SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume I [1]

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In view of the ensuing glorious event of the 80th Birthday of the Divine Lord

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we propose to start posting of all the Divine

Messages titled as 'Sathya Sai Speaks' for the benefit of our members and all

the Sai devotees the world over. We request you to pass on/forward/spread these

Divine messages to all your Sai circle so that they also derive spiritual

benefits and bliss form them. These Divine Messages are not only for Sai

devotees, they are for the entire HUMANITY.With Sai love, Sai brothers,

'' ***

Om Sri Sai Ram

SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume I [1]

Publisher's Note

"SATHYA SAI SPEAKS" Series is, according to late Prof. N. Kasturi, the original

translator and compiler, "a fragrant bouquet of flowers that never fade or

falter". These discourses were delivered by Swami out of profound compassion

towards seekers of Truth during the last few decades. The need for revised and

enlarged editions of the Series was strongly felt and expressed by devotees,

especially by foreigners. An attempt has therefore been made in these volumes

to meet their needs. The discourses have been presented year-wise so that there

is no overlapping of the discourses delivered in a year, in more than one volume

pertaining to the same calendar year. This rearrangement has resulted in an

increase in the number of volumes, from the previous twelve to the present

fifteen volumes, covering the years 1953 to 1982. Further new volumes will also

be added in due course, to cover the discourses delivered after 1982. The

retention of Sanskrit words on page

after page, in the previous volumes, without their English equivalents in most

cases, was causing great confusion to readers, especially foreigners, who were

not familiar with Sanskrit. In the present revised volumes, an attempt has been

made to aid easy reading by replacing Sanskrit words with English equivalents

wherever they do not affect Baba's original expression. Sanskrit words have

been retained wherever it was felt necessary to preserve the essence of the

original expression of Baba and where the English equivalents may not do full

justice to the text in the particular context. However, in all such places the

English equivalents have been given along with the Sanskrit words. Some very

commonly understood Sanskrit words or Sanskrit words, which are repeated too

often, are retained without English equivalents to retain the original flavor

of Baba's discourses. Further, in this revised volume, phonetic spellings have

been adopted for all Sanskrit words uniformly to enable

readers who are new to these words to pronounce them correctly and to remove any

vagueness in the pronunciation of these words.

A Glossary has been added in these revised editions to provide comprehensive and

detailed explanation of the more important Sanskrit words for the benefit of lay

readers who may be interested in Vedic religion and philosophy. It is hoped that

this will be of great help to devotees to understand more clearly the topics of

Baba's discourses covering a wide spectrum of Vedic philosophy. The revised

series of volumes are being brought out in a larger format, Demy Octavo size,

so that they can be companion books with other publications in private

libraries. Computerized typesetting using a larger size of type, a more

readable type face and

better line spacing have been adopted for more comfortable reading of the books,

especially by elderly readers. Very long paragraphs have been split into shorter

paragraphs and suitable sub-headings have been added in every page, to relieve

the monotony on the eye and make reading a pleasure. Better quality paper,

improved binding, dust cover with new design and foil printing and plastic

cover have been adopted for the revised volumes for better preservation and

durable shelf-life of the volumes. With these changes, it is hoped that the

revised and enlarged volumes of "Sathya Sai Speaks" Series, will be of great

benefit to earnest seekers in spiritual realm.

Sathya Sai Speaks

Have you heard our Baba speak?

At public meetings anywhere?

He never calls it speech;

Nor will you name it so!

He does not raise His voice, harangue,

Or rouse the mob or rail or flail;

He does not hesitate, He will not calculate,

Hum and haw and pause and ponder,

Making you wonder why you came!

He does not waver, wander,

Collecting thoughts, contriving notes;

He does not waste a moment, decorating thoughts

In showy lace and frills, clothing borrowed texts

In shimmering gauze. He is no orator-pompous, proud,

Clamouring for claps, publicity-mad!

He will not circumambulate, declaim…. or, even...’speak'!

He is the Rain-cloud, bringing Life

To the parched ones here below!

He 'talks' ... He 'talks', to you, and you,

And every single you that has gathered there.

To every single Arjuna, with heavy heart and empty hand,

Afraid to fight the battle of Life on to Victory.

You feel He has come for you, to you.

You see Him, silently looking around!

The searchlight eye full circle swings!

How lucky, you are there!

He smiles; He wins you by that smile!

You scarce can take your eyes from off that Face,

So alluring, so Divine!

You scarce can pull your heart from off His grip;

The clasp is cool comfort! The silence deepens...

Though thousands have been squatting, waiting,

For hours and hours...

