Recollections of Swami’s Shivarathri Divine messages-13 and 14

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Recollections of Swami’s Shivarathri Divine messages-13

CULTIVATE DIVINE LOVE

Maha Shivarathri day – 14th February 1999 – Prashanthi Nilayam

He is a true Christian, a true Sikh, a true Hindu, a true Muslim,

Who reaps the harvest of love in the field of his Heart. In fact, he is a true

human being Who cultivates love in his heart.(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love

Love is the breath of man. Love is the consciousness in all the beings. Love is

the goal of human life. Human life is suffused with love. Unable to comprehend

the eternal principle of love, the physical, worldly worries and anxieties

weigh down man.

There is the principle of Hiranyagarbha within every individual. Hiranya means

gold. When gold is mixed with other metals such as copper, silver, brass and

alloys, it loses its effulgence, value and identity. At this juncture it is

impossible to ascertain whether it is gold or silver or brass or copper.

Similarly man's heart, which is Hiranmaya, is losing its brilliance, value and

identity on account of its association with Vishaya Vaasanas (worldly desires).

Consequently, it is impossible to ascertain whether one is a human being or an

animal or a devil or a demon. There is no love at all in human beings today.

Life devoid of love is a devil's life. Can a man be called a human being, if he

has qualities of devils, demons and beasts? Man is leading a life of a demon

unaware of the path of truth, righteousness,

peace and love. God has not created creatures such as devils and evil spirits.

These are the creations of man. Here is a small example. During the exile of

Pandavas, Krishna visited them to enquire about their welfare. He spent a night

with them. The Pandavas had to undergo untold suffering during the period of

that exile. As they had Draupadi also with them, the Pandavas would keep vigil

in turns for one hour each every night. Krishna also volunteered to keep vigil

for one hour. Dharmaja wondered, "When You are the protector of the entire

universe, what is the meaning in your offering to do security duty for an hour

to protect us." But at the same time he cautioned Krishna saying, "Krishna,

beware of the devil in the vicinity. My brothers and I encounter it every

night. On many occasions it tried to attack us. Therefore, we prayed to you to

desist from this act. You have come to enquire about our welfare. It is not

proper on our part to put you in danger. So kindly take rest".

Krishna replied, "Dharmaja, is this what you have understood of My divinity? On

the one hand you extol Me as the protector of the entire universe and on the

other you are apprehensive that I cannot protect Myself. You are worried that

the demon will harm Me. Rest assured that no demon can touch Me. Therefore,

permit Me also to join you all in doing the security duty".

Having completed one-hour duty, Krishna sat on a rock and was smiling to

Himself. Thereafter it was Arjuna's turn. He rushed to Krishna a bit worried,

thinking that the demon might have attacked Him. Seeing Krishna smiling, Arjuna

fell at His feet and enquired whether He had vanquished the demon. Krishna

replied, "Arjuna, I have never created demons and evil spirits. Then, how can

the non-existent demons appear in the forest? The demon you are referring to,

is not a demon at all. It is just a reflection of the evil qualities within you

such as hatred, anger and jealousy etc. The anger in you is manifesting in the

form of a demon. Its power is increasing in proportion to the intensity of

anger in you. The evil qualities of man are the real demons troubling him

today. Man is under the mistaken notion that demons

exist and that they are responsible for his suffering. These are all nothing but

imagination and psychological fears. In fact it is only man who puts another man

to suffering; there is no demon as such. There are no demons and evil spirits in

this creation. Arjuna realized the truth of Krishna's words and thereafter did

not encounter the demon any more. Arjuna was beholden to Krishna for opening

his eyes. He fell at His feet and expressed his gratitude. Good and bad are

man's own creations.

