PROF. ANIL KUMAR – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS [176 to 200]

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PROF. ANIL KUMAR – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS [176 to 200]

176 - Many of our brothers and sisters extol the virtues of Indian music because Indian music has become cool. I know Swami says very often that the Indian and Vedic traditions of music are very spiritual in their essence. Does He say anything about the inner power and meaning of western and classical non-Indian music and its traditions? (130305)

My friends, Baba is neither eastern nor western. Music is neither eastern nor western. Music is music. You cannot say that this is Indian music or Western music. Music is not geographical. There are non-Indian people who can actually sing classical Indian music much better than Indians themselves!

Telugu is a local language; but an Englishman, Robert Brown, wrote the dictionary of the Telugu language, and he wrote it in England. Who is a more Telugu man? Anil Kumar is not a Telugu man; Robert Brown is a proper Telugu man.

Max Muller wrote an interpretation of the Upanishads and the Bhagawad Gita. Who is more Indian? Max Muller is Indian, but not me.

Please understand this. Vedic literature, music, the Bible, the Koran, the Zorasthra, they are all universal. The Bible - can you say the Bible is western? No. It is like the air. Is there western air and eastern air? Is there western fire or eastern fire? No. That is all narrow-mindedness. So western music is Divine and eastern music is Divine. Classical music is Divine. Do not classify these things. They are Divine and beyond such classification.

Wine may be eastern or western. Scotch whisky! Scotch whisky and wine may be eastern or western, but that which is Divine is universal. Fine arts are universal. Therefore, please understand that all music is the same. Don’t you see Swami enjoying western music here?

One time there was an international music concert here. I was sitting by Swami’s side. Many Italians were playing their violins. I was just listening. Swami was enjoying the beat. Suddenly, He looked at me and said, “I know you don’t follow this.”

I should have said, “Yes Swami, I don’t follow,” but unfortunately for me, I said, “Swami, in our country, things are different.”

Swami immediately looked at me and said, “What? Repeat that sentence.” (Laughter)

“In our country, things are different.”

Then Swami said, “Why do you include Me? (Laughter) Why do you include Me?! I don’t belong to any country. All countries belong to Me!” (Laughter and applause) Therefore my friends let us not categorise music like that.

177- If everything happens due to God’s will, then whatever one does is not one’s own fault because God has already determined it. So how can one be responsible for one’s own karma? (130305)

Aha! A very good question!

When He is doing everything, when everything happens as per God’s will, how am I responsible for these things?

Good question. Good logic.

Regarding this question, let me share with you a little story.

It seems one fellow once committed a murder. He killed another fellow in the street. He was then hauled off to prison and after taken to the court to stand before the judge.

The judge asked him, “Are you the fellow who murdered so-and-so?”

“Yes, your honour, I killed him.”

“Are you guilty of this crime?”

“Yes, your honour, I am guilty.”

“Do you have anything to say further?”

“Your honour, please know one thing. You know only the Indian penal code, and the IPC law books; but I am a philosopher. I think we have to ask a deeper question here, and that is to ask, ‘Who is the killer?’ Who is the killer? And who can kill whom? Who can kill whom! The killer and the killed are both Divine. I am God, as is he. You think I have killed him? He is also God. How can I be guilty? Who is the killer? Who is killed? Who can kill whom?”

In this way, he kept on giving a discourse on the Bhagawad Gita. (Laughter)

The judge, however, was equally intelligent. He listened to the criminal patiently and then said, “Look here, who is the culprit? Who punishes whom? You are to be hanged. That’s all. Who can punish anybody? (Laughter) “Who can punish whom?” I am not punishing you. You are not to be punished, but you will be hanged. (Laughter) So you have not killed anybody. Just as no one was killed, no one is punishing anybody. This all results in a perfect balance of spirituality.”

Therefore, when we consider that everything is done as per God’s will, how can you act unrighteously? How can you be agitated? How can you utter anything false? How can you be restless?

You say everything happens according to God’s will. Then leave it to Him!

“I am very worried.”

“Why? God will take care of everything. If He will take care of everything, why are you worried?”

So all this is just talk.

A simple example was given by Baba. It seems a passenger on a train was carrying his luggage on his head. The train that he was riding in was moving at a very high speed; but he was carrying his luggage on his head.

Somebody approached him and asked, “What nonsense are you doing?”

“Sir, you are all heartless fellows. You have no consideration at all for this train. You are stupid. The poor train is carrying so many people’s luggage. It must find this very difficult, so in order not to overstrain the engine or the train, I am carrying my own luggage.” (Laughter)

So when you are sure that everything is happening according to God’s will, why are you worried? Why are you agitated? What is all this?

So what is ‘free will’ then? Is ‘free will’ really ‘free’ or is it just an illusion? It is just an illusion if you think you are free.

Somebody once asked Swami, “Swami, is there free will?”

Baba replied, “Only one has free will, no one else. Who is that? It is God Himself.” Only God has free will. This is what Baba said.

“Oh no, Swami, I have free will.” But if you are not free, how can you have will?

“Am I not free?”

“No.”

You are not able to control you senses. You are not able to control your mind. You see all that you are not supposed to see. You hear all the nonsense, which you are not supposed to hear. You do all that which you are not supposed to.

Somebody once said, “So many thoughts come to our minds. Come and write down all your thoughts on paper.”

We would dare not show that paper to anyone. (Laughter) Most of the thoughts we have are horrible, terrible and negative. Nobody will think good of us if all our thoughts are shown to someone else.

So when the mind is not under my control, when I am not able to arrest my thoughts, when I am not able to control my mind and keep it in stillness, when I am not able to control my sight and hearing, when I am not free, how can I have free will?

God is free because He is not affected by the senses. He is not affected by the mind. Why? He is not affected because He is not an individual. He is a witness.

A screen does not smile when there is a dancing film projected onto it. The screen does not cry when the heroine is persecuted in the film shown upon it. The screen just remains what it is, a screen.

Similarly, when you are a witness, unaffected by the duality of the world, when you are a witness, unaffected by the happenings in the world, you are a silent spectator. If you are in a position to see your own drama of life, your own movie of life, as a spectator, and be unaffected by what you see, then yes, you have got free will. But we become involved. We get involved with everything that we see and do, and with everyone we meet.

We get attached. No attachment is comfortable; no attachment will ever help you to be free. Attachment is bondage. Attachment, in the beginning, may be a honeymoon; however, later attachment is no moon at all, but rather a dark night (Laughter), because attachment is conditional. Attachment has expectations. Therefore, we people who are attached to every silly thing, to objects, to those which are animate, inanimate, human and otherwise, we are not free. So what is the sense of claiming we have free will? It is nonsense.

Some are attached to their pets, their dogs and birds. They are so attached that when the cat falls sick, they also fall sick. When the dog falls sick, his keeper is admitted to hospital before the dog! (Laughter) So, when we fellows are attached to these things, how can we say that we are free? And if we are not free, how can we say we have free will?

178 - What happens to the good souls after death? (130305)

The same thing will happen to good souls as happens to bad souls after death. Bad souls and good souls will be reborn after death. Good and bad are relative. Good and bad are psychological perceptions. Good and bad are related to the time in which they manifest. That which is good now, may not be good later.

A woollen blanket is a punishment in summer, while it is most welcome in winter. Now, is it good or bad? It is a question of timing. During a fever, eating sweets is bad. When one’s health is good, sweets are good, so enjoy them. So, what is good and what is bad? That which is good now may be bad later.

As a youngster, stylish clothes and whistling are quite good. At this age, if I behave like that, I am quite awkward! (Laughter) As a youngster, if I wear a good t-shirt and knickers or shorts — “Wow! He looks great!” If I try that at my age, you will suddenly think it is time for me to be carried off to the lunatic asylum. “Something must be very wrong with him!”

Therefore my friends, that which is good at one time may not be good later. Therefore, you cannot say that something is absolutely good or bad.

Good action and thoughts will yield a good birth later. This is clearly stated in the Bhagawad Gita. Bad action will lead to a bad birth later. But if you grow beyond, if you transcend good and bad, you will not be born again. So transcendence is what is important, more than either good or bad.

179 - Though I am not registered with any centre, can I become a certified Bal Vikas teacher? And please tell me how to be extra patient and loving. (130305)

A registered Bal Vikas teacher! Those things that are registered lose their value because, once you are registered, you think you are safe and stop growing.

