Sai Ram
Light and Love
Swami teaches...20 - 25 Oct. 2006
Part 1. Towards the Visible Kalpatharu
The motto:
"You must see, hear, study, observe, experience and reflect. You will learn
then that I am Love (Prema); that I give only one thing, Bliss (Ananda)
through Love. My task is to grant solace, courage, and Peace (Shanthi). That
is to say, my characteristics are the ancient, authentic ones. Only the
manifested form is new."
Sathya Sai Baba
In the field of the heart grows a kalpatharu (wish fulfilling tree). Around
it all kinds of shrubs have grown. If the shrubs are cleared, the
wish-fulfilling tree will be visible.
During the ages avatars and saints have taught people how was possible to
see this wish-fulfilling tree. At present time Swami teaches humanity how to
manage and enjoy the illumination of kalpatharu within and to share its
light with other human beings.
From the heart emanate good qualities as kindness, compassion, sympathy,
non-violence and equal-mindedness and also evil qualities like anger, envy,
hatred, cruelty, greed. Human has the power of discrimination through buddhi
(intellect) to decide what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what
is evil. Human has also to cultivate the spirit of enquiry to be convinced
what is right or wrong and live up to the convictions. By the unity of these
three, the light of spiritual wisdom illumines the heart. The mere presence
of the light is not enough. We should seek to go forward with the help of
that illumination.
Divinity is in the microcosm and in the macrocosm. Everything is a
combination of atoms and vibrations, energy from level of galaxies to atoms
and subatomic particles. Whatever you study is only about the physical world
and the gross matter. If you want real lasting happiness you can get it only
by union with God what is your wish fulfilling tree.
The Hindu sastras (ancient scriptures) have declared that the heart is the
abode of God. The sacred Upanishads (Vedic metaphysical treatises) have
referred to the heart as a cave in which the Divine dwells. It is stated in
the Bible that the human with a pure heart can see God. The Muslims regard
the heart as located between the two fingers of God. The Guru of the Sikhs,
Nanak declared that only a human with a pure heart can be regarded as a true
Sikh.
The various faiths have affirmed
that the heart is the abode of God and the body has been described as the
temple of God.
The sadhus (the saints and mystics)
have defined the heart in another way. Treating the Omkar mantra as a
rocking cradle the Mahavakya (Divine maxim on Absolute Reality), "Thath
Thwam Asi" ("That Thou art") as a bed and Chaithanyam (the Universal
Consciousness) as a baby, the great souls of the seven worlds have sung
lullabies to the Lord. For them the heart is the cradle of the Lord, as the
veritable dwelling of the Divine.
Many great souls have experienced
the heart as a lotus. Although rooted in mire, and growing up in muddy
water, the lotus shines in purity. When the lotus opens its petals and looks
up it seems to be saying: "O Lord, please come and dwell in me." Though
surrounded by polluted water it is not polluted by it. Though you are living
in a corrupt world and are born in the mire of an unrighteous society you
must turn your mind towards God and make your heart a shrine for God. This
is the message of the lotus to human beings.
Eternal Spirit remains with you. It is timeless and has no age. You must
regard the body also as the temple of the Spirit; bear in mind that Divinity
is ever within you and also within other humans. When you realise this truth
can you begin to experience the Divine.
Swami's famous quotation "God is
One. Love is God. Live in Love" has a deep meaning. Only by this means can
humanity, despite the many divisions that exist at present, be unified.
Absorb the teachings of all great seers, prophets from the past and Swami.
(Everyone is entitled to accept what is good from any source).
The other Swami's famous well known
quotation declares that "There is only one caste, the caste of humanity.
There is only one religion, the religion of Love. There is only one
language, the language of the heart. There is only one God, He is
omnipresent."
These two Swami's Divine directions guide all the diverse communities in the
nations should be united. Mankind should become one family. All religions,
all scriptures, all spiritual teachings point only to one truth - the unity
of Divinity. You may profess whatever faith you like. But you should not
disparage another's beliefs. It is a travesty of devotion.
