SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume IV [Ch. 34, 35, 36, 37]

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

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

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, 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. 34, 35, 36, 37]

34. NEITHER DIFFERENT NOR DIMINISHED

Pundit spoke now about the many forms of Bhakti: Nishkama Bhakti, Para Bhakti,

Madhura Bhakti, (desireless, supreme and sweet devotion), karma Bhakti

(devotion in action), etc. When you claim to have Bhakti, the question

naturally arises, where have you placed your attachment, your affection, your

unswerving loyalty and why. If you are drawn towards leisure giving objects and

other material gains, you are in for unending worry, fear and anxiety, Ashanti

(absence of peace), in fact. The happiness they contribute is as unreal as the

happiness you derive from similar things in your dreams. The experience of the

waking stage is as unreal and fleeting as the dream. The seen is a dream; the

unseen is the real. There is a mixture of reality and unreality in the variety

of the universe. That is why it deludes; that is why joy and

grief are fleeting.

Bhakti is really unswerving loyalty to God with form and attributes and a name.

You can grasp with the reason that you are endowed with, only concrete

name-attribute-full things. So, God has to appear before you with form and

attributes (Sakara, Saguna, Swarupa) so that you can love Him and serve Him and

follow Him and get liberated by Him. But when He comes with form, do not think

He is either different or diminished. Ghee when it is solidified is white and

granularly. When it is heated it is a colorless liquid, having no shape or

form. The Nirakara (formless) becomes Sakara (with form), when it is exposed to

cold. So too, in the cool recesses of the bhaktha's heart, the Nirakara is

rendered Sakara.

When the formless transforms itself, it may appear as Vibhavaakaara or as

Swaakaara (endowed with some particular glory or power or as the full

manifestation of itself). That is to say, the avatar might manifest only that

part of the Divine glory as was essential for the task, which brought the Form,

or it might exceed the limited purpose for which it came and shine in full

grandeur. Rama is a good example of the first and Krishna of the second.

Krishna was not satisfied with the killing of Sisupaala and Dantavaktra, the

two demons who were formerly Jaya and Vijaya, or even with the overwhelming of

various other evil persons who infested the world then.

Fame and ill-fame go together

He laid down in the Geetha and in the Upadesh He gave to Uddhava and others, the

fundamentals of spiritual life and the ways of removing primal ignorance, as a

step to human liberation, ways that can be followed by various sections of the

human community, from illiterate cowherds and milkmaids to learned scholars,

practiced Sadhaks, ritualistic experts, adepts at social service, and

experienced philosophers.

Jonnalagadda Sathyanaaraayanamurthy gave you in his speech a fine description of

the pangs of separation, which agonized the village folk, when the Lord kept

away from them, even for a short while. When they espied a dark-blue cloud in

the sky, they shed tears of joy, for it reminded them of the Krishna they

adored. But Krishna was scandalized in His time and people spread wicked

stories about Him! It is always so; the supply of drinking water implies the

laying down of pipes for both fresh water and for drainage. Ill-fame and fame

go together. Revered personalities are the targets of irresponsible

irreverence.

Dedication must come naturally

The sages declare that they become sad when worldly people call them happy or

find them happy. Chaitanya felt happy when people reviled him for wasting his

time in Kirtan and when they broke his mridang and tal. He said, "These people

are foolish; they think a tree can be saved if the leaves are watered; the root

of joy has to be watered so that joy may grow in you. The root is Krishna, the

Krishna in your heart." Water the root with tears, tears of joy that get the

chance to sing His name, to praise His glory; not tears of sorrow, for such

tears are a sacrilege; they should not contaminate the Lotus Feet of the Lord.

It is dedication to the Lord that sanctifies all activities. He is the raison

d'etre for activity. He is the prompter, the executer, the giver of the

required strength and skill, the enjoyer of the fruit thereof. So, dedication

must come naturally to you, for, all is His and nothing yours! Your duty is to

believe He is the impeller of your activities, and draw strength from that

belief. Until the wound heals and the new skin hardens, the bandage must

protect the place. So too, until Reality is realised, the balm of faith, of

holy company, and holy thoughts must be applied to the ego affected mind.

Every one of you has in possession a ticket for liberation from the cycle of

birth and death. But, most do not know the train, which they have to board;

many get down at intermediate stations, imagining them to be the terminus and

wander helplessly in the wilderness or are carried away by sights and scenes.

