SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume III [Ch. 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 (Last Ch.)]

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Dear Sai brothers and sisters of the worldwide '' family,

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

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we are posting the Divine Messages titled as

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

world over. We request members 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. 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 (Last Ch.)]

38. PROJECT SITE, POOJA SITE

I LIVE upon the Ananda that you derive when you sing the Name and glorify the

Form of the Lord. That is My food, My daily sustenance. So, I have no need to

talk to you; it is sufficient if I sit here and draw in the Ananda that you

feel when you do Bhajan (group singing of the glory of the Lord), You have all

gathered here from the distant corners of our country, from every state and

every linguistic unit, in order to pool your separate skills of hand and head

for the successful completion of this great task which will give food and

happiness for crores of brothers and sisters for centuries. This is a great

chance for all of you, a chance that comes to few, however skilled they might

be. It is a rare chance that comes to few in any country. The lake that will

fill this gorge with waters of the Krishna river when you build the dam

across it, will be your Nishkama karma, a samudhra (an ocean of selfless

effort). You will all see it and feel its coolness, depth and strength. It will

gladden you and inspire you and make you feel that your life has been

worthwhile.

Don't go about this holy work in a haphazard way, without Shraddha and Bhakti

(faith anti devotion). You have to, by that Shraddha and Bhakti, curb this

mighty river, which has carved its way through these hard rocks since the

beginning of time, and you have to obstruct its speed and its rage for the

benefit of man and beast. Man has, by his skill and daring, to make this

wayward child of Nature halt for a while, and pass on.

Canalise your passions into useful fields

This task will become lighter if man curbs his own waywardness and his own

egoism, anger, malice, envy, and greed and the roaring flood of his passions.

Dam them in your own hearts, and canalise them into useful fields. Utilise the

force of those qualities to gain better results from your efforts and Sadhana

(spiritual discipline). Grow in those fields the fruits of Shanthi and Prema.

That is the agriculture that aspirants know, and which you can also learn with

ease. For it is an ancient science, which your own forefathers practiced for

ages. I have come to remind you of it and to tell you all of the need once

again to follow that path.

Blood, phlegm, bile---these decide, by their proportion and predominance, the

physical health of a man. So too there are three qualities that decide by their

proportion and predominance the mental health of man. Just as you obey the rules

of health for fear of falling ill, you have to practice certain mental

restrictions and regulation so that you may have peace, contentment, joy,

enthusiasm and faith. You have to apply the brake on the wayward mind so that

it may not drag you into disaster. You have ever to work in the cool shade of

two dreads: the dread of sin and the dread of God.

You do not remember that you are really and genuinely Shanthi and Ananda, that

you are fundamentally (and therefore, mentally too) Sathya, Nitya and Nirmala

(Truth, Eternal and Pure). The anxiety and fear, which haunt you, now are

caused by this loss of memory. The intention of the Lord is that you should

have Shanthi and Ananda, every moment of your life; but, you forget the springs

that well up within you, that have their Source in the Divinity enshrined in

your hearts, and pine for what you feel you have not.

Prescription for peace and contentment

You may not have, all of you gathered here, the same Name and the same form, for

the God whom you adore; you may differ in habits, customs, manners and styles of

food and dress---but the Ananda you derive from them is the same. Every one of

these has been designed by the wisdom of ages to give you security, safety and

satisfaction. When the padha (word), is changed, the padhaartha (matter)

remains the same; water is known by the word paani in U.P., Thanneer in Madras,

Neeru in Andhra---but, the substance is the same. So, you may speak different

languages or use different sound-signals and follow different habits of food

and dress and even of worship and prayer. But, they are all, believe Me,

instruments for your uplift and progress. I shall give you one prescription

which will give you the Peace and Contentment which you seek: It is Namasmarana

(remembering the name of the Lord). Install on the tongue any one of the

thousand names of the Lord, current in any part of the world, among any

community of devotees. Repeat the Name for some time at least every day as part

of your duty to yourself, a discipline which will yield good results, a habit

which you Should cultivate as a compensation for the hard toil that you do by

your body from sunrise to sunset.