No religion should allow decrying of
other faiths. It is not a religion at all that cavils at other religions. It
is a form of arrogance. The great saints who worshipped Christ or Rama or
Krishna or Buddha or other founders of religion were inspired by their
profound teachings. But how many of the followers of these faiths live up to
these teachings today? If the teachings of the founder of a religion are not
followed, can it be called a religion? Those who, in the name of religion,
further their selfish interests are bringing discredit on the founder of the
religion.
(We also see many people who out of
selfishness are not only ungrateful to their community, their parents and
their gurus, but even to God).
It is said that atom bombs will
reduce the world to ashes. But those who are promoting religious bigotry and
hatred are doing worse damage than what the atom bombs can do. They are
destroying the love and compassion in human hearts. They are breaking up
mankind into fragments. There is no greater sin than this.
What the world needs today is the redeeming and unifying force of love which
continually expands and embraces more and more people. By giving up narrow
ideas regarding one's religion, nation or caste, by developing a broad
outlook and cultivating the company of the good, you can elevate your life
and make it meaningful and satisfying.
The role of company is
significant.
In the Ramayana, we see that by his
association with Hanuman, Vibhishana, the brother of Ravana, was transformed
into a devotee of the Lord. On the other hand, Kaikeyi, because of the
influences of the evil-minded Manthara, brought infamy and widowhood upon
herself and estranged herself from her noble son Bharata.
Association with the evil-minded can
lead to endless troubles. Pay any price to avoid the company of the bad. The
company of the good takes you near to God. Sadhana makes you dear to the
Lord. When you are near and dear you become one with God. When you have
realised God, you have secured everything.
Without God, everything else is
valueless.
In the Treta Yuga, Sri Rama came to establish the reign of Sathya and Dharma
(Truth and Righteousness). In the Dwapara Yuga, Sri Krishna came with the
mission to promote Prema and Shanthi (Love and Peace). In the Kali Yuga the
present yuga, Sathya Dharma Shanthi and Prema are the purposes of the Divine
Mission. When you adhere and follow to these four principles, Ahimsa
(Non-violence) issues as a natural result. You should join good company
which will help you to entertain sacred thoughts to be translated into
action.
Mere intellect without practical action is valueless. Only thought that is
combined with action deserves to be esteemed. It is not possible for any one
to determine whether one is good or bad by examining person's heart. You
have to judge by person's actions and behaviour.
(Sacred scriptures are worshipped in shrines today. But people are
forgetting the purposes for which these sacred books came into existence. By
a mere study of books no change can take place in our lives. What is studied
must be put into practice. Knowledge that is not put into practice is like
food that is not digested).
The entire cosmos is governed by action. In such a context there is no
purpose in indulging in intellectual speculation without putting knowledge
into practice.
The Gita also lays stress on the
doctrine of action. Krishna declared: "There is nothing I need in this world
for which I must strive. Nevertheless I am continuously engaged in action
because if I, who am to stand out as an example to the world, do not perform
actions, the people of the world will renounce activities."
Moreover, if thoughts are not
translated into deeds they will develop into a kind of disease. Desires
continually crop up in human who is always wanting something. Human yearns
for various things. When the yearning is turned towards God and becomes an
intense longing for spiritual attainments, it is called Prema or selfless
Love. It is not related to the mind. It springs from the heart. That is why
divinity can be realised only through the heart.
There are many examples to illustrate this truth. Look at the love of the
gopis. When their mothers-in-law beat them or their husbands abused them
they did not breathe a word, they did not complain, because they carried the
image of Krishna in their hearts. Would it have been possible for them to
put up with all the troubles inflicted on them if their love for Krishna was
mere sensuous love? They were unlettered simple village folk but their love
for the Lord was so transcendent, pure and unalloyed devotion.
Every good thought must spur one to action. For instance when a sadhaka
sings a hymn he/she must feel immersed in its meaning and become one with
it. It is the heart that brings about such a feeling of oneness. God resides
in the heart. He is beyond the reach of external objects.
