Swami teaches... Parts 1 -3. Do Your
Duty as Dedication to the Divine
Light and Love
Swami teaches... 20 - 24 July, 2007
Part 3. Do Your Duty as Dedication to the Divine
There are four yugas (eons), Kritha Yuga, Thretha Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and
Kali Yuga.
The eons are only measurement of time. This world is termed as Jagam. The
last means that the world is a place, where animated and unanimated beings
born and die. In this changing world, Brahman (God, Cosmic Consciousness,
Atma) is the changeless entity.
Without Time, there is no world. Without the world there is no creation,
without creation there is nothing. Every created thing is born of Time. God
is the inner motivator of all, the Director of this Play called Life.
One should understand the value of time, each moment of which vanishes
faster than lighting.
Human in wasteful, even damaging, task is frittering an enormous quantity of
precious time away now. People find time to queue up for hours before cinema
booking booths or waiting for a bus to take them there. They have time to
play cards and sit at the club table, chatting on trivialities for hours
together. This is because people live only on the surface or bottom of
things; they are either froth or dregs. They shirk responsibilities. They do
not introspect, or think calmly of the end for which they are struggling
frantically and flippantly.
Spiritual pursuit is the right way of making use of time and pictorially
dedicating this time to the Divine, to the Source. Through good thoughts and
good kindly actions, the heart gets pure and holy. It calls for numbing good
feelings and doing good deeds without selfish motive, extending love, and
compassion towards all beings. This is real sadhana. ('Sa' means Atma and 'dhana'
means wealth. By utilizing your time in spiritual pursuits, you can enjoy
spiritual wealth).
However, this is the Age of Kali, which is often described as Kalaha Yuga,
the age of discord, in which there will be misunderstanding and quarrels
between husband and wife, father and son, preceptor and disciple. Today many
people indulging in creel deeds, devoid of even a trace of compassion, and
behaving worse than birds and beasts. They are attached to their bodies and
spend their energy and time to provide comforts for the body.
How long will the body last? It is a bundle of diseases, a repository of
filth and foul excreta. It cannot help one to cross the ocean of Samsara
(worldly life). It is subject to changes such as childhood, adolescence,
youth, adulthood, old age, and finally death. One does not know when, where
and how death will occur.
Certainly the body has to be maintained in good condition, for it is only
when embodied in this human tabernacle that human can realize God. The body
is either strong or weal an efficient instrument or an inefficient one,
according to the food, recreations and habits of one's parents.
The body should be regarded as the abode of the spirit and cared for as
such. (To ensure perfect health, it is essential to get rid of internal
impurities and take in only wholesome food, for example).
In the journey of life, the body is like a cart and the heart is like a
horse. Unless you feed the heart well, the journey cannot proceed properly.
The heart has to be fed with good fodder in the form of good company, good
conduct, and good thoughts. Moreover, whatever is done should be as the
dedication to the Divine, offering to God.
Both inner and outer purity are essential for human's physical and mental
health. Most people are concerned about external physical cleanliness.
(People tend to ignore inner cleanliness in the belief that the heart and
mind are not visible to others).
Do external objects and the attraction they exercise over him/her enslave
human, or, is it some inner impulse that urges person forward to shackle
him/herself to sorrow?
The circumstances of one's birth are a result of past actions. Karma
(action), janma (birth), dharma (righteousness), and the marma (secret of
life) are all connected with Brahman. They are like the four walls of a
building. The first wall is karma (action). One should not act as fancies
dictate. Before doing anything, one should consider whether it is proper or
improper. Nothing should be done in haste on the impulse of the moment. Only
then will one's actions be sathwic and free from rajasic and thamasic
stains.
Good actions earn good returns. Bad actions result in bad consequences. That
is why the Lord is described as Karmaphala pradhaata (the dispenser of the
fruits of action).
For example, when Duryodhana (the eldest of the evil-minded sons of
Dhritharashtra, father of Kauravas) sought to disrobe Draupadi, the consort
of Pandavas, she prayed to Krishna in various ways. Although Krishna heard
her prayers, he could not respond immediately to her calls for help. (The
reason is the stem law of Nature. This universal law operates always at all
places and at all times. For instance, if a stone is thrown up, it comes
down. These are the results of the law of gravitation).
