Paduka Puja /Swami discourse about...

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Paduka Puja 11 October. 1998 - Install Sai Padukas in Your Heart 12 October.

1998 - Devotion, Duty and Discipline Deepavali 19 October. 1998 -

Dispel the Darkness of Ignorance

PADUKA FESTIVAL is a Festival for worshipping sandals blessed by the Lord

Divine Discourse by Bhagavan Sri SATHYA SAI BABA on 11 October. 1998 Install Sai

Padukas in Your Heart

For the human progress mental strength and purity of Heart are essential. It is

only the mental strength and purity of Heart that make the human Divine. Mind

is the basis for mankind. Thoughts are responsible for the existence of mind.

The human behavior, whether good or bad is based on the thoughts. The human

life is the result of thought process. When a small pebble is thrown into

a lake, the ripples spread all over the lake. Likewise, the 'ripples' that

arise in the lake of mind when a pebble of thought is thrown into it, spread to

all the senses. When the 'ripple' that arises out of good thought spreads to

your mouth, you speak only good words. If it is a bad thought, you utter only

bad words. Similarly, whatever you see, hear or do depend on the thoughts you

entertain. So, the good or bad of a human being is based on thoughts. Today,

man aspires for God and contemplates on Him constantly, but mere aspiration and

contemplation are not enough to experience God. God is not pleased by

contemplation alone; one has to totally offer himself to experience Him. Once

you offer yourself completely to God, you and He become one. What are the

spiritual pursuits to be followed to become one with God? When fire and coal

are placed apart, they remain as they are. Only when they are brought together

and fanned, can coal get transformed into fire. Likewise, go closer to God and

love Him whole-heartedly. Such nearness and dearness to God will ultimately

make you one with God.

This is what Vedanta declared, "Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavathi' (the knower of

Brahman becomes Brahman).The food eaten gets digested and its essence is

supplied to all parts of the body. This means that the food partaken becomes

one with the body. Similarly, you have to offer yourself completely to God.

Only then can you become one with him. All your thoughts should become divine.

Jeeva is Nara and God is Narayana. Both should become one. Nara means Atmic

principle. So, you are human only in form, but your nature is divine. It is

only the Atma that moves about from top to toe. Whatever that is thought, said

or done is only due to the presence of Atma. That is why Krishna has said,

"Mamaivaamsho Jeevaloke Jeevabhoothah Sanathanaha" (Human beings are the sparks

of the Divine).God is the object and you are the reflection. The purpose of the

spiritual pursuits lies in the unification of the object and the reflection.

Mere worshipping of Padukas, chanting the name of God or contemplating on His

form are not sufficient to bring about this unification. These correspond to

the outward path (Pravritthi Maarga). You should take to inward path (Nivritthi

Maarga). Only then can you understand the principle of unity.

This morning, the Shastriji, while explaining the significance of Gayathri

Manthra described Gayathri as Pancha Mukhi (deity with five faces).What are the

five faces? The first face is the Primal Sound 'Aum'. Bhur Bhuvah Suvah' is

the second face. 'Tat Savitur Varenyam' is the third face. 'Bhargo Devasya

Dheemahi' is the fourth face. 'Dhi Yo Yonah Prachodayat' is the fifth face.

Who is Gayathri? "Gayathri Chandasaam Maathaa" - Gayathri is the mother of the

Vedas. Gayathri has three names - Gayathri, Saavitri and Saraswathi.

"Gaayantham Traayate Iti Gayathri" - Gayathri redeems the chanter of the

manthra).

Gayathri is the master of the senses. Saavitri is the master of Praana (Life

Force). Saraswathi is the presiding Deity of Speech (Vaak Devata Swaroopini).

You have to unify your senses, life principle and your speech and offer to God.

SaraswathiYou should also understand the meaning of 'Bhur Bhuvah Suvaha'. You

are under the impression that they refer to the three worlds - Bhuloka,

Bhuvarloka and Suvarloka. All these three worlds are present in you and in

every living creature. Bhur refers to the body, made up of five elements

(materialization). The same five elements constitute the entire world. Bhuvah

refers to the Praana Shakthi (vibration), which makes the body move. However it

is the presence of Pragjnaanam i.e., Suvaha (radiation) that enables the Praana

Shakthi to animate the body. It is on this account that the Vedas have declared

"Pragjnaanam Brahma" - Constant Integrated Awareness is Brahman. This Constant

Integrated, Awareness is present in man. Man has also the five elements in

him.The five elements constitute the world. What is the primordial basis for

these elements? That is the primordial sound Omkara. Basing on this the Gopikas

have prayed thus: "Kleem Krishnaaya, Govindaaya, Gopijanavallabhaaya Swaha!"

"Kleem" means the earth. "Krishnaaya" means water. "Govindaaya" means fire,

"Gopijanavallabhaaya" refers to air. '"Swaha" refers to ether (Akaasa).

Krishna's name encompasses the five elements. These five elements permeate the

whole universe. In fact these five elements form the life-basis for the entire

universe. These are essentially divine. That is why earth is referred to as

Bhoodevi, water as Gangadevi,

Ganga

fire as Agnideva and air as Vaayudeva. There is no need to search for God

elsewhere. He dwells in your Heart. That is why He is called Hridayavaasi

(indweller of the Heart). If someone were to ask you, "Where do you come

from?", you may say that you are coming from a hotel or from your house. Agni

But actually you come from none of these places. You come from Hridaya. It is

this Hridaya that is your dwelling place. Then where is the question of coming

and going? Similarly, God neither comes nor goes. He is present all over, all

the time. But in order to confer grace on a devotee He may manifest Himself.

