Anil Kumar Speaks of Educare

[Guest guest]

Talk Given by Anil Kumar to Teachers in Bangalore

“EDUCARE”

 

January 4th, 2003

OM… OM… OM…

Sai Ram

Distinguished Members on the Dais,

Esteemed Participants,

Dear Fellow Devotees and Guests:

“THEY WANT YOU”

I am extremely grateful to Bhagavan for giving me this opportunity to

participate in this conference. It is indeed very kind of the organisers, Mrs.

Kamala Padmanabhan, Mrs. Sucharita and all their associates for thinking of me

and giving me the privilege of being associated with the seminar.

Bhagavan said, “They want you. They want you to come and talk.”

That’s what He said - but it was unclear. Did Bhagavan want me to go, or not?

Bhagavan tells me, “They want you.”

How dare I ask, “Do You want me to go?”

“To be or not to be” is a question in a Shakespearean play, and that was the

question for my life on that day. Well, I could not answer it.

So I said, “Swami, what are the dates?”

Bhagavan said, “The 28th and 29th.”

Then I prayerfully thought, “This is the best opportunity to get permission for

my other personal work, because Swami-kaaryamu,

swakaaryamu, (deeds for Swami, deeds for self) could be both done at the same time.”

I said, “Bhagavan, I have a marriage function at Guntur on the 27th, which I

must attend because my absence would lead to misunderstanding and displeasure.”

Then Bhagavan immediately said, “All right, all right. It is up to you, Bangaru

(Golden One – a term of endearment). Nee convenience

choochuko. Nee anukoolamu chuchuko. Danidemundi. Idi the 28th - 29th.”

This happens to be the 28th and 29th. Was He indirectly suggesting that since

the wedding function was on the 27th, what would I be doing on the 28th and

29th? Well, that’s how I took it.

Then I said, “Swami, as the wedding is at night on the 27th, I won’t be able to

reach the conference on time on the 28th. So I will leave there (Guntur) on the

28th, and attend the function on the second day.”

“Manchidi, manchidi, nuvvu chuchuko.”

The next day, Bhagavan told the organisers about my commitment on the 27th, but

that I would attend the conference.

This is how the Will of Bhagavan brought me here and blessed me with the

opportunity to be in your midst. What greater joy can I expect? Could there

ever be more in one’s own lifetime?

THE TOPIC IS: “VISION OF SRI SATHYA SAI EDUCARE”

I have been given the topic “Vision of Sri Sathya Sai Educare”, about which much

has been written. I will limit myself to the topic proper. Having been a teacher

for four decades, I cannot afford to digress, divert or stray away from the

topic given to me.

I would, however, like to divide my talk into three parts. The first part is the

organisational aspect. The second part shows the difference between education

and Educare. And the third part is about the task ahead of us, and how to go

about it. These are the three components in my talk this morning.

THE EDUCATION WING IS THE FRUITION OF THE SERVICE AND SPIRITUAL WINGS

First, let me talk to you about the organisational aspect. My friends, all of

you know that there are three wings in Sathya Sai Seva Organisation. The first

wing is the service wing. The service wing is where we render service with the

body. “Bend the body.” Unless we serve humanity, we can never learn to be

humble; we can never experience Divinity. So, the first wing of this

organisation is the service wing, which is service-oriented, service-centred,

and service-based. We call this karma yoga (the path of activity, which

strengthens and purifies devotion to God).

The service wing takes us to the next wing of the organisation, which we call

the spiritual wing. It comprises bhajan mandali (spiritual congregations),

nagarsankirtan (group singing of spiritual songs along the streets early

morning), and

all other spiritual activities. They all come under the spiritual wing, which

represents bhakthi yoga (the devotional path of Love for God).

Karma takes you to bhakthi. Bhakthi is meaningless without

karma. Karma is aimless without bhakthi.

Karma and bhakthi are the obverse and reverse of the same coin. They go

together. If one does service without bhakthi, it is useless, mechanical,

routine, monotonous, laborious, boring. If there is only spirituality without

the service wing, it is like a platform lecture, only words, jargon; it is

bogus, exhibitionism.

So the spiritual wing will have its foundation in the service wing. The service

wing will have its fulfilment in the spiritual wing. These two will take us to

the third wing of the Sai Organisation, which we call the education wing. This

is jnana yoga, the path of wisdom to God.

Jnana yoga is the fruit and essence of the Sathya Sai Organisation. This

education wing is the brilliance, the radiance, the light and the delight of

the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation. This wing is the very life breath of the

Sathya Sai Organisation, without which the other two are lifeless, futile

exercises.

WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO BE TEACHERS

We are all lucky to have been involved in the education wing of the Sathya Sai

Organisation. We, the teachers, are privileged to be teachers. First of all, we

should feel proud of our profession. Why? It is because our greatness, our

richness, and our property are not counted in terms of coins and money. Our

property is counted in terms of the appreciation, the adoration, the

dedication, the commitment, and the compliments that we receive from our

students that are recorded in the passbook of our heart, in the bank of our

life.

After all, every income has an income tax, but the income of a teacher cannot be

taxed because it is infinite, Amrutasya Puthrah

(child of Immortality). It is akshaya (inexhaustible).

Given the chance, I want to be born again as a teacher. I tell you this because

I became a teacher by choice, not by force. By preference! I became a teacher

because I have joy while teaching. What a thrill we have when we are teachers.

We forget all our family problems.

That’s the reason why people of other professions might become old when they

retire; but a teacher is an evergreen hero throughout his lifetime. (Applause)

This is because he moves in the company of youngsters. A teacher moves in the

garden of flowers that blossom with smiles, the smiles of bubbling faces of

students committed to his care.

TEACHERS aRE tHE nATION’S bUILDERS

We are very lucky. We should be very grateful to God. We are the nation’s builders.

I can give you an illustration -- that of King Charles IV

of England. He made a royal visit to a high school in London, England. The name

of the headmaster was Busbee. He was teaching a lesson based on a poem written

by William Wordsworth, “The Cloud”. So beautiful! Wordsworth is speaking of

nature. He takes you to a state of ecstasy!

While he was teaching the students, the king passed by on the veranda. The

headmaster did not get up nor lift his cap as a mark of respect to the royal

king. He didn’t do that because he was engrossed, immersed in a total state of

forgetfulness, in total identification with the teaching.

After the bell rang, a few teachers came by and said, “You are going to lose your job.”

He said, “Why?”

“You did not salute the royal king, His Majesty! How is it you kept on teaching?”

And the headmaster said, “One king passed by the corridor. There are forty kings

in my classroom. I cannot ignore them.” (Applause)

NO cOUNTRY cAN sURVIVE wITHOUT a tEACHER

Never underestimate the profession we belong to. Never underestimate your role.

No country can survive without a teacher. Impossible! A teacher sees the

future. A teacher is a man of vision.

Michelangelo was a teacher. He looked at a boulder, a shapeless rock, and said,

“I see an angel in that.”

Similarly, a teacher is a ‘Michelangelo’! A teacher is a sculptor who chisels a

rock, his student, into a beautiful idol. A teacher is a cloud showering the

rain of happiness, giving the cool breeze of bliss to his students.

