DIVINE DISCOURSES VOL 1 1953 - 1960

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30. Sathya Sai Geetha (ii)
       IF you take Krishna to be a Gopaala (cowherd), a man of the
world like others, then for you he will be just a cowherd! You too
climb only up to that stage. You have to take it in the yogic sense
that "Go" in Gopaala means 'Jeevi" (living being) and therefore,
Gopaala means "He who protects, guides, feeds and fosters the
jeevis"; that is to say, "He who is the protector and preserver of
beings." You will have noticed that Uddhava, who looked upon
Krishna as his Guru, benefitted more than Arjuna who looked upon
Him as a sakha' (a friend). If you have faith that He is God, He will
be God to you; if you dismiss Him as mere man, He takes on that
role and becomes useless for you. Search for Him with the heart,
not with the eye for externals. The superpower has to be sought in
the super-state itself, not in the lower states. Then, if you have the
eyes that are fit to see and the wisdom to understand, you will find
Him.
       Various people have various methods of worship as well as
objects of worship. Vishnu, Shambhu, Shaaradha, Allah are all
different degrees of human understanding of the One Unsolved
Mystery, the Fathomless Infinite and Absolute. You should not seek
variety, seek unity. Do not enter into quarrels about higher and
lower; when the same person is honoured by different titles, why
should you quarrel over the superiority or inferiority of the title.
They all fall short of His Total Glow.
Karma is needed to realise the Truth
       Your attempt should be to attain and become the Nithyam and
Sathyam (Eternal and Truth). Sathyam is that which is the same in
the past, present and future; the same in the waking, dreaming and
deep sleep stages: and which is unaffected by Thamoguna,
Rajoguna and Sathwaguna (qualities of sloth, passion and serenity).
Again, the Name is greater than even the Named, for the Named
may disappear, but the Name will continue and will evoke the Form
of the Named.
       There is no need to exhaust yourselves in the search for the
Lord; He is there like butter in milk, like the chicken in the egg,
immanent in every atom of creation. He does not come from
somewhere or go somewhere else. He is there, here, everywhere.
From the anu (atom) to the ghana (great), from the microcosm to
the macrocosm, He is everything.
       To realise this grand Truth, saadhana or karma is needed.
That is Karmayoga, karma performed with this end: 'karmasu
kousalam,' "the karma done in an intelligent manner." A millionaire
may have various vehicles: cars, coaches, etc., in plenty; but for his
health's sake the doctor advises him to walk a few miles every
morning. Otherwise he will fall ill, the doctor says. So also, for
removal of Ajnaana (the disease of ignorance), one has to do
karma, Dharma-directed karma (virtuous action). The oil in the lamp
is the fat derived from the actions of previous 'lives'. The stronger
the flame, the brighter the light and sooner the oil is used up. Do
vigorous karma and exhaust the effects of the past and be free from
the weight hanging round your neck. There is more joy in the doing
of karma than in the fruit it may give; the pilgrimage is often more
pleasurable than the actual experience of the temple to which the
pilgrim went.
Make spiritual effort as natural as breathing
       It was mentioned in the Geetha that you should not care for
the fruit of your action; but I say now that you may value the result
of your actions to a limited extent. That advice was given according
to the conditions prevalent then and the delusion Arjuna suffered.
Since it will increase your Aanandha (Bliss) and give greater
strength to your Saadhana, I say now that so far as saadhana is
concerned, you can do it with a keen eye on the Aanandha that you
will ultimately derive.
       It was mentioned now by the Principal of the Maarkandeya
Sanskrit College that I was born like Janaka, as the result of some
Karmasesha! I have no sesha (balance) of karma to work out! I am
unaffected by Karma, as already mentioned in the Geetha. The
Mahaa Shakthi (Supreme Power) puts on the cloak of
Maayaashakthi (deluding power) in order to fulfil the purpose of
contacting and protecting mankind. I have no desire and so, no
binding karma. It is only you have the desire, aim and wish that
drag you along various paths. For Me, your Aanandha is My Food,
your elation is the swing on which I sit, your activity is My
Playground.
       There are three kinds of Karma: the Sahajakarma (natural
action) like breathing which has to be done; the Vikarma (action
done with intent) like the combination of wick and oil in the burning
lamp; and the Akarma (action done without intention to gain the
fruit of consequences), where there is neither oil nor wick and so no
burning at all. Praanaayaama (breath control) and Yoga (Divine
communion) must become as natural as breathing and so
automatic; that is the summum bonum of spiritual discipline, the
state of Sahaja-Saadhana.
"I make people mad about God"
       Learn from childhood the recitation of the Name and prayer
and the practice of silence. Let children contemplate the beauties
and the magnificence of God's handiwork and be filled with mystery
and awe. Do not count and calculate what the Puttaparthi Sai Baaba
gives. I do not give in order to attract you to Me; I give only to fill
you with Aanandha. Showering Aanandha, that is My task. I do not
want you to extol Me; I shall be satisfied if you rely on Me. The
mysterious indescribable Super-power has come within reach. It will
never engage Itself in any task without fruit.
       I bring tears and I wipe tears, some one has sung. Yes, I
bring tears of joy into your eyes and I wipe the tears of grief. I am
said to make people mad and also to cure madness. Yes, I make
them mad about God and about the 'Saadhana needed for that. I
cure the madness which makes people run frantically after fleeting
pleasures and fall into fits of joy and grief.
       Some persons have said in their ignorance that I am divine
sometimes and that I become human after that! They say I
alternate between Dhaivathwam and Maanavathwam (Divinity and
human). Do not believe this. I am always of one thwam (reality)
only. The Lord will never undergo a fundamental change; only the
external form may change, the essence will be the same. There will
not be any decline in value, like becoming human for some time,
etc. The Lord will be characterised by unbounded Prema (Love) and
unsullied sweetness.
       There are two duties to be done by man; the one along the
Dharmamaarga (path of righteousness) for this world and the one
along the Brahmamaarga (path of Supreme Reality) for eternal
liberation. The Dharmamaarga is the left hand, and so it can be left.
Why, it will leave of itself after the fruit becomes ripe. That is why it
is called 'left'! Leave it and do not grieve over it. But hold on to the
right, the Brahmamaarga; for it is 'right' that you should do so.
Never hate others or wish evil to them
       Finally, you must know how to use the chance that you have
got in this life to come in contact with the Lord. The lamp sheds
illumination but it can be used for various purposes, good and bad;
the Ganga is holy but its waters are used for good as well as bad
purposes. How you use this chance depends upon your destiny and
luck and the amount of Grace that you are able to win. Develop
faith; strengthen devotion; and everything will follow. Raama was
the representative of Sathyam, Krishna of Prema, Buddha of
Dharma. Now it is, of all the four, Sathya, Dharma, Shaanthi and
Prema. Sathya is the Dharma, Prema gives Shaanthi. I command
you: never hate others, or wish evil to them or talk ill of them. Then
only can you attain the Shaanthaswaruupam (natural form of
peace).
