SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume III [Ch. 1, 2]

[Guest guest]

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

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we propose 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 III [Ch. 1, 2]

Publisher's Note

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

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

falter". Swami delivered these discourses out of profound compassion towards

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

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

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

their needs. The discourses have been presented year-wise so that there is no

overlapping of the discourses delivered in a year, in more than one volume

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

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

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

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

The retention of Sanskrit words on page after page, in the previous volumes,

without their English equivalents in most cases, was causing great confusion to

readers, especially foreigners, who were not familiar with Sanskrit. In the

present revised volumes, an attempt has been made to aid easy reading by

replacing Sanskrit words with English equivalents wherever they do not affect

Baba's original expression. Sanskrit words have been retained wherever it was

felt necessary to preserve the essence of the original expression of Baba and

where the English equivalents may not do full justice to the text in the

particular context. However, in all such places the English equivalents have

been given along with the Sanskrit words. Some very commonly understood

Sanskrit words or Sanskrit words, which are repeated too often, are retained

without English equivalents

to retain the original flavor of Baba's discourses. Further, in this revised

volume, phonetic spellings have been adopted for all Sanskrit words uniformly

to enable readers who are new to these words to pronounce them correctly and to

remove any vagueness in the pronunciation of these words.

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

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

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

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

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

The revised series of volumes are being brought out in a larger format, Demy

Octavo size, so that they can be companion books with other publications in

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

readable type face and better line spacing have been adopted for more

comfortable reading of the books, especially by elderly readers. Very long

paragraphs have been split into shorter paragraphs and suitable sub-headings

have been added in every page, to relieve the monotony on the eye and make

reading a pleasure.

Better quality paper, improved binding, dust cover with new design and foil

printing and plastic cover have been adopted for the revised volumes for better

preservation and durable shelf-life of the volumes. With these changes, it is

hoped that the revised and enlarged volumes of "Sathya Sai Speaks" Series, will

be of great benefit to earnest seekers in spiritual realm.

Sathya Sai Speaks

"I've come," He says, "to wake you all,

Who sleep the sleep of ages---

While one be on the pages

Of account book of paltry deeds and thoughts,

Accumulate in defiling piles...and keep you from

The happy land,

Above, beyond the sleep, the dream,

Above beyond the waking stage---

The Realm of Restful Peace."

"I've come," He says, "to save you all

Who stray away in silly pride,

Hunting fantasies in bush and briar,

With bandaged eyes, in pitch-dark gloom

And fall into birth-and-death,

Failure, fracture, faction, fanatic fire."

"I've come," He says, "to cure you all

>From petty selfish inanities!

Trivial tinsel temporalities!

'Your tweedledums and tweedledees,

The little loves and hates,

Peevish paisa rivalries,

Across dividing line of 'mine' and 'thine'!

Brother gouging brother's eye,

Sister crushing sister's babe---

For the sin of wall between!"

"I've come," He says, "to show you all

The Path; a Form, a Name; a Way of life,

That cools and calms the fevered Mind,

That stills the waves,

That fills, fulfils;

That leads you into He (whom you forgot)

That follows you into It, from which you came."

Here you find on every page

The Words He spoke for you.

A few... which I dared, translate

Into uncouth English tongue....

The few I gathered from His Lips

As I sat at the Feet, to catch His voice

So Sweet, so charged with Grace!

The solar rays, they open wide

The buds of Lotus, Waiting for the Warmth!

May Baba's Words, their warming touch

Unfurl the petals of your Lotus heart!

N. Kasturi

1. CLIMB THE RIGHT TREE

I KNOW that your hunger has not been fully appeased, even after listening to two

excellent discourses, radiating Ananda (bliss), given by these Pundits

(scholars). Both of them said that they had no claims to scholarship and that

all that they were able to see and speak about was due to My Grace. Well, that

is but a way they have cultivated, to curb conceit. Hanuman was not aware of

his vast strength; he had cultivated that much of self-effacement. Some one had

to remind him of his skill and prowess and then, Hanuman would rise to the

occasion, with his powers fully awake.

It was also pleaded on your behalf that I should speak to you today, for it is a

long time since I spoke to you at this place. I feel I must satisfy, that desire

of yours. You eau yourselves Bhaktas (devotees); so, I shall talk to you about

the dharma of persons who seek to acquire Bhakti. No one can become a Bhakta by

naming himself so, nor, by others calling him so.

