SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume IV [Ch. 31, 32, 33]

[Guest guest]

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

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

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, 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. 31, 32, 33]

31. HOW OLD ARE YOU REALLY?

The world is full of sorrow and strife; man tries to avoid these and somehow

derive a little joy and peace, in the midst of grief and disappointment. It is

like digging a well in a sand heap; the deeper you dig, the faster it caves in.

And, the whole process has to be repeated again. The piles of sensual desires

overwhelm the aspirant and drag him down into grief. The only means of getting

lasting joy is Bhakti; that is the best among the yukthis (the paths dictated

by intelligence). That alone gives the Shakti (the strength needed for

acquiring unshakable joy). Bhakti can grow only on prepared ground. The method

of preparation is given in the Vedas, which speak also of things that have to

be avoided. The Vedas lay down the lines of conduct, the method of living, the

ideals to be followed. You may not all be able

to study the Vedas and grasp the meaning. But those who have studied and who are

following the teachings and who are overcome by the joy of that experience are

here to tell you, in terms that you can understand. Today, for example, we had

the Shastri, who spoke of the four Purushaarthas (goals of human life), as

mentioned in the Bhagavad Geetha, which itself is the essence of the

Upanishads, the latter part of the Vedas called Vedanta. Of these goals, the

final consummation is Moksha; that is the very crux of the problem of life.

Moksha means liberation from bondage to both joy and grief, which are the

obverse and reverse of the same coin. Moksha is the recognition of the truth;

but, though it is so simple, it required the cultivation of Viveka, Vairagya

and vichakshana (discrimination, detachment and ability), to know the Truth and

escape from the temptation to hug falsehood. Viveka is necessary to decide

what is dharma---the very first of the Purushaarthas. Each one must decide for

himself the dharma he must choose for his uplift; this required Viveka, the

recognition of the permanently beneficial source of pure and lasting joy.

Walk with the help of Bhakti and Karma

Kurukshetra must be made a Dharmakshetra. Kurukshetra is the field where

brothers fought over a handful of earth; but, it must be made a field for the

uplift of man through the practice of dharma. It is for the sake of jnaana that

dharma has been laid down. Bhakti and karma are the two feet and the head is

jnaana; walk on with the help of these two.

Now, about Vairagya. When you go to a temple you break a coconut before the

idol. Now, if you try to break the nut as it has fallen from the tree, will it

break? No; the fibrous cover has to be removed, and the shell exposed. The

fiber protects the shell and prevents the blow from affecting the shell. Moksha

(liberation) results from the breaking of the mind with all its vagaries and

wishes. You have to break your mind but how can you do it, when the fibrous

Armour of sensual desires encompasses it? Remove them and dedicate the mind to

God and smash it in His presence. That moment, you are free.

The toughest fibre is anger, it is the stickiest dirt. When you get angry, you

forget mother, father and teacher; you descend to the lowest depths. You lose

all discrimination in the excitement; even Hanuman set fire to the whole of

Lanka when he was incensed by the demons who set fire to the tip of his tail;

he lost sight of the fact that Seetha was in the Ashokavana. It was only when

he had exulted in achievement for a little while that he remembered it and then

he started condemning himself for his anger.

Feel an inseparable unity with the Lord

Another fatal weakness is dambha (conceit, egoism, pride), the desire to be

talked about, to be praised; people take delight in tom-toming their

achievements and capacities. This makes them ludicrous and pitiable. They want

that their names and deeds should appear in the daily papers in big bold

letters, as big as My head of hair! But it is not in the newspapers that you

should strive to get attention. Earn status in the realm of God; earn fame in

the company of the good and the godly, progress in humility, in reverence of

elders and parents If you are for ever in the primary class poring over A B C

and D, how can you make out the meaning of what these Pundits say? These are

all subjects beyond the reach of the senses and you must gamer them and cherish

them in your minds. Practice them and live in

joy.

