Full Text of Swami's Discourse on the 6th Anniversary of Book Trust Building

[Guest guest]

" All those students who are working here are discharging their duties

with steadfastness and devotion. It is because of them that this Book

Stall has developed. It is not enough if you merely bring out books,

you should put into practice what is there in the books. You should

understand and assimilate all the teachings that are contained in the

books and practise them. Pustaka (book), Mastaka (head) should be in

harmony.

 

What the world needs today is service. We should love everybody. Love

All Serve All. This is what we are supposed to do. Whatever work we

may do, we should do it with the feeling that we are doing the work

of God. There is no place in this world where God is not present. He

is all-pervasive. Never doubt that God is here and is not there. He

is everywhere. God is in you, with you, above you, below you and

around you. Whatever work you do, whatever happens is only due to the

Will of God, and not by your own effort. (Showing His handkerchief)

Here you see a cloth. This cloth is woven with a bundle of threads.

The threads are made out of cotton. So, the process is first cotton,

thread and then thirdly cloth. Similarly, you are not one person but

three. The one you think you are, the one others' think you are and

the one you really are.

 

There are three processes involved in writing a book - the person who

writes, the people who read and the person who prints it. Do not lay

importance on just bringing out books. The books we bring out should

broaden the vision of the people. We should not give room to narrow-

mindedness. The books should help people develop broad feelings. We

should publish books which are essential for everybody. But money is

not important, morality is important. Money comes and goes, morality

comes and grows. We should develop morality. What is the use of

writing and reading books without putting them into practice? We

should be able to practice at least one principle. There may be many

items in the plate, but by merely repeating the names of those items,

will our hunger be satiated. Take at least one item and eat. In the

same manner there are many books. People are writing about the

divinity of Swami in many books. But are you putting into practice at

least one principle contained in them? No. What is the use of reading

books if you do not practice? You may listen to ten teachings, but at

least one of them you should be able to practice. Only then will we

derive the necessary strength to carry on our lives.

 

Our Rajan is putting in lot of efforts to develop the Book Trust. He

is doing much more than what is expected of a person of his age.

Students are also cooperating and working in the right direction to

make it conducive for the smooth functioning of the organisation. You

may take into consideration any workplace, progress is possible only

when there is cooperation. Cooperation should be such that there

should be relationship between heart to heart. We should understand

thoroughly whatever work we are doing in the first instance.

 

All are one, be alike to everyone. All should work with unity. One

may write the book, another may print it and yet another may bind the

book. But there should be cooperation and unity between all the

departments. Only when all work in unity can we get the desired

result. When can you develop unity? You can develop unity when there

is purity. How can you develop purity? If there are any negative

feelings in the mind, purity is not possible. First of all, there

should be unity. Where there is unity, there is purity. Where there

is purity, divinity will manifest. So, first of all develop unity and

purity. Then you will attain the grace of divinity. If you want to

attain divinity, first of all you should develop unity and purity.

 

Therefore, I exhort you to develop unity and work together - persons

who are writing and those who are printing them. What I see is not

the Pustaka (book) that you print, I see your Mastaka (head). Our

Rajan brings so many things to Me that are printed by the Trust. But

I am not satisfied with any of them. I see the purity of heart of the

person who has written the book. Hence, purify your heart in the

first instance. A cooked dish will be tasty only when the vessel in

which it is prepared is clean. Cleanliness of the vessel is very

important. In the same manner, purify your heart.

 

Any number of changes may take place in the world, but the heart

should not change. Here when I refer to the heart, it does not mean

physical heart. I am referring to the spiritual heart. Spiritual

heart means divinity. Divinity is referred to as Atma. God has no

specific form, but He is all-pervasive. He is in you, with you, below

you, above you and around you. The Atma is present wherever you see.

But when there are passing clouds you will not be able to visualise

the Atma. Moon is always present in the sky, but you will not be able

to see the moon when it is covered by clouds. You cannot deny the

presence of the moon because it is covered by clouds. If you want to

see the moon, you have to wait for some time. You can see the moon,

once the clouds move away. The Veda declares, Chandrama Manaso Jataha

Chaksho Suryo Ajayata (the moon was born out of the mind and the sun

out of the eyes of the Supreme Being). The Atma is shining like moon

in the sky of our heart. But sometimes, it is covered by the clouds

of thoughts and desires. In some seasons, you find thick clouds. When

there are thick clouds, you will not be able to see the moon. But do

not deny the existence of moon just because you are unable to see. In

the same manner, God is present in the heart of everyone. You are

unable to see the Atma because of your thoughts and desires. So, you

should exercise control over your desires.

