No.6 : Questions put to Prof. Anil Kumar and answered by him. 81 to 96 (total 228 Q & A* )

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16 questions (total 228 Q & A* ) put to Prof. Anil Kumar and answered by him.

 

*Questions & Answers 81 to 96

 

96 “Please say a few words on Ahimsa, non-violence.”

 

There are many acts of ahimsa. There are many expressions of ahimsa also. But

himsa, violence, is rampant today. Himsa means violence. It is rampant. Today,

violence is everywhere. You hear it the moment you switch on your radio, the

moment you switch on your TV. You read it the moment you sit at the breakfast

table and open the newspaper. The whole front page speaks of violence somewhere

or the other - this group fighting with that group, or this man murdering so

many people. Violence! Violence!

 

Bhagavan's concept of violence is different from the ordinary connotations. The

concept of violence that we understand is hurting or harming somebody. Bhagavan

has gone a step beyond: You can be violent by how you look at another. Some

people look at us in such a way that we feel very much embarrassed. ‘Why is

that man looking like that? Why? What happened to him? (Laughter) He seems to

be some wild animal. Why? There is no friendship in his looks. There is no love

in his looks. Something is wrong with this man.’ So, you can hurt, you can be

violent through your looks.

 

By using words, you can be violent. I can give you numerous examples because we

are surrounded by acts of verbal violence, verbal acts!

 

“Sir, where can I sit?”

 

"SIT THERE!" Violence! (Laughter)

 

“Sir, I want to give a letter to Swami. So can I sit in the front?”

 

"NO, SIT, SIT!" (Laughter) Violence!

 

“Sir, I want another spoon of Sambar.”

 

"NOTHING DOING!" (Laughter) Violence!

 

“Sir, is this book available?"

 

“CHECK THE LIST! CAN’T YOU FIND IT THERE?" Violence!

 

“Sir, when is darshan time?”

 

“ASK THE NEXT FELLOW. THIS IS NOT AN ENQUIRY COUNTER!" (Laughter) Violence!

 

So, you can be violent verbally. You can also be violent through your looks.

Then you can be violent by your thoughts. If we are always thinking of the fall

of the other man, waiting for the failure of the other man or waiting for the

other man’s defeat, that is also violence.

 

So, violence does not necessarily mean only killing. One can be violent by word,

thought and deed. Therefore, ahimsa, non-violence, means refraining from hurting

anybody by thought, word and deed. That's the answer.

 

 

95 “How do we remove bad thoughts?”

Bhagavan gave a very simple example: I am holding a rope. I think that I am

holding a rope. It is evening time, twilight time. There is not much light, so

I think that this is a rope. Somebody comes up and immediately switches on his

torch. He says, “Poor fool! You are holding a snake, not a rope!”

 

“Is that so?” Immediately, I will drop it, won't I? Yes! Finding that I am

holding a snake and not a rope, what will I do? Since I know fully well that

snakes are poisonous and dangerous, I will drop it immediately. Therefore, once

you know that these thoughts are really bad thoughts, you will not entertain

them.

 

If the idea of how to give up bad thoughts does not arise, it is because we are

comfortable with the bad thoughts. So then giving up bad thoughts is a problem.

When we do not know how dangerous they are, or what sort of an obstacle they are

towards realising the Divine, then giving them up is a big problem. But once we

understand that they are dangerous, that they are not to be entertained, then

once and for all, we will immediately put a full stop to those things. That's

one point.

 

The second point is this: We should not fight our bad thoughts. After all, we

are humans. My friends, I always tell my audience each time that I am nobody;

that I am in no way superior to anybody, not in the least. I know that in the

audience there are many, many people far, far superior to me. I am fully aware

of that.

 

The point is this: Do not dwell on the fact that there are bad thoughts in us.

“These are bad thoughts! How do I remove them?” When I think too much along

these lines, then I fight the bad thoughts and I become worse! A simple example

given by Baba: One fellow is bad. If you want to defeat him, you have to become

worse than him! (Laughter) How else can you defeat a bad man? It's not

possible.

 

Therefore, instead of brooding over the bad thoughts, instead of thinking too

much along this line of continually fighting with the mind, let us take a

positive approach. Entertain good thoughts. Spend more time in good thoughts

and good company, so that bad thoughts slowly diminish. With the sunrise,

darkness gets dispelled on its own. With more and more good thoughts coming and

appearing, the bad thoughts start disappearing. That's my answer.

