Divine Discourse on 23rd November 2005: Realise Your Innate Divinity to Attain Peace

[Guest guest]

and peace the value of all your education is zero; Bereft of truth,

righteousness, love and peace the sanctity of all your acts of charity is zero;

Bereft of truth, righteousness, love and peace the utility of the positions of

power occupied is zero; Bereft of truth, righteousness, love and peace the

result of all your good deeds is zero. (Telugu poem) Embodiments of Love!Human

birth is meant to attain peace and not for occupying positions of authority. One

may have all types of wealth and comforts but bereft of peace life itself has no

meaning. There are many in this world who are well-to-do, highly educated and

occupying positions of authority. But, in what way is society benefited by

them? They have no time or inclination to wipe off the tears of the suffering

humanity. How can we help the poor and the downtrodden? This

should be the concern of the people in power. But, nobody seems to think on

these lines. In the name of social work, people are actually indulging in

'show-work'! They drive away the beggars who come to their doorstep begging for

alms. Man should engage himself in acts of charity in order to experience peace.

You should understand the import of the term Manava in the first instance.

What is the goal of a human being? Is it to strive for the fulfilment of one's

desires? Is it to come up in life in the worldly sense? Is it to enjoy sensual

pleasures? Human life is a mixture of happiness and sorrow. It is not possible

to experience one to the exclusion of the other. How can you expect to attain

happiness and peace if you are not prepared to help your fellow human being?

Everyone has to experience ups and downs in life, but they are

like passing clouds. Difficulties are a part of life. None can escape them.

Hence, one has to treat happiness and sorrow with equanimity. There is pleasure

in pain and vice-versa. One should not be elated by pleasure nor depressed by

pain. We have to develop the spirit of equanimity in order to progress in life.

Samatwa (equality) is very essential for Samaja (society) to progress.

Sukhadukhe samekruthwa labhalabhau jayajayau (one should maintain equipoise in

happiness and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat). But, man, in spite of

enjoying all comforts and pleasures, is unable to bear even a small difficulty.

He is disturbed and distressed by the slightest trouble. If you ask a

well-to-do person, whether he is happy, what will be his reply? He will say,

"Sir,

I have no dearth of money. My sons are well settled in life. My home is very

well furnished with all types of comforts and conveniences. I have everything

in life except peace of mind." How can one attain peace of mind? It is possible

only when one realises his innate divinity. Why are we not able to experience

peace? Where does the mistake lie? We go on enquiring others, "Who are you"?

But, we do not make an effort to enquire into ourselves, "Who am I"? There lies

the mistake. Once we realise who we really are, we will be free from sorrows and

difficulties forever. Hence, first and foremost we should make efforts to

realise our true identity. What is the use of knowing everything without being

aware of the Self? Is it not a futile exercise to sow seeds when there are

no rains? Even when there are rains, can you reap a harvest unless you have

sown seeds? Both the

positive and the negative are required for the electric current to flow. In the

same manner, both self effort and divine grace are essential to achieve success

in your endeavours. Easwara Sarva Bhutanam (God is the indweller of all

beings), Isavasyam idam sarvam (the entire universe is permeated by God) We

must realise that we are born to experience our innate divinity and not merely

to enjoy worldly pleasures. We have to take to the path of spirituality to

experience our innate divinity. If we lack in spiritual outlook, we do not

deserve to be called human beings. In fact, it amounts to betrayal of God. God

does not expect you to worship Him. He expects you to lead an ideal and

purposeful life. Once sage Narada enquired Lord Vishnu as to what was the

royal path to immortality. Then Lord Vishnu replied, "One should realise that I

am present in all beings". The spark of divinity is present in all. Man is not a

mere mortal. He is essentially divine. Jiva (individualised soul) and Deva (God)

coexist. The former is negative and the latter positive. Lord Vishnu told

Narada, "I have to assume the form of a human in order to move among men and

protect the world. I am present in everyone in the form of Atma. When man

constantly contemplates on the principle of Atma, I manifest Myself." The

same divine principle of Atma is present in all. One who realises this truth

experiences

the all-pervasive divinity. God is in you, with you, around you, above you and

below you. However, you cannot realise this truth unless you give up negative

feelings. God is everywhere. You have not to search for Him. Develop firm faith

that He is in you. God has no specific form. He transcends all names and forms.

