Latest Divine Discourse 14th Jan Makara Sankranthi Day

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as the Atma. What is the form of Atma? Many people often ask this question. In

fact, it transcends name and form. Merely having a human form does not make one

a human being; it is the conduct and behaviour that matters. In the same manner,

mere acquisition of bookish knowledge does not make one truly educated. Such

worldly education is negative in nature. One must make a distinction between

education and educare. Whereas education is information-oriented, educare is

transformation-oriented. Education is limited to physical and mental levels.

Just as the rivers like Krishna and Godavari have their source in the ocean,

education has its roots in educare. Physical and worldly knowledge corresponds

to education. Educare is related to our inner feelings and purity of heart. Our

Maata, Paata and Baata (speech, song and way of life) should originate from the

heart. That is the essence of educare. Even if you acquire a number of degrees,

if you lack purity of heart, you cannot be

called truly educated. Nowadays very few make the efforts to understand what

educare is. Only those endowed with practical knowledge and wisdom will be able

to understand and appreciate the concept of educare. Others will be deluded by

high academic degrees. They are interested only in acquiring bookish knowledge

and disseminating the same. Such vain pursuits will not entitle them to be

called really educated. It is common nowadays for students to acquire various

academic degrees such as B.A., M.A., C.A., Ph.D., etc. However, those who

understand the real purpose of education and its inner significance are rare.

Once you understand the purpose of education and act accordingly, your life

will be redeemed. You should not entirely depend on what your teachers teach in

the classroom. You have to understand the nature of your body, mind, senses and

intellect to be able to realise your inner self. Every individual has three

attributes, namely, sattwa, rajas and tamas. They

represent the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Sattwa guna corresponds

to the inner purity. Rajo guna is reflected in our actions. However, the

fundamental truth is that Atma has complete control over all the senses and

functioning of the human body. You perform various tasks. You participate in

sports and games. All these represent rajo guna. These days people teach

parartha (spiritual values) without giving up swartha (selfishness). This is a

grave error. You should give up swartha in the first instance and consider

parartha as the basis of all your endeavours. Develop faith in God. God is the

adhara (support) and everything else is adheya (supported). Divinity is one.

The Veda has therefore declared: Ekoham bahusyam (the One willed to become

many). The names and forms may vary, but the inherent divine principle is one

and the same. For example, this hall is decorated with a number of bulbs. But

the electric current that flows through them is the same. Similarly, sweets

may be many, but the essential ingredient in them, that is sugar which imports

the sweetness is the same. Often times, we merely go by the names and forms,

forgetting the reality. A human being should essentially have three qualities –

nischalattwa, nirmalattwa and nirmohattwa (steadiness, purity and detachment).

One who has these three qualities is verily God Himself. You do not need to

enquire from others whether you are good or otherwise. Your conscience is the

judge. You should think of God always. There have been many divine incarnations

in the past, but the inherent divine principle in all of them is one and the

same. Just as sugar assumes the form of a variety of sweets, divinity

incarnates in various forms. People worship God, sing His glory thinking that

He is present in some distant place. In fact, the Panchabhutas (the five

elements) are the very manifestations of God. Your heart is the temple of God.