Just because God has appeared to a devotee in America does not mean that God

has traveled all the way to America. He is present in America too. It is the

devotion that makes God manifest Himself. Divinity neither comes nor goes. It

is present everywhere. "Vishvam Vishnuswaroopam", "Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma."

There is no place where there is no God. All names and forms are His.

You should not have the feeling that God is the master and you are His servant.

The individual (Nara) and the Divine (Narayana) are one. You should take to

spiritual path in order to understand this principle of unity. Right from birth

to death if you are immersed in dualism, when will you experience the bliss of

non-dualism? A man with dual mind is half blind. So you should make every

effort to experience oneness. In the morning, Panditji, while doing abhisheka

to the Paadukas with milk, curds and honey, explained the significance of these

offerings. All these spiritual pursuits are meant for the purification of Heart.

"Chitthasya Suddhaye Karmaha", all the actions are aimed at the purification of

Heart. Purity alone is not enough to experience Divinity. With purity of Heart

you should offer yourself to God. You will not offer a faded flower to God.

Likewise, the Heart, which may be compared to a flower, should be fresh and

devoid of impurities before it is offered to God. There is an ocean of

difference between Archana and Arpitham. It is not Archana (worship), but it is

Arpitham (total surrender) that is most essential.What is the meaning of

Sathsanga - good company? Sath is the name of Divinity. It is

changeless in all the periods of time. It is eternal and is present in you. You

have to understand this eternal principle. In order to do so, you have to be in

communion with Sath. As Panditji has said in the morning, "milk is very

happy in the company of water." The combination of water and milk can be termed

Sathsanga. That is ideal friendship. When the milk is boiled on a stove, the

water gets evaporated. The milk unable to bear the separation from water tries

to jump into the fire. The moment you sprinkle some water on the boiling milk,

it gets pacified. The milk is happy on being united with its friend. The same

relationship exists between Nara (individual) and Narayana (God). God is very

happy when the individual joins His company. But God feels very sad when the

individual diverts his attention from Him, being immersed in worldly pleasures.

Once the individual surrenders completely to God, He is happy again.Due to the

effects of Kali age, the individual separates himself from God. The individual

may not feel sad, but God feels sad because His friend, the individual, is

parting ways with Him. God is the only permanent friend in this world. All the

worldly friends can only say, "Hello", "How are you?" and "Good-bye", nothing

more. God does not say hello, how are you and good-bye. As long as you are in

His company, you will be happy and He is also happy. But when there is

separation from His devotee, though he may not express it, He feels sad. Why

the individual is going along the wrong path? Why is he forgetting the truth?

Why is he distancing himself from Divinity? Why is he losing his purity?

Thinking so, God feels sad. Even this is for the devotee's sake, not for His

sake. Whatever God says or does is for your own good.

Lakshmana is a superb example of the attitude of surrender. When Rama, Sita and

Lakshmana went to the forest and reached Chitrakoota mountain, Rama told

Lakshmana to put up a hermitage in a place of his choice. Hearing these words,

Lakshmana felt hurt and bent down his head with grief. Noting this, Sita asked

Lakshmana, "Why are you perturbed, Lakshmana? Your brother did not speak

anything harsh. Why do you feel so sad?" Lakshmana said, "O Mother, have I ever

had any choice of my own? The likes of Rama are mine. I have surrendered myself

to Rama. The command of Rama is what I want to carry out. While so, how can I

withstand the impact of Rama asking me to put up the hermitage at a place of my

choice?. Does it not amount to separation from Rama?"

Rama realized the sacred feelings of Lakshmana and the true attitude of his

surrender and pointed out the site Himself. That is the intensity of the

feelings of a true devotee towards the Lord. Your thoughts should always be

centered on God. The world is like a passing cloud. But the relation between

you and God is permanent and eternal. Gayathri Manthra consists of three parts.

One is praise, second is prayer and third is meditation. The first nine words of

Gayathri Manthra (Om, Bhur, Bhuvaha, Suvaha, Tat, Savitur, Varenyam, Bhargo,

Devasya) correspond to the description (praise) of Gayathri. Dheemahi pertains

to meditation."Dhiyoyonah Prachodayat" is the prayer to God to confer the

steady and pure intellect. The Divine is first praised and meditated upon and

then an appeal is made to the Divine to awaken and strengthen

the intellect (Buddhi). So, first and foremost you should extol God. But, in

what way? You should extol Him with a feeling of intimacy. The son will

never shower lavish praises on his father when he asks for a new dress. Instead

he demands rightfully. A devotee too has a similar right to demand from God.

Hridaya is the son of Atma. From Hridaya mind is born. So mind is the grandson

of Atma. And from mind speech originates. So speech is the great grandson of

Atma. In short, your Hridaya, mind and speech belong to the divine family and

have got a share in the divine property. Therefore, your Hridaya, mind and

speech should be in constant communion with God. Basing on this Jesus said, "I

am the messenger of God" from the physical point of view. From the

psychological point of view he has said, "I am the son of God." And with the

feeling of oneness of Atma, he has said, "I and my father are one." From a

physical point of view you may consider yourself different from God. In the

mental realm you should feel that you are the spark of the Divine. But from the

Atmic point of view, you should realize that you are not different from God. You

have to make every effort to realize this unity. You should not distance

yourself from Divinity basing on

body attachment. Without understanding your relationship with God, all your

spiritual practices will be of no use. But once you understand this principle

of unity, wherever you are, you are one with God.

