Swami teaches....Part 113

 

Links to Swami Teaches - Part 112


Light and Love
Swami teaches... 26-30 September 2007

Part 3. The Eternal Witness Dwells Constantly In Your Heart

There is nothing wholly bad or wholly good in Creation. There are few who do not commit mistakes; there are few who do not perform good deeds. Both good and bad, beneficent and maleficent, constructive and destructive, are ever present everywhere. Body, mind, and intellect are merely instruments. Understand the principle that makes instruments function.

In order to achieve anything it is by being receptive to intuition, inspiration messages from inner sources what call human to experiences, practice. Swami's Teaching is the source, what evokes human's inner resources.

Living in spirit, going with the flow of life not only includes listening to and obeying the inner voice of your Self, but also being constantly vigilant for those promptings and impulses that seem to be pushing you in a certain direction.

Follow your conscience, and therefore your inner guidance with complete confidence and joy, knowing your best interests are being cared for with unconditional Love, as an integral aspect of the flow of the infinite Universe.

Known quantum physicist David Bohm succinctly observed, the outermost layer of the Universe, the physical Universe as observed by science is as "frozen light" what is pictorially the God's fingerprint in time and space.

There is no teacher greater than the Conscience.

There is no preceptor greater than Time.

God is Time from Atmic aspect of view. That is why God is extolled as Kalaya Namaha, Kala Kalaya Namaha, Kala Darpa Damanaya Namaha, Kalatheethaya Namaha, etc.

Sita renounced Ayodhya, the palace and all the dreams of happiness she had,..and followed Rama into the forest, when he was exiled; but, the sight of a golden deer aroused her latent desires, and she had to face a series of calamities as a consequence of the emergence of 'attachment' to worldly objects. Time had conspired to keep the roots of desire alive in her heart.

Everything in the Universe has natural rhythm given by time. When you are enjoying the beauty of nature whenever yoy are, become silent. Feel the powerful energy of nature around you and integrate it into your being.

Alternatively, for example, hold your hands together, palms facing downwards above the whatsoever plant and relax. Soon you will certainly feel the fluctuation of energy from the plant - as a tiny spark of the Absolute, God.

Most people are failing to achieve their full potential, happiness, wealth, health, and desires through a lack of understanding of the way in which the Divinity operates in its immutable way. In addition, a lack of understanding is often motivated by selfishness, and the uncontrolled demands of the ego* and a smoggy outlook to whole Creation in general .

Every being has an equal God given right to exist. Natural humility, instinctive reverence, continuous contemplation on God, and His glory - these shall be your deeksha (path of dedication) for acquiring raksha (security). Be always immersed in the Divine, not in deep wine. Believe that Dharma or moral rectitude will never play false; it will ensure greater joy than can be gained through all other means.

Rama destroyed Ravana; it was a victory of one head over ten; concentration over distraction. Ravana craved for Prakrithi (Sita) discarding the Purusha (Spirit) which gave it values and meaning, viz., Rama. If you crave for Prakrithi, the objective world, you degrade yourself, you deny your reality, and you join Ravana's brood. Do not also imagine that the Lord is outside Prakrithi, or even of you, who are really a part of the objective world. He is in you, behind you, beside you, before you. He is the eye of your eye; the I of your I. Yearn for the Yoga or union with Him, through the unwavering awareness of His being the real You. Yearn for Yoga; and whatever bhoga (pleasure) you really need will be offered to you in due course.

True Yoga lies in unifying your Love with the Divine control of desires leads to sense control, which in turn leads to Divinity. Sage Patanjali said that controlling the vagaries of the mind is yoga and allowing the senses to have their own way is roga (disease).

Yoga is attained not by bhoga (worldly pleasures), but by thyaga (sacrifice). Yoga does not mean leading the life of a recluse in a forest. Some people mistake physical exercises like sitting cross-legged, standing on one leg etc., for yoga. True Yoga lies in unifying your love with the Divine. According to the Divine outlook, truth is neethi (morality), righteousness is reethi (procedure), and sacrifice is khyathi (fame). All these three constitute manava jathi (human race).

God does not need or desire to be worshipped or to receive offerings, and is not influenced by flattery or praise. God does not require intermediaries to be positioned in the physical world between Him and "common human" in order to interpret, represent, and convey the "will" of God.

