SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume III [Ch. 21, 22, 23, 24]

[Guest guest]

In view of the ensuing glorious event of the 80th Birthday of the Divine Lord

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we propose posting of all the Divine Messages

titled as ‘Sathya Sai Speaks’ for the benefit of our members and all the Sai

devotees the world over. We request you to pass on/forward/spread these Divine

messages to your Sai circle so that they also derive spiritual benefits and

bliss from them. These Divine Messages are not only for Sai devotees, they are

for the entire HUMANITY. Lord Krishna taught humanity the ways and means of

salvation for mankind in ‘Bhagavad Gita’ in Dwapara Yuga. ‘Sathya Sai speaks’

is the Bhagavad Gita of Kali Yuga. - With Sai love, Sai brothers -

’’

***

Om Sri Sai Ram

SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume III [Ch. 21, 22, 23, 24]

21. VISHAYA, THE VISHA

KALLURI Veerabhadhra Shastri has made Ananda well up in every one of you by his

clear and moving description of the incidents of the Bhagavatha. His words were

apt and sweet; his comments revealed the inner significance of the events; he

made all partake personally in the life at Brindavan of the families of the

cowherds during the time that Krishna was among them. Some persons feel

intoxicated by the emotions or they get near mad, on account of the devotion

they have. But such overpowering emotions have to be mastered. One has to

transform Bhakti into jnaanam and become stronger thereby.

Man's life is meaningful only because he can use it to see God. The goal of life

is the final merging in the sea, God. You should not fill life with the world;

that will make it a vanity fair, an insanity fair. Listen to all such things as

will draw you towards the principle of Godhead; then, think it over in the

silence; make it part of your consciousness. This process of manana

(reflection) makes you a man; that is the test of man.

Sensory object is man's most deadly poison

Veerabhadhra Shastri described the scene of Kaaliya mardhana (Krishna's dance on

the head of the serpent). Well, Kaaliya is a huge big serpent, full of poison,

rolling in death and destruction. He is the representative of man, rolling in

sensory objects, poison so far as its effect on life is concerned. Vishaya

(sensory object) is the most deadly visha (poison). When Krishna danced on the

head of Kaaliya, (incidentally I might add, you should make your hearts as

smooth and soft as the hood of the snake), the poison was all vomited! And the

serpent was subdued. When God is revered, the world and all its poisonous fumes

recede and you are restored to original health. Make the Name and Form of the

Lord dance upon the hood of your heart.

Krishna had no vishaya-vaasana (attachment to sense objects) and so, He could

plunge into the pool and call out to Kaaliya and jump on to his hood and

trample on it and squeeze the poison out. If you are deep in the mire, you

cannot pull out another who has fallen into it. Be on the bank; do not get

caught. You are now struggling in the mire of samsara (worldly life), the

slithery mud of attachment. So, how can you trample on the snake? You can save

yourself only by calling on God, who is free from vishaya and who is on the

bank. Hold His hand and He will pull you on to hard ground.

Krishna never parted in those days from Balarama; but, that day, He came alone,

without him He was wearing a necklace of green beads a nose-ring of pearl and

in his right ear, a ring of pearls. He were no shirt or coat just yellow silk

round his waist and a kerchief wound round the head, or rather thrown

carelessly round one end this way and another end that way! The peacock

feather, which is described by poets and sages, was not always worn. It was

struck up only off and on. Of course, peacocks abounded in Brindavan then and

they are found in plenty even today. On his bare chest, there was a mole, which

could be clearly seen, an inevitable mark of all Avatars, including the Sais.

Krishna had no objective desires

Krishna saw the carcasses of animals, which had died when they inhaled the

poisoned air, near the Kaaliya pool; birds had fallen dead on the ground.

Nothing green could survive in the neighborhood. As soon as Krishna jumped into

the pool to save the region from the serpent's havoc, his companions ran Horne

to bring the parents, so that they could intercede and stop the foolish pranks

of their mischievous son. They were in great panic; only Radha was calm and

collected. She knew that for Him, it was a minute's fun, a moment’s sankalpa

(resolve). He had no vishaya (objective desires) and so visha (poison) could

not affect Him.