Bhakti involves dedication, with nothing held back; not even a wisp of ego

should remain. His command alone counts; His Will prevails. Like a drunkard,

the Bhakta has no sense of honour or decency, pride or conceit. He is a mattha,

an unmattha (a mad person), unconcerned with all that is unrelated to his ideal.

He is deaf to the call of hunger and thirst; he misses steps in logic and he

calculates wrongly while dealing in the market place. Narada says that those

full of the liquor of ignorance stumble after the shadows of the world, while

those drunk with nectar of wisdom never move away from the Highest, which they

have discovered as themselves.

Bhakti must soften the mind

You saw this in the case of this Shastri a few days ago when he came and sat in

this Hall for the first time, after 30 years of intense study of the Srimad

Bhagavatham. He felt that he had won the fruit of years of study and worshipful

exposition. He lost all awareness and some of you thought he had an attack of

epilepsy or something akin to it. I knew that he was in the realm of Ananda.

That is why I did not encourage you to take him to the hospital. Even today,

you noticed how when he started to describe the depth of Divine Grace he was

overcome with joy. The Lord broke His own plighted word in order to give the

Bhakta the credit for making Him do so, Bhishma had said that he would force

Krishna to wield a weapon on the battlefield, contrary to His declared

intention. Bhishma would accept defeat only from the Lord! And, so Krishna

strode

towards Bhishma, brandishing the Chakra (discus) in order to win. The Shastri

was describing this, when he broke down. Bhakti must soften the mind and keep

it receptive to the higher emotions, the purifying impulses.

Every being is a pilgrim to reach God

Bhishma was a Bhakta and by winning the Lord's grace, he was clothed with more

majesty and splendor than any earthly emperor. What majesty has these petty

scepter-holders? They cannot claim to have inner peace, inner joy; they know

not the joy of sharing love with all. Bhishma surrendered to the Lord, when He

challenged him with the Su-Darshan; that is to say, when He offers Su (good)

Darshan (vision), one must be wise enough to surrender, give up all; that is

what Bhishma did.

Like the kitten calling the mother to where it sits, by mere mewing, the Bhakta

has only to yearn, to mew with the pain of separation. The growing crop in the

fields thirsts for rain; it sees the heavy rain-clouds sail across the sky; it

cannot rise up to that altitude and drink the life- giving rain; nor can it

bring the clouds down to the ground. Humanity too sizzles in the hot Sun, the

unbearable heat of ego and greed. It needs the rain of Grace; it knows it can

flourish only then in peace and joy.

As the clouds form droplets and fall upon the fields which they choose to

foster, the Formless Absolute individualizes Itself, assumes Form and comes

down in the midst of humanity to save and sustain, That is the secret of God

Madhava coming down as Manava (man), the cloud taking pity on the crop,

parching in the Sun. Once the rains come, the Sun has its uses! So too, when

the grace of the Lord is gained, then ego and greed can be put to profit by

being made to flow; into useful channels.

In past ages, Avatars (divine incarnations) rid the world of evil, by destroying

the few fanatics and ogres who wrought it. But, now fanaticism and felony reign

in every heart. The number of Asuras (evil men) is legion; no one is free from

that taint; all are wicked to some extent or other. Therefore, every one needs

correction; every one has to be educated and guided into the right path. Every

being is a pilgrim destined to reach Madhava and merge in Him; but most people

have forgotten the road; they wander like lost children, wasting precious time

in by-paths.

You can win Lord's Grace only by dharma

Manava (man) has to become Madhava (God); that is his destiny, the plan and

purpose of his being armed, as no other animal is, with the sword of Viveka

(discrimination) and the shield of Vairagya (renunciation). Man is the only

animal that can picture a previous existence and existences in a series, with

impressions accumulating from one to the other. What you see and feel in a

dream has some basis on what you have seen and felt in the waking state; so

too, what you see and feel in the present life has, as its basis, what you have

seen and felt in other lives, previous lives.

You can win the Grace of the Lord only by dharma. Dharma induces the spirit of

self-surrender and develops it. Without the training that the practice of

dharma gives to your senses, your feelings and emotions, you cannot have steady

faith and steady detachment. The Lord is Dharma conceived as a personality. Rama

is known as Vigrahavaan Dharmah (Righteousness personified). If you step across

the bounds of Dharma and play foul, you cannot win the game of life.