Suppose I say, “You are a confirmed devotee.” (Laughter) A confirmed devotee! An established devotee! A senior devotee!

There cannot be a ‘senior’ devotee or a ‘junior’ devotee. There cannot be ‘certified’ devotees and ‘uncertified’ devotees, ‘registered’ devotees and ‘unregistered’ devotees. My friends, this problem relates to the organisational procedures.

In order to ensure that nothing untoward happens, that nothing goes against the organisation and its principles, registration becomes relevant; but in truth, it is the spirit that is important. All those dedicated teachers, whether they are registered or not, are Bal Vikas gurus. All those people who share Sai’s message with all their love and joy, with all their heart, mind and soul, whether they are ‘registered’ or not, are convenors of Satsangsand study circles.

So registration is an organisational matter; but spirituality is beyond these things. I say once again, my friends, with thirty years of my life spent in this organisation, that the organisation is only a means to an end, but not an end itself.

If you want to go back to London, you can catch a flight; but you get off the plane at Heathrow Airport, and you reach home in some other way. You don’t go by helicopter or flight to your home, do you? No. Any car, any train, any bus, anything convenient that is meant for conveyance, that’s all you need. Once you reach your destination, you don’t need anything. Once you go there, you don’t need anything.

You get into a boat here to reach the other shore there. Once you are on the far shore, you don’t carry the boat further with you, do you? You go to your college on your cycle. You don’t then carry your cycle to your classroom, do you?

Similarly, an organisation is only a means to an end, but not an end itself.

He also asks how to have extra patience in his note. Extra love. How do you measure patience?

I have two kilos of patience, but I want two more kilos of patience? (Laughter) I have one ton of love, yet I need ten more tons of love?

My friends, nothing extra or additional are needed. Love, patience, and sacrifice are immeasurable -- apramana. These cannot be measured. You cannot count these. As you start loving, you will love more and more. As you are patient now, you will become more and more patient. To be on the path is the best way to grow on the path. If love were available in stores, we would buy a few more kilos or a few more packets; but it’s not that way. You can grow in love only by loving. You can grow more patience only by being patient. That is the only way.

180 - How doe one live life, knowing that one is living in an illusion? How do we live in this world, knowing that it is all an illusion? (130305)

Wah! Shankaracharya!” (Laughter) The question is: “How should one live, knowing that everything is unreal?” I don’t need to quote Sanskrit slokas here to answer. I don’t need to quote any book.

We all know that all of this is unreal, yet we think it is real. We all know this is unreal, but we think this is real. How does this happen?

We see many people die every day. “That fellow died four days back. This fellow died yesterday. Another fellow is going to die today.”

But if you ask anybody what will become of them, they will answer, “They might have died, but I’m sure to live forever. I won’t die. That fellow died due to lack of medical care. That chap died because an oxygen cylinder was not available when he was hospitalised. That bloke died due to malnutrition. That fellow died because the medicines he needed were not available, whereas I have all drugs I need available to me, and all the doctors are at my beck-and-call.”

We know life is unreal. We know life is temporary. We know people are dying, but no one thinks that they will die: “I am permanent.”

That is why in Chicago, immediately after a discourse by Swami Vivekananda, somebody got up and said, “Swami, I have a question.”

Vivekananda was a man of fire, a spiritual servant. He was not a slow coach. Spirituality was not passive to him; spirituality was not dullness; spirituality was not inertia. Spirituality is dynamism and enthusiasm, and he knew this well.

Somebody asked Swami Vivekananda, “Swami, I have a question.”

He said, “Why not? Welcome! What is your question?”

“What is it that we should remember throughout our life?”

Somebody thought Swami Vivekananda would say God or wisdom. But to their utter surprise, Vivekananda gave this answer.

I repeat the question: “What is to be remembered throughout life?”

The answer of Vivekananda was just this: “Death.”

What we should remember throughout life is death. Why?

I should remember this so that my actions will not be unrighteous; so that whatever I speak will be full of truth; so that I will love people more; so that I will understand that life is transient, that life is constantly changing. Nothing is worth dominating others for; nothing is worth cheating others for. It is not worth being egotistic about anything. Nothing is worth anything when nothing follows me at the end of my life. Therefore, it is a constant reminder of death that will make everyone simple and humble in the present, the now.

Therefore, I can only say that in this world that is unreal, where we are not permanent, we think we are permanent. That is the paradox of life here.

Everyone in the office, including the officer, thinks that he is permanent. But he knows that he should retire at the age of 58. In India, it is 58. You will have to retire some day; but so long as you are on the chair, you think you are permanent.

Somebody said in Prashanthi Nilayam, “Anil Kumar, I want you to see me.”

I said, “Why not? Certainly, sir! I will see you. Where can I see you?”

He said, “See me in my office.”

I said, “Thank you, sir.” When he left, I laughed and laughed.

Somebody then asked me, “Why are you laughing? He said he wants to see you in his office. Why do you laugh at that? Where is the joke in that?”

I said, “How can you say that it is his office? I saw many people working in there before him.” (Laughter) I may not see him in his office this afternoon. He may be out by then. The poor fellow is claiming that it is his office; therefore, I had to laugh.

There is nothing permanent. My office, my government, my…this ‘my, my, my, my’ is Maya. Swami Himself has said it. “My…my…my.” If you repeat it again and again, it is Maya — an illusion. So knowing full well that I will be retiring, I consider my post as an officer to be permanent. Seeing everyone leaving this world, I think I am permanent. This is a fallacy. This is the paradox of life.

So we can continue to live in this world, knowing the reality -- that this is unreal. The reality is that this is unreal because you are not permanent.

All that changes is unreal. The whole of creation changes. It is not summer throughout the year. It is not winter throughout the year. No. There are seasons. Trees have their own time -- a time for flowering, a time to fruit, and a time to germinate again.

You and I do not remain the same throughout our lives. I was first a newborn baby, then an infant, then a boy, a youngster, a man, a father, and finally I am a grandfather. So I change, but all that changes is unreal. That which is changeless is real.

Someone asked Ramana Maharshi, “Swami, shall I believe my dreams? Swami, how about my past lives? How about my previous lives?”

Ramana Maharshi is known for his Himalayan silence. But, this man went on pestering him until he answered.

Finally, Ramana said to this fellow, “You want to know about your previous lives? Understand that in any number of lives you must have had and in this present life, you are the same. Understand that. Understand that you were the same in the past lives as you are in this present life. This ‘you’ is Divine. Lives go on changing, but the constant ‘you’ is changeless. That ‘you’, that Divine, is changeless.

“Then about the dreams, you want to know if the dream is true?” Swami (Ramana Maharishi) said, “Think of the dreamer, not the dream. Think of the dreamer. Who is dreaming?”

“Swami, I am dreaming.”

“So know that ‘I.’” That’s all! Who is dreaming? ‘I’ am dreaming. Know who ‘you’ are, then everything else will be understood.

181 - Can you please advise me if it is okay to continue my practice of pranayama, the breathing exercise? I attended your talk (she means my talk here) and you said that pranayama breathing exercises are dangerous. Shall I continue with these exercises? (130305)

When I said it is dangerous, how could I then encourage you to continue unless I felt that you are my enemy? (Laughter) As of now we are not enemies, as far as I know.

This idea that it is dangerous is not simply my opinion. Please go through Prashanthi Vahini in which Bhagavan stated clearly that pranayama requires constant expert guidance and supervision. Experts who guide you on how to do pranayama, a guru, a teacher or an expert in the field, should supervise you as you do pranayama. If you do it as you like, Swami has cautioned clearly that you will develop nervous problems, digestive problems, breathing problems – that ultimately there will be no more problems, in other words. (Laughter)

Therefore, my friends, the easiest and safest Sadhana today is to sing His glory. Come on! Sing wherever you go. Do Bhajans. Repeat His glorified Name for ever and ever. This is always safe. But we don’t want to do this. We want to do pranayama.

Someone asked me, “Anil Kumar, how do I awaken kundalini?” (Laughter)

I said to this fellow, “Please consult those people who introduced this kundalini to you. I have no way to activate kundalini.” I am not interested in where it lies. (Laughter) I am not denying its existence. Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not underestimating it. When there are easy ways of doing things, however, why do we want to take up tough and dangerous things? Why?