Even objective desires will be transmuted into higher spheres of purity when one

approaches the Lord. Nothing against Dharma can stand the Presence of the Lord.

That fire will consume all impurities; and people forget that Krishna was just

eleven years old, when He finally left Brindavan, the Scene of the Raasaleela,

towards Madhura and from thence to Dwaraka. The Bhagavatha itself explicitly

says that. But, it is ignored, because the minds of the people and the poets

who want to see sensuality in the Raasaleela are vitiated by vishayavaasana

(attachment to sense objects).

The boy, Dhruva, went to the forest to do thapas and get from the Lord a boon,

so that his father might treat him as lovingly as he did his half-brother. But,

as he progressed in Sadhana, that wish was forgotten and more lofty ones came to

occupy its place The Lord once He enters the mind will rid it of all evil. Rama

(God) and Kama (desire) cannot coexist; Lord and lust cannot be together. How

then could the Gopis have any body-consciousness, when they adored Krishna?

The Lord never does anything without purpose. Krishna had already announced His

Glory to the cowherd maidens by such divine miracles, as the uplifting of the

mountain Govardhanagiri. He had proved Himself superior to Indra, Brahma and

Varuna. He had manifested the Universe in His mouth and showed that He had come

on a Divine Mission to destroy the wicked and save the good. There is no

loukikam (worldliness) in their behavior; it is all aloukikam (other worldly).

The Lord never speaks a word without relevance or significance; never does

anything without appropriateness or purpose. Garuda is the symbol of karma with

the two wings of Shraddha (faith) and Bhakti (devotion), the bird on which the

Lord will take His seat, the hridhaya vihanga (the heart as the bird). Radha is

Prakrithi (Nature), known as

dharaa (Universe), which helps you to think about the aadhaara (support), in a

regular dhaara (continuous flow). The incident of the rope is another instance.

Krishna felt that it was time to reveal His Truth and so, just as He showed all

Creation in His mouth when His mother asked Him to show her His tongue, when

she suspected He had eaten sand, He made even the longest rope too short to

bind Him. It became the talk of the place and every one felt he had all the 14

worlds in Him!

Know the secret passage to the heart of the Lord

Avatars choose the time and the mode of announcement of their advent and their

Glory. Even in this avatar, such miracles had to be done when I decided that

the time was opportune for taking the people into My secret.

Let your mind ever dwell on Krishna of such stature. Sanctify every word and

deed by filling it with Prema of Krishna or whatever Name and Form you give to

the Lord you love. The gold of which an anklet was made, can become the gold

for a crown on the head of a temple image; only it has to be melted in the

crucible and beaten into shape. The waters of the river might be dirty; but,

the bhakta who sips it with a mantra or a sthothra (sacred sound or prayer) on

his lips, transmutes it into a sacred theertha (sanctified water). The body

becomes healthy by exercise and work; the mind becomes healthy by Upaasana

(devout contemplation) and Naamasmarana (remembrance of the Divine), by

regular, well-planned discipline, joyfully accepted and joyfully carried

out.

Ahimsa (non-injury) is the rice; Arpitha (dedication) is the gram;

praayaschittham (expiation) the raisins; paschaaththaapam (repentance) is the

jaggery. Mix all these well with the ghee, sadhgunam (virtue). That is the

offering you should make to your Ishtadevatha (chosen deity), not the paltry

stuff you make out of articles got for a paisa in the shops! The Gopis knew

this secret passage to the heart of the Lord and they realised Him quick and

fast.

The Lord has no hatred in Him

You have heard that Krishna is Murali-Maadhava, and what exactly is the murali?

You must be the murali (the flute). Let the breath of Krishna pass through you,

making delightful music that melts the hearts. Surrender yourself to Him; become

hollow, Vaasana-less, egoless, desireless; then, He will Himself come and pick

you up caressingly and apply you---the flute---to His Lips and blow His sweet

breath through you. Allow Him to play whatever song He likes.