Therefore, God does not want anything from you. He also never insists on your doing meditation or yoga. He only wants you to fill your hearts with principles of Love and Sacrifice.

Swami has no sense of distinction between devotees who worship Swami's Form or other forms. Do not imagine that your task is to propagate Swami and His Message. Create the spiritual attitude; promote spiritual discipline. It does not matter what name you use, or what Form they concentrate. Through some Name and some Form, lead them into the path of faith and sadhana (spiritual discipline).

All can come near, all who crave for heat and light. The heat of this splendor will destroy the chill of sensual pleasure; the light will scatter the darkness of ages.

Cultivate Prema (Love) towards all; that is the way to gain nearness. Swami does not measure distance in terms of meters or miles. The range of Love decides distance for Swami. He does not care for the brick and mortar structures in which devotees live; He cares to visit and reside in devotees’ hearts. Prasanthi Nilayam is not Swami's residence; when devoted to Swami hearts are transformed into Prasanthi Nilayams, they are Swami's residence.

Many years ago (1968) He declared that later, it may be difficult to approach Swami, as people are coming towards Swami in full unending streams, and devotees may have to take Swami's darshan from miles away. This is bound to grow into a Vishwa-vriksha (a World-tree), that sheds shade and shelter on all.

Acquire Swami as your Charioteer. Earn that unfailing Grace, by your sincerity, simplicity, and sadhana. Turn your intellect, your emotions, your feelings, your activities towards Swami, and then certainly, His picture will be imprinted on your heart.

 

You even do not need to ask God for anything. If you have purity of heart, He will Himself take care of you, just like a mother who attends to the needs of the child without its asking. (Only those with ego and those immersed in worldly life ask).

Below is an example from Gita.

Bhishma the grandfather of both the clans (Pandavas and Kauravas) that were battling for supremacy in the field of Kurukshethra, had led the Kaurava hosts for eight days, but victory was not in sight. Therefore, the eldest of the Kauravas, Dhuryodhana, approached him and prayed for a more terrific onslaught on the enemy, to be guided and directed by him. Bhishma replied that it would be either death or victory for him, the next day.

Knowing this, Krishna persuaded the Pandava Queen, Droupadi, who was imbued with the deepest devotion to Him, to accompany Him to the camp of Bhishma at dead of night. She entered the tent of Bhishma, with her face hidden behind a veil. Krishna had asked her to leave her sandals behind, lest their pit-a-pat should disturb the silence and alert the guards. He wrapped them in a silken kerchief and carried the bundle under His arm.

Droupadi moved into the tent and fell at the feet of Bhishma, who blessed her, spontaneously as was his wont, "May you have many years of happy married life!"

Droupadi revealed herself as soon as she was blessed thus; she prayed that the Pandava brothers, her husbands, might be saved from his arrows. Bhishma guessed that Krishna must be the author of this stratagem. "We are but puppets in His hands," he said and when he found Krishna at the entrance to the tent, he inquired what the bundle contained. Imagine his dismay when he was told that the Lord had condescended to carry under His arms the sandals worn by His devotee. Sincere devotion, unshaken faith - they can never fail to earn Grace.


Droupadi had the faith to surrender unreservedly. Five Pandava brothers who were her husbands are the five vital airs of human body (the Pancha-pranas) which activate and vitalize the body. She is the Energy that sustains the Pranas, by constant vigilant care.

You would have observed a dancer making rapid movements with her hands and legs while dancing but attention is always focused on the rhythm. Likewise, your mind should always be fixed on God while discharging your duties.

Vahe Guru means that there is only one guru and He is God. He is the goal. Do not go hither and thither from one guru to another. Under all circumstances, hold on to God steadfastly. You can call Him by any name.

In the word Guru, ‘gu’ stands for Gunatheetha (attributeless) and ‘ru’ for Ruparahita (formless). So, Guru is formless and beyond attributes. So, God is your true Guru.

It is impossible to understand God what is beyond human's perception.


However, it is possible to perform all activities with Love dedicated to God. However, just as it is impossible for a newborn babe to attend degree classes, so also it is not possible to attain the supreme state of Love instantly). It is imperative to undertake these practices - pravritti - until one turns one's vision inward - nivritti.

