Guest guest Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 SWAMI TEACHES – Part III Compiled by Reet PRINCIPAL POSITIONS OF VEDAS The Vedas are the most ancient among the world's scriptures. They are a vast storehouse of wisdom. They enabled man to have an over-view of the universe. Historically, they are the earliest known book of knowledge. They are the roots of human culture and striving. All knowledge, all the principles of right living, all qualities are derived from the Vedas. Veda is derived from the verb Vid, to know. They embody the Sabda Brahmam (Cosmic Sound). Knowledge of the Supreme is Veda. It represents Atma Jnana (Knowledge of the Spirit), Brahma Jnana (Knowledge of the Universal Consciousness) and Adwaita Jnana (Knowledge of the One that subsumes the many). These different terms are synonymous. "I am in the Light. I am the Light. The Light is in Me. The Light is Myself." When this awareness arises in the heart, it will lead to oneness with Brahmam. Whether humans are understood Vedas or not, their truth permeates the universe. It is not easy for common people to understand the Vedas; Vyasa codified them in four groups. They have been propagated and practiced in three sections. The Karma Kanda (dealing with rituals), Upasana Kanda (dealing with forms of worship) and Jnana Kanda (dealing with the path of Knowledge). The Upanishads are the culmination of the Vedas. Hence they are known as Vedanta. The Upanishads have offered three kinds of yoga for mankind: Karma Yoga, Upasana Yoga and Jnana Yoga. As regards Upasana Yoga, what is required is wholehearted devotion to God, with purity in thought, word and deed. Love must be for its own sake. Jnana Yoga declares, "Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagath" (The cosmos is pervaded everywhere by the Lord). Everything is a manifestation of God. Though names and forms and thoughts and actions may be different, all of them are like waves on the ocean of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss) what is present in everyone in a subtle form. This awareness is Jnana. The Gita emerged from the Upanishads. It expounds the Karma, Upaasana and Jnana (the threefold path) in three sections of six cantos each. Thus from the Vedas to the Upanishads and then to the Gita the eternal teachings has come to divinise mankind. The Gita belongs to all mankind. It is the Voice of God. God-is one for all people though He may be worshipped under different names and forms. The Vedas have indicated what are to be followed and what are to be avoided. Great care has to be taken in reciting the Vedic hymns, observing the rules regarding accent, pause and rhythm. The gurus of those days were utterly selfless, pure-hearted and dedicated to the Divine. They were filled with love for the disciples and dedicated their lives to imparting Vedic knowledge to the students. Unfortunately today people follow what is prohibited and have given up what should be followed. Faith in God has been replaced by disrespect for reverence and righteousness. Atheism is rampant and preceptors are not honored. Devotion is at a discount and the ancient wisdom is being given up these days. ("Sathya Sai Speaks." Volume 23, Chapter 24. i.e. Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. Valedictory Discourse at the Summer Course in the Brindavan Campus on 3 June1990 BE VIGILANT, BE STEADY, BE EARNEST Krishna declares, "Samoham Sarvabhuutheshu" - "I am equal in all beings. I behave equally with all. I have no love or hate, no partiality or prejudice. Joy and grief are brought on by you on yourselves, not by me on you, through attachment or want of it." When such is His declaration a doubt may arise in your minds: Why did He also announce that He would be incarnating in every age, in order to foster the good and punish the wicked? How is it that He talks of good and bad men? Does it not mean that He likes some and dislikes other? Are not all parts of Him? Are not the waves parts of the ocean? Man has to engage himself in activity, for his upkeep, as well as for the sake of happiness. Use the activity to earn what is really good. Seek something supreme, something of the highest value, something that is beyond diminution and decline - that is true Bhakti (devotion). Bhakti is the love and longing directed to the attainment of such a goal. The means adopted for this are Karma (activity). Karma becomes Karma Yoga, when activity is disciplined, dedicated and demarcated with skill. True love directed towards God can reveal His reality, and grant the highest Jnaana (supreme wisdom). Bhakti can flow along two paths: Saguna Bhakti and Nirguna Bhakti. When you feel that God is far away, far higher, far beyond you and when you plead for mercy, petition for grace, and pray for boons, it is Saguna - you adore Him as Lord and master, as guardian and savior; you go through the ceremonials of praise, propitiation and prostration, submission and service. But when you practice the discipline of seeing Him in all beings, as the core of every cell or atom, alive and aware, and experience unity with all creation (for creation is