SATHYA SAI BABA The World

SATHYA SAI BABA
The World-AVATAR
SPEAKS ABOUT THE ELEMENTS
CONTENTS
Sathya Sai Baba, the World-Avatar speaks about
the five Elements
7
Ether
Air
Fire
Water
Earth
57
61
79
99
163
Cross-Reference
Glossary
251
254
Sathya Sai Baba, the World-Avatar speaks about
the five Elements
The five elements
All the evil tendencies that are manifest today are indication of the impending disasters. The future is in your hands. To avert disaster, all
evil thoughts have to be eschewed. You have to develop always
peaceful thoughts. (24.10.1993)
Man should put a ceiling on his desires. As man's conduct is perverted, today we find natural calamities taking place. You are aware of the
devastation caused by the earthquake in Gujarat. Thousands of people lost their lives. The reason for this is that, man is entertaining excessive desires. God maintains perfect balance in his creation. In
God's creation, the earth and the oceans are endowed with balance.
But man is indiscriminately exploiting the earth for extracting oil; every
day tones of fish are caught from the oceans. This indiscriminate exploitation of nature results in imbalance in earth, which is playing havoc with human lives. Only when man is free from unsteadiness within,
will he not be troubled by earthquake. Not only the people of Bharat
but also the people of the entire world should strive to maintain balance. The five elements are nothing but manifestations of the Divine.
Man's life will be secure only when he realizes this truth and acts accordingly. A few days ago, I had sent Lorry loads of rice, grams, etc.,
to the earthquake victims of Gujarat. Some people asked: “Swami,
why should yo take the trouble of spending so much money for sending the relief material to Gujarat. You could have as well averted the
earthquake.” I replied: “My dear, man has to blame himself for the
earthquakes. Due to excessive greed for wealth, he is disturbing the
balance of the earth. Hence the earthquake. That is the law of Nature.
You have to express your love for man by helping the needy. Love is
your nature. Just as balance is very much essential for Nature, so also
love is very much needed for man. Know that whatever God has created is for your own welfare. You should enjoy Nature according to
your need. You should not rob Nature of its resources to satisfy your
greed. (...)
Instead of being satisfied with what Nature is giving him, he is aspiring
for more and more, and in the process creating imbalance in Nature.
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Today the scientists are interested in new inventions. The advancement in science and technology has also led to imbalance in Nature.
As a result, there are earthquakes and no timely rains. Science should
be utilized only to the extent needed. Science has its limitations and
crossing those limits leads to danger. (...)
Make proper use of the natural resources and do not put them to misuse. (21.2.2001)
The body is a machine with the five elements ether, air, fire, water and
earth as its components. God is playing with it, himself unseen.
The body is a tree; love of the Higher Self is the root; desires are the
branches it sends forth; qualities, attributes, modes of behavior based
on basic nature are the flowers issuing therefrom; joy and grief are the
fruits it offers.
The human body is a world in itself. Blood flows through every part of
the body. God is flowing in and through and activating every spot in the
world. (Vidya Vahini, 22)
Ether, air, fire, water, earth - the five elements which compose the
body have their presiding deities; the activating senses like speech
and the “knowing” senses like the eye have also their deities which reside in them and promote their functions; the mind and the intellect too
have their deities; they all are pillars which support the Being and prevent the structure of the body from falling asunder.
The body is a complex produced by a combination of the five elements. The Senses are the consequences of this combination. So the
body is a bundle of consequences and causes. (Upanishad Vahini, 45/
46)
The elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) that constitute the Cosmos operate only as prompted by the Supreme Wisdom. The Gods or
the Shining Ones are luminous only through that Supreme Wisdom
that energizes them. The entire world of living beings is sustained by
that same Supreme Wisdom. 'The fixed and the moving are both firmly
based on Supreme Wisdom. The Supreme Wisdom is Atman, the Divine Self; the Supreme Wisdom is Brahman. The Supreme Wisdom is
the Visible, the objective world. The Cosmos is Supreme Wisdom,
through and through: the Supreme Wisdom is the Supreme Consciousness that fills the Cosmos. (Sutra Vahini, 41/42)
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If you have the ear, you can hear 'OM' announcing the Lord's Presence in every sound. All the five elements produce this sound, 'OM.'
The bell in the temple is intended to convey the OM as the symbol of
the Omnipresent God. When the bell sounds OM, the Godhead within
you will awaken and you will be aware of his Presence. That is the
meaning of the bell which is rung in front of the inner shrine in the temple. (25.3.1958)
Illusion haunts man as desire. Desire calls for Ether, air, fire, water,
Earth. Man is prompted by the element of Ether in him to seek sweet
sounds that satisfy the ear, by the element of Air in him to run after
smooth and soft things that yield pleasure to the skin, by the element
of Fire in him to pursue things that by beauty of form appeal to the eye,
the Water element in him to crave for food and drink that are tasty to
the tongue, and by the inner urge of the element of Earth in him to cater to the nose, by trying to enjoy perfume and fragrance and pleasant
smells. Desire has a two-headed son, anger-greed. Through the malignant designs of these three, you are robbed of lasting happiness.
Unaware of your Divine Status, you revel in low company; you toil and
sweat as the slave of mean passions which drag you into disgrace. Be
the Prince you really are. Be like the lotus, which though bom in the
slush at the bottom of the lake, by sheer willpower rises above the waters to see the Sun and be inspired by its rays. The lotus discards contact with water, though it is born and bred in that element; so, you too
should avoid being attached to the elemental passions, that the elements constituting you urge you into. How long are you to sit content
with the minor role of a cIown or a clout? Are you not ashamed? Have
you no ambition? Why smother your genuine talents under a self-imposed mask? All these are zero roles, take on the role of the hero
which is your right, and shine! (19.2.1964)
Every single thing has its divine duty, water has its duty, the nature
and obligation to move; fire, the duty to burn and consume; the magnet, to attract and draw unto itself. And, every one of these is keeping
up its divine duty unchanged, including the Solar System and the
Stars of the firmament. Among the things endowed with Consciousness, the plants and trees, the insects and the birds, born out of eggs
or the mammals - all have managed to treasure their specific duty unaffected by the passage of time. But man, whose intelligence sweeps
from the inert and the infinitesimal to the Super-conscious and the Universal, is the only living thing that has slipped, and is sliding down. The
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experience of many generations of seekers, who sought the means of
contentment and joy, embodied, in the precepts of practical living, collectively called Shasthra (commandment) is neglected, and newfangled nostrums are recommended and tried on vast scale. No wonder,
contentment and joy are far, far away from human grasp. (15.4.1964)
The Upanayanam - the ceremony of leading the lad to the teacher and the recital by the initiate of the Gayatri mantra (sacred formula)
which prays for clear intellect, are the first steps towards the ultimate
Realization of the Reality. Pandit Ramasaran explained how the
Gayatri is the essence of the Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas and how the
traditional conception of the Gayatri Devata embodies a harmonious
blending of the five divinities - Vishnu, Surya, Shakti, Ganesha and
Shiva, representing the five elements - and how prayer to Gayatri confers the material and spiritual needs of man. (25.2.1965)
I shall tell you of one form of worship which will endow you with divine
strength. Godhead expresses itself initially as the five elements: the
ether, the air, the fire, the water and the earth. All creation is but a
combination of two or more of these in varying proportions. The characteristic nature of these five elements are: hearing, touch, sight, taste
and smell; recognized by the ear, the skin, the eye, the tongue and the
nose. Now, since these are saturated with the divine, one has to use
them reverentially and with humility and gratefulness.
Use them intelligently, to promote the welfare of yourself and others;
use them with moderation and with the idea of loving service to the
community, to all. They are all free and full of precious potentiality. Appreciate the plenty and the preciousness. You know from experience
that excessive quantities of air or fire or water are injurious to health.
Drinking more water than needed is a torture; inhaling more air is suffocating. Fire in moderation can warm or serve to heat and melt; but,
beyond a certain limit, it is a holocaust. Even sound, beyond a certain
limit, is a calamity, a weapon which can distract and drive people mad.
So, efficient use of these is itself a form of worship. The body is
equipped with mechanisms which ensure a steady degree of warmth,
beyond which or beneath which man cannot be healthy and active.
Nature is in essence Divinity itself. All this is divine. All this is God. So,
tread softly, move reverentially, utilize gratefully. (15.10.1966)
You will find in the Dashara Program here various items like Vedhic
chanting, rites for Divine Forms, the feeding of the poor, dramas, mu10
sic, divine stories, reading of moral epics, lectures on scriptural texts,
etc. - all designed for various purposes that may not be evident on the
surface. You may be under the impression that all this is but customary and traditional. No. Each item has a deeper significance; it is intended to bring about a definite benefit for some section or other. The
Vedas are for all mankind; they have prayers for peace, subjugating
the anger of the elements and of human communities; they invoke the
forces of nature to be calm and beneficent; so, the recitation of the Vedas promotes world peace and human welfare. For those who derive
joy when the names of the Lord are recited, each name evoking one
facet of the splendor of God.
For those thirsting for directions along the path of spirituality, we have
the discourses by the Pandits: Musical recitations and discourses
transmit the teachings of the Sastras in pleasant palatable ways. The
dramas are visible representations of the essential lessons embodied
in our scriptures. All these unfold the petals of the heart of man.
(17.10.1966)
There are infinitesimally faint sounds which no ear can hear. So, you
can understand that when the Elements originated and Creation started, the sound OM was produced. That sound is the primal, the primeval One. When you are in the dual world trying to overcome the duality,
you identify 'Him' with 'yourself’ by the reciting of so’ham; when the 'I'consciousness and the 'He'-consciousness disappear, you repeat
only OM. (23.11.1966)
The road the man has to traverse is also overgrown with brambles and
the signboards have disappeared. That is why the person who laid the
road has come again to lead man along it, after repairs and renewals.
Consider how man has been shaped since millions of years for this
high destiny. During the primeval cosmic chaos, there were two phenomena struggling to overwhelm each other. On one side was the fiery lava flood vomited by the volcanoes and emanating from the crevices and chasms that scarred the horrifying face of the earth. The
destructive conflagration swept in all directions scattering panic and
death, heralding the end of everything. On the other side, scarcely noticed, microscopic amoeba floated furtively on the water's edge or
clung desperately in the cracks of rocks, keeping the faint spark of life
unharmed from fire and flood. Who could have predicted at that time
that the future was with the animalcule or amoeba, whose appearance
itself was due to an accident, and whose survival was an enigma?
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Who could have foreseen that these minute specks of life could hold
out triumphantly against the devastating onslaught of heat and cold?
But that speck of Life-Consciousness (Chaithanya) won through.
Sheer intelligence, adaptability and perseverance in 'willing' to live
helped it to defeat the mortal fury of the elements. By the unfoldment
of that Life-Consciousness, the amoeba blossomed into various species of living beings, gigantic and microscopic; at last it grew into man;
in man, it bore fruit as goodness, virtue, sympathy, sacrifice, oratory,
music, song, dance, scholarship, spiritual practise, martyrdom, sainthood and as repositories of Divinity; nay, even divine Manifestations
assumed the human from.
This is the reason why man is said to be the zenith of creation. This is
the purpose for which he has struggled through stone and grass, tree,
bird and beast. Hence, man should not fritter away the precious prize
he has won; he should not slide back into the beast; he must move forward into Divinity. He must become aware of his strength and weaknesses and become clear about his goal, his path and his potentialities. He must act up to his worth and capacity. (18.12.1966)
The senses are the prime motive forces for the mind and the illusion it
suffers from. The Five Elements have each a characteristic that affects and attracts one of the five senses: Sound (Ether), which fascinates the mind through the ear; Touch (Air) which draws the mind to
itself through the skin; Form (Fire) which manipulates the mind in its
favor through the eye; Taste (Water), which enslaves the mind
through the tongue and Smell (Earth), which attracts the mind through
the nose. Contact with the external world is maintained by the senses
for the sake of these expenses - which yield joy or grief. In order to escape being tossed about on the waves of joy and grief, one should cultivate unconcern, an attitude of welcoming either, as a sign of Grace.
Sri Ramakrishna said that if you must avoid the sticky fluid in the jackfruit from contacting your fingers when you peel it, you have to apply
a few drops of oil on them. So too, said he: “If you do not want the
world and its reactions to stick to you, have a few drops of 'unconcern'
applied on your mind.” (9.10.1967)
The five elements - ether, air, fire, water and earth - are the vesture of
God, as well as of Man. Use them, moderately and with wisdom, with
fear and humility. Their characteristics, for which they are sought after,
are Sound of Ether/Akasha (Brahman); Touch of Air (Vayu); Form of
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Fire (Agni), taste of Water (Gangadevi); and smell of Earth (Prithivi).
(24.11.1967)
I may tell you, nevertheless, that all the five elements (ether, air, fire,
water and earth) have been created by the Will of the Supreme. They
have each to be used by you with reverential care and vigilant discrimination. Reckless use of any of them will only rebound on you with tremendous harm. External nature has to be handled with caution and
awe. (23.11.1968)
All is I (Brahman), but, it is hard indeed to realize it. You know that you
die, that others die, and so, you find it difficult to believe that the I does
not die. The pot may die, but, clay remains; this silver box may die, but,
the silver remains. The body may die, but, the I does not die. The soul
survives. The elements that composed the body also reach back to
their elemental stage. (5.10.197)
The knowledge about the five elements derived through the five senses which are so framed that each can sense the special attribute of
each element (ether - sound; air - touch; fire - form; water - taste; earth
- smell) is illusory. How can you be content, living in this illusory world,
gathering and relying on this illusory knowledge? Realize the person
beyond all illusion, who is the Creator of this illusion, who is revealed
in and through this illusion. (22.11.1970)
Arjuna was not content to leave the matter at that; he did not accept
Krishna's assurance. “Tell me about the remaining three also, o Lord,”
he pleaded. “Save me from the coils of doubt,” he prayed. “Destroy the
darkness and reveal to me Your Reality,” he insisted. At this Krishna
melted a little. He fondly stroked Arjuna's back and replied: “Do not
grieve; I shall tell you all. Adhibhutha, about which I mentioned, is not
such a formidable tangle. It is something quite within the reach of all.
Everything that declines and dies, everything that has Form and
Name, is included in Adhibutha.
To put it in other words, Adhibutha is all these embodied things, on this
side and on the other and everywhere. In spite of this, they are not different from me,” said Krishna, pausing meaningfully. He did not continue the exposition!
The ways of the Lord are known only to him. No one else can make
out their meaning and purpose. Attempting to unravel them is a fruitless task.
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“They are not different from me!” At these word's Arjuna was petrified
with surprise. His head became heavy with doubt. His intelligence was
befogged. His conviction was shaken. Doubts multiplied in his brain in
frightening sequence. Why did he suffer like this? What was the reason for all this upset?
After declaring: “I am the Real Eternal Entity”, “I am unaffected by
Death, Decline or Destruction,” Krishna made the devastating admission that he was the temporary, transitional, destructible Body also!
This was the cause of all this confusion in Arjuna's brain! Anyone
would be confounded by doubt at these conflicting statements. Krishna laughed as he saw Arjuna’s plight.
Still, since he had no intention of causing delay, and since he knew the
source of Arjuna’s dilemma, Krishna immediately set about resolving
the doubt: “Arjuna! Why do you feel lost? You are confounded because. I said I am the short-lived body too, is it? Common folk will be
shocked on hearing this. Their reaction will be to reject the idea, for it
is difficult to reconcile the two. This body, which is temporary, transitional, and transient, has affinity with me; for I am the base from which
it springs. Without me, the body can never be. This will become clear
to you, on a resume of its origin. Listen to the story of the origins of the
body which clarifies the mystery. The body is primarily indebted for its
emergence to the food that the parents consume, is it not? Where did
that food come from? From the Earth-element: the grains and other
materials which grew on the food. And the Earth? The Earth-element?
It evolved from the Water-element. Tracing back, we find that the Water-element emerged from the Fire-element, the Fire-element from the
Air-element, the Air-element from the Ether-element and the Ether-element from the Maya of Godhead! That Maya is merely my apparel.
My apparel, which I willed and folded around me became Ether, the
Ether got transformed into Air, the Air changed into fire, the Fire into
Water, the Water became Earth, the Earth grew grains of food, the
food developed into the body! So, it is clear, is it not, that the body too
is myself? Why doubt this?
Therefore, I am Adhibhutha also, as much as I am the Real Eternal
Entity (Brahman), I am the Self in the Sun and Activity, as I said before. The cause is the same as the effect; I am the Primal Cause and
so I am all these effects also. I am the Param Atman, the Paramount
Self, the rest are all divine devas (adhidaiva). In every physical citadel
or bodies, the Divine Personality named Hiranyagarbha is immanent.
Just as a man is served by his senses, the Hiranyagarbha is served
by the divine devas (adhidaivas).
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You might wonder what the role of these Adhidaivas is! They are Deities that serve the Divine Purpose; that is to say, the eye is illumined
by Surya, the ear by the Deities of the Quarters, and Indra motivates
the hand, these and other presiding deities are the senses of Hiranyagarbha. However great a Sadhaka might be, whatever eminence he
might have reached, he can attain the Highest only through Hiranyagarbha. Hiranyagarbha is indeed god bead; there is no distinction between the two. Is this clear, Arjuna? I am as much Divine (Adhidaiva)
as I am Form (Adhibutha); as much as these two I am Brahman, the
Self Atman and Karma (activity). They are all fully Divine.” (Getha Vahini, 138/139)
“The Five Elements, earth, water, fire, air and ether are also my
Forms. I am the activity in the Sun, Moon and Stars. When the Great
Destruction comes, I am the Force of Destruction and I am the Force
which constructs again. I am everything from the microscopic to the
macroscopic; I am the Past, the Present and the Future. I am the three
Regions and the three character-traits (guna) which have shaped man
and nature. There is no object which is not I; no name which is not
mine. Blood taken from any part of the body is the same as from any
other part; so too, the Divine is everywhere the same.” (Getha Vahini,
Chapter XX)
The Word sukshma which is generally translated as 'subtle' means in
Sanskrit 'small'; it has another meaning too, “that which expands.” Air
expands more than water; space is more expansive than air. Compared with the expanse of the liberated soul, even space has to be
considered 'gross'! Steam is more expansive (subtle) than water.
Though a block of ice or a lump of camphor appear 'gross' they become subtle when heated or lit.
The rule of the world is that the seen causes the unseen, the manifested explains the unmanifested. But, the rule in the realm of the Spirit is
different. The latent Atman causes the patent world. Being is behind
Becoming, and finally, Becoming merges in Being; the patent is absorbed into the latent. As milk from the cow, from the Supreme Person
flows the Power of Maya or Relativity as the Five element constituted
Cosmos (Prakrithi), the patent manifestation. The Cosmos is cognized
as a composite, just as milk is a composite of cream, curd and butter,
which can be got out of it by the action of heat and cold, and the addition of sour drops, and the process of churning thereafter. The churning separates the butter from the milk. In the same manner, through
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cosmic processes and upheavals of heat and cold, the Five Fundamental Elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) were separated and
Earth, this Ball of Butter, emerged as the product of the churning. If
any person or thing has one of the three character-traits (balanced,
passionate, dull) predominant in the makeup, who denote him as having that trait. So also the Element, which is predominant in any created
entity, gives its name to it. This is the reason why the world on which
we live is called Bhoomi, the Earth. The realms in space where the element of water predominates are known as Bhuvarloka and Swarloka.
The materials therein flow in currents and streams.
In short, what appears as the Five- Element-Constituted Cosmos is
only the superimposition on God, of the non-real Individual Self and
the Five Elements. God seen in and through the non-real appears as
Nature. This is but a distorted picture of Reality, this everchanging
multiplicity. The fault is in the mirror that reflects, the mind that perceives, the brain that infers. What the mirror presents as true has no
authenticity. The mirror is coated with dust and its face is not plain at
all. God has no maya; He has no intention or need to delude, nor does
he will that it should happen. But man in his ignorance sees things
which do not exist and believes that they do exist just as he sees them.
This weakness of his is named Adhyasa.
When God is reflected as Nature, the reflection becomes Maya. As
milk curdles into yoghurt, God becomes Jagath or the World of lncessant Transformation, or Maya or the Image of the Unchanging Divine.
His Will causes this unreal multiplicity on the One that he is; he can by
his will end it. He is the Master of Maya.
God is omnipresent, omnipotent of the three entities, the Overself, the
Self and Nature, Nature has, as its purpose, the fulfillment of the wants
of man. God has no wants or wishes. He is the fullest and highest Attainment. The Amanda of every Being and for every Being flows spontaneously from God; his words to Arjuna in the Getha are: “I have no
duty to discharge, o Partha, in the three worlds.” He has created duties
only to foster the consciousness of all living beings. He has no activity
and no obligation. He brings about the result for every activity. Without
him, no activity can yield result! He decides which result should accrue
from which act. (Sathya Sai Vahini, 194/196)
The primary seed of knowledge is: “I am not the body.” It contains
three entities: I, Body and Not. I is the Atman, the only truth. The idea
I applies only to the eternal I, over which the transient I's are superim-
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posed by ignorance, born out of false identification. Then, we have the
entity called body (dheha).
Dheha means that which will undergo destruction (dah: to burn). It
means the five feet bundle of bone and muscle, nerve and brain, the
senses, the vital airs, the mind that imagines (constructs images), the
intellect that argues pros and cons, the chittha that revolves around
the past impressions and choices and the ahamkara (ego) that urges
outwards, the internal and external equipments of man. Dheha means
not only these. It is composed of the five elemental categories also:
earth, water, fire, air and ether. It disintegrates finally into these five,
for, it is built up of those five. It is kith and kin, with these five; so, by
dheha is meant all the regions of the five elements, desha (country),
in fact!
The multifarious efflorescence of maya, the primal desire which proliferated into the Universe - all that is the permutation and combination
of the five elements, to cognise which man has equipped himself with
the nose (smell, earth attribute), tongue (taste, water attribute), eye
(perceptible form, attribute of fire), skin (touch, attribute of air) and ear
(sound, attribute of ether). So, the statement says, I am not the 'the
body,' that is, it declares that Nature, the Universe, all created things
and beings, are not I, or Atman (the true Self), but, only appearances
of I. (7.1.1971)
Activity is the keynote of the Universe; by activity, all beings are born,
by activity, they maintain themselves, and through that activity they
perish. Constant breathing, inhaling and exhaling, keeps the body
temperature even and comfortable. The One that is beyond all activity
assumed the forms of the five basic elemental materials - ether, air,
fire, water and earth - in order to act and activate. To be active, yet, to
be always aware that it is all mere acting, is the secret of happiness.
That is the virtue (dharma) which must regulate and sanctify the activity (karma). (11.5.1971)
The issues relating to the statements that God is omnipresent and that
God is omniscient, will have to be gone into in some detail. In this context, we should know that for human life, support essentially comes
from the five senses. These five senses are called 'smell, taste, sight,
touch and hearing. We have also the five material elements. They are
the earth, water, fire, air and ether. We have to enquire and ask where
these five elements are and what is it that comes out of the combination of these five elements. We have further to ask how these material
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elements are connected with smell, taste, sight, touch and hearing.
We have to note that these five senses of perception, are present in
their totality only in the earth. They are not present as all five in water,
fire air or ether. Because all these five sense perceptions are contained in the earth, that becomes rather heavy and that is the reason
why the earth is able to stay as a massive body in one place.
The second element is water. In water, you will find that one of these
senses has disappeared and that is the smell. We do not smell water.
So, water is not so heavy and hard as the earth. It is able to move out
a little more freely than the earth can.
The third element is fire. In this the smell and taste has disappeared.
Therefore, it has become lighter than the earth or the water and it is
able to go higher and higher, and more freely.
The fourth one is air. The smell, taste, and sight have all disappeared.
So it has become very light. Air is able to move more freely and go
wherever it wants to go.
The fifth element is the ether. The only quality which the ether has is
sound (hearing). All the other four qualities have disappeared and this
is the reason why we find that the ether is present everywhere. God is
beyond and above all these five senses of perception. He has none of
the five qualities or attributes of matter. Therefore, he is lighter than all
these five elements and he is present everywhere. It does not matter
whether you look at this description from a spiritual angle or from a scientific angle, the truth of the statement which has now been made will
have to be accepted by everyone.
God is like an infinitesimal being amongst the infinitely small ones.
God is like an infinite being amongst the infinitely large ones. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1972, 20/22)
The sky has no separate entity or existence. It is not a shape which is
concrete and made up of the five elements. It has only one quality,
namely sound (sabda). And this sound is allpervading. It is wrong to
identify 'sabda' alone with the sky. The sky is known by several names
such as 'akasha, 'gagana', 'soonya' or nothingness and so on. There
is nothing there in the sky. The state of nothingness is called by the
name of sky. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1972, 224)
Some people feel that they are paying rent for the house in which they
live, that they are paying taxes for the professions they engage in, that
they are paying for the water, electricity and for practically everything
that they use in their daily lives and so question the need for faith in
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God in any context. It is true that such people are paying taxes for all
worldly possessions like a house, water, light, power and so on. They
should also ask themselves what taxes they are paying to mother
earth for providing all the amenities and for meeting many of our, requirements, thus enabling man to carry on his daily life. They should
also ask themselves what taxes they are paying to the sun, to the
moon and to the space around us for providing the needed light, air
and the capacity to work. These unseen powers, which keep us going
are not being paid anything in return.
Scientists can only study and describe the qualities of existing materials; they can divide them into components, reconstitute them into new
compounds and reshape them according to processes which they can
explain. No scientist can create things which do not exist. Is man able
to produce all the water he needs - by mixing elemental substances
like hydrogen and oxygen? Is he able to produce natural rain where it
does not exist? Is he able to produce oxygen when he finds the need
to carry it all the way with him to keep his life process going? Are the
scientists able to create the sun and the stars which are the sources
that give the necessary light and energy for the existence of man? Occasionally, the scientists may put together a few elemental substances
and create artificially small quantities of new materials but are they
able to create the life, giving substances like oxygen, air and water for
sustaining the created life on earth? It is not possible for any one to do
so. They can be created only at God's will and pleasure. (...)
In some cities, there is a shortage of drinking water and scientists are
trying, to convert the saltish ocean water into drinking water. They may
be partially successful in this attempt, but from where will they get the
drinking water if the ocean water itself which is the source is not avaiIable? Thus, in all cases, the original substance or the source, if we
make a careful analysis and enquiry, is God given and no scientist can
create it. No matter how high a position and capacity a scientist may
have achieved in his profession, he can have no connection with
things beyond the five elemental substances: earth, water, fire, air and
ether. God is behind the curtain and beyond these five elements. God
exhibits his powers outside the region of these five elements. Man operates within the region of these five elements. So long as the intimate
connection, as we know it in our daily lives, exists between man and
the five elements, man cannot understand the true significance of the
Divine Self, the Atman. To some extent, we can make use of the five
elements to make things easy and comfortable for ourselves in this
material world but that process should be only for the purpose of un19
derstanding the Divine aspect. On the contrary, to try and confine ourselves within the domain of the five elements for the purpose of understanding God's ways or working in the belief that God can be brought
down to the material plane on which we choose to build our sensory
desires will be tantamount to wasting our time. One who is able to understand and realize the truth that these five elements are the creation
of God and that they are created at his pleasure, is one who understands things in their proper perspective, One who does not understand and accept this perspective as the ultimate truth is a moodhamathi. It means that so long as you do not yearn for the grace of
God and so long as you allow your life and its activities to get mixed
up with the five elements around you, you will be meeting with a great
many disappointments and difficulties. You will be wasting your life.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1973, 23/26)
The world is made of five elemental substances. These elements do
not have a form. For example, air has no form. It takes the shape of
the container. Similarly, fire has no form and it has only a specific power. It can heat and it can burn. Therefore, these elements have qualities or attributes that you can only describe. They do not have specific
forms which you can see. That special aspect which is above and beyond these five elemental substances is Divinity. Because we look at
this creation with the help of the body which continually changes, the
mind which continually wavers and the vision which continually falters,
we get all kinds of doubts. There is some justification in our trying to
understand first the aspects of the human body and then moving on to
understand the aspects of the Divine. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1973, 38/39)
Coming to this ritual of Yajna which we are inaugurating, you will notice that when the sanctified offerings are laid in the holy fire, the Pandits (scholars) utter the word, Svaha, as often as they offer. The reason why that word has to be uttered is, according to them, to enable
the offering to be totally reduced and consumed by the fire. Now, it is
the very nature of fire to consume and so, there is no need to call upon
fire in this manner; it does not stand to reason to declare that fire has
to be prayed to for being and behaving so.
It is uttered to acclaim the energy and splendour that are latent in fire
and to invoke the Divine Thejas (lustre) that enables fire to shine and
purify. The presiding deity is called upon to carry the offering to the
particular God to whom it is dedicated, saying: Indhraya svaha, Kes20
avaya svaha, Rudraya svaha, Varunaya svaha etc. Indra, Kesava,
Rudra and Varuna will receive the oblation through Agni the presiding
deity of Fire, only when he is invoked and aroused by the syllable Svaha.
Not only is Fire Divine; all the elements are Divine. In fact, there is
nothing in creation that is not Divine.
Kalidhasa in the Kumara Sambhavam Poem has addressed the Himalayas and the streams, glaciers, peaks and trees thereon as Divine, as
symbols and signals of the immanent Divine. For every element and
being, fire which gives heat and light is considered to be the very lifeprinciple, the vital breath. (10.10.1974)
When the Cosmos manifested through the Will of God, who is the Universal Absolute, it arose from the Absolute only, since there was then,
only ONE, just as even now there is only One, inspite of all this seeming variety. That Will which emanated from the Absolute persuaded us
to see and experience Many, that is all that has happened. The One
Reality is still the One, it has not undergone any change. We have superimposed on the One, the illusion of the Many!
God, therefore, is the material cause as well as the instrumental
cause, the gold and the goldsmith, the potter and the clay, the seed as
well as the tree. Krishna says in the Getha: “I am the seed of all the
elements and all beings.” Nature is his Body, the Cosmos is his Will;
the Vedas are his Breath. (16.10.1974)
It is not easy or possible for us to understand the level at which Paramatman, the divine self functions because we are at a human level. If
we recognize that the level at which divinity operates is different from
and higher than the ordinary human level at which we all operate,
there is a possibility of raising ourselves to a level in which we can try
and understand divinity. For doing any kind of work in this world, there
should be some order and discipline. Any work that you may do without discipline will not yield good results. In order to get this limitation
in the wordly plane, some discipline is necessary. That which rules the
world is the rule of law. What is required to control oneself and put
oneself under the rule of law, is discipline. This control of oneself is like
tapas. A life, in which there is no discipline and control, will fail and fall
one day or the other. One must recognize the truth that there should
be controls on, and limits to human nature. The five elements that constitute the earth are also controlled by certain laws. Even the infinite
ocean moves under certain laws and regulations. In the context of the
21
whole world, man's life is only a part and therefore man's life has to be
regulated. Whether it is for love or for hatred or for anger, some regulation is necessary. (Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains, 1976, 69)
The created universe is called Prakriti (Nature); prior to the Manifestation, there was darkness; after the Manifestation, there was light. The
darkness was the thamasik (quality of inaction) state, when there was
no activity. The light was the rajasik (quality of agitative) state, when
with movement and agitation, uplift and downfall alternated. The five
elements were then formed, and in time attained comparative quiet.
That was the sathwik (quality of serenity) state, when Divinity shone
through them. These five elements are perceptible by the five senses;
In fact they are the responses to the needs of the senses. The sattvika
state is the Divine state, when light is shed on the Truth. This Truth
was there even before the creation and the cosmos. (30.7.1977)
You must have heard the common people in India believe that when
the thunder is threatening overhead, the simultaneous recitation of Arjunas nine names keep a bolt from falling on them. This is proof of the
power that not only the Names of God but also those of his devoted
adherents - ever pure and ever in contact with the Absolute - have
over the elements. (6.2.1979)
There should be discipline and regulation in life in accordance with
self-imposed constraints. These self-imposed constraints constitute
the spiritual discipline of an individual. An unrestrained life is an immoral life. The wind and the sea and also the other phenomena obey
the universal laws of nature. The earth rotates round its own axis and
revolves around the sun periodically. These uniformities in the universe are the laws ordained by God. They are obeyed by the macrocosm as well as the microcosm. The laws of nature ordained by God
are necessary for creating and sustaining the universe, and for maintaining its dynamic equilibrium.
Such self-imposed discipline is conducive to real peace of mind,
poise, equanimity and stable equilibrium of the mind. Peace of mind is
the most desirable thing in this world. It gives us physical and psychical euphoria. In order to achieve this peace, an aspirant must develop
a thirst for spiritual wisdom. He must also acquire the qualities of love,
sympathy and compassion, and do selfless service to others.
Peace should not be regarded as a part-time virtue to be cultivated
only during meditation. It is a constant state of inner tranquillity. It
22
should become habitual and instinctive. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 91/92)
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and ego are the primal substances out of which the universe is made. Mud or clay is the basic
substance out of which the pot is made and is, therefore, the material
cause for the pot. The potter without whose thoughts and involvement
the pot cannot arise, is its efficient cause. Similarly, primeval nature
(prakriti) is the material cause for the universe and Brahman is its efficient cause. It is the will of Brahman that has created the myriad facets of this dynamic universe with its multifarious forms and innumerable objects. Yet, we must remember, that it is Brahman that has
manifested itself in all this infinitude. Krishna exhorted Arjuna to ignore
the diversity in unity and discern the unity in diversity. We have to comprehend the non-dual Atmic nature of this world of multiplicity. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 110/111)
This world is a subject to decadence and destruction. Nevertheless, in
this world which is destructible, the indestructible, transcendental
Brahman manifests itself. Brahman permeates the world, but Brahman is not subject to destruction. (Summer Showers in Brindavan,1979, 125)
Just as water is needed to make a pot out of dry mud, the combination
of Shiva and Shakti is necessary for the creation to come into being.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 146)
When a well is being dug, the earth that is removed from the pit forms
a mound by the side. The mud in the mound is the same mud that was
in the pit. Praise and calumny are like the mound and the pit, and are
essentially of the same origin. Realizing this, the mind shouId be
trained to develop equanimity in terms of man's relationship with and
existence in society. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 157)
Since several centuries and millennia, Vedic rites or sacrifice like the
Seven-day Vedic Wisdomsacrifice which is being inaugurated here
now, have been observed in India for the welfare of the world. These
rites are not performed to benefit an individual, a family, a sect, a caste
or those who follow a particular faith. The aim is universal and the beneficiaries are all living beings, for such rites calm the elements and
propitiate the deities presiding over the earth, water, fire, air and ether.
23
The sages of old chose some place away from the habitations of man,
either on the bank of a river or in the recesses of a forest, for the celebration of rites. No one or no group of persons can claim any special
attention being given to them. (...)
Here we see priests performing the rites who are specialists in the different stages of Vedic sacrifice. We hear the recitation of Vedic
hymns; we have priests reading the Ramayana (history of Rama), the
Bhagavatha (Legends of divine Advents) and the Devibhagavatha
(Exploits of Divine Universal Mother) from the original texts; we have
the ceremonial worship of Devi on the lines of Shasthric (ethical) injunctions; a priest is engaged in prayer of the thousand lingas (Symbolic form of Divinity), while another priest propitiates the Sun God by
means of ritual prostration to the accompaniment of mantras, praising
his Glory. Godhead, in all its Manifestations of elements and forces, is
thus being adored for seven days as part of the Vedapurusha rites.
The fives senses and their impact, the five sheaths that enclose the
Atman, are all symbolized in these activities. (25.9.1979)
As the core of this Universe, about which we speak and which we describe, is Paramatman (Supreme Self), about which we cannot speak
and which is beyond all description. Both the cognizable and non-cognizable have emanated from the same One Indivisible Consciousness. Each is full and crumpled in itself. The individual consciousness
is the manifestation of the Cosmic Consciousness. When the material
sheath falls off, it merges in its source. The Vedas declare, “That is full;
this is full. From the full, emerges the full. When the full is taken from
the full, the full remains full.” So, the Cosmos, the world, the individual
- all are embodiments of the Full. Nothing can be fractional or incomplete.
The symbol of the full is OM, the Pranava. The Vedas announce: The
One indestructible sound OM is Brahman, the Universal Absolute.”
(...)
The material Universe is saturated in harmony, law and symmetry and
is therefore charming and fascinating. Through this attraction, the external world, the Universe, draws man into various paths and exertions. The five elements, the five senses, the five vital airs and other
phenomena teach man various lessons to mould his nature. So the
objective world can be taken as his Guru.
Vishnu is the deity who fosters and feeds, who moulds and masters.
Moreover, he is the guardian of the Cosmos. (5.4.1981)
24
Consider the word nara, which denotes 'man'. Of these two syllables,
ra means decline, decay, destruction, death. Na means without. 'Man'
or Nara has no decay, he is immortal as God, for he is God. It is pitiable that man is misled to believe that he is the decaying, daily dying,
physical frame. Whereas 'Nara' means Man, Narayana is the name for
God. Nara symbolizes the five constituents of the Cosmos, the five
projections, elements which emanated from God to form the Cosmos.
The expression Naranarayana which is used in scriptures implies that
Nara is Narayana. This rite is performed by these priests to propitiate
the Vedic Divinity, the Sacrificial Divinity, who is Narayana Himself in
the mantras that invoke the deity. The Vedas declare, both inside and
outside, in all that is God. (2.10.1981)
The mountain peaks we see are rocks; the ground on which we stand
is soil; the trees are wood; our bodies are flesh and bone. But, man
manages to deal with these by attaching labels of names and imposing understandable forms on them. Really speaking they are only permutations of the five fundamental elements - earth, water, fire, air and
ether. Everything and every being is but a formation, a transformation.
But at the very central core of every entity, Shiva is present as effulgence. (14.1.1982)
The brothers Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu were angry at God Himself. Hiranyakasipu had by rigorous austerity and practice established
his mastery, as modern scientists have done, over the elements. He
could transport himself through the hydrospheres as a fish, through
the atmosphere as a bird, but he denied God who has projected the
elements and who exists inside everything and outside too. Of what
benefit are powers and skills, in the face if insolence and ingratitude?
Hiranyakasipu believed that he had eliminated God. He exploded in
anger when his own little son dared to praise God. Anger resulted in
blind fury and heaped untold misery on his head. (26.2.1987)
The tenth stanza in the fourteenth chapter of the Bhagavadgita reveals that we have come from God. The Lord's utterance is: “You are
an aspect of Me. You are not an aspect of Nature and its five elements. Since you are an aspect of Mine, there is no peace and joy for
you till you reach and merge in Me.” Just as a child cannot be without
the mother, as a river must seek the ocean from which it has come, as
the branch of a tree cannot survive separation from the tree, and as a
fish cannot live outside its sustaining element water, so also man, who
25
has come from God, cannot have real happiness until he returns to
God. (6.5.1987)
There are five kinds of senses in man: hearing, touch, sight, taste and
smell. These five senses are based on the five elements: ether, air,
fire, water, and earth.
The earth is the grossest of the elements; water is subtler and more
pervasive than earth. Fire is subtler and more pervasive than water.
Air is even more subtler than fire and is extremely pervasive. Ether is
the subtlest and pervades everything. In this ascending order of subtlety, each element exhibits a wider pervasiveness than the preceding
element. With increasing subtlety, pervasiveness also expands. In the
reverse process, when subtlety diminishes, the density increases and
the pervasiveness contracts. Thus air is less subtle and grosser than
ether. Fire is grosser and less pervasive than air. Earth is the grossest
and least pervasive.
It may be seen from this that ether is the basis of all the other elements. Ether (Akasa) is the basis from which the other elements have
emerged. Ether may be compared to an infinite pot. All the other four
elements are evolved from it. From the movement of ether, air came
into existence. Out of air, fire emerged in course of time. Without air,
there could be no fire. Out of the heat generated by fire, water was
formed. For instance, in the human body, after a bout of fever, there
is sweating. When we move in the hot sun, we perspire. This shows
how water results from heat. From water all multifarious forms in Nature are evolved.
The relationship between grossness and pervasiveness can be illustrated by an example. Suppose, for instance, a jasmine flower is
placed on a table in a room. The flower, which is gross, is small in size.
But its fragrance, which is subtle, pervades the whole room. Likewise,
steam which is generated from water, occupies much larger space
than the volume of water from which it is produced.
The mind of man, because of its extreme subtlety, is capable of immense expansion. But because of the senses, the mind has attraction
for a variety of objects and persons. When these objects fill the mind,
its expansiveness gets reduced. It is only when the attraction from
these objects is reduced that the mind can achieve expansion.
(13.3.1988)
Everything behaves according to its specific nature. It cannot be altered or destroyed by anyone. This is the inherent attribute of Nature.
26
It manifests the Divine principle, which is eternal, immutable and unchanging. To bring out this divine aspect in Nature and make it manifest, all things have been endowed with certain qualities (guna). They
are quality of serenity (satvika), quality of agitative (rajas) and quality
of inaction (tamas). To endow nature with these qualities, certain media are necessary. These have been described as Brahma, Vishnu
and Shiva.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are not entities with forms. The Trinity represent the deified expression of three qualities. The puranas have misrepresented Brahma as a four-headed deity engaged in cosmic creation. This is not correct. In fact, the Trinity represents the three
qualities (guna).
There are five elemental powers in Nature - earth, water, fire, air and
ether. If you want to understand the process of creation, the order of
describing the elements has to be reversed. Starting from ether, we
have in succession air, fire water and earth. Nature has to be understood in two ways: one, in relation to the process of creation; the other,
in relation to everyday experience. Likewise, when the order of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is viewed in relation to creation, it has to be reversed; we have Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma in that order.
To begin with, what does the principle of Shiva signify? The Bhagavadgita declares: “Shiva dwells, o Arjuna, in the heart region of all beings”. Shiva, therefore means the Lord of the Heart. He illumines the
heart of every being. This means that the Divine power of Shiva is
present in every heart. The other name given to Shiva as Lord of the
Heart is Atman.
It is from the heart that the mind has emerged. The mind corresponds
to the Vishnu principle. Vishnu means one who is all-pervasive. The
mind is equally all-pervasive. “The mind is the basis of the cosmos”, it
is said. The mind pervades the entire universe. Hence it signifies the
Vishnu principle.
Brahma is traditionally described as arising from the navel of Vishnu.
It is from the mind that speech has come. Speech is the embodiment
of Brahma. Hence Brahma has, among other names, “Sound as Brahman”.
Thus Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma symbolize the heart, the mind and
the faculty of speech. The combination of all these three represents
the Atman. Hence each of the three should be revered as the one supreme guru in three forms:
27
Guru-Brahma,
Guru-Vishnu,
Guru-Shiva.
This sloka, which has a profound and sacred inner significance, has
been given a distorted meaning, elevating the role of the ordinary
teacher, fragmenting the Divine and missing the basic truth of oneness expressed in it.
Guru-Brahma: The Brahma referred to here is not the creator. It refers
to speech. Guru-Vishnu refers to the all-pervasive mind, which is present in all beings. This is the Vishnu principle. Guru-Shiva: This refers
to the seat of the heart. This means that the unity of speech, mind and
heart represents the Supreme Atman, which should be revered as Guru. (...)
It is on account of the varied functioning of the three qualities (guna)
that the process of creation, growth and dissolution takes place. The
three qualities are the primal source, the basis and the life-breath of
the universe. They are responsible for the manifestations and transformations in Nature. The permutations and combinations of the three
qualities in varying proportion account for the infinite diversity in the
Cosmos. (...)
There are the five elements: Ether, air, fire, water and earth. The Divine is present in each of these elements in a specific form. In ether
(akasa) the Divine is present in the form of sound as “OM.” Vayu (air)
has the power to sustain life. This power is represented by hydrogen
and oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxygen has this Divine life sustaining
potency. The Divine is thus present in air in the form of life-giving
breath (prana). This is the matter of daily experience for everyone.
When somebody faints, the people around him are cleared so that he
may have more air and breathe more freely. This is the recognition of
the presence of the life-energy in air.
In fire, the Divine is present as an alarm-signaller. Even when a fire is
mild, people are careful. Consciously or otherwise, when we have to
deal with fire, we develop a sense of cautiousness.
In water, the Divine is present as Constant Integrated Awareness (prajna). The scriptures declare: “Integrated Awareness is Brahman”. This
awareness arises out of water. When a person becomes unconscious,
water is sprinkled on him to restore consciousness.
The fifth element is the earth. In the earth, consciousness is present.
The potencies present in the five elements - Integrated awareness,
the awakening or warning potency, consciousness, the potency of
28
sound and life-sustaining potency (Shiva-Shakti) are all different
forms of the Divine power. (29.7.1988)
Ether is activated by what is called very high-speed motion or vibrations. These vibrations, by their movement, give rise to air. The movement of air results in fire or heat. It is a scientific fact that friction
causes heat, as in the case of rubbing of the palms. To generate heat
air is necessary. When the heat cools off, water is produced. Fluids
solidify into earth. Hence, the starting point for the five elements is
Ether. These elements have come into existence for sustaining the
universe and demonstrating the omnipresence and omniscience of
the Divine. (...)
It should, however, be remembered, that the mind, the intellect, the
will and the ego are made up of the five elements, which are all emanations from the Supreme - the Sath-Chith-Ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss). This is their Primal Source from which they have emanated like innumerable sparks from a fire. From this source they emerge
as billions of atoms and assume countless forms. Man should realize
that he has also come from the same Divine Source.
Endowed with the human form and gifted with sense organs, the mind
and the will, man nevertheless is failing to remember the source from
which he came. (2.10.1988)
President Sri. Venkataraman, in his Convocation address, explained
in clear terms the implications of the five values of Truth (satya), Divine
task (dharma), Peace (santhi), Love (prema) and Nonviolence (ahimsa). These five terms are like the five life-breaths for a man. Not only
that. They are also the five basic elements. Without these values, humanness will be destroyed. All other accomplishments are worthless
without these values. (22.11.1990)
The primary task is to purify the environment which is affected by pollution of air, water and food. All the five elements are affected by pollution. People should therefore, try to reduce the use of automobiles
and control the emission of harmful industrial effluents.
In the ancient times, sages and scientists commended the Ayurvedic
system of treatment as was considered a natural system for curing
disease. Threes play a vital role in helping mankind to receive oxygen
from the atmosphere while they absorb the carbon dioxide exhaled by
human beings. Hence, the ancients favoured the growing of trees to
control atmospheric pollution. But nowadays trees are cut down indis29
criminately and pollution is on the increase. The relationship between
man and trees is indicated by the term “Vanaspathi” (herbs) employed
in Ayurvedha. (6.2.1993)
The universe is the embodiment of the Lord, and not of the world. The
Lord is the cause and universe is the effect, the universe springs as a
consequence of action and its effect. Though man is radiant with sublimity of himself, humans downgrade the importance of human life.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1993, 14)
The microcosm contains in it the macrocosm, for the micro and the
rnacrocosmos are the manifestations of the One Reality. The tree is
contained in the seed and seed in the tree, for the seed and the tree
are one and the same. While looking at the seed, you cannot see in it
the tree. But in fact, the tree is contained in the seed.
Similarly, the macrocosm is contained in the microcosm. It is the realization of this truth that enables man to envision his true form. Man becomes blind to the Reality as long as he has outward vision. It is only
by cultivating inner vision that he can attain the realization of the Inner
Divinity. It is the realization of this Inner Divinity that leads you to the
realization of the 'Cosmic Divine'. (Summer Showers in Brindavan,
1993, 27)
There is no end to the waves in an ocean. Similarly, there is no end to
the thoughts as long as the mind exists. Our love and hatred, pain and
pleasure, life and death are based on the mind. Even the five elements, the five senses, the five sheaths and the five vital airs draw
sustenance from the mind. It is very hard to plumb and fathom the
depths of the mind. Our attitude towards the mind is an attitude of indifference and it is this attitude of mind that spells doom to the very life
of man. It is this attitude of indifference which is responsible for man
turning into a demon and beast. The mind is the cause for our selfishness and self-interest. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1993, 38)
The Universe, with all its visual phenomena is created, sustained and
dissolved by the three attributes (guna). These attributes are the very
life breath of this illusory world, and activate the workings of the Universe. Influenced by these three attributes, man loses the Divine jewel
of peace. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1993, 58)
30
How can you determine the existence of Truth? We can decide the
presence of the Truth by the testimony of Conscience. This conscience has been described as the vibration of the vital Prana. Speech
arises from this vibration. There is a marked difference between the
speech bom of mind, and the speech bom of a state that transcends
the mind. The supreme speech born beyond the region of the mind is
termed as Vibration, Conscience and Bhur. The conscience pervades
the body and originates from Suvaha. This Suvaha is nothing but
Pragna. In Vedic parlance Bhur stands for materialization (body), Bhuva signifies Vibration (conscience) and Suvaha signifies Radiation.
The Rig Veda stems from speech; Yajur Veda springs from mind and
Sama Veda from the Prana.
Samagana is said to be the most melliflous harmony of sound. Since
Sama originates from prana we must use it with utmost care. The Yajur Veda is repository of spiritual formulae and is an embodiment of effulgence. Describing the Lord as the very embodiment of light, it seeks
to experience the Light, The Rig Veda is the repository of light. The
Yajur Veda is the repository of rituals and Sama Veda is the embodiment of sound. These three Vedas are essential for world peace. The
Vedas inspire us to chant the glory of the Lord with mantras and delight him with music. The three Vedas descended on the world to enable man to merge into the Lord by listening and singing his glory.
Songs are more powerful than words and verses. You ca not melt the
heart of the Lord by mere speech. Whereas speech is dull, singing is
highly inspiring. Songs have the superlative capacity of merging the
individual soul into the Absolute Soul. The Nyaya philosophy is a sublime philosophy that dispels doubts and regales the human heart.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1993, 72/73)
The Universe is a harmonious fusion of Creation (Prakriti) and Creator
(Divinity). But man in his ignorance, thinks that Creation deceives him.
But, it is you who is deceiving Creation. The fault lies in the mind of
man who entertains false ideas about Creation. Man cannot change
unless his mind changes. A good man makes good use of the gift given by Creation. A good man makes use of the gifts of education and
wealth. But the same education and wealth in the hands of an evil man
is used in evil ways. The five elements, the five senses, the five vital
airs are sacred entities. But they become pure or impure when they
enter into human System. The human system is composed of five
coats (pancakosha). Hence, it is most essential to purify ourself first.
The impurities are not in Creation but in ourselves. We should not de31
velop unsacred feelings like ego, pomposity, envy etc. Once they enter into the system, we must throw them out as fast as we pick out the
thorn which has entered into our flesh. The evil qualities, if they are not
nipped in the bud, assume gigantic proportions afterwards. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1993, 87)
Today a great deal of wickedness, troubles and turmoils are prevalent
in the world because of the decline of the influence of the Vedas. Water, air, food, noise are all tainted by pollution. We are forced to lead a
polluted life. When the air we breathe is itself polluted, how are we to
lead a pollution-free life? The environment and the elements should be
pure to ensure purity of heart. The cause of this pollution lies nowhere
else except in our own actions. Whatever words we utter, they spread
to the entire atmosphere. We can purify the atmosphere of the world
by chanting the Vedas and singing the glory of God. (18.10.1993)
Among the five elements, the primary one is the earth. It is all-pervasive. All the mountains, rivers, villages, towns, etc., are based on the
earth. The scientists found that the earth is revolving round itself. In
that case, all the objects on the earth should also be revolving. But that
is not so. The earth has a divine power of attraction. This power of attraction holds all the objects together. Hence, the earth alone cannot
be regarded as the basis for all the objects. If we enquire more deeply,
it will be found that even the earth is supported by something else. The
earth is based on a higher power, the Divine power.
Thus, the Divine is firm, pure and changeless. Without this Divine
power, nature and the physical world cannot function well. If, for instance, the rails on which a locomotive runs, were also to move along
with the train, the results would be disastrous. Likewise, if the road
were also to move along with the car running on it, there will be accidents. It is the car that moves and not the earth. In this manner, many
objects are in motion in the universe, but the Divine remains steady
and unchanging.
The next is the water element which is present everywhere. Whether
we perceive it or not, Life is impossible without water.
The next one is Fire. This fire element is present in every living being
including humans, as the digestive fire. This fire is not only on the
earth, but is even in space. When clouds clash against each other, fire
is generated in the form of lightning. When two inert flint-stones are
struck against each other, fire emanates from them. Likewise when
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two sticks are rubbed against each other, fire emerges. Thus, fire also
is an all-pervading power.
Then, there is space or Ether (Akasha). It pervades everything. There
can be no life without air. You experience the presence of air during a
storm or a whirlwind. But air is present all the time everywhere.
When the five elements have such immense power, you can imagine
what must be the potency of the Divine which sustains them. The five
elements are manifestations of the Supreme Omniself. No one can
deny its existence, whether one is a theist, an atheist or an agnostic.
Today, these five elements are not being properly used. Instead, they
are very much misused. Their misuse is the root cause of all the travails of the world. As the five elements are based on Truth, the ancient
rishis observed restraint in speech so that they may adhere to truth.
Restraint in speech nourishes truth. Excessive speech is the cause of
great unrest. It is essential, therefore, for everyone to recognize the
basic role of the five elements and live in consonance with that awareness. (23.11.1993)
The disease of fluorosis is caused by contamination in food, air and
water. Earth, fire and ether are the elements constituting the essential
basis for human life. Water and air constitute the Life-Force. While
ether, earth and fire are the basis, water and air are essential for life.
Water and air provide the food for the sustenance of life. While the
three elements - earth, fire and ether form the support, the other two water and air form the food. You get water and air from the earth. It is
the nature of Brahman and is all powerful. The astronauts who travel
in spaceships to explore space have to carry water and air with them
from the earth for their survival. They have to take things from the
earth while they travel to the moon to bring a few samples from the
moon. Billions of dollars are spent on these exercises. (30.1.1994)
Men should lead selfless lives. This may seem difficult. But, in reality
there is nothing easier. It is selfishness that creates all kinds of difficulties for mankind. Selfless love will give no room for any evil. Unselfish
love may meet with opposition from one's kith and kin and from worldly
persons. But one should not be deterred by such opposition. Love
should be cherished as one's life breath. (25.12.1995)
Sticking to the five values: truth, divine righteousness, peace, love,
nonviolence, man can exercise his freedom. These five values are associated with the five elements which make up the cosmos. These five
33
elements may be used in different ways, but they are the basic substances constituting the universe. Beyond these five, there is only one
sixth element, that is the Antahkarana, the Inner Motivator, which is
identical with the Athmik principle.
To exercise freedom in its true sense, man has to respect the five basic values. (15.1.1996)
Man leads his life on earth, depending on the mutually inter-related
five elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth. Every object in the
world, whether it is a bird or a sheep or anything else, has a value of
its own. Man alone has lost his value because of his involvement in
mundane pursuits. Man has no gratitude to the five elements which
confer on him gratis innumerable precious benefits like light, heat, air
and water. Man has to pay a price for so many small amenities like
electricity and running water. But what price does he pay for the light
of the sun who illumines the world? This light is a gift of the Divine.
What price do you pay for a soft breeze or a heavy downpour of rain?
God is providing freely such precious benefits to man. What gratitude
does man show to God for all these? The only way to show one's gratitude to the five elements is to chant the Lord's name incessantly. For
so many trivial services in life we express thanks, but what thanks do
we offer to God who is the provider of the most precious benefits in
life? (14.9.1997)
God is declared to be omnipresent. How do you decide this omnipresence? There is a practical means of deciding this. We are aware of the
basic elements - earth, water, fire, air and ether - with five qualities smell, taste, sight, touch and hearing. The earth has all the five qualities, including primarily smell. Water has taste. It is lighter than earth
and is mobile. It has four qualities. Fire has three qualities of which
sight is most prominent. It is lighter than water. Then you have air,
which is lighter than fire and has two qualities: touch and hearing. Last
comes ether or space which is the subtlest of the five elements and is
all-pervading. Transcending space is God, who is omnipresent.
(9.10.1997)
God, who is in the form of five elements is omnipotent, omnipresent
and omniscient. So, the main duty of mankind is to make proper use
of these five elements. Misuse of these five elements amounts to misuse of Divinity. (...)
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In the Bhagavadgita, Hiranyakasipu symbolizes anger. He was a great
scientist. He had control over the five elements. Modern scientists are
able to reach the moon, but Hiranyakasipu attempted to reach the sun.
He even tried to stop the rotation of the earth. Such a great scientist
was ruined due to his anger. (27.9.1998)
The five elements are responsible for the protection and sustenance
of the world.
The first element, the earth, is the basis for mountains and hills, rivers
and oceans, villages, cities and forests. You can very well imagine the
immense power of the earth, which supports all these. The earth is endowed with infinite power. Scientists have discovered that the earth
rotates. True. Logically speaking, the rivers, oceans, mountains, villages and the cities should also rotate when the earth, the basis, rotates. It is not so in reality. It is only the earth that rotates. The railway
track is the basis for the train to move. If the track also starts moving,
what would be the plight of the passengers? From this, it can be inferred that the track is the basis and the train, the object based on it.
The table is the basis for the mike to rest upon. Make an effort to understand the relationship between the support and the supported object. The earth, which is the repository of all powers (electrical, magnetic, etc.), forms the basis, sustains and protects all the objects on it.
There is no power, which is not present in the earth. The earth is able
to support all the beings on it because of its infinite power.
Seen or unseen, water, the second element is present all over the
earth. It is water that sustains the lifeprinciple of humanity. It supports
life on earth and is responsible for the evolution of life.
The third element fire, is also all-pervasive. It is present in the form of
digestive in the human body. It is this digestive, which maintains the
temperature of the human body at 98.4ƒ F. There is fire even in the
ocean. There is fire even in trees. When two branches rub against
each other, fire is generated. Fire is immanent even in a stone. Fire
emerges when two stones are struck against each other. Investigations on these lines will reveal that there is no place without fire.
Similarly, the fourth and fifth elements air and the ether are also allpervasive.
The ether is the basis for all. It is the origin of sound. In fact all the other
elements originated from ether.
Therefore, we can conclude that the divine power which is omnipresent and omnipotent is present in all the five elements. When the five
elements themselves are so powerful, how much greater the power of
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God should be! Though the five elements, which are essentially divine, are present in man, he is in quest of divine power which he feels
is present elsewhere. These powers are insignificant for God who is
aware of the past, present and future. So, make an attempt to understand the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent nature of God.
The whole world is also a conglomeration of the five elements. The
world cannot exist in the absence of even one of the elements. Whether you see them or not, the five elements are present everywhere.
Here is a small example. Though air is invisible and intangible, it is everywhere. Similarly, divinity is invisible and intangible, yet is omnipresent. Without realizing the divinity within him, man becomes egoistic
and feel that all his accomplishments are due to his education, intelligence and physical prowess. But in reality it is the divinity that protects
and safeguards man at every step from womb to tomb. No one has the
power to protect one's own self. It is only the divine power and divine
will that enables man to protect himself. Only divinity has free will,
none else. (14.1.1999)
When the five elements disintegrate, the body loses its identity. Once
the life goes out, the body is fit only for burial or cremation as the elements fall apart into their original form. Therefore, before the body perishes, make all effort to experience the Divinity within. It is only
through body that one can experience Divinity. So, body has to be
properly taken care of. (23.11.1999)
From the principle of Brahman emerged ether. From ether, air originated. From air, fire emerged. From fire, water emerged. From water
came earth. From earth, vegetation emerged. Vegetation gave rise to
food and man is born out of food. Thus, you can see that man and
Brahman are intimately related. On this basis, Lord Krishna declared:
“The eternal Atman in all beings is a part of My Being. Without the principle of Brahman, nothing can exist, be it ether, air, fire, water, earth,
vegetation or food. And man cannot survive without food. On this basis, the Vedas declared: “Food is God.” What is food? Does it constitute merely cereals and vegetables that we consume? No. The whole
world is composed of food. One body is the food for the other body.
That which is consumed is food and the one who consumes food is
also food. Everything that exists in this world is food. Therefore, it is
said, food is God. (...)
Brahma (divinity) is the basis for everything. Who is Brahma? All pervasive Nature is Brahma. Brahma pervades the air, the sound, the wa36
ter, the earth and the ether. The five elements are the manifestations
of Brahma. That is why people worship earth as Bhudevi, water as
Gangadevi, air as Vayudeva, etc. But they do not realize that the same
Brahma permeates all the five elements. All the five elements are
present in the human body. So, Divinity is not separate from man. Man
is the very form of Brahma. He is the embodiment of Truth. He should
make every effort to manifest his latent divinity. That is true spiritual
practice (sadhana). Brahma is not a four-faced god as shown in pictures. Brahma permeates the entire universe. So, every living being is
the embodiment of God. Man should therefore recognize his innate divinity. (14.1.2000)
Since ancient times, the Bharatiyas have been using the word 'Prapanca' while referring to this world consisting of mobile and immobile
objects. It is constituted by the five elements, namely earth, water, fire,
air and ether.
