Guest guest Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 KANSAI LIGHT FOR JULY 2009 ISSUE # 43--------- KANSAI LIGHT , JULY 2009 ISSUE # 43 News letter of Sri Sathya Sai Organization Japan address: I.S.S, 2nd Fl, 1-3, Kumochi 5-Chome, Chuo Ku Kobe Tel: 078-222-1885, Email: rgcjp ----------------- Bhagawan on stage, commencing the proceedings Prof. V.E. Ramamoorthy and Shashank Shah with Bhagawan People want peace but what they get is pieces only Due to the lack of peace, love has become non-existent in Man. Therefore we should develop peace. Then only will love develop in us.When love takes root in us,we will have no enemies. then all become our friends Hence, man should develop love and consider all as his brothers and sisters. This the main essence of Ramayana -------------------------- THE DRAMAS OF LIFE DIVINE PART 5 Dear readers, till the December 2008 issue, in this section we serialized for you “Shirdi Sai Parthi Saiâ€, the glorious saga of Shirdi Sai and the divine life of Sathya Sai till His early childhood. This series continued for 48 episodes, and we received very positive responses to this serial. In fact, now that the script is available, this television serial has been re-enacted as a play in many Sai centres. Encouraged with this, we decided to continue this section and offer something in a similar format. And now, after the Divine Life story of Bhagavan Baba, it is the innumerable dramas presented in the Divine Presence by the students of Bhagavan’s Schools and University, as well as by the Bal Vikas students and Sai devotees from all corners of the world. We hope the current series, which is accompanied with lots of pictures and video stills/clips, will not only make an enriching and edifying reading experience, but also will help devotees everywhere to redo these inspiring plays in their own settings with little effort. So, enjoy these divine dramas where the Divine was a keen spectator and the hidden director! The current drama, which was staged by the students from the Prasanthi Nilayam campus of the Sri Sathya Sai University in January ** 2009, drives into one the profound messages enshrined in the Bhagavad Gita through many scenes from the grand epic Mahabharata. FULL CAST (1) Lord Krishna(2) Vidura, the noble minister in the court of Hastinapura;(3) Gopalas, the devoted cowherds of Brindavan;(4) Uddhava, childhood friend of Lord Krishna;(5) Maitreya, a noble sage;(6) Dharmaraja (Yudhistira), the eldest of the Pandava brothers;(7) Bheema, the strongest among the Pandava brothers;(8) Nakula, one of the younger Pandava brothers;(9) Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandava brothers;(10) Draupadi, the noble wife of the Pandavas;(11) Disciple, the disciple of Sage Durvasa;(12) Durvasa, a noble sage;(13) Suyodhana, the eldest of the Kaurava brothers;(14) Bheeshma, the great, uncle of both Pandavas and Kauravas who was one of the greatest warriors;(15) Drona, the teacher of Pandavas and the Kauravas;(16) Sakuni, the brother of Gandhari, the mother of the Kauravas;(17) Karna, a great archer and a friend of Suyodhana, who was actually the sixth brother of the Pandavas;(18) Arjuna: the master archer among the Pandava brothers. SRI KRISHNA TATTWA DARSHANAM PART 1 Sportsmeet Drama 2009 Meeting of Vidura and Uddhava Scene 1a Background Commentary: The purpose of every person’s birth is to embark on a journey – from ‘I’ to ‘We’ to ‘He’. And the map for this journey was provided by the merciful Lord in the form of the Song Celestial – the Bhagavad Gita. The paths may be different, yet the destination is the same. Mahatma Vidura too is on this great spiritual adventure starting his sojourn from the holy land of Brindavan… [Vidura enters as the telugu poem “Kasturi Tilakam...†goes on in the background and enters in complete bliss lost in the contemplation of Krishna] Vidura: How fortunate is the earth of Brindavan for it carries the memory of the Lord’s footsteps for eternity. O Brindavan, accept the salutations of this humble servant of the Lord, Vidura. Ah! The breeze of Brindavan carries the fragrance of devotion and the environment is suffused with Krishna Rasa. [Vidura closes his eyes in ecstasy and Krishna comes and closes His eyes. Vidura opens his eyes to witness the unfolding of the Rasa Leela.] [Rasa leela ends and Krishna disappears. Vidura is shell-shocked] Vidura: Krishna! Krishna! Where are You? Even after all these years of association, the pain of separation from You scorches my soul. Oh! How the Gopalas and Gopikas who consider You as their life-breath must be suffering. Gopala1: O Holy Sire! Who are you? Are you searching for something? Vidura: People identify me as Vidura, but I identify myself as a Krishna sevaka. Please enlighten me, O Gopalas as to how you are able to bear the suffering of not having Krishna amidst you. Gopala2: Mahatma, you must be mistaken. Krishna has never left us. In the bright rays of the morning Sun, He showers warmth on all of us. Gopala3: In the cool waters of Yamuna, He slakes our thirst and satiates us. Gopala4: In the pleasant breeze, and in the flowers and the trees, He plays the nectarine tunes of His flute to us. Gopala1: When He is everywhere, how does the question of His absence even arise? Vidura: O Gopalas! I am blessed to be in the company of enlightened souls like you. You have shown me that I have not yet understood the Krishna Tattwa. You have given a purpose, a goal, a quest – to discover the true Brahmajnana (Ultimate knowledge). Gopala2: What do we simple cowherds know about such great things, Mahatma? Look, Vidurji, there comes Krishna’s intimate friend and confidante, Uddhava. He might help you. Vidura: Pranams (salutations), Krishnasakha Uddhava. Uddhava: Pranams Dharmatma Vidura. I was just returning from Dwaraka, blessed with the sweet and sublime wisdom from Vaasudeva. Vidura: Then, kindly, share this wisdom with me, so that my quest for liberation shall culminate on the holy soil of Brindavan. Uddhava: Dharmatma, Krishna had predicted this tryst between us. He wanted me to convey on His behalf that you must meet Maharishi Maitreya and it is from him that you will receive the true knowledge.Vidura: Gopala, I am indeed gratified realizing that your divine hand has held me and guided me all through. Thy will be done. Dhanyosmi (thank you very much) Krishna, Dhanyosmi. Meeting of Vidura and Maitreya Scene 1b Vidura: Salutations, Maharishi Maitreya. I have come by Krishna’s command to receive the true meaning of Brahma Tattwa from you. Please bless me with that nectarine knowledge and liberate me. Maitreya: Mahatma, you are already a great jnani (man of wisdom). What extra learning can I think of imparting you. But as, Krishna willed