 

94 One boy asked me, “Sir, how do you know that there is ego?”

 

Very simple. There is ego, which can be easily detected, because you want to

show yourself as superior before everybody. You think that you are greater than

everybody. That is ego. To feel that I am one among many, that I am the least of

all, that I am nobody - that is the absence of ego or being egoless. Once ego is

gone, all the problems of this world will be absolutely, totally solved.

 

93 When Swami suddenly talks to a boy, a student, well, he will think he is very special.

I often tell our boys this, because boys are boys. When big boys don’t

understand, we can have sympathy for small boys. When Swami suddenly talks to a

boy, a student, well, he will think he is very special. (Laughter) Because he is

a special creature, he puts on a serious face. (Laughter) Swami has spoken to

him. Therefore, he must be someone out of the ordinary. (Laughter)

 

I give him some time because all these flights fly high. Yet, he has to come

down someday for refueling. (Laughter) So, let us allow those flights, OK.

 

Then comes a time when our good Lord will allow him to undergo another test. He

starts ignoring him. The fellow who enjoyed earlier…ah, now it is winter! It

always comes after summer.

 

So, he comes to me and asks, “Sir, nowadays Swami is not talking to me. What shall I do?”

 

“Oh, don't do anything. There is nothing to be done. You forgot the fact that

the season of winter will certainly follow that of summer. It is your mistake.

All days are not Sundays. There is a test period. Certainly. One necessarily

has to go through that. The whole day includes both night and day. Both are

there. Summer and winter make a year. Don't you think so? The day - daytime and

nighttime - make up twenty-four hours. Don't you think so? Similarly, you cannot

have the time you choose all the time. No! Life is a matter of cycles. A cycle,

that’s all. Because you were egoistic then, you are frustrated now. Because you

felt very proud then, you are depressed now. Had you been calm, had you been

composed, had you been equanimous, had you maintained a balanced state of mind,

then you would not be depressed now.”

 

Therefore, my friends, we have to be careful when times are favourable. We have

to be more careful when we are successful. We have to be more careful when we

are the recipients of Bhagavan's blessings, so that we don't lose them. We have

to treasure them by being more humble, more serving, non-egoistic, non-jealous,

non-competitive, friendlier and more loving with everybody. Otherwise, on the

day of test, you will be left with people pitying you. If you are egoistic

today, when you are in the test period, it will be a cause of celebration for

others, at your cost. Why? It's not worth it.

 

This question of Swami ignoring the student has arisen because of an ego

problem. An egoistic man is not able to move freely with everybody. An egoistic

man is not able to share with everybody. An egoistic man is not able to care for

others - no caring, no sharing and no concern.

 

92 “How do I get over my anger? What does Swami say about this? How to overcome

my ego?”

A two-in-one question - OK! (Laughter)

 

Well, how do I get over my anger? How do I get over ego? These are the two

questions. Well, the thing is this: the very discovery of anger within one’s

own self is enough of an achievement. The very identification of ego in one's

self is enough of a success, because people identify themselves through ego.

 

When I identify with my ego, well, there is no chance of redemption for one

hundred lives to come. So, the very understanding that I am not the ego is

enough of a success. Once I decide to give up my anger, that is enough of an

achievement.

 

The next step is: How do I give it up? How do I overcome it?

 

Why am I angry? I am angry because of the ego. Ego and anger are very close

relations: cousins, brothers, or you could say, twins. Ego and anger go

together. An egoistic man is always angry. Therefore, the root of the problem

of frustration, depression, jealousy, or hatred, the base or the source of all

these evil traits happens to be the ego. So, let us know how to give up this

ego.

 

To give up the ego is quite possible just by measuring ourselves, by measuring

what we are in this vast universe or cosmos. The Bhagavad Gita has explained

this very clearly. Those who have gone through the Bhagavad Gita will agree

with me.

