Divine Discourse Talk to Westerners Kodaikanal April 1991

[Guest guest]

Dearest Brothers and Sisters,

I found a wonderful Discourse of Swami ("TALK TO

WESTERNERS" - KODAIKANAL APRIL 1991) here:

http://www.saicast.org/discourses.htm

It is a video of which I faithfully transcribed the subtitles. It

was a long work and I would be happy to share the fruit with all of

you.

Om Sai Ram

Your sister Karen

 

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai BabaDivine Discourse

"TALK TO WESTERNERS" KODAIKANAL APRIL 1991

What is life? Who is the human being? Who

is man? The proper study of humankind is man. Human life is very

precious and valuable. It is very sacred and holy. It's a life worth

living. Today's man without recognizing the value of life is misusing

it by merging himself in only worldly pleasures and sensual pleasures.

The worldly pleasures, the bodily pleasures are enjoyed even by

beasts, birds and animals. If man also tries to enjoy only physical

pleasures what is the difference between man and beasts and birds?

Animals. Where is man at present? At the lower level is the animal

taste. In the middle is the human quality. At the top is Divinity.

The

man who is in the middle has to look upwards, he should not go

downwards. today's man is not looking upwards, but is always looking

downwards. Therefore man is becoming as an animal. How can man attain

Divinity? We keep saying 'God and Divinity' but to attain

Divinity we have to look upwards and give up the lower thoughts. Man

may get many types of education, he may attain any number of powerful

patterns, but he is not able to get the higher stage of life. First

and foremost, man must try to control his desires, gradually. As far

as the desires go on increasing and multiplying the human qualities go

on declining and decreasing.

There are three types of conditions:

doing, seeing and being. These are the three different states: doing,

seeing and being. Doing means indulging in any bodily actions. Seeing

is with mind, he is experiencing. Being is with the Self, or Atma.

Being is Atma, it is changeless. If we want to attain the changeless

Divinity to some extent, we have to control the body which does, and

the mind, which thinks. The body is like a water bubble. The mind is a

mad monkey. We should not follow the body which is a water bubble or

the mind which is a mad monkey.

We have to follow the conscience or the

Atma principle. But today's aspirants are not following their

conscience. They are following only the body and the mind. man should

have a firm mind. Today you have come from very long distances,

after spending lots of money, giving up lots of comforts in order to

follow the spiritual path. But, after having come here, what are you

doing? What is your aim? What is your feeling? With what purpose did

you come here? What are you doing? You have to inquire into this

properly.You are coming with a spiritual goal but you are developing more and

more worldly thoughts. You are developing too many connections and too

much attachment. You are developing new relations. You have given up

all, your fathers, mothers and relations but here, you are developing

unnecessary bondages. You have come with the purpose of getting rid of

the bondages and what you are doing is wrong. You can have only

superficial relations, like '"Hello, hello" but nothing more

than that. Otherwise you are going to spoil your good aim.

There is

too much mixing of men and women and the mind is becoming a mad

monkey. An animal, becoming an animal. That is totally wrong. In

Vedanta, our philosophy, we have to develop vairagya or detachment. As

you go on developing detachment for the world your attachment for the

Divine will increase. You may doing japa or meditation. But what are

the results you are obtaining by doing japa or meditation? Yu are

closing your eyes and sitting. That is NOT meditation. Your mind is

wandering like a monkey. Actually doing meditation like this is a

waste of time. Time waste is life waste.

If you cannot control the

mind, indulge in action, involve yourself in actions. Do some work.

Don't idle and waste your time. In some situations you are not able

to understand what is Divinity. Divinity is everywhere. You are

yourself a Divine Power. You should try to recognise your own Divine

Power. Don't go around like mad people here and there in

search of .... It's a waste of money, it's a waste of energy,

it's a waste of time. Follow only one path and have only one thought.

Less talk and more work. There is too much talking. Spiritual energy

will be wasted because of talking.

Here's a small example. There is a radio.

When you put it on and hear the sound there is a waste of electric

power. Body is like a radio. The intellect is like a switch. Talk is a

sound. Current is our energy. Lot of energy is being wasted because of

talk. Because of waste of energy allergy is developed. With allergy we

develop weakness. Because of weakness we are not able to do anything.

