The Divine Lifestyle (6a)

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I SHALL NEVER WAVER FROM THE TASKTHAT I HAVE SET OUT TO DO(Chapter 6)A

pen, however beautiful and expensive, will be placed close to the heart

as long as the ink has not dried. A chair, however decorative is the

embroidery on the silk cushions, will be thrown into the store room

once one of the legs slightly wobbles. The tapestry of expensive shirt

or dress, once it gives away, will force the owner to tuck them into

the farthest corner of the closet. A cup is thrown when the handle

cracks. The pencil is discarded once it accidentally breaks. As long as

objects fulfill their purpose, we treasure them, but once they fail to

do so, they are merely discarded. What then is man's purpose?'What

is the purpose of life? What is the goal of life? After getting such a

rare gift as a human life, if you cannot make use of it to attain the

divine, indeed if you are not able to remember the purpose of life,

what is the use of getting such a sacred gift?'(Divine Discourse 1987 - pg 120)Purpose

confers direction and one must be clear as to what is wanted in the

field of life. Thousands enter a stadium to watch a football game while

millions around the world tune in their television sets to catch a

glimpse of the finals. The teams that enter the field look prepared to

take on the challenge. Supposing the goal post is removed from one side

of the field, however great the players look, however prepared the team

can be, however enthusiastic the world is to watch the game, no game

can be played without the goal post. All the kicks on the football, the

dashing display of fine footwork by both teams and the incredible team

work that is displayed by both sides, devoid of the goal post, can at

the most contribute to a good play. A game can only be where there is

goal. Hence, we must examine

carefully what our goals in life are. To the school boy, his goal is

only to get more marks in the examination. To a businessman father, his

main goal, is to ensure that his business does well. To the mother,

that her whole family is happy and well. To the son, it might be the

ultimate purchase of the noisiest motorcycle. Everyone's goal changes

according to different lifestyles. It changes from one stage of life to

another. The same small boy who screamed for the toy aeroplane cannot

be doing so at his university graduation ceremony. The boy whose only

goal is to retain his defending championship title for the football

game, might when he grows up have his new goal of only wanting to

compete with his boss at the golf field. Hence, targets and goals

change. Years of sweat must be poured forth to achieve paramount

success from any field of endeavor. This is natural and there is

nothing wrong with that."I

wish to die. I am so fed up... I want to die." Surprisingly, such words

escape from the lips of youngsters these days who have not experienced

the full bloom of life with all the exciting opportunities waiting to

tap the inner human potential. Suicides are increasing and studies show

that the rise is more evident in countries that are more developed.

According to William James, human beings use only 10-12% of their

potential. The saddest part of human life is that most die without

living fully for they enter into a rusting phase. Resting from activity

too long can cause 'rust' as one elderly man, to a question of what is

life's heaviest burden replied, 'to have nothing to carry', sums up the

need to stimulate sufficient participation in life itself. Some refuse

to take on added responsibility for the fear of failing, fear of the

unknown, fear of being unprepared, fear of rejection and fear of making

the wrong choice. Such fears force one not to cross comfort zones and

hence the dormant potentials remain unchallenged and the hidden talents

remain unexploited.About a hundred years ago, a man who had

invented dynamites looked at the newspapers only to read his name in

the obituary column. The newspaper had reported the death of the wrong

person by mistake. The obituary read 'Dynamite King Dies' and 'He was

the merchant of death'. He sat in silence and wondered 'Is this how I

am going to be remembered?' The realization propelled him into other

nobler pursuits such as peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is

remembered today by the great Nobel Prize. Potentials remain hidden

unless effort is exerted to discover them. This is what enriching life

is all about. This can be effectively done when man has a purpose. Potentials can be realized only when goals are visualized clearly. 'I want to be successful', said a student. 'How successful do you want to become?' asked the teacher. 'Very', came the abrupt reply. 'I think of it all the time', added the student. The

teacher grabbed the student's head and immersed it into a pool of

water. The student, after a minute, was struggling and gasping for

breath. After a few more seconds, the teacher released his grip and the

student instantly pushed his head up and screamed, 'Air! Air!' The teacher then asked, 'What were you thinking when your head was submerged under the water?' The student replied, "O nothing... just air!' The

teacher then said, 'The intensity for a breath of air made you

oblivious to all other factors and situations. You did not become aware

of your limitations, you were not aware of the possibilities and the

potentials. In fact, the world became dead and you were only alive to

the idea of a fresh breath of air. As long as you develop your one

pointed intention of wanting success and reaching your goal as you

wanted air just not, you will become successful.' The

simple story sums up and provides the explanation as to how a paralytic

Wilma Rudolph became the fastest woman on track at the 1960 Olympics,

winning three gold medals and how Lincoln with all his failures, made

to it to the White House. Powerful desire for a goal lends a purpose

and effort to meet that purpose provides inner peace and gratification.

If this attitude begins to be developed from young, one can see and

feel beyond what the senses dictate. In such people, a clear goal can

easily be visualized. Visualization of this purpose or goal is the

first step to one's destiny.A

normal lawyer with a family, like million of others, would have

continued his routine life cycle of eating, meeting, breeding and

brooding till old age. The frail old man after death would be bundled

into a coffin and tossed into the fire, for the final journey home.