Hence, fill your heart with love. One bereft of love cannot be

called a human being. Consider the five elements as divine and put them to

proper use. Who has given you life? What is the source from which it has

manifested? Have you acquired it by some spiritual practice? No! God gives you

life and He is the one, who sustains it. He is present in every living being in

the form of Atma. Everything has originated from the Atma. Students study a

number of textbooks and acquire high academic qualifications. What is the

source of all their knowledge and learning? It is nothing but divinity. But,

man due to his delusion is unable to realise this Truth. First and foremost,

develop firm faith that God exists. When He incarnates in the human form, He

conducts Himself like a human being. Only then can man understand divinity and

the sacredness of human birth.Educare is related to bhava (feeling), whereas

education is related to bahya (external). The education you acquire should be

beneficial to society. You should utilise your knowledge

and intelligence for the benefit of society. Keep your emotions under check. Do

not fret and fume like Durvasa who had no control over his temper. Only the one

who has complete control over himself is a true human being. The Atma represents

the oneness of all beings. Ultimately, everything merges in the Atma. Religions

are many but goal is one.Clothes are many but yarn is one.Jewels are many but

gold is one.Cows are many but milk is one. (Telugu poem)Unfortunately, today

instead of visualising unity in diversity, man sees diversity in unity. That is

the cause of all his suffering. The principle of Atma is the basis of all

creation. You may forget anything but not the Atma. The five elements that are

immanent in you are nothing but the manifestations of Atma. Merely rotating the

beads of a rosary does not constitute japa. One should transcend the worldly and

physical plane of existence. That is true japa. One who realises the source of

his being is

truly human. You may study Bhagavad Gita and learn all the slokas by heart. But

that does not make you a scholar. It is enough if you are able to put at least

one sloka into practice. With the help of letters of alphabet a,b,c,d … any

number of books can be written. Hence, the letters in the alphabet form the

basis for any book, be it Ramayana, Mahabharata or Bhagavata. Likewise, the

Atma is the basis for everything. Once you understand the principle of Atma,

you would have understood everything else. It is only to impart such knowledge

that we have established educational institutions. In our schools and colleges,

character, virtues and conduct are given utmost priority. One should have the

desire to tread the right path in life and attain God. One should accept

everything as the Will of God. When you develop purity of heart, you will be

successful in all your endeavours. In the name of meditation, people sit

cross-legged and with closed eyes. How can such practices lead

you to Divinity? When you close your eyes, you cannot even see the person

standing in front of you, leave alone seeing God. In fact, God is present in

you. A true vyakti (individual) is one who manifests the avyakta (latent)

divinity. If you understand the principle of Atma and make sincere efforts, you

can certainly experience atmasakshatkara (realisation of the Divine). You may do

japa or tapa, but if you lack purity of heart, all your spiritual practices will

prove futile. Whatever may be the practice you undertake, you should always

focus your mind on the Atma only. Manishi (man) is one who is endowed with

manas (mind). Manishi is also known as manava. What is the inner meaning of

this term? ‘Ma’ means maya (ignorance), ‘na’ means nasthi (without) and ‘va’

means varthinchuta (to conduct oneself). A human being is one who overcomes

maya and conducts himself without ignorance. Education is meant to help you

overcome delusion. One who transcends the mind is a Paramahamsa (a

realised soul). We are not simply manavas (mere mortals). We are verily the

embodiments of Madhava (immortal divine principle). We should have faith in God

and face the challenges of life with courage and valour. Only then do we deserve

to be called a human being. The mind is meant to contemplate on God. One who

knows the value of a diamond will preserve it safely and make proper use of it.

Likewise, the one who realises the power of mind will not let it go astray. One

should strive to attain the state of ‘die’ mind (annihilation of the mind). It

is possible only by contemplating on God incessantly. It is said, Mano mulam

idam jagat (mind is the basis for the entire world). If you do not control your

mind and get carried away by its vagaries, what will be your fate? It is only

through mano nashana (annihilation of the mind) can one become a Paramahamsa.

Never follow the mind. The mind by nature is highly sacred, but due to the

impact of modern education it has become unsteady like a

monkey. What is the use of going through voluminous books without understanding

the nature of the mind? When you learn the alphabet from A to Z, you should

also learn the meaning of words. What is the use of reading words without

understanding their meaning? Here, students learn the Vedas. It is said,

Anantho Vai Vedah (the Vedas are infinite). They are endowed with infinite

power. When you read the Bhagavad Gita, you should make efforts to understand

its teachings and put them into practice. Otherwise, there is little meaning in

going through the Bhagavad Gita or giving lectures on it. No benefit accrues

from merely repeating the slokas like a parrot without understanding them. The

Vedas have been handed down from generation to generation by noble souls. They

contain the eternal truths. But, in the name of modern education, people are

neglecting them. One may like it or not, but the study of the Vedas is very

essential for one and all. It is not enough if you merely read

the Vedas, you should also understand the teachings contained therein. Man has

forgotten his true Self. He is trying to acquire education without knowing his

own reality. As a result, he reposes faith in everything else except God. You

should never forget the fundamental principle, namely, divinity. Dear

Students!You are able to understand and acquire worldly and secular knowledge.

But it is not easy for all to understand the inner reality. The names and forms

of individuals may appear to be different, but essentially all are one. The

innate reality is adhara and the external names and forms are only adheyas.

Knowing the adheya without understanding the adhara will serve no purpose. Even

while dealing with physical matters we should have spiritual outlook. Hence,

develop faith in God in the first instance. Anything can be achieved with

unflinching faith in God. Discharge your duties with a sense of surrender to

God. That is the essence of true education. Education does

not mean mere acquisition of bookish knowledge. True education is beyond bookish

knowledge. Students! Embodiments of Love! First of all, you have to realise that

divinity is present everywhere. Let all your actions be pleasing to God. You

have come from God and are living in God. All your actions should therefore be

dedicated to God. When you follow such a sacred path, you will ultimately merge

in God. God is bhavapriya not bahyapriya. He sees the feeling behind your

actions. The world is interested in bahyam (outward show), but God is

interested in your bhavam (feeling). Hence, purify your feelings in the first

instance. You ask others, “Who are you?” But have you ever enquired into

yourself, “Who am I?” True education lies in knowing the answer for this

question. What is the use of knowing about others if you don’t know your own

reality? That is not true education at all! A true spiritual aspirant is one

who understands and experiences the principle of oneness.