 

In this vast universe of the planets, the solar system, the lunar system, what

are you, after all? Earth is the smallest planet. In this planet, minus the

water, what is size of the land, after all? Very small. And in this land, out

of so many countries, what is India? It is the size of an ant. And in India,

what is Andhra Pradesh? The eye of an ant! In Andhra Pradesh, what is the

Anantapur District? A speck in the eye of an ant! Then Puttaparthi is a

speck-in-the-speck! (Laughter)

 

Then where are you? You do not know! (Laughter) Therefore, when you compare

yourself with the vast expanse of this Universe, when you think of this

manifestation of the Divinity, you understand you are negligible and I am

negligible.

 

If this glass of water, in its simplicity, thinks it is very great, I just laugh

at it. When I take this glass of water to the ocean, this water will understand

it is only a drop. So, a drop will lose its ego when it is close to the ocean.

When the drop is dropped into the ocean, the ego is gone. The ego is present

because of identity. The drop feels it is something special and great.

(Laughter) So with the identity, once it is gone, ego is lost totally. To drop

the ego, the drop has to be dropped in the ocean. I think I am clear.

 

Similarly, if this ego is to go, the only solution is to think of God, to think

of this Universe, to think of this Creation, to think of the Creator. ‘What am

I after all? What am I?’ This is not self-denial. This is not

self-condemnation. It is understanding the true identity of one's own nature.

‘I am, after all, nothing in this vast world.’

This kind of separateness of name and form is the cause for the presence of ego.

Once this separateness goes, identification is gone. When you understand that

you are a part of the whole, the ego naturally goes. Therefore, the best way to

lose the ego is to understand the entire Creation, to think of the vast expanse

of this universe, to think of God and His Creation. Then we know how small we

are. That is the best way to give up our ego.

 

91 “Explain Mukthi (liberation), Moksha (heaven ), Nirvana (liberation) briefly.”

 

This is a very good question. We are living in the computer age - instant food,

instant coffee, instant Moksha or liberation. Instant, instant! I can

understand. We don't want to lose time. We want to know things straightaway,

fast. We want prompt, ready-made garments.

 

Now, the question is to explain Mukthi or Nirvana. My friends, Mukthi or

liberation or Nirvana, heaven or paradise, are not located at a different

place. It is your own mind that makes heaven out of a hell, or hell out of a

heaven. Liberation is not a different world. Nirvana, Mukthi or Moksha are not

a different place. Liberation is not limited to time and space. No!

 

Liberation - what is true liberation? It is liberation from body attachment,

liberation from attachment to the individual soul, liberation from desire and

liberation from ignorance. That is Moksha or liberation, Mukthi or Nirvana.

 

What is the way to light? The way to light is to get out of darkness. That's

all. Once you get out of darkness, there is light. Similarly, when you are

liberated from this desire, when you are liberated from this attachment, when

you are liberated from all these wants, from the body attachments and from the

individual soul, that itself is a paradise. That is what you call Mukthi or

Moksha.

 

90 “What is the Divine Message of Bhagavan? Convey it in one sentence.”

We teachers set up question papers. But the questions that are put to me, see!

(Laughter). OK, what is the main message of Bhagavan? Put it in one sentence.

 

I said, “Why a sentence? I will put it in one word - LOVE. (Laughter) That’s all

- LOVE! Why one sentence? A sentence is superfluous. (Laughter) One word is

enough.” That's what I said. (Laughter)

89 “Although we know God is Omnipresent and we feel that we are sincere

devotees, we are still disappointed if vibuthi does not materialize on our

altars, or if we are not granted interviews. Does this mean that we have not

done enough sadhana or spiritual practice to receive God's Grace?”

It’s a genuine question, indeed.

These days we find wide publicity of miracles. Miracles, or experiences of

miracles, are of two types: one - the absolutely personal, and two - the

miracles that convey a message, a lesson to learn, to share with others.

 

When we keep on advertising personal miracles, it leads to questions of this

kind: “Why doesn’t this happen in my case? Why there only?” “Vibhuthi falls

there; why not at my residence?”

 

Vibhuthi is not necessary! For instance, Bhagavan thinks it is necessary there;

therefore, He materialises vibhuthi there. Here, He thinks it is not necessary.

Therefore, He does not materialise it here. Both situations are equally good.

Why not? Why should we think that one place is a chosen place and this is a

forsaken place? It is absolute, total ignorance.

 

My friends, Bhagavan has a myriad ways of blessing. He is multi-dimensional. In

fact, the procedure or the way that He confers a blessing on one person never

corresponds with another.