Pursue your task with one-pointed effort

When Hanuman was speeding along the sky like an arrow from Rama’s bow, many

temptations attempted to halt him. He did not delay or turn back. He sped on,

intent only on the task his Lord has set for him. When the Mynaaka Mountain

rose up to offer him a little rest, he trampled it down into the depths of the

sea. The mountain rose again and pleaded for the chance of serving him for a

while. It had decked itself with green orchards and fragrant flower gardens for

his recreation and recoupment, for when Indra slashed off the wings of all the

mountains in past ages, Mynaaka had fled with the help of Vayu, the father of

Hanuman, and he wanted to express his gratitude by granting hospitality to the

son; but, Hanuman pleaded that his master's task brooked no delay. A few

moments later, a terrible monstress, Surasa by name, confronted Hanuman.

Hanuman overcame

her by skilful tactics and avoided further delay. You should pursue your path to

liberation with one-pointed effort.

The Shastri said that the Lord wishes that His Bhakta should shine over

non-believers; that he should be happier, more contented, more courageous than

the rest: Bhakti ought to make a man so, But the Bhakta does not cultivate

these traits deep enough. He lets the chance go to waste. If Shastri gives his

sons a hundred acres each, one son may tend it well and reap golden harvests

from it: another may allow it to lie fallow and himself sink into misery. The

equipment each has brought from previous lives may be different: you cannot

blame thee father for this state of affairs. Even the blood of one son may be

fatal when transfused into another son. Spiritual strength will be less in one,

more in another, in proportion to the efforts of each, now and in the past.

Let the light within shine

The pity is that man is not eating the most relishing, the most nourishing

fruit, from this Garden of Nature. He is climbing the wrong tree and seeking to

pluck the wrong fruits: so, his appetite is ruined, his taste is vulgarized, his

health is destroyed. Only the Glory of the Lord can satisfy the hunger of man,

for he is part of that Glory. Only experience can reveal the sweetness, the

sublimity, the purpose of that Glory. Parashurama came across Rama and

challenged him when he was returning to Ayodhya after his marriage. He had won

Sita by bending and breaking the bow of Shiva: and thereby humbled the pride of

all the crowned heads that had come seeking Sita's hand. But, Parashurama was

intoxicated with his own achievement, in defeating the Kshatriya rulers in

twenty-one campaigns. That pride lowered the Divine status of Parashuraama and

so, he

could be felled in a moment by Rama who was to all appearance just a stripling!

The Lord, it was said, punishes some and favors others. Let Me tell you- the

Lord does neither. He is like the current in this electric wire. It rotates the

fan and makes one's life cooled; it operates the electric chair and makes one's

life shorter. It has no wish to allay the warmth of the atmosphere; it has no

eagerness to kill. The Lord's Grace is like the wind that blows. Roll up your

sails and the boat lies limp and lame; unfurl them, it moves faster and faster.

It is like light; one person does good using the illumination; another executes

an evil plan, with its help. Have an "inner day," though an "outer night." Let

the light within, shine. When you are unaware of the world, though in it,

heedless of its call for participation, you are having an outer night and an

inner day. The Vedas teach you this Truth and impart the discipline needed

to attain this fortune.

The Lord is the Father of all in the world

The Shastri spoke of the value of the Vedic discipline. The Vedas declare that

if a karma (act) is done in a definite way, a definite result will accrue. They

give you a pen filled with ink; they teach you how to write and what to write.

They are so kind. Vedhamaatha is so full of maternal love (vaathsalya as they

call it). She repeats an injunction, over and over again, just as I go on

reminding you of the disciplinary rules of the Nilayam, on every possible

occasion. So, do not set aside the commands of the Vedas: they are the

authentic Voice of the Lord Himself as heard and recorded by purified

intellects.

A father gives his wealth to the son, who respects his wishes and obeys his

orders, not to the rebel son who flouts him. The Lord is Loka-pitha (the Father

of All). If you are an Aasthika (a person who accepts that there is God and

shapes his life accordingly), then you will get the Aasthi (wealth or

property), if a person is an idiot, ignorant of his true interests, unaware of

his own downfall, then he is not entrusted with his own Aasthi, a guardian has

to take care of his affairs until he proves himself able to manage it with

care.

Dwell always on the Glory of God

It may take many lives for a man to prove that he knows what is best for him,

that he is able to chalk out his own future without harming himself or others,

that he is aware of the pitfalls on the way. So, it is best to trust to the

experience of sages, who were filled with compassion and who were moved by that

compassion to illumine the path of liberation. This experience is enshrined in

the Vedas. Faith in the Vedas irrigates the heart and makes it yield the

harvest of Universal Love.

