Prema Vahini - Part 01

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Prema Vahini by Sathya Sai Vahini

Part 01

 

Chapters 1 to 11

 

Noble Qualities from the Path for the Aspirant

 

More than all the previous Yugas, the Kaliyuga offers multifarious

paths through which man can acquire discrimination or viveka. If it is

education that is needed, there are as many schools and institutions

as you need, and, if it is wealth that one is after, there are various

avenues by which, with effort, it can be honourably earned. In spite

of this, however, we do not find any increase in human happiness or

peace. Indeed, there is much more misery than in previous ages!

 

What then is the reason? The reason lies in human behaviour, in man's

way of living itself. Human life is undoubtedly the highest in

evolution and to give it meaning, spiritual endeavour is essential,

endeavour that is pure and holy. For this way of life, character is

all important. Character makes life immortal; it survives even death.

Some say knowledge is power, but it is not true. Character is Power.

Even the acquisition of knowledge demands a good character. So, every

one must yearn to attain flawless character, without any trace of

evil.

 

Note that Buddha, Jesus Christ, Sankaracharya and Vivekananda, great

Sages and Saints and Devotees of the Lord, all these are treasured in

the memory of man even unto this day. What quality made them all

memorable for all time? I say, it is the character of each one of

them.

 

Without character, wealth, education, social status, all these are of

no avail. It is the fragrance of the flower; it gives value and worth.

Poets, painters, scientists may be great, each in his own field, but

without character, they can have no standing in society.

 

Doubts will certainly rise whether all those who are now greeted with

respect by Society have the character which we consider essential to

greatness. But, I am speaking of a society and a character, which

cling to certain unchanging values. Ordinarily, society attaches

varying importance to certain qualities from day to day and fashions

in character change with the vagaries of society. But the basic

nature of a flawless character is eternal; it is the same, whatever

the vicissitudes of society. In that sense, it is eternal, being

associated with another immortal entity, the Atman.

 

Among the qualities that make up a flawless character, Love, Patience,

Forbearance, Steadfastness, Charity - these are the highest, these

have to be revered.

 

The hundred little deeds that we do every day harden into habits;

these habits shape into intelligence and mould our outlook and life.

All that we weave in our imagination, seek in our ideals, yearn in our

aspirations, leave an indelible imprint on the mind. Distorted by

these, we form our knowledge, our picture of the world around us, and

it is to this picture that we get attached.

 

Man's present is but the result of his past and the habits formed

during that long period. Whatever be the nature of the character that

he has come by, it can certainly be modified by modifying the

accustomed process of thought and imagination.

 

The wickedness of no man is incorrigible. Was not Angulimala, the

dacoit, turned into a kind-hearted person by the Buddha? Did not the

thief Ratnakara become Valmiki, the sage? By conscious effort, habits

can be changed and character refined. Man has always, within him,

within his reach, the capacity to challenge his evil propensities and

to change his evil habits. By selfless service, by renunciation, by

devotion, by prayer and by ratiocination, the old habits which bind

men to earth can be discarded and new habits which take us along the

divine path can be instilled into our lives.

 

To discuss the nature of this character, its ways and vagaries, and to

inform about the process of reshaping it, this is the purpose of all

spiritual literature, poems, epics, books and periodicals. The

Sanathana Sarathi has just this aim in view; it does not seek either

the exhibition of erudition or the acquisition of name and fame.

 

But, it has to be said, that the mere reading of a book or a journal

will not vouchsafe viveka or discrimination. That which is seen, heard

or read must be put into practice in actual life. Without this,

reading is mere waste of time. If anything is read to pass time, it

passes with time and nothing remains.

 

The Study of Books and One-Pointedness

 

Books are available in plenty and at very cheap prices. Vedas, Sastras

and Puranas can be got and read by every one. There is also no dearth

of Gurus. Vidya-peeths abound and are ostensibly granting the boon of

knowledge. Facilities for training the mind are plenty and within

reach. But yet, from nowhere is heard the note of content at having

partaken of the nectar of Jnana.