Reference was made to Ajnaana. This Ajnaana (ignorance) is imported from

outside; what is native to man is Jnaana. His Jnaana is fogged by the smoke of

delusion, which makes things appear many or confused. Man has burdened himself

with information on a multiplicity of things; he has acquired a variety of

skills, but, he has no vision to see things as a whole, to see the basic unity

of the objective world. Moreover, he has no equipment to live lovingly with

others, to recognise the humanity of all men, to feel that the same Lord

activates each of them.

Gifts of reason must not be wasted

How far can the learning, which you acquire in schools and through books, take

you? There was a wife who was given a Chequebook so that she might imburse

herself out of the bank account. She signed every Cheque, "Your loving wife"

and wondered why they were dishonored. There must be adaptability, recognition

of changed circumstances, and awareness of the relative value of things,

discrimination between the real and relatively real. The gifts of reason and

conscience must not be wasted through neglect. Your story should not be a

repetition of that of the woodcutter, who was given a huge sandalwood forest as

a reward, but, who out of sheer ignorance of the value of the trees, burnt the

trees and sold them as charcoal at so much per bag! The Divinity that is man is

ignored and the opportunity to unfold it (which is called "life") is wasted. You

calculate

wealth in terms of land and buildings, gold and silver, and finally, feel

unhappy to leave them and go. You drug yourself in the attempt to escape from

the hold of disease; but you are unaware of diseases that eat into the very

vitals of your happiness and make you a social danger---the diseases of envy,

malice, hatred and greed. Get the best advice to cure these. Believe that the

Lord is living in every heart and so, when you inflict pain, physical or

mental, on anyone, you are slighting the Lord or denying Him. He is everywhere.

Purify the heart by being good to all

Do you say that the Lord appeared from the pillar in the palace of Hiranyakasipu

though He was not there? Or do you say that He appeared there, since He was

there? He was there; He is everywhere. But since Hiranyakasipu said He was not

there, he could not see Him; since Prahlada said that He was there He could be

seen there. If you are blind, how can you see Him, though He may be right in

front? You are blind to His Omnipresence; how then can you see Him everywhere?

When the magnet does not attract the needle, the fault lies in the dirt that

covers up the needle. When the Lord does not approach the devotee, the fault

lies in the heart of the devotee; it is not pure enough.

Purify the heart by being good and kind to all. Do not attempt to find fault

with others. Look upon all with love, with respect, with faith in their

sincerity. I would ask you to treat your servants kindly. Do not entertain

hatred or contempt in your heart; show your resentment if you must, through

words, not action. Repent for the errors that you commit and decide never to

repeat them; pray for strength to carry out your resolutions.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 14-10-1964

35. THE BOND THAT UNBINDS

THE scholarship, which revels in the number of texts mastered, is of no use; one

may know the Sasthras and the Upanishads upside down; he may have all the seven

hundred Slokas of the Geetha in his head, but, if aachaara and Vicharana are

non-existent, it is a burden, which is best avoided. Aachaara means,

application in practice. Vichaara means continuous self-examination. The

Shastri spoke of the incident of the golden deer, which enticed the heart of

Seetha. One would naturally wonder why Seetha should fall in for that creature,

or why Rama should believe in the existence of such a strange creature. He could

have convinced Seetha that it was a stratagem of the Raakshasas to attract their

attention and bring about dire mischief. But, like any ordinary husband

infatuated with his wife, Rama

followed the deer promising to bring it back alive, to be kept as her pet. Of

course, if He were an ordinary human being, infatuation like this would be

condemned. But, being the Lord Himself He has to be judged differently. All

things are according to plan, His plan.

Know that plan; it is laid down in dharma, depicted in the Upanishads. The

Shastri that spoke next elaborated upon the dharma as laid down for

brahmachaaris (celibates). What is brahmacharya? It means charya in

Brahman---moving ever in Brahman. Cognise that your existence is in Brahman,

through Brahman, for Brahman. It is that awareness that makes acts sacred and

successful. Feel pure; that makes your act pure. The Gopis moved about, not in

Gokulam but in the Lord's residence; they did not sell butter and milk; but

used: the opportunity to call out the names of the Lord. Pure words, pure

speech; holy listening, holy reading, seeing holy things---these make the heart

pure. The confusion and travail that now afflict you are the consequences of

impure speech and impure

sight.