Hearing Draupadi's prayers, Krishna thought for a moment whether she had
done any action in the past, which entitled her to secure protection in
Duryodhana's assembly hall. (To merit Divine help one must have offered
something or the other to God - a leaf, a flower, or a little sacred water.
At the mundane level there is a simple role of give-and-take in daily life).
Krishna remembered something that Draupadi had done years ago. Krishna
suffered a cut in His little finger while handling sugarcane. Immediately
Rukmini sent a maid to fetch bandage cloth. Sathyabhama rushed to bring some
cloth to bind the wounded finger. Draupadi who was standing by, without
hesitation, tore a piece of cloth of her sari and immediately bandaged
Krishna's finger. Although what she gave was only a small bit of her sari,
it was a spontaneous act of love and devotion. Krishna decided to make that
little piece of cloth an endless sari. He uttered the word "Akshayam" (may
it be unending) and Draupadi's sari became endless.
Very often people who experience troubles in life complain: "Why is the Lord
subjecting me to trials like these?" The truth is, the Lord neither punishes
nor rewards anyone. The devotee has only to do the duty and leave the
results to God. If the actions are good, the fruits will also be good. If
the actions are bad, the results will be equally bad.
Without examining the nature of one's actions, there is no meaning in
blaming God for what one experiences. What we witness today is the tendency
to forget one's faults and go about blaming God for one's sufferings. Every
action, however small or trivial, has its reaction. Nothing happens without
a cause. Every object has its reflection.
One devotee has said to exclaim, "Oh Lord! Among the millions of people, how
will your eyes fall on me? You are not looking at me at all. Won't you see
me?" The devotee heard a voice saying, "You are immersed in so many
activities that you have hardly set your eyes upon Me. You have hardly
devoted any thought to Me. Who, then, has forgotten whom? Is it you or me?"
People feel happy when someone gives them something. However, they do not
feel equally happy in giving to others. People desire the fruits of good
actions, but will not do good actions. They wish to be saved from the
consequences of evil deeds, but will not refrain from bad actions. As you
sow, so shall you reap, is a relentless law. You cannot escape the
consequences of your actions, whether good or bad.
People usually are involved in mundane concerns and are deeply immersed in
worldly activities and are forgot the about dedication their duties to the
Divine. They worry about some relation or friend in some distant corner of
the world, but cannot think of God who is so near to them.
Ask any one the following question.
How do you provide for yourself in your old age? The answer will be, "My
children are well placed; I get the interest on my deposits; I have a
pension; I have lands from which I can draw what I need," etc. However, no
one answers, "I rely on God!" Without faith in God, without the Divine help,
how can any of these give succor during the stormy voyage through life's
declining years? Faith in God is the secure foundation on which hope has to
be built.
An another example from daily life.
When two people meet, it is considered good manners that each should inquire
about the health of the other. This is true of the peoples of both East and
West. You ask each other, "How do you do?" (regardless of the fact, that
both are every moment approaching death, nearer and nearer).
With each exhalation of breath, a fraction of life-span escapes from our
hold. So, each should warn the other, remind the other, instruct the other,
to use the available present for realizing the God within the Universe and
within oneself.
Contemplate the unchanging Glory of God; then, the desire for the transient
baubles of the Earth will fade and you can be free.
Prakrithi is Dharaa (Earth, Creation). Think of it always. Long for it. Pine
for Dharaa, Dharaa, Dharaa and you find you are pining for Radha, Radha. So,
Radha is the Becoming and Krishna is the Being; the desire of the Being to
become, the longing for the Become for the being - this is the Radha-Krishna
relationship, which has been sung by seers and poets, calumnied and
caricatured by ignorant critics, appreciated and apprehended by aspirants,
analyzed and realized by sincere scholars of spiritual lore.
You are the image of the Supreme Atma, the image that is reflected in the
body that is part of Prakrithi (Nature). Your body is kith and kin of all
the objects that surround you in nature; your body is an object among so
many. The original Divine Spirit, the individualized spirit, which is the
image, and the objective world of which the body is a part are three
entities called Iswara (Eeshvara)-Jivi-Prakrithi.
Success in sadhana is won the moment you are able to either deny the
objective world as a delusion or recognize it as nothing but the Supreme
Spirit itself.
