SATHYA SAI SPEAKS [Volume I (Ch.8, 9, 10, 11)]

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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 your Sai circle so that they also derive spiritual benefits

and bliss from them. These Divine Messages are not only for Sai devotees, they

are for the entire HUMANITY. Lord Krishna taught humanity the ways and means of

salvation for mankind in 'Bhagavad Gita' in Dwapara Yuga. 'Sathya Sai speaks' is

the Bhagavad Gita of Kali Yuga. - With Sai love, Sai brothers -

''

***

Om Sri Sai Ram

SATHYA SAI SPEAKS [Volume I (Ch.8, 9, 10, 11)]

8. MANY ROADS

I HAVE not come to you to 'lecture' for I do not believe in the value of mere

words, however scholarly or pompous or profuse. I have come only to share with

you My Prema and partake in turn of your Prema. It is that which I value most.

That is the real gain. Today, the typhoon of hatred and falsehood is scattering

the clouds of Dharma, Nyaaya and Sathya (Virtue, Justice and Truth) to the far

corners of the sky and people feel that Sanathana Dharma (Eternal Universal

Religion) itself is in danger of extinction. But that can happen only if the

Lord wills, and the Lord who has laid down the Dharma will not allow it to be

destroyed. Wherever Sathya, dharma, Shanthi and Prema are emphasized, in

whatever religion or language, by whichever teacher wherever he may be, there

we have Sanathana Dharma. So long as man is capable of Prema, dharma will

exist, do not doubt it. When that Prema is fixed on the Lord, your mental

make-up will slowly and steadily undergo a revolutionary change; then, man will

share in the sorrows and joys of his fellow-beings; thereafter, he contacts the

very source of the bliss that is beyond the temporary gains and losses of this

world. Prema (Divine Love) directed to the Lord is called Bhakti (devotion) and

it is the easiest of all the paths to realise the goal.

For treading the path of devotion, one needs only Love

Bhakti can be spoken of as having several stages. Mukhyabhakthi is the stage

where the Seva (service) of the Lord alone matters and it is its own reward;

the devotee does not seek anything more than just the service of the highest,

done to the utmost of capacity. This gradually becomes Paraabhakthi, where

nothing except the Name and Form of the Beloved is cognised. Again, there is

what is called Gounabhakthi,

14.0pt">which is coloured by the three Gunas (inner qualities): the attitude of

the aartha (the afflicted), the arthaarthi (the seeker of worldly comfort), the

jijnaasu (the sincere inquirer) and the Jnani (the wise man) who is silent and

content with the realisation that all is He. For treading the Bhakti maarga

(path of devotion), one needs no scholarship, nor wealth nor riches, nor

ascetic rigors. Tell Me what was

the lineage of Valmiki, the wealth of Kuchela, the scholarship of Sabari, the

age of Prahlada, the status of Gajaraja, the attainments of Vidura?

Prema---that was all they had and that was all they needed. The Grace of the

Lord is as the Ocean: vast, limitless. By your Sadhana, your Japam, Dhyana and

systematic cultivation of virtue, this Grace is converted into clouds of truth;

and they rain on humanity as Prema showers, which collect and flow as the flood

of Ananda, back again into the Ocean---the Ocean of the

Lord's Grace. When Prema embraces humanity, we call it dhaya (compassion), the

quality not of pity but of sympathy; sympathy which makes one happy when others

are happy, and miserable when others are unhappy. You have seen beggars singing

in the streets, is it not? They have each of them a pair of cymbals in one hand

by which they mark time, and a single-stringed instrument in the other, to the

twang of which they tune their singing, The song will be harsh if it is out of

tune and it will be confusing medley if the timing is not kept up. The song of

life has also to be similar; keep up the daily tasks and sing away in joy to

the tune of Prema. Then only is the music

worthwhile.

