Swami teaches... Truth is ever young and vigorous as Jesus

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram Light and Love Swami teaches...

Truth Is Ever Young and Vigorous as Jesus

Christmas is mainly celebrated by Christians, but do not make the mistake

that it is only for Christians. It is aholy and happy occasion to be celebrated

by the entire mankind.

Jesus sacrificed His life and poured out his blood to instil Love and

Compassion in the heart of humans, sothat they may be happy when others are

happy and sad when others are sad. It is not by festivity and fun that you

should celebrate Christmas. Celebrate it, rather, by resolving and putting into

practice at least one of the ideals He enunciated, or endeavouring to reach at

least one of the goals that He placed before human.

The Divine manifests Himself in many forms. Ornaments are varied but gold is

one, religions are varied but their basic spiritual truth is the same. The

primary duty of human beings is to recognise that the paths indicated by

different religions have the same goal. Love, sacrifice, compassion, morality,

integrity and similar qualities are common to all religions in their basic

teachings, But few people try to understand the inner importance of religions.

Out of a narrow feeling that one's own religion is superior and other faiths

are inferior, members of different religions are developing hatred towards

members of other faiths and acting like demons.

The foremost need today is for everyone to realise that God is One. This is

what Jesus proclaimed. Jesus Christ proclaimed the Fatherhood of God and the

Brotherhood of Human.

God is worshipped in many forms for the joy to be derived from it. In

ancient Rome, many gods were worshipped, as in Bharath. In ancient Greece,

Plato, the disciple of Socrates, was the first to point out the immanence of

the Divine in everything in the Universe. Truth is one, regardless of the

nation or religion. Only the Divine knows the real purpose of all Creation. If

you look at the world with material view, you see variety. If you look at it

with an understanding of Divinity, all of it will appear to be the form of God.

Allah, Jesus, Zoroaster, etc. - all these are names for the same Divinity.

Complete unity of all religions can be seen in Prasanthi Nilayam. Imagine what

a phenomenon it is that Christians from 64 countries in this world have

assembled here to celebrate Christmas. (Swami reiterates that it is not a

celebration for Christians only but is a holy occasion for the entire humanity.

It is the desire of Swami that such differences be completely eradicated).

All of you have to give up differences of every kind and give no room for

narrow parochial and national loyalties. Consider yourselves as the children of

one God. The observance of holy days like Christmas is an occasion for realising

the importance of love and harmony among human beings. (The one without

principle of love in heart is neither a Hindu nor a Christian nor a Muslim nor

a Sikh. Such person is no better than a demon).

 

What we must strive for today is not a new religion or a new society or a

new code of morality; they are there already, in each race and country. We need

persons who have attained purity in all levels of consciousness. We need persons

who can recognise and relish the recognition of the kinship and the identity

between human beings, as well as between one society and another. They have to

move beyond the bounds of the limited 'I,' to break loose from the

entanglements of the senses. They have to jump over the battlements of the fort

called 'body,' and enter enthusiastically the wide world beyond.

When a drop of water falls into the ocean, it loses its narrow

individualities, its name and form, and assumes the form, name and taste of the

ocean itself. If it seeks to live separately as a 'drop,' it will soon evaporate

and be reduced to non-existence. Each one must become aware that he/she is part

of the one Truth that encompasses everything in the Universe. Love wears the

mantle of Truth. And one wedded to Truth is ever young and vigorous. The

Upanishads have declared that the votary of truth will not know old age. The

Bible declares that the body gets fortified by adherence to truth. Truth should

not be confined to speech. It must express itself in action. Buddhism also lays

down that everyone, irrespective of sex or country, must live up to truth.

Once when Buddha was travelling, he was confronted by a demoness with a sword

in hand. "Oh Buddha! Your Love must submit today to my envy. Your life will end

today." Buddha answered her, with a smile: "I will not submit to envy or hatred.

I am not affected by praise or blame or ridicule. I love even you who bear such

illwill towards Me." When the demoness heard these words, she turned into a

dove and vanished.

The sole purpose of this human career is to propagate the Omnipresence of

God, His Might and Glory. No one has incarnated for merely consuming quantities

of food and catering to one's senses. Human life is much more precious than

that. Although in terms of physical form, human beings appear different, in

terms of the Spirit they are all one - this is the truth propagated by

Christianity.

To acquire awareness of the Divine, one need not journey to any special

region or place. It is enough if the eye is turned inwards. In the Gita the

inner reality, the Atma, is described as resplendent like a billion suns. But

human has not become aware of the Light and Power within. The scriptures

proclaim that human is the child of Immortality. Where is this quality hidden?