Spend a few minutes daily with God

Bharatha (India) is the land where every one has rathi (attachment) to Bhaa or

Bhagawan (God); but, today, people are in fact losing that taste and that

attachment. You may tell Me, "We are so busy, we have no time to spare." Well,

I cannot believe it is true. I know that you are finding time, in spite of the

hard work throughout the day, to attend cinemas, to engage in wayside chats, to

promote and partake in factions, in quarrels and for many other distractions,

which add to the sum of your worries.

It is best you stay away from companions who drag you to such distractions that

weaken and worry you; spend a few minutes every morning and evening in the

silence of your own shrine or home, spend them with the highest of all powers

that you know of. Be in His elevating and inspiring company; worship Him

mentally; offer unto Him all the work you do; you will come out of the silence

nobler and more heroic than when you went in.

Just consider---do you come out of the cinema theatre more peaceful, more

heroic, purer, nobler than when you went in? No; your passions are aroused,

your animal impulses are catered for, your lower nature is fed. Nothing else

can give one that rich reward, which silence and prayer and communion with the

Master can give. Not even a decent bank account, nor a string of degrees, nor

the muscles of a prizefighter.

Spend money you earn usefully and wisely

There is a story connected with the construction of the great temple at

Kalahasthi. It was built according to tradition by sage Agastya, helped by

Bhrigu and Bharadwaj. Every day when the Sun was about to set, Agastya called

every worker before him as he sat on the river bed and under his instruction,

the two sages poured into the lap of each worker, sand taken from the bed; that

was his wages! Now, that sand changed into gold in strict proportion to the work

that the receiver had put in that day. If one did more work, he got more gold;

if less, less. If one had wasted the entire day, it would remain sand, so far

as that worker was concerned. There was no injustice, no grumbling, no

favoritism. All worked in the presence of the All-seeing and so, all accepted

the gold that was vouchsafed by the Almighty, for it was just his due, no more,

no less. It is

work that is done in this spirit, the spirit of the constant presence of the

Lord, that is honest; the Lord will reward by His Grace the work that is done

sincerely and gladly, not work that is done for fear of superior officers, or

maistries (foremen). If your hearts are pure, your work too would be pure.

Remember the grandeur of what you are engaged in, here. Remember the might of

this river, which you are persuading to obey you. That will make you humble and

devoted. In the Prashanthi Nilayam, the Bhaktas themselves carried on their

shoulders stone, mortar and sand, and as a result of the Seva they did, we have

now a big hospital and a fine Paatasaala and a huge auditorium. The entire

building is saturated with their Bhakti and so I said once, the aroma of that

devotion itself cures the patients.

Be careful when you choose your friends

You should use the money that you earn usefully and wisely. Crores of rupees are

distributed at every project site to the workmen, but, at the end of it all,

when the camp is broken and the people start packing, they have little to carry

home! Do not fritter away your hard-earned incomes on tinsel, entertainment and

temporary pleasure; think of your future, your children, your parents. Think

also of the reaction these wasteful, attractions produce. Think of the harm

they inflict on your precious character. Think of all those who are dependent

on you for food and shelter and the love that you alone can offer them. Examine

each item of expenditure with reference to these noble tasks. That is the sign

of the wise man.

Do not admit into your mind the demon of a-Shanthi (restlessness). Direct all

your cleverness and all your intelligence to the successful execution of the

great drama which all of you are helping to present. It is His Drama, He is the, you are but a role, an actor, carrying out His Will, speaking words

that He has put in your mouth, making movements as directed by Him. It is all a

matter of the company you fall into. Be careful when you choose your friends.

Form small Satsang and meet regularly for Bhajan and mutual consultations about

spiritual matters. Read some fine spiritual classics like the Bhagavad Gita.