Two main principles to follow in life

It is the mind which makes or mars man. If it is immersed in things of the

world, it leads to bondage; if it treats the world as but temporary, then by

that Vairagya (detachment) it becomes free and light. Train the mind not to

feel attached to things that change for better or for worse. Do not hold before

it the tinsels of worldly fame and riches; attract it towards lasting joys

derived from springs inside you. That will bring big rewards. The mind itself

will then become the Guru, for it leads you on and on, once it has tasted the

sweets of Shravana, Manana and Nidhidhyaasana (listening, recapitulating and

repeated steady meditation). It is the mind that fills the image made by the

potter with the Divinity, which the devotee sees in it; it is the mind which

fills the shrine-room with the fragrance of holiness. It is the practice, one

reads, that imparts strength, as food does when digested and as exercise does

to promote health. Saint Thyagaraja sang that the Lord is the inner motive

force within the ant as well as the Universe; but though you may intellectually

agree, when an ant bites, you do not feel that you have come in contact with the

Lord in that form, do you? Do not proclaim great truths aloud; show by your

conduct that you attach value to them and that you are guided by them. Be

careful of at least this; do not yourself commit those faults of which you

accuse others. Do not ask others to reach a

standard, which you are loath to climb up to! If you live according to these two

principles, then even if you do not fall before an image or attend the temple

ritual or worship as per schedule, you can secure the Lord's Grace.

It is possible to see the Lord dwell in every being

There are many roads through which you can reach Madras; so also there are many

roads to Godhead; Prema, Sathya, Seva, dhaya and Namasmarana (Love, truth,

service, compassion and remembrance of the Lord's Name). There is also the

Adhwaithin who discovers himself as the basic substance of all creation, as

Brahman itself. All paths are right; only some are easier, some more

circuitous, some hard. The easiest way of grasping the basic reality is to see

the Lord in every creature, the Lord sporting in all this multiplicity, as the

underlying reality

of all, the Sarvabhuutha antharaathma (Indweller in all Beings). You might

wonder and even doubt how it is possible for the Lord to dwell in every being.

But have you not seen one single mango seed grow into a tree, which gives

thousands of fruits, in each of which there is to be found a seed identical to

the one which was first planted? So too, the one Lord can be found in every

being created by His Will.

"Ask only for devotion & spiritual wisdom from Me"

Remember your real nature is the same as the other man's; he is yourself known

by another name. When you do a good deed, you are doing it to yourself; when

you do a bad turn to some one, remember, you are injuring yourself; so, avoid

doing evil to others. I am reminded of what Hussain, the son of Rabbia Malik of

Persia, used to do. He rose early and went to the mosque for prayers with great

diligence and devotion. When he came back, he found the servants of the house

still sleeping on their mats and he grew wild at them; he swore and cursed them

for neglect of religious duties. Then his father chastised him. He said; "Son,

why do you get angry with those poor souls who are too tired to wake up early.

Do not wipe off the good results of your adherence to the rule of God by

falling foul of these innocent slaves. I wish you would

much rather rise late and abstain from the mosque, for now you have grown proud

that you are more religious than these others and you dare blame them for

faults for which they are not themselves responsible." You must pay attention

to these small details also, for Bhakti is not just a pose; it is a series of

little acts, directed by the attitude of reverence for the divinity in all

beings. Watch for the lie that lurks on the tongue, the violence that lurks

behind the fist, the ego that lurks behind the deed. Restrain them before they

grow into habits and settle down as character to warp your destiny. Raamaswaami

Reddy said that I work many miracles and that you are all lucky to have had this

opportunity of hearing Me. Well, I am like a shop-keeper whose shop is stocked

with all things man needs. But like the man behind the counter, I give you only

what you ask for; if the customer asks

for a towel, how can I give him a dhoti? But these material things are not

important at all. Ask for Bhakti (devotion) and for Jnaana (spiritual wisdom)

and I shall be happy. Many do not crave for such things now; it is their

misfortune. They are merely wasting their precious chance. Perhaps, the elders

are to be blamed for this situation. For it is the duty of the elders to show

the rising generation by their lives that spiritual Sadhana and study have made

them more joyful and courageous in the adventure of life. Youths always imitate

the elders; they quarrel if they find the elders deriving joy from quarrels;

they cavil at holiness if the elders do not honour holy men and institutions.