In ordinary day-to-day arithmetic, three minus one is equal to two; but, in
the arithmetic of the Atma the three (Iswara-Jivi-Prakrithi) minus one (Prakrithi)
is equal to not two, but one (Iswara) for, when the mirror (the Prakrithi)
goes, the image (Jivi) also disappears.
When the mirror is eliminated, two entities disappear, the mirror and the
reflection it can cast. And you merge in the Divine.
When you see the idol as God, you transmute the stone out of which it is
calved, of which it is composed, out of existence; the stone has been
eliminated, when you see only God in the shrine.
Purify and cleanse the mind so that wherever you turn, not only in the
shrine, not only in the idol, but, in everything, at all times, you will
cognize only God; then, the mind becomes your best friend, your most
efficient instrument of liberation.
(The mind projects on others its own defects and deficiencies. The mind
plays infinite pranks, and so, it is labelled as an ape. The mind also is
referred to as a snake. For, it does not move straight. It sizzles over the
earth, in a zigzag course. The mind delights in crooked stratagems, and
clever contrivances. It avoids the straight path of veracity and sincerity.
Again, the snake injects poison, and grabs living beings that come in its
way.
Nevertheless, the mind-snake can be charmed into innocence. The snake
charmer uses the naadhaswara instrument and when he blows music out of it,
the snake sways its hood entranced; so too, the mind will sway in unison
with the music that emanates from the Nama-smarana, the recitation of the
Name of God).
On spiritual journey, never allow yourself for a moment to believe that you
will fail. Say to yourself that he has already succeeded in receiving it. Do
not allow you to become flustered, or worried or anxious. Start the day with
love. Fill the day with love and end the day with love.
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol. 3. "Thamo gunam, thapo gunam," Chapter 22; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 7.
"The miracle of love," Chapter 32 and "The windows of the mind," Chapter 36;
Sathya SaiSpeaks. Vol. 10."Beside, behind, before," Chapter 10; Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 20. "The Lord and the Devotee," Chapter 9; Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol.27. "Time is God: make best use of it," Chapter 11).
Namaste - Reet
Swami teaches...15 - 19 July, 2007
Part 2. Do Your Duty as Dedication to the Divine
There are three paths laid down for the awareness of the immanence of the
Divine: karma, bhakthi and jnana. These three are not distinct and diverse;
they are composite and complementary.
First, engage yourself in Karma-Jijnaasa, (jijnaasa - yearning to know) the
discriminating selection of activity; then, you has to enter the region of
Dharma-Jijnaasa, the search for the eternal laws of the spirit that mould
and shape the waves of consciousness. Last, you penetrate into the problems
of liberation through Brahma-Jijnaasa, the sadhana (spiritual discipline)
that convinces you of the reality of the One and the unreality of
multiplicity, the apparent world based on the real Brahman.
Most devotees are in the first stage, the Karma-Jijnaasa stage, able to
distinguish the fight from the wrong so far as your activity is concerned.
Nature, the Individual, and God - of these three entities, Karma-Jijnaasa
has to consider all three, whereas Dharma-Jijnaasa has to do with the last
two and Brahma-Jijnaasa deals only with the last, viz., Brahman.
Remember the last stage, even when you are in the first, for, that is the
end of the journey, the Goal. When you have the Goal in view, wherever you
are, it will fill you with genuine joy. Do not seek to do things that give
you sensual or temporary satisfaction only. Do not crave to do what you
like, but train yourself to like what you do, or what you have to do.
The sadhana you should do is to utilize your time in doing good deeds for
the benefit of the society at large and not to satisfy your self-interest.
Be grateful to those who have helped you to achieve position, power, wealth,
and prominence.
(By forgetting the good done by others, the ungrateful person is setting at
naught the highest human values and strutting about as a vainglorious
creature. Ingratitude is a great sin, which brings in its wake a host of
troubles. To forget what one owes to others for own position and prosperity
is to forfeit the grace of the Divine).
It is sadhana, when you willingly undertake work that promotes your real
welfare. Then only can Nature and the individual self be eliminated and the
Brahman alone established in the consciousness.
Alexander Great, during his campaigns in the Punjab, was anxious to see a
celebrated sage; he went to the cave where the sage was, and expected that
he would be received most thankfully and with demonstrations of welcome. But
the sage simply asked him to move aside and go. He was not interested in the
famous world-shaker, the Greek conqueror. Alexander threatened to kill the
sage and drew his sword. But the sage said calmly, with a laugh "I do not
die; I cannot die." That put some sense in Alexander and he put his sword
back into the scabbard.