I will give you a simple example. A few youngsters, about 50 of them, once reached Prashanthi Nilayam by walking one thousand kilometres to get here. They thought that they were doing a great spiritual exercise. By foot, they reached this place from one thousand kilometres away and Baba gave them an interview and asked, “Why did you take the trouble? You could have purchased tickets and boarded a train. When trains are available, why do you want to walk? Why is this necessary?”

Somebody told Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, “Oh Swami, I did penance for a long time. I did Sadhana, intensive Sadhana.”

Paramahamsa then asked him, “What have you achieve?”

The answer the man gave was this: “Oh Swami, I can now light a fire anywhere. Without doing anything, I can make fire arise there.”

Paramahamsa laughed. “When matchboxes are available, why do you need to put yourself through ten years of penance? (Laughter) You have wasted ten years of Sadhana!” (Laughter)

Therefore my friends, in spiritual Sadhana, we don’t need to exert or overstrain ourselves because spiritual practice is not a burden. Religion is not strenuous. Divinity is not difficult; rather it is that which is joyful and ecstatic; that which is like music and dance, full of laughter.

That is why I keep myself at a respectable distance from such serious fellows, so that I will not be contaminated or infected by their seriousness. (Laughter) Seriousness is a disease. It is not spirituality.

Therefore, when others want to do tough things such as awakening kundalini through yoga, I just say, “All right, please do it if you wish.”

If they say, “I want to walk to Delhi,” I ask them why they wish to do this, when we have flights and trains. Taking these would be far preferable to walking there.

Therefore my friends, the easiest path is Hare Nama Hare Nama Hare Namaiva Kevalam, Kevalam meaning the ‘only thing’. Kevalam Hare Nama: that is, God’s Name is the only thing we need. Just sing Bhajans — repeat His Name in this Age of Kali. There is no other way to liberation and there is no other way to salvation other than singing His glory, other than chanting His Name. There is no need for anything else!

“No, no sir, I want kundalini!”

“Please do it if you wish.” (Laughter)

“I want to do pranayama.”

“All right, have some breathing problem later on, if you wish.” (Laughter)

Why do you want to do such strenuous things? I am not condemning these things. Great are those who do them. Greater are those who practice these. Greatest are those that realise the objective of it. My humble salutations to the holy feet of such great people.

For most of us, however, it is far more convenient to do Bhajans, because our breakfast, lunch, and dinner do not interfere with it. (Laughter) My office work, my job, my socialising…none of these will not interfere with it. I can go on singing wherever I am and whatever I am doing. Why not? Why not? I can go on thinking of Him regardless of what else I must attend to. I can go on repeating His Name wherever I am.

That’s why we say, “Sai Ram, Sai Ram.” We don’t say ‘good morning’. We say, “Sai Ram.” Why do we say this? We say it because it represents an opportunity and an occasion to chant and utter His Name. This is an opportunity and an occasion to think of Him.

Therefore my friends, isn’t it better that we don’t resort to such tough techniques as kundalini yoga when we have these easy, simple methods available to us? When we have calculators and computers, if you still want to total figures by hand, who cares? Please do it! With calculators, however, our calculations can be done much faster and more easily. In our stores, old ladies use calculators to assess our bill. They press a few buttons and give me the bill without delay. How they manage to do this so quickly, I don’t know. (Laughter)

Anyway, sometimes our mind wants to do tough things. Our mind wants to take risks. Why? Our mind wants to have the satisfaction of achievement.

Bhajans? Everyone does it. Pranayama? I don’t do it. (Laughter) I have no need. Bhajans are very simple, and everyone does it. Pranayama? You may be doing it. You may be doing kundalini yoga. I’m not. (Laughter)

The mind always wants to achieve. The mind always wants to be special. The mind always wants to be unique. It is the mind playing havoc. When simpler tools are available, it doesn’t want to adopt them because nobody will then consider it special.

If you say, “May I present Mr. Anil Kumar, expert in Kundalini yoga,” the whole street will stop in awe. Some may even offer me money! (Laughter)

Or what about putting a sign outside my office: “The Principles and Practice of Pranayama. Consult expert Anil Kumar. $ 250 per hour. By appointment only.” (Laughter)

These are all crazy things, my friends. These are all worldly things. It is not yoga that it is important. It is the intensity of the feeling we have for God that matters. It is the depth of the feeling. It is the sincerity of the feeling. It is the depth of our yearning, our pining, and our longing for God.

When young couples are separated -- when the husband has to go on foreign assignment and the wife has to remain back at home -- no yoga is necessary to help her think of her husband. No yoga is necessary then. She feels that pain of separation from her husband without yoga.

When a calf is separated from the mother cow, the cow does not need to be taught any yoga to love the calf better. (Laughter) The calf does not need to do any pranayama to love the mother cow with all its heart. (Laughter) A natural path exists, but we want to employ unnatural things, artificial things.

When we do this, life becomes artificial. Artificial flowers, plastic flowers, plastic fruits, and artificial light, all yield artificial results. That is why, when we use artificial methods, we don’t get satisfaction.

Therefore, if we want to take on tough things, understand that it is the mischief of our mind. It is simply the mischief of the mind. The mind wants to claim superiority. It wants to dominate other people. It wants to be special. But if you want to remain ordinary, these things won’t get in your way. That is all I can say on this matter.

182 - We have two Avatars. Can you explain how two Avatars can exist at the same time? (130305)

My friends, this is not politics we are discussing here; so why two avatars? According to Swami, everyone is an avatar because everyone has got that spark of Divinity within him. But Avatar in its totality, as a whole, embodies the totality of Divinity and concerns itself with only that true reality; whereas we humans embody a part of the Divinity, a spark of Divinity, while the rest of our attention is drawn toward concerns of the mundane world. We humans have three Gunas —the sathwic, rajasic, and thamasic. Divinity, when the three Gunas are added, is man. Man minus his three Gunas is God.

Therefore, why two avatars? Because all are avatars. Minus our Gunas, we are all are purely Divine. That is the best answer that I can give you today.

183 - Swami sometimes says that He is only a witness, that He is not responsible for our actions. On other occasions, He also says that nothing happens unless He wills it. Can you please explain this a little further? (130305)

I can tell you, my friends, two important points that relate to these ideas. ‘God is a witness’ means you cannot blame Him for your mistakes. You cannot blame Him for your failures. He cannot be credited for your success, nor can He be discredited for your failures, because He is a witness.

It is like when we look at a cinema screen. On the screen, perhaps we project a film where people dance. I cannot say, “Oh screen, I congratulate you because I see dancers.” The screen will look back at me as if I am a fool.

Now, in the next film we project onto the screen, the hero is crying. I cannot beat the screen until it stops showing this. The screen is helpless. It will reflect all that the film contains.

So, to witness means to observe, not to disturb. He lets you exercise your will, make your choices, and take your actions, all within the movie you project as the world and life in which you live. ‘Baba is a witness’ means He is beyond your experiences.

That having been said, nothing happens unless He wills it. This is the second aspect of what He has said. If you think everything happens as per His will, you will never be proud of your achievements. If you think everything happens as per His will, you will never be frustrated or depressed, and you will never blame anybody else. If you understand this, you will be stable.

Therefore, we have to accept that things happen as per His will, so that we never become egoistic or arrogant when positive things happen in our lives, and so that we do not become frustrated or depressed during moments in our lives when we experience things that we may see as negative, at the time.

We have to understand that He is Master, and that He wills all that happens, and that He is the eternal witness, in that He is not responsible for the pleasure and pain that we experience in life. Those experiences are all our mental projections, our imagination, or our psychological reactions. That is how we have to understand it.

184 - Regarding Pathala Bhubaneswar, another devotee told me, “That place was used by Jesus. It is a place where Bhagavan intends to build an ashram.” Can you please provide me with confirmation and information about this? (130305)

My friends, I have no authority to confirm or inform. In fact, I don’t want you to think of Pathala Bhubaneswar. Pathala means ‘underworld’. Bhubaneswar. Why? When there is paradise here, why do you think of pathala? You are here in swarga, paradise and heaven.

“Baba intends to build an ashram there.” Not to my knowledge.