So, I will

not blame the young men as much as I blame the elders.

Piety is not weakness but strength

Faith in God and in spiritual discipline has declined due to want of enthusiasm

among the elders in these matters. It is the responsibility of all pious men to

demonstrate in and through their lives that piety is not weakness but strength;

that it opens up a vast spring of power and that a person with faith in God can

overcome obstacles much more easily than one who has not. I do not insist that a

person should have faith in God. I refuse to call any person a naasthika (an

atheist). Beings exist as a result of His Will, in accordance with His Plan; so

no one is beyond His Grace. Besides, every one has Love towards some one thing

or other, and that Love is a spark of the Divine; every one has ultimately to

base his life on some one

Truth; that Truth is God. No life can be lived out in complete defiance of

Truth; one has to pay heed to truth and speak the truth to some one in order to

make life worth living. Now, that moment is God's moment and at that moment when

he utters the truth or loves, or serves or bends, he is a theist. So, it is not

even Bhakti that is essential. It is Love, truth, virtue, the eagerness to

progress, to serve, to expand one's heart, to take in the whole of humanity in

one's Love, to see all as Forms of the Divine Consciousness.

Y.M. I. A., Mylapore, Madras, 24-3-1958.

There is no living being without the spark of love; even a mad man loves

something or somebody intensely. But, you must recognise this love as but a

reflection of the Prema Swarupa (the embodiment of Love), that is your reality,

of the God who is residing in your heart. Without that spring of Love that

bubbles in your heart, you will not be prompted to love at all. Recognise that

spring, rely on it more and more, develop its possibilities, try to irrigate

the whole world with it, discard all touch of self from it, do not seek

anything in return for it from those to whom you extend it. - Shri Sathya

Sai

9. EXAMINE, EXPERIENCE

I HAVE come to comfort your life, not to describe Mine! So I did not like

Raamanatha Reddy and Kasturi speaking about Me and the incidents of My life!

Your lives are more important for Me, for My purpose is to see that you live

more happily and with greater contentment. All beings have to do karma

(sanctified activity); it is a universal inescapable obligation. Some feel that

only Punya and papa---meritorious and sinful or virtuous and vicious deeds---are

entitled to be called karma. But your very breathing is karma. There are certain

karmas the fruits of which you cannot give up! There are physical, mental and

spiritual karmas and doing each one of these for the good of the Self is called

dedication. Mention was made of Puttaparthi and you were advised to go there and

draw inspiration from the Bhajans

there. Please do not incur the expense; for wherever you are, whenever you call

on Me, your room can become Prashanthi Nilayam, your village can be made

Puttaparthi. I am ever alert to respond, ever ready to listen and reply. I want

you to be active, fully engaged. For, if you have no activities, time will hang

heavily on your hands. Do not waste a single moment of the allotted span of

life, for time is the body of God. He is known as Kaala Swarupa (of the Form of

Time). It is a crime to misuse time or to waste it in idleness. So too, the

physical and mental talents given to you by the Lord as capital for the

business of living should not be frittered away.