 

When I see the heaps of books that lie around everywhere, I feel that

the wisdom inside the book cannot succeed in penetrating the heavy

binding and emerge into the light. God is hidden by the mountain

ranges of lust, anger, envy and selfishness. So too, the Sun of

Wisdom is hidden by these huge heaps of books. Though these books

have spread to all corners of the earth, we cannot say that culture

has increased or that wisdom has increased; man is still not far from

the ape. An attractive binding and title, a beautiful picture, these

are what the reader seeks, viz., transitory pleasure and momentary

contentment. Only those who, by means of discrimination, select the

books they read and practise what they read can realize the Truth and

enjoy everlasting Bliss. Only these live worth while lives. So, those

who seek the highest path and who revel in thoughts of God should

strive to read only the life histories of saints and sages and books

which help the contemplation of the Divine. Aimless reading of books

all and sundry and whatever comes to hand will make confusion only

worse confounded. It gives no profit, confers no peace.

 

More than all, cultivate one-pointed steadfastness, ekagrata, in

whatever you do. Samadrishti is Subha-drishti.

 

The Lion, though it is the King of the forest, while walking through

the wood, turns back for every few steps, for, it is afraid of being

pursued. Fear in the mind makes the vision falter. Violence within the

heart distorts the vision and distracts the sight.

 

Man must have Samadrishti, equal sight. All creation must appear to

his eyes as equally auspicious. He must look upon all being with as

much love and faith as he has in himself. For there is nothing evil in

creation, no, not even an iota. Evil appears as such only through

faulty vision. Creation gets coloured by the nature of the glasses we

wear. By itself it is eternally pure and holy.

 

Sadhana - The Way of Life

 

There have always been, there are and there will always be, teachers

who reveal to man and who instruct him to attain the heights which he

can reach by the fullest manifestation of his physical, mental and

intellectual powers, through one-pointed steadfastness. The mind of

man revels in external objects and in purposeless observation and

criticism of the outside world. How then can it be trained to be

steadfast?

 

Each one should ask himself the question: Mahatmas and Mahapurushas

were also persons like me; they were also embodied beings. When they

could attain perfection, I can also succeed, if I follow their

method. What do I gain if I spend my time in discovering the faults

and weaknesses of others?

 

Therefore the first sadhana is search for the faults and weaknesses

within thyself and strive to correct them and become perfect.

 

The unceasing toil of each succeeding day has as its aim and

justification this consummation; to make one's last days sweet and

pleasant. But, each day too, has its evening. If the day is spent in

good deeds, then the evening blesses us with deep sleep, invigorating

refreshing sleep, the sleep about which it is said that it is akin to

Samadhi.

 

Man has only a short span of life, here upon earth. But, even in this

short life one can, by wisely using the time with care, attain Divine

Bliss. Two men, in appearance the same, ostensibly of the same mould,

grow under the same conditions, but one turns out to be an angel while

the other stays on with his normal nature. What is the reason for this

varied development? Habits and the behaviours formed out of these

habits, and the character into which that behaviour has solidified.

Man is the creature of character.

 

The Real Nature of the Life of Man

 

To a superficial observer, the life of man appears as an endless round

of eating and drinking, toiling and sleeping. But, verily life has a

much greater meaning; a much deeper significance. Life is a

sacrifice, a yagna. Each little act is an offering to the Lord. If

the day is spent in deeds performed in this spirit of surrender, what

else can sleep be except Samadhi?

 

Man commits the great fault of identifying himself with the body. He

has accumulated a variety of things for the upkeep and comfort of the

body. Even when the body becomes weak and decrepit with age, he

attempts to bolster it up, by some means or other. But, how long can

death be postponed? When Yama's warrant comes each has to depart.

Before Death, position, pride and power, all vanish. Realizing this,

strive day and night, with purity of body and mind and spirit, to

realize the Higher Self, by the service of all living beings. The

body must be preserved as a vehicle for this service. But remember,

you are not this body; this body cannot be you. Tat Tvam Asi. Thou

art That. That is the highest and holiest Mahavakya; you are the

indestructible Atma Tatwa. It is for the sake of that Atma Tatwa that

you have this body and so in the attempt to realize Parameshwara here

and now, you must be prepared to offer this body, at any moment, as a

sacrifice. Utilise your authority over this body to foster the

welfare of the world. This body is but an instrument, an implement

given by God. Let it serve its purpose.