Did Jesus use the place? I don’t think Christians would agree that He did. We would create controversy in asserting that He did. It is better to avoid the issue altogether.

185 - I attend the Sai centre regularly and follow Swami’s teachings, but one weakness I have is that I lack interest in my studies. Please give me some tips on how to love my studies. (130305)

I would like to devote some time to that boy now, if he happens to be here, because the answer is not applicable to everybody, nor will it prove interesting to everyone; but I will try to answer in a way that it is applicable to all of us.

Suppose I say, “I am not interested in my job, but I follow Swami’s teachings (Laughter). I am a teacher. I am not interested to teach, but I follow Swami’s teachings. I am a doctor. I am not interested in the hospital, but I follow Swami’s teachings.”

What one is saying here is all nonsense, my dears. This is all nonsense because the best path to reach God is to discharge your duty in the best way possible, using all your ability, talent, and skill. For a student to say, “I am not interested in my studies,” is irreligious, non-spiritual and totally foolish.

So, whatever is given to us by God to do, do it with spirit, with a sense of commitment, and with a dedication, which is yogic. Yoga. Yogum karthavyam muchate. Karthavya is duty. Yoga is spiritual exercise. Yogum karthavyam muchate means discharging duty is yoga, a spiritual exercise. So tell this boy to love his studies because for a student to study is a religious activity.

186 - May I incorporate Sai teachings and also practice kriya yoga, or do these conflicts? (130305)

The answer is simple: All paths are His. All names are His. All forms are His. Paths are many, but the goal is one. Flowers are many, but worship is one. Jewels are many, but gold is one. That’s what Bhagavan says repeatedly. Therefore, you can certainly follow your own kriya yoga without any problem. If you want to mix this with Sai teachings, Sai teachings permit you to do so. Sai teachings will encourage every person to proceed in his own chosen path and to travel along in his own way. You are not to be deviated; you are not to be diverted.

Kriya yoga, or any other yoga, is complementary to Sai teachings. The Bible, the Koran and Dharmapada are all complementary to Sai teachings. None of them are contradictory, because Sai’s teaching calls for synthesis. Sai is for combining and integrating. Sai is holistic. Sai is wholistic — that is w-h-o-l-i-s-t-i-c. Sai represents existential reality. Sai is a comprehensive, composite reality. Therefore, nothing is contradictory. You can happily proceed in your way without worry about your path conflicting with your adoption and integration of Sai’s teachings.

187 - What is wrong if you are reborn time and again? (130305)

This is a very nice question. There is nothing wrong with being reborn. And when we are reborn, we won’t remember what we have done today. So I can do anything today! After all, the next time around, I will take care of it.

So, rebirth can be a very convenient mechanism that allows us our freedom here — freedom of action and freedom of movement. But my friend, we must understand that life is bondage. Life is limited. Life is dual. Life is painful.

A newborn baby does not start life with a smile. He starts life in tears. If the newborn baby does not cry, nurses in the hospital will make the baby cry (Laughter) because, when the baby cries, that indicates that there is life within the baby. So, the first sign of life is a good cry.

Now, do you want to cry until death? I don’t know. (Laughter) Maybe you do. And remember that, as the parents and nurses make the child cry, they celebrate. (Laughter) So because I am crying, others are celebrating. That is the way of the world, my friends. (These are not my ideas. All of this is taken from Swami’s discourses.)

Life is just a continuous stream or flow of dual experiences, and our journey should eventually end with the non-dual experience of birthlessness and deathlessness. Once you experience that, once you have travelled from this shore of birth and have reached that other shore of birthlessness, you have completed the spiritual journey.

“What is the harm in being born again?” There is no harm as long as I am prepared to pass through the pain of incarnation time and again. Pleasure, as Baba puts it, is just the interval between two pains. Pain is there in the beginning, and pain is there in the end; pleasure lies in-between.

Life is a chance to attain liberation. Life is an opportunity. Life is a blessing to work for the better, to journey from birth to birthlessness, from death to deathlessness, from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, and from mortality to immortality. That is what life is for.

188 - What is liberation is like? (130305)

Our good friend may be thinking that liberation is something like a Sprite or a Coca-Cola, or a donut or a pie or a pizza. He wants to know what liberation is like. My friend, I can only say, liberation cannot be compared with any other thing because liberation is unique and without anything like it. If I ask how you are, you can say that you are like him. What is this like? This is like that. All things in the world can be compared to other things. All things in the world are relative. You can compare them with other things. But liberation has nothing to do with the worldly relativity or with worldly comparison because it is one to which nothing can be compared, for which there is nothing to compare to it. There is nothing to compare to it with because liberation is non-dual. Liberation is beyond expression. Liberation is beyond comprehension. Liberation exists only within the framework of experience. Liberation is bliss. How can you compare that with anything?

So, “what is liberation like?” is the question. My answer is this: It is like nothing else, because it is the only thing beyond compare, so we cannot compare it with anything.

189 - How does one fully concentrate on Swami in order to become a true devotee? (130305)

First, chant His Name, “Sai Ram,” as many times as possible in silence. This can be done in stages. To begin with, we may say it loudly. Later, we may simply move our lips. In the third stage, we may think of His Name continually. Finally, we may start repeating a name of our choice, any name. Please remember to consider Baba as universal. Do not limit Him. All forms are His. All names are His. Therefore, if you repeat God’s Name in your mind, you will be in constant integrated awareness of the Divine.

Secondly, when you listen to his Bhajans, you establish contact with Him.

Finally, there are many people who have Swami’s picture on their office table or in their car. Why? They do this to remind themselves of Bhagavan’s form and name and to remember that every act is His. Every person you meet, you meet according to God’s design. If we consider Swami as something separate from our daily activity, we create a problem of misperception. Whomsoever I meet, whatsoever I do, whatever happens in the day, all is as per Baba’s will and design. If I remember this, I am concentrating on Swami.

190 - What does Baba say about Yagna? (130305)

In his letter, this friend also mentions the methods they follow in his country and the mantras they chant.

I have nothing to say about the procedures they use. I have no authority to change the mantras that they have been reciting, nor comments to make about the offerings they are making in Yagna like wood, ghee, milk, honey, etc. But this friend wanted to know what points Baba makes with regards to Yagna. I will try to be brief in addressing this, as I have so many questions with me awaiting answers.

The answer to this question is simple and straightforward. Yagna does not necessarily mean our offering sugar cane juice, ghee, and sandalwood. Yagna does not necessarily mean the chanting of mantras. Yagna does not necessarily mean the inclusion of sacrificial fire and its paraphernalia in ceremonies. No.

According to Bhagavan, any act which is purely selfless and born out of love as an offering to God is Yagna. All the rest are rituals. That which is spiritual in its content requires and demands selflessness, purity of heart, and a spirit of surrender. That’s all. That’s what Bhagavan has said.

If the work that I do in my office is offered to God in this true and pure spirit, then my work itself is Yagna. The business I do, as an engineer or as a doctor, when done in a spirit of dedication to God, is Yagna. That’s why Bhagavan Baba said, “Once you offer it to God, it becomes Yagna. Work is then transformed into worship.”

191 - Does Swami allow marriages between Westerners and Indians? (20.03.05)

Well, I don’t know what to say about this. ‘Indian’ and ‘Western’ is a classification based on geography. Swami is neither Indian nor Western. Swami is universal; Swami is cosmic; Swami is a world citizen, if I am to have any say at all. I cannot limit Him. A universal God will never identify Himself only with India or the West. He belongs to both, to all.

To marry or not is your problem. You marry and you suffer (Laughter). You marry, get united; then you get separated and divorced -- it is your headache! But Easterners or Westerners, can they inter-marry? It has got nothing to do with Swami, as both are His children. He cannot say a Western child is better than an Eastern child. Swami cannot say, “The Eastern child is My child” and give step-motherly treatment to the Western child. He would not say that, as both are His children.

Getting married or not, facing the problems of marriage, is our responsibility and our headache. But in this context, I may refer to one point, which He made. Somebody, being foolish, asked Swami Himself a similar question. What did He say? “There is nothing wrong in marrying. On the other hand, you fellow, you quote Me also: ‘There is only one caste, the caste of humanity.’ You quote Me, and then you say to yourself, ‘Why should I not marry a person from the West? Why not?’ You think like that." That’s what Baba said. He said, “My boy, think of the cultural background, thinks of the culture. Over generations, you have been raised with a particular process of thinking, a particular way of dietary habits, a particular way of life. That cultural background you have to take into consideration.”