       The Lord alone is aware of the Plan, for His is the Plan! You
see only a part of the play on the stage and so it is all very
confused. When the entire stow is unfolded, then you will appreciate
His Plan, not until then; for that, you have to get behind the screen
of Maayaa (deluding power) and contact the Director Himself. While
you are an actor on the stage reciting your role, you cannot grasp
the inner meaning of the entire play which has the 'world' as the
stage and 'ages' as the duration.
       If by acting your role well you develop Love towards fellow-
actors, that is more important than getting devotion for God. If you
acquire Shaanthi (Peace), that is a more valuable success than
acquiring jnaana (spiritual wisdom). For Bhakthi is the seed of
Prema and Jnaana is the seed of Shaanthi. At least, bhakthas
(devotees) should behave as if they are all of one family. Take hold
of the chance so luckily available for mutual co-operation in worship
and saadhana.
       "All the powers I have are for you"
       You are My treasure, even if you deny Me. I am your treasure,
even if you say No. I shall be affectionate to you and attach Myself
to you; I shall take all the trouble to keep My property safe in My
custody! That is to say, in the custody of the Lord, by whichever
name you may be calling upon Him. All the powers I have are for
you: I am just the store, keeping them ready to be given to you,
whenever you ask for them. I shall give Prema even if you do not
ask, for it is your right to share in it.
       Some complain that I did not give them this or that, but that
is because their vision is limited to the immediate future or the
present; whereas I know what is in store and so I have to safeguard
them from greater grief. They even blame Me and heap abuses but
I will not give them up. I am not influenced by anybody, remember.
There is no one who can change My course or affect My conduct to
the slightest extent. I am the Master over all.
       But let Me tell you this. I speak harsh words and 'punish' some
persons because I have Prema towards them and I am eager to
correct them and make them better instruments. If they were not
Mine, I would have given them up and not cared to take any notice
of their lapses. I have a right to chastise those who I feel are Mine.
I also know that they still value My Word and that they will feel sad
at My being displeased with them. It is due to your wayward mind
that you are easily wafted away from Me by some silly persons'
irresponsible words.
Peace can be won only the hard way
       I sometimes act as if I keep you at a distance; that is done to
reform you quicker. When a stretch of road is being repaired, I go
by another detour and I do not use that bit of road for some time.
The purpose is to let the repair works proceed more quickly so that
I may use that road again.
       I have come to set the world right and so I have to collect all
those who are ill and treat them in My "Hospital" and restore them
to sanity, strength and wisdom and send them back to their stations
in life. I must intensify your bhakthi, reinforce your faith and rebuild
the foundations of your moral nature, so that you can counter
temptations with greater confidence. I have come across people
who recite a prayer and believe that they are bringing the world
nearer to Peace with every occasion on which they pray. But peace
can be won only the hard way, by eliminating violence and greed
from the hearts of individuals.
       There are cases when the villager in Puttaparthi on getting
fever tries all kinds of quackery till it becomes too serious; and then
he runs madly for doctors and drugs to Bukkapatnam and
Ananthapur and Chikkaballpur and Veilore---until he is forced to sell
his land to pay off the loan! If only he had taken resort first to a
qualified doctor all this could have been avoided. So too, do not run
after Gurus who are themselves suffering from faulty vision and
householder's troubles: do not beg from people who are themselves
beggars. Avoid all pride and competition between one another in the
spiritual life. Let each one march at his own pace; only the direction
and the road have to be God-wards.
       Prashaanthi Nilayam, 29-9-1960
       The sages of ancient times divided karma into vikarma (that is
intentionally done) and akarma (that is done without any intention
to gain the consequence). Follow the latter and you will save
yourselves front suffering. All other activities like the earning of
wealth, of reputation, of fame and publicity result in suffering..
       Shri Sathya Sai

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31. Sathya Sai Geetha (iii)
       VIDHURA once asked Krishna, "How did you take part in the
killing of lakhs of soldiers in the Kurukshethra battle? You could
have avoided all that massacre and saved yourselves a lot of bother
by simply changing the mental attitudes of the chief participants on
the Kaurava side, Dhuryodhana, Dhus-sasana, Shakuni and Karna."
Krishna answered: "My dear man, I have given every one a sum of
qualities and powers. I have also awarded each a certain amount of
freedom to utilise them as they feel best. It is by functioning in this
manner that each one can learn better. By toddling a few steps the
child's step becomes more certain and firm. Experience is the best,
though the hardest, school. However much you may say that fire
burns, unless you actually burn your fingers, you will not believe or
know what a burn is."
       Prema that thrills and fills the mind with joy and hope.
Pothana, Nandhanaar, Jayadheva, Gouranga, Thukaaraam, Meera,
Purandharadhaasa, Thyaaga-raaja and others were thrilled so much
at the very thought of the Lord, because they had the Prema in such
a pure and overpowering form.
       Some people may laugh at all this Bhajana and call it mere
show and exhibition and recommend instead quiet meditation in the
silent recess of the shrine room. But coming out in company and
doing Bhajana like this helps in removing egoism; one is not afraid
of jeering nor ashamed to call out the Name of the Lord. One gets
inspired by the devotion of others; the company of men with
kindred sentiments helps to foster the tiny seedling from being
scorched by the heat of derision. A person will sweep the floor of his
room with a broom when nobody is looking on; but to do the same
act, considered infra dig, when people are looking on, requires some
mastery over the ego.
Do acts which are full of Prema towards all
       Prema is filial piety when directed towards the parents,
companionship when it flows towards friends, love when it is felt
towards the partner, respect when it moves one towards elders and
affection when you are drawn towards children. Bhakthi affects your
acts in three forms: you do some acts consciously in order to
demonstrate your love or give vent to the Prema that animates you;
you do acts as dedicated offerings to enhance the glory of the Lord,
in a spirit of worshipful humility, as if you are laying at His feet all
that you are and all that you are capable of, and you do acts which
are full of Prema towards all as part of your mere existence,
automatically, without any tinge of self or whiff of violence upsetting
the perfume of the act. The dedicated act leads on to all activity
being dedication; the Aanandha makes you feel that your effort has
been worthwhile. That is the end, the aim, the inspiration.
       How do you give Me Aanandha? By taking to heart what I say
and putting it into daily practice. Deciding to move high but
attracted by the low, you betray yourself. Improve your character
and conduct; when your feelings become cleansed and your
impulses pure, then you can see My Form in its Reality. I shall tell
you the thing in a nutshell: Make the intelligence that has to
understand Me free from crookedness; let it become straight and
sharp.
Our relationship is Aathmic, not secular
       I have now fallen into your grasp, the very Treasure that you
have been searching for, because our relationship is Aathmic, not
secular or trained. In all other places, your are fleeced; for the
relationship is based on the purse. In some places, it is based on
caste or scholarship or some other incidental trait; here, it is the
attachment that the Naaraayana has for Nara, the Ocean for the
stream, the Universal for the Particular. Here, every one must
become unlimited, escaping from bonds that limit him.
       All can become He; no one is outside the Love of the Lord.
The eighteen-year old boy is asked by the mother to go into the
kitchen and place a plate before himself, serve himself rice and
curry and eat. The mother is not callous or unkind; she knows the
capacity of the boy and treats him as he ought to be treated.