When the discourses are on here, I find many running about with their beds and

reserving space for spreading them. When you go to a temple, you see the idol

within but your thoughts are with your footwear that you had to keep outside

the outer gate. These are matters that reveal the concentration that you are

capable of. Every little point has to be taken care of, lest the benefit of

Sadhana be lost. You cannot get liberation by merely coming here; you cannot

get it even by Darshan, Sparshan and Sambashan (seeing, touching and

conversing). You will have to follow the instructions, the Aajna (the order)

and the directions:

You will have to follow the path of Radha, Meera, Gouranga and Tukaram. You must

feel an inseparable affinity with the Lord, as inseparable as the wave and the

sea. You are really of the same essence, the same taste, the same quality as

the sea, though you have the name and form of the wave. The Lord is the Saguna

aspect (Form with attributes) of the Paramatma that is the Universe. Butter,

when in the milk, is immanent in it, has no separate name~ and form; but, take

it out and it has a name and form which makes it distinct from mille Ghee too

when liquid has no particular form, but when it hardens, it has a form. So too

Maadhava-thathwam (Divine state) when it assumes a form, is Manava (Man).

Virtue is the life-breath

When you are immersed in yourself, you are happiest. The child in the womb is in

Soham (I am He); but when it is born in the world, it starts the question, Koham

(Who am I?). For it forgot its truth; it identifies itself with the body and the

senses. Until it becomes a jnaani (person of realisation), it will never regain

in Soham knowledge.

Manava can become Madhava by engaging himself in Madhava karma (action dedicated

to God); he can then discover his Narayana thathwam (Divine state). What is the

use of doing only Manava karma (human action) or even dhaanava karma (demoniac

action) and claiming that man is divine? Virtue is the life-breath; character

is the backbone. Without that, no meritorious act will fructify. A

characterless man is like a pot with many holes, useless for carrying water, or

storing it. Renounce and win peace; have and win troubles.

There was a man living in a ramshackle hut when a huge big storm came along

threatening to scatter it to the far comers, he sat inside and prayed to

Vaayudheva (wind god). "O Vayu! Abate thy fury," but the storm raged wild and

furious. He prayed to Hanuman, the son of the wind god Vayu. "O Hanuman, soften

the fury of your father and save this poor fellow's shelter," and the storm blew

with even more ferocity. Then he prayed to Rama to command His servant, Hanuman,

to persuade the wind god to reduce His overpowering sweep. He found that too had

no effect. So, he came out of the hut and coolly said, "Let it be pulled asunder

and lifted by the' storm out of sight. I do not care." Thus, he got his peace of

mind back.

Crows pester the eagle so long as it has a fish in its beak. They swish past

that so they could steal the fish out of its mouth. They pursue the bird

wherever it sits for a little rest. At last, it gives up the attachment to the

fish and drops it from its beak; the crows fly behind it and leave the eagle

free. So leave off sense pleasures and the crows of pride, envy, malice, and

hatred will fly away, for they want only carrion.

Practice renunciation from now on

The snake moves in curves, not in a straight line; man too when he is following

the senses has to move in a crooked path. He has greater poison in him than the

snake; his venom is to be found in his eyes, his tongue, his hands, his mind,

his heart, his thoughts---whereas the cobra has it only in its fangs. The cobra

raises its hood and sways in joy when it hears music; so too man when he

realizes the stage of niruvikalpa--steady unchanging establishment in the

Ultimate Reality--- dances in heavenly bliss.

Practice renunciation from now on, that you may set out on the journey when the

call comes, you don't know when. Or at that moment, you will be in tears, when

you think of the house you have built, the property you have accumulated, the

fame you have amassed, the rifles you have won. Know that all this is for the

fleeting moment: develop attachment for the Lord, who will be with you wherever

you go. Only the years that you have lived with the Lord have to be counted as

life; the rest are all out of count. His seven-year old grandchild, “Grandpa,

asked an old grandfather of seventy! How old are you?" and the old man replied,

"Two!" The child was struk with wonder and looked a picture of doubt. The old

man replied, "I have spent only the last two years in the company of the Lord;,

until then I was plunged in the marshland of pleasure seeking."

Realise the Indweller in the body

Bhrigu asked Varuna what the Lord does and Varuna (rain god) replied, Thapas

(penance). For, he explained, "He is in all the five kashas (sheaths)--the

Annamaya, the Praanamaya, the Manomaya, the Vijnaanamaya and the Aanandhamaya

koshas (sheaths of material, vital energy, mind, knowledge and bliss). He

digests the food in the body and the food in the mind. He is ever active,

creating, fostering and transforming. You must realise the dhehi (the

Indweller), in the Deha (body) and the Naami (person designated) by the Nama

(name). There was a wife who got bangles of gold made when she became a widow-,

for, she argued, her husband had now become indestructible like gold, whereas he

was, while alive, breakable, like the glass bangles she wore then. He had merged

in the Akshara Brahman

(Indestructible Supreme Reality). Develop Prema (divine love) towards the Lord,

the Parama-prema (Supreme divine love) of which He is the embodiment. Never

give room for doubts and hesitations, for questions to test the Lord's Prema.