Below is the story of Rani Jhansi Lakshmibhai. She had a small child. When she was left with no other choice but to go to the battlefield, she tied the child to her back, took a sword, and waged a fierce battle with her enemies, riding on horseback. However, all the while, what was uppermost in her mind was the well being of her child. Similarly, you must necessarily discharge your worldly duties, but at the same time, your mind should always be focused on God. This is the meaning of the maxim, “Hands in the society, head in the forest.”

The Manusmrithi (Code of Manu) which regulates daily life for the individual sanctifies, and salvages every moment is today cast away as an obsolete guide; its social and moral codes today are practically condemned as outdated. Life, for the modern human, has to be an uninterrupted round of joy.

Today the whole world is engulfed in troubles and turmoil on account of injustice, falsehood, and unrighteousness. In general, humanity is currently stuck in this paradox of human behavior.
 

Most people nowadays are more interested in the history of film stars than in the history of yogis and paramahamsas, ascetics of the highest order, who can save you from the disaster of deep-seated ignorance.

The future of the world, good or bad, depends on your conduct. The country will be safe, secure, peaceful, and prosperous when your conduct is good.

What the world needs today is not affluence and material comforts but men and women of noble character and wide spiritual outlook that the same God dwells in all humans’ hearts. They would be satisfied with the minimum requirement of food, clothing, and shelter. They would be understood that without giving, no one could gain. How can anything great be achieved without overcoming internal and external obstacles?

*The ego is a vital aspect of individuality, for life and indeed for conscious awareness. Therefore, it is not right fully to destroy ego, but to tame ego, to transcend its influence, bringing it under control in order to serve its intended purpose by accentuating its necessary positive attributes while suppressing the destructive attributes so detrimental to personal evolution and progress. To transcend the ego is to be aware that everyone without exceptions is equal, and to live and interact with people and situations accordingly.

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 4. "Yanthram & Manthram," Chapter 9; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 8 "Acquire Me as charioteer," Chapter 28; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 13. "Not twice, but thrice!" Chapter 2; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 23. "Message of the Vedas," Chapter 24).

Namaste - Reet


Light and Love

Swami teaches... 22 -25 September 2007

Part 2. The Eternal Witness Dwells Constantly In Your Heart

It is not easy for nonprofessionals to understand the Vedas. However, whether they are understand or not, Vedas truth permeates the Universe. They embody the Sabda Brahmam (Cosmic Sound). They are not confined to a particular place, time, or person. They pervade the Cosmos.

Sage Vyasa codified Vedas in four groups. They have propagated and practiced in three sections.

The Karma Kanda (dealing with rituals), Upasana Kanda (dealing with forms of worship) and Jnana Kanda (dealing with the path of knowledge).

"You have the right only for the performance of actions," declares the Gita. These actions have to be in accordance with dharma (righteousness). When human's actions achieve ripeness, they become upasana (worship). When the worship is offered with full devotion and love for the Divine, it becomes jnana (pure knowledge).


Just as a flower by stages becomes a ripe fruit, similarly through karma, upasana and jnana, the final stage of Self-realization is reached. It is to enable the common people to go through these three stages that the puranas and epics were produced as aids to spiritual advancement.

Vyasa had many disciples who were learning the Vedas from the sage. Chief among them was Vaisampayana. After completing his studies under Vyasa, Vaisampayana established a gurukula (preceptor's ashram) for imparting Vedic knowledge.

/Often gurukula is regarded as some kind of special educational establishment. It is not so. Gurukula was the dwelling place of the guru and it was also the abode of the sishyas (the students)/.

In olden days, education was imparted to students in the gurukulas. Students had to rely entirely on their memory power and concentration to acquire knowledge, since there were no papers, pens, pencils, etc. to jot down what the teachers would teach. Their learning consisted of merely listening to the teachers, yet they could acquire high education.

It is significant to note that the ancient gurus and seers used to observe silence. Only then the latent energy develops. This was the sole aim of sages and seers in undertaking various spiritual practices. Once the latent energy develops, your memory power as well as the power of concentration will increase. (However, if you indulge in excessive talk, you will be losing a lot of energy).

