GEMS OF THE LORD
Source: Thoughts for the Day
Prasanthi Nilayam
ALL HEARTS are His Property. It is all His Domain, but just as the Zamindar sits only on a clean spot though the entire area may be his, the Lord will install himself only if the heart is cleansed. The Lord has said, "Mad bhaktha yathra Gaayanthe, thatra thishtaami Narada""Where my devotees sing of Me, there I install Myself".I must tell you that you are luckier than men of previous generations. The accumulated merit of many previous births must have granted you this luck. You have got Me and it is your duty now to develop this relationship that you have achieved by sheer good fortune.
IN FOUR or five year's time, you will see Yogis and Maharishis and Munis crowding here and you may not have such chances of asking Me questions and getting the answers, of approaching Me and directly speaking to me. So, do not be like frogs around the Lotus, be like the bees. Plantains and mangoes are kept, while yet green, in straw ordried grass or in a closed room so that the heatmay make them ripe and tasty. The meditation on God gives you too the right temperature to ripenyourself and become sweet and tasty.
THERE are seven things that have to be fostered for the welfare of the World: the Cow, the Brahman-ward aspirant or the Brahmin, the Vedas,Chastity, Truth, Non-attachment and Dharma. Allthese are now fast declining and I have come to restore them in their pristine purity and strength.Do not think that this Sathya Sai Gita was composed by some Bhakta and that he reads it and explains it here. As he said, I am the inspirer and it is for your benefit that he has summarised My Teachings in this way. 'Ekkam Sathyam Vimalam Achalam'.It is said that the One Truth is pure and unshakeable.
THERE are now thousands and thousands of educational institutions in the world. But, there is a great difference between the rest and those founded by Sathya Sai. The fundamental objectives of Sai institutions are humanity, adherence to discipline and application of what is learned, in daily life. If what is learned is not put into practice, the student is like a cow that does not yield milk; a fruit lacking in taste, a book bereft of wisdom. It is not really man's task to stuff his head with transient knowledge and waste time in acquiring it. He should not engage in valueless activities and fritter away years of life. When man ruins himself thus, he descends to the level of the beast. When man uplifts himself, he ascends to the level of God.
Of the four Yugas, the present Kaliyuga is far more congenial than the previous three (Kritha, Thretha and Dwapara) for the acquisition of wisdom and the cultivation of discrimination (Viveka), for we now have many simple paths available for educating ourselves. The Scriptures say: "No age is equal to the Kali Age: through just Smarana and Chinthana, we can reach the Goal". Smarana is the process of keeping the Lord ever in the memory; and Chinthana is the process of thinking of His glory all the time. Many people are scared because they believe that the Kali Age, in which we live, will witness the ultimate Deluge. Others call it the Kalpa Age, the Age of Conflict. This Age is the Golden Age for the seekers of God and for earning and learning Viveka.
Piles of books are plentiful in bazaars; schools abound; and there is no dearth of teachers. But wholesome learning and sincere teaching are not to be seen. It is for this reason that these spiritually oriented educational (Sai) institutions are being established, to impart teaching in proper ways in order to preserve the hearts of students in pristine purity, stability and unselfishness; to develop them into workers dedicated to the progress of Bharath, intent on removing the anxiety and gloom that have spread all over the land; and determined to revive the Glory of the Bharathiya Culture.
THERE are seven things that have to be fostered, Just as the body is the house you live in, the world is the Body of God. An ant biting the little finger of your feet is able to draw your attention to the spot; and you react to the pain, misery or joy or elation, whenever it is evinced in the entire land; you must make an effort to protect the land from the enemy, however remote may be the place where the enemy has presented himself. Be kin with all your kind.Expand your sympathies, serve others, who stand in need, to the extent of your skill and resources. Do not fritter away your talents in profitless channels.
WELCOME the epic Ramayana as you welcome efficacious drugs; it can cure deep-rooted illness of the mind, the disabilities of the inner senses, and the defects of the inner consciousness. It can clarify your vision and make you strong and steady on the path towards God.
'SAANTHAKAARAM Bhujaga Sayanam'is one of the ways in which the Divine is described. Bhujaga is the cobra,the poisonous snake. Its visha (poison)is the symbol of the evil influences of vishaya (Worldly desires). The Lordis said to repose on the bhujaga, theevil-filled multiplicity of the World.Yet, the description says: He is Saanthakaaram (in absolute peace, unruffledin the least). The Lord is unaffected, though He is immanent in the Universe.Man too must be in the World, but not of it.