"My troubles have not ended; why? Why is it that He did not speak to me? How is

it I did not get a room for staying here? Why did he not call me?" you whine! Do

not think that I do not care for you or that I do not know you. I may not talk

to you, but do not be under the impression that. I have no Prema. As a matter

of fact, it is to give you the chance of Darshan that I move along the verandah

from this room to that. Whatever I do, it is for you, not for Me. For, what is

it that can be called Mine? Only you.

Hold fast to your chosen deity

So, do not get shaken in mind; do not allow faith to decline. That will only add

to the grief you already suffer from. Hold fast--that must be your vow. Whoever

is your Ishta dhevatha (the chosen deity)--Vishnu or Rama or Shiva or

Venkateswara--hold fast to Him. Do not lose the contact and the company; for,

it is only when the coal is in contact with the live embers that it can also

become live ember. Cultivate nearness to Me in the heart and you will be

rewarded. Then you too will acquire a fraction of the Supreme Prema. This is

the great chance. This chance will not come your way again, beware of that. If

you cannot, if you do not, cross the sea of grief now, taking hold of this

chance, when again can you get such a chance? Really you are the fortunate

few-, out of millions and millions of people you have come, though no one

specially

invited you to be present here. That is what I call the mark of destiny.

Now, engage yourself in spiritual discipline, spiritual thoughts, and spiritual

company. Let the past go its way. At least from now on, seek to save yourself.

Never yield to doubt or unsteadiness. That is a sign of ignorance. Have faith

in any one Name and the Form indicated by that name. If you revere Shiva and

hate Vishnu, the plus and the minus cancel out and the net result is zero. I

will not tolerate the slightest hatred of any Name or Form. The wife has to

revere the husband, but that does not mean that she has to hate his parents or

brothers or sisters. You can never attain the Lord through hatred of one or

more of His many Forms and Names. If you throw contempt at the God that another

reveres, the contempt falls on your own God. Avoid factions, quarrelling,

hating, scorning, faultfinding; they recoil on you. You find fault in others

because you

have faults in you. Remember every one is a pilgrim towards the same goal; some

travel by one road, some by another. Ravana, Sisupaala, Dantavaktra---they too

reached the feet of the Lord, by inviting Him to end their earthly careers.

Seek the good in others

Learn to speak little and to speak soft. That will reduce the chances of getting

angry. Seek the good in others and the evil in yourself. When I am defamed, I

never get incensed, for it is only the tree full of edible fruits that is

attacked with sticks and stones. Moreover, without scorn and contempt,

greatness will not shine and Spread. It has always been so, whenever Avatars

have come. When you hear the word, Rasala mango, you conceive of a sweet juicy

fruit; but, when you have the fruit actually in hand, you are pestered by

doubts whether it is really Rasala, whether it will taste sweet or sour. But, I

never care for praise or blame; I just discard both. I am ever intent on the

task for which I have come, the laying down of Sathya maarga (path of truth),

of Dharma and the spread of the knowledge and practice of Dharma.

The Prashanthi Vidwanmahaasabha is just one of the instruments for this task:

the task of making the Kali yuga (present Iron age), a Kritha yuga (past Golden

age). Stage by stage as the task unfolds, the sound of detractors will also

cease; when fully fried, the pappad will make no further noise. Only the frying

pappad makes noise. You too should avoid contact with the unfried minds; do not

develop either hatred or envy. Have love and charity towards all.

Know what exactly is your duty

This aged Shastri is a sweet fruit, ripe with age and experience; he knows and

has actual experience of the life laid down in the Geetha. When I asked him to

share his wisdom with the world, he was indeed happy beyond words. He is

exulting over the opportunity he has got to partake in the revival of Vedic

scholarship and in the re-establishment of Dharma. He knows and I know, and no

one else knows, the intensity of his joy at the chance he now has secured. He

has but one desire in him now, a very sacred desire: to see the era of Dharma

established on earth through My Sankalpa (Will). What a rare relationship is

this, between him and Me! It is Sanathana Sambandha (eternal relationship);

hence he got Me.

