A Dialogue with Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (On Attaining Peace of mind...)

[Guest guest]

-----------Dialogue

- 02: "Attaining Peace of mind..."

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Bhaktha : When there is no peace of mind where can rest be got?

 

Swami : Well my boy, rest is for the sake of peace of mind.Once you have that

peace, where is the need for rest?There is need for a bandage until the wound

heals;after that, what is its use?

 

Bhaktha: Swami, just now my mind is restless. I cannot decide upon anything. I

do not know what the reason is. What shall I do?

 

Swami : Well, no effect can take place without a cause.You do certainly know the

cause of your present condition….Well, nothing else need be done: At such times

of mental pain, do Namasmarana for a while sitting in a lonely place; or sing

Bhajan songs loudly in a raised voice; or if that is not possible, spread the

bed and sleep for some time. Thereafter you can think about all this.

 

Bhaktha : You have told us that in this world, each one has some dearly loved

thing or other, and that if any harm comes upon that thing, peace of mind

cannot be had. How then can I have peace of mind, when something happens like

this…another person either disrespecting my dearly loved thing, or finding

fault with it? What am I to do then?

 

Swami : Well. A good person who has understood what is Atmavichara (inquiry into

the nature of the Atma) will not blame like this the things that others love.

Nor will he even associate with such men. For he would argue within himself,

that when he blames another’s Ishtam (chosen deity), he will feel as much pain

as he himself feels when his own Ishtam is blamed.

 

Therefore, be at peace with yourself, realising that those who abuse like this

are people ignorant of Atmavichara. Engaged as you are in Atmavichara, you have

nothing to do with ignorant persons who do not know Atmavichara.

 

Well, let it go. What has really happened to cause all this? The whole trouble

will end if what is inside comes out.

 

Bhaktha : The world knows well how You are vouchsafing courage and daring and

guiding men to do good spiritually, physically, and mentally; how You have

rendered educational and medical help. You have never done any harm; nor caused

harm to anyone in any form. How to suppress the persons who invent and spread

all kinds of silly stories about such as You? Do they gain anything by this?

 

Swami : Oh, so this is the story! Well don’t you know that good and bad are of

the very nature of the world?

If all are engaged in selling, who will be the buyers?

 

Well, why should you take to heart such abuse? Take it that they are only

remembering Swami by this means.

 

Premasmarana (Remembering with love) andDweshasmarana (Remembering the Lord with

hate) are two types.

 

Of these, Dweshasmarana is Avidyamaya (absence of right awareness); it is

related to Rajo Guna (Passion, violent emotion).

 

Premasmarana is Vidyamaya (Right awareness); it is related to Sathwa Guna (Noble or pure quality).

 

Avidyamaya results in Dukham (grief); Vidyamaya results in Ananda (Bliss).

 

Their results are indicated there itself.

 

Now, why should you suppress?

You asked about the gain isn’t it?

They don’t need any gain.

Finding fault with others has become their habit. They do it as their duty. As

the saying goes, “What does the moth care or gain, whether the sari costs a

hundred tankas or is cheap? To gnaw and tear is its nature.”

 

The moth tears equally a costly sari or a rag. Does it know the value of things? Its work is such.

So be at peace, realising that the work of these faultfinders is the same as the

work of these moths.

 

Bhaktha : Swami! What You said is the truth. We can take it that ignorant

persons, when they behave like this, are of the brood of moths. But when people

who are well educated, who are great, who know, when these are devoting

themselves to spreading such stories, how can it be endured?

 

Swami : Learning means Atmajnana (Knowledge of the Self); it is not the

knowledge of things related to the world, which trains for a living, and is

useful as basis for a living.

 

To compare Atmajnana with such Vidyas (Knowledge) is a great mistake.

 

Great men are those who do not abuse others, who search for the reality with good intentions.

 

Spiritual matters cannot be understood by those without the power of

discrimination, who are puffed up with the authority they have; or by those who

are unaware of any Atmajnana.