Everyone must fit in with the Lord's plan

When I was in the previous sareera (body), Das Ganu who was a police officer

came to Shirdi on account of his good luck. That visit transformed him.

Moreover, Baba accosted him as Das Ganu as soon as he saw him, and this stunned

him. He asked Baba that some parties that were opposed to him might be put down

and that he might get promotion in his official career. Baba invited him to

remain in Shirdi itself and escape all bother. He told him: "Do not wonder why

I am suggesting this, when you craved for something else."

Later, when promotions came, he ignored Baba and his promise to come away as

soon as his honour was vindicated by official promotion. So, Baba had to bring

about circumstances, which compelled him to come at last, as per Baba's pan. He

composed a number of songs and Stotras (hymns); he began performing Harikathas

on Baba everywhere and he was instrumental in bringing the news of the advent

of Baba to thousands in the land. His life was spent in and through the Lord.

Upaasini Baba was also a similar personality. He was born in 1869 and known as

Kaashinaath. He married thrice; practiced as a doctor, earned much money and

lost all; after hard penance, chanced into Shirdi, where Baba accosted him.

"Hallo, Kaashinaath!" He directed him to Upasana (contemplation) and guided his

Sadhana and so he was called Upaasini Baaba. He too was a part of Baba's plan.

The journey towards the Source

Thus, every one must fit in with the plan; strive to know its main principles

and be equipped for the task He allots you. Be ever vigilant in the tasks that

the role involves, that are your swadharma (one's own nature and duty). Give

your heart fully to the task. "Rama" means, he who pleases, attracts, and

attaches himself through pleasing attributes. Krishna means the same thing; he

who attracts. "Hah" means he who robs you of your self, your ego and reveals

Himself as you. To attain Him you have to climb, and climbing from the animal

to man and from man to Madhava is a hard struggle with the forces that pull you

downward.

A decrepit old car whines and groans when it has to ascend an incline; for the

engine is clogged and worn out. Keep the engine of the mind free from the dust

and dirt of sensory yearning and you can ascend easily the heights of spiritual

progress. It is like swimming against the fast current, this journey towards the

source of Being. The Sanathana Dharma (Eternal Religion) teaches you how to

succeed in this journey; and, due to its innate integrity, it has flourished

without losing its pristine glory, even after the onslaught of wave after wave

of strange cultures. It can never decline, for it is Truth. It is the sum of

experience of Bhaktas like Hanuman, Raadha and Meera. Remember this when the

Yajna (sacrifice) here is drawing to a close for that type of Bhakti alone

ensures the aapthi or 'attainment' of Sama

or 'Brahman.' That is the genuine Samaapthi or finale.

Many of you are inspired to start in your own places sanghams and samaajams

(associations) for doing Bhajan, but it is difficult to get Bhaktas who are

devoted to the Lord without any ulterior desire or intention. A. Bhakta must be

full of joy, whatever may happen, for he knows it is the will of the Lord that

is being worked out. I do not address gatherings as "Bhakthulaaraa" (Dear

Bhaktas), for, complete surrender and complete purity essential for a Bhakta

are commodities that are absent. Ask yourself the question; whether each of you

deserves the name, 'Sai Bhakta' and you will know why I do not address you so.

Keep your devotion within yourself

Bhajan does not become effective through drums, cymbals, violins and other

accessories. They cover up the absence of the essential thing---feeling,

emotions, yearning, sincerity, and faith. When you gather in groups, the evil

qualities of envy, competition, pride and factionalism raise their heads. So,

offer Bhajan to the Lord in your own homes, and do not invite these obstacles

by organising groups and Mandalis and sanghams.

Again there are some who extol others for the absurd reason that Sai Baba speaks

through them! Baba has entered into them, they declare from the housetops. "O,

Baba has come upon this child, this person." How silly! Am I a ghost or a devil

to possess someone and speak through him? It is all drama, which cheats sick

minds. Do not fall a prey to these. That is why I say, keep your devotion

within yourself, under control, and not be led away by crooks and self-seekers.

These lead you astray by giving you a wrong idea of the Lord's manifestation.

They befoul the faith that their brothers and sisters repose in God.

Institutions, societies and sanghams have another fault. Religious institutions

must make people aware of God and of their own evanescence. But, these create

paraphernalia of officers, various grades of members, a secretary, a treasurer,

a president and a batch of committee members, who strut about with their badges

and revel in their own assumed greatness. A society named after God must help

in the removal of jealousy, envy, vanity, egoism and greed; but, these foster

them and allow them to grow wild. Real Bhaktas will never crave for such

positions; they will avoid them as traps, which could lay them low.