THE ROLE OF A TEACHER

Our students speak of us at home. They tell their father and mother how the

teacher dresses, and how the teacher addresses. I believe every teacher should

know how to dress and how to address. We cannot be ill dressed. We should be

well dressed. A well-dressed teacher will prepare well and his presentation

will be given equally well. We should be presentable to students. The students

should be happy to see us. We can’t afford to be unappealing. No. We’ve got to

be the latest.

I remember as a student how I used to note down the colour of the suits of my

teacher, including the colour of the socks he wore. How he inspired me!

I met him again yesterday. He is 88 and my suspicions were that I might not see

him again. He is almost on his deathbed! I touched his feet and said, “Dr.

Thomas, before I get on to the dais, I pray to God, then I think of you and

then I start speaking. I must have addressed thousands and thousands of

meetings, but you left an indelible mark on the sands of time in my memory. You

inspired me.” That is the role of a teacher.

Well, if I speak more, members of other professions may feel slighted. I don’t

want to annoy anyone or be a cause for anger. But it shouldn’t matter, as

everyone is also the product of their teachers.

THE EDUCATION WING HAS TWO PARTS

The education wing is an important part of the Sai organisation, where we

teachers have an important role.

There are two components in the education wing.

The Study Circle

Balvikas (Sai Spiritual Education for young children), Education in Human Values, and Educare.

Having been in the Sathya Sai Organisation for a quarter of a century in various

capacities of the State Organisation, I am familiar with the organisational

hierarchy. Therefore, I am trying to give you a picture or some idea of the

organisation, as well.

tHE fIRST pART oF tHE EDUCATION wING iS tHE STUDY CIRCLE

The education wing has these two components: the Study Circle, and Balvikas,

Education in Human Values, and Educare.

First, what is a Study Circle?

Today there is no study. There is only a circle, that’s all, a circle. So we

have to realise that we cannot afford to have men and women of this country

with a circle or a zero in their minds. No! They should not be empty-headed or

dull-headed.

The Study Circle: We sit in a circle and study together. We evolve and progress

together. We investigate together. We explore together. That togetherness is a

circle. Study is learning in-depth.

Study and learning are different. Learning is formal. It is institutional and

rather bookish. Learning is time-bound. Learning is, all in all, a process of

reception or receiving some material. But, study is observation. Study is

reflection and reaction. Study is exploration and enquiry. We study to be

steady. Therefore, my friends, the first part of the education wing is the

Study Circle. We have to study well.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Every teacher must necessarily study. If a teacher is to be respected, the

teacher must have adequate material about his subject matter. That’s the reason

why the famous maxim says, “Knowledge is power.” Knowledge is power. It is more

powerful than an atom bomb, more powerful than a nitrogen bomb. Knowledge is

power. That is the knowledge one should have, adequate knowledge,

knowledge-in-depth.

TEACHERS NEED SWADHYAYA AND PRAVACHANA

So, the Study Circle is the acquisition of knowledge. We call this in Sanskrit,

swadhyaya. Swadhyay - study. After the study, you implement -- Balvikas,

Education in Human Values and Educare, and that is the pravachana. Pravachana -

teaching.

Swadhyaya – study.

So, every teacher has two eyes: Swadhyaya, pravachana. Two ears:

Swadhyaya, pravachana. Two hands: Swadhyaya,

pravachana. If a teacher wants to have swadhyaya without

pravachana, he is handicapped or one-sided. If he has

swadhyaya and no pravachana, his classes will be empty. No students will come.

So teachers should be equally empowered by swadhyaya and pravachana - like the

two rails of a railway track running parallel to each other.

I will not say anything more about swadhyaya, the Study Circle, because that is

a little removed from the topic given to me.

GRANDPARENTS ARE BALVIKAS GURUS

Now, let me think of these three: Balvikas, Education in Human Values, and Educare.

Am I clear, please? You can ask me to repeat because I am notorious for speaking very fast.

It is Bhagavan who has cut down my speed to a great extent. He says, “Slow,

slow,” and then He will increase His speed, double, multiple, making me a

laughing stock for the audience. Sometimes He lets me fumble and commit a

mistake, to stand corrected very often - much to the amusement of people,

because Bhagavan’s discourses are enlightenment, and my mistakes are

entertainment. That makes it comprehensive and total!

But anyway, I will say a few words about Balvikas. Balvikas consists of children

who love to hear stories. Balvikas does not require Balvikas teachers. Every

grandmother is a Balvikas guru! Every grandfather is a Balvikas guru! They are

better gurus than all of us put together.

We don’t forget the stories told us by our grandparents. The picture of Bheema

(an Army General of ancient times) was given to us by our grandmother. The idea

of Krishna, Rama, Parasurama, Balarama, (Avatars and Krishna’s brother) -- all

these roles were given to us by our grandparents.

FIVE pOINTS aBOUT BALVIKAS

Point one is that Balvikas are full of stories.

Two, the stories help children to think of the body and the personality behind

the story. They start picturing characters such as Bheema. They don’t visualise

Bheema as a thin patient suffering from tuberculosis. No, Bheema is as big as

ten of us joined together, at least. When you speak of Balarama, they expect

personality. When you speak of Krishna, they expect a peacock feather and a

flute, a smile and a little mischief. Yamadharmaraja (the god of death), who is

He? A dark fellow with a moustache, sitting on the buffalo, ummmm, that’s it.

These are all the things identified with the picture in their mind. So Balvikas

is based on stories, and in these stories the children try to visualise the

different characters. The children picture the personality by listening to our

stories.

Then three, it is conscious -- being conscious of the body. I am conscious of my

dress and hairstyle. I am conscious of my qualification. I am conscious of my

seniority. I am conscious of my height, weight and chest measurement.

And the fourth point, there is “the one you think you are” - the body, the personality.

The fifth point, the children listen to our story in rapt attention. Suppose you

jump from the Ramayana to the Mahabharatha. The child will tell you to come back

to Hanuman (a renowned monkey devotee of Rama).

If you stop the story at one stage on the previous day, the next day the child

will be able to remember exactly what happened. “Start from here; don’t repeat

it again, because I get bored,” he tells me. This is because children have the

power or faculty of 100% concentration.

Therefore, my friends, I will give you these points once again, because teachers

are guilty of repetition. But their guilt is their strength. Yes, it is not a

weakness. In the Bhagavad Gita,

the Teacher of teachers, Lord Krishna Himself, repeats every point in every

chapter a hundred thousand times. So the ‘Head of the Department’, Lord

Krishna, the Teacher of teachers Himself, for our own benefit, wants us to

repeat so that we won’t forget or be negligent.

These are the five points concerning Balvikas: The first point is story telling.

The second point is body and personality development. The third thing is the

feeling of being conscious (of the body, status, etc.) The fourth point is

being aware of ‘the one you think you are’, the personality, the body. The

fifth point is that children listen to us in full concentration.

BALVIKAS tAKES yOU tO EDUCATION iN HUMAN VALUES

Balvikas takes us to a higher level. From the primary school, it takes us to the

secondary school. We go a little higher. Here it is “Education in Human Values -

EHV”. EHV is advancement, a gradual transition from the lower to the higher.

But one is complementary to the other, a sequential or corollary. Neither is

contradictory. Please understand this. They are not contradictory; they are

complementary. They don’t compete with each other. There is nothing complex

here, no perplexity or doubt. The process is evolutionary; you evolve. That’s

all. Simply, Balvikas takes you to a higher level, to ‘Education in Human

Values.’