Ultimately we become a mad man. This is not the result of spiritual

practice. Whatever work you do think that it is godly. This is real

spiritual practice. Here is a small example. You have got a pot of

water. Suppose you put some salt in the water in the pot. Before you

put salt into the pot it is there in your hand. You can see the salt.

It is in your hand.Once you put it in the water it melts in the water. If you see the

water you can't see the salt there. You can't touch it with your

hand. But it i not there. It is there. how do you know that it is

there? Can't feel it with your hand! can't see it with your eyes.

When you taste it on your tongue you can know that it is salty, that

salt is there. Salt (taste) is real experience. You can know that God

is omnipresent and omniscient only by experience and not by studying

books. For getting that experience first you should have confidence.

But your confidence is not steady. It is not determined. It should be

determined. Whatever may be the trials and tribulation, the confidence

should be steady and firm. But your mind is full of (turps?) and

jumps. It is not the right thing.

With great interest and devotion you

are coming here. But you do not know the right path, nobody has taught

you the path correctly. You think that whatever is done is good.

First, we should discrimination whether it is good or bad, right or

wrong. We should think that whatever we are doing is good or bad. Your

conscience itself will give the right path to follow. if you are doing

the wrong thing your conscience is not satisfied. First and foremost

you have to control the mind. You should reduce the physical

connections as far as possible. Body is an instrument. It is an inert

thing. Mind is also inert. Inner power

is only Atma, which is giving splendour, energy and power to

everything.

Think of a car. Car has some lights, there are bulbs in the light,

because of the bulbs you get the light. Is the bulb giving the light?

Not so! It's the electric power that goes through the bulb and gives

the light. And we also hear the horn. The horn cannot work by itself.

No. It i on the basis of electric power that the horn gives the sound.

The tires are moving. But they cannot move by themselves. It is the

power of the engine that moves the tires. The body is like a car. The

eyes are the bulbs. Our mouth is like a horn.

Legs are the tires. Mind is engine. The intellect is the switch. the

Divine Power is the current. Without the divine power the body cannot

move. Divine power is the most important thing. Body, mind, senses and

intellect are but instruments. What is this? This is a cloth. But this

is not a cloth. It is nothing but a bundle of threads. It is not

threads, it's cotton. Then it becomes threads and finally it becomes

cloth. Without cotton there is no threads. Without threads there is no

cloth. Thought is like a cotton. Destroy all the threads.

Mind is like

the cloth. Mind is nothing but a bundle of desires. If you want to

destroy the cloth you have to remove the threads one by one. If you

reduce the desires gradually, there will not be any mind at all. If

you travel with less luggage it is very comfortable. Life is like a

long journey. desires are the luggage. If we reduce the luggage our

travel will be very comfortable.

We have too many desires, too many desires. That is very bad. The more

desires we have, the more restlessness we develop.

When we reduce all desires and attachments we will get peace of mind.

Many people keep saying 'I want peace of mind, I want peace of

mind'-"I want peace," they say. The sentence has three words.

There are three words: 'I', 'want' and 'peace.' 'I' is

ego and 'want' is desire. Remove them, and peace is there. if from

these three words you remove the first two, 'I' which is the ego

and 'want' which is the desire, then you are left only with

Peace!

If you want a book from Swami and Swami

sends it by a parcel. But when it is send by parcel how do you get the

book? If you remove the paper covering of the parcel you get the book.

Without removing the covering of the parcel how can u get the book?

The peace is given to you in a parcel. It is packed, packed in two

things: the 'I' with the ego and the 'want' with the desire.

So, if you remove the 'ego' and the 'desire' you naturally get

the peace. That is what is peace.Because of the ego and desire the peace is hidden very much inside.

The body is a temporary one. One day or the other it has to perish.

But we need not have to try to protect the body too much, body is like

a steel cabinet. A steel cabinet is also inert. Why do we have this

steel cabinet? Because we want keep very precious and valuable

materials in them. Otherwise a steel cabinet has non value, then you

don't care for it and you throw it away. But inside there are many

valuable things.