The Creator in the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the
Destroyer) do not work contrary to each other; they work out the same plan.
They are also not different from Rama and Krishna and Swami.
This rupa (form) is that rupa; this upadhi (disguise) and that upadhi are
both of the same Maha Sakthi (great universal power, Divine energy,
strength).The essential purpose of all this Leela (the Divine play) is
Ananda (the Divine Bliss). One carries away when in one upadhi called
Brahma, and creates substitutes, when in another upadhi called Krishna - all
for the sake of the Ananda it gives to the participants as well as to the
onlookers and those who listen to the story later.
This is one way of announcing the Divinity of the Avatar, which has to be
done so that people may listen and obey. The common person will sit up in
wonder and his/her awe will ripen into faith; later, even if he/her salts
discriminating and arguing pro and con, the Avatar will only be glad, for
the faith will thus be confirmed.
Cultivate the attitude of the servant of the Lord. In that spirit, you offer
service to others, whom you have to adore as embodiments of God. It is this
attitude that gives maximum satisfaction to the pining heart.
Taithreya Upanishad states that one should revere one's parents as God.
Loving service to one's parents is not only the highest form of spiritual
exercise but also closest to God's heart.
For instance, by legend saint Pundareeka had impregnable faith in the Vedic
injunction to revere the mother and the father that He refused to serve Lord
Krishna when He appeared before him to shower His Grace; for, at that time,
he was engaged in massaging the feet of his parents. He would not interrupt
that service even for a split second to touch the Feet of the Lord.
He explained, "My God is just now here, before me, asking that the feet be
massaged. Let this God who has come wait, until these Gods are served. This
God has put in His appearance only now, but these have been with me ever
since birth. I feel the Divine Presence in them every day of my life, and I
recognize them as Divine!"
Few can understand the ways in which devotion manifests itself among the
lovers of God. However, humans' relations come and go. However, the
association with God is eternal.
Below are another three examples from the past about deepness and beauty of
devotion and full dedication to the Divine.
***
Meera was a devotee who had completely merged herself in Krishna
consciousness. After her marriage, she requested her husband to build a
temple for Krishna. The Rana built for her a temple in marble. Meera spent
all the time in the temple singing bhajans (devotional songs) oblivious of
the outside world. The Rana, who allowed Meera to carry on her worship of
Krishna as agreed to by him before the marriage, got vexed with her complete
absorption in Krishna and prohibited her from going to the temple and closed
its doors to prevent her from going there.
Meera felt, "The Rana may bar me from the temple which he has built. But who
can bar me from seeking the Krishna who resides in the temple of my heart?"
Meera's thoughts were centered on Krishna installed in Dwaraka. She ran
towards Dwaraka through forests and hills, defying storm and rain, singing
all the way and calling on "Krishna ! Krishna !" Reaching Dwaraka, she
entered the temple but found the doors of the sanctum closed.
Despite all her efforts, the doors would not open. She cried out "Oh Krishna
! Do you think with the cymbals in one hand and tambour in the other how can
I hold your lotus feet ? See, I am throwing them away. I shall not give you
up and you cannot get away from me. Abandoning everything, I will cling to
your feet." Crying in anguish, Meera knocked her head against the door of
the sanctum. That very moment she fell into a swoon. An effulgent flame
emerged from her body and merged into the Krishna idol.
***
Chaithanya (15th century Vaishnava mendicant reformer; taught the path of
love and devotion to the Krishna) went to Brindavan, where every particle of
dust was sacred for him, since Krishna trod that soil centuries ago. He did
not see or hear or touch or smell or taste anything except Krishna at
Brindavan. He was rendered so forgetful to the world around him that he
ignored the demands of hunger, thirst and social etiquette. He yearned for
the consecrated food that was offered to Krishna in the Temple. But, one
night, the Lord appeared before him, and admonished him for entertaining
that one desire too. When at last, he gave up that desire also and was
overwhelmed with the thirst for Him and Him alone, Krishna manifested before
him, from within him. The Divine Chaithanya (Consciousness) illuminated the
sage Chaithanya in human form.
