes or relationship to God–and attempt to derive consummation thereby. It must be said that all the six are deficient and based upon limited conception of Godhead.

 (1) The Shanta Bhava:This emphasises that the devotee endures whatever happens to him gladly as coming from His Grace. In the Mahabharata, Bhishma is pictured as the supreme model of this type. But, he on his own volition, postponed the moment of his death in order to acquire the merit of having cast off the body on an auspicious day! He believed that the Uttarayana (the six month period from Sankranti Day, January 14^th) half of the year was more holy and that death before the sun crosses the Tropic of Capricorn would result in an evil future! When God is both Time and beyond Time, who is man to divide Time into good and bad? The happiness or misery awaiting one cannot depend on the time of death. Believing so is a sign of weakness in the devotees of God.

Servant-To-Master Relationship Of Devotion

(2) SakhyaBhakti is devotion to God as a close friend. Arjuna is quoted as the one who was liberated through this type of relationship. But, Arjuna was mostly lost in the human aspects of friendship and kinship and often strayed away from the devotion due to the Divine. He attained closeness to the Lord so easily that he failed to recognise the significance of the proximity that was awarded to him. They were such friends that Arjuna addressed Krishna familiarly using the word for ‘brother-in-law’. This indicated only a human kinship; so, Krishna confirmed that relationship and justified that loose expression of familiarity when He brought about the marriage of Arjuna with His sister Subhadhra! So, even the Sakhya attitude cannot be fully rewarding.

(3)DasyaBhakti is the name for the next type. This highlights the attitude of the servant to the master. Hanuman is the classic example of a devotee embodying this type of devotion. He was at the service of Rama at all times. Though encased in the form of a monkey, he had mastered the sixty-four branches of learning and the meaning of the four Vedas; he could recite the six Shastras. He was physically, mentally and spiritually a redoubtable hero. Nevertheless, he served Rama with no trace of ego in thought, word and deed. He had achieved purity of all three.

But, the DasyaBhakti of Hanuman was not free from defects. His service was steadfast and total to God as Rama. He was not attached to God as Krishna or as bearing any other name. The Vedas declare that God has a thousand names and He can assume a thousand forms. Hanuman’s allegiance was limited to only one name and one form. DasyaBhakti, therefore, leads to a partial vision of the Universal Absolute.

(4)VatsalyaBhakti, the fourth, advises the Sadhaka to adopt the relationship of a mother to her child. The example held before the aspirant is that of Yashoda and her adoration of the child Krishna. She recognised only this one relationship, though others praised Krishna asMathurapuri-Nivasi (He who lives in the city of Mathura) and worshipped Him asGopihridayavasi (He who is installed in the hearts of the Gopis). When Uddhava came fromMathura, Yashoda enquired about her Gopala. “I do not know the Krishna who lives in Mathura or in the hearts of Gopis.I am asking you about my child Gopala,” she insisted. Thus, the VatsalyaBhakti too leads to a certain amount of exclusiveness.

Lack Of Total Awareness Of God

(5)The next type of devotion is called AnuragaBhakti. The Gopis of Brindaavan are the best examples of advocates of this path. Many crooked, prejudiced and perverted people do not recognise the purity and value of this path. Many interpret it wrongly according to their own bent of mind and take to wrong paths. Narrow minds and narrow ideas can ruin one’s life and the lives of others, like pests destroying the crop. The Gopishad the dual feeling of both lover and loved. Duality is caused by ignorance; the mind breeds the duality of likes and dislikes. Janma (birth) is the cause of Karma. Karma causes sorrow and joy, the dual reactions.

(6)MadhuraBhakti is the last path and Radha is the unique example of Madhura Bhava. The moment the name of Krishna was uttered, she lost herself in indescribable Bliss. In spite of this, even MadhuraBhakti posits duality. So, Bhava Sankirtanam, in its various forms, does not confer total awareness of God.

Let us consider the fourth form–Nama Sankirtanam. This can grant full happiness to all people, in all places and at all times. There can be nothing greater or more gratifying. The names Rama, Hari, Hara, Sai, Baba, Krishna–having each two syllables are all derived from the word Prema, which is the essence and core of the Atma. Prema or Love has to prompt our thoughts, penetrate our words and promote our actions. The word Nama has great significance numerologically. ‘Na’ is equal to zero. ‘A’ is equal to two and ‘Ma’equals five, the total being seven, indicating that theNama Sankirtanamneeds seven elements for success: Shruti, Laya, Raga, Tala, Bhava, Prema, Samhita. Seven denotes the seven Swaras (musical notes), the seven Rishis (sages), the seven days of a week known as the sacred Saptaha. Sankirtanam must be done with emphasis on tone, tune, and timing, attitude and attachment, and the attainment of the highest good. It is not singing for singing’s sake. The melody must emerge from the heart, from genuine Love, which is so ardent that it isTapasitself. Sankirtanamfrom suchSadhakaswill certainly liberate the individual and transform the community and the world.