The body relationship is only physical and worldly attachment. It has nothing to

do with spirituality. The master of the house is addressed in different ways by

his family members. Son calls him father, daughter-in-law calls him uncle, and

grandson calls him grandfather, basing on the body relationships. You should

never go by the body attachment. The body is full of dirt and diseases. It

cannot cross the ocean of samsara. O mind, never think that body is permanent,

surrender to the feet of God. Do not get yourself bound by the body attachment.

Develop attachment with the Atma. In order to do so engage yourself in sacred

actions such as Sravanam - listening to the Lord's stories, Kirtanam- singing

His glories, Smaranam - remembrance, Paadasevanam - service to the Lotus Feet,

Archanam - worship, Vandanam - salutation, Daasyam -servitude, Sakhyam -

friendship, Atmanivedanam - offering oneself to the Lord i.e., self-surrender.

Friendship is the stepping stone for self-surrender. So you should develop

friendship with God and be a recipient of His love. You undertake many

spiritual pursuits to obtain this love. In fact, you do not need to undertake

any spiritual practices, it is enough if you remember the relationship between

you and God.

The one Divinity is responsible for the three-fold cosmic process. This three

aspects of God can be seen in the English word GOD. G

represents Generation (Srishti), O represents Organization

(Sthithi)and D -represents Destruction (Layam). God has all

the three aspects in Him. Seeing the same God in all the beings is the true

spirit of non-dualism.

You know that it is Adi Sankaraacharya who has propagated the principle of

non-dualism. Acharya is one who practices what he preaches. Once Sankaracharya

has gone to the holy city of Kasi and has prayed to Lord Vishwanatha for the

expiation of three sins he has committed. It may seem strange that a great

person of his standing should have prayed like that. What, then are the sins

committed by him?He himself has given the answer as follows. "O Lord Shankara,

my first sin is that, in spite of my knowing that you are beyond mind and

speech, I have tried to describe you through the several hymns composed by me.

This betrays lack of conformity between my thought and word. Next, having

been convinced that you pervade and permeate the entire universe, I have been

preaching this truth to one and all. Nevertheless, I have come all the way to

Benaras to have Your Darshan. This shows that my thoughts, words and speech are

at variance with one another. Thirdly, I have firm belief in the teachings

of the scriptures that one and the same Atma (Self) is immanent in all beings

and there is no difference between the so-called Jivaatma and the Paramaatma .

While I have been proclaiming this truth in all my discourses, I have now come

here to stand before you as if we two are separate and different from each

other. This is my third lapse. Hence I pray that I

may be absolved of all these three sins, of which I am guilty" This is why the

Upanishads have declared that a Mahaatma (noble soul) is one who practices

purity and unity of thought, word and deed; whereas he whose thoughts, words

and deeds are at variance with each other is a Duraatma (wicked one).All the

composition of Shankara speaks of non-dualism. But, towards the end Shankara

himself has entered the path of devotion. He sings the following verse. "Bhaja

Govindam Bhaja Govindam Govindam Bhaja Moodha Mathe, Sampraapthe Sannihite

Kaale Nahi,Nahi Rakshathi Dukrun Karane.O foolish man, chant the name of the

Lord. When the hour of death arrives, it is only the Lord, who can save you and

not your grammar".Even the one of wisdom becomes a devotee at one point of

time. The greatest and the noblest path is the path of devotion. The word

Bhakthi (devotion) is derived from the root word 'Bhaj', which means total

surrender. Offering of total love is Bhakthi. The worship and other rituals are

only physical and worldly activities. You have to enter Nivritthi (inward path)

from this Pravritthi (outward path). When you learn the English language, you

start with alphabet. Then you join them to make words. Then you join the words

in the form of sentences. The atheists say, God is nowhere. When the letter 'W'

is joined to the word 'know', it becomes God is now here. The aim of learning

the language is to make sentences out of it. Similarly, the aim of worship and

rituals is to understand the principle of unity. You start with one name and

one form and ultimately realize that everything is one. It is the goal of

spiritual sadhana. It is the essence of spiritual sadhana. Worship of Paadukas

and observance of rituals, celebrations of festivals are all different paths

leading to the principle of oneness. All these rituals are essential till you

realize that God is one. But you should not spend your whole lifetime in

these rituals.At birth, you cry 'Koham? Koham?, which means Who am I?, 'Who am

I? You should not die with the same question on your lips. Before you die you

should be able to say 'Soham', 'I am God'. From dualism you should enter

qualified non-dualism and from there you should proceed to non-dualism.

Just as cotton and thread are present in the cloth, likewise dualism and

qualified non-dualism are present in non-dualism. Today the devotees read many

sacred books and listen to discourses, but there is no transformation in the

mind. All these sacred texts and teachings are like jewels. Merely adorning

these jewels do not give you bliss. The bliss is within, you should experience

it. Just as precious jewels are kept in an iron chest, likewise Atmic principle

is present in this human body. God has kept many valuable jewels in your body.

But you are not making any effort to realize this.