this meeting, let us discuss about His glory, His leelas. Vidura: Krishna is the sanctuary of sweetness which gets distributed to all through His leelas. His message is like a song that takes the listeners to a different world. Maitreya: But the greatest song the master musician had ever composed is the Song Celestial, the Bhagavad Gita. But Gita was not just a compendium of verses delivered on the battlefield, it is His Grand Orchestra, His glorious life. His Life is His message. Vidura: True, Mahatman. The canvas of His glory is painted with incidents in which He fulfilled the promises He declared in the Gita. Maitreya: His thought and deed were always for the welfare of the devotees who displayed total surrender. Experience His glory, relive the experience. Watch as the Pandavas surrendered to His Lotus feet, and sought shelter from the anger of Durvasa. The Durvasa Episode Scene 2a Suyodhana: If not for us, who else would have rendered such impeccable service for four long months to the hallowed sage and his entourage of 10,000 disciples. Karna: It is true, Suyodhana. Hospitality is the hallmark of the Kuru dynasty. Shakuni: My dear bhanje (nephew), Suyodhana. Hospitality is the best way to end hostilities. This is the best chance you have to annihilate the Pandavas once and for all. Karna: Enough of your crafty stratagems, Gandhar Naresh (King of Gandhara, that is, Shakuni). For once, Suryodhana, let us fight like Kshatriyas on the battlefield and end this conflict in a royal way. Shakuni: Radheya, a simple throw of dice had achieved what your arrows could not. Do not underestimate the power of statecraft, Karna. Suyodhana: Karna, Mamashri is correct. Tell me, Mamashri, what do you have in mind? Shakuni: Suyodhana, use Durvasa’s agraha (affection) as the astra (weapon) against the Pandavas. Let the curse at the tip of Rishi’s tongue become the bane for the Pandavas and a boon for the Kauravas. The Rishi is pleased with your hospitality and he will grant you a boon… Suyodhana: Understood Mamashri, leave the rest to me. [sage Durvasa approaches with a contented face…] Durvasa: Yuvraj Suyodhana. Suyodhana: Pranams munivarya (Salutations, O noble sage). Durvasa: Ayushman Bhava (live long). Suyodhana: Dushasana, did you make arrangements for mahatma’s rest? Dushasana: Every arrangement has been made brother, and I have personally… Durvasa: Don’t take any more pains for me, vatsa (son). It is time for me to leave. I am extremely pleased with your devotion. Ask from me any boon, no matter how valuable or hard. I shall grant it. Suyodhana: Maharshi, the opportunity to serve saints like you is itself a great blessing. I have just one small request. Just as you blessed us with your darshan, I desire that my brothers, the Pandavas too must be given a chance to serve your lotus feet. And… Shakuni: Duryodhana, do not hesitate. Rishi Maharaj is benevolence personified. He will definitely heed your prayer. Suyodhana: And munivarya, one last request. Please visit the Pandavas only after sister Panchali has had her meal. Durvasa: So be it. I shall definitely bless the Kaunteyas with my visit. [He leaves…] Shakuni: Very soon, the Pandavas will be burnt to ashes in the fire of Durvasa’s temper. And Yuvraj Suyodhana shall become… Suyodhana: Maharaj Suyodhana. Ha Ha Ha! Scene 2b [All the five pandavas are seated in a pensive mood, with Bheema pacing restlessly about] Bheema: Agraja (eldest brother), with every passing day of exile, my mace is getting more and more eager to cleanse the Bharatavarsha (India) of the evil Kauravas. If only you would have permitted, I would have finished the task long ago. Dharmaraja: Have Patience! Bheemasena. If we too are ruled by the surging emotions instead of inner conscience, what is the difference between us and Suyodhana. This is a trial of fire from which we shall emerge purified. Bheema: But, what about the comforts in which our evil cousins are rejoicing and the misery in which we are languishing. Dharmaraja: Hmm… Bheemasena, as our beloved Vaasudeva has said, ‘That too shall pass! This too shall pass’. [Durvasa enters with some of his disciples and Dharmaraja receives them along with all the five pandavas] Durvasa: Om Namah Shivaya…Om Namah Shivaya! Dharmaraja: Munivarya (o noble sage), your visit to our humble hermitage has sanctified all our lives. We will be eternally grateful for the opportunity… Durvasa: Dharmaraja, all the pleasantries can wait. First, my 10,000 disciples and we are suffering from deep hunger. Make arrangements for food to be served. We will go to the river for bath and return. Nakula: But, agraja, it is well past noon. Panchali must have had her food by now and the power of akshayapatra (vessel blessed with unlimited food) would be over for the day. Sahadeva: Then, how are we going to feed the massive entourage of the sage? He has a short temper and moreover, he is hungry. God knows what terrible curse he will hurl on us.Dharmaraja: Draupadi! Draupadi! Draupadi: Natha (Lord), What is the matter? Dharmaraja: Devi, Maharishi Durvasa has arrived with his disciples. If we are not able to feed them, we are bound to be cursed by him. Bheema: What is this play of destiny, agraja? The ruler of the world and torch bearer of righteousness is not able to feed a hungry Brahmin. [a telugu poem is rendered here] Dharmaraja: Bheema, Dharmo rakshati rakshitaha - One who follows dharma shall never be harmed. And, where there is dharma, there is Krishna. He is our sole refuge. Let us all pray to Him. [A telugu poem singing the praise of Lord Krishna] Krishna comes and smiles, and the poem ends, he enters] Dharmaraja: Krishna Bheema: Madhusudana! Nakula: Janardana! Sahadeva: Keshava! Krishna: Sodari (sister) Panchali. I am very hungry. Please serve me some food. Draupadi: Even now you are testing us, Krishna. Hey Hrudayavasi (indweller of our hearts)! You know our inner torment. Please rescue us. Krishna: First feed me, then we will discuss about all your problems. Bheema: There is nothing left, Vaasudeva. Only the empty vessel and our empty hands. Krishna: I don’t believe that. There must be something, at least a grain of rice. Get the vessel, sister. [Draupadi goes and gets the vessel. In the meanwhile a telugu poem goes on in the background. Krishna picks a grain, smiles and eats it.] Krishna: May this grain of rice satisfy not only Me, but the entire universe. Bheemasena, go and fetch the venerable sage and his disciples. Aaaa… Do not accept any excuses from them. Did you understand? Bheema: Understood,Vaasudeva. Years of your company has rubbed a little bit of Your mischief in me too. [bheema leaves] Dharmaraja: Krishna! Apadhbandhava (redeemer of troubles)! You have rescued us yet again. Any