Premaswarupas (embodiments of love)! 

Even if you are unable to do Dhyana or Japa, engage yourself in singing the Name of God, without fear and with faith.

January 26, 1982

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Satyam Vada; Dharmam Chara

What greater misfortune can there be than the fact that Bharatiyas make no effort to understand their great and Divine culture, based on the most sublime ideals?

Love is the form of Brahmam. Brahmam is filled with Love. Love can be secured only through Love. Only when one is firmly established in Love can he be qualified to experience the One without a second.

Embodiments of Divine Love! 

“Satyam Vada; Dharmam Chara”(Speak the Truth, pursueRighteousness). This is the great pronouncement of the ancient Upanishads and scriptures of Bharatiyas. Truth and Righteousness are the stepping-stones to human greatness. The Puranashave also declared: “Satayameva Jayate” (Truth alone triumphs). Victory adores Truth, “Satyannasti Paro Dharma” (There is no greater Dharma than truth), declare the Puranas.

Truth is God. It is supreme folly to forget this fact and seek to obtain the grace of God by all kinds of practices. The Bhagavata has indicated a more arduous path. Emperor Bali told his Guru Sukracharya, “Can there be a greater sin than going back on one’s plighted word?”The same truth was revealed by Bhudevi (the Goddess of the Earth) in another context in theBhagavata. Bhudevi lamented: “Oh Lord! I can bear the burden of any number of sinners. But I cannot bear to carry those who have betrayed Truth.”

The glow of Truth has been proclaimed by the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas and the epics. The Upanishads have expounded the characteristics of Satya (Truth). “Satyanna Pramaditavyam, Dharmanna Pramaditavyam” (Do not disregard Truth. Do not be indifferent to Dharma). “In any circumstances do not give up Truth. Overcome all difficulties by adhering to truth” is the teaching of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and other texts.

Harischandra’s Life: An Example

Harischandra, who gave up his kingdom, wife and son and even chose to serve as a watchman in a burningGhat, is the supreme example of one who stood for Truth. Vishwamitra, who subjected Harischandra to the most severe tests and ordeals, ultimately declared: “The whole earth can be held in the palm of one’s hand. The entire ocean can be drunk at one gulp. The earth and the sky can be rolled into one. But it is impossible to make Harischandra utter a lie.”

Through Truth not only can the world be subdued, but it is possible even to realise the Lord of the universe. Today in Bharat, because people have given up Truth and Righteousness, they are not able to achieve unity and all kinds of divisions and antagonisms have developed. You have to dedicate yourselves to Truth. In offering worship to Rama and Krishna, prayers are offered to their manifestations as Truth. “Satyam Vachanaya Namah”,“Satyapriyaya Namah”,“Satyaswaroopaya Namah”(Salutations to the One whose speech is Truth, who is a lover of Truth, who is the embodiment of Truth).

In the cause of upholding truth, Sri Ramachandra had to go as an exile to the forest. Rama told the Sage Jabali: “For rulers in the Ikshvaku dynasty, the greatest calamity is going back on the plighted word.”

Pothana’s Faith In Lord Rama

God should be worshipped as the embodiment of Truth. This is the primary duty of every Bharatiya. Srinatha was a great scholar and writer who was the Court poet of the Andhra ruler, Singabhupaala. He came to his brother-in-law, Pothana, who was living in poverty, and entreated him to dedicate his Bhagavatam to Singabhupaala. “If you dedicate your Bhagavatam to that ruler, he will reward you with all kinds of riches,” said Srinatha. Pothana replied: “Sri Ramachandra is Lord above all kings. When I have Sri Ramachandra, the King of Kings, what need is there for me to submit to earthly rulers? It is God who offers spiritual benefits, earthly benefits and other benefits to everyone. Cannot the protector of so many countless beings, take care of me?”Pothana firmly held to this belief.

Provoked by Pothana’s stubborn attitude and attributing it to Pothana’s conceit, Srinatha conveyed his feelings to Singabhupaala. The ruler became furious. He sent his soldiers to wrest the Bhagavatam from Pothana. Pothana was prepared even to give up his life, but would not surrender the Bhagavatam. On the orders of the ruler, his men set fire to Pothana’s house.