After Buddha became a renunciant, he traveled far and wide. People were wonder

struck seeing his brilliant and handsome form. Enamored by his effulgence, a

lady by name Ambashali approached him and said, "Oh great one, you look like a

prince in ochre robes. May I know the reason behind your donning ochre robes at

this young age?" Buddha replied that he took to the path of renunciation in

order to seek solutions to three problems. "This body which is young and

handsome is bound to become old at some point of time and will be subjected to

sickness and perish ultimately. I want to know the cause for old age, sickness

and death." Impressed by his quest for truth she invited him for lunch. In time

the entire village came to know of this. The villagers started coming to Buddha

one by one and requested him not to

accept her invitation as she was a woman of bad character. Buddha listened to

all their complaints patiently. Buddha smiled and asked the village head " Do

you also affirm that she is a woman of bad character?" The village head

replied, "Not once, but thousand times I will vouch for the evil character of

Ambashali. Please do not visit her house." Holding the village head's right

hand, Buddha asked him to clap. The village head said that he could not do so

as one of his hands was in Buddha's hold and it was not possible for anyone to

clap with a single hand. Buddha replied, "Likewise, Ambashali cannot be bad by

herself unless there are men of bad character in this village. If all the men

in this village were good, this woman would not have turned bad. Therefore, it

was men and their money that are responsible for the bad character of

Ambashali". Saying so he wanted to know if there was any individual in that

gathering without any trace of bad in him so that he could visit his house

for lunch. No one came forward. Then Buddha said, "When there are so many bad

men in the village, it is not proper to point a finger at one woman. She turned

bad due to bad company." That is why it is said, "Tell me your company, I shall

tell you what you are." Realizing their folly, the people fell at Buddha's feet

and sought for forgiveness. Since then they started realizing Ambashali as one

amongst them. Inspired by the teachings of Buddha, Ambashali also took to the

path of renunciation and led a pious life. No one else is responsible for the

good and bad in an individual. Each one is responsible for his own good and

bad. Who is good, who is bad? First eliminate the bad in you. Be in the company

of the good. It is a sin to point a finger at others when there is mountain of

evil within you. The same sentiment was echoed by Jesus.

Man today is not making an attempt to recognize the innumerable faults in him.

Instead he is magnifying the minutest faults in others. In fact he is searching

for mistakes in others with thousand eyes. This is the sad state of man today.

Man is losing his true identity because he has allowed the evil qualities to

enter his heart. People today are more interested in finding faults rather than

the good in others. He is a true human being who sees only good in others.

He is a true Christian, a true Sikh, a true Hindu, a true Muslim, who cultivates

love in the field of his heart. Unfortunately today no one is sowing the seeds

of love in the heart. Then how do you expect the harvest of love? How do you

call a person a true Hindu if there is no love in him? When the members of the

Viswa Hindu Parishad came to Me, I asked them the meaning of the word 'Hindu'.

Many answers came forth. One said, the word 'Hindu' refers to a person with

compassion and righteousness. I asked them for the spelling of the word Hindu

in English. They replied H-l-N-D-U. Then I told them:

H - stands for HumanityI - for IndividualityN - for NationalityD - for DivinityU - for Unity

A true Hindu is one who embodies these aspects in him. Love is the underlying

principle in all these five. A true Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian should be

the Embodiment of love. Muslims pray "Allah Ho Akbar," which means God is the

Greatest. Islam means peace. So a true Muslim is one who leads a peaceful life.

Peace originates from a heart full of love. Without love one cannot be peaceful.

So, for any caste, creed or religion love is the basis. Love is Sivam and

Mangalam, which mean auspiciousness. Love does not hurt any one. That which

does not hurt is referred to as Sivam. Man bereft of love is Savam (a corpse).

The one with love is Sivaswarupa (embodiment of auspiciousness).

Today we are celebrating Shivarathri. What does it mean? Ratri (night) is

associated with darkness. The Vedas declare: "Chandrama Manaso Jathaha,Chaksho

Suryo Ajaayatha." The Moon is the presiding deity of the mind. So, the mind

should be pure and unsullied. There is an immense significance in every

statement of Vedanta. Confusion prevails when these are misunderstood. Today

there is a practice of sacrificing innocent and dumb animals such as goat,

sheep etc. in the name of Yagna and Yaga. One day a noble soul noticed some

animals being taken in a grand procession. On enquiry, he was informed that

they were being taken to the sacrificial altar. He asked the owner of the

animals what was the benefit derived from sacrificing the animals, to which the

reply was that the animals would attain liberation as a result

of being offered to God. Then the noble soul said, 'Oh man, but your mother,

your father, your wife and your son - all crave for liberation. Why don't you

sacrifice them and fulfill their desire in the process? Why don't you grant

liberation to the people who aspire for it instead of the innocent animals,

which do not know what liberation means? If you firmly believe that sacrifice

liberates the sacrificed, why don't you sacrifice your parents, your wife and

your children?"

Today some people advocate the need for Bhajans, Charity and Service saying that

they confer Moksha (liberation). If they really believe in what they are saying

why don't they practice what they preach. It is easy to preach, but difficult

to practice. Moha kshayam is Moksha. Total detachment is liberation.

Attachment leads to suffering. So first and foremost give up attachment. Prior

to the marriage even if the girl is down with a serious ailment the boy is

least affected. Subsequent to the marriage if the girl develops a mild fever

(99 degree Fahrenheit) the boy is extremely concerned. What is the reason for

this? It is attachment. Before the marriage there has been no relationship

between the two whatsoever. But after the marriage the boy feels "She is my

wife." It is only this attachment that is the cause for suffering. The closer

we move towards attachment the farther we move away from liberation. Attachment

should be under certain limits. One who is immersed neck deep in water may be

able to speak, but not a person who is totally immersed. Likewise a person who

is immersed in divinity completely will have no

words to describe the glory of God. Only those who have understood God partially

will try to describe Him in various ways. You should immerse yourself completely

in divine feelings and pure love. Today as there is no love there are conflicts

between individuals, villagers, states and countries. The Vedanta declares:

"Know thyself. A person who follows Pravritti Marga (outward path) is

interested in collecting Information about others and their whereabouts. He

keeps asking others: "Who are you?Where do you come from?", etc. A person

who treads along Nivritti Marga (inward path) looks within and enquires, "Who

am I?Where do I come from?" Nivritti Marga is positive and Pravritti Marga

is negative in nature. How can you expect positive results when your heart is

full of negative feelings? External is the reflection of the internal. You will

reap what you sow. Having eaten cucumber how can you expect the belch of a

mango? So in order to get positive results you should fill your

heart with positive feelings. Love, Peace, Compassion, which originate from the

heart, are positive in nature. All the negative thoughts are the products of

the head. Science and technology are associated with the head. Today technology

has become tricknology, because you are traversing along the high intelligence

in the absence of positive qualities?