WHAT exactly is the aim and purpose of all the Shastras,the Bhagavatham, the Puranas, these discourses and the Harikathas ? It is to tell man the truth about himself.There is no plot to mislead you. That is not the intentionof the Sages who wrote down these annals and their own experiences. You know only the present and what is happening before your eyes. You do not know that the present is related to the past and is preparing the course of the future. It islike the head-lines and titles of a film on the screen;as the letters gleam one after the other, you read them and pass on to the next that comes to view. Each new letter just as each birth wipes out the memory of the one already experienced.
PEOPLE, who were charged with the social duty of reminding the masses of their heritage, have been rendered dispirited and mendicant. TheDharma laid down in the Vedas has to be experienced,in order to be appreciated; it cannot be merely talked about in tall language. The use of the Vedas does not consist in mere recitation, though the reciters aredoing a valuable service, presenting them in correctform and style of pronunciation. Vedas yield Ananda; Vedamatha is the Ananda Matha.
IS THE Universe real ? Is it relatively unreal ?This problem has been agitating man since ages in all lands.The realists and the idealists have argued on their explanations for centuries. The scientists or realists believe that the Universe is a conglomeration of atoms in varying patterns which have assumed manifold forms and names. But this is only partially true. TheVijnana Vedins (the spiritually oriented) point out to the DhoatikVedins (the materially oriented) that a firm base is essential forall these transformations to happen. The Universe must have a basic force or energy or phenomenon as basic as clay is to the pot. That fundamental principle is, according to them, the Atma.
THE human body is a temple-chariot; the Atman is installed therein and is dragged by emotions, impulses, passions and urges, along the streets of desire. Success and failure, joy and grief, gain and loss, are the dancers who accompany the procession of life. Here, too, many pour their attention only on the chariot, its height, its decoration and its progress. Many others are concerned with the dance of durabilities the pain and pleasure due to that is part of the procession. Few pay attention to the Atman, the crown and consummation of human existence.
WHY is man so pathetically afflicted today with fear and anxiety ? Are we to search for the reason outside us or do they live within us ? The reason lies in the false emphasis we have laid on things of the material world, ignoring things of the spirit. The body that man bears is essentially the receptacle of God. It is a temple where God is installed and where God is the Master. It does not deserve all the attention you know pay to fulfil its whims. It is equipped with very valuable instruments which can help you in the journey but which you seldom use.
MANY are affected by the problem of what caused the Cosmos How did it come into being ? They advance various theories and lay down many opposing hypotheses. But there is no need for seekers to beat about the bush so much. Just as a dream results when one is cut off from reality in a state of sleep, he Cosmos is a result of being cut off from Reality, by Maya, in a state of ignorance. It is difficult to discover laws that explain or govern its infinite mysteries.
WE FIND individuals and groups trudging to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Haridwar in search of peace and prosperity. They also go to Tirupathi and Kashi. Have they jettisonedeven a few of their animal propensities ? That is the test;that is the justification for the money and time they have spent and the troubles they have undergone. When the animal is conquered and Godhead is felt within reach, man can assert that all this pilgrimages are within him. He has no need to travel from temple to temple. And without achieving this victory, you have no right to claim that you are a devotee of Rama or Krishna or of another incarnation of the Lord.
GOOD deeds, like Puja, Japam, Dhyanam,the observance of vow etc., are 'steps'. good thoughts, like prayer for greater discrimination and more chance to help others, also help. They slowly and steadily cleanse the mind, sharpen the intellect,purify the senses and win grace.
THE Lord is described in the Purusha Suktha as"thousand-headed". It does not mean that He has just a thousand heads, no more, no less. It means that "the thousand of heads - before Me - now have just one heart, which gives life and energy to all and that heart is the Lord". No one is separate from his neighbour. All are bound by the one life-blood that flows through the countless bodies. This is the special teaching of Sanathana Dharma, which the World needs.
THE Lord has endowed man with the body, and so, every limb and every sense is worthy of reverent attention. Each must be used for His Glory. The ear must exult when it gets a chance to hear the wonderful tales of God. The tongue must exult when it can praise Him. Or else, the tongue of man is as ineffective as that of frogs which croak day and night sitting on the marshy bank.