He gives a ring to one devotee. He gives a chain to another devotee. Vibhuthi is

given to another. To still another devotee, He appears in a dream. He talks

through His photo to another devotee. He sends a friend or a messenger to

another, and through that person, a message is conveyed.

 

And He answers your prayers in His own mysterious, non-understandable,

inexplicable way. By the time you return home, your problem is solved. By the

time you go, the problem is solved. That is what is important.

 

All worldly things have a formula. Water is H2O all over the world - in Russia,

America, Pakistan or Iraq. Water, H2O - that is its formula. All worldly

material has a formula and a definite process. But spiritual experiences and

spiritual manifestations are beyond our comprehension. They are above

explanation. They are above our head. So let us not worry about it.

 

“Why this, and why not that?” That’s material. ‘Why’ and ‘why not’ are questions

to be put where worldly things are concerned. But in spiritual experiences, in

the spiritual realm, the only thing that we have to learn is total

unconditional surrender or submission: “O God, Let Thy Will be done on Earth as

it is in Heaven.”

 

‘I am happy with what I am. I am blessed this way, very good, thank You.’ That

kind of a feeling should arise. The question of the presence of vibhuthi and

the granting of interviews has arisen because of competition. This question has

arisen because of comparison. Once you get out of the madness of comparison, you

will be free. You will be happy with the blessing conferred upon you. That’s my

answer.

 

88 “Sometimes my faith wavers. How can I make it steady? What should I do to

make it firm?” A genuine question indeed!

 

Faith is a gift from God. Faith is not cultivated by man. Faith is a Divine

quality. By constantly looking forward, by regularly praying to Him, by the

process of meditation, and by the constant repetition of His Holy Name, we

strengthen our faith. The source of faith is God Himself. When the source is

God, when we pray to Him, naturally He will help in its sustenance and

maintenance. That’s one thing.

 

The second point is this: Do not mix with those who do not agree with our principles and ideals.

I don’t brand them as bad company; I dare not. From their viewpoint, we are the

bad company. So, let’s not brand anybody as good or bad. “Judge not, lest ye

shall be judged.” Let us not judge anybody.

 

Let us not mix with people who do not agree with our views and principles. I

believe in Swami. There is no point in mixing with a person who denies Him. I

believe in Sai philosophy. It’s practically useless to move with people who

negate those principles. So, avoiding company that does not have a belief in

Sai philosophy is one way of strengthening our faith.

 

Thirdly, in our chosen path, having developed a strong faith in Swami, we should

gather more and more strength. When we read more and more of His literature,

when we join satsang - good spiritual company like this, study circles like

this - we will be strengthening our faith. It will not waver.

 

Wavering is the first threat to our faith, a starting problem. Once faith is

strengthened, we can relax. During the initial period, we have to be careful,

trying to avoid bad company and choosing company in which our faith shall never

waver.

 

87 “How do you develop, protect and improve faith?”

This question came from the Milwaukee Center in the State of Wisconsin. How to

develop, protect and improve faith? Three aspects - develop, protect and

improve.

My answer is simple. Faith is natural. You don't have to develop it. You were

born with faith. A child has total faith in the mother. A child is not taught

how to develop faith towards the mother. “My dear child, she is your mother. So

have total faith in she who is teaching you.” You are born with faith. Faith is

not cultivated. Faith is not imported, exported or manufactured. You are born

with faith.

Furthermore, Baba goes on to say that you have total faith in a barber. You go

to the salon and bend your head. Whether this fellow is going to put the knife

on your head or your neck, you don't have any doubt. You have total faith in a

barber. You give your costly dress to the washerman. You never think that he

may run away someday with your costly clothes. You have total faith in a

washerman and total faith in a barber. Then you have total faith in a doctor.

You lie down on the operation table. He will transport you to the other planet

and bring you back safely to earth -- you don't doubt it at all. You have total

faith in a doctor. Faith is a natural quality. You are born with faith.

The question might be, “Why, then, is faith sometimes lost?” Rather than ask how

to develop faith, the question is: “Why has faith gone? Why is faith lost?” This

question is in respect only to God! You have faith in everybody else. There are

a number of instances where I have heard this at a railway platform or in an

airport. Someone will ask his or her neighbour, “Sir, here is my luggage.

