Sai Messages No. 16.

[Guest guest]

Three debts

 

Every man, irrespective of the country, race or period of time in which

he is born, comes into the world burdened with three debts. The first

debt is owed to the Divine. The second is to the Rishis (sages). The

third is to one's parents.

 

A debt is an obligation arising out of what one has received from

others. We can easily identify these debts in the human body; different

divine forces are present nourishing and protecting it. This divine

energy permeates the entire body; it is called the Rasa (Divine

Essence). We owe a debt of gratitude to the Divine which has not only

endowed us with this precious human body but which also sustains it. We

shall be able to enjoy these gifts of the Divine only if we discharge

this debt to the Divine. How is this to be done? It is by rendering

service to other bodies saturated with the same Divine, by doing

righteous deeds and consecrating all actions in the service of the

society. The debt to the Divine has to be discharged in full in this

life itself or during many future lives. The earlier we repay this

debt, the sooner we shall realize Divinity.

 

Next, the debt to the Rishis: By selfless investigations and

experiments the sages discovered for mankind the paths to be followed

for bettering our lives here and attaining mergence. They have laid down

the types of right action that will help man to lead a good and worthy

life and successfully strive for Self-realization. These guidelines and

codes of conduct have come down to us in the form of Shaasthras

(spiritual sciences). The Shaasthras also deal with rituals and forms

of worship for propitiating the Divine. The sages have taught how man

can proceed from the human to the Divine. Such codes have other names

elsewhere. But, whatever the name, these are essential for human

survival.

 

When man strays from these codes and Divine Sankalpa, he is subject to

many calamities. Man will have to pay the price now or later for

violating these codes. Because the sages of yore have given man these

precious guidelines for righteous and sacred life, we repay the debt by

respecting these codes and observing the injunctions lay down by them.

 

Today, instead of honoring and following the shaasthras and Divine

shankalpa, people are dishonoring and violating them and committing many

wanton sins in the process. When we follow the path laid down by the

sages, we can lead exemplary lives and reach the full height of human

potentialities.