THE human body has been given to you for a grand purpose: realising the Lord within. If you have a fully equipped car in good running condition, would you keep it in the garage? The car is primarily for going on a journey, to get into it and go. Then only is it worthwhile to own. So too with the body, proceed and go forward to the goal. Learn how to use the faculties of the body, the senses, the intellect, and the mind for achieving the goal and march on.
MAN must proceed ever towards "Balam" strength; he should not take to untruth, wickedness, and crookedness, all of which denote a fundamental fatal trait of cowardice, "Balaheenam". "Balaheenam" is born of accepting as true a lower image of yourself than what the facts warrant. You believe you are the husk. But really you are the kernel. That is the main mistake. All Sadhana must be directed to the removal of the husk and the revelation of the kernel. So long as you say "I am", there is bound to be fear, but once you say and feel "I am Brahmam", "Aham Brahmasmi," you get unconquerable strength.
I WANT that you all should build new houses for happy living and install the Lord therein. I do not mean houses of brick and mortar, but houses of good thoughts, good words, good deeds and good company, where you could live calm and collected. Invite Me for the Grahapravesam of such houses and I shall most readily agree. In fact, then the house is Mine already and I do not need even an invitation to come and enter it. These houses are for worldly comfort; that house is for spiritual joy. And My place of Residence is the pure aspiring heart
YOU are going about with a temple where God is in the innermost shrine. The body is not amass of flesh and bone. It is a medicine for Manthras-Manthras which save when they are meditated upon. It is a sacred instrument, earned after long ages of struggle, equipped with reason and emotion, capable of being used for deliverance from grief and evil. Honour it as such; keep it in good condition, so that it might serve that high purpose; maintain it even more carefully than these brick houses and always preserve the conviction hat it is an instrument and nothing more. Use it for just the purpose for which it has been designed and given.
IT is urgent that every one should inquire into the true, the pure and the permanent; for there is at present a delusion about values. Even the leaders of people are hugging the false hypothesis that happiness can be had by means of wealth or health, housing or clothing, or the cultivation of skills in handicraft and manufacture. The bird sits upon the bough that sways in the storm, confident of its wings, should feel strong because of the wings, the wings of Sraddha and Bhakti, not because of the bough of the objective World on which you have perched.
YOU know from the experience of the Cauvery floods, neither status nor castes nor wealth nor even health can help unless you know the simple artof swimming. Need I say that crossing the ocean of Samsar, reaching the other shore of the sea of Birth-Death, is similarly possible only for those who know the art of Spiritual Sadhana. Those who are trying to build the seaman community on a foundation of "Dhana", are building on sand; those who seek to build it on the rock of "Dharma", are the wise.
DHARMA Moolam Idam Jagath. Dharma is the root of this World. Obey it and you are happy. The evil man is a coward, haunted by fear. He has no peace within himself. Respect for the parents who started you in life and brought you into this World, together with the vast and varied treasure of experience, is the first lesson that Dharma teaches .Gratitude is the spring which feeds that respect. It is a quality that is fast disappearing in the World today. Respect for the teacher, for the elders and for the wise is on the decline. That is why Dharma is fast disappearing and losing its hold.
JUST as the body is the house you live in, the World is the body of God. An ant biting the little toe of your foot is able to draw your attention to the spot; and you react to the pain, making an effort to remove the tiny enemy. You must similarly feed the pain, misery or joy or elation whenever it is evinced in the entire land; you must make an effort to protect the land from the enemy, however remote the place may be where the enemy has presented himself. Be kin with all your kind. Expand your sympathies, serve others who stand in need, to the extent of your skill and resources. Do not fritter away your talents in profitless channels.
THE entire epic Ramayana hinges on two women and two passions. Manthara representing Krodha (anger, resentment and vengeance)and Surpanaka representing Kama (lustful passion). Manthara plotted to send Rama into exile and Surpanaka caused the abduction of Sita and the destruction of the Rakshasas as a consequence. The two women are insignificant characters in the story; but the roles they play are key-roles, for they sparked off, by means of the passions they represented, strong chapters of pain and grief. Krodha and Kama are more destructive than atom bombs; but when Rama is installed in the heart, they just fizzle out.