There were special rules in gurukulas. For example, the guru, after taking his meal, would distribute the food as prasadam to the students who used to spend their entire time with the guru. The preceptor initiated the students in the spiritual quest. The preceptors of those times would give even their lives for deserving disciples, but would give no quarter to those who were proud and ill-behaved.

By legend, one day, the sage Yajnavalkya came to Vaisampayana's gurukula. Yajnavalkya was a brilliant intellectual with keen intelligence. Yajnavalkya was proud about his intellectual attainments and this was responsible for his downfall. Yajnavalkya developed indifference to his studies and started behaving in an unbecoming manner. Vaisampayana was noticing all this.

Displeased with Yajnavalkya's conduct, Vaisampayana called him to his presence one day and told him, “Yajnavalkya! You have no right any longer to study in this gurukula. Before leaving, you give back all that you learnt here." Yajnavalkya, who realized his mistakes, disgorged all that he had learnt. The Thithiri birds ate the vomit. Then the birds began to recite the Vedic hymns, which came to be known as Taithriya Samhitha (samhitha literally means "collection").

There are two traditions relating to the Vedas. One is known as the Brahma-sampradayam (the Brahmic tradition). The other is Aditya-sampradayam (the Sun tradition). What Yajnavalkya gave back is known as the Brahma-sampradaya. It is also known as Krishna Yajur-Veda.

Subsequently, feeling penitent about his misconduct, Yajnavalkya did penance in the form of worship of the Sun, giving up food and drink. In this manner he was atoning for his misconduct.

The Sun-God (Surya) appeared before him in the form of Vaaji (a sacred horse) and told him, “Child! What has happened is past. Remember it is a grievous crime to be disloyal to your preceptor or ungrateful to the Divine. You should not indulge in this kind of behavior. Be careful in the future." Saying this, the Sun-God himself taught the Vedas to Yajnavalkya.

(Why did Surya appear before him in the form of Vaaji? Yajnavalkya's ancestors were noted for their offerings of food to the hungry; hence they got the name Vaajasam. For this reason, the Sun-God assumed the form of Vaaji and taught the Vedas to Yajnavalkya). This Veda is known as Sukla Yajur-Veda. It is also called Vaajanaskanda. The Yajur-Veda thus was divided into two parts: Krishna Yajur-Veda and Sukla Yajur-Veda.

Another ancient story tells, that sage Kanva also established a gurukula in order to impart teachings to the inmates of the ashram. Sakuntala was one such inmate, who grew up under the loving care of sage Kanva. One day, king Dushyantha happened to visit Kanva’s ashram. There he met Sakuntala and married her.


Bharata was born to the couple. Having been born and brought up in a palace, King Dushyantha was inclined toward worldly pleasures. On the other hand, his son Bharata, who was born and brought up in Kanva Ashram, was a repository of moral, spiritual, and ethical values.


Bharata became a paragon of all virtues and good character because he received ideal education right from his childhood.

On the other hand, Dushyantha had worldly and material wealth. He was a mighty emperor. What was the use of all that he possessed when he lacked character?

In olden times, people felt:
If wealth is lost, nothing is lost,
If health is lost, something is lost,
If character is lost, everything is lost.

On the contrary, modern youth feels that if wealth is lost, everything is lost and if character is lost, nothing is lost.

The modern system of education has become computer oriented. There is craze for computers everywhere. You are not a computer. You are a composer. After all, what does the computer do? It does whatever you program it to do. God-gifted brain is the real computer.

Body is gifted to undertake righteous actions and set an ideal to society, not for sleeping, eating, drinking, and making merry. Think in terms of collective benefit, not individual benefit alone.


Serve human, until you see God in all people; then, what you do will be elevated as worship. Sage Vyasa said, that helping others is merit, harming others is sin. This is the essence of all sacred texts. Serve, without any expectation of reward. That is Nishkama Yoga. Work silently; definitely, God will shower His grace on you.

Neither by penance nor by pilgrimages
Nor by going through sacred texts

Can one cross the ocean of Samsara.
Only through service can one redeem oneself.

