The Divine Lifestyle (3a)

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I AM ALWAYS ENGAGED IN ACTIVITY...FROM DAWN TO DUSK AND FROM DUSK TO DAWN(Chapter 3) If

we observe our own lives, we would have been reminded by our parents,

how mischievous and active we were during childhood. Excessive energy

prompts the curious child in us to dash and rush, pull and push things

down, devise ways to escape the cane and yet retain the innocent smile

that captures the heart of even the most agitated mothers. It is this

curiosity that prompts the child to wonder and ponder about the strange

objects he stumbles upon.This energy gets tamed and disciplined

as the child grows but not the child-like curiosity. As the child grows

into youth, it is this curiosity that prompts him to enquire and act to

search for the answers. His quest to know influences the effort to

compete and achieve the best. As years pass, the successful youth who

secures a good job and a steady income, is soon married. There is an

initial struggle to make ends meet but then soon a routine sets in and

the energy used or summoned never exceeds daily expectations. At some

point in some people's lives, this curiosity dies and man slowly slips

into a role, that of juggling between his commitments and obligations.

The juggler continues his act, until the office in which he has slaved

decides it is time for his retirement. Statistics show that people age

faster after retirement. The wrinkles increase, bones bend, eyes blur,

he slowly reminisces over the life he had led and soon comes to

conclusion that the scriptures were right that everything is a passing

cloud. During

his last days, as he watches through the glass panes of his home, a

gentle smile is formed on his aged face when he sees the dash of

passing young men and women. If only he could relive his life or even

tell the world what the trick of the illusory world can do to limit

man's potentials and power... If only he had the strength to yell that

the world somehow conditions us to believe that the passing, fleeting

moments of experiences are real which in real fact is not.'During

the youth and boyhood, man mixes with several people and spends his

time playing with them. As he advances in age, he involves himself in

satisfying desires, runs after women and seeks love and affection. When

he grows older, he wants to earn money and amass wealth so that he can

use it for his pleasure. When he becomes quite aged, he does not think

of the Divine but spends his time in many different ways and finds

unable to give up the attachments which he has developed in his life.

In this manner, man simply wastes his life, turns into mud and becomes

utterly useless in the end.'(Baba the Breath of Sai - pg 123)All

that Bhagavan mentions in the quote also reflects activity. 'From dusk

to dawn and dawn to dusk, I am always busy' is the Divine Utterance.

There are many who are also busy from morning to night pursuing their

goals and that too can be termed as activity. Activity in fact is the

signature of life and the moment one is born, he must act. Even sleep

is an activity for one must not forget the numerous healing processes

that are going on within the body to replenish energy, so that the

demands of the next day are met with vigor and enthusiasm. This

Utterance cannot mean normal ordinary activity that makes man continue

toiling in the fields with purpose that does not go beyond mere

existence. This Divine Utterance reflects a state of attitude which

means that we must have the child-like curiosity which prompts us to

seek for Truth. Stopping to enquire and losing the yearning to know is

considered 'death'. Once complacency sets in, we are termed 'dead'.

This is true for any field.We must constantly engage in

activities which prompt us to seek greater inner potentials and be

responsible for making people realize theirs. Hence the nature of

activity is what makes the difference between everyday activities and

divine activity. In fact, normal everyday activity can become divine

activity if we know the mechanism of conversion. Prayer halls and

places of worship exist for the sake of bestowing devotees the art of

spiritualizing all activities so that every act becomes an expression

of divinity. The prayer halls are places where opportunities are given

to man to stop, pause, reflect and absorb better vibrations to dive

deeper into their personality to discover more of their potential.Youth

and devotees in general initially come to acquire this attitude,

however, many during the process fall into a trap. Before getting a

secure job, the prayers are intensive. Trips to the prayer halls are

frequent. Service activities to the poor and the sick are regular.

There is a spontaneous raise of hands in support of a program or

project that would benefit the society or community. Devotees

especially youth around the world in the initial struggle to experience

bliss involve themselves in the fields of service, thus heeding the

call of Bhagavan.Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray.... 'God's

Grace is as the shower of rain, as the sunlight. You have to do some

spiritual discipline to acquire it; the spiritual discipline of keeping

a pot upright is to receive the rain, the spiritual discipline of

opening the door of your heart, so that the sun may illumine it....