Please take care of it. I will go to the restroom and come back.”

By the time you come back, the other person and your baggage may be elsewhere!

(Laughter) In total faith, you give your baggage to that man. In total faith,

he has run away with it. We have faith in everybody, except in God. So, instead

of saying, “How do I develop faith?” let us ask the question, “Why have I lost

faith?”

Then, “How to protect faith?” Yes, you have to take every precaution. You have

to take every measure to protect faith. Why? Now that you have developed a sort

of attachment to Swami, you have faith in Swami. If you start arguing with

people, if you start interpreting Swami’s sayings, you are sure to lose the

faith. Let us not interpret Bhagavan.

There are many people who say, “You know why Swami has not looked at you? I will

tell you.” (Laughter)

“Who are you to tell me why He has not looked at me? Who are you? That's my problem.”

Then some says, “You know what Baba meant when He said this to you? He meant that….”

“Oh ho, who are you to tell me? Bhagavan will tell me directly what He wants me

to know. Why should you interpret? You are already mad and turning me double

mad. Why?”

So, let us not interpret. To grow strong in faith, we should stop interpreting.

We should learn total acceptance, not negation. Unconditional acceptance,

without any interpretation, is strong faith.

Then, so long as faith is tender, you need to be careful about those who are

against your faith. You believe in Baba, but suppose you talk to people who

have no faith in Him. You will lose it. Baba gave this simple example: When a

sapling is planted, it needs a fence to protect it. When this same plant grows

into a huge tree, it will give shelter to cows and sheep. At a tender age, a

sapling stands the risk of being eaten away. When it grows into a huge tree,

it gives shelter to the same animals that may have harmed it earlier.

So, until your faith is strong enough to encourage others to proceed in the same

direction, you have to be careful. That's why it is important to be in good

company. Cheje durjana samsargam: Run away from bad company. Bhaja saadhu

samagamam: Join good company. Then you will be well protected. Then, how to

improve faith? As there is more and more love, you can improve your faith

day-by-day.

That's all for the today. In all probability, we will complete the rest of the

questions this next week. Yes, there are not many more. Thank you very much for

your patient listening. (Applause)

 

86 “Particularly in America, how do we, as Sai devotees, find the right balance

between worldly success and spiritual growth towards Swami's Lotus Feet?”

This is a good question. Where is the balance between worldly success and

spiritual growth? Where do you strike the balance towards Swami's Lotus Feet?

My friends, worldly success and spiritual growth are not opposite. Why should

you think that a spiritual man is a failure in the world? Why should you think

that a spiritual man is incompetent or inefficient? No! Worldly success and

spiritual growth go hand-in-hand.

You may ask me, “Why not spiritual growth alone? Why should there be spiritual success?”

My friends, ‘spiritual growth’ is a false term, a false word, the wrong usage.

There are some people who say, “I noticed spiritual growth in myself.”

Oh, I see. (Laughter) You must have noticed ‘undergrowth’ yesterday. You may

find ‘overgrowth’ tomorrow. Spirituality has nothing to do with growth! No. You

cannot say, “I am spiritually growing.” Has your thermometer helped you to

measure? Or have your scales (for weight) helped you? Or, on your morning jog,

has it been revealed to you?

My friends, ‘spiritual growth’ are the wrong words. It is better that you

remember ‘spiritual awareness’. It is not spiritual growth, but spiritual

awareness. Awareness means realisation. Realisation means an understanding of

what you already are, whereas spiritual growth gives a misunderstanding of what

you are not: “I have not grown today.”

‘I have grown’ means from undergrowth you have moved towards growth. But,

spirituality is nothing like undergrowth, growth and overgrowth. No!

Spirituality is constant. Spirituality is constant because it has been there

since existence. Spirituality is existence. There is nothing like extra growth,

undergrowth, hypertrophy -- it’s not like that. Therefore, spiritual awareness

will naturally help you to be successful in the world as well. Worldly success

is assured. In the world, there is success and failure. But in spirituality,

there is nothing like success and failure. Spirituality is beyond duality. Only

the world is dual.

So how do you establish a sort of balance between the two? One is the

realisation; the other is the achievement. Spiritual awareness is realisation.