Let parents and teachers tell the children what they cannot learn by themselves, by observation, namely, the stories of Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, the Bhagavatha, and the Mahabharatha. Tell them also stories from the Bible, the Buddhist texts, the Zend-Avesta and the Quoran.

That a horse has four legs is a fact which one need not teach the child; it can discover it in a moment. What is not known to the children are the stories and verses that embody the native culture.

The tender age is the best for this kind of instruction. Tell them the importance of Om and its significance, as the basic sound of all creation. It is meaningful symbolic sound; it is quite unlike the useless jargon, which children learn today, in the very first lesson at school, for example, Ba, Ba, Black Sheep! Ding Dong Bell; the Pussy is in the well!

The world is becoming more and more deeply immersed in irreverence and cruelty. Codes of decent behavior are being ignored and laughed at. The material is receiving greater attention than the moral and spiritual. Faith in the victory of truth, justice, and goodness is fast disappearing; the distinction between good and bad is seldom recognized.

Nevertheless, Human has immense latent capacities, waiting to be tapped and used. Human feels the urge to love all beings, to share joys and grieves, to know more, and satisfy the curiosity of intellect, to peep behind the awe and wonder that Nature arouses in him/her. Human is able to gather information about all kinds of things from all comers of the world, but, human is unaware of what happens in the comers of own mind.

Unaware of your Divine status, you revel in low company; you toil and sweat as the slave of mean passions which drag you into disgrace.


Now, in your ignorance, you feel small, you feel miserable, you feel that the wicked, the greedy, the cruel, are all happier than you and unjustifiably so. You feel it is unjust that you who are so truthful, so loving, so well, should suffer. Just ponder over this. Are they as happy as you imagine, and are your condition so bad as you picture? Just investigate and you will find out for yourself. They are only painted pots of poison; the paint of honey is just a thin coating, a mere show. Their hearts know no peace; they are as miserable as you are, if not more.

Avoid being attached to the elemental passions, that the elements constituting you urge you into. How long are you to sit content with the minor role of a clown or a clout? Are you not ashamed? Have you no ambition? Why smother your genuine talents under a self-imposed mask? All these are zero roles; take on the role of the hero, which is your right, and shine.

Be like the lotus, which though born in the slush at the bottom of the lake, by sheer will-power rises above the waters to see the Sun and be inspired by its rays.

Do not cloud your minds with cheap desires, transitory hungers, and thirsts that need but morsels or mouthfuls. Yearn for the enthronement of your soul as the unquestioned Monarch of the Universe, when you merge in the Universal; celebrate your triumph over the foes within that hamper your march to victory.


Do not derive comfort by filling the stomach with savory and sweet dishes. Derive it by filling the brain with the teachings, by saturating the mind with faith in them, by shaping thoughts, feelings, emotions, impulses, attitudes, and activities - all in accordance with them.

Creative powers of people are infinite aspects of God that flow through you.

Enter on a course of spiritual discipline; your experience itself will tell you the validity and the value of that course. Install a radio receiver, select the wavelength of the station you propose to listen to, switch on correctly to that wavelength, and you hear the program clear and distinct. Your ear will tell you the accuracy with which you have tuned.

Similarly, take on a form of mantra; pronounce it and meditate on it with accurate care and steady attention; tune in to the voice of within you. One of the obstacles in the way of the spiritual aspirant is the satire and criticism poured on him/her. Do not pay heed to their advice or their barbs. They are experts only in the silly short-lived trivialities of social life or sensual pleasure and prefer to make use of their time in seeking to find fault with others rather than to celebrate their success.

Never forget that Atma is the inner core, the Divine Spark, more minute than the minutest, more magnificent than the most magnificent. To observe the minute you must use a microscope; to bring the remote nearer your eye, you seek the help of a telescope; these are yantras (material instruments). The instruments that help you to visualize the core that has such strange contradictory attributes are called mantras - formulae that save you when you meditate on them. They are also called tantras (ceremonies and rites) when their practical application has to be emphasized. Faith in the efficacy of these mantras, and in the utility of the procedure prescribed, as well as in the existence of the core are all essential for success.

Every human individual aspires to be blissful. Bliss cannot be attained easily. Bliss is Brahman, which is steady, pure, eternal, and beyond dualities. Most of people have forgot, that, faith is essential for that.