Social service must be done gladly and reverentially

Like the force of gravitation, which drags everything down, the thamo Shakti

(the pull of sloth) will drag you relentlessly down; so you must be ever on the

watch, be ever active. Like the brass vessel, which has to be scrubbed to a nice

shine, the mind of man has also to be scrubbed by means of Sadhana (spiritual

discipline), that is to say, activity like Japam or Dhyana. Karma, which is

natural and automatic like breathing, becomes vikarma (an impious act) when it

is done consciously, with a definite result in view. A Hindu and his British

friend once happened to come to the bank of the Godavari. The Hindu said, "I

will bathe in this sacred water." He recited the name "Hari" as he plunged in

and came out refreshed in mind as well as body. He felt great happiness that he

got the rare chance of a bath in the holy river. The Britisher laughed and said,

"This is mere H20: how can you get unspeakable joy by dipping into it? It is all

superstition. But the Hindu replied, "Leave me to my superstition; you can stick

to your superstition." The cynic got only physical cleanliness but the believer

got mental purity also. When you prostrate before elders, the mind too must be

humble; it is not the body alone that should bend. Now, there are many

social workers in Madras who visit hospitals and do service to the patients

there. Most of the work they do is mechanical, like fanning the patients,

writing letters for them and singing Bhajans, without paying heed to the actual

requirements of the patients. Many do this work because it is the current mode

of social service. But it must be karma, done with the full co-operation of the

mind, gladly, intelligently, and reverentially. The patient should not feel

disgusted at the fussiness of the social worker; he should be looking forward

to the arrival of the person, of some one who is very near and dear. If you do

not like that type of work, you need not engage yourselves in it. Do not burden

your mind by the unpleasantness of the task. Work done mechanically is like the

flame of an oil-less

wick; the oil is mental enthusiasm; pour it, and the lamp will burn clear and long.

Karma should not be done anticipating any result

In fact Karma becomes Yoga when it is done without any attachment; a Sanyasi

(monk) should not even remember whatever he does, he should not do any karma

anticipating any result. That is the Nishkama (desireless action) ideal at its

highest. The best

karma is that which is done at the call of duty; because it has to be done, not

because it is advantageous to do it. The Sanyasi should have no anger, anxiety,

envy or greed; but your experience must be telling you that Sanyasis who are

free from these are very rare today. Do not even cast your glance at a Sanyasi

who is so false to his vow that he craves for name and fame or indulges in

calumny or competition. Do not be led away by such persons into disbelieving

the Sasthras and the Vedas. He who is firmly fixed in the faith that this world

is a mirage of the mind, he alone is the swami; the others are mere Raamaswaamys

or Krishnaswaamys entitled to have the epithet Swami at the end of the name not

at the beginning. Prakriti (Nature) is puraathana---a very ancient entity. The

Jivi too is puraathana, having had many previous entries and exits. But now it

has come in with a new dress; it is nuuthana (modern), come like a pilgrim to a

holy place for going the rounds. The Jivi must have a guide who will show the

sacred spots and help fulfill the pilgrimage. That Guide is the Lord Himself:

the Guidebooks are Vedas, the Upanishads and the Sasthras. The essence of the

Scriptures lies in this one rule: Repeat the name of the Lord, keeping His Glow

always before the mind.

Earn the right to approach God without fear

The Lord is as the Kalpataru (the Divine wish-fulfilling Tree) that gives

whatever is asked. But you have to go near the tree and wish for the thing you

want. The atheist is the person who keeps far away from the tree; the theist is

the one who has come near; that is the difference. The tree does not make any

distinction; it grants boons to all. The Lord will not punish or take revenge

if you do not recognise Him or revere Him. He has no special type of worship,

which alone can please him. If you have the ear, you can hear 'Om' announcing

the Lord's Presence in every sound. All the five elements produce this sound,

'Om.' The bell in the temple is intended to convey the Om as the symbol of the

Omnipresent God. When the bell sounds Om, the Godhead within you will awaken

and you will be aware of His Presence. That is the meaning of the bell which is

rung in front of the inner shrine in the temple. Earn the right to approach the

Lord without fear and the right to ask for your heritage. You must become so

free that praise will not emanate from you when you approach the Lord. Praise

is a sign of distance and fear. You must have heard the Kalidasa story. He said

that he would get liberation "as soon as I go," that is to say, as soon as the

ego disappears, for then he shines in his native splendor, as Brahman (as the

indestructible Atma). The T when crossed out becomes the symbol of cross; so,

what is crucified is the ego, remember. Then, the Divine nature manifests

itself unhampered.

