SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume IV [Ch. 28, 29, 30]

[Guest guest]

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

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

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Divine Messages titled, as ‘Sathya Sai

Speaks’ are being posted for the benefit of our members and all the Sai

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

Divine messages to their Sai circle to 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 IV [Ch. 28, 29, 30]

28. BE A CARE TAKER

TODAY this Sapthaaha (seven-day discourse) celebrates its Samaapthi

(conclusion). That word means, according to most people, the final function;

but it has a profounder meaning too. Samaapthi means, the attainment (Aapthi)

of Samam (Brahman). That is the final fruit of sravana, manana and

nididhyaasana (hearing, recapitulation and contention) of spiritual lessons and

discourses. In the worldly sense, it means the conclusion of a period of time;

in the spiritual sense, it means transcending time!

What is the sum and substance of all these discourses? It is that man has to

give up his pursuit of sensory objects if he seeks lasting peace and joy.

Material wealth brings along with it, not only joy but grief as well.

Accumulation of riches, multiplication of wants--these lead only to alternation

between joy and grief. Attachment is the root of both joy and grief; detachment

is the Savior. Aashakthi (attachment) is maaraka (death); anaashakthi

(non-attachment) is thaaraka (savior).

A millionaire pays income tax with tears in his eyes; a headmaster joyfully

gives up the furniture and laboratory appliances of his school when he is

transferred to some other place. Why? Because the headmaster knows that he is

only the caretaker, not the owner. He is not attached to these articles; he

knows that they belong to the government. So, too, feel that your family, your

house, your fields your car, are all the Lord's property and that you are only

the trustee; be rely to give them up without a murmur at a moment's notice.

The sacred literature of our country, the Vedas, the Sasthras, the Itihasas, the

Manusmrithi and the Puranas contain the drugs to cure attachment and endow you

with the strength of detachment. Drugs available at other places though they

may be more pleasant, cost time and money and do not assuage pain. Thyaaga

(sacrifice) does not mean that you should not value things; you may, even care

for them. But, remember always that they are transient; that the joy they give

is trivial and temporary. That is to say, do not develop Moha towards them.

Know their real worth; do not over-estimate them.

Subject yourself to vigilant scrutiny

A thirsty passenger asked the water-career at an up-country railway station

whether his leather bag was clean. The reply he got was, "As regards

cleanliness, all I can say is that the bag which pours is cleaner than the bag

which takes in." You must care more for the cleanliness of your mind and

intellect than for the external body. Instead of criticising others and finding

faults with the actions of others, subject yourself to vigilant scrutiny,

understand yourself well, and correct your own faults; do not be like the

dancer who blamed the drummer for her wrong steps. This objective world is as

ageless as God. Who knows when God resolved upon the Universe? It is as anaadhi

(beginningless) as God; we cannot determine when it came into being but we can

determine when it will end, at least for each of us. When you look into the

well, your reflection

is always there; so far as you are concerned, your reflection can be removed

from the well moment you decide you will no more seek the well, or pay

attention to it.

The Shastri who discoursed today gave a very learned and convincing disquisition

on the concepts of Aarya and Anaarya as depicted in the Ramayana; but, you must

now concentrate on the illness from which you are suffering and on its cure.

Foolishness, egoism and sheer ignorance are the causes of the misery of man

today. The eye, the ear and the tongue lead man to anxiety and malice, instead

of making him the messenger of peace and harmony. Intellect is the root of

pride and envy. Vishnu is Jagannaatha at Puri; at Kasi, Shiva is Vishweshwara

(both Lords of the Universe); where, then, is there any room for rivalry

between those who worship at Puri and those who worship at Kasi? Vishnu is

Gopal (protector of cows) and Shiva is Pashupathi (master of cows). Still, the

innate urge to fight comes up in the heart of man and he

uses the names of the Lord as excuses for provoking the fighting he relishes.

Limit the desires to your capacity

It is difficult to put into practice even the truths of which you are

intellectually convinced. Look at Dhrona on the battlefield. When he heard that

Ashwatama had been killed, he was so overcome with sorrow that he did not pause

to consider where he was and for what end; even if the news were true he should

not have laid down arms, forgetting the task upon which he had come to the

field. Delusion (Moha) induced him to do so; that was the reason for his

discomfiture and death.

