DASSERA (DAY 1) DISCOURSES

I would like to share with you the divine discourses of our SWAMI during
Dassera. This discourses went on for 6 days, which I will be sharing with you.
Sairam
Bharadhwaaj P R
DASSERA (DAY 1) DISCOURSES
GOD IS THE INDWELLER
(Text of the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in Sai
Kulwanth Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 9th October 2002 on the occasion of
Dassera. Day 1). "The entire universe is under the control of God. God is
governed by Truth. Noble souls are the guardians of Truth. Such noble souls are
verily the embodiments of Divinity. " (Sanskrit Verse) People undertake
various spiritual practices to attain Divinity. One may be evil-minded, yet
with the blessings of elders and in the company of noble souls, one can easily
get rid of evil tendencies and develop virtues. The life of Ratnakara, the
highway robber, bears ample testimony to this. His life was transformed as he
came into contact with the Saptharishis (seven sages). He gave up his evil ways
and unwaveringly followed their teachings and ultimately became the Sage
Valmiki. He set an ideal to mankind and composed the great epic, Ramayana.
Prahlada, the son of demon king Hiranyakasipu, constantly contemplated on Lord
Narayana and chanted His Name. As a result, he had the same divine effulgence
of Lord Narayana Himself. Likewise, Charles Darwin resembled his master Henslow
in all respects as he continuously thought of him and followed his teachings.
Similarly our ancient sages and seers always contemplated on God constantly and
adhered to His dictat! ! es. As a consequence their faces radiated divine
brilliance. Lord Krishna has said the same in the Bhagavadgita, Mamaivamso
Jeevaloke Jeevabhuta Sanathanah (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My
Being). He said, "Arjuna, it is My Divine effulgence that shines forth in all."
God is all-pervasive. He is present in all elements and in all beings in the
form of radiance. When God is ever present within, why does man suffer? Some
people say that they are facing hardships and are leading a miserable life. It
is foolish on their part to say so. God, the indweller, has absolutely no
sorrow and worries. He is the embodiment of supreme bliss. Is it not a sign of
foolishness to think that you are haunted by misery when God is installed on
the altar of your heart? God says, "I am present in you. You are but a spark of
My Divinity." Such being the case, how can one be affected by difficulties and
sorrows? When you enquire on these lines, you will realise that t! ! he demonic
and bestial tendencies in you are responsible fo! r this. You will not be able
to experience the truth Mamaivamsho . unless and until you give up evil
qualities. Though God is present within, man behaves as if he is under the
influence of a demon. First of all, he should realise that he is a spark of
divinity and that no evil spirits can control him. God says that He resides in
your heart. Heart is a single seat. There is room for one only. So, God only
should be seated in your heart and none else. Today man is failing to
comprehend that he is an aspect of divinity. He is unaware of the fact that God
is within and deludes himself that there is none to care for him. Everyone is
endowed with a heart which is divine and by nature full of compassion. God
dwells in such a heart. But today man has become hard-hearted as he has lost
this natural compassion. Such a person cannot be called a spark of the Divine;
he is verily a demon. The assertion Mamaivamsho . does not apply in such case.
There is a spark of divinity in the heart of everyone. It is because of bhrama
(delusion) that man is unable to realise his divine nature. In the first
instance, man should make efforts to overcome this delusion and realise that
God is always with him, in him, around him, above him and below him. Delusion
causes evil feelings to arise in your heart and mind. They are sheer
imagination and have nothing to do with divinity. God is present in the
heart of one and all. He does not have a particular form and is not confined to
a particular place. He is present in your heart and is all-pervasive. Sarvatah
Panipadam Tat Sarvathokshi Siromukham, Sarvata Sruthimalloke Sarvamavruthya
Thishthati (With hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouth and ears pervading everything,
He permeates the entire universe). Such effulgent divine principle of the Self
is termed as Atma. Krishna has asserted, this Atma is a part of His own
aspects. There cannot be any defects or imperfections in such divine principle.