But the valuable things are inside the steel cabinet. The valuable

things in the body of steel cabinet are thoughts, sacred

feelings and sacred actions. Sacred thoughts. You have kept al

the diamonds inside the steel cabinet. You have taken care of the

steel cabinet because of the valuable things. If there are not

precious things you don't care for the steel cabinet.

 

What is isatsang? Good company? We have to develop good things in good

ways. There is God. There is the individual soul. God is Light, like

Fire. This is coal. Coal means jiva that is ignorance. If we

want to get the individual soul into wisdom we have to get them near.

Near. When the coal comes near the fire, the fire enters the coal.

When there is breeze from the fire, then the fire catches easily in

the coal. When both 'near' and 'dear' are there, we can become

One. If we want to attain Divinity we have to come near. It is not

physical nearness. It is mental nearness. Bodily you are very near to

me but mentally you are far away from me. You are having all mad

thoughts, mad friendships, mad desires, how can you get Divinity?

The

frog is sitting on the Lotus Flower but bees come from far off, they

take the honey and go away but the frog doesn't enjoy the honey.

You are coming near, but what is the use? You are not taking the

Divinity. You should become like the bee, not like the frogs, which

are always jumping around the lotus. We are full of doubts and should

not become doubting Thomases. Here is a small example: you love your

wife, you love your mother, why are you loving them? You are having

the confidence that she is your mother, or that she is your wife. And

you've got the confidence that he is your son. Because you have that

confidence you have that love. If you don't have that confidence

that she is your mother or your wife you don't have that love. Where

there is confidence there is love. Where there is love there is peace.

Where there is peace there is truth.

Where there is truth there is bliss. Where there is bliss, there is

God. You don't have confidence. You are always full of doubts. What

all these doubts in any number of years you will not be able to attain

peace of mind. First and foremost you must develop confidence.

Self-confidence. Where there is Self-confidence there is

Self-satisfaction. Where there is Self-satisfaction there is

self-sacrifice. Where there is Self-sacrifice there is

Self-realization. Self- realization depends on Self-confidence. You

are sitting in this shed. What is the basis for this? Foundation is

the basis for this! Without foundation the wall will not be strong.

Without wall you can't have the roof. Without roof you can't live

here. Self-confidence is the foundation of the building.

Self-satisfaction is like the wall. Self-sacrifice is the roof.

Self-realisation is life. Realisation is life. (Realize, realize) You

say. "I want realisation". You know yourself. "Who are you?"

(Who am I?) This is, I am this body. I am this mind. This is my hand.

This is my leg. This is my head. But who am I? Ask this question. This

is very, very important. You say "This is my body", you say.

"This is my leg", "This is my mind"... Then: "Who am I?" I am

separate from the body, I am separate from the mind. this is my

handkerchief. Kerchief is separate from me.

This is my chair. The chair is separate

from me. When you say that this is your body you're separate from

the body, you are not the body. This is the first enquiry. When you

say that this is your mind (you are separate from the mind) you are

not the mind. You are always separate from the body. In the Vedanta

this is the process of saying 'not this, not this, not

this'. I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am the Atma. It is

changeless. The mind is always changing. The mind is like a monkey.

the mind is like a mad monkey. Don't follow this monkey.

When the

body is born, it is a child. After ten years he is called a boy. After

thirty years he is called a man. After seventy-five years he is called

a grandfather. There is only one person who gets all these four names.

The body is changing. God is changeless. God is immortal. He is ever

present. What is meant by immortality? Ask the question. Removal of

immorality is the only way to immortality. What is immorality? Bad

thoughts, ego, jealousy, hatred, anger... All these are the bad

qualities. When you remove the bad qualities immortality is on your

palm. That is most important.

 

Swami doesn't like just doing meditation.

Sitting as if posing for a photograph, but mind is wandering here and

there. you should not believe such people. They are only stunt makers.

They are mind killers and mind hunters. Don't follow this people. be

always happy. Think: "I am God". You are also God, think that. You

are not just one person. You are three persons: the one you think that

you are, - that is the physical body.

The one the others think you are - that is the mind. The one you

really are - That is the Atma.