Man today has acquired all forms of knowledge yet he does not know himself. In

spite of having acquired various forms of knowledge a mean-minded person cannot

give up his evil qualities. All this worldly knowledge bolsters excessive

argumentation, but not total awareness. After all one has to die in spite of

acquiring all the worldly knowledge. So study that which makes you immortal.

(Telugu Poem).

Today as the acquisition of the worldly knowledge is on the rise noble qualities

in the heart are on the decline. What is the use of ten acres of barren land? A

small piece of fertile land is better than ten acres of barren land. Develop at

least one noble quality, which emerges from the heart instead of ten from the

head. All the thoughts that emerge out of the head are useless. Most of the

activities of the scientists are based on the head rather than on the heart.

Students are well aware of the fact that it was Newton who discovered the

existence of the gravitational force. As a result of excessive dependence on

his head, Newton had to spend five years in a mental hospital before his death.

So you should not over strain your head. Today students spend most of the time

In

studies.

While traveling in the car many a time I have noticed small children carrying

big load of books on their backs. You yourself can imagine the plight of the

young children who have to stuff their head with lots of information contained

in the books. As a result their tender hearts are being polluted with

unnecessary information. So your studies also should be under certain limits.

Only then you can retain your intelligence and memory power. The feelings that

emerge out of the heart are immortal and nectarine. But are you making use of

at least one of them? It is enough if you can develop peace. Every day at the

conclusion of the Bhajan session, you chant Shanthi three times, but there is

no trace of Shanthi (Peace) in you. Even if there is the slightest disturbance

caused by the person singing beside you, you feel

irritated and the tone of the repetition of Shanthi becomes harsh due to anger.

Even while chanting Shanthi there is no trace of Shanthi in you. How do you

expect to experience peace if you do not cultivate love in the field of your

heart? Instead of cultivating love, you are cultivating the evil qualities of

jealousy and hatred. If someone is to criticize you, do not take it to heart,

consider it as for your own good. It is the worst of sins to search for

mistakes in others. In the first instance correct your mistakes and accept the

good in others.

If you do not reap the harvest of love in your heart you are not a true

Christian, a true Sikh, a true Hindu or a true Muslim. You are a demon in human

form. When you develop love in your heart you are verily God. You become God or

demon based upon your feelings. Do not find fault in others. Many criticized

Buddha when he accepted the invitation of Ambashali. She alone was not

responsible for her bad character. There were many who encouraged her. For

every act of sin five persons are mainly responsible. One who commits the sin,

one who is the cause, one who encourages the act of sin, one who shows the ways

and means to commit the sin and one who witnesses it. All the five will have to

face the consequences.

When Duryodhana and Dussasana were humiliating Draupadi in the open court elders

like Bhishma and Drona remained as spectators. They did not oppose Duryodhana's

heinous act. It is in this context that Vidura has pointed out that not only

the sinner but the other four persons mentioned above will also go to hell.

Since Bhishma, the one of wisdom was a silent spectator to the humiliation of

Draupadi he had to be on the bed of arrows for fifty-six days. Had he prevented

the humiliation of Draupadi, he would not have suffered thus. It is rather

difficult to say how one gets merit or sin. In order to escape from sin, one

has to take to the path of spirituality. Knowingly or unknowingly you commit

sin. Consequently you are suffering. You are unable to trace the root because

of your suffering. So, undertake meritorious

deeds. Cultivate sacred feelings. Serve fellow beings. Taking to this path

amounts to devotion. Devotion does not mean performing worship and offering

flowers to God. Worship amounts to good action alone. One should have good

thoughts within. One will not be redeemed if one undertakes good actions with

bad intentions. For instance if someone offers a donation of 10 lakh for a

charitable cause, someone else may come forward with a donation of 15 lakh only

to attract the public attention. In reality he may not give even 10 rupees. Such

people are heroes in platform and zeroes in practice. There should be unity in

thought word and deed. "The proper study of mankind is man" This is true

humanness.

Embodiments of Love!

In order to redeem yourselves, you should reap the harvest of love in the field

of your heart; water the field of your heart with love. Water is the life of

man. How can you sanctify your life if you cannot provide at least drinking

water to the people who are in need of it? Water is divine. Water in Sanskrit

is called Naaram. The eye is known as Nayanam. So, the Naaram, which comes out

of Nayanam, should be for the sake of Narayana (God) alone. One should shed

only tears of joy, not tears of grief. When do you get tears of joy? Only when

you are successful in your endeavors.