Your faith must be unshakable

I do not need any publicity, nor does any other manifestation of the Lord. What

are you daring to publicise? Me? What do you know about Me, let Me ask. You

speak one thing about Me today and another tomorrow. Your faith has not become

unshakable! You praise, when things go well, and blame when things go wrong.

You flit from one refuge to another.

And even before you Bhakti ripens, you strive to lead others, you collect

donations and subscriptions and plan Mandirs and sanghams; all this is mere

show, which brings spiritual loss, rather than spiritual gain. When you start

publicity you descend to the level of those who compete in collecting

clientele, decrying others and extolling themselves.

Where money is calculated and garnered, and exhibited to demonstrate one's

achievements, I will not be present. I come only where sincerity, faith and

surrender are valued. So spend the silent hours in meditation and Namasmarana

(remembering the Lord's name) in your own homes and deepen faith. I do not need

Bhajans, which, like gramophone records, reproduce songs and naamaavalis,

without any feeling or yearning while singing. Hours of shouting do not count;

a moment of concentrated prayer from the heart is enough, to melt and move God.

Practice detachment little by little

If you deny God, it is as if you deny yourself. There is no God, you declare;

but, you assert, "I exist." Well, who is that I that exists, that exists

throughout the varying stages of growth, physical and mental, in joy and grief?

That 'I' is God; believe It. For that 'I' sees with eyes, tastes with the

tongue, walks with the feet, argues with the intelligence; but, all the while,

it is conscious that it is separate from all these. When you affirm, "There is

no God," you first assert and then declare the absence of that entity. You

assert the non-existence of something that "is." That T must be conceived as a

wave of the ocean of God, not as the first person singular. That "first" person

leads you into the world of fear and greed. My house, my village, my community,

my district, my language--it entangles itself thus more and more

inextricably.

There was a man from Puttaparthi who lived in a solitary hut on the banks of the

Ganga, some miles above Hardwar. He was engaged in severe thapas and was greatly

admired by other monks. One day, while bathing in the river, he overheard a

party of pilgrims who had alighted from their bus at that site, talking among

themselves in Telugu. His attachment to the mother tongue dragged him thither;

he asked them where they came from. They said Rayalaseema. He probed further;

they were from Anantapur District; his ears ached for further details. They

were from Penukonda Taluk, Puttaparthi itself, in fact. So, that monk was very

happy; he asked them about his lands, his family, his friends and when he was

told that a few of them had died, the poor fellow started weeping like a fool.

All his years of Sadhana had come to naught. They broke down

before the onslaught of language-attachment. He was so bound to his mother tongue

What a pity!

Practice detachment from now on; practice it little by little, for a day will

come sooner or later when you will have to give up all that you hold dear. Do

not go on adding to the things, which bind you to them. Bind yourself to the

great liberator, God.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 15-10-1964

To describe the infinite aspects in terms of limited words and limited

experience is not possible. The Maharshis who were well versed in the Vedas and

Mantras realised that it is not possible to explain and describe the aspects of

Brahman in terms of words, and they were only indicating by their silence. -

Shri Sathya Sai

36. PRICK THE BUBBLE OF PRIDE

THE tongue that does not utter the name of God, the hand that knows no charity,

the years of life that know no calm, talents that receive no reward, a life

that has not garnered wisdom, a temple where there is no atmosphere of

reverence, talk that does not communicate knowledge--all these are of no worth.

Dr. Ramakrishna Rao spoke of the teachings of Ramanujaacharya and of the basic

principles of prapathi, which is another word for Saranagathi--surrender of the

individual will to the Supreme Will. He also spoke of the need for an attitude

of gratitude to the Lord for this human existence He has vouchsafed; and for

the many chances given for acquiring enlightenment. Gratitude is a quality that

is fast disappearing in human relations; it is a heinous sin to neglect this

obligation.

The Shastri elaborated on the assurance given in the Geetha, Yogakshemam

Vahaamyaham. This does not mean that the Lord will ensure for you sukham and

santhosha (happiness and joy)- --but, it means that the Lord will endow you

with steady unshakable peace, inner equanimity. Yoga means the acquisition of

that which you do not have and kshema means the preservation of that which you

have acquired. So the assurance means that the Lord will ensure that you

acquire the Shanthi that you do not have and create conditions under which you

can preserve that Shanthi. For the greatest happiness is Shanthi, inner peace.