However, there was this man who refused to follow the dictates of the

norm. He saw a vision of Mother India being free from the yoke of the

British rule. Spending his entire life, in and out of jails, being

trashed, beaten and bullied, yet, he never wavered from the goal he

visualized. Such a mighty power of love and a strong sense of purpose

marshaled the masses and brought the powers to be to their knees. The

capacity to focus on the sense of purpose provided this lawyer the

strength and fortitude to brave all odds, and today, pages of of

history cannot be completed if the life of Mahatma Gandhi is not

mentioned. This then is what

the strength of focusing on purpose can do to an individual. So it

becomes obvious that if a goal is chosen, the expectations to meet such

a goal can summon inner potentials. The higher the goal, greater the

potential tapped. If the goals are only merely transient and temporary,

then potentials needed will also be of such quality. Hence we must

aspire of high goals. We can go to the moon and travel to the depth of

the ocean. In fate, we already have, and yet with all the possibilities

and potentials with modern machinery blessed by science, man is still

not happy.'I

derive much bliss watching 'wild animals' in their own habitat. Their

movements, their relations with others of their own kind, their free

uninhibited lives are very attractive to behold. They do not grieve,

lamenting their misfortune, comparing their fate with that of other

denizens of the forest. They do not clamor for fame. They do not plan

and prepare to earn positions of power and authority over the animals.

They are not eager to accumulate possessions that are superfluous. When

we consider these traits, we are led to conclude that they are leading

lives of a higher grade than men. Men have the extra qualifications of

education; they have the moral sense, and the capacity to judge and

discriminate. But yet, they are caught in the coils of greed.'(The Embodiment of Love - pg 74)Here

is a beautiful example where Bhagavan brings home a point that we have

slipped lower than even animals. Animals without the similar higher

degree of intellect as man appears to act according to their nature.

They do not possess greed and share nature's abundance with one and

all. Throw a few grains outside your house and the birds will come,

peck what they can eat and leave the rest for other birds. Leave a few

sacks of rice outside your house, a disappearing act faster than David

Copperfield's magic is sure to ensure, a feat performed only by the

greed of man. Internal

virtues is what we should develop without which happiness cannot be

gained. History records the suicides of great movie stars and pop

singers who had everything at their command. They had wealth, enough

for the next few generations, power over anyone and anything, their

slightest whisper is a command, the slightest change in their look

creates a raving lifestyle. They were mobbed wherever they went, their

glance was what millions kept dreaming of, a touch or a word would send

their fans reeling in ecstasy. A life any one and everyone would

exchange for and yet what made them kill themselves? Newspapers flash

their suicide stories all around, till even today, people still ask

'Why?' Bhagavan is quick to reply,'Peace

is what everyone seeks, but it can never be secured from the outside

world. Accumulation of riches and power cannot endow peace. Peace can

come only from the fountain of peace within.'(Sanathana Sarathi Vol VII - pg 32)Hence,

man tries to gain his peace and happiness by having external goals. In

order to achieve his goal, he uses all his reserve resources and

strength. The moment he reaches the target, his desires will prompt him

to set another goal, this time higher.A father used to beg his

son to come and pray. Each time, he will say, 'Later, as soon as I get

my first 10,000 dollar monthly salary, I will come. He spent all his

time and efforts to achieve this. Staying up late, he never took his

meals properly nor had the time to spend with his family. Soon he was

able to earn the money. He bought a huge bungalow, got married and

lived comfortably. Soon his friend insisted that he join a business.

Therefore, he resigned from his work and spent all his time trying to

convert his small capital investment into a little industry. His ailing

father had given up on his son as he never used to come home. His wife

would insist that he should take the family to the temple. Came rapidly

the same reply, 'Later'. Years passed. His father passed away, sad and

lonely. His wife and child saw little of him for he was too busy

running after contracts, meeting datelines and rushing to prevent

debtors from knocking on his doors. His entire life, a continuous

search for fulfillment, he never experienced total happiness and joy.

For all purposes, he drove a huge car, had a huge bank balance and a

beautiful home, but of what use? Bhagavan, in one of His discourses,

likened this to a donkey carrying sacks of gold behind his back. There

is wealth but of what use is that to a donkey? Many lead such lives

with their train of lives riding on tracks to stations that drift them

far away from their initial goal.There

must be a higher goal. The chase of the golden deer led Sri Rama away

from Seeta. At each moment the deer was about to be caught, it ran

further into the wilderness. The illusory deer took Sri Rama away, thus

allowing Ravana to kidnap Seeta and the sea of blood that flowed due to

the wars fought in the Ramayana is testimony to the fact that our focus

on our goals must be intense and disciplined. Seeta who sacrificed the

wonderful riches of the palace to follow her husband to the forest

walked on stones and thorns. Yet her mind on Sri Rama provided her the

balm which cushioned all her discomforts. Shifting attention a second

from Sri Rama, her dear one, to the golden deer, planted a desire in

Seeta. The price she paid and the lessons gained become the tapestry

for the epic Ramayana. Inner vision is vital to safeguard tranquility

and peace.'From

the time he wakes up till he goes to sleep, man looks at everything

externally. He hardly spends a few moments to develop his inner vision.

All the external objects can only confer momentary pleasure. Pursuing

these pleasures, man wastes his precious and sacred life. He can never

achieve peace in this way.'(Sanathana Sarathi August 1993 - pg 206)The

king once called his horseman and told him to travel on his horse as

far as possible. The land he covered would become his. However, the

condition laid was that the horseman must return by sun fall. The

horseman started his journey. As he marched on further and further, his

swelling pride and greed that all this land that he had covered would

become his, blinded his sense of time. The hot sun scorched his back as

he turned his horse. Not only could he not return before sun fall, but

he died due to sun burn, the only consolation being that he was buried

by the king on a land that could have been his, if better sense had

prevailed.- to continue -(From : THE DIVINE LIFESTYLE by DR SURESH GOVIND,With the consent of Sathya Sai Central Council of Malaysia)Visit : Sai Divine Inspirations : http://saidivineinspirations.blogspot.com/ Sai Messages : http://saimessages.blogspot.com/ Love Is My Form : http://loveismyform.blogspot.com/