You all know this. There are many people from Mahaboob Nagar and Medak districts

in this gathering. Swami has consented to provide drinking water to these two

districts. Many people hailing from these two districts have never seen Swami

before. Their joy knew no bounds when they came to know the love and grace

showered on them by Swami. Men and women, young and old were ecstatic. Every

week many people from these two districts come to Swami to express their

gratitude. You should all plunge into such sacred activities for the benefit of

mankind at large. Sage Vyasa declared: Paropakara Punyaaya Paapaaya Paripeedanam

; which means "Help Ever, Hurt Never." If possible try to help others. Never

hurt anyone. Love even your enemies. Never use harsh words and hurt the

feelings of others. If you hurt someone today you

will have to suffer ten times more in future.

You will be observing Shivarathri in the true spirit of the term only when you

give up bad qualities and cultivate divine love. Merely observing vigil on

Shivarathri is not sufficient. You have to contemplate on God incessantly. Most

people claim that they have observed Jaagarana (vigil) on Shivarathri night by

playing cards. The fisherman goes on watching intently so as to trap the fish

in the net. Can this be termed meditation? If one abstains from taking food on

account of difference of opinion with his wife, can it be called fasting? No.

Similarly, observance of sacred vigil on Shivarathri night is not achieved by

playing cards the whole night. You should spend this night by chanting the name

of God, using the time in doing good deeds.

You should not waste valuable time in vain gossip. Instead undertake service

activities in villages and slum areas. Provide the basic necessities of life

such as food, clothing to the poor and needy. It amounts to the greatest

service. I am practicing this right from My childhood. When some one appeared

at the doorsteps begging for alms, the people in the household would say not

now, not now, but I would surreptitiously dole out alms. If anyone needed

clothes I would provide them. The Griham Ammayi (mother of this physical body)

used to recollect and narrate all these incidents wistfully. Believe it or not

I had only one pair of dress to be used throughout the year. Everyday after

returning from school, I used to don a towel and wash My only dress, put them

for drying and then press them by using a container

with embers as an iron. When I was provided with a new dress, I used to donate

My old dress to the poor and needy. The Griham Abbayi (father of this physical

body) never reprimanded Me or beat Me up. He would compliment Me by saying,

"You are a Maha thyagi (one of great sacrifice). It is impossible for us to be

like You." He would endearingly address Me Vedanti (philosopher). The same was

the case with Griham Ammayi too. She looked after Me with great love and

affection. People used to fall at her feet, pour out their tales of woe and

plead with her to recommend their case to Me. But I used to put her off softly

by saying, "don’t worry about others' problems". In spite of this she used to

carry on saying, "Swami, what is the use of My human birth if I don't help

people in distress. My sincere feeling is that they will be relieved of their

suffering if I convey their problems and feelings to You. So, I will not

refrain from doing this, even if you raise an objection or scold Me". In

this manner the parents of this physical body led a very pious and sacred life.

The whole clan has benefited from this.

Develop good qualities. Do not give scope for bad by joining bad company. In

this train of life, youngsters are the long distance passengers. The elders may

get down in the next station, but you have a long way to go before you reach

your destination. First and foremost you need to have self-confidence. Today

people suffer because of lack of self-confidence. If you have total faith In

God, you will be able to overcome all difficulties. There may be a few

difficulties in your way, but do not be unduly perturbed. You should face all

hardship with all courage and conviction. Then you will attain true happiness.

Never blame God for your difficulties. Good or bad; you are bound to face the

consequences of your actions. But if you have God's grace even bad will be

turned into good. So develop faith in God more and more.

You believe in your friend whom you have met a few years ago, but not God who is

with you, in you, around you, throughout your life. You believe in the dhobi and

part with your valuable clothes. You are prepared to bend your head in front of

the barber. You are prepared to put your life in the hands of the driver. But

you do not believe in the omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient divinity. Why

can't you bend your head in front of God? There are some evil-minded persons

who criticize people for bending their heads before God. Such evil-minded

people will never have the good fortune of bending their heads before God. One

day, King Bhoja was proceeding to a village in his chariot along with his

minister. On the way he found a Buddhist monk coming from the opposite

direction. Immediately he got down from the

chariot and paid his respects to him by placing his head on the feet of the

monk. The minister did not relish this act of King Bhoja. He said, "Oh king,

how could you keep your most invaluable head on the feet of an ordinary monk?"

The king waited for an opportune moment to give his reply. One day the king

gave his minister the head of a sheep, a goat, a cow and a human being, asked

him to sell them in the market. The minister succeeded in selling the head of a

sheep, goat and cow, but not that of a human being. He returned to the king and

said, "Oh king, no one is willing buy this human head". Then the king said, 'Oh

minister, do you remember the day when you objected to my falling at the feet of

a Buddhist monk saying mine was the most valuable head. At least now do you

realize the value of human head devoid of life?" One should prostrate at the

feet of noble souls when one is alive, for even the vultures and dogs do not

value human head after

death.