EDUCATION iN HUMAN VALUES IS THE STUDY OF VALUES

What is this all about? At this level, a boy is in high school. You don’t need

to describe Rama in full. You don’t have to tell a boy from the 10th or 12th

class that Hanuman has a tail because the child has this already identified by

now.

So this is what happens at the EHV level: No more stories. We now teach values.

Rama means Truth. Rama means Dharma (Right Conduct). Krishna means Prema

(Love), Shanti (Peace),

Harischandra, an emperor who could have avoided terrible disasters by lying but

refused to, means Truth, Sathya. So they learn to value things not by the

personality, not by the role, not by the body, but by the values each character

represents.

So, Education in Human Values corresponds to the butter in curds and whey. If

the curd is Balvikas, the butter is Education in Human Values. I think I am

clear.

Then, they study the values a lot. And now, they begin to feel the values in

themselves. Rama stands for Truth. OK. ‘Do I speak truth?’ That is the

question. They begin to find the values within, and the extent to which they

are present.

EDUCATION iN HUMAN VALUES IS AT THE LEVEL OF THE MIND

This stage is called ‘conscience.’ ‘To what extent is my conscience speaking? To

what extent does my conscience follow the dictates of the stories narrated

earlier? To what extent is my conscience satisfied with the value you have

spoken about, with the values that are true until now?’

So, this is becoming aware of the conscience. It is at the level of the mind,

not the level of the body, as thinking is immediate. If you say, “Rama”, that

is enough. They think of the difficulties He had. They go on thinking of the

values He possessed and the challenges He faced. That is mental or

psychological, in the mind.

CONCENTRATION IS BALVIKAS,

CONTEMPLATION IS EDUCATION iN HUMAN VALUES

Then comes the second stage. Once we teach them, they think of the story, and

they think of the value. ‘You taught me about Rama; so do you speak truthfully?

I heard about Rama, is there Truth in me? Is there Truth in you? How untruthful

you are! How bogus he is!’ They begin to evaluate. They begin to ruminate and

to reflect. They begin to ponder over those values given to them. This is

contemplation.

Concentration is Balvikas.

Contemplation is Education in Human Values.

The body is Balvikas; the mind is Human Values.

Consciousness is Balvikas; the conscience is Human Values.

Stories are the course content of Balvikas.

Values are the theme in Education in Human Values.

Concentration is Balvikas’ effective implement for learning.

Contemplation is the objective in Education in Human Values.

So, that’s how you go beyond meditating on the stories to the values. Try to

contemplate or reflect upon the conscience. This then takes you to a higher

level, to the next stage, Educare, which is ‘university education’.

 

Primary school education – Balvikas

High school education - Education in Human Values

Collegiate career - Educare

EDUCARE dEALS wITH tHE sPIRIT

What is Educare all about? It has nothing to do with the body, as in Balvikas.

It has nothing to do with the mind, as in the Education in Human Values. It

deals with the spirit or Atma or soul.

The body is Balvikas.

The mind is Education in Human Values.

The spirit or

Atma is Educare.

In Balvikas, we speak of Ramayana, Mahabharatha and Bhagavatha, all religious

stories. In Education in Human Values we speak of the values or philosophy. So,

religion is Balvikas, philosophy is Education in Human Values, and spirituality

is Educare.

There is a difference between religion, philosophy and spirituality. They are

three levels of comprehension, three levels of experience and practice.

Religion (Balvikas) takes you to philosophy; philosophy (Education in Human

Values) takes you to spirituality (Educare).

So, Educare deals with the spirit, soul or Atma. It has nothing to do with the

Balvikas’ body ‘conscious’, or the ‘conscience’ of Education in Human Values.

Educare deals with ‘consciousness’. Therefore, we go to the third level -

spirituality.

CONSCIENCE IS LIMITED, CONSCIOUSNESS IS UNIVERSAL

What is the difference between conscience and consciousness? Conscience is

limited; consciousness is universal. Air in a balloon is conscience; air around

it is consciousness, both being the same. The air in the tyre and the air around

it are different only because of the name and form given by the tyre; the air

around the tyre is beyond name and form, though the same air. So, collectively

speaking, universally speaking, from a cosmic point of view, it is

‘consciousness’. When speaking from an individual point of view, it is called

‘conscience’.

So, Balvikas is conscious; Education in Human Values is conscience; and Educare

is consciousness. Am I clear, please?

EDUCARE REQUIRES MEDITATION

Educare also takes you to another level of approaching God. It is quite logical

to fly by plane across the sky. I cannot imagine flying on my bicycle. No, I

require a plane! But then I cannot expect to fly in an aeroplane on the ocean;

I need a ship there.

So, Educare requires the third level, meditation. Meditation is not time-bound,

where a person sits straight, bolting the door from inside, and not allowing

anybody in between 5.00 AM and 6.00 AM, considering himself ‘religious’.

Meditation is not limited to space and time. Meditation is not sitting

straight. You had better do that for a straight spinal column. If you are not

straightforward, at least your spinal column will be straight! Meditation is

not a physical exercise.

MEDITATION IS ANNIHILATION OF THE MIND

So, my friends, what is the meaning of meditation? There is only one definition.

I am never too tired, my friends, to repeat any number of times on different

platforms, at different places, to varied groups of audiences, the beautiful

definitions of Baba. No man could ever give these definitions, at any period of

time.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the ‘latest’ Avatar (Incarnation of God),

believe me or not. He gives you the technological, scientific, radical, human,

logical, rational approach to present-day problems that go straight to your

heart.

What does He say about meditation? Meditation is withdrawal of the mind, a

thoughtless state. Withdrawal of the mind, annihilation of the mind, or absence

of the mind is meditation.

So if I say, “I meditate every day”, nonsense! It is anything but meditation.

“My meditation times are at 4AM and 5PM.” This means he has no knowledge of the

definition of meditation, as meditation is beyond time and space. It is the

withdrawal of the mind, the annihilation of the mind, manolaya or manonaashana,

a thoughtless state,

sankalpa shoonya.

Sathya Sankalpamulachetha Sadhuvu Agunu

Sakala Sankalpa Shoonyude Shanthinondu

Sathyamaina Maata Sai Maata

Dushta Sankalpamulachetha Dukhithudu Agunu

Sakala Sankalpa Shoonyude.

The thoughtless state is Divinity because it is the thought that makes “a heaven

out of hell and hell out of heaven”, as Milton said.

Mana Eva Mokshanaam Kaaranam Bandha Mokshayoh.

THE wITHDRAWAL OF THE MIND IS THE ONLY WAY TO EXPERIENCE cONSCIOUSNESS

When you are above the mind, there is neither good nor bad. There is neither

success nor failure. There is neither profit nor loss. You are neither a woman

nor a man. You are beingness. That’s all.

Therefore, when we go to the level of meditation, when we transcend all these

limitations, when we withdraw our mind, you will feel Atma,

Parabrahman, spirit, soul, or consciousness.

Once you experience consciousness, you are not different from others; you are

not separate from others. You are not a VIP, no. Who is a VIP in spirituality?