but His body and you are also in it and of it) then, it is Nirguna. The Nirguna is the contemplation on the sugar; the Saguna is the adoration of some one sugar doll, which has caught your fancy and attracted your love and loyalty. Let every act of yours stand as your credential when you quit the world. Let no single act be a drag, or a debit. Soak every moment in love, that is to say, in God. Of what avail is it to spend hours in Dhyaan (meditation), if, when you rise and move amongst men, you spread anger, inflict resentment by your words and deeds? Be vigilant, be steady, be earnest. The steady person earns wisdom. By the absence of careful tending, a spark can be nursed into a huge conflagration; by vigilant care, even a conflagration can be reduced to a splutter. (Compilation and extracts from Discourse of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba, "Choose your God." 23 November 1973, Prashanthi Nilayam) SWAMI'S DIRECTIONS TO YOUTH Man knows the news of every land but he is ignorant of the nuisance that he himself is to himself and others. When you stand before another, his image is in your eye, and your image is in his; haven't you observed this? You are in me, I am in you, that is the truth this phenomenon proclaims. When you have faith in this, and when you cultivate love, humility, reverence for life, and tolerance, you are on the right path. What does the priest do in the temple every day? He cleans the utensils and sacred vessels in the shrine. He sweeps the room and washes the altar. The senses are the utensils for the Pooja of the God within; they have to be cleaned and assiduously kept free from dirt. Inner cleanliness is Godliness. That is possible only through sense-control, and mind-control; or what amounts to the same Sadhana, dedication of all desires and activities to God. When God is recognized as dwelling within, every one will perform his duty as an act of worship. Children have to revere their parents that are their duty. Parents have to bring up their children as bright and willing citizens capable of earning their own food and helping others in distress. There is also another responsibility that devolves upon the parent. He must live the householder's life, as laid down in the Dharma Sasthras (Scriptures on Righteousness), so that a picture of a pure happy life may be imprinted on the young mind. Do not lean upon others; lean on your own strength and skill. Live on your own earnings, your own resources. Self-reliance is the best food for growing young men. Do not imagine that it will be possible for you to live happily, without any anxiety or bother. Do not build castles in the air, and hope to live in them. There is no bee without the sting; cleverness consists in gathering the honey nevertheless. Troubles and travail will haunt you, but you must not allow them to deflect you from the path of duty and dedication. Man is the image of God; when you injure His image, when you discard him, or dishonor him, or keep him at arm's length, how can God confer Grace on you? Annie Besant said once that more than man seeking God, it is truer to say that God is ever seeking man, a man who loves and serves His Children, and treats them as endearingly as He does. Every culture has a body of customs and conventions laid down by the sages, to maintain peace and prosperity in the community. They are tested in the crucible of experience, and they are often grouped under the word, Dharma (duties). Or, they are known as neethi (ethics). To go against them-is to break the rule, which binds man to man, and man to God. Have patience; do not in your hurry to enjoy cheap joys fall into error and unrighteous deeds. People ask of men for favors; they extend their hands towards others and plead dhehi (give). But, dhehi also means, "He who dwells in the Deha (body), that is to say, God!" So, don't humiliate that Dhehi by calling out dhehi before others. Food got by foul means, clothing procured through falsehood, these will only injure you. Do not think that ease and comfort are the main things in life. Disappointment, disease, distress are the lot of all, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, young and old. Let not your pure, immaculate hearts be rendered dirty by falsehood and wrong. Do not soil your tongue using it for uttering dirty words. Utter the name of God. All evil thoughts, and wicked plans and plots will disappear like fog before the Sun when the Name of God is remembered sincerely. (Compilation with extracts from "Sathya Sai Speaks," Volume 12, Chapter 14, pp. 37 - 41) All of you have great love and adore Swami but that love and adoration are of no use if you ignore the teachings of Swami. Even if you do not adore, if you believe in the truth of the word and enforce it in your daily life, Swami's grace will always be with you in your life. It is no use if you simply utter the name of the Lord and do not follow the good things that go with the Lord. It is just like uttering the name of penicillin when you are running a high temperature. Only when you take in the penicillin will the temperature come down. When you