How do you get it? By knowing that you are the Aathma, which has no birth or

death, no joy or grief, no up and no down. Just as underground water is the

sustenance of all trees, the Aathma

is the underlying source of all the Ananda that the Jeevi experiences. You bring

that subterranean water up by the process of boring; steady hitting, digging,

thumping through a pipe, which contains and directs the drill. The borers have

to take care that they do not allow air to go into the pipe; for, and then the

drilling cannot succeed. So too in the Japam that you do, the drilling the Ram,

Ram, Ram, you must be very careful not to allow vishayavaasana (attachment to

worldly objects) to enter and interfere with the smooth working of the chill.

If you do, the Aathma cannot be experienced.

Paths of devotion and knowledge

Underground water is perennial; it will not dry up. The pleasure one gets

through physical, mental and intellectual pursuits are transitory. Good deeds

may grant heaven; but, that too is a temporary habitation, from where man has

to journey down to earth, to live his life again. It is like the short term an

M.L.A. gets to bask in public fame, earned by the votes cast in his favour;

when the term is over, he becomes a beggar once again, begging for votes, to

win again the lost status. He starts shouting the same slogans for getting

popular applause.

Many people say that Bhakti Maarga (path of devotion) is much easier than Jnaana

Maarga (path of spiritual knowledge); but Jnaana is easier. For, it comes in a

flash to those who can just sit quiet for a few minutes and analyze themselves.

A car moves on its four wheels, but the person who drives it is inside it, not

outside. So, also, drive the intellect, the mind, the senses from inside; do

not try to guide them from outside. Board the train of saalokya; that is to

say, of constant thought of Godhead; it will take you to the station,

saameepya, that is to say, nearness to God; then the next halt is saaruupya,

where you earn divine attributes; finally, you reach the terminus, saayujya,

when the individual Aathma is experienced as but a wave of the ocean of

Paramatma.

How to destroy the mind?

You must reach the terminus where ignorance dies and Jnaana is born; then, there

is no more journeys. Along the route, there are many pseudo-terminii which

tantalize you; but, you would not give up the journey until you reach the real

one. Calumny, scandal, loss, dishonor, poverty, distress, fame, pomp,

triumph---all these call on you to alight; but you should stick fast to the

seat and never give up.

Do not seek more and more sukham; seek more and more Jnaana. The mind is a

fertile field for ignorance. Wipe out all traces of the mind (Mano

Naasanam)---that is the task of the Jnani (man of realisation). How to destroy

the mind? It is easy once you know what it is. The mind is stuffed with desire.

It is a ball filled with air, like a football. Puncture it and it will not move

from place to place. Nirvana means, without air. In a square filled with water

from an irrigation canal, it appears square; if the field is circular or oblong

or rectangular or triangular, the sheet of water that fills it will have same

geometrical shape. The mind takes on the form of the desire that fills it. To

take another example, it is like a piece of cloth, the warp and the woof being

the yam of desire. The texture, the colour, the durability,

the feel, the shine of the cloth will depend upon the desire that constitutes

the warp and the woof. Remove the yarn, the warp and the woof, one by one---the

cloth disappears. That is the technique of mano naasanam (destroying the mind):

Terrible nature of "desire"

Korike (wish) is the elder brother of the mirage. You pursue it and suffer. It

enters the consciousness softly, silently; it holds out prospects of pleasure

and joy; it draws fine pictures in attractive colours; it gains a foothold,

strikes root; then, it strangles, swamps and destroys relentlessly,

unintermittently. That is the terrible nature. Ramakrishna Rao gave the

instance of Yamunaachaarya conquering the nefarious hold of desire. Be a hero

like him. If you entertain desire, you will lose contentment and peace.

In the Treta Yuga (Silver Age), there was a king called Vijaya ruling over his

empire from the city of Chandhragopaalapuram. He was steadfast in the

observance of truth, morality and peace. He was known far and wide for his deep

sympathy with the poor and distressed. He was overcome with desire to widen his

sway and conquer the border regions. His spiritual teacher, Garga, permitted

him to essay this adventure, for he knew that he would not overstep the limits

laid down by the scriptures. He even initiated him into a mantra, which would

gain for him superhuman help. When the mantra (sacred formula) was mastered,

Vijaya repeated it, and Io, Hanuman, Jaambavaan and Sugriva appeared before

him, with all their attendants, demanding to be told what he wanted them to do!