Can there be a VIP in front of God? Impossible! Can there be a smaller wave and

greater wave, a smaller bubble and larger bubble in the ocean? After all, they

are all H2O, water, only. Therefore my friends, understanding that meditation

is the withdrawal of the mind is the only way to experience consciousness.

EXAMPLES OF BHAGAVAN’S LOVE AND COMPASSION

We must establish a relationship with everybody. If I cannot effectively

communicate with everybody, if I cannot learn how to be happy with everybody,

if I cannot smile with everybody, if I cannot share joy with everybody, what is

the purpose of human life? It is not worth the salt. We should be able to mingle

with everybody, even more so in a spiritual organisation. After all, we all

belong to one world.

Let us look at the way Bhagavan speaks of the two dogs, Jack and Jill, and of

His classmates, Suresh and Ramesh, from long ago. Or, the way He says “Thank

you!” to a buffalo in Madanapalle that fetched water every day. Thank you to a

buffalo! Most fellows don’t do that.

See the way He loves flowers: When I was standing close to Him for a personal

photograph, He said, “Just go a little behind. Let the flowers also appear in

the photograph. They are more beautiful than you!”Look at the way He loves the

plants and the trees. When an innocent child starts picking and pinching the

leaves, He chides him. He warns the child’s father, “Don’t let your son do

that!”

“Why, Bhagavan?”

He tells him, “Leaves have consciousness. Trees have consciousness.”

A few years ago, the Brindavan boys staged an item for the Sports Meet where

they had a display of stunts on the backs of horses. These horses were running

very fast. It all looked very nice. Suddenly Bhagavan said, “Stop it!” Why? He

saw the horses were sweating heavily. “How can you do that sort of thing?

Letting those horses sweat like that? Stop it!”

That is consciousness. Being with the leaf, being with the flower, being with a

bee, being with a horse, being with a buffalo, finding kinship is

consciousness. That is consciousness. Some people say, “I cannot mingle with

just anybody; I go with my group.” They are just in a circus, in a cage. No,

no. I should be able to be friendly with everybody.

EDUCARE IS BEING LOVE ON TWO FEET

Friendliness and loveliness are features of the Divine. After all, you may have

one friend or two friends or three friends, but you can be friendly with

everybody. Friendliness is Educare. You can love one or two. You can be a lover

to one or two. But also Love is yourself, for you are verily Love. You are the

embodiment of Love. You are the personification of Love. You are Love on two

feet. That is Educare. Educare is not being a lover, but being Love itself.

Educare is the study of the spirit. This means the acquisition of awareness of

consciousness, acquired through meditation. It is consciousness that is beyond

the body, the mind, space and time. That’s who you really are.

BHAGAVAN’S DIVINE PLAN

Balvikas is ‘the one you think you are’. Education in Human Values is ‘the one

others think you are’, while Educare is ‘the one you really are’.

 

Conscious – Balvikas.

Contemplation – Education in Human Values.

Meditation – Educare.

Body – Balvikas.

Mind – Education in Human Values.

The spirit or soul – Educare.

Conscious, contemplation, meditation is Educare. Stories, values, your true

Self, the Atma, and identification with that, is Educare. Educare - what a

wonderful plan! Bhagavan’s Divine Plan!

THE EDUCATION WING HAS NO TIME OR SPACE LIMITATIONS

He wants you to grow from one level to another: From conscious to conscience to

consciousness; from the body to the mind to the spirit; from concentration to

contemplation to meditation. What a wonderful Divine guidance it is! (Applause)

This shows an evolutionary process, a continuous journey to eternity. It is not

a time-bound plan.

So, the education wing has no retirement. The education wing has no limitation.

It has no limitation of strength, space, classes, bell or anything whatsoever.

Classroom teaching requires a bell. Balvikas can be anywhere, be it on a

platform or at the airport, on the road or under the tree, down the valley, up

a hill or in the deep sea.

The education wing has swadhyaya, the Study Circle, which requires self-study.

Then it takes you to pravachana, the teaching. Balvikas. Education in Human

Values, and Educare - all come under the education wing of the Sri Sathya Sai

Seva Organisation.

THE THREE STAGES OF EDUCATION WING

Balvikas introduces religion through stories, and thinking of the body of which

we are conscious. What is the first state? ‘The one you think you are’.

Balvikas takes you to religion. There are different physical bodies in

religion. Rama was very tall. Yama Dharmaraja (the god of death) was very fat,

and most disturbing, even in a dream. Krishna stands for beauty, mischief, and

for being a great statesman, oftentimes the politician. So the body, Krishna’s

smiling face, and so forth, is nothing but being ‘conscious’.

Ajaanubahum Aravindadalaayathaksham.

That is the body. That is nothing but the conscious state, ‘the one you think

you are’. That takes you to different stories and that requires concentration.

 

The second stage is Education in Human Values. Education in Human Values does

not speak of religion. It speaks of the philosophy of religion. It makes you

think of the mind and not of the body. It is not at the physical level. Nor is

it at the material or mundane level. It is the psychological domain, the

psychic domain. So it is the mind.

That takes you to understanding the conscience and the individual soul through

values. What values do you have? Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love --

Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema. You ruminate, ponder and think over these values.

This is what we call contemplation.

Educare is not about religion; religion is Balvikas. Educare is not philosophy;

that is Education in Human Values. Educare is spirituality. Educare is the

underlying current. What is it all about?

It is all about

Atma, not about the body, as in Balvikas; not about the mind, as in Education in

Human Values. It is Atma, your real core, which is nothing but consciousness,

which you experience through the process of meditation.

Atma, at the individual level, is the conscience. Atma, at the universal level,

is consciousness. The air in the balloon is conscience; the air around it is

consciousness. The Kolar gold mine is consciousness; the gold earring is

conscience. Am I clear? That’s it.

Therefore, the Educare that speaks of the Atma at the individual level is

conscience; at the universal, cosmic level, it is consciousness. This can be

experienced and felt through the process of meditation.

Having concentrated fully at the Balvikas level, we try to contemplate on the

values at the Education in Human Values level. Then, by the process of

meditation, we know what Educare is. This finally represents the ‘one you

really are.’

The one you think you are – Balvikas.

The one others think you are – Education in Human Values.

The one you really are – Educare.

That’s it. That is the first part of the talk. With your permission, I move on

to the second part.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EDUCARE AND EDUCATION

The second part is the difference between Educare and education. This is very

necessary to know because of the way Educare has been understood up to now. The

way Educare has been transmitted is not to my satisfaction in any way.

God simplifies, while man complicates! When God puts it in such simple terms, we

are capable of manipulating it and making it so complicated that it makes the

other person disgusted, vexed, and indifferent. So that’s not my job now. Our

job is to know how simple it is.

EDUCATION HAS PERPETRATED CRIME

Recently, Bhagavan gave a talk to teachers from Zambia and Thailand. The theme

of His talk happened to be Educare. A few points that I am going to share with

you are based on the Divine talk given to the teachers.

Before taking leave of Him, I showed Him these slides enthusiastically, and

said, “Chaala bagundayya.”

“Swami, naaku siggesthondi. Meeru aa maata annoddu. Yenduku bavundadu? Ivanni

mee matalu. Naa maatalu antha bavundavani naaku thelusu. Ivanni meevi mathrame,

Swami.”

