SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume II [Ch. 39, 40, 41. 42]

[Guest guest]

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

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we post 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 II [Ch. 39, 40, 41. 42, 43]

39. THE INNER PROMPTING

THE day is Vyasa Poornima and it is also celebrated throughout India as Guru

Poornima. The importance of the flay has been explained now by the Lawyer from

Repalle in Telugu, by Vineetha Ramachandra Rao in Kannada and by the Editor of

Sanathana Sarathi in English. Well, I shall also speak now. Whatever My

language, I speak not to inform but more to heal. I administer medicine for

your minds, not food for your brains, or rather it is both; like honey, it is

both food and drug.

There is nothing specially related to Sage Vyasa which makes this day attached

to his name. He was not born on this day nor did he 'leave' on this day; it is

just dedicated to his memory and to the worship of all Gurus. For Vyasa is the

Aadiguru, the Muulaguru (the. first and the source of all spiritual teachers).

He recognized and declared the Truth in a variety of ways and helped in opening

the inner eye of man. He described in beautiful simple, clear terms the Glory of

the Lord and of the means of attaining Him. He saw that unless the Mind is

negated or destroyed, the Lord will not be manifest. He prescribed the paths by

which this could be done. So he is the Lokaguru (world teacher), the Paramaguru

(greatest teacher). He collected the hymns, collated them and put them into the

Four Vedas; he

assembled the later Vedic literature and composed the Brahma Sutras (aphorisms

on Supreme Reality) to expound the philosophy that was inherent in it. He wrote

the Mahabharata, which includes the universal specific, the Bhagavad Geetha.

Then, when he was sunk in sadness, in spite of all this knowledge and

scholarship and teaching, Narada advised him to sing the glory of the

personalized aspect of Godhead, to waken the emotions and guide them Godward

through Bhakti. That gave him and the world great joy and peace, for Vyasa then

wrote the Bhagavatham.

Discover that happiness is an inner gift

Now, whether it is Vyasa or the Guru whom you honour today, the more important

thing is the Poornima (Full Moon) that happens today; that is the one thing

certain about it; the rest of the story is conjecture. The Guru is needed when

you have the guri ('Goal' or 'Aim' in Telugu). If you do not have that urge,

what can the teacher do? On sand or rock, if seeds are strewn, it is a sheer

waste of precious stuff. Inner prompting to see the light must send the

aspirant to the teacher or must draw the teacher to wherever he is. You must

inquire and discriminate: Do objects grant happiness? Is any one happy? How can

one be happy through the multiplication of desire and the frantic effort to feed

the raging fire? At last, you will by your own experience, discover that

happiness is an inner gift, a spiritual treasure that can be

won by equanimity.

The Moon is the presiding deity of the mind; it must shine cool and comforting,

eternally, in fullness, in the Hrudhaya-aakaasha (the inner firmament of the

heart). The external material Moon waxes and wanes but the mind should be

trained to stand up against modifications and moods. The internal Moon has no

marks on it; it is ever full, it is always Full Moon for the victorious

spiritual aspirant.

Man is possessed by the ghost of Maya

The mind spins a cocoon for the Jivi (individual soul) to be imprisoned in.

Karma, which is the activity of Maya (ignorance), encloses the individual in

its grip; it is the husk that makes the paddy seed grow and yield more paddy

plants and more grains of paddy. Remove the husk and there is no more

sprouting. The husk, karma, makes the Jivi sprout and undergo the penance of

vaasanas (going through the pleasure and pain produced by the impressions

unconsciously left on the mind by past good or bad actions) and samskaras

(performance of purificatory rites and sacred ceremonies), You reward and

punish yourself as the result of your own activities; you are here because you

wished to come here; you gravitate to the level to which your deeds drag or

lift you. You make your own future by your thoughts and desires

and deeds.

Maya is like the ghost of a tribal woman, which once possessed a great Pundit in

a Himalayan hermitage. The unfortunate Pundit sang and danced like any tribal

damsel; he swore and cursed in the Paisachi (ghost) dialect and every one in

the hermitage became ashamed of his company. At last, when the ghost was

exorcised and the Pundit was freed, he became his original self; he remembered

nothing of his pranks and blabbering. The ghost of Maya similarly possesses

man. The ghost has to be driven out.