Worldly success is an achievement. How can I measure liquid and solid in the

same way? One has to be measured in litres and the other one has to be measured

in kilos. I cannot say that the distance from here to the Mandir is fifty

degrees. Can you say that? “What is the weight of this? Two litres!” Do you say

that?

This kind of measure is not applicable in the spiritual realms. In the spiritual

realms, it is realisation and awareness of that which is non-dual. In the world,

which is dual, the parameters of success and failure, or profit and loss, are

always dual.

Therefore, how to strike a balance? The balance is this: Worldly duality can be

viewed through the undercurrent of spiritual awareness. Spiritual awareness is

the understanding; spiritual awareness is the backdrop. Worldly success is the

projection. When worldly success is projected on the screen of spiritual

awareness, yes, you are a seeker, you are an aspirant, you are spiritual, or

you are a saint. The curtain is spiritual awareness; the projection is worldly

success. They are not opposite. One is the corollary to the other. One is the

screen; the other is the projection.

I gave that answer.

85 “If anyone criticises me, I feel badly. I have not gotten beyond that

feeling. What do I do? How do I take the criticism? I have still have a

reaction. What am I to do?”

Baba has given a very good answer to this. If anyone criticises you for a reason

that is genuine, be thankful to the critic. If you are really wrong, be thankful

to him: “My brother, you have pointed out my mistake. Thank you very much.”

Suppose that you are criticised or charged with doing something that you have

not committed. In other words, you are not guilty. Then don’t worry at all! As

you have not done anything, so your heart is clear. When you are clear, when

the accusations are false, don't bother. Pay a deaf ear. When they are genuine,

correct yourself and be thankful for the awareness.

Baba gave Himself as an example: Baba said, “If you say, ‘Baba, You are bald’, I

am not offended because I have a lot of hair. I am not bald. Whatever you say,

why should I feel offended? Suppose someone says, ‘Baba, You have a mop of hair

-- so much hair’, then I am not offended because it is true (Laughter)!”

When truth is said to your face, you don't have to feel guilty. You don't have

to feel sorry. When a false accusation is made, you don't have to feel badly

either. Criticism helps you to correct yourself when you do commit a mistake.

Therefore, feeling hurt should not arise at any point in time.

Whether you praise God or not, He will always be happy. Someone might say, “O

God, You are really loving.” God does not think, ‘O My son, I am happy with

your compliments.’

Or if you say, “God, You are unkind because nowadays You are not giving me

interviews”, He is not displeased.

Spirituality is transcendence. Spirituality is not indulgence; spirituality is

not avoidance. Spirituality is transcendence. You should transcend criticism as

well as praise and admiration. You should go beyond the two. That is true

spirituality.

 

84 “God says to do good to all. Where do I draw a line, say, if I have done the

best of my ability, and yet another man hurts me?”

This is the next question. You are doing your best because Baba has said to do

good. Still, the other man is hurting you. Where do you draw a line? This

means, “When do I stop helping the other man? I keep on helping the man and he

is not reciprocating. So, at what point should I stop helping him?” That’s what

the questioner meant.

I will give you an example from Sai literature. It seems a wise man was having

his morning bath in a river. In the river, he saw a scorpion struggling. This

wise man picked up the scorpion with his hand. The scorpion bit the man, so

immediately the man dropped it in the water. The scorpion went on struggling.

Out of compassion, the man picked it up again. The scorpion started biting

again. Then this wise man thought, ‘Oh scorpion, you have not given up your bad

nature. Although you have not given up your bad nature, why should I give up my

nature of helping? I will continue to help you because this is the lesson that

I learned from you. Just because you have not given up your nature, why should

I give up my nature?’

Therefore, when another man hurts you, he is behaving like a scorpion. Because

that person hurts you, it doesn't mean that you should stop helping him. You

should continue your own nature. It is something like the sun. “O sun, you are

giving me light. Thank you!” None of us says that. Still, the sun goes on

shedding light.

None of us would say, “O thank you, wind god, because you supply me with

oxygen.” I breathe oxygen as if it were my father-in-law’s property! (Laughter)

Of course, the in-law won’t allow even that. The point is that we take things

for granted. This should not be the situation. Whatever the other person may

say, we should continue with our nature.

Gandhiji was highly respectful to Winston Churchill in spite of the fact that

they were at loggerheads with each other. Because of his nature, he was very

courteous to Churchill. Likewise, helpfulness should be your nature, should be

second nature to you.