Another son she accompanies to the kitchen and she sits by his side
and serves food to him. A third son she seats on her lap and feeds
with many a song in order to make the process pleasant for the
child. Do not think that the mother is partial; no, she is only making
use of her knowledge of the capacity of her children to make them
progress. That is the nature of maternal love.
       There are some gurus who have so much love, even towards
their sishyas. When aspirants go to them asking for guidance, they
praise them to the skies, exaggerate their attainments and grant
them titles(!) which are paraded by the unfortunate victims. In this
way, the disciples are burdened by additional handicaps to spiritual
advance. The Gurus want money for various purposes and so they
always have an eye on the purses of the disciples. They try to draw
out the money by the grant of titles or by public praise or by
promise of public recognition---all worldly baits which are
derogatory to the principle of non-attachment that they teach and
stand for.
Some Guilts hunt for moneyed disciples
       Let the Gurus condemn the accumulation of wealth and blame
them for the misuse they are making of it; let them be unsparing in
their condemnation; that is the sign of the Guru who knows his
mission. On the other hand such Gurus ignore and tolerate evil in
the would-be donors, because they are afraid any condemnation will
dry up their source of income. Thus, they ruin the disciples by
desisting from giving them the drastic drug they need, urgently, for
their spiritual health. It has become a tragi-comedy this hunt for
moneyed disciples who can be fleeced. It has been developed by
some sanyaasis (ascetics) into a fine art. The time has come to
expose and punish such saadhus (noble souls) and that will be one
task in the Dharmasthaapana (establishment of righteousness) for
which I have come. The brokers that these Gurus have scattered
over the country have also to be broken.
       Books, pamphlets, meetings, speeches, talks---all these are no
good; every one desirous to know Me has to be asked to approach
Me and experience Me. In order to get an idea of a mountain it is
not enough if you show a stone and say, "The mountain is a million
times the size of this." You will have to see an actual mountain, at
least from a distance. The "beyond" is very incomprehensible.
       Science is like the letter C, always with a gap in the middle,
with a gap that is unfilled. Religion alone has filled that gap, for it
knows the Reality that persists in the three stages, in the three
tenses and in the three worlds. So, religion is the three O'sh a full
circle, which may enlarge as you know more and more of the glory
of the Lord, but which is ever Full and complete. At the end of it all,
we are at the beginning again.
       The miracle is but the natural behaviour of the miraculous.
That is why I favour you with the experience now and then, so that
you may get a glimpse of the Glow. I will be in this mortal human
form for 59 years more and I shall certainly achieve the purpose of
this avathaar; do not doubt it. I will take My own time to carry out
My Plan so far as you are concerned. I cannot hurry because you
are hurrying.
       I may sometimes wait until I can achieve ten things at one
stroke; just as an engine is not used to haul one coach, but awaits
until sufficient haulage in proportion to its capacity is ready. But My
Word will never fail; it must happen as I will.
       Prashaanthi Nilayam., 29-9-1960

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32. Sathya Sai Geetha (iv)
        TODAY, Thirumalaachar read and explained the section on
Jnaanayoga (divine communion through spiritual knowledge) in the
Sathya Sai Geetha he has composed. No one can say what the real
nature of creation is, or of Brahman for that matter. Faced with a
Universe which is fundamentally mysterious, which he feels must be
endless and beginningless, which he feels must be infinite and the
scientist has to accept it, though he cannot form a real picture of
that kind of Universe. He too works on faith, that is to say, believing
in something which he cannot fully grasp or clearly infer or really
calculate. That Reality can be demar-cated only by the criterion of
"Not this." Brahman is posited and described by a process of
negation or elimination, 'nethi, nethi' ('not this, not this'). In this
artificial world, all is an artificial mixture of name and form, which
are both artificial too. To get the conviction that this created world
is mithya (a mixture of truth and falsehood) is very difficult indeed.
When your head knocks against a wall, it is difficult to believe that
the wall is half false, that its name and form are a fiction of the
deluded imagination and that its real truth is the basic Brahma!
Seven chief characteristics of Bhagavaan
        But this Jnaana (spiritual wisdom) every one has to achieve
some day or the other. It can be got through Bhakthi or Karma or
Raajayoga. These three are only different names for the process of
churning the milk for getting the butter which is immanent in it.
Once the
        butter has been got and rolled into a ball, it can be kept
separate and un-impaired in the liquid where it was all the time.
Similarly, the Jnaani (liberated person) can continue in the world
free from attachment, once he has realised that he is of the same
substance as the Immanent Brahman. When that Brahman is seen
through Maayaa, it appears as Saguna (endowed with qualities) and
is referred to as Lord or Bhagavaan.
        Bhagavaan has seven chief characteristics: Aishvarya, Keerthi,
Jnaana, Vairaagya, Srishti, Sthithi and Laya (prosperity, glow,
wisdom, non-attachment, creation, preservation and dissolution).
Whoever has these seven, you can consider as having Divinity in
Him. These seven are the unfailing characteristics of Avathaars, of
the Mahaashakthi (Supreme Power) which persists fully when it has
apparently modified itself with Maayaashakthi (deluding power).
Wherever these are found, you can identify Godhead.
       You are also of the same nature as the Aathma with
Mahaashakthi, but like the Prince who has fallen into a den of
robbers and is growing up there, the Aathma has not recognised its
true identity, that is all. Though he does not know, he is
nevertheless a Prince, whether he is in the palace or in a forest or in
the robber's cave. Very often, the Prince will have got intimations of
his real status, a craving for the Aanandha that was his heritage, a
call from his inner consciousness to escape and become himself.
That is the hunger of the soul; the thirst for lasting joy. You are all
like the man who has forgotten his name. The hunger of the mind
can be appeased only by the acquisition of Jnaana.
Give your mind strength-giving ideas and courage
       The mind is like a Gurkha watchman; it has to be kept fully
under control by the master. Besides, the Gurkha will let into the
mansion only those who are friendly to the master, is it not? So,
only such thoughts and feelings as are conducive to the welfare of
the master should be tolerated by the mind. Manas (mind) is the
chief thing for 'manush' (man) but its role has to be slowly reduced
and it should not be allowed to take full charge. Feed the mind, not
on wicked desires and unworthy plans; but give it strength---giving
ideas and courage. When the mind is eliminated, then Jnaana
shines forth in its full glow.
       After the experience of Sarvam Brahmaath-makam, that is to
say, after the realisation that everything is basically and completely
Brahman, life cannot be sustained for more than 21 days. Such a
person is no longer in Mithyaloka (this deluding world); so he
cannot have any desire or activity. Even food and drink become
meaningless. How can Brahman need Brahman and Brahman
recognise Brahman as food and Brahman as drink? All the nuts and
bolts will fall away; the heart will dry up and the body will collapse.
Saadhana is just holding the mirror before the self; the mirror, if it is
clean and polished, reveals the Self and that is Aathma
saakshaatkaara (Realisation of the Self). All have Aathmic
uniformity, the truth of every one is the same.