There are many thousands of people here today, the final day, as there were all

these days and so, I would like to tell you that it is not what you hear that

is beneficial, but what you put into daily practice. Develop renunciation about

your own needs and wishes. Examine each on the touchstone of essentiality. When

you pile up things in your apartments, you only promote darkness and dust; so

also, do not collect and store too many materials in your mind. Travel light.

Have just enough to sustain life and maintain health. The pappu (dhal) must

have only enough uppu (salt) to make it relishing; that is to say, do not spoil

the 'dhal' by adding too much salt. Life becomes too difficult to bear if you

put into it too much of "desire." Limit your desires to your capacity and even

among them, have only those that will grant lasting joy. Do not run

after fashion and public approval and strain your resources, beyond repair.

Also, keep to your own dharma and the code of rules that regulate life or the

stage you have reached.

Cow: symbol of selfless service

Do not place your needs first, your joy first. Consider the needs of others, the

Ananda of others, as even more important. Respect elders and cultivate

cordiality between brothers and sisters, teachers and students, employers and

employees, etc.

Tend the cow, for, the cow is the symbol of selfless service of Dharma. That is

why when a newly built house is ceremonially entered; the owner first takes

into the house a cow. Once a Rishi was taking a ritual bath at the Triveni

Sangam at the confluence of the Yamuna, Ganga and Saraswathi. While he was

submerged in the holy water some fishermen threw the net and he was dragged

ashore by them as a rare catch. The fishermen claimed him and the Rishi told

the king, who was in a fix, that they should be paid the price of the catch

before he could order them to release him. Now, what was the price of the

"Rishi-fish?" A thousand varaahas? The Rishi protested that he was not so

cheap. Five thousand? It was too small, the Rishi remarked. Then a yogi who was

at the palace suggested a fair solution. He said, "Give a cow, that

is enough" and the cow was considered fair compensation for the Rishi. That is

the measure of the value of a cow.

Observe the rules laid down in the Sasthras, respect the culture of your land

and bring honour to the land of your birth. Belief in providence is native to

an Indian and fear of sin is inherent in him. Nourish your aged parents; revere

them. If you honour your mother, the mother of the Universe will guard you

against harm. If you honour your father, the Father of all beings will guard

you. This is as true as the fact that if you honour your parents, your children

will honour you.

Distinctions of different Incarnations

While speaking of God as guarding you, I am reminded of a note that some one has

sent Me from this gathering. The note wants Me to explain why I have not

mentioned Sai Baba in any of my discourses so far, though I bear the name as

the avatar of Sai Baba. Evidently, the writer of the note had in mind the

people who engage themselves in publicity work of Rama or Krishna or Sai Baba.

For those who know, Sai Rama, Krishna Vishnu, all are One; the distinction is

only in the Upaadhi (the form and the name). The power, the glory, the mission,

the message are all the same, though the particular achievements may be

different, according to the needs and purposes of the age. That is why, though

you believe that Rama and Krishna are the same, you do not approve when some

one says that Rama lifted the Govardhanagiri or that Krishna broke the

Shivadhanus (Shiva's bow). I do not appreciate in the least, the distinction

between the various appearances of Godhead, Sai, Rama, Krishna, etc. I do not

proclaim that this is more important or that the other is less important.

There are many attempts to construct Mandirs (temples) for Me, and people go

about collecting donations for the same. I do not like this enthusiasm. Worship

in any temple, any form, under any name. You neglect the ancient temples of your

town, and start building new ones. And, very soon, the new ones too will be

neglected, when you discover reasons for building newer ones. People who plan

the new Mandirs, and form committees, and go about collecting contributions,

help only to spread atheism, for they are urged by egoism, greed and malice,

rather than genuine devotion and spirit of service.

Be an example to others

Dhana (money) is the currency of the world; Sadhana is the currency of the

spirit. When these self-styled Bhaktas come to you with their lists and books,

do not give even a paisa. Why do you need a hall to do Namasmarana or Japa or

Dhyana? The presence of others will more often be a hindrance rather than help;

make your house itself a Mandir, meditate in your own shrine room.

Sing Bhajans in your own home; above all, be an example to others by means of

sweet speech, humility, reverence to elders, truthfulness, faith and

steadfastness. That way you will bring more into the fold of theism than by

establishing societies, collecting donations and running Mandirs.