The one you think you are, that is only the body.

"I am body, I am aged this much and I am a man, or I am a woman."

All this is only body, what you think you are.

The other... What the others think you are is the mind, that is they

think whether you are good or bad, you have good qualities or bad

qualities. the one you think you are is what is conscious... senses.

The one others think you are is conscience. The one you really are is

consciousness. You are consciousness. Consciousness is

pertinent.

Conscience is changing. Conscience is full of ups and downs. It's

like a water bubble... the body. Don't follow the body or mind. You

are consciousness. You are God. Think that "I and God are One".

This is not... in the beginning it cannot be right. It cannot be right

to think so in the beginning. I. I and you are 'we' and not One!

"We and we are One!"

"We and we are One!" Say: "I and you are not one", "I and

you" leads to "we". We and we are One. I am also there, you are

also there, there is not any difference. You have to develop

confidence that divinity is within 'me' (you). You are also

swaroopa. That is Vedanta: "I am Brahman and Atma". That is

Atma. You have to develop this confidence.

You have to avoid this external vision. you have come from a long

distance. Swami knows that all of you have lots of devotion. you have

come from a very long distance. There is a lot of love for Swami but

you are misusing that love. Let there be direct love between you and

God. Don't divert that love in other directions. There is only one

love.

There are many forms. there are many paths. Husband and wife, the love

between them is called attachment or lust. Between mother and child is

called maternal love; it's called maternal love. And the relations

and the love of relations and friends is called friendship. And

relation between God and you is devotion. It's only a difference of

names... difference of forms. But love is one and the same. Live with

love. That is the most important thing. You should not keep on

changing this love. Some people come, some people come alone. When

Swami asks them: "How many people have come?" They say: "I have

come alone". Next week he is having a girlfriend. Second week: "She

is my wife." This is very bad.

WHY are you coming here? You can have

this type of friendship or wife there itself. Why should you come all

this distance spending all this money? Why should you waste so much

money? What is that you have obtained coming here? Even your life has

to be a bit away... Because life is only one and not double... husband

and wife sleep on single cot but dreams are separate. They won't get

the same dream.

And both of them won't get the same

dream. Where is the connection?Before marriage where is wife and

where is husband?

Before birth where is the son, where is the father (the mother)? All

the relations are like passing clouds. They come and go like passing

clouds. But Divinity comes and grows. Don't have many connections.

The only connection should be with God. That is real devotion.

Don't mix with others too much. Don't go here and there. God is

within you. God is always with you, in you, around you, behind you,

everywhere. that is real Love. Real Love should not change. It should not be deluded. Sometimes you may get some thoughts... you have to

control bad thoughts. YOU are the master, not a slave. When you control

the senses you become the master. If you allow the senses to room

around freely you become a slave.

Become always the master. don't become the slave. That's what

is... you should become the master. Always have the master plan, that

is most important. All of you, many of you are becoming real devotees.

If you were not real devotees you won't come so much distance. Swami

loves you, but sometimes your mind goes here and there.

Even during meditation the wind is wandering here and there. The mind

is tumping and jumping, like air pockets. It is not good. Think of

God. Think about God more. That is most important. There is only one

God. Many gods are not existing. Think of any name or form of God.

That is what is unity in diversity. Unity is diversity. Jewels are

many but gold is one. Stars are many but sky is one. Beings are many,

breath is one. Nations are many, earth is one. Names are many, God is

One.

You have to develop and attain this type of oneness. That is real

devotion. You should not keep changing the mind. When mind becomes

fickle the life becomes a waste.

Embodiments of Divine Love! You have come here with great sincerity

and devotion. Follow the right path. You have come to India. You have

spent a lot of money. You have wasted a lot of money, time. After

having come here, get the diamond and go from here. What is a diamond?

Die-mind. The mind should be eliminated. That is 'die-mind'. A

diamond is very precious. When the mind is there you don't get the

precious (jewel). You've found the way to God. That is valuable. If

you already have that value, you should have a good mind. Develop this

type of feeling, after having come from such a distance.