Having been born as a human being you should strive for the welfare of the

society. You are a member of the society and your welfare depends on the

welfare of the society. Hence, undertake activities which are beneficial to the

society. Embodiments of Love! Do not identify yourself with the body. You are

the embodiments of the Atma. The body is made up of five elements and is

bound to perish sooner or later, but the indweller has neither birth nor death.

The indweller has no attachment whatsoever and is the eternal witness. (Telugu

poem) Can anyone say "My Atma is dead"? The physical body perishes with the

passage of time but the Atma is eternal. One can see the reflection of the sun

in a well, in a water tank, in the river and also in the ocean. Without water,

there can be no reflection. Each human being can be compared to a flow in which

the reflection of the same Atma is seen. The sun is one, but appears as though

there exists a separate sun for each country. When it is daytime in India, it

is night-time in America and vice-versa. The sun may

appear at different times in different countries, but it is one and the same. We

cannot call it as Indian sun, American sun so on and so forth. Similarly, God is

one. Truth is one. Love is one. Live in love. When you adhere to the twin

principles of truth and love, you will experience the manifestation of divinity

in everything. Who is God? In fact, you yourself are God. Hence, everyone

should develop the firm conviction, "I am God". When you develop such firm

conviction, there will be no room for ego and hatred. You are God and your

fellow human being is also God. Develop such principle of oneness and equality.

When you harm others, you actually harm yourself. Victory and loss are a part of

the game of life. One should not criticise or blame the other. When someone

meets with failure in his endeavour, empathise with him. When you do not

identify yourself with

others, differences are bound to crop up. Who are you? You think you are the

body. But, you are neither the body nor the mind. The human body is like a

water bubble. How can you identify yourself with such an ephemeral body? You

may say "I am the mind". Mind is nothing but a bundle of desires. One day or

the other you have to give up all desires. Hence, do not identify yourself with

the mind. Today's man has limitless desires. His mind wavers from moment to

moment and hence is called a monkey mind. Do not allow your mind to behave like

a monkey. You belong to mankind and hence keep your mind always steady.

Constantly remind yourself that you are a human being. Daivam manusha rupena

(God is in the form of human). Give up body consciousness and live in the

constant awareness that you are God. We construct temples to consecrate

idols and worship them. Where does the idol come from? It is your own creation.

You offer worship to the man-made idols but you are not prepared to worship the

God in man. There is no point in merely worshipping idols if you do not realise

your innate divinity. Everyone must respect and revere the principle of the Atma

within. Consider Atmaviswasa (faith in the Self) as your very life-breath. Faith

in the idols is temporary. When you go to Tirupathi, you worship God in the form

of Lord Venkateswara. You extol Him saying, "Lord Venkateswara is our family

deity". When you make a pilgrimage to Brindavan, you worship God in the form of

Krishna. In Ayodhya, you worship Him in the form of Lord Rama. Depending on the

place and circumstances, different names and forms have been attributed to God.

But, in reality

Lord Venkateswara, Krishna, Rama, Sai Baba, all are one and the same. Call Him

by any name, He will respond. He has no differences. You should not be deluded

by differences in name and form. Develop firm faith in the oneness of the Atma.

"Religions are many but the goal is one". Embodiments of Love!Having come

here after spending a lot of money and putting up with inconveniences, you

should make proper use of your stay here. Ask yourself, whether you have spent

your time in a purposeful manner. What is the use of coming here if you do not

practise Swami's teachings? Develop unwavering faith in the oneness of

divinity. Only then can you experience peace. So long as you do not contemplate

on the oneness of God, your mind will continue to play its tricks. You may

criticise someone as a bad person today and extol him as a good person

tomorrow. Good and bad are your own thinking. Your mind is the cause for both.

In reality, man is always good by nature. Human life is highly sacred. That is

why it is said, Daivam manusha rupena. Do not belittle yourself thinking that

you are a mere mortal. You are verily God Himself. The very fact that you

portray God in a human form and worship Him proves that human being is

essentially divine. Do not attach undue importance to names and forms.

Understand the inherent principle of divinity. What is the use of taking

birth as a human being if you conduct yourself like an animal? You need not

give up everything and become a Sannyasi. See God in man. God is all-pervasive.

You cannot say that God is confined to a particular place. There is no place

where God does not exist. Sarvatah panipadam tat sarvathokshi siromukham,

sarvatah sruthimalloke sarvamavruthya tishthati (with hands, feet, eyes, head,

mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire universe). We

cultivate paddy. However, we do not consume it in its raw form. We remove the

husk covering the grain and transform it into rice. So long as there is husk,

it is obliged to have 'rebirth'. Our desires are like the husk covering the

rice grain. We will be free from the cycle of birth and death once we give up

all desires. Paddy becomes suitable for consumption only after it undergoes

the process of refinement and becomes rice. Rice is used for making various

preparations such as Pulihora, Chitraannam, Chakkera Pongali, Paayasam, etc.