      The company of good men leads you on to the Lord while the
company of evil men leads you on to the mire of Prakrithi (objective
world). How to judge good men from bad? Those engaged in
Japam, Dhyaanam, Yoga and Archana (penance, meditation,
communion and worship) are Sajjanas (good persons); those who
do not like these are to be avoided by aspirants who seek Jnaana
and want joy that comes when the small becomes the big, when the
momentary joy becomes momentously important, when the
destitute person inherits vast riches. The good man is soft; he bends
easily before elders, sages, and Saadhakas. 'Na ma' (not mine) is
the attitude of 'namaskaara' (prostration); it is really
namamaakaara, the declaration that "all that I am and have is due
to your Grace."
Eliminate all limiting factors by systematic process
      Spend your time in such Sathsanga (company of good
people). Brush up your brains by the brush of Viveka. I will not ask
you to give up your critical faculty; evaluate, discriminate,
experience and analyse your experience; and then, if convinced,
accept. Bhakthi, Yoga, Jnaana---these are three doors to the same
Hall; some come this way, some that way, but all enter the same
Hall. The Jnaani sees everything as the Divine substance, the
Bhaktha sees everything as the Leela of God, the Karmayogi sees
everything as the service of the Lord. It is all a question of aptitude
and taste and the stage of development of reason and emotion.
      As a result of Jnaana, Thirumalaachaar said, Maayaa goes, but
Maayaa does not 'come' and Maayaa does not 'go.' When a light is
brought into this hall, you say that light has come and darkness has
gone, but where has it gone? Put out the light, it is dark! The
darkness does not come from where it had gone, suddenly, through
the doors and fill the hall. It is there all the time. It did not go. Only
the hall was lit and light prevaiIed. So also, when the Grace of the
Lord is won, Jnaana will prevail and the delusion of separateness is
powerless.
       How can that Jnaana be earned? By a slow, systematic
process, eliminating all limiting factors: greed, lust, pride, envy, hate
and all the snaky brood of possessive instincts and impulses; by the
educative influence of Dharma, the body of rules laid down by the
experience of generations for the regulation of living; by study,
rumination and practice; by analysis of the experiences of the
waking, dreaming and sleeping stages; by learning to be a witness
of all this passing show without getting involved in its tangles; by
overcoming all trends that divide and differentiate.
Vision of Oneness is the highest reward
       Prahlaadha never called upon his father or mother, as children
do, when he was tortured; he did not appeal to the torturers to save
him; he saw in those cruel henchmen the Naaraayana he adored.
Everything, everybody, was Naaraayana for him. How then could he
feel pain or suffer injury? Adhwaitha (non-dualism) in practice, the
culmination of Bhakthi, Sampuurna Jnaana (fully realised spiritual
knowledge), liberated him. The vision of this Ekathwa (oneness) is
the highest reward the Adhwaithin (the non-dualist) seeks.
       All this is a dream and you are all actors. Once in Puttaparthi,
in a village play, the role of Vaali was assigned to a rich man's son
and that of Sugreeva to a poor man's son. Then Vaali protested that
he would not die in the fight with the poor man's son and insisted
that Raama should befriend and kill Sugreeva instead! The stow
cannot be changed to suit your whims. When the play says Vaali
should die and when he has been given that role, he should die
correctly just as He has decided. Who knows whether praise and
blame are not part of the play?
The faults you find in others are in you
       Ignorance of this truth is a serious fault, which has to be
attended to in the early stages alone. The doctor who cures that
bhavaroga (worldly disease) prescribed remedies which have to be
strictly taken; not the entire quantity in one gulp, nor neglect for
months or years; but the drug as well as the regimen. Some people
say they have come to Puttaparthi ten or even fifteen times, as if
walking up to the hospital a dozen times is enough to cure them.
Every time they may also get a bottle of the necessary mixture, but
if they do not drink it as directed, what improvement can they
register?
       The jnaani will not look upon Me as wearing this dress, yellow
gown today or pink gown tomorrow; he will penetrate to the
Thathwa (real nature) behind this Form and know that this Body is
but a dress worn for a purpose. The coming Avathaar of this
Thathwa will have another dress. You get full Jnaana by the analysis
of the knowledge of the Sell Unless you know yourself, you cannot
know Me.
       What you are now doing here is Karmamaarga (path of
action); what you are uttering is Bhakthimaarga (path of devotion)
and what you are revolving in your mind is Jnaanamaarga (path of
spiritual knowledge). What you are experiencing at this particular
moment is Heaven. For you are now immersed in the joy of listening
to My words. You have no thought now of the several reasons which
have brought you here. If I finish My talk and go, you slide into the
Marthya loka---the world of passing things and fleeting desires,
vacillating minds and doubting brains.
       Above all, examine your own conduct and faith. See whether it
is sincere and steady. When you sit in the moving train, you find
that the trees are moving fast ,along the line; do not worry about
the trees; see yourself, examine yourself and then you will find that
it is you that is moving fast. So also, do not blame others and point
out their faults. The faults you will find are in you, and when you
correct yourself, the world too becomes correct! Jnaana is the
discrimination between what promotes one's progress and what
retards. Be your own Guru, your own teacher; you have the lamp
with you, light it and march on without fear.
God's Grace can destroy effects of past karma
       To reach the stage when even "Sarvam Brahma Mayam" (All is
Brahmam) is realised as an understatement (because that
statement postulates two entities: Sarvam and Brahman, and the
experience of Brahman alone, IS), you have got to go a long way.
But do not be down-hearted; the entire encyclopaedia is composed
of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet and all scholarship begins
with the mastery of A and B and C and D. I am here ready to help
you from the first lesson to the last. Do not be weighed down by
sorrow that your Praarabdha karma is against your progress. The
accumulation of the effects of your past karma is Sanchitha and out
of that store what you have selected for present consumption is
Praarabdha; if wisely used and cooked, the Praarabdha can be
made sweet, palatable and health-giving. Moreover, God's Grace
can destroy the effects of past karma or modify its rigour. Never
doubt that.
      If the law of Karma is so unbreakable, then why recommend
Saadhana, good living and cultivation of virtue? Praarabdha will melt
like mist before the Sun if you win the Grace of the Lord! The Grace
of the Lord is needed for the dawn of Jnaana also.
      Prashaanthi Nilayam, 30-9-1960
      The consequence of karma can be wiped out only through
karma, as a thorn can be removed only by means of another. Do
good karma to assuage the pain of the bad karma which you have
done and from which you suffer now.
      The best and the simplest karma is the repetition of the Name
of the Lord; be ever engaged in it. It will keep out evil tendencies
and wicked thoughts. It will help you radiate love all round you.
      Shri Sathya Sai

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33. Foundation for vidhya
       INTO this tiny hamlet ringed round by 'pigmy hillocks,' there
has come from the far-off Himaalayan region, the Governor of Uttar
Pradesh, Dr. Burgula Raamakrishna Rao, to lay the Foundation-
stone of your School Building! Really, this should make at least one
thing clear to you that if sincere Saadhana is done, even the most
difficult thing can be accomplished. I find the whole village of Put-
taparthi and even the surrounding villages are immersed in joy
today. I too am very happy, for it is not simply a building which will
rise up on this spot. It is a new era of prosperity and of progress.