God says, "O mad cap, why do you entertain mean and low desires? If you give up

desires and offer yourself, I will give you the most valuable gifts".When God

is ready to give you the limitless non-dual bliss, why do you crave for limited

happiness? Do not ask for mean things. Offer yourself to God, then God will

grant you everything. But in order to deserve God's grace, your faith should

grow. When you do not have faith, you cannot offer yourself. A foolish one does

not know himself in spite of all his education. With his limited knowledge he

will enter into arguments, and will never be able to acquire total wisdom. If

ultimately one has to die, what is the use of studying? One has to study to be

immortal. Vedas declared, "Srunvanthu Viswe Amruthasya Putraha" - You are the

son of immortality. Understand and experience this.

You pay water tax to the municipality for providing water to you. When the

current is supplied to your house, you pay the electricity bill. But God has

given the sunlight, the wind, and the rains. What tax are you paying to God?

Self-surrender is the tax you are expected to pay. All your troubles are your

own making. God always gives you good. But you are not receiving it. Some

people do not listen to good words, instead pay heed to all bad words. Such

people can never understand Me. What is that you need to do to make God happy?

You should go close to God and worship Him with a sense of surrender. This is

for your own sake. God does not ask for anything. Child sits on the lap of

mother for its own satisfaction. When the child goes near its mother, she

showers her love. When you want to be close to God, you do not need to go

through sacred texts or undertake great spiritual exercises. Rituals and

reading of holy texts are only worldly actions. They are meant to give only

external satisfaction, but one has to make efforts to experience inner

satisfaction.Embodiments of Love! The letters that the postman brings give joy

to some and plunge some in deep sorrow. It is the contents of the letters that

are responsible for the joy or sorrow and not the postman. God is also like a

postman. He gives you the

fruits of your actions. "Karmaanu Bandheeni Manushyaloke", Human society is

bound by actions. Buddhi is governed by fate. Fate is governed by actions.

Actions are governed by thoughts. If you do all the activities with sacred

thoughts, you will be successful. Wicked thoughts and wicked feelings confer

only misery. If you do not have the grace of God, all the worldly powers will

be of no use. You know what has happened to the great warrior Karna, who has

had all powers but not God's grace. You should strive for Divine Love. To

acquire Divine Love you should develop good thoughts. Embodiments of Love!

You are happy that the number of Padukas is increasing year after year. It is

quite natural to have such a feeling in the external world. But, I do not

desire increase in numbers. It is the feeling that is important, not the

number of Padukas. What God wants is pure Love and steady mind, but those who

have come for this Paduka puja have not understood this truth. They have

brought many eatables such as dry fruits, apples, bananas and sweets and kept

them in the Poornachandra hall thinking that I would eat them. Do they think

that I am Kumbhakarna? I do not even take meals, then what are these fruits

for? The boys will have to work for 15 days just to separate them and in the

meanwhile the fruits will become

rotten. What I want is only your Love. Some people have brought towels and

bedsheets. I do not need them, if you want you can give them in the hospital.

Even that need not be done. I do not desire anything. I want only one thing

i.e., pure, steady and selfless love. There is no selfishness from top to toe

in Me. When I do not have any desires, why do you bring all these?

Chetty Garu is an ardent devotee. Yesterday he has prayed that I should ascend

the chariot. I do not have any liking for these things. Your Heart is My

chariot. Then where is the need for a golden chariot? Today, they have brought

a Simhaasana (throne) too. They do not inform Me about these things till they

are brought to Prasanthinilayam. Do not bring any such things.I do not like

them. I have already told you what I like i.e., Love alone.Do not bring any

material objects hereafter. I want you to acquire wisdom. That wisdom leads you

to Liberation. To reach this state of Liberation, offer yourself completely.

It means just as the essence of food you partake gets mixed in your blood and

becomes one with your body, likewise let your Love be unified with My Love.

Then you will become one with Me. In the morning during the Paduka worship,

Panditji has spoke on the importance of unity giving the example of bees

collecting honey. Honeybee collects honey from different flowers and stores it

at one place that becomes the panacea for all diseases. Where there is Unity,

there is Purity; and where there is Purity, there is Divinity. Understand the

relationship between Unity, Purity and Divinity. Pundits have been telling

you these things, but you do not seem to practice at least one or two.

By announcing the presence of light, would ever the darkness be dispelled? By

listening to the efficacy and grandeur of the medicine, will the disease be

cured? To dispel darkness you should light at least a small lamp.You all know

that Deepavali is approaching. With one candle you can light the other lamps.

That candle is Divinity and the lamps are individuals. It is only one Divinity

that protects and sustains all. Light the lamp of Love in you. Even the worldly

activities will become spiritual if you have Love. You can do your office work

or business, you can also take care of your family; but whatever you do, do it

as an offering to

God. Let every activity be pleasing unto God. That is true devotion. Wherever

you go, do not offer any material objects to God. You all know that people go

to Tirupathi and offer crowns and jewelry to God in the name of devotion. All

these jewelry hide the pristine beauty of the idol. Wherever you go do not take

jewels for God. Do you consider God poorer than you? Offering jewels to God is a

narrow-minded idea. Charity is the true ornament for the hand. Truth is the true

ornament for the throat. Listening to sacred texts is the true ornament for the

ears. Why do need any other ornaments? Offering all the jewelry to God is

nothing but pomp and show. Devotees should not make such offerings. You should

offer only your pure love and sacrifice. The relation between a devotee and God

is only heart to Heart and Love to Love. By offering jewelry you are making God

also a beggar. You should always keep in mind that God is bigger, not a beggar.

