SWAMI ANSWERS FOR SPIRITUALISING OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE

[Guest guest]

BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA ANSWERS FOR

SPIRITUALISING OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE

Q181)     Swami! What is meant by `quest for truth'? How are we to go about this noble task?

Bhagawan: To say that one is involved in the process of search for truth is

foolish and is a sign of ajnana, ignorance. When Sathya, truth, is everywhere,

what is the point of searching for it? Truth is God. God is truth. God is

omniscient. So also truth is everywhere.

Satyamunand undi  sarvambusrstince

Satyamunananage  sarvasrst

Satyamahimaleni  sthalamedi  kanugonna.

S’uddha sattvamadiye cudarayya (Telugu poem)

God, the eternal truth, has created the whole universe, which will merge

ultimately in truth. It is the eternal truth.

With your eyes you look at your children. With the same eyes you see your wife

also. Your eyes may be the same but your vision; the way you look at different

persons such as mother, wife, and children varies. The feeling with which you

look at everyone is the spirit of the search for truth. This distinguishes

feelings from looks.

The Search for truth should answer questions like what, when, why, whom, where and how.

Q182)    Swami! Nowadays‑even devotion has become a matter of convenience

and business, and is expected to yield quick results. Isn't this wrong in the

path of devotion? Are cunning and craft fruitful in devotion?

Bhagawan: Today, whatever one does and says is all out of selfishness only. If

you develop devotion for getting a job, you are devoted to your employer and

not to God. If you are a devotee with a view to get married, you are devoted to

your wife or husband as the case may be, but not to God.

If you notice clearly, you will know there is enough money in this world. There

are many in good positions. There are many influential and reputed people.

Should you pray to God for money, positions, popularity, and influence which

are already available in this world plentifully? You should pray to God for

those which are not available here and are present in and with Him only. Two

things are with God only and are not present elsewhere. What are they? They are

Bliss and Peace. True devotion is what urges you to pray to God for these two

divine assets.

Most unfortunately, today people employ even tricks, backdoor methods and logic

in spiritual fields. Alas! They will never yield good results. Such people will

never succeed. Further they boomerang. God and Mammon can't go together. You

can't buy or sell God. Business on commercial principles and God never go

together. God doesn't want your dhana, money or wealth. He looks into your

dharma, conduct.

Alas! In the name of spirituality, it is very unfortunate that people deceive

each other, involve in financial transactions, politicise, manipulate, cheat,

scheme, plot, spend time in gossip and mud slinging activities. Your knacks,

tricks and gimmicks will never work with God. You will never realise God

through these tactics.

Here is a small story. A very rich man had a pet dog. One day when a person was

passing along the road, this dog chased him and was about to bite him. Then the

person being totally helpless hit the dog with his stick. The dog died. This

made the rich man very furious and he took the matter to court to sue this

person. There in the court the judge asked the passerby as to why he had hit

the dog resulting in its death. The person said, "Sir! It fell upon me and was

about to bite me. I couldn't do anything. So, I had to hit it with the stick in

my hand and unfortunately the dog died". Then the judge asked the rich man what

he would say in the matter. He said, "Sir! I can understand the situation. But,

why should he hit it on the head? Had he not done so, the dog wouldn't have

died". The judge turned to this person, wanting him to give the explanation. He

said, "Sir! It was about to bite me

with its teeth. So I had to hit it on the head. Had it tried to bite me with the

tail, I would have certainly beaten its tail". So this is a knack or a trick to

escape from the situation. These things are of no use in the spiritual path.

Another example, a businessman had to go to a neighboring town on some business.

He called his son and said, "My dear son! You please look after my work

carefully until I return. Be vigilant. Son! You know I do daily puja. You also

see me doing as t ottara puja, repeat 108 precious names of God. You do it

without fail during my absence. I don't want you to discontinue". The son said,

"O.K. father! I will scrupulously follow your instructions". On his return the

businessman enquired of his son if he had done all the things assigned to him

including  as t ottara  puja. The son had shown him a paper as proof of his

compliance. There, on the paper his son wrote God's holy name and marked

`ditto, ditto' (‑do‑do‑) so that he did not have to repeat

108 times. Would this make a genuine as t ottara puja? Do you expect any

positive

results out of such tactics?