The Lord is all Prema. He has no dhwesha (hatred) in Him. Once at Shirdi, a

certain Dr. Pillai came with much suffering, and he prayed that he might be

given ten births with the chance of dividing the pain into ten parts, so that

he could suffer a little each time and pay off his karmic debt, without being

hard put to it having to pay it all off in one! He was informed through Kaaka

Saheb that he should fall at the feet of Baba and as he did so, Baba got the

pain transferred to himself. For ten minutes, Baba suffered, at the rate of one

minute for each janma (birth), and thus he rid Dr. Pillai of his obligation.

Baba was quite normal, as soon as the 10 minutes were over.

Prema must be many-stranded in order to be strong and tough. A single strand is

..too weak.. Have it many-stranded, one towards the mother, another towards the

father, others strands towards husband, wife,, friend, son, daughter, etc. of

course Prema. is all-embracing, it cannot be confined to one item and denied

to, another. It is a current that flows over all Meditation on the Lord and His

Prema will help you to tap it from the depths of your heart.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 6-9-1963

There is no living being without the spark of love; even a mad man loves

something or somebody intensely. But, you must-recognise this love as but a

reflection of the Premaswaruupa (the embodiment of Love), that is your reality,

of the God who is residing in your heart. Without that spring of Love that

bubbles in your heart, you will not be prompted to love at all. Recognise that

spring, rely on it more and more, develop, its possibilities, try to irrigate

the whole world with it, discard all touch of self from it, do not seek

anything in return for it, from those to whom you extend it. - Sathya Sai Baba

22. THAMO GUNAM, THAPO GUNAM

ORUGANTI Narsimha Yogi has been explaining the Krishna-thathwam (principle) to

you during the last three days. Pundits (scholars) are the instruments through

whom you can gather the key to the understanding of the mystery of God; they

give you the gist of the Sasthras in easy, simple style and interpret them in

the light of whatever experience they have earned. You have to listen to them

with Shraddha and Bhakti (faith and devotion), in a mood of humility. Arjuna

told Krishna, "I came into this battlefield a dheera (brave person). I have now

become, a dheena (a man in distress) for I am but an instrument in your hands."

Arjuna was a Chinmaya muurthi (embodiment of divine consciousness), not as he

imagined, a Mrinmaya muurthi (mud filed body). He was suffused with Divine

Consciousness, not

earthly inertia. Only, he was not aware of It. A man gets into the company he

deserves, is it not? From the company, you can judge him. Well; Arjuna had the

Lord Himself for company! Arjuna had the Shraddha (faith) to concentrate on the

Geetha teaching, even in the midst of the battlefield, on the eve of the fight

that was to decide the fate of his family. He had Bhakti enough to compel

Krishna to show him the Vishwaruupa, the Viraatswaruupa (Universal Cosmic)

itself! He had the humility to declare that he would much rather beg than kill

his kith and kin; also to fall at the feet of Krishna when he could no longer

see how he should proceed.

Ajnaana is the disease afflicting the mankind

Develop these qualities and you too can get the company of the Lord. Krishna

aroused the raajasik (passionate) qualities again in Arjuna, by prodding him

and laughing at him for his cowardice and un-kshathriya (warrior) attitude of

renunciation; thus, the Thaamasik qualities of sloth and ignorance were

removed. Later, He transformed him into a saathwik (noble, pious) hero, fit for

the dharma yuddha (war of righteousness) that he was to wage.

Ishaavaasya Upanishath mentions that ajnaana (ignorance), is the greatest sin.

The Kaarpanyadhosha that the Geetha mentions is another name for the same

ajnaana. Geetha is the specific for this fell disease, which afflicts the

majority of mankind. You must all study the Geetha daily. Read a few slokas and

meditate on the meaning yourself; it will dawn on you in the silence of your

heart. You need not read elaborate commentaries. Each word in the Geetha is a

gem. No more do you need gemstones for the ear, the nose, and the neck; have

the gem of the Geetha slokas in your heart, let them activate your intellect

and your hands.