Self-confidence cannot be purchased or obtained through learning. It is based on

deservedness. Develop the divine thoughts to attain deservedness. In fact you

are the most fortunate people, otherwise how could only a few of you have come

here, when there are millions in this world. Make the best use of this golden

opportunity. Follow the divine path. If you have faith In God, He will protect

you in the face of all adversities. He is always with you, in you, above you,

beside you, around you.

Do not give scope for bad feelings and bad thoughts. Do not criticize anyone.

You are well aware of this fact, everyday in the newspapers, you find headlines

describing the conflicts between various parties. One party criticizes and finds

faults with the others. They are accumulating sins by doing so. That is why I do

not read newspapers. Why should I go through all this? Many people waste so much

money buying these newspapers. It is one form of madness. Read good books.

Slander is the worst of the sins.

Embodiments of love!

As pointed out by the Vice Chancellor in his speech, I used to bring Atma

Lingams from this body on the occasion of Shivarathri in the earlier years.

Lingodbhavam (emergence of Linga) used to take place on every Shivarathri. To

witness this sacred event, lakhs would gather in a small hall. Consequently,

there used to be a stampede resulting in injuries to devotees. Due to this I

discontinued Lingodbhavam in public. There is a specific time for this. It may

take place at any moment between 8 and 10 in the night. It takes place at the

right time irrespective of the place I am in. It is bound to take place. It is

natural on this Shivarathri night. Those who are fortunate to witness this

sacred Lingodbhavam are free from all sins. One must see how it emerges. But

some people may not be able to see this even if they

are sitting close by. Witnessing the emergence of the Lingam is of utmost

importance. Once it emerges, everyone will be able to see it and it has its own

benefits. There are many such important aspects attached to this auspicious

occasion.

You will be immensely benefited if you keep awake and sing the glory of God at

least on this night. The Moon is the presiding deity of the mind. The Moon has

16 Kalas (phases). On this Shivarathri 15 Kalas have already merged in God and

only one remains. By constant remembrance of God, even the 16th phase merges in

God. Can you not spend a single night in the whole year singing the glory of

God? So sanctify this night by participating in Bhajan. The bliss that you get

from Bhajan, the sweetness in the divine name, the happiness derived from

visualizing the divine form cannot be obtained elsewhere. Everything is

possible only through love. So, cultivate love and sanctify your life.

[bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Bhajana Bina Sukha Santhi Nahi.]

*****

Recollections of Swami’s Shivarathri Divine messages-14

THE PRINCIPLE OF HIRANYAGARBHA

Maha Shivarathri day – 15th February 1999 – Prashanthi Nilayam

He is a realised one who forgets the past,Does not worry about the future,And

discharges his duties in the present.(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love!

Past is past, future is uncertain, only present is in our hands. It is the

foremost duty of man to live in the present and share his joy with his fellow

beings. Truly speaking, the human being is the most fortunate one among all the

living beings. Compared to the entire cosmos, man is very small like an atom,

yet he is able to comprehend the magnitude and vastness of creation, which is

very startling indeed. He attains immortality by understanding the unity

between the microcosm and macrocosm. As mentioned by Me yesterday, whosoever

reaps the harvest of love in the field of his heart is a true Christian, a true

Sikh, a true Hindu and a true Muslim. In fact he is the true human being on

earth. Man cannot exist without love. This Principle of Love is Hiranyagarbha.

This Hiranyagarbha is situated on the right side

of the human body and the physical heart is on the left. The physical heart on

the left side has to be left one day or the other in some circumstance or the

other. Hiranyagarbha located on the right side of the human body is always

right. It is immortal, eternal and all encompassing. It is present not only in

human beings, but also in birds, beasts and all other living beings. The Vedas

declare: "Easwara Sarvabhoothanaam", God is present in all the beings,

"Isavaasyam Idam Jagat", God pervades the entire cosmos. It is love that

originates out of this Hiranya. The three principles of reaction, resound and

reflection have originated from Hiranyagarbha. Unable to recognize his true

identity man is wasting his life in the pursuit of temporary fleeting,

transient and ephemeral pleasures.

As I told you yesterday, gold loses its value, effulgence and identity when it

is mixed with different metals such as silver, copper, brass. So also the

heart, which can be compared to gold, loses its value, brilliance and identity

on account of its association with the metals of worldly desires. This is the

present plight of the world. Man is behaving like a demon, devil and a beast

because he has forgotten his divine nature. Divine love originates from

Hiranyagarbha. This divine love lives by giving and forgiving, whereas selfish

love lives by getting and forgetting. Such divine love is essential for man.

Here is a small example to illustrate this: After Ravana was killed in the

battle, Hanuman went to Sita and conveyed her the good news. Sita was overjoyed

and started extolling Hanuman thus:

"Oh, Hanuman you are the Puravarashoura (the valiant one), who entered the

Lankapura (city of tanks) in the sea of adversities; you are the

Hadraparaakrama (the mighty one) who has crossed the ocean in a single leap,

and you are the Kapirajashikamani (the crown jewel of the monkey clan) who has

conveyed the whereabouts of Sita to Rama".