SEE how the insufferable heat of the Sun is controlled and modulated and reduced by your bodily mechanism to the congenial temperature of 98.4 degree F. So, you too should keep the destructive force of your elemental passions born out of the clamour Sabdha, Sparsa, Rupa,Rasa and Gandha rigorously in check and bring it down to tolerable levels, yielding comfort and congenial living. You yourselves create the Maya of which you are the slave. Deny it, a chance to lord over you; it will not harm you.
THE most fundamental teaching of the ancient culture of India is Love. For generations, the youth of this land have been exhorted, encouraged and taught, by precept and example, to love the poor, the helpless, the handicapped, the illiterate and the disabled, for, the same spark of Divinity that is in us is also equally evident and active in them. Education must endow man with this compassion and this spirit of service - intelligent, timely and full. That is to say, education must not only inform but also transform.
THE mind is like a boulder which the intellect transforms into an image, as a sculptor does. If the intellect allows the senses to dictate the design, the boulder will be shaped into a horrid idol. If, however, the senses are sublimated by the spirit, the image wrought by the intellect will be simply adorable. One must have the mind fully cooperating in the spiritual discipline and not obstructing its progress at every step. Liberation is the goal and the mind must help the pilgrim at every stage of his journey. The Mind should not admit any activity that is contrary to Dharma or injurious to spiritual progress.
OM MUST be recited slowly and slowly with deliberation. The sound must be like an aircraft, first approaching from a distance from a spot where you are and then flying away again into the distance (soft at first but gradually becoming louder and louder and then slowly relapsing into silence, this silence after the experience being as significant as the Pranavas), 'U' is the zenith, the Kailas, reached by the sound in its adoration. 'A' is the initial nadir and 'M' the final.
YOU must realize that the Divine current that flows and functions in very living being is the one Universal Entity. When you desire to enter the Mansion of God, you are confronted by two closed doors - the desire to praise yourself and the desire to defame others. The doors are bolted by envy; and there is also the huge lock of egoism preventing entry; so if you are earnest, you have to resort to the key of Prana (Love)and open the locks, than remove the bolt and throw the doors wide open.
THE day on which Jesus was born is a holy day. He announced himself as the Messenger of God.In fact, all humans are born as Messengers of God. The sole purpose of this human career is to propagate the Omnipresence of God, His Might and Glory. No one has incarnated for merely consuming food and catering to one's senses. Human life is much more precious than that. That is why the capacity to appreciate beauty, truth and goodness has been endowed only on man.
THE Brahmin, when born, is just a Sudra; birth does not entitle him to take up the study of this Mystery, even if the boy happens to be the son of a great Vedic scholar. It is only when he has been formally initiated by a special ceremony that he can start the study of Sacred Scriptures. The ceremony makes him a Brahmin; he is then born again into a sacred world of study and responsibility.
MY PREMA towards the Veda is equalled only by My Prema towards Humanity. My mission, remember is just four-fold; Vedaposhana, Vidwathposhana, Dharmarakshana and Bhaktharakshana. Spreading My Grace and My Power along these four directions, I establish Myself in the Centre.
WHAT profit is it for the children to know the length of the Mississippi River or the height of the Vesuvius? Why load them with information they may never require? On the other hand, give them the tonic to strengthen their spirit, the tonic of the Repetition of the Name of the Lord, the tonic of meditating on the Glory of God in the silence of the heart. Formerly, children were learning Rama Nama and the Aksharamala together: "Suddha Brahma Paraathpara Rama". They were taught to read and write. Now, they sing, "Ding dong bell,Pussy is in the well". This type of silly meaningless jargon is spreading everywhere like a poisonous infection, destroying the seeds of peace and joy.
LIVING becomes a glorious experience only when it is sweetened by Tolerance and Love. Willingness to compromise with others' ways of living and co-operation in common tasks make living happy and fruitful. Certain modes of behaviour have been laid down and proved beneficial by centuries of practice. These have to be observed with modifications to suit the conditions of today. We are developing in each department of life, but it is a pity that we are not developing the unique qualities of human beings. Develop the Atmic awareness, the consciousness of the Divine and the acquisition of Divine attributes. Expand love and understanding.
WITHOUT mastery over the inner instruments of emotions, no man can be deemed to be educated. The latent has to be cleansed so that the patent can flourish. Experience is essential for the confirmation of consolidation of what is learnt from books. We do not see any such sign in the present educational system. There is no attempt to awaken the Divine in Man and awareness of the possibility of rising to the psychic plane.