(Many modern people shed copious
tears for achieving wealth, health, position and fame. People are carried
away by the stream of their tears. Do they shed a single tear for getting
the grace of God or winning His love)?
The Bharatiya Culture which laid emphasis on four the basic aims of life -
Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha, looked upon life as a journey to the Divine
- the attainment of Moksha (Liberation).
Forgetting the great truths given to
the world by Bharatiya sages and seers, people are leading utterly
meaningless lives, unaware of the potentiality of the human to become the
Divine.
(There is, for instance, the simple gesture of folding hands when one greets
another in offering "Namaskar." What is the inner significance of this
gesture? For one thing, the coming together of the two palms is a
demonstration of the unity that subsumes the multiplicity. For another, it
represents the offering of the five sense organs and the five organs of
action to the Lord as an act of surrender).
The word Dharma, which is really bound up with an infinite variety of
meanings, is being inadequately described by one word, duty, in modem age.
Duty is something which is connected with an individual, a predicament, or
with a particular time or country. On the other hand, Dharma is eternal, the
same for everyone, everywhere. It expresses the significance of the inner
Atma. The birth place of Dharma is the heart. What emanates from the heart
as a pure idea, when translated into righteous actions will be called
dharma.
In reality Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi,
Prema and Ahimsa - five human values should be deemed as the five-fold life
breaths or Pancha Pranas (five vital airs of the human body). Since the
values constitute the life-breath, one who does not radiate the value in his
actions is deemed to be lifeless.
There is no greater Dharma than Truth (Sathya). The mansion of Dharma is
raised on the foundation of Truth. Though people may follow several
spiritual paths, Truth is the most important of all anywhere and at any
time, for any individual. It is only from Truth that all creation has
originated, including human beings. The whole creation merges back into
Truth.
The Upanishad says: "Sathyam
Bruyaath" (speak truth). This is the physical aspect of the directive. "Priyam
Bruyaath." This is the dharmic or virtuous aspect which means you should
speak Truth in a nice and palatable way.
Next is "Na Bruyaath Sathyam apriyam." This is the spiritual aspect. You
should avoid speaking even truth when it is not pleasing the person. At the
same time, simply because it satisfies the other person, don't speak
untruth.
Truth is changeless and eternal.
(This conviction is not traceable among persons in the modern world). Use
your own intelligence and hold fast to the truth. Do not become slaves of
others. You must use your own capacity for enquiry and discrimination. You
must arrive at the truth for yourself and put it into practice.
The famous scientist Albert Einstein
(1879-1955) invented great scientific truths. But, in the last stage of his
life he began to study Bhagavad Gita and other sacred scriptures and
realising the Truth what reflects from his statements. Some of them:
1. "The most beautiful thing we can
experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all art and science. He to
whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand
rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed."
2. "Strange is our situation here
upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet
sometimes seeming to divine a purpose.... From the standpoint of daily life,
however, there is one thing we do know: that man is here for the sake of
other men - above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own
happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate
we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much
my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both
living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in
return as much as I have received."
3. "Try not to become a man of
success, but rather a man of value."
4. "Quantum mechanics is very
impressive. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing.
The theory produces a good deal but it hardly brings us closer to the secret
of the Old One (God R.P.). I am at all events convinced that He does not
play dice."
The meaning of the last famous
single sentence ("God does not play dice") separate from context is
difficult to understand. This quotation is from Einstein's letter to other
famous physicist Max Born.
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 17. "The bliss of Divine love," Chapter 15; Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol. 18. "One God : basic truth of all faiths," Chapter 30; Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 19. "The immoral Bhaktas," Chapter 22; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol.
25. "Purify The World By Sankeerthana," Chapter 8; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol.
30. "Adhere to Truth: Realise Divinity within," Chapter 16).
Namaste - Reet
Sai Ram
Light and Love
Swami teaches...26 - 29 Oct. 2006
Part 2. Towards the Visible Kalpatharu
The daily chores are repeated endlessly - bathing and eating and sleeping.