Pothana prayed: “Oh Sri Ramachandra! Will you not protect atleast your own life-story, apart from protecting your devotees?” Appealing to Sri Rama to protect the Bhagavatam, Pothana closed his eyes in meditation. Except the Bhagavatam, everything else was consumed by the flames.

Realise The Infinite Worth Of The Lord’s Name

Singabhupaala heard about this remarkable phenomenon. From that moment he became a devotee of Rama. It is only when one’s devotion is firm, pure and unwavering that the Lord is ready to extend every kind of protection. Unfortunately, in this Kali era, faith is continually changing because of worldly desires. Man is willing to barter away the precious gem of his life for a piece of charcoal. If he realised the true value of human birth he would not treat it so lightly and go as far even to discard God. Tulsidas also said that the man who did not know the preciousness of the Lord’s name, casts it away as worthless. Hence, it is essential to realise the infinite worth of the Lord’s name. Meera also recognised the uniqueness and greatness of God’s name. “Enjoy the nectarine sweetness of the Lord’s name,” says Meera. Instead of coffee and tea you must drink the sweet essence of the Lord’s name. For the man who has installed the Lord in his heart, there will be no troubles of any kind.

It is not easy for all people to recognise the truth about God. When Socrates was attracting the youth of Athens to get interested in the pursuit of wisdom, his mission was misunderstood by the powers that be. The saint Tyagaraja lamented: “Oh Rama; the people do not understand the greatness of the Bhakti Marga (path of devotion). People prefer the Bhukti Marga (the path of enjoyment) to the Bhakti Marga.” Today men pursue worldly studies with diligence, but few are interested in the pursuit of Mukti (liberation). How can such persons ever realise God, whatever may be their education? All efforts are directed towards worldly and material ends, but no effort is made to attain spiritual realisation. Education today enables one to develop intellectual abilities, but does not promote good qualities. Of what value is such education? Book learning may convert the head into a library. But it is of no practical use.

Convert Ordinary Duties Into Acts Of Worship

Socrates was condemned to death for turning the minds of the youth away from worldly concerns to spiritual matters. Socrates preferred to end his life by drinking poison received from the hands of his disciples rather than die at the jailor’s hands. This means that more value was attached to spiritual purity than to the physical life.Today, only sensual pleasures, which are transient and unreal, are valued. Those who imagine that they are deriving pleasure through their senses do not realise that it is the senses that are enjoying them and weakening them.

What is devotion? It is not doing Japa or sitting in meditation or doingBhajans. Essentially it consists of two things: one, lack of interest in worldly things’ two, love of God. Whatever you do out of love for God is devotion. You may engage yourselves in the ordinary duties of life. Only convert them into acts of worship by offering them to the Divine.

Sadhaks Are Children Of Immortality

All of you are devotees, but for want of proper advice you are confused and feel depressed. On account of this confusion and depression you develop doubts. Sai does not ask you to renounce the world. But, in what way should you live in the world? You should enjoy the world with a spiritual outlook. You should realise that you have come down from the Atma to the realm of Nature. Today the reverse view prevails among Sadhaks. They wrongly think that they are proceeding from Nature to the Spirit. You have emerged from the Atma and not evolved from Nature. You are the children of immortality. You are sparks of the Divine.

You must recognise the Divinity that is in everyone. Learn a lesson from the birds and insects. If a crow sees some edible, it does not start eating it all alone. It summons other crows and enjoys the food in their company. Look at the ants. If one ant chances upon a lump of sugar, it will not start eating it all by itself. It will bring other ants and enjoy the meal all together. Is man worse than crows and ants? Should he not have the sense of unity which these creatures have? Even the ants seem to have some sense of the Divine. That was why Tyagaraja sang: “Oh Rama! May the Brahmam, which is present as love in the ant and in the Supreme, protect me!” Tyagaraja recognised the omnipresence of the Divine in everything from the smallest to the vastest.

People recite Tyagaraja’s song. But in practice, if Brahma were to appear before them they will offer worship, and if an ant crawls on them they will kill it. Does this demonstrate their sense of oneness? The presence of the ant is not relished. But the spirit of sacrifice and sharing which the ant has is not to be found in man. Neither the practice of hoarding nor that of plundering others is to be found among animals and birds. But today the acquisitive and exploiting tendencies are growing among men from day to day.

