17. SATSANGAM

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17. SATSANGAM

(Read, Understand, Appreciate, Internalise and Assimilate to reach

the Ultimate)

 

BLESSINGS TO PONDER

 

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof

overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

 

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a

dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

 

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are

more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

 

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness

of imprisonment, the agony of

torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million

people in the world.

 

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment,

arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion

people in the world.

 

If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very

rare, even in the United States.

 

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly

thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

 

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the

shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.

 

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in

that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more

blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at

all.

 

Have a good day, count your blessings, and pass this along to remind

everyone else how very blessed we all are.

 

I Asked God

 

I asked God to take away my pain.

God said, No. It is not for Me to take away, but for you to give it

up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.

God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.

God said, No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't

granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness.

God said, No. I give you blessings, happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.

God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and

brings you closer to Me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.

God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to

make you fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No. I will

give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others as much as He loves me.

God said... Ahhh, finally! you have the idea.

Excerpts from Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Discourse

 

The Gayatri Mantra begins with " Om Bhur Bhuvah Suvah. " 'Bhuh' means

materialisation. It represents matter which is subject to change.

Bhuvah represents life principle, i.e., vibration. Savitri is the

presiding deity of life principle. You must have heard the story of

Savitri, who restored her dead husband back to life with the power

of her devotion and surrender. Saraswati is worshipped as 'Jnana

Devata' as she confers good intellect and wisdom. This is described

in the Vedas as Prajnanam Brahma. Prajnana does not mean worldly

knowledge. It is Constant Integrated Awareness, which is changeless

and eternal.

 

The divine mother has three names: Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati.

Gayantham Trayathe Iti Gayathri (Gayatri protects those who sing her

glory). Gayatri, being the presiding deity of our senses, helps us

to master the senses. Savitri, being the presiding deity of the life

principle, protects our life. Saraswati bestows on us the changeless

and eternal wisdom. Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati are present in

every man, but he is not able to understand and experience their

presence.

 

Tyaja Durjana Samsargam; Bhaja Sadhu Samagamam; Kuru Punyam

Ahorathram; Smara Nityam Anityatham (shun bad company; seek good

company and perform righteous deeds the whole day; discriminate

between permanent and ephemeral).

 

People pursue various paths to experience the everlasting bliss. The

Taittiriya Upanishad gives the analogy of a bird in this context.

The head of this bird is called Sraddha (sincerity). The right and

left wings are compared to Ritham and Sathyam respectively. The body

symbolizes Mahattattwam and the tail/ Yoga. What is Ritham?

Trikalabadhyam Ritham (Ritham remains unchanged in the three periods

of time - past, present and future). Sraddha is very important.

Sraddhavan Labhate Jnanam (with sincerity, wisdom is won). In the

Bhagavadgita, Krishna said, " One with Sraddha can attain Me. " He

further declared, " I am the very embodiment of Sraddha. " One without

Sraddha cannot accomplish even a small task. Especially, in the

field of spirituality, Sraddha is very essential. Strong and

unwavering faith leads to Sraddha. The Upanishads have expounded the

principle of Sraddha in varied ways. Wisdom attained through Sraddha

is Tharakam (liberation). Lack of Sraddha is Marakam (bondage). The

eternal principle of Tharaka must be understood, practiced and

propagated. This is the fundamental teaching of Taittiriya Upanishad.

 

Man can attain Jnana (wisdom) only when he purifies his heart by

developing the five aspects, namely, Sraddha, Sathyam, Ritham, Yogam

and Mahattattwam.

 

The oneness of thought, word and deed is Ritham. They represent the

Trinity of f Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. Hence, everyone must

strive for the purity of these three.

 

Man has to follow the path of truth to acquire wisdom. It is said,

Sathyam Bruyath, Priyam Bruyath, Na Bruyath Sathyamapriyam (speak

truth, speak pleasantly and do not speak unpalatable truth). These

three correspond to moral, dharmic and spiritual values

respectively.

 

Manasyekam Vachasyekam Karmanyekam Mahatmanam

(Those whose thoughts, words and deeds are in complete harmony are

noble ones)

 

Where there is confidence, there is love;

Where there is love, there is truth;

Where there is truth, there is peace;

Where there is peace, there is bliss;

Where there is bliss, there is God.

 

 

Sri P Gopi Krishna

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