***
Two gopees (cowherd maiden) were moving about on the sands of the Yamuna,
talking about Krishna and lost in the contemplation of His sports and His
majesty. Of them, Neeraja had a doubt suddenly arising in her mind. (It was
a metaphysical conundrum). "When I practice identity with Krishna and feel
that I am Krishna, I am afraid that I will lose the thrill of being with
Him, conversing with Him, and hearing His sweet Voice. I long for be
distinct from Him, and to taste the Love and Glory that He is." Then, Sarala,
her companion, consoled her and said, "No! Your fears are baseless. For,
Krishna too is contemplating you and your purity. By the time you are
transformed into Krishna on account of the sadhana of identity, Krishna
would have become 'you', as a result of His longing for you and so, there
need not be any apprehension in your mind or frustration."
Practice contemplation of what you hear or read; that is the best way of
showing your gratitude to the Divine. You have another advantage too. With
your experience, you can understand the Bhagavatha (a textbook of the Divine
love, the story of Avatars, especially Krishna; it describes all the
incarnations of Vishnu) better. Swami's nature is too Vishwaprema
(all-pervading Love) and Bhagavatha is the story of Vishwaprema.
In the Purusha Shuktha it is declared that Brahmana came out of the face of
Cosmic Purusha (Primeval Person, Supreme Spirit, Lord, God). (Brahmana does
not mean one that is born in the Brahmana community. It refers to one who
has knowledge of Brahman).
Everyone wants to achieve happiness and makes all sorts of efforts for this
purpose without knowing where to find it. Happiness is not there in all
worldly attainments or possessions. It is only in the heart within. Person
is him/herself the embodiment of happiness. Yet, without realizing this,
person goes on seeking happiness elsewhere.
Permanent bliss is only within and once you realize that you are the
blissful Atma and not the transient body, you will always be happy. Direct
your vision inside. Then you will realize that the entire world is a
reflection of the Atma within you.
'That' (Brahman) is Whole.
'This' (Creation) is also Whole.
From 'that' Whole 'this' Whole has emerged.
Even though 'this' Whole has come out of 'that' Whole, yet 'that' Whole
remains WHOLE only.
What does this mean? From whatever source a thing is born, it retains the
quality of the source in full.
This is also the main quality of principle of the holographic Universe by
modern science. By this scientific outlook the Universe (and consequently
human's consciousness) is only a holographic pattern of Cosmic Consciousness
and contains all information what the Initial Source (Brahman, God, Atma,
Absolute, etc.) has. This information is, as a rule, in infinite hidden
forms and for their activation, the spiritual awareness (as laser beam in
physics) is needed.
God is Paripurna Swarupa (Godhead, meaning the fullest full Total
Personality). You should engage yourself in wholesome Divine pursuits and
fulfill the purpose of this valuable human life. You should thus reflect
your Divinity in the human form.
Change your vision, and the world will appear accordingly. Let the eye be
charged with the Divine, it will see all as God. It is foolish to try to
shape the world; shape yourself as the embodiment of Peace, Love, and
Reverence. Then, you will see all as Love and Compassion and Humility. You
should not waste time, because a moment gone will not come back.
Swami declares that He is in every one, in every being. So do not hate any
one, or cavil at any one. Spread prema always, everywhere. Do not seek to
measure or evaluate Swami. He is beyond your understanding. Pray or worship
for your own satisfaction and contentment.
Swami is everywhere, seeing all things and knowing every activity of yours.
You are devoted to Swami and you are eager to be directed and follow the
directions to the best of your ability. You desire to utilize the skill and
efficiency you have earned for the service of others, because you feel that
they are kinsmen of the Swami's family, whether they know it or not.
You can hear Swami's Footsteps, for, Swami walks with you, behind you,
beside you. When you cry out in agony, Swami's ear will be there to listen.
Ask that Swami should protect you like the apple of the eye; Swami's eye
will be there to watch over you and guard you. Have incense and scent-sticks
for the puja, and Swami smells them. Swami answers to whatever Name you use;
Swami responds to whatever request you make with a pure heart and a
sanctified motive.
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol. 3. "Thamo gunam, thapo gunam," Chapter 22; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 7.
"The miracle of love," Chapter 32 and "The windows of the mind," Chapter 36;
Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 10. "Beside, behind, before," Chapter 10; Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 20. "The Lord and the Devotee," Chapter 9; Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol.27. "Time is God: make best use of it," Chapter 11).