EDUCATION must produce wisdom and moral character. It can be acquired only by hard living and spending days of toil, with no respite even for sleep. But present day education makes those who undergo it mere bonded-slaves to their senses. They do not know how to avoid this bondage, so they revel in envy, greed and egoism. What the country expects and demands from the educated person is, however, that he should set an example of honest labour and light the lamp of knowledge in every home.
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THERE are seven things that have to be fostered for the welfare of the World: the Cow, the Brahman-ward aspirant or the Brahmin, the Vedas,Chastity, Truth, Non-attachment and Dharma. Allthese are now fast declining and I have come to restore them in their pristine purity and strength.Do not think that this Sathya Sai Gita was composed by some Bhakta and that he reads it and explains it here. As he said, I am the inspirer and it is for your benefit that he has summarised My Teachings in this way. 'Ekkam Sathyam Vimalam Achalam'.It is said that the One Truth is pure and unshakeable.
THERE are now thousands and thousands of educational institutions in the world. But, there is a great difference between the rest and those founded by Sathya Sai. The fundamental objectives of Sai institutions are humanity, adherence to discipline and application of what is learned, in daily life. If what is learned is not put into practice, the student is like a cow that does not yield milk; a fruit lacking in taste, a book bereft of wisdom. It is not really man's task to stuff his head with transient knowledge and waste time in acquiring it. He should not engage in valueless activities and fritter away years of life. When man ruins himself thus, he descends to the level of the beast. When man uplifts himself, he ascends to the level of God.
Of the four Yugas, the present Kaliyuga is far more congenial than the previous three (Kritha, Thretha and Dwapara) for the acquisition of wisdom and the cultivation of discrimination (Viveka), for we now have many simple paths available for educating ourselves. The Scriptures say: "No age is equal to the Kali Age: through just Smarana and Chinthana, we can reach the Goal". Smarana is the process of keeping the Lord ever in the memory; and Chinthana is the process of thinking of His glory all the time. Many people are scared because they believe that the Kali Age, in which we live, will witness the ultimate Deluge. Others call it the Kalpa Age, the Age of Conflict. This Age is the Golden Age for the seekers of God and for earning and learning Viveka.
Piles of books are plentiful in bazaars; schools abound; and there is no dearth of teachers. But wholesome learning and sincere teaching are not to be seen. It is for this reason that these spiritually oriented educational (Sai) institutions are being established, to impart teaching in proper ways in order to preserve the hearts of students in pristine purity, stability and unselfishness; to develop them into workers dedicated to the progress of Bharath, intent on removing the anxiety and gloom that have spread all over the land; and determined to revive the Glory of the Bharathiya Culture.
THERE are seven things that have to be fostered, Just as the body is the house you live in, the world is the Body of God. An ant biting the little finger of your feet is able to draw your attention to the spot; and you react to the pain, misery or joy or elation, whenever it is evinced in the entire land; you must make an effort to protect the land from the enemy, however remote may be the place where the enemy has presented himself. Be kin with all your kind.Expand your sympathies, serve others, who stand in need, to the extent of your skill and resources. Do not fritter away your talents in profitless channels.
WELCOME the epic Ramayana as you welcome efficacious drugs; it can cure deep-rooted illness of the mind, the disabilities of the inner senses, and the defects of the inner consciousness. It can clarify your vision and make you strong and steady on the path towards God.
'SAANTHAKAARAM Bhujaga Sayanam'is one of the ways in which the Divine is described. Bhujaga is the cobra,the poisonous snake. Its visha (poison)is the symbol of the evil influences of vishaya (Worldly desires). The Lordis said to repose on the bhujaga, theevil-filled multiplicity of the World.Yet, the description says: He is Saanthakaaram (in absolute peace, unruffledin the least). The Lord is unaffected, though He is immanent in the Universe.Man too must be in the World, but not of it.
WHAT exactly is the aim and purpose of all the Shastras,the Bhagavatham, the Puranas, these discourses and the Harikathas ? It is to tell man the truth about himself.There is no plot to mislead you. That is not the intentionof the Sages who wrote down these annals and their own experiences. You know only the present and what is happening before your eyes. You do not know that the present is related to the past and is preparing the course of the future. It islike the head-lines and titles of a film on the screen;as the letters gleam one after the other, you read them and pass on to the next that comes to view. Each new letter just as each birth wipes out the memory of the one already experienced.