The Guru or the Geetha teaches the mode of exorcism of this ghost. Do not

despair; it can be driven out. Confidence adds the required courage and

strength. Do not doubt or give vent to despair. It must happen whether you

welcome it or not, whether you strive for it or not; that is your reason for

taking birth, the goal you have to reach. You have not come to be a tool in the

hands of a ghost. The ant moves steadily and slowly towards its goal, climbing

over everything that comes in its way. Let yours be the same Pipeelika maarga

(path of the ant). Follow the path of Namasmarana steadily, climbing over all

obstacles like sloth, pride, haste, doubt, etc.

The Guru can help you to a certain, extent only, but be grateful to him for that

little. He is like a skilled gardener. who tends the plants and waters them

intelligently; cutting the tree into proper shape, applying the correct manure

to supplement the soil and keeping it free from drought and pests. Give the

Guru the gratitude for all this service; but reserve Saranagathi (seeking

refuge for protection) for the Lord. Do not offer the Guru more than his due.

Do not also change your allegiance.

Do Sadhana in unbroken disciplined way

You cannot sell your house to some one and later, mortgage it to another, and

rent it out to a third party after some further interval. Shri Ramakrishna had

to cut asunder even the form of Kali when it came across his path towards the

realisation of the Nirguna (formless) aspect of God. Do not do spiritual

practice off and on; do it in an unbroken disciplined way. Otherwise, it will

be like watering a plant for some time and leaving it to go dry before you

start again.

The Bhru-madhya (centre point between the eyebrows) on which you are asked to

concentrate is not the point where your eyebrows meet in the centre of your

forehead; it is a point in your inner awareness, the hrudhaya (heart). Like the

celestial damsels that were sent by Indra to break the penance of sages, you

will be getting during meditation nine varieties of music, but you should not

be elated by that and suspend your Sadhana.

Guru Poornima here is distinct from the festival in other places. Between you

and Me, it is not the relationship between Guru and sishya (teacher and

disciple) that prevails, or that of the Guide and the Pilgrim. The external

Guru should not be equated with the Sarvantharyaami (innermost soul in all the

hearts). Even Garuda cannot reach the Goal if it does not spread its wings and

leap into the sky. So, make a move, put a step forward. That is the immediate

task; your resolve on this day should be that start with a sincere desire to

succeed. The Grace of will shed light the Lord. The Lord has come to help you.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 17-71962

Practice the attitude of offering every act at the Feet of God as a flower is

offered in Pooja. Make every breath an offering to Him. Do not be upset by

calamities; take them as acts of Grace. If a man loses his hand in an accident,

he must believe that it was the Lord's Grace that saved his life. When you know

that nothing happens without His Sankalpa (resolve), everything that happens

has a value added to it. - Sathya Sai Baba

40. UNFURL IT ON YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS

AT Prashanthi Nilayam, every day is a Festival Day; every day is a holy day. As

the saying goes, it is "Nithya' kalyaanam, Pachha thoranam"---"Perpetual joy,

perpetually green." Following the customary habits of people, feeling that the

external signs of auspiciousness have their own value in educating and

sublimating the inner emotions, the Navarathri (festival of nine holy nights)

is celebrated here also. For that reason, you need not wait for Navarathri here

or at home to instal Durga or Saraswathi in your heart; the day you feel the

urge, that day is the auspicious day. Do not delay or postpone.

I have been saying more or less the same things every time the Flag is hoisted

on this Nilayam. But just as you have to eat the same items of food every day,

just as you have to wash your face every now and then, the washed face being

washed again, so the spoken message has to be spoken again and again. This is

needed for those who have heard it from Me already; it is even more needed by

those who have come for the first time.

This Nilayam is "Prashanthi" Nilayam (abode of tranquility). It is the abode of

the highest form of Shanthi, Prashanthi (absolute peace). In fact, you are,

each one of you, the Nilayam of Prashanthi. That is why I very often address

you as 'Shanthi swaruupulaara' (embodiments of peace)! My object is to remind

you that your real nature is Shanthi, equanimity, peace, unruffledness, and

non-attachment. You cannot draw out from within you that which is not there, is

it not? Therefore, Shanthi must be there, deep down, as the very core of your

being. It is the ripeness of the fruit, the sweetness filling the ripened

fruit.