words of gratitude would fail to quantify Your infinite love for us. Krishna: It is not just Love, Dharmaraja, It is My duty too. For those who have contemplated on Me ceaselessly, their protection and well being becomes My responsibility. [A Gita sloka is rendered in the background] Disciple: Gurudeva! Gurudeva! Though we have eaten nothing, our stomachs seem to be bursting with food. Help us, Gurudeva. Durvasa: What nonsense are you talking? Just a minute ago, you were so hungry. Now, what happened? [suddenly his stomach becomes full and he burps…] Shiva Shiva.. Bheema: Munivarya, Agraja has prepared a variety of dishes to serve you, Your holiness. Please bless us by accepting our hospitality. Durvasa: Bhimasena, there is no place in my stomach for even a rice grain. I am not even in a position to walk. Bhima: Maharshi, if you don’t mind, I shall carry you on my back and take you to our hermitage in a moment. Durvasa: Please leave me. Understand my plight, I cannot accept your invitation. Bhima: That is not possible, Munivarya. My brother will take me to task if I reach the hermitage without thy hallowed Self. By the way, Madhusudana is also waiting for you. Durvasa: Madhusudana! Krishna! Ah! Now I see that this is all Your divine leela. I was tricked by that evil Suyodhana who convinced me with all his sweet words soaked in hypocrisy. Bheema: That dusht (evil) Suyodhana again! Why is he so adamant in accelerating his doom with all these cheap tricks? Durvasa: All those who have sent me with wicked intentions will be destroyed. Please send my sincerest apologies to Vaasudeva. As long as He is by your side, crisis shall shudder to come near you. Vijayi Bhava (victory to you)! Sri Krishna Kataksha siddhirastu (May the kind grace of Lord Krishna always be on You)! to be continued... --------------------- SATHYA SAI SPEAKS Education is for an Exemplary Life Parents Should be United Parents should lead an exemplary life if they want their children to be good and come up in life. Parents should enroll their children in Bal Vikas classes and impart them sacred teachings. As the parents, so are the children. Therefore, parents should tread the right path and set an ideal so that their children can emulate them. The fault lies in the parents if the children do not behave properly. After a certain age, children do not obey their parents, because parents themselves do not follow the right path. There should be no difference of opinion between the father and the mother. They should be united in whatever they tell their children. In some families, mother and father differ in their direction to the children. Such lack of unity and understanding between the parents is not a good sign. Both of them must stand on one word and teach their children the right path. First of all, they should teach their children to adhere to truth. It is enough if we follow the path of truth, because truth is the basis of everything. Sathyannasti paro dharma (There is no dharma greater than adherence to truth). Peace originates from righteousness, and love manifests from peace. Where there is love, there is non-violence. If the nation has to attain peace and prosperity, we should follow the path of truth. What is truth? "Manasyekam vachasyekam karmanyekam mahatmanaam" (He is a noble soul whose thoughts, words, and deeds are in harmony). If your thought, word, and deed are at variance, it amounts to falsehood. Before we teach our children to adhere to truth, we should practise truth in our daily life. Only then can the children emulate us and become ideal. "Manasyekam vachasyekam karmanyekam mahatmanaam" (He is a noble soul whose thoughts, words, and deeds are in harmony). If your thought, word, and deed are at variance, it amounts to falsehood. Before we teach our children to adhere to truth, we should practise truth in our daily life. Only then can the children emulate us and become ideal. We should lead a "heartful life" but not an artificial life. Today, right from the system of education, everything has become artificial. People read a number of sacred texts, chant mantras, and undertake meditation. But all this is done in an artificial manner. Whatever may be the spiritual practice you undertake, do it wholeheartedly. Turn Towards God to Control the Mind In the name of meditation, people close their eyes and sit cross-legged, but they have no control over their mind. Their mind goes everywhere as per its whims and fancies. Therefore, we should control our mind in the first instance. Manah eva manushyanam karanam bandhamokshayo (mind is the cause of bondage and liberation of man). As the thought, so is the action. Hence, we should entertain only good thoughts, which lead to good actions and ultimately yield good results. Mind is like a mad monkey. It goes everywhere without any restraint. But it becomes quiet and subdued when it is turned toward God. When the Sun rises, our shadow is very long. If we start walking toward the Sun, our shadow falls behind us. On the other hand, if we walk in the opposite direction with our back toward the Sun, we have to follow our shadow, which falls ahead of us. When the Sun is right on our head, the shadow falls under our feet. Maya (delusion) is like our shadow. In order to conquer maya, you have to turn your mind toward God. When your mind is directly focused on God, maya will be totally subdued like the shadow under your feet. In order to conquer maya, you have to turn your mind toward God. When your mind is directly focused on God, maya will be totally subdued like the shadow under your feet. There are three hands in the clock indicating seconds, minutes, and hours. The second hand is the longest and moves quicker than the other two. When the second hand completes sixty digits, the minute hand moves forward by one digit. Similarly, when the minute hand crosses sixty digits, the hour hand crosses one digit. However, the hour hand is most important. Thinking of God once in a while and spending the rest of the time in worldly pursuits is like the second hand, which has little significance. But constant contemplation of God at all times is like the hour hand, which is most important. Love is truth and truth is love. Live in love. This is not physical and worldly love. We should preserve spiritual love in our heart. Only then can we develop steadiness of mind. Worldly love will only make our mind fickle and unsteady. Therefore, keep your mind always focused on God. Only then can you experience peace. People think it is very difficult, but let Me tell you that there is no sadhana (spiritual discipline) easier than this. When we develop love for God, the mind can be controlled very easily. On the other hand, if the mind is not