Himalayan stillness; twilight calm!

Premaswaruplaara!

The Golden Hour has come! Heaven's Gate ajar!

The voice is sweet as honey

Hived by Heavenly bees from Paarijatha trees!

His call is clarion clear!

O! 'Tis thrilling, 'tis filling rapture in the soul,

Flowing like the Ganga, freeing the bound,

Yielding rich reaping, for just ploughing and sowing

Welling and swelling like Gersoppa Falls,

Yielding vast power, for just wheeling and wiring!

His talk is a cascade, so limpid and pure,

Teaching, never preaching, unraveling all knots,

Stilling the questionings ere they emerge in mind;

Defining, refining, consoling the pining,

Commanding, yea, demanding the bending of pride,

Sparing no one, be he ruling or serving.

Chiding, reprimanding the fool, and fanatic;

Joking and coaxing, poking fun at all hoaxing;

Quoting from what He said in the past ages,

Detailing facts of His incarnating.

Resplendent poetry, spontaneous, sublime,

Painting pictures of transcendent Truth,

Parable, proverb, scintillating bright,

Tinkling, twinkling, tintinnabulating lilt,

Every hour a minute, every minute a second;

Every word a Manthara, every phrase, Sutra,

A Gayathri a sentence, Upanishad a speech!

For He is no well or tank or river!

His is the ocean of Wisdom Divine!

Oh! His words shower mercy, like morning dew

On every heart-bud awakening from dreaming.

He is feeding your roots and speeding the sap,

Sprouting the buds, painting the petals,

Perfuming them well, inviting the bees,

Ripening the pods, with each word of His!

There! The meaning of His word, a tiny seed

Drops on your rock-like heart! And wonder of wonders!

It germinates there! Sprouts and puts forth leaves!

The silken half-blind baby-roots do run about

Tickling the stone, jabbing, pleading for suckling!

Succeeding at last, it grows; and, growing into a tree,

Your rock is broken into clay!

His talk, you will find, is cooling, not freezing

Warming, not burning; raining, not flooding;

Healing the ailing and hearts bewailing;

Soothing, not searing; no toxin, but tonic;

Balming and calming; all fact and no fiction!

Every sentence spreads joy and scorches gloom,

Impelling attention, compelling assent,

Dispelling dejection, repelling sloth,

Attracting you nearer, detaching from bonds,

Infusing courage, and fusing creeds,

Imposing no doctrine, composing all feuds,

Informing (so charming!), never harming, disarming!

Sifting the responding, lifting the desponding.

Stressing on 'Doing, Behaving and Living',

Appealing for 'Feeling, Believing and Acting'.

Calling all listening, to spurn imitating,

Vainly disputing, blind leading the blind,

Knocking at Paradise through power and pelf,

Or boasting of branches of family tree,

And seeking for peace, in earning and spending

And wanting and panting and hoarding and guarding.

As you hear Him talking, you quietly resolve

To take a step forward on the pilgrim road;

Unfold your wings and soar into the sky!

You feel you are a Lion, cheated into bleating!

A diamond set in dirty lead!

Engaging in no fray, enraging no foe,

He is welcoming all, who are thirsty or starving,

Or limping, or blinking, or climbing and sliding,

Raising the stooping, embracing the drooping

Assuaging pain, assuring His Grace.

He reminds us all of the road we have missed.

He describes the joy of the journey's end.

He opens our eyes; He strengthens our limbs;

He heartens the struggling, groping his way,

Awakening the sleeping, making the sitting stand,

The standing to walk; the walking to reach!

Proclaiming, revealing, announcing to all

Asserting His coming for our burden assuming,

Redeeming the wayward, the downcast, diseased;

Underlining the Truth, undermining the false;

Ah! What is this? What luck! What Grace!

Even as He talks,’ it' blossoms into song,

Oh! Captivating Song! He teaches us to pray

Tranquilizing all the furious waves,

Steeling the nerves and strengthening the will,

Attuning our soul to Dharma! Sathya! Prema!

And when it stops

And you open your eyes,

You find them full of tears!

Your neighbour weeps like child for mother,

But Why? Look up and see; He has left the dais!

Be proud you had the chance. From this moment,

I know you are bound to be an ascending,

Attempting, adventurous soul.

Arjuna, resuming arms for the fray

With Krishna leading the horses aright-

How lucky you heard Him talk!