Shanthi is an ennobling, elevating experience

Shanthi is not just an external polish, which can be put on or brushed off. It

is not the same as fortitude, like that which young Yudhishtira had when he

bore without a tear or a gasp the hundred blows with a cane administered to

test his stamina. It is not resignation, which comes of frustrated ambition or

satisfied desire. It is an ennobling, elevating experience, which comes when

one attains the merger with the very source of one's being. It is the stilling

of the waves; the calming of mental activities and agitations. Every one who

has attained it has hoisted the Prashanthi Flag; in fact, each one of you

should strive to unfurl it on your own hearts.

You must all become an army of dharmic workers, equipped with the weapons of

Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema, to revive humanity and rid it of all the

ills with which it is now stricken. I have told you often that this flag

hoisting is not a mere formality; it is a meaningful rite in the inauguration

and training of that army. I never do any act, which is devoid of significance

or speak a word devoid of purpose. The symbol on the Flag is also full of

significance.

Concrete representation of the symbol on flag

This Prashanthi Nilayam has no compound wall, as you have noticed. It is, as it

should be; people can come to the Lord from any direction, without let or

hindrance. But we have gates! The persons who walk along that road, which takes

a turn when it approaches the Nilayam are, like all else, burdened with

inherited imputes and earned dents and bents in their personality make-up. They

are moved on by desire and urged by the six-thronged whip of passion. They enter

the gate only when they are no longer overwhelmed by thamoguna (quality of

inertia and indolence); that is, when they have the curtain of delusion drawn

aside a little. From there they move on towards the Nilayam and pass through

that second gate, where they are attracted by the imposing building, the

portico, the statue in front---all appealing to the comparatively superior

rajoguna

(quality of passionate activity). Even this falls off when they enter the Hall,

where sathwaguna (quality of serenity and poise) overpowers the mind---what

with the pictures, images, the Bhajan, the Naamaavalis (singing of Lord's

Name), etc.

This circle in front of the Nilayam--this is a concrete representation of the

symbol on the Flag; you should all be told about this and you should in turn

educate others about it. The first circle within the brick outline is as you

can see strewn with sand. That is Kama (desire), mere waste land, where nothing

can grow, from which no sustenance can be procured. The next one is the circle

of Krodha (anger), enemy number two of man. It is represented here as a hardy

tuber plant with many leaves, which though cut often beyond recognition,

sprouts at the next fall of rain. Anger is like that; you feel you have

uprooted it, but let your pride be injured or your wish opposed, it sprouts

again. Its roots are tentacles difficult to escape from.

Every Navarathri (the nine-day festival), the thousands of devotees who walk

about here trample the plants and leave no trace. But when the Birthday

Festival comes a month or two later the sprouts come again and grow into a

sizeable height. That is the way anger grips a man. It grows into hatred and

vengeance, the two red steps that you see as the next two concentric circles.

When some one stands across your path, you hate him; when some one refuses to

be your accomplice, you hate him. Acts of commission as well as omission cause

hatred. That is why we have two steps here.

Make the symbol alive in your consciousness

Crossing the sands of greed and lust, the wilds of anger, climbing the heights

of hatred and vengefulness, the spiritual aspirant comes to the green meadow of

Prema. You can see that circle of broad green grass, attractively embellished

with good thoughts and virtues, which refresh and satisfy. Beyond that, we have

the broad expanse of Shanthi (quiet), where all agitations cease and the mind is

at rest in its own silence. Now is the chance: establish yourself in yoga---the

Sadhana of spiritual union with the Universal Power, the Absolute Wisdom, the

Eternal Verity.

The consciousness ascends through the six centers, marked on the Yogadhandha

(yogic staff) in the centre of the circle, and then, watch what happens. The

Lotus of the Heart blooms, the petals unfold, the fragrance permeates the

Universe, the rays of the Sun are inhaled, and as you see represented here, the

Aathmajyothi (the splendor of the Atma, the unsullied effulgence), illumines you

and everything else in One All-embracing flame. Contemplate on this symbol; make

it alive in your consciousness; that is what I mean when I say, hoist the flag

on your mind. You will find it highly beneficial. When this flag waves happily

with the wind on the Nilayam, it must also wave happily on your consciousness,

calling you to further effort and further spiritual effort.

It is not mere Bhakti (intense devotion) that I want, I want action motivated by

bhakthi. Throw off all your present responsibilities and take up this new

responsibility of saving yourself; then you will have discharged your duty

smoothly and to your satisfaction.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 29-9-1962.

Know that the basic reality is God, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent.

