Satyopanisad

[Guest guest]

Swami! Nowadays many educated people waste their time, money and energy in towns

and cities. Bhagawan, we are eager to know your views on this subject.

 

" Time is God " . In your prayers you say, kalaya namah, kalakalaya namah,

kalatitaya namah, and so on. Time is divine. You should not waste time. It is a

sin to waste or misuse time. Everybody must follow time. God is the master of

time. Time waste is life waste. Haste makes waste, waste makes worry, so do not

be in a hurry. We should perform good actions and thus spend our time

 

in a sacred way. Youth and a river will never flow backwards. When you pass the

stage of youth, it will not come back. The river water flowing forward will

never retreat. Therefore, you should consider time a very precious commodity.

 

You have also pointed out that money is wasted by many educated people. This is

very bad. Waste of money is evil. You should not misuse money. Remember always,

much money makes many more wrong things. Much money leads you into bad habits.

You should spend money on welfare programmes. You should express gratitude to

society, which has been responsible for your present status, by spending money

on service activities. You should sacrifice for the poor and needy. Na karmana

na prajaya dhanena, tyagenaike amrtatva manasuh. You attain moksha or liberation

only by sacrifice. No action, no offspring, no possession or property ever

equals sacrifice.

 

In the human body, blood should always circulate. Similarly, money should

circulate in society. It should not stagnate in the hands of a few persons. If

blood does not circulate, there develops on the body a boil or a tumour. If you

run short of money, it is difficult to manage things. At the same time, too much

money spoils you. It should be like your shoes that fit your feet exactly. If

the shoes are loose, you cannot walk; if they are tight, then also you find it

tough to walk freely. Your shoes always should be of the exact size of your

feet. So also, money should neither be too little nor too much for you. Bear in

mind what I tell repeatedly and caution you. Money comes and goes, but morality

comes and grows.

 

Morality consists of proper utilisation of energy and other resources. You

should not waste energy in any form. You should not waste water. Do not waste

food; annam brahma, Food is God. You can eat till your hunger is appeased. There

is nothing wrong in it. There are many who are starving. There are many who do

not have enough food to eat. What is the prayer you say before you take your

food?

 

brahmarpanam brahma havih

brahmagnau brahman a hutam,

brahmaiva tena gantavyam,

brahmakarma samadhind.

aham vaisvanaro bhutva

praninam dehamas'ritah,

pran apana samayuktah

pacamyannam caturvidham.

 

" Oh God! You are in the form of Vaisvanara. You verily digest and assimilate the

food that I eat. I offer the food that I eat. I offer the food to you. You alone

supply its essence to all parts of my body " . This is the meaning of the prayer

that you say before you take your food. Therefore, you should not waste food. It

is a sin to waste it.

 

I want you to place a ceiling on your desires. This is possible only if you

decide and pledge not to waste time, money, food and energy. All the five

elements of nature - earth, water, air, fire, and space are divine. You should

be highly reverential and grateful to these five elements. Always consider them

divine.