The Sasthras warn you of false steps; they console you in times of stress; they

strengthen you in distress; they give correct interpretations of moral

dilemmas. They prescribe the dress, the food, the manner of speech, the methods

of social conduct, the mode of mutual behaviors, the lines of onward march. They

are the conscience of society.

In this Prashanthi Nilayam, too, there are certain limits laid down, certain

modes of spending time usefully, recommended by Me. All who come here, whether

longtime residents or new arrivals, have to observe them. You have seen Me, and

stayed here, and heard these discourses. Let Me ask what is the gain? Are you

going back, unchanged, unaffected? Dogs do not chew sugar cane; they seek a

bone, instead, m-fated mortals recoil, when the talk is about God, goodness,

Sadhana (spiritual effort) and Saakshaathkaara (vision of the divine) But, you

must pull yourselves up into the purer air of aadhyaathmik (spiritual) life,

draw yourselves away from slums and by lanes and travel on the highway to God.

Dwell always on the glory of God; then, you will shine in that glory. Adhere to

Truth that is the surest means of removing fear from your

heart. Prema can grow only in the heart watered by Truth.

What is Bhakti and who are Bhaktas?

Naagayya, even while he plays the role of Thyaagayya, is always conscious that

he is Naagayya. "Thyaagayya is the role I am playing," he would say. Now, go

one step further. When asked who you are, say that you are Narayana-Swarupa,

playing the role of Pullayya or Thimmayya or Mallayya, or whatever your name

is. So too, every other person is a role played by Narayana. Narayana washed

clothes as the dhobi, shapes wood as the carpenter, forges iron as the

blacksmith, prepares pots at the wheel as a potter. He is all this---and more.

His glory is inexhaustible. The Avatar (divine incarnate) is another role He

takes up for another purpose. The Lord comes as Avatar when He is anxiously

awaited by saints and sages. Sadhus (the pious) prayed---and I have come. My

tasks are three, or rather two, since Dharmarakshana

(protection of virtue) and Vedharakshana (protection of Vedic culture) are both

practically the same. The two are, therefore: Vedharakshana and

Bhaktharakshana---fostering of the Vedas and fostering of Bhaktas (devotees).

Now, what is Bhakti (devotion)? Who are Bhaktas? It is faith, steadiness,

virtue, fearlessness, surrender, absence of egoism. Pooja done however

elaborately and pompously, is sheer waste of time and energy. Why pluck flowers

and hasten their death? Some of you go round this Nilayam and satisfy yourselves

that you have done so many pradakshinas (circum-ambulations), but, they can be

called so, only when your mind circles this place along with your feet.

Talk less, talk low if you must

I notice that while your feet are taking you round by force of habit, your

tongues blabber about the faults of others, or the price of vegetables, or the

dishes you propose to cook for lunch. Before you start on your rounds, which

you call pra-dakshina, give your mind as Dakshina (Thanksgiving offering) to

the Resident of the temple, the Lord. That is the first thing to do, and

perhaps, the only thing to do. Pradakshina is not to be taken as prescribed,

for loosening the limbs or giving them some exercise.

This Nilayam should not be treated with scant reverence. Make the best use of

your stay here. Do not treat this chance lightly. You come spending much money,

and put yourselves to much trouble to reach here; but, you do not bloom as

fragrant offerings at the Lord's feet by learning the Sadhana path. The senses

have to be curbed into obedient servants of the spirit. For example, I insist

on silence. Talk less, talk low when you must talk.

Do not thrust your sorrows, your needs, and your problems into the ears of those

who have come here with their own bundle of such things. They are not interested

in adding to their troubles. I am here to listen to you, to console you. Do not

by loudness of voice disturb those who are meditating or reading or writing the

name of God.

All ills are traceable to faulty living

Meditate if possible, yourselves, alone; read spiritual books if you can; write

the name of the Lord in the quiet of your corner; if you cannot do these, at

least do not disturb others who are doing these. Encourage one another to march

along the path to God.

Become entitled to the honored title of Bhakta. My glory is spread daily through

those who call themselves My Bhaktas. Your virtue, your self-control, your

detachment, your faith, your steadfastness---these are the signs by which

people read of My glory. Not that I want any such prop.