He lays the foundation not merely for a Vidhyaalaya (educational
institution) but for vidhya (education) as well. He has not only
sacrificed much for the freedom of his country and earned the
respect and affection of the leaders of the land, but he is also a
great scholar in many languages and he is an ardent believer in
Sanaathana Dharma (eternal religion). To have the village school
begun by him is indeed a very auspicious event.
       You can be proud that Puttaparthi is a village that has become
famous from the Himaalayas to Kanyaakumari, as the Governor said
now; but as he himself added, it is a great responsibility as well.
This function is, I consider, the crown and glow of this year's
Birthday Festival, for I see the faces of the ryots before Me beaming
with a new hope and a new joy. The elders of this village have at
last realised what they have missed all these years due to their own
defects.
Puttaparthi is revered with gratitude by millions
       To secure pearls, one has to go far out into the sea and dive
deep; simply wading in the shallows and declaring that the pearl-
stow is a myth is a sign of foolishness. So too, the elders here
wondered so long at all stories of My Mahimaas (miracle powers)
and could not make use of the splendid chances that lay at their
very doors. They saw only the Light, but did not feel the warmth.
That itself proves that though they were physically so near, they
were very distant for all practical purposes. They could see the
Splendour, the Glory, the Effulgence but they did not come near and
share the Warmth of my Heart.
       Entangled in the false and the fleeting, men lose the golden
chance of grasping the true and the lasting. They refuse to
recognise the fruits that grow on the branches of the tree in their
own garden; they pluck it before it becomes ripe and they go about
decrying it as sour. Such is the fate of man; he has always ignored
God and pursued the paltry joys of pride and greed.
       As a matter of fact, Puttaparthi is a name revered and
remembered with gratitude by millions today and it will be treasured
in history as an immortal name. No other village has such fortune,
but you have been slow to recognise this. For twenty years now,
efforts have been made to calm the waves of faction in this village,
years during which many other villages sought and won My Grace
and Blessings. There have been many occasions on which bhakthas
(devotees) have pleaded with Me to move out of this miasma and
settle down in Bangalore or Madras or some such town, or if I
preferred, some other quiet rural spot. But let Me tell you here and
now; this tree has to grow at the very spot where it sprouted; it will
not be transplanted; I shall not give up this place, no, not I. This
place will be transformed into Thirupathi and those who are little
boys and girls today will surely see it in all its magnificence.
Three requisites essential for all advancement
       It is not only this village but every village is sick with
animosities and petty quarrels and vendettas. As the Governor said,
many attempts have been made during the last fifteen years to
better the lot of the ryot but the result has been far below
expectations and expense. For there is an absence of three
requisites essential for all advancement: Dhairyam, Uthsaaham and
Aanandham (courage, enthusiasm and joy). The very Nature around
is enough to instill awe and wonder, to impart courage, to inspire
enthusiasm and to fill you with joy! It is a type of false vairaagyam
(non-attachment) to close the eye to all the beauty, all the plenty,
all the mercy that you receive from Mother Nature, and to mope in
sorrow, bewailing your lot.
       You should be thankful to the Lord for the chance given to you
to serve others and yourselves, to observe His Glory and His Grace
and you should look upon all as brothers and sisters. If instead, you
poison your hearts with hate and revel in quarrels; well, what is the
great profit you have earned thereby? Have you at least derived
peace and content, following that course? You have reaped only
further hate and further waste.
      The villages surrounding this place have gainfully made use of
the help given by Government and advanced in some ways; but
here, you need not stretch your hands before Government; you
have a Kalpavriksha (wish-fulfilling tree) ready to give you all that
you want! You have the Lord, who protects and promotes all. The
virtues of the people are the treasures of the State; the smarana
(remembering) of the Name of the Lord is the root of all virtues.
The royal road to ensure joy and peace
      Naaradha, who was afflicted with conceit that there was no
other who had dedicated his very breath to the recital of the Name,
was once humiliated to find that a ryot, who managed to repeat the
Name three times(!) in the course of his over-whelming multitude of
distressing preoccupations from cock-crow to dusk, was judged a
greater devotee! Joy is your birthright; Peace is your inmost nature.
The Lord is your staff and support. Do not discard It; do not be led
away from the path of faith by stories invented by malice and circu-
lated by spite.
      Take up the Name of God, any of his innumerable ones, any
that appeals to you most and the Form appropriate to that Name
and start repeating it from now on; that is the royal road to ensure
Joy and Peace.
      That will train you in the feeling of brotherhood and remove
enmity towards fellowmen.
      Many seeds are sown in the field by you; some are eaten
away by ants; some are washed off by rains; some are picked by
the birds; some are destroyed by pests; but some sprout strong and
sturdy. This little school will grow into a sturdy High School, believe
Me. You, on your part, must do everything to uphold the honour
and reputation of this village.
      When I went to Nainital, right in the midst of the Himaalayas,
thousands of miles from here, they welcomed Me with an Address
written and printed in Hindhi and therein they mentioned this village
of Puttaparthi which they called a Punyakshethra (Sacred Piano)!
Well, when people actually come here from the various quarters of
the world, let them see a virtuous community of God-fearing men
and women, living in peace and content.
      Puttaparthi, 23-11-1960
      The journey of every man is towards the cemetery; every day
brings you nearer to the moment of death. So, do not delay the
duty you must carry out for your own lasting good. Recognise that
you are Shiva (God), before you become a shava (corpse); that will
save you from further deaths.
      Shri Sathya Sai

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34. The click of the camera
       WHAT Kuppa Bairaagi Shaasthri told you now about Brahma
Jijnaasa (desire of getting knowledge of the Supreme Soul) and
Aathma (soul) was very learned and very useful, especially for
Saadhakas who have reached a certain stage of discipline and
study, but I know that most of it was beyond you. My task is to give
you the stuff that you need now, in a form that is both sweet and
digestible. It is difficult to grasp the idea of the Aathma, about
which Kuppa Bairaagi Shasthri spoke, in spite of all the quotations
he gave from all the commentaries on the Upanishaths.
       It is just the gold in all the jewels, the base and the
substance, however many forms and whatever shapes the jewels
may have. To become a particular jewel is to lose the Universal
nature or rather to limit it. To lose the name and form of gold and
become a jewel is to feel separate, to forget the One. The Aathma
does not change, no one can transform it. Its nature is hidden by
various veils of ignorance, such as those which Thyaagaraaja prayed
Lord Venkatesha to pull apart, in the famous song---"Thera
theeyaga raadha."
       The veils are known as mind, intellect, etc. The jewel must
know it is not, it was not, it will not be oval or square or fiat or
round, or anklet or necklace or ring or bangle. It must yearn to
know its real nature and become aware of the basic truth, apart
from the unreal appearance. When it becomes gold again or rather
when it ceases to think of itself as anything but gold, it can be said
to have attained Bliss.