He told them that his desire was to conquer the four quarters and

that he could not rest until that wish was fulfilled. Hanuman and others told

him: "That is impossible; go back home. That is possible only in Dwapara Yuga

(Bronze Age)!" So, he returned to his palace and died, to be born again as

Arjuna.

Arjuna's encounter with Hanuman

When Arjuna went South on this conquering expedition, on his coming to

Raamasethu, where Rama has built the bridge to go over to Lanka, he was filled

with pride at his unrivalled skill with the bow-, he felt that he was superior

even to Rama, for Rama had piled it up laboriously, stone upon stone. Arjuna

said rather aloud "If I were he, I would have twanged my bow and built an arch

of arrows across the sea over which the army could have marched safely along."

Hanuman surprised him by presenting himself before him with a grin, which Arjuna

felt made him even uglier. He challenged him to build one, so that at least one

monkey could walk across, not to speak of the vast host. Arjuna shot arrows one

after the other and they got entangled one with the other in such strong

combinations that a huge structure was formed, bridging India and Lanka.

Hanuman declared that it was too fragile; Arjuna agreed to immolate himself if

the bridge could not stand his weight. Then, Hanuman walked a few paces on the

bridge, it crumpled into bits!

True to his word, Arjuna lit a fire and was about to expiate for the sin of

pride that made him feel superior to Rama, when Krishna appeared and asked the

reason, as if He did not know! In fact, that was the very reason why He

appeared! When He was told of the wager and the failure of Arjuna, He declared

that any agreement can be valid only when it was made before a witness. How

could the parties be trusted, since it was in their interest to modify the

conditions to their advantage?

So, He wanted the bridge to be built again and Hanuman to break it again. It was

done and Hanuman walked on it as before; but, try as he might with all his might

the bridge was absolutely intact! Hanuman jumped on it, but not a dent was

caused. The secret was, Krishna was supporting the bridge with His back

wherever Hanuman’s steps were placed, the same back that held the Manthara

Mountain in position, during the epoch making churning of the ocean of milk by

the gods and the demons. This was revealed to both Arjuna and Hanuman, by the

bleeding that was evident on Krishna's back! The Lord interceded to save the

honour of His Bhakta!

Hanuman’s offer of help to Arjuna

Arjuna's pride was humbled; he fell at the feet of Hanuman and prayed that he

must help him win the battle. Hanuman agreed to be present on the flag of

Arjuna's chariot, shedding his halo over the warrior within. That was how the

Treta yuga wish was fulfilled and the Treta yuga mantra proved effective. This

relationship with the past is beyond the reach of human investigation. You can

feel that you are inheritors of a long past, of a long history. You may not

remember the incidents of a particular day ten years ago; but that does not

mean that you were not alive that day. So too you may not recall what happened

in the previous life or the life previous to that; but there is no doubt that

you had those lives. If you eructate now, you will get the flavor of the food

that you have consumed. This life is the eructation of the last one, which

you consumed. The flavor of this is an indication of that.

A mother holds a child that has soiled its shirt and puts on it a new one; death

is the removal of the soiled shirt and birth, the putting on of the fresh one.

Let the mother do her will; be a child in her hands. Have full faith in her

love and wisdom. Be an instrument; submerge your will in the Will of the Lord.

That will save you from worry and pain. Do not lose seeing people who have gone

astray; it will be like judging rainwater to be dirty, seeing a stagnant pool.

Rain water is pure; it is the soil that soils it.

God is in you and in all-else

I have been teaching people irrespective of age and circumstance. Years ago,

there were no eating houses and the hundreds who came to this place had to be

fed by Karnam Subbamma, who delighted in feeding them herself. The water in the

big vessel on her hearth was always boiling and she had only to pour the washed

rice grains into it in order to get a meal ready at short notice. She did this

tirelessly for years; many came and learnt. Those who kept themselves at a

distance then, are pining now for lost chances. That will be the fate of all

who fall in faith, in spite of experiences that confirm and foster it.