Some things happened today to make Me speak in this strain and I wanted all of

you to know what exactly is your duty to yourself and to others. There are some

men who are like moths, who must bore through whatever they come across, silk or

cotton or wool; there are others who are like bees, who seek only honey. The

lotus attracts bees from afar, but the frogs that skip around it on the lake

know not of its beauty or fragrance.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 10-10-1964

32. THE PATH TO THE PRESENCE

This day, three learned Pundits (scholars) spoke on Adwaita (philosophy of

Non-dualism) and Avatar Tathva (essential nature of Incarnation) and on the

Lord of Mathura. They have appeased your hunger in full. When the stomach is

full anything extra is bitter. But, a bit of pickle may be welcome. That I

shall give you now!

Birth as a human being is a unique chance for living beings. For, man is endowed

with discriminating intelligence, the power to reason out the best among

alternative courses. Man is far from the Pashu (animal), doser to Pashupathi

(Lord of beings). He should not relapse into Pashuthwa (animality). Listening

to Krishnamurthy Shastri expounding the Bhagavatham—the sweet story of

Krishna---told in sweet Sanskrit and explained so sweetly, you should imbue the

Prema with which the story is filled.

The Bhagavatham has the majesty of seelam (virtue); it has the majesty of Kriya

(action); it has also the majesty of bhaava (feeling). By majesty, I mean

Udhaaththatha (elevation). What a grandeur you witness in the Ramayana, for

example! When Ravana fell, Rama sent Lakshmana to the place with a message to

see that he is treated like the Emperor of Lanka and not a despised enemy.

Lakshmana when he was called in to identify the ornaments of Seetha contained

in the bundle she had thrown on the ground during the flight to captivity,

declared that he could identify only the toe-rings of his sister-in-law; he saw

only those ornaments, for he prostrated every day at her feet, as the consort of

the elder brother is, according to the Sasthras, equal to one's own mother. Now,

it is impossible to find such virtue holding sway

over men's minds. Now it is egoism, pride and greed that sway them.

Importance of moral standards

Man has lost the fear of a fall; he has become worse than animals. It was not

like this in the past. During previous centuries, Rajput women immolated

themselves rather than fall into the hands of wicked foes. When Hanuman offered

to take Seetha on his shoulder back to Rama, the virtue of Seetha would not

allow her to accept the offer. She had her husband's reputation in view. She

said that it would best suit her husband's fame if he himself avenges the wrong

and rescues her. Hanuman’s taking her, would be a repetition of what Ravana did,

for he too stole her secretly while Rama was away. She did not consider her

immediate relief as more important than the implications of that step to her

virtue and her husband's fair name. That is what I call Seelodaaththatha

(virtue in exaltation).

Or, take the Mahabharata. The Yaksha who guarded the lake had killed all the

four brothers and they were lying on the ground. Dharmaraja, the eldest

brother, went there to slake his thirst and the Yaksha warned him, too. He

challenged him to answer his questions, just as he had asked the others; but

since he replied correctly, the Yaksha was pleased to grant him a boon; he

could bring back to life one among the four who lay dead! And, whom did

Dharmaraja select? Not Bheema who would be his right hand in the coming battle

against the Kauravas; not Arjuna, who was indispensable as a bowman of the

highest attainments; but, Nakula, the son of his stepmother, Madri. Even the

Yaksha was surprised. He asked him the reason why. Dharmaraja said that his

mother had him as the one surviving son but his stepmother too should have a

son alive. That was the measure of

his attachment to Dharma, to virtue, to normal standards. Then, people lived for

the sake of Dharma; now, the ideal is Dana (riches). When Duryodhana had at last

to be encountered a single combat, he himself selected a foeman worthy of his

reputation, Bheema, when he could as well have chosen a weaker rival. It was

considered improper to fight with a weaker foe.

Gopis' Prema to Krishna was super-physical

It all lies in the vision that you command, that you have equipped yourselves

with. One of the Shaasthrys spoke of certain doubts which he himself had felt

about Me, doubts which kept him away for some years. The love of the Gopis

towards Krishna has led many ignorant people enmeshed in worldly attachments

and physical attractions, to turn their faces away from God. Before passing

judgment on any subject, you must investigate closely.