Become aware of it and stay in that awareness always. Whatever the stress and

the storm, do not waver from that Faith. Or you can earn that awareness by

reminding yourselves of it with every breath of yours. How can you so remind

yourselves, you may ask. By means of any one of His Names, any Name that is

fragrant with Divine Pre-fume, any Name that is reminiscent of His Beauty His

Grace and His Power - Sathya Sai Baba

41. DHARMA MOOLAM

TODAY, long before the Sun rose, I could see Ananda rising in your hearts; for

you woke up long before dawn and got ready to come here for the Inauguration of

this Yajna (Vedic ritual of sacrifice)! I had suggested 9-30 as the time for

this event, but others suggested an earlier Muhuurtha (auspicious hour) due to

the showers that came this morning. My Sankalpa (resolve) prevailed, and we are

meeting here to inaugurate the Yajna at 9-30 itself! Ananda is ultimately based

on food, food is derived from rain, rain is the gift of God in exchange for

Yajna offerings. Yajna is a rite done as per the Karmakaanda, a part of the

Vedas dealing with action. So, the Veda Purusha (Vedic God-head) is the spring

out of which Ananda wells. That is why this Yajna is called

Veda Purusha Yajna.

Yajna (Sacrifice) is the destiny of every living being. Life is sustained by the

sacrifice, of the living. Every being, from the tiniest amoeba to the most

profound scholar, is perpetually engaged in Yajna. The mother sacrifices for

the child, the father for the progeny, the friend for the friend, the

individual for the group, the present for the sake of the future, the rich for

the poor, the weak for the strong---it is all Yajna, sacrifice, offering. Only,

most of it is not conscious; most of it is not voluntary; most of it is not

righteous. It is done out of fear or greed or with a view to the fruits

thereof, or by mere instinct or primeval urge. It must be consciously done, it

must be for spiritually elevating purposes, especially in man. Then, when Life

becomes yajnamaya (Sacrifice-filled), egoism will disappear and

the river will merge in the sea.

Bring out the priceless pearls of India's past

The stream of Yajna is the river Saraswathi of the Vedic Triveni; the meaning

and significance, of every single hymn and rite of the Vedas is Yajna. Every

single syllabus of the Vedas is a name of God; it has about thirteen lakhs of

such syllables. When the river Saraswathi underneath the Twin Rivers, Ganga and

Yamuna, dries up, it will be a terrible tragedy; so also when the stream of

Yajna dries up, it will be a great loss of spiritual wealth; because when that

happens, India cannot continue to be India. Bhaarathavarsha is called

Karmabhuumi, since Yajna is the karma that is the most worthwhile. It is

Vedhabhuumi (land of Vedas), not the Vedhanabhuumi (land of anguish) it is fast

becoming. Vedhana or suffering can never come if the Vedas are learnt and

practiced

again.

Do not be satisfied with simply collecting a few gaudy shells from the shore of

this ancient' culture. Dive deep into its past and bring out the priceless

pearls. "Vedhokhilo Dharma muulam"---The Vedas are the root of all dharma

(virtue). If the roots are injured, the tree will die. If the roots are alive,

the tree can grow again; it can survive the lopping of the branches, the

denudation of the leaves, but once the roots decay, there is no hope. The Vedas

and the Sasthras are the two eyes of India. But by blind imitation of Western

cultures and by blind carping on the native culture, these two eyes have become

dim. Those who have no vision have to be led by others. Indians too are thrown

into this plight, when they allowed the Vedas and the Sasthras to be neglected.

They are reduced to dependence on others, who showed

them the way to their own culture.

Man has bandaged his eyes with egoism

Do not cry out for help to the rulers or the Governments if you desire to revive

the Vedas. No, the Veda belongs to those who crave for it, who know its value,

who are afflicted with an insatiable thirst for it, who desire to practice it

and who are eager to derive the joy and calm which it can impact. No one else

has the right to patronize it and talk highly about it; such talk will be

insincere and therefore, valueless and even false. People who do not know how

to distinguish between the fleeting and the fixed, the right and the wrong, the

true and the false, sit in judgment on the Vedas and strut about pompously in

their narrow conceited circles; but others keep aloof from such critics. To

say, as some of these do, that the Vedas are contraptions put together by a few

Brahmins for their aggrandizement is the height of

folly; it is the case of the mentally weak judging a thing beyond their ken.