are hungry, uttering words like potato and Chapati cannot satisfy the hunger. If you eat them, it will be satisfied. It is no use if you only read or listen. You must try to remember the teachings, put them into practice and judge for yourself how far you have acted according to the word. VEDIC TRUTH OF THE OBJECTIVE WORLD Logic and intellectual investigation can give only partial accounts of the Truth. Everything in creation has many phases and many angles. Reason can observe only from one angle; it can see only one phase. The intellect that has been purified and clarified through the activities (Karma) laid down in the Vedas can succeed in observing both phases. Without undergoing the process of purification and clarification, Reason can work only within the bounds of the materialist world. So, the conclusions that it presents before us can only be partially true. But, the intellect subjected to the processes of cleansing and sharpening in the Vedic way can serve us by presenting a picture of the full Truth of the objective world. The Universe is the Macro cosmos; the Individual Being is the Micro cosmos. But, the basic Truth of both is One, the same. That One is independent and unrelated to any other fact or thing. When that is realised in this manner, it can be called Brahmam. When it enters the awareness as the Universe, it is referred to as Parabrahmam. The basic truth of the Universe is Atma. The basic Truth of the Individual is also Atma. All that appear as different from Atma are of the region of 'delusion' or Mithya. The last implies a condition, which, until inquiry, appears real but on inquiry, is known to be unreal. It is only an appearance, this universe and its supposed basis - an appearance caused by Ignorance or Maya. The power that deludes us into believing that the created cosmos is true and real is also an emanation from the Atma. When this power operates and the Atma is clothed with it, it is referred to as Paramatma. The Lord is the eternal Witness, the Power that presides over every act. Looked at from this point of view, one has to realise and declare that the Lord and the Individual are bound inextricably together. In the absence of living beings, there can be no Lord. So, the Lord, it can be said, manifested the Universe, in order to provide living beings with fields of activity and in order to grant them the consequences of those actions. The Universe is for each Jivi its own mental picture and nothing else, fundamentally. So, unless one unravels the mind and its processes, the Brahma principle is difficult to understand. Those who have not understood the real nature of the sky will mistake it as a dome of smoke and dust; so too, the Atma is mistaken, through non-awareness of reality, to be enclosed in and embodied as intellect or Buddhi, to be involved in activity, to be caught up in the twin bonds of joy and sorrow, and to be embroiled in happiness and misery and also in bondage and liberation. >From the angle of change (Vyavahara), the higher Truth will naturally appear as different, though they are inextricably inter-related. One space (air) exists in houses, lakes, hills etc. - which are shapes and forms, with distinct names attached to them and different modes of behavior and use. Individual beings (jivas) too have different names and forms, peculiarities and specialties of use and behavior; but, like the string that holds the beads, passing in and through each and holding them together, the Super-Consciousness in all individuals is One. What is it that, if known, everything else can be known? When the Atma is known, declare the scriptures (Sruthi), everything can be known. The Jagath (the Cosmos) is only relatively real; it is partly false explained the sacred Sruthi texts and allied sacred literature like Smrithis, Ithihasas and Puranas. "Why worry how the Cosmos was born or when it will die? Worry rather about yourself." That is the lesson emphasized by the scriptures. "Know Thyself." Once you know yourself, everything else will be automatically clear. The Jivi cannot avoid inquiring into the origins of the Universe, which he encounters. The Sruthi answers such inquiry in words that give temporary relief. The Universe originates through illusion or Maya. Just as the dream has no order or law, the Universe also is too full of mystery and Maya. There is another problem that generally worries a human being, how did this ignorance happen? The sage-preceptor, Vasishtha, has provided the solution to Sri Ramachandra. "Rama!" he said, "Rather than entangling yourselves in the inquiry regarding how Ignorance entered Man, I would exhort you to be engaged in efforts to get rid of it". This lesson is directed not only to Rama but also to all mankind. It helps all who do not possess the realisation of the Truth behind the objective world. Ajnana or Ignorance is the name given to ignoring what is one's own inner experience - that the universe is an ever-changing phenomenon. (Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Vahini "The Primal Purpose," pp. 105-110) HOW TO BE IN ACCORD WITH A SYMPHONY OF JOY AND SORROW? All