Essential purpose of all Divine play is Bliss

So long as you are entangled in the sensual world you cannot distinguish the

real from the unreal. But, you have to discover the real, through

discrimination; there is no avoiding that responsibility; you have to do it,

now or later. Power, status, wealth, authority---these are useless in this

adventure. Alexander, during his campaigns in the Punjab, was anxious to see a

celebrated sage; he went to the cave where the sage was, and expected that he

would be received most thankfully and with demonstrations of welcome. But the

sage simply asked him to move aside and go. He was not interested in the famous

world-shaker, the Greek conqueror. Alexander was very angry; he threatened to

kill the sage and drew his sword. But the sage said calmly, with a laugh "I do

not die; I cannot die." That put some sense in Alexander and he put his sword

back into the

scabbard.

Narsimha Yogi spoke of the Leela (divine play) where Brahma (One of the Trinity)

takes away the entire population of Brindavan including the cattle; Krishna

creates out of His Maya Shakthi (miracle power) identical men, women and

children and identical cattle and they carry on undiscovered, quite normally,

for one year! Now Brahma is not different from Vishnu or Krishna; they do not

work contrary to each other; they both work out the same plan. This Rupa (form)

is that Rupa; this upaadhi (disguise) and that upaadhi are both of the same Maha

Shakthi (Divine Energy). The essential purpose of all this Leela (divine play)

is Ananda (Divine Bliss). So, the One carries away when in one upaadhi called

Brahma and creates substitutes, when in another upaadhi called Krishna---all

for the sake of' the

Ananda it gives to the participants as well as to the onlookers and those who

listen to the story later. This is one way of announcing the Divinity of the

Avatar, Which has to be done so that men may listen and obey. The common man

will sit up in wonder and his awe will ripen into faith; later, even if he

salts discriminating and arguing pro and con, the Avatar will only be glad, for

the faith will thus be confirmed.

Remove the feeling of inferiority that dwarfs you

The mind is ever unsteady; it has to be educated; its quicksilver quality has to

be curbed; it is really Chaithanya-swaruupam (embodiment of Consciousness) and

it will become steady only when it is merged in Chaitanya, that is, the Divine.

There may be ice on a lake; the ice is jada (inert); but, move it all to one

side, press it aside and the sahaja swarupam (natural form) of water, the

Chaitanya reveals itself, That Chaitanya has no joy or sorrow. It is ever in

perfect equilibrium "I am That" I am not affected by either. Mine is

Samadhi---intelligence which is sama (steady), unaffected, unchanging Wisdom.

Remove the cataract and the vision becomes clear. So too, remove the feeling of

inferiority that dwarfs you now; feel that you are Atma swarupam,

Nithya-swarupam, Ananda swarupam (Absolute, Eternal and Blissful); then, every

act of yours becomes a yajna (sacrifice), a Pooja (ritual worship). The ear,

the eye, the tongue, the feet all become tools for your uplift, not traps for

your destruction. Transform thamo gunam (quality of inertia) into thapo gunam

(quality of austerity) and save yourself.

Know the best way of showing your gratitude

You are indeed lucky that such learned and experienced Pundits share with you

their scholarship and their joy. Practice mananam (contemplation) of what you

hear; that is the best way of showing your gratitude. You have another

advantage too. With your experience, you can understand the Bhagavatha better.

Swami’s nature is Vishwa Prema (all-pervading Love), you have known, and

Bhagavatha is the story of Vishwa Prema.

