SATHYA SAI SPEAKS [Volume I (Ch.26, 27, 28)]

[Guest guest]

Dear Sai brothers and sisters of the worldwide '' family,

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.26, 27, 28)]

26. THE WORLD, MY MANSION

THIS gathering reminds Me of the sea, for here we have in this Hall streams of

people coming from various directions towards God; people who follow various

paths to attain Shanthi and santhosha (peace and happiness). My Mission is to

give you Ananda and I am ever ready to do so. My language may give some of you

a little trouble for you may not follow Telugu, but in this gathering there

will be some who will not be able to follow whatever language I speak in; so I

shall speak in Telugu itself. There are four things in which every man must

interest himself.' "Who am I? Wherefrom have I come? Whither am I going? How

long shall I be here?" The four Vedas give the answers to these four questions.

All spiritual inquiry begins with these questions and attempts to find out the

answers. Suppose there is a letter put into the post box without the address to

which it should go or the address from which it has come. It will not reach

anywhere. It is a waste to have written it. So too, it is a waste to have come

into this world, if it is not known wherefrom you came and whereto you go. The

letter will go to the dead letter office! The Jivi (individual soul) will be

caught in the cycle of birth and death and can never find itself. For this,

Atma Vicharana

14.0pt">(enquiry about the Self) and for the successful arrival at the correct

answers, Sadhana (spiritual discipline) is essential. The answers must become

part of your experience.

Have tolerance and patience in every act

Sadhana must be done in a disciplined, systematic manner, in an atmosphere of

virtue. Just as we have fans here in this Hall to cool the atmosphere and make

it possible for such a large gathering to sit packed in this Hall, so too the

fans of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema are necessary to reduce the

sweltering heat of ajnaana, asathya, anyaaya and akrama (ignorance, falsehood,

injustice and

indiscipline). In a world where Dharma is being insulted and denied at every

turn, peace and tolerance are the roads through which man can save himself.

This is the sum and substance of what I have to tell you and what you have to

cultivate. In every act, have tolerance, patience, and mutual help. In the

family, cultivate patience and mutual respect; in the community, have dharma

and justice; in the community of peoples, have the ideal of peace. The body is

said to be the tabernacle of God; the world is the body of God. A pinprick on

the toe is immediately recognized as an injury to the self because the toe is

part of the self-same body. So too, suffering in one corner of the world is as

much the concern of the Lord as suffering in any other. When the Andhra State

was formed some one told Me that I had been taken out of the Madras State and

made an Andhra! I told him that the whole world was My Mansion and that Madras

and Andhra were rooms in that Mansion! The world is a temple, the temple of the

Lord, His body where He resides.

When I was coming by car to this place I passed through several streets and I

found several pandhals and halls decorated, because they were having religious

discourses there and readings and expositions of sacred texts and scriptures.

Crowds of listeners had gathered in each place; there was no lack of enthusiasm

for Sabhas and Bhajans (associations and group singing). Yet, atheism is rampant

and the number of people who deny God and decry Godward-bound aspirants is

increasing. Why? Because eating the food does not by itself guarantee

digestion. Practice of even a thousandth part of what one has read or heard can

alone help in giving peace

and joy.

You are here for fulfilling God's purpose

What is wanted now is uthsaaha, dhairya and vishwaasa (effort, courage and

faith). In effort, you must follow a regulated routine learnt from some adept

in the field. For courage, you must feel your own importance for your uplift;

never call yourself a sinner born in sin, bred in sin and engaged in sin. No;

that kind of self-condemnation ill becomes a child of God, an Amrithaputhra.

In every one of you, God is the moving spirit, the very Soul; how then can you

be evil, when you are here for fulfilling God's purpose, according to his Will,

His plan, His law? He has endowed you with many faculties so that you may seek

Him and reach Him. You are not therefore a helpless neglected individual

undergoing a sentence of death. You are Ananda Swarupa (embodiment of Bliss),

born to a rich heritage, which is yours for the asking. Only you do not ask.

Have faith in your destiny and work gladly and steadily to attain it.

Bhakti (devotion) is simply the rakthi (attachment) towards Bhagawan (God),

affection towards the Supreme; one need not fly away from hearth and home to

cultivate it. If the seed is planted far away from the parent tree, does it

become any different? Boil it and then of course it will not grow again and

burden the world. Similarly, boil your instincts and impulses and scorch the

sensory cravings that enslave you. That brings you nearer to God, wherever you

may be.