PEOPLE, who were charged with the social duty of reminding the masses of their heritage, have been rendered dispirited and mendicant. TheDharma laid down in the Vedas has to be experienced,in order to be appreciated; it cannot be merely talked about in tall language. The use of the Vedas does not consist in mere recitation, though the reciters aredoing a valuable service, presenting them in correctform and style of pronunciation. Vedas yield Ananda; Vedamatha is the Ananda Matha.
IS THE Universe real ? Is it relatively unreal ?This problem has been agitating man since ages in all lands.The realists and the idealists have argued on their explanations for centuries. The scientists or realists believe that the Universe is a conglomeration of atoms in varying patterns which have assumed manifold forms and names. But this is only partially true. TheVijnana Vedins (the spiritually oriented) point out to the DhoatikVedins (the materially oriented) that a firm base is essential forall these transformations to happen. The Universe must have a basic force or energy or phenomenon as basic as clay is to the pot. That fundamental principle is, according to them, the Atma.
THE human body is a temple-chariot; the Atman is installed therein and is dragged by emotions, impulses, passions and urges, along the streets of desire. Success and failure, joy and grief, gain and loss, are the dancers who accompany the procession of life. Here, too, many pour their attention only on the chariot, its height, its decoration and its progress. Many others are concerned with the dance of durabilities the pain and pleasure due to that is part of the procession. Few pay attention to the Atman, the crown and consummation of human existence.
WHY is man so pathetically afflicted today with fear and anxiety ? Are we to search for the reason outside us or do they live within us ? The reason lies in the false emphasis we have laid on things of the material world, ignoring things of the spirit. The body that man bears is essentially the receptacle of God. It is a temple where God is installed and where God is the Master. It does not deserve all the attention you know pay to fulfil its whims. It is equipped with very valuable instruments which can help you in the journey but which you seldom use.
MANY are affected by the problem of what caused the Cosmos How did it come into being ? They advance various theories and lay down many opposing hypotheses. But there is no need for seekers to beat about the bush so much. Just as a dream results when one is cut off from reality in a state of sleep, he Cosmos is a result of being cut off from Reality, by Maya, in a state of ignorance. It is difficult to discover laws that explain or govern its infinite mysteries.
WE FIND individuals and groups trudging to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Haridwar in search of peace and prosperity. They also go to Tirupathi and Kashi. Have they jettisonedeven a few of their animal propensities ? That is the test;that is the justification for the money and time they have spent and the troubles they have undergone. When the animal is conquered and Godhead is felt within reach, man can assert that all this pilgrimages are within him. He has no need to travel from temple to temple. And without achieving this victory, you have no right to claim that you are a devotee of Rama or Krishna or of another incarnation of the Lord.
GOOD deeds, like Puja, Japam, Dhyanam,the observance of vow etc., are 'steps'. good thoughts, like prayer for greater discrimination and more chance to help others, also help. They slowly and steadily cleanse the mind, sharpen the intellect,purify the senses and win grace.
THE Lord is described in the Purusha Suktha as"thousand-headed". It does not mean that He has just a thousand heads, no more, no less. It means that "the thousand of heads - before Me - now have just one heart, which gives life and energy to all and that heart is the Lord". No one is separate from his neighbour. All are bound by the one life-blood that flows through the countless bodies. This is the special teaching of Sanathana Dharma, which the World needs.
THE Lord has endowed man with the body, and so, every limb and every sense is worthy of reverent attention. Each must be used for His Glory. The ear must exult when it gets a chance to hear the wonderful tales of God. The tongue must exult when it can praise Him. Or else, the tongue of man is as ineffective as that of frogs which croak day and night sitting on the marshy bank.
THE human body has been given to you for a grand purpose: realising the Lord within. If you have a fully equipped car in good running condition, would you keep it in the garage? The car is primarily for going on a journey, to get into it and go. Then only is it worthwhile to own. So too with the body, proceed and go forward to the goal. Learn how to use the faculties of the body, the senses, the intellect, and the mind for achieving the goal and march on.