The Lord looks for sincerity, simplicity and steady joy in the contemplation of

His name and form. If you keep awake throughout the twelve hours on Shivarathri

(festival of Lord Shiva), because of illness, the vigil will not win His favour.

If you quarrel with the wife and desist from food for one full day, it will not

be recorded in the book of God as a fast. If you lose yourself in the depths of

unconsciousness after a bout of drink, you will not be counted as a person who

has achieved Samadhi. No bhuktha (enjoyed) can be a Bhakta (devotee); that is

to say, he who has an eye on the profit he can derive from service to God,

cannot be a true devotee. They praise Rama to the skies one day and decry Him

the next, if their fortune gets dry. Those who declare that Sai Baba is great

and others are small, do not know the elements of

spiritual discipline. They are unfit for entering the field of spiritual

service. I want to warn you against a set of people who have emerged nowadays

using My name for such personal purposes. Be careful about these and treat them

as they deserve.

Treasure in your hearts the Amrithavaakyas (death-destroying message) that you

have heard during these seven days; ponder over them in the silence of your

Dhyana; and, endeavor to realise the precious Goal of this invaluable 'Human

birth.' I bless you all.

Madras, 19-8-1964

Past is past, It won't come. Future, you are not sure of. The given moment is

now (Present). This Present is Omnipresent. - Shri Sathya Sai

29. JAPA AND BHAJA

THE Ministers, P. K. Savant and Lakshminarasiah, one from Andhra and the other

from Maharashtra, spoke informatively and enthusiastically to you, on health

administration and on the part that spiritual discipline plays in the upkeep of

mental and physical health. Savant spoke about the work being done in the

Maharashtra State to eradicate disease in the villages and to persuade doctors

to settle in the villages. He said that the ancient Ayurvedhic system of

medicine was more suited to the food habits and the climatic peculiarities of

this country and since it used the drugs available in the neighborhood of the

village, it was cheaper and more easily available. He also said that he has

never been a patient so far, because he has been able to resist disease by

means of strict observance of the rules regarding food, sleep and recreation.

His faith in Baba,

he said, has proved a great reserve of strength to overcome illness.

Lakshminarasiah is himself a doctor; he spoke in praise of the quiet atmosphere

of the hermitages of India and he wanted that the simple living of the ancient

seers be revived. He said that deep down in the heart of every Indian there is

a stratum of faith in Sanathana Dharma which has to be tapped for all kinds of

reconstruction.

Being the anniversary function of the hospital, I have to say something about

physical ailments, their treatment and cure. Health is sought by man, not for

its own sake; he tries to cure his illness, for illness means grief; he tries

to secure health, for health means joy. He is after Ananda (joy). At all times,

through all acts, he seeks only Ananda. A fish thrown on the bank of the lake

wriggles and struggles to enter the water again. Man's struggle to get back

into Ananda is also of the same nature; he was in Ananda and he has been thrown

into misery. His native element is Ananda. He was calm, and experienced concord,

Shanthi and Prema, when he was in the realm of Ananda. Now, this Ananda has to

be won back, each for himself. No other can get it for him. The minister

described how the Plan

is providing food, clothing and shelter for all. But, even those who have these

three in ample measure are not free from misery; they have not been restored to

Ananda. Ananda is an inner treasure, won by detachment and discipline. We must

have a Plan for Ananda, a Plan for Shanthi and Santhosha (Peace and

Contentment).

Consider first things first

A person may be sitting on a soft-cushioned sofa in an air-conditioned room, but

his heart may be burning with unspeakable anxiety and fear. The body is as the

cart and the mind as the horse. Now, planning places the cart before the horse.

It gives first place to body and its needs. Consider first things first. Then

only can the true culture of India be restored in all its ancient vitality. The

sages of this land had known of the mine of Ananda that lies in every human

heart and they had discovered methods of developing that mine and working that

gold. They said that if Bhoomaatha (Mother Earth), Gomaatha (Mother Cow).

Nijamaatha (one's own mother) and Vedhamaatha (Mother Scripture) were revered

and fostered, and used as best as they could be, happiness is certain and

liberation is assured. It is because the people of

India followed this path that India has remained India and not become either Europe or China.