Fill your eyes with the Beauty of His Form, your ears with the story of His

Leelas (miraculous activities), hearts with the sweetness of His Glory; inspire

yourselves by seeing Him everywhere. Think of His

Immanence in every hill and dale, every man and beast, every tree, bird and

insect. You will be really thrilled by the joy of that vision. That will make

your work as light as Pooja and as satisfying.

Dwell on Brahman that binds all jeevas together

The vaanaras (sub-humans) while building the bridge across the ocean, carried

huge boulders on their heads, repeating Rama Nama all the while and that made

the rocks weigh less; it is even said that they wrote the name on the stones

and that made them float! Each time they hauled or lifted a stone, they sang

Rama Nama in unison and so they were a happy lot, doing Pooja; not work, which

is unpleasant. Rama’s Grace helped all to overcome obstacles. Take the name and

make your work light; that is My advice to you.

Your officer here gave Me a garland of flowers just now; it is made up of two

things- flowers that were buds yesterday, that blossomed today, and will fade

before morn; and the thread that was, is and will be. The flower is a-Nitya

(impermanent); it represents the Jeevi (living being), that is subject to

birth, growth and decay; the thread is Nitya (eternal), it is Brahman

(Omnibeing), on which all Jeevis are strung---"suuthre mani ganaa ira." The

Jeevas, like these flowers, are of different characteristics and natures and

vaasanas (past impressions), but the string is one uniform consistent base, the

Brahma Sutra, that binds all together, in one common creation. Dwell upon that

unity for some time at least, every day, and that will save you from all

types of a-Shanthi {agitation). You are engaged in the task of conferring Shuka,

santhosha and sampath (welfare, happiness and prosperity) to crores of people; I

bless you so that you may complete the sacred task quickly and successfully,

without the shadow of misfortune of interruption of any sort, and with no

discordant note.

Shrishailam Project Site---Address to the Workers, 6-12-1963

Without the control of the senses, man is like a horse without blinkers, like a

bull that refuses to yield to the yoke; his Sadhana is a waste of time and

energy. The special feature of man's composition is that he has discrimination,

detachment and synoptic intellect; he can discover Truth and be fixed in it, and

gain unshakable peace. - Sathya Sai Baba

39. THE TURN OF THE KEY

THE task now is to install Dharma in every heart, to shed light on every road,

through the revival of Vedanta. The world is like a famished person, waiting

for a feast; it is like the parched land waiting for rain. I have seen and felt

the atmosphere of this land surcharged with discontent and dishonesty; I have

seen it from Kanyaakumari to the Himalayas. That is the reason why thousands

like you seek Darshan, Sparshan and Sambashan (sacred sight, touch and talk). I

am only surprised that thousands are denying themselves the chance.

Man 'is daily growing more and more greedy to know more about the lives of

others, more extrovert, in fact. He wants to escape from himself, by

interesting himself in others. He does not want to worry about the details of

his own life, or the problems of his own rehabilitation. Of what benefit is all

this burden of information that you seek to carry in your head, this knowledge

of the various regions of the world, without a knowledge of the region of your

own self, the centre of all the interest that you evince? It is no good

wandering all over the world, contacting men of various races, and getting

engrossed with earning and spending without being able to know your own

identity!

To win Bliss, Sadhana with Vairagya is essential

The tree of the human body finds its fruition, when it yields Prema. That sweet

gift is the reason why it grew and had to be fostered. It drew its substance

from the earth and the Sun. What does it give in return for the gifts it got

from both these as well as from the human community Prema. The fruit is sweet,

but the rind can afford to be bitter. For the rind of anger, malice, envy,

greed has to be peeled off, before it is put to use. Use the bitterness in you

to preserve and develop the sweetness within yourself.

