PROF ANIL KUMAR'S SATSUNG...PART-3 ...WHAT IS NEXT

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PART-3 Life Is Choiceless Awareness Therefore, life is choiceless awareness. It means that I have no choice. "Oh God, come on, do what You want." But as a human being, I have preferences. In preferring, I can also adjust. If what I preferred is denied, I can still go on. If what I pray for is denied, that is devotion. Devotion will prepare you to develop this spirit of choiceless awareness, which is very important. What next? "Yes sir, I am highly devoted, but yet how is it that I am not as happy as I want to be? When you say that devotion confers happiness,

well, I don't get it. Why? I am highly devoted. You can't find another man as devoted as I." There used to be an important man, a state president, who was speaking in front of Swami in Kodaikanal. He spoke thrice like this. Swami tolerated him for three times. The fourth time He corrected him. What the man said was, "Bhagavan, there is a great devotee like me." Swami looked at him. That gentleman did not understand! (Laughter) He thought Swami was appreciating him. At the next meeting, he said, "Swami, there is a great devotee from my native place, an ardent devotee like me." (Laughter) He said it like that. The fourth time, Swami said, "Why do you say 'like me'? Say

that he is better than you. Why do you say 'like me'? The other man is better than you!" Devotion Is Like A Leaky Pot Therefore, my friends, though we are devoted, we don't have that fulfillment. We don't have that sense of gratification. Swami Sivananda gives a beautiful example. "I have a glass and I go on filling this glass with water. But it is never full. Why? Why? A whole pot full of water is being poured here, but this glass is never full! Why? There are

some leaks or some holes here. Therefore, this glass is never full." Likewise, we think that we have enough devotion; but we are like the leaky pot. That's what Swami Sivananda said. A disciple felt very much ashamed. "A leaky pot! No, I am perfect, Swami. I am perfect." Then Sivananda asked this question, "Do you feel happy when others are saying something bad -- some gossip, some rumor, some useless talk? Are you happy?" This man was very honest, "Swami, I feel very happy." "That is the first leak," said Sivananda. "That is the first hole -- to feel happy and be more inquisitive and curious while listening to all gossip. So, nonsense is the first leak. It is the first hole which will never let this cup of human life be filled." Therefore, the water (meaning devotion) always leaks out. It drains out, and doesn't stay in the glass due to this leakage, this weakness of listening to gossip and rumour. That's what Swami Sivananda has said. He added as well that this man was also intelligent. "Oh Swami, am I the only man with holes? Is only my pot leaking, while all other pots are full?" Then Swami Sivananda laughed and said, "The man who speaks gossip, the man who indulges in vain talk, the man who generates rumour is as bad as you." The speaker and listener both are bad. The one who speaks the rumour, who spreads the rumor, who generates the rumour, who spreads scandals and the one who listens, both fellows are like leaky pots, says Swami Sivananda. Nothing is wrong with the water. The water is perfect. It is Bisleri water or Perrier distilled water! So why is there no water there

in the cup? It is full of holes. What can I do? The cup of human life is bright, good and clean and this water of devotion is perfect. But there is leaking because of a lack of control over ourselves. It is full of leaks due to listening to what is bad. That's what Swami Sivananda said. The Proof Of Devotion Is Fearlessness AND LACK OF ANGER Then somebody said, "Swami, OK. I am sure there are no leaks or holes now. My cup of life is full to the brim. The cup of life is

full to the brim, with the nectar of ambrosia or elixir of devotion. It is full of devotion!" Then Swami Sivananda laughed and said, "OK. Do you have any fears at any time?" Then so many fears came out. "Swami, I am afraid and I fear because of the income tax officers. I have so much money." "Oh! Do you have any sense of fear?" "Of course, I fear my wife!Oh, I see.Swami, I fear my boss will not give me a promotion." "So, when you have fear, how can you say your pot is full?" Then Swami Sivananda added, "Are you angry at any time?" "Yes, Swami, when people don't listen to me, I am full of anger." Then Swami Sivananda said, "When there is

anger in you, when there is fear in you, you can't say you have enough devotion. The proof of devotion is fearlessness. If you are fearful, you are devotion-less. If you are fearless, you are full of devotion. If you are full of anger, there is no devotion. All the while, if you maintain your poise, equanimity and balance, then yes, that is devotion." That's how Swami Sivananda explained it. Self-Audit Will Help Us Therefore, my friends, we should always be careful in

examining and assessing ourselves. This is what is called 'self-audit'. We are good auditors when it comes to others. I can tell you how good you are, but I do not know how horrible I am! I can tell you how bad you are, but I do not know how much worse I am than you! Therefore, self-audit from time to time will help us. What next? This is a very important point, my friends. (When I feel excited with all those points, I write them down and wait for the next Sunday to share them with you. Who wants these things? Those who are in a hurry to go to the temple want their desires to be fulfilled. Those who are in a hurry to occupy the front rows are in a hurry to pass on a flower or a letter. Who wants the gospel of Sai? Who wants these sacred teachings of Baba? I am so lucky that God has given you to me, my friends, to share this