human beings born in this Kali Yuga are getting confused because they do not know how to differentiate between good and evil, between sin and virtue and between joy and sorrow. The sense of discrimination is being put to a severe test in us because what seems to be good at one time, seems to be bad at another time; what seems to be desirable at one time, seems undesirable at another, what seems to be conducive to our health at one time, seems to be dangerous to our health at another and so on. >From the same heart we find two emotions, one anger and the other mercy. Some people argue that man is born just for the gratification of his senses. Some people think that they should amass food and wealth for the sake of joy and happiness only. A human being is not born to go in quest of food but to go in quest of the Atma. We should develop intelligence, because our intelligence enables us to distinguish good from bad through the process of constant thought and discrimination. The discourses of elders and the messages of great books point out the great principle of finding unity in diversity. But this principle remains only theoretical if it is not implemented in our daily lives. If we want to recognise unity in diversity, we must first know the meaning of these words. We may glibly say that the elimination of sorrow and acquisition of joy is the simple path, which leads to spiritual illumination. However, life is a symphony of joy and sorrow, a mixture of pleasure and pain. It is not possible for us to have joy without sorrow or sorrow without joy. Therefore, one must cultivate the attitude of equanimity towards joy and sorrow. Human life is made up of several stages. Birth, growth, ageing, getting debilitated and death are the various stages of the changing body. In this field, which is full of change, the principle, which remains unchanged, is divinity. Why do we nourish and protect the body, which is the Kshetra? Kshetragna (Paramatma) is residing in this body. These are referred to in the Gita as 'Kshetra' and 'Kshetragna'. 'Kshetra' is the body which is the field and the 'Kshetragna' is Paramatma. It is said that this body is your temple and within this body God, the eternal principle dwells. But today this body has unfortunately degenerated into a dwelling place of the devil. You must understand the difference between the dwelling place of God and the dwelling place of the devil. If you do not kindle the flame of pure thoughts in the temple of your body, then bats will befoul it and it will be densely dark. Kindle the flame of love, the flame of knowledge and the flame of devotion in your hearts. Always avoid bad friends and fill your minds with noble and elevating things. When you get up in the morning, sit on your bed and think of the Lord. As soon as you get up, throw your troubles and burdens at the feet of the Lord and pray to Him to guide you through life and give you only good thoughts and noble ideas which always serve as uplifting factors in life. When you go back to bed at night, imagine that to be a state of death. Tell yourself that during the day, you have acted according to the Lord's orders. Ask for forgiveness if there is anything wrong and ask to be led on the path of righteousness. If you begin and end your day with such prayers, it will help you reach higher attitudes of living. When you take food, all the evils are eliminated if you offer the first morsel to God. The food then becomes Prasadam of the Lord bestowed on man. It may not be possible to insist that the vessel be pure, that the man who cooks the food be pure and that the food be pure, but if you offer the first morsel to God, it becomes utterly pure. Always try to help those who are in distress, those who are suffering and the poor. Once upon a time, there lived in Tamil Nadu a poet and holy man who used to sit on a veranda in his house in front of the Lord's picture and chant beautiful songs. One day, it was raining heavily and he sought shelter in another little veranda in the village. One other man came and asked him if he could also take shelter there. The Bhakta said he could. He said, "There was place only for me to stretch out, but now that you are here we will sit up." Later, another man came and asked for shelter. The Bhakta consented saying, "There was place for the two of us to sit. Now that you also have come, let us all stand." He thus taught the principle of helping one another and not sending anyone away who needed help. Such is a tiny example how to practice in daily life the great principle of finding Iswara (i.e. God, Parmatma, Atma) in every creature. (Divine Discourse of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba "Pleasure and Pain" during the Summer Course in Spirituality and Indian Culture. May 1972, Brindavan) WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE - BRIDGE TO HAPPINESS All humanity long for and ceaselessly search happiness without knowing exactly the essential component of it. Before seeking happiness through the senses, the mind and the intellect, one has to examine whether he/she is a bundle of sense, or a mind playing