Once a merchant went to a Guru and reverentially prayed to him to give him

mantra upadesa, to attain Moksha. Then, the merchant said, "Sir! Can I ask my

assistant to repeat and chant the mantra a thousand times Sahasranama on my

behalf?" The Guru said, "It is useless. What are you talking about? How do you

expect to be benefited when your assistant does the puja on your behalf? Do you

ever ask him to eat when you are hungry? Do you ever ask him to drink water when

you are thirsty? Do you ever ask him to go to a doctor and take medicine when

you are sick? What nonsense are you talking?" This seems to be the trend in the

thinking among modern seekers and aspirants, this is not Bhakti.

A path followed with your total virakti, detachment, your Shakti, total capacity

and your anurakti, total love for God is Bhakti, and not yukti, the tricks you

adopt.

Q183)    Swami! Renunciation, we feel, is the most difficult thing. We have so

many attachments and it is not easy to give them up. Kindly suggest an

alternative!

Bhagawan: No. No. It is very easy. You are wrong if you say that detachment is

difficult. In fact, it is simpler and easier to be detached than to be

attached. Now look here! I hold this handkerchief in my hand. I hold it tight

in my grip. It is a strain holding it like that for a long time, i.e. holding

the handkerchief in the grip. On the contrary, it is very very easy to simply

drop it. Is it not? Now, you will know that attachment is difficult while

detachment is easy.

Q184)  Swami! Many different types of Sadhana are suggested and prescribed for

seekers and aspirants. They are very confusing and the situation of the present

day seekers is that they have almost forgotten what a spiritual practice is.

Most often having taken one path, many drop out or discontinue. Why? Kindly

tell us the truth of the matter?

Bhagawan: In my opinion, spirituality is very simple and easy. You may find

crushing the petals of a rose flower difficult. Compared with it spirituality

is easier. But unfortunately, today there is none who knows and teaches

Sadhana.

What is Sadhana? It is a process of removing anatma, non‑self from Atma,

Self. Then, you will have atmanubhavam the experience of the Self. In other

words, the self, spirit, conscience, or Atma is the reality. All the rest is

non‑self or `anatma'. This is the purpose of spiritual pursuit or

Sadhana.

You also wanted to know why a chosen spiritual path is discontinued. Understand

well that nothing is wrong with Sadhana. The mistake is yours. It is your

weakness. For example, you boarded the Bangalore bound tram. If you get down in

the middle without reaching the destination, whose fault is it? It is definitely

not the mistake of the train. It is your fault.

Q185)     Swami! We are not able to meditate. We do not know the procedure even. What are we to do?

Bhagawan: When the procedure is not correctly known and you are not able to

concentrate as you meditate, do not waste time. Do some good work. It is

ridiculous sitting down for meditation, while thinking of all sense objects and

sensual pleasures. It is purely a waste of time. In fact, if it is true

meditation, the feeling, "I am meditating", should totally vanish. The three

‑ `the one that meditates, the one whom you meditate upon' and the

`process of meditation' should be unified. This is called triputi. Always keep

in mind one important thing. You are as much far from me as I am from you. You

should always experience proximity with God and finally identify yourself with

Him. The fruit of your meditation depends on this. With conviction that God is

everywhere and by loving and serving all, giving up selfishness and

self‑interest, you will experience the benefit

of true meditation and you will know that your reality is Atma, the self.

One example you might remember about meditation. Here are two tumblers of which

one is full of milk that has to be poured out into the other tumbler. What do

you do? You hold the tumbler filled with milk in one hand and the empty tumbler

in the other, and slowly pour milk. The two tumblers should be held tight. If

the tumbler with milk is shaking for any reason, the milk spills out. If the

other tumbler is not held tight, and starts shaking, you can never collect

milk. In other words, both the tumblers must be kept steady. The upper tumbler

with milk is God, who should be pleased with your unflinching devotion while

the lower tumbler, which represents the devotee should have unwavering faith

Q186)    Swami! My mind is not steady. How am I to do Bhajans? Without

steadiness of the mind, what for are our Bhajans?

Bhagawan: The mind is never steady. This is natural. The body may find it easy

to be steady. But, movement and running, the body finds difficult. The

condition of the mind is just the opposite. The mind finds it difficult to be

steady, but easy to run or waver. Body is jada, inert. But the mind is

caitanya, awareness. You may lie down on your bed. But your mind will go round

all places. Here, one important point is to be noted. The mind has no

independent existence. It functions through the body only. The mind which goes

round different ­places is not received and responded to by anyone. No one

extends hospitality or responds to its behavior. It has to come back to the

body sometime or other. Therefore, never stop your sadhana, be it Bhajan or

meditation. The mind will get settled and be steady gradually. Leaves flutter

due to wind currents. Once they

stop, leaves become steady and motionless. The same is the case with the mind.