Inner harmony is what really matters

Even the scarcity of food about which the minister spoke is due to the decline

in Shraddha (faith), which was the hallmark of the ryots. When the strength

that comes from the enthusiastic pursuit of one's profession wanes, when the

courage of self-sacrifice is absent, all activity suffers. Have faith in the

Lord or the Aathmathathwa; it will vitalize you. A fakir went to Akbar and he

was told that Akbar was at his prayers and so could not give audience for some

time. He was asked to wait in the anteroom. But, he refused to wait. He said,

"What can this beggar get from that beggar?" All are beggars at the gate of

God. The hero is he who does not beg or cringe or flatter or fawn. He knows

that the Lord knows best. If it is His will, He will grant food and raiment; if

not, well, let His will prevail. That is the path of Saranagathi or

Prapatthi (absolute surrender).

There should be no begging or bargaining; surrender, submit to His will. Some

people bargain with God and promise to give Him this or that costly article or

their own hair, if a certain illness is cured or a certain calamity is averted.

Lord Venkateswara or any other form of the Lord does not need the hair of your

head, but He wants you to respect the plighted word, to whomsoever given.

So in order to be true to your word and not incur the sin of falsehood and

deceit, you have to offer it to Him, whatever the lapse of time. Shaving off

the hair of the head is a sign that you have lost the delusion that it is

physical beauty that counts; you make yourselves willfully ugly, so that you

can demonstrate that it is inner harmony, inner charm, that really matters.

Sanyaasins (ascetics) too have to shave likewise, in order to escape from a

similar delusion, and equip themselves with the proper attitude.

Even the best of doctors will not be able to save a man when death calls. Men

have to respond to that call, whether they are on a pilgrimage to Kedhara or

Badri or Rameshwaram, whether they are bridegrooms in the ceremonial seat

before the ritual fire. Death brooks no delay; death accepts no excuse. Tears

do not move His heart, nor can threats keep Him away.

The waking and dreaming stages

Emperor Janaka was listening to the soothing strains of music in the Durbar

Hall, and he fell asleep on his throne. Slowly and silently, the courtiers and

musicians slid out of the hall leaving him to himself. He had a dream. His

kingdom was invaded, over-run, pillaged. He was captured and imprisoned. But he

escaped; he was wandering alone, in enemy territory, overcome with hunger and

thirst. The jungle was dark. He groaned aloud. The queen heard the groan and

woke him! He saw himself as Emperor on the throne, surrounded by servants.

Then, a doubt started haunting Janaka: "Which is true, that or this?" While

dreaming, the dream was as true as the experience of the palace when awake.

This is true, while awake; that was true, while dreaming. Each has only

relative value, while at that stage. Nothing is absolutely true, really real.

The waking experience is

as unreal as the dream experience. When you are in deep sleep, there is no world

at all. When you attain the super-conscious fourth stage, the 'I' alone remains,

the Universal 'I', which was mistaken even in the sleeping stage as limited and

particular.

Fix responsibility for your health on Him

A few minutes of quiet thought will convince you of this. But you are too busy

with trivialities to pay attention to the vital needs. Plant the seed of the

name of the Lord, any one of His thousand names that appeals to you, in the

well-prepared soil of your heart and let it sprout in the silence there; water

it with love and service to fellowmen; guard it against pests and cattle, the

outward dragging emotions and passions, by putting up the fence of Japa and

Dhyana, then you will get the harvest of Ananda.

Minister Savant said that faith in Sai Baba is keeping him fit, the mind and

body, all these years. He was the chairman of Shirdi Samasthan for many years.

His devotion and attachment to that body are known only to him and Me. So, when

he says that Baba has been keeping him healthy and strong, I know that it is

true and that his faith is deep and sincere. If you have sincere devotion you

will fix the responsibility for your health on Him and He will also accept that

responsibility. Your mind will be so full of happiness that your body will be

fit instrument for Sadhana.

Shri Sathya Sai Hospital Day, Prashanthi Nilayam, 8-10-1964

30. GENUINE KINSMEN

Pundits, scholars in Bhagavatham lore, have spoken to you so far on many sweet

and wholesome topics taken from that great and inspiring work. The teachings of

the Bhagavatham are the mainstay of all Bhaktas, the strength with which they

walk the path of God. If only the culture of India, which is based on the Vedas

and expounded in the Ramayana and the Bhagavatham, is practiced with a true

understanding of its value, people can ensure for themselves perpetual joy or

bliss. Grief is the illness; it has to be cured. The medicine is prescribed in

the Vedas; it is taught in the Sasthras and Puranas; it has to be discovered

and taken in; then the experience of Ananda will certainly follow. Of this,

there is no doubt. Samskrithi, the word for culture and cultivation, is derived

from the word, samskara,

which means the dual process of removing the dust and dirt of vice and planting

the virtues of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema. Samskara is also the name for

certain obligatory rites of initiation and purification prescribed by the Vedas

for the spiritual upliftment of man. Their number is forty-eight in all; but,

they could be reduced to ten and, if needed, even to one; the final and

fulfilling One, of recognising one's identity with Madhava or Shiva or Brahman.