Whatever defects you think you see are purely the result of your imagination.
God is the embodiment of virtues. Hence, man too should lead a life of virtues.
Evil propensities are impediments to the spiritual path. For a start, man should
distance himself from all evil actions and undertake good deeds. Only then will
he have the right to call himself a human being. Human life is highly sacred.
The Upanish! ! ads consider human life to be verily divine. Man considers
himself to be a weakling because he has forgotten the principle of The Self
which is beyond all attributes. His evil qualities, wicked deeds and misconduct
have brought him down to this sorry state. As is the company, so are the
thoughts. Hence, it is said, "Tell me your company, I shall tell you what you
are." Your friendship influences your nature. Ratnakara became Sage Valmiki
because of his association with the Saptharishis. Prahlada was the son of a
demon, yet he was always in the company of noble souls. Sathsangatwe
Nissangatwam, Nissangatwe Nirmohatwam, Nirmohatwe Nischalatattwam,
Nischalatattwe Jivanmukti (Sanskrit Sloka) (Good company leads to detachment,
detachment makes one free from delusion, freedom from delusion leads to
steadiness of mind and steadiness of mind confers liberation.) What is the
inner significance of Devi Navaratri? People worship the Triune Goddesses Durga,
Lakshmi and Saraswathi during these nine days. Who is Durga? She is the
embodiment of all powers. Saraswati is the presiding deity of speech and
wisdom. The Gayatri Mantra begins with "Om Bhur Bhuvah Suvah." 'Bhuh' means
materialisation. It represents matter which is subject to change. Bhuvah
represents life principle, i.e., vibration. Savitri is the presiding deity of
life principle. You must have heard the story of Savitri, who restored her dead
husband back to life with the power of her devotion and surrender. Saraswati is
worshipped as 'Jnana Devata' as she confers good intellect and wisdom. This is
described in the Vedas as Prajnanam Brahma. Prajnana does not mean worldly
knowledge. It is Constant Integrated Awareness, which is changeless and
eternal. The divine mother has three names: Gayatri, Savitri and
Saraswati. Gayantham Trayathe Iti Gayathri (Gayatri protects those who sing her
glory). Gayatri, being the presiding deity of our senses, helps us to master the
senses. Savitri, being the presiding deity of the life principle, protects our
life. Saraswati bestows on us the changeless and eternal wisdom. Gayatri,
Savitri and Saraswati are present in every man, but he is not able to
understand and experience their presence. Consequently, he is giving room to
wicked qualities and indulging in evil deeds, thereby ruining his life. His bad
habits are responsible for his downfall. First of all, man has to develop good
habits and transform himself. How could Savitri revive her dead husband back to
life? She transformed the vibration in her into divine vibration by
contemplating on God incessantly. That led to the resurrection of her husband.
When you develop divine feelings, nothing is impossible for you. An! ! y mighty
task can be accomplished through pure and selfless love. Love develops
divine power in you. There is nothing that love cannot conquer in this world.
Sages perform penance in dense forests infested with wild animals. They do not
possess any weapon for self-protection. The weapon that protects them is their
intense love and yearning for God. They tame the wild beasts with their power
of love and transform them into docile beings. Man's character gets transformed
into good or bad depending his company. Noble company bestows noble feelings and
bad company gives rise to evil traits. Your speech and conduct are based on your
feelings. You deserve to be called a human being only when you develop good
feelings. Form alone does not constitute a human being. A true human being is
one who embodies good habits, helps ever and hurts never. You should not merely
be an Aakara Manava (human in form); you should become an Aachara Manava (human
in practice). Speak good, see good, do good and be good. Divinity will manifest
in you! ! only when your conduct is good. God is not somewhere in a distant
land; He is very much in you, with you and around you, guiding you and guarding
you. Develop divine feelings and listen to the divine voice from within. Human
body can be compared to the musical instrument Veena. You can enjoy the divine
melody only when it is tuned to divine feelings. The divine melody will bestow
bliss on you and make you forget yourself in ecstasy. On the other hand,
Profane feelings will give rise to discordant notes. Hence, let your thoughts,
words and deeds be suffused with sacred feelings. Do not hurt others.