I declare that I am in every one, in every being. So do not hate any one, or

cavil at any one. Spread Prema always, everywhere. That is the best way of

revering Me. Do not seeks to measure Me or evaluate Me. I am beyond your

understanding. Pray or worship for your own satisfaction and contentment. But

to say that I will respond only if I am called or that I will save only if I am

thought of is wrong. Have you not heard the declaration? "Sarvathaah paani

paadham?" You can hear My Footsteps, for, I walk with you, behind you, beside

you. When you cry out in agony, "Don't you hear my heart's plaint? Have you

become so stony-hearted?" My ear will be there to listen. Ask that I should

protect you like the apple of the eye; My eye will be there to watch over you

and guard you. Have dhoopam

(incense) and scent-sticks for the Pooja, and I smell them. I answer to whatever

Name you use; I respond to whatever request you make with a pure heart and a

sanctified motive.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 7-9-1963

23. YOU AND I

AS Subbaraaya Shastri said, the deha (body) has to be used to ascend the ladder

of the three gunas, from thamas (inertia) to rajas (activism) and from rajas to

sathwa (goodness), so that finny, you may get beyond the ladder into the heights

above. The deha is the root of all the grief and all the disquiet, which is now

the lot of man Why? The deha was acquired by means of the good and bad that was

done in the previous birth. They are called collectively, karma. Karma is caused

by attachment and hatred, affection and disaffection. They are the products of

sheer ignorance, ignorance of the unity of all creation including oneself. This

ajnaana (ignorance) can be removed only by Su-jnaana (good knowledge). When a

man suffers from stomachache, the best treatment will be salts or a hot water

bag applied to the

stomach, and not medicated collyrium for the eye!

Ajnaana can be removed by acknowledging the universality of God and the merging

of your individuality in the Universal. First practice the attitude of "Nenu

neevaadu" ("I am yours," in Telugu). Let the wave discover and acknowledge that

it belongs to the sea. This first step is not as easy as it looks. The wave

takes a long time to recognise that vast sea beneath it that gives it its

existence. Its ego is so powerful that it will not permit it to be so humble,

as to bend before the sea.

The three steps to reach Non-duality

"I am yours. You are the Prabhu (Master). I am a Dasha (servant). You are

sovereign, I am bound." This mental attitude will tame the ego. Make every

activity worthwhile. This is the religious outlook named

Maarjaala-kishora---the attitude of the kitten to its mother, mewing

plaintively for succor and sustenance, removing all trace of the ego.

The next step is "neevu naavaadu" ("You are mine" in Telugu) where the wave

demands the support of the sea as of right. The Lord has to take the

responsibility of guarding and guiding the individual. The individual is

important, worthy to be saved, the Lord is bound to fulfill the need of the

bhakta. Suurdaas said, "You are mine; I will not leave you; I shall imprison

you in my heart; you shall not escape."

The next stage is. "Neevu nenu---("You are I" in Thelugu )- --I am but the

image, You are the Reality. I have no separate individuality; there is no

duality. all is One. Duality is but delusion. The first sign of spiritual life

is vairaagyam (detachment). If you have no vairaagyam, you are illiterate so

far as spiritual scholarship is concerned. Vairaagyam is the ABC of saadhana.

(spiritual effort). Vairaagyam must become strong enough to make you discard

the bondage of the senses. Just a few minutes of thought will convince any one

of the hollowness of earthly riches or fame or happiness. When you are

affluent, every one praises you; when the tank is full, hundreds of frogs croak

all round. When the tank is dry, not a single one is there to address the tank.

Seek the difficult road of God-realisation

If a corpse had a few jewels on it, the proverb says, many will claim kinship

with the dead person; if it has no valuables on it, not a single person will

come forward to weep for it! Consider when you are adding to your bank account

further and further sums of money whether you are not accumulating troubles for

yourselves and your children, making it harder for your children to lead clean,

comfortable and honourable lives. When you struggle to achieve paltry fame by

devious means, remember who among crores of your countrymen are honoured today

and for what? Don't you see that only those who gave up, renounced, sought the

more difficult road of God-realisation, instead of the easier path of

world-realisation, are honoured everywhere?

Welcome all the blows of fate, all the misfortunes and miseries, as gold

welcomes the crucible, the hammer and the anvil, in order to get shaped into a

jewel; or as the cane welcomes the chopper, the crusher, the boiler, the pan,

the sprayer, the dryer, so that its sweetness may be preserved and used as

sugar by all. The Paandavas never demurred when disasters fell thick upon them.

They were happy that they helped them to remember Krishna and call upon Him.

Submit to the Will of God in a resigned way

Bheeshma was in tears on the arrow-bed, when he was about to pass away. Arjuna

asked him why and he replied, "I am shedding tears because the miseries

undergone by the Paandavas pass through my mind." Then he said, "This is done

in order to teach the Kaliyuga a lesson, never to seek power, position or pelf,

but to submit to the Will of God, in a completely resigned way, so that you may

be ever happy and unmoved."