Both good and bad emanate from the same mind

>From the Ocean of milk when it was churned by the Devas and Asuras (celestial

beings and demons), there emanated the Kamadhenu (Cow of Plenty), Kalpataru

(the Tree that grants all wishes), the Goddess of Wealth, the four-tusked

elephant of Indra and also Haalahaala (the deadliest of poisons). Similarly,

the mind of man is churned by the forces of good and evil every day and there

emanates from the same mind both good and bad. The bad comes because the mind

flows towards sensory pleasures and is lost in the swamps of greed and envy, of

lust and pride.

When the lion awakes from sleep and roars, all the tiny animals that held sway

till then, take to their heels. So too, when you awake and repeat the

Pranavamanthra (Om), all the paltry animal instincts that strutted about in the

darkness will flee. In your own heart you have the entity which is beyond time

and space; and if you go on contacting it by the Pranava or by any other

symbol, the wild thoughts and impulses will not dare to approach you. If you

have the Grace of God, no graha (planet) can harm you; maleficent influences

even from the

most powerful combination of planets with which the astrologers terrify you will

disappear in a trice. In order to get that Grace, there are two prescriptions:

priyam vadha (speak lovingly) so far as the world is concerned; and Sathyam

vadha (speak the truth) so far as the next world is concerned. Prema (Love) is

the weapon: Vicharana (enquiry) is the wheel, which must be revolved

perpetually to get the light of Prema. Until Prema emerges, you have to be in

the darkness of hatred, where even the slightest movement creates fear and

suspicion.

Charge the battery of your Sadhana continuously

Never yield to indolence or despair. Suffer loss and grief gladly; they help to

toughen your personality. The diamond is found amidst rocks; you will have to

blast through the vein to get gold. Follow the strict regimen that the doctor

enforces in order to make the medicine yield the best result. The battery of

your "car" is charged when you come to Puttaparthi or when you go to some other

holy place. Or at least that should be the aim of pilgrimage. Charge the battery

of your Sadhana (spiritual effort) and then, after you return home, do not keep

the car idle. If you do, the battery will run down; take the car around and

keep it going; then the battery will charge itself. So also, if you do not

continue the Satsang (holy company), the sathpravarthana (good attitude) and

Bhajan (devotional singing) and Namasmarana (Remembering God's Name), then all

this charging becomes a waste. I have not come for propaganda or publicity or

gaining disciples or devotees. I am yours and you are Mine. Where then is the

need for publicity? I give not lectures but mixtures for your mental health and

moral re-invigoration. So take My words as medicine necessary for your health.

Gokhale Hall, Madras, 25-6-1960

Man did not come here to sleep and eat; he has come to manifest, by disciplined

processes, the divine in him. That is why he is called vyakthi (individual), he

who makes vyaktha (clear) the Shakti (power) that is in him---the Divine energy

that motivates him. For this purpose he has come endowed with this body and the

intelligence needed to control it and divert it to useful channels of activity.

You must achieve this by Dharma-nishtha and Karmanishtha--- steady pursuit of

morality and good deeds. - Shri Sathya Sai

27. THE UNDERLYING TRUTHS

Tins life, which begins with a wail, must end with a smile. When you were a

little baby, all round you smiled though you kept on wailing. But when you die

all around you must weep at the loss and you should smile in peace and quiet

resignation. The 'bhogaanandham' (pleasures from sensual enjoyment) must

finally be converted into 'yogaanandham' (happiness from divine union); the

pleasures of the senses must gradually be left behind and you must develop a

taste for the higher and more lasting pleasure derivable from the springs of

your own personality. For Yoga (divine union), Bhakti (devotion to God) is the

main thing, the head and the crown; Shanthi and santhosham (peace and

happiness) are the other essentials.

The fire of sorrow and joy burns when the fuel of vaasanas (impressions left on

the mind by actions of past lives) is fed into the furnace of the mind. Take

away the fuel and the fire dies out. Take away the vaasanas, the force of the

impulses, promptings and urges and you become your own master. This is done in

Yoga by various physiological and psychological exercises. But Bhakti is the

easier means for this end. Namasmarana (remembering God's Name) is enough; it

is said that the name Sita Rama sufficed in the Treta Yuga, the name Raadhe

Shyama sufficed in the Dwapara Yuga, and in the present Kaliyuga, I tell you,

all divine Names have that capacity.