>From the experience of saints and sages, you can realise that the joy got from

the external world is infinitesimal when compared with the Bliss won through

spiritual discipline. To win that Bliss, Sadhana (spiritual effort) full of

Vairagya (detachment) is essential. When boring is done to draw water from the

bowels of the earth, the pipe has to be kept free from air so that the water

could rise up. If the air enters, the water will not rise. So too, be sure that

attachment to worldly things does not mar your Sadhana. Prema will not well up,

if sensual pleasures and personal pride invade the Mind.

So long as life persists, you will be caught up in heights and depths, good and

bad, rights and wrongs. Duality is inevitable. It is even necessary. A hero

shines against a background of villains; Prahlaadha's faith had to be tested

against the background of Hiranyakasipu denials; the Pandavas demonstrated the

strength of meekness only when they faced the savagery of the Kauravas. A city

has pipes for the drinking water, as well as for sewage. Man has a system of

arteries as well as veins, for the circulation of pure and impure blood. Both

contribute to the health of the individual.

Yoga is often turned into Roga

The fault is: You know that a thing is improper, but still you continue to do

it, curbing your conscience and suppressing the nobler impulses. The world is

all set for profit, as the quickest means of attaining joy. High profit, quick

profit, easy profit---why, when measuring or counting, you don't start with

"One," but say instead, "Laabham" (Profit). The next one is two, of course,

but, the idea with which you start is "Laabham," not Service!

The problem should not be how to live glamorously so that you make others envy

you, but how to live gloriously or better still, how to die gloriously! ---So

gloriously that you are not put to the humiliation of dying again. What do you

take with you when you die? Mohammed of Ghazni instructed his Vazir to take his

corpse to the burial ground with both his hands raised, so that people should

see that he came with empty hands and went with hands as empty as when he came,

though he had plundered the wealth of a hundred cities.

Sadhana has to be taken up under the direction of an expert, who knows your

health and temperament well. Over-enthusiasm and irregularity are both to be

avoided. If Viveka (discrimination) plays false, Sadhana (spiritual practice)

is a snare; a little forgetfulness of the limits of heating may spoil kiln of

bricks; a few extra handfuls of washing soda will ruin a bundle of clothes in

the wash; a few extra words with the neighbor regardless of time, and a whole

potful of rice is over boiled and wasted. Vigilance, care, and

circumspection---these are very important for the Sadhana. Yoga is often turned

into Roga (disease), for lack of continuous self-examination.

Attach yourself to the Larger Self

Just just being woken up can cure a man weeping, because a cobra has bitten him

in his dream! No doctor is needed. So, too when Arjuna who was suffering from

Ajnaana (ignorance) was given Jnaana (spiritual knowledge), he recovered and

did his duty. The pain and the snake will both disappear if the dreamer is

awakened. He is only imagining that a snake bit him.

When you invite a blind person for dinner, remember that you have to lay two

plates not one for one guest only. For, he will be certainly accompanied by a

guide. The blind man is Arjuna and the guide is Sujnaana. Sujnaana (good

knowledge) will lead him aright. Both are in the same person. Only, Sujnaana

has to take charge and lead.

Turn the key to the right, it is unlocked. Turn to God and righteousness, the

lock opens, the chain falls away. Turn it to the left, you become bound; the

bolt falls in; the chain holds fast. It is just a question of the point of

view---outlook or Inlook? Out-query? In-query?

For all this, the prime need is Faith. Faith in yourself! You can move mountains

in the social level, if you conquer your mind in the individual level. Curb your

powers and make them run along useful channels; that will result in Joy for you

and others. To get that faith, know your Truth. To know that, attach yourself

to the Larger Self, of which you are a part, by constant Namasmarana.

Speech at Dhronaachalam, 8-12-1963

To get the attitude of surrender, of dedication, you must have Faith in God.

