Swami teaches... The ABC of life and basic human values. Part 1

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Sai Ram

 

Light and Love

Swami teaches...

The ABC of Life and Basic Human Values. Part 1

By the Divine will of Prajapathi, two pairs were created; the subtle and the

gross, the inert and conscious. By the union of the two, the entire Universe,

consisting of animate and inanimate objects, was created.

All the sastras declare that death is inevitable for everyone who is born,

and birth is inevitable for everyone who dies. If life is bound up with the

round of birth and death, when will this process end? What is the basis for

it?Sage Pippalada explained that God is without a beginning or an end. The

entire Universe consisting of moving and unmoving objects is mithya (illusory).

Although there is the Real in the illusory Universe, all that is perceived in

the phenomenal world is liable to pass away.

Pippalada told disciple Bhargava: "Life redeems itself only when it merges in

Prana (Life-breath, Life Principle, Life Force)*. As long as one's life is

immersed in delusion, life itself remains a delusion. As long as delusion

remains, the Absolute cannot be realised. The Absolute is realised by

absorption in the Brahmam and then there is no rebirth".

Creation is an eternal process whose beginning or end cannot be known. In

the process of birth, growth and dissolution, besides the will of the Lord, the

role of human effort can also be recognised to a certain extent. Human's

destiny is determined by the nature of actions, thoughts and desires. Death

exists as well as birth. But human has the capacity to free him/herself from

rebirth. Humans do not know their origin, but they can determine their future.

No one can tell how human came into existence and the circumstances of this

origin.

 

Further Pippalada explained to disciple: "Freedom from rebirth follows the

complete shedding of all desires. Human without desires has no rebirth. As long

as the mind is filled with desires, there can be no escape from the chain of

birth and death. When the desires are replaced by the Brahmic consciousness and

the mind is emptied of all other thoughts, there will be no rebirth. Oh

Bhargava! You think that rebirth and death are beginningless and endless. This

is not so. There is a way out of this recurring chain." The abode of the

Life-Principle is the body and It operates using the body as its sanctum. It is

timeless in its origin, but seeks an abode in a new body.

Hence, one's status or condition in life is based upon one's actions. The

scriptures, therefore, teach human not to succumb to difficulties or gloat over

success but maintain equanimity in all situations. One's own thoughts and

actions are responsible for one's successes or failures, honour or ignominy,

pleasure or pain. Whether one goes to heaven or hell or any other place, it is

own actions that are responsible.

There are five kinds of vital airs or pranas: Prana, Apaana, Samaana, Udaana

and Vyaana. These five vital airs are not only present in the body, but are

cognisible in all the Panchabhuthas (five basic elements). The Prana is in the

Sun. Apaana issues from the Earth. Samaana emanates from Akaasa (ether). Udaana

issues from Vaayu (air). Vyaana arises from Agni (fire). In these five elements,

the five life-breaths are immanent. Close to each one of these life-breaths, the

reflections of human's actions are present.

No one can completely explain the secret of creation. There is a shadow

which closely follows every object. Likewise the reactions of each action of

human closely follow the five life breaths. When the Life Principle leaves one

body and enters another, the results of one's actions follow the Life Principle

to the other body. (By modern science it is likely human's genetic code). Human

alone is responsible for own joys and sorrows. God is in no way responsible. He

is only a witness. But if you pray to Him with all your heart and soul, the

effects of all karmas will disappear or lessen.

Pippalada continued: "The Prana (Life Principle) is the most important

factor. You have to merge yourselves in the mind. Merge the mind in the Atma**.

Whatever you do, do it in a spirit of dedication to the Atma (the Divine). You

can carry on your respective avocations. When you practise it in a spirit of

dedication, work will be transformed into worship. When life is led in such

manner, there is no rebirth."

 

Let's examine Prana also from the other aspect.