with them or an intellect that rationalizes the mental cravings. The body is the gross body; the water, which it is intended to contain and carry, is the subtle body; the reality of the potter who shaped it and willed it is the causal body. The three bodies which each has are called respectively Sthuula (gross), Suukshma (subtle) and Karana (causal). There are three stages of wisdom correlated to those three bodies: Jnaana, Sujnaana and Vijnaana. Knowledge that is gained by the analysis of the objective world and the similarities of the behavior of its components is Jnaana. When this knowledge is further studied and practised to subserve the best interests of the individual society, it becomes Sujnaana, or beneficial wisdom. The intentions and urges that arise from the purified consciousness saturated with the divine qualities emanating from the sage is Vijnaana, the highest wisdom. It is to be noted that the word Vijnaana is often misused to indicate mere Jnaana, or coordinated information, analyzed information about sense perceptions arising out of contact with the material objective world. In fact, there is a great difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is something, which is related only to the head. It is possible that by conducting some enquiries and by working with some special types of machines, one can reach an important position in the matter of acquiring knowledge. One has to say that to some extent, this is simply book knowledge. Just by such an acquisition, our capacity to comprehend truth is not going to improve. What we call knowledge is the essence of all sciences. Wisdom, on the other hand, is something, which we acquire as a result of practice. Knowledge acquired from books differs very much from knowledge acquired from experience. Wisdom is acquired from experience. In order that you may clearly understand these things, let us take the case of a very large ocean. If we take water from that ocean and put it in our mouth, we will get the taste of its being very salty. If the same salt water is converted into water vapor by the heat of the sun, constituted into clouds and then comes back as rain on the earth, that water will be very sweet. This can be compared to wisdom born out of experience. It is only when we take the matter that is contained in the ocean of books or scriptures and use our Buddhi, the intelligence, which can be compared to the sun's heat and convert it into clouds, which can be compared to Prema or love, then only, like the water that results after the rain, our knowledge will be sweet and this will be called wisdom. In every effort and in every thing that we do, cleansing or purification is very essential. In no human endeavor can we bypass this process of purification. Once the intelligence is purified and dedicated to spiritual effort, there should be no slipping back whatever the obstacle, whatever the temptation. If you really want to assess the human beings and assign values, you have to see and assess how these different persons are behaving, what their character is, what changes have come about in them after birth and what are the paths which they are following. If therefore, one wishes to change him/herself, to turn to the spiritual path, there is a need to take great care about the way in which one behaves. Intelligence, intellect, intuition - these three govern the thoughts and actions of human being. One leads to another. (These three channel a human being to obtain skills through knowledge and to transform the obtained knowledge to wisdom). The whole duty of humans is to engage in good acts with the gross body, scatter good thoughts and good influences to other human beings and environment with his/her subtle body, and earn self-realisation and bliss through his/her causal body. (Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba "The Three Bodies" 23 November 1972, Prashanthi Nilayam and "Vedic Truths belong to the Whole World," Summer Course in Spirituality and Indian Culture, May 1972, Brindavan) FOUR PURUSHARTHAS (DHARMA, ARTHA, KAMA AND MOKSHA) The Makara month is holier than all the other months. All auspicious ceremonies and activities are embarked upon only from this month. Now it is the beginning of Makaramaasa (when the Sun enters the constellation Capricorn). The entry of the Sun into Makararasi (Capricorn) heralds the beginning of a great change from this day. That time is merged by Nature what wears the garb of Supreme Peace on the holy day of Sankranti what means San (coming together), Kranthi (a big change). Kranthi also means knowledge of the past, present and future. It can apply to God, who presides over time, space and causation. Sankranti marks the entry into a Divine phase. It signifies the attempt to turn man's mind towards God. It is a time, appointed by Nature to contemplate and experience the purposes of human life. Four Purusharthas (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) are regarded in common parlance as the purposes of human life. They are given a worldly meaning. The real meaning of Purusharthas is to make use of the time and the