Q187)    Swami! Some people are not putting in enough effort in matters of

spirituality. They are lazy. Is it proper to be so?

Bhagawan: This is not spirituality at all. "Laziness is rust and dust;

Realisation is rest and best". Man is gifted by God with body, mind and

intellect for performing karma, action. It is said, Karmanubandhini manus

yaloke. Human society is bound by action. Karmame karanam narunaku

sukhadukhamilalo (Telugu verse). It is only action that makes you happy or

unhappy. Karma is the cause of janma. For the redemption of life and following

righteousness, one has to take the path of action that gives you the divine

experience, Brahman.

You may say that you are not doing any karma. Remember that you can't live for a

moment without karma. Respiration, blood circulation etc., are actions, whether

you know it or not. You eat food while it is God who digests it. One important

thing is, human effort and God's grace are both equally important. These are

like the positive and negative wires through which the current flows. Another

example is the matchbox. In order to light a matchstick, you have to strike it

against the sides of the box.

I give you another illustration in support of this. Suppose the cart in which

you are traveling turns upside down. You have to get up slowly and lift a wheel

to set it right. God's grace will add to your effort raising the other wheel so

that the cart comes back to the normal position.

Q188)    Swami! Some say that satkarma, good action is enough; some argue that

puja is essential, but some hold the view that atmavidya is the only way to

liberation. How are we to coordinate and integrate these three? Are these not

contradictory to each other? Why should these three be prescribed?

Bhagawan: First, be very clear that they are not contradictory. Performance of

good action is karma marga. The three activities you have mentioned are like

three different kinds of travel by train. The first is the direct train that

takes you to your destination. This is jnana marga the path of Wisdom. The

other one is, the train in which you have to change to another at a railway

junction, as it is not a direct train. This is karma marga the path of action.

But, there are still other trains to which the carriage you board will be

connected, and you don't have to get down and change it on the way. This is

Bhakti marga the path of devotion. You can view these paths in this way.

Another example, a mother has three sons. She feeds the youngest, a child all by

herself. But the second son is a grown up boy who will go to the kitchen

straight and will have his food served by the cook. The eldest son being an

adult can serve food for himself and eat it. Similar is the situation here. The

youngest child stands for the path of action, the second son represents the path

of devotion, while the eldest symbolises the path of wisdom.

Another example, a king had three wives. He had to be away from his kingdom

longer than planned. So he sent a message to his three wives telling them that

his return was delayed and also asking them to inform him as to what he should

bring home for them as gifts. The first wife said that she needed nothing

except his safe return. The second wife who was ailing for quite sometime

wanted medicines, while the third one who was very fond of jewels wanted the

latest designs to be brought. On his return, the king went straight to the

first wife and stayed there. The other two wives came and pleaded with him to

visit them also saying, "Oh King! Your return was already delayed. You. have

been spending much time with your first wife. How about us?" The king replied,

"Look! This one wanted my safe return. So I am with her. But you wanted

medicines and jewels, and accordingly I sent to both of you

what you had asked for." Thus, the first wife who asked for the king himself and

none else stands for vairagya, renunciation. The second wife who wanted

medicines represents prakrtika jnana, material knowledge, while the third one

who wanted jewels symbolises prakrtika bhakti worldly devotion for worldly

gains.

Therefore, different spiritual paths are prescribed and suggested considering

the eligibility, temperament, suitability, capability and the samskaras,

vasanas qualities of the past life of different persons.

The same thing I tell my students. There are three `W's. The first `W' indicates

`work', karma marga, the second `W' means `Worship' or `Devotion', Bhakti marga

and the third `W' signifies `Wisdom', jnana marga. These three are contained in

the name of SAI. `S' stands for `Service (karma yoga) `A' for `Adoration'

(Bhakti yoga) and I for `illumination' jnana yoga).

Q189)     Swami! We want to know how a true experience can be communicated.

Bhagawan: Here, there are three steps. First, you should know jnanatum , then

see drastum and experience pravestum.

You know a mango. You go to the market where you see it. It is not enough. You

should buy and eat it to experience the taste of it. You can describe what you

know and see. But you can't convey your experience.

For instance, if you stand knee‑deep in water you can freely talk. If you

stand neck deep in water, you can afford to talk. If you drown yourself

totally, you can't talk. Can you? This is the state of total experience beyond

expression.

Q190)    Swami! What is the cause of agitation? How are we to get rid of it?