But there is no (or nearly no) yearning to see the Unseen Divine. It is only
when you develop that desire will your life become meaningful. It is that
that will give you peace. However, Sage Vasishta says, "O! Rama! The
boundless ocean can be drunk dry by man with great ease. The enormous Sumeru
mountain can be plucked from the face of the earth with great ease. The
flames of a huge conflagration can be swallowed with great ease. But
controlling the mind is far more difficult than all these." Therefore, if
one succeeds in overwhelming the mind, one achieves the awareness of the
Atma. The bliss that one earns afterwards is the highest kind of happiness.
You do not seek that which should be sought, do not experience that which
has to be experienced, you are plunged in grief and do not have peace of
mind. That is why the Upanishads declared: "Lead me from the unreal to the
Real, from darkness to Light, from death to Immortality." The meaning of
this prayer is that human should realise the permanent unchanging Reality,
Atma that underlies the changing appearances of the phenomenal world, shed
the ignorance of own true nature and seek oneness with the Immortal Atma
that resides in the body which is subject to decay and death.
The spiritual quest does not mean merely engaging oneself in meditation,
japa (repetition of Lord's Name or some sacred formula) and the like. It
embraces all activities aimed at realising the Atma which has assumed a
human form.
Modern boys ask, "Where is God? I want to see and catch Him." You are aware
of air because without air you cannot survive. Can you see or catch it?
Similarly God is everywhere. Though you cannot see Him, you cannot live
without God what is Cosmic Consciousness.
Consciousness which is all-pervasive
and in all beings can be comprehended only by human beings.
It is Divinity from this you get
conscience which is limited to body. The word 'conscious' is related to
senses. Consciousness is everywhere. All these three are in human. From the
body identification you have to rise to pure Atma (Cosmic Consciousness).
Conscience warns you when you move on the wrong path. You. should not
entertain any thoughts which do not conform to the dictates of your
conscience. As you feel so you become.
Your troubles are often
self-created. If you develop firm faith in God and surrender to His Will, He
Will not fail you. This is the concept of saranagathi (absolute
Self-surrender, submission to the Will of the Divine). The bliss that can be
derived from this surrender to God cannot be got through any other means.
Today several scientists of modern science too has made some steps towards
Atma. Human consciousness by modern science is a holographic projection
originating from the Source, Absolute, Atma, Brahman, God... (Names are
different for the same Great One). Swami has repeated this Truth, as a rule,
in every His Discourse by different angles and in different contexts.
Our troubles and joys by some
insights of modern science are infinite number of possible projections, or
"quantum probabilities", and that projection can be changed by the power of
discrimination and detachment as being a witness, an observer.
However, in society today largely spirituality is being reviled. People say
often they have no shanthi (peace), no clear insight of their own true
reality, Self. Is is because of multiplying the infinite number desires. One
who is bereft of desires is peaceful. You must breed only good thoughts and
progress forward transcending all thoughts and reaching a state of ending
the mind which is but a conglomeration of thoughts.
Where is the initial point for
spiritual development? By ancient saints and Swami it is the body.
The body must be regarded as the
base for spiritual activity. With it as the basis, you must engage yourself
in spiritual activity. By seeking the higher spiritual knowledge can human
rise above the level of the animal. The animal is concerned only with the
present. Human alone can realise that the present is the product of the past
and that the future will be determined by what one does in the present. This
requires steadfastness and determination to adhere to the path of
righteousness whatever may be the difficulties.
You must ask yourselves how far the studies and actions have helped to
transform your lives. You will find that there has been no significant
change. But you need not wait to assess the fruits of your actions. It is
enough if you realise what is your duty and decide to carry it out
regardless of consequences. Especially youth should turn their minds away
from distractions and concentrate on practising human values.
You must make continuous effort to cultivate your heart and mind on right
lines. Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga are considered important for this purpose.
But these disciplines are not easy to practise.
Bhakti (devotion to the Lord) Yoga, the path of devotion, is the easiest,
holiest and superior to these. The devotee seeks to enjoy the bliss of
continuous contemplation of the Divine and does not even desire Moksha
mergence in the Divine.