Do Sadhana in an atmosphere of joy

The ego is most easily destroyed by Bhakti, by dwelling on the magnificence of

the Lord and by rendering service to others as children of the Lord. You can

call on the Lord by any name, for all Names are His; select the Name and Form

that appeals to you most. That is why Sahasranaamas are composed for the

various forms of God; you have the freedom and the right to select any one of

the thousand. The Guru will give you the Name and Form suited

to your temperament and samskaras (meritorious acts). If the Guru commands you

under a threat and orders you to adopt a line of Sadhana declaring "This is my

aajna (command)," then you can tell him that the main thing is your

satisfaction, not his. You have to do the Sadhana in an atmosphere of joy and

contentment. The Guru should not force the disciple to grow with a bent in the

direction that he prefers; the

disciple has the right to develop on his own lines, according to his samskaaras

and bent of mind. The old relationship of Guru and sishyas has today become

topsy-turvy; rich and influential sishyas now rule the Guru and dictate how he

should behave; and the Gurus also, keen on accumulating fame and wealth, stoop

to the tactics recommended by the sishyas and thus lower their status. So,

examine the Guru and his credentials, his ideals and practice before accepting

him. Even in My case, do not be attracted simply by stories of what I "create"

by a wave of the hand. Do not jump to conclusions with closed eyes; watch,

study and weigh. Never yield to any one unless you feel the inner satisfaction

that you are on the right path. Above all, do not talk ill of great men and

sages. That is a sign of gross egoism and the childish impertinence born of

that conceit. My suggestion to you today is this: just as you attend to the

needs of the body, feeding it three times a day, in order to keep it in good

running condition, so too, spend some time regularly everyday to keep your

Inner Consciousness also in good trim. Spend one hour in the morning, another

at night and a third in the early hours of dawn, the

Brahmamuhurtha as it is called, for Japam and meditation on the Lord. You will

find great peace descending on you and great new sources of strength welling up

within you as you progress in this Sadhana. After some time, the mind will dwell

on the Name whatever you are and wherever you are engaged in; and then, peace

and joy will be your inseparable companions.

Gokhale Hall, Madras, 25-3-1958

10. VIVEKA AND VAIRAAGYA

YOU are all standing in the open, on the road and some are even perched on

trees; it is really cruel for Me to speak to you for long. But inspite of all

this inconvenience, I find you yearn to hear My words and so I shall satisfy

you. Well, Man is Divine, take it from Me; he is really here on a holy mission,

for a divine purpose. To consider him as mean or weak or sinful is a great

mistake. That is itself a great sin. Man must earn his birthright, namely,

Shanthi (peace). Ashanti (restlessness) is for him an un-natural state. His

real nature is Shanthi.

14.0pt">To recover his heritage of Shanthi, man tries various methods:

accumulation of riches, maintenance of health, mastery of knowledge,

cultivation of the arts. But these are not fundamental. Three basic wants still

remain after all these methods have been tried: the need for reality, for light

and for immortality. It is only when Sath, Jyothi and Amrita (Existence, Divine

Light and Divine Nectar) are won that Shanthi will be stabilized. It is no use

indulging in arguments and disputations; he who clamors aloud has not grasped

the truth, believe Me. Silence is the only language of the realised. Practice

moderation in speech. That will help you in many ways. It will develop Prema,

for most misunderstandings and factions arise out of carelessly spoken words.

When the foot slips, the wound can be healed; but when the tongue slips, the

wound it causes in the heart of another will fester for life. The tongue is

liable to four big errors; uttering falsehood, scandalising, finding fault with

others and excessive articulation. These have to be avoided if there has to be

Shanthi for the individual as well as for society. The bond of brotherhood will

be tightened if people speak less and speak sweet. That is why mounam (silence)

was prescribed as a vow for Sadhaks by the Sasthras. You are all Sadhaks

(spiritual aspirants) at various stages of the road and so this discipline is

valuable for you also.