The Bharatiyas have been worshipping these five elements as the
manifestations of divinity. They called earth as goddess Earth, water
as goddess of Ganga, fire as fire god (Agni), air as wind god (Vayu)
and ether as primordial sound (Sabda Brahman). The five elements
relate to five senses of perceptions in man and their attributes are
hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell. The true meaning of the worship
of the elements is that man should not only make proper use of these
elements, but should also sanctify his senses of hearing, touch, sight,
taste and smell. But neither the students are making any effort to understand the divine nature of these five elements nor are the teachers
making them aware of this truth. (...)
Today, all the five elements are polluted and, consequently, man is
mired in insecurity. Mere acquisition of degrees should not be the objective of students. They should make proper use of the five elements.
This is the true value-oriented education the world needs today. Values are for education, education is for life, life is for love, love is for
man, man is for spirituality, spirituality is for the world and the world is
for peace. (25.9.2000)
Man has originated from Nature. Earth sustains life. Sun gives light.
Trees give oxygen. Water quenches our thirst and air helps us to live.
How is it that man, born out of the five elements and sustained by
them, does not possess the sacred qualities of the five elements?
Having been born out of and brought up by Nature, man should practise and propagate the ideals set by nature. Birds, animals and trees
37
follow Nature and lead an ideal life. Trees inhale the poisonous carbon
dioxide and exhale the life-supporting oxygen. Even the animals discharge their duties and help man in many ways. But, having been born
as a human being, why is it that man is not practising human values
(truth, divine dask, peace, love, nonviolence)? He is not in a position
to practise and propagate human values in society as he himself has
lost them. (1.1.2001)
There are three types of ethereal dimensions, namely, Bhutakasa
(body), Citthakasa (mind) and Cidakasa (Atman). Bhutakasha is engulfed by Cittakasha which in turn is encompassed by Cidakasha. The
Bhutakasha which consists of the earth, the sun, the moon and the
stars is very vast. The sun is much bigger than the planet earth having
a circumference of 2‘700‘000 miles. But it looks small to our eyes, as
it is at a distance of 93‘000‘000 miles from the earth. The stars are still
farther away and are much bigger than the sun in size though they
look like small diainonds adoming the sky. Light travels at a speed of
180 thousand miles per second. Some of the stars are at such a great
distance from the earth that the light emanating from them is yet to
reach the earth. All the stars, the sun, the moon and the earth, form a
part of Bhutakasha. All these are present in Cittha in a subtle form. So,
Citthakasha is many times bigger than Bhutakasha. You feel the sun
is selfeffulgent, but in fact, it is the Atman which illumines the sun. So,
the Atman is the greatest of all. Its vastness cannot be described in
words. All the five elements are made up of atoms, whereas the Atman is not made up of atoms, as it is formless. What do you mean by
vision of the Atman? It is visualization of the all-pervasive effulgence.
The Atman is present in every cell of the human body. In order to understand this, you have to transcend form. All the material objects
have a definite form, but in due course of time they lose their identity
and merge into the causal dimension, i.e., in the Atman. So, man
should make an effort to go beyond form and merge into the Atman.
All the activities that are related to the form correspond to Pravritti
(outward path) i.e., Bhutakasha, which is made up of atoms. All this
will ultimately merge into the Atman. What is Atman? Bliss is Atman.
(...)
Man should put a ceiling on his desires. As man's conduct is perverted, today we find natural calamities taking place. You are aware of the
devastation caused by the earthquake in Gujarat. Thousands of people lost their lives. The reason for this is that, man is entertaining excessive desires. God maintains perfect balance in his creation. In
38
God's creation, the earth and the oceans are endowed with balance.
But man is indiseriminately exploiting the earth for extracting oil; every
day tonnes of fish are caught from the oceans. This indiscriminate exploitation of nature results in imbalance in earth, which is playing havoc with human lives. Only when man is free from unsteadiness within,
will he not be troubled by earthquake. Not only the people of Bharat
but also the people of the entire world should strive to maintain balance. The five elements are nothing but manifestations of the Divine.
Man's life will be secure only when he realizes this truth and acts accordingly. A few days ago, I had sent Lorry loads of rice, grams, etc.,
to the earthquake victims of Gujarat. Some people asked: “Swami,
why should yo take the trouble of spending so much money for sending the relief material to Gujarat. You could have as well averted the
earthquake.” I replied: “My dear, man has to blame himself for the
earthquakes. Due to excessive greed for wealth, he is disturbing the
balance of the earth. Hence the earthquake. That is the law of Nature.
You have to express your love for man by helping the needy. Love is
your nature. Just as balance is very much essential for Nature, so also
love is very much needed for man. Know that whatever God has created is for your own welfare. You should enjoy Nature according to
your need. You should not rob Nature of its resources to satisfy your
greed. Here is an example. Once a greedy person owned a duck
which used to lay a golden egg every day. One day, he ripped open
the stomach of the duck thinking that he would get many golden eggs
at a time. Today man also is indulging in such foolish and greedy acts.
Instead of being satisfied with what Nature is giving him, he is aspiring
for more and more, and in the process creating imbalance in Nature.
Today the scientists are interested in new inventions. The advancement in science and technology has also led to imbalance in Nature.
As a result, there are earthquakes and no timely rains. Science should
be utilized only to the extent needed. Science has its limitations and
crossing those limits leads to danger. (21.2.2001)
The body is made up of five elements and is bound to perish one day
or the other. But in such a transient body there exists the eternal divinity in the form of the Atman. The all-pervasive divinity is known as consciousness, the limited form of which exists in body as conscience.
Consciousness and conscience are the same in terms of quality, only
the quantity differs. You may collect water from an ocean in a pot and
a tank. The water in these two differs only in quantity but the salinity is
the same in both of them. The body may be compared to the pot; the
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allpervasive consciousness exists in it as conscience. The whole
world is pervaded by consciousness. On this basis, the Vedas declare; verily all this is Brahman. There is no matter in this world that is
not pervaded by Brahman. You are all embodiments of the Cosmic Divine. Though you see God day in and day out, you feel you haven't. It
is a sign of your weakness. Have firm faith that the body is a temple.
Will anybody utilize a temple for unsacred purposes? So, make proper
use of your body. This temple has many doors, but the doors of senses like the ears, the eyes and the mouth are very important. Do not allow any evil to enter your body and mind through these 'doors'.
(14.4.2001)
Verily all this is Brahman. In order to understand these divine statements, you should cultivate sacred qualities. One without noble qualities cannot understand them. Every individual, every living being, every object in this creation is a manifestation of Divinity. All the five
elements are the forms of the divine. To understand this truth, you
have to take to the spiritual path. (4.7.2001)
God is all-pervasive and is the indweller of all beings. Likewise, the
five elements, which are nothing but divine manifestations are also all
pervasive and all-powerful. The whole world is pervaded by the five elements, bound by the five elements and it functions because of the
five elements. It cannot function even if one of the elements is absent.
Therefore, for every man, the five elements are like his five life principles. No one can comprehend the power of these elements. However,
everyman must necessarily know the significance of these elements.
He alone is truly blessed and meritorious who understands their significance and acts accordingly. In fact, he would have achieved the
objectives of human life. It is the bounden duty of every man to recognize the import of these elements. The five elements are the cause for
man's pleasure and pain, good and bad. The five elements confer on
man happiness or misery depending on how he makes use of them.
Their names and forms may appear simple, but they are highly powerful.
Having been born, man lives for a few years, and ultimately gives up
his body. The five elements are responsible for man's birth, growth
and death. The five elements are spread right from both microcosm
and macrocosm. They are present in man from top to toe. So, it is imperative that man should know the secret of these elements. Having
40
understood the significance of the five elements well, Buddha made
concerted efforts to gain control over his five senses. (5.7.2001)
Thousands have assembled here. Your names and forms are different, but the same five elements are present in all of you. In this world,
you don't find anybody without the five elements, which are nothing
but the forms of the Divine. (...)
There is love in everybody, but it is used in a perverted manner. With
love, one can achieve anything. One can even control the five elements. When you gain control over the five elements, the whole world
will be under your control. It is out of ignorance that you consider yourself weak. In fact, all powers are in you. It is only love that can dispel
the darkness of ignorance. Love is God. God is love. Love can unite
the entire world. (16.7.2001)
The Universe is visible to the naked eye. It consists of mobile and immobile objects called Prapancha, as it is a manifestation of the Pancha Bhutas (five elements). There is no world without five elements.
They are the very forms of the Divine. That is why people reverentially
refer to the five elements, namely, earth, water, air, fire and ether respectively. It is on this basis that Divinity is extolled as the embodiment
of sound, mobility and immobility, light, speech, eternal bliss, supreme
majesty, delusion and wealth. These are the attributes of the five elements, which sustain the world. The five elements are present in every
being. The Spirit or the Atman which is the very form of God, is not visible to the naked eye, but the five elements can be seen, heard, felt
and experienced by one and all. One who understands the principle of
these five elements becomes God himself.
The Gayatri Mantra begins with the syllables Bhur, Bhuvah, Suvaha.
Bhur represents materialization, a combination of materials. Bhuvah
represents vibration, it is related to air. Suvaha represents radiation. It
is supreme knowledge. (...)
That which is seen, heard and experienced outside is nothing but the
reflection, resound and reaction of the inner being. When reality is
within, why crave for its reflection outside? It is sheer madness. (...)
Man is the embodiment of time. He is the master of time. In order to
understand his reality, man has to control his mind. Hence, it is said,
master the mind and be a mastermind. The five elements that are
seen outside are present in man. He is the master of the five elements.
You should master the mind, do not become a slave to it. (...)
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Man is the embodiment of the five elements. He is their master. They
are highly potent. But man, out of his ignorance, considers himself
very weak and mean. God, who is the embodiment of creation, is present in microcosm as well as macrocosm. On this basis, the Vedas declare: God is subtler than the subtlest and faster than the fastest. Such
divinity is present in man. How can man comprehend his innate divinity? It is possible only when he turns his vision inward. But today man's
vision is always directed to the external world. All that is seen outside
is also a manifestation of divinity, but man fails to realize this. He is a
fool who sees yet does not recognize the reality. All that man sees and
experiences in the world is divine. But man is not able to understand
his divine nature.
God has no distinctions or differences. No one can stipulate dos and
don'ts for him. He can do anything, as he is in everything and is everything. He has no master above him. If man wants to visualize God, he
will see him only in the form of a human being far superior to him in all
respects. It is said, out of all the living beings, human birth is the rarest.
It is also said, God is in the form of man. So, man should know the nature of a human being to begin with. All the sacred texts have described God as having human form. It does not mean that God is confined to a human form. All forms are his. However, man cannot but
visualize God in any form other than a human being.(...)
God has no differences; he can assume any form and lo anything. He
has no trace of selfishness in him. Whatever he does is for your own
welfare. No one can say that God has a particular form. He is present
all over. All forms are his. Each form is composed of five elements. So,
develop faith that God is in the form of five elements. (...)
Where there is faith, there is love; Where there is love, there is peace,
Where there is peace, there is truth; Where there is truth, there is bliss;
where there is bliss, there is God.
One can attain divinity only when one has steady faith. First of all, one
should have faith in one's own self. Develop self-confidence, which will
lead to self-satisfaction. When you have self-satisfaction, you will be
prepared for self-sacrifice. Only through self-sacrifice, can one attain
self-realization. Self-realization means to realize that you are everything. Self-confidence is the foundation, self-satisfaction is the wall,
self-sacrifice is the roof and self-realization is life. No one can live in a
building without roof, roof cannot be laid without walls and walls cannot be raised without foundation. So, self-confidence, self-satisfaction,
self-sacrifice are very essential for self-realization. Today man has lost
self-confidence. If one loses self-confidence, one loses everything.
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Only through self-confidence can one have the vision of the latent divine effulgence.
All are essentially divine. Wherever we see the five elements, there is
divinity. As man is made up of five elements, he is verily God. God has
no specific form. People attribute various forms to God. Here we have
idol of Dakshinamurthi. This form is but your own imagination. It is not
the reality. How can you visualize God who is the very form of the universe? The universe is made up of five elements. The human body
also consists of five elements. The Veda says: “With thousands of
heads, thousands of feet and thousands of eyes, Divinity pervades everything.” It only means that all heads, hands, eyes and feet are his.
Unable to understand this truth, man considers himself to be an ordinary human being and develops attachment to the body. You are human only in form but divine in spirit. So, have the firm conviction that
you are God. (9.10.2001)
According to Vedanta, man is a combination of Bhutakasa (body), Citthakasa (mind) and Cidakasa (Atman). Bhutakasa corresponds to the
body and all that is seen by the naked eye. All that is seen is bound to
disappear, which means Bhutakasa is transient and ephemeral. The
sun, the stars and the milky way which are crores of miles away from
earth also come under Bhutakasa. It constitutes all Bhutas (elements)
and living beings. Such a vast Bhutakasa is engulfed by Citthakasa.
You can very well imagine the vastness of Citthakasa. Bhutakasa,
consisting of sun, stars, rivers, oceans, etc., forms a tiny part of Citthakasa. You may wonder how it is possible. Whatever you see, for
example, the sun, the stars, the oceans, the mountains, etc., get imprinted in your mind. Likewise, the apparent world is contained in you
as a small entity. Bhutakasa and Citthakasa relate to the body and
mind, respectively. There is a fundamental basis for these two which
is referred to as Cidakasa by the Vedanta. This corresponds to the Atman. Human being is a combination of these three Bhutakasa (body),
Citthakasa (mind) and Cidakasa (Atman). The first refers to the one
you think you are, the second, the one others think you are and the
third, the one you really are. (25.12.2001)
God permeates the entire universe in the form of Sat-Cit-Ananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss). The five elements, earth, water, fire, air and
ether are the embodiments of God, who manifests in the entire creation as truth, kindness, beauty. Every human being is therefore a
manifestation of Sat-Cit-Ananda. God manifests as sound, touch,
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sight, taste and smell in the elements ether, air, fire, water and earth,
respectively. Since he permeates all the five elements and the entire
creation, the Upanishads declare: “The entire universe is permeated
by God. God is omnipresent. There is no place in the universe where
he does not exist. With hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouth and ears pervading everything, he permeates the entire universe.” (26.5.2002)
What is the nature of human body? It is made up of the five elements.
It is unreal, impermanent and perishable in nature. Keeping this body
attachment, if you do meditation, how can it be fruitful? How can it lead
you to your goal? Therefore, you must forget the illusion of body.
Merge in divinity with attachment to the Atman. That is the real meditation. That is the true renunciation or detachment. That is your real
yoga. That is your real bliss. (23.7.2002)
The body is made up of five elements and is bound to perish sooner
or later but the indweller has neither birth nor death. He has no attachment whatsoever. The indweller is verily God Himself who is in the
form of the Atman. (2.4.2003)
The sunrise and sunset happen according to a predetermined divine
command. It happens regularly, uninterrupted. The sun, the moon and
the stars follow a definite pattern of schedule. All the five elements in
the universe discharge their duties regularly as ordained by the Lord.
Even God Himself observes the rules that he lays down for all. Everything in God's creation goes on according to a predetermined order
and divine command. Nothing in the universe, including the five elements, has an independent existence. But, unfortunately, man is unable to recognize this divine force that regulates the functioning of the
universe. Scientists are making unstinted efforts to discover this divine
force. The stars shining brightly in the sky at night are, however, not
visible during daytime. (6.9.2004)
You must firmly resolve to hold on to the principle of unity and divinity.
What is the purpose of human birth? Is it to spend your time in eating
and drinking? No, no. You should make efforts to understand the underlying principle of unity of five elements, five senses of action, five
senses of cognition and five life sheaths. If you make sincere efforts,
you will certainly be able to experience the principle of unity. Among
all the living beings, only man is endowed with the ability to understand and experience unity and divinity. In fact, the very purpose of
44
human birth is to experience unity in diversity. Hence, make every effort to experience unity and sanctify your lives. It is possible only by following the path of love. There is nothing superior to love in this world.
(22.11.2004)
World denotes that which is subject to creation, sustenance and dissolution. God, who is responsible for these phenomena, has no specific form. He pervades the entire world in the form of the five elements, namely, ether, air, fire, water and earth.
In man, these elements connote the faculties of hearing, touch, sight,
taste, smell, respectively. There is no place where these five elements
are not present. With hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire universe. That is why it is said
that all hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouths and ears are his. The elders
in the past therefore declared that God is present everywhere; there
is no place where God is not present. (25.12.2004)
You should think of God always. There have been many divine incarnations in the past, but the inherent divine principle in all of them is one
and the same. Just as sugar assumes the form of a variety of sweets,
divinity ineamates in various forms. People worship God, sing his glory thinking that he is present in some distant place. In fact, the five elements are the very manifestations of God. Your heart is the temple
of God. Hence, fill your heart with love. One bereft of love cannot be
called a human being. Consider the five elements as divine and put
them to proper use. (...)
The principle of Atman is the basis of all creation. You may forget anything but not the Atman. The five elements that are immanent in you
are nothing but the manifestations of Atman. Merely rotating the beads
of a rosary does not constitute spiritual practices. One should transcend the worldly and physical plane of existence. That is true spiritual
practices. One who releases the source of his being is truly human.
(14.1.2006)
There is no object other than the five elements of air, water, earth, fire
and ether in this universe. You will not find a sixth element, however
much you may try and explore. For example, this is a hand consisting
of five fingers. There is no sixth finger. In case someone has a sixth
finger, he will be taken to the doctor for removing it by surgery. Similarly, we all have five senses. What is liberation? Liberation is control
of the senses. Unless one controls his senses, liberation is not possi45
ble. It is foolish to think that God is somewhere in a distant place.
Strictly speaking, who is God? The elements are embodiments of Divinity. (...)
May you make proper use of the five elements of earth, water, fire, air
and ether. May you control your five senses. Then God will be constantly with you guarding and guiding you. (...)
When God is present right in front of you in the form of the elements,
where is the need for searching for him separately? There is no scope
at all for such a feeling! It is a serious mistake to think that God is separate from the elements. Considering God as your everything and sole
refuge, dedicate your senses to him. This is an easy method to reach
God. When you follow such an easy path, you will attain liberation. After all, what is liberation? Iiberation is coming out of delusion is liberation. (23.2.2006)
Pranpancha is the name we have given to the apparent world. It is
called prapancha as is constituted by the five elements (panchabhutas), namely, earth, water, fire, air and ether. 'Pra' means to manifest,
to blossom. Hence, prapancha means the manifestation of not only
the five elements, but also the five life principles. They form the basis
for the entire world. The principle of Brahman is present in all the five
elements as the undercurrent. It is eternal and immortal.
The term Brahman refers to the divine principle which pervades all the
elements. But man out of ignorance attributes a particular form to
Brahman and offers his prayers. Names and forms are transient. The
basis of all names and forms is the only permanent entity. Out of our
ignorance and limited understanding you confine such a cosmic principle of Brahman to a tiny form and worship it. You should worship the
cosmic form of the divine. The cosmos is the very form of God. Brahman pervades the combination of matter and life principle, and that
which is born out of the mother's womb. Ultimately, they become one
with the Cosmos.
Love is the basis for the Cosmos. Without love, there is neither nature
nor world. The world is sustained by the principle of love which is uniformly present in the five elements. You may worship Divinity in a
number of ways, but all your worship will prove futile, if you forget the
principle of love.
The five elements are responsible for the sustenance of human life
and the world at large. Everything will come to a standstill even if any
one of the five elements is missing. We hear the sound with our ears.
We see the world with our eyes. In this manner, we are able to expe46
rience the world through the five senses. They prove the existence of
the world. Man has forgotten the divine principle of love and is striving
to attain bliss through mean and worldly pursuits. It is said: “Out of all
living beings, human birth is the rarest.” In fact, human being is essentially divine. (...)
There may be ups and downs from the worldly point of view, but the
divine principle always remains steady.
The world and God are inseparable. The creation and the creator are
one. There is an intimate and inseparable relationship between the
two. Atman is the name given to the principle of divinity. It has no specific form. It pervades the entire world in the form of will. It is a grave
error to attribute a particular name and form to the Atman. It is essential that you understand the oneness of Atman and experience the
same. Everything is divine. All this is Brahman. As you are unable to
comprehend the divine principle in totality, you contine God to a specific name and form such as Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, etc., and worship
him. A potter makes the idols of Rama, Krishna, etc. However, it is
only the clay that takes the forms of various deities. The same clay is
moulded into various forms. As you are unable to understand the principle of unity, you are deluded by the apparent diversity. (...)
No one can describe God as having this form or that form. He permeates the entire universe. Without name there can be no form and vice
versa. The principle of divinity is represented by a name and a form.
Every object and every being in this world is the manifestation of divine love. Hence, do not see the world merely from the physical point
of view. Consider the world as the very form of God and the manifestation of divine love. Because of your limited understanding, you confine such an all pervading divine principle to a name and a form. God
responds according to your feelings towards him. If you have unwavering devotion and love God with all your heart, he will confer on you
supreme bliss. God transcends the dualities of birth and death, happiness and sorrow. (...)
Do not consider God as a separate entity. Unfortunately, people are
unable to understand the principle of divinity and hence indulge in all
types of imaginations. God is one. The Veda declares: Truth is one,
but the wise refer to it by various names. However, when the situation
demands, divine incarnations appear on earth and play a role in the
cosmic drama. (...)
God is present everywhere in the form of five elements. Everyone is
endowed with five elements and everyone is an embodiment of love.
47
All are one. There is no second entity. Wherever you see, there are
five elements. You do not find a sixth element anywhere. (...)
Everything is Brahman. Everything is the manifestation of Atman and
bliss. That is why God is extolled as: “God is the embodiment of eternal bliss, he is wisdom absolute.” Even the action that you perform is
the manifestation of Brahman. When you perform your action with
such divine feelings, they will yield good results. Never criticise God.
Never deny him. Everything is the manifestation of Brahma, Vishnu
and Shiva. All are divine. (...)
There is nothing other than divinity in this world. The principle of divinity present in a grain of sand and in a big laddu is one and the same.
Once you realize this truth, you become Brahman verily. You do not
need to search for Brahma elsewhere. You are Brahma, you are Vishnu, you are Shiva, you are the very embodiment of the divine Trinity.
It is only your feeling that assumes the form of Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva. (26.2.2006)
God is eternally present and the five elements are also present forever. Even after man dies, the five elements continue to have their existence. The consciousness present in all the five elements in man is responsible for all his body functions. (14.4.2006)
The world has acquired the name prapancha as it is the manifestation
of the five elements (panchabhutas). Man today is misusing them. He
thinks it is quite natural for him to exploit them to his maximum advantage. But it is most unnatural and unsacred. It may seem to be good
and natural for the time being but later on he will be faced with insurmountable difficulties. These five elements are present in every human being in the form of the senses of hearing, touch, sight, taste and
smell. Your life will be redeemed only when you make proper use of
the five senses and the five elements. Never use your senses in an unsacred manner. (6.5.2006)
Man is endowed with five lifebreaths, five senses and five elements.
The five elements are present in man in the form of the senses, hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell. We will have the type of experience
according to the type of path we follow. Therefore, we should associate with good people, earn a good name and lead a good life. Fill your
heart with pure and divine feelings. (21.5.2006)
48
Your very form is love. It is love that protects the whole world. The five
elements that constitute the universe are based on love. Only when
love combines with the five elements does the universe come into existence. But love is not to be seen anywhere these days. Today there
is lack of love even between mother and children. What happened to
that love? We are bartering it for money. (27.5.2006)
Everyone is endowed with magnetic power which attracts others. God
is the greatest magnet who attracts everyone. Human beings have the
magnetic power of varying degrees, but God's power is cent per cent.
That is why the entire world is attracted towards God. When we go
near this greatest magnet, we are charged with his power and become
one with him. The knower of Brahman becomes verily Brahman. If you
bring an iron piece near a magnet, it is attracted towards the magnet.
If you keep this iron piece with the magnet for a few days, the iron
piece also becomes a magnet. When you attain the proximity of God
and become recipient of his love, you become God yourself. This is
true research. Hence, you need not undertake any other practice to attain divinity. You should develop only the feelings of love in you. This
will transform you into a divine being. (16.6.1996)
Everything is moving at a fast pace in this world today. We see how
quickly seconds, minutes and hours fly away. Sixty seconds make a
minute, and sixty minutes make an hour. But today it seems that hours
pass like minutes. What is the reason for this? The reason lies in the
working of man's mind. His mind today moves at a very fast speed and
changes every moment. It is said: Mind is the cause of bondage and
liberation of man. The root cause of man's bondage as well as his liberation is nothing but his mind. What is mind? It is a bundle of desires.
We should exercise restraint on our desires at least to some extent.
Man today controls everything, but he does not have any control on
himself. What is the use of controlling everything when man himself is
moving about without any control? First of all, man should offer his
mind to God. Mind is the gift of God to man. It is God who has given
the mind to him. So, he should offer it to God. If you follow this principle, you will experience total bliss. (...)
In fact, the entire creation is the gift of God. We should therefore preserve this valuable gift carefully. (18.8.2006)
You should not waste your energies in worldly pursuits. He who is a
realized soul, is the liberated person in the real sense. Such a person
49
constantly contemplates upon the Atman. On the other hand, one who
is constantly engaged in the pursuit of material comforts has his gaze
fixed on the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether, five
sheaths of the soul and five senses. One who realizes the truth that
the physical body is ephemeral and the mind is like a mad monkey, will
develop an insight into the inner Self. The physical body is like a water
bubble. People know about it, yet they lead their lives reposing their
faith in such a physical body. As long as one has attachment to the
physical body, one has to experience sorrows and difficulties and sin
and merit. (27.9.2006)
The five elements are natural phenomena in creation. Similarly, the
five human values of truth, selfless, peace, love and non-violence are
natural to human beings. Man has to manifest them from his heart and
lead a natural life. They should flow from the 'source' and not extracted
by 'force’. Truth is pure and unsullied. Love is selfless. We have therefore to lead a selfless life. That is real love. Love does not expect anything in return. Selfishness troubles a human being in subtle ways. It
is very cunning. Hence, one should not allow selfishness to come near
him. If you are suffused with love, selfishness cannot approach you.
Hence, develop love. Love is divine. When you are able to develop
love, non-violence will come to you of its own accord. Where there is
love, there can be no trace of violence. Thus, when man is able to
manifest the five human values of truth, selfless, peace, love and nonviolence, then his intellect becomes steady and he can walk the
straight path. (29.9.2006)
The five elements are the most important characteristic of the world.
The world is a conglomeration of individuals. All are one. There is
nothing like I am God and you are individual. You and I are one only.
Not realizing this, you perceive unity as diversity. (25.12.2006)
These five principles are your five life-breaths. Human body is constituted by five elements and is endowed with five senses and five lifesheaths. But at the ethical and spiritual level, these five principles are
no less than our life-breath. By developing these five Principle, you
should strenghten unity. (20.3.2007)
Many things are essential for man to lead his life. But everything in this
world is temporary and impermanent like passing clouds. The things
that he considers permanent are, in fact, ephemeral. The only way to
50
acquire what is eternal, real and everlasting is to recognize the truth
that all are an aspect of God as declared by Lord Krishna in the
Bhagavadgita: “The eternal Atman in all beings is a part of My Being.”
The Bhagavadgita teaches that all are a part of the Supreme Being
who is present in all.
I am in you, with you, around you, above you and below you. God is
the indweller of all beings, the entire world is permeated by God.
There is no place in this world where God is not present. Similarly,
there is no object or name which does not belong to God. But man is
not able to realize this truth. (...)
Where is peace? Is it outside? No, no. Outside there are only pieces.
Peace is within you only. Similarly, you cannot see love. It is also present in your heart. Love is God, Live in Love. It is also an aspect of educare. In the same way, non-violence is not there in the outside world.
Today we find restlessness and agitation everywhere because people
are fighting with each other. Peace cannot be found outside, it is within
us. Truth, selfless, peace, love and non-violence are like your five lifebreaths. When you have love in your heart, selfless will manifest
there.Therefore, fill your heart with love and adhere to truth. Truth is
permanent. Truth is God. Truth remains unchanged in all periods of
time, in all countries, at all places. Let your love shine forth in the mirror of truth. (...)
The individual differences among people are temporary and ephemeral. Only God is permanent and eternal. The same God may assume
different forms in different Ages (Yuga). In Treta Yuga, he assumed
the form of Rama. In Dwapara Yuga, he incarnated as Krishna. In
spite of his different forms at different times, God is only one. Similarly,
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the three forms of the same God. That
one God is present in you also. That is, 'I'. When someone asks you
your name, you tell the name given to you by your parents. But that is
not the name you are born with. That is the name given to you by your
parents for the sake of identification. At the time of birth, you were either a boy or a girl, that is all. Name was given to you later on. Names
are not by birth. Due to our mistaken thinking, we even observe differences in the various names of God and think that one name of God is
different from the other. Whomsoever you see, consider him as God.
(...)
In this new year, many changes may occur at the physical level. But
there can never be any change at the spiritual level. At the worldly level, there may be many conflicts and quarrels. There may be many parties. Parties, parties, parties... for tea only! Observe the principle of
51
unity. That only can give you real happiness. All your sorrows and difficulties are temporary only. In the end, everything will turn out to be
good. Your difficulties are meant to give you happiness ultimately.
Pleasure is an interval between two pains. (...)
Today the world is full of troubles and difficulties. Wherever we see,
right from a small hotel to a court of law, we find conflicts and quarrels.
The people in the world today are full of selfishness and self-interest.
Where there is selfishness and self-interest, there is defeat and failure. (1.1.2008)
Man is not born to weep and cry. He should lead a happy life and also
leave the world happily. Why should people worry for worldly possessions which are temporary and ephemeral? This does not behove a
human being. Consider everything as God's gift. Understand the relationship between individual, society, creation and God. Creation
emerges from God and society is a part of creation. There can be no
society without individual. Therefore, individual is most important. Everything in this creation is the gift of God. But, do we ever aspire for
God and shed tears for him? It is not the mark of a human being to
shed tears over worldly things which are temporary and impermanent.
All these are like passing clouds which come and go. Sometimes,
thick clouds cover the sun or the moon and you cannot see them.
There is no need for any worry. If you wait for some time, the clouds
would move away and the sun or the moon will become visible again.
What is required is a little patience and forbearance.
Man is endowed with great power and there is none in the entire creation who has as much power as man possesses. That is why God
also incarnates in human form. God is in the form of a human being.
There is none greater than God. Therefore, to forget God is nothing
less than a sacrilege. In fact, you should remember him every moment
of your life. Man pursues various tasks in this world. Whatever task
you may be engaged in, you should not forget God at any time. That
is true humanness. The reason for all the troubles that prevail in this
world is that man has forgotten God due to his delusion. He undergoes
so much suffering only because of his delusion. God does not give difficulties and sorrows to man. He always gives bliss and happiness.
But due to your delusion, you consider even happiness as sorrow and
undergo many types of suffering. (...)
The human body is made of five elements and is bound to perish one
day or the other. People feel happy when a child is born but become
sad when somebody dies. You should never give room to sorrow at
52
all. Face all difficulties with courage. Have firm conviction that you are
an aspect of God and would not shed tears. (...)
Everything in this world is the creation of your own feelings. How long
can you remain here? You remain in the world till you finish the role
assigned to you. After that, you will have to leave everything and go.
Therefore, it is imperative for you to recognize this truth and conduct
yourself accordingly. There is nothing permanent in this world. Hence,
there is no need to worry about such temporary things which come
and go. We need not grieve over the death of somebody nor should
feel elated at somebody's birth. Someone is born today, but it is not
known what will happen to him tomorrow. In fact, yesterday, today and
tomorrow, all are the same. There is no difference between them. (...)
Never worry about what is to happen in future. Everything can be
achieved with courage. If you are devoid of courage, you will lose everything. Hence, you should never lose courage. This courage is energy. It is the energy that constitutes the five elements which form the
basis of the entire creation. The same five elements are present in
you. In fact, everything is in you; nothing comes from outside. Then,
where is the need for you to search for anything outside? (...)
You cannot be called a human being merely because you have a human form. One does not become a human being only because one
has feet, hands, eyes, nose, mouth, etc. Even small insects have all
these limbs. Should you lead your life like them? No, no. You should
set high ideals in life. Your conduct should reflect your true humanness and culture. Your true culture is to become ideal. Culture teaches
you what to do and how to do it. It is culture which tells you what is
good and what is bad. (15.1.2008)
Here is a small example. A few days ago, Shourie left his mortal coil.
Many people joined his funeral procession. When his body was cremated, the five elements of his body merged with their source - earth
merged with earth, fire with fire, air with air, so on and so forth. What
remained in the end? Just a heap of ash! But the Atmic principle in him
followed its divine course.
Everything is immanent in Brahman. Brahman is one without a second. Therefore, if someone asks you what is your name, you should
reply, “I am Brahman; I have no other name.” (6.3.2008)
First and foremost, man should obey the command of God. The same
divine principle is present in all human beings. God is in the form of a
human being. Man should implicitly follow the command of God who
53
incarnates as a human being. You should listen to the command of
God, and not of your friends who may be very close to you. (...)
You should perform only those actions which please God. Then only
does your life as a human being become meaningful. Of all living beings, human birth is the rarest. You should not waste such a precious
and rare human birth. You will lose your humanness completely if you
indulge in falsehood, injustice and unrighteousness. Therefore, you
should have good thoughts, good speech and good vision. See good,
do good, be good. This is the inner meaning of human life. (...)
Human life is most sacred. It is attained as a result of merits earned in
many previous births. Thousands of people have gathered here. For
what? Only for God. Many people gather at places like liquor shops also. But there you cannot have good thoughts. Therefore, we should always have good company. (7.3.2008)
All the beings in the universe are the creation of God. There is nothing
in this world which is not divine. People observe differences between
one another. This is a great mistake. All are one. Truth is one, but the
wise refer to it by various names. There is no second entity in this
world. With hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouth and ears pervading everything, he permeates the entire universe. There is none in this world
in whom God is not present. Everything is permeated by divinity. Nobody has the right to say that this is divine and that is not. God is present even in difficulties, sorrows and miseries. Though you have the capacity to understand this divine power, unfortunately, you do not try to
use that. When you observe the natural scenario around you, you see
vast land areas and a number of rivers such as Yamuna, Ganga, Pinakini, Cauveri, Tungabhadra, Godavari, Saraswati, etc. In spite of having such a vast land with numerous rivers, there is scarcity of food.
What is the reason? The reason is that man is not making proper use
of his innate power and potentiality. Instead, he is misusing his powers
and wasting his intelligence. If he makes efforts in the right direction,
he can achieve everything.
You should have faith that everything you see in this world is an aspect
of divinity. There is nothing else other than this. Only One exists in this
world and there is no second. You are unable to understand this truth
and suffer due to many misconceptions. You are prepared to believe
what others write in their books, but no one is prepared to have faith
in his own self. People have all types of confidence except self-confidence. What is the use of having everything except self-confidence?
If only you have self-confidence, you can achieve everything; there is
54
nothing in this world which you cannot accomplish. You should make
efforts to recognize this principle of the Self which is divine, auspicious
and ever new. But man today does not make efforts to know himself.
When we ask anyone, who he is, he will tell his name given to him by
his parents. If you put the same question to God, he will say: “I am
Brahman”. As you are unable to recognize the truth, you take to wrong
path and get confused. You do not make efforts to know what you are
supposed to know. On the other hand, you try to know that which is not
possible for you to know by your senses. Is it possible to know divinity
which is all-pervasive? It is impossible. Whatever happens, recognize
it as the Will of God. All the differences are born out of your own feelings of mine and thine. In fact, there is no difference between you and
me. You and I are one. Do not think that God exists separately in a
particular place. Think that you are God. You are not the body. Body
is like a water bubble. Mind is like a mad monkey. Intellect is wavering.
Hence, you are neither the body nor the mind nor the intellect. You are
you. You should make proper efforts to know this truth. (13.4.2008)
People today are accumulating a lot of money. But, what for? What will
they take with them when they go? They have to go only empty-handed. They have to leave even their body here when they go. Five elements merge with five elements. Then the empty body is cremated.
Therefore, one should not be proud of one's body or wealth. Money
comes and goes, morality comes and grows. You should develop morality. In spite of his high education, man today has lost his morality.
One bereft of morality is not a human being at all. In fact, he is a demon in human form. Where there is no morality, there can be no humanness. (...)
Everything is there in the hands of man and all gods are present in
him. In fact, he is nothing but divine from foot to head. All worldly
things are like passing clouds, which come and go. To feel proud of
these passing clouds is a great mistake. At the time of speaking, you
speak anything. But when it comes to putting into practice, your actions do not match with your words. This is a great sin. (1.5.2008)
Many people offer worship and perform rites (Yajna) to have the direct
vision of God. But this is not possible for anyone by such means.
Then, how can it be possible? All the objects in the entire creation are
bound to perish one day or the other. The mountains can sink in water
and rivers can dry up. Human body is also perishable. Nothing in this
creation is permanent. Only God is eternal, immortal, infinite and im55
perceptible. How is it possible for anyone to understand such a Cosmic Being? Some people imagine that they had the vision of God in
meditation or in the rites of fire. But this is merely their illusion; such a
vision is not everlasting. But where does God dwell? He dwells in the
heart of all in the form of Atmic principle. He has to be attained only by
the principle of the Higher Self. (...)
It is possible for you to acquire any number of worldly and material
things but you are not able to attain God who is within you. See God
who is immanent in you. Look inside, don't look outside. Close your
eyes and pray to God who dwells in you. Then will God manifest before you and grant you everything. (...)
Do you know why has God given you eyes? Not to see anything and
everything, but to see the Lord of Kailasa. Why has God given you
hands? Has God given you hands only to put food into your mouth?
No, no. God has given you hands to serve mankind. Similarly, God
has given you tongue to chant the Name of God. Do you know why
has God given you feet? Not to roam around in all the countries of the
world, but to go round the temple of God. That is how you should sanctify the organs of the body given to you by God. You say, you do service (seva). But do you know the meaning of Seva? Is it to massage
the feet of somebody with your hands? No, no. When you serve anyone, develop the feeling: “l am serving Rama”, “l am serving Krishna”,
“l am serving my deity”. Develop such feelings in your heart more and
more. Whatever you eat, whatever you do, everything should be done
with the feeling of offering it to God. Perform all tasks to please God.
Whatever work you do, consider it as the work of God. When you develop this feeling with total dedication, then God will manifest before
you.(...)
Fill your life with love. Even if someone beats you, do not abuse him.
Think that it is God only who has punished you like this. Everything
happens according to what God Wills. It is God who gives you troubles
and joys; it is he who protects you and punishes you in many ways.
Everything is God. Therefore, offer everything to him. Whatever you
get in your life, consider it as the gift of God. Do all actions to please
God. When you think like this, then you will attain great blessedness.
One who could make boulders to float on water, can he not make your
mind float in the worldliness by changing the mind into a bridge. Use
this bridge to cross this vast ocean and kill the demons of lust and anger. For this, you must sing the glories of God. (24.5.2008)
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Ether (Akasha)
When you mention the sky you point your finger upwards, to indicate
that it is there. But the sky is here also. It is one of the five elements.
Its sign and symbol is sound; wherever sound is, there, we can infer,
is the sky. There is an inner sky also, the Akasha in the Heart. Just as
the Sun and Moon in the outer sky are hidden by thick masses of
cloud, the Sun (Intellect) and Moon (Mind) in the inner sky are also hidden and suppressed by thick clouds of vice and evil. So, make all efforts to remove these clouds, by the strong gale of Devotion to God.
(28.4.1975)
The Atman is present everywhere and is in everything: it is unaffected;
it is omnipresent like the Ether; it is even beyond the Ether; it is the
Ether in the Universal Consciousness; so it is referred to as Beyond;
it is described in the Sruthis as 'the Highest’. (...)
A doubt may be raised here: If the Atman is immanent in everything,
like the Ether, is it not subject to Transformation or change? No; existing, emanating, growing, chariging, declining, dying - these are the six
transformations; but the Atman is the universal, eternal witness cognising Ether and the other elements and hence it has no modifications
at all. (Inana Vahini, S. 54)
Illumination is higher than Intuition or Food. Illumination is Fire, heat
and light. Illumination creates water and water produces food. Illumination can make even Wind lighter. It shines as lightning and sounds
as thunder.
Ether is auperior to Illumination, remember. It is through Ether that
sounds are transmitted and heard. Love and play are products of
Ether. Seeds sprout on account of Ether.
Now, consider this. Consciousness is superior to Ether. Without it, all
experience is meaningless, all knowledge is waste, all effort is purposeless. Nothing can be experienced without the help of Consciousness. Objects like the Ether will be unrecognized in its absence. It can
be said that Consciousness creates the Ether and other objects.
Thus analyzing the value and relative importance of objects and powers, man must give up identification of self with the physical body and
recognize his real Reality. Such a man rises to the height of the noblest of men, laughing, playing and moving without regard to the
needs or comforts of the body. The body bound man is caught in Con57
sciousness; for the one who is free from that bondage, the Higher Self
is the field of activity. The wind, the lightning and the thunder have no
permanent existence. When the rainy season comes on, they appear
in the sky and get merged in it. So too the particularized Individual appears as separate for a time against the background of Brahman and
gets merged in it, at last. (Upanishad Vahini, 63/64)
There are three types of ethereal dimensions, namely, the five Elements, consciousness and pure consciousness. The elements are engulfed by consciousness which in turn is encompassed by the pure
consciousness. (21.2.2001)
This is a lemon. We call it lemon on the basis of its form and taste.
These reflect the outward path and not the internal path. In fact, it is
nothing but a combination of cells, molecules and atoms and in each
of these cells there is immanent potentiality of the whole lemon. The
cells have neither beginning nor end. These cells are of immense
power. This immense potentiality is related to the Ether. This Ether is
related to the pure consciousness. Even the lemon is a representation
of pure consciousness. The person who eats the lemon is also a personification of consciousness. Everything that IS, is consciousness itself. Name and form are conditioned by outward path and are not related to the internal path. (26.3.2001)
'Bhuvah' is the vibration that comes out of the mind and makes the
body function. 'Suvah' is the radiation, which is the Atman. Man is the
combination of matter, vibration and radiation. As is the feeling, so is
the vibration. Everyday, morning and evening, Bhajans go on here.
You think that the Bhajans are going on in the Bhajan Hall. No. The vibrations of bhajans are there all over this place. You can certainly hear
the Bhajans even from this table if you listen carefully, with a steady
mind, pure and selfless heart. Everything is Divine vibration - the
walls, the roof, and this mike. The great sages were the ones who had
these vibrations. The Veda was heard through Sound, through vibrations. If you sit down and listen with a pure heart, you too can listen to
it. Why go so far? Just close your ears and you can hear the OM from
within. Everything originated from the OM. The same air produces
seven different notes through different reeds in the harmonium. Similarly the OM is one; all other sounds are modifications of the OM. Ganesha, who is the master of all these vibrations, gifts these vibrations
to you. You may listen to any sound but the most sacred is OM.
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If your body is full of wicked vibrations, everything will be wicked. Never allow a wicked man to come near you. Run away from bad company
to avoid the wicked vibrations from getting into you.
If you are good, your body will be full of good and divine vibrations.
Bad thoughts give rise to bad vibrations. All that you see is the reflection of what is inside you. If you call a person bad, it is just that the bad
in you is reflected in him. It has got nothing to do with him. Good or bad
is the reflection of your inner being. Never consider that good or bad
exists separately from you. (22.8.2001)
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Air
The earth is pervaded and protected by Air (Vayu). The individualized
Universal, the man, individualized according to the impressions of experience in previous lives, is associated with seventeen instruments 5 Organs of action, 5 Organs of knowledge, the 5 Life breaths, Mind
(Manas) and Intellect (Buddhi).
The concrete body is a mutation of the earth: it is pervaded by air.
There are several organs which can be identified in the body and like
a string that holds pearls together, air holds these together as one coordinate whole. When the air leaves the body, the organs become distinct and derelict. The body then, becomes a scorpse. There is however the immanent spirit in the body-complex abode, the mystery that
is beyond the reach of that complex, the motivating force of the impulses and intentions of that complex; that immanent spirit, the Divine
Self, has no death; it is Atman. (Upanishad Vahini, 38)
The human body is a support, a receptacle for the Atma, the divine
self. Elements like water and wind are intimately bound up with the
body. Therefore, the Atma Principle, the Brahma Principles, which is
the core is not cognized. Man has lost the awareness of this Principle
which is his Truth. It is in the body, but not of it. (Upanishad Vahini, 43)
Ravana fell because he strove to accumulate wealth and was carried
away by covetousness and lust. His “ten heads” indicate his mastery
over the four Vedas and the six Shastras; but, of what avail was all that
learning? Hanuman reported that Lanka was echoing with the recitation of the Vedas and the air was thick with sacrificial smoke. But, the
demons were wicked, in spite of all that ritual exactitude. Ritual must
result in righteousness; otherwise, it is only rigmarole. Ravana sought
to gain the manifestation not the manifestor; Sita not Rama! And, so
his life became futile. (15.8.1964)
Walk in the path laid down in the Ramayana, and Mahabharata and
the Bhagavatha. Proceed along that path, inspite of halts and handicaps, inspite of the approval or disapproval of kith and kin of praise or
blame from society. What exactly is praise or blame? Words, sound
waves coming from across the air, waves that strike your ear. Let them
strike only the auter ear. Do not welcome them in. (9.10.1964)
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You should not be ever entangled in the meshes of this world and its
problems. Try to escape into the purer air of the spirit as often as you
can, talking the name of the Lord on your tongue. Of the 24 hours of
the day, have 6 hours for your individual needs, 6 hours for the service
of others, 6 hours for sleep and 6 for dwelling in the Presence of the
Lord. Those six hours will endow you with the strength of steel.
(14.12.1964)
Water as such or fire as such cannot move a train; they must both cooperate to produce a third thing, steam. The steam moves the engine
forward. The curbing of the mind takes you to the winning post. Kerosene oil and air must both unite to form the gas which ignites in the
petromax lamp to give light. (29.1.1965)
For all types of spiritual discipline, congenial company is very necessary. Man is shaped by the company he keeps, so, be ever vigilant of
the air you breathe; it is fouled by the foul thoughts of the men among
whom you move. (30.10.1965)
Spiritual practice is the life-breath of man; struggle for power, self and
pelf is but the breath of poison. Poor silly man craves for the air that
will destroy him, the food that will torment him and the drink that will
defile him! He revels in ruining his nature and denying his excellence!
That is the tragedy of civilization.
He denies the innate excellence of the world around him too. He refuses to see in it the handiwork of God, evident in beauty, harmony,
melody, truth, goodness, love, sympathy, law and learning, in everything that strikes the eye and fills the mind. He prides himself in his
blindness and raises it into a philosophy called atheism! (9.3.1968)
The Linga, the effulgent subtle form of Shiva, is represented as hanging in mid-air, between the pull and counter-pulls of a magnet from
above and a magnet from below; evidently, it is of ferrous metal. Man
too is like a ferrous linga, drawn upwards by the craving for liberation
and for merging in the Super-Soul and drawn downwards by the craving for satisfying the senses and earning and possessing things from
the nature around him. Now, the upward pull is becoming weaker. Respect for spiritual institutions, temples, holy places, elders and sacred
books is fast declining. Pride in material wealth and competition in acquiring it, are fast increasing. This is the tragedy of the times.
(26.3.1968)
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Holding the fan by the hand will not help; you must move it to and fro
vigorously, in order to feel the cool breeze that blows on your face.
There is no breeze in the fan; it is all around you, everywhere, as air.
Direct it towards yourself by spiritual practice. So too, direct the Grace
of God that is everywhere, towards you and make yourself happy by
spiritual practice. That is the advice you need and I give. (28.3.1968)
The universe is the body of God; he knows and feels every twitch, every pang be it from a black man or white, from land or sea or air or
space. (...)
Leadbeater has declared that the correct recital of the Gayatri Mantra
with the orthodox modulation of the voice and the higher, lower and
even accents can produce experienceable and authentic illumination,
whereas incorrect pronunciation and wrong accent result in thickening
the darkness! Therefore, instead of scoffing at the disciplines of recitals, meditations, prayers, formulary worship and mantra-utterances,
their values have to be accepted and their results tested and confirmed by practice and exercise. (16.5.1968)
The Hospital is for those who believe in the doctor and in drugs. It is
faith that matters, that cures. It also serves to accommodate those
who are too ill to move about, but, yet come over to this place for cure.
Those who are in the Hospital will also hear the OM and the Bhajan
and benefit by the spiritual vibrations that fill the air in this Prashanthi
Nilayam. (12.10.1969)
Truth is the great purifier. It admits no dirt or sin, no defect or deceit.
Falsehood pollutes the tongue of the speaker, the ear of the listener
and the air which carries it from tongue to tympanum. There are beneflicent and malificent sounds, and they produce corresponding echoes
in the atmosphere. Words that emanate from faith in God and the humility it fosters will render the atmosphere pure, while those trumpeted
by vanity and execrated by nihilism and atheism will contaminate it.
Use only such sounds as will cleanse the air. Do not be harsh; never
use expressions which sear and hurt, which are the evil progeny of
hate and pride. Praise the Lord, recite his Glory - that is the duty you
owe yourself and others. The raison d'etre for this ritual (yaga) is just
this; every sound of the Veda is in praise of God and when the Veda
is recited with the proper cadence, exactly as preseribed in the traditional schools, the atmosphere will certainty undergo a remarkable
transformation, and the men who breathe it will be a little less evil
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thereafter. Faith in God will instil faith in themselves and in others, and
the world will be happier thereby. (19.10.1969)
The same sky is over every one's head; the same earth supports every one's feet; the same air enters every one's lungs! The same God
brought all forth, brings up all and brings about the end of this earthly
career. Why then this inhuman role of foe and fanatic, of fight and
feud? (12.5.1070)
Scatter the seeds of Love in dreary desert hearts; then sprouts of Love
will make the wastes green with joy, blossoms of Love will make the
air fragrant, rivers of Love will murmur along the valleys and every
bird, beast and child will sing the song of Love. Now, we have Seva
Dhals only in some villages and towns. We must have them in all villages and all towns, so that the service of man by man can lead to the
discovery by man of the God that is his reality. (4.10.1970)
It is easy to give up spiritual practice; it is a task to stick to it. But, there
is no use climbing just one step; ascend higher and higher, into the
purer air. Climb until you see the hills and valleys as one flatness, all
the ups and downs as of no concern. You talk as if you have surrendered everything; but, when you lose a pen, you report to the police
station and rely on the police to recover it for you! You are a hero, a
lion in the forest, only when you neither exult nor droop, when good
fortune or bad assails you. (9.10.1970)
Turn your mind towards God; dedicate yourselves to God; then you
will find life one continuous stream of bliss. Have a fan in your hand
and sweep it towards you; then, you feel comforted. So also, use the
mind as the instrument, and turn it vigorously towards God; then, it can
give you the bliss of liberation. (11.10.1970)
When you inhale foul air, your health suffers. The air is polluted by unwholesome vibrations when people shout hateful, lustful slogans or
even talk, without love and reverence. In order to purify the atmosphere, vibrations. That are holy, healthy, happy have to be circulated,
even before the citizens come out into the open with the break of day.
When a group of good men and women move from one end of a street
to the other singing aloud the Names of God, each Name redolent with
fragrance and resonant with Love, it clears the air and renders it pure
for all to breathe. It also calls people living in the houses on both sides
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to begin their daily round of duties, with the Sweet Name of God in
their ears and the charming Form of God in their hearts.
When an Atomic Bomb is exploded thousands of miles away by America or Russia in some far-off country, the fallout travelling all over the
world contaminates the atmosphere, poisons vegetation and distorts
life, say the doctors who have to deal with them. The vibrations of hatred and greed, of pride and envy that result from the shouts and discontent of animosity also pollute the air equally seriously.
(22.11.1970)
The nature we have around us and with us is the vesture of God. We
have evidence of his Beauty, Goodness, Wisdom and Power, all
around us, wherever we turn our eyes. But, the art of recognizing him
is strange to us and so, we deny him, and live on in darkness. We have
all around us in the atmosphere the music emanating from all the
broadcasting stations of the world, but they do not assail your ear at
any time. You are not aware of any station. But, if you have a receiver,
and if you tune it to the correct wavelength, you can hear the matter
broadcast from any particular station; if you fail to tune it correctly, you
will get, instead of news, only nuisance! So too, the Divine is everywhere above, around, below, beside; near as well as far. For cognising it, you require not a machine but a mystical formula, potent with
psychological undertone. Meditation is the fixing of the exact location
of the station in the band; love is the correct tuning in; realizing the reality and the bliss it confers is the happy clear listening! (1.1.1971)
Pure food, according to some, consists in milk and fruits. But, it is
much more; it may not even be these. For, the calories that one takes
in through the mouth are but a small part of the intake of man. The intake by the senses are part of the food that builds the individual. The
sounds heard, the sights seen, the tactile impressions sought or suffered, the air breathed, the environment that presses for attention, appreciation and adoption - all these are 'food.' They have considerable
impact on the character and career of the individual. (28.1.1971)
Kurukshetra is the field of food, for kuru means food. Food indicates
all that is taken in, through the gullet or the nostrils or the senses. This
food is what determines the nature of the impulses, emotions and passions. These have to be directed along proper channels, and sublimated to serve the goal of liberation from fear and grief. (24.2.1971)
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Let the foul bats of hatred and greed fly away from the cavity of your
hearts; let the clean air of mutual cooperation and help render the cavity safe and sweet. (9.3.1974)
Without God, life is like a school without a teacher; it is a wire with no
current passing through it; it is a body with no soul. God is in you,
around you and beyond you; as the air is imperceptible in the absence
of breeze or of things that it moves; so God too can be known only by
his manifestation in man and beast, plant and bird, in things and beings all around you. No one yet knows the mystery of the electric current, why it behaves so, what is the exact nature of its origin and flow;
but, yet it is manipulated into a thousand uses and it is manifesting
through a thousand appliances and instruments. (1.4.1974)
Air which is but One, appears as storm, whirlwind, breeze, simoom,
assuming various forms by change of speed in movement. The names
too differ from form to form. The insistence on the fundamental unity
of all creation is the special feature of Indian thought. It is faulty vision,
to see variety as variety, the world as composed of disperate elements
and forces. In spite of this great heritage which Indians have come by,
they are today disparaging it and devaluing it by their behavior and beliefs. (Anantapur, August 1974)
The heart-felt recitation and Lord's name (samkirtana) can cleanse the
atmosphere. Singing this intense yearning for God and enjoying the
experience of adoring him, helps to purify the atmosphere. Man is today forced to breathe the air polluted by sounds that denote violence,
hatred, cruelty and wickedness. Therefore he is fast losing the high attainments that are in store for him. The vibrations of the heart-felt recitation and Lord's name can cleanse the atmosphere and render it
pure, calm and ennobling. It is with this high purpose in view that this
programs of global samkirtana was designed.
No man can escape the influence of the pollution of the air he
breathes. The sounds that we produce, with good intent or bad,
spread throughout the air around us. This is our daily experience. The
sounds produced at radio stations pass through the atmosphere and
reach our homes when we tune in. The vibrations travel vast distances
and affect the nature of those who inhale them. The atmosphere affects also the food man consumes. The pollution in the atmosphere is
imbibed by the plants, the plants supply the grain, the grain is the basis
of the meal and the meal shapes the character and behavior of the
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person who consumes it. When the environment is clean and free
from evil vibrations, the food too, is pure, and the person develops a
tendency to be loving and simple. It is to ensure such an atmosphere
that this spiritual practice initiated the world over.
When a man falls into a well, of what use is it if he controls his voice
and his emotions and whispers quietly: “I have fallen into this well, I
have fallen into this well. I am in great danger. Please save me?” No
one will be able to hear or save him. He must shout full-throated, with
all the anguish he is experiencing and with the extreme desire to be
saved, “I HAVE FALLEN INTO THE WELL! SAVE, ME! SAVE ME
SOME ONE!” Then can he hope to get succour.
Similarly, when you are caught in the coils of this world, when you
have fallen into this deep well of worldly misery, shout with all your
might, with all your heart that you may be saved by God. There is no
use muttering faintly and half-heartedly: “Save me, save me; I am
floundering in this worldy life.” When the prayer comes shrieking
through the heart, help is assured.
A certain officer was inspecting the work of a teacher in a school. He
had a hearty contempt for mere talk, so he asked the teacher: “How
can you ever transform the nature of these children by the words you
utter? Show them by deeds; act, don't speak.” The teacher protested
and argued that words have a profound effect on the mind. The argument continued for some time. At last the teacher resolved upon a
plan to convince the officer of his point of view. He told an urchin of his
class: “Here! Catch this officer by the neck and push him out of the
room.” Hearing those words, the officer flew into a great rage and
started pouring abuse on the teacher. The teacher said: “Sir, I only
said a few words. No one pushed you or hit you or touched you. It was
all mere sound. But see how it has enraged you. Words, sir, do help
in modifying character and shaping nature. They have vast power,” he
said.
When words referring to worldly situations have such a transforming
effect on the mind of man, words conveying spiritual and elevated
meaning will certainly help in cleansing and correcting the mind of
man. When we fill the air with harshness, we become harsh in nature.
When we fill the atmosphere with hatred we, too, have perforce to
breathe the air, and are hated in turn. When we saturate the air with
sounds full of reverence, humility, love, courage, self-confidence and
tolerance, we benefit from those qualities ourselves. The heart is the
film and the mind is the lens; turn the lens towards the world and
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worldly pictures will fall on the heart. Turn it towards God, and it will
transmit pictures of the Divine.
Therefore always do good, see good, remember good and be good.
Do not seek to discover or discuss the evil in others for the attempt will
tarnish your own mind. When you are engaged in searching for the
faults and failings of others, you are paving the way for developing
those faults and failings in yourself. Dwell on the good in others, and
in time it will prove an asset to you. The goodness latent in you shall
then be urged to sprout and blossom. (...)
You too must pass your days in song. Let your whole life be a bhajan.
Believe that God is everywhere at all times, and derive strength, comfort and joy by singing his Glory in his presence. Let melody and harmony surge up from your hearts and let all take delight in the Love that
you express through that song. (14.11.1976)
We cannot see the air that surrounds us though we inhale and exhale
it every moment of our lives. How, then, can you see the minute atom
and the particles of energy that it is comprised of? Similarly with a
clouded, and therefore limited vision, how can you visualize Brahman,
the basic Divine Force that manipulates even the subtle energy within
the invisible atom? (30.7.1977)
The air which one man exhales is inhaled by another and the minute
particles of one's system enter the system of the other person. Sea
water becomes the moisture in the air and gathered together as rainclouds which feed the fields and gardens, is transformed into edible
sweetness. Matter is but the perpetual communion and separation of
particles. The human body has all its component cells replaced by
'new' ones during every seven-year period of time. Therefore, how can
we pronounce anything as stable, as permanent, as true? This is the
reason man does not get contentment or peace. This is the reason
man does not get joy, however wealthy or famous he may become. So
long as he revels in the trivial and the temporary, he cannot be happy.
It is only when he has discovered the Atman and is always deep in the
ecstasy of that discovery that he can be in unblemished happiness. In
that stage he is aware that he is eternal and all-knowing, absolute and
omniscient. (29.9.1978)
The Wright Brothers are declared to be the pioneers, the very first to
fly a heavier-than-air plane in the sky. Their powered flight took place
on December 17. 1903. But a German had actually forestalled them
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by his flight on September 13, 1896. We must note that even earlier
than this German, on August 14, 1895, an Indian belonging to Bombay, Shivaraam Baapuji Kadalekar, had succeeded in a similar feat.
His name failed to draw public admiration and his feat was not acclaimed because of the envy, selfishness and the quarrelsome nature
of our people. (18.2.1980)
Why, then, is there a call for control of the mind? Control really means
being indifferent to the vagaries of the mind. It is difficult to control the
mind, as it is difficult to confine air in one's grasp. Likewise, how can
anyone control the mind which is all-embracing in the vastness of its
range and comprehension? When it is realized that the mind is made
up of thoughts and doubts, the elimination of the thoughts is the
means of restraining the mind. Thoughts are associated with desires.
As long as desires remain, one cannot have detachment. It is necessary to limit desires. (11.7.1988)
I have been visiting Madras for the past 45 years. Now I see that there
is traffic even at 2.00 a.m. as it used to be in Bombay. There is more
carbon dioxide smoke released. There are factories and industries everywhere. So there is more pollution of the air and diseases are on the
increase. All these are dangerous offshoots of technological progress.