turned toward God, it can never be controlled. Whatever you do, consider it as God's work. Surrender to His Will Everything happens as per the Will of God. Do not be under the delusion that your will alone can make things move. If that be the case, why are you not able to exercise any control over certain events that take place in your life? Understand that everything moves as per the Divine Will. If something good happens to you, consider it as the Will of God. If something unpleasant happens, accept that too as the Will of God. There is certainly some purpose behind whatever He does, which you cannot comprehend. Whatever He does is for your own good. Hence, leave everything to His Will. Sukhadukhe samekruthwa labhalabhau jayajayau (one should remain equal minded in happiness and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat). Whatever may happen, consider it as an act of divine love and welcome it wholeheartedly. Everything happens as per the Will of God. Do not be under the delusion that your will alone can make things move. If that be the case, why are you not able to exercise any control over certain events that take place in your life?.... Sukhadukhe samekruthwa labhalabhau jayajayau (one should remain equal minded in happiness and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat). When you get immersed in divine love, you will be successful in all your endeavours. But today people are getting immersed only in worldly love. One who develops worldly love is a liar! Only divine love can be termed as true love. Divine love will never betray you. Let people think what they like, let them criticise you in any manner, but always remain firmly established in divine love. Under any circumstances, do not deviate from the path of divine love. When you preserve divine love in your heart, your future as well as the future of your children will be safe and secure. ~ Divine Discourse delivered at the Sri Sathya Sai World Education Conference on 22 July, 2008 Dream Comes True...SHIRDI BABA---By priya devi ------------------------- Photo from Hetal Patil Om Sai Ram, I went to shirdi for the first time way back in 1980 when I was a kid. The memories are still fresh in my mind. Shirdi was different from what it is today. It was very easy to get Baba's darshan those days. Hence we used to visit the mandir 4-5 times a day.In September 2007 I had a strange dream. I dreamt of myself riding a bicycle on a highway. I was dragging the bike on the road pondering if God was present and if so would I be able to see Him . A fakir appeared from behind me and asked me to for bhiksha. I handed some coins to him. He then turned towards a house on the left side of the road and I immediately followed him.The fakir and I entered the house that was filled with Shirdi Sai Baba's photos. I moved from one room to another to see some more photos when a voice came from behind " Are you Rakesh?". I was shocked and went back to the first room and replied in the affirmation. There was a saintly man over there who pulled a photo which was under a garland on Sai Baba's photo.The photo was a childhood picture of myself. The saintly person said “ He had kept you in his heart since you were a child". There were also two small girls. The main door of the house had the name 'Kodama Raju' written on it with which the dream came to an end. I found the strangeness of my strange dream come true. Baba's ways are inscrutable! My wife and I went on a trip to Mysore after about ten days of the strange dream that I had. We decided to use my bike as the mode of transportation. In the course of our trip we visited Sri Rangapatna which was about fifteen kilometers ahead of Mysore. In Sri Ranga Patna, we visited an orphanage run by Sathya Sai Baba trust. The orphanage is known to be famous for the miracles of Sai. We visited the mandir in the orphanage where I found loads of vibhuti formation on Sai Baba's photos and also the continuous flow of nectar from Baba's amulet. The mandir was actually the conversion of two rooms for the purpose of worship with a lot of Baba's photos.A small girl then approached us and handed some nectar as prasad which wasamazingly tasty. We then proceeded with our journey to Mysore. We also made a second visit to the orphanage on our way back from Mysore when another small girl gave us the prasad.On reaching home in Bangalore I found the strangeness of my strange dream come true. Baba's ways are inscrutable!. I would just like to conclude that "Baba loves all and keeps everyone in his heart."-------------------------- CONVERSATIONS WITH SAISatyopanishad - part 16:Direct Directions from the Divine Dear Reader, In response to your positive feedback to this section where we have a conversation with the Divine, we continue with Prof. Anil Kumar’s ‘Satyopanishad’ following Dr. John Hislop’s series ‘Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’ that ended in January 2008. This series is also in the question-answer format that many devotees prefer, and has answers from Bhagavan on topics as wide ranging as the origin of evil, the goals of human lif, and aspects of God – embodied and formless, to price hikes, women’s liberation, vegetarianism, and the generation gap among people of the present times. Published in two parts by the author, these volumes have 270 questions in all, which are neatly grouped under separate chapters. In this issue, we begin the fifth chapter: 'Concepts' Chapter 5: Concepts (Continued from the previous issue) Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! We have many qualities tamasika (like laziness, dullness, etc.), rajasika (like aggressiveness, ego, etc.) and sattvika (being pious). Do they change at any time? How are we to ennoble ourselves? Sometimes these attributes may be responsible for conflicts with our colleagues in the office. What is to be done under these circumstances? Kindly give us a solution to this problem that we encounter everyday? Bhagavan: The whole world revolves round these three attributes tamasika, rajasika and sattvika. Every individual has these three attributes working like the three blades of a fan. But in a person, the quality which dominates the other two, decides their nature and total personality, nay, their very destiny as a whole. He is a pious man whose sattvika quality dominates his rajasika and tamasika qualities. He is an emotional, passionate, active man if his rajasika quality dominates his sattvika and tamasika qualities. He is a dull, inactive and passive man if he is dominated by the tamasika nature. Thus, everyone has these three attributes. For instance, in an eyeball don't you see all the three colours - white, red, and black? They symbolise these three traits. Watch