Nara (man) is but Narayana (God); Jiva is Brahman, seen through the limitations

of primal ignorance.

Forms of devotion revealed by Bhagavatham

Though the tongue of the penitent might repeat the Sloka, "Paapoham

paapakarmaanaam," (I am a sinner, committing sins) the inner Dweller, as the

real You, will not agree to the description and that self-condemnation! Hence,

you turn round in anger when you are accosted as a sinner (paapi). In your

heart of hems, you know that you are the Pure, the Full, the Eternal. You are

the limitless, timeless, spaceless Aathma, the changeless, characteristicless

Self. That Aathma persists in your dreams, in deep sleep, in the varied

activities of the waking stage. It persists during childhood, youth, middle

age, old age and senility. It is the entity, which declares itself as I: I

slept, I dreamt, I awoke, I was a child, I am too old to walk erect, etc. My

eye, my word, my idea, my plan, my resolution, my experience, you say; thereby,

you

announce that you are not any of these. You are separate from these, but yet,

you are involved with them. How to experience the Aathma? The Vedas say,

"Sathyam vadha; Dharmam chara." (Speak the truth; practice righteousness).

What is Sathya and what is Dharma? The Ramayana and the Bhagavatham reveal this

knowledge,. through story and example, so that any one, however poor or

illiterate he may be, can understand it and practice it and benefit by it. So

it is enough if these are taken to the door of every home in this land. The

Bhagavatham will reveal the fortune of Nanda and Yasoda who reared the Lord as

their own child; the supramental Love that bound the simple cowherds of

Brindavan with the Lord; the deep self-abnegating devotion of Radha; the

reverent affection that Uddhava had towards the Lord; and a variety of other

forms of devoted service which brings God nearer to man. If you revolve these

relationships in your mind and ruminate over the sweetness, it is freed from

inferior impulses and your faith in the Supreme deepens.

Remove the dirt of envy from the mind

You will have to re-live the Bhagavatham in your own experience; become a Nanda

or Yasoda fondling the child Krishna; become a Gopi yearning for the company of

the Lord, as the soul craves for the Super soul, as the river craves for the

sea; become one with the cows whom He tended, or the boys with whom He played,

or the Murali (flute) which He breathed through to give the world the music

that captivates. Mere reading the Bhagavatham is not enough; seeing the picture

of grand banquet in the cinema will not appease hunger. Eat a meal and it is

appeased.

Samskara means first removing the dirt from the mind. Know that envy is the

stickiest dirt! You must be happy when others were happy. Rama is said to have

been happy when others were happy; the Ramayana says that He was then as happy

as if, the event that made the other man happy, had happened to Him. That is

the true test. Krishna speaks of Arjuna as An-asuya (envy-less). What a great

compliment! Therefore, He proposed to teach him the mysteries of spiritual

discipline. Draupadi is extolled as an ideal wife, for she served her five

masters, who were the five vital airs or Praanas, without the least trace of

envy or pride. Sathyabhama has become famous for jealousy and there are many

stories current about Krishna's attempts to put down this vice and teach her

humility.

Have Love towards the Lord, but do not become depressed with envy when others

also love him or get attached to Him. The Kuchipudi Party acted the musical

dance-drama 'Bhaamakalaapam' here very nicely and artistically. They

demonstrated both the love and the jealousy of Sathyabhama. Try to have Love

without the canker of jealousy.

You come often to Puttaparthi; you hear the pundits expounding the scriptures;

you observe Me and My activity; what is the benefit you derive? How have you

improved by all this? Have you succeeded at least in recognising your thaamasik

and raajasik habits and tendencies? Recognising them as deleterious is the first

step in removing them. Have you become more and more saathwik (serene and

poised) as the years go by, or are you the same dull or perhaps, fiery

individual? If you must know the Lord, you must love the Lord and live the good

way. Hatred or even indifference will result only in misunderstanding. Develop

close association with Him and He will reveal Himself to you.