The thought of helpfulness should not be only a Sunday affair. The thought of

service should not be only for a service activity. It should be your nature.

You and service should go together. You and help are one and the same. It is

not that help will only dawn on Monday. “I am very humble on Sunday,

serviceable on Tuesday and helpful on Wednesday.” No. Life is not a timetable.

Life is not a schedule. Helpfulness should be your nature – second nature,

in-built character -- so that you are not mindful of anything else.

At this hour, I am reminded of a great missionary, a great Christian missionary,

by the name of Wolf. He was staying in a big bungalow. A few robbers and thieves

entered his house. They had stolen everything and they were leaving his

bungalow.

At that moment, Reverend Wolf got up from his bed and noticed the thieves

leaving. He shouted, “Oh young men, stop there. It is dark all over. There are

many thorny bushes. This place is known for snakes and scorpions. I will give

you a lamp, my dear sons. Take the lamp and go slowly. I don't want you to

die.” That is a helpful nature!

I also remember a story from Tolstoy literature. A vagabond -- a gangster and a

man of vices -- lost all his property. Finally, it happened that his fiancée

wanted his mother’s golden chain. This fellow went fully drunk, killed his

mother and snatched away her gold chain. He was leaving the house to present

this gold chain to his fiancée.

Then the man heard a voice: "Sonny, be careful! Watch your step. You are fully

drunk, my dear child. You may fall. So carry the gold chain carefully."

The fellow looked back. What did he see? He saw the heart of his mother on the

ground. The heart started speaking like that. “Sonny, be careful! You may fall.

Take hold of this chain. Be careful.” That is Love.

“I will help you if you help me” -- that is business, which is political. “I

will continue to help you even if you hurt me” -- that is the true spirit of

help.

 

83 “In the midst of busy work, how do I link myself with God? Some people have

to drive hours and hours to reach their work spot. At the end of the workday,

they return completely tired after driving more hours. In this busy life, how

am I to establish a link with God?”

This has been a problem. Yet, the answer is simple when I say, “O God, I am only

an instrument. You make me do what I am supposed to.”

I am only an instrument. It may be my office work; it may be that I am driving

my car. Yes, right there at the steering wheel, say to yourself, “O God, I am

driving as per Your will.”

“O God, I am working with my computer as per Your direction.” Or, “I am a

doctor, so I am Your instrument.”

With a spirit of surrender when you work, you are not simply linking with God.

No. You are in God, not just ‘linked up’ with God. ‘Linking’ is different from

‘being in God’. Where there is a link, there is also ‘de-link’ -- linking and

de-linking, connecting and disconnecting. But when you are in God, nobody can

take you out, because God is everywhere.

Therefore, my friends, it is quite possible to live in God, with constant

remembrance of His Name. This is what Swami calls ‘Constant Integrated

Awareness’. That's what it is -- Constant Integrated Awareness -- remembering

His matchless glory, His Name. So then you are always established in God, in

full awareness.

82 “Is it necessary that one should face dissatisfaction to be spiritual? I am

OK with the world. So, why pursue God then? I am fine in this world.” This is a

question from a young adult.

I told him, “Boy, you are OK in this world now. But just wait for sometime.

(Laughter) You say, ‘Everything is fine.’ Wait for some more time. Not all days

are Sunday. There will be Monday, then Tuesday, and so on. Life is a cycle,

filled with ups and downs. Life is a cycle, filled with bumps and jumps. Life

is not a straight line. One has to necessarily face both situations. It is like

a pendulum that oscillates from one end to the other. Life is like a pendulum

that moves between a tear and a smile. Therefore, you cannot always say that

you are very much satisfied in this world.”

I told that young adult an example that Baba had given. It seems that one boy

could not get his degree. He appeared for the examination a number of times.

The university was fed up with him. This fellow could not manage to get

through. But he was fortunate to get a girl, a double graduate, as his wife.

The poor chap could not get a better one. Somehow, she agreed to marry him. She

was a double graduate, while this fellow had no degree. He was very happy that

his wife was a double graduate, aha!

On the day of his wedding, in front of everybody, he said, “I am the luckiest

man in this world. Although I have no degree, my wife has two degrees!”