The Prema of the Gopis towards Krishna was super-physical, the love of the soul

for the Oversoul, of the river for the sea. Persons deep in this type of love

see nothing else, hear nothing else; they behave like mad persons, as the world

goes. Their joy when they feel his presence is as supreme as their grief when

they feel they are deprived of it. That is why among the songs of the saints,

you have Nindhaasthuthi also; that is to say, songs, which blame Him for being

cruel, partial, negligent, etc.!

You may know that the Lord of the Holy Shrine Shrisailam is called

Mallikaarjuna, the white jasmine; and the Goddess, the Consort, is called most

appropriately, Bhramaramba, the Bee! For the bee is drawn inescapably to the

flower and it forgets itself while tasting the Glory of the Flower. The union

of Jiva and Brahman is of the same significance as the union of Krishna and

Thrishna---Krishna and the Thirst, the Lord and the Love.

Doubt leads to perdition, spiritual ruin

The children of the Sanskrit School enacted the play Markandeya yesterday and

you saw the boys who took the role of Marudvathi and Markandeya completely

immersed in the role and so, they were able to make you also feel every emotion

they expressed. You must fill yourself with the Form and the Glory of the Lord;

you must not be aware of anything else. Then, you too can become Madhava.

There are two eight-syllabled axioms in the Geetha, which you must take to

heart: Shraddhaavan labhate Jnaanam and Samshayaathma vinashyathi. The first

tells you that the person who is steady in his faith gains the knowledge of the

path of liberation and the second warns against the sinister consequence of

"doubt"; doubt leads to perdition, spiritual ruin. Dwell on these axioms and

practice the spiritual discipline of Namasmarana, Japam or Dhyanam. This is the

pursuit that is worthy, not the pursuit of fame, nor the friendship of the

famous.

You ask for grace, which is available only at a very high cost; but you pay only

trash. It is sheer avarice, like asking a gourd as extra, when what you have

paid is for a bean! You may claim that you have been coming to Puttaparthi for

ten or twelve or sixteen years or that you have even stayed here long; but, it

is not the years that matter; it is the depth to which the roots of karma have

grown in previous births. They decide the ears of corn that you have to live

upon. It takes a long time and systematic Sadhana to clear the field of all

those growths---the Sadhana, as the Shastri said, of Karma and Upasana which

leads to Jnaana.

Three stages in spiritual awareness

This is the meaning of the injunction that you should dip thrice in succession,

when you take a bath in any holy river. The first dip is to cleanse the sthuula

sareera (the gross physical body); the second is to cleanse the suukshma sareera

(the subtle body), of the praanamaya, the manomaya and the vijnaanamaya koshas

(sheaths of vital energy, mind, knowledge) and third is to cleanse the kaarana

sareera (the causal body) or the vijnaanamaya kosha, with just a tinge of

maayaa still left. They are also meant to consecrate the karma and the upaasana

saadhanas and confer Jnaana. Dwaita, Visishtaadhwaitha and Adwaita are also only

three stages in spiritual awareness.

Somasekhara Shastri spoke of the Dwaita and Adwaita (dual and non-dual)

attitudes which colour people's outlook in every field. But, they are not

distinct;, they are stages of mental transformation. The fruit is the same; the

soil and the sun make it reach the ripe stage, through the intermediate stages

of tender fruit and mature fruit. When you realise that the Lord is at the

address that He has given towards the end of the Geetha in the 61st Sloka of

the 18th chapter, namely, "Ishwarassarvabhuthaanaam hriddese, Arjuna,

thishtathi," that "He is in the heart of every being," then you know the one,

with no other.

To realise the Lord in every being, you must cultivate Prema and drive out the

bats that infest the dark caverns of your heart, the bats of hate, envy and

malice. Let the light of Prema illumine your thoughts, your words, your

movements, your activities, your judgments. When you become transmuted into

Prema, the Lord who is Premaswaruupa, will reveal Himself to you, and play on

the Flute, awakening your higher consciousness in the flood of Universal love.