(21.1.1993)
There are three basic factors which are responsible for health or disease in the human body according to Ayurveda. They are vital air, bile
and phlegm. Vital air accounts for 36 diseases, bile accounts for 98
and phlegm for 96 diseases. These three factors are essential for the
human body but they should be in proper balance without exceeding
their respective limits. When they are in balance, there will be no disease. Moderation is the golden rule for good health. For the treatment
of disease arising out of vital air, bile and phlegm, gingely oil, ghee and
honey respectively are prescribed as remedies. These should be taken in moderation. The body is a gift of God and cannot be made by
doctors. The human heart beats 103’000 times a day. The blood circulation in the body is computed to cover 168’000 miles per day. Man
breathes 21’600 times and consumes 438 cubic feet of air every day.
These are based on Divine Will and are regarded as a Law of Nature.
God is the preceptor of Nature. The body is unclean in many ways and
is subject to various diseases. But in such an inherently unattractive
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abode dwells the most valuable divinity. Man should always act in harmony with Nature, which is reflection of Divinity. (...)
Every one should know how to control these causes. Some people do
not do any physical exercises and lead a sedentary life. My advice to
students is that it is good for them to commute by cycle at least 5 or 6
kilometers a day. This cycling exercise is very useful not only for maintaining health but also for reducing the expenditure incurred on automobiles. Another advantage is the avoidance of accidents. Moreover,
it serves to reduce atmospheric pollution caused by the release of
harmful fumes from automobiles. The carbon-dioxide smoke form motor vehicles and factories is already polluting the air in cities and is affecting the ozone layer above the earth. (6.2.1993)
Man contains in him the cosmic power which pervades the universe.
The power contained in man is the same as the universal power outside the body which is like a balloon that bloats by the intake of air. The
air inside the balloon is the same as the air outside. When the balloon
bursts, the air inside the balloon merges with the air outside. Similarly,
when the body dies, the Cosmic Divine in man becomes one with the
Universal power outside. The Upanishads speak about unity in diversity and unity in the Infinity. Only when he realizes this, man will know
that the Divinity in him and Divinity in the cosmos are one and the
same. This is known as the 'Divine Universal Form'.
Today man underestimates his own importance and humbles himself
as a consequence. First and foremost, you must understand your own
Divine Nature. But students of today are exposed to the world outside,
without understanding their own nature. In the world today, the rapid
rise of material progress is paralleled by the enormous rise of ignorance as well. (Summer Showers in Brindavan 1993, 3)
Yoga is not mere physical exercise. It involves exercise of breath as
well. It is known by the term: Guiding the attention inwards (Pratyahara) and breath-timing. Breath-timing involves the three processes of
filling in the air, retaining the breath and breathing out. The observance of time is very important with regard to breath-timing. The time
taken for inhalation, retention, and exhalation should be the same.
The entire exercise should be natural without any strain. The air taken
in goes through the nerves of lda, Pingala and Sushumna. Pranayama
should be performed with meticulous care, lest it should damage the
lungs and the brain. Breathing should also be without any strain and
panting. (...)
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Inhalation, retention and exhalation should be in proper proportion.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan 1993, 92/93)
The Consciousness that is in each of us is one and the same Universal
Consciousness. It is all-pervading. For example, the air that a man
breathes is not exclusive to him. It is the same air that is breathed by
others. The air that is allpervading is inhaled by each according to his
needs. (20.5.1993)
Today, the air is polluted. Even the sound vibrations in the ether, air,
fire, water and earth are polluted. How are they to be purified? Everyone should purify and sanctify the atmosphere by chanting the name
of the Lord. Every sound emanating from man enters into the radio
waves in the atmosphere and gets permanently recorded. If the sound
waves in the world today are polluted, it is because of the unsacred
words uttered by people. By chanting the name of the Lord, the sound
waves in the atmosphere must be sanctified.
Thereby, these waves can bring about a great transformation. The
world, it is said, can be destroyed by an atomic bomb. Sacred sound
waves can achieve greater things for the world. They can create a new
world. (15.8.1993)
Man considers the air as polluted, water as impure and the sounds
reaching him as intolerable. Even the food is polluted. The Government also considers the entire environment as polluted. Enormous
sums are being spent on purifying the environment. It is not the environmental pollution about which we should be concerned. What is of
concem is the pollution of the heart. Man's mind is polluted. Man's
heart is polluted. All his feelings are polluted. It is because of this basic
pollution, all other things appear polluted.
The primary need today is to eradicate the pollution in the human
mind. How is this to be accomplished? The mind today is immersed in
worldly desires and pleasure. As a result, there is mental dissatisfaction as well as bitter frustration. The mind should be turned back to the
source from which it came. A fish out of water has to be restored to the
water for it to regain its life. Can it survive if it is placed on a couch and
fed with coffee? It will regain peace and life only when it returns to its
native home. Likewise, man's mind has to be restored to its original
home in the Atman (divine self). Without doing this, how can peace be
got? Thus, mental peace has to come from the Atman. This calls for
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turning the mind towards the Atman by the use of the conscience.
(30.8.1993)
Today in many parts of the world Nature is causing various disasters
such as earthquakes, famines, floods and volcanic eruptions. What is
the reason? The spiritual lapses of man account for these calamities.
Disturbances in the human heart are reflected in earthquakes. Fill your
minds with good thoughts and engage yourselves in good actions.
Chant the Lord's name. When the ether is surcharged with the vibrations of the Divine name, the entire environment gets purified. Those
who breathe this sanctified air will have pure thoughts. Purify the atmosphere, which is now polluted. (7.10.1993)
The chanting of mantras should always be synchronized with practising of the prescribed task. By such practice one can realize the Divine.
By merely listening to mantras and falling to practise, one can never
get happiness or peace. In order to realize the Divine, you have to
practise the precepts prescribed in the Vedas. No doubt, even listening to the recitation of the Vedas is itself capable of purifying your
mind. Sound is the first attribute of God. Sound is all-pervasive.
Today a great deal of wickedness, troubles and turmoils are prevalent
in the world because of the decline of the influence of the Vedas. Water, air, food, noise are all tainted by pollution. We are forced to lead a
polluted life. When the air we breathe is itself polluted, how are we to
lead a pollution-free life? The environment and the elements should
be pure to ensure purity of heart. The cause of this pollution lies nowhere else except in our own actions. Whatever words we utter, they
spread to the entire atmosphere. We can purify the atmosphere of the
world by chanting the Vedas and singing the glory of God.
The Rishis in ancient times used to move to forests and chant the powerful Vedic Mantras to purify the atmosphere of the whole world.
These Vedas are neglected today. The people of this great country of
Bharat have not understood the infinite potency of the Vedas. It is a
pity thev have not tasted the sweetness of the Vedas. The Vedas
should be cherished for sublimating life and not to earn a living.
(18.10.1993)
People may say that when you go to Sai Baba, there is nothing but
bhajan. Realize that there is nothing greater than bhajan. What bliss
is there in bhajans! What a demonstration of oneness is it when a myriad throats join in uttering the name of God! The vibrations emanating
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from them make the heart vibrant. If you sing alone in your shrine, the
vibrations return to you as reaction. But in community singing, what
you have is not a reaction but a wave of vibrations. They enter into the
atmosphere and purify the polluted air. The atmosphere today is polluted by bad thoughts and feelings. When you sing the glory of God,
the bad germs in the air are destroyed and the air gets purified by a
treatment with antibiotics as it were.
Bhajans are therefore supremely valuable. It has been said that in the
Kali Age there is no greater spiritual practice than chanting the name
of the Lord. (23.10.1994)
Everything in the universe, from subatomic particles to the biggest
star, has a form. It was this fact that impelled the ancients to worship
the earth as a Mother. Some scientists ridiculed this adoration as a superstitious worship of mud and stone. They asked what is the meaning
of worshipping mud and stone? The answer is: “That mud is the
source of our food. The air over the earth is enabling us to breathe and
live. The sun is enabling the crops to grow. Hence, no one is entitled
to ridicule the worship of Nature. It is proper to worship those who help
us. What help are the five basic elements rendering to mankind? Without these elements, there will be no world at all. What, then, is the loss
in adoring them?” (...)
The Divine is omnipresent. He is inside, outside and everywhere. God
is in the air you breathe and the words you utter. The Divine is in sound
as Brahman. The radio waves are all-pervading. They represent power of the Divine (Shakti). It is the same power that manifests itself as
magnetism, electricity and atomic energy. You have to realize the limitless Divine powers latent in the cosmos. The Bhagavatha extols the
indescribable and marvellous powers of the Divine. (20.5.1995)
Rama declared: “The mother and the Motherland are greater than
Heaven itself.” Therefore, wherever you may go, do not forget your ancient traditions. This is relevant to people of all countries. At the same
time, unity should be cultivated.
Nations are many, the earth is one.
Beings are many, but breath is one.
This truth has to be recognized. All the resources of Nature like air are
available to all irrespective of nationality or creed or race. This is the
unity in diversity that has to be realized. Out of unity comes purity. All
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should seek to live as brothers and sisters. No one should criticise any
nation, faith or culture. When you cultivate this broad outlook, your culture will be respected by others. It is this spirit of unity that the world
needs today. (11.7.1995)
Dipavali Day is the day on which you resolve to get rid of your bad
qualities and follow the path of righteousness. Dipavali is celebrated
today as a festival of lights, with the firing of crackers and display of
fireworks. In olden days the ancients rejoiced over the destruction of
the demon Narakasura and let off fireworks. There is another meaning
in the burning of crackers on Dipavali day. This is the rainy season. All
kinds of germs fill the atmosphere. The smoke from the crackers destroys these germs. The joy derived from the burning of crackers
should really come from the elimination of bad qualities within one. For
this, it is essential to meditate on God. Listen to Divine discourses.
Participate in Bhajans. (23.10.1995)
God is the source of all energy. If this is not realized, we will be failing
to appreciate the true source of the air we breathe, the light we enjoy
and the heat that sustains life. (20.5.1996)
During the day, the sun affords light to the world. Without the sun, the
world will cease to exist. The sun is the visible deity for the world. Without the sun there can be no life on earth. Crops cannot grow. There
will be no air, no food and no means of sustenance for living creatures.
It is only because of the sun that rivers flow, crops are grown, life is
sustained and there is happiness and comfort. It is the power of the
sun that helps to purify the heart. Hence, for the planet earth the sun
is the visible manifestation of God. The earth receives its life-sustaining oxygen from the sun. (18.6.1996)
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. God is consciousness. (18.7.1997)
In this context one has to understand the implications of oneness with
the Divine. One desires to merge in God and achieve liberation. How
is this to be secured? God is formless. He is the source of all energy.
He is effulgent. Eight kinds of potencies have been attributed to God.
He is the source of all sound, all motion, all light, all speech, all bliss,
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all excellence, all illusion and all prosperity. How is one to realize such
an omnipotent Divinity? Water can integrate with water. Air can combine with air. Fire can merge with fire. As God is formless, to become
one with God, we have to become formless. What does this imply? It
means that we have to get rid of the attachment to the body. This is
achieved through meditation. While retaining attachment to the body
one cannot hope to achieve oneness with God merely by praying for
it. You have to become formless to realize the formless Divine.
As God is the embodiment of effulgence, you have to make your life
effulgent to experience God. You have to realize that the light of your
life has come from that supreme source of all light. This individual
flame should merge in the Supreme Divine effulgence from which all
other lights have emanated. Meditating on the supreme source of all
light, the individual has to merge his individual effulgence in the Supreme Effulgence. (20.7.1997)
All over the world there are electric waves and magnetic waves. So
the effects of mantras chanted during the rites (yajna) will spread all
over the world and purify the atmosphere. Once the mantras enter the
air that you breathe in, you will develop sacred feelings. (30.9.1998)
All of us live on the same earth. The same sky is above all of us. We
breathe the same air and drink the same water. Ignoring this underlying principle of unity man visualizes multiplicity, which is a big mistake.
(25.3.1999)
Nature also shows the truthful and right path. If you do not breathe out
the air that you breathe in, your health will be spoilt. Likewise, if you
do not excrete the body waste, your health will suffer. The lesson one
has to learn from this is that one must accept good and give up bad.
Bad company does not mean the company of bad people alone. Even
the bad thoughts constitute bad company. You should not only discard
bad company, but give up bad thoughts also.
One, however, does not become a noble soul by just giving up bad
company and bad thoughts; one has to join good company and also
cultivate good thoughts. One can have good thoughts only by constant
contemplation on God. Perform good deeds day and night. At all
times, at all places and under all circumstances, man has to contemplate on God and involve himself in his work. (15.4.1999)
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Air is everywhere. It is invisible and we cannot catch it. But nobody has
got any right to deny its existence. It is our life force. So, it does exist
and it is all-pervasive. In your body this air is in a limited quantity. If you
inflate a balloon, the air, which is all-pervasive, enters the balloon. But
its quantity is limited. If you tie the balloon securely with a string, the
air in it cannot merge with the air outside. What is the reason? It has
a limitation as it is encased in a balloon. What should be done to overcome the limitation? The encasement should be destroyed. How?
Pump more and more air into the balloon till it bursts. Then the limited
air in the balloon will get merged with the infinite air outside. Likewise,
the body, which is only a vesture of the divine, is the cause of bondage. In the body too there is the air of divinity. But, it is limited and
bound. If you cultivate purity and divinity more and more, attachment
to the body gets destroyed, which will lead to liberation. (26.4.1999)
The food you eat is impure. The air you breathe is impure. Everything
is impure. Then how can you escape disease? If you do not want disease, eat pure food, breathe pure air, drink pure water and be pure.
But wherever one looks around, there is only impurity. When you are
surrounded by impurity, how can you get purity? When purity manifests from within, you can experience its reflection, reaction and resound in the external world. First and foremost, you have to infuse purity in society. To whomsoever you speak, speak sweetly, not with
hatred, anger and jealousy. First you have to learn this. You cannot always oblige, but you can speak always obligingly. Speak with love.
(1.6.2001)
Today the food you eat, the air you breathe and the water you drink
have become polluted. Consequently, people are suffering from heart
and liver disorders. In olden days, such ailments never existed. The
pollution of food, air and water is the main cause of the diseases. That
is why I have resolved to provide pure drinking water to the needy.
First of all, I started educational institutions and hospitals as education
and health care are very essential for one and all. Then I started Drinking Water Project. I provided water not just by getting borewells dug.
Borewell water may contain excess fluoride, which is harmful for
health. So, I made arrangements to get water from natural sources like
Krishna river. (10.6.2001)
The five elements are the very life principles of man. There can be no
life even if one of the five elements is absent. The air is present in you,
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around you and below you, but you neither can see it nor can catch
hold of it. You cannot deny its existence for you cannot survive without
air. It is present in you in the form of breath. So long as there is breath
in you, you are auspiciousness, otherwise you become a corpse. So,
the breath is the very form of God. Thus, we see that God resides in
man in the form of breath and sustains his life. (9.10.2001)
Vibration symbolizes the breathing process. Sometimes people say:
“My breathing is not proper”. It shows that you are different from it. He
is fool who sees with his eyes yet does not recognize the reality. Man
is immersed in ignorance as he identifies himself with something from
which he is totally different. (...)
Magnetic power is present everywhere. The air, water, food, sound,
everything is suffused with magnetic power On deep enquiry you will
know that magnetic power has no limitations. (13.3.2002)
Love is related to the heart, not to an object or an individual. Love is
like the air that wafts around in the firmament of human heart. It is
around you and sustains you. (14.1.2003)
A car can run smoothly only when there is air in all its four tires. Even
if one tire is punctured, it may lead to accident. The human body is like
a car. Mind is the steering wheel. Righteousness, wealth, desire/requestand liberation are its four tires. They should be filled with the air
of faith. Even if one of the tires is punctured, your life will be put to danger. Your mind should be steady and under control. Only then can you
reach the goal of life, i.e., liberation. (26.2.2006)
Nowadays wherever you see, pollution is increasing. The air you
breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat and the work you do are all polluted. The spiritual practice you have to undertake to
cleanse this polluted atmosphere is prayer to God. It is only when you
are able to remove this pollution and make your hearts pure, you deserve to be called as real human beings. Divinity can be attained only
by purity. And, that purity can be achieved by unity. (5.9.2006)
The body should be purified by undertaking good deeds. Since people
develop many kinds of relationship with the external world, they are,
afflicted with several impurities. It is only when such impurities are
cleared to a certain extent will one keep good health. For example,
there were rains a few days ago. Because of the rains, the water was
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polluted. Several people who drank the polluted water became sick. In
many places, people suffered due to their ill-health. Today the food we
eat, the water we drink and even the air we breathe, are all polluted.
Hence, this widespread pollution has to be controlled at least to a certain extent by undertaking sacred activities. (27.9.2006)
Man's thoughts and resolutions are the root cause for his ill-health. For
all the unrest and agitation he suffers, the qualities are responsible.
Hence, your thoughts must always be good. You may observe that a
person taking good and pure food, drinking pure water and breathing
unpolluted air is always healthy. In contrast, people consuming unsacred food, drinking impure water and inhaling polluted air are exposed
to various kinds of diseases. (29.9.2006)
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Fire
Agnideva, the God of Fire - a legend about him:
When Vyasa yielded thus to his importunity, Parikshit who was all attention replied in a voice chocked with emotion: “Master! I do not see
clearly the reason why my grandfather destroyed the Khandava forest
by means of a conflagration. Tell me how Lord Krishna helped him in
the exploit. Make me happy by relating to me this episode”. Parikshit
fell at the sage's feet and prayed that this may be described to him.
Vyasa complimented him and said: “Right, you have made a request
which does credit to you. I shall comply.”
He continued: “Once, when Krishna and Arjuna were resting happily
on the sands of Yamuna, oblivious of the world and its tangles, an
aged Brahmin approached them and said: 'Son! I am starving. Give
me a little food to appease my hunger, otherwise I cannot keep myself
alive’. At these words, they were suddenly made aware of a strange
presence. Though outwardly he appeared natural, there was a divine
effulgence around him which marked him out as some one apart.
Meanwhile, Krishna came forward and accosted him: 'Great Brahmin!
You do not appear merely human. You will not be satisfied with ordinary food, I can surmise. Ask me the food that you desire for; I shall
certainly give you that'. Arjuna stood at a distance watching this conversation with amazement. For, he heard Krishna, who allayed the
hunger of all beings in all the worlds, asking this lean hungry Brahmin,
what food will satisfy him! Krishna was enquiring so quietly and with so
much consideration that Arjuna was filled with curiosity and surprise.
The Brahmin suddenly burst into laughter and said: 'Lord! Do you not
recognize me? There is nothing in this world - nay - in all the fourteen
worlds that is beyond your ken. I am Prana, one vital principle in your
Creation. I am Agni the Fire-Principle. I regret to inform you that even
I have fallen ill. To cure my indigestion, I feel I must consume the arboreal juice of the Khandava forest. That forest must be burnt in
flames. That alone can appease my hunger and restore my appetite’.
At this, Krishna asked him: ‘Well consume it; why did you come to me
for this? This is indeed amazing; you have power to reduce the universe into ash! Why do you crave another's help?’ When Krishna
asked him thus, pretending ignorance, Agni answered: 'Lord! You
know everything. Does not the great serpent, Thakshaka live in this
Khandava Forest, with his kith and kin, his attendants and associates?
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Indra, the God of Rain, is his close friend, so, he has undertaken the
responsibility of guarding that forest against fire and other calamities.
He has given his word of honor that he will save the forest and thus,
save Thakshaka. So, as soon as I start eating up the forest, Indra will
send his minions and soak the place with rain. I will be so scotched
into inaction that I cannot eat any more. So, I am taking refuge in you'.
Krishna laughed at his fears. He said: ‘If so, we shall help you out. Tell
us what we should do and we are ready’. Agni was delighted. He exclaimed: 'I am indeed blessed; I am saved. You can, if you only decide
to keep back the rain that Indra showers by covering the forest with a
roof of arrows that will allow me to consume the forest undisturbed’.
Krishna assured him that his request would be fulfilled. Your grandfather addressed Agni thus: ‘You can burn up the Khandava forest, without hesitation. My arms have enough strength to oppose and overwhelm not one Indra bat even ten millions of them. But, I have not got
with me the arrows necessary for this operation and the chariot that
can carry all that weight. If these are supplied, I shall carry out your
task, with the gracious permission of Krishna'.
Agnideva, the God of Fire, was gladdened at this; he granted Arjuna
the two boons: an inexhaustible arrowsheath from which he could
draw out a continuous supply of arrows and a chariot with the Maruthi
Flag. Besides he created the Agneyasthra, the Weapon of Fire, and
placing it in the hands of Krishna, took leave of them both.
Son, Parikshit! Krishna, you must remember, accepted that weapon
only to satisfy the God of Fire; he has no need of such weapons. There
is no weapon more effective than his Will; it can, in the fraction of a
second, transform the earth into sky and the sky into the earth. He acts
the human role when he moves among people and so, men frame
their own guesses without understanding the inner significance of his
acts. That is but the consequence of the delusion that veils the vision
of man.
After taking leave of Krishna in this manner, Agnideva started consuming the Khandava forest. Just then, exactly as anticipated, Indra
sent his attendants on the mission of saving the forest from destruction. Their efforts failed to rescue it. They returned to their Master and
reported their discomfiture. So, Indra himself with his stalwart followers rushed to the scene, to save the Khandava forest, and fell upon
your grandfather, Arjuna.
Arjuna received him with a shower of arrows from his famous Gandiva
bow. Indra, too, fought with all his might. Within minutes, the followers
of Indra turned back, unable to withstand the rain of arrows which as80
sailed them from all sides. Indra released that the person who inflicted
the defeat was his own son, Arjuna; he was overcome with shame at
this. He regretted that he could not defeat his own progeny, and returned sad and chastened.
Meanwhile, the God of Fire consumed the forest merrily and with
hearty appetite, swallowing everything with his thousand red tongues
and raising a huge conflagration. Only ash was left behind. Seeing
this, the birds and beasts of the forest tried in vain to escape from the
holocaust, but they could not; they were caught by the flames. Krishna
was going round the forest in his chariot to prevent any denizen from
running out into the open for safety, especially the animals and the
snakes. He discovered the snake Thakshaka, a great friend of Indra,
in the act of escaping from the fire. Krishna called Arjuna near him to
point this out to him; that gave Thakshaka the chance to wriggle out
and speed towards Kurukshethra.
But, Agni pursued the snake; he sought the help of the Wind-God
(Vayudeva) to catch up with his fleeing speed. So, Thakshaka sought
refuge with Maya, the architect of the Devas and the Demons (Danavas); he and Maya were moving fast towards Kurukshethra. Krishna
noticed this and he pursued them. Just then, Maya surrendered to Arjuna and sought his protection for himself and his protege, Thakshaka.
Arjuna granted his wish and so, Maya, out of sense of gratefulness,
fell at his feet and said: 'O son of nandu, I will never forget this kindness. Whatever is in my power, I shall gladly do for you. You have only
to indicate your desire’.
When Devotion is just emerging as a sapling, a fence is needed to protect the tender plant; that fence is Eternal Religion and its rules, regulations and restrictions, directions and commands. When the fruit is
green, it will not fall even when the gale is furious; but when it is fully
ripe, it drops to the ground even in the silence of the night. A small fire
will go out in smoke even if a little green is placed on it, but the forest
fire will reduce to ashes even the greenest tree which impedes its
fierce march! What is needed is the conquest of the ego. (Mahashivaratri, 1955)
Your grandfather reflected for a while and replied: 'Maya! If you yearn
to satisfy me, I demand but one thing: Build a Assembly Hall for my
brother to hold court, the like of which is not to be found on earth. It
must be so grand that no Deva or Demon or Gandharva (a class of
heavenly Musicians) can ever hope to build such a one for himself. It
must fill all who see it with amazement. I have no desire, other than
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this'. Krishna too added a suggestion: 'In that hall of wonder, you must
establish a Throne of Wonder for Dharmaraja, the king of Righteousness, to be seated; then only will the Hall be fully magnificent'. (Bhagavatha Vahini, 114/118)
All beings are Brahman and no other. They all do emanate from Brahman. As sparks emanate from fire, as hair grows on the skin but is different from it, so too beings originate from Brahman. Brahman causes
the sun, moon, stars and planets to revolve in space; Brahman grants
the consequence of all the acts of beings. The Individual and the Universal are two birds sitting on the same tree i.c., the human body. The
Individual acts, and suffers the consequences of those acts. The Universal sits quiet, as a witness of the other bird. When the Individual
looks at the Universal and realizes that it is but an image, it escapes
from grief and pain. When the mind is drawn by yearning to know the
Universal, all other low desires diminish and disappear. Then, knowledge of Atman is attained. (Upanishad Vahini, 22)
Creation was effected without an agent and the Universe emanated.
This Nature is but a transformation of the basic Brahman, like pot from
mud, cloth from cotton, jewels from Gold. So Brahman is called the
cause of nature. For, this Universe can only be the result of a High Intelligence, an Intelligence that is all-comprehensive. Heaven is the
highest attainable stage through Activity. Of such Activity or rites, the
worship of Fire called Agnihotra is the chiefest. The performance of
such rites contributes to the cleansing of the mind. Such cleansing is
a necessary preliminary to Wisdom. The flames that rise high from the
sacrificial altar of fire appear to the performer as if they are hailing him
on to realize the Reality or Brahman. He who does the rite with full
awareness of the significance of the mantra is able to reach the Solar
Splendour, through the offerings made; they take him to the region of
Indra, the Lord of the Gods. (Upanishad Vahini, 23)
When fire burns, its light can be discerned from a distance; but those
who are far cannot hope to feel its warmth. So too, it is easy to describe the splendour of wisdom for persons who are far from acquiring
it; only those who have actually neared it and felt it and are immersed
in it can experience the warmth and the joy, emanating from the passing away of the illusion. (Upanishad Vahini, 42)
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As our attention and our care begin to grow, so also the fruits of our
knowledge begin to grow. It is in this context that it has been said that
where there is care and where there is a desire to learn with attention,
wisdom will appear there. Our devotion is like a creeper and if alongside this creeper, there is the tree of attention and care, then this
creeper can creep and grow quickly. Only when you are able to get
this fire of wisdom into your heart, quickly will it be possible for you to
burn away your desires. Fire always tries to rise higher and higher.
Even if you put the fire in a low ditch it will try and rise higher. Water
on the other hand will rush down even if you pour it on a high level and
on a big mound. Water cannot go higher up on its own. Your sensory
desires relating to the material world are like the water. On the other
hand your thoughts of the Lord are like the fire. Once you understand
and appreciate what is true and what is permanent, then these transient things will not give you any trouble whatsoever. If you want to establish one truth, it is possible to do so only by following and by practicing other related truths. Just as you have to use a thorn to remove
a thorn and just as you have to use a diamond to cut a diamond, so
also if you want to remove the effect of bad actions you can remove
them only by other good actions. A good action is needed to remove
a bad action. Following this, law that a karma has to be done in order
to sanctify another bad action, our vedas have taught us to distinguish
between forbidden work and prescribed work, or the right type of action. Therefore you should make every effort to recognize the aspect
of speech and the life force. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974,
227/228)
Remember evil has in it the potentiality to become good; good has in
it the liability to turn evil. There is no fire without a wisp of smoke; there
is no smoke without a spark of fire. No one is fully wicked, or fully infallible. Take the world as it is, never expect it to conform to your needs
or standards. (3.9.1958)
The flames of anger, pride, hatred, envy are more devastating than
other fires; they arise in the mind stealthily and in spurts; they are ever
demanding more and more to feed upon. Fire is called anala in the
Geetha, for, anala means, “not enough!” Fire never says, “Enough” or
“I am satisfied.” You dread fire when it leaps at a distance; what then
is to be said when it is inside your very self? How to put out these awful
flames? Well, the ancient spiritual code has certain extinguishers tested by experience and guaranteed by sages. They are truth, selfless,
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peace, love and non-violence. Saturate your heart with these and you
are rendered fire- proof. (1.3.1965)
Man is proud that he is flying far into the sky and even landing on the
Moon; but, he is incapable of living at peace with himself or his neighbors. His life on earth is full of fear and anxiety; but, he proclaims without shame that he is the summit of creation! He does not know how to
put down the fire that burns within himself; but he is able to destroy entire cities by fire, emanating from bombs! (12.10.1969)
Devotion is not an acquisition to be advertised; it is a secret gain which
has to be communicated only to God. When the spark of envy envelops the mind, it soon develops into a huge fire and destroys all chances of good. Watch for it vigilantly; envy is only the consequence of
pride and pride comes of ignorance of your role. (20.10.1969)
The Vedic Mantra with which the offering is given to the Gods is: “I propitiate the three-eyed One, the fragrant, the promoter of strength and
sweetness, of light and happiness.” The three eyes signify many
things, which constitute the Divine. The Sun, Moon, Fire which symbolize heat and light; the Gross, Subtle and Causal, which symbolize
the embodiments of the manifold manifestations of the One; Will,
Work and Wisdom, which symbolize the operational channels of the
One Sovereign Power; Doer, Deed, Duty, symbolizing the sense of I
which is the shadow of the One in the many. (4.10.1970)
You have a tiny spark of fire at the end of the incense stick that you
burn in the shrine; you have slightly more fire at the tip of your cigarette; the stove over which you cook is a bigger fire; the forest fire is
also flame. But, the incense stick will be scotched even if by accident
it touches the wall. The fire will go out. The forest fire can reduce to
ashes the greenest of trees, for its heat is beyond calculation. So too
the Divine, in the Incarnation, is inexplicable, incredible, impenetrable.
It is the Fire of Love plus the Fire of Enlightenment, the Fire of Cosmic
Creation as well as the Fire of Cosmic Destruction. (9.10.1970)
The ladder must be as tall as the height to which you want to climb, is
it not? Your spiritual exercise to curb the mind must be carried on step
by step until the goal is gained. The rice in the pot must be well boiled
and become soft and sweet. Until that happens, the fire must burn.
(The Inward Path, 148)
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The Yajur Veda elaborates the importance of rites. These promote the
peace and prosperity of the world, as that is the primary aim of all the
Vedas. Me Yajur Veda hymns extol the glory of the gods and propitiate
the Divine Forces. As a result, gold and grain, wealth and welfare,
plenty and progress are secured by mankind.
The yajna is centered on the adoration of Fire. Man is bound intimately
with Fire all through his life. Man is a warmblooded creature; warmth
promotes intellect and intuition. Calling upon God and placing the offerings in the Fire are acts which bring about rain to provide rich harvests. Fire is thus a valuable medium for gaining safety and security,
for preserving morality and goodness. The Ocean too has Agni (Fire)
latent in its loins.
Man has in his stomach the latent Fire that digests food. God resides
in man as this Fire.
“Aham Vaishvanaro Bhothva
Praninam Deham Ashrithah,”
“Having become the Vaishvanara Fire,
I enter the body of living beings”,
says Krishna. So, it is God that keeps all the limbs trim and makes
keenness and knowledge possible. The latent Fire causes eight functions: It hardens and strengthens the muscles. It develops energy. It
ensures healthy progeny. It makes one patient and therefore a better
instrument. It increases the duration of life. It sharpens and deepens
memory. It confers boldness of thought and action.
In order to light the Fire in the sacrificial enclosure, a churning rod of
hardwood is used on a block of similar hardness. The timber has to be
banyan or peepul. The block is the mother and the churner is the father. Agni or Fire is the child. It consumes the parents when it is born!
They are reduced to ashes, that is to say, that child becomes one with
them and they become one with their progeny. All three are inseparably related. The son of God, Jesus, declared: “I and my Father are
One.” The religion of the Paarsis also considers the highest truth as:
“I am the Light” and “Me Light is in me.”
The Yajur Veda has a name for Agni, the Deity of fire, Tiger! When
Agni is treated without faith and reverence, it destroys the very person
who feeds it, just as the tiger which tears its own cubs with its deadly
claws. Another characteristic of Agni is its presence everywhere. Scientists and technologists today are proud that they have grasped the
secrets of the five elements - ether, air, fire, water and earth. But, they
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are still unaware of the intimate kinship each of them has with man and
his daily life. The sages of the past have delved into the mystery and
revealed it to the world. Notice, for example, that birds do not rest on
the ground at night. They prefer tree tops. Why? The rishis of Vedic
times explain that they seek to avoid the heat latent in the earth but
patent to them. Man is unaware of this fact but the birds know it.
The norms of action and behavior in this land, of those who are cognizant or not cognizant of the reasons, are all in conformity with the
Vedas. They have penetrated the nature of the people so deeply that
no one can act in contravention. Every phase of their activity, from
dawn to dusk and nightfall, are as dictated by the Vedas. Living is in
fact a real Vedic yajna, whether one knows it or not. (...)
In the yajna that is being performed here, every formula that is uttered
and every offering made has to be suffused with renunciatory feelings
and the awareness of the Divine. We have here Salutation to Sun God
on one side, Fire offering to God Rudra on another, Worship of thousand Shiva Lingas nearby, worship of Shakthi, the Divine Mother at
the end, and Pandits reciting Devi Bhagavatha, Ramayana, etc. (...)
Behind this ritual of Fire, there lies a small mystery, which has to be
cleared, so that you can understand how the offering, addressed to
the deity which is invoked by the mantra uttered while placing it in the
Fire, can reach that very deity. Well, the Yajur Veda describes the
Flames of the Sacred Fire as the Tongues of God. When the offering
is dropped into Fire, in the name of the God, the proper name and address have to be uttered at the same time. It is like the post box. When
a letter is properly addressed and dropped into the box at Prashanthi
Nilayam, it will reach any place, even as far as Japan or Russia. If the
address indicates Prashanthi Nilayam, it will be delivered to the person at Prashanthi Nilayam. The address has to be full and correct, that
is all. And, the stamp has to be of the correct value. (...)
There are three fires, lit in correctly prepared sacrificial pits - the Dakshina Agni, Garhapathya Agni and the Ahavaniya Agni. The question
may arise, what need is there to distinguish three types of fire, when
fire is only one in reality. But, consider this illustration. We light a fire
to cook the meal. The fire softens and makes the food palatable and
digestible. The fire that reduces the human corpse on the pyre into
ashes is another. Though it is as much fire as the fire in the kitchen,
no one bakes a roti over it in order to make it eatable. It is treated as
profane and unholy. As distinct from these two, consider this Ritual
Fire. This fire is venerated as the central deity of the Vedic Yajna, as
Vishnu Himself, the sustenance and support of the worlds. We pros86
trate before this fire, an act of adoration which we refuse to the fire that
cooks or the fire that consumes the body; neither do we offer oblations
in the kitchen fire nor do we utter invocatory hymns and formulae. We
do that only for this ritual Fire.
This fire is like the post box, of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. When you drop your letter, duly stamped and addressed, into
that box, the department ensures that it will be carried over to the person whose address it bears. (21.10.1982)
Gold gets refined when it is burnt and melted in fire. So also a true devotee will never falter in his love for God even when he faces troubles
and obstacles in his life. God tests his devotees only to lift them up to
a higher level in the spiritual ladder. A true devotee leads a sacred life
which is sanctified when he faces the obstacles and problems with full
faith in the Divine. The body is only for leading a sacred life.
(14.4.1993)
The elements five make the body
And it will fall one day for sure.
Beyond death and birth is the dweller in the body
And beyond the bounds of delusion too.
For, he is verily the Lord Himself. (...)
We need not carry a lamp to see a burning lamp, for the burning lamp
can be seen by its own light. When the Self shines in all its splendour
by its own light in everyone, we do not need any other light of knowledge to see the self. It is not possible to see the light of Atman even
by the light of intellect (buddhi), since buddhi derives its light only from
the self. Intellect is like the bulb and the self is the electricity. It is the
light of the Atman that shines through the senses and the organs of the
body.
The mind manifests its influence in the state of waking and dream. The
mind comes to a standstill in the state of deep-sleep. Here the mind
shines as Super-Intellectual Consciousness. Though consciousness
is present everywhere, it shines with special illumination in the realm
of the intellect, just as the fire associated with the iron emits more heat
than ordinary fire. In this state of super-intellectual consciousness,
mind comes to a standstill and ushers in the state of super-mind. The
super-mind enjoys a state of steady serenity without delusion. It is
when you attain this state of steady and unruffled serenity that you can
reach the lofty heights of the over-mind. There is no room for worldly
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thoughts to enter in this ecstatic state, in the same way as snakes and
scorpions can never enter into well illuminated rooms. (...)
It is natural even for a strong block of iron to acquire rust while it is buried in dust. The block of iron when rusted loses its shine and strength.
The same block of iron shines with splendour when it is cast into fire.
After undergoing severe treatment in fire, a piece of iron becomes
bright, soft and strong. Similarly man's duty lies in self transformation.
By such sincere self transformation, rnan can transform even black
into white.
For example, a piece of dark charcoal cannot be whitened by either
rubbing it with soap or rinsing it in milk But both soap and milk turn
black due to the company of the black charcoal, So men have to conduct an investigation to find out how charcoal becomes white. Charcoal, which was once a piece of wood turned black due to its unfinished purification in the fire. It neither enjoys its natural state nor its
finished state. Since it is in the middle state, it is marked by impurities.
It is only by throwing charcoal into fire, and exposing it to the full heat
of burning flames, that it can be whitened. It is only by exposing it to
the ordeal of fire that the charcoal becomes white and bright. The
white ash which ultimately remains is worthy of worship and is applied
as Vibuthi (sacred ash) on the forehead. (...)
Sacred ash imparts a great lesson and wisdom to all of you.
“Oh man! All objects of the world are destined to end up
as ash after going through the purification process in fire”.
It also teaches that everything is temporary and nothing is permanent.
It is the voice of the Atman which is everlasting. This Atmic principle is
the very embodiment of Divinity and Sanctity. This is the unique excellence of human beings. Though you are endowed with Supreme Divinity, you are not able to realize its presence within you. Such a man
is like the one who goes for treasure hunting elsewhere, when the very
treasure is hidden under his feet in the bowels of earth. You will not
search for pearls outside when you realize that there are precious
pearls in you.
When there is a lamp in your house,
why should you go begging for the fire elsewhere?
Why should you go in search of God
when the Lord of Lords is housed in you?
You need not go elsewhere
when you realize that the Lord is enthroned in your heart.
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When you are established in the truth that the Divinity in you is all pervasive, you feel greatly energized. The realization of this truth erases
the difference between you and God, mine and thine. The same self
runs as an undercurrent in all the elements of the world. You have not
come newly for the first time into this world. You have changed many
bodies, but the atmic principle in you is the unchanging Reality. You
are infinite. For example, if you go to the ocean and start counting the
number of waves in the ocean you will realize that you can never trace
the beginning of a wave nor can you find an end to the waves in the
ocean. There are waves as long as there is the ocean. There is consciousness as long as there is the universe. (...)
The secret of life lies in the harmonious suffusion of the perishable and
imperishable. Whereas the body is perishable, the Atman is imperishable. This proves beyond doubt that life is marked by the existence of
the perishable body and the imperishable self, the Atman. The imperishable self is enveloped by the perishable body. These two exist together intertwined and interconnected. It is the union of these two that
contributes to the oneness of humanity. For example, the matchstick
which I hold in my hand, is not aflame (Bhagwan creates a match box
on the stage and pulls out a match-stick from the match-box and holds
it in his hand). Once the match-stick is aflame, it can burn anything that
comes in contact with it.
But where is the fire? Is it in the rnatch-stick or in the match-box? In
fact, the fire is latent in the match-stick as well as in the match-box. It
shows that the fire latent in these two is ignited, when the stick and box
come in contact. Similarly the effulgence latent in the heart and the
mind emerges as Divinity when the heart and the mind act in unison.
Just as the fire latent in the match-box and the match-stick is one only,
the effulgence encased in the mind and the heart is the same. In case
the match-stick is dipped in water, no fire emanates from it, the cause
being, the match-stick loses its capacity to be aflame. Similarly, the
human mind sunken in materialistic desires, loses its capacity to radiate the Divine Atmic splendour. When does the match-stick regain its
original capacity to be aflame?
It is only when it is dried in the sun, it regains its original, capacity,
since the sun's rays dries the dampness of the matchstick. In the same
way the human mind steeped in sensual pleasures, regains its original
potency and radiates Divine effulgence when it is dried in the sun of
detachment. The birth of detachment in man assures him, of the birth
of bliss in him. Even if people practise for ages, they do not radiate Divine splendour as long as their minds are sunk in the waters of sensual
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pleasures. There is no salvation for man as long as his mind and heart
do not become one, aflame with Divine radiance. Man should realize
the truth about the transience and impermanence of the human body.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1993)
As fire arises in forests, Agni got the name Aranya (Forest). Man's life
originates in fire, grows on fire and ends in fire. Born from the warm
womb of the mother, sustained by the fire of his digestive organ, man
ultimately ends on the funeral pyre. Fire is thus the basic cause of human birth and death. (24.10.1993)
Here is a piece of burning charcoal. If you take proper care of it, it will
keep burning. But if you neglect it, it will soon get covered up with ashes. In the heart of every human being, there is fire of wisdom (JnanaAgni). That fire signifies a pure heart. Today we are not able to see
that fire because the heart is enveloped by the ash of worldly desires.
When the ash is blown away, the fire will be visible. Men tend to forget
the noble and ideal sentiments in their hearts because they are covered by worldly material and sensual desires. (21.7.1994)
The second is anger. A man consumed by anger can never be free
from misery. Anger carries with it a blazing fire. Anger is also described as the fire of anger. As long as one is consumed by the fire,
he cannot have happiness. To get freedom from misery, man has to
get rid of anger. Anger is also the cause of depravity in man. It ruins
him in various ways. It alienates him from his kith and kin. (11.7.1995)
The other day you witnessed in the sports festival a young child dancing as Krishna on the hood of a serpent. Owing to the firing of some
crackers, the cloth on a platform where the child was dancing caught
fire. As the flames rose, the police, the students and others rushed to
the spot with buckets of water to put out the fire. There was great commotion. But the child Krishna went on with his dance, totally indifferent
to what was happening all around. His entire concentration was on the
role he was playing. The child went on with the dance with his concentration on Swami. His eyes were centered on Swami. When one's look
is centered on the Lord, nothing untoward can happen. All around the
child, the decorations had been prepared with paper. Behind the decorations five hundred children were seated. What disaster might have
happened if the fire had spread towards them? But, even a mountain
of danger will melt away like ice if one's thoughts are centered on God.
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This means that together with concern for worldly things, there should
be devotion to God. (14.1.1996)
To differentiate God from yourself is ignorance. All are fragments of
the Divine, sparks from the same flame. When the sparks are near the
fire, they retain their heat and light. But when they are away, they turn
into charcoal. Likewise, when one is near God, Existence-Consciousness-Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda) will be in him. When he is remote from
God, he will lose the attributes of the Divine. He will be immersed in
ignorance. It is not mastery of books and scholarship which makes a
person a knower of the Supreme Truth. To perceive the One without
a second is Knowledge. (18.1.1996)
Every substances has its inherent Quality. This quality is independent
of one's belief. It is its inherent nature. For instance, that which has the
quality of burning has been called fire. The natural quality of fire is to
burn. This quality is not based on anyone's faith or opinion. Whether
you are aware of this quality or not, when you touch fire it will cause a
burn. (29.5.1996)
To experience God you have to apply the heat of the fire of spiritual
knowledge to the heart filled with love. You must come near to God
and become dear to him through your love. When that happens desires disappear. (31.7.1996)
Love is as vital for a human as fire is vital for a lump of coal to sparkle.
You should get rid of weakness by concentrating on Divine Love, as
Divine grace confers the greatest strength. All other things may come
and go but Divine Grace is ever flowing. (17.7.1997)
Agni (Fire) is another of Nature's preceptors. It tells man: “My son! I
make no difference between good and bad. I do not gain by burning
one thing or lose by not burning something. I treat all alike whatever
comes into my orbit. Learn to see the Divine in all things. This is the
way to gain knowledge of the Self.” (8.10.1997)
Bad qualities like hatred, anger and desire are responsible for restlessness. The worst enemy of mankind is desire. In this way, desire always remains an enemy to mankind. So, one should keep desire under control. The desires are capable of ruining not only mankind, but
also gods like Indra and Chandra. One can never satisfy one's de91
sires. Vedanta has compared desire to fire and to the ocean. Fire will
never be satisfied, whatever the quantity of firewood you may put into
it. The Bhagavadgita has given the epithet, Analam, to fire, which
means that it can never be satisfied and keeps asking for more and
more. Similar is the case with the ocean. It keeps accepting any number of rivers that merge in it, and yet remains the same. Ocean and fire
have no trace of satisfaction. Therefore, limitless desires are compared to these two.
The whole world is like a book, read it well. Nature is the best teacher.
There are lots of things in this world to be known. You cannot find God
by going through a book or by undertaking spiritual practices. By constantly reading books, one becomes a book oneself! All that is contained in book is stored in the head. Reading books will only increase
your doubts. The more intelligent you are, the more you get doubts.
Developing compassion is the real spiritual practice. Only when you
lead a life full of compassion, you will be able to see God, the embodiment of compassion. (...)
God is not separate from you. He is in you. But you are distancing him
from yourself Out of the fire comes the ash, but it covers the fire itself.
Once you blow the ash away, you can see the fire. Similarly, there is
the fire of Divinity in you, but it is covered by the ash of worldly desires.
In order to see God, you do not need to undertake any spiritual practices. All that you have to do is to get rid of ignorance. God is more
close to you than even your own mother. You are distancing yourself
from such Divinity. That is ignorance. In order to get rid of this ignorance, you should develop Love. (4.9.1998)
There is love in you, but you are limiting it to your family, friends and
relatives. But remember that your relatives will come with you only up
to the burial ground. It is only God, who is with you always, even after
your death. (...)
Today you have endless worries such as birth, death, old age, losses,
failures, family life etc. All these are of your own making. They arise
because of your attachment and delusion. God does not give them.
Who is the giver and who is the receiver, when you are God yourself.
So long as you have delusion, you cannot attain God. Just as ash covers the fire, likewise delusion conceals your true identity. Fire is seen
when ash is blown away. Similarly, you can have the vision of the Self,
when you give up body attachment. (26.9.1998)
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When fire and coal are placed apart, they remain as they are. Only
when they are brought together and fanned, can coal get transformed
into fire. Likewise, go closer to God and love him wholeheartedly.
Such nearness and dearness to God will ultimately make you one with
God. (11.10.1998)
God is like fire and you are like coal. When coal comes in contact with
fire, coal becomes one with fire. Similarly, when you come in contact
with God you become one with him. Have total faith in God.
(25.12.1998)
One who has doubts about God cannot have divine grace. One who
has no sincerity of purpose cannot come up in life. A man with sincerity
will make the best use of even the smallest opportunity given to him.
For example, he can turn even a small bit of live ember into a big fire.
On the other hand, a man who lacks sincerity cannot make fire even
if large quantities of live embers are given to him. He will turn all the
live embers into charcoal with his lackadaisical attitude. You should
have utmost sincerity in matters pertaining to divinity. (30.5.1999)
What is meant by immortality? The body is mortal, but the life principle
is imperishable. If you have to attain this level of immortality, extend
total love to God. This should be unconditional love. There should be
no conditions to love. It is like going to goldsmith with a piece of gold
and asking him to make some jewelry of the design of your liking. Your
business is only to leave the gold with him with the condition that the
weight and design should be to your specification. You have no business to interfere in the manner in which he converts your lump of gold
into the piece of jewel you want. If you start stipulating that he should
not burn it in fire, or beat it with a hammer, how can you get the ornament that you ordered? In the same way, if you surrender your heart
to God with conditions and reservations, how can you attain the bliss
that you seek? Once complete surrender is effected, God will grant
you the bliss you deserve. What he does with it in the meanwhile is his
business. Love full of conditions will only result in a very sad state of
your body and mind. Therefore, pray to God with unconditional surrender. When all that you possess, your body, your mind, your intellect
are his gifts, where is the need for your laying conditions?
(23.11.1999)
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Pleasure and pain come together just as the bitter rind and the sweet
juice coexist in an orange. You cannot enjoy the sweet juice of sugarcane unless it is crushed. Likewise, gold has to be put in fire, hammered and cut before it is made into a beautiful jewel. Similarly, humanness will shine only when one undergoes trials and tribulations.
(14.1.2000)
When you touch a hot iron ball, you say, that your hand is singed by
it. But it is not the ball that singed your hand. The fire present within
the ball singed your hand. The world, like the iron ball, is not the cause
either for the pain or for the pleasure you experience. The divine power is present within you. You do not recognize that power and wail over
your sufferings and difficulties. (5.3.2000)
The Body is being incinerated with hatred. No separate cremation is
required for the body; this blazing hatred itself will reduce it to ashes.
Man brings about his own end by the fire of hatred. (10.9.2000)
You must speak the truth and practise righteousness. What is dharma? That which sustains you is dharma. Dharma is the true nature of
man. Fire is that which bums. If it does not burn, it is mere coal. Only
when dharma is well established in a person, his humanness manifests. The principle of love must shine prominently in you. (25.9.2000)
Therefore, you should never entertain bad thoughts. You should recognize the purity present in humanity. Fire burns everything. Cosmic
Divine is like fire. It is present everywhere and incinerates all evil to
asahes. (22.11.2000)
You do not know how great this bliss is. Just as a small piece of wood
becomes fire when it comes into contact with fire, so also when you
are close to me mentally, you become Divine. Your mind will be illumined and will dispel the darkness of ignorance in you. (5.7.2001)
There is gold in every man. Iron and various other metals are also
present in God. The Vedas declare: “God pervades the body in the
form of essence”. What is the significance of lingodbhava? God is
known as Hiranyagarbha (one having a golden womb). The golden essence present in his womb undergoes a vigorous churning process
and assumes the shape of a linga. Linga means a symbol or a sign.
(Showing the golden linga that he created in the beginning of his dis94
course) Bhagawan said: As you can see, it has no distinctive features
like eyes, face, etc. It has neither feet nor head. It can be placed in any
manner. It symbolizes the formless divinity. It is the basis of everything. The golden rasa after assuming the shape of a linga emerges
out. You need fire in order to melt gold. Similarly, the fire within melts
the gold and moulds it in the shape of a linga. Hence, the difficulty at
the time of its emergence. It has to assume the form of a linga and
come out. You feel Swami is put to a lot of suffering at the time of lingodbhava. It is not really a suffering but a teaching for you. Is it not natural for a mother to undergo labour pains while giving birth to a child?
Will any mother curse her child just because she is put to a lot of suffering? She always prays for the well-being of the child. (13.3.2002)
You should firmly install divinity in your heart. You should take care
that worldly desires find no place in your mind. Burn to ashes all desires completely in the fire of wisdom. Even if a trace of worldliness is
left in you, it will multiply manifold and lead you astray. In order to free
yourself from bad deeds and bad habits, make sure that you do not
have even a shred of desire in you. (22.7.2002)
To which time does Rishi Kanada belong? Twenty thousand years
ago, people were all praise for Kanada and his teachings. Kanada recognized the principles of Hydrogen and Oxygen. The scientists observed that hydrogen represented the water principle, while oxygen
represented the fire principle. Today people attach great value to the
observations made by scientists, but fail to understand and appreciate
the great truths taught by our rishis out of their experience. (24.7.2002)
Mind plays many tricks and makes man forget the reality. It is almost
impossible for anyone to comprehend the nature of mind. Flies and
mosquitoes land on every object but never do they go near fire. Likewise, the mind gets attracted by material objects and goes everywhere
but always shies away from God. The mind should be made pure and
selfless and it should always remain focused on God. That is true spiritual practices. All the spiritual practices are meant to control the mind.
(21.8.2002)
Krishna and Balarama, along with other cowherd boys, would take
cows for grazing to the banks of the Yamuna and immerse themselves
in fun and frolic. One day, the cowherd boys were lost in bliss as they
were watching the divine pranks of Krishna. Consequently, they forgot
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the surroundings and their cows. As they were resting after grazing, all
of a sudden, they felt hot wind blowing from all directions. They released that they were being surrounded by wild fire. The raging conflagration was so intense that they were even unable to open their
eyes and see. The cows started running helter-skelter, unable to bear
the scorching heat. Nobody could control them. The intensity of heat
became more and more every moment. Then the cowherd boys
prayed to Krishna to come to their rescue: “Oh Krishna! You alone can
extinguish this fire and save us.” Seeing their plight, Krishna laughed
and said, “Oh cowherd boys! You have been moving with me, playing
with me and enjoying the bliss. It is rather strange that you are fearstricken even after experiencing my divinity. Many times in the past,
you were witnesses to my slaying the demons sent by Kamsa. Then
why are you afraid when I am with you? (...)
Krishna told them to close their eyes and contemplate on him for a
while. The cowherds implicitly obeyed his command. They closed their
eyes and started chanting his name. The next moment, Krishna commanded them to open their eyes. Lo and behold! The wild fire had totally disappeared and all their cows were grazing as if nothing had
happened. Their joy knew no bounds. They wanted to return to their
respective homes at once and narrate the wonderful miracle that
Krishna had performed. The cowherd boys had experienced many
such miracles which proved the divinity of Krishna. (31.8.2002)
Man today is playing with the fire of sensual pleasures. But, how long
you can continue like this? There is absolutely no purpose in indulging
in this game. All your wealth and pleasures will disappear in a trice. It
is only self-respect which will continue to be your companion throughout your life. Therefore, cultivate self-respect, which is a divine quality.
Only then can you achieve the highest honor of the country.
(22.11.2002)
Today man is subjected to untold suffering because he lacks human
values. That which has the innate capability to burn is called fire. In the
same manner, only the one with human values is a human being. One
bereft of human values is not a human being at all. You may be highly
educated and occupying an exalted position, but if you lack human
values, you will be considered inhuman. Hence, drive away evil qualities in the first instance. (25.12.2002)
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Man is endowed with infinite divine power. A piece of red-hot iron can
be put to better use than the fire itself. The body can be compared to
a piece of iron and the divinity within to fire. Man should, therefore understand this truth and make proper use of his body. (...)
When you see smoke emerging from the hills, it is an indication that
there is fire. When you see the fire directly, it is called direct evidence.
If you see only the smoke and not the fire, you presume that there is
fire behind the smoke. It is only a possibility. It is deductive evidence.
It is possible that sometimes fog appears as smoke and, actually,
there may not be fire in the hills. Therefore, the conclusion gives rise
to doubt. (1.1.2003)
God exists everywhere. But you are unable to expenses this truth because your heart is filled with doubts. Suppose, you have a matchbox
in your pocket. There is fire in each matchstick. But, will it burn your
pocket? No. Fire is produced only when you strike a matchstick on the
matchbox. In the same manner, there is the matchbox of divinity in every man. When you strike the matchstick of divine name on the matchbox of divinity, the fire of wisdom is produced. (18.5.2003)
Another attempt of this kind was made when some of them set fire to
the house in which I used to stay. It had a thatched roof. At night some
miscreants set fire to the house. As flames were rising high, people
were worried as to what would have happened to me inside. Suddenly, there was a heavy rain which poured down just above the house
and put out the fire. There was not a drop of rain anywhere else. Venkamma, Subbamma and Easwaramma came there weeping. The roof
was fully burnt and only the walls were standing. They found me totally
unharmed. (23.11.2003)
Thirst is a fire manifest as divinity quench our thirst by drinking water,
which is an manifestation of the divine. (2.7.2004)
There is another interesting phenomenon in nature. The branches of
a tree rub against each other due to the wind and fire is born out of that
friction between two pieces of wood. How does it happen? Though
there is fire in the wood of a tree, it is not burnt away. Why? No scientist could ever discover this secret so far. There are several such inexplicable phenomena in nature. With a view to recognize and understand such phenomena, man is constantly engaged in the quest for
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divinity. However, one need not search for God, who is omnipresent.
(...)
They are natural phenomena that manifest out of divine will. For example, when two pieces of stone are struck against each other, fire is
born. It means, there is fire latent in the stone, but does not manifest
outside. Thus, all the powers are latent in nature. (...)
A newly married daughter-in-Iaw by name Suguna arrived in that village. Her mother-in-Iaw told her to go to the house of Nanda and get
her lamp lighted from theirs. When Suguna went to the house of Nanda and lighted the lamp, she could visualize Krishna in that flame. On
having this divine vision, she lost her body consciousness. She fixed
her gaze on that beautiful form of Lord Krishna and was lost in bliss.
She could not even realize that her fingers were being burnt, having
come into contact with the flame. She was in total bliss. In the meanwhile, other ladies from the neighboring houses also came there to
light their own lamps. They were wonderstruck on witnessing this
scene. They could notice that Suguna was not moving away from the
flame even though her fingers were being burnt. They then released
that she had the vision of Krishna in that flame. They sang a song describing this incident. (6.9.2004)
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Water
The rain falling on the mountain range slides down the sides into many
valleys and flows as turbid streams. The same rain falling on fresh water lakes or limpid rivers remains pure and clear. The sages who are
cognizant of their Atmic Reality are transformed into the purity, equanimity and charity represents. They are ever in the full awareness of
the Atman, their Divine Self. In the purified consciousness of these
person, there is the experience of identification. Likes and dislikes,
sense of I and mine, anxiety and calmness, elation when praised and
depression when blamed - these cannot contaminate or agitate a person who has attained that state. These opposites become balanced
and are accepted with equanimity as waves on the Atmic Consciousness. This is the authentic Atman Attitude, the Brahman inlook the
Unitary Vision. (Sutra Vahini, 53)
The Sanyasi can be likened to a apecies of fish. The fish moves
around in the depth of the lake; it will not be stationary at one spot. And
while moving around, the fish eats up worms and the eggs of pests,
thus cleansing the water. So too, the Sanyasi should always be on the
move journeying into the far corners of the land. His duty is to cleanse
society of evil by his example and precept. He must transform it by his
teachings into a society free from vice and wickedness. (Vidya Vahini,
51)
The lotos leaf is born under water; it floats on water; but it does not get
wet. Man, too, must be in the world likewise - in it, by it, for it, but not
of it. This is the special feature of higher education, to prepare you for
this role.
That is to say, with the heart immersed in the Divine and the hands
busy in work, man must live on earth. (Vidya Vahini, 60/61)
When the rains come, earth and sky are one in the sheety downpour.
It is indeed a beautiful inspiring scene, a scene by which creation
which creation itself is teaching you to become One, in unison with it.
There are three lessons that can be learnt:
The impermanence of created things,
the role of man as the servant,
and God as the Master.
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This creation is the wherewithal of the ceremony, man is the worshipper, and God, the worshipped. The game called Life is played with
these. (Prema Vahini, 8)
When the rains pour on the mountain peaks and the water hurries
down the sides, no river emerges therefrom. When however the waters flow in a single direction, first a brook, then a stream, then a torrent, and finally, a flooded river is formed, and the rains reach the sea.
Water that runs in one direction reaches the sea; water flowing in four
directions gets dissipated and lost. The man’s life are of this type. Of
what use are they, if they merely come and go, this way today and that
way, the next? The holy stream of a good lifetime must flow full and
steady along the fields of holy thoughts and finally abide in the great
Ocean of Bliss at the moment of Death. Worthy indeed is he who
reaches such a Goal. (Prema Vahini, 32)
Rama said: “My mission is only the kinship of Devotion. I have no kinship of race or caste. Of what use is it to have status, wealth and character, without Devotion? Like the cloud that does not bear rain, which
wanders about in the sky, these people without devotion are at the
mercy of the winds, whatever their status in caste, wealth, power and
fame. Devotees reach me through nine paths; any one of them takes
them to me”. (...)
If the devotee sincerely practises any one of these paths, he can attain
me. I am bound by these nine forms of Devotion. (Prema Vahini, 57/
58)
A farmer cleans and levels the land, removes the stones and thorns,
ploughs and prepares the field, manures and strengthens the sole,
waters and fertilizes it, and by sowing, transplanting, weeding, spraying and waiting, he reaps the crop; after winnowing and threshing, he
stacks the corn. All these various processes are for the sake of the
stomach; so too, one must feel that all the hunger, thirst, joy and sorrow, grief and loss, suffering and anger, food and appetite are but impulses helping us towards attaining the Presence of the Lord. When
one has this attitude, sin will never tarnish these activities. The appetites too will vanish, without a vestige of name of form. (Prema Vahini,
66)
The association with the knowers of Brahma, the discussion with them
of the Nature of the Absolute in a spirit of bumility and earnestness, a
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thirst to realize the Reality, unwavering Love towards the Lord, these
are the characteristics of those established in Divine Love. Such stalwarts will not be affected by derision or praise, by wind or sun or rain,
by honor or dishonor; they will tread the path of liberation free from all
attachment to anything except the one single aim of releasing the Bliss
of Unison with the basic Brahma. (Prashanti Vahini, 83)
Krishna said: “The Karmas that do not bind by consequence are those
referred to as sacrifice (yajna). All the rest are bondage-producing
ones. Therefore, o Arjuna, give up all attachment and engage in acts,
as if they are each a sacrifice dedicated to the Lord.” Krishna taught
Arjuna the origins of activity, the roots from where the urge to do
something sprouts and grows. He taught them so clearly that Arjuna's
heart was really moved and modified. The Vedas emanated from God;
activity emanated from the Vedas; from activity originated sacrifice,
from sacrifice, Rain; from Rain grew Food; from Food came all living
beings. This is the cycle that has to be accepted and honored. (Gita
Vahini, 46)
You derive benefit from the world and from the community and so
some activity on your part is their due. This is really speaking a huge
workshop; every human being is a limb in this organization. The limb
is a allotted a task in accordance with its structure and it must find its
fulfillment in doing that particular work. Whatever work one has been
allotted has to be done as an offering to God. There is no single thing
in the Universe that does not engage itself in this great task. Plant and
insect, stone and stump, wind and rain, heat and cold, if each of these
does not work as per Plan, the world cannot subsist. The Sun and the
Moon carry on their routine tasks; wind and fire have to perform their
duties without demur. If the Earth and the Sun refuse to do the alloted
duties what is to happen to the world? So there is no one who is without tasks, but yet with body! It is only when each performs his take
without fail, and with care, that the wheel will move quick and smooth.