De-individualisafion is Moksha

When you recite Radhe Shyama, you should dwell on the significance of the Name;

the deeper mysteries of the word must be present before the mind's eye: then,

Namasmarana will yield quicker results. Radha is not an individual. It

symbolizes Dha-raa meaning Earth or Prakriti, the Jada (creation). Krishna or

Shyama is the Creator, the Active Principle: the Chith

14.0pt">(awareness), the Purusha (Supreme Being). Shakti (Supreme Energy) is

Paramatma; the Vyakthi (individual) is the Jivatma (individual soul); the Ocean

is Shakti and the Wave is the Jiva. All the taste and all the forces and roar of

the Wave are derived from the Ocean and they disappear into the Ocean itself.

The

disappearance of the wave form and the wave-name is called Moksha (Liberation):

that is, merging of the wave in the ocean from which it seemed to differ.

De-individualisation is in other words, Moksha.

When you do Bhajan (group singing) and sing the Names of God, you should

contemplate on such underlying truths. The Naamaavali, 'Hare Rama, Hare Rama,

Rama Rama Hare Hare; Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,'

has sixteen words and each of the sixteen signifies a virtue which has to be

cultivated along with that Bhajan. (Here Baba recited a Telugu song composed by

Him on the spot which indicated the sixteen qualities to be developed by a

spiritual person).

Sixteen qualities to be developed

He must be a (1) Bhakta, (2) a Thapoyuktha, (3) a Samsara Muktha, (4) a

Paadasaktha of the Lord, (5) a Vihitha, (6) a Dhaanasahitha, (7) Yaso-mahitha,

(8) a Kalmasha rahitha,

14.0pt">(9) a Poorna, (10) a Gunagana, (11) an Uththeerana, (12) a

Vidhyaavikeerna, (13) a Jnaana vistheerana (14) Swaantha, (15) a Saclhguna

kraantha, (16) a Vinaya vishraantha, and finally, a Paadhaswaantha of the Lord

or at

least he must pray, with verbal repetition of each word, for the growth in him

of each of these attainments which will take him nearer the goal. Baba meant

that a spiritual seeker should be (1) full of devotion, (2) prepared to enjoy

suffering, (3) free from the attachment to the transitory, (4) eager to serve

the Lord, (5) of correct conduct, (6) charitable, (7) having an unsullied

reputation, (8) with no blemish on his character, (9) fully content, (10)

endowed with good qualities, (11) equipped with all the virtues, (12) equipped

with the fruits of learning, (13) ripe in wisdom, (14) self-controlled, (15)

adorned with commendable social traits, (16) full of humility and fully

surrendered to God. If he has these virtues, (here Baba quoted the last line of

the song he had just composed, "vaade nenoudhu, nene vaadoudu"---"He is I, I am

He". Yes, you must struggle. You cannot go to the top

without an effort. Have faith in ultimate victory, gather courage and faith from

wherever you can get them; do not have contact with persons who sow the seeds of

fear or doubt. Treasure all the confidence that you get here, foster it and

guard it carefully. Do not let it slip from your grasp the moment you get

beyond this gate. The seedlings should be well cared for, watered, manured and

protected from insect pests. Can you pass an examination without studying the

texts? But that is what you hope to do! You must liberate yourself from

attachment to fleeting things and grow strong and be above temptation.

Never discuss spiritual standards of others

The fish are happy because they are immersed in water; when thrown out of the

water, they struggle and suffer mortal pain. So too, man is happy when he is

immersed in Prema, Shanthi and Sathyam (Love, Peace and Truth); those are the

components of the water that gives him life; when he is thrown out of the

water, he also suffers and feels terribly miserable. Life is 'being' thrown out

of the water; Sadhana (spiritual discipline) is the struggle to leap back into

the life-giving element. For success in this struggle, do not depend upon

another;

depend upon yourself and on the Grace of God. Remember that Rama (Divinity) and

Kama (worldly desire) cannot be together; where Rama is, Kama cannot thrive;

where Kama is, how can Rama enter? Every person must have, as a single dhaara

(stream), Aaraadh (worship) as the Aa-dhaara (basis); that is the easiest means

of winning Shyama.