Don't

develop too many attachment. As attachment increases, restlessness

also increases. Because of restlessness, you are not able to

concentrate. What is the use of, I mean...this is the reason for not

getting concentration. If you are interested, get married. But don't

spoil your mind by having friends. Better to have marriage, rather

than friends. Friendship is very bad. It is not good. Have only

friendship with God. The only real friend is God. Worldly

friends...they are changing people. When you have money in your

pocket, when you are in a position of power, all the people come. When

you are not having money or power they don't even tell you goodbye.

But God is not like that. He is always with you. When the tank is full

of water, thousands of frogs are there. When the tank dries up all the

frogs go away. That is what worldly friendship is. That is not real

attachment, that is not real friendship.

The only friend in your life

is God, others are only companies, that is all. "Hello, hello, how

are you, good bye". Don't even worry about detachment. What is the

shape of worry? Worry is nothing but mentally created shape. Worry has

no shape. What is the shape of happiness? Happiness has no shape, it

is only an enjoyment and an experience. You say: "I am worried".

What is the shape of worry? Worry has no shape. It is only an

experience. Also "I am peaceful" is an experience. It has no

shape. Enjoy and experience this peace.

There are many types of

knowledge in this world, but they are not important, you have to

develop practical knowledge. Practical knowledge. You have to do it

alone, in solitude. When you have two bangles on your hand there is a

sound. There is no sound when there is only one bangle. One is

peaceful and enjoyment and bliss, and being two is confusion. Sit

alone, walk alone, you can be very happy. When two people get together

the mind becomes restless. Plus, there may be argumentation, there may

be controversies, there may be hatred, and finally the two divorce

each other. You have to have relationships. detachment is not going

away to the forest. Have relation between mind and mind. Have

'heart-to heart' relations, 'love to love' and not 'body to

body.' The body is only temporary and full of grief. You have to

develop faith in the Atma.

Wherever you sit, think of God. If you are

not able to control the mind involve yourself in some social work.

Social service . One more important thing: so many foreigners are

coming. Many beggars approach you. They will be begging money from

you. Since you have a good mind, you will be giving money to the

beggars. But that is bad. Why should it be so? You are giving money to

the beggar but he's misusing that money. And because of his misusing

it, you become responsible for it. They will take that money and drink

alcohol. Who is responsible for their getting spoiled? The one who

gives money is responsible for it! That sin will be yours and not his.

If he wants food, give food. If he wants clothes, give clothes.

Don't give money, giving money is bad. Because you give money so many

people care and go around you. Finally they may steel your pockets or

your bags. And you are encouraging their bad habits. Never give money.

Give them food, give them clothing, don't give money. Money makes

many wrongs. Money makes many thieves. Money is not important, money

has no value. Money is just like a shoe, just like a shoe. If the shoe

is having the right size you can walk properly, if it has a big size

you can't walk. Also if it is very tight you can't walk. Have

enough money but not too much money.

Man with too much money cannot

sleep properly, he is always afraid. Today, man is surrendering to

everyone and every little thing. When you are sitting in the car you

surrender your life to the car driver. When you are sleeping in your

house you entrust it to the watchman. You are surrendering to the

watchman and sleeping off. With confidence to the washerman you give

your clothes and surrender to him. To a barber with a knife, you bend

your head and surrender to him. You are surrendering to a barber. You

are surrendering to a barber or to a washerman or to a watchman but

not to God. Surrender to God. But man is not getting that type of

fortune. Surrender to God. Don't surrender to all others. Man is an

equal. He is neither having the authority to get the surrender nor

having the authority to surrender. There is only one master. There is

only one master. Only one Master. That is God. Don't go after

different types of gurus, you just get confused. If you like God,

think about God. That's enough.

Many indian gurus they just want

money and nothing else. That is not a good thing, they are not good

leaders, they are nothing but beggars, they are not big people. A real

big man is one who want your love only. Whenever they ask money

from you they are beggars (only). They are beggars, don't trust

them. Real big men are the ones who want a heart-to heart relation.

There is a connection with a heart-to heart love. You are not able to

recognize it properly. You go around here and there and go to people

who want money. And you lose your devotion also.