Prema must transform all relationships

Prema (Love) is what the individual and the nation must cultivate now for

progress. Hindustan became great on account of the flood of Prema, which swept

over the land for centuries. Prema must again transform all relationship:

social, economic, educational, professional, family, religious, legal and

others. The father must love the child a little more intensely and

intelligently; the mother must spread love to all who come within her

influence; children must love the servants. The sense of equality that every

one is the repository of the Divine Essence must transmute social and

individual

behavior.

Vairagya saves you from too much attachment

You can call Me Prema Swarupa (Embodiment of Divine Love)! You will not be

wrong! Prema is the wealth I have and which I scatter among the miserable and

afflicted. I have no other riches.

The Grace of the Lord is always flowing like the electric current through the

wire. Fix a bulb, and the current, to the extent of the wattage, will illumine

your home. The bulb is the Sadhana you perform; the home is your heart. Come to

Me gladly; dive into the sea and discover its depth; there is no use dipping

near the shore and swearing that the sea is shallow and has no pearls. Dive

deep and you will secure your desire. Remember, the sword of Prema has to be

kept in the sheath of Viveka (wisdom). The

14.5pt">Indriyas (senses) have to be rigorously controlled by Viveka and

Vairagya (discrimination and detachment), the twin talents given exclusively to

man. Viveka instructs you how to choose your avocations and your associates. It

tells you the relative importance of objects and ideals. Vairagya saves you

from too much of attachment and injects a sense of relief, at times of elation

or despair. They are the two wings that lift the bird into the air. They hold

before you the impermanence of the world and permanence of the Bliss of

Reality. They prompt you to

direct your lives towards spiritual Sadhana and the never failing contemplation

of the glory of the Lord.

Gundur, 22- 7-1958

11. NARA AND NARAYANA

Everything in its own good time, they say; the fruit has to grow and ripen

before the sourness is turned to sweetness. I have been coming to this town

since ten years but it is only this evening that you, in this vast

multitudinous gathering, have been able to derive this bliss of hearing Me

discoursing! I am happy to meet all of you in one auspicious hour collected all

in one place. All that I can tell you about the spiritual disciplines have been

told often before; man's capacity, his nature, his talents are all ancient

possessions and so the advice regarding how to use them is also very ancient.

The only new thing is man's perverse behavior---the directions in which he has

been wasting his talents, misusing his capacity and playing false to his own

nature. He has been forgetting the path prescribed in the scriptures for the

cultivation of his nature, and hence all this suffering; hence also My advent.

Man is essentially a discriminating animal, endowed with Viveka. He is not

content with the satisfaction of mere animal needs; he feels some void, some

deep discontent, some unslaked thirst, for he is a child of Immortality and he

feels that death is not and should not be the end. This Viveka urges man to

discover answers to the problems that haunt him: "Where did I come from,

whither am I journeying, which is the journey's end?" So, Buddhi (intellect)

has to be kept sharp and clear. There are three types of Buddhi, according to

the predominance of one or other of the three Gunas: the thamas, which confuses

Sathyam (truth) as the asathyam (untruth) and takes the asathyam as the

Sathyam; the rajas which like a pendulum swings from one to the other, hovering

between the two, unable to distinguish between them; and the sathwa, which knows

which is Sathyam and which is asathyam.

Poised state is essential to reach the goal

The world today is suffering from Rajobuddhi (passionate intellect) rather than

thamas (inertia); people have violent likes and dislikes; they have become

fanatical and factious. They are carried away by pomp and noise, show and

propaganda; that is why discrimination has become necessary. To reach the goal,

Sathwabuddhi (equanimous intellect) is essential; it will seek the Truth calmly

and stick to it whatever the consequence. I have come to

help all to acquire this Saathwik (serene) nature. You might have heard people

talk about the miracles; of My 'making' this and 'giving' that, of my

fulfilling all your wants, of My curing your illness. But they are not so

important as the Saathwaguna (poised state) I appreciate, promote and instill.