The body, mind and Atma constitute together the human entity. Actions are

done by the body and cognition by the mind. The Atma is that which abides. The

Atma is the Divine spirit present in the human heart. Action, Awareness and

Being are the threefold aspects of human life which have to be properly

understood. Although they appear to be distinct, it is the unity in Action,

Awareness and Being which makes for the fullness of human life. The mind,

because it is engaged in various thoughts and motivates various desires and

actions, is described as Antahkarana (the inner instrument). It is known as

Manas (mind) when it is engaged in good and bad thoughts. It is called Buddhi

(intelligence), when it exercises the discriminating power. When expressing the

will, it is called Chitta. As a manifestation of the Divine in the individual,

it is known as Aham or the I or Ego.

(Aham too, as the other inner instruments, arises from the Atma. Thoughts

are produced by the Ego and give rise to speech. In this world, speech carries

also more value than the currency note. In ancient times, people used to give

immense value to speech. With the help of speech they were able to become rich

and prosperous. Human becomes virtuous only when his speech is good; he

becomes evil when his speech is bad. Speech promotes friendship and also brings

about differences between friends. Speech promotes affinity among relatives. It

also creates discord. Effects of speech are not confined to ephemeral and

worldly matters only; speech affects our spiritual progress also. Speech may

even cause death. Speech can save one’s life, too.

When all human action and speech are sanctified by dedication to God i.e. to

Atma, the consciousness of oneness with Brahman - I am Brahman - ensues).

There is a fundamental principle which is at the base of all these. It is

known as Prana and usually has been described as Viveka (discrimination,

intelligence, comprehension and the like). These are not quite correct. Prana

really refers to the Brahman in human. It may be regarded as "constant

integrated awareness," the source of all values in human. This Prana is

permeated with love. (Human is not able to manifest the kind of love that is

beyond name and form. Love has no form. It does not differentiate between young

and old or man and woman. It cannot be compared to anything else. Love is the

very form of the Divine. Human can cultivate love in several ways. However,

he/she would not limit it only to the bodily needs and relations).

 

Truth is the echo that resounds from the love-filled Prana. All actions that

arise out of this love filled Prana are reactions, constituting Dharma. Santhi

(peace) is a reflection of this Truth and Dharma. Thus Truth, Right Conduct and

Peace emanate from the Prana that is charged with Love, as Resound, Reaction and

Reflection. The proper understanding of the source and nature of Truth, Right

Conduct, Peace and Love is Ahimsa (the attitude in which one cannot think of

causing harm to anyone).

Truth in its real sense transcends the limitations of time, space and

circumstance. It is difficult to practise this transcendental truth in ordinary

life. It is the basis of human existence. It is on this basis that all the facts

of the phenomenal world should be properly understood. One should not act on the

impulse of the moment immediately a thought occurs. The rights and wrongs of an

idea should be examined and only when the heart approves of a certain course

should action follow. This is the process of cultivating values. What the mind

(head) thinks, should be examined critically by the heart and the right

decision should be carried out by the hand. This should be the primary product

of the whole educational process.

 

The educational process will not be complete unless, together with

specialisation in specific subjects, one acquires general knowledge and

develops common sense. Many famous scholars who had significant scientific

achievements to their credit have been lacking in general knowledge and the

common sense required in daily life. Today we have made prodigious progress

in various fields of knowledge - in mathematics, physics, chemistry, the

bio-sciences. But few attempts have made even to approach study of the

spiritual. All our knowledge ends with study of matter, plants and living

creatures. Education must go beyond these to an understanding of the Divine.

How far have human values been promoted and what is the transformation that has

taken place in mankind? There is no proper answer to these questions.

 

Today educational institutions are growing in numbers, but there is no

growth of a broad outlook among the educated people. Education should serve to

enlarge the vision and broaden the outlook of the people. Spiritualknowledge

and scientific knowledge should go together. There should be no dichotomy

between science and spirituality. True bliss can be experienced only when

science and spirituality are combined. Spirituality can promote ethical values,

the spirit of tolerance and equal-mindedness. The science of spirit is essential

for developing human values.