circumstances as they arise for making one's life meaningful and sublime. We have to effect a remarkable spiritual transformation in the world today. Only then the observance of Makara Sankranti has a meaning. External changes with no change in one's outlook and attitude will not signify Kranthi (radical change). When the most of humanity bring about a great spiritual transformation, then there will be real peace. The word Purusha does not signify the masculine gender as is commonly assumed. It refers to the Atma, the Supreme Consciousness, which has no gender and which is immanent in all beings. Of the two terms Purusha and Prakriti, the latter represents the gross element in Nature. It refers also to the body. Purusha is the Consciousness, the Indweller in the body. The two are interdependent. The Sasthras have declared that the body is jada (gross) and the Atma is Chaitanya (consciousness) and that the body is feminine. Every being can be considered as made up of both elements and therefore everyone irrespective of sex, is entitled to pursue the Purusharthas. Of the four Purusharthas the first, Dharma, is regarded in common usage as referring to actions like charity and perform other good deeds. But these relate only to external actions. The true Dharma of every human being is to make every endeavor to realise the Divine. The process by which this consummation can be reached constitutes Dharma what should lead to Self-realisation. The second - Artha does not mean, as commonly understood, the accumulation of property and wealth. They may well become anartha (calamitous). They are not lasting. The acquisition of such wealth cannot be considered as Purushartha. The real wealth that the man should acquire is the wisdom that is related to the Divine. The third - Kama is generally associated with worldly desires and sensual pleasures. But, when it is considered as the Purushartha - as one of the purposes of life - it relates to the yearning for God and not to mundane desires. The fourth - Moksha is generally understood as referring to the means by which one reaches God or Heaven. But one can be in Heaven only for the period earned by one's meritorious deeds and at the end will have to be reborn again. But Moksha in the true sense refers to a state in which nothing is lacking and there is no incoming or going out. It is a state without name or form. It is not a specific place to go to. It is the attainment of unity with the Diane. For every human being, the first task, among the four Purusharthas, must be to determine what is permanent and what is transient and seek the Eternal Madhava. The second objective is the acquisition of the Diane Wisdom as the real wealth. The third is to develop faith in God and yearn for realisation of mergence in God. The fourth is Moksha, the state of Self-realisation in which there is no change and there is no movement. However, a human being is not allowed to know his glory, by the six thieves who hide in his mind - lusty desire, anger, greed, undue attachment, pride and hatred. So long as these beasts occupy the heart, man cannot escape being a beast. There are also eight waves of pride which obstruct his attempt to know himself - the pride of caste, of physical strength, of scholarship, of youth, of wealth, of personal charm, of overlordship and one's spiritual attainments. Being a human, what does one aspire for? Absence of grief and presence of Ananda and freedom to follow one's will. Grief and joy are like night and day, inevitable phases of life. Freedom for one's will can cause disaster to oneself and others. A human being must know that he/she is the Atma; that knowledge is all that is needed for one's Ananda. The basic principles of the human nature are Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Non-violence and Prema For the first four, the last value, Prema (Love), is the life-giving spring. When action is saturated with Truth, it becomes Dharma (Righteousness). When all actions are right, Peace reigns and one's mind is free from traces of violence. Love is the sustenance for all the four. These values are the goals, the bases, the roots, the keys of human progress. Prema can achieve them most quickly. Love as thought is Sathya, as action it is Dharma, as feeling it is Shanthi and as understanding it is Ahimsa (Non-violence). These authentic human values cannot be learnt from books or from lessons given by teachers or gifted by elders. They can be acquired only by experience and example. In addition, it is good to know that in arithmetic three minus one is two. But in the mathematics of the spirit, three minus one is one. God mirrored in Nature is seen as the Image, Human Being. There are three entities here, but remove the mirror and what remains is not two but only One, the One God. (Sathya Sai Baba Speaks. Volume 18. Chapters 1 "World needs spiritual transformation" and 13 "Live the values and lead the children") To be continued Sent with Sai love – ‘’ Source http://sss340.tripod.com/pnnews/links.htm Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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