(Gita Vahini, 47/48)
Krishna said: “If a seed is planted in the earth and watered, in a day or
two it will drink in the moisture and swell in size. The sprouting has not
yet taken place but the first change is this. The Cosmos is happening
of this type. Next, in accordance with the will of the Lord, a sprout arises. From it, five leaves break forth the subtle principles of the Five Elements. The entire Creation is the combined product of these eight;
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Naturalpower, Cosmos, Consciousness and the Five Elements.” Gita
Vahini, 103)
It has to be made clear that life thrives on death. Life is based on
death. One living thing consumes another, in order that it may live.
The strong trample on the weak. This tale of terror continues unceasingly. That is the very nature of this world. Seeing this, people conclude that, if the world was created by God he should be Cruelly itself.
Such inference appears justified from the ordinary man's point of view.
But, the Bharatiya Paramartha Vahini, the Pure Stream of Bharatiya
Spiritual Culture declares that this is not true at all! God is not the
cause of either misery or joy, of good fortune or bad, it announces.
Then, who brings about the evil and the good? We ourselves, is the
answer. Rain falls equally on ploughed land as well as unploughed.
Only the ploughed land derives benefit therefrom. The clouds are not
to blame. The fault lies in the ignorant idler who lets his land lie fallow.
The Grace of God is ever at hand; it has no 'more or less', no ups or
downs. We draw upon it, more or less, or let it go by, or use it for our
good. (Bharatiya Paramartha Vahini, 84)
Karma means movement, or that which urges the movement. Air
moves in space; the moving air results in heat. It is the friction caused
by aerial motion that makes the latent heat manifest. Living beings are
able to maintain the temperature of the body, so long as air is breathed
in and breathed out. The quicker the breath, the warmer the body.
Warmth is the characteristic of fire. Fire is the origin of water. The Sun,
as one can see, raises clouds. The particles of water get mixed with
other elements and then, hardens into 'earth' (ground, soil). The earth
produces and fosters plants and trees, which feed and foster man and
keep him hale and hearty. These plants give the grain that man lives
upon and the seminal fluid that produces progeny is the gift of the
grain. Thus is the Karma of creation effected and continued. (Sathya
Sai Vahini, 132)
If one does not get rain in time for his crop, he can venture to fly into
the clouds and scatter chemicals in order to induce showers, by artificial means. But, what guarantee is there that the rain thus produced
will fall on one's own land? Artificial means cannot affect the mood of
gods. They help or hinder according to their will. When all paths are
closed and when, at last, one decides to pray to God for rain; how is
the prayer to be framed, in what form should it be uttered, these prob102
lems confront one. The disaster is evident; the only refuge is prayer:
“O God! The growing crop in my field is fast drying up on account of
unhearable thirst for rain. The canal has not even a drop of water to
slake the thirst of men and cattle. Therefore, have pity on us. Give us
rain, in plenty, soon”.
Meanwhile, another problem has risen, let us say. One's neighbor has
arranged for the celebration of some festival and since rain will ruin the
festival he has planned, and cause great inconvenience to the participants, he prays equally fervently: “O God, keep off the rains until this
celebration is over”.
Both these applicants are intense devotees of God, the one who clamours for rain and the one who opposes the rain. What is God to do under these conditions? Whose prayer is he to fulfil? Of course, answering prayers saturated with sincerity is the characteristic of the Divine;
when the prayers of devotees clash, how is he to shape his Grace?
God is free, his will is Law. But, he is bound in some sense by his own
Love and Compassion. (...)
To satisfy the proper and praise-worthy desires of his subjects is the
inescapable duty of the monarch. It is for this reason that the monarch,
in order to carry out his duties effectively and smoothly, has assigned
the task to many subordinate authorities, instead or himself attending
to all matters concerning the kingdom and the subjects.
The rulers of worldly states have perforce to lay down hard and fast
limitations and conditions, disciplines and duties in order to ensure
welfare, prosperity and progress. Imagine then how many more such
have to be imposed by the Lord who holds himself responsible for the
entire Cosmos! For the smooth and safe working of the various facets
of Nature, he has to prescribe flawjess rules. Just contemplate how
numerous and universal they have to be! These affect every activity
and inactivity in nature. Each unit must have (and has) its own peculiar
restrictions and regulations. It is more or less, itself, within the larger
framework. It has a separate Head with limbs of government coordinating duties and responsibilities and cooperating; with others.
The prayers of the afflicted for timely help or useful guidance are attended to by the appropriate units only. Therefore, if through ignorance or want or care, the pleading is addressed to the wrong Head,
what can he do? He can only cast it aside, remarking that it does not
concern him since it has been wrongly addressed to him. So, prayers
for specific benefits and bounties have to be directed to the departments with which they are related. The divinity concerned with rain is
Indra. So, prayers for rain or about rein have to be directed to him, for,
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he alone is authorized to deal with such. Similarly, Surya is the Head
of the Realms of Health and Splendour. Ganesha is the Head of the
department that deals with prevention of difficulties that hamper good
works. Bhudevi is the goddess in charge of vegetation. Cultivated
crops and medicinal plants are fostered by Chandra. Thus, each
group of Divine manifestations and expressions has a lesser divine
authority empowered to supervise and manage it. They are referred to
as Deities. There are Deities supervising, guarding and guiding each
one of the senses of man.
It may be asked: “God is One. Why then can he not listen to and fulfil
our prayers himself?” This question is based on mistake; it is a sign of
weakened faith of course, there is only one God. But, in the governance of the Cosmos, there must needs be different fields of activity
to rule and regulate. These have subordinate deities. If you write a letter to me and address it to another, it will reach only the addressee! It
cannot be presented before the person whome you desire to approach. So too, you have to address the Deity in charge, concerned
with the fulfillment or denial of the desire you have entertained. Then,
that Deity would interest himself in your problem and initiate whatever
steps he can to solve it.
It is essential to inquire into the credentials one has before one formulates the prayer. That inquiry will reveal whether one's thoughts and
resolutions, hopes and desires arise from firm Faith or not. How to test
and discover the truth? (...) The test which will reveal the quality of
your Faith is whether you are practising sincerely the injunctions laid
down by God. Your beliefs and actions must be expressions of Faith.
They must have holiness as their core. They must be so full of Love
and Compassion that they attract on you the Grace of God. (Sathya
Sai Vahini, 139/143)
The scriptural texts of India - the Vedas, Vedangas, Upanishads, Smrthis, Puranas and Ithihasas - are repositories of profound wisdom.
Each of them is an ocean of sweet sustaining milk. Each is sacred and
sanctifying. The waters of the Ocean can never be diminished in volume however many pumps you ply to drain them. Enormous quantities of water are turned into steam by the hot rays of the sun, bundled
into clouds, and returned to the earth as rain. This helps the harvesting
of grain and renders the land green with vegetation. The wonder is
that in spite of this tremendous uptake and downpour, the level of the
ocean does not go down even by an inch. Furthermore, even though
thousands of live rivers pour their waters into the seas, the level is not
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seen to increase. Similarly, the persons who have supplemented their
knowledge of the scriptural texts with the awareness of their validity
acquired by practising the lessons contained in them, are not affected
by praise or blame, whatever the source and quantity. Their hearts will
stay pure, unaffected and calm. The holy scriptures of India are
strongholds of such sustaining lessons. (Sathya Sai Vahini, 180)
The Universal being is the Fire, the Wind, the Sun, the Moon and all
else. He is the Breath that sustains life in all beings. He is the Fire that
illumines all. He is the Rain that feeds the plants that provide sustenance. So, he can be adored either as Fire (Agni) or as Wind (Vayu)
or as Rain (Indra), as having graciously assumed all those beneficent
forms. This approach through the benign manifestations or Angas, is
the Angavathi path. Anga means a 'limb’, a 'fact', a 'feature'. (Sathya
Sai Vahini, 202)
Just as rain falling in various parts of the world flows through a thousand channels and reaches the ocean at last, so too, creeds, rituals,
religions and theologies, all derived from man's yearning for the vast
inscrutable beyond, flow in a thousand different forms, fertilizing many
fields, cooling many communities, refreshing tired people in many
ways and at last reach the Ocean of Bliss. (...)
In the ashrams, the sadhakas had the unique chance of being immersed in good thoughts, good activities and good company. It is like
keeping a pot of water immersed in water; the water in the pot will then
not be lost through evaporation. But if the pot of water is kept in the
open so that the wind plays upon it and the sun shines on it, very soon
the pot becomes empty. Be careful, therefore, that the success you
have won in the promotion of virtue, in the conquest of baneful habits
and in the assumption of regular disciplines, are not frittered away by
trite company, loose talk, cynical criticism or lackadaisical effort.
(3.9.1958)
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.
(23.11.1960)
When you are boring and fixing a pipe to draw the water up, you have
to take good care, lest water or air gets into the pipe and spoils the cre105
ation of the vacuum that is needed. So too, if you desire success in
your effort to unravel the truth of your inner Self, you have to take good
care that the outer self does not enter and spoil the concentration. You
have to prevent thoughts of the outer world from entering the mind.
The senses are positive handicaps in that field of research. (...)
The world is like a mirage; the mirage does not originate from any rain;
nor does it reach any lake or sea. It was not there before the Sun
shone, nor will it be there when evening falls. It is just an intervening
phenomenon; it is best left alone. (24.2.1964)
Through devotion to God alone can that knowledge be attained. Devotion purifies the heart, elevates the feelings and universalizes the vision. It also brings down the Grace of God; for, the clouds have to
come over the fields and pour rain; the plants cannot rise up to drink
the life-giving fluid. The mother has to bend to the cradle to fondle the
child. Devotion has that power, to bring the Lord down. (25.2.1964)
Life is a mirage; it comes from no visible rain; it falls into no recognizable sea. (13.3.1964)
For the Kannada country, there is an additional reason for rejoicing,
for, just now we are inaugurating in their State the activities of our
Prashanthi Vidwanmahasabha. On such an auspicious day, it is the
duty of every one of you to gather and cherish in your hearts the wise
words, the drops of Nectar, which these Pandits offer you from their
knowledge and experience. Not merely hear, but, endeavor to act accordingly, for, the rain has to fall on prepared soil in order to promote
the growth of the crop. You have to collect the rain, store it in tanks,
direct it along well laid out canals to the fields which thirst for it; you
should not allow it all to flow into waste or into a sea of salt. These
Pandits are repositories of ancient learning and I can assure you,
whatever subject they speak upon, they will not stray a hair's breadth
from the path of India's genuine culture. (13.4.1964)
Life is a great Vedic ritual of sacrifice. Allow the Lord to preside over
it. Do not ignore him. This is not a land of enjoyment, it is a land of sacrifice, union with God, and of devoted action. See how even the rain
which threatened to pour on you and disturb the gathering stood away.
When I started from Whitefield some people said: “There cannot be
any meeting this evening; there will be heavy rain at Bangalore also.”
I told them: “Never has rain interfered with the meetings where I
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spoke.” The clouds melted away in a refreshing gale, which scattered
on your sweet-smelling flowers from that row of trees, that is all. Have
that love, that spirit of united work and prayer - and I assure you, Ramarajya (kingdom of Lord Rama) will establish itself again in this land.
(16.4.1964)
Just as underground water is the sustenance of all trees, the Athman
is the underlying source of all the bliss that the devotee experiences.
You bring that subterranean water up by the process of boring; steady
hitting, digging, thumping through a pipe, which contains and directs
the drill. The borers have to take care that they do not allow air to go
into the pipe; for, then the drilling cannot succeed. So too in the spiritual discipline that you do, the drilling the Ram, Ram, Ram, you must
be very careful not to allow attachment to worldly objects to enter and
interfere with the smooth working of the drill. If you do, the Atman cannot be experienced.
Underground water is perennial; it will not dry up. The pleasure one
gets through physical, mental and intellectual pursuits is transitory.
Good deeds may grant heaven; but, that too is a temporary habitation,
from where man has to journey down to earth, to live his life again. It
is like the short term an M.L.A. gets to bask in public fame, earned by
the votes cast in his favor; when the term is over, he becomes a beggar once again, begging for votes, to win again the lost status. He
starts shouting the same slogans for getting popular applause.
(16.10.1964)
This is another reminder of the efficacy of unseen merit; the rain falls
on barren land and all the seeds hidden underneath the land sprout
making a green carpet to cover the area! No one knew, except myself,
that there were these seeds of earned merit awaiting the showers of
Grace in the heritage of these boys. (25.2.1965)
Do not die in spirit, though the body may fall away. Know that the real
“You” is deathless; make death a sublime act of liberation.
Such knowledge can come only through a life devoted to steady pursuit of the moral code and steady devotion to the duties of one's stage
of life. These two must end in the evolution of a third, the steady contemplation of Brahman, like fire and water producing steam to haul the
train of wagons, or, like oil and air producing gas in the engine to haul
the car. The steady contemplation of the One Basis of all this seeming
multiplicity, namely, Brahman. The contemplation becomes steady by
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practice that your separate individual existence is merged in the great
stream of Wisdom, which merges you in him, restores you to him, rather. (1.3.1965)
You sow bitter seeds and pray for a harvest of sweetness. You wail
over the soil, the plant, the rain. What can they do? The seeds themselves are diseased, defective. (3.3.1965)
If only half the prayers addressed to Government are addressed to
God, you can win his Grace and solve the food problem, for God alone
can give the rains that fill the tanks and reservoirs to irrigate the fields
where the crops are grown. Have sincere faith in God and surrender
to him, acting, speaking and thinking in such a way that he is pleased.
Be pure, be simple, be sincere and he will answer your agonizing call.
What can the Government do when the monsoon fails and the tanks
are dry? Even the Chief Engineer for Electricity says that he cannot
give you power for working pump-sets for well-irrigation, because the
rains have failed! So, instead of indulging in vain prattle, glorify God
and walk in his path and pray to him. Spend the allotted span of years
in the contemplation and the adoration of the Almighty, not in servile
praise of the feeble, the futile and the weak. Life is an opportunity afforded to each not to eat and drink, but to achieve something nobler
and grander: to master yourself and merge in the Reality. (3.8.1966)
Anger is also a great cause of ill-health, besides being dangerous for
other reasons. It brings a long trail of campfollowers, each of whom
adds its share to the final ruin. So, you must conquer this passion,
when it arises in the mind, by reminding yourself of the omnipresence
of God, of God s the inner motivator of all, of his being the Director of
this Play called Life. Try to think of something else than the circumstances that roused your anger, lie down in bed, go on a long waIk,
drink some cold water - struggle with yourself, until you win. Do not
fight with others; fight with your own urges. (...)
Look at me. I have come with this body, and you can see that there is
no difference between this body and any other human body. But yet,
illness has never affected this body. It cannot, any time. (...)
I have no fixed menu at all; I do not care for one. I move about in all
varieties of weather, sun or rain, summer or winter, valley or plateau;
I drink water from one well today, another tomorrow. But, I am Divine
Bliss personified all the time and so, I am never ill. (5.10.1967)
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God's Grace is as the shower of rain, as the sunlight. You have to do
some spiritual practice to acquire it, the spiritual practice of keeping a
pot upright to receive the rain, the spiritual practice of opening the door
of your heart, so that the Sun may illumine it. Like the music that is
broadcast over the radio, it is all round you; but you must switch on
your receiver and tune the identical wavelength so that you can hear
it and enjoy it. Pray for Grace; but do at least this little spiritual practice.
(29.3.1968)
Sing aloud the glory of God and charge the atmosphere with Divine
adoration; the clouds will pour the sanctity through rain on the fields;
the crops will feed on it and sanctify, fortify the food; the food will induce Divine urges in man. This is the chain of progress. This is the
reason why I insist on group singing of the Names of the Lord. (...)
Have a lamp, with a bright little flame, steady and straight, or a candle,
before you. The flame does not diminish in Lustre, however many
lamps may be lit therefrom. So, the flame is the most appropriate symbol of the eternal Absolute.
Sit in the lotus posture in front of the flame. Look on the flame steadily
and closing your eyes, try to feel it inside you, between your eyebrows.
From there, let it descend down into the lotus of your heart, illumining
the path. When it enters the heart, in the centre of the chest, imagine
that the petals of the lotus bud open out, one by one, bathing every
thought, feeling, emotion and impulse in the Light and removing darkness.
There is no space now for darkness to take refuge; it has to flee before
the flame. Imagine that the Light becomes wider, bigger, brighter. It
pervades the limbs; they can no more busy themselves in dark, wicked, suspicious activities. They have become, you are conscious of it,
instruments of Light, that is to say, of Love. The Light reaches the
tongue. Falsehood, slander, bragging, spite vanish from it. It reaches
the eyes and the ears. All dark desires that infest and infect them are
destroyed by the brilliant Light of Wisdom and Virtue. (8.7.1968)
In the background of mountains that bear sun and rain with equal unconcern, of the sea and sky that are unaffected by storms and clouds,
it looks ridiculous that man alone is subject to anxiety and fear, in the
company of birds and beasts that do not store food for another day,
but are content to leave it to providence to provide for them, it looks
absurd that man alone should spend all his days, calculating and accumulating. No bird casts seed on land to grow food for itself, nor do
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beasts plough and enclose fields, claiming 'this is mine, this is for my
children and children's children.' Selfless action is the natural face of
activity for the children of God, the progeny of immortality. They sing
and swim, they dance and dive, they talk and walk, they pray and pine,
because they must; it is their nature too. They do not know what will
happen; as a consequences they do not care; they do not anticipate
any result. They are just themselves, when they do these things. It is
their innate nature their inborn characteristic. (29.9.1968)
You sit in meditation for ten minutes, after the evening devotional
chanting sessions; so far, so good. But, let me ask, when you rise after
the ten minutes and move about, do you see every one in a clearer
light, as endowed with Divinity? If not meditation is a waste of time. Do
you love more, do you talk less, do you serve others, more earnestly?
These are the signs of success in meditation. Your progress must be
authenticated by your character and behavior. Meditation must transmute your attitude towards beings and things; else it is a hoax. Even
a boulder will through the action of sun and rain, heat and cold, disintegrate into mud and become food for a tree. Even the hardest heart
can be softened so that the Divine can sprout therein. (13.1.1969)
When the rains pour, many feel miserable; they complain of bad
weather, of not being able to move about! But, consider the lasting
benefits that rains confer! We had good rains during the last three
days. Some people told me: “Swami! Why don't you will that rains
should not disturb the even tenor of the activities here?” Well, these
are trivial matters, for which the larger interests should not be set
aside. As a matter of fact, the vedic rite that was celebrated is to persuade the Gods to shower rains! And, it has succeeded in that aim!
Rains promote harvests and prosperity. The vedic rite is done here by
the priests in strict conformity with Vedic injunctions and so, even
while the rite is on, the winds gather clouds of rain! (18.10.1969)
Learn lessons from the Sun, Moon, the clouds, the sea - all are teachers of the prime importance of discharging one's duty, without complaint. Trees distribute their fruits and their shade to every one, even
those who lay the axe with intention to destroy them! Mountains suffer
heat, rain and storm without demur, and are plunged in meditation for
ages. Birds do not hoard for years together the wherewithal for food or
shelter; they do not lament for they do not lavish affection on their
progeny, more than absolutely necessary for their survival.
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Nature is your school, your laboratory, the gateway to liberation, and
the panorama of God's manifold majesty. Seek to know the lessons it
is ready to teach; all things in Nature are as Brahman as you are. So,
any act is Divine; any work is Divine worship; build the mansion of your
life on the strong foundation of the faith that all this is Brahman.
(4.10.1970)
The Sun draws the water up as steam, and endows it with the name
and form of 'cloud, 'rain' and then as 'stream,' 'river,' 'flood' until it
merges in the sea back again, losing all the manifoldness of nameform caused by time, space and causation. Each one of you is the basis of truth, which a cloud of unreality fogs. This is to be discovered,
each for himself, by himself. (14.1.1971)
Sound is of three kinds: The sound produced by things falling, or
breaking apart or fusing, all the sounds of the objective world, of rain
and thunder, of rivers gurgling, of volcanoes and earthquakes and the
like, even the dropping of dew on a tender petal of rose, the sailing of
a feather from a bird's wing through the air! The second kind is the
sound of the spoken word: this carries a specific meaning and is
armed with intention, to inform, or instruct or inspire. This is the flow of
the heartbeat of one into the heart of another. The third kind is the
sound of silence: when one dives into the depth of that silence, one
hears oneself, the primeval Cosmic OM, that emanates from the vital
vibration that fills the Universe. To hear that sound, one has to approach, as near as possible, the core of one's being. That is why the
Upanishad calls itself so; it urges you to go near, delve deep, dive to
the very floor of the lake. (22.2.1971)
Whatever the handicap, howsoever you are tempted to loosen the
grip, hold on to God; there is always a calm, after the storm. A bout of
hot weather invariably brings welcome showers. Love saturates all activities with joy and peace. Love ennobles the least and the lowest.
Love your self for the God that it embodies; love others, for the God
that is enshrined in them, that speaks and acts through them.
(23.2.1971)
God is all. He is all forms, his is all names. There is no place where he
is not; no moment when he is not! Even the devil has the syllable dev
to indicate his affinity. Thunder is God’s message; the rain is his grace.
Let no second pass without awareness of God; let no event lapse with111
out reminding you that he is the artificer! You have an image or picture,
in the room you have set apart for worshipping God. You light a lamp
before it! You say: “I have lit the lamp; but, is it you really? Who endowed the oil, the wick and the lamp, the property of producing a flame
together? Who moved you to revere the picture in this form? Who was
it that placed the lamp, lit it and bowed before the picture? It is all God,
God, God. There is none else nothing else, for the man who knows
and feels. (...)
There was once a heavy downpour of rain in a small village. A lonely
monk was caught unawares and he ran helter-skelter seeking some
shelter from the hard-hitting drops and the chilly wind. He found a
short length of dry floor, on the raised verandah of a house, the inmates of which were fast asleep behind closed doors. Being a yogi
with no weight on his mind, he fell asleep soon, and was lost within
himself. Very soon, another forlorn man, who also had no shelter, espied the verandah and came on to it. The yogi woke up and finding another claimant for the space sat up and said, there is sitting room for
two; come, we shall sit the night through!” Within a few minutes, another desperate man arrived and he had to be accommodated. The
two who were sitting agreed that there was standing room for three!
They decided to stand until dawn. That is the spirit of tolerance that
has to be cultivated, by the children of God, towards brothers in distress. God is love; so, you must become love, in order to merge in him.
He is beauty; so, be beauty, with no ugliness in you. Then you can be
one with him, he is compassion, be compassionate. Water mixes easily with water, not with oil. Oil mixes with oil only. (23.7.1971)
This body is like a boat. Your life is like a river and you have to cross
that river and reach your destination. Your destination is the destination of Divinity. Your life the present one, is one of living in the contemporary world. In this process of your trying to cross the river of tife and
reach the destination of Divinity, the boat that you have to use, namely, your body, has to be safeguarded and taken great care of. This boat
should not develop leaks en route. We should believe that all these
students who assembled here today are really good, strong and new
boats which do not have any chance of developing leaks. If we do not
make an attempt to use the boats as they are right now, good as they
are and without leakages, or in the alternative we postpone and try to
use these same boats after they have become older and developed
leaks, then our lives are sure to be subjected to some kind of difficulties and harm. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 9/10)
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In order that you may clearly understand these things, let us take the
case of a very large ocean. If we take water from that ocean and put
it in our mouth, we will get the taste of its being very salty, if the same
salt water is converted into water vapor by the heat of the sun, constituted into clouds and then comes back as rain on the earth, that water
will be very sweet. Whether it is the water that is flowing in the river after the rain or the water that is taken directly from the ocean, it is the
same water. But we should ask where the change has taken place as
a result of which this sweetness has come. This is purification. This
can be compared to wisdom born out of experience. It is only when we
take the matter that is contained in the ocean of books or scriptures
and use our intelligence, which can be compared to the sun's heat and
convert it into clouds, which can be compared to love, then only, like
the water that results after the rain, our knowledge will be sweet and
this will be called wisdom. In every effort and in every thing that we do,
cleansing or purification is very essential. (Summer Showers in Brindavan,1972, 18)
For the creation there will have to be some one who is responsible. We
have seen the mud in the tank. We are also seeing the water in the river. Water alone from the river will not enable you to make a pot or a
pan. The mud, alone from the tank will not enable you to make a pot
or a pan. It is the combination of water and mud that will enable you to
create either a pot or a pan. Simply by the combination of water and
mud, the pot or the pan is not going to be ready. There has to be a potter who will prepare the pots and pans. Such a potter is God. The energy or the power is the water. Nature is the mud. The combination of
these two things are the human bodies. These pots and pans of human beings some day or other will have to fall down and have to
break. Because these human bodies are pots and pans, and have
been constructed, have been created in time, therefore, they must be
destroyed also in time. The transformation or the changes that will
come about for such pots and pans should not disturb us to any extent.
But immersed in your ignorance, you are simply feeling that these pots
are yours, these pans are yours and so on. You are not really able to
understand what the significance of these pots or pans is. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1972, 88/89)
We have to think about the crocodile also. If the crocodile is on the
ground, it will not have any strength. When it is in the water, its natural
habitation, it will be very strong. So also Divine order will hold with all
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its strength, not in words but in practice. Divine order protects you
when you practise it. Krishna said: “In every Yuga or age, I am taking
birth for the sake of establishing the Divine order.” In fact, Divine order
is eternal, and is present at all times, present, past and the future.
What then is the necessity for establishing it? It simply means that
people are not practising it and Krishna wanted to restore or reestablish the practice of Divine order. (Summer Showers in Brindavan,1972, 159)
Here is a small story. During the summer season, in places round
about Nagpur, water is very scarce. An orthodox old Brahmin lady,
who was on a pilgrimage felt very thirsty when she reached Nagpur.
She turned on the water taps but not a drop of water came out of the
them. At the station, arrangements had been made for supply of water
in leather bags. When several people were drinking the water that was
served from that bag of leather, the old lady was discussing in her
mind whether the man who was serving the water belonged to a low
caste, whether the bag was pure or might not have been cleaned well
and so on. She was hesitating to take that water. After much hesitation, she questioned the man who was serving the water: “My dear sir,
is this bag pure? Is it clean?” The man who was serving the water was
clever. He said: “The bag of leather from which water is being served
is cleaner than the bag in which that water will be poured after service,
namely, your body. This bag is cleaner than your interior.”
Today you are cultivating this undesirable tendency of looking at the
impurity of the bag but not caring to remove the impurity within your
own body. First of all, you must try to purify what is within you and then
only can you rectify what is external to you. This is essential for the
students to know. Because, tomorrow you may become high officers
though you are students today. (Summer Showers in Brindavan,
1972, 205/206)
There are three fish in a pond. One fish said to the other two, “The water in this pond will run dry day after day. A time will come when the
pond may become completely dry and before the fisherman comes to
catch us, it Is necessary that we go and stay in some place where
there is a perennial supply of water.” The second fish said: “You are
imagining. Your mind is full of needless fears. The pond will not run
dry. The fisherman will not come to bother us. Enjoy your present
state.” The third fish said the same thing. The first fish was discouraged when the other two did not accept its advice and so it had to
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share their fate. As anticipated, the fisherman came and trapped
them, cooked and ate them. Our life may be compared to a pond and
the length of our life to the water. The three fish are the three gunas,
“tama, raja and sathwa.”
The sathwic tendency always decides to follow the path of good and
fixes its attention on things which are permanent. It decides that before the level of water runs down, it should save itself and it always
thinks of noble things, Water has been compared to the length of life
and day by day it recedes and at any time death may overcorne it. The
fisherman is the emblem of death. Tama and raja are antagonistic to
sathwa and therefore even the merit of sathwa Is counteracted by the
other two. These two gunas, tama and raja, mislead our senses and
send them along the wrong path. We should first try to control tama
and raja and thereby attain mastery over your senses. It we follow
good methods, even raja and tama may be conquered by close association with s'athwa. We should believe that holy, sacred and perennial love can be found in every human heart where God resides. We
should believe that God Is the indweller of the heart and must follow
the teaching that comes from the heart and adopt good methods to follow such a teaching. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1972, 205/206)
On the bank of a river, once a group of children were tending their
cows. It was monsoon time and all of a sudden a furious current of water developed. Because it was a fast current, one bear which had
slipped into the water was drawn into the midstream and was being
carried away. One of the boys looked at the floating mass, and from a
distance, it appeared to him to be a bundle of blankets floating in the
water. He said to his companions: “I shall jump into the water and get
the bundle of blankets out,” and so he jumped into the water. With the
mistaken idea that it was a bundle of blankets, the boy embraced with
his hands the bear. Then the bear also embraced him with its own
hands. However much the boy tried to extricate himself, the bear did
not leave him. It held him fast. The boys on the shore shouted: “Oh,
my dear companion, leave that bundle and come away.” The boy in
the water, struggling to escape, cried out: “Though I want to escape
from it, it does not allow me to escape.”
So in this river of life, maya plays like the bear and you mistake it to be
a bundle of blankets. Hoping that it would offer you solace, comfort
and happiness, you jump into the river and try to catch it. At a later
stage when you want to extricate ourselves from it, you find it impossible to do so. This illusion is created by Maya, but the Divine principle
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is always one. The Visishtadvaita has been teaching from time immemorial that though the forms are different, there is only one Divine Self
which is the Unity in the diversity and multiplicity of forms. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1972, 234/235)
If you give up this body illusion during your lifetime, you will be able to
develop the higher notion. There must be a limit up to which you may
nourish this body which can be compared to a boat. Your life is the river. On one side of the river is this world and on the other side is the
other world. You have undertaken a voyage from this world to the other world, using the body as the boat and you must take care of this
body until you reach the other shore. This body must be looked upon
as a boat, as a means to an end but not as an end in itself. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1972, 245)
When a pond is full of water in the rainy season, there are a million frog
in it; but when the water runs dry the frogs jump out of it. In the same
way, when one has power and wealth, people gather around him in
this world but as soon as he falls upon evil days and adversity stares
him in the face, all his best friends leave him. It is the paramount duty
of man to know what will not leave him and to gain that wealth which
will always be with him. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1972, 266)
When your heart is not pure and your powers are not developed, you
cannot become a leader of your country. Only when a tank is full of water, can it be made to flow into the taps. Only when you fill your hearts
with noble thoughts, powerful ideals and sublime emotions will you be
able to distribute them to the country, just as water is distributed
through taps. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1972, 268)
When a drop of rain falls on the ground and as a result of a breeze this
drop evaporates and disappears, so also the praise and abuse, when
hurled at us is blown off by the breeze of intelligence. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1973, 237)
The statements that are in our vedas have told us to sacrifice everything and through sacrifice, we should be able to get a vision of the divine in us. The creation and its maintenance depends only on sacrifice. If there is no sacrifice, the society will not remain in tact. If there
is no sacrifice there will be no life and one cannot recognize the truth,
and if there is no sacrifice there is no creation and there is no suste116
nance. Looking at things from a worldly aspect, if we do not give out
the breath that we take in we cannot live; if we do not give out the food
that we take in after digesting it we cannot live; if the blood is not constantly moved from one place to another every instant we cannot live.
Unless the clouds that have gathered water give up the water that they
have gathered they cannot remain as clouds. That is why it is said that
what you cannot get by your knowledge and effort can be got by sacrifice. Whether it is the good or the bad we have to keep on sacrificing.
In this process one should never pay any attention to the body. If we
think that something is good and we welcome what is good, some bad
may also come in this process. That which gives you happiness when
it comes to you will also cause sorrow when it goes away from you.
There is a small example for this, if a son is born in a family, there is
considerable happiness but the death of the same son will cause untold sorrow and grief. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 12/13)
Some of you may feel that the words, Brahman and Bharath are words
relevant only to the citizens of this country. This is not correct. These
words are significant for people of all countries. Those who belong to
Bharath might use the word Brahman and others may use a different
name but no one will be against the aspect of Brahman. Suppose we
take water in a tumbler. Foreigners may describe this as water while
people belonging to the north will call this 'Pani' and those people who
speak Telugu will describe it as 'Neeru' and so on. Although different
names are used the contents are the same. The place may be different, the names may be different but the material for which you have
given the name cannot change. In the same manner, the significant divine aspect is the same although different people describe it by different names in different places. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974,
26)
All the vedas have also been described by the words: 'Tat Twam Asi'.
This means: 'That is you'. This kind of identity between the supreme
and the individual has been proclaimed by the vedas. Because we
have been associating this immortal aspect of Brahman with our impermanent body and not with our self, sometimes there is a chance of
our taking a wrong meaning. When we touch a pot of cold water, we
feel that the pot is cold but in fact it is not the pot that is cold but it is
the water inside the pot that is cold. Coolness is a natural property of
water. If there is no coolness in water, we think that there is something
unusual. Many people may have gone on pilgrimage to Badri and they
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will recall that there is a hot spring near Brahmakund. While large
quantities of cold water are present in the Alakananda river, no one
asks why the water is cold but when they find some hot water in a
spring, they ask in surprise how such hot water is, coming. Whenever
there is something unusual or contrary to the natural situation then all
kinds of doubts arise and questions are asked. What is the reason that
man has become a heap of, doubts? The main reason for man to have
so many doubts is that man is not leading his life in the way in which
he ought naturally to lead it. He is not conducting himself in a way in
which he ought to. Because he has not understood the real meaning
of the self in him, he is not behaving as a human being ought to and
this is the basis for all his doubts. He must make some enquiry and understand the aspect of Brahman, because this is the basic cause for
the relationship between man and man. Therefore, in the very first instance we should understand these three aspects of Brahman namely
Existence, Wisdom and Bliss. In every one there is this aspect of existence and in every one there is wisdom and everyone has the bliss
in him. Therefore every one must attach importance only to the aspect
of Brahman. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 39)
How can individuals who do not get control over their own mind get
control over other things? While you are not able to divert your mind
from bad desires how can you call yourselves Yogis? It is such people
that are bringing disgrace and misunderstanding on the true meaning
of the word yogi. One who sees the dirty water in the drain along side
the road on which he moves should not think that the rain water which
comes from the clouds is also dirty. To think this way is foolishness.
Simply because the water which one has seen is dirty or the experience which one has had is dirty, it does not follow that all water is dirty.
Because many persons only see such unclean and imptire water, they
do not even make an attempt to see if there is clean water anywhere.
They cannot even recognize clean water when they see it. They are
wasting their time in this manner. Such persons are bringing down our
own culture and traditions to a stage where others who do not belong
to this country are able to ridicule us. It should be the aim of the students and the young people who have gethered here to understand
our culture well and to know what yoga truly means. They should also
put such knowledge into practice. I firmly believe that students are the
only people who can set things right in future and can demonstrate the
strength of these principles by putting them into practice. Do not un-
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dertake to follow anything in a blind manner. (Summer Showers in
Brindavan, 1974, 51)
When we have a drop of water in our hand, it will appear to us only like
a small drop. When we take this drop of water and merge it with the
infinite ocean, the drop also takes the form of the infinite ocean. Righteousness is an endless and infinite thing and liberation is equally limitless. Our purpose should be to take all our temporary desires which
have several limitations and merge them with more permanent things
like righteousness and liberation. The word liberation does not represent something which is exhaustible and which you can purchase from
a shop. Liberation is regarded as a limitless entity. (Summer Showers
in Brindavan, 1974, 63)
If rain falls on sand, it gets completely absorbed. If the same rain falls
on soft mud, the rain drops will be collected and will not be absorbed.
On the other hand, if rain falls in an oyster shell the rain drops will turn
into pearls. In the same manner, education which comes to each individual will take a final form which depends on his own deservedness.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 76)
Let us think of a water surface or a big tank. The surface of the water
keeps on swaying and moving when there is a breeze. We see the reflection of the moon or the sun in this water. This reflection of the sun
or the moon also appears to move along with the surface of the water.
But the original sun or moon is not moving. They are steady. That is
while the image of the sun appears to be shaking or trembling, the
original is not moving. If the water is stationery, the image of the sun
will not move because the water surface is not moving. Both the stationery and the moving images of the sun are not the original but they
are the images. Because all of illusion, the moving image of the sun
may be called a messenger of God. The stationery image of the sun
has been described as the Son of God. One who has understood the
situation properly and one who has recognized the fact that both the
stationery sun and the moving sun are only images of the true sun will
proclaim in this context: 'l and my father are the same'. These three
ways of looking at this phenomenon have been called dual, non-dual
and qualified non-dualism. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 80)
A potter cannot make pots with dry mud. If he wants to make pots, he
has to use both water and mud. We cannot make pots with mud alone
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or with water alone, but pots can be made only when both water and
mud are brought together. One cannot run a machine like a railway
engine with fire alone, nor can such a machine be run with water
alone. It is only by bringing fire and water together into intimate contact
and generating steam that we can run a machine. Shiva and Shakti
are interdependent and are both needed for creation like the mud and
water for a potter or like the fire and water for a railway engine. (...)
In the example that we have just considered, we can get an understanding of this aspect. We have considered pots as having been
made out of mud and water and therefore in all the pots, there is mud
but there are no pots in the mud. The pot has been artificially prepared, and in the pot there is mud but in the mud there is no pot. In a
similar manner, God is present in the artificially created quality but the
qualities are not present in God. Therefore qualities are also described
as those that bind one. They may be understood as the ropes that bind
one. In this context, you are all bound and you are not free. You are
all bonded to this artificially created world but God has no such bondages and is a free individual at all times. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 85/87)
A devout grandfather was once reciting his 'Sandhya mantra' and in
the process he was uttering ‘Kesavayaswaha', 'Narayanayarwaha',
'Madhavayaswaha' and so on and with each of the names he was
swallowing a small quantity of water. The grandson who was sitting at
a nearby table and doing his homework was watching all this and
asked his grandfather why he did not take the entire glass full of water
in one gulp if he was feeling so thirsty. The grandfather did not reply
immediately because he did not want to be disturbed while doing the
sandhya mantra. Later, the grandson was doing his home work and in
this process he was constantly dipping his pen in the ink bottle and
writing. He was doing this each time whenever the ink dried out. The
grandfather saw this and asked the grandson why he was doing this
instead of overturning the entire ink bottle at one time and have the entire ink in one lot. The grandson replied that if the entire ink was put on
the paper, the words would not be seen. The grandfather also said
that if he swallowed the entire water at one time, the mantras cannot
be heard. In the case of the mantra, unless you utter the proper name
at each time and have the appendage of swaha each time and do what
has to be done, you will not get the real benefit. Just as in the case of
the writing unless you use the ink moderately and bit by bit, the letters
will not be distinet but will be muddled up, so also we must recognize
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the situation when the vedas held away. If you do not understand, it is
much better if you refrain from raising irrelevant questions. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 97/98)
The stream of words which comes out as a result of a stream of
thoughts has been called stream of water. This has been compared to
a well in which water comes out swelling. In this analogy, we should
note that the more water we take out from the surface, more will come
from the source. In a stream, as much water that flows out will come
from the upstream to the downstream. In the same manner, those who
are knowledgeable in the aspect of the vedas, when they give out their
thoughts, the Goddess Ida gives them strength by which they generate more thought and more words. These flow out like a stream. As
such a knowledgeable person on the vedas gives more ideas to the
world, the strength of Ida will generate more and more noble ideas so
that the stream may flow out continually for the benefit of the world.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 172)
The spoken word is the form of Saraswati and our heart is the embodiment of Ida. Our thought and word together have the form of Bharata.
This Bharata may also be understood by us as signifying the stream
of love. If such a stream of love is turned backwards, it will be very difficult to return it back to the right direction. The early years of man's
youth that have gone by and the water of a stream that has flown down
cannot come back. Therefore, if we let Saraswati, the embodiment of
our speech, go astray without control, then it is very difficult to bring
her back. We should not use the wrong word and abuse our speech
resulting in trouble the others or harm to others or deceit to others.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 176)
Suppose we have a mud pot, a silver pot, a copper pot and a bronze
pot and if there is water in these four pots. The reflection of the sun will
be seen in each of these four pots and we have to realize that it is the
same sun that we are seeing in each pot. The only difference is in the
value of the wessel but not in the sun. These pots may be compared
to different countries. The people who live in each one of these countries may be compared to the water in each one of the pots and the reflection of the sun is to be compared to the concept which people of
each country from of one and the same divinity. Because of their great
good fortune, the people of India have understood the full significance
of the word Bharat and gave this name for our country. People living
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in other countries did not understand the full significance of this vedic
word and so they did not adopt this name. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 195/196)
It is the common practice in this world to cure any disease of the human body by some kind of attention and medicine. While you cure the
disease in the physical body by appropriate medicines, the uncleanliness of the mind, the troubles that worry your mind and the impurities
in your mind are cured by Saraswati in the form of vak or speech. Thus
the name Saraswati is justified by her capacity to cure the diseases of
the mind. Because Saraswati has the capacity to fill you with the
knowledge, she is also given the name adhidaiva. Because such
Saraswati with such capacities fills the sky, she also gives importance
to Vayu and Agni. Because she fills the sky with quantities of water,
Saraswati sometimes stands for a stream of flowing water. There is
need for us to enquire into the origin of water that is filling the sky. The
sun's rays fall on the ocean and these rays change the ocean water
into clouds. The Sun (aditya) is responsible for the formation of these
drops of water which later collect into clouds and become quantities of
water. You have already learnt that Aditya is a name synonymous with
Bharata. Therefore, Bharata joins aditya and produces this aspect of
Saraswati. Here we notice that the Sun joins water and thus the drops
of water are produced. We see the oneness or the identical nature of
the three aspects lda, Saraswati and Bharati. Latent in these three aspects lda, Saraswati and Bharati are contained Indra, Vayu and Agni
as well. In this chronology, if we understand the sacred meaning and
place of the Bharata, we will understand that the sacred word Bharata
has got a vedie origin and all the meanings of the word Bharata can
be ascribed to a vedic origin. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974,
213/214)
One path is described as the path taken by a fish. Another one is the
path taken by an animal. The third one is the path taken by a tortoise.
It is a characteristic feature of the fish that it can live only in water.
Once it is taken out of water, it cannot live or survive for any length of
time. The animal on the other hand can survive only on land. If you put
the animal into water, it will not be able to survive. A tortoise is an amphibian and can live either in water or on land equally well and with the
same comfort. When we try to compare this with the three kinds of human behavior, we note that the first is by which man wants to live within a society because he hates isolation and this is like the path of a
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fish. Here he is like a fish and just cannot survive if he gets out of the
society or family. On the other hand, an individual who enjoys being in
isolation, who always, wants solitude and who feels uncomfortable if
he is put in the midst of society is like the animal. An individual who will
never forget God whether he is in the family or in the society, or whether he is isolated or not is like the tortoise. Wherever he may be, he will
have the thought of God and he will enjoy irrespective of whether he
is isolated from society or not path - the path of the tortoise is very essential for man. We know that one of the Avatars of the Lord was in
the form of a tortoise and the important purpose of this is to tell us that
the attitude which the tortoise adopts is an important and right attitude
for human beings too. This Avatar of the tortoise played an important
part in preventing the whole world from getting lost in the ocean and
confusion of a family. In the Sruti it has been said that in addition to following the path, an alternative path has also to be followed. The sruti
has taught us that all 3the three paths are necessary for us. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 223/224)
There is a big ocean and suppose you collect water from this ocean
directly and bring it home. This water which you have collected directly
from the ocean will be tasting salty. When the same ocean water is
converted by the sun's rays into vapor and then comes down as rain
from the clouds, there is an amount of sweetness which is associated
with the same water. The knowledge which we get by reading or listen
in to Sastras is to be compared with the water collected directly from
the ocean. On the other hand experience is comparable to the aspect
of the ocean water when it is converted into rain from the clouds which
is then sweeter than the original ocean water. Here there is a possibility for you to recognize clearly the difference between the knowledge
that you can get from just reading and listening to books and the
knowledge that you get from your own experience. All our education
and studies today appear to be mere acquaintance with a large number of printed books. This kind of acquaintance with many books is not
going to give you satisfaction. By this kind of education not only do you
not get any satisfaction, but this results in your developing a lot of ego
and pride. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 234)
Everyone was surprised and began to ask why water was not flowing
even though a big tank was built and the tap was also made of silver
and there was sacred music on the occasion. They ultimately found
that there was no connection between the tap and the tank. In the
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same manner and as in this analogy, we have the big tank of God
which is filled with water namely God's grace and we also have the
various devotees in the form of taps and the devotee has also brought
about many sacred situations and he wants to open the tap of his heart
amidst great pomp, but the connection between this tap and the tank
which is God's grace is missing. If there is no love and without the love
how can grace of the lord flow. The pipe which connects the devotion
of the devotee and the grace of God is the love. God is always an embodiment of love and if the devotee is filled with love, then love can establish connection. Unless you have all these three namely the devotion of the devotees, God who is the original love and the link of love
between the two, a connection cannot be established. God who is love
can be got at only by love and not by any other method. Water mixes
easily with water and oil mixes easily with oil but oil cannot mix easily
with water. Hatred is like the oil whereas love is like pure clean water.
Thus we can mix pure water like love in a devotee with the love in the
Lord and that is the only thing you can do. Love is present in everyone
and you should make an attempt to experience love.
There is an example for this which I had given once before and I am
giving it again. Suppose we put water in a cup and we try to put sugar
at the bottom. When we take water from the surface layer, it will be
tasteless but if we take a spoon and mix the sugar which is at the bottom, then water, even from the surface layer will taste sweet. In this
analogy, your heart is the cup and divinity is like the sugar which is at
the bottom of the cup of your heart. Everyone was surprised and began to ask why water was not flowing even though a big tank was built
and the tap was also made of silver and there was sacred music on
the occasion. They ultimately found that there was no connection between the tap and the tank. In the same manner and as in this analogy,
we have the big tank of God which is filled with water namely God's
grace and we also have the various devotees in the form of taps and
the sadhaka has also brought about many sacred situations and he
wants to open the tap of his heart amidst great pomp, but the connection between this tap and the tank which is God's grace is missing. If
there is no love and without the love how can grace of the lord flow.
The pipe which connects the devotion of the devotee and the grace of
God is the love. God is always an embodiment of love and if the devotee is filled with love, then love can establish connection. Unless you
have all these three namely the devotion of the devotees, God who is
the original love and the link of love between the two, a connection
cannot be established. God who is love can be got at only by love and
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not by any other method. Water mixes easily with water and oil mixes
easily with oil but oil cannot mix easily with water. Hatred is like the oil
whereas love is like pure clean water. Thus we can mix pure water like
love in a devotee with the love in the Lord and that is the only thing you
can do. Love is present in everyone and we should make an attempt
to experience love.
There is an example for this which I had given once before and I am
giving it again. Suppose we put water in a cup and we try to put sugar
at the bottom. When we take water from the surface layer, it will be
tasteless but if we take a spoon and mix the sugar which is at the bottom, then water, even from the surface layer will taste sweet. In this
analogy, your heart is the cup and divinity is like the sugar which is at
the bottom of the cup of your heart. Your desires of the world are like
the water on the surface of the cup. Ordinarily you are trying to drink
the water from the surface and you are not finding it sweet. Therefore
you have to use the spoon of intelligence and mix it by way of spiritual
practice. As a result of your desires of the world are like the water on
the surface of the cup. Ordinarily you are trying to drink the water from
the surface and you are not finding it sweet. Therefore you have to use
the spoon of intelligence and mix it by way of spiritual practice. As a
result of this stirring, the divinity in the from of sugar which is at the bottom will come up and will get mixed with the wordly desires and then
you will find that even the wordly desires will appear as sweet. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 255/256)
The ocean is very big and broad and is infinite and from this ocean an
individual can bring water in conformity with the size of the pot which
he carries and no more. In a vast country, each person or each religion
is bounded by such restrictions and they are grasping only one particular aspect of the Lord and they are thinking that particular aspect is
the complete picture of the divine. These artificial limitations on the aspect of the divine are such that whatever can be brought within the limitations of their understanding can alone be understood. How can the
unlimited aspect of God be brought into a narrow space which has set
for certain specific limitations? (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974,
278)
When we refer to the word Lotus, we must realize another significant
meaning of the word. A lotus has its origin in the muddy waters and is
born in the mud. Yet it does not assimilate in itself either the mud or
the water. If there is no water, the lotus cannot survive even for a mo125
ment. The interesting thing is that even thought it survives only in the
presence of water, it does not assimilate water. As in this analogy, human life is born in something external to life which may be compared
to mud and we live in this temporal material world which may be compared to water. Having been born out of mud and living in water and
yet not attract to yourselves the mud or the water is the aspect of the
feet of the Lord. That is the reason why all the different limbs of the
Lord are referred to as Lotus such as the Lotus feet, the lotus eyes and
so on. Thus whatever the Lord does it is done with no attachment and
he is not affected by them. The path which he treads is such that the
path does not leave any dire on him. He is always clean and pure. His
vision is never bad and his mind is never impure. A vision which is
clean and a mind which is unwavering are characteristics of the lord.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 282/283)
Will the tanks get filled just because a few drops of rain have come?
Are we going to relieve our thirst by taking a few drops of water from
a spring? Just because we hold our breath, will it be possible to get
plenty of water from that? These are not possible things. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1974, 291)
A banyan tree gives us the impression that it is very big having many
branches but if we take the seed we see that it has a very small dimension like a mustard seed. It is the truth that such a big tree is contained
in such a tiny little seed or is it just an illusion on our part? No, this is
not an illusion, it is a truth. But in what form is this seed seen? It is in
the infinitesimal form. If we put this tiny seed in the earth, feed and
nourish it, it will sprout, become big and grow. The fruit, the flowers
and the leaves all come out of this tiny seed. Therefore, it is not as if
the branches, the fruits and the leaves are all different. They are all
parts of the same seed. Thus, everything that you see in this big tree
of the universe has all come from one seed, the seed of divinity. In the
same manner, in this huge body of yours, there is an infinitesimally
small seed called the aspect of Atman, the higher self. If you take this
seed which is in you and give it nourishment and let it grow and prosper, then it will show the divine form of the universe. But where should
we put this seed and how do we protect it and promote it to grow into
a big tree? Can we put this seed in our palm and pour water on it? Will
it become a tree? A seed will become a tree only if it is put in the soil
and watered suitably. Even in that soil, if you put the seed too deep or
too shallow, it will not become a tree. In the same manner, in the soil
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of your heart, if you can put the seed of God's name and if you can water it with the water of love, it will sprout into a good tree. (Summer
Roses on the Blue Mountains, 1976, 92/93)
What does not flow is not water, what does not burn is not fire and as
in these analogies, a person who does not have inward vision cannot
be called a human being. Capacity to burn is natural to fire. Water has
the natural capacity to flow. Similarly man should have the natural capacity of inner vision. An animal has only external vision.
The Vedas have told us that what we see is only a reflection of what
exists internally. That what we see inside or outside is essentially one
and the same thing. (Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains, 1976,
94)
Students, boys and girls! The results of your examinations as announced today are indeed happy news but so long as the education
that you get is such that it promotes only ignorance and does not give
you the needed strength to promote the prosperity of our nation and
traditions, then the education is useless. Of all the branches of education, spiritual education is the real education and when we compare
this with the other branches of education we can see that the spiritual
education is like the ocean while the other branches of education are
like the rivers. When the rivers go and merge in the ocean, they acquire the depth and glory of the unfathomable ocean. In a similar manner, when all other forms of education go and merge with the spiritual
education, they acquire the form and grandeur of the spiritual education. (Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains, 1976, 125)
It is inevitable that the man should leave the body; if the man does not
leave the body, then the body has to leave the man. This body is like
a water bubble on the surface of water. This water bubble is born out
of water, lives on water and survives on water and finally it gets dissolved in water. It is only when you develop a correct attitude to the
formless supreme power, will you be able to have permanent happiness. If you take a ball and hit it an a hard ground, it will rebound to
the extent determined by how hard you hit the ball on the ground. If
you hit this ball on a soft muddy ground instead of hard ground it will
not be able to recoil and in fact it will even get entangled in the muddy
ground. In a similar manner, if the pure aspect of divinity goes and hits
a sacred heart, it will rebound. If on the other hand, you have a muddy
and impure heart, when divinity impinges on such a heart it will get
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stuck and entangled. Therefore, purity of one's mind, and an exemplary life are essential. (Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains, 1976,
130/131)
The goal is mergence, as the rivers know and strive for. The waters of
the sea are raised by the Sun as clouds into the sky and the clouds
pour them as rain back onto the earth, to flow back into the sea
through many a ravine, as a stream or tributary-fed river. Merging in
the Source from which one took form, is the ultimate destiny. The river
has the passion of overwhelming love which leads it down the slopes
until it reaches the loved one, where the lover, loved and love, all three
merge in one Illuminating ecstasy. Love is the attachment to God that
does not allow anything to interfere or diminish its quality or depth.
God is loved by the devotee for his sake and not for any incidental
benefit or blessing. It is spontaneous, sustaining and sublime, like a
child before the mirror enjoying the reflections of its own pranks and
gestures. Complete surrender to the extent of the annihilation of one's
own individuality is also beyond most aspirants. Sugar cannot be tasted and enjoyed by sugar; you have to be an ant so that you can revel
in the sweetness of the stuff. (1.10.1976)
From the narrow vision of 'individual need' man must voyage out into
the broad vision of the 'Universal.' When a drop of water falls into the
ocean, it loses its narrow lndividualities, its name and form, and assumes the form, name and taste of the ocean itself. If it seeks to live
separately as a 'drop,' it will soon evaporate and be reduced to nonexistence. Each one must become aware that he is part of the one
Truth that encompasses everything in the Universe. It is reprehensible
to stick for one's whole life-time to the low narrow paths of selfishness,
envy, and greed. Make the heart big and the mind pure. Then only can
peace and prosperity be established on the earth. (25.12.1976)
Ocean water is saltish when taken directly from the ocean and can be
compared to book knowledge. The water obtained from the river has
changed in taste and is sweet. This water may be compared to wisdom obtained through experience. More than the knowledge that you
can get from reading the Sastras, you should value the wisdom that
you can get from experience. By taking the knowledge from the Sastras, you can convert it into wisdom of experience by putting the
knowledge into practice in your daily life. (The Inward Path, 27)
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The wisdom that comes of actual experience is the rain drop, when
compared with the seawater which is salin and undrinkable. Through
the lnteraction of the rays of the sun, the salinity was removed and the
water that floated into the sky became sweet and sustaining. Spiritual
exercise that turns the physical into the metaphysical is the solar action that confers potability. (The Inward Path, 29)
Be like the lotos on water; on it, not in it. Water is necessary for the lotos to grow; but, it will not allow even a drop to wet it. (The Inward Path,
36)
When you scatter seeds on the surface of the soil, they do not germinate. You have to keep them inside the soil. So too, exercise, if it is
scattered on the surface, will not germinate, grow into the tree of
knowledge and yield the fruit of wisdom. Plant it in the heart, water the
plant with Love, manure it with Faith and Courage, keep off peste with
the insecticides of Bhajan and Satsanga, so that you can benefit in the
end. You have not yet got started in Spiritual exercise; still you demand Peace; you demand Grace, how is it ever possible? Start! Then,
everything will be added unto you. (The Inward Path, 39)
Devotion is the state of mind in which one has no separate existence
apart from God. The Devotee's very breath is God; his every act is by
God, for God; his thoughts are of God; his words are uttered by God,
about God. Like the fish which can live only in water, man can live only
in God in peace and happiness. (The Inward Path, 47)
To gain success, discipline is indispensable. If you want to achieve
success in this world, you must have self-confidence and then selfsacrifice. If you do not possess these three things your life will be
meaningless. When a river is erratically flowing, we construct a dam,
change its course and divert it usefully ard rightly before it flows into
the ocean. So also all your ideas which are recklessly and aimlessly
going in their own way, should be channelled by the construction of
the dam of discipline. They should be made to take the form of sacrifice, and go into the ocean of faith in one's self. You must regard it as
absolutely essential to attain the three qualities - sacrifice, self-confidence and discipline. (The Inward Path, 49)
Meditate on the truth and you will find that you are but a sparkling bubble upon the waters; born on water, living for a brief moment on water
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and dying upon its breast, merging in it. You owe your birth to God,
you subsist on God and you merge in God. Every living thing has to
reach that consummation; why, every non-living thing too. So, do it
now; take the first step, purify the heart, sharpen the intellect or at
least, begin the recital of the name of the Lord. That will give you all
the rest in due time. (The Inward Path, 107)
Are you not at peace when one thought ceases and another does not
rise? You have to watch that moment, be one with that moment and
get fixed in that, there is ceaseless continuous peace; thoughts arise
and die as ripples on water; you have to look at the water, rather then
the ripples. Neglect the waves, watching the water. (The Inward Path,
118)
Be like the tortoise, which can live in water or land. That is to say, cultivate the inner calm that helps you to be with the thought of God,
whether you are amidst men or alone. Solitude is when you are not
aware of the crowd around you. It is what you create out of the solitude
of your own mind. (The Inward Path, 154)
A bar of iron sinks in water; but beat it into a hollow vessel and it will
float merrily and even carry some weight. So too, man's mind sinks
easily in the sea of senses; beat it hollow, hammering it with the Name
of the Lord. It will float safely, on a sea of troubles. Da not be like gramophone records singing some one else's song, ignorant of the genuine
thrill of music. Sing from your own experience the Glory and Grace of
the Lord. (The Inward Path, 158)
A green gourd sinks in water; but, a dry one floats. Become dry, rid
yourselves of attachments, desires, avoid anxieties, worries. Then,
you can float unaffected on the waters of change and chance. Even
water when It become# steam can rise into the sky. Become light, lose
weight, bale out so that you may rise higher and higher. Yoga is defined as chtihtha vriththi nirodha, the prevention of impulses that agitate the inner consciousness of man. These impulses add to the ballast. Be free from desires that drag you down; have only the yearning
to come face to face with Truth, That Truth is shining inside you, waiting to be discovered. Like the dhobl in knee-deep water dying of thirst,
man too suffers with the panacea in easy grasp. (The Inward Path,
161)
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If you have a pot with a hole in it, you can never fill it with water. In the
same manner, if the pot of our mind has got many holes in the form of
sensory desires, then all the work that you do will not fill your mind with
sacred thoughts. Only when there are no holes, can your attempts becomes fruitful and take you to the divine. (The Inward Path, 191)
We know that in the same tank full of water, we can have lotus flowers
and we can also have animals like fish and frogs. Lotos attracts the vision of man and pleases him. On the other hand, animals in water do
not please us but give us sorrow. The place where both are born is one
and the same thing, and that is water.
Nectar comes out of water. Nectar is born out of water. So also, poison
is born out of water. Here we see that the birth place of nectar as well
as poison is one and the same. It is in this context that it has been said
that for both the bondage and for the liberation of man, his mind alone
is responsible. It becomes necessary that you should recognize the
nature of the mind, if you wish to understand this dual part played by
your mind. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 2)
When you are young, you will have physical strength, spiritual strength
and the ability by which you can establish good things. If you waste
this part of your life, you are not going to get once again this strength
and time. If you let this opportunity slip away once, it will never come
back again. The youth that has slipped away and the water that has
flowed down the stream, can never retrace
mind and heart. They are borrowing the eyes of others and they are
borrowing the thoughts of others. They are making their life imitative
and artificial. Studentsit is very necessary for you to recognize that
youth are like the roots of the tree of life. The manure and the water
which we have to give must be given to the roots and not to the
branches or leaves. We always no doubt keep peace and happiness
- which are like branches and leaves - in mind and forget that we have
to give importance todharmic conduct which is like the roots. In that
context, we should realize that manure and water in the form of morality and dharmic conduct should be accepted and practised when one
is a student. Unfortunately the pure, tender and good hearts of the students are being agitated, polluted and ruined by political leaders for
their own selfish purposes. They are thus ruining the entire future life
of young students. The life of a student is very valuable. The entire future of a country depends on the good conduct of its students.