Sadhana is essential because the effects of karma have to be removed by karma

alone, as a thorn is removable only by another thorn. You cannot remove it by a

knife or a hammer, or even a sword. The knowledge that the world is unreal was

itself spread by Sankaracharya by means of activity in the unreal world, the

establishment of mutts the writing of books

and partaking in disputations. You cannot desist from arm; only, you have got to

take care that it is saturated with Prema and promotes the welfare of the world.

The grand combination

Tomorrow again, the path of the Presence of the Lord will be explained by these

Pundits as well as by Me. Whoever may speak, whatever the text, the substance

is the same in no other place can you have this grand combination: Pundits who

expound, as if to their own kith and kin, the great truths contained in the

scriptures with such faith and devotion and a congregation of listeners which

listens with devoted avidity, eager to learn and practice what they learn. You

must be devoted, as devoted as a boy who studied in the Ashram of Dhoumyarishi.

When the guru was conducting his lesson assiduously, the rain came in torrents

and the boys ran helter-skelter to roll up their beds or collect their clothes

or save their kusa grass bundles. But, one boy reasoned out within himself:, we

had heavy rain last evening too, so this

downpour will certainly damage the dike. So, to save the two acres of land that

the guru owned, he went and laid himself across the breach. You must so act

that the heart of the Guru melts at your devotion. Only that will cleanse the

mind of evil and vice. If you develop devotion and steady faith you will

achieve the Glory of Self-realisation.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 11-10-1964

After long searches, here and there, in temples and in churches, in earths and

in heavens, at last you come back. Completing the circle from Where you

started, to your own soul, and find that He, for whom you have been seeking all

over the world, for whom you have been weeping and praying in churches and

temples, on whom you were looking as the mystery of all mysteries, shrouded in

the clouds, in the nearest of the near, is your own self, the reality of your

life, body and soul. - Shri Sathya Sai

33. FAITH IS THE FOUNDATION

This day you heard the Pundits tell you about the supremacy of the Vedas and the

need for establishing Dharma. No one can break the limits of Vedas and Sasthras

and speak here; in fact, all spiritual subjects are subsumed in the scriptures.

All knowledge is derived from the Vedas. You cultivate your divinity in

proportion to the Sadhana you do and the handicaps you have brought down from

previous births. It is above and beyond the intellect and incapable of being

reached through the senses. Divinity is its own law; it is independent of all

restrictions and modes. The senses can each perform only one operation for the

gathering of knowledge: the ear can inform you of sound; the eyes can speak of

colour, the tongue of taste, etc. But, the Divine is beyond all sensations and

systems.

Srishti, Sthithi and Laya (creation, sustentation and dissolution) are the three

forms of the Divine will; you have to penetrate the inner meaning of Srishti, by

means of Karma Yoga; you have to grasp the significance of Sthithi, by means of

Bhakti Yoga and when you master the Jnaana Yoga, you arrive at the experience

of Laya, of manifoldness in the One. Bhakti makes you aware of the Lord who

sustains and supports every being; it is Prema, which is Nitya, Sathya and

Nirmala; that is to say, Love which is unchanging, sincere and pure. There is

no one who is devoid of Bhakti; deep down in his core, every one has the

feeling of kinship with all creatures. It is this that makes a lonely man

miserable, that makes every one likeable to some one or other. If you have no

love; you are

like a lamp without the flame, blind and blinding. Love of the pure type is

unmixed with hate, untampered with greed.

Karma is necessary for liberation

Faith is the foundation for this type of devotion, faith in doing good, faith in

Punya and papa (merit and sin), so that you examine each act in the light of its

long-distance consequences, and lastly faith, in the series of births through

which the present life is built up. Pilgrimage was, in the years gone by, a

long and arduous process, and so, the pilgrim was educated by it in humility

and fortitude. Those who came with Me to Badri were free from fear for the

road, and so, they had more time to dwell on Narayana and His glory.

Tirupati has been made so easily accessible now that it is fast being turned

into a paradise for picnickers! The sacred hills have been scarred and the

full-throated exclamation, "GovindaGovinda" as the pilgrims climb the steps

have disappeared. People go in airplanes to Kasi and return after a quick round

of the ghats and shrine, in a few hours. The silent communion with the Divine

and the slow infiltration of elation into the inner consciousness have been

lost. Only through karma can liberation be effected. When karma is prompted by

Bhakti, it is Samsara Bhakti (devotion of the worldly); when Jnaana also

blossoms a little, it is vaanaprastha Bhakti (devotion of the recluse); when

Bhakti fructifies into Jnaana, then it is Sanyaasa Bhakti (devotion of the

ascetic) or Moksha (liberation) itself.