“Yemantha thelikaga cheppasthunnave.”

“Meerantha thelikaga chepparu kanuka.”

So this is what it is.

Chaduvulanniyu chaduva tharka vaadambe kaani poorna gyaanamu yepudu ponda ledu.

Education will help you to argue and to put across your viewpoint with the

needed skill to convince the other man. It is an excellent art of manipulation,

to make the other man forget his own question.

What is it that education has done today? To quote Bhagavan, “Where there are a

number of educational institutes, there are numbers of courts, a number of

advocates, a number of prisons, a number of thefts, a number of bank robberies,

kidnappings, and what not! So, that is the outcome of education.”

TECHNOLOGY MEANS “TAKE KNOWLEDGE”

Some time back, Bhagavan granted an interview to a group of people and asked

them, “What is that you are doing?”

“Swami, we are students of M.Tech.”

“What does that mean?”

They said, “Master of Technology”. Oho!

“Who is a Master?” They had no answer. He asked the professor himself, “Who is a Master?”

He said, “Whoever mastered the subject.”

Bhagavan said, “Certainly not!”

Then Bhagavan said, “A Master is not the Master of the subject. A Master is not

the one who has gone deep into the content of the course. A Master is the one

who is the Master of his senses.”

Everybody was taken by surprise, with their mouths wide open, because no one had

thought of it that way.

Then He came to the second part of it. “What is technology?”

One student said, “Swami, applied science is technology.”

Then Swami said, “If it is applied science, why should there be a word like

‘technology’?” Finished!

He asked another professor, “What is technology?”

He said, “Science in application is technology.”

“You are totally wrong.”

Then, what is technology? Each one started giving his interpretation and definition.

Bhagavan said, “No, no, no, no. Having been educated, having learned all

knowledge, having taken possession of the skills and talents, you should go to

society and tell everybody, ‘Take knowledge, take knowledge’. That is

‘tech-nology’!”

“Or else, it is ‘trick knowledge’, to learn more tricks. Life is full of tricks.

So, it is not ‘trick knowledge’. It is ‘take knowledge’. ‘Take my knowledge.’”

“Your knowledge should be beneficial to your fellow men. Having been born in

society, having grown and been brought up in society, having acquired your

knowledge in society, you have to express your gratitude by appearing in front

of society and telling them, ‘Take knowledge.’ That is the true technology,” He

said.

EDUCATION IS FROM THE TEACHER - EDUCARE IS FROM GOD

So my friends, if we question ourselves about today’s education, we will be

convinced why Bhagavan wants Educare today. Now we have Educare to care for

ourselves, and Educare to care for society. We have Educare to know our real

identity, true nature and knowledge of the Self. Educare is care of the Self;

the Supreme Self is Educare.

So, knowledge is what is given to you by your teacher. A teacher is a

transmitter. Who is a teacher? A teacher is a transmitter of information from

one generation to another generation. He is only a carrier, a transmitter.

That’s all.

Education is obtained with the help of a teacher, but Educare is not like that,

Educare requires a Master. Who is the Master? God is the only Master. Why? He

has mastered all the senses.

We are only ‘misters’. We are Mr. So-and-So, Mr. So-and-So. The Master is God.

Sage Dakshinamurthy. Yes. Adi Sankara. They are Divine Masters.

That is the reason why my good friend, Mr. Narasimha Murthy, is very careful to

address Bhagavan as ‘Divine Master’. In every talk he says “Divine Master”

because the Divine is the only Master. The Master is the Divine.

So, while education is received from a teacher, Educare is from the Master.

EDUCATION GIVES KNOWLEDGE, EDUCARE GIVES WISDOM

Secondly, education gives you knowledge. Knowledge of what? It gives you facts

and figures, but knowledge of what? It gives you knowledge of everything that

is happening and has happened. It gives knowledge of facts and figures, whereas

Educare gives you wisdom.

Educare gives you wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom are different. A knowledgeable

man differs from a wise man. A knowledgeable man has a lot of information – a

fund of information, information gathered from books, from all the book shelves

available.

TEACHER IS MADE BUT MASTER IS BORN

But what has Baba said? “A person who is surrounded by books is comparable to a

man surrounded by bottles of tablets and capsules.” If a man is surrounded by

bottles of capsules, syrup, liquids and tablets, he is a patient. Similarly,

the man surrounded by books is a confused man. If you ask him one question, he

will give ten answers, none of which will satisfy you.

So, teachers are qualified to confuse you, but a Master is not ‘qualified’ at

all. A Master is born with mastery. A Master is born a Master. A teacher is

made. Talents are born. A singer is born. A painter is born. A sculptor is

born. A poet is born. A Master is born. But a teacher is made. He becomes a

teacher once he has attained a B.Ed. With a M.Ed., he becomes a teacher in the

college of education. With a Ph.D., he can teach in a university. A teacher is

made.

EDUCATION GIVES INFORMATION, EDUCARE BRINGS TRANSFORMATION

During education, we receive information - information about all fields of

knowledge: physical sciences, science and technology, the humanities, medicine,

and engineering. That is education - a fund of information.

Educare is not merely information. Educare is information leading to

transformation. Educare brings about transformation, while education only gives

you information.

In education, you get all the information through the senses - all that I see,

all that I hear, all that I touch. These senses are the windows of knowledge,

the gateways of knowledge, in that they receive information -- all that is

seen, all that is heard, all that is touched. The senses are the gateways of

knowledge. This is education.

But Educare is not this sort of knowledge. It is the wisdom you are born with.

You are born with Prajnanam Brahma. You are born with the awareness,

Prajnanam Brahma. Tat Twam Asi - That thou art. You are not ‘going to become’.

If you are ‘going to become’, you may lose it later; if you are ‘going to

become’, then you ‘are not’ now.

So, this Educare is not concerned with past or future. Educare is right here and

now. Educare is here and now. It is not of the past. Knowledge is of the past.

Knowledge is about debt because it is of the past. Knowledge is borrowed,

whereas wisdom is not borrowed. It is one’s own intuition.

You receive education via the senses. You receive wisdom via intuition.

Intuition is wisdom, while the senses merely transfer knowledge.

What is intuition? We all have intuition. We are all intuitive. Some people call

intuition the ‘inner voice’. Some people call it ‘conscience’.

DISCOVERIES MADE THROUGH INTUITION

Tuition is education. Intuition is Educare. And what is this intuition? Here is

a simple example. A person walking by saw an apple falling onto the ground.

Because his intuition awakened, he just postulated a discovery. He formulated

the theory of gravitational force. The law of gravitational force was not a

discovery made in the laboratory. It was not anything to do with equipment such

as a burette, a pipette, scales, a thermometer or a barometer, a telescope or a

stethoscope. No scope whatsoever was involved. Intuition alone was responsible

for the law of gravitational force. The law came from within.

A boy went to offer his prayers in a synagogue. He knelt and started praying.

Suddenly he heard a sound trrr…trrrrr. He opened his eyes and saw a lamp

swinging from side to side. He started counting how many times it moved to this

end, and how many times it moved to that end. That led to the discovery of

watches, clocks. That boy was Galileo. His intuition led to the creation of

time pieces. So watches and clocks were not discovered in any laboratory,

factory, national defence lab, or international lab. Intuition alone was

responsible.