truth of Sai.) Sai Is Not Philosophy Let me tell you this: It is wrong to say "the philosophy of Sai". Some people say, "I know a lot of Sai philosophy." They are wrong. Some say, "The Sai philosophy of education . . ." Wrong again! Or, "The Sai philosophy of Divinity . . ." No, wrong! Sai is not a religion. Sai is not a philosophy. Please understand that. Once we asked Swami about 'Swami philosophy'. Baba said, "Full loss is philosophy!" Oh. Full loss is philosophy? I thought it was full, not a loss! Why did Baba say, "Full loss is philosophy?" Why? My friends, let me explain my view. Philosophy is nothing but the gimmicks of the mind. The mind goes on interpreting, the mind goes on imagining, and the mind goes on explaining things. Explanation, imagination, hallucination -- that is all philosophy is. Baba is not philosophic; He doesn't advocate any philosophy. Why? Baba's teachings are not imaginations. Sai teachings are not hallucinations. They're not gimmicks of the mind. Then, what else is

philosophy? Philosophy is contradictory. You have one philosophy, I have another philosophy. "This is my philosophy!" If you ask any believer, he says, "My philosophy is that God exists." If you ask an atheist, he says, "My philosophy is that God does not exist." So, "God is" is one philosophy, while "God is not" is another philosophy. Someone says, "This morning I had very good darshan". That is his philosophy. Someone else says, "Yesterday I had an even better darshan". That is the other's philosophy. So, philosophy never agrees. Philosophers will never agree. If they agree, they are not philosophers. The philosophy of philosophy is disagreement! They will never agree. If

you say, "This Guru Purnima was fantastic," someone else will say, "Forty years ago, Swami used to come to us every day . . . that was really beautiful!" That is his philosophy. So, philosophy is contradictory and argumentative. Sai teachings are not like that. Sai teachings do not contain any philosophy. Some time ago, one gentleman said, "Please ask questions at the end of every talk." Suddenly I said, "When we are speaking about Swami, what is there to ask questions about?" God is Truth and Truth is God. "God is false, so false is God . . . is that a question you want to ask?" Certain Divine utterances are not given for discussion or questioning. They are given for acceptance. If I say, "Go straight, there is the bhajan hall" and someone questions, "Why not go this other way?" Alright, go. Please go! If I say, "Don't put your hand in the fire," do you say, "How will I know what it feels like unless I try it?" "OK. You want to know, try it! You will get burned!" Likewise, certain Divine teachings are not open to argumentation. Philosophy is full of bombastic,

high-sounding words. They want to give their subject some make-up. It is all just cosmetics! Those who are ugly put on extra make-up. Those who are really beautiful or handsome need just a touch. But those who are ugly, like most of the film actors without make-up, need a lot. You don't want to look at them for a lifetime! Yes. In days past, I saw some of them. I don't know about the recent ones. (Laughter) I have not seen any actors or movies for the last twenty years. Not one movie. In the days when I did see actors in person, I used to wonder, "Can he be the same fellow whom I so appreciated in the movie? Because this one isn't half as good-looking as the one I saw on the screen." (Laughter) Therefore, extra make-up and extra decoration, why? Basically, the item is ugly. Therefore, philosophy has the decoration of language. It is bejeweled and over-decorated with bombastic words, words that the philosopher himself does fully comprehend. But Baba's teachings are not like that. Baba's teachings are conveyed to us in the simplest words possible. You can't find a simpler wording than the words He uses. There are no simpler words than the ones He speaks. He uses simple, simple words! So, His teaching cannot be called philosophy. Philosophy explains things in a zigzag, round-about manner. The philosopher goes on confusing you, because he wants to

take you to his own mythical conclusion. In some of the temples, talks given there by scholars will dissuade you from ever visiting a temple again because they are so confusing. So confusing! Baba's Teachings Are Simple Baba's teachings are straight-shooting. Not only is the language simple, His message is also straight. Therefore, Sai's teachings do not equate to zigzag philosophy. They equate to Truth, pure and simple. Truth: Sathya. Sathya Sai Baba is His Name. Sai is the Embodiment of Truth. His teachings are simple and straightforward. He uses simple words, explaining in a straight, non-argumentative way. There is no room for discussion. It is all open, and goes straight to the heart. We should understand that the value of Sai teachings, what we receive from Him, is Truth. What next? With Sai's teachings, which are pure Truth, nothing but Truth, we are capable of correcting our mistakes and our faults. That is yoga. Yoga is not physical exercise alone. Yoga is not breathing exercise alone. Yoga is getting rid of evil qualities in oneself. May God bless you. Thank you very much. OM...OM...OM... Asato Maa Sad Gamaya Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Ram ChuganiKobe, Japanrgcjp

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