But Hanuman did not relish any of titles conferred on him by Sita. Sita

continued, "Oh, Hanuman, I have not seen a virtuous one like you. There is none

equal to you in terms of physical strength in this world." She also conferred

the titles of Gunavantha and Balavantha on Hanuman. None of these pleased

Hanuman. In the end, Sita blessed Hanuman saying, "May Rama love you forever

and install Himself in your heart." Then Hanuman leapt in joy. He said, "0h

mother, there is nothing greater than God's love in this world. I do not crave

for any title. I pray only for Rama's love. In the absence of the love of Lord

Rama, I will not be happy even if the whole world were to come under my

control. My life will find fulfillment only when I am the recipient of His

love."

Such an all-powerful one like Hanuman craved only for the love of Rama, nothing

else. Love is everything. Human quality lies in kindling love within, speaking

with love and acting with love. Basing on this it is said, "The proper study of

mankind is man."

Once, a Pundit approached Buddha and challenged him to enter into a debate with

him. The terms were that if he were the loser, he would know Buddhism along

with his 3000 disciples and serve Buddha lifelong. But if Buddha were to be the

loser it was obligatory on his part to be subservient to the Pundit. Buddha

smilingly said, "Pandita sama darshinaha", a true Pundit is one who has

equal-mindedness. A true Pundit makes no distinction between the dualities of

life, such as pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow. A person with anger and ego is

unfit to be called a Pundit. In pilgrim centers such as Hardwar, Rishikesh,

Badrinath and Amarnath, you find Pandas who give mantras that would grant

liberation to the departed souls. Pandas cannot be called Pundits.

In this world there are many who have gone through sacred texts. The knowledge

of the Self cannot be acquired by mere scholarship or sitting at the feet of a

guru. There are many who go through voluminous books, but is there a person who

practices at least one teaching? Scholarship bereft of practice is futile.

Bhagavad Gita declares:

Kavim Puraanam, Manushaasi ThaaramManoraneeyaamsa Manusmare DyahSarvasya

Dhaataaram Aachintya RoopamAaditya Varnam Thamasah Parasthaath.

Who is a Kavi (poet)? A poet is the one who knows the past, present and the

future; not the one who merely plays with words. This implies that God alone is

the true poet. What is the inner meaning of Purana? Pura means body. The divine

principle that moves from head to toe in the body is referred to as Purana.

Next comes Anushaasita (one who has control over the mind); you may imprison a

person who has committed a crime, but you cannot prevent his mind from

traveling all over the world. There is no one in this world, who can command

the mind. It is only God who has the power to control the mind. Therefore, God

is known as Anushaasita. Explaining thus, Buddha silenced the Pundit, and

advised him to give up pomp and show, pride and ego. He told the Pundit not to

get carried away by the worldly knowledge. He

exhorted him to acquire the divine knowledge and surrender to God.

Buddha said, "I undertook spiritual practice for a long time and have gone

through various sacred texts in quest of knowledge. Ultimately I realized that

mastering the senses is essential for acquiring knowledge of the Self. The five

senses are the gift of God. Make proper use of them. Only then can you realize

the Self. What is the use of going through sacred texts and undertaking

spiritual practices without proper utilization of the five senses? I have

controlled the five senses and put them on the right path as a result of which

I am experiencing bliss"

Buddha attained Nirvana by controlling his five senses and making proper use of

them. What is Nirvana? It is nothing but merger in bliss. A water bubble is

born in water, sustained in water and ultimately merges in it. Likewise, a

human being is born in bliss, sustained in bliss and ultimately merges in it.

Controlling the five senses can experience Bliss. This is the true Sadhana.

Mere chanting of the Lord's name will not suffice. First and foremost the

senses have to be controlled. At the time of attaining Nirvana, Buddha, seeing

his cousin, Ananda, shedding tears called him near and said "Ananda, true to

your name, you should experience Ananda (bliss). You should never shed tears of

sorrow. You are the embodiment of Ananda. All of us are embodiments of Brahma."

Saying so Buddha put his hand on Ananda and

attained Nirvana. Whoever understands this truth can experience bliss and attain

divinity. When attaining liberation is so easy and simple, why do you struggle

hard for it? It only means that you are not making any effort to understand the

truth. You are mixing the metals of worldly desires to your heart, which may be

compared to gold. As a result the heart has become polluted and has lost its

true identity, which is bliss.

Ancients have said that bliss lies in visualizing your true form that is the

Principle of Atma. Proper utilization of the senses will lead to the knowledge

of the Atma. Sage Patanjali said, Yogaha Chitta Vritti Nirodhaha (the control

of senses is true Yoga). No Sadhana is greater than this. All the spiritual

practices such as Japa (chanting of Lord's name) and Thapa (penance) will be of

no avail if the senses are not controlled. You may be under the impression that

it is not possible for a human being to control the senses. Here control does

not mean total cessation. Discharge your duties. But whatever you do, do it

with a feeling that it is to please God (Sarva Karma Bhagavath Preethyartham).