the Sunrise. You will notice three colours - red, white and black again indicating three attributes. However, you should note one important point. These attributes or gunas have no independent existence. Divinity makes them functional. But the gunas are not to be found in the divine, as God is gunatita, the One beyond attributes. Gunas are transformable. For instance, you can get over tamasika quality by karma, action. Karma transforms tamasika quality into rajasika activity. Rajasika nature is dual. It may give you success or failure, profit or loss, praise or blame, etc. Man has to perform karma. In fact, there is no one who does not take any action. You may lie on a bed sleeping, yet your heart beats, blood circulates and the nervous system and pulmonary system work. Don't they? Does it not amount to action? By doing selfless actions, offering all the fruits of action to God, serving God in everyone and by realising the indwelling divinity, one can develop anubhavajnana, practical wisdom or experience-based wisdom. At that stage, a rajasika person becomes a sattvika person. Therefore, karma is important. It is said karmanubandhini manus yaloke, which means, human society is bound by action. Your very life is gifted to do karma. Thus, janma, birth and karma, actions are interrelated. Therefore, a tamasika nature can be converted into rajasika by volitional action, which can be further transformed into sattvika by bhakti and jnana, that is, devotion and awareness. This is sadhana or spiritual practice. In fact, one should salute respectfully the action he does. Tasmai namah karmane, “my salutations to the action given or assigned to meâ€. Therefore, a tamasika nature can be converted into rajasika by volitional action, which can be further transformed into sattvika by bhakti and jnana, that is, devotion and awareness. This is sadhana or spiritual practice. By atmavicara, self-enquiry, you can improve and change your nature. When any lower or animal qualities like wavering of the mind, excessive sleep, gluttony, etc. crop up, immediately say to yourself at least ten times. "I am a man, I am not an animal." Then, you will be able to get over them. Do your duty sincerely. Don't be pompous. Don't show off or do any stunt. Always be sure that God notices everything that you do, though others may not. Do your duty with love. Duty with love is Desirable.Duty without love is Deplorable,Love without duty is Divine. If you offer all your work and the fruits thereof to God, your work will be transformed into worship. You may not agree with your colleagues in your office. Your temperament may be incompatible with theirs, sometimes leading to controversies and in-fights, and you may, as a result, lose your peace of mind. So, don't have too close a relationship with too many people. Say ‘hello, hello’ to everyone, 'how are you' to all those you meet and end with 'goodbye'. That's all and nothing more. Today, there is no real social service. Everything is either slow-service or show-service. You should have a feeling that what you do is not for anybody but for your own satisfaction and happiness. Whatever you do, do it for the satisfaction of your conscience. You shouldn't do anything for praise or appreciation by others. Your conscience is God. Know that character is most important and you should never compromise on this score. What is always necessary for success in life is cooperation. But nowadays, we find only operation. You should have a feeling that what you do is not for anybody but for your own satisfaction and happiness. Whatever you do, do it for the satisfaction of your conscience. You shouldn't do anything for praise or appreciation by others. Your conscience is God. Know that character is most important and you should never compromise on this score. What is always necessary for success in life is cooperation. By joining good company (satsang), listening to the teachings of great masters and seers, and above all with God's grace, you can change your attitudes and mentality. By Buddha's teaching, the cruel Angulimala and by Narada's instructions Ratnakara (who became sage Valmiki later) were transformed. Visvamitra who was a Rajarshi, a sage among kings, became a Brahmarshi, a sage ever immersed in Brahman, by the direction of Vasishtha. Visvamitra thus became the mitra, friend of the visva, universe. Arjuna, on one occasion dropped his bow and arrows in the battlefield. He became tamasika (dull, passive, weak) and even reluctant to engage in a war for which he stood in the battlefield. He forgot all the vows he had taken and the atrocities the Kauravas had committed. It was at that time that Krishna induced the rajasika quality into Arjuna's mind, preparing him for the war of Kurukshetra with renewed zeal. Emperor Janaka who became a rajarshi due to the teachings of Sage Yajnavalkya renounced everything and became a perfect jnani, one known for spiritual wisdom. Therefore, by intense sadhana, tamas can be converted into rajas, and rajas into sattva. In so doing, an aspirant becomes a recipient of God's grace and ultimately a seeker of nirvana (liberation). Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! We hear of purusarthas, the four goals of life. How are we to achieve them? Bhagavan: I tell my students quite often about the four 'F's': The first 'F' is 'Follow the master'. Dharma, righteousness, is your master. Follow dharma at all times. All your actions must be approved by dharma, the ideal norms of life. If you hold on to dharma throughout, the very same dharma will protect you, dharmo raksati raksitah. Manava, being human, should follow the dharma of a human being (manavadharma), and never that of a demon (danavadharma). The second 'F' is 'Face the devil'. What is the devil here? While dharma is the master, artha, wealth or money, is the devil. Most people struggle a lot for money. They resort to all sorts of tactics, do unrighteous and unjustified deeds only for money. Many think that the world goes by money, dhanamulamidam jagat. No, the world relies on dharma, dharmamulamidam jagat. One should earn money righteously. The third 'F' is 'Fight to the end'. What is the enemy you should fight till the end? It is kama, desire. Until the last desire too vanishes, you should continue to fight. Once Sage Dakshinamurthy happened to walk along the shore of a sea. He noticed the rising waves pushing a small blade of grass towards the shore. He felt bad. After all, it was a tiny grass blade and the mighty sea sent forth its mounting waves to push it away onto the shore. “How arrogant is the sea not to tolerate even a blade of grass!" thought the sage within himself. Then the Sea God, Samudra, appeared before the sage with