This world is His play; it is not an empty dream; it has purpose and use. It is

the means by which one can discover God; see Him in the beauty, the grandeur,

the order, and the majesty of Nature. These are but shadows of His Glory and

His splendor. Upasana (adoration of God), leads to the knowledge that He is in

all; when you experience that there is no Second that is Jnaana! - Sathya Sai

Baba

41. FINE ARTS AND THE FINEST ARTS

INDIA is the Moolasthaanam (sanctum sanctorum) of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and

Prema (Truth, Virtue, Peace and Love); she has been holding forth these ideals

and emphasising their practice since centuries. Bharath means the land that has

rathi (attachment) to bha or Bhagawan; it means that the people here are

God-loving, not so much God-fearing. If you love God, you have to love Man

also. This teaching that Sathya is the basis of Dharma which lays down

individual and social duties and obligations, and that Sathya is also the root

of Prema and Shanthi---this is the unique feature of Bharath. Sathya is enough;

no other God need be worshipped.. Here, in the Gurukulams and the Rishi ashrams

(hermitages), the emphasis has always been on practice, on

Acharya and Vichaara (conduct and deliberation). Use your reason; it is

God-given gift. Satisfy yourself whether the prescription will cure you; then,

follow also the course of discipline, which is recommended with the particular

drug. Then you gain Ananda, full, free, undiminishable. That is the teaching,

which the people of Bharath have been receiving from the cradle to the grave

for ages.

Sundharamuurthy had arranged a "grand" procession for Me from his Institute to

this Stadium, for, this day he is celebrating the Silver Jubilee of his

Institute! Let Me tell you this now itself: I do not like this pomp and show. I

do not derive any joy out of it.

Do not waste money on pomp and show

Pomp, such as this, has become a fashion now, even among ascetics and monks who

ought to know better. They profess poverty and simplicity and yet, they allow

or encourage their disciples to waste much energy and money on pomp and

pageantry, which serve only to develop the egoism of themselves and their

followers. The emphasis on show makes a thing hollow of all meaning. The misery

of the present age is largely due to this empty ritual of insincere

demonstrations.

You should all resolve to maintain the honour and dignity of the country, which

is your responsibility. Bharath is entitled to be the Guru (preceptor) of the

world. Her's is no mean history. This is the land of Krishna, where the Vedas

and the Upanishads saw the light, where Sankaracharya established monasteries

for the propagation of the Sanathana Dharma (eternal religion). This land will

be saved, for it has a mission to perform, which no other can fulfill.

Don't yield to silly fears that this or that country will endanger its freedom.

That is impossible. The Avatar of the Lord has come and the effect will be

safety for this holy land. Live the life that was held forth as the ideal by

the sages of the past and happiness is ensured. That kind of life will give

internal contentment and quiet calm.

Festival of the Atma is more magnificent

Prayer is a more powerful force than military re-enforcements: if made with a

sincere heart it will be certainly answered. It will strengthen the hands of

the people of this land more than any other source of encouragement.' It will

join the hearts of the people more than lectures or pamphlets can do. What is

the use of trying for the unity of mankind or the union of this continent or

that, with so many factions and misunderstandings festering this country?

Become united yourselves sincerely and firmly, before advising others to close

up their ranks. Repent for the faults of partisanship committed by you and

begin a new chapter of brotherly co-operation.

Sundharamuurthy and his friends and coworkers are happy today because of the

'Silver Jubilee'. It is a festival for the Institute: but, I consider the

Festival of the Atma to be more magnificent. The Atma has an eternal festival!

It is Aanandhaswaruupa (bliss-filled). It is beyond time and so does not

calculate the passage of time. How Can man celebrate a festival, let Me ask,

while he is afflicted by Deha bhraanthi, Indhriya bhraanthi,

Mano bhraanthi and Loka bhraanthi? He believes the falsehoods (bhraanthi) that

are named the body, the senses, the mind, the world! He pursues them and tastes

joy and grief; and, when a certain number of years is passed in the pastime, he

celebrates a festival!

