Swami teaches... Part 3. Makara Sankranthi is time to transform the life

January 10, 2008

Light and Love Swami teaches... 13 - 15 January 2008 Part 3. Makara Sankranthi is time to transform the life

We exist for society and society exists for the good of all. Try to sanctify your life by doing service and spreading joy and comfort all around. In worldly matters, every action has a subject, object and predicate, as in the statement. Discipline must accompany you everywhere like your shadow. Discipline is the life-breath of human. It is like the spine for the human body.

Participation in sports and games, for example, is necessary for students health and recreation. Some students refrain from taking part in sports and games on the pretext that they are not interested in winning prizes. This is not genuine detachment, but only a form of laziness. Life is a game! Play it! Students think that sports events are confined to a few days in January. On the contrary, they should regard life itself as one continuous game. Students should combine normal studies with the refinement of their way of living throughsamskaras (elevating actions). This refinement cannot be got from teachers or books, but only by one's daily conduct. This statement is valid for all people, young and old. What people need today is yearning for unity in diversity. Human beings are integral parts of society. Society is a part of nature, and nature is a limb of God. The integral and organic relationship between the individual and God through society and nature should be properly understood.

The body is important in the spiritual process. The Gita has declared that the body (kshetra) and the indwelling knower (kshetrajna) are one. Hence, people should engage themselves in sacred actions that will promote the welfare of society and uphold its reputation. To transform society, the first requisite is individual transformation. Purify your heart. Then society will also become pure.

A spiritual edifice is built on the foundation of self-confidence. The walls are made up of self-satisfaction. Self-sacrifice is the roof. Self-realization is fulfillment in life. Swami asks to fill devotees minds and hearts with these sacred spiritual truths and go out into the world to spread the spiritual message in every street and every alley. You may carry on your vocational duties. But along with it, render social service. See the Divine in the people whom you serve. (Even an agnostic occasionally invokes the name of God).

What you must aspire for are not buildings, positions or factories or industries. A good character is the greatest wealth you can acquire. More vital than the five pranas Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa are the vital life-breath for every one. Of these the greatest is Prema (Love). Love should express itself in service to society.

One duty that is common to all human beings on different stages of spiritual paths: the duty dictated by the heart (hridaya-dharma). Fill your hearts with love. Through this you can accomplish anything. Start the day with Love, Fill the day with Love, End the day with Love - this is the way to God. Such is Swami's famous declaration for humanity. People should also realize that they are entitled to carry out their duties without concern for the fruits thereof. The results will come in due course. (Many vital things are happening without any conscious efforts on their part. Their breathing, the functioning of their hearts and digestive organs are taking place naturally without any effort on their part). Use intuition, the subtle aspect of intelligence, that allows to understand the deep aspect of situations and events. Be aware that even on the level of society cheating, lying, terrorism, killing, are not conducive to prosperity, but to unrest and confusion. Hate breeds fear; hate is the seedbed of anxiety, scandal and falsehood. It drains your mind of peace. You may have light without oil, fire without smoke, breeze without a bearer fanning you, a chillness in the air of your room in the sizzling heat of summer but, unless you are at peace with yourselves and with those around you, your pulse will be quick and your blood will be racing in rage and rancor. This is mainly caused: 1. People like act on faith in a hundreds of trivial things in daily life but why don't they have firm faith in the Vedic dictum that they are one with the Divine -Tath Thvam Asi (Thou art That)? Because immersed in sensual pleasures, they are oblivious to their real potency and state. 2. In this mundane world, what people regard ordinarily as jnana (knowledge) is not proper jnana. Atmajnana (knowledge of the Self) alone is true knowledge what shines as the peace with yourselves and with those around you. All that is acquired as knowledge about the things of the world is not jnana. Jnana is that which remains after the mind is stilled. Greek philosopher Socrates (469 - 399 B.C.) has also said, "We must behold things as they are. And having thus got rid of the foolishness of the body, we shall be pure and hold converse with the pure, and shall in our own Selves have complete knowledge of the incorruptible which is, I take it, no other than the very truth"

(Socrates was condemned to death by the tribunal in Athens because of his clear and honest way of thinking and expressing himself. Socrates did not write anything. Most of his teachings are reported by his disciple Plato). "Start believing in yourself (your real Self, note by R.) and the world will start believing in you" (Vijay Thadani ). It is not wise to search equalness between people on the level of human's activity in society. Unity of the Great One exists in infinite diverse forms and no one of the forms isn't equal with others. (Intersting to note that the modern science (close to spiritual outlook) has discovered this phenomenon concern to physical vacuum. This vacuum has infinite possibilities as from nowhere. It is presumably not really empty, but instead filled with "virtual" particles that constantly blink in and out of existence. This virtual reality follows from a quantum rule that says probable events influence real outcomes. It is possible for particles and anti-particles to pop out of nowhere and then quickly annihilate. Nobody ever sees this happen, but the sum of all this quantum probability is a real energy).