192 - Then the next question is this: I have a doubt in my mind, involving the control of the mind. What is the best way to control it? (20.03.05)

Mind cannot be controlled. The more we want to control the mind, the more uncontrollable will it be. It’s just like a child. When a child makes mischief, if you beat the child, he will be more mischievous. If you scold the child, he will be more mischievous. So punishing or scolding is not the way to correct a child. However, we can divert the attention of the child. We are not supposed to beat; we are not supposed to scold; we only need to divert the child's attention. Then he cannot be mischievous any longer.

The mind is also like that. The more you want to control it, the stronger it will become. The more you want to fight with it, the more it will retaliate. Just like a dog, when you run away, it will chase you. So never make your mind an enemy. Making your mind an enemy is not at all a correct path. No! The only thing is that we have to give sufficient work to our mind. We have to direct it, channel it, tame it and tune it, that’s all.

TRAINING AND TAMING THE MIND

Mind is a mad monkey, as Bhagavan has said. The very same mad monkey, when it is trained, will be perfect. It will also help you earn some money. In a circus, a large elephant is made to sit on a three-legged stool. A snake is trained to dance to the melody of the snake charmer. When a snake can be tamed, when an elephant or lion can be trained, why not the human mind? Is my mind worse than a snake? Is my mind worse than an elephant? It is a matter of shame. I am not going to accept that my mind is more poisonous than a snake.

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF MIND

So my friends, we have to understand the nature of the mind. It is such a soft, delicate, sensitive, receptive, responsive, tender gift of God. We have not manufactured mind in any company or any factory. We are not here to kill it. Our job is only to tame it, to train it, to direct it, to guide it. The very same mind, when it is trained, will become your best friend. Untrained or made an enemy, the mind will become a devil; it will inflict itself upon you. The mind is a devil if it is not treated in a friendly way. Depression and frustration are a sort of a reaction when we ill-treat the mind. Madness is the result, because we do not have a technique relating to mind management. I know business management, but not mind management. So mind management is a most important subject, particularly to all those on the spiritual path.

BEFRIEND THE MIND

I’ll give you a few examples, as stated by Bhagavan. First, what is mind, according to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba? “Mind is nothing but a cloth with threads closely interwoven. Mind is the cloth, and the threads are the thoughts and counter-thoughts, closely interwoven. Therefore, mind is like a cloth.” That’s what Baba said. When once the threads are removed, the cloth is gone. Similarly, when thoughts are arrested, when counter-thoughts come to a stop, the mind becomes null and void. Mind turns into a non-existent entity. It becomes dismissed, non-functional, placid, dull, silenced. If I fight with the mind, it becomes stronger and stronger. Nobody can ever fight with the mind. Nobody is ever successful by fighting with the mind. We have to befriend our mind; we have to direct it. According to Baba, mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts and counter-thoughts.

DIRECT THE MIND TOWARDS GOD – LIBERATION

Second point: Baba has often repeated this quote. Body is a lock; mind is the key. If you turn the key to the right, it is locked. If you turn the key to the left, it is unlocked. We don’t have two keys; we have only one -- one mind. The same key locks and unlocks. The difference is only in the direction in which we turn the key. The body is the lock; the mind is the key. If the mind is turned towards God, it experiences liberation -- unlocked. When the mind is turned towards the world, it is in bondage. Turning the key clockwise is the same as turning the mind towards the world -- bondage. Unlocking -- turning the key anti-clockwise -- is turning the mind towards God, which means liberation. Towards the world – bondage; towards God - liberation. Am I clear? So only in the turning lies the difference. One way leads to bondage, while the other turning leads to liberation.

“Which side is liberation? God-side. Which side is bondage? World-side. Same key, same mind.” That’s what Baba said.

KEEP THE MIND CONSTANTLY ENGAGED IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION

Third point: Baba has said, “Mind has to be given some assignments.” That’s why Swami gives enough work to us all. A man’s empty mind is a devil’s workshop. It should constantly be given work. That is the reason why Swami engages everybody, irrespective of their age. There are some people who, in the name of Jnana, wisdom or self-enquiry, become masters of laziness. Spirituality is not for lazy people. “Laziness is rust and dust. Realisation is rest and best.” That’s what Baba said. So we have to work. The mind has to be engaged in a positive direction. (I am giving you a collection of thoughts from Sai literature, not from my own speculation or imagination. I say this in every one of my talks so that my friends will not misunderstand me.)

MIND IS LIKE A LEAF

The next point: Baba says, “Mind is something like a leaf." The leaves go on tossing by the touch of the wind. When the wind blows, the leaves naturally flutter and start moving. The movement of the leaf is natural. I cannot tell the leaves, ‘Oh leaves, shut your mouth; don’t move, ok?’ They will say, ‘We are helpless. We have to move because of the touch of the wind.’ Therefore, Baba says, “Mind is a leaf.”

By the touch of the wind of desire, it goes on fluttering, it goes on moving. So the movement of the mind is because of the ‘wind’ of desire. When desires are under check, when desires are controlled, the leaf-mind will not move. There is no point in blaming the mind. It is the desire that is responsible for spoiling the mind. One has to know the background of the mind, why it is oscillating? Why it is vacillating? Why it is agitated? Why it is depressed?

WORLDLY MIND AND GODWARD MIND

Another point that Baba makes: When mind turns towards the outside, towards the outer world, it is totally confused, highly ambitious, and full of desire, sunk and drowning in diversity. Mind turned outward is diversified because the world is multi-dimensional. The multi-dimensional world will divert the mind. This is what is called Pravrithi. Pravrithi is the outward mind. Pravrithi is a diversified mind. Pravrithi is a disturbed mind. Pravrithi is a worldly mind.

The same mind turned inwards is called Nivrithi. Nivrithi is an inward mind, a God-ward mind, a mind looking for guidance from consciousness. A mind turned towards outside is ready to be directed by senses. A mind turned inside is looking for guidance from Atman or consciousness. An outward mind is ready to run after the senses. Therefore, the mind gets tired in Pravrithi; an outward mind gets exhausted.

INWARD MIND VS OUTWARD MIND

Suppose you are an accountant. Come on, do the job. Fill up your head with accounts work. After a couple of hours, you say, “I am tired.” You like dancing; come on, start dancing. Eventually you say, “I am tired physically.” You like music; you listen to it for hours.“ Now I am tired.” Exhaustion is the result of an outward mind. An outward mind gets exhausted, tired, bored. It is bored, laborious, mechanical, conditioned, computerised like a robot.

On the other hand, an inward mind looks towards the consciousness, towards the super-consciousness, towards the Self-consciousness, towards alertness, towards awareness. It becomes energised. It becomes silent, like a silent, passive participant, not as an active participant. Outward mind is an active participant; inward mind is a silent participant. When the mind is turned inward, its energy becomes slower and slower until it gets lost (silent). An outward mind gains more and more strength.

Do you follow these things? Baba said this in Sutra Vahini; Baba said it in Upanishad Vahini in clear-cut terms. If we still get confused, well, it is only our bad luck. He made it very, very clear that an outward mind gets confused, exhausted, tired, laboured; that such a life becomes boring, repetitive and competitive.

INWARD MIND IS THE SOURCE OF VITALITY

Everything is repetition in the outward world, Pravrithi marga. When the same mind turns inward, Nivrithi marga, it is full of life. As mind looks at the consciousness, it becomes silent; it is not in a state of exhaustion; it is not tired. A mind turned inward is not conditioned. A mind turned inward is universal. So, the mind turned inward becomes universal, full of life and vitality and slowly it loses its entity.

Finally the witness, the consciousness, remains. Sri Aurobindo calls it ‘mind over mind’. He refers to the over-mind, the super mind, and the different levels of the mind. The super mind is an inward mind that gets lost in identifying with the super consciousness, and the super consciousness remains as the witness. That is called ‘withdrawal of the mind.’ Therefore, in a sentence, outward mind becomes powerful, inward mind slowly gets withdrawn. Outward mind gets its strength from more and more powerful thoughts, more and more desires, more and more ambitions; the inward mind becomes a clean mirror, without any thoughts or ambitions, reflecting consciousness.