Without karma, progress is very difficult.

Faith is essential for consummation of Sadhana

The Jnani too has to do karma, but, like swans coming out of the water, they can

swish their feathers and wings and be as dry as when they entered it: karma will

not affect them at all. They do it with no ego, with no desire. It is their

nature to wish well of the world and to engage in work that promotes the

welfare of the world. When a woman who is pregnant is widowed, she does not

immediately rid herself of the marks of a married woman, for she can discard

the nosescrew, the earrings, the mangala sutra (marriage string worn by married

women), etc., only after the child is born! Until then, though she has the

outward marks of a woman happy with her husband, she knows she is a widow.

The Jnani is also of the same type; he knows that he is free, but to the world

he appears bound. Frothy youth, suffering from the fever of cynicism, laugh at

Jnanis and treat them with dishonor. There is no use blaming them, either. The

elders set the example and what else can they do?

Prema is the seed; thanmayathwam, over-powering experience of merging, is the

tree; inexhaustible Anandam is the fruit. For this consummation, faith is

essential. Look at Arjuna! When the choice was placed before him to decide

which he should receive---the army of redoubtable heroes belonging to the

Yadhava clan or Krishna alone, unarmed and refusing to fight--he asked only for

Krishna! He knew; he believed; he was saved. The same choice India has to make

even now, when the Lord has appeared in His Swarupa here. What does it profit

the country if it accumulates money, gold and grain? The Ananda, derived from

the worship of the name and form which arouses spiritual joy, is far more

desirable than these.

Want of faith is the source of weakness in all fields.

Establishing the reign of Dharma

In the days of Asoka, there was a poor man living in Buddhagaya. His name was

Sisupaala. Though very poor, he stuck to dharma and was never known to forsake

that path, in spite of strong temptations. Asoka slipped into his house one

night and craved for food and shelter. Sisupaala was surprised that there was

someone poorer than himself, He welcomed him and fed him with his own share of

the meal; he asked his son to press his feet, to give relief to the fired limb.

When Asoka spoke praising him for his hospitality, he protested and said, that

it was wrong to take such extra notice of what was his duty. "It is our

dharma," he said. Asoka asked him what he meant by dharma and when Sisupaala

said that the land was immersed in Adharma and that the Emperor was not

fostering dharma, Asoka who was incognito, challenged him. "What Asoka

could not do, can you achieve?" he asked. Sisupaala replied, "Of course I shall;

I bend only to God. I am not afraid of man. I care only for dharma." The guest

laughed and changed the topic; but Asoka had no sleep that night. He rose in

the early morning and went out of the hut, while it was still dark.

Next morning, a gorgeously dressed courtier appeared before the hut and inquired

whether he had, by any chance, blamed the Emperor to someone during the night.

Sisupaala said that he had done so, but that what he said was correct. The

courtier was entrusted with the mission of bringing him to the palace, where

Asoka appointed him as Dharmadhevatha (deity of Righteousness), to establish

the reign of dharma in the land. He told him, "If the slightest deviation from

dharma happens anywhere you will be executed, beware. I shall give you all the

military help you need to transform the conduct of the people." Sisupaala

agreed. He said: "I shall do so; I do not need your army. I have full trust in

God." Asoka was rather disappointed that the man placed no trust in him! But he

decided to watch the progress of this new experiment in administration, which

was to last for ten days. And the unexpected happened. There was no theft, no

breach of the moral code, no violation of the Sasthras anywhere in the land.

Young women decked with jewels could go from one end of the empire to another,

even during nights, without any fear of molestation or theft.

Emperor Asoka submits to Dharma

Asoka really got envious of the capacity of the new administrator. He went

incognito one night to the house of a prostitute and banged at the outer door,

demanding entry. The lady protested and refused to admit him, since

Dharmadhevatha ruled the land. There was an altercation between Asoka and the

hefty watchman at the door, which became hot. A fight ensued, and the watchman

was slain.