Embodiments of Love! 

Realising that human life is precious, fill your hearts with sacred thoughts and lead noble lives, dedicated to the service of society. Such service is indeed service to God. If you offer worship to one idol in your shrine you are worshiping only one. But when you render service to society you will be offering worship to innumerable forms of the Divine.

April 29, 1990

Dharmakshetra, Bombay

Put Ceiling On Your Desires

Forbearance is the real beauty in this sacredland of Bharat.
Of all the sacred virtues, adherence to truth is true penance.
The nectarine feeling in this country is the feeling toward ones mother.

Character is valued far more superior to thevery life itself.
People have forgotten the basic principles ofthe culture of Bharat
And are following and adopting Western culturetoday.
Bharatiyas are not aware of the greatness oftheir own cultural heritage

Just as the mighty elephant is not aware of itsown strength.

[Telugu Poem]

Embodiments of Love!

Today man has taken to many paths to acquire wisdom. All the knowledge that he has acquired is not true knowledge in the strict sense of the term. Knowledge of the spirit, Atmic knowledge, is the true knowledge. That is Brahma Jnana. Atma, Brahman, and Jnana are synonyms. On this basis, the Vedas declare: Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma (Brahman is truth, wisdom and eternity). 

Work, Worship, Wisdom

Since ancient times, the culture of Bharat has laid emphasis on these three aspects: work, worship, and wisdom.Work, worship, and wisdom all begin with service. No matter what service it is, if it is done with love and Divine feelings, it becomes Upasana (worship).

What is wisdom? All that is related to our senses, the fleeting objects of the material world, and our actions, speak of our ignorance. Wisdom dawns the moment the mind is withdrawn. The thoughtless state between two consecutive thoughts is Brahma Jnana (Atmic, spiritual wisdom). Man is not able to experience this thoughtless state of Brahman and is carried away by fleeting, ephemeral, and momentary things. True wisdom dawns when all thoughts are decimated. Sai’s philosophy speaks of the unity of work, worship, and wisdom.The culture of Bharat believes in unity in diversity, which is true wisdom. Many intellectuals observe multiplicity or plurality in unity, but there are very few men of wisdom who observe unity in diversity. Since ancient days, the inhabitants of this holy land have been practicing these principles and have been sharing them with the rest of the world. This country has always prayed for the advancement and welfare of the whole world. That is the meaning of the Vedic dictum, Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu(May the whole world be happy!) Our prayer is not limited to Bharat only. We pray for the welfare of the whole world. But the modern Bharatiyas (Indians) are not able to know the culture of Bharat, which is endowed with noble virtues of broadmindedness.

Embodiments of Love! 

You have to understand the sanctity of the culture of Bharat. You may go through any number of books, you may visit noble souls, you may listen to sacred teachings, but the reality is one. People read hundreds of books, but very few translate them into action. It is enough if you put into practice at least one principle.Man is making every attempt today to be happy, blissful. Where do you get bliss? Is it in the material things, in the world, in individuals, in books? No, not at all. Bliss is within one’s own Self. You have forgotten your true Self, the source of bliss. You are struggling hard for artificial happiness outside. You are not aware of the reality that lies in the heart. In fact, all the bliss is there. The principle of love originates from the heart, not from the world.

Everyone should develop love more and more. But, today, there is hatred and anger everywhere. Wherever you see, there is desire, enmity, and fear. How do you expect to be in peace? How do you expect to be blissful? Light the lamp of love within. Then fear and illusion can be removed and you can have the vision of the Self. Otherwise you are bound to suffer.You have to exercise a ceiling on your desires. There are rules for ceiling with regard to land and property. But you have no ceiling on your desires. Ceiling on desires means exercising control over them. You can be happy once the desires are controlled.

Your life is a long journey. You should have less luggage (desires) in this long journey of life. Therefore, it is said: less luggage more comfort makes travel a pleasure. So, ceiling on desires is what you have to adopt today. You have to cut short your desires day by day. You are under the mistaken notion that happiness lies in the fulfillment of desires. But, in fact, happiness begins to dawn when desires are totally eradicated. When you reduce your desires, you advance towards the state of renunciation.

You have many desires. What do you get out of them? You are bound to face the consequences when you claim something as yours. When you claim a piece of land as yours, then you will have to reap the harvest. This instinct of ego and attachment will put you to suffering. You will be blissful the moment you give up ego and attachment.