Namaste - Reet
Swami teaches...11 - 14 July, 2007
Part 1. Do Your Duty as Dedication to the Divine
When the Sun rises, not all buds of lotus in the lake will open out in full
bloom. Only those which are full-grown can blossom; so the rest have to bide
their time and grow.
So are with human beings. Some people are on the very beginning on the path
of Sathyagraha (the path of the Truth and Love), some are yet far of this
path and some are steadily stepping along this path.
You are trying to discover God searching for Him throughout the Universe,
but you omit to investigate His existence within yourself, as the very core
and keystone of your Being.
Arjuna told Krishna, "I came into this battlefield a brave person. I have
now become, a man in distress for I am but an instrument in your hands."
Arjuna was an embodiment of the Divine Consciousness, not as he imagined, a
mud filed body. He was suffused with Divine Consciousness, not earthly
inertia. Only, he was not aware of it.
When you discover yourself all wailing ceases and you attain supreme
happiness. This is real self-knowledge. You come to know that you are a
spark of the Divine Flame. Very soon, you realize that others too are sparks
from the self-same fire. How then can hate, anger, envy, or greed survive in
the sunlight of this vision?
You are now having your feet on the very first rung of the ladder, which
will take you to the heights of Bliss and Peace. The climb is arduous and
full of the dangers of slips. However, you have to bear them in steady
perseverance, having in view always the glory of the Goal. (How much agony
the stone has to suffer in order that it might be turned into an exquisite
entrancing idol).
The saints Jayadheva (Jayadeva, Sanskrit poet; wrote the Gita Govinda, which
describes the early life of Krishna), Thukaaraam (Tukaram, well-known
Maratha 17th century writer who abandoned the world and became a wandering
ascetic), Kabeer (Kabirdas, Kabir - 15th century mystic poet; preached
equality before God of all creatures and the religion of love/devotion,
which was aimed at the union of the soul with God), Gouranga,(Chaithanya's
name - 15th century Vaishnava mendicant reformer; taught the path of love
and devotion to the Krishna), Ramakrishna Paramahamsa,1836 -1886 (Raamakrishna
Paramahamsa; celebrated mystic, mastered all types of Yoga, Christian and
Islamic practices. Swami Vivekananda took his message of universal religion
to the West), Raamadhaas (Ramdas; Maratha 17th century saint; author of work
on religious duty; guru of the great King Sivaji) - all had to go through
travail and tragedy, so that they could see God and merge in Him. They have
won permanent niches in the temple of human memory.
The pilgrims on the spiritual path often treat obstacles that come in the
way with a certain amount of resentment; but these tests are to be treated
as ensuring safety. You drive a nail into the wall to hang a picture
thereon; but before hanging the picture, you try to see whether the nail has
well driven by shaking it. When you are certain it does not shake even when
all your strength is used, you become bold enough to hang the picture on it.
Pandits (scholars) are the instruments through whom you can gather the key
to the understanding of the mystery of God; they give you the gist of the
Sastras (Holy Scriptures; sacred text; that which commands, orders, directs
with authority) in easy, simple style and interpret them in the light of
whatever experience they have earned. You have to listen to them with
sraddha and bhakthi (faith and devotion), in a mood of humility.
The Sastras lay down steps in sadhana, so that human can have peace,
contentment, and joy.
So long as you are entangled in the sensual world, you cannot distinguish
the real from the unreal. Nevertheless, you have to discover the real,
through discrimination; there is no avoiding that responsibility; you have
to do it, now or later. Power, status, wealth, authority - these are useless
in this adventure.
Since you do not know the real nature of the Self or Atma, you do not
recognize the Self at all; when this knowledge is communicated by the Guru
or scripture, the ignorance of the Self disappears.
The main requisite for achieving Brahmananda (Supreme Bliss) is a pure
heart. Spiritual sadhana begins with the purification of the heart. When the
heart is filled with sathwic qualities, it becomes like a milky ocean. Only
then does it become a worthy dwelling for the Lord (Vishnu) whose abode is
described as Ksheerasagara (the ocean of milk).
(By yielding to thamasic and rajasic impulses, human today has turned the
heart into Kshaarasagara i.e. the ocean of salt).
The very first step is to remove the weeds in the garden of your heart,
plucking by the roots the briar and bush of lust and greed, of hate and
pride and plant in the ground thus cleared the fragrant flower plants of
Prema (Love) and the sweet fruit trees of Dharma (Virtue).