A person was taking a bath in a tub. Suddenly he noticed that some water spilled

out of the tub. He came up with the law of density. This was Archimedes.

On his way to church, a pastor noticed a number of plants of the same variety

with flowers of different colours. The plants were the same, but the colours

were different. Some were white; some were bright. Some were blue; some were

pink. Different colours, but they were all the same type of plant. They were

all garden peas, but they were of different colours. The pastor was none other

than John Mendon, who formulated the theory of inheritance. This is another

instance of a discovery not taking place in the laboratory. It was the result

of the awakening of intuition.

Suppose you are trying to make a decision as to whether to go or not to go to

Puttaparthi. The inner voice tells you, “Go now!” That is intuition.

INTUITION GOES AFTER CONVICTION, MIND GOES AFTER CONVENIENCE

Some people ask me the question: “Sir, how to know the difference between the

directives or the dictates of the mind, as opposed to the dictates of intuition

or conscience. How to distinguish and differentiate between the two? Is it the

mind that dictates to me or is it the intuition that wants me to do that. How

to differentiate?”

My answer is this. It is very simple. Mind tells you that which you find to be

convenient. ‘Let me go to Holiday Inn this evening, or why not go to some

theatre, or why not watch some interesting TV serial, this being Sunday?’ That

is the prompting of the mind. That is psychological.

‘Nothing doing. You go to do service.’ That is intuition. Intuition goes after

conviction, mind goes after convenience.

Mind speaks of those things that constitute unfulfilled desires. The mind goes

on dreaming about some desires which are not fulfilled. The mind goes on

reminding you about them. ‘What was lost to you earlier, have now. You missed

that picture then, now it is released. Why don’t you go?’

WHILE MIND IS HUMAN, INTUITION IS DIVINE

So, mind is something like a computer. It is something like a tape recorder. You

can rewind or go fast forward. But intuition has got nothing to do with

rewinding or going fast forward. It is directive, commanding, demanding,

challenging and uncompromising.

Commanding, demanding, uncompromising are the terms of the inner voice. While

mind is human, the intuition is Divine. While mind is physical, worldly,

mundane, intuition is spiritual. Intuition is totally spiritual and Divine.

Therefore, education speaks of the mind. It is the mind that registers all the

classroom lectures. It is the mind that registers all the quotations from

famous books. Mind makes me a scholar. Mind makes me a goonda.

Mind has got both positive and negative aspects. At its best, it will make you a

scholar. But intuition makes you a wise man or a man of wisdom.

Who is a wise man? A wise man is one who knows the eternal, not just this moment.

Chaduvulanniyu chaduva ksheenudu avagunambu maana ledu.

A mean man would not be able to give up his mean habits in spite of the

acquisition of knowledge.

Chaduvulanniyu chaduvi chavanga netiki? Chavu leni chaduvu chaduvavalayu

Earn the knowledge to be immortal or deathless. That is Educare.

 

EDUCATION IS EXPLANATION, EDUCARE IS EXCLAMATION

Education is a matter of questioning. Why this? Why not that? Why? How? What?

These are the questions one asks while undertaking education. Education is a

question. Question leads to investigation. Investigation leads to observation.

Observation leads to formulation. Formulation ends up in a theory. That is

education.

But, Educare is not a question. It is a quest. Educare is a quest, while

education is a question. Quest is different from question. Quest is a search.

Quest is an enquiry. Quest involves turning inward. Quest requires one to go

beyond the senses. Quest aims to take you to your reality; to make you know

your true identity.

One poses a question only to find an answer, suitable or unsuitable. I think I

am clear. And education is a question that is solved. Every question has got a

solution. So, question solved is education.

But Educare is a quest which is not solved; rather it is a quest wherein you are

dissolved. Why and how? You can no more say what you are. You are dissolved. You

have become a drop in the ocean. A river that has merged into the ocean has no

claim or identity whatsoever. An ornament melted into gold loses its name and

form. That is the meaning of quest. The individual gets dissolved.

Education is full of explanation. The more and more you explain, the more and

more educated you are. Education is explanation, but Educare is exclamation.

When you see the Taj Mahal, you are filled with awe and wonder. You are filled

with wonder, awe, inspiration, admiration and adoration. That is the

exclamation one experiences through Educare.

Framing your ideas is explanation. So, education is explanation, while Educare

is exclamation. In education, there is argument and counter-argument; thesis

and anti-thesis; Darwinism and Neo-Darwinism; Lamarckism and Neo-Lamarckism;

Bernoulli’s hypothesis; and Avogadro’s hypothesis. Dalton’s atomic theory

provided further contradiction; thesis and antithesis; argument and

counter-argument.

SYNTHESIS IS THE QUINTESSENCE OF EDUCARE

So, thesis, anti-thesis is just a game in education. But, synthesis is the

quintessence of Educare. Synthesis, togetherness, grouping, unity, harmony is

Educare. Disharmony, specialisation, diversification is education.

Centralisation is Educare. To centre is Educare, while to remain on the

periphery is education. I think I am clear.

Centre is one; periphery is everywhere. We are studying about that centre in

Educare. Education has taken us to specialisation and super-specialisation.

I’ll give you a small anecdote. One gentleman in Bombay had some tooth problem.

His age was about 40.

Yes. This gentleman had some tooth problem on the right side of the upper jaw.

He went to a dentist and said, “Doctor saab, this is my problem.”

The doctor said, “Sorry sir, I am a specialist in the lower jaw. Better you go

to another doctor.”

So he went to another doctor and said, “Sir, I understand you are a specialist

in the upper jaw. My problem is on the right side.”

The doctor said, “I am an expert of the left side. Better you go to some other man.”

So he went to another doctor, “Sir, are you a specialist for the left side?

Please let me know.”

This doctor said, “There are different types of teeth - canines, molars and

incisors. Which type of tooth is the problem? I don’t know because I am a

specialist. Go next door.”

In the end, the fellow lost his teeth due to lack of care.

Educare makes you complacent, gratified, satisfied, contented, happy, and

blissful. No more bonds or desires because you are at the very centre of your

life. You are at the very centre of life. You are not dancing around the

periphery. You are not galloping near the periphery. You are at the very

centre. That is Educare.

BECOMING IS EDUCATION, BEING IS EDUCARE

So, education, with its super-specialisation, leads to confusion, whereas

Educare leads to gratification. Education leads to more and more desire.

Desirelessness is the result of Educare. Education makes us selfish.

Selflessness is the result of Educare.

My friends, if I want to become a doctor, an engineer or a pilot I must undergo

the required education. Education is for becoming (something). Becoming is

education. You need education in order to become something.

But Educare is not about becoming. It leads to being. Being is Educare. Becoming

is education. Syntheses is Educare. Its anti-thesis is education. Transformation

is Educare. Information is education. Mind is education. Heart is Educare.

Knowledge is education. Wisdom is Educare. Education is given by a teacher.

Educare is transmitted by a Master.

You receive education by observation of the outer world. Yes, you have to

observe. You observe any scientist. He observes his own recordings. He performs

an experiment and makes his own recordings. Education is external, taking place

in the laboratory or in the classroom; whereas Educare is within you. Education

is pravritti, while Educare is nivritti. Pravritti is external knowledge,

outward knowledge. Nivritti is inward wisdom.