Independence Without Unity Is Meaningless

The Prime Minister, Ministers, Chief Justice of India, and other high officers assembled in the capital, Delhi. All of them mentioned that we underwent tremendous sufferings and hardships, and lost many lives to achieve independence. But we have not achieved unity in this country.

What is the use of achieving independence without unity? We find that murders, kidnappings, hijacks have increased after attaining independence. Is this the type of independence we wanted? No. Independence is meant to confer peace, and it should develop the culture of the nation. We should not be dependent on others. We should be independent in every way.

Bharat is a sacred land. Noble souls were born here. Bharat was ruled by Sri Rama Himself. This is the land of the song celestial, the Bhagavad Gita. This is the birthplace of the first composer, Valmiki. This is the birthplace of Veda Vyasa, who classified the Vedas. This is the land traversed by Lord Buddha. This is a land of merit and sacrifice. This is the birthplace of spiritual aspirants, seers and sages.

But, the modern man does not have even an iota of sacrifice. “Na Karmana Na Prajaya Dhanena Tyagenaike AmritatvamAnusuh” (immortality can be attained only through sacrifice; neither wealth nor progeny nor good deeds can confer it). So, cultivate the spirit of sacrifice. It is possible only when you develop love within.

Develop Love, Practice Sacrifice

There are many rich people in this country. There are many intellectuals. We have also men of valour. All are here. But what is the use? There is hatred between person and person. There is hatred and enmity between people of the same profession. It is a very bad quality. All are one; be alike to everyone. You have to love everybody. But, today, people are not broadminded. There should be expansion love. Today, there is only contraction love.

The man who goes by the mind will ruin himself.
He is worse than an animal.
The one who goes by the intellect is the one of wisdom.

[Telugu Poem]

So, you have to grow in intellect. As long as the mind persists, you are bound in illusion, you are bound to suffer.It is the mind that causes misery. It is the mind that is full of desires. It is the mind that makes heaven or hell. Mano Moolam Idam Jagat(this world is the creation of the mind). Since you are caught up with the whims and vagaries of the mind, you have forgotten the eternal path.

Embodiments of Love! 

Love everybody, but do not trust anybody. You have to repose your trust only in God. What is the reason? Why should you not trust man? Man is not permanent. The Gita says the world is transitory, fleeting, and impermanent.

Human body is not permanent.
It is full of dirt and diseases.
It cannot cross this ocean of life.
Oh man, never think that this life is eternal.

[Telugu Poem]

Love Is Within You

People go by this body and forget the Divinity within. Have strong faith in God. Do not have faith in this body, which is temporary. Body is like a water bubble, mind is like a mad monkey. Don’t follow the body, don’t follow the mind. Follow the conscience. That is the principle of the Atma. You will experience Divinity only when you follow your conscience.

You may worship God in any name and form. God does not take into consideration your caste or community. He expects only love. You don’t need to do penance or undertake any rigorous spiritual practice. You can cultivate love easily. Love is within you. Develop love, which already exists. You have to share this love with everybody. Love even the one who hates you. To harm a person who harmed you is nothing great. Real greatness lies in loving the person who harmed you.

Know Your True Identity

Embodiments of Love! 

Human life is full of love. What is the purpose of life? It is love and love alone. Love is God. Live in love. Divinity manifests only when you develop love. There is no need to search for Him anywhere. The Bible said so. Today, man is in search of God. Why should you search for God when He is everywhere? You are God. All Sadhana (spiritual practice) will go in vain if you do not know your true identity. Instead of asking others, “Who are you, who are you,” better ask yourself, “Who am I, who am I?” This is my book. This is my tumbler. Then who am I? This feeling of “my”, is Maya (illusion). First know who you are.

All this is matter. All this is negative. You are the master of this material world. Master the mind and be a mastermind. You should make an effort to know your true identity. To know this, you should first give up body attachment.This is my handkerchief. When I say this is “my handkerchief,” I am separate from the handkerchief. Similarly, when I say this is “my body,” I am separate from the body. “My mind” means I am separate from my mind. Then who am I? Constant enquiry on these lines would lead you to self realization.

People are heroes in doing experiments in the laboratory, but zeros in experience. You should be heroes in the practical field. It is useless to be a hero in reading books or in giving lectures. There is only one hero, and He is God. Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadantiis the teaching of the Vedas. God is the only truth. All the rest is falsehood. Everything becomes truth in the company of God.Zero preceded by one becomes ten. As the number of zeros increases, the value also increases. If the number one is erased, nothing remains. Therefore, hero becomes zero if he forgets God. You may be an intellectual with great erudition and exalted position. But, you cannot call yourself intelligent if you forget God.