 

But, until the realization of the purpose for which the implement is

given, it is your duty to watch over it vigilantly and protect it from

injury and disablement. During winter woollen clothes are worn to

withstand the rigour of the cold gales. But when the cold subsides

they are discarded. So, too, when the cold gales of material life do

not affect us in the least, the material body is no longer essential.

One is conscious of only the incorporeal body.

 

When the rains come, earth and sky are one in the sheety downpour. It

is indeed a beautiful inspiring scene, a scene by which creation

itself is teaching you to become One, in unison with it. There are

three lessons that can be learnt - the impermanence of created

things, the role of Man as the servant, and God as the Master. This

creation is the wherewithalof the Puja; Man is the worshipper, and

God, the worshipped. The game called Life is played with these.

 

Man must be happy that Purushothama has placed around him newer and

newer materials for serving Him and gets done through him Puja in

various forms. He must pray for newer and newer opportunities and

exult in the chance that his hands receive. The attitude gives

immeasurable joy. To lead a life suffused with this joy is indeed

bliss.

 

Whatever is done from sunrise to sunset must be consecrated, as if it

is the worship of the Lord. As care is taken to pluck only fresh

flowers and keep them clean and unfaded, so too ceaseless effort

should be made to do deeds which are pure and unsullied.

 

If everyday, this vision is kept before the mind's eye and life is

lived accordingly, then it becomes one long unbroken service of the

Lord. The feeling of I and Thou will soon disappear; all trace of

self will be destroyed. Life then transmutes itself into a veritable

Haripaaraayanam. " I am the sevaka. This world is the offering. God is

the master who is worshipped " - when one attains this stage of

thought, feeling and action, all difference between mine and thine

will disappear.

 

Identity of Bhakthi and Jnana

 

There is no distinction between Bhakthi and Jnana. Just as Suguna

becomes Nirguna, Bhakthi too becomes Jnana. I will not agree that

Karma, Bhakthi and Jnana are separate. I do not even like to classify

one of these as first, the other as the second and next as the third.

I will not accept a mixture of all the three or even a samuchchaya, a

merger of the three. Karma is Bhakthi and Bhakthi is Jnana: A block

of Mysorepak has sweetness, weight and shape; the three cannot be

separated, one from the other. Each little part of it has sweetness,

weight and shape. We do not find shape in one part, weight in another

and sweetness in a third. And when it is placed on the tongue taste

is recognized, weight is lessened and shape is modified, all at the

same time. So too, the Jiva, the Atma, and the Paramatma are not

separate; they are one and the same.

 

Therefore, each individual deed must be full of the spirit of Seva, of

Prema and of Jnana. In other words each group of life's activities

must be saturated with Karma, Bhakthi and Jnana. This is verily the

Purushothama Yoga. It has to be acted in practice, not merely spoken

in words, Sadhana should be done constantly with ever-expanding heart

full of Bhakthi and Jnana. The sweetness of nectar or the Lord's name

is the charm of life; the internal joy derived from the Name is akin

to the external joy of the outer life.

 

When one performs a kriya as an offering to the Lord, his good, the

higher good and the highest good Swartha, Parartha and Paramartha, all

become one. First I and you become we. Next we and He becomes

identified. The Jiva (i.e. the Individual soul, I) should accomplish

identity, with the Paramatma (i.e. the Prakrithi, You) and then with

the Paramatma (i.e. the Supreme Soul, He). This indeed is the

significance of the mantra, Om Tat Sat.

 

Today, yesterday and tomorrow Om Tat Sat is, was and will be. 'He' and

'I' are there always. The Sadhana is also there always. Just as the

sun is inseparable and is never apart from its rays, under no

circumstances should any aspirant be without his sadhana. It is only

when the sadhak adheres to his sadhana in such an incessant manner

can he be said to be one with Om.

 

The Duties of Life

 

The blemishes of the heart have to be washed by the moral life and the

doing of one's duty. A time may come when man becomes tired and weak,

but he should then pray thus: Lord, things have gone beyond my

capacity. I feel further effort is too great a strain. Give me

strength, O,Lord!

 

At first, God stands at a distance watching man's efforts, like the

teacher who stands apart when the students write out answers to his

questions. Then when man sheds his attachment to Bhoga and takes to

good deeds, and Seva, God comes encouragingly near. For, He is like

Surya Narayana, who stands waiting outside the closed door, like the

servant who knows the rights of the master and his own limitations.