Once you develop this feeling all your senses will naturally be controlled.

Embodiments of Love!

You feel that Arpitham (total surrender) to God is rather difficult; but

according to Me nothing is easier than this. It may be easy to make a garland

out of flowers or to remove the petals of a flower. For that matter, total

surrender to God is much easier and simpler than this. You find it difficult

because you do not have steady and firm faith in God. GOD IS. There is no place

without God. There is no being without divinity. Each and everyone is the

embodiment of God. If you have total faith in this truth, you will never have

difficulties. When your faith is defective, you find it difficult to achieve

anything.

Embodiments of Love! Have faith in God and love Him. Love Is God. You are bound

to be successful in all your endeavors if you have faith in God. Any task,

however difficult it may be, can be accomplished with God's grace. That is what

happened in the case of Hanuman. With Rama's grace he leapt across the ocean,

reached and found the whereabouts of Sita. He returned to Rama and described

the untold suffering of Sita. "Oh Rama, please listen to what I say. I have

seen Mother Sita surrounded by demons, shivering like a fear-stricken parrot in

the cage."

On hearing this, Rama and Lakshmana immediately took their bows and arrows. Rama

said, "I cannot bear the suffering of Sita. Let us not waste even a moment. Let

us go to Lanka." Rama reacted in this manner not because of attachment towards

His consort. Sita symbolizes Prakriti (nature). God cannot bear the suffering

of Nature. In order to alleviate the suffering of Nature, Rama decided to go to

Lanka immediately.

Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire) and Moksha (liberation)

are considered to be the four objectives (Purusharthas) of human life. In fact

these correspond to the four stages of human life namely, Brahmacharya,

Grihastha, Vaanaprastha and Sanyasa. They do not correspond to Purusharthas in

the true sense of the term. Today people are under the mistaken notion that the

term Purusha corresponds to man, but not to woman. But actually Purusha means

Atma or Chaithanya or Prana or Jivi. For the Atma there is no gender like

masculine or feminine. So Purushartha means Atma Dharma or the Dharma of the

Awareness Principle or the Dharma of Life Principle. This is the true

Purushartha, the prime objective of human life. Without understanding the true

meaning of the term Purushartha, people talk of one

Dharma for men and another for women. Saayujya (merger) is the true Atma Dharma

and is true Purushartha.

The second objective is Artha (wealth). Artha does not mean money or gold.

Earning money or gold is not the objective of life. Money comes and goes.

Wisdom is the true wealth. Advaita Dhanaanam Jnanam, seeing unity in diversity

is the true wisdom. One has to earn this wealth of wisdom.

The third objective is Kama (desire). This does not correspond to sensual

desires. One should have desire for liberation (Moksha Kama). One should have

the desire to understand the Atmic Principle and attain divinity. These are the

main objectives of human life. Each word in Vedanta has many meanings associated

with it. Different people interpret it in different ways. Today what people

understand of the four objectives of human life corresponds to the Ashrama

Dharmas such as Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vaanaprastha and Sanyasa. They do not

correspond to the Adhyaathmika Dharma (Spiritual Dharma). Spiritual Dharma is

the true Dharma. Only that can confer Liberation. What is Liberation? It is not

merely reaching God. Your thoughts, words and actions should be one with the

Divine. The rivers such as Ganga, Godavari

and Saraswathi have different names and forms, but once they merge in the ocean,

they lose their name, form, taste and. Similarly once you merge in God, there

will be no difference whatsoever. Experiencing such non-dualism is the true

objective of human life.

Embodiments of Love! Legend has it that when Siva, in order to save the world,

swallowed Haalahala (poison), He lost consciousness and fell down. The

resultant heat affected the world. In order to cool down the world, Siva

created Himalayas. Then He placed Himalayas on His Stomach. As a result the

Himalayas absorbed all the heat from His body and He got up. This event is

being celebrated as Shivarathri. This is only a worldly interpretation. Truly

speaking the whole world is contained within Him. Such Divinity has neither

birth nor death. The body may undergo change, but the Divine principle remains

the same. Love never undergoes any change. It remains love always. The quality

of sugar is sweetness. It does not change whether it is added to coffee, tea,

water or rice pudding. That which remains changeless is

referred to as Sath (being). This Sath is within you. Love is its sweetness. We

have to turn this love towards Visweswara (God), but not towards Vishayas. Sath

can be compared to sugar. Chith (Chaithanya) to water. When sugar is added to

water, it becomes syrup; likewise when Sath and Chith come together, what

results is Ananda (bliss). Sath is associated with the Atma and the Chith with

the body. Atma is Purusha and body is Prakriti (feminine principle). The unity

of Purusha and Prakriti is human life. So, every human being is

Ardhanaareeshwara (Androgynous). The principle of Siva (Sivathatwa) teaches the

unity of Prakriti and Purusha. Forgetting this principle man considers this

physical body to be made up of merely blood, flesh and fecal matter. No doubt

it has these constituents, but one should not forget the fact that divinity

permeates this body. To set an ideal to this world, the body is very important.