The Lord rushes towards the bhaktha (devotee) faster than the bhaktha rushes

towards Him. If you take one step towards Him, He takes a hundred steps towards

you! He will be more than a mother or father. He will foster you from within

you, as He has saved and fostered so many saints who have placed faith in Him.

Prashaanthi Nilayam, 8-9-1963

Anger and hatred can be used to ward off the evil that stalks the spiritual

aspirant; be angry at tilings that hamper you, hate the habits the brutalise

you. Cultivate jnaana (supreme knowledge) and visualise the Lord in all things

and activities. That makes this human birth worth-while. - Sathya Sai Baaba

24. BE MAHARANIS!

PRINCIPAL Parvathamma has been yearning long for this day, when I could come to

your College and speak to you. This College, as she said just now, has been in

existence for eightyfive years and it has educated and sent into various fields

of life thousands of women. Bhaarath is the land where Bha or Brahmavidhya

(knowledge of Brahman) has attracted the rathi (attachment) of its people,

where the people have a natural attraction towards spiritual saadhana, where

the call of tile Infinite is listened to with keenness. This keenness has now

declined; it is a great misfortune; you must see that it is not lost. You

should decide that it must be revived, at least in your own hearts.

An intellect that is moved only by Truth and a Consciousness that will not

tolerate the impurity of meanness or vice---these two are the pre-requisities

for the fulfilment of that ideal. This is the aasthi (wealth) that will make a

person an Aasthika (believer in God)! The intellect must investigate, as far as

it can, the fundamental problem, why this birth, whither this life, whence this

adventure, what the effect of human actions is on this life and on future

lives, etc. Consciousness must dive deep into the Divinity that underlies it.

Have faith in your own essential Divinity

The education that does not confer vinaya and viveka (modesty and wisdom) is

sheer waste of precious time; whatever else you learn or do not learn, equip

yourself with the strength that is necessary to be virtuous, to resist

temptation and the lures of the objective world. Viveka is not the cleverness

that is given inordinate value today, but, the capacity to see things in their

proper proportion, to evaluate the temporary and the lasting, the particular

and the universal, the shallow and the deep. You must also have the attitude of

reverence towards the past, the elders who are the repositories of the saintly

spiritual wisdom anti experience which you have to acquire.

Have also Faith---faith in your own essential Divinity, faith in the higher

values attainable by earnest practice and the exercise of vairaagyam

(detachment). Life becomes sweeter, with a little dose of denial too; if you

get all your desires, it begins to cloy. Deny yourselves many of the things

your mind runs after and you will find that you become tough enough to bear

both good fortune and bad.

Now, people are apt to go by the appearance, rather, than the reality of things

There was a man once, who was such an ardent devotee of Ganesha that he used up

all his riches to make golden images of that God as well as of the Mouse which

is His vehicle, besides an umbrella, a seat, and other appurtenances, all of

gold. Later he fell on evil days and so he had to sell all these loved things.

The merchant who offered to purchase them started weighing each item and

declaring the price it would fetch. When he said that the Ganesha would fetch

as much as the mouse, for both were of equal weight, the man got enraged and

complained that he was being let down. Ganesha must fetch more than the mouse!

That was because he forgot the reality and attached value to the appearance,

Form and the Name, and not to the substance.

Education is not for mere living

If value is given to the office that a man holds, which is but temporary, as

soon as he retires and starts sitting on a bench in the Laal Bagh, people will

stop recognising and saluting him! The schooling that gives only the outer

polish is just a waste of opportunity.

Education is not for mere living; it is for life, a fuller life, a more

meaningful, a more worthwhile life. There is no harm if it is also for a

gainful employment; but, the educated must be aware that existence is not all,

that gainful employment is not all. Again, education is not for developing the

faculty of argument, criticism, or winning a polemic victory over your

opponents or exhibiting your mastery over language or logic. That study is the

best which teaches you to conquer this cycle of birth and death, which gives

you the mental equipoise that will not be affected by the prospect of death,

that will not be disturbed by the blessings or blows of fate. That study begins

where this study of yours ends. When this material world is studied and

analysed, you realise that it is just a conglomeration of good and bad and you

aspire for something beyond

this duality. The light will dawn on you, only after you have acquired Sathya,

Dharma, Shanthi and Prema. The root cause is that the basic thing is not known

or experienced. How then can lasting peace be got?