But, it just happens so, in this world, where men estimate others indirectly,

rather than directly. Let Me tell you, such Bhaktas are very rare. That is the

reason why I do not address your gathering as, "Bhakthulaaral" You can lay

claim to that name only when you have placed yourself in My hands, fully,

completely, with no trace of ego kept back to cater to your vanity. All ills

are traceable to faulty living. And what is that traceable to? To ignorance of

one's real Nature, ignorance so deep-rooted that it affects thoughts, words and

deeds. The drug that can cure it is patented under different names: Jnaana,

karma, Upasana (contemplation), Bhakti. They are all the same in potency, and

curative power. The difference lies only in the method of administration either

as mixture or as tablet or injection.

Be confident that you will be liberated; know that you are saved. Go and tell

all that you had gone to Puttaparthi and that you got there the secret of

liberation.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 25-1-1963

The mind must become the servant of the intellect, not the slave of the senses.

It must discriminate and detach itself from the body. Like the ripe tamarind

fruit, which becomes loose inside the shell, it must be unattached to this

shell, this casement called body. Strike a green tamarind fruit with a stone

and you cause harm to the pulp inside; but, strike the ripe fruit and see what

happens. It is the dry rind that falls off; nothing affects the pulp or the

seed. The ripe aspirant does not feel the blows of fate or fortune; it is the

unripe man who is wounded by every blow - Sathya Sai Baba

2. REVEALING YOU TO YOURSELF

DEEKSHITH just said that this is a sacred day, not only for the 35 boys who were

initiated into Brahmacharya (religious studentship) but for Sanathana Dharma

(universal religion) itself, since the Upanayanams (investiture ceremony of

sacred thread) here are an important step in the restoration of Varnashraama

dharma (code of conduct prescribed for the four social groups of Hindu Society)

itself. The study of the Vedas is the highest type of learning, since it leads

to the conquest of Death. All other studies deal with the means of living or

the surroundings within which you have to live; they deal with earning and

spending, deriving a little pleasure by this trick, escaping a little grief by

that other trick. The Vedas show the path to the Realm of Eternal Bliss, where

there is no birth or death.

People learn details about China, Russia and America; they know about the

volcanoes of the Pacific or the islands of the Arctic regions, but, they do not

know an iota about the features of their own inner realms.

Jnaana must grow from within

There are five such Realms in them; but, they are aware only of the outermost

realm, the Annamaya Kosha (the material casement), in which they are housed;

even this is just an awareness, not full knowledge. There are deeper layers of

which they are ignorant---the Praanamaya (sheath of vital energy), the Manomaya

(mental sheath), the Vijnaanamaya (sheath of intelligence) and the Aanandhamaya

(sheath of Divine Bliss). Those who are conscious only of the Annamaya Kosha

can claim to be only just Karma Swarupa, not Rama Swarupa (embodiment of desire

but not of Rama). That is to say, they will be swayed by every gust of Kama

(desire); they will scarce be able to control desire and rise to the demands

made on nobler virtues by the Divinity latent in them. They will get proper

inspiration and

instruction to explore and exploit the inner realms only from the Vedas, and the

Sasthras that expound the Vedic truths.

The Karma Kaanda is the biggest part of the Vedas, because Karma (sanctified

activity) is the means by which the tree blossoms and the fruit matures and

grows; the Upasana Kaanda (the contemplative portion) deals with the

Upasana---method by which the fruit ripens; the Jnaana Kaanda describes Jnaana

(spiritual knowledge), the process by which the fruit fills itself with

sweetness. The first stage takes the longest time; so, it comprises the largest

portion; the second and the third are quicker by comparison. So, they are

shorter.

The third stage can be accomplished even apart from the tree by keeping the

fruit in a warm place amidst straw or in a hot room. Man can acquire the

sweetness of Jnaana by keeping himself in Satsang (holy company) or even by

remaining in a solitary place, all by himself in Dhyana (meditation), for

example. But by whatever means, the sweetness (the Jnaana) cannot be injected

from outside; it must grow from within. It is a transformation of the inner

nature, won by a struggle with inner foes.

Get rid of grief in this life itself

Just think of this for a while. You are in this body, in this receptacle, in

order to realise the God you really are. This body is the cocoon you have spun

round yourselves, by means of your impulses and desires. Use it while it lasts,

to grow wings so that you can escape from it! You came into this world crying,

announcing your grief at being thrust into it, grief for having lost hold on

God. Having come with grief, decide not to go with it, from here. Get rid of it

in this life itself.