MAN must proceed ever towards "Balam" strength; he should not take to untruth, wickedness, and crookedness, all of which denote a fundamental fatal trait of cowardice, "Balaheenam". "Balaheenam" is born of accepting as true a lower image of yourself than what the facts warrant. You believe you are the husk. But really you are the kernel. That is the main mistake. All Sadhana must be directed to the removal of the husk and the revelation of the kernel. So long as you say "I am", there is bound to be fear, but once you say and feel "I am Brahmam", "Aham Brahmasmi," you get unconquerable strength.
I WANT that you all should build new houses for happy living and install the Lord therein. I do not mean houses of brick and mortar, but houses of good thoughts, good words, good deeds and good company, where you could live calm and collected. Invite Me for the Grahapravesam of such houses and I shall most readily agree. In fact, then the house is Mine already and I do not need even an invitation to come and enter it. These houses are for worldly comfort; that house is for spiritual joy. And My place of Residence is the pure aspiring heart
YOU are going about with a temple where God is in the innermost shrine. The body is not amass of flesh and bone. It is a medicine for Manthras-Manthras which save when they are meditated upon. It is a sacred instrument, earned after long ages of struggle, equipped with reason and emotion, capable of being used for deliverance from grief and evil. Honour it as such; keep it in good condition, so that it might serve that high purpose; maintain it even more carefully than these brick houses and always preserve the conviction hat it is an instrument and nothing more. Use it for just the purpose for which it has been designed and given.
IT is urgent that every one should inquire into the true, the pure and the permanent; for there is at present a delusion about values. Even the leaders of people are hugging the false hypothesis that happiness can be had by means of wealth or health, housing or clothing, or the cultivation of skills in handicraft and manufacture. The bird sits upon the bough that sways in the storm, confident of its wings, should feel strong because of the wings, the wings of Sraddha and Bhakti, not because of the bough of the objective World on which you have perched.
YOU know from the experience of the Cauvery floods, neither status nor castes nor wealth nor even health can help unless you know the simple artof swimming. Need I say that crossing the ocean of Samsar, reaching the other shore of the sea of Birth-Death, is similarly possible only for those who know the art of Spiritual Sadhana. Those who are trying to build the seaman community on a foundation of "Dhana", are building on sand; those who seek to build it on the rock of "Dharma", are the wise.
DHARMA Moolam Idam Jagath. Dharma is the root of this World. Obey it and you are happy. The evil man is a coward, haunted by fear. He has no peace within himself. Respect for the parents who started you in life and brought you into this World, together with the vast and varied treasure of experience, is the first lesson that Dharma teaches .Gratitude is the spring which feeds that respect. It is a quality that is fast disappearing in the World today. Respect for the teacher, for the elders and for the wise is on the decline. That is why Dharma is fast disappearing and losing its hold.
JUST as the body is the house you live in, the World is the body of God. An ant biting the little toe of your foot is able to draw your attention to the spot; and you react to the pain, making an effort to remove the tiny enemy. You must similarly feed the pain, misery or joy or elation whenever it is evinced in the entire land; you must make an effort to protect the land from the enemy, however remote the place may be where the enemy has presented himself. Be kin with all your kind. Expand your sympathies, serve others who stand in need, to the extent of your skill and resources. Do not fritter away your talents in profitless channels.
THE entire epic Ramayana hinges on two women and two passions. Manthara representing Krodha (anger, resentment and vengeance)and Surpanaka representing Kama (lustful passion). Manthara plotted to send Rama into exile and Surpanaka caused the abduction of Sita and the destruction of the Rakshasas as a consequence. The two women are insignificant characters in the story; but the roles they play are key-roles, for they sparked off, by means of the passions they represented, strong chapters of pain and grief. Krodha and Kama are more destructive than atom bombs; but when Rama is installed in the heart, they just fizzle out.
SEE how the insufferable heat of the Sun is controlled and modulated and reduced by your bodily mechanism to the congenial temperature of 98.4 degree F. So, you too should keep the destructive force of your elemental passions born out of the clamour Sabdha, Sparsa, Rupa,Rasa and Gandha rigorously in check and bring it down to tolerable levels, yielding comfort and congenial living. You yourselves create the Maya of which you are the slave. Deny it, a chance to lord over you; it will not harm you.