That was on the seventh day of the new regime. Asoka had it announced that since

a murder had been committed in the town, the man from Buddhagaya had to be

executed. The news spread like wildfire and every one wept at the plight of the

good man. Sisupaala, however, had discovered that it was no less a person than

the Emperor who had done the deed; he had actually visited the house where the

incident happened and recorded details of the persons involved. So, when he was

about to ascend the steps and place his head on the block, he shouted "Stop,"

and asked that Asoka himself be brought to the place of execution, for, it was

he who had killed the watchman. Asoka too was prepared; he had made an image of

himself in gold and that was beheaded in his place, as the Sasthras allow. The

gold was distributed as gifts, and dharma was

observed.

Contribute your individual effort

You must use all the talents awarded to you in a prayerful and humble mood.

Until then, you have no right to seek the help of the Lord, His intervention. A

devotee of Hanuman was once driving a cartload of grain to the market. On the

way, the wheel got stuck and the bullocks could not draw the cart forward. The

cart slanted too far to one side and the bags fell on the ground. The devotee

sat on the ground and started praying to Hanuman. He finished reciting the

Stotra, the 108 names, and even the 1008 names. The cart did not regain

balance. He began to blame Hanuman and started reviling Him for not coming to

his rescue. Hanuman appeared and took him to task. "Foolish fellow; instead of

applying all your strength on the job, you have reviled Me, for not doing what

is really your task Come on, put your shoulder to the wheel; engage in karma;

contribute Purusha prayaithana (individual effort)."

Karma cleanses the mind, if it is done as a dedicatory act, the consequence

being left to the Will of the Lord. Repentance saves even sinners from

perdition. No ceremony of expiation is as effective as sincere repentance. The

shopkeeper may give short measure; but he will not accept less cash. The bill

has to be paid in full. Pay it through repentance. You cannot deceive the Lord

by insincerity or by ruses. Unless you correct yourself by detachment and

sacrifice, you cannot reach God. Give up egoism; then only you can see him.

Rama taught dharma, treading in his own life every one of its steps. Krishna

paid more attention to teaching it through Arjuna. Small people who cannot

overcome their egoism dare judge Krishna and point the finger at what they call

his "pranks." Such men were found then, as well as now. They are ever engaged in

seeking faults in the great. They dare declare that the Lord should be such and

such, of this form and with such characteristics, as if they could ever glimpse

the edge of His glory, as if the Lord will assume the form these men decide.

Feel you are the instrument of God's Will

The Lord can be understood only if you approach Him, develop attachment for Him,

have faith in Him, and maintain unswerving loyalty to Him. He is understood only

when you feel that you are but the instrument and that He wills every little

movement everywhere. Who is there so bold that he can say, "the Lord must wear

only this dress, the Lord must act only in this manner?" Who can limit His

glory or set its direction! He is immanent in all beings and He gets done all

activities through them, just as electricity makes the bulb shine, the mike to

transmit the voice, the stove to cook, the refrigerator to cool.

The river of life has four causeways, while the river Vankaperu, which flows in

this Taluk, has two: one on the road to Penukonda and another on the road to

Dharmavaram. The causeways are brahmacharya, Grihastha, vaanaprastha and

sanyaasa (celibate, house holder, recluse and monk). Of these, the Grihastha

causeway has sunk and become impassable. Repair it and become good Grihasthas;

then the path of life is smooth for the journey.

On the road to Prashanthi Nilayam from Kothacheruvu, the Bapanapalle culvert has

broken down. But the villagers cannot of their own accord reconstruct it

according to their sweet will. It has to be reconstructed by the very authority

that first erected it. So too, when dharma has gone into disrepair, He who laid

down the dharma has to come again and get it repaired. The Lord laid the four

bridges, and He has come to rebuild them now. The engineers and others are

here, in the Prashanthi Vidwanmahaasabha; very soon, the rebuilding work will

be completed and the inaugural ceremony celebrated.

Cultivate faith and detachment. Revere elders and take to heart the advice they

give, out of their mature wisdom and experience. Cross the ocean of death and

birth and be "children of immortality," (Amrithasya Puthraah), every moment of

your lives.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 12-10-1964

Once you rise to the higher level of consciousness and live at that level, all

those events cease to have the same meaning and so have less and less effect on

you. Instead, you remain happy and calm at all times, merely observing events as

they come and go, for that is what they do.- Shri Sathya Sai

TO BE CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’

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

for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.