Of course, I confer on you these boons of health and prosperity but only so

that you might, with greater enthusiasm and with less interruption, proceed

with spiritual Sadhana. Eat well, so that your physical faculties might grow

and the good physique will in turn develop your intelligence more fully. Bhakti

 

14.0pt">(devotion) leads to Shakti (power) and Shakti will grant Yukti (skill).

The Yukti will help you to fix your rakthi (attachment) on the proper objects

and your Bhakti thus promoted finally results in Mukti (liberation). A certain

amount of attention has to be paid to the body and its care, as well as to

escape the

overpowering handicaps of poverty; but you must ever be cautious that you are

not caught in the coils and forget the transitoriness of all this. Bring your

thoughts constantly back to the Atma, which is the substance of all the

objective world, the basic reality behind all this appearance.

Finding fault with others comes out of egoism

The first step in Atma Vicharana (enquiring about the Self) is the practice of

the truth that whatever gives you pain gives pain to others and whatever gives

you joy, gives joy to others. So do unto others as you would like them to do

unto you; desist from any act in relation to others which if done by them will

give you pain. Thus, a kind of reciprocal relationship will grow between you

and others and gradually you reach the stage when your heart thrills with joy

when others are joyful and shudders in pain when others are sad. This is not

the kind of affection towards those who are dear to you or those who are your

kith and kin. That is a sign of delusion; but this sharing of joy and grief is

automatic, immediate, and universal. It is a sign of great spiritual advance;

then the wave knows that it is part of the ocean

and that all waves are but temporary manifestations of the self-same sea having

the same taste as the ocean itself. The others are part of yourself; you need

not worry about them; worry about yourself; that is enough; when you become all

right, they too will be all right, for you will no longer be aware of them as

separate from you. Criticizing others, finding fault with them, all this comes

out of egoism. Search for your own faults instead; the faults you see in others

are your own faults instead; the faults you see in others are but reflections of

your own personality traits; pay no heed to little worries; attach your mind to

the Lord. Then you will be led on to the company of good men and your talents

will be transmuted.

When you love, you will have no fear

Be a bee, drinking the nectar of every flower; not the mosquito drinking blood

and distributing disease in return. First, consider all as children of the

Lord, as your own brothers and sisters; develop the quality of love, seek

always the welfare of humanity. Love and you will be loved in return, hate will

never be your lot if you promote love and look upon all with love. That is the

one lesson I teach always; that is my secret too. If you want to attain Me,

cultivate Love, give up hatred, envy, anger, cynicism and falsehood. I do not

ask that you should be a scholar or a recluse or an ascetic skilled in Japa

(recitation of holy Name) and Dhyana

14.0pt">(meditation). "Is your heart full of Prema (love)?" that is all I

examine. Believe that Love is God, Truth is God. Love is Truth, Truth is Love;

for it is only when you love that you have no fear, for fear is the mother of

falsehood. If you have no fear, you will adhere to truth. The mirror of Prema

reflects the Atma in you and reveals to you that the Atma is universal,

immanent in every being.