Rice flour is used for preparing Idlis and Dosas. The names of these food items

may vary, but the essential ingredient of rice is the same in all. Just as paddy

is transformed into rice, our mind should also be purified through the process

of refinement, termed as Samskara. You are deluded because of your

materialistic outlook. You have to change your vision. Do not expect God to

change the creation. He

has given you everything in its pristine form. But, you are polluting it because

of your selfish desires. The mind is the root cause for all this. Hence,

annihilate the mind and everything will be clear to you. Embodiments of

Love!Your heart is pure and sacred but you are deluded by the clouds of

desires. Just as the sun and the moon are not visible to us when they are

covered by the clouds, we are unable to visualise our reality because of our

desires. Childhood passes in trivial play with other childrenYouth passes in

amorous sportMiddle age absorbs time and effort in amassing wealthCome dotage,

time crawls in futile longing for worldly desires, yet there is no time for

contemplation of

God.Thus is wasted the precious human birth, deeply entangled in the net of

Karma.(Telugu poem) Man feels proud of his youth and falls into the trap of

Maya (delusion). As the end approaches he regrets for not having attained peace

of mind in spite of enjoying all comforts and pleasures. Man passes through

various stages in life such as childhood, youth, middle age and old age.

However, there is no transformation in him with the advancement of age. Instead

of trying to change the Srishti (creation), man should change his Drishti

(outlook). We can see the reality only when we change our Drishti. There is

nothing wrong with Srishti. God's creation is perfect and none can alter it. In

this creation God can make anything happen by

His divine Will. So long as one is endowed with physical strength and vigour,

one may enjoy himself by participating in Aatalu and Paatalu (play and song).

However, one should not indulge oneself in any activity beyond a certain limit.

As the age advances, the physical body undergoes certain changes. All of you are

aware what a great singer M.S. Subbulakshmi was. However, her voice refused to

cooperate with her in the old age. When she mentioned this to Me, I told her

that she had used her voice in excess and that was the reason for her

predicament. Your voice and vision are bound to change with the passage of

time. You suffer from unrest and anxiety because you rely on your

physical body. Instead, rely on the changeless and eternal principle of the

Atma. Man is ruining his life because of his habits. He should lead a life

of righteousness. Do not give undue importance to food and drink. Consider

character as your very life-breath. If you lack character, you will have to

face innumerable difficulties in life. Divinity is referred to as 'Sath',

which means changeless and eternal principle. People of different religions

call it by different names. The Muslims extol God saying, "Allah Ho Akbar".

They consider God as their sole refuge. Whether one is a Muslim or a Hindu, God

is the only refuge for all! You should

emphatically declare to yourself, "I want God". You should get immersed in the

divine, not in deep wine! Once you accept Rama as your God, you should spend

your entire life in the contemplation of Rama. But, these days man has become

fickle-minded. One day he keeps the picture of Lord Rama in his altar and

starts worshipping Him by chanting His name; but, the very next day he replaces

Rama's picture with that of Krishna's, if his wishes are not fulfilled. Once

there lived a devotee of Lord Shiva. He used to worship Shiva every day and

chant the sacred Panchakshari Mantra "Om Namah Shivaya". But, after some time

he felt that Lord Shiva had not done him any favour. Hence he put aside Shiva's

picture in the almirah and kept Rama's picture on the altar. Initially, he could

experience some peace. However, his desires remained

unfulfilled and he became restless. He kept Rama's picture also in the same

almirah and started worshipping Krishna, on the advice of his guru. He chanted

the divine name "Gopala Krishna" incessantly. After some time, he felt that

even Krishna had not done him any good. One day a lady devotee came to him and

said, "What is the use of worshipping Rama and Krishna? Better you do Devi Puja

(worship)." As per her advice, he kept a picture of Devi on the altar and

started worshipping it. As the Puja was in progress, he noticed that the

fragrance from the incense sticks was wafting towards the almirah where the

pictures of other deities were kept. He therefore decided to remove those

pictures from the almirah thinking that the incense sticks were meant for the

goddess and that the other deities had no right to enjoy the fragrance.