He does not announce his presence or bang the door. He simply waits.

And when the Master does but just open the door a little, the sun

rushes in and promptly drives out darkness from within. When His help

is asked for, He is present by the side of man, with hands extended

to render assistance.So, what is wanted from man is only the viveka

to pray to the Lord, the Jnana to remember Him.

 

Sadguna is Jnana

 

Jnana means understanding but, it is not just an intellectual feat.

'Eating' does not mean the placing of food on the tongue. Eating is

worth while only when the food is chewed and swallowed and digested

and assimilated in the blood stream and transformed into muscle and

bone,into strength and vigour. So too understanding or Jnana must

permeate and invigorate all the moments of life. It must be expressed

through all the organs and sense, through all the Karmendriyas and

all the Jnanendriyas. To this high stage man must reach.

 

Mere accumulation of learning is not Jnana. Only Sadguna is Jnana.

 

In order that one might do seva, a little Bhoga too has to be gone

through. Such Bhoga is a part of yajna. To make this body-machine

function, the fuel of Anna has to be used. Anna is not yajna, but it

makes yajna possible. Therefore, eating food is not to be laughed at

as catering to greed, as Udaraposhana. It is part of worship.

 

Puja is not merely the plucking of a flower and placing it on top of

the image; the gardener who toiled to nurse the plant that gave the

flower is also a worshipper. It is only when food is given that the

body can function. Even the means for a sacrifice is yajna.

 

All Karma done for the sake of three entities is sacrifice, viz., to

utilise the world for the worship of the Lord, to establish peace and

justice in society and to control and co-ordinate the functions of the

body. The first is called Yajna, the second Dana and the third Tapas.

All human acts must subserve these three needs.

 

Truth is God

 

For attaining this stage, an ethical life is the foundation. This

ethical life is based upon discrimination between Truth and Falsehood.

Just as the pearl is retained while the shell is discarded, the

Essence, which is Truth, must be accepted and the non-essential

rejected. Then again, individual exertion and Divine Grace should

both be existent. One should also constantly practise the great

lesson that the Body and the Atma are separate. This is a highly

beneficial exercise. Such viveka or discrimination is necessary for

all aspects of life secular as well as spiritual. It is indispensable

for realizing the Truth, the Truth that persists in Creation,

Existence and Destruction - the Truth which is God Himself.

 

To serve this supreme Lord purity in diet has to be observed. As

regards food, the question is not how much, but of what quality. Of

course quantity too cannot be overlooked. But, why is food necessary

at all? It is needed for acquiring the strength required for Seva. In

order Sevayajna may yield fruit, food is needed and such food must be

pure. Attention has to be paid to this aspect of food.

 

In this way, each one should pay constant attention to his habits and

to the traits of his character. And then, the attachment to the body

will fall off and the task of securing Atmananda will be made easy.

 

Man has all these various duties to perform before he actually attains

realization; for it is only through such spiritual life can he acquire

purity and through that pure nature alone is it possible for him to

realize the Soul Supreme. Without getting himself engaged in them it

is no use crying in agony that he has not been able to know the

Paramathman.

 

In this material world, one cannot appreciate the value of spiritual

endeavour if he has had no experience of such a spiritual life and its

purity. It may be said that one can undertake spiritual endeavour only

after appreciating its value but, this is like saying that one would

get into water only after learning swimming. Swimming can be learned

only by getting into water, with a float attached to the body. In the

same way, with some float attached to the mind plunge without fear

into spiritual sadhana. Then you will yourself understand the value

of spiritual endeavour. The nature and condition of the spiritual

path are known only to those who have journeyed along the road. They

know that the path of Sathya and Viveka leads to Paramatma. Those who

have not trodden that and those who are not aware of its existence

cannot explain it to themselves or to others.

 

Paramatma alone is real. Paramatma is Truth, Paramatma is Love.

Meditate on Him as Truth, as Love. It is possible to realize Him, in

whatever form you meditate upon. Be always in the company of His

devotees. Through this satsanga, viveka (discrimination) and vairagya

(detachment) will be implanted and increased. These will strengthen

the spirit and endow you with inner Peace. Your mind will then merge

in Paramatma.