Parents have to be respected and worshipped

I shall not tell you very complex matters; I shall give only simple remedies for

the ills you are suffering from. I find here a large number of students. Well,

what are they studying for? What is the goal? How are we to judge that they

have studied well? By the salary they are able to get, or the cadre they are

able to secure? No. Education must result in the development of Viveka (wisdom)

and Vinaya (humility). The educated man must be able to distinguish between the

momentary and the momentous, the lasting and the effervescent. He must not run

after glitter and glamour but he must seek instead the good and golden. He must

know how to keep the body in good trim, the senses under strict control, the

mind well within check, the intellect sharp and clear, unhampered by prejudices

and hatreds, and the feelings untouched by egoism. He

must know the Atma too, for that is his very care; that is the effulgence, which

illumines his inner and outer selves. This knowledge will ensure joy and peace

and courage for him throughout life. Students also must cultivate Vinaya (the

art of avoiding the infliction of pain on others). I must also tell the

students that they must be grateful to the parents who give them all the

facilities they now enjoy at great sacrifice. In fact, the parents have to be

worshipped as visible representatives of the God-head; they are responsible for

your very existence and for all this joy and adventure in the physical and

spiritual spheres. For this reason they have to be tended and respected and

worshipped. There was a boy who was begging in the streets for food so that he

could keep his bedridden mother and two little sisters alive. One night when he

clamored in front of a rich man's house, the

master got enraged at his piteous cries. The boy was very unlucky that day and

he had collected only a few morsels; the hour was nearing nine. So he cried

most pathetically and it aroused the ire of the rich man inside the mansion. He

came out and kicked the boy into the gutter; he was already very weak, for he

was starving himself to feed his mother and sisters; so when he fell, he

breathed his last, wailing, "Mother! Here is a little food for you." His hand

held the bowl firm, even when it had become lifeless!

Parents must set good examples to children

Such is the devotion that the mother invokes and which she deserves, for all the

pain she endured and all the sacrifice she bore in order that the son might be

healthy, happy and good. Show that gratitude, boys, to the parents; remember

them and pay them the tribute of at least a tear on the anniversary of their

passing away. Do it with Shraddha (faith), that is why it is called Shraddha

(religious ceremonial offering to the dead); not that the offerings you make

reach them or that they are waiting for them in some other world; it is a

tribute that you should offer in gratitude for the great chance they gave you

for this sojourn in this

world with all the wonderful opportunities it offers for self-realisation.

Parents too must encourage children when they evince any interest in spiritual

advance and study; they must also set them good examples. Among the children

who are before Me here, there may be many a Vivekananda and many a Thyagaraja.

Children must be given every facility to develop the divine talents that are in

them. Parents must feel that they are servants appointed by the Lord to tend the

little souls that are born in their households, as the gardener tends the trees

in the garden of the Master. They must arouse the latent goodness in these tiny

hearts by telling stories about the saints and sages of the past. They must see

that children do not develop fear and become cowards afraid of walking

straight. Give up the delusion you are this physical body You are all the

indestructible Atma, believe Me; nothing need

discourage you. In dreams you suffer so much; loss of money, fire, food, insult,

etc., but you are not affected at all. When these things happen during the

waking stage, you feel afflicted; really, it is not the real 'you' that suffers

all that. Give up the delusion that you are this physical entity and you become

really free. And lastly, about Myself. No one can understand My Mystery. The

best you can do is to get immersed in it. It is no use your arguing about pros

and cons; dive and know the depth; eat and know the taste! Then you can discuss

Me to your heart's content. Develop Sathya (Truth) and Prema (Love) and then you

need not even pray to Me to grant you this and that. Everything will be added

unto you,

unasked. Nara (man) and Narayana (God) are the two wires, the positive and the

negative, which combine to bring electricity through. Nara will co-operate with

Narayana and become the vehicle of Divine Power, if he has acquired the two

qualities, Sathya and Prema.

Nellore, 25- 7-1958

Individual reconstruction is much more important than the construction of

temples. Multiply virtues, not buildings; practice what you preach, that is the

real pilgrimage; cleanse your minds of envy and malice that is the real bath in

holy waters. Of what avail is the name of the Lord on the tongue, if the heart

within is impure? Injustice and discontent are spreading everywhere due to this

one fault in man: saying one thing and doing the opposite, the tongue and the

hand going in different directions. Man has to set himself right and correct

his food, his recreation, his method of spending his leisure as well as habits

of thought. -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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