Pray for Grace.... Grace will set everything right.'(Baba the Breath of Sai - pg 295)Hence,

Grace descends and manifests itself as a prosperous job, a luxurious

pay and good family life. These are boons that confer a happy life.In

the Puranic stories, when sages meditate, Asparas or divine beautiful

dames dance to allure the mind of the sages away from the intended

goals. It is common knowledge that as we pursue for the spiritual

goals, the material fruits will also appear. The Teacher has used the

example of a coconut tree to explain this concept. The real coconut

tree represents spiritual tree and as we aspire for spiritual goals, we

are bound to be blessed with material benefits as well.As

Bhagavan confers His grace, amenities and comfort will manifest in our

lives but we must always bear in mind the initial intention of coming

to the prayer halls and offering our prayers. We must not side track

and trivialize our ideals and goals.Activities that contribute

towards realizing one's purposes and helping others realize theirs is

what is expected by the Teacher.'The

aim of all human effort is to achieve the One that lies behind all this

plurality. Without achieving it, man can have no peace, within or

without. No amount of repetition of the peace mantra is capable of

granting him that.'(Sathya Sai Speaks Vol IV, Chap 44 - pg 277)To

achieve this purpose and to help man realize the inherent divine

potential in him (EDUCARE), one must participate in activities that

promote these objectives.Devotees or youth, when it comes to

service activities or to undertake community based programs, cry out

the usual melody, 'I have no time'.... and yet, these were the early

enthusiasts prior to their newly secured jobs and position who gave

their time for service or organizational work. Grace management is a

critical lesson that we must learn.Let us contemplate seriously on the following :-How

is it that we who only manage our office work and family life have no

time; whereas Bhagavan who manages the whole world seems to find time

to do even the most trivial.'Observe

Me : what benefits can I derive from all My activities; I who assign

all benefits to all activities according to what they deserve. But yet

you will find me busy from dawn to dusk, from dusk to dawn. I finish my

lunch or dinner within minutes so that I can teach you the value of

time. I attend to the smallest detail of all the various items of work,

for I try to set an example for you, in meticulous attention to and

careful anticipation of all contingencies.'(Sathya Sai Speaks Vol V - pg 138)The

capacity to increase output with advancing age is a Divine quality.

Activity that enhances productivity at all times through all stages of

life is a Divine nature of Bhagavan. The historical achievements of the

Teacher are unprecedented by anyone in the world. The building and

running of the most complex super-specialist hospitals, universities,

colleges and the huge water project that has benefited millions, to

name a few, has left behind monumental landmarks in the consciousness

of the world. What is amazing is His capacity to accomplish so much in

such a short duration of time. How is this possible? Why is it that we

get tired so fast, take too long to accomplish too little and often

complain of too little time? How can we transmute our energy to that of

a Divine one? How can we tap into the cosmic energy for greater power?'Where

is the cosmic energy? The Cosmic Energy is all-pervasive. It is in you,

above you, below you and around you. You yourself are the Cosmic

Energy; but you are not able to realize it.'(Summer Showers In Brindavan 1993 - pg 11)Hence

the truth that the cosmic energy is within us implies that there is

resource of infinite power that is waiting to be tapped.There

is a story of an aged man who, on his dying bed, called his son and

gave him a map of hidden treasure. He advised him to read the map

carefully and follow the instructions given. The treasure that will

eventually be found will enable him to live his life more than

comfortably. Before the father could explain the signs and symbols of

the map, he breathed his last. Day by day he tried to understand the

map but could not. Soon he was distracted by his other worldly duties

and commitments, and thus forgot about the map that he had. His work

began to be affected due to economic reasons. He was getting poorer and

poorer. Soon the creditors were knocking on the son's door.A

huge treasure was waiting to be discovered but unfortunately his own

ignorance confined him to a state of poverty. He did not exert active

effort to find the meanings of the symbols (Karma Yoga). He did not

contemplate enough on the inner meanings of the symbols (Dyana Yoga).

He did not even discuss or find knowledge from others to help

understand the symbols (Jnana Yoga). This is the story of our lives. A

huge treasure chamber of inner strength, potentials and energy awaits

to be opened and Bhagavan gives us the instructions on how to use the

treasure map but we fail to hear what He wants us to hear.'There

is infinite power within man, power that is beyond comprehension and

which is Divine. But he makes no effort to recognize it. If man did not

have this power, how could he have gone to the moon?'(Sanathana Sarathi September 1995 - pg 226)God

or this infinite power is all-pervasive. What is the evidence of this?

Bhagavan has repeatedly echoed the teachings of all masters and

teachers of the past, that Man has tremendous potential lying within.