So, nivritti is beyond the senses while pravritti is below the senses. And then,

pravritti speaks of ‘this’. This is an auditorium. This is a screen. This is a

mike. This is an atom. This is a molecule. This is an electron. So, education

speaks of ‘this’, while Educare speaks of ‘that’. Twam – education - this. Tat

– Educare -that

So there’s a wide gulf of difference between Educare and education. Balvikas is

one shore of the river and Educare is the other shore. The bridge between the

two shores is EHV.

BALVIKAS, EHV AND EDUCARE ARE ALL IMPORTANT

>From Iha to

Para, from padartha to parartha, from grantha to

gandha, saugandha -- This is essence. Educare is about essence. Balavikas is

about existence. One is about existence, while the other is about essence. The

bridge of EHV takes you from one shore to the other.

“Sir, I want to be on this shore.”

“Alright.”

“I want to stay there on the bridge.”

“Useless. You should go across to the other shore.”

All three are important. One is a corollary to the other.

Balvikas is the sugarcane; EHV is the juice; and Educare is the sugar. You can’t

expect to have the sugar without the juice. There’s no juice without the

sugarcane. All the three are required.

What a beautiful example Bhagavan gave to those boys, the teachers from Zambia!

He said, “A-B-C are necessary. Twenty-six letters are in the English alphabet.

There are fifty-two letters in the Telugu language. The letters are few, but

thousands and thousands of pages of volumes have been written with these few

letters.”

So, letters are the

balvikas, words are EHV, and sentences are Educare. A-B-C-D are letters. Love

and God are words. ‘God is Love,’ ‘Love is God,’ and ‘Live in Love,’ are

sentences. Would you say, “I don’t want words” or “I want to stay with words

only?” Can you say, “I want only sentences?” All the three are necessary.

THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS ESSENTIALLY DIVINE

Educare begins right from birth. You are born with Educare. Education speaks of

the outer world, pravritti, outer marga, while Educare speaks of

nivritti, inward marga. Education is a question solved, while Educare is a

quest, an enquiry through which you are dissolved. Education is explanation,

while Educare is exclamation. Education speaks of this twam, while Educare

speaks of that -- tat.

Education is about life manifest. Electricity manifests as heat, as light, as

sound. The mike, the generator, a bulb, a heater and a fridge are all gadgets

or instruments through which the inner electricity manifests. Am I clear?

So, life manifests. Why do I say that life manifests? Because Sarvam Vishnu Mayam

Jagat. The whole universe is essentially Divine. Divinity manifested in many

forms. As sister Kamala Padmanabhan was explaining a couple of minutes ago,

this is Vishwa Virat Swarupa.

So the point is that all this external phenomena is cosmic form. Someone asked

Swami, “I want your Vishwa Virat Swarupa.”

Arey, auditorium, Vishwa virat swarupam. Meerantha ade!

Isa vasyamidam sarvam

Yat kincha jagatyam jagat

Tena tyaktena bhunjitha

Ma grdhah kasya sviddhanam.

Vasudeva sarvamithi. Life is creation as manifest form. Educare is the

underlying electricity which is neither heat, nor cold, nor anything else. It

is nirguna -attributeless, formless - nirakara, blemishless - anindya.

So, nirakara, nirguna, anindya, amartya, immortal. That principle of life

unmanifest or the creator is Educare. Life manifesting is education. Thesis and

anti-thesis are education. Synthesis, unity, and harmony are Educare.

EDUCATION IS KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED THROUGH THE SENSES

As I said earlier, the senses are the gateways. The senses represent the

conscious mind. Through the senses, you get information. That information is

stored in the form of knowledge, all bookish knowledge, all superficial

knowledge, that you acquired by making some effort -- six years of schooling,

three years of graduate studies, and two years of post-graduate studies.

Strenuous, laborious effort is required to acquire knowledge through books and

teachers. Effort is required to become a doctor or engineer.

After that, what happens to you? Pride, ego, pomp arise. You feel you can no

longer mix with everybody.

A SPIRITUAL PERSON IS THE BEST COMMUNICATOR

My friends, a spiritual man is the best communicator. He is able to mix with

everybody, no matter whether the other person is educated or not. Here is

Bhagavan who talks to a gardener, a lorry driver, or a primary school boy in

the same manner as to Dr. Gokak and Kaamavadhani. That is the quality of a

spiritual man.

The best communicator is a religious man. The best communicator is a spiritual

Master. The best communicator is the Divine Master Himself. Education only

makes us full of pride, ego and pomp.

“Do you know I am a Ph.D.?”

“Why should I know that you are a Ph.D.?”

“Do you know I am so-and-so?”

This identity is full of pride and ego. The senses receive information, which

boils down to knowledge. Through effort we become something, and end up in

pride and pomp. That’s the process.

EDUCARE IS TRANSCENDENTAL, EXPERIENTIAL WISDOM

In Educare, it is different. It is transcendental. It is beyond the senses

because it deals with the inner world. The inner world is infinite. The inner

world is reality. The inner world is your very being. The inner world is your

true Self. Educare deals with the consciousness, the awareness, the awakeness,

the experiential, experimental, existential wisdom that is your very being. It

is experiential, existential awareness. Educare is transcendental, being beyond

the senses.

Through Educare, you don’t get any information. You get yourself transformed.

You come to know that the other fellow is not the ‘other’. ‘Other’ is

non-existent in Educare. There is no ‘other’. You are everything, everyone.

Ekoham Bahushyam.

You manifested into me. There is no other. This is transformation. To feel that

you and I are here is information. To feel that you and I are one, that there

is no other, is transformation.

Ekamevaat Dwitiyam Brahma.

Only one -- not two. That is transformation. With this insight, what do you get?

Wisdom. With wisdom, what do you get? Transformation. Practical knowledge is

unlike bookish knowledge. It is unlike superficial knowledge. At best you can

call this discriminating, practical knowledge as wisdom.

EDUCARE IS REALISATION WHICH IS ALREADY THERE

Information requires effort. You have to study day and night. You have to go to

teachers, and do experiments in the laboratory until late in the night.

Acquisition of information requires effort.

Educare involves the realisation of that which is already there. To know that

there is a pen here, I don’t need to make an effort. I don’t need to go to

Chikpet or Majestic Circle. I don’t need any communication. Not necessary. It

is already there.

Tat Twam Asi – “You are That. You are That.”

So, some fellow will come and say, “Arey, there is pen there.”

“Oh, I see…”

The fellow who comes and tells you that there is a pen there is the Master. The

one who knows that the pen is already there is one of Educare.

Educare is realisation of that which is already in existence. That’s what I mean

by realisation. Education is becoming, while Educare is

being.

While pride, ego and pomp are off-shoots of education, humility and awareness

develop with Educare. While education is given by a teacher, Educare is given

by a Master.

EDUCATION IS VIA COMMUNICATION, EDUCARE IS SILENT

Oral, verbal communication is necessary in education. But Educare is silent.

Educare is inspiration from within. Educare is inspiration, illumination,

radiation, expressionless expression, effortless effort, soundless sound.

Mouna vyakhya prakatitha Brahma,

Mouna vyakhya prakatitha Brahma.

Soundless sound.