By epic Bhagavad Gita Meera asked her mother, as a tiny girl, "Mother! We are playing a game. The other girls have all given out the names of the man each will wed; who is to be my husband - tell me, I must tell them his name"?

When she worried her for some little time, the mother blurted out, "This Giridhar, installed in this shrine, He is your husband. Go".


Meera dedicated herself with greatest faith to the Lord Giridhar (Krishna) from that moment and saw everywhere, at all times, only His complexion and His compassion.

The body is the bridegroom for the Life principle, which is the bride; this is the wedlock in every life. As the body enfolds guards and fosters life, the Lord maintains the vital principle enshrined in human, so that it may realize Him.

"Quite simply God is the entire Universe and everything contained within the Universe, existing in the form of pure Energy; conscious, intelligent Energy in Whom we live and move and have our Being; thus we live in the presence of God" (Adrian Cooper).

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 4. "Yanthram & Manthram," Chapter 9; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 8 "Acquire Me as charioteer," Chapter 28; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 13. "Not twice, but thrice!" Chapter 2; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 23. "Message of the Vedas," Chapter 24).

Namaste - Reet


Light and Love

Swami teaches... 19 - 21 September 2007

Part 1. The Eternal Witness Dwells Constantly In Your Heart

The world is a gigantic play designed and directed by the Lord to instill in human the sense of awe, reverence and wonder, so that, drawn by its beauty, charm, and mystery human being is enabled to visualize the source of all this beauty, all this exhilaration and all this enticing mystery.

You are the formless, the infinite, come in the role of the finite, the formless infinite as the formful infinitesimal, the Absolute pretending to be the relative, the Atma (the Divine Self) behaving as the body, the metaphysical masquerading as the merely physical. Live in the consuming conviction that you are the Atma.

That is the hard core of the Eternal Teaching of Vedas. The Atma it is that sees through the eyes, hears through the ears, and handles through the fingers, moves through the feet. Nothing can affect its purist, or tarnish its glory.

Atma is the Reality of everyone, however, distinct they may appear in physical form and mental equipment.

You watch the waves on the ocean. Each wave appears to be different from another and unrelated to it. Yet the water in all of them is the same. Likewise, though names, forms, thoughts, and actions may be different, all of them are like waves on the Atmic Ocean of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss). This Sat-Chit-Ananda is present in everyone in a subtle form.

You are in the Light. You are the Light. The Light is in You. The Light is Yourself. When this awareness arises in the heart, it will lead to oneness with Brahman.

Ignorance of Light can be cured by knowledge; darkness can be destroyed only by Light. No amount of argument or threat or persuasion can compel darkness to move away. A flash, that is enough; it is gone. Prepare for that flash of illumination; the light is there already, in you. Since it is heavily overlade by repressing factors, it cannot reveal itself. "The liberation from night" which happens when the light is revealed, is called Moksha.

/'Mo' indicates Moha (delusion; being deluded by the scintillating, the gaudy, the transitory, the temporary trash); and, 'ksha' means kshaya (decline; disappearance, destruction)/.

Someone was told to the fellow, "There, inside that well, lays your shadow." He said, "No; it cannot be." Nevertheless, he decided to go and verify the fact. He walked up to the well and peeped in. Therefore, he found it was true. The well had his shadow inside. Poor fellow, he did not know that the shadow would be there only when he looked in.
Do not test maya. Try to locate it maya will present itself. You can avoid it only by denying it; you can escape only by concentrating on the substance; do not attach any value to the shadow, whether inside the well or outside it.

Illusion haunts human as kaama or thrishna (desire). Desire calls for sabdha, sparsha, ruupa, rasa, gandha (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) the qualities of five elements of which human is the complex; (sabdha of space, sparsha of air, ruupa of fire, rasa of water, and gandha of the earth).


To escape the pull of these alien attractions and material pleasures, faith in God as your inner Reality and the source of immense power is essential.

You evaluate oranges in proportion to the juice they contain. So too, a human is worthy of honor in proportion to the knowledge of the Self he/she has acquired. Without it, all profession of renunciation, all pretence of devotion, all performance of charity is but tongue-deep or skin-deep.

Has you actions exhibition-oriented or has it been genuine? Is your faith in the rightness of service patent in every act of yours?