Paropakaraya Punyaya, Papaya Parapeedanam (one attains merit by serving others
and commits sin by hurting them). Hence, the Vedas teach, Help ever, hurt
never. The Vedas emphasise on the need to cultivate sacred feelings. In fact,
the sacred feelings are within, but man has forgotten them. Human being is the
repository of divine energy. Durga (goddess of energy), Lakshmi (goddess of
wealth) and Saraswati (goddess of wisdom) are present in the human. Man is not
poor in any sense. He is not weak or forlorn. He has all the capacity to
experience divine bliss. In spite of being endowed with all powers, man is
weak. This is the effect of evil company. You should not take it amiss, but the
fact is that the modern system of education is ruining the lives of many. Modern
education is leading to agitation instead of elevation. It is giving rise to
evil qualities like anger, greed, desire, jealousy, etc. In fact, people who
are unlettered have th! ! e virtues of humility, obedience, love and peace.
Humility is the hallmark of education. One may acquire high qualification, but
all his knowledge becomes useless if he lacks humility. "In spite of his
education and intelligence, a foolish man will not know his true Self and a
mean-minded person will not give up his wicked qualities. Modern education
leads only to argumentation, not to total wisdom. What is the use of acquiring
worldly education if it cannot lead you to immortality? Acquire the knowledge
that will confer on you immortality." (Telugu Poem) True education is that
which fosters truth, morality, integrity and culture. Education should develop
human values in you. You should respect elders and serve your parents. People
talk of friendship but we do not find true friends anywhere. Today friendship
is tainted with wickedness and self-interest. Tyaja Durjana Samsargam; Bhaja
Sadhu Samagamam; Kuru Punyam Ahorathram; Smara Nityam Anityatham (shun bad
company; seek good company and perform righteous deeds the whole day;
discriminate between permanent and ephemeral). This is what you are supposed
to do. Some people appear to be good and talk sweetly, but their minds are
filled with wicked feelings. Beware of such people and keep them at a distance.
It is because of such people abound that present-day society is in turmoil.
Prahlada was the son of a demon king, yet his thoughts were always centred on
Lord Narayana. He repeated His Name always. His father and his teachers tried
their best to divert him from spiritual path and infuse demonic traits in him.
Once Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada what he had learnt from his preceptors.
Prahlada replied, "The teachers have taught me many things. I have learnt the
principles of Dharma and Artha (righteousness and wealth) and studied sacred
scriptures. In fact, I have learnt the very essence of all knowledge."
Hiranyakasipu was overjoyed to hear all this. He said, "Oh son! Let me have the
pleasure of listening to that great knowledge." Prahlada said, "Oh father, the
Name of Hari will destroy all our sins. Of what use is one's education if one
does not contemplate on Lord Hari and attain liberation?" Hiranyakasipu became
furious on hearing this. He pushed him from his lap. But Prahlada was least
perturbed. He conti! ! nued to chant the name of Lord Narayana. Hiranyakasipu
subjected him to various ordeals. He made elephants trample upon him and set
poisonous snakes to bite him. Prahlada's unflinching faith in Lord Narayana
protected him from all these dangers. Prahlada felt the mighty elephant to be
as light as feather and the poison turned into nectar by the power of his
devotion. Such things can be understood only by experience and not by mere
description. Though he was young, Prahlada was firm in his resolve.
Hiranyakasipu was overcome fury. He roared, "Oh madcap, you talk very high of
your God, where is He?" Prahlada very calmly replied, "Father, never doubt that
God is here and not there. In fact, He is present wherever you look for Him."
(Telugu Poem) "If God is all-pervasive, can you show Him in this pillar?", he
challenged Prahlada. "Yes, I can", pat came the answer. Such was Prahlada's
faith and devotion. One can attain divinity only with conf! ! idence. Where
there is confidence, there is love; Where there is love, there is truth;
Where there is truth, there is peace; Where there is peace, there is bliss;
Where there is bliss, there is God.