Easy Way To Know God

Science has progressed to a great extent in Bharat. Man has undertaken space travel also. But what is the use? Man wants to know what is there in space. He wants to know what is there at the moon. He wants to reach even the sun. First recognize the Divinity within yourself. Open the doors of your heart. Develop love more and more. Understand the truth. Experience God. There lies the bliss. It is very easy to know God, but man does not understand this.You have to make every effort to understand the immanent Divinity. The Divinity within is covered by ego and anger. Therefore, it is said, “Moham Hitva Punar Vidya”(real knowledge dawns when attachment is destroyed). Where does this attachment come from? Excessive desires lead to attachment.

Embodiments of Love! 

All are embodiments of God. “Sahasra Seersha Purusha Sahasraksha Sahasrapaad”(God has thousands of heads, eyes and feet). You will experience it once you enquire deep within.You may attain peace by undertaking Japa (repetition of the name), Dhyana (meditation), and Yoga. But this peace is not permanent; it is temporary. To attain permanent peace, develop love within. Love can turn earth into sky and sky into earth. This sacred love is within you. But, you direct it in the wrong direction and thereby it gets perverted. You are responsible for the loss and suffering. You are responsible for the wicked actions and agitations outside.

The previous speaker spoke about diseases and their cure. Why do diseases arise? The number of doctors is increasing day by day. Today, we have a doctor for every family. Each house has at least two patients. Most of the diseases are psychological. You are bound to be sick if you go on feeling you are sick. Never think you are sick. Always have the feeling that you are happy and healthy. Develop sacred love and experience your innate Divinity. This is the culture of Bharat. Bharata — ‘Bha’ means ‘effulgence’. Effulgence is God, ‘Rata’ means ‘to love’. One who has love for God is a true Bharatiya (Indian).

Intelligence is gifted to mankind to know God, not to amass wealth. Why do you study? You have to study to get rid of ignorance. True education lies in giving up ignorance and recognizing Divinity.

Man Faces Problems In Life Because He Lacks Unity

Embodiments of Love! 

Repeated teachings do not help you to understand Divinity. You are not able to understand Divinity due to the consequences of your actions in many past lives. Today, human values are on the decline. Man originated lakhs of years ago. But, till this day, he has not understood human values. It is said, “Proper study of mankind is man.” What is this proper study of mankind? It is the unity of thought, word, and deed. Man faces problems in life because he lacks unity.Let there be perfect harmony in thought, word, and deed right from this day. You should say what you think and do what you say. You do not need to search for God. You are God. God is in you, with you, above you, below you and around you. Understand this truth and turn your vision inward.Only then you can attain bliss.

I have been coming to Mumbai for many years. What have you achieved during this period? What spiritual practices have you undertaken? What truths have you known? Today, people crave bookish knowledge, superficial knowledge, and general knowledge, but they do not have practical knowledge. The one who has practical knowledge will have understanding of the Divinity. But, today, people are heroes at platform and zeros in practice. You should be heroes in practice. Put into practice at least one sacred principle. At least speak the truth or develop love. That is enough. There is no greater Sadhana (spiritual discipline) than this. Satyannasti Paro Dharma (there is no greater Dharma than adhering to Truth). What is Dharma? True Dharma lies in developing love. It is love that unifies all. This love will help you to experience unity in diversity.

Bhajan Singing Makes The Heart Sacred

Embodiments of Divine Atma! 

Whatever spiritual path you tread, it should help you to uproot ignorance. What is ignorance? It is the belief in all that is outside, the external scenario. You have to discriminate whether it is right or wrong, good or bad. You should have SamyakDrishti (right vision). Then you will attain deservedness.I am always ready to tell you the easy path to Divinity. I will be happy only when you are happy. Make every effort to put into practice what you hear.

Bhajans are highly sacred. Bhajan singing makes the heart sacred. What is important is that it should come out from the heart. Bhajan is not just rhythm, tune and beat. You should sing God’s name with love. You will see the manifestation of Divinity with your physical eyes when you sing His glory with all love.

Many noble souls merged in God through love. Don’t you know Meera, who attained liberation by chanting Krishna’s name? Prahlada was bitten by serpents, trampled upon by elephants, and given poison. Yet, chanted God’s name and attained liberation. He considered everything Divine. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati (as is the feeling, so is the experience). So, you should think of God with love.

March 14, 1999

Dharmakshetra, Mumbai

Cultivate Love And Become Divine

Embodiments of Love!