 

Less luggage more comfort makes travel a pleasure. You can experience

immense happiness if you reduce the luggage of your desires. It is

because of desires, you are unable to see the Atma. Therefore, reduce

your desires. This is referred to as Vairagya in Vedanta. What is

meant by Vairagya? It is reducing your desires. You should not have

more and more desires. Our body grows with every day. But our life-

span decreases day by day. As the body grows, our life-span also

decreases. Hence, it will be very beneficial to us if we reduce our

desires. You can be always happy and cheerful when you reduce your

desires. You may read any number of books and listen to many sacred

histories, but first and foremost you must reduce your desires. Only

then can you find benefit out of them. Everyone has desires, but some

are necessary and some are not. When we wake up in the morning what

is that we do? We get up from the bed with a lot of desires.

 

Oh man! You struggle hard in life merely for the sake of filling your

belly. You acquire myriad types of knowledge from various fields.

Examine and enquire for yourself what great happiness you have

achieved by spending all the time from dawn to dusk in acquiring

worldly knowledge and earning wealth while forgetting God. (Telugu

Poem)

 

Forgetting God whatever you may do is a mere waste of time. You

should always keep God as your goal. God is not present in a far off

land. He is present everywhere - in you, with you, below you, above

you and around you.

 

Hence, we should never forget God. People may say anything, you may

face any number of difficulties, but you should never forget God.

Only when you have such pure, unsullied and steady devotion can you

be called a true devotee. You cannot call yourself a devotee if you

do not have steadiness of mind. Your devotion should be steady like

an ocean which never reduces in quantity. On the one hand, the water

gets evaporated from the ocean and on the other hand, rivers merge in

it, but still the ocean maintains all its characteristics. Our heart

should be filled with devotion like an ocean. We should not entertain

the waves of desires and malign it. Any number of waves may arise,

but the ocean maintains its pristine state. Hence, keep your heart

always pure, steady and selfless. Our Rajan is putting in a lot of

effort. He is bringing about many changes in the publication of

books. For the 80th Birthday, many good books were brought out.

 

Never entertain any desires. Whatever you do, do it as an offering to

God. Sarva Karma Bhagavad Preetyartham (do all actions to please

God). That is the sign of true devotion. Do not give rise to

differences like this is my work, that is Swami's work and yet

another work pertains to public. Think all work is God's work. One

who writes the book, one who prints and one who reads the book, all

are one. All are one. Never entertain any differences. Only when you

do not have differences, can you develop steady devotion. Your

devotion should always be steady, it should not waver moment to

moment.

 

When you have a wavering mind, everything will keep changing. Do not

give scope to a wavering mind. Desires and thoughts may arise, but we

should utilise our power of discrimination. Is it good or bad? Is it

right or wrong? When your conscience tells something is right, follow

it. Always follow your conscience. It is like a traffic signal.

Follow it conscientiously. When your conscience tells something is

right, follow it scrupulously, irrespective of what others say. Let

people talk whatever they want, but we should remain steady in our

mind. Greatness does not lie in bringing out books, but we should

understand the essence contained in the books. We should bear in mind

the essence in the books. Without matter, it cannot be called a book.

Without any subject, you cannot get matter. What type of subjects you

should choose. You should choose those subjects which are related to

the heart. If you do not go by the dictates of the heart, you will

not be successful.

 

An author should write good books which are beneficial to one and

all. We should not print unnecessary things. There are many books

brought out in the outside world which gives rise to worldly desires.

What is happening to all those books? Nobody is reading them.

Whatever subject that is pleasing to the heart should be the subject

matter of books. They are true and eternal. We should perform actions

without deviating from the path of Sathya (truth) and Dharma

(righteousness). Sathya and Dharma are not different from each other.

Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than adherence

to truth). Sathya and Dharma are one and the same. Without Dharma

there cannot be Sathya and without Sathya, there cannot be Dharma.

They are interdependent and like mirror images. We can achieve

anything when we have Sathya and Dharma on our side. We should always

keep Sathya and Dharma as our goal. Then we will certainly achieve

our goal.

 

Now, I cannot explain in detail any further due to time constraint. I

wanted to tell you something related to publication of books and

nothing else. We should publish only good books. Good books that are

beneficial to one and all. You have heard Bhagawan's Discourses, read

many books, at least from now onwards put them into practice. "

 

Om Sai Ram