Love has to begin with a great yearning for Light
       Because you have taken residence in this body, you cannot
call the body, 'T'. When you sit here in this Hall, you do not call the
Hall "I"; you know you are separate and that you are here only
temporarily. When you move about in a tonga (horse-cart), you do
not say that the tonga is you, do you? You do not take the tonga
inside when you step down from it on reaching home. So also, you
have to drop this body when you reach "home".
        The 'T' in you is Paramaathma (Supreme Being) Himself. 'T' is
the tiny wavelet that plays with the wind for a moment, over the
deep waters of the sea. The wave gives you the impression that it is
separate from the azure and timeless ocean below. But it is just an
appearance, a creation of the two ideas---Name and Form. Get rid
of the two ideas and the wave disappears in the sea; its reality
flashes upon you and you know.
        Paramaathma reveals Its Glory as Prema (Love) in man;
Prema appears in various forms: attaching itself to riches or parents
or children or one's a life-mate or friends. All these are sparks of the
same flame and the Love of the Universal is its highest expression.
This Prema cannot be cultivated by reading guide-books and made-
easies and learning the steps by rote. It has to begin with a great
yearning for the Light, an unbearable agony to escape from the
Darkness and see Light, as in the prayer, "Thamaso maa jyothir
gamaya." The yearning itself will draw down the Light. The Love will
grow of itself and by its slow and inevitable alchemy turn you into
Gold. Prahlaadha was a Raakshasa (demon) but Prema (Love)
liberated him nevertheless; Jataayu was a bird, Dhruva but a
toddler, the cowherds of Brindhaavan were unlettered folk; yet,
through that alchemy, they all shone in the splendour of Prema and
knew the Source.
Samskaara will have its say at the time of death
        Once you take on the Name of the Lord which is sweetness
itself, it will awaken all the sweetness latent in you; when you have
tasted the joy, you can never for a moment exist without that
sustenance. It becomes as essential as air for the lungs. You may
say, listening to some Puraanic (mythological) tales, that it is quite
enough if the name of the Lord is remembered, however casually, at
the very last moment of life! But it is a hard task to recall that
name, if you have not practised it for years. In the surge of
emotions and thoughts that will invade you at the last moment, the
Name of God will be submerged unless you learn from now on to
bring that Name to the top of the consciousness, whenever you
want it.
       There was a shop-keeper once who was inspired by that tale
of Ajaamila. He decided to remember the Name with his last breath,
by a short cut; he named his sons after the various Avathaars
(divine incarnations), for he knew that he has bound to call them
when he was about to die. The moment came at last and as
expected, he called on all his sons by name, one by one. There were
six of them and so he called the Lord by proxy six times in all. The
boys came and stood round his cot and as he surveyed the group,
the thought that came to the dying man's mind, just when he was
about to die was, "Alas! they have all come away; who will look
after the shop now?" You see, his shop was his very breath all
through life and he could not switch it on to God at short notice.
The Samskara (merit of actions) will have its say, whatever you may
wish.
Without faith, no progress is possible
       It is no mean achievement to get the Name of the Lord on
one's tongue at the last moment. It needs the practice of many
years, based on a deep-seated Faith. It needs a strong character,
without hatred or malice; for the thought of God cannot survive in a
climate of pride and greed. And how do you know which moment is
the last? Yama, the God of Death, does not give notice of his arrival
to take hold of you. He is like the man with the camera taking
snapshots; he does not warn, "Ready? I am clicking." If you wish
your portrait to hang on the walls of Heaven, it must be attractive;
your stance, your pose, your smile must all be nice, is it not? So it is
best to be ready for the click, night and day, with the name ever
tripping on the tongue and the glory always radiant in the mind.
Then, whenever shot, your photo will be fine.
       What is most needed is the cultivation of virtue, and fear of
sin and the fear of wrong. How do you decide that an act or a
thought is sinful or wrong? It has to be done on the basis of the
Shaasthras and of the Voice within. Without faith, no progress is
possible, even in the material world. Science considers the
prathyaksha (the seen), as the final proof; but how far can you trust
the prathyaksha? You respect a person not on the basis of his dress
or hairstyle which are prathyaksha, but on the basis of his character
and attainments, which are paroksha (invisible).
       You suffer now because all your attachment is towards
Prakrithi (Nature), and all your Vairaagya (non-attachment) is
towards Purusha or God! This has to be reversed! You must
cultivate non-attachment towards Nature and attachment to the
Lord.
All joy is derived from the form-full aspect of God
       I am reminded now of the story of Shankara Bhatta. He was a
great saadhaka intent on japa and dhyaana to such an extent that
he was reduced to skin and bone. He worshipped Goddess
Saraswathi (Goddess of Learning) which is the key to open the
doors of Mukthi (Liberation). Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth)
saw his sad plight and was moved with great pity. She chided
Saraswathi for denying Her votary even the common joys of life and
Herself hid in his leaky hut to pour on him Her Grace. She offered
him plenty and prosperity, fame and fortune. She derided
Saraswathi for neglecting to award comfort and joy on Her hapless
servant. But Shankara Bhatta turned a deaf ear to Her allurements;
he said, politely but firmly, "No, Saraswathi has blessed me with the
most precious wealth, the gift of knowledge that liberates me. I do
not crave Your Grace. Please remove yourself from my presence."
       There is nothing so grand and so sublime as the Lord in whom
you find refuge. Call on Him by any Name or speak of Him as the
Nameless one. It is both Sa-aakaara and Nir-aakaara (with Form
and Formless). The ocean takes the form of the vessel which
contains a part of it. When that is done, the Formless takes Form;
the Absolute is reduced to the Particular. You will find out, however,
that all the joy is derived from the Form-full aspect of God; the
Formless causes no joy or grief; it is beyond all duality.
       Jewels give joy, not gold. You can experience the Name, you
can imbibe the Form; you can take them to heart and dwell upon
them and fill yourself with the joy that they evoke. That is why
Jayadheva, Gouranga, Raamakrishna and others wished to remain
ants, tasting Sugar rather than becoming Sugar itself. The Name is
like the seed, implanted in your heart; when the shower of His
Grace falls upon it, it sprouts into a lovely tree. All trees that sprout
from the Names of the Lord are equally lovely and shady. If you
have Krishna-naama, the vision that you win and the form that you
evoke is that of Krishna; if you have Raama-naama, it is the Raama-
form that sprouts.
Do not allow your mind to waver due to doubts
      Leelaashukha had the Name of Krishna embedded in the well-
ploughed field of his heart and so, the Lord appeared before him
with a peacock feather, a flute and a charming mischievous smile!
He fulfills your innermost aspiration in a flash, if it is compelling
enough. 0nly you should not allow your mind to waver due to doubt
or disappointment. Leave all to Him and be at ease; it is the man
with no faith that is tossed about on the sea, like a ship caught in a
storm with neither rudder nor anchor. The Bhaktha bears the ups
and downs of life, keeping the balance of his mind even.
      You sometimes talk as if the devotee leads a life beset with
hardships and sorrows and that the man who does not bend before
a Higher Power is care-free and prosperous; but this is a totally
wrong idea. The Bhaktha sails on an even keel; he has inner peace,
a spring of joy which sustains him and keeps him together.