Man is a compound of animal and angel

This is Maya (illusory power) within Maya (the great worldly illusion). I have

not come to announce to you that this Institute has finished twenty-five years

of existence. I am concerned with the spiritual arts, the finest arts, rather

than the fine arts. I want that Sundharamuurthy should depict in dance

spiritually elevating subjects, like Radha and Krishna and their sublime

relationship that is beyond the ken of man. He must give up themes such as

drunkards, evil men, power-drunk personalities and clowns, which cater to

vulgar tastes. Adjust all items of dance and dramatic representation to the

spiritual urge in man; foster it, fertilize it and take people a little nearer

to the Goal.

Man is a compound of animal and angel, we can say. He has in him the wolf, the

monkey, the bullock, the jackal, the snake, the peacock, the bear---and he has

beneath all these, the pure Spark of Divinity too. It is the duty of all who

cater to the senses of man to transform the low values now pervading, and

transmute them into higher values. The rulers too must canalise the enthusiasm

and imagination of the people along healthy lines.

Bangalore, Shivaajinagar, 14-12-1963

42. SAMADHRISHTI

THOSE who live in Malleswaram have made good arrangements for celebrating the

Annual Festival of the Bhajans (community singing) that they have been

conducting here. Bhajan always gives Ananda and Shanthi. See that it is not

used for increasing your egoism, or mutual recrimination, or envy or pride, as

very often happens. Be humble, be calm, be tolerant.

Co-operate with all and treat every one with courtesy and kindness. Bhakti is

not a uniform to be worn on Thursday evenings, when you gather for Bhajan, and

to be laid aside when the Bhajan is over. It must mean the promotion of an

attitude of humility, of revering parents, teachers, elders, and others; it is

a mental outlook, an attitude that is ever-present. It is the sustenance of the

heart, just as food is sustenance for the body. Like the needle of the compass

always pointing to the North, never deviating from that direction, returning to

it, readily, gladly, quickly, whenever it is shaken off that line, so too the

Bhakta (devotee) must face the Lord ever, must be happy only when he is set

towards Him.

The spiritual Triveni leading to samadhrishti

Many people think of God only when grief overtakes them; of course, it is good

to do so; it is better than seeking the help of those who are also equally

liable to grief. But, it is infinitely better to think of God in grief and in

joy, in peace and strife, in all weathers. The proof of the rain is in the

wetness of the ground; the proof of Bhakti is in the Shanthi the Bhakta has,

Shanthi which protects him against the onslaughts of success as well as

failure, fame, dishonor, gain and loss.

Bhakti is the river Ganga. Vairagya (detachment) is the river Yamuna and Jnaana

is the river Saraswathi of this spiritual Triveni (confluence of three rivers).

Jnaana is the through train; you just board it, that is enough; it takes you

direct to the destination. Bhakti is the through-carriage; though it may be

detached from one train and connected with another, if you get into it, you

need not worry; so long as you stick to your place, it is bound to take you to

the destination. Karma is the ordinary train; if you board it, you have to

disembark, climb in and climb out at every junction, load your luggage and

unload it, and do a good lot of work to reach your destination.

Bhakti alone is enough, even to acquire Jnaana. It ends in Samadhrishti (seeing

only Brahman in all) and it destroys egoism. Jnaana too gives you these. Narada

once offered to teach the Gopis (illiterate cowherd women), the principles of

philosophy, Vijnaanabodha, as he called it. Krishna agreed. But, they said. "We

do not care for your learning and your discourse. We see Krishna everywhere and

in everything and so, we have no hate or envy or malice. We have Samadhrishti

and we have no ahamkar (egoism). We believe this is enough for us."

Narada found that what they claimed was correct; so he left discomfited.