Grace is won by suffering only

Walk in the path laid down in the Ramayana, and Mahabharata and the Bhagavatham.

Proceed along that path, inspite of halts and handicaps, inspite of the approval

or disapproval of kith and kin, of praise or blame from society. What exactly is

praise or blame? Words, sound waves coming from across the air; waves that

strike your ear. Let them strike only the outer ear. Do not welcome them in.

The other speaker said that the lament of Draupadi in her helplessness brought

her the grace of the Lord. Yes, grace is won by suffering only. The Incarnation

of the Lord comes upon the world when Adharma (unrighteousness) becomes rampant.

Therefore, Adharma has to be suffered so that one may have the joy of welcoming

the Lord in human form. You can experience the swabhaava (nature) and the

Swarupa (form) of the Lord through the experience the avatar confers. That is

the greatest gain. If the place you must reach is very near, you can just step

across; if the distance is more, you may need a vehicle, bullock-drawn or

horse-drawn; for longer distances, you may require a car or a plane. But, the

Lord is nearest to you. Slide ajar the door of delusion; part the curtain of

ignorance; open the closed eye; He is right there,

before you! The fog of sensual pleasure is hiding Him from you. Switch on the

light; the darkness disappears and He becomes visible.

Know your genuine kith and kin

Revere Knowledge as you revere your father, adore Love as you adore your mother,

move fondly with Dharma, as if it is your own brother; confide in Dhaya

(compassion) as if it is your dearest friend; have Santham (calmness) as your

better half; treat Sahana (fortitude), as if it is your own beloved son. These

are your genuine kith and kin. Move with them, live with them, do not forsake

or neglect them.

Arjuna asked Krishna how the ever-restless mind could be controlled. Living with

these kinsmen is the best recipe. That is the best atmosphere to ensure the

discipline and detachment needed for mind control. Mere prayer will not do. You

will have to swallow and digest the morsel that is put into the mouth;

repetition of the name of the dish is of no use. Hearing discourses and nodding

approval or clapping in appreciation are not enough. The mother feeds lovingly,

but the child must take it in with avidity and relish. When this earthly mother

has so much love, who can estimate the love of the Mother of all beings, the

Jagathjanani.

You heard the Bhagavatham, portions of it, today. All the teaching you need for

liberation from grief and worry, you can get in that one book. Read it every

day, bit-by-bit, page-by-page and ruminate over the lessons you find there.

Gradually, you will earn detachment from worldly sense objects; the book will

take you in hand and lead you Godward. It is a better guide than many of the

so-called gurus who ply their trade today. They welcome you with great gusto

and proclaim the excellence of their wares, condemning those of the others and

set about the profitable task of hooking you as a disciple, so that they may

extract funds from you or fame through you. Like shopkeepers clamoring for

customers, manufacturers of patent medicines competing for customers, they try

to sell their prescriptions to you, before you discriminate and escape.

The four-storied mansion

Whichever the book, whoever the guru, whatever the peetam (institution), the

goal is the same. The path is the ancient one, laid down by the saintly

pioneers. Or, you can picture it as a fourstoreyed mansion, the ground floor

being karma yoga (union with God through action) and the succeeding ones being

Bhakti, Jnaana and Vairagya (devotion, spiritual knowledge and nonattachment).

When it is just a nascent fruit, it is karma. That is, the activity that all are

capable of, and so it is the first steps in Sadhana as well. When it matures and

is rendered free from egoism and greed, it becomes worship, and so, it leads one

on to the second floor, Bhakti. When it is ripe and sweet, that is to say, when

the Bhakta (devotee) achieves complete self-surrender, then, it is the

acquisition of Jnaana; when the fruit drops from the tree, it marks full

detachment (Vairagya); the fourth floor of God's mansion is then reached.

Prema (divine love) is the motive power in Karma Yoga; it is the very breath of

Bhakti Yoga. It is universal and infinite, in Jnaana; it sees the Lord

everywhere and in everything, when Vairagya has been achieved. The Bhagavatham

is saturated with the sweetness of Prema. The sweetness of Krishna is filling

this Nature or objective world and Radha is tasting it and being thrilled by

it. Who is Radha? She is Nature, the Prakriti, the Maya Shakti (power of

delusion), the Hlaadini Shakti (power of joy) of Krishna Himself His

Mahaabhaava (Great State). She has stolen and treasured in her heart the Ananda

of Krishna which manifested as Prakriti and so, like the owner who roams round

and round the house of the thief until he gets back his property, Krishna too

is ever around Raadha's

residence, seeking His Ananda.