N. KASTURI

(Poem read in the Holy Presence on 16-10-58)

1. MAANASA BHAJARE

WHEN I was at Uravakonda studying in the High School, you know I came away one

day and threw off my books and declared that I have My work waiting for Me. The

Telugu Pundit (scholar) described the incident of that evening to you all in his

speech. Well, that day when I came out publicly as Sai Baba, that first song I

taught the gathering in the garden to which I went from the Telugu

Pundit’s house was: "Maanasa Bhajare Guru Charanam Dhusthara Bhava

Saagara Tharanam" I called on all those suffering in the endless round of birth

and death to

worship the Feet of the Guru (spiritual preceptor), the Guru that was announcing

Himself, who had come again for taking upon Himself the burden of those who find

refuge in Him. That was the very first Message of Mine to Humanity."Maanasa

Bhajare.Worship in the mind!" I do not need your flower garlands and fruits,

things that you get for an anna or two; they are not genuinely yours. Give Me

something that is yours, something which is clean and fragrant with the perfume

of virtue and innocence, and washed in the tears of repentance! Garlands and

fruits you bring as items in the show, as an exhibition of your devotion;

poorer devotees who cannot afford to bring them are humiliated and they feel

sorry

that they are helpless; they cannot demonstrate their devotion in the grand way

in which you are doing it. Install the Lord in your heart and offer Him the

fruits of your actions and the flowers of your inner thoughts and feelings.

That is the worship I like most, the devotion I appreciate most.

Re-education of man persists in all eras

In shops, things are kept in separate packets and each one specialises in some

particular article or sets of articles. But in an Exhibition, hundreds of shops

join to make all varieties of things available and there is a great deal of

window-dressing, arrangement and display. I have been all these days generally

giving individual advice, like the packets available in shops and giving

answers to individual questions. This 'speech' today, is a new experience for

you. I am addressing a gathering today; but even though it may be new to you,

for Me it is not new. I have given advice to large gatherings before, though

not in this Appearance. Whenever Nirakara (formless) becomes Sakara (one with

form), it has to fulfill the Mission and it does so in various ways. But the

one purpose, the re-education of Man persists, whatever the Yuga (the era), The

first sixteen years of this Life have been, as I have often told you, the period

when Baala Leela (divine child sport) predominated and the next sixteen is being

spent mostly in Mahimas (miracles) in order to give santhosha (joy) to this

generation. Joy and contentment are short-lived

sensations; you have to catch that mood and make it a permanent possession:

Ananda (bliss). After the thirty-second year, you will see Me active more and

more in the task of Upadesh (spiritual instruction)---teaching erring humanity

and in directing the World along the path of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema

(Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love). Not that I am determined to exclude

Leela and Mahima from My activity

after that. I only mean that re-establishing Dharma, correcting the crookedness

of the human mind and guiding humanity back to Sanathana Dharma (eternal

universal religion) will be My task thereafter. Do not be led away by doubt and

vain argument; do not question how and whether I can do all this. The cowherds

of

Brindavan also doubted whether the little boy who grew in their midst could lift

ovardhanagiri and hold it aloft! The thing needed is Faith, and yet more Faith.

Secret of Spiritual Success

Once Krishna and Arjuna were going together along the open road. Seeing a bird

in the sky, Krishna asked Arjuna, "Is that a dove?" He replied, "Yes, it is a

dove." He asked Arjuna, "Is it an eagle?' Arjuna replied promptly, "Yes, it is

an eagle.No, Arjuna, it looks like a crow to Me. Is it not a crow?" asked

Krishna. Arjuna replied, "I am sorry, it is a crow beyond doubt." Krishna

laughed and chided him for his agreeing to whatever suggestion was given. But

Arjuna said, "For me, your Words are far more weighty than the evidence of my

eyes; you can make it a crow, a dove or an eagle and when you say it is a crow,

it must be one." Implicit faith is the secret of spiritual success. The Lord

loves, not the Bhakta (devotee) but his

Bhakti, remember. The Lord's Grace is like rain, pure water, falling equally

everywhere; but its taste gets changed according to the soil through which it

flows. So also the Lord's words are sweet to some, bitter to others. The Lord's

ways are mysterious; He blessed Vidura with the words, "Be destroyed" and

Dhusshaasana with the words, "Live for a thousand years;" He meant that

Vidhura's 'I' will be destroyed and that the wicked Dhusshaasana will have to

suffer the ills and tribulations of this world for ten centuries. You do not

know the real reasons behind the actions of the Lord. You cannot understand the

motives of other men who are almost like you in everything, actuated by the same

motives and having the same likes and dislikes! But yet, how easily you discover

the motives of One who is far, far above the level of Man! How glibly you talk

and judge of something that is as strange to

you as atmosphere to a fish!