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This time of your life is a very sacred age for you. You must make a
sincere attempt by, which you can make this part of your life very sacred. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 23)
There is a small tub of water. You are looking into that tub of water,
and you find by reflection your image in the water. You then say that
is you. What you see as an image is you. Then I say, no, that is not
you. If you claim that the image is you, and if I take hold of a stick and
beat the image, you are not going to feel the pain. How do you then
claim that the image is you? That is the image. That is not you. But you
are that. If I abuse that image, then you will become angry. If I beat the
image, you do not feel the pain, but if I abuse the image, you certainly
feel hurt. This means that you are in it, but are not identical with it. In
the same manner, you are present everywhere. You are present in the
image, you are omnipresent and you are divine. (Summer Showers in
Brindavan, 1977, 23)
There is a stone from which you can produce fire. Even if such a stone
is kept under water for a long time, it can produce fire when it comes
into contact with another such stone. In the same manner, divine
strength which is present in Lakshmana and Hanuman blossomed
forth only when they came together or when they were in the company
of Rama. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 45)
While having the desire to reach the fruit which is visible on the tree,
what we have to do is to take care of the invisible roots of the tree and
we have to water these invisible roots. These roots, which are invisible, can be compared with your faith and your belief in the Divine Self.
On the roots of faith in this Divine Self is based the entire tree with all
its leaves and branches. It is only when you undertake to water the
roots and protect the tree, will you be able to get the fruit of liberation.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 58/59)
A bubble of water is born out of water, it is made up of water, it ultimately mixes with water and disappears. As in this analogy, man is
like a bubble and God is like the source water. Man is born out of God,
is made up of him and ultimately merges with him. What else can I tell
you? This is the simple and elemental truth. (...)
Like the water, the waves and the foam which are all inseparably connected with each other, the three aspects: the worldly aspect, the spiritual aspect and the divine aspect are inseparably connected with
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each other. But, depending on the environment and the situation
which exists around, man uses one word or the other with greater appropriateness. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 75/76)
There is the ocean. When we bring water from the ocean and drink it,
we find that the water tastes salty. The same water of the ocean, because of the heat of the sun, is converted into vapor, forms clouds and
comes down as rain and such water will be sweet and not salty. Where
has this change from salty taste to sweet taste come about? The
sweetness had come when the ocean water was being changed into
vapor as a result of the heat of the sun. There is a possibility, in this
situation, to recognize the difference between the sweetness on the
one hand and the salty taste on the other. This sweet water is something which you realize with your own experience. The knowledge that
the water which comes directly from the ocean is salty is something
which we acquire by frequent hearing. The knowledge acquired by
hearing and by reading is not very satisfactory. Knowledge coming
from one's own experience gives real happiness. How can you get
such experience? The knowledge that is contained in the ocean of
grace has to be transformed by using one's intelligence like the heat
of the sun. When that vapor can be changed into clouds, it can be
compared to the truth. Out of clouds of truth should form rain drops of
love. When the individual drops of love come together to join, out of
that, will come a stream. This stream is the real bliss. This stream of
bliss will go back again and merge with the ocean of grace. Like the
water which came out of the ocean became vapor, then became cloud
and rain and went back to the ocean, so also the divine grace that
comes to you turns into fruits as clouds, turns into drops of love, drops
join and become stream of love and the stream goes back to the
ocean of grace. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 79/80)
In the forest, if we want to cook our food what is it that we do? In modern times we take a stove, a cooker and such implements with us. In
ancient times, such implements were not available. They used to take
only some vessels and some materials necessary for making the food.
When we want to cook the food, we prepare a hearth with three
stones. On the three stones, we put the pot. We pour water in the pot.
In that water, we mix rice. Below the vessel which is resting on the
three stones, we put fire. We put the fire so that the water inside the
vessel may boil and the rice gets cooked. The fire which we have put
between the three stones is not directly touching the rice but it touches
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the vessel and through the vessel it touches the water and through the
water it goes to the rice and the rice is cooked. Here you should recognize that your life is an example in the divine path. Life is like a forest. In this forest of life, the three stones are the qualities of purity,
brightness and peace. These three qualities are like the three stones.
In the forest of life, you put the vessel of your body on these three
stones. Inside the vessel of your body, the desires that you have are
like the rice. This rice is filled with love which can be compared with
water, and then you use the fire of wisdom between the three stones.
That fire of wisdom will cook the rice by using the water of love and will
drive away these desires. When this rice is well cooked, there is no rebirth. When the desire is completely removed, there is no chance of
getting bad desires but one may ask the question here, is it possible
to completely remove all the desires? It is impossible. But you must
make an attempt to turn this desire towards the right direction. Whatever work you may do, you must do that work with the aspect of love.
It is only then that you will be able to obtain sacred bliss. The secret of
happiness is not in doing what one likes but in liking what one has to
do. Whatever work you have to do, you should do it with pleasure and
liking. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 99/100)
Whether you take the pot to a well or to a big lake or even to the ocean,
the amount of you can bring will be only all that it can contain and no
more. So also, you may go what you can achieve will be only what deserve and no more. This is the truth. What other truth can I convey to
you? (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 152)
Truly birth is followed by death and death again by birth and so on:
You should try and understand the secret of this life. Like a man who
is swimming and moving forward in a river, you should also forget the
experiences through which you have gone in the past and swim forward. Only if the swimmer throws back the water which is ahead of him
will he move forward. If he does not throw back the water that is ahead
of him, he will stay where he is. As in this analogy, only if man attempts
to throw back the experience which he has gone through, will he be
able to move forward. If one follows such a path, one will find that in
man's life there is no place for anger, no place for jealousy and his life
will move on pleasantly. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 160)
Today, people only see the consequences of the existence of energy
and argue that there is no energy and say that there is no basis for
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what they see. This statement is like saying that in the ocean there are
waves because I see the waves and that there is no water. They are
unable to recognize the basic truth that is contained in our ancient Vedic statements. If you examine this carefully, it will then become possible and in fact quite easy for you to see the oneness of Divinity.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 180)
There are many unfortunate people who are not able to utilize the sacred opportunities that come their way. For one who cannot enjoy happiness and bliss, what does it matter what opportunity he gets? For a
dog which can only lap out water, what is the use of a river with a large
quantity of flowing water? You really get many sacred opportunities on
occasions in your life. Without using those opportunities and discussing their values, you waste your time and your life. (Summer Showers
in Brindavan, 1977, 242/243)
If you have a pot made up of mud containing water and if you store it
for sometime, you will find that in a few days, some of the water will get
evaporated. The reason for this is that this pot of mud will exude the
water to some extent. It exudes the water because the external environment of this pot is very dry. On the other hand, if this pot which is
full of water is stored in an environment of water, this water is not going
to be exuded. In the same manner, when you have filled the pot of
your heart with spiritual essence, even though you were non-believers
in the beginning, because of that spiritual essence in the pot of your
heart, you have enjoyed an environment which is full of spirituality. If
you then go into an environment which is full of spiritual essence, your
faith and belief will not get evaporated. If this can be done for a few
years continuously, thereafter there is no danger of the essence in
your heart being diluted. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, 246/
247)
It is very necessary for you to recognize that youth are like the roots
of the tree of life. The manure and the water which you have to give
must be given to the roots and not to the branches or leaves. You always no doubt keep peace and happiness - which are like branches
and leaves - in mind and forget that you have to give importance to divine conduct which is like the roots. In that context, you should realize
that manure and water in the form of morality and divine conduct
should be accepted and practised when one is a student. Unfortunately the pure, tender and good hearts of the students are being agitated,
135
polluted and ruined by political leaders for their own selfish purposes.
They are thus ruining the entire future life of young students. The life
of a student is very valuable. The entire future of a country depends
on the good conduct of its students. (Summer Showers in Brindavan,
1978, 3)
The sacred work of Vyasa was such that it demonstrated the unity
amidst all the diversity in creation. Narada used the word Ambhoja in
the present context and that means a thing which is born in water. Not
only man but all living things are born from water. All trees and everything else is born from water. Even if you have a small seed, it can
sprout only if it is in contact with water. If there is no water, even this
seed will perish. In this context, Narada said that the human body
must be regarded as a lotos. All texts and writings in relation to God
will consist of a lotos implying that such a text is a lotos coming out of
a lake. The state of our mind is compared to a lake which contains two
swans represented by the aspects of So’ham. This sound of so’ham
proclaims: “I am that”, and demonstrates the oneness of all creation.
The swan always symbolizes purity in our tradition and when we compare this aspect to that of so’ham, we wish to bring out the purity in all
creation. This implies that in the mind of man which is like a lake, the
identity between man and god should be promoted. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 21)
You should regard the continuous breathing in and breathing out of
your life system as the celestial form of Narada. The word Nara means
water and it connotes Wisdom (prajnana). Like the entire water of a
river goes and merges in the sea, all the rays of wisdom that emanate
from Narada go and merge in the ultimate form of Brahman. Wisdom
comes from Brahman and since these rays merge into Brahman, it
has been said 'Prajnana Brahma' in the Maha Vakya. Narada was establishing the truth that this aspect of Brahman should always be present in our spinal column in the form of OM. This is the natural sound
and is not something which you get by producing an artificial sound.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 28/29)
How do you know what will happen in the next moment? You should
therefore aspire to enjoy only that which is yours at the moment. Do
not yearn for and run after more and more things. You can remain in
the family but do not have the family in you. Describing this aspect,
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said: “You may put a boat in the water
136
but you should not put water in your boat”. You should live in the world
but do not put accumulate things for the future and get yourself worried. True detachment refers to doing your duty at a particular time and
to think of what is relevant at that time. This was also described by the
poet Vemana, by saying: “Talk about what is happening at this moment and do not talk about the future and hurt others”. If you cultivate
this aspect, you will develop true detachment. Do not make the distinction by saying that this belongs to you and that belongs to God. In reality, everything belongs to God and you should develop such a feeling. If you want to enter the mansion of Krishna and experience his
divinity, you must travel along one of these paths. If you can acquire
self control, you can easily develop the aspect of enquiry or discrimination. Through this, you can develop the aspect of satisfaction and
even without your knowing or making an effort, you will get detachment. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 75/76)
If we take a piece of iron and throw it in the dust, it will get rusted and
will lose all its value. However, if the same iron is put in fire, it loses its
impurities and acquires a bright shining color. In this way, man changes because of the company that he keeps. If dust comes in contact
with wind, it will go high up although it has no wings to fly. The same
dust flows down to the lowest depths when it comes into contact with
water. It has no legs to go down or wings to go up. Thus the company
you keep determines whether you go up or down. As you know, good
company results in a calm and peaceful life. (Summer Showers in
Brindavan, 1978, 75/76)
It has been said that “man's mind alone is responsible for his bondage
as well as for his freedom”. If we drop a stone on the surface of water,
the stone will sink to the bottom as if the water has opened up for the
stone. Further, as a result of the stone falling on the surface of water,
there will be several waves generated. These waves will gradually
spread and travel to the very shores of the lake. In the same manner,
if you drop a thought in your mind, the good or bad ideas generated
will spread all over your body The thought that generates these waves
in the tank of your mind may reach your hand and make it do some
bad work. They may reach your eyes and make the eye see bad
things. They may reach your legs and take the legs to a bad place. Depending on the nature of the thoughts, you will undertake either good
or bad actions. Thus, your thoughts will lead you either to do good
things or bad things. Therefore, you should attempt to accumulate
137
good ideas and good thoughts. The individual who can make his mind
free from bad thoughts will always be a liberated person. Whatever
work such a person does and wherever he may go, divinity will always
be with him and will see to it that he is successful. He is not interested
in the fruits of the work that he undertakes. Such a person will have no
thought whatsoever on the fruits of his work. (Summer Showers in
Brindavan, 1978, 138)
If you completely and unwaveringly believe that Krishna is God, you
will then accept a form. He is of infinite number of forms and is like an
infinite ocean. You may compare gopikas to small tributaries or canals. They may have some aspects of attachment. But, once this small
tributary gets into the ocean, will the ocean be polluted or will the tributary be purified? In this context, you should cite two good examples.
If in ten liters of milk, we mix ten drops of water, the result will be milk
and not water. If in ten liters of water, we mix ten drops of milk, the result will be water and even the few drops of milk will lose its value.
Whatever is in a large quantity will convert the smaller quantity into
having its characteristics. In the same manner, God is like the infinite
ocean. In this way, if you take your lives with all the impurities in it and
merge them in the sacred ocean, the drop will get the quality of the
ocean. If the individual goes and merges himself into the infinite divine, he will also become divine. (Summer Showers in Brindavan,
1978, 177)
There is a seed and it is blossoming out. You water it everyday and
protect it. Gradually it becomes a tiny plant. The seed takes the form
of a plant with the help of water and manure. However, when the seed
becomes a plant, it does not imitate the water or the soil or the manure. It will not change its natural form; it will grow into a tree. So also,
while you may join several people and work with them, you should not
change our natural behavior. You can make an attempt to absorb the
good qualities. The sacred path is that in which you will not change
your own nature but you will accept all the good that is found in others.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 215)
The water of the oceans can be compared to knowledge obtained
from books which the water from rains can be compared to knowledge
obtained from experience. When the sun's rays fall on the ocean water, it gets converted into the clouds which may be compared with
truth. From these clouds which we have called truth, will come the rain
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drops in the form of love. The drops of love gather together and form
a river of bliss. The river of bliss which is made up of drops of love will
go and merge in the ocean again. There is no other alternative for this
water. That is why it is said that all river must merge in the ocean. The
water that has fallen on the earth has ultimately to merge with the
ocean. But, today man has forgotten his final destinction. He is running after illusions. Today, human beings are not able to recognize
where they have come from and where they are going to. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 224/225)
Though you are enveloped by Divinity, you become victims of sorrow
by cultivating attachment to worldly phenomena. The ash conceals the
fire from which it arises; the moss covers the water from which it is
born; cataract that is formed in the eye blinds the vision; the dirt that
gathers on the mirror makes the mirror give a blurred image. In the
same manner, ignorance which takes its origin in Divinity ultimately
shrouds your sacred knowledge. The evil tendencies in you are responsible for this. When you banish these evil tendencies and
thoughts, it will be possible for you to behold Krishna, the Lord. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 40)
The water in the Sea evaporates on account of the sun's heat forming
clouds. These clouds float in the sky until they are again condensed
into water drops by cool winds. The vast ocean consists of an infinite
quantity of water. A small volume of water becomes a cloud and
comes down as rain. This rainwater becomes a stream. A number of
streams mingle together to become a large river which flows down
mountains and through valleys. Finally, the river reunites with the
ocean. Similarly, you are alienated from Ishvara, the repository of illimitable grace. Who have gone through many incarnations and the recurring cycles of birchs and deaths. The journey of the erabodied soul
follows a similar pattern until it merges with the universal soul. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 55)
Wisdom has been likened to a boat which can take man across the turbulent waters of worldy existence. It has also been described as the
fire which burns all illusions, impurities and idiosyncrasies of human
nature. In this connection, let us examine the connection between the
fire and our food. The smoke depends on the fire; the cold depends on
the smoke; the rain depends on the cloud; the crop depends on the
rain; and the food depends on the crop we harvest. Further, the atti139
tude and qualities of our mind are conditioned by the food we consume. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 60/61)
Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati are the three sacred rivers of our
country. They have their source in the Himalayas and flow down to join
the vast ocean. They are swift-flowing rivers with strong embankments. If they have no embankments they will devastate the entire
country. A river must have banks to restrict its flowing water. A man's
life is like a stream, whose two banks are faith and perseverance.
Flowing between these two banks of faith and perseverance, a man's
lifestream mingles with the vast ocean of Divine Grace. Perseverance
and faith constitute the life-breath of man. Humanity cannot exist even
for a moment without perseverance and faith. They are the two wheels
of the chariot of a man's life which should proceed towards the unfathomable ocean of God's Boundless Grace. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 66)
Sacrifice means giving up your desires, anger and greed or extreme
miserlines. Man generally identifies himself with the Non-atman without realizing his true nature. The reflection of the sky in a pot of water
disappears the moment you pour out the water. Likewise, when you
recognize the temporal nature of all that is non-atman and attribute
their ephemeral existence to worldly desires (water), and give them
up, you get closer to the Atman. Unless you sacrifice desire, anger
and greed or miserliness, you cannot attain Divinity. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 71)
Sakshatkara is the immediate, intimate and unitive apprehension of
the absolute, supreme and integral reality of Brahman. It is a mystical
experience beyond mind, space and time. Meditation is an aid to
knowledge. The eye cannot see itself. Similarly, the Atman also cannot see itself. If a doll made of salt is sunk into the sea for finding its
depth, the doll gets dissolved in the water and becomes irrecoverable.
In a similar manner, the aspirant in search of the Highest Self loses its
individuality and identity. Brahman is an unfathomable ocean. A aspirant which goes in search of Brahman becomes one with Brahman.
Atman and the Divine Self are ontologically identical and no dual.They
are only aspects of the highest state of consciousness. (Summer
Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 100)
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Life is a mighty river and desires constitute its water. Thoughts are the
innumerable little waves in this river. Aspirations are the crocodiles
that abound in it and illusions are its whirlpools. Only a yogi can cross
such a terrible river, as he alone has gained control over the modifications of the mind. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, 125/126)
The aspirations and ambitions of youth are being inflamed at great
speed, and you have to canalize them at equal speed. Only then can
a balance be secured. The rains fall profusely; the water seeps in and
is stored underground, But man pumps the underground water faster
and in greater quantity than it is collected below the soil, and so
drought intervenes. Therefore go fast, but be steady and sure about
your work. (21.11.1979)
Every living being is on a pilgrimage - whether it is aware of it or not.
The Story of Glory of Divinity says that the destiny of all beings is to
return to their origin. Lord Krishna has declared in the Bhagavadgita
that all beings have emerged from him and have to merge in him. The
Sun causes clouds in the sky raising water from the sea as vapor; the
waters of the sea fall as rain, the rain water accumulates and flows as
streams and rivers, until it merges with the source, the sea. It is faithful
to its destiny; it confronts bravely all the hurdles and obstacles on the
pilgrim path. Every man has come into this world as a Messenger of
God. (25.12.1979)
A farmer has to concentrate his efforts during certain favorable seasons, when ploughing and sowing have to be done. He cannot afford
to count the cost or calculate the trouble. Rain or shine, night or day,
he has to do the task, so that he can reap the harvest. So too, for you
students, this is the period of life when you have to be active and alert.
Your future is shaped by what you do now. Now is the very foundational stage of your life, when you prepare your mind, to meet its challenges and your intelligence, to solve its riddles. (24.12.1980)
God will never produce an effect without cause or purpose. Nor will he
manifest any substance without value. Why? The rotation of the Earth
on its own axis, for example, causes night and day; its circumambulation round the sun causes the seasons, the formation of clouds, the
falling of rain and the beings. God has graciously willed to establish
peace and prosperity on earth. Let us see the purpose behind the alternation of day and night. After the activities of the day, night is pro141
vided to man and animals for rest and recoupment. Sleep refreshes
the mind as well as the body; without sleep, man is in danger of being
too exhausted. Night, which restores health, is a gift of God to man.
Placing faith in God's compassion, one can measure the benefits one
derives even from stars and galaxies, the waves and the sea. (...)
It is not possible to consider creation and the creator, Nature and God,
as different or separate. Can we say that waves are separate from the
sea? They are of the sea, with the sea and from the sea. Man too is of
God, with and from God. The bubble is born in water, stays in water
and is lost in water as water. The Cosmos too is a bubble born in the
Absolute, exists as the Absolute and merges in the Absolute. The human is the bubble; God is the sea. Recognize this truth: as the bubble
cannot be conceived without positing water, the Cosmos, this world,
cannot be conceived as without God. Of course waves rise and fall,
advance and recede, but the sea has no such agitations. The movements of the waves do not affect the sea. As a consequence of human
activities, man has ups and downs in life, growth and decay. But the
God in him is not affected at all. (17.7.1981)
Ponder on a river merging in the ocean. The waters of the ocean rise
up as vapor when warmed by the Sun and form clouds, which drop
down as drops of rain. Each drop has inside it the yearning to return
to the ocean from which it has been exiled. But, the feeling of individuality overcomes the yearning. The raindrops accumulate and flow as
brooks and streams which swell into tributaries of rivers, flooding the
plains. At last, the river merges into the ocean and loses its name,
form and attributes. In spite of all modifications undergone in the journey from ocean to ocean, water remains as water in vapor, cloud, rain
and river. Names and forms and qualities do change but the core remains unchanged. Man too emerges from the ocean of Divinity and
his destiny is to merge in it. This is the truth. This is the reality. That
you are. Be firm in that faith. (2.1.1987)
Devotion occupies the pride of place in Bharatiya culture. Devotion
cannot be confined to observances like worship, pilgrimages or going
to temples. These are merely actions indicative of devotion. There is
a power which provides a basic impulse for these actions. That is the
love of God. Devotion means total love. This love is motiveless. Love
based on a motive cannot be real love. As a river seeks to join the
ocean by a natural impulse, as a creeper winds itself naturally around
a tree to climb upwards, the devotee's love is a spontaneous expres142
sion of the yearning to realize God, free from worldly desires of any
kind. The Bhagavatha has expounded the nature of this sacred love
from days of yore. (...)
The descent of the Divine is in response to the yearnings and actions
of people and not because of any karma of the Divine. This may be understood from a simple illustration. Crops grown on the ground look up
to the skies for rain. They cannot reach up to the clouds. The clouds
come down in the form of rain to provide water to the crops. To cite another example: There is a child on the floor. It wants its mother. It cannot jump up to the mother. The mother has to bend down, take the
child and fondle it. In the same manner, to offer relief to devotees, to
protect them and foster them, the Divine comes in the human form.
This is described as Avatara, the descent of God as an incarnation.
God comes down from his high level to give joy to his devotees. Man
does not try to understand the inner significance of such incarnations.
(15.9.1988)
For instance, there is the example of the ocean. All kinds of rivers flow
into the ocean. It absorbs all the waters, but its level hardly rises and
all the water that comes in becomes saltish. What happens to the water that rises from the sea as vapor and cloud? It is pure and sweet.
The clouds, when they produce thunder, proudly declare that by going
up from the sea, they have achieved eminence as well as purity. Moreover, the clouds come down as rain and nourish the crops on earth.
Can all the waters of the ocean nourish a farm? No. Only the transformation of the sweater into vapor and clouds can serve this purpose.
(1.1.1993)
The relationship that should exist between wealth and deeds can be
likened to the relationship between rain water and the ocean. Water
from the sea, vaporized by the sun forms clouds in the sky which in
turn come down as rain on earth. The rain water flows as streams
which in due course form mighty rivers and merge in the ocean. Similarly, actions should spring up as clouds from the ocean of righteousness and confer the rain drops of love. The drops of love gather into
rivers and merge in the ocean, which is the source. (23.1.1994)
Many diseases are caused by drinking water that is polluted. If there
is only one milligram of fluoride in a liter of water, it is safe. The presence of more than one mg in a liter may cause sickness. If there is 4
or 5 mg of fluoride in a liter, it affects the teeth and is positively injuri143
ous to health. In several States in India such as Himaachal Pradesh,
Utthar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Raajasthan this disease is
widely prevalent. In Aandhra Pradesh, it is rampant in Shrikaaktulam,
Guntur, Medhak, Nalconda and Mahboobnagar districts. Recently it
has been found to be prevalent in Kudapa, Kurnuul, Ananthapur and
other places. It is found on investigation that the fluoride content in water varies from 1.5 mg to 10.5 mg in these areas.
The fluoride that is contained in underground water sources varies
from 1 mg to 300 mg per liter. In many areas they have established
Aluminum factories. Fluoride is made use of to a large extent in these
factories. This mixes with air and the polluted air affects the people. It
enters the stronger portions of the body such as bones and teeth. A
portion of this fluoride is excreted through urine. The ignorant are not
aware of the serious damage caused by this fluoride to their health.
Fluorosis causes pain in the joints and affects the bones at the back,
etc. The affected persons suffer from severe pain in joints. Some
germs such as bacteria also enter the system and cause a lot of damage to the human body. Viruses also cause diseases. Polluted food
also accounts for the spread of these disease-carrying germs. Meat,
fish, black and red salt, black coffee and tea also cause spread of fluorosis and aggravate it further. To the extent possible you should
change your food habits. Chewing betel leaves also causes tooth decay. Certain drugs sold in the market also aggravate this disease.
There are some types of antidotes that can be consumed with food to
prevent fluorosis. You should take sour things like lime, orange and
tamarind in greater quantity. You can also take more of tomatoes, potatoes and vegetables with Vitamin C. You should also take more of
carrots to build the bones. Intake of such food items in a liberal measure will help to combat the incidence of fluorosis. Besides these, consuming of green leaves which contain a lot of calcium will also help in
keeping off fluorosis. Food is the main factor in maintaining good
health or causing diseases. (29.1.1994)
How is peace to be got? When you plant the seed of Truth in the heart
and make faith take deep root, with the rain of chanting God's name,
peace blossoms, yielding the fruit of Liberation. Therefore, every human being should sow the seed of truth in his heart. The deeper the
root of faith goes down, the stronger will be the tree of life. You must
provide water for the flourishing growth of the tree by means of singing
the glory of God. Only then the flower of peace will bloom and from this
the fruit of liberation will be attained. (6.5.1995)
144
Today righteousness has declined among the people. As the level of
righteousness goes down, the water level also goes down! If good
qualities arise in men, the water level will also rise. What is the reason
for the failure of timely rains and the shortage of food crops? It is the
decline of morals among the people which is the cause of natural calamities. The people must cherish sacred thoughts. Then the people's
aspirations will be fulfilled. (18.11.1995)
The answer to the question: “Where is happiness?” is: “Happiness is
union with God.” Students tend to forget this, in the pursuit of worldly
pleasures. It is only through the ripeness of experience that this realization can come. For instance, you see a barren field in the summer.
After a night's rain, you find grass coming up. Wherefrom did it come?
It is from the field. What was present in the form of seeds in the earth
came up as grass after the rain. Likewise the bliss within you will
sprout when you water your parched heart with the rain of divine love.
(18.1.1996)
Man is the beneficiary of innumerable gratuitous gifts of God: wind,
rain, sunlight and so on. What gratitude is man showing to God for all
these, while he his paying a big price for every small benefit he derives
from services like water supply and electric power? God is the provider of all that is essential for life. What recompense is man making to
God? On the contrary he goes on praying for more benefits. This insatiable desire is the cause of all man's evil qualities. The truly human
qualities are calmness, forbearance and compassion. Man should
lead a contented life. (1.7.1996)
lndian culture is sublime. The Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and the
great epics are veritable oceans of supreme wisdom. The sun turns
every day vast quantities of water from the ocean into vapor and gives
it back to the earth in the form of rain to sustain nourishing crops for
mankind. Although the amount of water vaporized by the sun is immense, the oceans depth does not diminish. Nor does the level of the
ocean rise even by a little despite the inflow of waters from the rivers.
The immensity of Indian Culture is like the ocean which neither swells
nor goes down. From days of yore, the sages of India absorbed this
culture and propagated it among people and enabled their lives.
(19.1.1997)
145
During the day the sun is the natural source of light, human life will be
impossible without the light of the sun. The sun is the cause for rains,
which enable crops to grow and sustain human life. Sun is also the
source of health and of happiness. (23.1.1997)
Another vital element in Nature is water, which is also one of the manifestations of the Divine. The lesson that water teaches is: “Son! By
nature I am pure, sweet and cool. Purity, patience and perseverance
are three good qualities you have to cultivate.” (8.10.1997)
In the exploitation of natural resources, people are observing no limits
in the name of their right to act as they please. I do not understand
wherefrom this “right” is derived. In reality, there is no such thing as a
“right.” In fact, what they have is responsibility. If one's responsibilities
are properly discharged, some rights may emerge from them. If responsibilities are ignored, what can be the outcome? Only disorder
and lack of peace. When rain falls, there will be water in the channels.
How can you hope for water when there is no rain? Hence, you have
to pray at the outset for rain. Only then you can enjoy the flow of water
in the rivers. Similarly, you have at the outset to discharge your duties
and then you will secure your rights. (11.10.1997)
Suppose a marriage function is being celebrated in one house, the
family prays for the rain to stop to facilitate them. At the same time, a
neighbor who has cultivable land, that is dry, prays for the rain to continue to pour in torrents to facilitate his cultivation of the land. God is
impartial and will not submit to a particular individual's needs. He
weighs the needs of all and maintains a balance. (21.4.1998)
In order to redeern yourselves, you should grow the harvest of love in
the field of your heart; water the field of your heart with love. Water is
the very life of man. How can you sanctify your life if you cannot provide at least drinking water to the people who are in need of it? Water
is divine. Water in Sanskrit is called Nara. Eye is known as Nayana.
So, the Nara, which comes out of Nayana should be for the sake of
Narayana (God) alone. One should shed only tears of joy, not tears of
grief. When do you get tears of joy? Only when you are successful in
your endeavors.
You all know that here are many people from Mahaboob Nagar and
Medak districts in this gathering. Swami has consented to provide
drinking water to these two districts. Many people hailing from these
146
two districts have never seen Swami before. Their joy knew no bounds
when they came to know the love and grace showered on them by
Swami. Men and women, young and old were ecstatic. Every week
many people from these two districts come to Swami to express their
gratitude. You should all plunge into such sacred activities for the benefit of mankind at large. (14.2.1999)
What is liberation? It is not just reaching God, it means complete
merger with the Divine. The rivers such as Ganga, Godavari and Saraswathi have different names and forms, but once they merge in the
ocean, they lose their name, form, taste and become one with the
ocean. Similarly, once you merge in God, there will be no difference
whatsoever. Experiencing such non-dualism is the true objective of
human life. (15.2.1999)
The atom is God. Right from the water you drink and the food you eat
everything is pervaded by atom. It took thousands of years for the scientists to understand this truth. But the same truth was proclaimed by
the tiny tot Prahlada ages ago. He said: “Do not have the feeling that
God is here and he is not there. In fact, he is everywhere. You can find
him wherever you search for him.” Bharat has been the birthplace of
many noble souls like Prahlada who had experienced the omnipresent
Divinity. Since ancient times, the Bharatiyas worshipped earth, trees,
anthills and mountains because they believed that God is everywhere
and in everything. (...)
Consider this example: Put two spoons of sugar in a tumbler containing water. The sugar gets collected at the bottom of the tumbler. If you
drink the water without mixing the sugar, the water will not have any
taste. Take a spoon and stir it; then the whole glass of water will taste
sweet. The human heart is like a tumbler containing water. Divinity can
be compared to sugar. Stir it with the spoon of intellect. The process
of stirring is enquiry. Once this is done, the sweetness of divinity will
spread to all the limbs of the body. Then all that you see, hear, talk and
do will be suffused with divinity. Your life itself will be filled with love.
(...)
God is the only true friend. All of you are aware how the worldly friends
are. As long as there is water in the tank, you find thousands of frogs
living there. But all the frogs desert the pond once it gets dried up.
Likewise, all the worldly friends swarm around you saying hello, hello
as long as you are in position of authority and have wealth. Once you
lose both, none will look at your face even to say goodbye. But, friend147
ship with God is true and eternal. God is always with you in times of
both pain and pleasure. (12.3.1999)
It is because of its immense spiritual wealth that Bharat continues to
be a land of peace and security in spite of many foreign invasions in
the past. Without Bharat there will be no trace of spirituality in this
world. There is truth in the air of Bharat; there is righteousness in the
dust of Bharat. The land of Bharat is suffused with love. The water of
Bharat overflows with compassion. Having taken birth in this sacred
land of Bharat, you must uphold and sustain the principles of truth,
love, righteousness and compassion. For whose sake should you uphold these principles? Is it for the sake of society or for the country?
No. You should uphold these principles for your own sake. Only when
everyone fosters these principles will the country prosper. (...)
There are many affluent people in the society, but few have the spirit
of sacrifice. Life bereft of sacrifice is inhuman. The Vedas said: “One
can attain immortality neither by rituals nor by progeny nor wealth;
only sacrifice confers immortality.” (18.3.1999)
Ages have passed, years have rolled by, but there is no transformation in man. When you have a bitter thing in your mouth, even the
sweet tastes bitter. Sweet will taste only when you spit out the bitter
thing and rinse your mouth. What is that you have to do in order to
pour milk into a glass, which is already full of water? You have to pour
out the water and then pour in the milk. Likewise, man has to get rid
of evil thoughts in order to cultivate sacred feelings. Man's life is like
an ocean full of opposite waves of union and separation. These waves
coexist; in fact one cannot exist without the other. So, one has to be
equalminded. (...)
Today we find pollution everywhere. The air that we breathe, the water
that we drink, the sound that we hear, the food that we partake of, are
all polluted. The root cause for all this is that the mind itself is polluted.
It is because of evil feelings in the mind that everything appears evil.
The whole world is based on the mind. Even if man dies, mind will not
die. So, man should purify his mind with pure thoughts. Pure thoughts
can be cultivated only by chanting the divine name. Some people may
talk derisively about the efficacy of the divine name. But, the joy and
bliss that you derive by chanting it is supreme. Today people think of
only worldly matters, but not God. What is the benefit that accrues
from thinking of the mundane matters? Nothing at all. In fact, it makes
you more and more restless. (14.4.1999)
148
Where is the lotos born? It is born in mud. Where does it live? It lives
on the surface of water. The lotos is not defiled by mud nor is it wetted
by water. Yet it cannot survive even for a second without mud and water. Man's accumulated karma of past lives are like mud. The present
life can be compared to water. A Paramahamsa is one who is not affected by his past life. Though his present life is the consequence of
his past karma, yet it can be pure and free from the mud of past traits.
(27.4.1999)
Sweetness of devotion should reflect in your speech. Hence, every
word uttered by you should be sweet. Only then do you deserve to be
called human being. When can you speak sweetly? When you contemplate on the Divine. Your speech becomes sweet. However, it may
sometimes become necessary to use harsh words to correct some
people who act and behave in evil ways. Though the words may appear to be harsh, the feelings behind them should be saturated with
love. Sometimes when it rains, hailstones too fall along with the gentle
raindrops. They too are nothing but water in frozen form. (28.4.1999)
There are four things that you should offer to God. “Leaf” means body.
This body may wither away at any moment. So, never develop attachment towards the body; instead offer it to God. “Flower” means heart,
the flower that will never fade. “Fruit” can be compared to mind and
“Water” stands for tears of joy.
All these should be offered to God. This is the offering that God expects. I hope that you will put into practice what has been said and
sanctify your lives. I bless you all. (13.9.1999)
What is it that you have to offer God? Our ancients used to pray thus:
O Lord, I offer you the heart, which you have gifted me.
What else can I offer at your lotus feet?
Please accept my prayerful salutations.
(Telugu Poem)
The heart that God has given you must be given back to him as it is pure and sacred. This is the offering that God expects. God accepts
whatever you offer to him, provided you do it with pure love. In the
Krishna episode, Rukmini could weigh Krishna with a small Tulasi leaf
as her heart was filled with love. “O Lord, if it were to be true that you
are pleased with any offering made with pure love, be it a leaf, a flow149
er, a fruit or water, may this Tulasi leaf balance your weight.” So saying
Rukmini placed a Tulasi leaf in the weighing pan, which balanced
Krishna’s weight. (1.10.1999)
Like a stream of water that flows down from the hills,
courage emerges from the heart of a person
who trusts in God.
O man, how do you expect to attain Divinity
without understanding and experiencing the principle of love, which is
the very form of God?
(Telugu Poem)
When you are thirsty, is it not foolish to desire for the whole of river
Ganga? A glass of water is enough to quench your thirst. Likewise, it
is foolish to entertain excessive desires. Virtue cannot be attained
without discipline. Everything should be within a certain limit. Proper
discipline has to be maintained in eating, earning and spending. Only
then will your life be blissful. (14.1.2000)
Divinity is the primordial basis for the body, the mind and the life principle. Divinity is the foundation of everything.
The water of the ocean becomes vapor due to suns rays. The vapor
in turn become clouds. The clouds come down in the form of rain, flowing down as rivers and streams, which ultimately merge into the
ocean. Just as the rivers, which originate from the ocean, ultimately
become one with it, so also all the living beings and objects, which
originate from Divinity, will ultimately merge into it. This in Vedantic
parlance is called liberation. The Bhagavatha also says, it is but natural for all the living beings to go back to their place of origin. The individual soul has originated from divinity and is bound to merge into it.
(4.3,2000)
These days many people go to villages, sweep the roads, whitewash
the temple walls and feel satisfied that they have done social service.
No, no. That cannot be treated as service as it is your duty. What is
true service? Find out the main problems being faced by the people in
the villages. What are the unfavorable circumstances? What are their
immediate needs? You should do your best to fulfil their needs. Summer is the next season. Drinking water is not available in some villages. Water is the very life of man. You should help them out either by
digging borewells or by channelising water through some other
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source. When you take up such acts, which have utility value, you can
claim that you have done some social service. In fact, you should not
treat this good work as service. If you feel that you are doing service
to someone else that may promote egoism in you. You should feel that
you are serving your own people. All are human beings. All belong to
one caste - the caste of humanity. All belong to one religion -the religion of love. There is only one language - the language of the heart.
You should cultivate such broad feelings. Only then the service you
render becomes true service. In this way, you should serve people
and make your education and skills useful and meaningful. (5.3.2000)
Why doe s water scarcity arise? When there is a decline in Sathya and
Righteousness, the level of water in the earth also declines. As compassion and love have diminished in human heart water has become
scarce. This problem is not due to divine fury as some people may
imagine. It is because of the rise in evil qualities in man. If people
strictly adhere to the path of truth and righteousness, there will never
be water scarcity. People blame bad times for their misfortunes. But
there is nothing wrong with time. There are adequate rains and perennial rivers. But they are merging into the ocean without being
hamessed. (6.5.2000)
The clouds form in conformity with your own feelings of the heart.
Rains are dependent on the clouds. You perform actions in accordance with the thoughts in your minds. The fruits correspond to the actions performed. A small example: If you take a small stone and drop
into a well, waves form and spread out to cover almost the entire surface of water. They expand so far as to become invisible to your sight.
In the same way, a small thought in your mind like the stone dropped
in the well produces disturbances pervading the whole mind and from
there pervades the whole body. The entire body is affected by the nature of the thought. Your eyes seek such sights as prompted by the
thought. Your hands perform acts of a similar nature under the influence of the thought waves. Similarly, your legs are affected and you
go to such places as are prompted by the thought in your mind. (...)
There are no separate sources for speech and thought. There is only
one single source for the flow of fluids to all parts of the body, which is
the heart. When you fill your heart with love, your speech and your actions become pure and sacred. The five indrivas are like so many taps
fed from the central tank. If the central tank is filled with the water of
pure thought, how can any impure thought or action arise? When the
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heart is filled with pure love, the tongue will not utter impure words, the
eyes will not see any obscene sights and, ears will avoid hearing profane sounds. Everyone should enquire into how he is wasting his valuable life. You should cultivate good thoughts. If by chance an evil
thought has entered your heart, empty it out, clean it with the water of
sacred thoughts and fill it up with pure thoughts. In fact, it is not possible for evil thoughts to enter your heart because your heart is the very
temple of divinity. (24.11.2000)
O man, is it not foolishness on your part to think that you have not seen
God though you see him in the form of the world. Fire is seen if you
blow the ash from live embers. You can see the pellucid waters only
after removing the moss. A person's vision is clouded when he has
cataract in his eyes, but when the cataract is operated upon, he gets
back his normal vision. Similarly, as long as a person is under the influence of the mind, he identifies himself with the body and experiences pleasure and pain. Once he transcends the mind, i.e., Maya, the
dualities of the world do not exist for him. He visualizes Divinity everywhere. Today man tries to know Divinity with his mind. In order to visualize Divinity, you should understand the principle of Atman or 'I'.
The Atman is formless. So long as you are attached to your form, you
will not understand what Atman means. (...)
Without a substantial basis, there will be no manifestation. The basis
for the waves in the ocean is the water therein. In the same manner,
Atma is the basis for the phenomenal world. (21.2.2001)
Today man is subjected to hardships because he has forgotten the
source of his origin. Fish is born in water. It cannot survive even for a
while without water. It is happy only when it is in water, the place of its
origin. What is the source of man's origin? Lord Krishna declared in
the Bhagavadgita: “The eternal Atman in all beings is a part of My Being. From this it is evident that man is a spark of the Divine. He has
originated from the principle of Atman. Having been born from the Atman, man should always contemplate on the Atman. He will become
restless and face hardships if he forgets the Atman. So, never forget
the Atman, the place of your origin. Have faith in the Atman. Respect
it and revere it. Treat Atman as the basis of your life. This is the spiritual discipline that man should adhere to. (22.2.2001)
You may collect water from an ocean in an ocean in a pot and tank,
The water in these two differs only in quantity but the salinity is the
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same in both of them. The body may be compared to the pot; the allpervasive consciousness exists in it as conscience. The whole world is
pervaded by consciousness. On this basis, the Vedas declare: “Verily
all this is Brahman.” There is no matter in this world that is not pervaded by Brahman. You are all embodiments of the Cosmic Divine.
Though you see God day in and day out, you feel you haven't. It is
a sign of your weakness. Have firm faith that the body is a temple. Will
anybody utilize a temple for unsacred purposes? So, make proper use
of your body. (14.4.2001)
The food you eat is impure. The air you breathe is impure. Everything
is impure. Then how can you escape disease? If you do not want disease, eat pure food, breathe pure air, drink pure water and be pure.
But wherever one looks around, there is only impurity. When you are
surrounded by impurity, how can you get purity? When purity manifests from within, you can experience its reflection, reaction and resound in the external world. First and foremost, you have to infuse purity in society. (1.6.2001)
When you put a drop of water on your palm, it gets evaporated in no
time. But when you put the same drop of water into the ocean, it assumes the form of the ocean. Your position in life depends on the company you are associated with. Hence, it is said: “Tell me your company
and I shall tell you what you are.” When you develop intimate relationship with God, you become God yourself There is none in this world
who does not possess divine power. All powers are latent in man, but
he is unable to realize them. As a result, he is leading a miserable life.
(...)
Today the food you eat, the air you breathe and the water you drink
have become polluted. Consequently, people are suffering from heart
and liver disorders. In olden days, such ailments never existed. The
pollution of food, air and water is the main cause of the diseases. That
is why I have resolved to provide pure drinking water to the needy.
First of all, I started educational institutions and hospitals as education
and health care are very essential for one and all. Then I started Drinking Water Project. I provided water not just by getting borewells dug.
Borewell water may contain excess fluoride, which is harmful for
health. So, I made arrangements to get water from natural sources like
Krishna river, spending crores of rupees. Now the Chief Minister of
Kamataka has requested me to provide pure drinking water to Bellary,
Bidar and Bijapur districts of Karnataka State. I have agreed to do so.
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Wherever there is scarcity of drinking water, one should make every
effort to provide it. We need not give money; it is enough if we provide
safe drinking water to the people. There is no dearth of rich people in
the country. But of what use is wealth if it is not used for sacred purposes? No one can carry even a fistful of dust at the time of departing
from the world. (10.6.2001)
Whenever bad qualities like anger and jealousy crop up in you, do not
be carried away by them. Control them. Keep telling yourself: “Anger
is a bad quality. It will lead to bad actions and ultimately put me to ruin.” Whenever you are angry, sit quietly in one place and drink cold water. Chant the Divine Name. Then your anger will gradually subside.
(5.7.2001)
If you dig a well near Ganga, you will get pure water of the Ganges itself. When you have got the pure waters of the Ganges flowing nearby, why do you waste your efforts by digging well‘s here and there?
God is like Ganga in floods. There is no need for any well anywhere.
Be near God and be dear to him and enjoy bliss. (31.8.2001)
God is the ocean of bliss. As is the size of your container, so is the
amount of water that you can collect from an ocean. If you want to collect more bliss from the ocean of bliss, i.e., God, you have to increase
the size of the container, which means you have to cultivate expansion
love. Expansion love is life; contraction love is death. Develop love in
you and share it with others. (...)
Fish is better than selfish. Fish cleans the water of its dirt, but the selfish man pollutes the society as he lives in it. Undertake selfless actions. Only then are you fit to be called a human being. (9.10.2001)
There are many aspects in modem educational system that we must
understand. But we are not learning what we ought to. Instead we are
gathering irrelevant information. Mere learning of the contents of a
book constitutes secular education. Education must be combined with
educare. Only then will you experience the bliss. What is the difference between 'education' and 'educare'? Education is like insipid water, educare is like sugar. Merely adding sugar to water does not make
it sweet. It is only on stirring, does the sugar mix with the water making
it sweet. The heart is the tumbler, divinity is the sugar, and secular education is tasteless water. With intelligence as the spoon and enquiry
as the process of stirring, you experience the all-pervasive divinity.
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That is true wisdom, which enables us to recognize the unity of all creation. (20.11.2001)
However, the microcosm and the macrocosm differ only in quantity,
not in quality. Here is a small example. The ocean water is saline. Go
to an ocean and get a potful of water. The water in the ocean and the
water in the pot differ only in quantity but the taste remains the same.
You should always have quality in mind, not quantity. God is interested only in quality. One teaspoon of cow's milk is better than barrels of
donkey's milk. Don't get carried away by quantity. Do not run after material objects. Do not be greedy. Greed leads to sorrow. Aspire for
quality. It is the quality and not the quantity that gives you happiness.
(...)
Cultivate right vision, right speech, right listening, right thinking and
right action. This will make your life perfect. Then you become deserving of divine grace. Only then can you attain liberation. Perception of
the divine is the first step, proximity to the divine is the second, identity
with the divine is the third and merger with the divine is the fourth. Just
as rivers ultimately merge with the ocean, man should become one
with God. The ocean is the goal of the rivers. What is the goal of human life? Is it to enjoy worldly pleasures? No. You may have all the
comforts you like, but ultimately you should strive to become one with
the divine. The very purpose of life is to have the vision of God, experience him and ultimately merge with him. But today man is doing just
the opposite. He has forgotten God and is wasting his life in the pursuit
of worldly pleasures. Human life is highly sacred, noble and divine. It
should not be wasted in such unworthy pursuits. (24.2.2002)
The entire earth is permeated by magnetic power. AII the living beings
and objects that are present on this earth also have this magnetic
power. The rivers that flow, the wind that blows, the flowers that blossom, etc., everything is endowed with magnetic power. The rivers flow
on earth because of magnetic power. The magnetic power is all-pervasive. (...)
Temples are nothing but centers of magnetic power. Whatever power
you experience in a temple is only due to the presence of magnetic
power. You feel there is a great power in Tirupati. It is not the power
of Venkateswara Swami, the presiding deity. It is the power of devotees faith and surrender. Hence, there is tremendous magnetic power.
That which attracts is the principle of Rama. God has the power of attraction. Take any temple for instance. Only the magnetic power is
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present there. That is the power of divinity. It can be experienced only
in temples and nowhere else. What is the reason? The deities installed in temples, the water used for worship, the flowers and the yellow rice used for worship, everything is full of magnetic power. That is
the reason why people are attracted to temples.
Your body is also like a temple with magnetic power. Hence, it has to
be utilized for sacred purposes. (13.3.2002)
If God is present everywhere, people ask why we are not able to see
him. The ocean water reflects the sun above. When the water is disturbed, the reflection of the sun is also disturbed. Similarly, God is in
every man. But he is not able to see him because of his disturbed
mind. A disturbed and vacillating mind can never reflect God.
(26.5.2002)
There is no devotion greater than love. Any little service performed
with love is enough. If you give a glass of water to a thirsty person with
genuine love, it is more than enough. Almost 90 per cent of the socalled devotees are, in fact, deceitful. Earlier, it was quite different; the
devotees were few, but they were genuine devotees. Nowadays, there
are too many selfseeking cheats masquerading as devotees. First
thing in the moming, they adorn their forehead with vibhuti, wrap a
scarf round their neck and roam about freely in the guise of devotees.
Even the stray dogs scrounging around for something to eat are better
than such fake devotees! (22.7.2002)
Today, you are building the mansion of your life on a water bubble.
You do not know at what moment it will burst. Human nature should
rest upon the eternal truth, not on a momentary thing like the water
bubble. Human life is becoming more and more uncertain today.
(23.7.2002)
How can one understand the atomic power? Atom is not visible to the
physical eye but it is present everywhere. The water you drink, the
food you eat, the words you utter, the sound you hear, everything is
permeated by atoms. Though man treads on atoms, eats atoms,
drinks atoms, he is unable to understand their mystery. He thinks that
only scientists can investigate into the nature of atoms. Atomic process is highly sacred. By conducting a proper enquiry into this, one
can understand divinity. But today nobody is conducting a proper en-
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quiry to experience the atomic process. People are leading their lives
with materialistic outlook. (24.7.2002)
Names and forms are momentary like water bubbles. He is being deluded by names and forms and is losing the very precious gem of divinity. Man is endowed with infinite divine power. A piece of red-hot
iron can be put to better use than the fire itself The body can be compared to a piece of iron and the divinity within to fire. Man should,
therefore, understand this truth and make proper use of his body. (...)
Water is not something which one gives to another. It is nature's gift to
all. (1.1.2003)
All are the children of God. God is one. Society is the direct manifestation of God. What is the difference between individuality and Godliness? Individual and God are one. There can be no branches without
trees. There can be no child without mother. Fish cannot survive without water. Similarly, individual cannot exist without God. Both have an
intimate and inseparable relationship. (16.3.2003)
Nobody can estimate the infinite power of Rama. It can only be experienced in the heart. Love is the only yardstick to measure the power
of divinity. Hence, you have to develop love to experience divinity. Hanuman could jump across the vast ocean because he chanted the
name of Rama always. With the power of Rama's name, he could lift
mighty mountains. How could the monkeys build a bridge across the
ocean? In the beginning, the boulders were going down in the ocean
and the monkeys were frustrated. Then Hanuman thought of a plan.
He inscribed the letter 'Ra' on one boulder and 'ma' on another and
threw them into the ocean one after the other. They stuck together to
make the name 'Rama'. With the help of many such boulders bearing
the letters 'Ra' and 'ma', a bridge was constructed. The boulders became light and floated on water only due to the power of Rama's
name. There is an intimate and inseparable relationship between the
love of a devotee and the grace of God. Only love can win the divine
grace. (14.4.2003)
You have to bend your body and work. Discharge your duty with the
sweat of your brow. Only then can you get the right reward. Today,
people are suffering for want of food and drinking water. What is the
reason? Man is not undertaking righteous actions. When man does
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his duty sincerely, there will be no shortage of food and water. Without
working hard, one cannot lead a happy life. (...)
One should not crave for scholarship or name and fame. They come
and go. When there is plenty of water in the pond, frogs make their
way into it. When the water dries to a trickle, you do not find a single
frog there. In the same manner, when your pocket is full, many people
swarm around you. But, when your pocket is empty, no one will even
look at you. This is the way of the world. (...)
In villages, people sprinkle cowdung mixed with water in front of their
homes. It is considered to be auspicious. What is the reason? Cowdung destroys disease-causing germs and thus helps maintain good
health. It can cure many diseases. Today people of other countries
have recognized this truth and are taking full advantage of it. But, the
Bharatiyas are not making efforts in this direction. In earlier days, cowdung was used as a remedy for wounds. People used to bandage the
wound with cowdung. In modern times, people have a wrong notion
that the wound becomes septic if cowdung is bandaged over it. It may
become gangrenous also, they argue. It is a baseless argument. If cow
dung is applied, the wound will be healed in three days. (15.4.2003)
You should give utmost satisfaction to your parents. Consider it as
your bounden duty to offer water to your parents at the time of their
passing away. You should touch their feet and pay obeisance to them
everyday. Having been born as son or daughter to them, you have to
do your duty and show respect to your parents. Only then will you attain fulfillment in life. Even when you are not seeing your parents physically, you should feel that they are with you. After their departure from
the world, you perform the rite of the ceremony in memory of the parents. (...)
Remembrance of your parents with gratitude is the most important
thing that you should do. This is the greatest act of merit. (2.6.2003)
Love is devotion. Devotion without love is deep ocean. And how is that
ocean? It is full of salt water, whereas devotion with love is like sweet
water. Love is a nectarous feeling. Love is verily bliss. Love is a wonderful feeling. It is unfathomable. Therefore, such a nectarous, sweet,
blissful and unfathomable love, you should never give up. (2.7.2004)
It is the earth which provides food to man. It absorbs rainwater and
supplies it to the crops. In this way, you grow crops. Thus, mother
earth sustains your life by providing food to you. Water is also very es158
sential for your survival. One may live without food for a few days, but
not without water. Water is very necessary for growing food also. It
can be acquired only through prayer and not by any other means.
People perform worship and offer special prayers to invoke divine
grace for water. Everyone should pray to God whether one is a pauper
or a millionaire, for it is God who provides food and water to man. Food
and water are the gifts of God. Man cannot create food and water by
himself. He does not even know what type of food is essential to lead
a healthy life. He should, in fact, make efforts to understand this.
(25.12 2004)
Once, Droupadi was alone as her husbands had gone out. She took
out one strand of hair from her head and dropped it in the water, chanting some mantras. That single hair with the potency of the mantras
could bind all the hills around. Later on, a number of yogis assembled
together and enquired as to how a single hair could bind all the hills
around. They concluded that it was the strength of the hair of Droupadi, and her will power that could perform this stupendous task. It is difficult to amprehend such latent divine phenomenon. Unfortunately, today man is unable to realize his innate divinity. Man, who is heir to the
humanness is forgetting the very quality of his humanness. He is cultivating demonic qualities. (10.2.2005)
Water is infinite; a container cannot hold more water than its capacity.
As is the size of the container, so is the quantity of water collected.
Likewise, God is infinite, but each one describes him based on his limited understanding. Divinity is much more than what human mind can
comprehend. (23.5.2005)
Water is very essential for the survival of everyone. It is the sustainer
of life. What else can be of greater service than providing drinking water to the needy? It is the source and sustenance of life. (...)
Water is essential for human life. Hence I am prepared to provide water for all. Devotees should pray that everybody should have water to
drink. Pray for the welfare of all. Prayer is the need of the hour. You
may be worried that Swami is not able to walk. But always remember
that Swami is not the body. I have no connection with the body. I am
always happy and healthy. Do not pray to God for the fulfillment of
your desires. Pray for the welfare of all. When I had a fall, the people
of East Godavari and West Godavari came and prayed: “Swami, we
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want only Your health and not water.” I told them: “Your welfare is my
welfare.” (21.7.2005)
Is it not a futile exercise to sow seeds when there are no rains? Even
when there are rains, can you reap a harvest unless you have sown
seeds? Both the positive and the negative are required for the electric
current to flow. In the same manner, both self effort and divine grace
are essential to achieve success in your endeavors. (...)
Can anyone say: “My atma is dead”? The physical body perishes with
the passage of time but the Atman (Divine Self) is eternal. One can
see the reflection of the sun in a well, in a water tank, in the river and
also in the ocean. Without water, there can be no reflection. Each human being can be compared to a flow in which the reflection of the
same Atman is seen. The sun is one, but appears as though there exists a separate sun for each country. When it is daytime in India, it is
nighttime in America and vice-versa. The sun may appear at different
times in different countries, but it is one and the same. We cannot call
it as lndian sun, American sun and so on and so forth. Similarly, God
is one. Truth is one. Love is one. Live in love. When you adhere to the
twin principles of truth and love, you will experience the manifestation
of divinity in everything. (23.11.2005)
Everyone should have divine feelings in his heart. All actions should
be done to please God. When you start all your activities with prayer
to God, you are sure to be rewarded with bliss. Today if you invite a
music artiste to sing devotional songs, he will ask: “How much will you
pay?” In this manner, all our activity has become business-oriented.
Even food and drink have become a big business. The sacred land of
Bharat is land of plenty. The tradition of Bharat is to offer food free to
every hungry person and water to every thirsty person. This sacred
tradition seems to have disappeared these days. By imitating the culture of the West, the Bharatiyas today are casting a blot on the fair
name of Bharat. It is the land of great culture. There is hardly any other
country which can stand comparison with her so far as the sacredness
of the culture is concerned. Having been born in this sacred land of
Bharat, you should live like true Bharatiyas. (27.5.2006)
First and foremost, control your thoughts. The clouds of these
thoughts are moving about in the sky of your heart. The clouds, as
they move will cover the sun called the intellect and the moon called
the mind it is said, the moon was born out of the mind. The moon re160
flects the mind's nature. The intellect is the reflection of the sun. Both
of them move about in the sky of the heart. Sometimes, your own
thoughts form 'dark clouds'. More so in the youthful stage. The 'dark
clouds' are water-borne, meaning they are associated with desires.
When such 'dark clouds' gather, the sun and the moon are hiddenby
them. (...)
If you want to draw water from a well, you have to tie a rope to a bucket
and with the help of this bucket you can draw water. In the well of your
heart, there is the pure water of human values. In order to draw that
water from the well, you have to secure the rope of firm faith. However,
people today lack such faith and become blind. (29.9.2006)
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Earth
Sage Suka commenced his momentous message to King Parikshit.
He said:
“Maharaja! The great Tree that Bhagavatha is, truly inspires reverential awe. It has, incorporated in it, every conceivable source of auspiciousness and joy. The Lord, Sri Narayana is the seed from which it
has sprouted. The sprout is Brahma. The trunk of the Tree is Narada.
Vyasa constitutes the branches. Its sweet fruit is the nectarine story of
Krishna. Those earnest souls that yearn for that nectar and pine plaintively, regardless of bodily comfort or the passage of the years, until
they secure the fruit and imbibe its essence, such are real saints and
yogis.
O, ye ascetics and sages! This day, I am relating to you that Bhagavatha Sastra, that enchanting story of Krishna; treasure it in your
memory and save yourself from delusion and grief. You have listened
to the recitals of all Sastras already. You have also mastered all spiritual exercises. But, you have not known the greatest of them all. I
shall now give you the sacred Name of Krishna and the Sweetness
that is flowing from it. It is the sweetest name one can conceive; when
it falls on the ear, the heart is filled with joy; when you recall the Name
to memory, a stream of Love springs from the heart. The Bhagavatha
inspires and promotes deep devotion to Lord Krishna.
The Universal Absolute, the Birthless, Formless, Unmanifest, Infinite,
took on limitations of Name and Form, and concretized itself as Avatars (incarnations) on many occasions and manifested countless instances of Divine Intercession and Grace. Through these, as well as
the characteristics assumed and the ideas propagated, God saved
mankind from downfall. Those who sing the story of this Glory, those
who listen eagerly to the recital, those who imbibe and digest the lessons conveyed, these are the real devotees. They are the Bhagavathas, those who follow the path laid down in the Bhagavatha.
Bhagavatha binds Devotees (bhakta) with Bhagavan; that is to say the
story fills you with God, and transmutes you into Divinity.
God incarnates, not merely for the destruction of the wicked; that is
just an excuse, one of the obvious reasons. Really speaking God incarnates for the sake of faithful devotees. The cow has milk primarily
as sustenance for its calf. But, it is used by man for maintaining his
health and efficiency. So too, God incarnates, primarily for the sustenance of the faithful, the devoted, the virtuous and the good. But, even
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the faithless and the bad, use the chance for their own purpose.
Therefore, in the Bhagavatha, stories of such wicked persons intervene anlidst the accounts of the Glory and Grace of God. This does
not make the Bhagavatha any the less holy. When the sweet juice has
been squeezed out of the sugarcane, the bagasse is discarded. When
the sweetness of Divine Majesty has been tasted, the bagasse can
well be thrown out. The cane has both bagasse and sugar; it cannot
be sugar only. So too, devotees have to be amidst the faithless; they
cannot be without the others.
God has no bondage to time and space. For him all beings are the
same. He is the master of the living and the non-living. At the conclusion of every aeon the process of involution is completed in the Deluge; then, evolution starts again and as Brahma, he creates beings
again. He enlightens every one with a spark of his own Glory and fosters on the path of fulfillment every one of them as Vishnu. It is he
again, who as Shiva, concludes the process by the destruction of all.
Thus, you can see that there is no limit to His Might, no end to His Potence. There can be no boundaries for his achievements. He incarnates in countless ways; he comes as an Incarnation of a fragment of
his, or an part of his; he comes as an inner inspirer for some definite
Purpose; he comes to close an epoch and inaugurate another Avatar
for the new age. The narrative of these incarnations is the Bhagavatha.
The one Divine Principle works through three forms, as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, in order to manipulate and complete the process of becoming and being called srishti. The three are fundamentally of the
same essence; there is no higher or lower; all three are equally Divine.
Associated with Creation, he is Brahma; with Protection, he is Vishnu;
with Dissolution, he is Shiva. When he comes down assuming special
form on special occasions for a specific purpose, he is known as Avatara. In fact, Manu and Prajapati and other Persons are Divine Persons entrusted by Brahma with the mission of peopling the world. Everything happens in consonance with the Divine Will. So, we can
assert that the saints, sages, ascetics and men, both good and bad,
are all Avataras of the Vishnu Entity. Avatharas are as countless as
living beings are, for, each is born as a consequence of Divine Will.