Body is a thing of matter - Annamaya. Life is based on Prana (lifebreath) -

Pranamaya. Mind is subtle - Manomaya. In all, human is enveloped in five

sheaths - Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijanamaya and Anandamaya kosas. The

first two are gross and the last three are subtle. When we speak of human, we

should consider individual as the combination of body, mind and Atma. "Human

being" implies three things: doing, knowing, being. It is when the body, mind

and the Atma are present in union that a human being can be said to exist. When

the body alone acts without regard to the mind and Atma, that person is said to

be in the state of Pasutvam (animal state). When the mind alone acts in

association with the body, without regard to the Atma, that condition is

described as Danavatvam (demonic). When the Atma functions according to its

true nature, without concern for the body and the mind, that state is described

as Daivatvam (oneness with the Divine).

The Vedas have declared that the Sun emerged from the eyes of Virat Purusha

(the Cosmic person). The Sun's radiance illumines the eyes of a human being.

The illumination is unveiled and clearer in the company of the Divine Love.

 

A bird has need of two wings. Human, too, must have two types of knowledge -

to live on and to live for. The one is called the means of living, and the

other, the goal of living. The one enables to us to garner the material riches

which make our lives comfortable and safe; the other answers the questions that

haunt us and pressurise us while we live - where have we come, to where are we

proceeding, how did the Universe originate, etc.

Human has set down, in all lands and communities, certain rules and

regulations in order to secure orderly and smooth running daily schedule of

activities directed to the actual process of living. Since they have become

part of the code of conduct, they are also described as discipline. They are

also subsumed under the basic principles of dharma (righteousness). In every

community, there have appeared, off and on, great personalities who shaped and

burnished the codes and adapted the details to the needs of the times.

The old saying is: "Dharma (righteousness) is at the root of everything. It

is the highest virtue." Morality is the corollary to Dharma. Morality means

adherence to the straight and sacred path of right conduct. It is the royal

road to the acme of human achievement. The honour of the community rests upon

morality. Without morals a community decays. Only in an individual who is

morally strong does the human personality find its best expression. The term

personality can be applied to one who manifests the hidden unmanifested divinity

within by his/her conduct. Mere human form does not make one a human

personality. It is the behaviour that counts. Jesus was one such personality

who manifested the perfection human is capable of. In the pursuit of the

good and godly life, one may encounter many difficulties and disturbances. Many

doubts and questions crop up. It is only when these difficulties are faced

squarely and the troubles are borne with patience and fortitude that we can

understand the true nature of Reality. You must have faith. Have confidence in

yourself and strive to understand the nature of God's love. To secure that love

is the sacred goal of human life.

More than two thousand years ago, in Palestine, a province of the Roman

empire, there were Jews professing Judaism. The Jews believed in one God called

Yehovah. They believed that God would send a messiah for the people of Israel.

Jerusalem was the sacred city of the Jews and continued to be so even under the

Romans.

This was the time when Jesus* was born. At this time three wise men followed

a star to reach his place of birth. Three kings from the East came to see Him at

the time of His birth. One of them, on seeing the child, felt that he would be a

lover of God. Another felt that he would be loved by God. The third king felt

that he would one day declare his oneness with God. The first one's thought

indicated Jesus's role as a "Messenger of God." The second one's thought

indicated that he would be the "Son of God." The third person's thought

indicated that the child would indicate one day that "I and my Father are one."

He who announced Himself as the Messenger of God, developed, through the

blossoming of Divinity and the expansion of compassion and service in Him, to a

stage when he declared Himself as the Son of God. And then, finally, He rose to

the status of 'I and my Father are One.' This status signifies the true nature

of the individual. Every human being is a messenger to fellowmen, entrusted

with the task of spreading knowledge of the joy that is being missed.

 

We must make our hearts sacred so that either we merge in Jesus or Jesus

merges in us. When we merge, it is called Bhakthi; to have Jesus awakened in us

is the path of Jnana. Jesus was a Messenger of God; but note this also: everyone

should regard him/herself too as a Messenger of God. Jesus was not the only Son

of God; we are all His children. Jesus and His Father are one. You and God are

also one and you can be aware on it. From today, "as messengers of God," you

have to demonstrate to the world the purity, the Truth and the Love that the

Divine symbolises.

 

Jesus's identity with divinity was evident from His boyhood. Jesus conveyed

His message in simple and convincing terms.

Realising from His early years that the discharge of one's duties was the

primary obligation of a human being, Jesus used to help his father in his work

as a carpenter. The father passed away in Jesus's twelfth year. For a while he

carried on his father's work, but in due course he set out his ministry in the

service of the people. Jesus passed through the entire process and inspired all

mankind by His example and teachings, to be generous and kind, detached and

discriminating, and to bring Light and Love to all. He attracted people by His

miracles and transformed them into apostles and exemplary servants of human.