Many people are discussing education in Human Values. What seems to be

necessary is three H(V): Head-Heart-Hand (values). The hand should carry out

what the heart has approved of the ideas emanating from the head. This triune

process has been described in Vedanta as Thrikaranasuddhi - the purity and

harmony of thought, speech and action. Activities arising from

Thrikaranasuddhi find expression in two ways: one through artistic creativity

and the other, through scientific exploration. Artistic creativity is supremely

important. The aesthetic feeling is based on creative imagination. In art the

bhava (imagination) finds ichcha sakti (creative expression).

Both ways are rooted in Prana, the Divine source. As against this aesthetic

creativity, we have the urge for scientific enquiry. This is primarily

concerned with objects in the external world. Experimental research has its

vision turned outward. But even that has its basis in the Antardrishti (inward

vision) what relates to the subject. The world needs the discoveries of

science. But if it forgets the base and is preoccupied only with the

superstructure, it will be the source of much disorder and trouble. Today

science has been mostly divorced from spirituality and faith in the Divine.

Many imagine that science can create a heaven on earth. But what is the kind of

heaven that is envisaged? Is it the enjoyment of material and sensuous

pleasures?

Research is going on endlessly. Service to society must become the

fundamental purpose for science and for any other human's activity.

Why should the individual serve others? What claims has society on the

individual? When to examine theseissues becomes evident that the individual can

find fulfillment only in society.

Society may be viewed as a many-petalled flower. Every individual is like a

petal. All the petals together make for the beauty of the flower. Every

individual is a petal making up the flower of society.

Society may also be compared to a four-wheeled chariot. The four wheels are:

Aikamathyam (unity), Swadhenam (control), Jnanam (knowledge) and Sakhti (power).

These four help the society to go forward.

 

Let's look the properties of human values from little different aspect (than

in previous articles "Swami teaches...") connected with human qualities and

character.

Human values cannot be practised by studying books or listening to lectures.

They have to be cultivated by individual effort. True education consists in

sanctifying everything you utter and every thought and action of yours.

Everyone has to practise human values as a mark of a true human being. Humility

is the bed-rock. Cultivate humility as the first step, Bend the body. Mend the

senses. End the mind. This is the key to immortality.

 

It is education, what mostly responsible for humans' development to the

higher stages of awareness.

For understanding the significance of integration of science and

spirituality at first is essential to know the main aspects of education.

Five principal aspects of education. 1. What is education? 2. What

type of education should we pursue? 3. What is the main aim of education?

4. What is the uniqueness of education? 5. What are we gaining from

present-day education?

What is education? It is of two types: The first type is collection of

facts and knowledge about the external world and sharing them with students.

The second type is educare. Educare involves the deep understanding of the

knowledge that springs from within. and imparting it to students.

 

As a rule, culture or refinement can develop good personality and not the

first type of education. So, both education and culture are important. (Today’s

education is devoid of culture and is like a counterfeit coin. Even a beggar

does not accept a counterfeit coin. Then how can experienced and intelligent

people accept such education? So, to satisfy everyone educare has to be

developed).

Education without culture is like a dark room. Only bats can live in dark

rooms; such rooms are filthy. So, by pursuing such education devoid of culture,

our hearts have become as dark rooms.

What is culture? It is the cultivation of discrimination between good and

evil, sin and merit, and truth and untruth that we experience in our daily

life. It is also removal of one’s evil thoughts, feelings and qualities, and

cultivation of good thoughts, feelings and good qualities. Not only this,

culture makes one broad-minded by getting rid ofone’s narrow-mindedness.

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 20. "Spiritual basis for

value education," Chapter 20 and "Teaching values by example," Chapter 21;

Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 24. "Birth: Rebirth: Freedom," Chapter 13; Sathya Sai

Speaks. Vol. 32, part 1. "The ephemeral and the transcendental, Chapter 11;

Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 33, "‘Educare’ Is True Education," Chapter 20).

PS: By Glossary of Vahini's

*prana (praana) is Life-breath, Life Force, Life Principle, vital energy, the

five vital airs.

** Atma (Aathma) is the real Self, one's divinity, God, the substance of

everything, the unseen basis, the spark of God within.

Namaste - Reet