      Bairaagi Shaasthri said that this is an auspicous day for you
because this is My Birthday; but let Me tell you, I have many
Birthdays like this. The Auspicious Day for you is the day on which
your mind is cleansed and not the day on which I took this human
form. I am ever new and ever ancient, ever noothana (modern) and
ever sanaathana (ancient). I come always for the sake of reviving
Dharma, for tending the virtuous and ensuring them conditions
congenial for progress. Some doubters might ask, "Can
Paramaathma assume human form?" Well, man can derive
aanandha only through the human form; we can receive instruction,
inspiration, illumination only through human language and human
communication.
God bows to your will and carries your burden
      I will never force you to take up a particular Name or Form of
the Lord as your ishtam (wish). The Lord has a million Names and a
million Forms, and He wants that faith and attachment should be
evoked in you by any one of them, as you recite the Names or
contemplate the Forms. That is why they have a string of 1008
Names for use to worship; the devotee might be drawn closer to the
Lord while any one Name is being repeated, however distracted or
inattentive he might be during the rest of the list. Like the coldness
of the atmosphere which freezes the water, the compelling agony of
the Bhaktha's heart solidifies the Niraakaar (Formless Absolute) into
the shape and the attitude that are yearned for. "Yadh bhaavare,
thath bhavathi"---"as felt, so fashioned." He bows to your will, He
carries your burden, provided you trust Him with it.
      Therefore, so act and feel and speak that you get "iha
soukhyam, para soukhyam and kaivalya soukhyam" ("joy here, joy
hereafter, joy everlasting" all three). I bless you all that you get
more success in the struggle.
      Prashaanthi Nilayam, Birthday Festival, 23-11-1960
      You must tread the spiritual path with an uncontrollable urge
to reach the Goal; you must cultivate the yearning for liberation
from all this encumberance.
      Remember that you have to dwell in a house built on four
stout pillars: dharma, artha, kaama and moksha (righteousness,
wealth, desire and liberation); Dharma supporting artha, and
moksha being the only kaama or desire.
      However much you may earn either wealth or strength, unless
you tap the springs of aanandha (bliss) you cannot have peace and
lasting content.
      Shri Sathya Sai

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35. The dangers of doubt
       Kasthuri now spoke to you about the Puraanic stow of the
Amrithamanthana (churning of the ocean for gaining the nectar of
immortality). He said that when the Dhevas (demi-Gods) were
overcome by conceit, delusion and Thamas (ignorance), the sages
cursed them with age, greyness and senility; they became easy
victims for the Raakshasas (demons); and so, to restore to them the
lost splendour, the Lord suggested the churning of the Ocean and
the winning of Amritha (nectar of immortality).
       You have to take this story in its symbolic sense. The
Puraanas (mythological stories) always deal in parables. Each tale
has a deeper meaning, something that is more valuable and useful
than what appears on the surface. This meaning is to be practised
in daily life; they are not stories told to while away the time.
       Indhra insulted Dhurvaasa because he was blinded by the
power of office; the curse of the sage forced him to re-think about
his Reality, to discover his innate status. Then, he found that he was
Amritham, of the same nature as Parabrahman (Supreme Reality).
Itself. In fact, he came to know that he was Parabrahman, moving
about in the delusion that he was Indhra! The churning is the
symbol of the Saadhana needed to remove the veil of delusion,
more specifically, the Raajayoga Saadhana (royal path of integral
spirituality).
       When the Dhaivi Shakthi (Power of Divinity) declines and evil
impulses predominate, even the Dhevas fall; they lose their special
privileges and rights. Once anritha (falsehood) enters into the
character, you lose contact with Amritha. He dies many deaths, he
who is false, afraid of truth, blind to his own glorious heritage of
immortality.
In their inner impulse, men are sub-human
       Sathya (Truth) is that which is Nithya (eternal). Falsehood is
poison; truth is nectar. Truth alone confers splendour or
Dhivyathawarn (divinity). So, when the Dhevas fell a prey to pride
and attachment to unreality, they had to churn their thoughts and
impulses, their feelings and emotions, their instincts and inspirations
and bring out the cream of Truth. The two groups who pulled the
churning rope are the "forward leading influences and the backward
pulling influences,"---the Dhaivi and the Asuri (divine and demonic)
urges.
       As I said, Indhra insulted Dhuurvasa and invited upon himself
the anger of that sage because of the ignorance of his fundamental
reality, his ajnaana ignorance), which plunged him in pride. What
should be done to restore him to sanity is to re-teach him the
Aathmic (universal spiritual) basis of all the pomp and pageantry of
office, the evanescence that is immanent in all created things.
       Today, though in outward appearance people are human, in
inner impulse they are sub-human or Raakshasa; he who has no
dhaana (charity or sacrifice) in him is called a Dhaanava. Dheva and
Dhaanava are mixed in the human make-up and now the Dhaanava
rules the roost. Therefore, man has lost his glow and his power and
his splendour; he must win them again by Saadhana. So, make
yourselves pure by incessant striving.
Man is but a flame of the Eternal Fire
       The partaking of the Amritha created by Me is only the first
step in this process for you: it does not mean much if you do not
take the second step and the third and march on towards self-
realisation. You must have faith in the discipline laid down in
Sanaathana Dharma and in the ultimate Divine basis of all creation.
Get convinced that the world can give you only fleeting joy and grief
is but the obverse of joy. Strive now, from this very moment; for
time is rushing like a swift torrent. Develop the joy that will not
decline, the joy that will ever be full. Be true to yourself. Be bold, be
sincere. The only reality is the twin-bird on the tree, the Jeevaathma
(individual soul) that tastes the fruits and suffers and the
Paramaathma (Supreme Soul) that sits unmoved and merely looks
on.
       Mention was made now of the Mohini-ruupa (form of
fascinating woman) and the way in which the Asuras were misled by
the enticing charm of outward form. Now, all this talk of the
Consorts of the Lord, of Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Paarvathi being
the wives of the Trinity, are absolutely silly. They reveal only the
samsaaric (worldly living) glasses that you wear, the projection of
your worldly fancies on the 'Heavenly families,' the weaving of
stories on the human model for the satisfaction of human cravings.
These names are only convenient expressions for the Shakthi
(Divine Power) that is immanent in Godhead. For example, Lakshmi
is the personification of Dhaya or the Grace of Vishnu; that is why
she is said to dwell on His breast! So too, Paarvathi is half the body
of Shiva, inseparably incorporated in Him! The powers of Creation,
Conservation and Dissolution are co-existent and continuous in
Godhead. You may ask how the three can co-exist. Well, look at
electricity! The current can create, conserve as well as dissolve, all
at the same time, and to the same extent. These Shakthis (divine
energies) are similarly pictured as inseparably associated with the
three aspects of the Absolute. Man's duty is to achieve unity with
the Shiva-Shakthi for he is but a spark that has emanated from it;
he is but a flame of the Eternal Fire.