( It is not the resolution that matters; it is resoluteness. Resolution is just a string of words. You may know the 700 slokas of the Bhagavad Gita by heart; but the time you spent in learning it by rote, and in reciting it, is all a waste, if you do not resolutely act upon even a single sloka. That learning might even be handicap; for the skill has affected your head, and made it swell with pride).

If you serve with your whole heart, the result will be Ananda (the Divine Bilss) for you; half-hearted work will give only superficial joy or fame. Remember that the God you worship by this work is resident in your own heart. Others may or may not see; but the ever present God sees and notes all that you do or feel.

By myth, there was a rich man once who owned a rice mill. He heard a pandit (scholar) expound that the service that God appreciates most is the gift of food to the hungry. Therefore, he decided to serve food to the poor in his village. However, he had no mind to use good varieties of rice for the purpose. He felt that any rice is good enough for them. So, he got the rice that was rotting - he did not care even to remove the worms that infested it; he cooked it and served it to the hungry poor, who ate it and suffered many illness as a consequence. His wife expostulated with him and told him that good food given to 10 persons would be more meritorious than bad food given to hundreds. But, he was in no mood to listen to sound advice.


The wife therefore hit upon a plan to him. She placed on his plate every day food that was rotten and full of worms. When he grew angry and castigated her, she replied, "The pandit said that everyone has to suffer for the injury he causes others. You have to eat, in the other world, rotten food, full of worms. I am giving that type of food to you, even now, so that you may get used to it. It will help you to eat the consequence of your evil deed." At this, the husband realized his iniquity; he repented for his wrongs and learnt better ways of service to the poor.

You are sharing the joy of serving others, doing good to others, according to your capacity and skill. "A man is ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to him, that of plants and animals as that of his fellow men, and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life that is in need of help" (Albert Schweitzer).

Render your life worthwhile through service to human and service to society. That is the most important aspect of surrendering the Self.
We are all one, irrespective of the countries we belong. Bulbs may vary, but the current is the same. The same wind is referred to as breeze, whirlwind, storm, typhoon, hurricane etc.

Likewise, countries, bodies, and feelings may vary, but the principle of Atma is one and the same in all. All are born of the same mother Earth, breathe in the same air, and drink the same water. The Sun sustains the creation on the Earth by giving light and life. The Sun is one and does not vary with the nation on which he sheds his light. Recognize the unity in diversity and act accordingly.

Unity is the greatest strength. Therefore, work in unison. Swami's famous saying is, “Where there is unity, there is purity. Where there is purity, there is Divinity.”

Your duty is to emphasize the One, to experience the One, in all that you do and speak. Have the feeling of one-ness permeating every act of yours. (Remain calm and unperturbed when someone abuse you. You may ask, what happens then to the strings of abuse? Like the letter sent by post and refused by the addressee, it returns to the sender).

Whatever you do is God’s work. For example, the process of inhaling and exhaling is in itself a spiritual practice. This process of inhaling and exhaling 'So Ham' repeats itself 21,600 times a day. It means your inner voice is reminding you 21,600 times a day that you are God. Unfortunately, you are not receptive to this message. Do not limit God to your shrine. God is your life breath.

Body, mind, senses, and intellect are all negative in nature. Only the conscience is positive. Just as the mike is useless without the current, so also are the body, mind, senses, and intellect without the conscience.

God is all-pervasive. It is based on this that the Veda declares, "With His hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth, and ears pervading everything, God permeates the entire Universe." God is one for all people though He may be worshipped under different names and forms.

He is the eternal witness. He is present in you, just as the power of vision resides in your eye. Not even a blade of grass can move without His Will.

There is a reason behind whatever God does. Without understanding the principle of cause and effect, people blame God for their suffering. Understand the truth that you yourself are responsible for the pain or pleasure that befalls you.

Develop the sacred feeling that God is the doer and the enjoyer too. God is the one who beats and also the one who gets beaten. Consider everything as God’s Will. Have the firm conviction that difficulties and suffering are the ways and means by which God purifies you.