THE BIRTH OF ‘I’ CONSCIOUSNESS

Therefore my friends, as an answer to this question of how to control the mind, instead of putting that question to ourselves, let us see what mind is. As I think of Swami and Swami’s literature, I recollect all He has said. Please follow me, my friends, this is a serious subject. But we have got to learn about this; we have got to be serious at one time or other. Life is not always playing with toys. We need a higher goal, a higher dose, an antibiotic to all this worldliness.

Baba said that out of Brahman or Atman or super-consciousness is born ‘I'-ness, consciousness. The thought ‘I’ is conscious. The thought ‘I’ is born out of Brahman. Am I clear? So it is the super-consciousness that gave birth to the thought of ‘I’. This ‘I’ gave birth to ‘mine’. This ‘I’ and ‘mine’ together gave strength to the body, giving it multiplying thoughts, resorting to different kinds of actions in the form of ego, necessitating and leading to the dual experiences of pain and pleasure.

LIFE – A COMBINATION OF PAIN AND PLEASURE

Let us go to the reverse side. We experience both pain and pleasure. Life is not always a honeymoon, nor is life always a torture. No! Life is a combination of both pain and pleasure. Therefore we experience pain and pleasure with this body, right? Good. Why does the experience of pain and pleasure come to us? It is the result of our actions. The dual experience of pain and pleasure are because of our actions. What is the cause for our actions? The cause for our actions is the mind. How is the mind born? The mind is born out of this ‘I’, single-lettered ‘I’ - the conscience. From where is this ‘I’, the conscience, born? It is born out of consciousness or Brahman. This is what He said. I always put it in a tabular form. Consciousness or Brahman gave birth to ‘I’ or conscience, which entertains thoughts. Thoughts lead to actions; actions give results, positive and negative, which are experienced by the body. To experience these results, one has to take a body, be born into

a body, be incarnated into a body.

THE CYCLE OF BIRTH AND DEATH

So the cause for the body, the cause for birth, is the consequence of our actions. One has to experience the consequences. This is the cycle of birth and death. Now, we have taken a number of births. This is not the first time that we are here on earth. That is what Baba says: manava, M A N A V A. Nava means ‘new’; Ma means ‘not new’. It is like yesterday's newspaper -- not new; manava - not new. We are caught in the cycle of birth and death. Why? Action, reaction; action, reaction. That is why Baba says no one is free from reaction, reflection, resound.

What is our job here as spiritual seekers? What is our job here in the field of religion? What is our job in spiritual Sadhana? Our job is to get out of the cycle of birth and death. How is it possible? It is possible if only the mind is withdrawn. It is only possible if thoughts are totally withdrawn, then actions are stopped. It means thoughts are stopped earlier in the cycle. When thoughts are stopped, it means mind was withdrawn earlier. When mind was withdrawn, it means consciousness is reflecting there.

A mind that is withdrawn from worldly thoughts reflects pure consciousness, like a mirror. When the mind is withdrawn, thoughts are absent. When thoughts are absent, no actions occur. When no actions occur, no consequences follow. When there are no consequences, there is neither pleasure nor pain - no experiencing pleasure or pain. When there is no experience, the body is not required. That is birthlessness; that is deathlessness; that is Immortality.

Therefore, mind control is such a vast topic. Anything can be said, from any dimension, from any angle. It depends upon our own level of understanding and comprehension. It depends upon the audience. It depends upon the occasion.

MIND IS THE CAUSE FOR LIBERATION AND BONDAGE

Given the time, we’ll take this subject up later, again and again. Our entire life is for the study and management of the mind -- how to get over the mind, and how the mind is responsible for the bondage, how the very mind itself can be made a useful tool for liberation. John Milton said it is the mind that makes a heaven out of hell or a hell out of heaven. The Upanishads say:

Mana Eva Manushyanaam Kaaranam Bandha Mokshayoh

It is mind that is responsible for bandha, bondage, or Moksha, liberation.

The study of the mind, tackling the mind, handling the mind, is the most required component in spiritual Sadhana, spiritual practice. There are four levels or phases in spiritual Sadhana.

FIRST PHASE OF SPIRITUAL SADHANA: PERSONALITIES/ IMAGES/IDOLS

The first phase is worshipping various forms and images of God. In Hinduism, for example, this encompasses the adoration of images. We worship idols that are so dear to us, which represent various aspects of God that are particularly meaningful to us. Some people worship Ganesha, representing the aspect of God, which overcomes obstacles. Some people worship Kartikeya or Subrahmanya. Some people worship Rama; some people worship Krishna, the form that is so close to them, the form that they love. Other faiths may choose Buddha or Kwan Yin, for example. This is the first stage, the beginning.

SECOND PHASE OF SPIRITUAL SADHANA: BHAJANS

The second stage is singing the glory, singing in praise. So, singing the glory of your God, singing in praise of your God, called Bhajans, kirtans, hymns.

THIRD PHASE OF SPIRITUAL SADHANA: MANTRA

The third stage is repeating nama, the holy name, or mantras, whatever they may be. In your mind throughout, whether you are at home or on the street, while at work, or being relaxed, repeating His Name in the mind continuously is what you call in Sanskrit manasa pooja. Manasa pooja means mental worship, worshipping God at the psychological level, in the psychic or mental domain. There are some people who repeat God’s Name always in their mind. This is third level of Sadhana or spiritual practice.

FOURTH PHASE OF SPIRITUAL SADHANA: ENQUIRY

The fourth and highest level is the path of enquiry. In this phase, the emphasis is on being one with the Divine, being one with the consciousness, knowing that I am not separated from the consciousness, that there is no plurality whatsoever. There is no multiplicity whatsoever. There is no diversity whatsoever. If I find many, it is only my imagination. There is only One that exists. This multi-dimensional picture of the whole creation is only my mental projection. It is only my mental imagination. It is only my psychological hallucination. It is delusion, it is illusion, and it is non-existent. This is what Self-enquiry is. That which makes me to think that there is multiplicity is my mind. When once I know this, I will understand that all of creation is only One, appearing as many; One manifested into many. A person stands at the centre, surrounded by big mirrors, reflecting glasses, all around. There he will find so many reflections. It doesn’t mean that there are

many people -- only One into many. It is because of the mind. That is how the mind thinks, that there are many.

THE CLIMAX IN SPIRITUAL PATH

Therefore my friends, the consciousness, super-consciousness, mind, higher mind, over-mind -- let us not say ‘never mind’ -- we should be mindful of these. We should be mindful of this knowledge. Otherwise, if I just go on worshipping the idol, it becomes meaningless. If I go on singing, I become just a tape recorder cassette. So I should repeat the Name of God in my mind. When go on repeating God's Name in my mind, it should not become mechanical. It should take me to discrimination, to the path of enquiry, where I will find Atma in everyone. “I am the world; I am the universe; I am ‘I’ ”, says Bhagavan. That is the climax; that is the zenith; that is the ultimate in a spiritual path. That is quite possible to achieve by thorough analysis and understanding of the mind.

SEPARATION OF THE MIND

Another point which I want to make: When once I think my mind is acting like this, when I feel that my mind should be controlled, it implies that I am separate from my mind. That ‘I’ and mind are not one: ‘My mind is not good, my mind is not peaceful; my mind should be controlled,’ I say. What does it mean? It implies that I am separate from my mind.

I am separate from my shirt. I am separate from my glasses. I am separate from my tummy. Similarly, I am separate from my mind. So the very awareness, the very alertness, the very idea that I am separate from my mind, that mind needs management, that my mind requires some study, investigation, enquiry, that my mind needs to definitely turn inward, is all about spirituality, the beginning of Sadhana, which leads to the highest goal of Self-realisation.

193- “A member of Sai organisation/a devotee, can he/she attend the discourses given by any other spiritual guru organised by Indian communities in our country?” (20.03.05)

I think this question should not arise because spiritual leaders may be many, but what they say is one and the same. This is my personal opinion - wherever I go, whenever I happen to hear others' discourses, or I go through the books of any great spiritual leader, believe me, I find only similarities and parallels between Swami’s teachings and those others' teachings. I never find them contradictory; I find them totally complementary.