 

In everything that you do, use all the strength and talent with which

you are endowed, speaking and acting truthfully. At first, you might

fail in this and you might encounter difficulties and sufferings. But,

ultimately, you are bound to succeed and achieve victory and Bliss. I

recall here the statement, Satyameva Jayathe, Naanritham. By your

behaviour, through your way of life, you can realize the Truth, you

can realize Paramatma.

 

Ahamkara causes Asanthi

 

Man creates and developes in himself an abounding variety of selfish

habits and attitudes and he gives rise to great discontent for

himself.The impulse for all this comes from the power complex, the

greed for accumulating authority, domination and power, the greed for

things which can never be eternal and full. In fact, it is impossible

for man to attain them, up to the level of satiation. Omnipotence

belongs to Sarveswara, the Lord of All. A person might feel elated

that he has become the master of all arts, or owner of all wealth, or

possessor of all knowledge or repository of all the Sastras, but from

whom did he acquire all these? That source must indeed be greater. He

might even claim that he earned all this through his own efforts, his

labour and his toil. But surely someone gives it to him, in some form

or other.This he cannot gainsay. The source from which all authority

and all power originate is Sarveswara. Ignoring that omnipotence, to

delude one-self that the little power one has acquired is one's own,

this indeed is egoism, conceit, pride, Ahamkara.

 

If a person is a genuine vehicle of power, he can be recognized by the

characteristics of truth, kindness, love, patience, forbearance and

gratefulness. Wherever these reside, Ahamkara cannot subsist, it has

no place. Seek, therefore, to develop these.

 

The effulgence of the Atma is obscured by Ahamkara. Therefore when

Ahamkara is destroyed, all troubles end, all discontents vanish and

Bliss is attained. As the sun is obscured by mist, the feeling of

Ahamkara hides Eternal Bliss. Even if the eyes are open, a piece of

cloth or cardboard can prevent the vision from functioning effectively

and usefully. So, too, the screen of selfishness prevents man from

seeing God, who is, in fact, nearer to him than anything else. Many an

aspirant and recluse, many a sadhaka and sanyasi has allowed all

excellences won by long years of struggle and sacrifice to slip away

through this attachment to the self. For, power without the bliss of

God-realisation is a wall without a basement. Mere punditry is of no

use at all; the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Sastras are doctrines

for living out in daily practice. Whatever the wealth of words,

whatever the standard of scholarship, it is all a colossal waste. To

bring the teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads and the Sastras into

one's actual life one has to scotch the feeling, " I know, " and open

one's eyes to the real Essence and Introspect on it. Then, one can

attain Bliss without fail.

 

The Panchanga might indicate that ten units of rain will fall, but

even if the calendar is folded ten times and squeezed not even a drop

of rain can be extracted. The purpose of the calendar is not to give

rain but only to give information about rain and its quantity. Its

pages do not contain the ten units of rain. Rain is in the clouds

above. So, too, the Sastras can give only information about

doctrines, axioms, rules, regulations and duties. The sublime

characteristics of the Vedas and the Upanishads and Sastras are that

they give instruction in the methods of attaining peace and

liberation. But they are not saturated with these essences of Bliss,

so that one can collect them by squeezing the texts.

One has to discover the path, the direction and the goal as described

in them; one has to tread the path, follow the direction, and reach

the goal. If, however, the I-consciousness produces the pride, 'I

know all', a fall is inevitable; the delusion causes death. The

secret of salvation lies in the realisation of this danger; rebirth

is inevitable, if this danger is not averted.

 

Aware of all this, if you get immersed in spiritual practice, the

world and its worries will not affect you. It is only when you are

far from this truth, that you suffer, feel pain and experience

travail. At a distance from the bazaar, one hears only a huge

indistinct uproar. But, as we approach it and walk into it, one can

clearly distinguish the separate bargainings. So too, until the

reality of Paramatma is known,you are over-powered and stunned by the

uproar of the world but once you enter deep into the realm of

spiritual endeavour, everything becomes clear and the knowledge of

the reality awakens within you. Until then you will be caught up in

the meaningless noise of argumentation, disputation and exhibitionist

flamboyance.