Vaasudhevas sarvamidham does not mean that all this is just Krishna, the son of

Vasudeva. It means that all this is God, by whatever name He is known. So, if

you decry any one, you are decrying God, that is, His real core. If you become

aware of the God in you and the God in all else, there is nothing to equal the

peace and joy that you get. I bless you that you may attain that bliss.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 16-10-1964

37. KEEP THE FLAG FLYING

[in the poem that Baba composed impromptu and sang before commencing His speech,

He announced Himself as Shri Naatha, Loka Naatha and Anaatha Naatha (Lord of

Lakshmi, of the world and of the helpless), the same He, who saved the

Gajendra, the boy Dhruva, the poor Kuchela and the helpless Prahlada!]

THE hearts of Bhaktas gathered here are all blossoming now like lotuses when the

sun rises, for they believe this is the day when the Lord was born in human

form. I may tell them that every day is Janmotasavam, a Brahmothsavam, an

Aanandhotsavam (different kinds of festivals), at Puttaparthi; as well as

wherever Bhaktas are. The Nirakara (the Formless) comes in Naraakaara (form of

man) when the virtue of the good and the vice of the wicked reach a certain

stage. Prahlaadha's devotion and his father's disregard both had to ripen

before Narasimha avatar could take place. To know the truth of the avatar, the

Sadhak must culture the mind, as the ryot does the field. He has to clear the

field of thorny undergrowth, wild creepers and tenuous roots. He has to plough

the land, water it and sow the seeds

well. He has to guard the seedlings and tender plants from insect pests as well

as from the depredations of goats and cattle; he has to put up a fence all

round. So too, egoism, pride and greed have to be removed from the heart;

Sathya, Japa, Dhyana (truth, repetition of the Lord's name and meditation),

form the ploughing and the leveling; Prema is the water that has to soak into

the field and make it soft and rich; Nama is the seed and Bhakti is the sprout;

Kama and Krodha are the cattle and the fence is discipline; Ananda is the

harvest.

Knowledge is the final stage of karma

Of course, you will get faith in God only when you have yourselves discovered

that the universe must have a creator, a protector, an agency for both

evolution and involution or a power that exercises all these three functions.

To grasp that idea, the heart must be pure, the mind must be clear. For this,

karma is very important. The Karmakaanda (section dealing with rituals) in the

Vedas is the major part of the Shruti, for Jnaana is but the final stage of

karma. The army will have many soldiers but only just a handful of officers; so

too, karmas are many, and they all obey the Jnani. Of the hundred parts of the

Vedas, 80 will be karma, 16 Upasana and 4 Jnaana. Karma has to be done for

educating the impulses and training the feelings. Then, you develop the

attitude of Upasana, of

humility before the great unknown, and finally, you realise that the only

reality is you, which is the same as He.

You hear nowadays of equality (Samaanathwa), of each being equal to the rest.

This is wrong notion, for we find the parents and children differently

equipped; when one is happy, the other is miserable; there is no equality in

hunger or joy. Of course all are equally entitled to love and sympathy, and to

the grace of God. All are entitled to the medicines in the hospital; but what

is given to one should not be given to another. There can be no equality in the

doling out of medicine! Each deserves the medicine that will cure him of his

illness.

I know that this struggle in the name of equality is only one of the ways in

which man is trying to get Ananda. In almost all parts of the world, man is

today pursuing many such short cuts and wrong paths of achieve Ananda. But let

Me tell you, without reforming conduct, daily behavior, the little acts of

daily life, Ananda will be beyond reach. I consider pravarthna (practice), as

essential.

A man or an institution is to be judged by his or its integrity, whether acts

are according to the principles professed. The mind, the body, the word---all

three must work in unison. By such disciplined karma the senses will be

sublimated and Prashanthi won; then, out of this Prashanthi will arise

Prakanthi (the great light), and from that will emerge Param-jyothi (the

suprasplendour or illumination). That illumination will reveal Param-aathma

(the Oversoul), the Universal.

Now, I am hoisting on this Prashanthi Nilayam the Prashanthi Flag, according to

the convention that has grown here, like the conventions in the material plane.

The flag represents the spiritual discipline I have laid down for you: conquest

of Kama and Krodha, achievement of Prema and the practice of Japa yoga, leading

to the blossoming of the lotus of the heart and the emergence of the Jyothi of

Jnaana therein. When I hoist it over the Nilayam, you should convert your

hearts into Prashanthi Nilayam and hoist the flag there too, and keep it

flying.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 23-11-1964

TO BE CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’

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

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