Cleanse the heart, by listening to spiritual discourses, by seeking the
company and comradeship of righteous, simple, sincere, seekers, by
cultivating goodness of character and sweetness of disposition. Fill your
hearts with the sweet fragrant waters of the Divine Love. Then, every act of
yours, every word of yours (which are like the water drawn from the tank
through the taps - tongue, hand, brain, etc.) will be sweet and fragrant.
Remember always: perform selfless service, seek chances of helping others.
Never lose an opportunity of using your skills and enthusiasm for the
alleviation of sorrow, pain, or distress. You can thereby transform work
into worship. (Each one should perpetually examine whether good thoughts and
impulses are growing in the heart or whether bad thoughts are getting
rooted).
For spiritual growth, nine-fold path of devotion has prescribed for
humanity.
Shravanam (hearing God's glory),
Keerthanam (singing His Glory),
Vishnunamasmaranam (remembering the Lord's name constantly),
Padhasevanam (serving the Lotus Feet of the Lord),
Archanam (offering worship),
Vandhanam (prostrating),
Dhaasyam (doing service as a servant to the Lord),
Sneham (worshipping as a friend),
Atma-nivedhanam (total Self-surrender).
You have to listen to the glory of God being chanted, and do service to
humanity. You should have the attitude that all are embodiments of God, that
the whole Universe is a manifestation of God.
In Vandhanam you should dedicate all the ten organs of perception and action
as an offering to God. This is symbolized by bringing both your palms
together and offering namaskaram (respectful salutation). Namaskaram also
implies that "nothing is mine."
Dhaasyam means that you should render service to humanity considering the
persons whom you serve as masters.
Sneham means friendship. It is not the type of friendship that you generally
cultivate by saying "hello." You must keep the heart hollow so that it will
be filled only by Divine thoughts. (All human relationships are based on the
body, while the relationship with God is from heart to heart).
You should avoid following the body or the mind and follow the conscience.
The purpose of life is to help others and not to indulge in meaningless
sensuous pleasures.
(From dawn to dusk, people mostly are engaged in acts for the sake of
maintaining their bodily comforts. What have they achieved by this? Only
mental unrest and physical weariness or illness).
Service involves thyaga (sacrifice). You should sacrifice that which you
consider very dear to you. (Sacrifice brings about real communion with the
Divine while carnal pleasure results only in disease).
Will power motivated by God is the active force available for human's
whatsoever uplift. This is called Sankalpa Bala. Develop it by concentration
and japa (soft prayer or repetition of the name of God). The mind must be
compelled to submit to the dictates of the will. Now, you are easily led
astray by the vagaries of the mind. Watch your words, actions, thoughts,
character, and heart. If the watch reminds you every second of the need to
watch these five, you can be quite happy.
The mind swings like a pendulum between one pleasant object and another. To
stop the pendulum, the easiest means is to stop winding. That will put an
end to the swing. So too, stop encouraging the mind by following its whims
and fancies. (When we beat another or cause harm to one, we justify it as
only right and proper; when one beats us or harms us, we revolt and call it
wrong and punishable).
The mind is a double-edged sword - it can save, but it can also bind. By
learning and practicing the disciplines of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama,
prathyahara dharana, dhyana and samadhi (abstention from evil-doing, various
observances, postures, control of breath, restraining the sense organs,
concentration, meditation, absorption in the Atma), the seeker can overcome
and eliminate the mind.
When the mind is eliminated, the reality will become patent. It is like the
discovery of the lost "tenth man." Ten friends waded across a river in
floods, and when they reached the bank opposite each one took a count and
found only nine, for he did not count himself! So, they inferred that "the
tenth man" was drowned and began lamenting his loss. Then, a passer-by came
along and counted them; he found that all were there; the tenth man too was
there; only ignorance had kept him unrecognized.
Ishaavaasya Upanishad mentions that ajnana (ignorance) is the greatest sin.
The karpanyadhosha (that the Gita mentions) is another name for the same
ajnana. Ajnana afflicts the majority of humanity.
Swami recommends the spiritual seekers have to study the Gita daily. He
recommends to read a few slokas and meditate on the meaning yourself; it
will dawn on you in the silence of your heart. Each word in the Gita is a
gem. No more do you need gemstones for the ear, the nose, and the neck; have
the gem of the Gita slokas in your heart, let them activate your intellect
and your hands.