The All India President of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, Srinivasan, spoke about the Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Man. But he did not speak about motherhood of the mother. In this creation all are born to a mother, however great they may be or whatever they might have achieved. The mother’s womb is like Bhumata (mother earth). The quality of the fruit will be the same as the quality of the seed sown in the earth.

Revere The Mother As God

In today’s world, people lack purity and sacrifice. What is the reason? It is the lack of purity of the mother’s womb. If the mother’s womb is pure, the children born to her will also be pure. If there is peace in the mother’s heart, the whole world will be peaceful. So, first and foremost, we need women of purity in this world. It is because of such pure women that Bharat became a Tyaga Bhumi (land of sacrifice), a Yoga Bhumi (land of spiritually) and a KarmaBhumi (land of action) and could set an example to the rest of the world. People say motherland and not fatherland. In every country, the mother is held in high esteem. The feeling of motherhood is far superior to all other feelings. The main flaw of today’s children is that they are not concerned about the happiness and satisfaction of their parents. If you make your parents happy, the whole world will be happy. Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava (revere the mother and father as God). You must understand that parents are verily God.

You have to make your mother happy. Only then will there be peace and happiness in the world. It is meaningless to worship God without revering one’s own parents. First of all, offer worship to your mother as she is the one who has given you birth. Only if the mother’s heart is nectarous will the whole world be nectarous. Rama’s Divinity blossomed under the loving care of Kausalya. As He was born from the womb of Kausalya, He got the qualities of Kausalya. That is why He is worshipped as God. Shivaji could do so much sacrifice for the country because he was born to the pure lady, Jijabai. It is because of the nobility of the mother that the children attain good fortune. So, PremaSwarupas! (Embodiments of Love!) There is nothing beyond love. Only love is the mainspring of all your good fortune. A man without love is lifeless. You should therefore adore and worship the mother who is the embodiment of love.

Fill Your Heart With Love And Peace

Where is peace in the world? When you do not make your mother happy, how can there be peace in the world? Peace cannot be bought in the Bazaar (market). Every man’s heart is the abode of peace. Only when you fill your heart with love will there be peace in the world. The world is in turmoil today as man lacks total love. Peace will reign supreme in this world only when man develops total love.

Embodiments of Love!

We have attained human birth. There is nothing greater than this. Jantunam Narajanma Durlabham (out of all the living beings, the human birth is the rarest). You are born and brought up in society. Then why do you not work for the welfare of society? All the wealth that you have earned has come from society. You should show your gratitude to society. The world is facing problems because man does not show gratitude to society. You should never neglect society. Society’s well-being is your well-being too. But, is anybody looking for the welfare of society? No. It is selfishness all around. Give up selfishness and work for the welfare of society. The world will enjoy peace and security only when you serve society and have devotion towards God. If you want that peace should reign in the world, then you should first develop peace in yourself. Where is peace? It comes only from our heart. Our heart is the source of peace, truth, righteousness and love. You have forgotten the heart and are searching for peace in the external world. You don’t get peace in the Bazaar, you get only pieces. Peace is only in your heart. Fill your heart with love. Whatever work you do, do it with total love. But now, wherever you go, there is only selfishness. Man has lost purity as his mind is polluted.

The food you eat is impure. The air you breathe is impure. Everything is impure. Then how can you escape disease? If you do not want disease, eat pure food, breathe pure air, drink pure water and be pure. But wherever one looks around, there is only impurity. When you are surrounded by impurity, how can you get purity? When purity manifests from within, you can experience its reflection, reaction and resound in the external world. First and foremost, you have to infuse purity in society. To whomsoever you speak, speak sweetly, not with hatred, anger and jealousy. First you have to learn this. You cannot always oblige, but you can speak always obligingly. Speak with love.

From head to foot, man is filled with anger today. He has become like an animal. Even an animal is better than man. An animal has a reason and season. Today man has no reason and no season. If you behave in this manner, how can you call yourself a human? To call yourself a human, first and foremost show humanness in action. Just because you have a human body, you cannot call yourself a human. The human body will have value only when you cultivate human values, namely, Satya (truth), Dharma (righteousness), Shanti (peace), Prema (love) and Ahimsa (non-violence). Of what use is human birth if human values are absent? First demonstrate humanness. Develop love. By doing so, all will become your friends. What kind of friends? Those who are full of love. Your real friend is only God. God is love personified. He is full of love.

“Poornamada Poornamidam Poornat Poornamudachyate Poornasya Poornamadaya Poornameva Avashishyate.”