Embodiments of Love!

Body is Parvati and Atma is Easwara.

There was a spiritual aspirant who used to repeat the mantra Sivoham as

commanded by his guru. One day someone asked him the meaning of the mantra he

was chanting. He said Sivoham meant, "I am Siva". But when questioned what his

relationship with Parvati was, he slapped his own cheeks and said with a tone

of having committed a great sin, "aparaadham! aparaadham!" (Blasphemy). If he

really had faith in the mantra he was chanting, he would have surely said,

"Parvati is a part of my own being." He could not say so as he was attached to

his body. Attachment to the body leads to dualities because of which man is

suffering.

Easwara and Parvati are present in every individual. The combination of these

two aspects constitutes Manavatwam (mankind). Manava refers to human being. Ma

means 'not', Nava means 'new': So mankind is not new, it is ancient and

eternal. But you are not able to understand this truth. Here there are three

letters: Ma-Na-Va. Ma means maya (illusion), Na means without, Va means

Varthinchuta (to conduct oneself). He is a true human being who conducts

himself without being under illusion. But today man is acting in a

contradictory manner. At least from today try to understand the truth. Your

Deha (body) and desha (country) can be compared to object and reflection. Just

as you safeguard your body, keep in mind the welfare of the nation too.

Understand the true meaning and inner significance of Shivarathri.

[bRINGING UP THE HIRANYAGARBHA LINGAM FROM HIS MOUTH AND SHOWING IT TO THE

DEVOTEES, BHAGAWAN CONTINUED...]

This is present in everybody's Hridaya (spiritual heart) and is on the right

side of the body. The principle of Hiranyagarbha is spread all over the body.

It assumes a form when I will it. Whoever has seen this Lingam at the time of

its emergence will not have rebirth. One should see its form as It emerges. In

order to sanctify your lives, such sacred manifestations have to be shown to

you every now and then. Only then can you understand the divinity in humanity.

This Lingam will not break even if it is dropped from a height with force. This

is Amruthatwam (immortality). It is changeless. You cannot see such a

manifestation anywhere else in the world. it is possible only with Divinity.

[After singing the Bhajan, "Siva, Siva, Siva, Siva Anaraada." Bhagawan continued]

For the past 20 years devotees did not have the privilege of witnessing

Lingodbhava. The reason was lakhs of devotees used to gather in the

Poornachandra Hall to witness this grand spectacle. As Poornachandra Hall

cannot accommodate large gatherings, there used to be stampedes. As a result

devotees were put to lot of inconvenience. In order to avoid this, Lingodbhavam

was discontinued. Not only this, three types of Lingams emerge. They are Bhur,

Bhuvah and Suvaha. Bhur refers to materialization (body), Bhuvaha refers to

vibration (Prana) and Suvaha refers to radiation (Atma). I often say you are

not one, but three: "The one you think you are (physical body), the one others

think you are (mental body), the one you really are (Atma)." On every

Shivarathri all the three Lingams would emerge. Even now the other

Lingams had started to emerge, but I prevented them, because there are many

things to be told to you. In future you will be a witness to many more

manifestations of Divinity. Understand that this bliss can be experienced only

in the proximity of the Divine and nowhere else.

Don't get deluded just because I am talking, laughing, walking and eating like

you. Don't get deluded by the body feeling. All My actions are selfless,

selfless, and selfless. There is no trace of selfishness in Me. Have firm faith

in this truth. If you have total faith, wherever you are, all your desires will

be fulfilled without your asking. Only those who don't have total faith suffer.

Develop self-confidence. That is the first Sadhana you have to undertake.

Truly you are all most fortunate. Today is Somavaaram (Monday), very endearing

to Somashekara (Easwara). That is why Siva is extolled as Someshwara and

Somashekara. This body was also born on a Monday. In every Siva temple, special

prayers are offered on Mondays. Hanuman is worshipped on Mangalavaaram

(Tuesdays). When Ravana was killed in the battlefield, Hanuman rushed to Sita

to convey the good news. Sita was overjoyed and blessed Hanuman profusely

saying, "Hanuman, I don't know what day it is, but since you have conveyed the

much awaited Mangalakara Vaartha (auspicious news), this day shall be called

Mangalavaaram (Tuesday) and may you be worshipped on this day."

In the Treta Yuga names of the days, such as Monday and Tuesday, were not in

existence; they are of recent origin. Therefore, in the culture of Bharat each

term has an inner significance. But Bharatiyas themselves are not making any

effort to understand them and are going along the wrong path. Culture is

important, not caste. We have to uphold the culture.

Embodiments of Love! Understand the truth that love is Atma and Atma is love.

Sent with Sai love,

Sai brothers – ‘’

 

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