Arjuna had the faith to concentrate on the Gita teaching, even in the midst
of the battlefield, on the eve of the fight that was to decide the fate of
his family. Arjuna had the Lord Himself for company. He had bhakthi enough
to compel Krishna to show him the Viswarupa, (Cosmic Form, Form of Creation,
name for the Sun) the Viratswarupa (the Cosmic Form of God, Universal
Cosmic) Itself.
Krishna aroused the rajasic (passionate) qualities again in Arjuna, by
prodding him and laughing at him for his cowardice and un-kshathriya
(warrior) attitude of renunciation; thus, the thamasic qualities of sloth
and ignorance were removed. Later, Krishna transformed him into a sathwic
(noble, pious) hero, fit for the dharma yuddha (war of righteousness) that
he was to wage.
The mind is ever unsteady; it has to be educated; its quicksilver quality
has to be curbed; it is really Chaithanya-swarupam (embodiment of Cosmic
Consciousness) and it will become steady only when it is merged in
Chaithanya, that is, the Divine. (It is impossible to be merged in
Chaithanya without dedication all human duties to the Divine).
There may be ice on a lake; ice is jada (inert); but, move it all to one
side, presses it aside and the sahaja swarupam (usual form) of water, the
Chaithanya reveals itself. That Chaithanya has no joy or sorrow. It is ever
in perfect equilibrium "I am That" I am not affected, unchanging Wisdom.
Remove the cataract and the vision becomes clear. So too, remove the feeling
of inferiority that dwarfs you now; feel that you are Atma-swarupa,
Nithya-swarupa, Ananda-swarupa (Absolute, Eternal and Blissful); then, every
act of yours becomes dedicated to the Divine as a yajna (sacrifice), as a
puja (ritual worship). The ear, the eye, the tongue, the feet all become
tools for your uplift, not traps for your destruction. Transform thamogunam
(quality of inertia) into thapogunam (quality of austerity) and obtain
awareness of your changeless nature.
The human's qualities (sathwic, rajasic, thamasic) depend on the state of
senses. The senses are the prime motive forces for the mind and the illusion
it suffers from. Five elements affect and attract one of the five senses.
Sound (ether), which fascinates the mind through the ear; touch (air) which
draws the mind to itself through the skin; form (fire) which manipulates the
mind in its favor through the eye; taste (water), which enslaves the mind
through the tongue and smell (earth), which attracts the mind through the
nose.
Contact with the external world is maintained by the senses for the sake of
these experiences - which yield joy or grief. In order to escape being
tossed about on the waves of joy and grief, one should cultivate unconcern (upeksha),
an attitude of welcoming either, as a sign of Grace.
Shri Ramakrishna said that if you must avoid the sticky fluid in the
jackfruit from contacting your fingers when you peel it, you have to apply a
few drops of oil on them. So too, said he, "If you do not want the world and
its reactions to stick to you, have a few drops of 'unconcern' applied on
your mind." This unconcern leads to the deepest yearning for God.
Human is subject to sorrow, from birth to death; joy, or what human calls
happiness is an interval between two sorrows that is all. These sorrows
arise as a result of three reasons: Adhi-atmic (pertaining to the individual
soul, spirit, or manifestation of Supreme Brahman), Adhi-dhaivic (pertaining
to divinity or fate), and Adhi-bhauthic (pertaining to the physical or
material world; the fine spiritual aspect of material objects).The material
objects - that one craves for, endeavors to acquire and laments when lost -
are all bhauthic.
The Self is the witness of both, inertia and activity, joy and sorrow,
exultation and examination. When you ignore the existence of the witness,
when you divorce your daily life away from the awareness of that seat of
peace, you invite sorrow to torment you. That is the Adhi-atmic or the
spiritual quality, the cross that each person carries along the trail of
life.
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol. 3. "Thamo gunam, thapo gunam," Chapter 22; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 7.
"The miracle of love," Chapter 32 and "The windows of the mind," Chapter 36;
Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol.10. "Beside, behind, before," Chapter 10; Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 20. "The Lord and the Devotee," Chapter 9; Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol. 27. "Time is God: make best use of it," Chapter 11).
Namaste - Reet