But, the story of the Yugavatar alone is worth perusal, for, the Advent
is to restore the Divine path and moral life. The story of all the rest is
but a story of distress and despair.
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Brahma deputed Manu to proceed to the earth and to create living beings thereon. Devi, the Feminine Principle, eluded him and took the
Earth into the nether regions. Brahma then had to seek help from
Vishnu and he assumed the Form of a Boar and brought the Earth
from the nether regions, and placed it among the waters. Later, the
Earth was so incensed at the atrocities of Emperor Vena, she kept all
the seeds sown, within herself and did not allow them to sprout. So, all
beings were afflicted with the agony of hunger. The earth became a
medley of hills and valleys with nothing green on it. Then, the Lord assumed the Form of Prithu, who levelled the surface and added fertility
to the soil and induced the growth of agriculture and promoted the welfare of mankind. He fostered the Earth like his own child and so, the
Earth is called Prithivi. He is said to have built the first cities upon the
earth.
That is to say, it was the Lord's Will that it should be done so. It is that
Will which is being worked out. The Lord originated the Vedas, for the
preservation of man, through the practice of morals and spiritual exercises. The Vedas contain Names that will liberate beings, and the
rules and regulation that will guide men. When the Asuras or the Evilminded threatened to steal the Vedas, they hid themselves in the waters and the Lord assumed the form of a Fish to recover them. He
saved the Seven Sages and Manu from the same waters. This is the
reason why it is said that the Lord incarnated as a Fish.
O, ye ascetics! O, King Parikshit! Doubts may arise in your minds
when you hear the story of creation and the early history of man on
earth. The processes of the Divine Will are mysterious wonders; they
cannot be grasped by the faculties with which you measure earthly
events. Often, they may strike you as devoid of any basis but the Lord
will never involve himself in any deed without proper cause. That Will
need not be explicable; it is its own prompter. Everything everywhere
is due to His Will.
To initiate Creation, there must be some attraction that will act as the
urge. So, Brahma had to become two, in body and activity. The One
Body was transformed into two and therefore, where there was one
Will formerly, two appeared, one which attracted and the other which
was drawn towards creation, the feminine and the masculine. Since
the one attracted in a hundred distinet ways it was called hundredfaced and Beloved of Brahma (Brahmapriya). The other was named
Manu. These two gained renown in the first Stage of creation. Satharupa and Manu were the first progenitors.” (Bhagavatha Vahini, 177/
181)
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Moksha means liberation. All embodied beings long for liberation from
the limitation that the embodiment connotes. Every living being is perforce an aspirant for liberation, a practitioner of renunciation. One has
to A bird in flight in the depths of the sky needs two wings: a Person
moving on the earth below needs two legs to carry him forward: an aspirant eager to attain the renounce the world, versed in detachment.
This is the final Truth, the indisputable Truth. Those who give up their
body and leave, do not take with them from here even a handful of
earth. When one does not himself learn to give up, Nature teaches
him, on his death, this great truth about the need and value of detachment and renunciation. So it is good to learn the lesson even before
this happens. The person who learns and practises this truth is indeed
blessed. (Vidya Vahini, 18)
A bird in flight in the depths of the sky needs two wings: a Person moving on the earth below needs two legs to carry him forward: an aspirant
eager to attain the Mansion of Liberation, the Abode of Freedom,
needs renunciation and Wisdom, renunciation of worldly desires and
wisdom to become aware of the Atman, the Divine Self. When a bird
has but one wing, it cannot rise up into the sky, can it? In the same
manner, if man has only renuncitation or wisdom, he cannot attain the
Supreme self, Brahman. The sense of 'mine' is the bond of deluding
attachment. How long can one cling to what he fondles as mine?
Some day, he has to give up all he has and leave, alone and empty
handed. This is the inescapable destiny. (Sutra Vahini, 17/18)
When I see the heaps of books that lie around everywhere, I feel that
the wisdom inside the book cannot succeed in penetrating the heavy
binding and emerge Into the light. God is hidden by the mountainranges of lust, anger, envy and selfishness. So too, the Sun of Wisdom is
hidden by these huge heaps of books. Though these books have
spread to all corners of the earth, we cannot say that culture has increased or that wisdom has Increased; man is still not far from the ape.
An attractive binding and title, a beautiful picture, these are what the
reader seeks, viz., transitory pleasure and momentary contentment.
Only those who, by means of discrimination, select the books they
read and practise what they read can realize the Truth and enjoy everlasting Bliss. Only these live worth while lives. So, those who seek
the highest path and who revel in thoughts of God should strive to read
only the life histories of saints and sages and books which help the
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contemplation of the Divine. Aimless reading of books all and sundry
and whatever comes to hand will make confusion only worse confounded. It gives no profit, confers no peace. (Prema Vahini, 4/5)
Man has only a short span of life, here upon earth. But, even In this
short life one can, by wisely using the time with care, attain Divine
Bliss. (Prema Vahini, 8)
However broad and deep the ocean, when the earth quakes underneath, the waters part off themselves, and when the commotion subsides, they resume their original position. So too these good men keep
away without being caught up in it during the earthquake of injustice,
unrighteousness, selfishness and ostentation, and as soon as the hullabaloo subsides, they re-enter the world. (Prema Vahini, 38)
As gold and silver lie hidden under the earth and pearl and coral under
the sea, Peace and Joy also lie hidden in the activities of the Mind. Desirous of acquiring these hidden treasures, if one dives and turns mental activities inward, then, he becomes full of Love. Only those who
have so filled themselves with Love and who live in the light of that
Love can be called Men. Those devold of Love are Danavas, Monsters, Sub-humans. That holy quality of Love will not remain unmanifested off and an, it will be ever present, without change. (Prema Vahini, 54)
Those who yearn to established in God-contemplation must seek solitude the practise Meditation and Spiritual Exercises at specified
times, and acquire onepointedness through these spiritual exercises.
And always be anxious to do deeds that will bring about the welfare of
all created beings, ever engaged in performing work without any concern for the fruit thereof. It is only when such men come upon the earth
that all suffering will cease. This is the mark of Kritha Yuga. (Prema
Vahini, 79/80)
Really speaking, even for the advent of the Lord the prayers of the
great act as the invitation. In the external world, when the subjects
need any convenience or help, they approach the rulers and inform
them of their request. So also. In the internal state, when there is no
possibility of achieving and acquiring Righteousness, Love, Peace
and Truth, the great and good men, who desire to achieve them, pray
to the Lord within themselves. Then, listening to their prayers, he him167
self comes into the world and showers his grace on them. The fact is
well known to all. Did not Rama and Krishna incarnate because the
Lord heeded the prayers of the sages? Many have read this in the Ramayana and the Bhagavatha. Why, even Ramakrishna, though he
was Divinely-born prayed to Godess Kali (for he could not bring it
about) to send some one who could preach to the whole world the
Dharma that will uproot injustice and selfishness. This is known to all
who have read his life history. Thus, prayers should be offered again
and again for the realization of the task. No one should become desperate and give up prayers, if they do not result in the advent of the
Lord. (Prema Vahini, 82)
In fact, those who are immersed in the uninterrupted contemplation of
the Lord need not do any other task at all. The fruit of their prayer itself
can make the world holy. But, all cannot be thus engaged; and so all
must endeavor to prepare for that stage by purifying their mind and diminishing their desires. (Prema Vahini, 84)
When Arjuna prayed that Krishna must tell him the true characteristics
of a Devotee, he replied: “Partha! Son of the earth, he will be free from
all desire. He be stable in the knowledge and awareness of the Atman
only.” (Geeta Vahini, 40)
You derive benefit from the world and from the community and so
some activity on your part is their due. This Brahmanda, this Viswa, is
really speaking a huge workshop; every human being is a limb in this
organization. The limb is alloted a task in accordance with its structure
and it must find its fulfillment in doing that particular work. Whatever
work one has been allotted has to be done as an offering to God There
is no single thing in the Universe that does not engage itself in this
great task. Plant and insect, stone and stump, wind and rain, heat and
cold, if each of these does not work as per Plan, the world cannot subsist. The Sun and the Moon carry on their routine tasks; wind and fire
have to perform their duties without demur. If the earth and the Sun refuse to do the alloted duties what is to happen to the world? So there
is no one who is Karma-less, but yet with body! It is only when each
performs his task without fail, and with care, that the wheel will move
quick and smooth.
You may wonder why Wise (Jnanis) should still do activity; not only
you, but many others may be worried at that statement. Well, people
usually follow the ideal set by those in higher levels. Their acts form
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the basis of Duty for all. If the wise are inactive, how are ordinary mortals to save themselves? They have no guide and so they lose themselves in the easy paths of sensory pleasure. The duty of the wise is
to foster the right and to practise it before others, so that they too may
be prompted to follow, drawn by the hope of becoming as contented
and as joyful as they are. The wise have to do and get done, see and
show, so that the rest might be persuaded to follow the example set
by them. (Geeta Vahini, 47/48)
Every one has to exercise the life force; for without it life itself is impossible. Living is struggling, striving, achieving. God has created man
so that he might wield the talent of the life force and achieve victory.
His purpose is not to make man a consumer of food, a burden upon
the earth, an animal that is a slave to its senses. He does not aim at
creating a horde of idlers and loungers, who shy at hard work, and accumulating fat, grow into monstrous shapes. He does not create man
with the idea that he should, while alive, ignore his Creator and deny
the Divine Self and wander about like animals, allowing both intelligence and discrimination to go to waste, moving about without an iota
of gratitude to the Giver of all the gifts which he consumes and enjoys!
(Geeta Vahini, 109)
The Aspirants in the midst of their efforts sometimes imagine God to
be less glorious than he really is! They feel that the Lord differentiates
between sinners and saints, good and bad, wise and sinners. These
are unsound inferences. The Lord does not separate men thus. If he
really did so, no sinner can survive his anger on earth for even a minute. All are living on the earth, since the Lord has no such distinction.
This truth is known only to the Wise! Others are unaware of this. They
suffer under the false belief that the Lord is somewhere far far away
from them. (Geeta Vahini, 120)
The Mahatma is free from all dual experience. He is above and beyond. He has released himself from identity with the particularized; he
is in the Universal, the Eternal, the Changeless. He knows that the Atman is not a limited entity, he feels that it extends beyond all limits; he
is free from the blemish of illusion and passion; he is neither dull nor
driven about by desire; he has pure consciousness, unaffected by attachment or hate. Many who style themselves as such, newadays,
have no purity in their hearts; their consciousness is soiled by foulness. But the pure in heart have no further birth and death. They are
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under no obligation to appear again on earth. Without attaining that
purity, you cannot escape the round of birth and death, however many
your meritorious deeds, however high your spiritual status, however
glorious the heaven you have secured! Only those who are perpetually in the Divine Consciousness can attain this Timeless Me, and be
freed from the chain, by merging in me.”
At this Arjuna gave expression to another doubt that worried him. He
asked: ”If that is so, why do the Upanihads declare that those who
reach heaven, Brahmaloka, need not be born again? Please explain
who exactly are those that are freed from this cycle of birth and death?
“Arjuna! There are two types of liberation mentioned in the Upanishads: release in a moment and liberation from karma. Release is also
referred as liberation in the actual life. For earning this, no one need
aspire for any heaven. They get this on the spot, and not by stages,
step by step. Liberation secured thus is a possession for ever. The
rest are liable to change. When the effect of the merit acquired wears
out, heaven has to be given up, and life on earth start anew. Such
souls know no merging; only, those who attain a continuous consciousness merge and become one with the Eternal, the Universal.”
“This is to say,” intercepted Arjuna, “the souls that attain a continuous
consciousness are destroyed, is it not? Or is there any difference between merging and destruction?”
“No, Partha! Merging is not destruction. Merging or coalesce happens
when it becomes invisible.”
“That is what happens when a thing is destroyed; it becomes invisible,
we cannot see it any more.”
“But, just because a thing has gone out of sight, how can you pronounce it 'destroyed'? No. A lump of sugar or salt placed in water disappears. You can see it no more; but can you say it has been destroyed? Or, do you say it has merged? It is there, the taste declares
it; it has lost the form, but is present in its quality. The Individual also
merges like this in Brahman. It is not destroyed at all. When the Individual is not merged like this, it can at best only wander between heaven and earth, deserving life in heaven for some time and descending
again to earth for further efforts towards salvation.”
Arjuna was still afflicted with doubt. He asked: “Krishna! You say that
no heaven, even the highest Brahmaloka, can save man from the cycle of birth and death; then, what is the royal road to Salvation? Do you
mean to say that those who strive for those heavens have to satisfy
themselves with just that and no more?”
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Krishna answered: “Partha! There is a State that knows no decline,
beyond all these heavens. There are many roads by which that State
can be won. Unaware of these roads or of the joy of that State, man is
taking to others that are either crooked or comfortable. He does not
know how to distinguish between the right road and the wrong.
I may tell you that there are four roads which are now used by mankind:
1.
Karmatita, unaffected by action;
2.
Nishkamakarma, action without any desire for the fruit thereof, action unaffected by any craving for the result therefrom;
3.
Sakamakarma, action with the desire to reap and enjoy its fruit;
4.
Karmabhrashta, action that knows no restraint or control.
“The Karmatitas are the extricated in actual life, all their Karmas have
been burnt up by the Fire of Wisdom; their impulses for action have
been scorched by the Wisdom they have gained. They have no further
need for injunction and prohibition. They need no spiritual practise,
like Charity, Asceticisme, Austerity. All that they do or feel or think will
be Divine, holy, virtuous, beneficial to mankind. The very earth they
tread on is sacrosanct; every word they utter will be the word of God;
their breath need not take them, on death, to realms that are heavenly;
they merge, on the falling away of the bodily raiment, without delay, in
Brahman.
“Next, the second group; the adepts at Nishkamakarma. These are
alert on the path of liberation, who are intent on attaining it. They perform each act as a step in the realization of the Lord. So they can never do anything bad; they do not look forward to the result; they leave
it to the Lord to give it, or withhold it. They are not prompted by worldly
motives or even by the desire to gain heavenly pleasure. Their aim is
just this: Liberation from the bondage of the objective world. They win
the Grace of the Lord in proportion to the steadiness of their faith and
practice.
The third group, which believes in Sakamakarma, performs all acts
through the desire for the fruit thereof. Since they have an eye on the
successful earning of the fruit, they will engage themselves only in
acts that are approved by the Sastras; they will not do any sinful or
prohibited act. They will equate each act with the merit it will confer,
the happiness it will ensure, the heaven it will win. Such men, when
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they depart from this world, will enter the Supra-mundane worlds they
have sought and worked for, and having stayed there as long as their
merit entitles them, they have to return to earth.
“The fourth group is not guided by any rule of conduct. They have no
norms, no discrimination between virtue and vice, right and wrong,
proper and improper. They have no horror of hell, no conception of
heaven, no dread of the devil, no reverence for God, no respect for the
Sastras, no vision of Righteousness! They are best pictured as beasts
in human form. The majority of humans are members of this unfortunate group. They strive for momentary pleasure, short-lived happiness, temporary joy and evanescent comfort. To call them apes with
human physique will be a big mistake; for the ape only jumps from
branch to branch or from tree to tree. It releases itself from one branch
or one tree before landing on another. Men are more like caterpillars,
which move from leaf to leaf, fixing their foreparts on a new leaf, before
releasing their hindparts from the leaf on which they were resting till
then.
“That is to say, man by his acts in this life decides on his next birth,
where and how it will be, even before leaving this world. The new
place is ready for him, his foreparts are already there; it is only after
setting this that he relieves himself of the hold on this world! Men of
this category move round in the wheel of birth and death. To be born
and to die, one must have auspicious moments which will guarantee
a wise life and a worthwhile end, Arjuna! Yogis, for example, give up
life only when auspicious moments are available, not at other times.
That is why people say, Death is the Witness for the Good. An auspicious moment is to be chosen even for the act of death.”
Arjuna asked: “Krishna! Tell me when the body has to be yielded to
Death, so that one can escape the cycle of birth and death; tell me also
which period of time one should avoid.” Krishna replied, “Partha! Your
question is very timely and urgent. Sometimes, you make Me marvel
at your intelligence and you make Me very happy. At other times, you
make Me laugh at your ignorance. Your egoism and sense of attachment cause this confusion. Let that pass. Let us come to your question.
“The Yogis who practise Nishkamakarma pass away during day, while
there is light, in the bright half of the month, and in the six month period
of Uttarayana. They have as their first state Fire. Hence, their Path is
known as Devayana, or since Agni is known also as Archi in the Vedas, Archiradimarga. Such Yogis emerge from Effulgence and travel-
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ling through Effulgence they merge in Effulgence itself. They attain
Brahman and are not born again.
“The Yogis who practise Sakamakarma pass away in smoke at night,
during the dark half of the month during the six months of Dakshinayana; they pass along the dark path and reach the Heaven and there enjoy the pleasures they have yearned for and worked for; when the
stock of merit is exhausted, they get born again.
“Both these categories of men are called Yogis; they will exist so long
as aspirants and active progressive individuals exist in the world.
(Geeta Vahini, 158/163)
The earth sustains and helps the seed to grow into a tree or to decline.
It is the Attribut of the earth that causes these two. So also, the seed
of the Principle of life in the body which is the Earth-principle helps the
individuals to grow and blossoms into the divine principle of Brahman.
Just as manure and water are essential for the tree to bloom and bear
fruit, for the blossoming of the Spirit into Atmic wisdom are Truth, Righteousness, Love, Peace and nonviolence essential. The attributes of
the Earth make it assume multifarious forms. (Geeta Vahini, 212)
A person can discard as many gross bodies in which he takes temporary residence, as the number of times he pares his nails. But, the subtle body cannot be changed; it lasts and persists. This is the most secret doctrine of Bharathiya spiritual thought. Going further along this
line of discovery, it can be revealed that man means: a complex of the
gross body, the subtle body and the Individual. The Vedantic philosophy would declare that the Individual shares the quality of Eternal unchanging Everlastingness. The objective World is also eternal, but,
with a difference, it undergoes perpetual change; it is never the same;
but, it persists for ever. The basis for the objective world, namely the
life force and ether are eternal, but, they act and interact without rest
and manifest variously and manifoldly.
The Individual, the Atman did not have its origin in either life force or
ether; it is not material in nature. So, it is eternal, without any change.
It did not happen through the impact of life force on Ether, or Ether on
life force. Things brought together will disintegrate. But things that are
'themselves' ab initio cannot so come apart. For disintegration means
'resuming the original nature', ‘becoming what it originally was, 'reducing itself to its native substance'. The gross body is the result of the
combination of life force and ether and so, it dissolves itself into its
components. The subtle body too dissolves but, only after a long long
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time. The Individual is not brought together, so, it cannot fall apart. It
has no birth. It cannot be born. A unitive part-less being can have no
moment of origin.
The objective world, consisting of billions and billions of varied things,
forces and events is governed by the Will of God. God is All-knowing,
All-penetrating All-pervading; he is activating the objective world and
acting through objective world all the time. The objective world is ever
in his care. His sovereignty is beginningless and endless. This is the
doctrine of the Dualists.
This gives room for one question. When the world is ruled by God, how
does he permit it to be so wicked and vile? The answer given is that
God is not responsible for the grief and the pain. The sins you commit
are the progenitors of the grief you suffer. Joy and sorrow are the consequences of the good and the evil that you perpetrates. God is the
Witness. He does not punish, nor does he cause grief. The Individual
is beginningless, that is to say, he has no birth but, he involves himself
in incessant activity and so he has to go through the inevitable consequences of that activity. This is the experience of every one, the characteristic of every one's mind. This is the unbreakable law of the objective world. Grief or joy is the image of the activity one engages in.
It is the resound, the reflection, the reaction. The Individual can be the
witness without concerning himself with the good and the bad of the
activity. When involvement happens, good will have to be experienced
when good is done, and evil will have to be experienced when evil is
done.
The Vedanta asserts that the Individual is by its very nature pure and
unblemished. This is the accepted doctrine according to Bharathiya
thought. But, this truth has been befogged by ignorance and neglect.
So, Illusion (maya) pollutes the experience and the shade of ignorance breeds evil. But, when beneficial activity is engaged in, the
clouds of Maya are scattered and the Reality of the Self is resealed.
All beings, all Individuals are by their very nature pure. Good acts can
remove the taints of evil deeds and preserve its essential purity. Then,
the Individual is led into the Godward path. The Godward urge will
transform the words, the thoughts and the deeds of the individual.
We cannot think without words; words are the essential material for
thought. When the individual drops the body, the words enter the
mind; the mind, enters the lifeforce and the lifeforce merges in the Atman, the Divine Self. The Atman, individualized in the body, when it
liberates itself rushes to the Suryaloka, the Region of the Solar Principle, the Surya. From thence, it reaches the region of the Brahmaloka,
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the Brahma. Having reached that region, the individualized Atman has
no more concern with the objective World. It will exist there till the end
of Time. It will experience boundless Delight, it will have all powers except the powers of Creation.
The authority to rule over the Cosmos is exclusive to God. God is free
from desires of all varieties. Man's duty is but to offer him Love and
worship him through Love. This raises man to the highest status
among beings. Those who are unaware of this status or incapable of
discharging its responsibilities belong to other categories. They too offer and worship they too engage themselves in beneficial activity. But
they crave for the fruits they hope to gain; they perform acts motivated
by a desire to benefit from the results that emerge therefrom. “We
have helped the helpless; so, our path will be smooth and safe. We
have uplifted the downtrodden; so, we can avoid troubles on our road.
We have busied ourselves in singing the Lord's Glory in chorus; so, we
are sure of Heaven” - these are the calculations of people of this nature who engage themselves in 'good acts'. When such people give up
their bodies, that is to say, when such people die, their words will
merge in their minds, their minds will merge in their lifeforce, and the
lifeforce, thereafter will merge in the Individual, and the Individual will
travel to the Region of the Moon Principle, the ChandraIoka, that is to
say, the Loka of the Presiding Deity of the Mind - suggesting that they
have to enter again the realm of the mind with all its agitations and turmoils of wants and wishes. In the Chandraloka, such Individuals will
experience some satisfaction and delight, until the consequence of the
good acts lasts. That is why it is said in the scriptures: “When the acquired merit is spent, they enter again the world of mortal men”. The
Individual encases itself in a body equipped with sense organs etc.,
appropriate to the earned consequences of the deeds of the previous
body, and starts another life-career. The residence of the soul in the
Chandraloka is what the Hindus refer to as the time spent as a Deva
in Heaven or as an Angel according to Christian and Islamic religions.
The name Devendra given to the Lord of these Devas is an indication
of a position of authority. Thousands have risen to that position.
According to the Vedas, when the highest good is observed, that person is elevated to the position of Devendrahood. The soul raised previously to that position will descend to the earth and resume ceareer
in human form. Just as on earth monarchs change, in heaven too rulers cannot escape rise and fall. The residents of Heaven too are subject to the law of ups and downs. It is only the Brahmaloka that is free
from birth and death, rise and fall, ups and downs. This is the basic
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doctrine of Bharathiya thought, its eternal nectar, administered to humanity.
When the Individual is as a Deva in the Chandraloka, it cannot manifest any activity (karma). Only man can express himself through action
which binds him by its consequence. Karma means activity undertaken with desire, with an eye on the result. When the soul Is in Chandraloka as a Deva, it is content and satisfied and so, it will not crave for
activity for earning pleasure or achieving some success. The residence in that Loka is the reward it has secured for the good deeds
done by it in the past, or it may be the prize won for such goodness.
When the delight emanating from the good deeds is experienced and
spent away, the balance of the consequence accumulated has to be
suffered and so, the soul has to come as man on earth. Then, attaining
the highest good and engaging himself in acts of highest potency for
merit, he can cleanse his heart and reach Brahmaloka from whence
there no is coming back.
The word Hell can nowhere be found in the Vedas. The conception of
hell is foreign to the spiritual thought of the Bharathiyas. The idea of
hell and the various descriptions of hell are all later additions in the
Sastras and Puranas. The authors of these texts believed that religion
will be incomplete if it does not posit hell. They laid down diverse tortures as part of hell, but, they laid down one limit to the pain hell inflicts.
They declared that there can be no death in hell. The purpose for
which hell was created was only to incite fear among the people in order to make them desist from sin.
But, nonduality does not posit Heaven or Hell. It is concerned only with
Bondage and Liberation, ignorance and illumination. It is known as
Vedanta. There is no faith higher than what Vedanta stands for.
(Sathya Sai Vahini, 47/52)
This spiritual treasure can be got from another too. Only, the giver has
to possess supreme attainments and the recipient has to possess the
special merit that deserves the achievement. The seed may have life
in it; but the soil must be ploughed and made fit to activate it. When
both these conditions are satisfied, the harvest of spiritual success is
assured. He who instructs in the field of religion has to be of enthralling
excellence; the listener, too, has to be of sharp and clear understanding. When both are surprisingly supreme and extraordinarily enthusiastic, the result will be spiritual awakening of the highest level. Or else,
rarely can such results follow. These are the real Gurus. They steal
your hearts, not your wealth. The people has to concentrate on service
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to the Guru, and ruminate over his teachings. The pupil must be eager
to translate the teaching into daily activity and actual practices. He
must fill his heart with devotion and dedicate all his skill for the actualization of the Guru's counsel. Such a person deserves the name,
Sishya.
When the thirst for liberation and the revelation of one's reality is
acute, a strange and mysterious force in Nature will begin operating.
When the soil is ready, the seed appears from somewhere! The spiritual Guru will be alerted and the thirst will get quenched. The receiving
individual has developed the power to attract the giver of illumination.
That power is strong and full. Therefore, naturally the splendour that
can confer the illumination will get ready to bless.
Readers! Though Gurus of the common type have increased in numbers, there is available for man, a Guru, far more supreme and far
more compassionate than any or all of them. He is no other than the
Avatar of the Lord. He can, by the mere expression of His Will confer
on man the highest consummation of spiritual life. He can gift it and get
man to accept it. Even the meanest of the mean can acquire the highest wisdom, in a trice. He is the Guru of all Gurus. He is the fullest embodiment of God as man. Man can cognise God only in the human
form. The Bharathiya Spiritual Stream has been declaring, over and
over again, that adoring God in the human form is the highest duty of
man. Unless God incarnates as man, man can never hope to see God
or listen to His Voice. Of course, man may picture God in various other
forms, but he can never approximate to the genuine form of God.
However much one may try, man cannot picture God in any form except the human. People can pour out wonderful discourses and talks
on God and the nature and composition of all that exists in the Universe. They may satisfy themselves, asserting that all accounts of
God descending in human form are meaningless myths. That is what
the poor ordinary eye can discern. This strange inference is not based
on wisdom. As a matter of fact, wisdom is absent in these assertions
and declarations, what we can notice in them is only the froth floating
on ego waves. (Sathya Sai Vahini, 97/98)
The countries of the world fall into two categories - countries where the
people are devoted to activities with spiritual motivation and countries
where the people pursue the pathways of the senses, with no higher
purpose to guide them. The categories emphasis the ideals of the
people, down the ages. India is the country, where the people have
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discovered the proper goal of all activity, namely the glorification of
God, resident within and without. (Sathya Sai Vahini, 131)
Gravitation has existed on earth since we do not know when. It had its
origin along with the Creation of the Earth. The Earth and the Force of
Gravitation are both inseparable, indistinguishable. Just because it is
not recognized by a few or because it is not visible as such, it will be
foolish to deny its existence in the Earth. But the fact is, no one knew
the existence of this universal force, though it was there along with the
Earth! The force was operating even when man was unaware of it. At
last, after analyzing various principles and observing various experiments, the Western physicist Newton announced that the Earth had
the force of gravitation. The world accepted his statement and placed
faith in its truth. But, the force was operating all the time, even before
the announcement by Newton. It did not start operating all of a sudden, when the experiments demonstrated it. (Sathya Sai Vahini, 178)
That is why once Sankara said that “the egoism based on the body is
what is meant by the Hell”. Egoism of this kind is just another form of
the Contra-Divine attitude. Who can remove all the thorns and pebbles
from the face of the earth? The only way to avoid them is to move
about with footwear. So too, with the Philosophy of Vedantha. With the
vision fixed on Sathya or the Reality, with full faith in the Brahman
which is your own essential nature, you can bypass the need to transform the external world to suit your ideal of happiness and truth can be
attained. He who tramples down egoism and declares with conviction
thus: “l am not the bondsman of this body, which is the repository of
all types of servitude; the body is my bondsman. I am the master and
the manipulator of everything, I am the embodiment of freedom”, is already liberated. All codes of duties must help in this process of the destruction of the ego; they should not foster it and make it grow wild.
That is the road to freedom. (Dharma Vahini, 12)
Attachment to the world can be destroyed only by attachment to the
Lord. Why complain that the ground cannot be seen, when what you
have been doing all the while is to fix your gaze on the sky? Watch the
ground and look at the sheet of water that reflects the sky, - then you
can see, at the same time, the sky above and the earth below. You
must adhere the truth that after all is the practice of the immanent Atmic Principle. You must see in every act the reflection of the Glory of
the Atman; then, attachment to the Lord will transmute the attachment
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to the world into a pure offering. The goal should not be altered or lowered; that is to say, the essentials should be kept intact. Task does not
depend on the various names and forms that its application entails;
they are not so basic; it depends more on the motives and the feelings
that direct it and canalize it. (Dharma Vahini, 14)
The cause for the present fall in moral standards and absence of social peace is the neglect of the aspect of women's education. The
earth and sky are still the same; the change is in the ideal of education
from Dharma to Adharma.
The education of today is spoken of as Knowledge, but that is merely
a way of calling it. It does not deserve that name, if you consider the
present actions of the educated and their personal traits. The educated person must be capable of imbibing the inner joy of the Atman, irrespective of external circumstances; he must have grasped the purpose of existence: he must be aware of the discipline of realization.
The Grace of the Lord was the Diploma which every Student sought
to secure in the old days. That Diploma was awarded to those who
were proficient in the cultivation of morality, the knowledge of the Atman, the sublimation of instincts, good conduct, pure habits, control of
the senses, restraint of the mind, and the development of divine qualities. Today, however, things are different. Diplomas can now be
gained by mugging up a few books! By going through modern schooling one cannot acquire moral and spiritual training. (Dharma Vahini,
29/30)
Soul-force can accomplish all the tasks of the world; and since the
Gayatri Mantra confers inner strength, to foster that force, it has to be
cultivated with care at the right moment, without neglect. For the
growth and development of the body pure food is very necessary, is it
not? So also, the effulgence of the Sun has to be drawn, to reinforce
the inner effulgence of man in the form of creative imagination.
When soul-force waxes, the senses too are activated and directed
along fruitful lines. When it wanes, the senses fail and fail you. So, if
the solar energy is drawn at that very juncture, it will be as seeds planted in season, the harvest is assured. Can darkness hide and confuse
when the sun has risen and bathed the earth in splendour? Can sorrow prevail, when we have infused ourselves with that effulgence?
How can we be devoid of strength, the strength derived from the very
fountain-head of Brahman? The technique of this process has been
laid down by the ancients, for the benefit of all aspirants. Learn and
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practise it; by your own experience, you will be able to witness the
Truth of their path. (Dharma Vahini, 44)
The principle of Avatars or the Descent of God on Earth, the Incarnation of the Formless with Form, for the Uplift of Beings - this is the basic fact that makes the Bhagavatha authentic. By Bhagavatha we also
mean those with attachment to God, those who seek the companionship of God. For such, the book, Bhagavatha, is most precious; it is the
breath of their life. To be in the midst of such Bhagavathas is to foster
one's own devotion. Unless you have a taste for Godward thoughts,
you will not derive joy therefrom. To create that taste, the Bhagavatha
relates stories relating to incarnations to the earnest inquirer.
Then, one develops the yearning to experience the thrill of God,
through all the levels of consciousness. He who has this intense
yearning can be a true Bhagavatha.
People believe that incarnations of God happen only for two reasons:
the punishment of the wicked and the protection of the righteous. But,
these represent only one aspect of the Task. The granting of peace
and joy, of a sense of fulfillment to seekers who have striven long - this
too is the Task.
The Avatar, or Form Incarnate is only the concretization of the yearning of the seekers. It is the solidified sweetness of the devotion of godly aspirants. The formless assumes the Form for the sake of these aspirants and seekers.
They are the prime cause. The cow secretes milk for the sustenance
of the calf. That is the chief beneficiary. But, as too see, others too
benefit from that milk. So too, though the Aspirants are the prime
cause and their joy and sustenance the prime purpose, other incidental benefits also accrue, such as the fostering of Divine Task, the suppression of evil, the overwhelming of the wicked.
There is no compulsive rule that incarnations should occur only on the
earth and in human form. Any place, any form, can be chosen by the
Fully-Free. Whichever place, whatever Form, promotes the purpose of
fulfilling the yearning of the devotee, that Place and that Form are chosen by the Will of God. God is above and beyond the limits of Time and
Space. He is beyond all characteristics and qualities; no list of these
can describe him fully. For him, all beings are equal. The difference
between man, beast, bird, worm, insect and even a god is but a difference of the 'vessel'. (Bahgavatha Vahini, 1/3)
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Arjuna said: “This world is the stage on which each one acts the role
Krishna has allotted him, on which each one struts about for the time
given by him and each one has to obey his instructions without fail or
falter. We may think in pride that we have done this or that by ourselves, but the truth is, everything happens as he wills.” (...)
Can this material body, composed of the five elements, earth, water,
fire, air and ether - move or act without his Prompting? No. It is his
Amusement, to cause one to be born through another and to cause
one to die through another. Else, how can you explain the fact of the
snake laying eggs and warming them to bring out the young and then,
eat the very children thus born? Even among them, it eats up only
those whose term is ended, so to say, not every one of the snakelings.
The fish that live in waters get caught in nets when their term ends;
why, the small fish get eaten by the big ones and they, in their turn, get
swallowed by even bigger ones. This is his law. The snake eats the
frog, the peacock eats the snake; this is his game. Who can probe into
the reasons for this? The truth is: 'Every single event is the decision of
this Krishna.'” (Bahgavatha Vahini, 66/68)
It is not possible to limit the freedom of God in assuming Forms. He
adopts endless Forms, to manifest Himself in the World and saves it.
His incarnation is in conformity with the need of the crisis at the time.
When the Earth moaned under the injustice of Hiranyaksha, he had to
appear as a Boar, taking Form and equipped with attributes, though,
in essence, he is without Form and Attribute. The Will of God is mysterious; it cannot be explained by categories or as consequences. It is
above and beyond human reasoning and imagination. It can be comprehended only by those who have known him, and not by those who
have acquired scholarship or sharp intellect. The cause and the consequence are integrally related.
One day, when Brahma was resting awhile on his seat, there from his
nose a boar as small as one's thumb-tip! Brahma who had assumed
in sportive exuberance the Human form, knew the why and wherefore
of everything; but, he pretended not to, and looked upon the tiny boar
with astonishment. Meanwhile, it developed faster and faster into
greater and greater size like a frog, a rat, and a eat, and into the proportions of a monstrous elephant in rut. Brahma was smiling within
himself at its antics. Very soon, the Boar grew so huge that it seemed
to cover both earth and sky; it slid into the sea and emerged from it
with Goddess Earth (who had hidden herself under the waters through
humiliation) borne alfot safe and secure, on its tusks.
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Meanwhile, a cry was heard from behind: “You wretched swine!
Where are you fleeing to? Stop where you are.” The Boar paid no
heed to that cry; It moved on, as if it had not heard it. Then, Hiranyaksha, the Evil-minded Ogre-chief confronted it like a terrible monster,
and challenged it to overcome his might. A mortal combat ensued between the two. Witnessing the frightful thrusts and counter-thrusts,
Goddess Earth shivered in fear but, the Boar consoled her saying: 'O
Goddess, do not be frightened. I shall end this ogre's life immediately.
I shall ensure safety and peace for you, in a moment.' Soon, the Boar
became terrible to behold, the Goddess was greatly agitated about the
encounter; the Boar fell upon Hiranayksha with overwhelming might
and the Goddess closed her eyes in sheer terror, unable to bear the
sight of the devastating Form of the Boar. The duel was fought with fury, but, in the end, Hiranyaksha was torn to pieces and cast upon the
ground.
Thus, the Lord assumed various Forms according to the needs of the
situation, the forms best suited for the destruction of the wicked Race
of Evil-minded Ogres, and for the protection of the good and godly,
and the preservation of the Scriptures that reveal the Truth, the Vedas.
In this manner, the Lord incarnated as the Fish, the Tortoise, the Manlion, and the Short-statured Vamana. Of all the incarnations, the supremest and the most blissful is the Form of Krishna.
Still, you must realize that the chief purpose of all incarnations is the
preservation of Justice, Righteousness, Morality and Virtue. (Bahgavatha Vahini, 191/193)
Day and Night are willed by me. The Rulers of Living Beings are parts
of me. The urge that people have to increase and multiply is the reflection of My Will. Sometimes, when the created world has to be sustained, I myself assume Name and Form and initiate Manvantaras (the
Eras of a Manu), and provide the Earth with appropriate Divine Personalities and Sages, who set examples to be followed and indicate
the paths for progress.
I end also the unlimited increase of beings, when it happens. For this,
I take on the Form of Rudra too. I create the bad, in order to highlight
and promote the good; and in order to protect the good, I set certain
limits, both to the good and the bad, for, they would otherwise, stray
into wrong ways and inflict great harm.
I am immanent in every being. People forget Me, who is within and
without them; I am the inner core of every being, but they are not
aware of this. So, they are tempted to believe the objective world to be
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realand true, and they pursue objective pleasures, and fall into grief
and pain. On the other hand, if they concentrate all attention on Me
alone believing that the Lord has willed everything and everyone I
bless them and reveal to them the Truth that they are 1 and I am they.
Thousands have been blessed thus. They are the seekers, the aspirants, the Mahatmas, the Sages, the Divinely Inspired, the Manifestations of the Divine, the Guides who show the Path. They have acquired the experience that Truth is Brahma, (Bahgavatha Vahini, 194)
Let us pick up the story when Rama, Sita and Lakshmana reached the
mountain area of Chitrakuta. Now, the Lord will always be carrying on
some playful sport; he is the perfect actor. He never has any sorrow
or pain whatsoever, but sometime he will act as though he had such
feelings. Whenever God comes down in human form he acts this way
in order to conduct himself in a completely natural way as man. The
human form is taken on by him so that he can be easily accessible to
people. (Bhagavad Gita, 24)
To find a diamond you must dig deep within the earth. You will not find
it hanging outside from a tree. In the same way, you will not find this
most valuable diamond which is the Lord, lying around somewhere
outside, easily visible to all. With the help of the teachings of great
souls, you have to make the effort to find God within. The body is not
an ordinary thing. It is the temple of God, it is a chariot which carries
the Lord. In the world, which can be thought of as a grand village, the
Lord is being taken in procession in this chariot called the body.
(Bhagavad Gita, 27)
Together with most animals and birds, human beings have five sense
organs; these sense organs must be used extremely carefully, knowing well their capabilities and limitations. You must exercise the same
control over them as you use in controlling a number of powerful energies and implements which you encounter in your daily life. For example, fire when used with care and intelligence can serve you in a
number of useful ways; but when it is out of control it can be very
harmful. Or take the example of electricity or a knife; if you know the
proper way to use them, they will be beneficial; otherwise they can be
quite dangerous. It all depends on the care you take and your intelligence. The Vedanta has laid special emphasis on knowing the proper
use of the sense organs, and in applying that understanding to your
day-to-day life. (Bhagavad Gita, 39)
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Wherever you look, whether it be here on earth, or in heaven, or even
in the netherworld, every thing that you can ever find anywhere, is
made up of some combination of the five elements, and only the five
elements. Nothing else exists. Whatever you have ever desired, whatever you have ever used, whatever you have ever lost, all these myriads of things are nothing but changes in manifestation of the five elements. All these countless variations of the five elements have been,
and are forever changing with time; they are all temporary, endlessly
cycling from one name and form to another.
The flower which has blossomed today will be dried up by tomorrow.
The flower which has become dried up tomorrow, will be decomposed
a few days later. Food which has been cooked today will be spoiled by
tomorrow. The same food becomes poison the day after. Once it is
spoiled you cannot get back the original food. The beautiful form of today will become ugly by tomorrow. Even atoms making up the matter
in the moon, may in time end up here on earth, and atoms making up
matter here on earth may go to the moon. Once every seven years all
the atoms which constitute the human body undergo a total change. It
would be foolish, indeed, for you to think that the body and the sense
organs which are made up of the five elements, are permanent, or that
any object made up of these elements has any lasting value. Only the
external senses will be hankering after such transitory things. (Bhagavad Gita, 111)
When you make a search through the far corners of this world you will
discover that you are really just seeking these five elements; they are
all you will ever find in any of the things of the world. But since they are
already within you, what is the point of seeking them in the things outside? It is natural for you to seek and aspire for something which you
do not have. But it is unnatural to seek and aspire for something which
you already have. There is only one entity which transcends the five
elements, and that is divinity. This is what you should aspire for. Wisdom, is seeing that One everywhere. That all-pervasive unity is the Atman. Seek out this unity and keep it constantly in view. When all your
actions are based on Atman they become sacred and pure. When all
your activities are performed for the sake of Atman or for the pleasure
of God, then you become sanctified and filled with wisdom. A number
of Rishis, right from ancient days, have made heroic efforts to attain
this state of being ever established in the highest spiritual wisdom.
(Bhagavad Gita, 120)
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The physical universe contains billions of suns, each with its own
world; there are countless planets, big and small and innumerable beings; and in this entire vast universe, the earth is smaller than even a
tiny drop; on this earth, India is just a little country. In this little country
there is a small state. In this small state is a very little district. In this
little district there is just a minor village. In this village there is an insignificant little house. And in this little house there sits a very small body.
Isn't it ludicrous to think that such a small body could ever feel egoistic
and blown-up with self-importance, considering its minute size in this
huge universe. When you think of this Universe and your own place in
it, you can see that physically you are the merest speck in that vast totality. Can such a tiny speck ever hope to understand the totality? Can
a mere drop ever hope to measure the whole ocean? And yet, this
ocean is itself constantly undergoing change - and so does the whole
earth - and so does everything else in the Universe.
The world in which you are living is completely temporary and transient. How can an insignificant, temporary entity living in a transient
world try to understand the infinite, limitless, permanent entity? To understand the permanent entity, you must occupy a permanent place
within that permanent entity. Body, personality and individuality are all
temporary. They can be compared to a mirage. Man is trying to
quench his thirst from a mirage. A mirage appears to be water, but
there is no water there. No cloth can be wetted from a mirage; no
bucket can be filled there. You can never quench your thirst there.
(Bhagavad Gita, 151)
The stars look as though they are very close to each other, but the distance between any two stars is tens of trillions of miles. They look as
though milk has been spread all over the sky. The stars that man can
see with his telescopes number in the billions upon billions. There are
many more things which he has not been able to see. What is the size
of the earth in the context of such a vast universe where there are billions upon billions of stars, spread over distances of billions upon billions of miles? What is the place of earth in the solar system with its
sun, which is only one of the vast number of stars? In this earth what
is the size of India? What is the size of this state of Andhra Pradesh?
Within it how small is this district we are now in? And how much smaller is this village? And then, how very much smaller still are you in that
village? If such is the scale of the universe and such is your size in it,
why are you getting this egoistic feeling? If you were to take true cognizance of the vastness of the world you would not have such egoism.
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Only when you are oblivious to the greatness of the universe in relation to your minute size can you ever be filled with such a footish nation. (Bhagavad Gita, 221)
The Vedas have declared that various ceremonial actions performed
with interest in the results, can only take you as far as heaven. You
should not be under the impression that heaven endows you with immortality; the same Veda has also declared that when the merits of the
actions have been consumed, you have to come back down to earth.
You may not fully agree with this Vedic doctrine of Karma, but you
should not engage in arguments and counter-arguments about it. Just
realize that when you are only interested in the fruits, they soon will become exhausted, and new actions have to be undertaken again and
again, in an endless cycle. (...)
In the same way, your actions may be compared to this coming and
going of the thief. You perform actions in your life here on earth; afterwards you go up to heaven. Then when your term there has expired,
you come back again to earth. Krishna said: “This process of going up
and coming down is not good.” Then he gave Arjuna the sacred teaching. He directed him to seek out that place which is permanent, to
abide in that place of eternal truth from which there is never any coming back again. (Bhagavad Gita, 225)
Krishna declared that heaven is only temporary. He said: “Arjuna,
there is something which is greater than heaven. I am not saying that
you should stop performing sacrifices, austerities, religious rituals, and
the like. You have to engage in such worshipful activities as part of
your duty. However, do everything you do for the welfare of the world.
Do not act with a selfish motive. Perform every action selflessly, disinterestedly, concerned only with the peace, the welfare and prosperity
of the world at large. Do not be concerned with reaching heaven; set
your sight on a much higher goal, beyond heaven. Heaven will last
only as long as the merits of your actions last. Once these merits are
exhausted, you will have to come back to earth. Therefore, give up
your longing for heaven which is temporary and impermanent. Cultivate nearness and dearness to the Lord. Become merged in him; that
is what is truly important. The principle of divinity is greater than heaven. When you understand the secret of action and perform all your actions from the proper perspective, you will be able to acquire the divinity itself.” (Bhagavad Gita, 228/229)
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One of Arjuna's names is Parthiva, which means son of the earth. All
of you are sons of the earth. Since Arjuna may be considered an outstanding representative of all humankind, by converting him into a sacred person, Krishna felt that the whole world would in time be transformed. (Bhagavad Gita, 233)
As part of action you may perform sacrifices and ceremonial worship;
but as previously mentioned, these will take you only up to heaven.
Krishna informed Arjuna that there is a state which is far beyond and
far more sacred than heaven. “Do not consider heaven as a permanent place”, Krishna said, “when you have exhausted your merits you
will have to leave heaven and return back to the earth. Heaven is only
a temporary camp; you will not be able to reside there permanently.
Perhaps you think that in heaven you can enjoy so many bodily and
mental pleasures; but, in truth, the pleasures you get there are only a
little greater than those you get here on earth. There is a state which
is far, far beyond, far more sacred. That state may be reached by identifying yourself with God, by associating yourself with Atman, by merging yourself with Brahman. In order to attain this state you will have to
become totally desireless and selfless; you will have to perform all
your actions without expecting any fruits from them.” (Bhagavad Gita,
241)
You proceed from 'death' to 'life' and from 'illness' to 'health' by the experience of the buffetings of the World. The World is a very essential
part of the curriculum of man; through the agony of search is born the
infant, wisdom. The pains are worthwhile; they indicate the birth of
new life. From restlessness you get absolute peace, from absolute
peace to bright spiritual illumination and Supreme Divine radiance. It
is like the alternating of night and day, this recurrence of joy and grief.
Night and day are twin sisters, both are necessary to increase the fertility of the soil, to activate and refresh Life. They are like summer and
winter. (Vijayadasami,1953)
Never lose courage in the examination hall or outside. Courage is the
fertilizer which will make the plant of scholarship grow. The field may
be good, but manuring is also necessary. (3.3.1958)
Really speaking, you agriculturists are holy souls, for you bend under
the weight of the service you do and with hands raised in prayer, you
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toil night and day converting dust and dirt into the nourishing harvest
of grain for all men to feed upon.
This task is holy and the product of your efforts is also sacred. Why
cannot this task be made more fruitful by the cultivation of virtues also? That is the real harvest which pleases the Lord and sustains the
world.
Worry and grief there will always be, of one type or other, in the past,
present and future; while walking, dreaming and sleeping. But place
faith in the Lord and do your tasks as dedicated to him and they both
will vanish. (...)
Spend your time in the contemplation of the beauties of nature that are
spread out before you in earth and sky; green expanses of the crops
you have raised, cool breezes that waft contentment and joy, the panorama of colored clouds, the music of the birds. Sing the glories of
God as you walk along the bunds of the fields and the banks of the canals. Do not talk hatefully in the midst of all this evidence of love; do
not get angry, in these placid surroundings; do not disturb the sky with
your shouts and curses. Do not pollute the air with vengeful boasts.
The seedling wants water and manure to grow and yield rich harvest.
The tiny sapling of spiritual yearning for liberation from bondage also
needs these two. That is the real cultivation you must undertake. That
is the mark of the wise farmer. (2.9.1958)
Like underground water, the Divine is there, in every one, remember.
The Lord is the Indweller in all beings, Allpervading. He is the Soul of
every being. He is in you as much as in every one else. He is not more
in a rich being or bigger in a fat being; his spark illumines the cave of
the heart of every one. The Sun shines equally on all; his Grace is falling equally on all. It is only you that erect obstacles that prevent the
rays of His Grace from warming you. Do not blame the Lord for your
ignorance or foolishness or perversity. Just as underground water
wells up in a gushy spring when a bore is sunk down to that depth, by
constant Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram, touch the spring of Divinity and
one day it will gush out in cool plenty and bring unending joy.
Life is a pilgrimage to God; the holy spot is there, afar! The road lies
before you; but unless you take the first step forward and follow that
step with others, how can you reach it? Start with courage, faith, joy
and steadiness. You are bound to succeed. (20.12.1958)
All aspirants must get peace; that is the mission on which the Lord
comes again and again on this earth. He selects a place full of holi188
ness and divinity and takes on the human form, so that you may meet
him and talk, understand and appreciate, listen and follow, experience
and benefit.
The tragedy is that when Godhead is invisible, formless, you concretize it as you like and pray to it and get consolation and strength out of
it; but when it is before you, concretized in human form, you doubt and
discuss and deny! People fall before the stone snake and pour milk on
it and wash it lovingly with sacred waters; when it materializes into an
actual cobra, they flee in fear! But a true devotee has no fear or disbelief. (10.7.1959)
Your study here must develop your powers of discrimination, not your
egoism. Do not argue for argument's sake, for it will lead only to dry
scholarship and intellectual pride. Such craving for criticism is a disease of the intellect and it has to be nipped in the bud. Examine the
thing which you do not like very closely and with great care. Do not
jump to conclusions, favorable or unfavorable. That would be abdicating your precious status of 'thinker' and your responsibility to yourself
Even the Sun which is millions of miles afar can set fire to some object
if by means of a magnifying glass its rays are focussed at one point.
So also, focus all your powers of observation and judgement on one
topic and it will surely stand revealed. (22.1.1960)
The cottage and the castle are both built on the earth. So too, all faiths
and religions, all disciplines have the Veda as the basis. (...)
Suryaprakasha Shasthry said that the worlds this side of Suuryaloka
are all inhabited by beings that are subject to life and death, to the processes of involution and evolution and that the world on the other side
are inhabited by beings that are free from these aspects of change. He
also asked, who can give us the secret of transcending the barrier that
divides the region of death from the region of immortality? Of course,
the Lord has often sent Messengers to tell humanity about it and he
has himself come down in human form to communicate it and save
mankind from perdition. It is because the task of guiding man has
gone on so consistently that today in India there is at least this quantum of earnestness to achieve it and to escape from the cycle of birth
and death. (20.2.1964)
Through meditation and devotion, you can be aware of yourselves as
all this. Mud existed before plates and pots; pots and plates are mud;
mud there will be when plates and pots are no more. The plate and the
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pot must be aware of their being always mud; that, in other words, is
self-realization. When that is achieved, wherever your eyes are cast,
you find yourself; wherever your attention is directed, you find your reflection. Begin to feel for it now, this very moment. (...)
Offer the Lord, not the flowers got in exchange for a few paise from the
shop, but the fragrant flowers of your own virtues. Let tears of joy be
the holy water with which you seek to wash the feet of the Lord.
(25.11.1964)
Man is suffering because he cannot rid himself of the greed for senseobjects and sense-pleasures. He knows that he has to give up whatever he earns and collects, sooner or later; but, yet this attachment
waxes instead of waning, as the years go by. If every man on earth
could take with him on death, even a handful of mud from the Earth,
there would have been nothing much left and mud would have been
rationed at so many ounces per head! (13.12.1964)
There is nothing that Divine Power cannot accomplish. It can transmute earth into sky and sky into earth. To doubt this is to prove that
you are too weak to grasp the grandeur of the Universal.
I have come to instruct all in the essence of the Vedas, to shower on
all this precious gift, to protect and preserve Truth and Divine task.
Each profession has a task, a set of moral restrictions and regulations
guiding its exercise; if these are honored, then the joy, of the participant will go on adding itself, plus, plus, plus. (17.12.1964)
It is an uphill task: to reform one's tendencies and character. A man
may study all the text-books of spiritual practice, all the scriptures, and
he may even lecture for hours on them; but he will slip into error when
temptation confronts him. Like land that is parched, the heart may appear to be free from any crop of evil; but when the first showers fall,
the seeds and roots underneath the soil change the waste into a carpet of green. (13.1.1965)
On this earth, it is only through activity that you can transcend the Karma. Birds and beasts are not aware of this secret; man alone can select and accept the action that is most profitable for liberation from the
chain of karma. If he seeks happiness by satisfying the demands of
the sense, he learns that happiness won by that search is inseparably
mixed with misery. (28.3.1965)
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You find now a number of people who open their mouths wide in admiration of Western countries who prepare rockets to travel to the
moon and go round the earth. They may circle lakhs of miles in space,
but, they know not how to proceed half an inch more towards their
neighbor, or brother; they do not dare explore their inner reality,
though they are eager to explore the outer illusion! The Truth that is in
all beings is also in you. Search for that; discover that unity; that
source of courage, of love, of wisdom. (31.3.1965)
Consider all objects that you collect here as given on 'trust' to be used
in this caravanserai, during your pilgrimage, in this field of action. You
have to return them when you leave; they belong to another. When
you hold a currency note in your hand and say proudly: “This is mine”
that note laughs at you, for, it says: “O, how many thousand persons
have I known, who have prided themselves like this!” The body is but
a tent. Don't fondle that delusion; pant for the indweller, he who resides therein and makes it active, makes it ponder and conclude and
act. (...)
An empty iron box gets valued when it contains jewels; the body is
honored when it contains the jewel of consciousness and the valuables called virtues. Life has to be lived through, for the sake of the
chance to unfold the virtues. Otherwise, man is a burden upon the
earth, a consumer of food. Whether you like it or not, the length of your
life is being clipped every day; the Sun takes a day off it when he sets.
You have to pay him this tribute. You cannot get it back, however hard
you pine for it or promise to put it, if given back, to better use; once
gone, it is gone for ever. And how can you be sure of the day ahead?
You may not live to see it. So, sanctify every moment by holy thoughts,
words and deeds. (...)
Do not be led away by the scorn of others or by the recommendation
of others. Contact your own reality in the silence that you create by
quietening the senses and controlling the mind. There is a Voice that
you can hear in that silence. The true witness of your having listened
to that Voice is your behavior. A tree is held and fed by the roots that
go into the silent earth; so also, if the roots go deep into the silence of
your inner consciousness, your spiritual blossomy is assured.
(6.4.1965)
The stars under which these two Incarnations of God descended on
the earth are also significant. When Avatars come, they choose the
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time and place, clan and the family, and they decide and bring the
comrades and the co-workers.
When Vishnu incarnated as Rama, the thousand-headed serpent
forming the couch of Vishnu, his conch and discus and other inseparable adjuncts of the Lord also incarnated; the Devas (celestials) also
came down, in order to taste the sweetness of the Lord's company and
service. Rohini, the star under which Krishna was born, is related to
the attainment of yogic success and the powers that flow from it. Punarvasu, the star under which Rama was born, has a mysterious influence on the authority which accepts all who submit the protector of
those who take refuge of Rama's glory. (19.8.1965)
A field may look barren and dead; but the first shower of rain will convert it into a green carpet; the seeds of grass in the soil sprout at the
touch of dampness. So too, at the first contact with temptation, the attachments for earthy things prevents the sprouts and the growth of
spiritual discipline.
To visualize the Lord as resident in all and as responsible for everything (for he is the Director of the Play) is the hall-mark of devotion.
(26.9.1965)
Krishna said you are sons of the Earth. This is very appropriate, for the
earth and all attachments for things earthy lead you down into the regions of pain and grief. Earthly domain, earthly riches are powerless
before spiritual domain over the senses, spiritual riches of self-knowledge and self-confidence. Man goes out into space with his rockets
and space ships and sputniks, only to acquire superior striking power
over his rivals on earth. Man must know the Universe as basically
Brahman and so as fundamentally knowledge and love and peace.
(24.10.1965)
The earth around the trunk of certain trees has to be turned now and
again so that the roots might get strong; the branches have to be
trimmed, so that blossoms might appear and fruits might be got. So
too man has to dig around the edges of the mind, trim the traits of character and tend the tree of life. (20.2.1966)
By imbibing the teachings of the Bhagavata, your quality of inertia will
be raised into quality of restless activity and purified into quality of
poise and serenity. It is like the fruit growing by the combined influence
of the earth and sun first into full sourness, then to partial sweetness
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and finally complete sweetness, in three stages. Man too by the twin
forces of the Grace from without and the yearning from within, grows
into the complete sweetness of bliss and love. (2.7.1966)
The body suffers from thirst for water, the spirit has a keener thirst.
Worldly thirst is disastrous; it makes man bestial in his efforts to satisfy
the craving. If the earth was a little smaller, man might have swallowed
it whole! Luckily it is a little too big. (8.3.1967)
Separation has to be done in order to get the pure gold. You acclaim
the feat when some one is shot up into space and starts revolving
round the earth or racing to the moon. You do not realize that men on
earth are being starved of resources by this costly adventure and that
it is at the same time being tainted by hate and pride. One single rocket costs as much as the total budget of all the universities of India for
twenty years! The net result of all this 'progress' is just this: mankind
is living precariously on the brink of a holocaust; it is terror-stricken;
man startles at the echo of his own steps!
Man feels that he is the master of the Universe and that the Universe
is existing only under his sufferance. How then can he have peace?
This conceit will bring about his fall; man must be humble and realize
that he knows so little; even about himself. Without the knowledge of
his own self, what is all the lumber now filling his brain worth? Make
yourself humble, pure, useful for others. That way lies peace and joy.
(9.3.1967)
When once Brahma asked the sage Narada what was the most amazing thing he noticed on earth, Narada replied: “The most amazing
thing I saw was this: the dying are weeping over the dead.” Those who
are themselves nearing death every moment are weeping over those
who have died, as if their weeping has any effect, either to revive the
dead or prevent their own death! Brahma asked him to tell another,
Narada said: “Another amazing thing is: Every one fears the consequence of sin, but goes on sinning nevertheless! Everyone craves for
the consequence of meritorious acts, but everyone is reluctant to do
any meritorious act!” (10.3.1967)
The green vitality of the tree is a sign of the Divine Will, which sends
its roots deep into the soil. The roots keep the tree safe from storms,
holding it fast against the violent tug of the wind. So too, if the roots of
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love in man go down into the spring of the Divine in him, no storm of
suffering can shake him and crash him into disbelief. (24.5.1967)
Hindu religion and culture is at stake; it is being derided and discarded
by the very people who have the responsibility to foster and fructify
them. Hindus are fast giving up the rites and ceremonies that marked
the different stages of spiritual development. They join in the humiliating laughter of cynics who proclaim that they circled in outer space
and did not find God anywhere; as if the earth under their feet and Nature around them were not witnesses enough for his existence!
(7.10.1967)
Man imagines that he has achieved much as a result of his search for
material pleasures. He has discovered electricity, and is using it for
giving light. But what poor glory is this! When the Sun rises, even the
brightest bulb pales into insignificance. Man has invented the fan and
by means of electricity, he is able to induce breeze. But, when a storm
arises in nature, the toughest tree is uprooted and man's handiwork of
brick and mortar is laid in ruins, with the roofs flying in the air! On what
basis can he erect his pride?
The Sun is but a star among billions in space. The earth is but a speck,
rotating around the Sun. The nation to which he belongs is but a fraction of that spark, his village is a microscopic dot in that fraction and
he is but one among the thousands or lakhs of people residing therein.
He struts about for a few winks of the eye of time, and prides himself,
most stupidly, as if he is the lord and master.
But his real title to joy is not this. It is that he is the child and inheritor
of immortality; he is the repository of Divinity, he can by various paths
attain the state of Divinity itself! A machine without the power to activate it is of no use; so too, a human body without the Divine Spark is
of no avail. Without that spark, man is a tree that bears no fruit, a cow
that yields no milk; he must become aware of the spark, he must know
how to illumine oneself with it and cover oneself with its splendour.
You are living now in the dark, in ignorance. The knowledge that you
are the Divine Spark, encased in the sheaths of bliss, intelligence,
feelings, sensations and organic substances - this knowledge is the
light. You must light your own lamp. You cannot walk in the light of another's lamp. You cannot exist on the money in the purse of another.