You are not traveling Godward

Now, most of you are leading a double or treble life; Yogam (practicing union

with God)in the morning, bhogam (enjoyment) the rest of the day and rogam

(suffering) at night. You seek Ananda outside you and suffer from the ulcer of

desire inside you. You utter one thing with the tongue and carry out the

opposite with the hand. You claim to be seekers of Jnaana but you are attached

to the delusion you have cultivated. You have a ticket for Calcutta but you are

traveling in the train headed for Bombay! With the body, which is your ticket,

Vijnaana, and Vairagya (world knowledge and detachment) t as your luggage, you

are traveling not in the train, which goes Godward, but in the train leading to

Prakriti (objective world). This is the pity! The roots must go deep, deep down

to the level of underground water.

The trees that grow on the bunds of canals are green with thick foliage. Your

roots must also go deep into the Divinity that will keep you green whatever the

dryness of the weather or heat of the Sun.

You can recognise God in your own self

This is the Age of Profit. The question that any one asks when he is asked to do

a thing is, "What is the profit?How much is the profit?How sure is the

profit?" Well. Let Me also ask, "Of what profit is all this feeding and

growing, this striving and struggling, this earning and saving and spending,

this losing and gaining, this speeding in cars and planes, if by these means

you do not get peace in the mind, joy in the heart?"

All these activities only serve to hide the real nature of the individual, to

overwhelm it under a mass of trivialities, to suppress the natural influence of

the real Truth of Man. Develop a love for God, then you can recognise Him very

near you, in your own Self. That is the assurance I am giving to all of you.

Malleshwaram, Sathya Sai Bhajan Mandali, 15-12-1963

The conquest of the ego is a very hard task; years of persistent effort are

needed to get success in this endeavor. For getting a Degree you struggle in

the University for a number of years, poring over books night and day, how much

more difficult is this examination, success in which guarantees lasting

happiness, and escape from the weary round of birth and death. - Sathya Sai

Baba

43. THE DIVINE VOICE

NARAKAASURA is present in every one as Kama, Krodha, Lobha (lust, hate, greed)

and as bhaya and dhukha (fear and grief), which are against the very nature of

man. Just as an umbrella with inferior cover, cannot protect you from rain, but

only one with a waterproof cover, so too in this storm driven world incessantly

flushed by-torrential rain, an umbrella with Kama-proof and Krodha-proof

covering is required. The five bhuuthas (fire, earth, water, ether and wind)

cannot harm one who is equipped with such protection. The five Durgas

(fortresses) in which Narakaasura is said to have taken refuge are the five

elements. There is great Avyaktha Shakti (latent power) inherent in every one

and when that Shakti is made vyaktha (explicit), man deserves to be called

vyakthi (individual).

When that is made manifest the Asura (demon) will automatically be destroyed.

Your reality is Atma; your quality is Ananda. What does it matter to you if

Krishna and Sathyabhaama kill the Narakaasura of the Puraanas. For you, Krishna

is Paramatma (Super or Omni Self) and Sathyabhaama is the Jeevi (individual

self). Paramatma destroys the evil propensities with the active collaboration

of Jeevi: Jeevi defeats evil with the active Grace of the Lord.