Devotion means giving up all other
desires and dedicating all actions and thoughts to God. When you love God
with this consciousness, the love results in Self-realisation.
Bhakti calls for utilising the mind,
speech and body to worship the Lord. It represents total Love. Devotion and
Love are inseparable and interdependent.
Narada declared that worshipping the Lord with boundless love is bhakti.
Vyasa held that performing worship with love and adoration is bhakti. Garga
rishi declared that serving the Lord with purity of mind, speech and body is
bhakti. Yajnavalkya (Great Upanishadic personage, priest and guru of King
Janaka in Ramayana) held that true bhakti consists in controlling the mind,
turning it inwards and enjoying the bliss of communion with the Divine.
Another view of bhakti is
concentration of the mind on God and experiencing oneness with the Divine.
Although many sages have expressed different views about the nature of
bhakti, the basic characteristic of devotion is Love. So the essence of
Bhakti is Love and not formal exercises in japa or worship of various kinds.
Love is present in every human being
in however small a measure.
Ordinarily people regard offering worship to God, reciting His name and
meditating on Him as constituting bhakti. True devotion really means
installing the Divine in the heart and enjoying the bliss of that
experience. It is the mystic union of the individual soul and the Universal.
When the devotee prays ardently from the depths of the heart and love gushes
forth, bhakti is manifested. Winning love through love is the vital aspect
of devotion. Prayer does not mean merely appealing to God for favours. It is
a means of conveying to God one's troubles, desires and aspirations and
offering all one's merits and the fruits of one's actions to God. The basic
quality of devotion is the yearning for realising oneness with the Divine.
Devotion is of two kinds. One is acquiring knowledge about God and
transforming oneself thereby. This is a natural process by which one starts
with the physical, proceeds to the mental and ultimately attains the
spiritual goal of mergence in the Divine. But in taking to this path of
knowledge, only the individual concerned can benefit.
In the second kind of devotion, the
devotee not only benefits himself, but shares his experience with others and
benefits them also.
Such a devotee not only saves
himself but helps others to save themselves.
What kind of devotion do you
experience, respected reader of this compilation by Swami?
Love is flowing in an endless stream through humanity all the time. God is
the master of Time. The same individual passes through stages when he is
termed as child, adult, old person, etc, due to the passage of time. There
is nothing more precious in the world than Time. People tend to waste their
time in selfish pursuits instead of devoting it to selfless service. They
are eager to receive help from others, but have no desire to render help.
(By the way, there are two types of
human beings - the degraded and the sublime. The degraded are those who seek
or receive things from others and not only forget to repay the obligation,
but even try to harm those who have helped them. The sublime are those whose
natural trait is to go to the help of others. If they give a word they will
try to honour it whatever the difficulties and obstacles).
Love of the Divine is not developed by secular education or scriptural
studies. It springs from the heart. One who is filled with Love of the
Divine will not be attracted by anything, else in the world. Nor will he
submit to anything demeaning or unworthy.
Nine ways of expressing devotion to God and attaining Him have been
described by the sages. (These nine ways have described in the earlier
compilations of the serial too. However, here they are described in the
other context and from other angles).
1. Sravanam (listening to God's glories). King Parikshit, the moment he
learnt that he had been cursed by Sringi to meet with death in seven days,
summoned all the sages to ascertain how best he could utilise every moment
of the remaining life span given to him.
When the Sage Suka entered the
assemblage, the king requested him to redeem his life by converting what was
a curse into a blessing. Suka taught the king continuously night and day all
about the Supreme Lord and His incarnations and glories. Listening to Suka's
words, Parikshit was immersed in an ocean of bliss. All the sages present
felt equally ecstatic. By enjoying the stories about the Lord, Parikshit was
filled with devotion and experienced the Lord within him. He exemplifies how
devotion can find the highest expression in merely listening to the glories
of the Lord. (This story have briefly described in the previous serial
"Rainbow of Divine Leelas).