Today we find many swamijis going abroad whenever they are in need of money. It

is a matter of shame; there is no spirituality at all. There is so much of

restlessness in our country. First they should spread the message of peace in

Bharat. Charity begins at home.Yesterday I have told Srinivas to take back all

that they have brought. Whatever they eat they have brought for Me. I do not

eat anything. I eat your love. I hear only good words. Offer only these two to

Me. Do not bring anything else. Let love be the underlying principle in

whatever you do. With love and devotion even a small sadhana will yield great

results. When Rama wanted to build a bridge across the ocean, Hanuman came

forward with a suggestion saying that only Rama's name would take them across

the ocean. So he wants the name of Rama to be written on all the boulders

before throwing them into the ocean. All the vanaras did likewise and found the

stones floating on the ocean, but in different directions. Then Hanuman again

told them to write 'Ra' and 'Ma' on different stones. When they were thrown in

the ocean all the stones bearing the letters 'Ra' and 'Ma' joined together,

thus forming a bridge. Many people wonder that I look so young even at the age

of 73. The reason is I have three P's in Me. One is Purity,second is Patience

and the third is Perseverance. It is because of these three that I remain like

this for any number of years to come. So, everyone should cultivate these

three. Give up all your mean and low desires and cultivate love for God.

Dr. Gadia has prayed for good health and long life for Chettiar. To pray for the

well being of everyone is a noble quality. But, well being cannot be obtained by

recommendations. The noble feelings of Chetty Garu have made him the recipient

of God's grace. His Heart and My Heart should unify. I am making it public

today. Even Chiranjeevi Rao and others know this; last week Allopathy,

Homeopathy and Ayurvedic doctors have all sent letters to Me that "Swami, we

hear that there is going to be a very big function on 10th. Send Chettiar back

to Madurai immediately. He may not live till 10th". I said, "As a result

of his Bhakti (devotion) and My Shakti (power) he will certainly live".Though

he is pretty aged and very weak, still he continues to come here with so much

love. His devotion protects him. Thyagaraja also has undergone many trials and

tribulations. His wife dies, his elder brother has subjected him to many

ordeals. His elder brother has cast the idols of Sita, Rama and Lakshmana into

the Kaveri River. Thyagaraja cannot bear the separation from Rama and feeling

frustrated says, "O Rama! Why am I being subjected to these ordeals? Is it

because my devotion has weakened? Or has your power declined?" He feels

that his devotion has not diminished. So, Rama's power must have got weakened.

But pondering over it further, he realizes how foolish he is to criticize Rama.

He begins to sing a song in praise of Rama's prowess. "Without Rama's power

could a monkey have crossed the ocean? Or would the Goddess of wealth have

chosen to be his consort? Or would Lakshmana serve him or the supremely

intelligent Bharata revel in

beholding Him and worshipping Him?" Thyagaraja ecstatically extols the

infinite prowess of Rama and blames his own ignorance for having doubted Rama's

prowess.

Nothing is greater than the Divine power. Once you have the Anugraha bala

(strength of divine grace) what harm can the Navagrahaas (nine planets) do to

you? So work for God's grace and surrender to Him completely. There lies the

true Bliss.

(Bhagavan concluded His discourse with the Bhajans "Prema Muditha Manase

Kaho..." and "Subrahmanyam Subrahmanyam...")

 

Paduka Puja Divine Discourse by Bhagavan Sri SATHYA SAI BABA on 12 October.

1998 DEVOTION, DUTY AND DISCIPLINE Whether one is a great scholar in all the

sacred texts and Vedas Or a hero who has won great victories, Or a destitute

groveling in poverty Without devotion he is worthless. A servant with devotion

in his Heart is worthier of veneration than a king bereft of devotion: When the

two branches of a tree rub against each other, fire

emanates, Constant churning of curds yields butter, Similarly on constant

enquiry one finds the spiritual Truth.

Of all living beings human life is rarest and most valuable. Having taken such a

noble birth if one fails to know his innate divinity life becomes meaningless.

When the diamond is cut repeatedly it shines with added brilliance and its

value also increases. Similarly, in order to experience divinity within, one

has to face many obstacles. So, devotees naturally face all the trials and

tribulations. But the devotion should never diminish.

Devotion alone bestows the supreme good; Devotion alone is the destroyer of the

disease of the cycle of existence; Devotion alone is the means of recognizing

Divinity; Devotion alone is the means of Liberation. It is only the devotion

that protects one from problems and accusations.

Once upon a time the Pandya kingdom in Tamil Nadu reigned supreme. The Pandya

king was very fond of horses. Once he sent his minister to buy horses. He gave

him all the money and manpower required to procure the horses. The minister

reached a village by name Perundurai. There he came across a holy man,

Balayogeeswara. He did not want to waste that pleasant evening so he joined the

congregation and listened to the discourse of the holy man with rapt attention.

He forgot himself as he listened to the discourse. He developed strong faith in

that holy man. The minister forgot the task assigned to him by the king and

spent days listening to the discourses and got immersed in the contemplation of

God. One day he found a Siva temple in a dilapidated condition. He used the

money given to him by the king for renovating the Siva temple. The king came to

know that he minister had used all the money, given to him to buy horses, to

renovate the Siva temple.

The king was also a devoted man. But since the minister disobeyed his command he

sent his soldiers to bring him back. The king summoned the minister to his

presence and asked him what he had done with the money given to him for

procuring horses. The minister said, "O king, I used the money for God.