Bakthi must confer patience and fortitude
       Enter upon that task of Saadhana from now on; that is the
lesson you must learn here. Otherwise, yaathra (pilgrimage) leads
only to the accumulation of paathra (vessel)---you buy vessels from
wherever you go: from Raameshwaram, Thirupathi, Kaashi,
Haridhwar, Madhura, Kumbhakonam. That is the merit you get from
pilgrimage, a store-room full of vessels. You come from long
distances, incur heavy expenses, suffer in the cold, in the open or lie
in the shade of trees and wait for days expecting the longed for
interview with Me; but in the end, you return and dissipate the
shaanthi and the santhosha (peace and happiness) you derive from
this place.
       Bhakthi is something sweet, soothing, refreshing and
restoring. It must confer patience and fortitude. The Bhaktha will
not be perturbed if another gets the interview first or if another is
given greater consideration. He is humble and bides his time: he
knows that there is a higher power that knows more and that it is
just and impartial. In the light of that knowledge, the Bhaktha will
communicate his troubles and problems only to his Lord; he will not
humiliate himself by talking about them to all and sundry, for what
can a man, who is as helpless as himself, do to relieve him? It is
only those who have that implicit faith in God, who will deign to
communicate only with the Lord and none else, who deserve
Amritha (nectar of immortality).
Make Naamasmarana as part of yourself
       The sthula dheha (gross body) should be ever immersed in
Sathsanga; (holy company) the Suukshrna dheha (subtle body), that
is, the thoughts and feelings, should be ever immersed in the
contemplation of the Glory of the Lord. That is the sign of the
bhaktha. He who shouts and swears and advertises his worries to
every one he meets and craves for sympathy, such a one can never
be a bhaktha. Such men are miscalled bhakthas. They make earnest
men lose faith in Godly ways; earnest men feel they are superior to
these pseudo-devotees. And this is a fact. It is a great responsibility
to tread the Godward path. There is no sliding back, no halfway
stop, no tardy pace, no side lane on such a pilgrimage. It is always
up and up, right to the crest of the mountain.
       Though your responsibility is greater, take it from Me, you are
luckier than others. Do not deny with the tongue what you have
relished in the heart; do not bear false witness to your own felt
experience. Do not carp and talk cynically of the very thing you
have revered and adored when the company into which you fall
start retailing such raillery. It is said that the bhaktha can get the
Lord everywhere easily but the Lord cannot get a bhaktha so easily.
Yes, it is difficult to secure a bhaktha who has that unshaken faith,
that attitude of complete self-surrender. Such an attitude can come
only by Naamasmarana (remembering God's Name), constant,
sincere and continuous, as continuous as the act of breathing and
felt to be as essential for life. That is the japam, the thapas and the
dhyaanam (silent recital of Lord's name, penance & meditation) you
all. Naamasmarana like this will immerse you ever in Amritha, not
just a drop on your tongue.
Saadhana has to be followed from a tender age
       Do you know how much I feel when I find that in spite of My
arrival and Bodha and Upadhesam (teaching and spiritual
instruction), you have not yet started this Saadhana? You simply
praise Me and strew compliments; that I am the Treasure-house of
Grace, the Ocean of Aanandha, etc. Take up the Name and dwell
upon Its sweetness; imbibe It and roll It on your tongue, taste Its
essence, contemplate on Its magnificence and make it a part of
yourself and grow strong in spiritual joy. That is what pleases Me.
       Do not wait until you are past middle age to practise this
Saadhana; I know of some parents who drag away their sons who
come to Me when still young; they tell them that they can take up
religious practices in their old age. These parents do not know the
extent of the loss. By some stroke of good luck, their children get
the chance of knowing about the right path for shaanthi and
santhosha (peace and contentment), but the parents are angry that
the sons do not find pleasure in the articles that gave them
pleasure! They feel there must be something wrong in the make-up
of their sons; they tempt them to drink, to gamble, to exploit, to
hate---to imitate them, in short--and take them along with them to
perdition. But a straight plant means a straight tree; a bent plant
can never grow into a straight tree. Rotten, over-ripe, worm-eaten
fruits are not fit to be offered to God. Years of sin would have
warped the character of a person beyond repair. So the saadhana
has to be followed from a tender age.
Doubt is a component of the demonic nature
       Faith can grow only by long cultivation and careful attention.
The old are haunted by the demon of doubt. I know there are many
here who are afflicted by doubt. They think that I have hidden a
vessel of Amritha in a spot in the sands previously fixed and known
to Me only. That is why I now asked some from among those
people themselves, to decide where we sit on these sands.
       Kastuuri suggested this morning that since the thousands who
have come to see the Amrithodhbhava (materialisation of nectar)
cannot get a close view on this flat riverbed, a mound of sand be
raised, whereon I can sit.
       I did not agree because I knew these doubters would
immediately infer that the Amritha was hidden previously under the
mound that was heaped up on purpose! This doubt is truly a
component of the Raakshasa (demonic) nature, for it eats into the
vitals of Bhakthi. It clips the wings of joy, it dampens enthusiasm, it
tarnishes hope. Such men cannot attain the goal even at the end of
a thousand births.
       When doubt assails you, welcome the chance to see and
experience and clear the doubt. But do not later deny the very truth
of which you were once convinced and listen again to the voice of
hate or foolishness. Do not put faith in the words of men into whose
hands you will not entrust your purse; as a matter of fact, it is the
words of such men that are now leading many astray. Really, this is
a pitiable state of things, is it not?
       Come to Me, eager to learn, to progress, to see Yourself in
Me, and I shall certainly welcome you and show you the way. You
will indeed be blessed. All scriptures, all texts, the Geetha which is
the milk of all the Upanishadhic Cows, are intended to instill this
thirst into you.
Do not vacillate and change Name and Form
       The thirst has to be like that of the creeper for the tree-trunk,
of the magnet for the iron, of the bee for the flower, of the waters
for a fall, of the river for the sea. The pangs of separation must
gnaw the heart; the entire being must yearn for union. Do not
vacillate or change or try a series of Naama and Ruupa (Name and
Form). That will only fritter away time and energy. Ceaseless
contemplation of the Lord will give ceaseless taste of Amritha to
you.
       If you do not follow this path, you are doubly to blame; for
you have contacted Me. The Form usually creates doubts, for when
only the Name is there, you can build around it all your fancies, all
that you want, to complete the picture. Do not be misled by such
doubts when the Form has come before you; make the moment
useful, the life worthwhile.
      (Finding that the vast gathering would not be able to see the
materialisation of the Amritha if He did it while seated on the sands,
Baaba first created a Shankha (conch), the vessel from which the
Amritha will now emanate," as He announced. Then He stood up in
the centre of the crowd and "poured" from that empty Sankha into
a silver vessel a sparkling stream of sweet and fragrant Amritha,
which he later distributed to every person who had comet,)
      Chitravathi River Bed, Vaikuntha Ekaadhashi,
      28-12-1960
      What you have heard and seen must be spoken out, without
exaggeration or abridgement; that is Sathya (truth-speaking). Of
course, when the mind is controlled, the intelligence is sharpened
and purified; you see only the One everywhere, in everything, at all
times; then that One becomes the only truth, which you see, hear
and speak of---for, there is nothing else to see or hear.
      Sathya Sai Baaba