Pains indicate birth of new life

There are four types of persons; the 'dead,' who deny the Lord and declare that

they alone exist, independent, free, self regulating and self-directed; the

'sick,' who call upon the Lord when some calamity befalls them or when they

feel temporarily deserted by the usual sources of succor; the 'dull,' who know

that God is eternal companion and watchman, but who remember it only off and on

when the idea is potent and powerful; and lastly, the 'healthy,' who have steady

faith in the Lord and who live in His comforting creative presence always. You

proceed from 'death' to 'life' and from 'illness' to 'health' by the experience

of the buffetings of the World. The World is a very essential part of the

curriculum of man; through the agony of search is born the infant, wisdom. The

pains are worthwhile; they indicate the birth of new

life. From Ashanti (restlessness) you get Prashanthi (absolute peace), from

Prashanthi to Prakanthi (bright spiritual illumination); and from Prakanthi,

Paramjyothi (Supreme Divine radiance). It is like the alternating of night and

day, this recurrence of joy and grief. Night and day are twin sisters, both are

necessary to increase the fertility of the soil, to activate and refresh Life.

They are like summer and winter. There are some who ask Me, 'Baba! Make this

summer less hot!' But in the heat of summer the Earth takes in the needed energy

from the Sun, so that when the rains come, she may yield a plentiful harvest.

Shine forth in your real nature

'Cold' and 'heat' are both in the Plan of God and yours is only to know this and

treat both as valuable. Thorny plants and thornless plants are both there in

nature; the wise man knows the value of both; he plants the thornless one and

surrounds it with the thorny ones, so that what he fosters is left unharmed.

Activity can save, as well as kill; it is like the cat which bites; it bites

the kitten in order to carry it in its mouth to a place of safety; it bites the

rat in order to kill and eat. Become the kitten; and work will rescue you like a

loving Mother. Become a rat; and you are lost. God draws the Individual towards

itself; it is the nature of both to have this affinity, for they are the same.

They are like the iron and the magnet. But if the iron is rusty covered with

layers of dirt, the magnet is unable to attract.

Remove the impediment; that is all you have to do. Shine forth in your real

nature and the Lord will draw you into His Bosom. Trials and tribulations are

the means by which this cleansing is done. That is why Kunti prayed to Krishna,

"Give us always grief, so that we may never forget Thee." They are like the

dietary and other restrictions that the doctor prescribes to supplement the

effect of the drug of Namasmarana (remembrance of God).

Do not give up Sadhana

Sai is Sarvajanapriya (beloved to all people) and so any name which gives you

joy, you can take up. Tastes differ according to temperament and the character

one has earned by generations of activity as a living being in this world. The

proprietor of a coffee house goes to the nearby druggist for a pill to ward off

his headache, and the druggist when he gets a headache goes to the coffee house

for a cup of coffee which he thinks will cure him. Men are like that; loko

bhinna ruchih (tastes of people differ). The Jnani says, "Sarvam Brahma Mayam:"

In God is All;" another, a yogi, says all is energy; a third, who is a Bhakta,

says all is the play of Bhagawan (the Lord). Each according to his taste and

according to his progress in Sadhana (spiritual practice). Do not hurry or

ridicule them, for they are all pilgrims trudging along the same road. Sadhana

is most required to control the mind and the desires after which it runs. If

you find that you are not able to succeed, do not give up the Sadhana but do it

more vigorously, for it is the subject in which you did not get passing marks

that

requires special study, is it not? Sadhana means inner cleanliness as well as

external cleanliness. You do not feel refreshed if you wear unwashed clothes

after your bath, do you? Nor do you feel refreshed if you wear washed clothes,

but skip the bath. Both are needed, the baahya and the bhaava (the external as

well as the internal). Children believe your words when you say that the

policeman will catch them or the ghost will beat them. They are full of fear,

fortitude and faith! But having grown old and stuffed your heads with all kinds

of doctrines and dogmas and theories and arguments, you have now to use your

Viveka (discrimination) and discover God the hard way. This I will tell you,

there is no escaping it; all creatures have to reach God some day or other, by

the long route or by the short route.

Prashanthi Nilayam, Vijayadasami, 1953

One wish leads to another; one bond brings about ten others. It is in the very

nature of human desire; for, the joy one gets through its satisfaction is

imperfect, limited, temporary, and pregnant with grief. You sow bitter seeds

and pray for a harvest of sweetness. You wail over the soil, the plant, the

rain. What can they do? The seeds themselves are diseased, defective.

Shri Sathya Sai

 

TO BE CONTINUED...With Sai love from Sai brothers - ''Source

and Courtesy: http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume01/sss01

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