The philosophies may differ but spiritual content is one

For example, when I read the Holy Bible, I find Swami’s teachings being in perfect agreement. The biblical teachings are very much the same as Sai teachings. They never oppose each other. When I read the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, the Gospel of Ramana Maharshi is in perfect agreement with Sai teachings. When I go through the voluminous work of Master M. on the message of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, I find it quite similar to the message given by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Therefore, the problem does not arise at all. We can listen to anybody’s discourses, but the spiritual content will be found to be one and the same. The religions and the philosophies may differ, so far as the rituals and procedures and routines are concerned. But basically, the spiritual content will be one and the same. So far as my observation goes, this I can say with all conviction.

Sai devotees as office bearers of OTHER SPIRITUAL organisations

At the same time, the second point that I should also draw your attention to is this: We cannot be office bearers of other spiritual organisations because as members of other spiritual organisation/as office bearers of any other spiritual organisation, we will not be able to do justice to the work. As in the Sri Sathya Sai Service organisation, we are not able to manage the time in relationship to all the work there is to be done. We have the service wing - service activity, spiritual wing - the devotional aspect, and the education wing with all the spiritual content. So when we have three wings as an organisation, each wing again divided into a number of branches and sub-branches, and each having its' own activities, I don’t think that anybody will be able to do justice if he/she accepts to serve as an office bearer in another spiritual organisation.

It is not that we are ideologically different; not that we are ideologically separate. Not that we are opposed to any other spiritual organisation. Definitely not. Do not misunderstand me in that way. We simply cannot do justice to other organisations. Therefore, we can listen, we can attend, nothing wrong about that; but to be an active member of other spiritual organisations or more so as an office bearer, it is certainly not desirable in the interest of the other organisation, because you can’t do full justice to the work. That is guaranteed.

Establishing unity of faiths

Point three: I believe, subject to correction as it is my absolute personal view, all those spiritual teachings which agree with Swami’s message are valid. This will be so in the majority of cases. All my reading should strengthen my existing faith. If I am losing my existing faith, if my faith is going to be diluted or confused, if I choose a path, which necessitates leaving the existing path, better I hold to the existing path. This is only because things will become confusing at one stage or other. When we can overcome that confusion, when we have that firm conviction that nothing can confuse us, that whatever we read will strengthen our existing faith in Swami, yes, then that reading is most welcome because unity of religions is one of the important Sai missions. The Sai mission is to establish the unity of faiths. In that case, there cannot be any contradictions. We must be careful on this point so that we don’t get confused, and just be diverted, sometimes even

perverted.

HAVE One responsibility

I will give you one example: The first vice chancellor of this university happened to be Prof. V.K Gokak. He was offered the opportunity to serve as the Chairman of Shirdi Sansthan, Shirdi Baba’s Sansthan. He came to Swami for permission. Bhagavan said, “No doubt you can certainly accept; you can certainly go. God is one, after all; nothing wrong about it. But as you are here as the vice chancellor, with so much work and responsibility, how do you expect to discharge the expected duties of yours there in Shirdi as a convenor of Shirdi Sansthan? Impossible! Being here with one responsibility, how can you rise to the occasion there? It is not possible.” That’s what Swami said. So in that respect, we have got to be extra cautious not to lose the existing responsibility, leave alone gaining anything from the other, avoiding others' disappointment and most importantly, avoiding confusion at any stage, at any time.

194.WHAT IS ILLUSION? (100405) One day, somebody asked Swami, “Swami, what is illusion (Maya)?” Our knowledge of the different scriptures, such as Yoga Vashista or Brahma Sutras, assists us in understanding this concept. Bhagavan gave a very straight and simple answer: “Not being what you really are is illusion.” You are the force, the reality, the consciousness and existence, but you do not know that. Indeed, being that Divinity, yet not being aware of it, is what illusion is.

Swami says, “Illusion is nothing but unawareness of the true Self that you are.” Allow me to illustrate this point with an example. Suppose I have so much money in the bank, but unaware of its existence, I lead a beggarly life. Everybody thinks that I am a beggar; but in reality, I have lots of money in the bank to my credit. So, ‘illusion’ is like a rich man who is unaware of having money in the bank, and has become a beggar.

Then somebody asked, “Swami, what is fortune and misfortune?” We rather think that getting first line at the stores or the ice cream parlour is fortune! But according to Bhagavan Baba, “To be away from your own reality and to be forgetful of one’s own true Self is misfortune. To be aware of reality and to have experienced the truth of one’s own nature is the biggest fortune.”

195. What is wisdom (Jnana)?(100405) Another question was put to Bhagavan. ”What is wisdom (Jnana)?” These questions naturally come to our mind and, although we might have our own answers, we better hear Swami’s beautiful and direct response.

Before going any further, however, allow me to clarify a few points on the subject. All that is related to the outer world, the five elements, and all that is seen, touched and heard is knowledge, not wisdom. Furthermore, all that we get from books and learn in colleges and universities is knowledge, not wisdom.

So, knowledge is outer, external, and sensual. It is information that is passed on and handed over to us from one generation to another. Knowledge is stored in the head as information is stored in the computer. But wisdom is different. Wisdom is in-born, latent, immanent and our birthright. Wisdom is discriminating, Divine, and spiritual. It is neither learnt nor can be taught.

Knowledge is taught, while wisdom is caught. Wisdom is caught, while knowledge is taught. Knowledge can be taught, while wisdom is caught by the intellect. Knowledge is external, while wisdom is internal. Knowledge is given to us through expression, vocal and verbal, whereas wisdom is intuitive, as an inner voice that we call the ‘conscience’.

Most of us have no experience of the inner voice and have not heard the voice of conscience. Why? Because of the outer noise! (Laughter) As there is outer noise, we are unable to hear or listen to the inner voice. The outer voice can be heard, whereas the inner voice is felt.

Inner voice is the silent whispering of God and it is heard in silence. Therefore, according to Bhagavan, “Wisdom is the annihilation or withdrawal of the mind.” When the mind is totally withdrawn, wisdom dawns; and so where mind ends, wisdom begins.

196.Without mind, how can I know wisdom? (100405) “Without mind, how can I know wisdom?” True! But similar to the moon that vanishes as soon as the sun rises, once wisdom dawns, mind becomes non-functional.

Chandrama Manaso Jaatah

As you all may know by now, moon is the presiding deity of the mind. But in the daytime when there is sunlight, where is the moon? We will see the moon in the evening. Similarly, the sun represents the buddhi or the intellect. When this intellect or buddhi is present, it’s shining force drives the mind to get out of the picture. That is the state of wisdom.

Knowledge creates ego! A person of knowledge often becomes egoistic. Because he always says, “I know this and I know that.” You tell anything to him, and he says he knows! But we know that he does not know. (Laughter) All those people who say they know, indeed, do not know.

There are three categories: that which is ‘known’, that which is ‘unknown’, and that which is ‘unknowable’. Once I know something, it is known. When I do not know it, it is unknown. But what about this third dimension called ‘unknowable’?

All that is ‘known’ and ‘unknown’ are related to the mind. If I say, “I know you”, it is my mind that tells me so. If I say, “I don’t know you”, it is my mind that tells me I have never met you before. But this kind of known and unknown are the obverse and the reverse of the same coin we call the human mind.

Beyond the mind, however, lays the knowledge of the ‘Self’ or the ‘Consciousness’. And as that is beyond the mind, with what guts can you say, “I know”? In fact, if you say “I know” that logically means that you do not really know! Why? That which is unknowable cannot really be known (by the mind).

Oh I see! Why then are we wasting time when it cannot be known? (Laughter) We have so many coffee shops here. Why not go there then and spend our time more usefully? When it is unknowable, why this exertion? In reality, we are investing our time and energy in grasping the fact that it is indeed the unknowable, which is behind the known and the unknown.

Simple examples: mind is thinking, eyes are watching, and ears are listening because of the consciousness and the spirit behind it. In fact, it is the consciousness that silently percolates and flows into the different senses, making them functional. In reality, we are able to see not because of our eyes, to hear not because of our ears, and to think not because of our mind, but because of the consciousness that lies behind.

It is the ‘unknowable consciousness’ or the ‘unknowable spirit’ that makes things known or unknown to us. Am I clear? My friends, wisdom is extremely precious, valuable, and should be sought after. The whole life shall be oriented towards this wisdom that is beyond the state of mind; that which cannot be expressed but only experienced.