Make Kama, the servant of Rama

India is the repository of spiritual power: but now, scarcely any one practices

the disciplined life which is the mark of that power. Even now millions go on

pilgrimages; millions of copies of sacred texts and spiritual lore are bought

and read-thousands of ascetics and gurus are scattered over the land and they

receive the homage of the people. But yet there is no peace in the heart, no

food ill the stomach, no clothes to keep the cold off the body. India, which is

Annapoorna Swarupa (the granary of the earth), has now to go about with begging

bowl for food for her children. This tragedy is caused by ill discipline, by

want of self-control. By what can be called A-swaa-raajya (the absence of

Self-Government, Government of the Self). Sathyanarayana, when he acted the

role of Sathyabhaama in the drama, remembered always that he was

Sathyanarayana, though he was also aware that he had a part to play in the drama

and he played it well. It would be a failure if he forgets either his

Sathyanarayana-hood or his Sathyab-haama-hood. So, too, act in the world but

remember your genuine Self. When humanity forgets that this is a play and

starts assuming it real, the Lord comes down to remind them of it. Otherwise,

when the execution scene is enacted heads will fall; when Lanka is set on fire

in the drama, the theatre itself will be consumed. Do not take the world more

seriously than it deserves. There is space for only just one throne in your

heart. But, now you are inviting too many to sit on it or you try to put two

thrones there, one for Rama, and one for Kama; or, when you find it difficult,

you are inviting Rama and Kama to squeeze themselves into that one seat! Or,

you install Kama and want Rama to sit down below as his henchman! No wonder

Rama deserts you. Make Rama the deity on

the throne and utilise Kama as His servant---there is no harm.

Cultivate the inward look

The mother-cat, it is said, takes hold of the newborn kitten and shifts it from

place to place, seven times, within few days of its birth, so that its eyes

might open and it might see! The kitten gets proper vision after going through

seven transfers but, man does not get the vision (viz,, that he is in reality

the deathless, birthless, infinite Atman) even after he is shifted from womb to

womb a million times! This is the tragedy of ignorance and sloth.

You have heard of the story of Gajendra Moksha, the elephant caught and dragged

by the crocodile, appealing helplessly to the Lord and the Lord sending down

the Sudarsana Chakra (discus) to slay the tormentor and save the beast. The

story has a deeper meaning, which has universal appeal. The wild elephant is

the Jeevi (the individual), full of sensual greed and blind with delusion. It

enters the tank of Samsara (flux), of the objective world. There the crocodile

of egoism grasps its leg in the vice of its teeth and pulls it down deeper and

deeper into the mire of Samsara.

There is a definite process for God-realisation

The individual struggles by itself for a long time until pride is exhausted and

its faith in its own powers is spent. Then, it appeals in complete Saranagathi

(surrender) to the Lord and what does the Lord send? Sudarsana. Mark that word,

what does it mean? Sudarsana---Good sight! Beneficial outlook! A vision that is

correct, conducive to lasting joy, namely, the inward look, away, from the

sense objects, Aavriththa Chakshu. As soon as that sight is cultivated, egoism

is destroyed and the Jeevi is freed.

Live and act in the world, by all means; but, deal with Samsara as you apply

collyrium to the eye. The eye is not blinded by the collyrium, it is rendered

more efficient, more charming, that is all. So too, Samsara (worldly life) must

make your Sadhana (spiritual effort) more efficient and more pleasing to

yourself and others. Be like the lotus, which though born in mud rises higher,

through the waters, on the region of sunlight. It requires both mud and water

for its existence but, it knows their real value; so it does not allow itself

to be contaminated by either.

A great sage once fell in with a gang of non-believers in an atheist settlement.

They crowded around him and plied him with impertinent queries and insisted that

he must show them the God in whom he believed. The sage promised to do so, but,

asked for some milk, before he could demonstrate God. The vessel of milk was

brought; he sat silent for a long while, stirring the milk with his finger. The

crowd got exasperated at the delay and at his silence. They asked him what he

was at; he replied that he was only trying to spot out where the butter was,

top, middle or bottom? The crowd shouted that it was everywhere, in every drop

of milk and that he could see it only when the preliminary process of churning

was done. Then, the sage answered, "Well, the Lord too is immanent in every

atom of this Universe. He can be perceived and experienced only when the

preliminary spiritual exercises of Sadhana are done. There is a definite

well-known process for God-realisation also, just as there is a definite

well-known process for butter realisation.

Prashanthi Nilayam, December 1963

I want devotees to improve their behavior and character. It is no good attending

the temple and sharing loudly, with cymbals in your hands, in the singing of

devotional songs there. They are but external signs of enthusiasm. God watches

the bhaavam (the thought power behind), not the baahyam (the outward pomp) -

Sathya Sai Baba

SATHYA SAI SPEAKS – VOL. III CONCLUDED

VOL. IV TO BE CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’

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

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