Immediately, the Divine Mother manifested herself before him and said, "Oh

simpleton! You

worshipped Shiva for a few days, and then you switched over to Rama and later on

to Krishna. What is the guarantee that you will not discard My picture also

tomorrow? This is not true devotion. You should contemplate on one name and one

form till your last breath. You should remain unperturbed by difficulties and

lead a spiritual life. Fill your heart with sacred feelings. Only then will

your life be redeemed." If you want to progress in life never forget the name

of God. Do not divert your mind from one name to another. Let your mind be

focused on one name and one form. Manah eva manushyanam karanam

bandhamokshayo (mind is the cause for bondage and liberation of man). The mind

wavers because of the desires you entertain. Hence, you will attain peace only

when you give up desires. Mere performance of acts of charity will not confer

nobility on you. Offer yourself to God with single-minded devotion. Only then

can you attain peace and happiness. Control your desires. Control your

thoughts. Then everything will come under your control. Embodiments of Love!

You are endowed with the eternal principles of truth and love. Sathyannasti paro

Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than adherence to truth) Consider Sathya as

the basis of your life. Follow the path of Dharma. Only then will the principle

of Love manifest in you. When you have love, you will be successful in all your

endeavours. Embodiments of Atma!You are not the body which is bound to

perish. You are the indweller which has neither birth nor death. It has no

attachment whatsoever. You will attain immortality once you realise your true

identity. You will be free from all worries and desires. You may ask "Is there

anyone without worries and desires?" I am Myself the living example in this

regard. I have absolutely no desires whatsoever. Everything is in My hand. I

can give you whatever you ask for. However, do not crave for materialistic

things from Me. They are transient like passing clouds. Ask for that which is

eternal. The entire world is sustained by the twin principles of truth and

love. They are present in everyone. I am the truth that is present in all. I am

the love that is present in all. Truth and love are all-pervasive. However, you

are not making efforts to experience truth and love. Embodiments of

Love!Today you may be occupying positions of power, but how long can you remain

in power? It is only temporary. Only divinity is everlasting. You have chosen

the path of truth. Never deviate from it. Never forget the principle of truth

you have experienced. You may forget anything in life but not truth and love.

Truth is Bahirvahini (manifest flux) and love is Antarvahini (undercurrent).

Both of them have to be protected and sustained. That is the duty of a human

being. Bereft of truth and love one does not deserve to be called a human being

at all! Embodiments of Love!Let your life be filled with love. Do not confine

your love to your family and friends.

Share it with one and all. Whomsoever you come across, consider everyone as the

embodiment of divinity. Share your love with your fellow human being and become

the recipient of his love. Follow the path of truth. I always teach the

principles of truth and love. Congregations as this are meant only to exhort

you to adhere to the path of truth and love. All of you have gathered here out

of your love for Me. Having come here and listened to My message, you should

practise truth and love in your daily life. Only that will make Me very happy.

Let your love be not tainted with worldly feelings. Let it flow incessantly

towards God. This was the ideal demonstrated by Radha. She was the kind of

person who was always in the thought of Krishna and her name itself conveys her

greatness and sacredness. If you start with 'R' you get 'Radha', if you start

with 'A' you get 'Adhar' (basis), if you start with 'D' you

get 'Dhara' (incessant flow), and if you start with 'A' you get 'Aradh'

(worship). This means that the very basis of Radha's life was incessant

Aradhana (worship) of Lord Krishna. Radha symbolised Dhara (Prakriti or

Nature). Krishna is Paramatma (God). Radha knew only Krishna and none else. She

was totally immersed in the love of Krishna. It is because of such one-pointed

devotion that she could attain liberation. One who aspires to attain liberation

should follow the path of love as demonstrated by Radha. Embodiments of

Love!I do not want to cause inconvenience to you by speaking at length. Hence,

I bring My Discourse to a close.

Consider whatever work you do as God's work. See God everywhere. I will be happy

when you develop such divine feelings. So many people have assembled here. I

confer on you the sacred wealth of My love and bliss. May all of you lead a

long, happy, healthy and peaceful life! (Divine Discourse delivered on the

occasion of 80th Birthday at Santhi Vedika in Hill View Stadium on 23rd

November 2005) Source:

http://www.srisathyasaipublications.org/birthday_discourse.htm

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

Greetings and Sai Love! Thank you so much for your

tireless work on all of this! I am so happy to receive

this message from Sai. Happy Birthday to Him and Happy

Birthday to You as well! It feels that this is one

celebration we can all take to heart!

 

Love and Brightest Blessings,

HPs. SoulLove (Hanan)