Whatever path you

want to follow, follow one path, follow an other but have one Name and

one Form. Swami is not forcing anybody to do this or that. That is

your source, it is not by force. That is real Divinity. I don't want

anything from you. Swami wants only your love. That is pure love. That

is the biggest value. It is worth millions of rupees. Materials are

less valuable. And love is invaluable. have that valuable love. If you

go to any sacred place, wherever they demand money from you, don't

stay there. That is not real spirituality. Real spirituality has

connection of love. It's a heart-to heart connection only. If you

develop this type of connection you really get spiritual

peace.

You are all very good people. You have come with great aspirations.

You are living in so much of discomfort. You are sending lots of

money. But you are not able to get enough , commensurate with, peace

and joy. the reason is your fickleness of mind. Don't have that

fickleness. Swami's peace is abundant. You think Swami is not talking

to you and you get worried about it. Puttaparthi is here, Swami

doesn't waste his time. He is granting interviews both morning and

evening but there is too much crowd, how can He help you? Love that

heart-to-heart relation. When the time comes, Swami will speak to you.

Think of God with Love, without worrying. Think to God, don't have

many connections. Have only limited relations. Only talk what is

necessary. Don't talk too much on the roads, it is not good. Other

people mistake you thinking.

If you are quiet, that silence itself is

God. In that silence you can develop your heart (love) properly. You

get expansion of Love. Talking leads to contraction of Love and

contraction of Love is death. Experience of Love is life. Therefore,

cultivate Love. Love everybody. But have only a limit. Without limit

there is no happiness. What is the temperature of the body? 98.4

degrees. That is a perfectly normal temperature. 99 degrees means that

the fever is starting. For blood pressure also: the perfect value is

80/120. 90 means there is a heart trouble. Similarly for eye power:

you can see only one intensity of light. If you see much intensity of

light the retina gets burned. Life is nothing but a limited

company.

You have to live within limits. Talk limitedly. Seeing also limitedly, eating limitedly. If you are within limits (it is safe). See no evil, see what is good.

 

Hear no evil. Hear what is good. Talk no evil, talk what is good. Think no evil, think what is good. Do no evil. Do what is good. That is the way to God. Bad thoughts, bad looking (sight), and bad doing (actions) are only animal qualities, no human qualities. With bad thoughts you cannot get human qualities. Don't say bad things. Don't talk evil. Don't hurt anybody. Always be happy. happiness is nothing but union with God. What is the secret of happiness? The secret of happiness is in not doing what one likes but in doing what one has to do. You have to know the right path. Swami's Grace is abundant, there. He is always experiencing your Love. Swami doesn't have any aversion. Swami is there for you. You are also there for Swami. Have these two connections properly connected. This is very important.

 

Time waste is life waste. Don't waste time. Whenever you have time sit down. Think of God in whatever way you want. Be spiritual. Don't think of marriage and of this and that: what happiness is there in a married life? There is no happiness at all in a married life. 5 minutes happy for a day and 23 hours and 55 minutes worry. There is experience...many things don't disclose to others. They are worried within themselves. There is no happiness. If you want you get married. I don't say no. Be happy. Human heart is single sofa not a double sofa. Not a musical choir. One man should have only one wife. Supposing by chance the wife dies, he can have second wife, otherwise, no. That is real character. Life is three forths character. Without character, life is a living death. Develop that character.

Boy, where do you come from, Argentina? Yes, sir.

What do you want? Peace of mind ? I told you peace of mind. Remove

this ego and desires. Too many desires. Look at them.

 

What can I do?

 

Good boy. What is that ring?

 

Ring.

 

Marriage ring? Where is your wife? Always fighting, fighting,

fighting. Yes, I knew. Jesus said: "You are One". You want peace.

Because there is no peace...don't worry. Come here. Be happy. Am I

giving truble to you? No.are you happy?Yes. Always happy life, healthy

life, graceful life, divine life.

Don't fight with her. Because lots of

doubts, misunderstanding. Misunderstanding. Yes, I know, I know.

Sometimes she is crying, I know. Don't do that, boy. Long journey,

life is a long journey. Be adjusting and understanding, it's very

important. Are all happy here? Very happy? Be always happy! Some people,

sing a song!...bhajan?- The End -