When you carry on such effort unbroken, the Lord Himself will come as your

Guide. When Madhurakavi was doing thapas (penance), he saw a big pillar of

Light in front of him reaching up to the sky and he saw Dakshinaamurthy in that

Light. Then the pillar moved on and on so that he could follow it and at last,

the Light led him on to Nammaalwaar who agreed to be his Guru (spiritual

preceptor)! The Guru later made him realise the Reality. Vemana and Thyagaraja

reached the heights of spiritual experience through the Grace of the Lord and

the

encouragement they derived from His Appearance. Pray to Him and He reveals

Himself. He is the yarn in the cloth, the gold in this seeming variety of

jewellery; he is the mud in all this pottery; he is that water that sustains

all these waves. Once you have realised this, you will be filled with love and

respect for all, for all are the same Form as the Lord Himself.

Do not cynically talk about the Sadhaks. What do you know of the mood of the

Bhakta that you so easily pass judgment thereon and label him as insane or out

of his mind? Never discuss the spiritual standards reached by others; persevere

in your own path. "Be moderate in talk, in sleep, in food"---"Yukthaahaara

vihaarasya."

Smarana is the best antidote for all ills. Never be ashamed to sing the name of

God or to do Bhajan. Be proud that you get the chance, be glad that your tongue

is put to the best use. When the artist sees a stone, he sees immediately the

form of beauty hidden in that stone imprisoned in it; and he will not get peace

of mind until he releases that form from the clutches of the stone. Do not see

the stone as stone, see the God in it, the basic reality underlying it.

Vemana did not visit any temple for years; for years he was laughing at those

who considered that the image was a symbol of Divinity. But when his daughter

died, he was one day holding her picture in his hand weeping over the loss.

Then the idea suddenly struck him that if the picture could cause sorrow in him

and bring tears, the image too can evoke joy and bring tears to those who know

the beauty and the glory of the Lord. The image was just a reminder of the

Presence of the Lord everywhere and in everything. The Lord is the Sun and when

His rays fall upon your heart, unimpeded by the clouds of egoism, the lotus bud

blooms and the petals unfold. Remember, only the buds that are ready will

bloom; the rest have to wait,

patiently. Meanwhile, carry on with the companionship of the Name of the Lord;

Smarana (remembering) is the best antidote for all ills.

Akanda Bhajan, Bangalore 10-7-1959

In order to promote harmony, the first rule you must follow is control of the

tongue. Do not give all your thoughts immediate expression,' select, ponder,

and then, speak out. Speak softly, sweetly, without malice in your heart; speak

as if you are addressing the Sai who resides in every one. Use the tongue to

recite the Name of the Lord; use the feet to go on pure and holy errands; use

the heart to contain pure thoughts and feelings. - Shri Sathya Sai

28. THE BEST TONIC

The greatest disease (or absence of ease) is the absence of Shanthi; when the

mind gets peace, the body also will have health. So, every one who craves for

good health must pay attention to the emotions, feelings and motives that

animate the individual. Just as you give clothes for a wash, you have to wash

the mind free from dirt again and again; otherwise, if dirt accumulates and you

form a 'habit', it is difficult for the dhobi as well as harmful to the clothes.

It should be a daily process; you should see that no dirt settles upon the mind;

that is to say, you should move about in such company that dirt is avoided.

Falsehood, injustice, indiscipline, cruelty, hate---these form the dirt;

14.5pt">Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema (Truth, Righteousness, Peace,

Love)---these form the clean elements. If you inhale the pure air of these

latter, your mind will be free from evil bacilli and you will be mentally

sturdy and physically strong. As Vivekananda used to say, you should have

nerves of steel and muscles of iron. That is to say, you should have hope and

joy and elation as an unshakeable resolution, not despair and dejection.

What is studied is not put into practice

Your heart should be like glass, with the spiritual light inside illuminating

the world outside; the world outside reacting on the inner urges and making

them lean towards service, sympathy and mutual help. Now, people read and study

all kinds of unintelligible Vedhaanthic texts and struggle with commentaries and

notes and translations to grasp their sense. It is being poured down their

throats; but the portion does not get down to soften the heart. It is not

translated into practice. The truths of the Vedanta are put on for public

exhibition, as in a drama, where appropriate dresses are worn on the stage but

taken off when the actor moves

off the stage. They do not adhere to them all the time to derive the

Aathmaanandha (Bliss of the Soul) which they can give. It is chiefly a matter

of careful well-timed regulated discipline; it cannot be got by spurts and

skips; it has to be climbed step by step, each step being used as a foot-hold

for the next. There is no systematic living according to any known principle,

now; this is true of the student, the householder, the mistress or the master

of the house. The virtues have to be cultivated in the home; each member

sharing in the joy with the rest, each one seeking for opportunities for

helping others. This attitude has to be stuck to, so that it may stay as

character. How can a vessel kept with the mouth downwards get filled with

water? It has to open up and receive the good impulses. You have to learn each

lesson by systematic study; application and effort alone will give

success.