2. Keerthanam (singing the glories
of God). Sage Suka taught how by listening to the exploits of the Lord,
singing His glories and constantly reciting His name, the supreme goal of
God realisation can be achieved. Suka experienced the bliss of union with
the Brahman by revelling in singing His glories.
This way, expressing the devotion to
the Lord has a broader meaning of bhajans singing.
Devotion, the sages felt, should not be solely for achieving individual
salvation. It should find expression in some kind of collective action.
Offering worship or prayer in
seclusion and for one's own sake savours of some kind of selfishness. The
ancients felt that the Divine cannot be attained by one who is
self-centered.
The Indian sages valued community
prayers for the welfare of the world as good for the individual and the
world. In the year 1459 A.D., Guru Nanak, the first Sikh guru, started the
practice of bhajans (community singing).
It should be note a big difference
between Keerthanam (individual singing the Glory of the Lord) and
Sankeerthanam (collectictive singing the Glory of the Lord) Keerthanam is an
individual affair. It is singing by an individual for the fulfilment of
his/her prayers. Sankeerthanam aims at the well-being of the whole Universe.
Namely this method of singing bhajans was first initiated by Guru Nanak, the
founder of Sikhism.
Sankeerthana aims at demonstrating unity in diversity. When all the
participants combine to sing in unison with one voice, it is described as
Sankeerthana.
Sankeerthana is of four kinds:
a. Guna Sankeerthana applies to the
kind of bhajan in which the devotee recites the auspicious qualities of the
Divine, experiences oneness with the Divine, and acquires the Godly
qualities.
b. Leela Sankeerthana refers to the
enjoyment by the devotee of the sacred sport of the Divine in ecstatic
dancing and singing and being totally absorbed in it. This is exemplified by
the Gita Govindam of Jayadeva (Sanskrit poet; wrote the Gita Govinda, which
describes the early life of Krishna).
c. Bhaava Sankeerthana is
illustrated by Radha and Meera, who express their different feelings towards
God and identifies themselves with the Divine in every mood of devotion. In
general they expressed their devotion in the five forms of santha
(serenity), sakhya (friendliness), vaatsalya (eternal love), anuraaga
(affection) and madhura (sweetness).
d. Naama Sankeerthana: Chaithanya
was the exponent of this form of Keerthana. "All names are yours. There is
nothing which does not bear the imprint of your name or form" Chaithanya
revelled in singing the name of the Lord as signifying all that was
beautiful and glorious in the whole Universe.
What then is the essence of Sankeerthana? Its essential purpose is to earn
the love of God. Combining one's voice, tune, feeling and rhythm to the
appropriate beat of the song, the devotee should immerse in the singing.
Harmonising the feeling with devotion and Love, the sacred words of the song
should be an outpouring of love towards God.
When the song is rendered without
understanding the meaning of the words and without any inner feeling or
genuine love for God, it is a mechanical performance. bhaava (feeling),
raaga (melody) and thaala (rhythm) are the essentials for proper singing.
Even the name Bharath signifies the
combination of these three elements. (Bha-Ra-Tha). In every action in daily
life, the combination of these three elements should be observed. This rule
can be applied even to one's studies.
Bhaava, in relation to study of a
subject, means understanding the subject thoroughly. Raaga implies
cultivating a love for the subject and Thaala means expressing one's
knowledge coherently and clearly.
If you have devotional feeling, it should be expressed by the tongue joining
in the bhajan. Only then can it be called Sankeerthana - singing in unison
with others. Even non-believers and agnostics nod their heads in
appreciation when they listen to devotional music.
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 17. "The bliss of Divine love," Chapter 15; Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol. 18. "One God : basic truth of all faiths," Chapter 30; Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 19. "The immoral Bhaktas," Chapter 22; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol.
25. "Purify The World By Sankeerthana," Chapter 8; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol.
30. "Adhere to Truth: Realise Divinity within," Chapter 16; Bhagawan Sathya
Sai Baba. Vidya Vahini. Chapter XI).