THE most fundamental teaching of the ancient culture of India is Love. For generations, the youth of this land have been exhorted, encouraged and taught, by precept and example, to love the poor, the helpless, the handicapped, the illiterate and the disabled, for, the same spark of Divinity that is in us is also equally evident and active in them. Education must endow man with this compassion and this spirit of service - intelligent, timely and full. That is to say, education must not only inform but also transform.
THE mind is like a boulder which the intellect transforms into an image, as a sculptor does. If the intellect allows the senses to dictate the design, the boulder will be shaped into a horrid idol. If, however, the senses are sublimated by the spirit, the image wrought by the intellect will be simply adorable. One must have the mind fully cooperating in the spiritual discipline and not obstructing its progress at every step. Liberation is the goal and the mind must help the pilgrim at every stage of his journey. The Mind should not admit any activity that is contrary to Dharma or injurious to spiritual progress.
OM MUST be recited slowly and slowly with deliberation. The sound must be like an aircraft, first approaching from a distance from a spot where you are and then flying away again into the distance (soft at first but gradually becoming louder and louder and then slowly relapsing into silence, this silence after the experience being as significant as the Pranavas), 'U' is the zenith, the Kailas, reached by the sound in its adoration. 'A' is the initial nadir and 'M' the final.
YOU must realize that the Divine current that flows and functions in very living being is the one Universal Entity. When you desire to enter the Mansion of God, you are confronted by two closed doors - the desire to praise yourself and the desire to defame others. The doors are bolted by envy; and there is also the huge lock of egoism preventing entry; so if you are earnest, you have to resort to the key of Prana (Love)and open the locks, than remove the bolt and throw the doors wide open.
THE day on which Jesus was born is a holy day. He announced himself as the Messenger of God.In fact, all humans are born as Messengers of God. The sole purpose of this human career is to propagate the Omnipresence of God, His Might and Glory. No one has incarnated for merely consuming food and catering to one's senses. Human life is much more precious than that. That is why the capacity to appreciate beauty, truth and goodness has been endowed only on man.
THE Brahmin, when born, is just a Sudra; birth does not entitle him to take up the study of this Mystery, even if the boy happens to be the son of a great Vedic scholar. It is only when he has been formally initiated by a special ceremony that he can start the study of Sacred Scriptures. The ceremony makes him a Brahmin; he is then born again into a sacred world of study and responsibility.
MY PREMA towards the Veda is equalled only by My Prema towards Humanity. My mission, remember is just four-fold; Vedaposhana, Vidwathposhana, Dharmarakshana and Bhaktharakshana. Spreading My Grace and My Power along these four directions, I establish Myself in the Centre.
WHAT profit is it for the children to know the length of the Mississippi River or the height of the Vesuvius? Why load them with information they may never require? On the other hand, give them the tonic to strengthen their spirit, the tonic of the Repetition of the Name of the Lord, the tonic of meditating on the Glory of God in the silence of the heart. Formerly, children were learning Rama Nama and the Aksharamala together: "Suddha Brahma Paraathpara Rama". They were taught to read and write. Now, they sing, "Ding dong bell,Pussy is in the well". This type of silly meaningless jargon is spreading everywhere like a poisonous infection, destroying the seeds of peace and joy.
LIVING becomes a glorious experience only when it is sweetened by Tolerance and Love. Willingness to compromise with others' ways of living and co-operation in common tasks make living happy and fruitful. Certain modes of behaviour have been laid down and proved beneficial by centuries of practice. These have to be observed with modifications to suit the conditions of today. We are developing in each department of life, but it is a pity that we are not developing the unique qualities of human beings. Develop the Atmic awareness, the consciousness of the Divine and the acquisition of Divine attributes. Expand love and understanding.
WITHOUT mastery over the inner instruments of emotions, no man can be deemed to be educated. The latent has to be cleansed so that the patent can flourish. Experience is essential for the confirmation of consolidation of what is learnt from books. We do not see any such sign in the present educational system. There is no attempt to awaken the Divine in Man and awareness of the possibility of rising to the psychic plane.
EDUCATION must produce wisdom and moral character. It can be acquired only by hard living and spending days of toil, with no respite even for sleep. But present day education makes those who undergo it mere bonded-slaves to their senses. They do not know how to avoid this bondage, so they revel in envy, greed and egoism. What the country expects and demands from the educated person is, however, that he should set an example of honest labour and light the lamp of knowledge in every home.
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