197.What is the proper method to turn the mind inward? (240705)

I’ll give a summary, as the question is lengthy. I’ll try to sum up to save time. What is the proper method to turn the mind inward?

The very fact that you know the mind is outward and that it needs to be inward is the first step in turning the mind inward. This is the first step. ‘I know that my mind is outward. Therefore, my life is miserable. I also understand that my mind has to be turned inward.’

Who is that ‘I’? My mind is outward; my mind has to be turned inward. Who is that ‘my’? Who is claiming that? Who is to turn it? When once you concentrate on that, on the one who is to make your extrovert mind introverted, who has realised it? Who has understood it? ‘My mind is outward.’ How do you know? Who is the knower? ‘I must turn my mind inward.’ Who is going to do it?

Is it a calculator or any weighing machine or a thermometer or a periscope, a telescope or a stethoscope? No scope. So understand the knower, who knows that the mind is outward, who realises that it has to be turned inward. That one is within you. Therefore my friends, this process is called ‘enquiry’. The path of enquiry is the only way to turn the mind within.

Please check: “Ko-ham?” Who am I? The first immediate answer is, “Deham.” I am the body. But you will know very soon that you are not the body because, by evening, you will fall sick with your BP shooting up!

If I am the body, I should remain like this. If I look at my photograph ten years ago, I feel like crying. I will not allow anybody with a camera to click my photograph now. (Laughter) We were all very handsome at one time. Today people want to escape us! If I am the body, then the body should be the same all the time; but it is not.

Next question, “Who are you?”

“I am jivasmi. I am an individual.”

No, you are not. No, no, no. Why? Because in sleep you forget your individuality. You are just lying there like a log of wood. So then, where is your individuality?”

Then comes the question, “Ko-ham?” Who are you?

“Yes, I am Brahman. Aham Brahmasmi. I am That.” That is the correct answer. It is called the theory of negation. The path of enquiry will help us turn our mind inward.

198.what is the spiritual significance and purpose of marriage? (240705)

Some say that marriage is a necessary evil. (Laughter) Those who have got married, they repent. Those who have not, they are in a hurry to get married. That is the beauty in this. (Laughter) That, my friends, is just a joke.

But what does Baba say? Does He say that no one should get married? If He says that no one should get married, why should there be two Kalyana Mandapams (marriage halls) in the village? Why should there be a Kalyana Mandapam in Brindavan, near Whitefield, Bangalore? Why should there be a Kalyana Mandapam in Hyderabad? Why should He Himself perform the marriage? Why should He Himself preside over mass marriages? Why?

My friends, marriage, spiritually speaking, is much more than we understand in the worldly way. All Avatars are born to couples only. Jesus, Buddha, Shirdi Baba, and Sathya Sai Baba were all born to married couples. They did not come out of the blue or from heaven. So how can they say marriage is not necessary? Can they say that? No.

But marriage has a sacred responsibility. There are four objectives of life: dharma, artha, kama, and Moksha. Dharma is righteousness. Artha is prosperity. Kama is desire. Moksha is liberation. These four are much easier to achieve and to realise for a householder than for a celibate.

Hundreds of devotees say that they are here because of their wives. I told Swami, “It is the wife who becomes the devotee first. She will not allow her husband to have his breakfast until he agrees to make a trip to Prashanthi Nilayam.” (Laughter)

She hurries him, that’s all; and the fellow simply follows her. Thereafter, he becomes a follower and this follower becomes a leader later. She feels so badly for her husband, who was not a devotee initially. Later she complains to the husband, who has become a zealous devotee, an aggressive devotee, a 24-hour devotee. She complains that now he has no time for her! (Laughter)

“You are the woman who complained when I was not a devotee. Now, why do you say this?” I have nothing to say, because we are all of that category! (Laughter)

So my friends, marriage is not a barrier. It is for the realisation of the objectives of life. When you cross the river from this shore to the other shore, you need a boat. Married life, the life of a householder, is a boat to cross from this shore of earthly sojourn to the other shore of liberation. A married man will have a kind of understanding, sympathy and an ability to adjust.

Looking at some people who are not married, I congratulate them. Please remain like that because, if you had gotten married, the wife would have committed suicide because of your temperament, which is non-adjusting! You cannot compromise nor can you adjust with anybody; therefore remain a celibate, at least to save the life of one woman on earth! (Laughter)

Therefore my friends, marriage is not a barrier. It is not that I am in a hurry to get every unmarried man married. I am not a priest or a marriage bureau. (Laughter) I am just telling you that, spiritually speaking, it is not a hindrance. The couple work together, just as two wires, positive and negative, allow the electricity to flow for the light to illumine, for the mikes to amplify the sound.

Therefore, the married life is a life of adjustment, a life of co-operation, a life of mutual encouragement. It is a life of mutual sympathy and empathy. Therefore, it is not a barrier. It is a boat to cross from this shore to the other shore. That’s what I can say from the viewpoint of Swami’s messages.

199.What is Swami’s advice to a daughter-in law? (240705)

This has to be a question from an Indian! (Laughter) Foreigners don’t have this problem (Laughter) because the moment the boy completes his graduation, he is on his own. It is only in Indian families, that we still have joint families, where it can be a problem.

What is the advice to a daughter-in-law? Swami wants every daughter-in-law to consider treating her mother-in-law as her own mother. Swami’s definition of daughter-in-law is daughter-in-love. Daughter-in-love. The mother-in-law should know that the daughter-in-law is not from a different house; she is, after all, her own daughter. The daughter-in-law should behave and conduct herself like the daughter of her mother-in-law. It is a relationship of mother and daughter, that’s all. It is not ‘in-law’; it is ‘in-love.’ That’s what Swami says.

Of course, this was a lengthy letter, as this good daughter-in-law is under torture by her mother-in-law. But I can’t help her. (Laughter) What to do? It will come under interference.

200.“When contemplating on Sai, which instantly leads one to enjoy and feel Sai’s Love, I find myself very sad as I feel trapped and chained by the very world I have created around me.” (240705)

Wah! This is a dichotomy of experience. I chant Baba’s Name; I am very happy. At the same time, I feel sad that I am caught in the cobwebs of this world, that I am chained in this world.

My friends, it is not so. When I sing His glory, when I chant His Name, I find the world altogether different from what it was earlier. Before singing His Bhajans, before chanting His Name, I find the world disgusting, vexing, mechanical, and not interesting. I find the world full of competition and comparison, with all duality. But after basking in His holy Name, after thinking of Him, I find the world interesting, because the world is not different from God.

God manifest is the world. World un-manifest is God. You cannot love God and treat the world with contempt. No. You cannot simply love the world and deny the Creator. There cannot be creation without the Creator. Creator’s reflection is the creation.

Swami Vivekananda gave an example: A fellow who did not believe in idolatry went on criticising others who worshipped idols. Vivekananda wanted to teach him a lesson. He went into a palace, and looked at the painting of the father of this gentleman. He just pulled it down, broke the glass and kept it under his feet.

The fellow started shouting, “What did you do? It was my father’s painting, a beautiful picture. Why did you do that?”

“Arre! The picture is not your father. Why do you cry?”

“No, no, it’s my father!”

“Similarly, an idol represents the Ideal. So shut your mouth!” he said. (Laughter)

Idols represent the Ideal. We cannot deny them or consider them as foolish. But at the same time, Baba said that an idol is necessary till such time as you realise the Ideal. He gave one simple example: With this finger, you point to the beautiful flower. This pointing finger is necessary until you see the actual flower. The pointing finger shows the direction, that’s all. Thereafter, you don’t need that direction any more. Similarly, when once you are closer to the Ideal, the idol is no longer necessary. That’s how we can understand it.

My friends, you should never feel that you are chained in this world; that you are happy only chanting His Name. No. This world is nothing but His own creation. This world is nothing but His own reflection. He wanted us to live in this world. If this world is so bad, why should He allow us to live here? Good or bad are your own thoughts. Good and bad are nothing but the effects of the change in time and influence. Therefore, a spiritual man will feel the world full of Love. He will enjoy the world as the manifestation of Divinity.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Courtesy: http://www.saiwisdom.com

 

 

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