Namaste - Reet
Sai Ram
Light and Love
Swami teaches...30 Oct. - 1 Nov. 2006
Part 3. Towards the Visible Kalpatharu
It was in this spirit of intense love for the Lord and pure devotion that
bhajans were started in the past. The feelings expressed in the bhajans
should melt the hearts of the participants and move them to their depths.
The practice of bhajans singing
gathered momentum over the years and in 1798, the great South Indian
saint-composer Tyagaraja invested bhajans with raga and tala (musical form
and rhythm). When bhajans were first introduced in villages, Tyagaraja began
with the song: "Come, all ye blessed ones, come, and let us join in singing
the glory of Sri Rama".
Today, all the five elements in the
world--space, air, fire, water and the earth--are polluted. You cannot get
pure water or pure air. The sounds you hear are impure. The Earth is
polluted. The Kali Yuga has become Kalmasha Yuga (the age of impurity). To
purify all this the means is chanting the names of the Lord.
We always chant at the end of all prayers and bhajans: "Om Shanthi! Shanthi!
Shanthi! Why are we mentioning Shanthi three times? It is to invoke peace
for body, mind and Atma (Inner Self). Atma Shanthi can, not be there without
Shanthi of body and mind. Hence we invoke peace of all the three entities
because we are not one but three persons in one. The one that we think we
are - at the physical (body) plane; the one others think we are - mind; the
one we really are - Atma.
Let's continue to the other ways with the next ways of expressing devotion
to God have been described by the sages.
3. Vishnusmaranam (ever remembering the Lord). Prahlada (son of the demon
king Hiranyakasipu. As a boy, he was beaten, trampled, and cast into fire
and water; but he saw only God everywhere) is the supreme example of the
devotee who always centered his thoughts on Vishnu regardless of whether he
was subject to pain or pleasure. Prahlada was fully conscious that the body
composed of the five elements was perishable while the Indweller was
eternal. All his thoughts were ever concentrated on God and repetition of
the Name of God saved him. (By legend once God Narayana/Vishnu Himself
appeared in man-lion form from within a pillar to destroy the demon king).
4. Paadasevanam (worshipping the Lord's feet). Goddess Lakshmi, the consort
of Vishnu, is the supreme example of one who dedicated herself totally to
the worship of the Lord's feet, regarding the Feet as the source of the
entire creation, holding them supremely sacred owing to their being washed
by Brahma himself, wondering at them as feet which had measured the whole
Cosmos, and venerating them as all-pervading.
5. Archanam (offering daily worship). Emperor Prithu (Emperor of great
virtue, born in the line of Druva, grandson of Brahma - the Creator in the
trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva; as a child, he performed severe penance
and attained self-renunciation) stands out as the exemplar of this type of
devotion. In all circumstances, Prithu adhered to the worship of Hari
(destroyer of sins; name for God Vishnu as his primary occupation). He saw
the Lord in everything in the whole Universe.
6. Vandanam (prostration). Akrura (Kamsa's messenger, see "Swami teaches...
Rainbow of Divine Leelas," part 3) is an illustrious example of a devotee
who sanctified his life by constantly prostrating before the Lord and
offering obeisance to Him with humility and purity. Vandanam does not mean
merely folding the palms together and offering salutations. It means
offering to the Lord all that the the sense organs and the organs of action
do in a spirit of total surrender. Akrura worshipped the Lord in this spirit
of total submission to the Divine will.
7. Daasyam (dedicated service). Hanuman is the great exemplar of this type
of devotion. Concentrating on the name of Rama and rendering service to Rama
were Hanuman's preoccupation all the time. He was a master of the 64
sciences and arts. Rama described him as a hero of peace, who possessed
immense strength and wisdom. While building the bridge to Lanka, Hanuman
hurled rocks into the sea uttering the name of Rama and they rose to the
surface. Each hair of Hanuman was echoing the name of Rama. By his devoted
services to the Lord he 'redeemed his life and became immortal.