Have your own money; then alone are you free. Earn the knowledge
yourself. (26.3.1968)
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I know you have the enthusiasm to carry my message among the people of this country and other countries. Let me remind you that the best
and the only successful way in which you can do it is to translate the
message into your own lives. Your thoughts, words and deeds must
be saturated with the message. Then, they will spread effortlessly and
efficiently, and the face of the world will be transformed. (...)
You elaborate in your lectures the unique powers of Sai, the incidents
that are described as 'miracles' in books written on me by some persons. But I request you not to attach importance to these. Do not exaggerate their significance; the most significant and important power
is, let me tell you, my Love. I may turn the sky into earth, or earth into
sky; but that is not the sign of Divine might. It is Love, the effective universal, ever-present, that is the unique sign.
When you attempt to cultivate and propagate this love and this fortitude, trouble and travail will dog your steps. You must welcome them,
for without them, the best in you cannot be drawn out. If gold was as
plentiful as dust or diamonds as easily available as pebbles, no one
would care for them. They are won after enormous exertion and expense; therefore they are eagerly sought after. (...)
Let me draw your attention to another fact. On previous occasions
when God incarnated on earth, the bliss of recognizing him in the incarnation was vouchsafed only after the physical embodiment had left
the world, in spite of plenty of patent evidences of His Grace. And the
loyalty and devotion they commanded from men arose through fear
and awe, at their superhuman powers and skills, or at their imperial
and penal authority. But, ponder a moment on this Sathya Sai Manifestation; in this age of rampant materialism, aggressive disbelief and
irreverence, what is it that brings to it the adoration of millions from all
over the world? You will be convinced that the basic reason for this is
the fact that this is the Supra-worldly Divinity in Human form.
Again, how fortunate you are that you can witness all the countries of
the world paying homage to Bharatha; you can hear adoration to
Sathya Sai's Name reverberating throughout the world, even while
this body is existing - not at some future date, but when it is with you,
before you. And again, you can witness very soon the restoration of
Divine order to its genuine and natural status, the Task laid down in
the Vedas for the good of all the peoples of the world. The revival of
Vedic task is the resolve that Sai has, not only drawing people towards
me, attracting them by the manifestation of my power and capability.
This is not a phenomenon of delusion. This phenomenon will sustain
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truth, it will uproot untruth, and in that victory make all of you exult in
ecstasy. This is the Sai Will. (17.5.1968)
Life on earth is, as on the ocean, ever restless, with the waves of joy
and grief, of loss and gain, the swirling currents of desire, the whirlpools of passion, and the simooms of greed and hate. To cross the
ocean, the only reliable raft is a heart filled with the Love of God and
Man. Man is born for a high destiny, as the inheritor of a rich heritage.
He should not fritter his days in low pursuits and vulgar vanities. His
destiny is to know the Truth, live in it and for it. The Truth along can
make man free, happy and bold. If he is not prompted by this high purpose, life is a waste, a mere tossing on the waves, for the sea of life is
never calm. (8.7.1968)
This is- the day when the world celebrates the advent of Lord Krishna,
who came down to earth in order to transmute it into heaven and make
Gods of men. Hundreds and thousands of times has this day been celebrated, but, does man shine today with the jewels Krishna poured
into his lap? Has his Message been implanted in the heart and blossomed into higher life and aspiration? No. The reason lies in hypocrisy
that parades as devotion! Words emanating from the tongue, belying
the activities of the mind and senses. (16.8.1968)
I must say plainly that ninety out of a hundred among you have not
clearly visualized the purpose for which I have allowed you to form
these Organizations. It is not to give some people places of authority
or power, or for ensuring fame and publicity for me. It is to build upon
the earth the fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of men on strong
foundations. This must be clearly grasped by all of you. You are not
engaged in social service through these organizations; you are engaged in your own service. All the items of work are aimed at expanding your heart and purifying it. That is the call of the sages of this land
and all the scriptures and texts. (21.11.1968)
Know that God is the One that is dearest and nearest to you as dear
and as near as your own heart and pray to him; surely, his answer will
be vouchsafed immediately. A hundred such individuals will leaven
the whole earth. You may have huge hordes of men in the army, but
they are useful only when the few generals who lead them know
where they are and whether they should proceed, and how overcome
the enemy, whose strength and weakness they have comprehended.
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Hordes of people sing, recite, adore, worship, praise, prostrate - but,
these are the soldiers. Those who believe, who have faith and who
practise the discipline, these are the Generals in whom the Master
confides. (18.10.1969)
Tolerance and humility have to be promoted in the rising generation
through the promotion of spiritual discipline among the mothers. They
are Mother Earth, which germinates the seeds and fosters them into
stalwart saplings and trees. Saline soil stunts the saplings and damages the crops. Every one has a mother as the source of his life and
body. So the mother has to be strong in mind and body, ripe in culture
and character, sanctified by holy thoughts and steeped in love and
dedication. Good mothers make a good nation. Mothers have to be repositories of sacrifice, discipline and devotion. Their activity must be
based on these three urges. (22.11.1969)
A group of scholars who had come to me recently asked me, “Swami!
You talk of flames of anxiety and fear; but, surely, you appreciate the
great step forward that man has taken by landing on the moon!” I told
them, it was wrong to spend billions of dollars and roubles on such enterprises. They argued that though there may not be any immediate
profit from all that capital lost, its potentialities for good are very great.
I said: “It is a question of priorities; first things first. When so many nations upon the Earth are undernourished, undereducated, underhoused, it is sheer absence of discrimination to spend time, skill and
money for this spectacular competitive adventure. Later, when the
earth has been made the home of a happy family of peoples, such enterprises can be planned.”
The Earth is the natural habitat of man. Why should he venture out of
the range of the elements of which his body is composed and go places where to he has to take water, air and other essential requisites
with him? When he goes to the moon, he does not leave anxiety, fear
and falsehood behind. The moon that man has to voyage into is the
Mind, not this dead satellite, with no capacity to illumine itself. The Ramayana mentions that Ravana skilfully prepared a wax head similar to
that of Rama and arranged that it be presented before Sita as the severed head of her Lord, so that, she might give up all thought of living
with him again, and surrender to the wiles of her captor, Ravana. The
moon is like that lifeless imitation head of Rama. The real Rama is vibrant, active, somewhere else. The real Moon for man is in the firma-
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ment of his Heart, where the mind and the intelligence, the real Sun,
revolve. (6.3.1970)
The same sky is over every one's head; the same earth supports every one's feet; the same air enters every one's lungs! The same God
brought all forth, brings up all and brings about the end of this earthly
career. Why then this inhuman role of foe and fanatic, of fight and
feud? (...)
Man is flying to the Moon, and diving into the sea; but, he does not
know how to live on earth with his fellowmen, in love and peace. He
moves towards the Moon for fear that others may reach before him;
and dives through the sea to strike terror, himself terrified of others!
The way to live without fearing or causing fear is laid down in the
Bhagavadgita, the very first shloka of which is about Dharmakshetra,
the field of righteousness! (12.5.1970)
I have come for the restoration of the Right that sustains the earth, that
ensures peace among men and among the nations. Live in righteousness, promote righteousness by your acts, thoughts and words - that
is the spiritual excercise I appreciate, for that is paying reverence to
the task which I have set before myself. Foster righteousness, feed
righteousness, fertilize righteousness, encourage righteousness - it is
My Work and I will be pleased. (18.7.1970)
Nature, the Earth, is your school, your laboratory, the gateway to liberation, and the panorama of God's manifold majesty. Seek to know
the lessons it is ready to teach; all things in Nature are as Brahman as
you are. So, any act is Divine; any work is Divine worship; build the
mansion of your life on the strong foundation of the faith that all this is
Brahman. (...)
The age period, from 16 to 30 years, is a crucial stage, when man
achieves best and struggles hardest to achieve. Once frittered, these
years of life can never be regained! Take no devious path, but move
in the footsteps of God and the godly during this period of your life. The
body is but a lump of clay we carry about with us, between birth and
death. We were Atman before birth and we shall be Atman again, after
this sojourn on earth. Devote the body while you have it, with all its furnishings of intellect and imagination, skill and knowledge, for the purposes I indicate and win Grace. (4.10.1970)
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The ascent to manhood has been made possible for you all; but this
high status among the animals is to be deserved by merging at last in
the Divine, that is the goal which the pilgrimage of evolution has in
view, since life began on earth as the amoeba on the waters. Faith in
that goal and steady march towards it are the signs of one's being
aware of the responsibility of being a man. The Call of the Divine
echoes in every heart; it provokes the reaction of awe, reverence, affection, love and sacrifice - all ingredients of devotion. It translates itself into acts of worship, of praise, of adoration and of rituals and symbolizing the majesty of God. Thus the mind gets saturated with Divine
thoughts, it is recast in the Divine mould, until the flow of bliss is unabated. (6.10.1970)
Man is now able to soar into outer space and reach up to the Moon;
earth and sky are his playgrounds. But though he is intelligent enough
to sail through space and under the sea and shoot bombs across continents, he is not moral enough to live at peace with his neighbor! A
few handfuls will satisfy his hunger; a short length of cloth will cover
his nakedness; a few square feet of shade are enough to shield him
against heat and rain. But, for these, he slaughters his brethren and
his sisters, he steals, he plots full conspiracies, he revels in lies and
breaks the law, and destroys peace in his own heart and in society.
Schools, colleges and educational institutes multiply, but the educated
are a danger to themselves and to the country. Hospitals and medical
research, drugs and ameliorative measures increase, but, the percentage of insanity and illness also increases. Everywhere there is the
dark cloud of anxiety, fear, discontent and agony, disturbing the rich
as well as the poor nations of the world. (10.10 1970)
The fulfillment of man's life on earth consists in filling oneself with Love
of God and transmuting that love into acts of service, service of man
who is the embodiment of God. If man has no love in him and if he
does not share it with all beings, he is but a burden to the earth.
Make your emotions pure; make your mind strong to resist the force
of ignorance and the wiles of the senses, then you are assured of
peace and joy. You maintain health by physical exercise, so too, you
must maintain mental health; for the mind can lead you into bondage
or liberation by means of certain exercises. (...)
When God Himself comes down and has come down to serve man, he
will indeed be pleased if you too serve man. (...)
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There can be no limit for the Sai Will, no hindrance, no opposition or
obstacle. You may believe it or you may not, but the Sai Will can transform earth into sky, the sky into earth. Only, there is no call for that
transformation. This Divine Behavior is far distinct from the mean exhibitionistic tricks of the inferior Will. This is spontaneous manifestation. (22.11.1970)
Man has not come into this world to strut about for a while on the
stage, consuming food and gaily gallivanting. Man comes into the
world so that he may bask in the Presence of God, through the exercise of love and the cultivation of love. The earth is a great enterprise,
a busy factory, where the product is Love. By means of spiritual practice, it is possible to produce love and export it to millions and millions
of people, in need of it. The more it is shared the deeper it becomes,
the sweeter its taste, and the faster the joy. By means of love, one can
approach God and stay in his presence, for God is love, and when one
lives in love, he is living in God. (1.1.1971)
Measure the microcosm, you have measured the macrocosm. Know
all about clay; you have known all about pots, pans, plates and cups.
Know about the base, you have known about the superstructure.
Know about water, you know about rain, cloud, steam, stream, river all its modifications and manifestations. (7.1.1971)
The seed struck in the soil sprouts and grows. It puts forth branches
and leaves, and adorns itself with blossoms which attract bees; it develops fruits which are really offerings of sweetness and strength, to
those who serve the tree, carrying the seeds ensconced within them,
to far distances and seatter them again on the soil, so that they may
get stuck and sprout, in another cycle of life and death! The seed is not
inert; it is conscious, alive, active. The whole Universe is suffused with
Divinity, Divinity that is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss (sat-chit-ananda)! Existence as “seed-plant-tree,” Consciousness which strives for
expression and manifestation and unfoldment; and, Bliss, in that fulfillment. You are also Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. Do not condemn
your majesty bewailing: “I am unfortunate, I am despicable, I am
downhearted.” No. You are elated, you are enthroned, you are exalted. You are all this; but you are not aware of this, on account of illusion. Illusion is like your shadow in the well; if you do not peep into the
well, it is not there! It is there, only whenever you peep into it!
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The primal ignorance and the primal wisdom are inherent, one in the
other; the light of day darkens the stars, so that we cannot see them,
though they are up above our heads! The darkness of night reveals
the specks of light, which are the stars! Vibration, motion, light, darkness - all are intertwined. (14.1.1971)
Live in love; love is life. Without loving or being loved, no being can exist on the earth. Love sustains, love strengthens, love is the urge behind all adventure, all sacrifice, all success. (13.8.1971)
While moving through the dense jungle called life on earth, in the thick
darkness of Ignorance of the place you have come from and the place
to which you should go, and even of your own real identity, six dacoits
- lust, anger, greed, attachment, egoism, hate - pounce on you, and
you can overwhelm them and save yourself, only by means of the light
shed by spiritual wisdom and weilding the weapon of Dedicated Living. (24.8.1971)
Today many scientists of great reputation are inventing gadget and flying to the moon. They are spending so much money on such things,
but they do not have peace of mind. Leaders and men who are at the
top of society feel that they have everything. Alas! They do not have
any peace of mind. Why is this so? We have to enquire and find an answer for this. One can count stars and fly to the moon. But if one cannot look into the inside of one's self, how can he find happiness? Our
culture and traditions are such that they enable you to know who you
are and help you to understand yourself. The first thing to have is selfconfidence, after which alone you will get self-satisfaction. Once you
have got self-satisfaction, then you must acquire the virtue of self-sacrifice and after self-sacrifice alone, you come to self-realization. Thus
to achieve self-realization, self-confidence is the most important thing.
In all these four attributes, namely, self-confidence, self-satisfaction,
self-sacrifice and self-realization, the one common word is self. To understand this self, you must find out from experienced people what
they know about it. (Sommersegen in Brindavan, 1972, 6/7)
Why is it that great saints, great men of religion were born only in India
and the Vedas themselves were born in India? Why is it that these Vedas and people who expounded them were not born in other countries? God is present everywhere. God is omnipresent. Therefore, Vedas which simply constitute the breath of God are also omnipresent
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and should therefore be everywhere. The sounds of Vedas, the essence of Vedas, the fragrance of Vedas are indeed to be found all over
the world. Here is a small example. When did we find out that the earth
has got the power to attract? When a Western scientist by name Newton through his experiment, through his intelligence and through his
work, discovered that there is an attracting power called gravitation,
natural to the earth. From that day, we started believing that earth has
the power to attract. But did not the earth have the power to attract before Newton? The phenomenon of gravitation surely could not have
had a separate beginning. In fact ever since earth came into existence, it should have had the power to attract. In the same manner, as
one single Western individual by name Newton, after his efforts and
after his research, has uncovered the existing fact that earth has the
power to attract, so also the fact that the Vedas are the life breath
which were given to us by God was something which had been uncovered and found out by the efforts of lndian Saints. Just as there is an
amount of truth in the statement that Newton by his effort and by his
researches has discovered that earth has the power to attract, exactly
the same amount of truth is also contained in the statement that lndian
Saints and citizens of India, by their efforts and by their researches,
have discovered that the Vedas and sounds of the Vedas and the inner meanings that are contained in the Vedas are God-given. In the
same manner, intelligent people, belonging to one particular country
discovering something relating to Nature and people belonging to another country discovering again something else relating to the external
world, are on the same footing as intelligent people in this country discovering something spiritual. This practice of citizens of each country
discovering something new and presenting their discoveries to the
rest of the world has been a time honored phenomenon all the world
over. We should really not utilize this situation to regard either the philosophy of a particular country or the spiritual path adopted by that
country as being distinctive and the monopoly of that country. Such
truths really belong to the whole world. (Sommersegen in Brindavan,
1972, 13/14)
By some desires and by some actions of parents and also by the wish
of God, this body, the human body which we may call the pot, comes
into existence. This individual life can be compared to the mud in the
mound which goes on diminishing time after time. The body is the Individual. He is going to be destroyed. This mud or the basic constitutent of the human body is the Divine Self. All these human bodies in
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time are going to be destroyed and converted back into mud. When
they die, all that is going to go to its original place from which it has emanated. Like the pots and pans which have come from mud, and in
course of time after usage they break and go back as mud, so also we
have to accept that the contents of all these human bodies which have
come from the primary spirit, after they have been used and destroyed, will again return to the source.
At this stage, who have to make an enquiry and ask: “What is it that is
born? What do you mean by “l was born?” What was born was the
body. If we make the enquiry: “What existed before we were born?”
Then if it did exist, there is no question of its being born. Suppose who
take the view that it did not exist at all. If it did not exist, where is the
question of something which did not exist and does not exist being
born? How are we to find this out? How do we get the knowledge of
what is this “I'? What is the way by which one can understand this
question also, who should ask ourselves. Those texts which tell us
and teach us answers to these questions are called Upanishads and
Sastras. To know myself, you may ask, why should I go and hanker
after what is contained in the Upanihads. To know myself, why should
I go and seek knowledge from those who are experienced elders.
Such ego is not desirable and you should give it up. It is not possible
to understand yourself, without seeking it from experienced people
and without seeking it from Upanishads and without practising what
these texts reach. (Sommersegen in Brindavan, 1972, 92/93)
Keeping the sacred duties and obligations of man in view, our sastras
have established and given to us four goals of life. These four duties
of man are Righteousness, prosperity, desire and Liberation. Almost
every experienced and learned scholar will tell us that among these
four goals, the most important aim of our life, the ultimate goal of our
life, in fact the object on which we should concentrate, is Liberation.
Then who ask ourselves the question: “If Liberation is the supreme
and ultimate objective, why mention prosperity and desire also?” It is
not as if there is no meaning for these two words prosperity and desire.
Liberation is the highest or exalted goal. That is our destination. In order that you may reach that exalted position which is our destination,
we have to take recourse to something that should serve as a ladder.
Since we want to go and climb up to that exalted place, this ladder will
be of much help to us in that process. This ladder, which consists of
various steps, must also have some support. This support is the Earth.
That is sometime also called Natur.Thus we are making an attempt to
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have this ladder consisting of two sides and the steps, prosperity and
desire, supported on the earth which we have called Nature. By the
help of this ladder, we want to climb up and reach this exalted position
of Liberation. Support is the Earth; destination is Liberation; the earth
which is the support is like our conduct. It is only when we take the
support and our destination, Righteousness and Liberation as our primary objectives, the two intermediary steps - prosperity and desire,
will be meaningful and will have some significance to us. But if we neglect righteousness and liberation, the basis and the goal, then prosperity and desire will become useless.
Every individual who is born on this earth, should to some extent understand the nature and the meaning of this world. Righteousness upholds this entire creation and we should also follow righteousness in
our conduct. (Sommersegen in Bridavan, 1972, 118/119)
We consume pure food and water but in a very short time, it gets converted into impure matter fit only for excreation It is not easy to distinguish between what is pure food and pure water and what Is not. Wo
should not leave It at that, considering it to be Prakruthi dharma or a
natural phenomenon. In nature, there will be impurities at first and we
have to transform them by suitable processes. Scientists, specially
those belonging to the geological department, know this very well.
When they prospect for gold. They find out the spot where gold occurs, then dig deep into the earth and find gold-bearing quartz. In its
natural state, gold Is found to be in the company of other impurities. At
a later stage, they purify the impure mass and get pure gold from it. All
natural laws will be like this. It is a natural law to answer calls of nature,
to sleep, to feed and so on. But by just following these laws of nature,
we will not be able to go anywhere or reach any higher destinations.
From the same heart we find two emotions, one anger and the other
mercy. We find it difficult to understand this nature in which two contradicting emotions emanate from the same heart. Because the heart
is the source of both good and evil, it is the bounden duty of students
to understand how our ancestors were able constantly to focus their
attention an good alone. Some people argue that man Is born just for
the gratification of his senses. Some people think that they should
amass food and wealth for the sake of joy and happiness only if man
simply consumes food like the other animals, how does man differ
from them? Is it necessary to be born as a man to amass food? The
bird which is hungry and has not stored food just goes straight to the
food to satisfy its hunger. On the other hand, man stores food for the
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sake of future gratification. Man is not born to go in quest of food. He
is born to go in quest of the Divine Self, the Atman. (Sommersegen in
Bridavan, 1972, 253/254)
Man weeps when he is born; he should not weep when he dies. He
must die triumphant over death. Otherwise, he lives only to consume
tons of food, as a burden upon the earth. You seek to escape pain and
grief; but, they are inseparable. (3.12.1972)
And, the story says, there was a Star in the sky, which fell with a New
Light, and this led a few Tibetans and others to the place where the
Saviour Jesus was born. This story is read and taken on trust by many,
though stars do not fall or even slide down so suddenly. What the story
signifies is this: There was a huge halo of splendour illuminating the
sky over the village when Christ was born. This meant that he, who
was to overcome the darkness of evil and ignorance had taken birth,
that he will spread the Light of Love in the heart of man and councils
of humanity.
Appearances of splendour, and other signs to herald the era that has
dawned are natural when incarnations happen on earth. Jesus was to
shatter the darkness that had enveloped the world and the aura of light
was a sign that announced the event. The Masters arrive in answer to
man's prayer: “Lead us from darkness unto Light!” (Tamaso ma jyotir
gamaya). (24.12.1972)
In the stage of childhood, the individual engages himself in playing,
singing, reading and in various other kinds of such pleasures and gets
happiness out of those activities. In that stage, he does not think at all
or worry himself about what is going to be his future. In fact, he then
lives in such fantasy that he is free from all worries and enjoys the period of childhood.
At that juncture, while he lives unmindful of the world and the worries
of the world, he gets into what we may call his youth. The moment
youth sets in, his vision gets blurred and he becomes blind in the
sense that he does not look at things in the proper perspective. He
does not care to look at the earth or the sky. He forgets what is moral
and what is immoral. He does not pay any attention to respect or disrespect. In fact he gets so excited that nothing else matters to him except his personal and sensuous pleasures. In this manner he makes
his life somewhat useless. Even as he is getting confused while enjoying sensuous pleasures, middle age enters his life. As soon as middle
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age enters, he begins to feel tied down with responsibilities because
he has a family and people to look after. He develops an attachment
that goes with it. He feels that some power is binding him down and
constantly strives to come out of that bondage. At this stage of his life,
even as he is struggling to free himself from such attachments, he gets
into a period that we call the old age. (Sommersegen in Bridavan,
1973, 35)
The likes and dislikes are coming from within the individuals and from
the thoughts they have in their minds. There is an example for this: We
drink water that is cool, sweet and tasty. Similarly, we eat fruits which
are sweet, attractive and tasty. Such water and such fruits are regarded by us to be good and we therefore eat or drink them. But, within
minutes, this water gets converted into urine and the fruits get converted into excreta both of which are regarded as bad and we reject them.
How are we going to decide what is good and what is bad? What we
believe to be good is turning bad within a few minutes. This good or
bad is the result of our own creation. However, when we look at various things in nature, as a result of changes that take place sometimes,
they take different names and forms. Gold, for example, when taken
out of the earth, in its natural condition, does not have much value.
When we refine this natural mineral in many ways and purify the gold,
it acquires considerable value. If we take the view that whatever is natural is the true form, then we have to explain why natural gold, after
treatment and purification acquires a greater value. Things or objects
which have undesirable qualities attributed to them in a raw condition,
will shed those bad qualities and become good alter purification and
treatment. In the same manner, we can regard eating, sleeping and
moving about as natural attributes of an individual. This individual,
who is born with some good and some bad qualities should not think
that there is no opportunity or process by which he can purify himself.
(Sommersegen in Bridavan, 1973, 63/64)
Many seekers of truth and many people who are studying this aspect
of God, often get doubts. They ask how God and the created world
which are two separate things can be treated as one. This is the question which they often ask. They doubt the identity of God with nature.
There is a small example for this. It is true that apparently God and the
world look separate. Take the case of a seed. When you put the seed
in the earth, a plant comes out of it. This plant grows into a big tree and
this tree gives out flowers, leaves, branches, fruits and so on. You see
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all these as different manifestations coming from a seed. It is only the
illusory appearance of nature that makes us believe that they are diverse. But if you look at these branches, flowers, leaves, fruits and the
seed from a spiritual angle, you will see that all these things are different manifestations of the same seed. They have all arisen because
the mind pictures them to be so. In the same manner, nature which is
born from Brahman, God, and which you see around you must only be
a manifestation of God and nothing else. If one regards nature as different from God, it is only an illusion. In order to be able to recognize
this, one must have the clarity of mind and the ability to perceive truth.
(Sommersegen in Bridavan, 1973, 72/73)
God wants to proclaim to the world, the meaning of all our existence
and of the number ten. To the right of the integer one, there is a zero
in the number ten. Zero represents the world and the integer one
stands for God. Without 'one', the 'zero' has no value. That is, without
God, the world is meaningless. The world which is false, transient and
impermanent will amount to nothing, if it is not associated with God.
The earth on which we live is spherical. The sun which gives us light
and the moon which gives coolness are spherical. In fact, most things
which we see around us in the world have a spherical shape. In that
context, our own life has a spherical shape and is nothing more than
a zero. By the side of this zero, if we put the Divine life will become
meaningful. The seed contains the tree in it and the tree carries the essence of the seed in it. This is the truth which has been coming to us
from time immemorial. The purpose of this life is to realize the truth
that the tree and the seed contain each other. All the rest is just illusion
or maya. (Sommersegen in Bridavan, 1973, 92/93)
The heaven, the earth and the lower world are all present in one and
the same individual and each one shows up in accordance with one's
state of mind. The same has been divided into different categories like
the believing, the nonbelieving and the believing non-believing. It is
better to be a non-believer than being a believing non-believer. In this
verse, it has been suggested that you should never ride two horses. If
you do not know how to ride a horse, it is better not to do so. (Sommersegen in Bridavan, 1973, 119)
For a tree to be born, to grow and ultimately give you the fruit, there
are three essential things. These are the wind, the rain and the earth.
More than these three, the seed is of even greater importance. If we
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do not have the seed, even if we have the other necessary ingredients
like earth, rain and wind, we will not be able to see the tree. In the
same manner, it is in accordance with the will of the Lord that man is
created in the world. Man comes into this world as if he comes from a
seed. In the case of every man, the will that creates him is like a seed.
So long as the desires are in man, it is not possible for him to escape
being born. On the day when he becomes completely free from his desire, that day will he be free from rebirth. In order that he may take this
sacred path, free from desires, he has to surrender himself. There are
certain obstacles for one to be able to surrender. Every one understands that in this world, it is not possible to enter the house of an affluent person or the house of a person who is in a position of importance with ease and without being questioned. At the entrance to the
house, you will find a watchman who will ask what business you have
with the owner. If in the case of a person, who has limited power and
a worldly position, there are such restrictions regulating your entry into
his house, what is the wonder that in the case of God, who has unlimited powers, there are regulations restricting your entry into his mansion. If you want to enter the palace of Liberation you will find that at
the main entrance, there are two guards. This entrance is the place
where you offer yourself and may be called the gate of surrender. The
two guards who are there are effort and renunciation. The meaning of
this is that you must make an effort and you must have patience.
These are the two guards at the door. However much you offer yourself in surrender, it is not possible for you to enter God's abode without
effort and patience. This would mean the control of your outer and inner organs. Today, it has become rare for us to find a disciple who has
achieved control over his organs. Everywhere you find the path of
falsehood. You do not find people who follow the path of truth. Although for external appearances one is a man, the ideas and thoughts
are those of a monkey. Where one should naturally laugh, one is
found to be crying and where one should naturally cry, one is found to
be laughing. Is this not a path of falsehood? So long as you put on
such false appearances, God who is all merciful will never show him
self to you. All these external and false appearances are described as
acting in a drama, whereas what is truth in you could be referred to as
the aspect of divine. While devoting your life to worldly pleasures and
ideas, it is not possible for you to realize God. (Sommersegen in Bridavan, 1973, 129/130)
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Not having found peace on earth, man is flying to the moon. We shall
discuss the question of whether man can get peace on the moon or
not a little later, but we should try to ascertain as to what man hopes
to get by spending several crores of dollars for the purpose of going to
the moon. On the moon, the body may be cool but the mind is in a
state of terrible fear. Are we going to attain peace on the moon if we
cannot find it on the earth? We are not going to find peace in such
places. We will find it in the innermost heart of each individual. To look
for peace outside one's own heart is a great mistake. One should look
within oneself for peace and do so with a clean mind. (Sommersegen
in Bridavan, 1973, 165)
Between man and God, there will ultimately be only one that is God. If
you take a seed, break it into two halves and put them into the earth,
you will not get a plant, but if you put the whole seed, you will get a
sprouting plant. In the same manner God constitute one seed. They
are like two halves of the whole seed and only out of the whole seed
will life sprout. (Sommersegen in Bridavan, 1973, 168)
Men everywhere are frittering away the precious years allotted to them
on earth, in three vain pursuits: praising oneself, thrusting one's interests forward, aggrandizement at all costs; defaming others, blackening the reputations of others, scandalizing the good and fawning upon
the bad; talking frivolously, or irresponsibly, stoking the fires of hatred
or slinging mud, helter skelter, with no care for the injury done. Men try
to know everything about everybody else; but, they do not try to know
about themselves! (April 1973)
Egoism is of earth, earthy; not of heaven, heavenly. So man is the son
of Earth. And, he is called man (naraka) who knows his manas (mind),
who practises discrimination of reflection on what he has heard and
what he has been taught. But naraka which means hell, is the name
appropriate to one who believes he is the body and toils to cater to its
needs and its clamor. When man grows in physical strength, economic power, mental clarity, intellectual scholarship and political authority
and does not grow in spiritual riches, he becomes a danger to society
and a calamity to himself. He is a Naraka to his neighbors and his kin.
He sees only the many, not the One; he is drawn by the scintillating
manifold into the downward path of perdition. (25.10.1973)
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The country is not made up of dust. It is a conglomeration of human
beings. It is the human beings that give it the name of a country. If
there are no human beings, it is not called a country. A country is very
much like a human body. The divine strength of the country is the human nature in the body. If there is no divine strength in the human
body, what is the use of this body? A body devoid of divine strength is
equivalent to dust. Today, we see only the human form but the human
nature and human qualities are extinct in this human form. The qualities which are precious and which characterize the human being are
morality, adherence to truth and righteousness etc. and if these are
missing then the human nature does not shine at all. You should promote human quality and human nature. You should not cultivate simply the human form and appearance. These two are like the negative
and the positive. If the unity and the oneness of these two aspects is
not properly brought about, then both of them are useless. Enshrine
divinity in your heart and make it sacred. Then you can use the human
form in a manner in which you like. The fact that today you are not enshrining sacred divinity in your heart and thereby becoming distant
from it and that you are letting your body go where it likes is not a human quality at all. It is
behaving very much like an animal. Freedom is very necessary but
before you enjoy freedom, you should understand what is meant by
freedom. The freedom that is implied here should arise out of wisdom
and out of character which you build up as a result of your education.
To make an attempt to transform the human nature in yourself and elevate it to the sacred divine nature should be the purpose of all education that you wish to have. (Sommersegen in Brindavan, 1974, 5/6)
The motion of the Sun, the moon and the earth takes place regularly
and without faltering. We have to ask who has given them such steady
motion. The creation of this infinite world, the creation of the Sun and
the moon who are moving so regularly or the generation of a steady
heat in a human body, the functioning of the lungs are such mysteries
that unquestionably there is a divine hand of creation behind them.
Who can create all these things which are so permanent and steady?
When we ask such a question, people simply push away such a question and say that these are natural. They do not recognize the creator
who has created all this. Not to accept the existence of such a creator
is to be very footish and hard headed. The divine strength or the divine
aspect who is the creator of all these things is Brahman. Our people
have been able to go up to a certain point, using their intelligence.
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Having gone up to a certain point in that manner, they have learnt that
there is a limitation and that they cannot go beyond that point. In that
context, it is better to accept that there is something which they do not
know but instead, to say that nothing exists beyond what they comprehended is being very foolish. (Sommersegen in Brindavan, 1974, 26/
27)
The rishis were in a high place of spiritual knowledge and away from
the world, they could recognize this vast world as a very small and unimportant one. When one is at a lower level, he thinks that the world
is big, important and manifold. The diversity and the differences will be
seen more clearly. But when one goes to a high position, everything
will look smooth, small and even. When we have a narrow vision, our
country, our people our languages will all appear full of problems and
differences. If you can go to a high place and look at the world, it will
appear in one unified aspect and all the people and all languages will
appear as one. The word Bharata is associated with the Sun. Sun belongs the whole world and in the same manner, Bharata does not apply only to a portion of this world. It applies to the entire world. Each of
the countries in the world cannot think that the sun belongs to that
country. For instance, there cannot be an Indian sun, African sun or an
American sun. There is only one sun which is giving light and brightness to all the countries in the world. (Sommersegen in Brindavan,
1974, 195)
You must understand that all life on earth is the aspect of God and in
particular Father and Mother are to be regarded as living gods. If you
cannot pray for the total welfare of the community around you in whom
God lives, how is it possible for you to worship an invisible God. The
first thing that you have to do is to took after the welfare of the living
community around you. (Sommersegen in Brindavan, 1974, 218)
The country does not merely consist of dust and land, it consists of
people who live in it. Students should recognize that setting right the
country mean setting right the people and putting them on the proper
path. The first natural outcome of education should be ability to do
some service to the country and re-establish the spiritual values in the
country. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 2)
The moving and non-moving contents of creation are of four different
categories described as the highest, the subtleties, the mediocre and
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changeable. If we carefully look at the detailed meaning of these
types, we find that the first three are unmanifested and are present in
a latent form. The fourth aspect which relates to birth, death and the
changing features of life and living things in creation relates to only a
quarter of the contents of creation. The other three parts are connected with immortality, while those features connected with immortality
really occupy three parts of the total, yet we give a great deal of importance to whatever relates to our daily life. It is in this context that our
ancient rishis have taught us that the entire creation is only a manifestation of Vishnu. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 25)
The seed which we put into dust will grow into a big tree and the big
tree puts out several branches, flowers, fruits etc. We should recognize that these branches, flowers and fruits are all coming out of dust
only. However, the form of the tree and the parts of the tree will all disappear in due course, sometime or other, but the dust from which
these parts have all come will remain permanently. That is the basis.
In the same manner, what has come from Brahman, in the form of
Wisdom, exhibits itself in so many ways. In every organ of the human
being, the aspect of Braham is present. However, in due course, the
body will get aged, will die and disappear. This type of creation tells us
that everywhere we can see and recognize the Wisdom aspect of
Brahman. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 87)
Creation or the projection of Brahman has been called the Stream.
This Stream, in order that it may ultimately merge into the creator,
adopts several paths; the path of work, the path of wisdom and the
path of surrender. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 113)
Creation is infinite. Creation has no origin. In this infinite and boundless universe, divinity is all pervading and is therefore extraordinarily
interesting. In order to know what Divinity is and what his manifestations are, man has been making several attempts. Since ancient
times, such investigations have been going on and a ceaseless quest
is being pursued. Some amongst them have gone through several
types of spiritual discipline and as a result, have succeeded in securing a vision of God. Some people had to stop this quest midway, but
they came to the conclusion that there was a superior power and they
suspected the existence of the divine. Although such people did not
secure a direct vision of God, they strengthened their belief in the existence of God. There is another group of people who keep on saying,
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without any search or experience, that God does not exist. They habitually deny the existence of God. These three categories have been
entering into arguments from time immemorial and this continues
even today. Even now, we come across people who have had direct
divine experience, people who had only indirect divine experience and
people who have not had any experience at all. Those who have had
such an experience are being described as believers, those who have
had indirect experience and those who have had no experience at all
as disbelievers. However, by the pressure of Kaliyuga, there has
come into existence a fourth category of people also. This category of
people think of God when they have troubles and problems and are in
sorrow but once their troubles and sorrows are overcome, they forget
God and even deny his existence. This category should be described
as believing nonbelievers. On can tolerate even a non-believer but not
the believing non-believer.
Those who have had direct experience of God rely on their own direct
evidence of the existence of God. People who accept authority of the
evidence coming from Vedas, Itihasas and Puranas are described as
people who accept their evidence. Those who do no spiritual discipline
and who have no experience are the disbelievers. They rely for their
authority on mere guess work.
The first category of people describe God as being present in the
smallest thing in the world as well as in the biggest thing. It is their concept that God is present everywhere and is all powerful. The second
category believe that God comes in human form whenever there is difficulty, injustice and man's bad deeds have become too many. They
believe that God responds to the needs of the people. However, then
as well as now, there can be no direct proof of God's existence and no
one can prove his existence or the absence of God either. If we base
ourselves on the experience of the first category of people, we can
have some basis on which to accept the existence of God. It is their
concept that God is present as the tiniest of the tiny things and as the
biggest of the big things. One may ask how we can see the tiniest of
tiny particles and the biggest of big things. Air which constantly moves
around us is present at all times but are we able to see the particles of
air? In that context, how can we see the tiniest among the tiny? We are
not able to see even the small particles which we call atoms. How then
can we see the particles smaller than that? Now let us ask if we can
see God as the largest amongst the large things. The sun is much bigger than the earth and is many millions of miles away. Even if we travel
at 500 miles per hour, we will still take more than 200 years to reach
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the sun. Also, there are millions of such suns. Everything which is at
such a great distance appears as small as a tiny star. These stars are
like our Sun and in some cases, even larger. They appear as if they
are close to each other. The distance between one star and another
star is again very large. If we take as much time as 200 years to one
Sun, how much time will we take to reach all the stars. Thus, we are
unable to see either the tiny aspect or the large aspect of the creation
itself. How then can we see God? (Summer Showers in Brindavan,
1978, 146/148)
Praise and blame, loss and gain, victory and defeat are not to be regarded as opposites of each other. They follow each other. We will
take praise and blame. We should go into this matter and examine the
same in some detail. Both blame and praise establish man's steadiness. They appear as if they are contradictory to each other but in fact
they are not. That which takes you to a respectable position will also
bring you down. As you are being praised, blame will also grow alongside. When we go on digging a well, a heap of mud will also grow
alongside. The deeper we go into the well, the higher will the accumulated mound be. The well will be described as a deep hole while the
mound will be described as a heap of mud. We think that the hold
which corresponds to deep well is blame while the heap corresponds
to praise. But when we put the heap of mud into the well, it gets closed.
In this context, the mud from the well and the mud in the heap are the
same. Once we realize that this is in fact so, we will not be afraid of
criticism or blame. We will develop an equal minded attitude for praise
and blame. If there is no mound, we cannot close the well. We should
recognize the important connection which established that as the
mound grows higher and higher, the well goes deeper and deeper.
Some people will look at the depth of the well while others look at the
height of the mound. The correct attitude will be to look at both with the
same mind. Only when man can look at both these with the same attitude, will he able to progress along the sacred path. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 154/1555)
Our ancients have prescribed that contact should be only with divine
aspects. When we sit down for meditation, we use a small plank and
sit on that so that there is no contact with the earth. It is not possible
for us to realize what happens by contact that exists between us and
the earth. Those who do not recognize this truth, ridicule these habits.
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There is an example for this. This a flower and it drops down, if I let it
go. What is responsible for its falling down - it comes down, because
the earth has the power to attract. We can see the flower that has been
left in the air. We can see the earth but we are not able to see the attraction that pulls down the flower. Just because we are not able to see
this power of attraction, it is silly for us to argue that the earth has no
power to attract. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 193)
Diamonds do not drop from heaven, nor can they be got as a fruit from
a tree. Such precious stones will be found only in the earth. In the
same manner, the precious jewel of divinity will manifest itself in the
human body which is made up of matter. Man's ultimate objective is to
search for this basic divine aspect that is present in all living beings.
Today, being unable to recognize the sacred divinity that is residing in
us, we are wasting our lives like a person who uses sandalwood as fire
wood. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 204)
The sun's rays fall on an ocean and convert the water into vapor. If we
directly take the ocean water, it will taste salty. But, when the ocean
water is converted into vapor because of sun's rays and if this vapor
turns into clouds and rain, this rain water will taste very sweet. Here we
should ask how and wherefrom does the rain water get its sweet taste
while the water from the ocean tastes saltish. The water of the oceans
can be compared to knowledge obtained from books which the water
from rains can be compared to knowledge obtained from experience.
When the sun's rays fall on the ocean water, it gets converted into the
clouds which may be compared with truth. From these clouds which
we have called truth, will come the rain drops in the form of love. The
drops of love gather together and form a river of bliss. The river of bliss
which is made up of drops of love will go and merge in the ocean
again. There is no other alternative for this water. That is why it is said
that all river must merge in the ocean. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, 224)
Today, it has become difficult for man to even live as man. Because
of the advances in science, man is learning to fly like a bird in the sky,
swim like a fish under water but unfortunately he has not learnt to live
like a man on earth. If we cannot live like a man on earth, what is it that
we achieve by living like a bird in the air. That is why we say: “How
many are born as human beings? How many become human beings
after being born? How many of them, having been born as human be215
ings, have give up the right conduct? If a human being gets to be described as such, just because of his birth, then who is the monkey?”
One does not become a human being by birth. One should show that
he is a human being by his conduct and behavior. (Summer Showers
in Brindavan, 1978, 233/234)
The human body is composed of cells which draw strength and life
from food; food draws its value from the soil. Soil - food - man - when
that cycle is completed, man returns to the soil. The soil is the food
grown out of the soil becomes consciousness, and the consciousness
merges into the Atman consciousness. A seed germinates within the
soil and rises above ground as a sapling. It then puts forth leaves and
branches and blossoms. The flowers give place to fruits which ripen
and contain seeds which can repeat the process of germination and
growth.
The soil is the basis of all transformations and developments; if you
keep the seeds on your palm and water them, they will not grow. Soil
and seed bring about the third entity, the plant. The cells in both have
an affinity that is strange. The cells in the soil are its Atman; the cells
in the seeds are its Atman, the divine self. Soil is the substance of the
food out of which man is born, through which man is sustained and
nourished. But the body is the temple of the Atman. Therefore one
should not desecrate the body with any evil thought, word or deed.
(28.9.1979)
Every living being is on a pilgrimage - whether it is aware of it or not.
The Bhagavadgita says that the destiny of all beings is to return to
their origin. Lord Krishna has declared in the Bhagavadgita that all beings have emerged from him and have to merge in him. The Sun
causes clouds in the sky raising water from the sea as vapor; the waters of the sea fall as rain, the rain water accumulates and flows as
streams and rivers, until it merges with the source, the sea. It is faithful
to its destiny; it confronts bravely all the hurdles and obstacles on the
pilgrim path. Every man has come into this world as a Messenger of
God. (...)
Man has mastered astronomy; he knows all about the earth. He is
conversant with all that is happening in America, Russia and England.
But he does not know who he is, and so, all other knowledge does not
make him wise. He is eager to collect information about everything
else but he never asks the question: “Who am I?” Though he uses the
expression 'I' and 'my' freely almost always. You are the farmer; the
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body is the field. Sow the seeds of goodness, you can get the harvest
of happiness; sow the seeds of evil, you reap the harvest of grief. You
are the cause of either of these. Do not blame others or impute partiality to God. Above all, do not rely on this impermanent objective world;
it is full of sorrow and change; cultivate detachment, equanimity and
self-control and love.
Develop knowledge about the higher levels of consciousness and the
higher planes of existence. Knowledge leads to skill. From skill in using such knowledge, one acquires balance. You must recognize that
this life is a stage in the long pilgrimage and that we are now at a hotel,
a temporary resting place which has also a watchman. The mind is the
watchman. So, do not feel permanently attached to the mind or the
body. This 'negative' body has the 'positive' Divinity within it. When
you become all-embracing infinite Love, the Divine will manifest in and
through you. Try to be like Jesus.
Jesus was a person whose only joy was in spreading Divine Love, offering Divine Love, receiving Divine Love and living on Divine Love.
(25.12.1979)
From sunrise to sunset your day lasts and it is rounded off with sleep.
Thus the life of man on earth goes on and on. When sunrises in the
East, we say the day dawns, and when the sunsets in the West, we
say that night has set in. According to man is not the rise and setting
of the Sun a baseless belief? Men point out four directions as East,
West, North and South determining each other's position according to
these imagined concepts. But do they, in fact, exist? When we recognize that the earth is spherical, such divisions are untrue.
Thus the daily experience of man differs from truth, but man depends
on that experience. For example when we sit in a boat, car, train or
plane and they move, we also move with them; but we think we are
stationary. Thus it is a natural experience of man that while the earth
moves round itself and round the Sun, we find it at rest. Though the
earth is in fast motion we think it is stationary, and though we are stationary on earth, we are ever in motion. Even the greatest scientist
acts according to this apparent experience and not according to the
Truth. Though there is no sunrise and sunset, he believes them to be
and though there cannot be any East, West, North, South he accepts
them to be. The scientific standards are observations and experiments.
When the first spaceman Gagarin declared that he had not seen God
anywhere in outer space, he depended upon a mechanical device to
217
come to this conclusion. He never carried on any investigation in the
mind, To arrive at the truth, one must go behind what we see, for what
we see with the eyes is not true knowledge. True knowledge consists
in cognising that, for all that you see, there is always a hidden cause.
It cannot be known by studyingyantra (machine) alone, but by studying the mind and taking to mantra (mental enquiry).
Bamboo is valued for its form and strength and beauty. Similarly the
real worth of man lies in his intelligence. His intelligence has come to
him over many lives and the real value of his intellect is to practise renunciation. But our intellect is covered by illusion, which is only unreal
reflection of the truth. When we throw away the water in the pot, we
throw away the reflection of the sky in it as well. The reflection of truth
in your minds is only the conglomeration of your desires.
We talk of liberation. What is it? It is only giving up the unreal.
(21.9.1980)
Newton, discovered after a series of experiments, that the earth had
the force of gravitation. But, we cannot conclude that the earth had no
such force until Newton's discovery. So too, though the principles of
divine order are inherent in human consciousness, and have their impact all over the world, the people of Bharat have long practised and
experienced them and discovered their value and validity. They have
earned invaluable Bliss therefrom. Just as atomic science developed
in one country and later spread to other countries, the faith in the divine order, developed in India and spread to other countries. Even a
material process like atomic science cannot be held down in one
place; in the same manner, this spiritual science too has spread all
over the wide world.
The divine order is bound to overcome today's rampant materialism,
for it can harmonize the secular and the spiritual, into a single way of
life. It can bring together into closer kinship both man and God. It is
based on the Divine which is the reality of the Self. So, it is not limited
to one country, one individual, one period of time, or one sect. It has a
variety of procedures, points of view, disciplines and guidelines, in accordance with the special features of the region, the age, and the environment. It is co-eval with man on earth. This faith, though first explicit in Bharat, between the Himalayan range and the three seas, has
become a world faith, through its innate strength.
The Divine is manifest in every human being. The religions professed
may be different, the manifestations may differ; but the Divine Self is
the same in all. “The thousandheaded, thousand-eyed, thousand-foot218
ed person”, posited therein is the Divine Self, approachable through
many paths, expressed in many forms. (19.11.1980)
The whole Universe, in fact, is sustained by the Divine. It is not a human creation. Every person must cultivate belief in God and develop
devotion. God exists in every person, permeating every cell of his
body. But if you cut a person to pieces, you cannot find him in the different parts. You will only find flesh, bones, blood, etc. Proper methods must be adopted by man to discover the Divinity within him. It is
because people do not make efforts in the proper way that we have at
present confusion, chaos and discontent everywhere.
Today it is the duty of all to promote spiritual discipline and dedicate
their lives to social service for leading a purposeful life. To promote the
awareness of Divinity in human beings and build a genuine sense of
brotherhood among people, should be their primary aim.
Realize that you are not this body, this mind, this intellect or this intelligence. You are embodiments of the Divine. Concentrate all your efforts to realize that. There is nothing that cannot be achieved by yearning and continuous practice. The Eternal Universal Religion, has
indicated many paths through which the Divine can be released.
Spiritual practice is essential for realization of the Divine. Whatever
books you may read, you cannot realize the Divine merely by intellectual effort. One must put into practice, what one has learnt from books
or other sources. Without spiritual practice and discipline, it is futile to
read books or listen to discourses or meet persons, however great.
(22.11.1980)
We plant a small seed, which grows into a big tree. The tree bears
thousands of fruits in each of which there is the seed of tree. Even so,
when the seed of divinity is planted in this vast Universe, the tree of
humanity bears fruits in which the seed of divinity is to be found. Just
as the fruit of a tree contains the seed from which it grew, this Universe
carries the seed of its Creator. The Universe is permeated by the Divine, the Lord resides in every living thing. When man respects his human character and realizes his obligation to discover his divine nature,
the divine in him will manifest itself. (23.11.1980)
We are on the Earth; around it revolves the moon. Both the Earth and
the Moon are illumined by the Sun. Dependent on the Sun, planets like
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Saturn, dutifully move along the prescribed orbits, at different speeds. Their sat219
ellites too belong to the solar family. When we lift our eyes up at the
sky at night, we notice stars beyond numbers. And in the Milky Way,
we see thick masses of star clusters. There are in space more than ten
thousand crores of stars, and of galaxies in the Milky Way and elsewhere, we have more than ten crores. Without being lost in numbers,
we must ponder over the mystery of the Unity and Harmony of this
Cosmic Projection.
The Sun is about 90 million miles distant from our Earth. The most distant planet so far known is Pluto, which is nearly 3’670 million miles
away from the Sun. It takes 248 long years to make one journey round
the Sun. Well! Has God planned all these heavenly bodies out of
sheer caprice? Or, does he intend to convey any lesson through these
happenings? God will never produce an effect without cause or purpose. Nor will he manifest any substance without value. Why? The rotation of the Earth on its own axis, for example, causes night and day;
its circumambulation round the sun causes the seasons, the formation
of clouds, the falling of rain and the beings. God has graciously willed
to establish peace and prosperity on earth. Let us see the purpose behind the alternation of day and night. After the activities of the day,
night is provided to man and animals for rest and recoupment. Sleep
refreshes the mind as well as the body; without sleep, man is in danger
of being too exhausted. Night, which restores health, is a gift of God
to man. Placing faith in God's compassion, one can measure the benefits one derives even from stars and galaxies, the waves and the sea.
In fact, the best teacher is one's own heart. Time is the best preceptor
and awakener; the world is the best scripture; God is the best friend
for man. So there is no need to wander in search of a preceptor. Learn
lessons from every living being, everything that you find around you.
Learn faithfulness and gratitude from the dog, patience and fortitude
from the donkey, perseverance from the spider, farsightedness from
the ant and monogamy from the owl.
It is not possible to consider creation and the creator, Nature and God,
as different or separate. Can we say that waves are separate from the
sea? They are of the sea, with the sea and from the sea. Man too is of
God, with and from God. The bubble is born in water, stays in water
and is lost in water as water. The Cosmos too is a bubble born in the
Absolute, exists as the Absolute and merges in the Absolute. The human is the bubble; God is the sea. Recognize this truth: as the bubble
cannot be conceived without positing water, the Cosmos, this world,
cannot be conceived as without God. Of course waves rise and fall,
advance and recede, but the sea has no such agitations. The move220
ments of the waves do not affect the sea. As a consequence of human
activities, man has ups and downs in life, growth and decay. But the
God in him is not affected at all. (17.7.1981)
Each little act of yours has to be in pursuit of a goal. You forget that
the great big activity of living on the earth for years and years and
years must also have a goal, a purpose, an urge that impels you. For
whom is life, for what do we live? No one asks himself these questions
and no answer is sought. (18.7.1981)
Even if man does not elevate himself to divinity, he must at least be at
the level of man! But, he does not live in a human way now. He has
become an inhuman inhabitant of the earth. Science has brought him
to the very brink of total disaster. The duty of science is to promote
love, sympathy, brotherhood and charity. (29.8.1981)
Millions of living beings grouped as species dwell on the earth; they
sustain themselves by means of food secured from Nature, as provided by Nature. It is only man that is an exception. In order to cater to
his palate and other senses, he changes the composition and characteristics of the things provided by nature and prepares, through the
process of boiling, firing and mixing, concoctions which have no vitality
in them. Birds and beasts do not adopt such destructive methods.
They eat things raw and consume the strength-giving vital essence.
So, they do not fall victim to the many ills that man brings on himself.
Plant a boiled pulse in the soil; it won't sprout. How, then, can it contribute life to the living? The vitamins and proteins that are valuable ingredients are destroyed while it is cooked to please the palate! The billions of cells in the body are so interdependent that when one is
weakened or damaged, all of them suffer. There is a limit and a balance which every limb and organ has to maintain. Insufficient or improper food will endanger this balance. An occasional cough helps to
strengthen the lungs and to clear them of extraneous matter, but fits
of coughing are signs of positive illness. (30.9.1981)
The motherland is not a mere lump of earth. When we desire its progress, we have to promote the progress of the people who dwell therein. The skills needed for resuscitating and reforming man are found
only in students. The reforming process involves the removal, in daily
living, of bad conduct and bad habits and the practice of good conduct
and good deeds. A man's worth can be measured by his efforts to re221
form himself. This day, the Government has no capacity to reform the
people and people have no authority to reform the Government.
(22.11.1981)
The phrase “our country” denotes not the dumb ground but the living
beings thereon with whom you are involved. You must grasp this fact.
You are ignoring this truth today. Each one must regard the prosperity
and joy of others in the community as one's own. Then only will India
or any other country deserve that prosperity and joy. One's happiness
is bound up with the happiness of Society. One's physical, mental and
intellectual strength and skills have to be dedicated, not merely to
one's progress, but equally to the progress of society. (...)
What or who is God? When the answer to this question is sought, one
discovers that God is the Glory immanent in Nature. Nature must indeed be laughing at the sterile frenzies, the endless pursuits, the
countless miseries to which man submits himself to, in his search for
achieving the unachievable! Man must search in Nature for the sacred
lessons it holds for him; then, he can understand how deep, how everlasting is the Truth it can convey. The earth rotates on its axis at a
speed of thousand miles an hour. Consequently we have alternations
of day and night, which helps us to live on this globe. Besides, it moves
around the sun at the rate of 66’000 miles an hour, causing the seasons which bring rains for crops and vegetation which sustain human
life. The earth does not profit in the least by these rotations but man
exists and prospers on account of them. Mother Earth teaches her
children this lesson of service and sacrifice. (...)
No one with the higher qualities or virtues or expressions of love is evident today. So, it has become impossible to discover 'man' among the
inhabitants of the world. Man, Man, Man! What are the characteristics
of God made Man? No man knows what they are, no man demonstrates them in life. Is anger a human quality? Or, pride? Or, self-centredness? No. They reveal the animal, though people infected with
these faults gain currency as 'men.' Man must reveal by his conduct
that he has evolved higher; he should not inflict pain nor should he be
affected by pain. (22.1.1982)
The secret of true renunciation has to be learnt from the trees, the
cows and the rivers.
The trees bear fruit for the benefit of others;
Rivers flow for the good of others;
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Cows give milk to nourish others;
The human body is for rendering service.
When trees, cows and rivers are setting such an example in unselfish
service to others, human life will have no meaning if it is not devoted
to selfless service.
When we start enquiring: “Where is God? Who is God?” Nature as the
vesture of God provides the answers. It is well known that the earth
spins around itself at the rate of 1’000 miles an hour. It is ceaselessly
doing its duty without rest. Because of this rotation you have night and
day. Moreover, the earth is going round the sun at the speed of 66’000
miles an hour. As a result, we have changes in seasons conducive to
cultivation of crops. The earth, the sun and the moon are providing a
lesson to man regarding the fulfillment of one's duties. They are also
demonstrating the importance of activity for mankind. All of them trees, rivers, cows, the earth and the sun - are acting unselfishly. At
the same time, what they are doing is essential for man's existence.
When these are rendering such selfless service, what kind of renunciation is man displaying? Man is enjoying the benefits provided by Nature, but is showing no gratitude at all in return. (26.6.1988)
There are several notable examples in daily life of the divine quality
which motherhood represents. The cow converts its own blood into
nourishing milk for man to sustain his body. The cow is the first example of the Divine as Mother. The Earth comes next. Like the Divine, the
Earth bears man in its bosom and takes care of him in many ways.
Hence the Earth also is the embodiment of the Mother. (14.10.1988)
It is only man that is endowed with the capacity to discover his Divinity.
In this context, food habits play an important role. Out of 2‘000‘000
species of living beings on earth, 1‘999‘999 species of creatures like
insects, birds, animals and beasts etc., live on what is provided by
God in Nature, and hence they do not generally suffer from any diseases. Man is the sole exception in this regard. By becoming a slave
to his palate, he relishes only cooked and spicy foods of various kinds,
without realizing to what extent such foods are curtailing his own longevity.
Besides this, it is significant to note that those who live on vegetarian
food are less prone to diseases whereas non-vegetarians are subject
to more diseases. Why? Because animal food is incompatible with the
needs of the human body. Doctors speak about proteins being present
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in nonvegetarian food, but the fact is that there are better quality proteins in food articles like vegetables, pulses, milk, curd, etc. Non-vegetarian food not only affects man's body but also has deleterious effect
on his mind.
Food, Head, God - these three are inter-related. By consuming animal
food, animal tendencies are aroused. As is your food, so are your
thoughts. Men today are behaving in a manner worse than that of wild
animals in the forest. They have become cruel, pitiless and hardhearted. There is no sympathy or understanding even between man
and man. The main reason for this condition lies in the kind of food that
is consumed. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1990, 34/35)
Each element is composed of half of its original nature, the second
half consisting of one-eighth of each the other four elements. For example, the composition Earth will be 1/2 Earth +1/8th space +1/8th Air
+1/8t Fire +1/8th Water. Similar will be the composition of the other
four elements. In relation to the human being, the process of pervade
makes man a mixture of the five elements and creates diversity from
unity.These have been described in spiritual parlance as the sixteen
aspects. What were these sixteen aspects? They are, the five organs
of perception, the five organs of action, the five elements, and the
mind. Every man has these sixteen constituents, although the sixteen
aspect are attributed only to the Divine. The implication is that man
has to realize his divinity. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1990, 110)
When you pose the question: “Where is God”? The answer is given by
nature herself The revolution of the Earth of its own axis at the speed
of 1’000 miles per hour account for the phenomenon of night and day.
The earth's rotation round the Sun at a speed of 66’000 miles an hour
accounts for the various seasons, for rainfall and the cultivation of food
crops. Thus the divinely ordained motions of the earth enable living
beings to get their food. This is a visible proof of the existence of God.
The Scriptures declare that the foolish person, even while seeing the
acts of God, declares he has not seen God. He does not realize that
Nature is the vesture of God. What is the lesson to be learnt from the
observance of Nature? It is being always active in the performance of
one's duty. It is because Nature ceaselessly performs its duty that the
world is able to derive so many benefits. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1990, 112)
224
The flowers and fruits which we want from the tree and which are seen
on the tree top depend on the unseen roots below the ground for their
growth and development. So, in order to get a good harvest of flowers
and fruits, we need to apply water and manure not to the visible flowers and fruits, but to the invisible roots which alone can give them
nourishment. Likewise it is the Divine Principle that serves as the root
for the tree of this world. It is mentioned in the Bahgavdgita that God
is the seed of all beings. What is the significance of this statement?
When you plant a seed in the soil, it germinates and in due course of
time it grows into a big tree with several branches. Each branch puts
forth many flowers which develop into so many fruits. Each of these
fruits will have a seed in it similar to the seed that gave rise to the tree.
Thus from one seed, you have got hundreds of seeds of the same
type.
Now, according to the Bahgavdgita, God is the seed that has given
rise to the tree of this vast universe. Each country is a branch of this
tree. In each branch there are a number of fruits, namely, various
kinds of living beings, each of which carries within it the seed of Divinity. It means that in every being, God is there in the form of the spirit
or Atman, the Divine Self. Students of today are not making any effort
to recognize this subtle truth behind the gross universe. They spend
all their time for specializing in one of the subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, Mathematics, Commerce etc. so that they may
earn their livelihood, never giving any thought to the goal of life, which
is more important than making a living. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1990, 148/149)
To promote among men love between humanity and god, the Divine
descends on earth from time to time. What for is the advent? To promote the Love Principle is his primary purpose. (30.5.1992)
To quote an example you have the ozone layer in the atmosphere
which protects the people on earth from the evil effects of solar radiation. Because of the advance of technology, several factories have
sprung up causing emission of harmful gases in the atmosphere as a
result of which the ozone layer has become thinner and if this goes on
unchecked it may have disastrous consequences. The scientists are
trying to stop the break up of the ozone layer but they are unable to
find a remedy.