 

Aspirants on the Bhakthi Path

 

Every aspirant who seeks the eternal through the path of Bhakthi

should strive to acquire the following characteristics: He must keep

away from the turmoils, the cruelties and the falsehoods of this

world and practise truth, righteousness, love and peace. This is

indeed the path of Bhakthi. Those who seek union with God, those who

seek the welfare of the world should discard as worthless both praise

and blame, appreciation and derision, prosperity and adversity. They

should courageously keep steady faith in their own innate reality and

dedicate themselves to spiritual uplift. No one, not even a

mahapurusha or avatar can ever escape criticism and blame. But they

do not yield to threats. The real nature of the mahapurusha or the

avatar is realized by those who indulge in criticism or blame only

after wading through unbearable trouble and then, they too start to

praise. The weakness of ignorance is the cause of this failure. So,

let the aspirant keep away from all such waverers and ignorant

persons and desist from discussing with them his belief and immerse

himself in holy books and in the company of the devotees of the Lord.

Later, rich with the experience of realisation and courageous on

account of that contact with reality, they can mix in any

company without danger and even endeavour to direct other minds on to

the truth he himself has seen.

 

Three types can be recognized among those who seek to do good deeds

and tread the path of self-realisation.

 

* Those who are too frightened by the troubles, losses, and

difficulties, to begin the endeavour; they are of the lowest or

adharma type. * Those who, after having depressed and defeated by

obstacles and disappointments and who therefore give up, in the

middle. They are of the middling, or the madhyama type. * Those

who steadfastly adhere to the path with calmness and courage,

whatever the nature of the travel, however hard the road; those are,

of course, of the highest or the uthama type. This steadfastness,

this faith and constancy is the characteristic of the Bhaktha.

 

Deluded by attachment to this illusory world and attracted by

temporary joy, do not barter away the means of achieving permanent

and complete happiness. Carry on your spiritual duties with full

devotion.

 

Paramatma cannot be known without faith and steadfastness; Only

through Prema comes Sraddha; only through Sraddha comes Jnana; only

through Jnana comes Parabhakti; only through Parabhakti is Paramatma

attained.

 

How then is Prema to be cultivated? It can be done through two

methods:

 

* Consider always the faults of others, however big, to be

insignificant and negligible. Consider always your own faults, however

insignificant and negligible, to be big, and feel sad and repentant.

By these means, you avoid developing the bigger faults and defects

and you acquire the qualities of brotherliness and forbearance. *

Whatever you do, with yourself or with others, do it, remembering

that God is omnipresent. He sees and hears and knows everything.

Whatever you speak, remember that God hears every word; discriminate

between the true and the false and speak only the truth; whatever you

do, discriminate between right and the wrong and do only the right.

Endeavour every moment to be aware of the omnipotence of God. The

body is the temple of the Jiva, so whatever happens in that temple,

is the concern of the Jiva. So, too, the world is the body of the

Lord and all that happens in it, good or bad, is His concern. From

the observed fact of the Jiva and the body, know the truth of the

unobservable fact of the Lord and the world.

 

The relationship of the Jiva and the Lord, the kinship between the two

can be grasped by everyone who acquires three chief instruments:

 

* A mind unsullied by attachment and hatred; * A speech

unsullied by falsehood and * A body unsullied by violence.

 

Joy and peace do not inhere in external objects; they are in yourself.

But people in their foolishness search for those outside themselves

in a world from which, today or tomorrow, they are bound to depart.

Therefore, awake soon. Try to know the essence of everything; the

eternal truth. Try to experience the Love which is Paramatma itself.

Discriminate at every turn, accepting what is true and discarding the

rest. So long as one has worldly desires in view, he cannot escape

sorrow.

 

Image Worship

 

There are many who cavil at image worship but its basis is really

man's capacity to see the macrocosm in the microcosm. The value of

image worship is testified to by man's experience; it does not depend

on man's imaginative faculty. What is found in the Virat Swarupa of

the Lord is found, undiminished and unalloyed, in the image Swarupa

also. Images serve the same purpose as metaphors, similies etc., in

poetry. They illustrate, amplify and make clear.

 

Joy comes to man, not through the shape of things but through the

relationship established with them. Not any child but her child makes

the mother happy. So also with each one and with all things. With each

and everything in the universe, if one establishes the kinship, that

Iswara Prema, verily, what an overpowering joy can be experienced!

Only those who have felt it can understand.