8. Sneham (affection, tenderness, friendliness) or Maithri (affection for
the name of God, comradeship with the good). The great exemplar of this kind
of devotion is Arjuna. Arjuna and Krishna lived together closely. He
experienced innumerable troubles and was subjected to calumny and abuse. But
through all these experiences, he did not allow his faith in Krishna to
waver. Looking upon Krishna as friend, kinsman Arjuna relied on Krishna for
everything. Krishna, for his part, was even ready to act as Arjuna's
charioteer in battle. Arjuna made Krishna the charioteer of his life.
9. Atmanivedanam (total surrender) or Atmaarpanam (surrender of the Self).
Emperor Bali, the grandson of Prahlada, was an example of a devotee who
completely surrendered to the Lord, offered everything he possessed to the
Lord and thereby sanctified his life. He was prepared to offer his head to
the Lord and go down to the nether-world.
Worship should be offered to the Divine who resides in all beings. Dedicate
all actions to the Lord. This is the highest knowledge. It is the summum
bonum of existence. Love should become a way of life. That alone is true
devotion.
There is yet another special form of glorifying the name of the Lord. This
is Naamalikhitam (writing the Name of the Lord). Contemplating on the name
of the Lord mentally, uttering the name by mouth and writing the name by
hand serve to perform Trikarana Suddhi (purify the mind, the speech and the
action).
The name of the Lord has been glorified in different ways all over the
world. The Sanskrit poet Jayadeva was one who enjoyed always the leelas
(sport) of the Divine, experienced the presence of the Divine within him,
felt that he had no use for anything other than God's love, merged his love
in Divine Love and thereby became the very embodiment of Divine Love.
Buddha undertook spiritual pursuits
and finally felt sorry that he had wasted his life in such external pursuits
while he had the Lord and the Wholeness within himself.
The recitation of the names of the Lord will help to purify the atmosphere
as a result of the sacred sound waves getting absorbed in the atmosphere. In
the same manner, the evil thoughts arising in the mind should be diverted;
and it should be filled with pure, Godly thoughts by reciting the Divine
name.
Experiments in Russia and other countries have demonstrated the relationship
between the food one consumes and one's mental attitudes. It was found, for
instance, that a child which had been fed on apple juice while it was
growing in the womb, exhibited a love for apples after birth. These facts
indirectly show the significance and power of mental activity.
Meditation on God is one of the steps for achieving steadiness of mind.
Concentration is needed for every action such as walking on road, talking,
reading, etc. You must concentrate with single minded devotion on God.
Performing work as worship is also
tantamount to meditation. Having full faith in the Divinity within is
self-confidence. This is the foundation on which the walls of
self-satisfaction have to be raised with self-sacrifice as roof, so that the
mansion of Self- Realisation is complete.
You will realise that the body, mind and intellect are only your
instruments. The single letter "I" is the Inner self or Atma while the three
letter 'eye' refers to the body. You are the master and should make use of
these instruments.
The conclusion from three parts.
Dharma is the weapon. Sathya is the
attitude. Truth and Love is common to all peoples in the world (mostly in
hidden form yet). To speak the truth, be devoted to the Self, Atma, real
Atma Sakshatkara (realisation of the Self) is the merging of the individual
self (Jiva) with Brahman, God (Supreme Self). If peoples of planet practise
Sathya and Dharma, they have no need to have bombs. They will learn to enjoy
the Divine radiation of Kalpatharu what appears to become visible then.
This statement is nice to illustrate
with philosopher's Thomas Paine (1737-1809) known quotation "The world is my
country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion."
(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 17. "The bliss of Divine love," Chapter 15; Sathya Sai Speaks.
Vol. 18. "One God : basic truth of all faiths," Chapter 30; Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 19. "The immoral Bhaktas," Chapter 22; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol.
25. "Purify The World By Sankeerthana," Chapter 8; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol.
30. "Adhere to Truth: Realise Divinity within," Chapter 16; Bhagavan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse "Purity of the Heart is True Sadhana."
9th October 2005, Prashanti Nilayam).
PS: Reference:
http://casweb.ou.edu/lgibbs/india/encyclopedia/akrura.htm
Namaste - Reet
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