folded hands and said very humbly, “Oh! Great sage! I am not at fault: Do not blame me and call me arrogant. I am not so. I cannot afford to have a single, simple blemish, not even a blade of grass in me. So my waves pushed it away to the shore and not out of any hatred or enmityâ€. This is what 'fight to the end' means. Then the fourth 'F' is 'Finish the game'. What is the game? It is the game of life. When does the game of life finish? It finishes with the attainment of moksha (liberation). So moksha is the final goal of the four objectives of life. Here you should remember one important point. Of the four purusarthas, dharma is 'Follow the master', artha is 'Face the devil', kama is 'Fight to the end' and moksha is 'Finish the game'. The first one is dharma and the fourth is moksha, with the second artha and the third kama in between. It implies that artha should be earned with dharma, then kama should be used only to attain the fourth goal of life moksha. So, the four 'F's' stand for these purusarthas of life. But now, I tell you there is another purusartha, the fifth one, which is the supreme goal of life. That is 'Love'. Love is God,God is Love, hence,Live in Love. You can achieve anything with love. Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! What is it that we should have in order to deserve Your prapti, deservedness? Bhagavan: Your interest is the most important thing. With this you can achieve anything in life. When you have trust in a particular matter or a subject or a person, you are said to have interest in that matter or that subject or that person. Since you have immense interest in Swami, you run fast and occupy the front rows close to My feet. Isn't it so? In the morning, in silence you wait anxiously for Swami, and that is why even the slightest sounds, such as the sound of closing the door of Swami's car makes you think, and alerts you that Swami is coming towards you. Whosoever comes to the scene at that time is expected to convey some message of Swami's arrival. What is the reason? This is all due to your interest in Swami. If you have no interest in Swami, you don't notice His presence even if He stands in front of you. Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! What is illusion, maya? Kindly explain. Bhagavan: There is no illusion whatsoever. What exists is only brahman, the Cosmic Soul. The so-called illusion or maya is only your imagination. There is only Brahman. Nothing more! The body attachment is illusion, maya or bhrama. A simple example: Here is a huge tree under which you see its shadow, don't you? The branches and the leaves are the cause of the shade. As the sunlight falls on the tree you see the shade beneath the tree. Here you have to know one important point. What exists is only brahman, the Cosmic Soul. The so-called illusion or maya is only your imagination. There is only Brahman. Nothing more! The body attachment is illusion, maya or bhrama. There is nothing like shade above the tree or on the top of the tree. It means there is no shade in sunlight. Then how does the shade arise? The branches and the leaves of the tree are responsible for the shade below. Sunlight is brahman, tree is life and the branches and leaves are attachments and desires. They are responsible for the shade of maya or illusion. Shade is out of question when there are no leaves and branches. So, there is no illusion or maya as such. It is the fallacy of your imagination Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! How are we to get over maya or illusion? Bhagavan: There is no maya. It is your own creation. How is it then you want to get over that, which does not exist at all? In the night, seeing a rope, you mistake it for a serpent and you are very much stricken with fear. Later on, enquiry reveals that it is only a rope and not a serpent. What you should know here are two points: Neither the snake disappears, nor does the rope appears specially to give you relief. All along, it has been a rope. You are the only one who is mistaken by taking a rope for a serpent. So also, the reality is brahman or atma and the rest is bhrama, or illusion or imagination. Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! It is often said and felt that none escapes maya or illusion. Everyone falls a victim to the influence of maya. So, man is prone to delusion. Then Swami, a person who has known what maya is and has been out of maya, how is it that he gets into the trap again? Bhagavan: Think of this situation. When it is dark what happens to light? Where does it go? Similarly, when there is light, where does the darkness that was present till the light came, go? Absence of light is darkness. Darkness does not flow or run away. Because of the light, it is not noticed. Once the light is put off, it will be dark as before. Here light is wisdom, darkness is ignorance, or maya, or delusion, or avidya. To dispel the darkness the only thing to do is light a candle. So long as it is on the move of sadhana, the dust of illusion stays behind. But, if the bus of life stops or halts sadhana, the dust of delusion will get into life. So, it is sadhana that keeps you unaffected by delusion. If you stop sadhana you will again become a victim of maya. Your question is, how the darkness of ignorance comes back again having been dispelled once already by the light of wisdom. A simple example: Many travel by bus. As the bus speeds forward along the rugged roads, we find the dust rising behind the bus so long as it is on a continuous run. But, the moment the bus stops the whole lot of dust collects inside. All of it just blows into the bus. Similarly, human life is a bus. So long as it is on the move of sadhana, the dust of illusion stays behind. But, if the bus of life stops or halts sadhana, the dust of delusion will get into life. So, it is sadhana that keeps you unaffected by delusion. If you stop sadhana you will again become a victim of maya. Therefore, you can never take it for granted that you are rid of maya in your lifetime. It is your constant sadhana that helps you. Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! Illusion is a non-atmic feeling or worldly approach. To identify myself with that which I am not is illusion. Truly speaking, the "I" we often speak of is in reality only atma; nothing else. How is one to know this truth, and to recognise and experience this truth? Kindly tell us about this Swami! Bhagavan: Actually, 'I' is only atma or brahman. A sincere attempt to know this truth is called 'enquiry'. Self-enquiry is most essential in the spiritual path. Puja, namasmarana , dhyana, tapas, yajna, yaga, (worship, meditation, chanting His name, ritual sacrifice) and such rituals are not truly spiritual. They are good activities to attain purity of heart. True spirituality indeed, is self-enquiry. I do not mean that you should give up all rituals and sacred actions. Self-enquiry is the most important in My view. Since you do not have people who are properly experienced in this field of knowledge to teach you, you find it tough and difficult to move in the right direction. If this question, “Who are you?" is put to a group of people you get different answers. One says in reply, “I am an Indianâ€. This is not correct, because you may shift to America and then become an American. If you go to Russia, you are a Russian and so on. India is the country where you are born. But you are not the country. So, to say, “I am an Indian" is wrong. To the same question “Who or you"? Another would say, “I am an engineerâ€. This is not correct, because you are an engineer by virtue of your profession. You are not the profession you are in. Some answer in a different way, saying, “I am so and so ...I am Ram, I am Shyam.†It is a name given to you by your parents. You are not born with that name nor did you come to this world with a signboard on your forehead. You are not the name as you may change it according to your taste at any time. One may prefer to answer the question “Who are you?" in another way saying, “I am a young manâ€,†I am an aged person', "I am a boy" and so on. This is also wrong. Why? Boyhood, youth, and old age are the different stages that you pass through in your life. But you remain one and the same person all along. At one time, you were a boy. Then, a man; later a father and finally, a grandfather. But you have been the same person throughout. Then, how can you identify yourself with your age which does not remain the same? Another person may say, “I am a tall person", " I am a handsome man", " I am a lean man". These are again the replies related to the nature of the body. This is not correct, you are not the body, which is merely an instrument, because while you are in deep sleep your body is passive and static, and you are not aware of its existence. You are not the mind, too. “Who are youâ€? It is “I am atmaâ€. This atma is the eternal witness and is the experiencer of all. This exists in all the three states of consciousness, jagrata (waking state), svapna (dreaming state), and susupti (deep sleep). You maybe named in any way, you may belong to any country, be of any age group or profession, etc., but as a matter of fact, you are only the 'Eternal Atma'. This is the correct answer you get in the path of self-enquiry. This is true spirituality. If you think you are the mind you lead the life of ego and pride. Even the mind does not exist in susupti, deep sleep. You are not the intellect either. You may be intelligent but you are not the intellect. Intellect is God's gift for you to discriminate, judge, decide and thus to be discreet. But, when it turns selfish, it is called "individual discrimination". But, what is expected is "fundamental discrimination", which is universal, and is good to everybody. You will also know that buddhi, intellect, does not exist in deep sleep. So, definitely you are not the intellect which is only an instrument like the body and the mind. So, what is the correct answer to this question, “Who are youâ€? It is “I am atmaâ€. This atma is the eternal witness and is the experiencer of all. This exists in all the three states of consciousness, jagrata (waking state), svapna (dreaming state), and susupti (deep sleep). You maybe named in any way, you may belong to any country, be of any age group or profession, etc., but as a matter of fact, you are only the 'Eternal Atma'. This is the correct answer you get in the path of self-enquiry. This is true spirituality. Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! What is Vedanta? Bhagavan: The Veda is dualism. Vedanta is non-dualism. There is nothing beyond Vedanta. Milk on curdling becomes curds. You get butter when you churn curds. When you heat butter, you get ghee (clarified butter). Ghee is the final stage of milk. Even if you heat further it remains the same. So, milk, after passing through changes, becomes ghee. Milk represents dualism and ghee represents non-dualism. Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami, do you view that the three schools of Vedanta philosophy like dualism, dvaita, qualified non-dualism visistadvaita and non-dualism, advaita as contradictory to one another? Does one school advocate just the opposite of what the other says? Bhagavan: This is how it is usually understood and practiced by many. But, truly speaking it is not so. In fact; these three are integrated. You find one as being the continuation of the other. You will notice that one leads to the other. Take for example, sugarcane. You find juice in the sugarcane. Here, there is pulp and juice. This is the state of dualism. Now, you can extract juice separating the pulp from the sugarcane. The juice, though very important and the very essence drawn out of the sugarcane, does not stay long or cannot be preserved for long. This state of obtaining the juice, separating the pulp from the sugarcane is the state of qualified non-dualism. This juice is purified, refined and processed into sugar and sugar remains the same forever. This is the state of non-dualism. You can make use of sugar in any way you like. ================================================================= Being a Star in His Sky... By Mr. Amey DeshpandE This is the transcript of a talk delivered by Mr Amey Deshpande, a research scholar in Bhagavan's University, on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the School of Business Management, Accountingand Finance, Prasanthi Nilayam, on August 21, 2007 in the Divine Presence of Bhagavan Baba. "Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be? The sweet Love Story…that is older than the sea;The simple truth about the Love He brings to me. Where do I… start? Where do we…start?" Sri Amey Deshpande I offer our most loving and humble salutations at the Divine Lotus Feet of our most beloved Bhagavan. Revered elders, dear brothers and sisters, Sai Ram to all of you. Even as we stand on the threshold of another milestone, another anniversary (it was the 21st Anniversary of the MBA programme of Sri Sathya Sai University), I cannot but wonder in utter awe, admiration and a deep sense of gratitude for what Bhagavan has done for all of us. In 1963, when one of the foreign devotees had come for the first time to Puttaparthi, he described Puttaparthi as a stone's throw from the Stone-age. And today, what we see is that the whole world has come to Puttaparthi! How can we count our blessings? How fortunate are we? Let me just share with you