Hiranyakasipu at once hit the pillar with a mace. Lo and behold! Lord
Narasimha emerged from it. What is the inner meaning of this? The body is like
a pillar. One can have the vision of Atma only when one breaks the manacles of
body attachment. You can develop Atmabhimana (love for the Atma) once you give
up Dehabhimana (body attachment). It is only Atmabhimana that will protect you
always. Learn the language of the heart. It can be taught only by divinity and
not by teachers. Students! What you need today is unwavering faith in
God. Faith alone can protect you. Under all circumstances, at all times,
consider God as the basis of your life. Give up evil qualities like anger,
greed, jealousy, etc. Anger can be compared to Ravana's pyre. It keeps burning
always. Desire is the cause of man's downfall. Hence, eradicate desire and
anger. You should manifest love and be embodiments of love. Love is God,
live in love. If you have love, you can achieve anything. Start the day with
love, Fill the day with love, Spend the day with love, End the day
with love, This is the way to God. Hence, develop the spirit of love.
Love is the most potent weapon that can win over anyone. What was the weapon
that protected our ancients who lived in forests? It was not hydrogen bomb or
atom bomb. It was love and love alone. So, one need not acquire atom bomb or
hydrogen bomb, it is enough if one has the weapon of love. You can conquer the
entire world with the power of love. People worship Durga, Lakshmi and
Saraswati during these nine days. Durga destroyed the demons. As the weapons
are no longer needed, people perform Ayudha Puja. When you pray to Durga
wholeheartedly, she will protect you in all your endeavours. You are not
able to understand the principle of divinity. Nobody in this world can help you
the way God helps you. Hence, surrender yourself to God and pray for His help.
Also devotion to God safeguards our ancient culture. People are haunted by
misery and grief as they have forgotten God. Control your emotions.
Develop love. Do not entertain evil thoughts. Nothing can confer the experience
of bliss that the proximity of God gives. Love all and all will love you. Share
your love with even dogs, monkeys and cats. You can see how they reciprocate
your love. Man lacks the sense of gratitude that even dogs have. We see many
foreigners having dogs and cats as their pets. When you love them, they too
will love you in turn. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi (as you think so you become).
You are bound to experience the reflection, reaction and resound of your
feelings, be they good or bad. If you see bad in others, it is only a
reflection of your bad feelings. It is a mistake to blame others ignoring your
own faults. Purify your feelings in the first instance. Love even those whom
you consider as wicked. In fact, nobody is wicked in this world. It is because
of bhrama (delusion) that you consider some as good and some wicked. Develop
Sathya Sankalpas (noble f! ! eelings) and follow the path of truth. Do not
indulge in vain gossip. Instead, sanctify your time by chanting the Divine
name. There is nothing sweeter than Divine name. Remember what Shivaji
taught his minister. This body will be respected so long as there is life in
it. Once the life ebbs away, it will not have any value. The same was stated by
Duryodhana during his last moments. He said, "I was respected so long as I was
alive. Tomorrow crows and dogs are going to feast on me." Whatever has to
happen will happen. Lead a respectable life while you are alive. Develop divine
feelings in you. Only then you would have led a true human life. Today man is
leading a purely materialistic life. This is also necessary to a certain
extent. Remember that there is the transcendental principle even in this
secular life. Embodiment of Love! The divine vibrations that result from
the Bhajan you have just sung is spreading to all parts of the world. The
divine name that you chant purifies the hearts of many. Hence, do not entertain
bad feelings. Do not use bad words. Use only sacred words. Sing the glory of
God. By doing so, you would have rendered a great help to the whole world. Do
not hurt others. Help everybody. When you help others, you will certainly
achieve positive results. Make proper use of your time. Chant God's Name and
make your heart sacred. (Bhagawan sang the bhajan, "Hare Rama, Hare Rama."
and continued His Discourse).Do you Yahoo!?
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