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Features
| Sri Satya Sai Speaks
CONSIDER YOURSELF AS PART OF DIVINITY
Forbearance is the real beauty in this sacred land of Bharat
. Of all the rituals, adherence to truth is the greatest penance. The nectarous
feeling in this country is the feeling of love towards one's mother. Character is
valued far higher than the very life itself. People have forgotten the basic principles
of this great culture and are imitating Western culture. Alas! The Bharatiyas are
not aware of the greatness of their cultural heritage just as a mighty elephant
is not aware of its own strength.
(Telugu poem)
Embodiments of Love!
Bharatiyas are very rich people. Bharat is a rich country. It is a great land of
Punya (merit), Thyaga (sacrifice) and Karma (action). Unfortunately, today the people
of Bharat are not realising the greatness of their country. Just as the elephant
does not realise its innate strength, the Bharatiyas do not recognise their inner
strength. An elephant can knock down a man and throw him three yards away with swish
of its tail. However, a mahout with his goad is able to keep the elephant in complete
control. Since the elephant is unable to realise its own strength, it is submitting
itself to the commands of the mahout. Similarly, the Bharatiyas today mislead by
their vesture of the body are unable to realise their innate strength.
The body is made up of five elements and is bound to perish
sooner or later, but the indweller has neither birth nor death. The indweller has
no attachment whatsoever and is the eternal witness.
(Telugu poem)
There is tremendous divine power in the physical body of a human being. The power
of Truth that is present in this physical body can bind the indescribable and incomprehensible
Divinity. None can assess this power of Truth. It is Sathyasya Sathyam (Truth of
truths), which no one can visualise by the mind. It can only be experienced, not
described. Truth is God, verily. That is why it is said Sathyam Jnanam Anantham
Brahma (Brahman is the embodiment of truth, wisdom and eternity).
The creation emerges from truth and merges into truth,
Is there a place in the cosmos where truth does not exist?
Visualise this pure and unsullied truth.
(Telugu poem)
Wherever you see in this universe, it is only Truth that manifests. That there is
something called Mithya (illusion) is itself an illusion! However, man relies on
the unreal body and considers it as real. First and foremost, man has to realise
this Truth. He has to pray to Truth. He has to uphold Truth. It is said, Sathyannasti
Paro Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than adherence to truth) . Devoid of Truth,
there is no Dharma at all! It is only on the foundation of Truth that the mansion
of Dharma rests.
Embodiments of Love!
You have to make efforts to realise this Truth. Unable to control our senses, unable
to give up body attachment, we are neglecting the Eternal Truth. This is the effect
of our so-called secular education. What is the nature of Truth? It is Nirgunam,
Niranjanam, Sanathanam, Niketanam, Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Mukta, Nirmala Swarupinam
(God is attributeless, pure, final abode, eternal, unsullied, enlightened, free
and embodiment of sacredness)
Forgetting such an indwelling Truth, we are following the senses of action, senses
of perception and the mind which are unreal. Do you know the nature of mind? It
runs after worldly objects, indiscriminately. It is like a fly. One moment, it rests
on a fragrant flower. The next moment it sits on the garbage being carried in a
cart. How can you trust such a fickle mind? "Mind is like a mad monkey, body is
like a water bubble". Unfortunately, today, we are leading our lives reposing our
faith in such a body and mind. The day you give up attachment to the body, forget
the senses and contemplate on the Atma Tattwa, you will yourself become an embodiment
of The Divine Self. You are not merely a human being; you are God, verily! Though
you are God yourself, you are unfortunately deluded to consider yourself a human
being. You have donned the garb of a human being for being in this world. This human
form is a garb. As long as you are in this world you will wear that garb. The moment
you return to the dressing room, you will leave that dress. You are enacting a role,
wearing this dress. Once you leave this dress, you are your normal self again.
Humanness is sacred and divine. But man today is wasting such a sacred and divine
nature by consigning to earth such a sacred and divine humanness. This is utter
folly. On the other hand, one has to sanctify one's humanness. Your education, your
intelligence, your physical strength and power, all these are short-lived. You have
to strive to realise the eternal Atma Tattwa instead. You are not the body. Supposing
somebody comes and enquires, "Who are you?", you reply, "I am so and so." Thus,
you introduce yourself. Taking into account your physical body, your occupation,
the place where you live, etc., you say, "I am Ramadas." This is a name given to
you by your parents. Whenever someone enquires, "Who is Ramadas?", you reply "I".
The name "Ramadas" pertains to your body. "I" is your real name. That "I" is real
and eternal.
Who is Ramadas? He is the servant of Rama, the son of King Dasaratha. The name Dasaratha
in this context does not pertain to the King of Ayodhya. Ayodhya means the place
where no armed foe can enter. The human body with the ten senses (five senses of
action and five senses of perception) represents Dasaratha. King Dasaratha had three
wives - Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. These three queens represent the three gunas
-Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas. Kausalya is an embodiment of Sattwaguna. Kaikeyi represents
Rajoguna and Sumitra, the Tamoguna. One has to recognise the inner meaning of these
terms in relation to one's own body / mind complex. The great sages and seers realised
this Truth. They were not deluded like the present-day human beings. They realised
Truth, lived for Truth and propagated Truth.