A fish, even if it is put into a golden bowl, struggles desperately to return to

the sea from which it was pulled up. It is in mortal agony until it reaches its

primal home. It wants water all round it to be happy and alive. Man too is of

the nature of Ananda (divine bliss); he cannot survive without Ananda. He is

Amrita Swarupa (Immortality embodied); hence, it is difficult for him to

imagine that his body will fall off and he has to die one day. He has bandaged

his eyes with egoism and he says the darkness is very congenial; the curious

shapes of things he sees darkly, he takes as true.

Vedic scholars must save the Vedas

There are some disciplines and some dharma to follow if you desire to take off

the bandage and see the Light and all things in the new Light. This Bhavarogha

(worldly disease) can be cured by the Vedic drug and the regimen of

restrictions and regulations, the various do's and don’ts which these Brahmins

are following. Do not dismiss these restrictions and regulations as mere

superstitions; no one will practice them for the fun of it all; they are very

hard limitations on conduct and on the details of daily life. It requires great

faith, courage and hardihood to hold them as true and put them into practice.

Honour those who have that faith and that courage. I know the sincerity with

which they have been leading this regulated life, for I have been with every

one of them since years.

By long neglect, the road laid down by the Vedic Seers is overgrown with thorns;

it is now well nigh unrecognizable, what with pot-holes, scouting, hollows and

brush. Just as some travelers spoil the very rest-houses where they are given

shelter the Vedas have been covered with alumny by the very people whom they

have blessed and elevated. When a country is in danger of invasion, the army,

that is a part of the population, selected carefully and trained systematically

for the specific purpose of war, rushes to ward off the invader. Similarly, when

the Vedas are in danger, this well-trained, selected band of dedicated Vedic

scholars must take up the task.

These Pundits and scholars were struggling in agony because they felt forsaken

and alone. Now, look at them, sitting gaily dressed, as brides in the marriage

pavilion; with joy in their faces and hope in their hearts. They had no one

hitherto even to listen with patience to their scrupulously correct recitals of

the Vedic Mantras (holy letters, words). Henceforth, they have no reason to

fear.

My task comprises Veda sam rakshana (protection of Vedas), Vidhwath poshana

(fostering Vedic scholars) and Dharma sthaapana (establishment of

Righteousness). All three are interdependent. Vidhwath poshana helps both

Vedhas and Dharma and so I assure them that their scholarship and sincerity

will not go unrewarded. The era of neglect has ended.

Vedhapurusha sapthaaha Yajna: Prashanthi Nilayam, 1-10-1962

When Rama enters the mind, Kama has no place therein. Desire ceases, when God

seizes the mind. In fact, since desire is the very stuff of which the mind is

made, it becomes non-existent and you are free. This stage is called,

mano-nigraha, mano-laya or mano-naashana- --the death of the mind, the merging

of the mind or the killing of the mind. - Sathya Sai Baba

42. BRAHMA AND BRAHMAN

WHEN you listen to these speeches by distinguished scholars, these wise men who

have become like ripe fruits full of sweet Vedhasaaram (essence of Vedas), you

forget (I can realise your feelings) the discomfort, the rain, the heat, the

sleeplessness and the hunger which might be pestering you. That shows that the

Vedas are a reservoir of joy. And for you, the joy is greater because you are

all the time listening with Me in your minds, comparing My words and deeds with

what you hear these people describe as the words and deeds of the Vedic God, and

discovering that both are the same. For your inner joy, they are not the cause,

nor is it, believe Me, even I. It is you yourself. The proofs and arguments

they quoted for the purity of the rites and establishment of a happy social

order, which is the product of the rites, they are

in you already, they are for you. You have those messages whispering their words

of warning and encouragement in your inner ear; it is up to you to be silent for

a while, so that you may hear it and benefit by it.

You have been born for one purpose: to die. That is to say, to kill the "I." If

bhrama (delusion) dies, you become Brahman (the Supreme Spirit), or rather, you

know that you are Brahman. All this literature, all this effort, all this Yajna,

all this teaching is just to hold a mirror before you, so that you may see

Yourself.

Karma is like the clouds that pass

Now, this can be done by karma, Upasana or Jnaana (action, worship, sacred

knowledge); the Vedas are the basic teaching for all humanity, on these three;

it has the Karma kaanda, the Upasana kaanda and the Jnaana kaanda. Of course,

Bhakti or Upasana (through the karma which it sublimates and sanctifies) will

lead you on to the highest Jnaana. It is enough if you take a ticket and sit

in the "through" carriage of the train; it will take you through many junctions

to the distant destination. The karma of purchasing a ticket and getting into

the carriage and the Bhakti or intense desire to reach the terminus (without

any urge to alight at intermediate stations) will take you through a series of

junctions and stations, right to the

very place where you want to go.