Everything is God's gift. What God had given, I gave it back to him. Not only

that I have offered myself unto him." But the king asked, whether he was

justified in spending the money for a different purpose other than for which it

was intended. The minister replied that he did not use the money for worldly

purposes, but used it for a sacred purpose. The king became furious at the

minister's audacious reply, had him arrested and put in prison. The minister

was unruffled. While in prison, he continued to

recall the teachings of the holy man, Balayogeeswara, and started writing them

down in the form of slokas. He composed many slokas every day. This work is

known as Thiruvachakam, meaning sacred reading. He was immersed in bliss while

composing hymns in praise of God and thus lost track of time. Later the

king realized his mistake and summoned him. He was surprised to see the aura of

radiance and brilliance around him.How did he acquire such an aura? It was due

to the constant contemplation of God. That minister was none other than

Manikkavachagar. Each sloka composed by him reflected the essence of the Vedas

and the sacred texts.

Since ancient times many such great saints took birth in Tamil Nadu. Temples in

Tamil Nadu are more numerous than anywhere else in the country. Right from dawn

break they go to temples and make sacred offerings.

There was one more saint by name Thiruvalluvar. Initially he was a weaver. He

used to weave just one sari per day, sell it in the bazaar and earn money for

his family. Good and bad would exist together. It would be impossible to

separate them. In the same village there was the son of a rich man who was

wasting his time wandering aimlessly. Where there is money there is ego. Ego

gives rise to many bad qualities. Once the money is lost all bad qualities too

disappear. One day the rich man's son came to Thiruvalluvar and asked for

the price of the sari. Thiruvalluvar said it cost four rupees. The boy was known

for his arrogance and pride. He picked up the sari, tore it into two pieces and

asked for the price of one piece. Thiruvalluvar replied, it cost two rupees as

he had made the sari into two halves. The boy tore it again into

another piece and asked for the price. Thiruvalluvar replied that the price was

one rupee. This brought about a transformation in the mind of the boy. He

wondered how the businessman was calm and composed even after he tore the sari

into pieces. Then the boy fell at Thiruvalluvar's feet and repented for his

behavior. The boy said due to his pride and arrogance he made this mistake.

Then he went to his father, got the required money, kept it at the feet of

Thiruvalluvar.

Many such great saints lived in Tamil Nadu who set an ideal to the society.

Unfortunately the people have not given due recognition to these saints. But

their statues are installed and adored. It is not their statues that are

important, but their teachings. The best way to propagate their teachings is to

practice them.

Just as the hands, legs, ears, eyes form the limbs of the human body, the body

forms a limb of the society. Society is a limb of humanity. Humanity is a limb

of Nature, and Nature is a limb of Divinity. Nature has been sustaining

humanity. The humanity is based on Truth and Righteousness. Without the

individual there is no society and without the society the country does not

exist. So the individual is important in a society. For an individual, the

limbs are very important. So the limbs have to be used in a sacred way.

See no evil; see what is good, Hear no evil; hear what is good, Talk no evil;

talk what is good, Think no evil; think what is good, Do no evil; do what is

good. "Shareeramaadhyam Khalu Dharma Saadhanam", Body is gifted to undertake

righteous actions.

Manikkavachagar prayed, "O Lord, accept my Heart, which You have given. I cannot

offer anything other than this. I offer whatever You have given me."

Kerala is the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu, where Adi Shankara was born. He

said, "Asthiram Jeevana Loke Asthiram Yauvanam Dhanam Asthiram Dhaaraa

Puthraadi Sathyam Keerthi Dwayam Sthiram"- Life in the world is impermanent.

Impermanent are youth and wealth. Wife and children are not permanent. Only

Truth and Fame are enduring and Truth and good name are permanent. So earn a

good name and always speak truth.

Just as the water bubble originates in water, is sustained in it and ultimately

merges in it, the entire world has originated from Truth, is sustained in Truth

and ultimately merges in Truth.

Man is born out of Amrita (immortality) but is merging in Anrita (falsehood).

What is the use of leading such a life? Today man is highly intelligent and

acquires all types of education. He should set an ideal to the society. Man

should understand that education is for sharing and serving and not for earning

money. Education is meant for Dharmaacharana (practice of Righteousness) and not

for Dhanaarjana (acquiring wealth). "Dharmarnoolam Idam Jagath" (The whole world

is based on Dharma).

Body should not be used for fleeting pleasures. The Bhagavad Gita declares,

'Anithyam Asukham Lokam Idam Praapya Bhajasva Maam (Having taken birth in this

impermanent and sorrowful world, worship the Lord). Many people think that

there is happiness in this world, but it is temporary. "Maa Kuru Dhana Jana

Yauvana Garvam Harathi Nimeshath Kaalaha Sarvain " - O' Man do not be proud of

wealth, relations or youth. All these may be taken away in a single moment by

the Lord of Time (Kaala) Due to the pride of youth, money and education man

considers them as permanent.

It is the feet that help us to move. But some people think that face is more

sacred than the feet. But it is said, "Paada Darshanam Paapa Naashanam",

(Vision of the Lord's Feet destroys all sins). Feet are so sacred. The feet

carry the body, which is the temple of God. The Lord's Lotus Feet have to be

installed in your Heart. No doubt the external worship of feet is also

important. As you continue to worship the Lotus Feet, they will naturally get

installed in your Heart.

Once Narada went to Lord Narayana and said, "Narayana, I come for your darshan

whenever I have any problem. But I do not know where exactly you reside? Where

can I find you? In Kailasa, Vaikuntha or Swarga?" Then Narayana said, "Narada,

I will give you My permanent address. "Mad Bhakthaha Yathra Gaayanthi Tatra,

Thishttaami Narada"- Wherever My devotees sing My glory, I install Myself

there. Kailasa, Vaikuntha and Swarga are My branch offices. God is not present

in foreign land, He is present in our Heart. Heart does not mean physical

heart. It means spiritual Heart. It should be full of compassion".