Forbearance is the natural quality of Bharatiyas. In fact, the one who is devoid
of this quality is not a human being at all! The mother has been given the first
and foremost place in Indian culture. The Vedas declared "Matrudevo bhava", "Pitrudevo
Bhava" (mother is God, father is God).
You are all familiar with the Suprabhata sloka sung to Rama, "Kausalya Supraja Rama
…. (Oh! Rama! Son of Kausalya! It is the time of dawn! Get up and perform Your morning
oblations). Even in this Suprabhatam sloka, Rama is referred to as the son of Kausalya.
Her name comes first, since mother is verily the God for a human being. When Rama
prostrated at the feet of his mother Kausalya at the time of accompanying sage Viswamitra
to the forest to protect the Yajna to be performed by him, she blessed Him, "Son!
May the supreme Lord who protected Prahlada, may the Dweller of Vaikuntha who took
the child Dhruva into His fold, may the one extolled by the Amaras (immortal Gods),
may the Lord who is the refuge for the forlorn confer victory on You!" It is only
on account of the blessings of His mother, Rama could vanquish the demons and protect
the Yajna performed by sage Viswamitra. Again it was the mother's words of blessing
that was at the back of His success in the Swayamvara in King Janaka's court where
He broke the divine bow of Lord Siva. King Janaka who was a Karma Yogi (one who
performs all actions as offerings to the divine, with no attachment or desire for
the fruit thereof) and a Maha Jnani (a realised soul) himself, held Rama's feet
in full view of the court and said "Son! There is none greater than You. This is
Sita, my daughter. I wish to give her in marriage to you. Please accept her." But,
Rama politely declined his request saying that he could not do so without the permission
of His parents. In contrast, today's youth make a big show of a marriage proposal.
They arrange to print expensive invitation cards with costly designs and colours
and distribute to all. That was not the way of Rama. He thought, "We are four brothers
born at the same time. Hence, whether it is Upanayana (thread ceremony) or Vivaha
(marriage), it should be for all of us together." Till then, Rama did not even look
at Sita. Today's youth are different. The moment an engagement function between
a boy and a girl is over, they go to a cinema together. This is not good. Sita did
not come out into the open till the Muhurtham (auspicious moment) when the marriage
was near. Rama also did not look at her till that time. It is only after His parents
came to Mithila and Viswamitra informed them of King Janaka's proposal to give his
daughter Sita in marriage to Him that Rama consented to marry her. Even then, He
did not look at Sita till the marriage ceremony was over.
The couples were to exchange garlands as part of the wedding ceremony. Rama, Lakshmana,
Bharata and Satrughna were standing in a line ready to garland their brides. Rama
was the eldest among the brothers. Hence, His bride Sita was to garland Him first.
Later, the other brides were to put garlands around their respective bridegrooms.
Sita stood in front of Rama holding a garland. But, Rama did not look at her, since
the marriage ceremony was not yet complete. Till then, she was a stranger to Him.
It is a great sin to look at a 'Parasthree', a woman who has not yet become His
wife - was Rama's view and ideal. Poor Sita! She waited for long. But, Rama did
not bow His head to enable Sita to garland Him. Lakshmana then thought of a plan
by which Sita could garland Rama. Suddenly, he fell at the feet of Rama and Rama
bent down to lift him up. Exactly at that moment, Sita put the garland round the
neck of Rama! Look! How sacred and noble were the intentions of people of those
times! How pure and truthful were their hearts! Thus, people gave a lot of importance
to character during the Treta Yuga and Dwapara Yuga. That is why those Yugas became
very famous. You should also respect and worship elders like Rama. You must obey
the commands of the elders. It is only when you pay heed to their words and follow
them diligently that you will be able to experience peace in life.
In accordance with the promise given by King Dasaratha to his wife Kaikeyi, Rama
had to spend fourteen years in exile in the forest. Though Kaikeyi was a great queen,
she listened to the words of her servant, Manthara and sent Rama to the forest due
to her promptings. There is a lesson to be learnt in this context that we should
give weight to the words of the Master and not of the servant. Since Kaikeyi succumbed
to the advice of her servant, she underwent great suffering and sorrow. During the
journey to the forest, Sita also followed Rama. She firmly informed her decision
to Rama, "Oh! Lord! The husband is God to a wife. Wherever he is, she should also
be there." Lakshmana also accompanied Rama to the forest, saying, "Dear elder brother!
I cannot live for a moment without you."