Somebody asked Ramana Maharishi, “Swami, what shall I do to attain nirvana?”

He said, “Don’t do. Don’t do anything.”

It is not that easy not to do anything. The mind goes on thinking about

everybody and everything. I think I am locked up in my room engrossed in

meditation. I think I am alone. No, no, no, no. You are not alone. You are in a

crowd because you think of your college; you think of the mandir; you think of

Majestic Circle, the bus stand and Rajajinagar. Though you are alone, in fact,

you are in a crowd. I think I am clear.

You are alone physically, but you are in a crowd mentally. It is useless. On the

other hand, you may be in a crowd, but yet all alone, by yourself. You can be in

a crowd, but yet, all alone. You can be left to yourself. You can be alone; but

aloneness is different from loneliness.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EDUCARE AND EDUCATION

Yama Dharmaraja told Nachiketha, “I will give you all education.”

The boy said, “Nothing doing, my lord. Teach me Educare.”

“No, no. I will give you all the property of this world.”

“Nothing doing, my lord. Please teach me Educare.”

Yama Dharmaraja was prepared to give education, but Nachiketha wanted Educare,

which came in the form of Nachikethopakhyana of Upanishadic literature.

Adi Sankara had one disciple, Padmapaada. While Adi Sankara was teaching

everything to his disciples, Padmapaada did not receive any formal, verbal

information from his teacher.

When he was drying all the clothes, all of a sudden clouds appeared, followed by

a terrific rain. The clothes were driven out by the raging waves, the frowning

clouds, and the thunder. Immediately Padmapaada started leaping around in order

to collect all the clothes. Wherever he jumped, there appeared a lotus flower so

that he would not drown in the torrent. Guru Sankara taught Padmapaada

everything in this way via silent communion.

While the rest of the disciples had communication, Padmapaada received

information through communion, by He who is the co-composer of Bhaja Govindam

with Adi Sankara.

That is, in brief my friends, the differences between Educare and education. I

must have taken more time than necessary. I am always guilty of that, but my

audience has been very good to bear with me. I want to make a final comment on,

“The future plan of action”.

GIVE UP COMPARISON AND COMPETITION

Firstly, I spoke about an organisation topography; secondly, about the

difference between education and Educare. Now, thirdly, here is a plan of

action. With no malice, with no hatred, I just make certain statements out of

my three decades of association with the Sai Organisation and its institutions,

for the collective benefit.

First point I want to make is -- give up comparison and competition in order to

be better off in life. Comparison and competition are like cancer and kidney

failure. That is enough to transport us to the other planet! Let us not compare

ourselves with others. Let us not compete with each other. The tendency to

compare and compete is just the opposite of spirituality. This is the first

point that I wish to make.

ORGANISATION TOPOLOGY

The second point is -- let us all work together.

Mata Pita Guru Daivamu Mari Anthayu Nene.

He is our Father. He tells devotees from other states that they are brothers and

sisters. We are one family.

How to go about Educare? Point 1: I want one person to be in-charge at the

district level to monitor Educare, in order to oversee how it is going on.

Then there should be one person at the state level, to collect the data

pertaining to all the details of what is going on everywhere. He should be able

to tell every person what is happening in the neighbouring district. He should

be able to be the contact person between the state president, state mahila

convenor, and the rest of the people. Without designation, he discharges his

duty.

TO BE ORDINARY IS EXTRAORDINARINESS

People without designation do a lot. My friends, bear in mind, the most precious

things in this world are ordinary. The most precious things in the world are

ordinary, yet we want to be extraordinary. That is the tragedy. There is

nothing extraordinary in being extraordinary. To be ordinary is extraordinary.

To be ordinary constitutes extraordinariness.

Clouds are ordinary. Rain is ordinary. Sunlight is ordinary. Moonlight is

ordinary. Mountain tops are ordinary. Greenery, the slopes, the forests, the

harvests are ordinary. Yet a simple human being, whose life is so short, wants

to be extraordinary. An impossible quest!

Somebody asked Abdul Kalam, “What are your views? What is your message on this

day, your birthday?”

Kalam’s reply was, “In the light years, in the infinity of time, what am I,

after all, with this short life? That is my message to you.”

It is a paradox if, in the name of spirituality, we want to become

extraordinary, something special. It constitutes a life of paradox. It is a

life of polarities, opposites. This life of paradoxical opposites is

diabolical. The polarities will never come together. So let’s be ordinary.

EACH ONE, TEACH ONE

So, let there be a man in each state to know about all that is happening, with

the aim to utilise this information to improve, rather than to compete; to

know, not to compare. I know in the state of Maharashtra, there is fantastic

work going on. I know, in Delhi, in the international building that Swami

inaugurated, wonderful work is going on.

Each one of us should teach one. We grow together. We learn together. Man is not

isolated. Man lives in society. He has to grow along with the society. The

Sathya Sai family is one society. We grow together. We learn from each other.

(Applause) That is the secret of success. Let’s know what is happening in other

states.

LET US ALL WORK TOGETHER

Many distinguished personalities visit Prashanti Nilayam. One of them is Jhum

Sai. Some of you could arrange an appointment with him and learn from him.

There are some great people who come to Prashanti Nilayam. People from

Karnataka, even if in Prashanti Nilayam as a sevadal, should seek an

appointment with such people.

Don’t say you don’t belong to EHV. This hand belongs to me; this leg belongs to

me; this eye belongs to me. All belong to me. If I say this leg is Subba Rao,

this hand is Venkateshwara Rao, you will think that I am from a lunatic asylum.

 

We have no authority to say that Balvikas has nothing to do with the youth wing,

and that the youth wing has nothing to do with the elders’ wing. What is youth?

And what is old? We are immortal. We are ageless and timeless. So

differentiation and distinction is a tragedy and a curse to any developing,

growing organisation.

Let us know what is happening internationally. Let’s keep the doors of our mind

wide open so that the breeze of knowledge will flow freely among us. And then,

let us assess and evaluate at each moment how near are we to the goal. How near

are we to the target? What additional steps do we need to take? Let there be a

quarterly review of our progress.

CONCLUSION

These are the thoughts that are uppermost in my mind, and that I wanted to share

with you. If you feel that it’s an extra indulgence, if you fell that I spoke

from a place of arrogance, I stand guilty. I beg to be excused. Since I feel

that I am a member of the Sai family, interested in the Sri Sathya Sai

Organisation, and, having given my life to the organisation, I feel that I have

got every right to speak about it. (Applause) It is in this context that I dare

to touch upon these ideas.

My sincere thanks to Kamala Padmanabhan and Madam Sucharitha for their kindness

in inviting me to this place, and Mr. Vinayak who made all transport

arrangements and who has taken care of me from breakfast until I depart. He is

a good man. He is a role model from whom we can learn much. I also thank my

good friend, Sri Narasimha Murthy. I am also so glad to see some of the old

faces here with whom I mingled for six years when I was on this campus.

I conclude, praying that Bhagavan’s choicest blessings be showered on each and

every one of you in this happy new year of 2003.

Anil Kumar concluded his talk by singing the bhajan, “Bhajamana Narayana Narayana Narayana”.

 

JAI BOLO BHAGAVAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA JI KI!!

JAI

JAI BOLO BHAGAVAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA JI KI!!