In his twelfth year, Jesus and his parents, Joseph and Mary, happened to go

to a Jewish festival in Jerusalem. In the jostling crowds Jesus got separated

from his parents. After a frantic search, Mary found him in a temple listening

to a speech of the High Priest. When Mary told Jesus about the anxiety that

they felt when they missed him, Jesus replied: "Why should you worry about me?

When I am with God, who is my Father, why should you have any fear on my

account?"

Jesus grew up at Nazareth till he reached thirty. After Joseph's passing,

Jesus sought his mother's permission to embark on his Divine mission. He got

baptised by John, the Baptist, and spent forty days in penance in a forest.

During the penance, he prayed to God for three things.

One - He should be blessed with the quality of loving equally everyone.

Two - He should have the strength and forbearance to suffer patiently any

indignity or persecution that he might be subjected to by anyone.

Three - He should be enabled to use his God-given body wholly in the service

of God.

After forty days Jesus emerged from His penance with the faith that His

prayers had been granted. Jesus encountered the fishermen, at Galilee, who

became His first disciples. He told them that He had come to establish the

reign of love on the Earth and that they would be His helpers in this mission.

He spoke to them about the preciousness of human birth and urged them to seek

the Kingdom of God.

Christ told them the following parable: In a river the water is flowing in a

swift current. But even the tiny fish are able to swim in it and move about

merrily. In the same river, a huge elephant caught in the rapids, is likely to

get washed away or drowned in spite of its enormous size. Whatever the speed of

the current, the small fish are able to swim freely in the river and enjoy

themselves. But an elephant is unable to survive in it. You need for survival

in a river the ability to swim. Likewise human who is caught up in the ocean of

worldly existence, needs not so much metaphysics, scholarship or detachment, as

the grace of Divine love.

Jesus taught that God is Love. St.Paul, who was originally an inveterate

critic of Jesus, was transformed by Christ's Love into the greatest apostle of

Jesus. (Instead of recognising this basic truth, people are allowing hatred,

envy and other evil qualities to pollute their love).

In the Bible it is recorded that Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.

When they asked Him why He was doing so, Jesus answered: "I am washing your

feet as your servant, so that you may learn to serve the world."

Two different characteristics are to be found among pwople. One

characteristic, which is rather common, is for one to delude him/herself that

person is a good, with many virtues, intelligence and talents. The other

quality which is rare, is recognition of the good quality in others, their

merits, abilities and good deeds and appreciate their ideals. Jesus belonged to

the second category. He saw the good qualities in others, rejoiced over their

virtues and shared his joy with others. Jesus Christ taught that the body

should be used for recognising the Indwelling Spirit.

 

As Jesus went on with His preaching and drew multitudes towards Him, some of

the priests and those in authority grew envious at such popularity. (This

happens in all countries). They started persecuting Him and charging Him with

treason. Jesus, however, continued up to the end to carry on His mission of

Love and Righteousness.

Christ's basic teachings were related to promotion of compassion, sympathy,

love, sacrifice and fellowship among human beings. Jesus was named the Christ

as he was regarded as the "chosen" Messenger of God.The growth of Christianity

in the Middle Ages culminated as it were in its acquiring the status of a State

religion under Emperor Constantine.

However, changes in time, place and circumstances bring about changes in

religious ideas and institutions. With the growth of Christianity, schisms also

developed in the religion. The growth of schisms often results in a decline in

spirituality. As people develop worldly desires, religious faith declines. But

in spite of all every human human being is seeking peace in mind as reflection

of own Atmic Reality, True Self. Only the Divinity within is the basis of peace

Jesus taught. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 13. "Jesus,"

Chapter 27; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 17. "Secure God's Love," Chapter 30; Sathya

Sai Speaks. Vol. 21. "Love - The Key To Human Unity," Chapter 34; Sathya Sai

Speaks. Vol. 24. "Develop spiritual oneness," Chapter 29 and "Earn a good

name," Chapter 30; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 32. Part 2. "Divine love is true

religion).

 

* In Christianity, the term "Esu" (Jesus) is used to describe Christ. The

inner significance of the term "Esu" is the recognition of the One Divine in

all beings.

PS: The irony of the present situation is that, on the one side, governments

are piling up monstrous lethal weapons, indulging in demonical actions and

promoting conflicts among nations, while at international gatherings they

proclaim their desire for peace. Is there any meaning in this?

 

 

Namaste - Reet