Lakshmana and Satrughna were born to Sumitra. True to her name, Sumitra was a woman
of noble qualities. She dedicated both her sons to Rama's seva. As per her wish,
Lakshmana was serving Rama and Satrughna was serving Bharata. Lakshmana's qualities
were highly noble. Sita, Rama and Lakshmana encountered several difficulties during
their exile in the forest. All this is a well known. Once while Rama and Lakshmana
were walking in the forest, suddenly Lakshmana told Rama in a dejected mood, "Dear
elder brother! Why this exile in the forest for us! It is very difficult for us
to protect Sita from the demons in this forest. Why should we undergo so many ordeals
here? Why should Mother Sita, who was never exposed to the sun and rain so far,
encounter so many difficulties in this forest? Come! Let us go back to Ayodhya and
lead a comfortable life." Rama then realised that, what Lakshmana was talking was
due to the effect of sthala (place). He took the hand of Lakshmana into His smilingly
and brought him out of that place by walking some distance. Then He asked Lakshmana,
"Lakshmana! Now you tell Me. Shall we go back to Ayodhya?" Lakshmana then realised
his mistake and felt sorry. He pleaded with Rama, "Dear brother! We need not go
back to Ayodhya now. We have to live here in the forest for fourteen years as per
the command of our father. I never went against Your wishes nor disobeyed Your command.
I do not know why I spoke like that then. I am just not able to understand why my
mind had changed like that." Rama explained, "Lakshmana! I know this is not your
nature. This is the effect of the place through which we passed just now. There
are several demons moving about in this place. Since you entered a place inhabited
by the demons, the demonic qualities entered into you." So saying, Rama helped him
regain his poise. Hence, we have to take into consideration the time and place as
also the sthala prabhava (effect of the place) and conduct ourselves accordingly.
No text had ever taught so much about good character, as Ramayana did. Unfortunately,
today several people are not in a position to realise the greatness of Ramayana.
Ramayana is verily the heart of Bharatiyas. Not to realise this truth and act accordingly
is the reason for all the difficulties faced by Bharatiyas today. Wherever you reside,
you cannot escape from difficulties and suffering. Nevertheless, one has to boldly
face them reposing one's faith in God.
God is your sole refuge wherever you may be,
In a forest, in the sky, in a city or a village, on the top of a mountain or in
the middle of deep sea. (Telugu poem)
It is only those who are able to realise the nature of Divinity can understand this
truth. Today, all the youth have to cultivate good qualities. You are all the children
of God! Lord Krishna declared in the Bhagavad Gita. Mamaivamsho Jivaloke Jivabhuta
Sanathana (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being).
Hence, we have to emulate the qualities of God and lead our lives accordingly. It
is only when you consider yourself as the amsa (part) of Divinity that you will
become good citizens. On the other hand, if you take pride on yourself as I am the
son of so and so, I am the brother of so and so and I am the brother-in-law of so
and so, etc., you will remain as such. You have to realise the truth that you are
the amsa of God, verily. Then only will you be able to understand Atma Tattwa.
Embodiments of Love!
You are all good children! You are all golden children! But, the environment in
which you live is spoiling you to a certain extent. There is also the factor of
the food you eat. If the friends with whom you associate yourself are good, they
will speak good words with you. Otherwise, they will talk bad things and create
bad thoughts in your mind. "Tell me your company, I shall tell you what you are".
Hence, you should associate yourself with good friends.
Satsangatwe Nissangatwam,
Nissangatwe Nirmohatwam,
Nirmohatwe Nischalatattwam,
Nischalatattwe Jivanmukti.
(Sanskrit Sloka)
(Good company leads to detachment; detachment makes one free from delusion; freedom
from delusion leads to steadiness of mind; steadiness of mind confers liberation.)
You should not make your life a 'nuisance', listening to the 'nuisance' words of
others. Join good company and get a good name. "Be good, do good, see good". Then
only will you be able to realise Divinity.
Embodiments of Love!
You must lead your lives taking Rama's life as your ideal. Whenever someone questions
you, "Where is God?", your spontaneous reply should be, "God is immanent in me as
the Divine Atma." You are verily that Divine Atma. There is none other than Atma.
That Atma is also referred to as consciousness. You should follow your Antharatma
(conscience). Keep yourself away from bad thoughts. Don't worry when you get such
bad thoughts. They just come and go. You should not give importance to them. It
is natural that when you are functioning in this objective world with your senses,
bad thoughts trouble you. There are six enemies to a human being in the form of
Kama (desire), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (delusion), Mada (pride) and
Matsarya (jealousy). These six enemies will lead you into bad ways. On the other
hand, the five human values of Sathya (truth), Dharma (righteousness), Santhi (peace),
Prema (love) and Ahimsa (Non-violence) are your good friends. You develop friendship
with them. If you make friendship with good people, you will be called "good boys";
otherwise, you are "bad boys". You should not get a bad name for yourself. You should
get good name for yourself and your parents. Your parents must be having high hopes
for you. Hence, make them happy. The Veda exhorts you, Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo
Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava, Atithi Devo Bhava (revere your mother, father, preceptor
and guest as God).
Obey the commands of your parents. Then only you will become sacred and your life
will be sanctified.
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