'The Kingdom of Heaven is within', Christ declared. The declarations by

these teachers echoed by Bhagavan when contemplated, is a powerful

motivational force. The idea of traveling to the moon would have been

scorned as a fantasy. When the reality dawned, more nations began to

compete to put their men on the moon. The point that is being stressed

is that for a phenomenal advancement in the outer world, surely the

thought must have been born in the mind of one individual who upon

exerting effort on the idea manifested this miraculous achievement in

the outer field.Hence Bhagavan, here in His compassion, is

drawing examples which clearly shows that it is possible to bring out

limitless potential in every man with faith and belief.Students

of physics will recall Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle which states

that the exact position and momentum of any particle can never be

determined at any one position or location. Quantum Theory states that

energy units called quanta is the building unit of the word. Hence, in

summary, we are all made of energy. Energy and matter are convertible,

following Einstein's theory. Hence, if we focus on matter, the object

will appear as matter and likewise, if the object is perceived as

energy, than what is perceived will be pulsating movements of energy

packets. As both are convertible, it will depend upon what is our focus.'Dust as you think of dust you become, God if you think God you become.'- Baba -This

needs deep contemplation and a hasty reader will miss the point. Hence

if we focus on the divine energy that we possess, this shifts our mind

from the mundane limited finite 'particle' consciousness which we can

get trapped to infinite boundless unlimited energy. This shift releases

us and provides the extra zeal to engage in activity which benefits all

from dawn to dusk.'The

existence of God is visualized by science in the form of electric,

magnetic, laser, radio, heat and light waves. This is the direct

evidence for the existence of God.'(Sanathana Sarathi December 1998 - pg 310)Here,

the Teacher gives a good example to prove the point that one must have

the intelligence to move beyond the senses to appreciate the subtle. In

two lines during a discourse, He has clarified not only the existence

of a power but its properties as well. Electricity, magnetic, laser,

radio, heat and light waves cannot be seen by the unaided eye, yet they

exist!Likewise, since space is perceived by the naked eye as

nothing, the gross intellect in us will quickly jump to the conclusion

that space is void and empty. The subtle intellect in the curious

scientist with a yearning to know the nature of these subtler energies

will seek the assistance of appropriate equipment and machinery to

explore what is beyond. It is from these scientific investigations that

they declare not only the existence of electro magnetic waves but the

different nature and type of waves all of which can be tapped for the

benefit of mankind.If power in the macrocosm can be tapped then

surely powers within man, i.e., microcosm can also be tapped. What

prevents us from realizing this great energy or power within? This

question is important as it will fuel the energy to achieve not just

the mundane duties of existence but to possess both the curiosity and

enthusiasm to tap and experience powers within. It will engage a

pro-active wisdom to dash and rush to meet obligations swiftly and

accomplish greater achievements in shorter frame of time. However, at

present, this ideal appears too distant and utopian. Swami explains...'Our

physical, mental and spiritual energies should never be wasted. You

might ask me, 'How are we wasting our energies?' If you see bad things,

your energy is wasted. Hearing bad things, speaking evil, thinking evil

thoughts and doing evil deeds wastes your energy. Conserve your energy

in all these five areas and make your life more meaningful.'(Sathya Sai Baba quoted from Voice of Sai - pg 233-236)Senses

are always engaged in our day to day living. World has increased

kaleidoscopic images of negative images such as crime, rape, robbery,

murder, etc, and are instantly transmitted to our mind through the

multi-media such as television, radio, internet, etc.The senses

of the boy in the story mentioned above, become too distracted to know

and understand the subtle symbols of the treasure map and therefore,

literally, he sit on a treasure chest, holding his stomach in pain from

hunger pangs.Bhagavan warns us of this energy leak through the

senses which is why most people always feel tired and lethargic. The

senses become gateway for thoughts. The doctor in Swami diagnoses the

ailment and points to the reasons why we cannot seem to be engaged in

fruitful, spiritual activities all the time. Again, this is not urging

the youth to wear ochre robes and perform parrot like chanting of holy

names. Spiritual activities here imply the mood and temperament to

spiritualize any activity.The art of doing the best given any

task and dedicating the fruits of such tasks to God will be to

spiritualize the activity. To achieve this, the mind must be available,

the mood must be right, the heart must beat with the ideals and more

importantly all three : heart, head and hands must be integrated and

infused with love for ideals. Hence a thought is the fundamental unit

that makes up such a healthy personality.- to continue -(From : THE DIVINE LIFESTYLE by DR SURESH GOVIND,With the consent of Sathya Sai Central Council of Malaysia)Visit : Sai Divine Inspirations : http://saidivineinspirations.blogspot.com/

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