(That is full, this is full. When full is taken out of the full, what remains is again full.)

God is the embodiment of love. If you want God, you should have total love for God. You should not love God for material benefits. Love Him for the sake of love. Only then can you attain Him.

Embodiments of Divine Atma!

The same Atma, the same love and the same God is present in all beings. Ek Prabhu Ke Anek Naam (one God has many names). With such feelings of oneness, develop love for God. Then your heart will also be filled with love. The heart is like a tank and all the senses are like taps. When the ‘tank’ is full of love, all that comes out of the ‘taps’ will also be love only. Whatever you see in others is only a reflection of your inner being. First of all, understand this truth. If you see evil in others, it is actually the reflection of your own evil feelings. All are one. That is Prema, that is God, that is Atma. That is everything.

Earn The Wealth Of Merit

You have forgotten love and are hankering after all worldly things. Wherever you go it is only money, money, money. Money comes and goes but morality comes and grows. Everyone is interested in amassing wealth. But will the wealth accompany you when you leave this world? No. Only the results of your actions will go with you. Wealth is not going to protect you. Only the wealth of merit will protect you. Paropakaraya Punyaya, Papaya Parapeedanam, (one attains merit by serving others and commits sin by hurting them). Earn the wealth of merit. Do not accumulate sin. Alexander ruled over a vast empire, but when he died what did he carry with him? He went empty-handed. You should carry with you only pure love when you leave this world. If you earn the wealth of pure love, you are the richest person in the world. He who has much satisfaction is the richest man in this world and he who has many desires is the poorest man in this world. Today man is filled with desires from top to toe. As long as you have desires, you will never be happy and peaceful.

Embodiments of Love!

Give up desires and see for yourself how much love and bliss you get. The bliss you experience will be far superior to all the happiness you have experienced before. All the bliss is within you. But you are imagining that it is outside. What is outside is only the reflection, reaction, and resound of what is within you. If you are a good person, you will see goodness all around. If you wear blue glasses, you see everything blue. If you wear red glasses, you see everything red. Good qualities are your greatest wealth. Cultivate them. Eschew hatred. Demonstrate Ahimsa. Ahimsa ParamoDharma (Ahimsa is the greatest Dharma). Kill anger. Cultivate love. There is nothing sweeter than love.

Man Is The Embodiment Of Cosmic Form

Sage Narada went all over the world but could not get peace. He realised that peace could not be found in wealth and material objects. It is within one’s own self. Peace and bliss are within, but man is unable to experience them. How can man, who is unable to understand the Divinity within, experience God outside? Everything is within you. Man is Viswa Virat Swarupa (embodiment of the Cosmic Form) but he is behaving like an ordinary person by developing attachment to the ephemeral body.

Embodiments of Love!

Give up body attachment. Cultivate the awareness of the Atma. Atmananda (bliss of the spirit) is Amritananda (the eternal bliss). That is within you. Brahmanandam, Parama Sukhadam, Kevalam Jnanamurtim, Dwandwateetam, Gagana Sadrisham, Tattwamasyadi Lakshyam, Ekam, Nityam, Vimalam, Achalam, Sarvadhee Sakshibhutam, Bhavateetam, Trigunarahitam (God is the embodiment of supreme bliss, He is wisdom absolute, the One without a second, beyond the pair of opposites, expansive and pervasive like the sky, the goal indicated by the Mahavakya ‘TatTwamAsi’, the eternal, pure, unchanging, the witness of all functions of the intellect, beyond all mental conditions and the three Gunasof Sattva, Rajas and Tamas). Everything is within. All qualities are within you. So, you should try to bring out the love that is within you. You will not get this love outside.

You are the embodiment of love. Do not develop attachment to the body. Body is bound to perish one day or the other. Why are you deluding yourselves with this impermanent body? That which is permanent is the Atma. In order to experience Atmic bliss, love is essential. If you cultivate love, you become Divine. Do not think that God is different from you. Have the courage to say “I am God”. You are not man. You are God. Have the firm belief that you are God. You must first love your parents. They have given you their blood, their wealth and have brought you up with love and care, taking great pains. So, be grateful to them. That is real Bhakti (devotion). There is no greater Bhakti than this.

Embodiments of Love!

Swami has just come for a short while. I have not got the complete satisfaction of coming to Mumbai. I will come again. Cultivate love. Revere your parents. Make them happy. Then I will be with you always. Live a life of love.

June 1, 2001

Dharmakshetra, Mumbai