Joy and grief are not brought about by others

When the doctor said, apply this ointment at the place where the scorpion stung

your son, the fond father asked the son, "Where did the scorpion sting?." The

boy replied. "in that corner" and the father applied the ointment to that spot

on the floor! How can the pain disappear? Take the lamp to the place where the

darkness is. Joy and grief are not brought about by others, they are emanations

from within you. So, cure yourself, do not try to put the blame on others and

start plans to cure them.

You carry piles of books up and down, from your rooms to college and back; you

know more about questions than about the answers. You can learn more by

observation and meditation than by conning over the pages of books. The really

valuable things, you can learn from the Vedas and the Upanishads and religious

scriptures.

A Pundit engaged a boat to take him across the flooded Godhavari. When the

journey over the river started, he began a lively conversation with the

boatman. He asked the boatman whether he had any schooling and when the reply

came that he had none he said sadly, "Alas! A quarter of your life has gone to

waste. It is as if you have drowned those years in the Godhavari." The Pundit

asked the boatman whether he could tell him the time from his watch; the

boatman confessed he did not have a watch nor cared to have one. The Pundit

deplored and said, "Half your life has gone into the Godhavari." His next

question was about newspapers; did the boatman read any, what was his favorite

paper? The boatman replied that he did not read any nor did he care to know the

news. He had enough to worry about already. The Pundit declared

forthright that three-quarters of the boatman's life had been liquidated.

Be prepared for both joy and grief

Just then the sky darkened with storm clouds and there was an imminent threat of

rain. The boatman turned to the Pundit; it was his turn to put a question. He

asked, "Can you swim?" and when the frightened passenger confessed he could

not, the boatman said, "In that case, your entire life is now going to merge in

the Godhavari." This is the case of the educated in India today They do not have

the training that will help them in distress, or in dire need, to win back their

mental poise.

You are being carried along the flood of material pleasures and lures; how long

can you drift like that? When you live in the world of desire, you must be

prepared for both joy and grief. If you invite the Minister Bhoga (material

enjoyment), you must be prepared for the visit along with him, of his Private

Secretary Roga (illness)! Invite, on the other hand, the Minister Thyaaga

(sacrifice), or his colleague Yoga (meditation1 and you will be happy to

receive their Private Secretary Bhoga (enjoyment), who plays a minor role in

the presence of his master.

Develop a pure and strong character

Real education is not the command over a number of languages. I remember an

incident that happened some time ago. The wife of an educated gentleman used to

get letters from a certain Lakshminaaraayana, whom the husband suspected to be a

boy friend of her college days and when a telegram came one day asking the wife

to meet Lakshminaaraayana at the railway station, he hid the message and waited

for developments, full of anger at the stranger as well as at his own wife.

Tragedy was averted when Lakshmi, the college friend rushed in, disappointed

that she did not meet her at the station according to the telegram. It seems

she had come to that very town, because her husband, Narayana, had been

transferred to that place! Mere literacy is the source of such silly

suspicions!

What is the worth of education if sheelam (virtuous conduct), is not found in

those who claim to have been educated? Develop a pure and strong character.

Remember most of you will get married and you will have the great

responsibility of rearing up families, that is a Very valuable opportunity.

Learn to adjust your likes and dislikes to those of others, learn the gentle

art of sacrifice and service-keep in mind, when you react angrily against your

mother-in-law, that a day will come When you too will have daughters-in-law!

Try to appreciate their points off, view; they may have greater forethought,

greater experience, greater sense of responsibility; they may know more about

people and things than you, who are fresh entrants in their household.

The family of the husband, which you enter with marriage, is a good training

ground; it is a saadhana-kshethra (field of spiritual practice). When you are

found fault with, do not fly into a rage; examine your Own conduct and discover

the faults in yourselves; self-examination is the first step to self-improvement

and peace. Do not exaggerate the faults of others, but give them a wide margin

and see them as small; exaggerate yours, see them big and strive to remove them

fast. Take all faultfinders as your friends and well-wishers for they give you

warning-signals in time.