What changes are needed to be free from agitation?

Bhagawan: Absence of Sathya, truth and dharma, righteousness is responsible for

all agitation today. Therefore, people have lost peace and bliss.

Modern man has faith neither in himself nor in God. He is blind having lost the

two eyes of faith. Human life without faith is a barren land. It is not man

manisi (Telugu) who should change. It is the mind, manasu (Telugu), that has to

change. Niti (morality), riti (conduct), and khyati (good name) are essential.

Truth or Sathya is morality or niti, righteous conduct or dharma is the way of

life or rithi while sacrifice or tyaga is the good name or khyati that you

should get.

A man with desires, kama,

is never happy.

A man with anger, krodha,

will have no friends.

A man with greed, lobha,

is cut off from bliss, ananda.

Therefore, kama, krodha and lobha are enemies. The happiness of the vyakti,

individual, depends on samisti, the community. The individual has a form. The

community has no form. If you respect the individual, it means you are

respecting the community. The community is in srsti, the creation. The Creator

is paramesti, God. So it all begins with vyakti, the individual and ends in

paramest, divinity. In other words, God has created this world in which

samisti, communities consist of vyakti, individuals. Thus, they are

interrelated and interdependent. Therefore, in the individual, morality is

truth. His conduct should be righteous and his reputation lies in realising

God.

Bhagawan Buddha speaks of certain aspects of individual Sadhana. Buddha said,

samyakdrrsti, good vision, is necessary. “Your vision must be pure and sacred".

This will lead to samyak sravanam, good listening. These two great qualities

imprinted in the heart induce samyak bhava, good feeling. This prompts and

promotes samyak kriya, good action. Therefore, at the individual level, when

good vision, good listening, good feeling and good action are followed, the

community will be ideal. There will be no disquiet and agitation.

One has to correct one's lapses and mistakes. You should never speak ill of

anybody. There is another episode connected with Buddha. Buddha mercifully

accepted the invitation of a prostitute to dine at her residence. While He was

proceeding, the village head came and objected to His visit to her residence,

as she was a bad character. Buddha caught hold of his right hand and said,

"Now, clap your hands if you can". The village‑head said "Oh! Lord! How

can I clap with one hand while you hold my right hand?"

Buddha smiling said, "You can't clap with one hand. You have to join both the

hands. Similarly, you have said that the woman is of loose character. Who has

made her like that? Only you people spoiled her". Then the village head and

other elders fell at His feet and followed Buddha. The woman too changed her

behaviour and became His devotee.

During that time another significant event happened. One day Buddha was tired

and taking rest. So He asked one of His disciples to address the gathering that

evening on a spiritual topic. The disciple got up, and while speaking in praise

of his master, Buddha, he said, "No master like Buddha was ever born before him

nor would be born later". Everyone clapped. On hearing this, Buddha came into

their midst, and gently said, "How old are you?" How do you know that no one

like your master was born before and would be born in future? How can you speak

about the future? Many noble people lived in the past and are now living in the

present, and also will be born in the future". Thus, He indicated indirectly

the advent of Avatars, divine incarnations.

One has to live attached to God anurakti, detached from the world virakti, with

devotion, Bhakti and achieve liberation, mukti, with all your energies, s’akti.

This is the only solution to problems like agitation, restlessness and conflicts

internal or external.

Q191)  Swami! We have been thinking that all things can be achieved through

Self‑confidence. In your discourses today you mentioned

Self‑protection and Self‑punishment also. Kindly explain these.

Bhagawan: Quite often I mention to our boys these things ‑

Self‑confidence, Self‑satisfaction, Self- sacrifice, and

Self‑realisation. In addition to these, Self‑protection and

Self‑punishment too are necessary. Self‑protection is the capacity

to face anything with Self‑steadfastness. Then Self-punishment involves

the faculties of examining one's mistakes of one's own accord, and of

refraining from those mistakes through firm resolve. Self‑punishment is

holding in check through repentance, possibilities of those mistakes.

Q192)  Swami! In the classes, we have learnt about self-awareness. How can our

tendency be changed? Kindly teach us the appropriate technique.

Bhagawan: I asked you, "What does `self‑awareness' mean?" Someone said,

"understanding". This is not the correct answer. This word can be interpreted

in two ways. In the worldly sense, it refers to looking at oneself, i.e.,

selfishness. Knowledge concerning this can be called "self‑awareness".

Spiritually, its meaning is quite different. In spiritual terms, all that is,

is merely the Self. The key to all actions and all experiences lies within the

Self. The body, mind, senses, and intellect are just instruments of the Self.