In the firmament of the heart, the mind and the intellect must shine as the Moon

and the Sun; Karma is like the clouds that pass; do not worry about them. Some

clouds are inevitable; they will shift soon and fade away. So also karma. They

will not disappear if you simply shout at them. Discipline alone can drive away

those clouds; that is to say, karma has to be done to free the mind from the

consequences of Karma.

The Vedas are endless; Anantham; Veda is the sky, which envelops all, which has

no limit in any direction. The Sasthras are like buildings built under the sky,

each with its own roof; some big, some small, but all constructed to give

shelter and comfort; the same nectar is found in both, but the Veda is the

reservoir from which they draw and fill their own tanks. Take a stone image;

the face, the nose, the feet, the ankle, the knee, the hair, the crown, the

precious stones set in the crown are all stone. The cloth that the image wears

is stone, the smile is stone. So too, the entire world is Brahman, one

substance, one energy, one mind. Vidwaans Kolluri Somasekhara Shastri,

Sannidhaanam Lakshminaarayana Shastri and Uppuluuri Ganapathi Shastri all went

through their speeches at express speed, for they felt that you were longing

to hear Me also. But that was wronging you, for rarely do you hear men of such

talent and experience. Still, I shall close now, for you have sat too long

without any interval.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 2-10-1962

Give the body the attention it deserves, but not more. Some people advise that

you should cultivate disgust towards it; but, that is not beneficial. Tend it

as an instrument; use it as a boat, as a raft. Disgust is not a desirable

attitude towards any-thing in creation. Everything is God's handiwork, an

example of His Glory, His Majesty. - Sathya Sai Baba

43. GHEE AND SANDAL

DAILY you are getting the "Essence of Divinity" from these scholars, who have

come to this little village hidden behind the hills and forests; they are

giving you medicine to reduce your fever and restore you to health. This stream

of amrita (nectar of immortality) is coming to you because of your fortune,

earned by goodness, and good deeds. Of course, it is interesting to hear from

them speeches on subjects contained in the books which these Pundits have

studied; but it is much more interesting and useful to hear what they have

themselves experienced and practiced on the basis of what they have studied. I

tell you only what they have already said, but you like it nevertheless,

probably because I try to make it simpler to suit your measure of

understanding, which I happen to know more than they; they do not know you as

well as I do, or as

long as I do. There are, I know, many even in this gathering who whisper among

their own group that this Homa (offering oblations to gods into the consecrated

fire) with fine cow's ghee and costly sandalwood chips is a big waste. But if

you always dwell in the realm of accounts, of plus and minus, how can you ever

get the joy of realizing a wish that is unsatisfiable by mere money? These

people struggle for ghee and for sandal fuel; not for the more precious joy of

the performance of an ancient rite.

The questioners themselves have eaten bags of rice and drunk pots and pots of

ghee since birth. Let me ask them whether they have had a single day of

happiness or whether they have given joy at least to their kith and kin. This

Yajna (Vedic ritual of sacrifice) gives great joy to so many; I have not gone

to any one for funds for this; I and My people are very delighted by this

celebration! What have others to do in this matter? They are concentrating on

material utility. I want you to concentrate on spiritual significance. They

struggle for a little ghee; they crave for a little fuel. You get incalculable

joy.

Yajna is correlated with human aspirations

The Yajna has a deeper meaning, the meaning that symbols have, the meaning that

is really valuable for human progress. Every rite is a symbolic act. Yajna is

correlated at every step with human aspirations and Sadhana. It is kept in

touch with human life and aspirations in its minutest detail. Butter is the

product of the churning of the emotions, impulses, impressions and instincts of

man; the purest and the most authentic essence of the divine in man. That

butter, when it is still more clarified, becomes ghee; it is that which is

offered to the Gods. You may ask how it reaches the Gods. Well, the Veda itself

is the authority for that belief. You cannot demand any other; for it will be as

foolish as asking the. eye to prove by some authority unconnected with the eye,

the validity of what it has seen. How can the ear give some

other authority to prove the genuineness of the sound which it alone can hear?

The eye is its own authority, the ear is its own pramaana (testimony). The

Veda, which has probed into the science of propitiating the Gods says that the

Sacrificial Fire conveys the subtler aspects of the offerings. And the Veda is

its own testimony.