this interesting thought that I have: Scientists say that the universe is about 13.5 billion years old, which is an incredibly long time, and the average life span of a man on the earth is about 100 years. Imagine our great good fortune that we happen to be on this earth, at the very same time, in the entire span of 14 billion years! We happen to be just at the time when God, the Creator of this Universe is also present on this earth! Puppets in His Plan More importantly, how fortunate are we that we have been chosen by Him, that we have been called by Him that He has given us an opportunity to sit on the ring-side and watch His Divine Master Plan unfold! Giving us this opportunity to play our little roles in this Divine Master Plan. My Mother had taught me a very beautiful Hindi song. It goes something like this: "Ye dhuniya banana our banake phir chalana, Bus usi ka kaam hai, Bada zordhaar uska inthajam hai Bada zarbardast uska inthajam hai Surya chandra tare apne dharma se na tal sak Insaan ki majal kya vo uska kram badal sake?"which means, this entire world is a manifestation of His Master Plan. When even the Moon and the Stars cannot change His Maste plan, where is man in this whole scheme of things? It is but a puppet. And we are so lucky to be puppets in His hand. To be Bhagavan's student, especially a Management Student, has been the only exhilarating experience of my life. What have I learnt from this experience? I wish to share some of my thoughts on what Ihave gained from Swami as a Management Student, taking the aid of a small stanza which runs as follows (A song in Hindi) "Hey Aankh voh jo Shyam ka darshan kiya kare? Hey sheesh jo Prabhu charan me vandan kiya kare? Bekar voh mookh hai, jo rahe vyarth bathon mey Mookh voh hai jo, Sai naam ka sumiran kiya kare.. Hire Mothi se nahi, shobha hai hath ki Hey hath jo Bhagavan ka poojan kiya kare Markar bhi amar nam hai us jeev ka jag me Prabhu prem mey, Sai prem mey, balidan jo Jeevan kiya kare.." [Of what use are the eyes, if they cannot have Darshan of Shyam (the Lord)? Of what use are the hands if they cannot worship the Lord? Foolish is the mouth that rambles aimlessly. Blessed is the tongue that chants the Name of Sai. The hands are beautiful not by holding precious pearls, but by worshipping the Lord. The one who lives, even if he is dead, is the one who offers his life at the Feet of the Lord."] The Ultimate Lesson "Hey Aankh voh jo Shyam ka darshan kiya kare?" Those are the true eyes that see the Lord everywhere. How does this apply to us, Management Students? The corporate life can be a pretty tricky one. Bhagavan says, "See God in everyone. " One of the Devotees of Bhagavan, who is stationed in Delhi, heads a very large organization. And He used to hear Bhagavan often saying, "See God in everyone." He used to wonder, "Swami, how do Ido it?"And he had a special difficulty with one particular subordinate of his. This person was not only a misfit to the Organization, but more importantly, he had an attitude problem. And whatever he did was just not tolerated by this Sai devotee. On one occasion, he had committed such a big blunder that in a fit of rage, this devotee slapped him and told him, "Get out of here." That night as he slept, Bhagavan came in his dream. He sawBhagavan standing outside the window, but what really horrified him was that Bhagavan's cheeks were red. And Swami was rubbing his cheeks. As soon as he saw this, he immediately got up and began to cry and sob. He said, "Swami, now I know what is the meaning of seeing God in every being is!" Let us all believe that every person who walks into our life,every individual who comes in contact with us, is His Form. He Writes the Programme The next line is the song is: "Hey sheesh jo prabhu charan mey vandan kiya kare." What use is the human body if it does not bow to the Lord with love and humility. I am reminded here of another very beautiful story. Swami says that a fruit laden branch always bows down. Because, it has humility, it wants to serve the other. And so also should be a knowledgeable mind. But unfortunately, when we gather all this data and information, we start to float. And Swami says that this knowledge is actually the air which makes us float, which is truly nothing. One of our students, armed with an MBA degree from this Institute, had passed out and had always this feeling that it is he who can do everything. This took him far and wide, to so many places and ultimately he joined a large multi national corporation in the United States Just to give a background of this organization, they manufactured a certain electronic component almost a hundred per minute, and a part of the process was that as this item was manufactured, it had to be labelled and then it would be loaded on to the trucks. This labelling process was done manually and that was the bottleneck of this process. This brother, a senior brother of ours, had risen to the position of the Chief Technology Officer, and so he proposed to the management to automate this entire process of labelling. The management agreed to the proposal and gave him this responsibility,invested a sufficient amount of money and told him that within 6 months he had to come up with the project. He worked day and night and came up with a wonderful program that executes this entire process electronically. He tested this whole process more than 1000 times and every time it was a success. The day of this program going live arrived, and five minutes into this process, he started to get calls into his office – "This program is not working, what have you done?", "We have invested so much in this, and is this what we get?" and so on. Very soon, within the next 15 minutes the entire management team was in his cabin,questioning him. He was under intense pressure. At this stage, he justsaid, "Please leave me alone for 5 minutes. Let me try and rectify the situation. I will think peacefully over a cup of coffee and get back." As soon as these people left, he didn't go for coffee. He just bowed his head down and said, "Swami, I am a big zero. I am nothing. This is my prayer to you: Please bail me out of this trouble!" Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a voice say, "Kumar!" It was exactly the way Bhagavan used to call him, when he was here as part of his MBA Program. "Kumar, emi ra Kumar?" (What happened, Kumar?)And he opened his eyes and he didn't know where this voice was coming from. It was very clearly Bhagavan's voice. And then, he says, for the next 10 minutes what he didn't know what he did. He just mechanically followed Bhagavan's instructions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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