You were told now that the Ramayana was welling with shoka rasa; the main mood

of that epic was, it was said, agony, well, the first step to prayer is a touch

of agony. Agony is more potent than awe, in leading you Godward. Grieve for lost

chances, lost time; move on, everyday, forward to the Goal. Amidst all these

absurd loves and hates, the meaningless game of having and hoarding, losing and

lamenting, building and demolishing castles in the air, you have no moment of

real calm.

Everything in the Universe is Divine

Peace of mind will not descend on you because your room is air-conditioned or

your sofa, soft cushioned. It does not depend on your bank-balance; or on the

diplomas you have collected. It can come only when, you deny the dhaanava

(demon) in you all chances of moving you, when you encourage the Divine in you

to manifest Himself. The dhaanava is the prompter of the Asuric traits

mentioned in the Geetha. Everything in the universe is Divine; it is; it

shines; it is lovable. It is asthi, bhaathi and priya; it is Sath, Chith and

Anantha. For, it is the same as the Universal, Eternal, Absolute, which is also

Sath-Chith-Ananda (Being, awareness, bliss). This is the Upadesh (spiritual

instruction) that these boys got today through the mantra that was taught them.

Upanayana means,

"near-leading," leading near, leading the boy to the teacher, taking him to the

teacher, the Gum, for this Upadesh, this initiation. The Guru who can give this

Upadesh must himself have transcended name and form, the relative regions of

worldly ambitions and achievements; he must have experienced the Oneness of all

this variety. Such men do not put up boards to announce their greatness or

compete with others for status or reward. These boys are specially lucky: good

fortune, of which even they are not aware, has brought them here for this

ceremony, which will transform them. They have done consciously, in previous

births, meritorious deeds, the fruits of which they are now tasting, unawares.

The Guru does not teach anything new; he reveals you to yourself. He trains you

to cleanse the mirror of your heart, so that you may be reflected in it, without

warp or twist. The brahmachaari (celibate or spiritual disciple) must obey the

commands of the

Guru, without flinching and to the full.

Use your fullest powers to grasp the truth

While Anjaneya was bringing the Sanjeevini Mountain, he had to take a course

that made the citizens of Nandhigraama see him in the sky; Bharatha, who saw

the strange sight of a monkey carrying a hill, brought him down with an arrow

and when he learnt that the hill had the drug which could cure Lakshmana who

was stricken in battle, Bharatha offered to send the hill quicker to where Rama

was, by shooting an arrow which could lift it and carry it fast. But, Anjaneya

said, he could fly quicker than any arrow from the bow of the fastest marksman!

Use your fullest powers to grasp the truth. Rely on your own skills, your own

force; then, they too will develop to the utmost demand you make of them. That

will give you the greatest joy. Many of these boys are today joining the Veda

Sasthra Paatasaala (School of Vedic Studies) here or have already

joined it. They will be enthused by each other in their study and Sadhana. When

ten friends gather around you and shout, "Come, come, we shall go," you feel

like joining them and you gladly go on the adventure. Teachers at the

Paatasaala, who are experienced men, will foster virtues and encourage at every

step. I am planting the sapling in your heart; they will water it and manure it.

I shall also water the sapling, off and on, especially, when they are not with

you. In order that the lotus may not go dry, the lake has to be full of water.

Prema is the water that must fill the heart: hatred will make it a parched

waste. Have faith in your own Atma (true Self or Being); that is the medicine.

Act always in the spirit of service and kinship with all; that is the regimen.

Surrender must be complete without reservations

To all of you I say, "Let mountains fall; let the sea overwhelm the land; but,

do not give up your Sadhana. And, remember, Sadhana is a waste, unless you grow

at the. same time in virtue and uprightness." If you give up all and surrender

to the Lord, He will guard you and guide you. When you complain, "Oh! He has

not guarded me," I reply, "You have not surrendered." The Lord has come just

for this very task. He is declaring that He will do so, that is the very task

that has brought Him!

Of course, you only talk of Sharanam (surrender), of placing all at the Feet;

but you withhold a great deal. Your minds are wayward like monkeys that skip

and jump from bough to branch. Give them to Me; I can make them steady and

harmless. When I say, sit, they will sit; when I say, stand, they stand. That

is what Sankaracharya offered to do, he told Shiva that he will hand over the

monkey that was his mind to Him so that it might be tamed and used for His

delight. But, it must be a complete handing over; no reservations.

Prashanthi Nilayam, Upanayanam Day, 3-2-1963

TO BE CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’

Source and Courtesy: http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume03/sss03

Start your day with - make it your home page