Identify yourself with the Atma, not the body, which is like a water bubble. The entire Creation is a mono-action play of God. It is God's way of shaping us, in the Divine mould. However, human revolts at the first blow of the sculptor's hammer. He leaves off one Divine Form and transfers loyalty to another Form, which he/she believes to be more propitious.

True spiritual sadhana (spiritual exercise) lies in considering every work as God’s work, not only in doing japa, tapa or dhyana (soft repetition of the name, penance, meditation) .


(People are under the mistaken notion that japa, tapa and dhyana constitute spiritual practice. They do meditation without knowing what it is. They feel that they are meditating on God not knowing who God really is).

People often mistake concentration for meditation. Concentration is associated with the senses, whereas meditation is beyond senses.


Meditation should not be confined to a particular time and place. It is a way of life. Whatever is done with the spirit of love is meditation. (Sitting in meditation for hours together without expressing love for fellow beings is no meditation at all).

The ultimate objective of true meditation is to achieve such a profound level of inner consciousness as to become one with a God is a state ”Samadhi" where everything and everyone is an integral part of everything that is the initial Source. The Principle of Rhythm and Harmony affects everything in the Universe.

True spiritual practice lies in joining hands with rest of the community and working for the progress of society as a whole.

The Vedas and Sastras teach the process by which you can discover it for yourself if you are so inclined. Reflect upon what you have heard, especially from these who convey to you the gems contained in the ancient scriptures, tested on the touchstone of experience all along the centuries.

The Vedas are the most ancient among the world's scriptures. They are the roots of human culture and striving and enabled human to have an over-view of the Universe.

Manu (by legend the author of the codes of righteous conduct Dharma Sastras; son of Surya, i. e. the Sun, the present progenitor of mankind) has declared: "All knowledge, all the principles of right living, all qualities are derived from the Vedas."

Veda is derived from the verb Vid, to know. Knowledge of the Supreme is Veda. It represents Atma jnana (knowledge of the Spirit), Brahma jnana (knowledge of the Universal Consciousness), and Advaita jnana (knowledge of the One that subsumes the many). These different terms are synonymous.

Sanathana Dharma (Eternal Universal Religion) recommends the three-fold course of listening, recapitulating, and concentrating. Listening makes you learned only. Concentrated meditation on the meaning of the thing-heard gives you the fruit of the teaching as intended by the Teacher.

The Vedas have indicated what are to be followed and what are to be avoided. (Unfortunately, today people follow what is prohibited and have given up what should be followed. Today, faith works like a seesaw, which goes up and down. With a faith, which comes and goes, you cannot discover the unchanging, eternal reality).

The Vedas teach that sathya, dharma, santhi, prema, and ahimsa are the true human values. Without these values, life is meaningless. These values are the five life principles of human - prana, apana, vyana, udana, and samana. Each value cannot exist without the other.


The Vedas are infinite and boundless. Because of their profound meaning, those who studied the Vedas went through an arduous exercise. The preceptors were men of severe austerity. Vedas have come down through an oral tradition from a succession of gurus and sishyas (preceptors and disciples). Great care has to be taken in reciting the Vedic hymns, observing the rules regarding accent, pause, and rhythm. The gurus of those days were utterly selfless, pure-hearted and dedicated to the Divine. They dedicated their lives to imparting Vedic knowledge to the students.

The Upanishads are the culmination of the Vedas. (They are also known as Vedanta). The Upanishads have offered three kinds of yoga for humanity. With regard to actions, Karma Yoga commends the dedication of every action to God. As regards Upasana Yoga, what is required is wholehearted devotion to God, with purity in thought, word, and deed. As regards Jnana Yoga, "Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagath" (the cosmos is pervaded everywhere by the Lord) i. e. the Divine is in every being. This awareness is jnana.

The Gita emerged from the Upanishads. It expounds the karma, upasana and jnana (the threefold path) in three sections of six cantos each. Thus from the Vedas to the Upanishads and then to the Gita the eternal teachings has come to divinize humanity. The Gita does not belong to any one nation or people. It is for all humanity.

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 4. "Yanthram & Manthram," Chapter 9; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 8 "Acquire Me as charioteer," Chapter 28; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 13. "Not twice, but thrice!" Chapter 2; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 23. "Message of the Vedas," Chapter 24; Sathya Sai Speaks.

Namaste - Reet
 


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