Be like the flute on Krishna's lips

If you have the capacity to draw the Lord to yourself, He will Himself come to

you and be with you. Be like the flute, a hollow reed, straight, light, with no

substance to hinder His breath. Then, He will come and pick you up from the

ground; He will breathe divine music through you, playing upon you with a

delicate touch; He will stick the flute into His sash; He will press his lips

on it. In His hand, the infinitesimal will be transmuted into the Infinite; the

anu (light atom) will be transformed into the ghana (heavy solid).

One day, Krishna pretended to be fast asleep, with the flute carelessly thrown

aside by His side when Radha approached the fortunate flute and asked it in

plaintive terms, "O lucky Murali! Tell me how did you earn this great good

fortune. What was the vow you observed, the vigil you kept, the pilgrimage you

accomplished? What was the mantra you recited, the idol you worshipped?" The

Flute got a voice through His grace and said: "I rid myself of all sensual

desire, of envy, greed, of ego, that is all. I had no feeling of ego left to

obstruct the flow of His Prema through Me to all creation."

Intensify the Prema that is within you, as a sacred gift. Expand it so that all

beings can share in it. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had that Prema; when someone

around him was sad, he felt sad; when some one was glad, he felt glad. He made

himself one with all, in his great Prema bhaava (state of Love). Have your

Prema fixed on the Lord, whether your petty wishes are fulfilled or not. Do not

let slip the treasure, on some silly excuse or other. When Sai Baba confers

success after success on you, you are foremost in singing "Sai Shankara, Sai

Shankara;" but let the shadow or disappointment fall on you, immediately you

turn round and declare, "This Sai is not God."

Kali Yuga is conducive to win liberation

Your worldly 'intelligence cannot fathom the ways of Go. He cannot be recognised

by mere cleverness, which is what your intelligence mostly is. You may benefit

from God, but you cannot explain Him. You may benefit from electricity, and use

it in a thousand ways, but you cannot explore and explain its mystery. How it

works so and why it works so and not in any other way, is beyond your ken. Your

explanations are merely guesses, attempts to clothe your ignorance in pompous

expressions. The mistake is, you give the brain more value than it deserves.

The Parathathwa (Supreme Truth) is beyond the reach of the brain; standing on

the rock, you cannot lift it! Standing in Maya, you cannot discard it.

The present age is described in the Sasthras as very conducive to liberation;

for, while in past ages, rigorous penance was prescribed as the means, the Kali

age in which you are, requires only Namasmarana to win liberation! When the name

of the Lord is remembered with all the glory that is associated with it, a great

flood of Ananda wells up within the mind. Vyasa himself knew this; for, when

some sages once went to him to find out which yuga is most conducive to success

in man's efforts for liberation, Vyasa anticipated their question and repeated

to himself aloud, "O, how fortunate are those destined to be born in the Kali

Yuga!" It is so easy in this Kali age to win the grace of the Lord.

But, how do you profit by this luck that you have come across? How far have you

progressed using the chance of these discourses and the Darshan and Sparshan

(seeing and touching)? Bring something into your daily practice, as evidence of

your having known the secret of the higher life' from Me. Show that you have

greater brotherliness, speak less with more sweetness and self-control, that

you can bear defeat as well as victory with calm resignation.

You read these great books, the Ramayana and the Bhagavatham many times, for

they are now easily available at a cheap cost. But, what proof can you give for

having profited by the hours that you have spent with them? To digest the food

you have taken, you have to engage in some physical activity. To digest the

lessons that you imbue through holy company or through the study of great

books, practice them in daily life. Manana (recapitulation) is a very important

Sadhana; dwell in silence on the implications of the lessons you have come

across.

Keep up the enthusiasm that has given you the patience to sit through these

discourses here for the last five hours. Develop it, and seeking the company of

pious men, strengthen your saathwik (serene and poised) tendencies and progress

in the spiritual path. You have my blessings.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 9-10-1964

TO BE CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’

Source and Courtesy: http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume04/sss04

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