Yesterday, during Paaduka worship, the Pundits chanted "Thadeva Lagnam Sudinam

Thadeva". Thadeva Lagnam does not mean an appointed time. Whenever you think of

God, the time becomes sacred. Time is God don't waste time; Time waste is life

waste.

Man has all comforts and conveniences. He has good intellect, yet he is not able

to reach his destination. Man should have a strong will. For example, a small

ant can travel any number of miles if it has the will to do so; whereas an

eagle cannot move an inch if it does not have the will to move.

Thyagaraja has said, "O Rama, you are present right from an ant to Brahma. You

are present in Siva and Kesava. You are everywhere. There is no place where you

are not there; there is no name which is not yours. But today man being carried

away by delusions does not realize this truth. If Brahma were to manifest in

front of him he will offer his salutations with reverence and devotion. But if

the same Brahma comes in the form of an ant and bites him, he will immediately

kill it".

The evil one is he who does not observe the unity of thought, word and

deed. You say God is present even in an ant, then why do you kill it? You are

so weak that you are not able to bear the pain of an ant bite or a mosquito

bite? In this modern age man is becoming weaker and weaker. All our ancient

Rishis did penance for years together. They were unmindful of the movement of

snakes and scorpions on their body. But the modern man has developed body

attachment. He is not attached to the Atma.

Today there is no steadiness of mind in man. Some people think of their footwear

when they sit for bhajans inside. Once Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was giving a

discourse in a temple. Rani Rasamani, the owner of the temple was sitting in

the front row. All were listening to Ramakrishna's discourse with rapt

attention. All of a sudden Ramakrishna got up, went to Rani Rasamani and

slapped on her cheek. Everyone was surprised. They thought Ramakrishna had

become mad. Ramakrishna told the public, "O people, you may think it is a great

mistake on my part to have slapped her. What for have you come? You are here to

listen to my teachings. Whether you practice or not, at least you

should listen to what is being said. If you do not like to listen to the

discourse you better stay back at home. This Rani Rasamani is thinking of her

legal disputes. Why should she come all the way to think of the court affairs?

She accepted her mistake and promised not to repeat. In the modern age many

people attend spiritual discourses and get impressed by them. But they do not

put them into practice."

Rama and Ravana were equally well versed in all the forms oft knowledge. But

Valmiki described Ravana as an ignorant (moorkha) one, since he did not

practice what he learnt; whereas Rama followed Truth. He put into practice the

education he received. Ravana merely accumulated his knowledge without

practicing it. He could not digest all that he learnt. As a result he suffered

from 'indigestion'. He is a fool who does not practice what he learns. One who

practices is a truly educated one. Education should confer humility.

In society there are agitation and disturbances. Students, you should join the

society and see that everyone follows Sathya and Dharma. You should become

ideal citizens. That is what I desire. I do not expect anything from you. I

expect only one, put into practice what you have studied and be an ideal to

everyone in the society. "Sarvaloka Hithe Rathaha" (one who delights in the

welfare of all people). You should aspire for the welfare of all. Do not hate

anybody. "Sarva Samudhitha Gunaihi". You should have all good qualities.

Today man does bad deeds, but is not prepared to face the consequences. If you

want to earn merit you should be prepared to do good deeds. Do good, be happy

and share your happiness with others, this is your duty. With such sacred

feelings, contemplate on the Lotus Feet of the Lord.

Gopikas had intense love for Krishna. But everyday Krishna would go to their

houses along with His playmates to steal butter. The Gopikas did not know how

to catch Krishna. One day they went to Yashoda and complained, "O Mother, your

Krishna is creating havoc in our houses. Our mothers-in-law think that we steal

the butter and put the blame on Krishna. The acts of your son are causing a lot

of inconvenience to us". Mother Yashoda also noticed this. She wanted to

catch Krishna and tie him to mortar to restrict his movements. Once Uddhava

described gopikas' devotion for Krishna in the following words. "Though the

mothers-in-law were not happy with them and husbands were dead against Krishna,

they never opened their mouths, nor did they get angry". They bore it all with

patience. They were never afraid of anybody. Just as a picture imprinted on a

paper would be, Krishna's form was imprinted in their hearts. Gopikas had no

other thought other than the thought of Krishna.

Once gopikas came to Krishna's house, Krishna pretended to be asleep. They tried

to wake him up by catching his feet, but Krishna turned the other side and

continued to snore. Then they sang, "It is possible to wake up someone who is

in deep sleep, but it is impossible to wake up someone who pretends to be

asleep. Krishna, you don't sleep at all. If you sleep the whole world will

sleep. We know that, in this world there is none who can understand Your

mystery. You are smaller than an atom and mightier than the mightiest. You are

present in all the 84 lakhs of species. Right from the atom to the entire

cosmos you are present everywhere. How can we know you, Krishna? Please put an

end to your pranks and

make us happy. We cannot be separate from you any longer".

Radha before giving up her mortal coil was seated on the banks of river Yamuna.