Real equality among people has to be achieved not by the equal distribution of material things but by the cultivation of Love, which promotes a sense of the Divinity that is inherent in all beings. A life without love is meaningless. The more you love, the more it grows. Love is the fruit which is born from the flower of your good deeds. (Without love from the hearts, hatred can be replaced occupies its place).

The equal distribution of wealth through socialism is declared as the ideal, but is it possible to bring about such equality? Even if material wealth is distributed equally, can you ensure equality in desires and aspirations? Only when you have equality in terms of desires and aspirations can you get true equality? By taking away a part of a rich person's property and giving it to a poor one, you may give satisfaction to the latter, but what about the dissatisfaction caused to the person who has been deprived?

Whatever possessions and luxuries one may have, They will not confer peace of mind. Only when Godly feelings are developed, Human will realize peace and bliss. You must look beyond material things to the Supreme Being who is the provider of all things. When you recognize the One as present in all beings and respect everyone as a manifestation of the Divine, you will achieve equality in the true sense of the term. Do not proclaim that this name of God is superior or more efficacious than the other. To assert that Rama is superior or that Siva is superior, or even that Sai Baba is the avatar that is fullest of all - all this only reveals that you have not understood what Divinity is. Different doubts concern to God may sometimes arise even among staunch believers. One of such version may be illustrated from an incident in the Mahabharata. Once, while the Pandavas were in exile in the forest, Krishna visited them. Krishna was told that the five brothers took turns during the night to keep a vigil over the activities of evil spirits and demons. One night, an evil spirit appeared before the Pandava brothers, and they had great difficulty in fighting it. In view of this, Dharmaja, the eldest of the Pandavas, tried to dissuade Krishna from participating in sentry duty. Krishna, however, insisted on taking his share. During that period no evil spirit appeared. Then came Arjuna’s turn, and Krishna watched the scene from a distance. To Arjuna’s surprise, no evil spirit appeared while Krishna was there. Krishna then explained to Arjuna that evil spirits were only a reflection of one’s hatred and fear, and when one is free from these, no evil spirit would appear or do any harm. Krishna revealed that the Divine existed even in so-called evil spirits and that if a person gets rid of the evil qualities within, the evil spirits can do no harm. One’s anger assumes the form of a demon. If you develop love, everything you confront will have the form of love. This was the lesson Krishna taught the Pandavas.

In making an offering to Krishna, the mantra that is used is Kleem Krishnaya Govindaya Gopijanavallabhaya Swaha. On the eve of Makara Sankranthi is interesting to explore the full significance of this mantra. Kleem means the earth. It is the first element. Krishnaya signifies water. Govindaya signifies fire (agni). Gopijanavallabhaya signifies air (vayu). Swaha signifies space (akasa). Thus, the mantra represents all five elements in the cosmos as manifestations of the Divine. The cowherd maidens, through this mantra, taught the world that God should be adored as the omnipresent Divine everywhere in the cosmos. Hence, in every atom, all the time, in every particle, the Divine is present. The Gita also declares that Bhishmacharya, lying on a bed of arrows after he fell wounded, waited for the commencement of Uttarayana (Makara Sankranthi) to give up his spirit to the Lord. He lay on the bed of arrows for 56 days. This signifies the sacredness of this day. This is the very moment to fill hearts with the Divine feelings. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 3. "The day they got the light," Chapter 28; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 18. "Equality through Love," Chapter 28; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 26. "Sanctify sports and games," Chapter 2. Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 31. "Promotion of unity: Students’ duty," Chapter 2; Sathya Sai Baba. Discourse at the Summer Course in Brindavan, on 28-5-1991. at Brindavan, on 30-5-1991). Namaste - Reet