 

So consider those whom you described as educated and great as belonging to the

brood mentioned above and, without yielding place to such ideas and worries,

engage yourself in strengthening your belief.

 

Bhaktha : Many Asthikas (Pious, God-fearing people) in this world are changing

into Nasthikas (Atheists) on account of such people, isn’t it, Swami? Is there

no weapon to put down these persons, who without any regard for their own

learning and without any effort to know the reality, abuse the Mahapurushas

(Great persons, saints)?

 

Swami : Why? There is. “A load of rags is placed on a ragged saddle,” is the

saying. The words of such persons will be listened to only by such persons; no

real Asthika will associate with them. Even if they do, they will move far away

as soon as they understand that those stories are fictitious. So the weapon to

put down these persons is in their own hands.

 

Haven’t you heard the story of Bhasmasura?

Placing his hand on everyone’s head, he reduced them to ashes.

Finally, placing it on his own head, he himself was reduced to ashes!

 

Similarly, accusing others, they themselves will be finally accused by their own words.

 

Those who find fault with the Lord are of four types:1. Persons who have no

interest at all in matters related to God.2. Persons who on account of

individual spite cannot endure another’s greatness.3. Those who have neither

personal experience, nor contact nor knowledge of anything and so

merelymanufacture stories based on hearsay to which they have become

enslaved.4. Persons who come with some worldly desire, and who accuse the Lord,

as an excuse for the failure caused by their own destiny.

 

Only these four types of people clamour as you say;the others will not shout or

jump about like puppets.

 

Even if they do not have personal experience, when they hear such stories, they

will just analyse them within themselves and arrive at conclusions, for their

own satisfaction. They won’t abuse others.

 

It is not the correct path—to disbelieve one’s own mind and give room therein to

another’s words. Besides, there is no profit in discussing with those who do not

know the Reality. As a matter of fact, Reality does not admit of any discussion

at all. To argue with those who do not know either but who are in the

intermediate stage is like seeing the trunk and believing it to be the entire

body, as in the story of the Blind Men and the Elephant.

 

Well. Note this! It is not good to spend time in this type of conversation.

Abuse and faultfinding are natural and common. Knowing this, those who aspire

to become true Bhakthas should search only for bases on which to build their

Ananda. All the available time should be used for holy purposes, it should not

be wasted.

 

You have nothing to do with the good and the bad in others. Instead of wasting

the time, it should be utilised to discard the bad and develop the good in you.

 

Ask me about some Sadhana or Sandesha which you need and seek something that is worth while.

 

Bhaktha: All this happened because we too have the same human nature. But now

that I understand the subject from your answers, courage and joy have entered

into me, driving away the doubt and sorrow I had. Through the talk of such men,

even the little faith, devotion and earnestness that men have, are being

reduced. That was the reason for my asking you these questions.

 

Swami: Very good! During the little time available, if you don’t think of some

good subject, but merely recollect the ignorant prattle of others, it is as if

you too joined in blaming those persons. That is harmful to Bhakthas.

 

Whatever others may say, you should not give up your faith. Once you are firmly

established in that, you will not be in want any day.

 

One word following another produces anger and pain.

 

Bhakthi Marga (Path of devotion) is designed for suppressing, not developing these qualities.

 

You tell me that devotion and faith disappear because people listen to such

accusers—but for how long? As soon as the truth is discovered, will they be

trusted again? Will their words be valued again?

 

The talk of those faultfinders is as the sound of bronze.Cheap metals make more

sound; gold which does not make sound is very valuable. True Bhakthas will be

mute. They will follow the path of Silence. Their tongues will be so fully

engaged in the repetition of the essential greatness of the Lord. It is best

they have no respite for any other word. So do not permit the words of the

bronze-voiced persons to enter your ears; but fill them with the name of the

Lord, which is the Pranavananda itself.

 

Excerpt

from: Dialogue 2. “SANDEHA NIVARINI”CLEARANCE OF SPIRITUAL DOUBTS A Dialogues

withBhagawan Sri Sathya Sai

Baba