She was feeling very sad that Krishna was not with her. She intensely prayed to

Him to grant her His Divine Darshan. She sang, "Sing O Krishna, speak to me to

fill my Heart with bliss? Distill the essence of Vedas and make it flow into

the eternal music of your flute, O Krishna". When she sang like this Krishna

appeared and fulfilled her desire by playing on His flute and while listening

to this Divine Melody she breathed her last. Her Jeevana Jyothi (life

principle) merged in Krishna. Krishna threw the flute away and since then He

never touched it

again. In films you would find Krishna with a flute, but truly speaking after

Radha's departure Krishna never touched the flute again. This is the promise

given by Krishna.

Every incarnation upheld the principle of Truth. Anyone may forget but God never

forgets to keep up his promise.

Who is Radha? People consider her to be an ordinary woman and distort the

facts. She had no attachment to her body. She had attachment to Krishna alone.

This Dhaaraa (Nature) itself took birth as Radha. This Dhaaraa is the Adhara

(basis) for the creation. In the name RADA, 'R' stands for Radha, 'A' stands

for Adhar, 'D' stands for Dhaara, A' stands for Aaradhana which means Dhaara

Aaradhana (continuous worship) is the Adhar (basis) for Radha. She was in

constant contemplation of Krishna. Even in her sleep she would chant Krishna's

name.

Krishna had always eluded the gopikas after playing His mischief. One day they

all lay in wait to catch Krishna. Krishna out of compassion for them wanted to

provide a clue by which they could trace Him. Krishna went into a house

stealthily and broke a pot of milk and dipped His feet in it. When gopikas came

to catch Him, He ran away. He just vanished in a trice. Then the gopikas

followed His footprints, which revealed to them his hide out. Krishna revealed

to them the spiritual truth that if they clung to the feet of the Lord, they

could win His grace. In order to please God, follow His footprints.

Those that take refuge at the feet of the Lord, they will neither sin nor be

miserable. With sincere devotion when you take refuge at the feet of the Lord

and contemplate on them, you will not have desires.

Yesterday Dr. Gadia in his speech said that by worshipping Paadukas, marriages

were settled and the childless begot children. These are all worldly results.

Is this to be expected from Paaduka worship? No. You will be free from all

worries. You should not worship Paadukas for worldly gains. You should worship

them for gains in the inward path. When you can get mighty results why are you

concerned about worldly gains? Why do you go after small pebbles? Aim at the

Meru (gold) mountain itself, that is the Lotus Feet of the Lord.

Once upon a time Jaya and Vijaya (doorkeepers of Vaikuntha) approached Lord

Vishnu and asked Him, "Swami, why have you created the golden mountain?" Then

Vishnu replied, "One who is desireless will be unmindful of its existence. But

the one full of desires will never be satisfied even if hundred such golden

mountains are given to him. Who is the richest man in this world? One who has

much satisfaction is the richest man. Who is the poorest man? He who has much

desire is the poorest man. So I have created this Meru mountain in order to

make you desireless."

God does not have any desire. His only chinthana (thought) is His devotee.

Devotees should be good and develop the society and they should consider the

welfare of the society as their own. They should not get drowned in selfishness

and self-interests. Their mind should be as broad as ocean. You can never

surrender completely to God, if you are narrow-minded.

Do not give scope for worldly desires. Develop the divine thoughts. Serve the

society and work for its welfare. Develop the desire that the whole world be

happy. That is the correct spiritual practice.

Though there are many devotees why there are difficulties in this world? It is

because the devotion is not proper. The devotees are immersed in Archana

(worship), but what is required is Arpitham (total surrender). Arpitham is

greater than Archana. When Arpitham takes place, you and God become one. The

fulfillment of worship of the Lotus Feet lies in the unification of the

individual with the Divine.

Students, you should always have the welfare of the society and the world

in view. You should not have the feeling that education is for job. Always

question yourself, "What is that one can I do for the society?" Enquire what is

that society expects from you. This should be your constant endeavor. Only then

you can work for the progress of the nation. As the nation progresses so does

your family. You should utilize all your learning for the progress of the

nation. The effect of modern education is such that the student studies

Mathematics, but does not know the measurements of his own house. He practices

drill everyday but does not know how to sit in Padmasana posture. Whatever the

student study must

be put into practice in daily life.

Devotees, Embodiments of Love!

These four days have passed like four minutes. Seeing you others should learn

discipline. Many people from different countries have come here and celebrated

their functions. For example, last year Chinese came and celebrated their New

Year. Devotees from Andhra Pradesh conducted Paduka Puja. Devotees from

different states came here to celebrate their festivals. But one thing

that made Me happy is that the devotees from Madurai have celebrated this

function in the most systematic manner. Their discipline has been, exemplary.

Subrahmanyam Chettiar is very old. Yet everyone followed his word. Each one

followed the discipline on his own. Wherever you go hold on to this discipline.

The Paaduka Trust, Madurai adheres to the principle of discipline. Not only

here, wherever you go observe this discipline.

The three important principles of Sri Sathya Sai Organizations are Devotion,

Duty and Discipline. These three Ds are to be followed sincerely. Do your duty.

See that your devotion is steady and observe discipline. When you follow these

3Ds you will have permanent happiness. Let this culture and tradition be passed

on to your progeny. This culture and tradition should not end with you, it

should continue. Under any circumstances do not give up chanting of God's name.

You should have fear of sin, love for God and morality in society. Sanctify your

life by leading an ideal life and experiencing the Divine Atmic Principle.

(Bhagavan concluded His Divine discourse with the Bhajan, "Hari Bhajana Bina Sukha Santhi Nahi.")

19.10.1998

 

12.10.1998"...always look at the positive side of things... " sri sathya sai

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