Have faith in the Lord and His Grace

In all effort, if you trust in a Higher Power, which is ready to come to your

help, work is made easy. This comes out of Bhakti, reliance on the Lord, the

source of all Power. When you travel by train, you have only to purchase the

ticket, enter the proper train and take a seat, leaving the rest to the engine.

Why should you carry the bed and trunk on your head? So too, put your trust in

the Lord and carry on to the best of your ability. Have faith in the Lord and

his Grace. Try to earn it by using the intelligence and the conscience with

which He has endowed you.

You have all gathered here to celebrate the completion of four years in the life

of this Sathya Sai Hospital. So I want to tell you that the best and the wisest

thing is to see that you do not fall ill. The doctor read out in the report

that this year the number of outpatients as well as the number of operations

was greater than last year, as if that is a sign of progress! But I do not

think that speaks well of the people around and their sense of values. The

Hospital should radiate preventive measures also and try to educate the

villagers in methods of avoiding illness. Develop self-reliance; that is the

best tonic. You have been born because you did not pass in certain subjects;

there is some balance of experience, which you must acquire to complete the

course. If you get convinced that your true nature is the Atma, then you have

finished, the course and 'passed'.

Cultivate Prema towards all beings

For reaching that stage, you should start with the cultivation of the "feeling

of kinship with all beings",---Sarvasamaanabhaava---as it is called. It is very

difficult to get it; but that is the only way to see the Atma that is in all.

For example, a person with that bhaava (sincerity of feeling) will not be happy

at the killing of animals for food or even hunting them. Why should you go

seeking the animal to its den, lie in wait for it and lay traps for it, so that

you may derive pleasure by killing it?

14.5pt">Prema should be cultivated towards all beings, in order that you may see

the Sarvabhootha antharaathma (Inmost Self in all beings). The Atma is

Omnipresent; do not think it is found only in persons belonging to certain

castes or colours or creeds; or that it is of a big size in fat people or of a

brilliant nature in rich people. It is consistently Sath, Chith and Ananda

(Being, Awareness, Bliss Absolute) in every being. Sadhana has to go a long way

to win

this outlook. But you can begin with little things; you can avoid causing

annoyance to others, is it not? Even if you are unable or unwilling to do

service to others, at least, if you desist from causing harm, that is

meritorious service indeed! For example, take your Vaak---the words you speak.

I always say Vaak shuddhi (purification of words) leads to Mano Shuddhi

(cleansing of the mind). That is why I insist on quiet talk, sweet talk and

little talk; the saathwik talk; no anger, no heat, no hate. Such talk will

cause no quarrel, no blood-pressure and no factions. It will promote mutual

respect and love. Then again, do not cynically laugh at the good that others do

or at the Sadhana of others. Inquire; but do not insult. Respect the sincerity

of the other man; respect also elders and men with more experience than you. In

company, behave in a well-mannered way, showering brotherhood and joy on all

around you.

Moderation in food is always to be welcomed

Strive for the happiness of the community and of the human race. Pray that all

men everywhere may have peace and plenty. Be eager to do good and be good.

Being a function connected with the Hospital, I must tell you about certain

other things also. By regulating your diet and avoiding certain bad habits, you

can preserve health. Moderate food, and food of the Saathwik type, will promote

mental poise and also physical happiness. Mitha-ahaara (moderation in food) is

always to be welcomed. Many people consume more than the necessary quantity of

rich food and such have to practice moderation. So too, if you do not smoke,

you escape a number of illnesses that follow that Raajasik (passionate)

practice. Any intoxicant or stimulant, because it disturbs nature's even trend,

is harmful. Moderation in food, moderation in talk, and in desires and pursuits;

contentment with what little can be got by honest labour, eagerness to serve

others and to impart joy to all--- these are the most powerful of all the

tonics and health-preserves known to the science of health, the Sanathana

Aayurvedha, the Veda of the full life.

Sathya Sai Hospital, Prashanthi Nilayam, 21-9-1960

TO BE CONTINUED...

With Sai love from Sai brothers ''

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