Without the Self, these are useless. These are to the self what the head, leg,

hand, and so on are to the body. Now I asked you what is meant by `tendency'.

Someone replied, "attitude", and another "nature". These are not correct. It is

an innate orientation. Tendency exists in man in three modes. Their names are

animal tendency, human tendency, and

divine tendency. Of these, the first runs after sense objects. The second is

marked by discrimination, though coloured by desires. The third is totally

devoid of desires, attachment, and `I' and `Mine'. There may be an attachment

and sense of `I' and `mine' in life, but life is not for the pursuit of these.

You asked for an appropriate technique. When I asked for the meaning of that

word, one called it `method,' and another, `procedure.' These two are not

correct. The technique is vidhividhanam. What ought to be done is vidhi. How to

do it is vidhanam. There is only one technique for Self‑awareness. You

have to have awareness that you are the Atma, the Self. I refer to it as

Constant‑Integrated‑Awarensss. This Self or Atma is truly God. You

are the embodiment of God. Here you should remember three things.

i) What is it that once it is had, is never lost, what is it? Jnana. In other

words, when jnana occurs, that is, when there is awareness, it never is lost.

ii) What is it which once lost can never be had again? Ajnana, ignorance. When

once ajnana is lost, you cannot have it again.

iii) What is it that is neither lost nor had? Brahman, Self, Atma, this may be

called   `Self-Awareness.'

Q193)  Swami! How are we to realise the existence of divinity, and by what

intimation are we to cognise it? Swami is pleased to refer to it in the

charming phrase, "Constant‑Integrated‑Awareness". How are we to

achieve this Awareness?

Bhagawan: The idea that all forms and all names belong to God is verily

Constant‑Integrated Awareness. The experience of sarvan visnumayam jagat,

the world is pervaded by Vishnu, is but

Constant‑Integrated‑Awareness. God can be experienced in any form,

at any time or place.

The life of Tulasidas illustrates this beautifully. He could not recognise God

even when He approached him and talked to him. One day Tulasidas sat under a

tree, grinding a piece of sandalwood on a mortar to prepare the paste. Right

then, two cowherd boys came there and asked him, "Grandfather! Will you give us

some sandal paste?" Then, Tulasidas replied, "My children! I am preparing this

for Lord Sri Ramachandramurthi". Two parrots, perched on a bough of that tree,

observed this, and commented, "For whose sake is all this paste? Why doesn't he

realise it?" Tulasidas heard these, words. He knew the language of the birds.

The next day, while he was preparing the paste, the two cowherd boys turned up.

This time, even without asking him, they took some sandal paste into their

palms, applied it to the forehead, and left. Tulasidas who had noticed this was

dumbfounded. This time too he heard

the birds' comments from the branch of the tree, "Aha! What a wonder! Those for

whom the sandal paste was prepared, had themselves come, and received it! What

fortune!" As he knew the language of the birds, Tulasidas realised that the

boys who had adorned themselves with the paste were, indeed, Rama and

Lakshmana. Out of ignorance, he had at first denied them.

You may have heard of Vemana too. He was a thinker who belittled worship offered

to stones and idols. He used to doubt, "God, who pervades the whole world, how

can He be inside stone statues?" He used to make fun of idol worshippers. One

day, his elder brother's daughter, whom he loved dearly, passed away.

Grief‑stricken, he kept on gazing at the little girl's picture hanging on

the wall. His elder brother's wife was observing all this. One day, she threw

down the picture. It broke into pieces. This was too much for Vemana to bear.

Then, she said, "My son! My girl is no more, isn't she? Why do you cry over a

broken picture?" Vemana replied, "Mother! Though she is gone, her picture was

here, wasn't it? Looking at it has been some consolation for me. That is why

when it broke into pieces, I am grieving ever more." Then his elder brother's

wife counselled him admirably, "My son! It

is very true that God is present everywhere. But, the devotee delights in seeing

Him and worshipping Him in an idol as well. Just as you consoled yourself

looking at the picture even though she whom you love is no more, the devotee

invokes God in an idol, and offers it worship." Straightaway Vemana grasped her

message, and the secret behind idol worship. In this way, the experience of

visualizing the Supreme Lord in all places, times, and creatures is truly

Constant-Integrated‑Awareness. This can also be called the existence and

intimation of Divinity. 

Source: SATYOPANISAD VOL - II [Part-III, Chapter-VII] by Anil Kumar Kamaraja 

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