(Laughter) On the wedding day, this fellow kept looking at her, forgetting the

large audience, because he was so happy -- Himalayan bliss. (Laughter)

Naturally, this life was OK with him, so why pursue God? This is what he

thought at that time!

After the wedding, his wife joined him. This fellow was relaxing, sitting in the

easy chair. He called her, “Come on! Get me a hot cup of coffee, OK?” (Laughter)

 

She said, “I am sorry. You go prepare a cup, and one for me also.” (Laughter)

Then he said loudly, “I am the most miserable man on earth.”

Fifteen days earlier he had said, “I am the most fortunate man.” Both are true.

At that time, what he said was correct, and today what he said is also correct.

 

Therefore, life has its ups and downs. Let us know that life is whole:

W–H–O–L-E. Life is total. If you lead a choiceless life, you will be

successful. But if you say, “I want only success and more success,” it is

impossible. You will be successful as a patient, that's all. (Laughter)

You cannot always say, “I am a failure and I am miserable”, unless you are a

pessimist, unless you are a sadist. Then you should be sent to a psychoanalyst.

You should consult a psychiatrist. If you want only the positive, you are

impractical. If you think negatively too much, you are a pessimist. Life is

total -- both positive and negative. You cannot say, “I want only daytime with

sunlight.” If you said, “Oh sun, be there throughout the day. I want daylight

all the time”, then people will want to avoid you. You cannot have darkness all

the twenty-four hours. Neither can you have light all the twenty-four hours. A

day means both light and dark.

So, life also means both success and failure. Life means profit and gain. Life

means celebration; it also means humiliation. Life means praise and blame. Life

means health and sickness. Therefore, if you view life in totality, there will

be no question of disappointment. Then you understand what life is.

 

81 “When there is no co-operation within the family, can we still attain liberation?”

This is a question perhaps based on the political system! (Laughter) Unless

there is co-operation, you cannot win in an election. Unless there is

co-operation, you cannot run your office. Unless there is co-operation, you

cannot run your family. At the family level, at the provincial level, at the

national level, co-operation is necessary.

But, in respect to spirituality, we stand all alone. We stand all alone! If I am

going to hell, I cannot say, ”All of you join me -- let us proceed.” (Laughter)

There is nothing like that. Liberation is obtained all alone. A son may be

deserving, but the father may be undeserving. A husband may be undeserving, and

the housewife may be the better-half. (Laughter) We cannot question it. In

spirituality, we stand all alone. There are no blood relationships.

After all, Bhagavan has said, "Children are not from the parents. They are

through the parents." Let us be very clear – ‘through the parents, not from the

parents’. What does it mean? Parents are merely channels, that’s all. Parents

have allowed life to manifest through them as channels, that's all. They cannot

claim that the child is their product. Perhaps that son will be a rebel later.

Therefore, the parents have no claim except to act as a channel. ‘Through the

parents’ is the more appropriate description.

Therefore, the answer is this: When you want co-operation from the family, it is

a political problem. It is a social problem. All the family wants to go

somewhere. All of them want to attend a wedding. They need co-operation. The

son cannot say, “Daddy, I am sorry. I have some other appointment.”

When the mother is cooking a certain dish for the evening meal, the daughter

cannot say, “Sorry, mother. I want something different.” Anything social,

anything that has to do with the business, anything political, requires

co-operation.

Today, unfortunately, there is no co-operation. To quote Baba: “There is no

co-operation. There is only operation.” That's the reason why systems fail from

time-to-time. From the spiritual point of view, we stand all alone: Udhare Atma

Atmanam. We should work for our own liberation. Nobody can help you.

To quote Swami: “Even with co-operation, even with intense love among brothers,

the elder brother cannot say to his younger brother, ‘Brother, you sustained a

fracture. I know it is highly painful. So to save you from this pain, I would

like to have the bandage.’ (Laughter) The elder brother cannot take the

fracture from the younger brother. If the older brother is suffering from a

fever, the younger brother cannot say, ‘Brother, I know you are suffering from

a fever. So I will take the medicine on your behalf.’ (Laughter) You cannot do

it.”

One has to eat for one’s own hunger. One has to drink for one’s own thirst. One

has to work for one’s own liberation. There is nothing like co-operation. It is

an accident that we are in a family. It is an accident that one is a son to the

father. It doesn't mean that it is a life-long bondage.