Strive to secure Grace, not any lesser' fruit

Indra (Lord of celestial gods) is the presiding Deity of the Hand and the Indra

Yajna confers the communion of human labour; the collective. co-operation of

human industry for the progress of the individual and of society. Also,

Brihaspathi (Spiritual teacher of celestial gods) is the Deity of the Intellect

and the Yajna associated with his name establishes cordiality and co-ordination.

The Chandra Yajna (Sacrifice for Moon) similarly tends to develop the harmony of

hearts and the Aadhithya Yajna (Sacrifice for Sun) the promotion of sameness of

vision among all, for the Sun is the. Deity presiding over the Eye. Every Yajna

has a great unseen influence on human affairs, for these Mantras (sacred

formulas) are potent sounds, charged with subtle mysteries.

Always concentrate on the lasting fruit; the universal, the spiritual. Do not

pursue mean objectives; utilise the mind to follow the Plan of the Lord to

re-establish Dharma in the world. What can you plan with your paltry

intelligence? There was a man once who laughed at God for giving the majestic

banyan tree a tiny molecular seed and conferred on the ash gourd a gigantic

uncouth fruit. "No sense of proportion," he said. However, he had to sleep once

under the shade of a banyan tree and when he woke up after an hour or so, he saw

a large quantity of seeds that had fallen on his body. If only the banyan tree

had seeds in proportion to its size, a single seed falling from that height

would have killed the critic in no time! Therefore, he thanked God for his poor

sense of logic and moved away perfectly safe.

Take everything as it comes; cultivate contentment; do not multiply your wants

and foster greed and despair. You take off your warm clothing when you start

feeling warm yourself. The coat of desire has to be taken off when the warmth

of Bhakti increases. Strive to secure Grace; do not strive to secure any lesser

fruit.

Faith can compel the Lord to manifest Himself

There was a thief who listened quite accidentally to the recital or the charms

of Krishna during childhood; he stopped for a moment, but could not pull

himself away. He heard the description of the ornaments he wore and got a great

desire to rob those precious treasures, tie asked the Pundit where exactly

Krishna would be tending the cows alone or with just his elder brother or with

handful of comrades. The Pundit told him rather curtly, "In Brindavan, on the

Yamuna bank."

Planning to catch Krishna alone and deprive him of the ornaments, he hurried off

to Brindavan. Sure enough, he met the Boy alone next morning at the head of his

herd of cows, but how could he take off the ornaments from that Loveliness? He

was afraid that the removal of even one ornament would reduce the lustre and

his hear did not allow him to do that. He looked on for hour, lost in ecstasy,

till Krishna himself asked him, but he was too ashamed to mention it. Krishna

knew it however. He gave him all the jewels he wore. The thief was overcome

with shame and joy; he fell at the Boy's Feet, but when he rose, Krishna was

not to be seen. He came to his village and consulted the Pundit. "Are these the

jewels of Krishna that you extolled the other day? I went to Brindavan and He

gave them to me." Needless to add, the Pundit fell at robber's

feet. Faith can work wonders, it can compel the Lord to manifest Himself and

give you what you believe he will give.

The Rithwiks (priests) and Pundits (Vedic scholars) pressed Me with the request

that I should agree to their proposal to have some programme which they called

Thribhuvana Vijayam (conquest of three worlds). That is a sign of their

enthusiasm and their faith. They wish that I should agree to give them audience

as Seshasaayee (Vishnu lying on the serpent with one thousand heads forming the

couch), using the Sesha paryanka (serpent-like couch) that has been brought by

a devotee from Bombay; it seems they, like the Rishis mentioned in the

Bhagavatham, will represent to Me then the sad condition of the Sasthras

(scriptures) they study and practice, including the Mother of all Sasthras, the

Veda. When this idea was first placed before Me, some one objected on the ground

that I was asked to give

Darshan (audience) "like" Maha Vishnu. He did not like the idea of "like." I

have also an objection against "acting" in a "drama." But I was so moved by the

earnestness of their request that I agreed. Really speaking, this Avatar is

itself acting a part. It is 'putting on' a function and 'assuming' a role, by

the unctionless and the Role-less. As far as the Yajna is concerned, I shall

give you the Darshan of the Veda Swarupa (Veda personified) before you

disperse. Be assured of that.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 4-10-1962.

TO BE CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’

Source and Courtesy: http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume02/sss02

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