Cultivate a sweet temper and sweet speech

I find that now a days, the art of cynical argumentativeness has spread

everywhere. This is a dangerous sign. On account of this, reverence has

disappeared; respect for the teacher has also gone. Of course there are

teachers who undermine their own dignity by such acts as begging cigarettes

from their own students! There was a murderer who was sentenced in court, but,

while arguing his defense, he pleaded, "I am the Aathma (Pure Self), as the

Geetha declares. How can I kill or the deceased be killed?" The judge answered,

"Do not worry. You will not die when you are hanged, nor can I get you executed.

It is all Aathma, undying, unkilling, everywhere, in all."

Dharma (Law) is applied by such people only when it suits them; otherwise, they

do not care for its commands. Cultivate a sweet temper and sweet speech, which

is its natural consequence. Speak without anger or spite, without any

artificiality or formality, straight from the heart. Then, you will be

spreading joy and love among all. When your parents plead that they cannot

afford to clothe you as you wish or give the various frills of finery that you

crave for, do not get wild and quarrel with them. Be bold enough to resist

temptation of yielding to the pressure of the crowd. Gunaposhana (nourishing

the good qualities) is as important as deha-poshana (nourishing the body),

remember.

Be silent partners, inspirers and teachers

You go about filling every bus, in attractive dresses, and carrying heaps of

books, but, let Me tell you, the greatest beauty aid for women is sheelam

(virtue). Attach importance to nishttha (discipline), and not to naashttha

(breakfast). You can miss naashtha but not nishttha. Live a regulated

disciplined life from now on; make it a habit, an Armour that will protect you

from harm.

Pray to God and recite His Name or meditate on His Glory for some fixed period

of time everyday; you will find it amply rewarding. Don't say, "Let me have a

taste of the reward and then, I shall start the Sadhana." Practice, and the

experience will follow, must follow. This College is known as the Maharani’s

Women's College. I want each of you to be a Maharani (Queen) of your household.

Maharanis watch the world from the inner apartments of the palace, through

interstices in the wall or enclosures; they can see, but they are safe from

other eyes. That is the highest sthree-dharma (Women's duty), as laid down in

the Sasthras; you should not be seen or talked about; you must be away from

public gaze; you must be silent invisible partners, inspirers and teachers.

If you desire that others should honour you, you should honour them too. If

others must serve you, serve them first; love begets love; trust engenders

trust. Self-aggrandizement and selfishness bring disaster in their train. As a

matter of fact, no joy can equal the joy of serving others. Be like this

timepiece; show the correct time to all who desire to know, irrespective of the

person who comes for the information. It has no likes and dislikes.

A prayerful life will be a source of strength

People call you weak. Do not believe it. Having all these strong points in your

favour, intelligence, discipline, spiritual capacity, consciousness of other's

excellences, awareness of one's faults, eagerness to improve yourself, how can

you be called "weak"?

I was asked by your Principal to plant a champaka tree in the garden of this

college and I did it gladly; but the thing, which will give me greater

pleasure, is to plant the sapling of prayer in your hearts. A prayerful life

will not yield to the fury of passion; it will be a source of strength and

Co-operation.

Decline in the discipline of Naamasmarana (constant thought of the Lord) has

been the cause of the decline of this country. A single household now has ten

factions and parties; those who cannot reform their own homes have started

reforming the country and advising co-operation and harmonious living to

others.

The knowledge of the Aathma as the very basis of all beings is now forgotten and

that is the cause of Ashaanthi---all the unrest, the confusion and the moral

crisis of today. It is to awaken the sleeping, and communicate to them this

Message that I have come. I bless that all of you may have lives full of joy

and peace; I bless that this College may have many many more years of useful

life, useful in helping the women of this land to realise themselves and help

others to do so.

Maharani’s Women's College, Mysore, 12-9-1963

The journey of every man is towards the cemetery; every day brings you nearer to

the moment of death. So, do not delay the duty you must carry out for your own

lasting good. Recognise that you are Shiva (God), before you become a shava

(corpse); that will save you from further deaths. - Sathya Sai Baba

TO BE CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’

Source and Courtesy: http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume03/sss03

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