You say, “She is my mother”, “He is my father”, so on and so forth. Such

physical relationship is related to the mind. If you take the physical

relationship to be real, you will never understand the truth. You say, “I am

Ramaiah.” It is the name given to the body. But you are not the body. You

should say with firm conviction, “I am I.” However, when you call yourself

Ramaiah, you should act according to your name. Once you understand your

reality, you will experience everlasting bliss. Many students have gathered

here. But not all are studying the same subject. You are pursuing various

courses such B.A., M.A., M.Sc., etc. You should understand the purpose of

education. Nowadays several students aspire to go abroad after completing their

studies. They forget the very purpose of education, and are enamoured by worldly

attractions. One should have single-minded devotion towards God. Your faith

should be total and unconditional. If your faith is unsteady with ‘bumps and

jumps’,

you will be confused and will become restless. Keep your desires under control.

Limitless desires will take you away from divinity. Annihilation of desires

will lead you to the principle of unity. You should develop virtues and lead a

good life. Understand the purpose of education and act accordingly. Only then

will your birth as a human being be meaningful. One electric bulb can provide

illumination to many. Likewise, a heart filled with love can illumine many

lives. The educated people should not look down upon the uneducated. If they

are truly educated, they will treat everyone equally and develop unity. Where

there is unity, there is purity. When we have purity, we can experience

divinity. Love is the basis for unity. Devoid of love differences are bound to

crop up. Students!Having joined our institution if you merely acquire degrees

without developing virtues, we will not be happy. You should develop purity

within and purity outside. Only then can you earn a good

name in society. People will praise you saying, “So and so is a good boy, he

minds his own business and does not involve himself in unnecessary activities.”

Such good persons can bring about transformation in society. Being students, you

should follow the code of conduct prescribed for the state of Brahmacharya. On

the contrary, if you succumb to the vagaries of the mind and move about without

any restraint, people will call you a rowdy. When you are good in thought, word

and deed, everyone will talk high of you. Embodiments of Love!There is love in

one and all. There is none bereft of love in this world. Develop love. Let

people speak what they want. Do not be perturbed by criticism. If someone

criticises you loudly, it goes into thin air, if he criticises within, he will

only be the one who will be affected by it. In this manner, you should neither

be elated by praise nor depressed by criticism. If you want to attain God,

there should be harmony in your thoughts, words

and deeds. It is said, Manasyekam vachasyekam, karmanyekam mahatmanam,

manasyanyath vachasyanyath, karmanyanyath duratmanam. (Those whose thoughts,

words and deeds are in perfect harmony are noble ones; those who lack harmony

of these are wicked.) It is not enough if you have good command over language

and speak eloquently about Divinity. You should also put into practice what you

speak and experience divinity. You may be able to attract people with powerful

speech, but what is the use if you do not translate your words into action.

When Jesus was born, three Arabian kings came to see the child. Seeing the

divine effulgence of the child, the first king exclaimed, “He is the messenger

of God.” The second king said, “He is the son of God.” The third king

proclaimed, “He is verily God Himself.” All the three statements are true.

Never think that you are different from God. You should transcend duality and

understand oneness with divinity. Whatever may happen, do not deviate

from the path of oneness. You should have unwavering faith. Install these

teachings firmly in your heart and put them into practice in your daily life.

Even after you go back to your room, ruminate over what is being taught here.

With prayer to God, you can achieve anything in life. I want you to pray. I

want you to stand united like brothers and sisters and earn a good name. Only

then will the purpose of establishing colleges here be fulfilled. I am always

with you, in you, above you, around you. Make efforts to instill such faith and

devotion in your fellow human beings. That will make Me very happy. Today is

Sankranti, which marks the commencement of Uttarayana, the auspicious and

sacred time. At least from today onwards, develop noble feelings. Follow the

sacred path. Then your future will certainly be safe and secure. I hope I am

not causing inconvenience to you by speaking at length. When I see all of you,

My heart overflows with ananda (bliss). Happiness lies

in union with God. Hence contemplate on God incessantly. Never give scope for

anxiety or worry, thinking “examinations are approaching. How am I going to

face them? Will I pass in the examinations?” Do not give scope for despair and

despondency with such negative attitude. Have faith in God. Do your duty and

face any situation with courage. Then, the result is bound to be good. Love is

everything. Love is God. Live in love.(Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with

the Bhajan, “Hari Bhajan Bina Sukha Santhi Nahin …”)source:

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