The actual cause for this situation is that more carbon-dioxide is let
into the atmosphere, which normally is absorbed by the plants and
225
trees which can assimilate the gas and supply oxygen by the natural
process of photosynthesis. But, because there is deforestation to an
alarming extent, the extent of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere has
considerably increased. Therefore, the remedy for this situation is intensive afforestation, growing more tress everywhere and protecting
the existing trees without destroying them for other purposes. Thus
the relationship of man, Nature and God is very intimate which scientists may not be able to realize. (21.1.1993)
The carbon-dioxide smoke form motor vehicles and factories is already polluting the air in cities and is affecting the ozone layer above
the earth. (6.2.1993)
During the past two centuries, many marvellous and even dangerous
achievements have resulted from the pursuit of science. Exploiting the
resources of the earth, they are boasting about their accomplishments. They have produced atomic bombs which can cause terrible
destruction. Is it a sign of wisdom to boast one's capacity to destroy
the world? This is a demonic power. The Western nations are now
worried about the consequences of their dreadful discoveries. (...)
Prof. Sampath has specialized in electronics. In addition, he is interested in the harnessing of solar energy. Bharathiyas revere the sun.
The sun is an immense ball of hydrogen and helium. There is immense scope for harnessing a small fraction of the energy coming to
the earth from the sun. My desire is that “Our Sampath” should remain
here and make use of his knowledge to utilize solar power. The sun is
the embodiment of effulgence. Wherefrom does this light come? How
does it come? No scientist has yet found how this light reaches us. It
comes from a Divine power. The Divine is fully effulgent. He has the
splendour of a billion suns. Today you are not able to make use of the
energy from a single sun. How can you measure the power of One
who has the splendour of a billion suns? The solar system is like a
candle to the effulgence of the Divine.
For harnessing the solar energy, with the realization of its divine
source, special efforts should be made in our Institute to develop research in electronics and solar energy. I desire that Prof. Sampath
should ascertain what arrangement should be made for this purpose
and carry on his work here in the years ahead. (4.3.1993)
0nce, a mendicant with tattered clothes unkempt hair and dirty body,
came and stood at the threshold of Chaithanya’s room and was med226
itating with closed eyes. On seeing him Chaithanya came out and
asked him: “Who are you? You can come inside.” On hearing these
soft and sweet words, the mendicant opened his eyes and replied in
all humility: “Svami, I dont deserve to step into your room. I am a despicable person belonging to the caste of Untouchables. I am unfit to
defile your sacred residence.” Full of smiles, Chaithanya went closer
to him and said endearingly: “My son, never say that you are mean,
despicable or unworthy. Who is mean and who is sacred on this
earth? All are sacred because the same God shines in every one’s
heart. So, please come inside without any hesitation.” (16.3.1993)
One of the consequences is the thinning of the ozone layer above the
earth. As a result, there is the threat of fire disasters. There are also
threats from bomb blasts of the kind you have noticed in newspaper
reports. The country is faced with such dangers from man-made calamities.
These dangers can be averted if men realize the sacredness of human existence. People have to ask themselves how they are using the
time that is given to them. In a year there are 31536000 seconds. How
is man using these precious moments? How many seconds is he devoting to respecting elders and honoring his parents? How many seconds does he spend for earning his food? And how many is he wasting
on useless activities? How many is he devoting to seeing films and
television? How many is he spending on reading meaningless novels?
And how many on studying worthwhile books? How many does he devote to God? How many to rectify his inner feelings?
If this sort of enquiry is made it will be found that the average man
spends most of his time on mundane activities. Not even ten minutes
or ten seconds are devoted wholeheartedly to spiritual enquiry or selfexamination.
All are ostensibly engaged in the pursuit of Truth, all are devoting their
time to God. They go on pilgrimages. But even in these trips, they do
not concentrate their thoughts on God for a few moments, They don’t
make any internal enquiry.
To seek the Truth and experience God, there no need to go out anywhere. By going to a forest or visiting temples, the inner being is not
purified. Renouncing all worldly things, one must explore his inner life.
This prescription of sacrifice is what the Vedas recommended for attaining immortality. (24.3.1993)
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The earth is one. But, if you sow neem seeds, you will get only bitter
fruits. If you plant sweet mango seeds, you will get sweet mangoes.
The earth makes no difference between them.
Only the differences in the seeds account for the differences among
the fruits. Likewise, the womb of a mother is like the womb of Mother
Earth. The thought which prevails at the time of conception results in
the kind of child that is born. If the parents desire to have virtuous, exemplary and noble children, they have to observe righteous practices
and lead virtuous lives. (...)
Chaithanya declared: “My property is not 'Shri' but 'Lord’. I value not
Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, but the Lord of Lakshmi (Vishnu).”
If you aspire for the Lord, you will not suffer from any want. There is
no greater wealth than love of the Lord. It is to acquire this supreme
wealth that man has taken birth on earth. (6.5.1993)
We are the children of the same mother, Mother Earth. We are made
of clay. This can be proved by the fact that there is clay in the enfolded
palms of new born babies. Even after a thorough cleansing, the baby
carries the clay in its palm after a few hours of resting. The body which
is made of clay, returns to clay at the time of death. The king and the
servant, the millionaire and the pauper come from the earth and return
to the earth again. Even gems come from the earth. They do not grow
on trees. If we realize this truth, it will be possible for us to consider
ourselves to be the children of mother Earth.
We are flowers of the same creepers. Our minds are the flowers that
grow on the creeper of the heart. The flowers may be different but the
creeper is the same. We are the children of the same race! We all belong to the race of humanity but not to the race of birds and beasts.
Since we belong to the illustrious race of humanity, we must conduct
ourselves in a sublime manner. We are the waves, born in the ocean
of Sein-Bewusstsein-Gl…ckseligkeit (Sat-cit-ananda ). Since we
are born of the same race, we should radiate the oneness of humanity
without harboring hatred against any one. This great system of Vaiseshika upholds the oneness of mankind and the existence of Divinity
and exhorts us to lead sublime lives. (Summer Showers in Brindavan,
1993, 76/77)
Days, nights and seasons all observe discipline. There cannot be days
and nights if there is no discipline in the cosmos; there will be no seasons without days and nights; there will be no life on earth without seasons. Hence there is an imperative need to observe discipline. Here is
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an incident to substantiate how violation of discipline is detrimental.
(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1993, 85)
In disturbed water, the reflection of the sun also appears to be disturbed. There is no disturbance in the sun. But it is the disturbance of
the water which is the cause of the disturbed image. We see ourselves
in others. Our own defects and shortcomings prompt us to see these
qualities in others. Hence, we should make right effort to nourish noble
and pure qualities, so that we may become noble. (Summer Showers
in Brindavan, 1993, 88)
It is not easy for all to recognize the truth about the Divine. Only the
person who can comprehend the inner meaning can recognize the nature of the Divine. The Divine, which has both an internal and external
significance, cannot be understood by exercising the imagination
alone.
Every person born on earth should recognize his inherent divinity and
make his life meaningful by leading a Godly life. This is the primary
goal of life. Only that person has redeemed his life who recognizes every moment, the Divine in every atom and in every cell and who inspires in others this consciousness about the Divine. It is not enough
to secure a vision of the Divine. One has not only to lead a Godly life
himself but help others to live likewise. This is the supreme purpose of
human existence.
Man does not devote any thought as to how he should make his life
meaningful. The human heart is the seat of the Divine. Every devotee
should adore the Lord seated in the heart. The spiritual aspirant
should fill his heart with divine feelings and lead a life of fulfillment.
(10.8.1993)
Considering this universe, composed of the five basic elements, as a
Divine manifestation, the ancient sages embarked on a spiritual enquiry and realized the Truth. It is because this profound and eternal Truth
has been forgotten by man that the world is a prey to all kinds of troubles and difficulties.
Among the five elements, the primary one is the earth. It is allpervasive. All the mountains, rivers, villages, towns, etc., are based on
the earth. The scientists found that the earth is revolving round itself.
In that case, all the objects on the earth should also be revolving. But
that is not so. The earth has a divine power of attraction. This power
of attraction holds all the objects together. Hence, the earth alone can229
not be regarded as the basis for all the objects. If we enquire more
deeply, it will be found that even the earth is supported by something
else. The earth is based on a higher power, the Divine power.
Thus, the Divine is firm, pure and changeless. Without this Divine
power, nature and the physical world cannot function well.
(23.11.1993)
All are the children of Mother Earth and should follow the selfless activity of the earth, which rotates on its own axis and goes round the sun
at 66’000 miles per hour. By this constant motion we get day and night
and variations in the seasons without which we cannot have food
crops which sustain mankind.
As children of the earth, people should learn the lesson of selfless activity from Mother Earth. Without sacrifice it is difficult to sustain life itself. Some say knowledge is valuable. But, character is more valuable
than knowledge. One may be a learned scholar, one may hold high
positions of authority, one may be very wealthy or be an eminent scientist, but if one has no character all the other acquisitions are of no
use at all. (11.4.1994)
The divine incarnates from time to time and from age to age. When
does the Lord incarnate? The answer is given in the Bhagavadgita:
“To protect the good, to punish the wicked and establish righteousness, the Lord incarnates from aeon to aeon.” When the pure, the
saintly, Godly and the good am oppressed, the Lord incarnates to protect them and to punish the wicked. To relieve their suffering and to
confer bliss on humanity, the Lord makes his descent on earth. When
wickedness grows and the forces of evil rear their heads, the Lord
comes down to put them down and establish righteousness among
mankind. (20.4.1994)
It was the middle of the Dhvapara Yuga. Unable to bear the atrocities
committed on good people by demonic rulers, the Goddess of Earth
prayed to the Lord in many ways. Offering solace to the grief-stricken
Goddess, the Lord said: “Dhevi! You may return to the earth. I shall do
what needs to be done. You will be relieved of your burden.” Encouraging her in this way the Lord sent Mother Earth back to the world.
Thereafter, the Lord summoned all the denizens of the celestial world
(Deva) and directed them to take birth as Yadhavas. The originator of
the Yadhava clan is Yayathi. His eldest son was known as Yadhu. The
descendants of Yadhu came to be known in course of time as Yadha230
vas. Among the Yadhavas, there was a chief known as Ahuka, who
was a righteous person, wedded to truth. The characters figuring in
the Krishna legend belong to Ahuka's lineage. (...)
Krishna attracts people not only by the matchless beauty of his form.
He attracts people by his music, his dance, his sports and his words.
Krishna, by his winsome ways, could turn the anger of the Gopis towards him because of his pranks, into an enjoyable joke.
Nor was that all. Krishna, in fulfilling the pledge he had given to Mother
Earth, rid the world of many wicked rulers and sought to establish the
reign of Righteousness for the protection of the good.
The Divine incarnates from age to age for the purpose of protecting
the virtuous, punishing the wicked and establishing Righteousness.
Krishna is said to have destroyed many wicked persons. But this is not
quite correct. It is their own wickedness which destroyed these evil
persons.
Today if the Divine wants to punish the wicked and protect the righteous, there will not be even one wholly righteous person. All will qualify for punishment. It is not a question of destroying the wicked. The
task today is to transform unrighteousness into Righteousness. How
ist this to be done? Through love alone. (28.8.1994)
The body is the sacred abode of the Atman. Hence the scriptures declare: “The body is the temple of God in which the individual Spirit
dwells as the Ancient One.” Just as the diamond is found in clay and
not in a rock, the Spirit, as consclousness, resides in the earthly body.
The body is of the earth, earthy. The Atman is consciousness. Humanness is the coming together of the mundane and the spiritual consciousness. It is a combination of good and evil. It is a mixture of the
transient and the eternal. (9.10.1994)
Today we are celebrating the Padhuka Festival, a festival for worshipping sandals blessed by the Lord. What is the significance of worhsipping the Lord’s feet? There is the devotee's yearning for touching the
Lord. How is this to be done? The easiest way is to touch the feet of
the Lord. A spiritual significance is attached to the touching of the
Lord's feet which sanctify the earth by walking on it. Scientifically also
there is meaning in touching the feet. The blood circulates from the
feet to the head. When one touches the toe of the Lord's Feet, he can
experience a current present in the toe. That is a divine energy.
From a mundane point of view the body appears as a physical form.
But from the spiritual point of view, there is an aura around every body.
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It has effulgence from which arises spiritual energy. This energy produces vibrations. That is why it is declared: “Sight of the Lord destroys
all sins. Dialogue with the Lord destroys all sorrows. The touch of the
Lord frees one from the consequences of one's actions. When the
devotee touches the Lord, it is like the linking of the negative and positive wires, which generates divine energy. This connection should be
from heart to heart. Only then the Divine energy will flow from the Lord
to the devotee. Then the Lord and the devotee become one. Because
the spiritual significance of these practices is not properly understood
people fall a prey to confusion. (18.12.1994)
To enable mankind to realize this infinite bliss, the Lord makes his descent from age to age. The Krithayuga began in the month of
Vaishakha. The Threthayuga began in the month of Magha. Dhvaparayuga began in the month of Margashira. In the Bhagavadgita Krishna
declared that among the months he is Margashira. Kaliyuga started in
the Chaithra month. This is according to the lunar calendar.
What is the meaning of Yuga? Yuga means divinity. The divinity of the
Yuga is derived from the Divine. Thus the Yuga originates from the Divine and merges in the Divine.
Yugakrith is one of the names of the Lord. It means that the Lord is the
creator of the Yugas (aeons). Yugadhi refers to the commencement of
the particular Yuga. The Lord is also the sustainer of the Yuga. He is
the very embodiment of Time. That is why he is the master of Time
and hence he is worshipped as Samvathsara. “Samvathsaraya namah” (Salutations to the Lord of the year).
The Yugadhi day, which is associated with such sacred significance is
being observed as merely the beginning of a new year. The day
should be regarded as Divine in origin. (1.4.1995)
The mother can be compared to the earth and the father to the seed.
Unless the seed is sown in the earth the plant will not sprout. You cannot ignore the father and mother who are responsible for your birth
and growth. Even if you become the Prime Minister you must remember you owe your birth in the world to your mother. (6.5.1995)
From ancient times, wise sages and scientists have been investigating
the secrets of the Universe. Galileo discovered some facts about the
movement of planets. The earth is going round the sun at the rate of
18’000 miles per second. It completes the round in 365 days. Who is
responsible for the earth's motion? Why is it rotating? On what basis
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is it revolving? We find that night and day are caused by the earth revolving on its axis. The earth's motion round the sun is the cause of
seasons, which enable man to raise food, etc. Whatever the Divine
does, whether it is something small or great, it is for the good of mankind. There is a power at work about which we are ignorant. This was
described as the unknown power. The ancients called it power of God.
Another scientist, exploring the secrets of Nature, came to the conclusion that understanding the powers of Nature means understanding
God. The great scientist, Einstein, discovered the convertibility of matter and energy and declared that energy is convertible into various
forms but cannot be created or destroyed. (...)
We have the five senses, each has its own functional role. Enquiry into
truth calls for an understanding of what is true and false. A distinction
has to be made between an apparent fact and the real truth.
For instance, seeing a flat piece of ground one may say the earth is
flat. In a limited sense this is a fact. But when the nature of the earth
is explored, it is proved to be a globe. Moreover, apparent facts are liable to change. (20.5.1995)
Who is the author of all this complex but orderly creation? It is difficult
to comprehend the Creator. Scientists have explored a small part of
creation. But they have made no attempt to understand the Creator.
One should know the basis for the whole of creation. (30.5.1995)
All of you who are here have come from different parts of India and the
world. After your stay here, you have to go back to your native places.
Likewise human beings have come to the planet earth as pilgrims.
They have to return to their original home. You have come from the Atman. You have to go back to the Atman. You have come from the Supreme Self, Brahman. You have to merge in the Brahman. You have
incarnated as a spark of Brahman. You have to become the Brahman.
In between there may be many impediments. You should ignore them.
Have unshakable faith. That is true devotion. (18.8.1995)
The earth came out of the sun. The moon came from the earth. The
moon sometimes comes between the Sun and the Earth. At those
times the sun cannot be seen. This is the eclipse of the sun. When the
sun, the moon and the earth are in one line, it is wrong to think that any
disaster will happen to the earth. No dangers are in prospect. Such
natural phenomena are part of the mysteries of creation. Scientists are
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keen to study the eclipse as an experiment. If they are preoccupied
with experiments, when will they acquire experience?
If all your life is spent on experiments, when will you begin to experience life? When will you start putting into practice the knowledge you
acquire? There is joy only in practising what you know, not in the acquisition of knowledge. (22.10.1995)
People have referred to the Seventieth Birthday. The body is constituted of the five elements, the five sheaths, the five lifebreaths and the
five senses. Up to one's fiftieth year, one may be described as experiencing youth. Youthhood should be dedicated to purposeful activities. Youth is not related to age. Bheshma, who was 112 years old,
was the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava forces. It is will power that
determines one's age.
When one reaches sixty, it is a Bharathiya custom to perform Shanti
puja for the purpose of subduing the six internal enemies (lust, pride,
etc.). On reaching seventy a person attains the state of the Seven
Sages, the Seven Oceans, the Seven musical notes, the Seven colors. The seven colors come from the sun's rays. The sun's rays are
eternal. The Seventieth year symbolizes the attainment of the saintliness of the Seven sages who constitute the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. On attaining the eightieth year, You must become
one of the eight planets. On reaching the ninetieth year, you have to
acquire the strength of one of the nine planets. On reaching the hundredth year one should merge in the ten indhriyas, the organs of
sense and action and get rid of the body consciousness.
The acquisition of the love of God should be the primary aim.
(18.11.1995)
The earth follows its natural duty to make use of its five elements to
produce sustenance for all living beings. Born on the earth, men are
not following the example of the earth. It is not the creeds that men
profess - whether Christianity or Islam or other religion - which lend
value to their lives. The highest value is the fact of their humanness.
All faiths combine to invest man with a unique effulgence.
(18.11.1995)
During the day, the sun affords light to the world. Without the sun, the
world will cease to exist. The sun is the visible deity for the world, Without the sun there can be no life on earth. Crops cannot grow. There
will be no air, no food and no means of sustenance for living creatures.
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It is only because of the sun that rivers flow, crops are grown, life is
sustained and there is happiness and comfort. It is the power of the
sun that helps to purify the heart. Hence, for the planet earth the sun
is the visible manifestation of God. The earth receives its life-sustaining oxygen from the sun. (18.6.1996)
When a seed is sown in the earth, it sprouts as a sapling and grows in
due course into a big tree. In the tree, the branches, the leaves, the
flowers and the fruits all appear as distinct from each other. Moreover,
each of them is used for a specific purpose. But all of them are different forms of the mud from which they have originated. (30.7.1996)
Science and technology have advanced so much that man is able to
explore space and dive into the deep ocean. But he has not learnt how
to live like a human being on earth. It is more important for man to
learn how to lead a good life on the earth than explore space. Man's
life is based on the earth. (18.8.1996)
Students should realize that the body is made up of materials coming
from the earth and will go back to the earth when life is extinct. The
body is like a mud pot which serves its purpose for a time and when it
is broken, it becomes in the course of time one with the mud from
which it was made. A seed sown in the ground grows into a tree with
branches, flowers and fruits. All the things in the tree have come out
of the earth. Likewise the body is made up of the five elements. It must
be used properly. (20.8.1996)
However intelligent a man may be, he learns all that he knows from the
world around him. Without the world knowledge cannot exist.
In the distant past, the world was enveloped in darkness. For millions
of years the world was covered by a heavy mass of clouds. Then started a downpour which lasted for thousands of years. This was followed
by the formation of oceans, mountains, rivers and forests on the earth.
The dissolution of the clouds gradually dispelled the darkness enveloping the world. Then, the sun and the stars became visible from the
earth. Man has to learn many things from the phenomena taking place
in the universe. (8.3.1997)
Every man is a son of Mother Earth. A mother is teaching many lessons to her children. She calls on her children to learn everything from
herself instead of going after other preceptors. “Scholars and intellec235
tuals are cutting me to pieces to acquire knowledge and conduct their
experiments,” laments Mother Earth. “They are subjecting me to great
suffering by their doings and blasting. But I am not worried about all
this. Learn this spirit of forbearance from me. Whatever abuse or attack others may level at you, bear them with fortitude. Treat praise or
blame, good or bad with equanimity. This is the highest Knowledge.”
(8.10.1997)
Each country is a part of the mansion of planet earth. Bharat is a part
of this mansion. When you have this broad Vision, humanity, will be
one in spirit. (23.11.1997)
A tree that needs water is provided water only at the root. Though the
root cannot be visible to your eyes as it is buried under the earth, it is
the basis for the tree to thrive. If the root is dry, the tree becomes dead.
So, you have to safeguard the root.
Similarly, you have to safeguard the root of life, i.e, you should have
firm faith in the Divine Self. Therefore, it is the essential needs of life.
You have branches, leaves and components of a tree. The purpose of
plantin a sapling, is to get fruit from the tree. The goal of human life is
perfect knowledge. Total faith is needed to achieve the goal.
(23.4.1998)
The whole Cosmos is based on the atom. Whether an object is microcosmic or as vast as the Cosmos it is based on Atmic power. Few can
realize fully the power of the atom.
The atom is constituted of energy in all its forms. The words you
speak, the objects you see, the sounds you hear, the activities you undertake are all based on the power of the atom. Every moment of every being is based on atomic power. All experience is derived from the
energy of the atom.
It has taken scientists thousands of years to discover this truth. But
this was recognized by the child Prahlada a long time ago. He declared emphatically: “Do not doubt that the Lord is at one place and not
at another. You can find him wherever you look for him.” Prahlada did
not conduct any experiments or explorations in space. To those pure
of heart, the truth reveals itself spontaneously.
“Subtler than the subtlest and waster than the Cosmos, the Atman
(spirit) is the atom and atom is the Atman.” This truth was recognized
by the child Prahlada as a student. When this truth is recognized, the
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whole Cosmos will be seen as permeated by the Divine, as a manifestation of the Divine.
In every object there is the power of the atom. You cannot find any object or any place in which the atom is not present. All objects are composed of atoms. (25.9.1998)
The power, the divine play and the effulgence of God are limitless. The
five elements are responsible for the protection and sustenance of the
world. The first element, the earth, is the basis for mountains and hills,
rivers and oceans, villages and cities, and forests. You can very well
imagine the immense power of the earth, which supports all these.
The earth is endowed with infinite power. Scientists have discovered
that the earth rotates. True. Logically speaking, the rivers, oceans,
mountains, villages and the cities should also rotate when the earth,
the basis, rotates. It is not so in reality. It is only the earth that rotates.
The railway track is the basis for the train to move. If the track also
starts moving, what would be the plight of the passengers? From this,
it can be inferred that the track is the basis and the train, the object
based on it. The table is the basis for the mike to rest upon. Make an
effort to understand the relationship between the support and the supported object. The earth, which is the repository of all powers (electrical, magnetic, etc.), forms the basis, sustains and protects all the objects on it. There is no power, which is not present in the earth. The
earth is able to support all the beings on it because of its infinite power.
(14.1.1999)
Past is past, future is uncertain, only the present is in your hands. It is
the foremost duty of man to live in the present and share his joy with
his fellow beings. Truly speaking, human being is the most fortunate
one among all the living beings. Compared to the entire cosmos, man
is very small like an atom, yet he is able to comprehend the magnitude
and vastness of the creation, which is very startling indeed. He attains
immortality by understanding the unity between the microcosm and
macrocosm. (15.2.1999)
To attain permanent peace, you should develop love within. Love can
turn earth into sky and sky into earth. This sacred love is within you.
But, you direct it in the wrong direction and thereby it gets perverted.
You are responsible for the loss and suffering. You are responsible for
the wicked actions and agitations outside. (14.3.1999)
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In the Gayatri Mantra, the word “Bhur” refers to the body. Body is composed of gross materials such as water, lime, lead, iron etc. All these
materials may not cost more than one rupee. But, the value of the
body is not one rupee. Its value is immeasurable. “Bhur” also stands
for the earth. The earth is made up of matter, which is transient. The
word “Bhuvah” in the Mantra stands for vibration. The body is made up
of gross matter, which cannot have any movement without life force of
vibration. In the absence of this vibration, the body is mere lifeless
matter. What is the source of this vibration? This vibration originates
from radiation which is related with spiritual knowledge. (28.4.1999)
Every action is under the control of god. Earth rotates at the rate of 18
1/2 miles per second. It takes one year to revolve around the sun.
Light travels at an incredible speed of 186‘000 miles per second. It
takes 22’000 crore years for the light to go around the universe. According to the Vishnu Sahasranama Sthotra, the entire universe is the
very form of Vishnu. Even if man were to travel at the speed of light, it
will take him 22’000 crore years to circumambulate Lord Vishnu. Who
can live for such a long period of time? Due to the evil effects of Kali
Age, man is not able to live even hundred years, leave alone 22’000
crore years!
But, it is possible to go around the Viswa Swarupa (God in the form of
universe) in one second. It is love that makes it possible. The speed
of love is such that it can go round the universe in one second. The
speed of light may be estimated, but not the speed of love. But, man
has put barriers around such a transcendental and infinite love and is
using it for trivial purposes. That is the reason, the world has become
chaotic today. People may attribute various reasons for the lack of
peace and security in the world. But, the main reason is that man is not
able to develop love within. He is not making any effort to realize the
presence of the infinite, immortal and nectarine love inherent in him.
Let your thoughts, words and deeds be suffused with love. Let your life
be filled with love. Nothing else is required to have the vision of the Divine. Love is God, live in love. (...)
Just as a gigantic tree emerges out of a small seed, the entire universe
has originated from love.
In this world, you can achieve everything with love. I am the best example for this. Love is my greatest property. I love everybody and do
not desire anything except love. The power of love can transform earth
into sky and sky into earth. There is nothing in this world that cannot
be achieved by love. (28.7.1999)
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Man is called Manava, meaning not new. But man has another name,
Partha, which means Prithivi Puthra (son of Mother Earth). All the
powers that are present in the earth are present in man also. None can
visualize the powers that are latent in the earth. One can understand
the presence of these powers by deep enquiry and investigation.
These powers are infinite, unfathomable and unraveled. Man, as he is
born of the earth, naturally has all these powers. (13.9.1999)
What a shame it is if education is used solely to earn money without
serving society. Today people adopt corrupt practices and devise
crooked ways to earn money. Just as the earth revolves around the
sun, man goes around money. Is this the purpose of human life? No.
Money is not important. “Money comes and goes, but morality comes
and grows.” So cultivate morality. Educate yourself to serve the society and set an ideal to the rest of the world. You receive your education from the society. You should in turn dedicate it for the welfare of
society. (1.10.1999)
If you do not know the purpose of your birth, you will become a burden
on mother earth. The purpose of human birth is to experience divinity.
Try to understand your true nature. Do not compare yourself with others. Follow your own conscience and enjoy bliss. Do not imitate others. Imitation is the quality of the weak-minded. (14.1.2000)
God can change even the nature of the body and grant a bright future.
God can transform earth into sky and sky into earth, but you should
have firm faith in him. Today man has become blind, losing the eyes
of faith. He does not have faith in God. How can he, who does not
know himself, know Divinity?
First know yourself, then you can easily understand divinity. Have faith
in God. There is nothing that God cannot do. One with proper eyesight
can see even the small glowworm. But a blind man cannot see even
the brightly shining sun. Likewise, one without the spiritual eye will find
only darkness all around him. A spark of spiritual light is enough to see
the entire cosmos. (4.3.2000)
When the New Year begins, people start speculating as to what the
New Year has in store for them and also for the world at large. The future of the world depends on the actions of man, not on the New Year.
Actions depend on the mind, the mind on thoughts. As are the
thoughts, so is the action. Hence, for the world to be peaceful and
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prosperous, man should foster truthful thoughts. The world will enjoy
safety, security and peace only through men of truthful thoughts. (...)
Students! You are young and this is your golden age. Do not misuse
it. There are three important things which one has to bear in mind. The
first, once it comes will not go away, i.e., wisdom. The second, once it
goes will not come back, i.e.., ignorance and the third, it neither comes
nor goes, i.e., the principle of Brahman. Your faith also should be such
that it should be steady, it should not come and go. But the faith of
modern students keeps vacillating. Such faith is no faith at all.
What you are trying to acquire is only bookish knowledge, which constitutes only one-fourth of the total knowledge. The remaining three
parts of the knowledge consist of putting all that you study into practice. You will become a truly educated person and a complete human
being only when your bookish knowledge is transformed into practical
knowledge. Practical knowledge is your true strength. (5.4.2000)
All the spiritual practices will yield good results only when they are performed with purity of heart and steady mind. If you have the grace of
God, there is nothing that you cannot accomplish in this world. When
God can bring the dead back to life, can there be anything impossible
for him? He can change sky into earth and earth into sky, but you
should pray with purity of heart to attain his grace. Do not indulge in
vain gossip. How can you expect God to fulfil your wishes if you talk ill
of others? (11.8.2000)
Today boys and girls acquire education with an eye on the external
world. They do not realize that all that is seen in the external world is
transient. One can develop inner vision in life only when one makes
proper use of one's knowledge. Humanness has declined because
man lacks balance in life. If human values are to be fostered, man
should convert his knowledge into skill and maintain proper balance in
life. Today the world is losing its ecological balance, as man, out of utter selfishness, is robbing the mother Earth of her resources like coal,
petroleum, iron, etc. As a result, we find earthquakes, floods and such
other devastating natural calamities. Human life will find fulfillment
only ecological balance is maintained.
Balance in human life and balance in nature, both are equally important. Today even marine life is in danger due to so-called advancement in science. Advancement in science is welcome but it should not
lead to ecological imbalance. The people and the world at large should
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be benefited from science. But today everyone is interested in selfish
gains. No one seems to care for society. (25.9.2000)
Women are the repositories of truth and culture. Though the earth is
one, the plants vary depending upon the seeds sown. The womb of
the mother symbolizes the mother earth. As is the seed of thought
sown in it, so is the fruit that it yields. You cannot expect mangoes by
sowing a neem seed. So, the mother should foster good thoughts,
good words, and good deeds. Only then can she beget virtuous children. Today we find many children having bad qualities and wicked
conduct. The reason for this car be attributed to the bad thoughts of
their mothers. (19.11.2000)
When you serve others, your power will also increase. The power of
attraction is present in everybody. The purer you become, the greater
will be your power of attraction and so, you will absorb more power. All
the powers that are present in the earth are latent in man. Man, in fact,
is the reservoir of all powers - electrical, magnetic and laser. Thus,
man is very powerful. Then why should he consider himself weak?
(20.11.2000)
There are many wealthy people in the world, not all of them get this
thought or idea for sacrifice. Theirs is a misfortune accumulated over
several births. What is the use of any amount of wealth, if one cannot
carry with him even a fistful of earth! Accumulating wealth with diligence and depositing it all in banks and even accumulating black
money, none feels impelled to sacrifice his wealth for sacred purposes. Hidden wealth is no better than dirt. There is no need for such
wealth. The heart should be pure and sacred. For this, your sacrifice
should be to God. (24.11.2000)
Man should put a ceiling on his desires. As man's conduct is perverted, today we find natural calamities taking place. You are aware of the
devastation caused by the earthquake in Gujarat. Thousands of people lost their lives. The reason for this is that, man is entertaining excessive desires. God maintains perfect balance in his creation. In
God's creation, the earth and the oceans are endowed with balance.
But man is indiscriminately exploiting the earth for extracting oil. Every
day tonnes of fish are caught from the oceans. This indiscriminate exploitation of nature results in imbalance in earth, which is playing havoc with human lives. Only when man is free from unsteadiness within,
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will he not be troubled by earthquake. Not only the people of Bharat
but also the people of the entire world should strive to maintain balance. The five elements are nothing but manifestations of the Divine.
Man's life will be secure only when he realizes this truth and acts accordingly. (21.2.2001)
Today we find many people are giving up agriculture and migrating to
towns in search of money. They watch Television day in and day out
and aspire for luxurious life. As more and more people are giving up
agriculture and deserting villages, scarcity for food has arisen. Having
given up farming, how can you expect the mother Earth to feed you?
Villages are the very life breath of lndian culture. Even to day, lndian
culture is sustained only in villages, not in towns. Only people of villages are aware of the greatness of lndian culture. As people have lost
respect and reverence for mother Earth, we experience earthquakes
and such other natural calamities causing untold destruction.
(22.2.2001)
If you deeply enquire and investigate, you will find that the water level
in the earth is going deeper and deeper day by day. If you observe the
present political scenario, you don't find any morality and integrity. The
present-day teachers do not seem to possess the invaluable treasure
of knowledge. Human values have become totally extinct in human
beings. The ancient teachers were extolled as kings of sacrifice, spirituality and renunciation, but alas! The modern teachers have become
men of pleasures and desires. (4.7.2001)
You are not merely human beings; you are cosmic beings. Man is endowed with such tremendous power which none of the other denizens
possess. There is limitless power in each one of you, but you are unable to recognize it. When you love others, they will love you in turn.
Therefore, first and foremost, you should love all. By experiencing love
in this way, a human becomes divine. But man today is focusing his
love on fleeting and ephemeral objects. He limits his love to his family
and material objects. (16.7.2001)
The entire earth is permeated by magnetic power. AII the living beings
and objects that are present on this earth also have this magnetic
power. The rivers that flow, the wind that blows, the flowers that blossom, etc., everything is endowed with magnetic power. The rivers flow
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on earth because of magnetic power. The magnetic power is allpervasive.
People with devotion and faith visit temples, which have the magnetic
power. The flowers and fruits that people offer with devotion in temples also have this magnetic power. As thousands of devotees gather
here, our mandir is suffused with magnetic power. The allpervasive
magnetic power shines with added brilliance in this mandir. This magnetic power is ever on the rise as there is a continuous flow of devotees.
Even an iron nail turns into a magnet because of its association with
the magnet. In a similar manner, people who visit the mandir are filled
with magnetic power. It is only from the magnetic power of the devotees that the mandir gets charged with mighty powers. Every individual is filled with magnetic power from head to toe. But man does not
realize his innate potential and visits temples for blessings and grace.
One does not acquire any special powers from temples. What one
gets is only the reflection of one's own magnetic power. (13.3.2002)
The Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun. Who is responsible for this phenomenon? Nobody can explain this. As earth rotates on its axis, we have day and night. As it revolves around the sun,
we are able to get the food required to sustain our body. It is the Divine
Will that is responsible for all this. It is the Divine masterplan for the
benefit of the world. Nobody has understood the power of the atom in
its totality till this day. People think that the atom has no life in it. It is a
wrong notion. The lifeforce that holds the entire world together is present in the atom also. Hence it is said, God is present in microcosm as
well as in macrocosm. Man should make an attempt to understand the
mystery of creation. He should recognize his responsibilities and conduct himself accordingly. Man has to necessarily understand the principle of the atom. If he understands this, he would have understood
everything else, for atom is God. The life-principle present in the atom
is present all over the universe. Kanada said that proper understanding of the principle of atom will lead to the understanding of divinity.
When you close your fist, you would have caught hold of many atoms.
When you release it, the atoms will travel in different directions. The
sound of OM that emerges from the atoms will be as minute as the
particles themselves. (24.7.2002)
Hiranyakasipu was a great scientist. He could travel up to the sun; he
could even reach the stars. When he touched the Polestar, the planet
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earth began to shake. He was one of such valor and courage. Till this
day, no scientist has been able to accomplish what Hiranyakasipu
could achieve. But, in spite of his valor and knowledge, Hiranyakasipu
could not comprehend divinity. One can understand divinity only
through love. There is no other path that can take you to God. It is only
love that enables you surrender to God. (21.8.2002)
You are under the mistaken notion that Swami is having pain in his
legs and therefore he is unable to walk comfortably. I have absolutely
no pain whatsoever. If I put one foot forward it is being pulled by the
other as there is immense attraction power in my feet. As you are
aware, even the earth is endowed with attraction power. It only attracts
and does not cause any pain. Swami has no pain at all. This attraction
power in me is increasing day by day. Whatever I touch with my hand,
gets stuck to it. Such magnetic power is present in every man. God is
present in the form of Hiranyagarbha in everyone. Hence, he is extolled as Hiranyagarbhaya Namah (salutations to the one with golden
womb). Pure gold does not undergo any change. It attracts everyone.
You should not be under the mistaken notion that only Swami has this
attraction power and none else. In fact it is present in you too. If you
put it to proper use, it develops more and more.
Not merely this. I want to tell you another important point. As the attraction power is increasing, the number of people coming for my darshan is also on the increase. Henceforth, there will be uncontrollable
crowds thronging for my darshan. You are going to witness many astounding events in the future. God attracts everyone. His attraction
power is highly sacred and it will captivate everyone. Even while I am
speaking to you now, my feet are being pulled by the earth. If I lift one
foot, the earth attracts the other foot. Nobody can do anything about
it. It is increasing day by day. This is the divine magnetic power. It originates from the changeless and eternal principle of Transcendental
Truth. Every day devotees are sending various ointments and oils by
post. (...)
The magnetic power that is present in the entire world is present in
your body itself. Some people do not understand the power of divine
magnet. They argue: “If there is attraction power in the 'magnet', why
is it not able to attract us?” How can a magnet attract an iron piece,
which is full of rust and dust? When the rust and dust are removed, the
magnet will attract the iron piece at once. Likewise, you should clean
your mind of impurities in order to be attracted by divinity. You do not
need to undergo any physical strain for this. No spiritual practices are
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required. It is enough if you cultivate love in your heart. Only through
love can you attain the principle of Transcendental Truth. You might
have read various books on Transcendental Truth. But nobody has really understood what it means. It is the changeless and all-pervasive
atmic principle. Such sacred love is available only with God.
(16.3.2003)
First and foremost, develop faith that God is everywhere. Then you
can really see him. Do not think that God is present only at a particular
place. You need not travel long distances to see Sai Baba. He is within
you. You cannot attain him if you look for him somewhere else. There
is a great treasure in the earth under your feet. But you cannot acquire
it unless you dig at the right place. Likewise, you have to develop love,
discharge your duty sincerely and follow the path of truth with unwavering faith to attain divinity. (18.5.2003)
Whatever God does is for the welfare of the world. Not a single act of
God is without a purpose. Man gets confused as he is unable to understand the inner meaning of God's actions. The earth rotates on its
axis at the speed of one thousand miles per hour causing day and
night. Rising and setting of the sun as well as waxing and waning of
the moon promote all activity on earth. Not merely that, the earth revolves around the sun at the speed of 66 thousand miles per hour, giving rise to various seasons. The seasons benefit man in many ways.
Formation of clouds and occurrence of rainfall help man to grow food.
In this manner, the earth provides food and sustenance to all beings.
Can a human being or a government for that matter accomplish such
a mighty task? No, no. Without recognizing these beneficial acts of
God of such enormous magnitude, man wastes his life in delusion and
doubt. If you enquire deeply, you will know that divine power is at work
at all times. Every cell, every moment and every Yuga (aeon) is governed by Divine Will. God is everywhere and is in the form of Nature.
Unable to realize this truth, people develop doubts regarding the existence of God. Everything is supported and sustained by God. There
can be no humanity without Divinity. Your life will be sanctified when
you understand this truth.
God does not waste even a single moment. All the time he is engaged
in action for the welfare of all. He is the sole refuge of all at every moment of time. Nothing is impossible for God who permeates terrestrial,
celestial and cosmic planes. Every second of your life is dependent on
the Divine Will. Every breath of your life is governed by God. You can245
not take even one breath without his Will. People are unable to recognize such omnipresent, omnipotent God and waste their time in vain
argumentation regarding his existence. They do not experience even
an iota of joy due to their lack of faith in all-powerful God. (11.4.2004)
The term love is not just a word; it has a form. There is no place where
love does not exist. Love is all-pervasive. It encompasses creation,
earth and universe. Love is the basis of all our activities such as eating, talking, walking, etc. In fact, love sustains your life. People tend to
forget such a sacred principle of love even after knowing its significance. How foolish they are! You should experience love, enjoy it and
share it with others. (15.4.2004)
All that you witness in this objective world is a manifestation of Shiva.
It is pervading all the three worlds, the earth, the space and the netherworld. It exists in all the three periods of time, the past, present and
future. It is indescribable. Any length of time is insufficient to describe
the Shiva. Several people are worshipping such an omnipresent and
all-pervading divine names and consciousness by describing it
through different names and forms. Just as the all-embracing divine
love does not make a distinction between living beings, so also the divine consciousness does not differentiate. It is only we who make distinction between people as my father, my mother, my brother, my sister, etc., based on our earthly relationships with them. In fact, every
living being is an embodiment of Divinity. God assumes all names and
forms. You are God. (8.3.2005)
You are all golden children. But, you forget your real nature and associate yourself with dust and rust. Hence, great souls have to take birth
in this world now and then to cleanse you and make you realize your
innate divinity. However, when some great soul embarks upon such a
mission, some people doubt his effort saying: “It is all his foolishness.
Can earth become gold? Can sand become sugar?” Modem man is
full of doubts and doubts! What could be the reason for these doubts?
It is only when one thinks that he is separate from God that doubts
arise. (...)
You are all embodiments of pure gold. You are all golden children.
Your words are sweet. Let your conduct also be sweet in conformity
with your words. Wherever you go, as students of Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions, you must display an exemplary conduct and behavior. Merely because you wear white dress, you do not deserve to
246
be called students of Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions. In keeping with your white dress, keep your mind pure and your heart sacred.
Only then will you become ideal students.I will constantly be with such
students, guarding and guiding them. I will give them everything. In
fact, I am protecting several people in several ways; but, no one has
realized this point till today. (23.2.2006)
In God's creation, everything is good and sacred. There is nothing
which will cause sorrow and misery. In fact, misery arises out of man's
delusion. The delusion is because of his identification with the form.
What is the meaning of the term Manava, man? 'Ma' means Maya, 'Na'
means without and 'Va' means Varthinchuta (to conduct oneself).
Therefore, Manava is one who conducts himself without maya. If you
fall a victim to maya, you will never be able to understand marmamu
(reality). In fact, maya is man's own making. It arises out of his imagination. (...)
Having been blessed with such precious human birth, what a shame
it is if you behave like an animal! You should live like a human being.
Keep your mind under control. This is my message to you on this holy
night of Shivaratri. Understand that you are born as a human being,
not as an insect or a worm. Neither are you an animal, nor a bird nor
a beast. You should understand the meaning of the term manava. 'Ma'
means not and ‘nava' means new. You are not here for the first time.
You are not new to this earth. You have gone through a number of
births before attaining this human birth. Give up all your old and mean
qualities and start your life afresh. Human life is highly sacred and
mysterious. Only God can unravel its mystery. The Lord of the universe permeates the entire universe. He transcends all description.
He is present in you in the form of atman, the divine self. There is only
one path for the realization of atman. Give up the feeling of 'mine'. You
say 'this is mine and that is mine'. Once you get rid of such worldly attachment, you will develop purity, steadiness and selflessness. You
will be from suffering, worries and anxiety. Ultimately, you will attain
liberation. Having attained humanness, you should make efforts to
rise to the level of Divinity. That is your goal. What is the use if you remain in humanness forever? You should develop pure mind to rise to
the level of divine. Unity confers purity which will in turn lead to divinity.
Hence, all of you must stand united. You belong to the human race.
You belong to one family. Hence, you must conduct yourself like
brothers and sisters. Absence of such spirit of unity will diminish purity
and take you away from divinity. (26.2.2006)
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What is the meaning of Avatar (incarnation of God)? It connotes the
combination of Divine consciousness with human consciousness.
Man is the combination of body, mind, intellect and consciousness.
God, who is the embodiment of love, assumes human form to establish identity with man so as to bring about transformation in him
through love. God descends on earth and involves himself in the affairs of the world to teach and guide man and to put him on the right
path. (...)
Man is endowed with the body and the mind ' both of which breed
kama and krodha (desire and anger). But God has neither desire nor
anger. God does not have even an iota of worldly desires or aspirations. Whatever God does, sees and says is all for the good of the devotees, and not for Himself. When God incarnates on earth in human
form, He behaves like a human being only. He may make somebody
cry, make some other laugh and indulge in playful pranks with yet another. Seeing all these seemingly human acts, people are deluded to
treat the avatar as an ordinary human being. In fact, what could be the
reason for God to descend on the earth with a human form? It is only
to set an ideal for man and lead him on the path of righteousness. (...)
If you perform your actions as an offering to God, they will turn out to
be pure and sacred. God is not somewhere in a distant corner. You
are God. You are society. You are the world. You are the sky. You are
the earth. You are the Stars. You are everything. Hence, develop the
feeling, “I am everything.” You see duality in the world since you go by
names and forms. If you see beyond names and forms, you will find
unity everywhere. (2.5.2006)
It is not possible to describe how fortunate a human being is. Of all living beings, human birth is the rarest. Man is not able to realize the value of humanness and is deluded by the sight of ephemeral and transitory objects of the world. The basis of man's life is not the transitory
and ephemeral world. His life on earth is a synthesis of moral, ethical
and spiritual values. Man, in fact, is the image of divinity. The eternal
atman in all beings is a part of My Being. All of you are a part of myself,
you are not different from me. Unable to realize the value of his humanness, man becomes a victim of his many delusions. All your learning and your strenuous efforts should be directed towards realizing
this truth. You don't need anything else after realizing this fundamental
truth. All the material possessions of this world are a cause of bondage for man and so long as man is in bondage, he has to suffer. Therefore, man should try to achieve freedom from this bondage. He should
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get rid of the feeling of attachment. Nothing is 'mine' and 'thine', everything is one. Develop the feeling in your heart that all are one. Only
then can you experience truth, peace and bliss. (23.11.2006)
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CROSS-REFERENCE
Books from Sathya Sai Baba
1. Dhyana Vaahini (Practice of Meditation)
2. Geetha Vaahini (The Divine Gospel)
3. Prashaanthi Vaahini (The Supreme Bliss of Divine)
4. Prema Vaahini (The Stream of Divine Love)
5. Sathya Sai Vaahini (Spiritual Message of Sri Sathya Sai)
6. Sutra Vaahini (Analytical Aphorisms on Supreme Reality)
7. Vidya Vaahini (Flow of Spiritual Education)
8. Dharma Vaahini (The Path of Virtue and Morality)
9. Bhagavatha Vaahini (The story of the Glory of the Lord)
10. Ram Katha Rasavaahini (Part I) (The Story of Rama's Glory)
11. Ram Katha Rasavaahini (Part II) (The Story of Rama's Glory)
12.Leela Kaivalya and Prashnottara Vaahini, and Sandeha Nivarini
(The Cosmic Play of God)
13. Upanishad Vaahini (Essence of Vedic Knowledge)
14. Jnana Vaahini (The Stream of Eternal Wisdom)
Sathya Sai Baba speak, first Publications, after 1984 new Publications
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Sathya Sai Speaks Volume Divine Discourses
Sadhana (The Inward Path)
Unity is Divinity
Sai Avatar Bd. I
Sai Avatar Bd. II
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
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31. Der k†nigliche Weg
32. Bhagavad Geetha
33. Meditation
Summer Showers (Discourses on Indian Cultur and Spitituality)
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
Summer
Summer
Summer
Summer
Summer
Summer
Summer
Summer
Showers
Showers
Showers
Showers
Showers
Showers
Showers
Showers
in
in
in
in
in
in
in
in
Brindavan
Brindavan
Brindavan
Brindavan
Brindavan
Brindavan
Brindavan
Brindavan
1972
1973
1974
1977
1978
1979
1990
1993
Sathya Sai Baba Speaks, new Publications
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
Sathya
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Sathya
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Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Sai
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
Baba
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
speaks
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32 - 1
32 - 2
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36 - 2
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Sathya Sai Baba speaks 39
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Glossary
Adept - A Master, or human being who, having traversed the Path of
Evolution and entered upon the final stage of the path, the Path of Initiation, has taken five of the Initiations, and has therefore passed into
the Fifth, or Spiritual Kingdom, having but two more Initiations to take.
Adi - The First; the primeval; the Atomic Plane of the Solar System; the
highest of the Seven Planes.
Agni - The Lord of Fire in the Vedas. The oldest and most revered of
the Gods in India. One of the three great deities Agni, Vayu and Surya,
and also all the three, as he is the triple aspect of fire; fire is the essence
of the Solar System. The Bible says: „Our God is a consuming fire.“ It
is also the symbol of the Mental Plane of which Agni is paramountly
Lord.
Atlantis - The continent that was submerged in the Atlantic Ocean, according to occult teaching and Plato. Atlantis was the home of the
Fourth Root Race, whom we now call the Atlanteans.
Antahkarana - The path, or bridge, between Higher and lower mind,
serving as a medium of communication between the two. It is built by
the Aspirant himself in mental matter.
Ashram - The centre to which the Master gathers the Disciples and Aspirants for personal instruction.
Atman - The Universal Spirit; the Divine Monad; the Seventh Principle;
so called in the septenary constitution of man.
Atomic Subplane - The matter of the Solar System is divided by the
occultists into Seven Planes or states, the highest of which is the Atomic Plane. Similarly, each of the Seven Planes is divided into seven subplanes, of which the highest is called the Atomic Subplane. There are
therefore forty-nine Subplanes, and seven of these are atomic.
Aura - A subtle invisible essence or fluid which emanates from human
and animal bodies, and even from things. It is a psychic effluvium, partaking of both mind and body. It is electro-vital, and also electro-mental.
254
Auric egg - An appellation that has been given to the Causal Body owing to its form.
Avatar - Incarnation of God. Descent of the Divine for the Ascent of
Man. Whenever there is a decline of Divine Law, God comes down to
the world assuming bodily form to protect the good, punish the wicked
and reestablish right conduct. An Avatar is born and lives free and is
ever conscious of his mission. By his precept and example, he opens
up new paths in spirituality, shedding his grace on all.
Bodhisattva - Literally, he whose consciousness has become intelligence, or buddhi. Those who need but one more incarnation to become
perfect Buddhas. As used in these letters, the Bodhisattva is the name
of the office which is at present occupied by the Lord Maitreya, who is
known in the occident as the Christ. This office might be translated as
that of World Teacher. The Bodhisattva is the Head of all the religions
of the world, and the Master of the Masters and of the angels.
Brahma - The creator; the first of the Veda trinity.
Brahman - The Supreme Being; the absolute reality; impersonal God
with no form or attributes. The uncaused cause of the universe; existence-consciousness-bliss (sat-chit-ananda), the absolute; the eternal
changeless reality, not conditioned by time, space and causation. God
Brahman exists, smaller than the minutest molecule, larger than the
largest conceivable object, smaller than the smallest, greater than the
greatest.
Buddha - The name given to Gautama. Born in India about B.C. 621
he became a full Buddha in B.C. 592. The Buddha is one who is the
„Enlightened,“ and has attained the highest degree of knowledge possible for man in this solar system.
Buddhi - The Universal Soul or Mind. It is the Spiritual Soul in man (the
Sixth Principle) and therefore the vehicle of Atman, the Spirit, which is
the Seventh Principle.
Causal Body - This body is, from the standpoint of the Physical Plane,
no body, either subjective or objective. It is, nevertheless, the centre
of the egoic consciousness, and is formed of the conjunction of buddhi
and manas. It is relatively permanent and lasts throughout the long cy255
cle of incarnations, and is only dissipated after the Fourth Initiation,
when the need for further rebirth on the part of a human being no longer
exists.
Chakra - Circle, wheel lotuses; the chakras are centres of potential energy (see Kundalini) in the human anatomy. The chakras are important
on the path of discipleship and Initiation. They collect, transform and
distribute the power which streams through.
Chohan - Lord, Master, a Chief. In this book it refers to mind and those
Adepts who have gone on and taken the Sixth Initiation.
Deva (or Angel) - A god. In Sanskrit a resplendent Deity. A Deva is a
celestial being, whether good, bad, or indifferent. Devas are divided
into many groups, and are called not only angels and archangels, but
lesser and in, the greater builders.
Egoic Groups - On the Third Subplane of the Fifth Plane, the mental,
are found the causal bodies of the individual men and women. These
bodies, which are the expression of the Soul, or of the individualized
self-consciousness, are gathered together into groups according to the
ray or quality of the particular Soul involved.
Elementals - The Spirits of the Elements; the creatures involved in the
Four Kingdoms, or elements, earth, air, fire, and water. Except a few
of the higher kinds and their rulers, they are forces of nature more than
ethereal men and women.
Etheric body (Etheric double) - The physical body of a human being
is, according to occult teaching, formed of two parts, the dense physical body, and the three Subplanes of the physical plane. The etheric
body is formed of the four highest or Etheric Subplanes of the physical
plane.
Fifth Principle - The principle of mind, that faculty in man which is the
intelligent thinking principle, and which differentiates man from the animals.
Fohat - Cosmic electricity; primordial light; the ever-present electrical
energy; the universal propelling vital force; the ceaseless destructive
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and formative power; the synthesis of the many forms of electrical phenomena.
Guru - Spiritual teacher; a spiritual guide, a master, a knower of Brahman, who is calm, merciful and ever ready to help and guide the spiritual Aspirants who approach him. The Cosmic Guru is the Avatar.
Hierarchy - That group of spiritual beings on the Inner Planes of the
solar system who are the intelligent forces of nature, and who control
the evolutionary processes. They are themselves divided into Twelve
Hierarchies. Within our planetary scheme, the Earth scheme, there is
a reflection of this Hierarchy which is called by the occultist the Occult
Hierarchy. This Hierarchy is formed of Chohans, Adepts, and Initiates
working through their disciples, and, by this means, in the world.
Initiations - From the Latin root meaning, the first principles of any science. Process of penetrating into the mysteries of the science of the
Self and of the one Self in all selves. The Path of Initiation is the final
stage of the Path of Evolution trodden by man, and is divided into five
stages, called the Five Initiations.
Jiva - A separated unit of consciousness.
Kali-Yuga - „Yuga“ is an Age or cycle. According to the Indian philosophy, our evolution is divided into the four Yugas or cycles. The Kali-Yuga is the present Age. It means the „Black Age,“ or “Iron-Age”, a
period of 432,000 years.
Karma - Action; deed; work; religious rite; the totality of innate tendencies formed as a consequence of acts done in previous lives. Every karma produces a lasting impression on the mind of the doer, apart from
affecting others. Repetition of a particular karma produces a tendency
in the mind. Karma is of three kinds: 1. Prarabdha: which is being exhausted in present life, 2. Agami: which is being accumulated in the
present life and 3. Samchita: which is being stored to be experienced
in future lives. Akarma is an action done without any intention to gain
the consequences; Vikarma is the action that is intentionally done.
Kumaras - The highest seven self-conscious beings in the solar system. These seven Kumaras manifest through the medium of a planetary scheme in the same way as a human being manifests through the
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medium of a Physical Body. They are called by the Hindu „the
mind-born Sons of Brahma“ amongst other names. They are the subtotal of intelligence and of wisdom. Within the planetary scheme, the
reflection of the systemic order is also seen. At the head of our world
evolution stands the first Kumara, aided by six other Kumaras, three
esoteric and three exoteric, who are the focal points for the distribution
of the force of the systemic Kumaras.
Kundalini - The Power of Life. One of the forces of nature. It is a power
known only to those who practice Concentration in Yoga, and is centered within the spine.
Lemuria - A modern term first used by some naturalists and now adopted by Theosophists to indicate a continent that, according to the Secret
Doctrine of the East, preceded Atlantis. It was the home of the Third
Root Race.
Logos - The Deity manifested through every nation and people. The
outward expression, or the effect of the cause, which is ever concealed.
Lord of Civilization - (See Mahachohan)
Lords of the Flame - One of the great Hierarchies of spiritual beings
who guide the solar system. They took control of the evolution of Humanity upon this Planet about 18 million years ago, during the middle
of the Lemurian, or third root race.
Macrocosm - The great universe, literally; or God manifesting through
His Body, the solar system.
Mahachohan - The Head of the Third Great Department of the Hierarchy. This great being is the Lord of Civilization, and the flowering forth
of the principle of intelligence. He is the embodiment on the Planet of
the third, or intelligence aspect of Deity in its five activities.
Mahamanvantara - The great interludes of time between two Solar
Systems. This term is frequently applied to the greater solar cycles. It
implies a period of universal activity.
Manas, or Manasic Principle - Literally, the mind, the mental faculty;
that which distinguishes man from the mere animal. It is the individu258
alizing principle; that which enables man to know that he exists, feels,
and knows. It is divided in some schools into two parts, higher or abstract mind, and lower or concrete mind.
Mantra - Verses from the Vedas. In the esoteric sense a mantra (or
that psychic faculty or power that conveys perception or thought) is the
older portion of the Vedas, the second part of which is composed of
the Brahmanas. In esoteric phraseology, mantra is the word made
flesh, or rendered objective through divine magic. A form of words or
syllables rhythmically arranged, so that when sounded certain vibrations are generated.
Manu - The representative name of the Great Being who is the Ruler,
primal progenitor and chief of the human race. It comes from the Sanskrit root „man“ - to think.
Manvantara - A period of activity as opposed to a period of rest, without
reference to any specific length of cycle. Frequently used to express
a period of planetary activity and its seven races.
Maya - The mysterious, creative and delusive power of Brahman
through which God projects the appearance of the universe. Maya is
the material cause and Brahman is the effective cause of the universe.
Brahman and Maya are inexcritably associated with each other like fire
and its power to heat. Maya deludes living beings in egoism, making
them forget their true spiritual nature.
Mayavirupa - Sanskrit, „illusive form.“ It is the body of manifestation
created by the Adept by an act of will for use in the Three Worlds. It
has no material connection with the Physical Body. It is spiritual and
ethereal and passes everywhere without let or hindrance. It is built by
the power of the lower mind, of the highest type of astral matter.
Microcosm - The little universe, or man manifesting through his body,
the Physical Body.
Monad - The One. The threefold spirit on its own plane. In occultism
it often means the unified triad - Atma, Buddhi, Manas; Spiritual Will,
Intuition and Higher Mind, - or the immortal part of man which reincarnates in the lower kingdoms and gradually progresses through them
to man and thence to the final goal.
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Nirmanakaya - Those perfected beings who renounce Nirvana (the
highest state of spiritual bliss) and choose a life of self-sacrifice, becoming members of that invisible host which ever protects Humanity
within karmic limits.
Permanent atom - Those five atoms, with the mental unit, one on each
of the five planes of human evolution (the mental unit being also on the
mental plane) which the Monad appropriates for purposes of manifestation. They form a stable centre and are relatively permanent. Around
them the various sheaths or bodies are built. They are literally small
force centers.
Planetary Logos - This term is generally applied to the seven highest
spirits corresponding to the seven archangels of the Christians. They
have all passed through the human stage and are now manifesting
through a planet and its evolutions, in the same way that man manifests
through his Physical Body. The highest planetary spirit working through
any particular globe is, in reality, the personal God of the Planet.
Prakriti - Derives its name from its function as the material cause of
the first evolution of the universe. It may be said to be composed of two
roots, „pra“ to manifest, and „krita“ to make; meaning that which caused
the universe to manifest itself.
Prana - The Life Principle, the Breath of Life. The occultist believes the
following statement: „Life we look upon as the one form of existence,
manifesting in what is called matter, or what, incorrectly separating
them, we name Spirit, Soul and Matter in man. Matter is the vehicle for
the manifestation of Soul on this plane of existence, Soul is the vehicle
for the manifestation of spirit, and these three as a trinity are synthesized by Life, which pervades them all.“
Purusha - The spiritual self. The embodied self. The word literally
means „The dweller in the city“ - that is, in the body. It is derived from
the Sanskrit „pura“, which means city or body, and „usha“, a derivative
of the verb „vas,“ to dwell.
Quaternary - The fourfold lower self, or man, in the Three Worlds.
There are various divisions of this, but perhaps for our purpose, the
best is to enumerate the four as follows:
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1. Lower mind.
2. Emotional or Astral Body.
3. Prana, or the Life Principle.
4. The Etheric Body, or the highest division of the twofold Physical
Body.
Raja Lord - The word „Raja“ simply means king or prince; the word has
been applied to those great angels or entities who ensoul the Seven
Planes. These are great devas who are the subtotal and the controlling
intelligence of a plane.
Raja Yoga - The true system of developing psychic and spiritual powers and union with one's Higher Self or the Soul. It involves the exercise, regulation, and concentration of thought.
Ray - One of the seven streams of force of the Logos; the seven great
lights. Each of them is the embodiment of a great cosmic entity. The
seven Rays can be divided into the three Rays of Aspect and the four
Rays of Attribute, as follows:
Rays of Aspect:
1. The Ray of Will, or Power
2. The Ray of Love-Wisdom
3. The Ray of Activity or Adaptability
Rays of Attribute:
4. The Ray of Harmony, Beauty, Art, or Unity
5. The Ray of Concrete Knowledge or Science
6. The Ray of Abstract Idealism or Devotion
7. The Ray of Ceremonial Magic, or Law
The above names are simply some chosen from among many, and embody the different aspects of force by means of which the Logos manifests.
Ring-pass-not - This is at the circumference of the manifested solar
system, and is the periphery of the influence of the sun, both esoteri261
cally and exoterically understood. The limit of the field of activity of the
central life force.
Rishi - Great saint knowing the omnipresence of God. There are seven
great Rishis, the spirit-born sons of Brahman. Their images are the seven stars of the Great Bears.
Root Race - One of the seven races of man which evolve upon a planet
during the great cycle of planetary existence. This cycle is called a
world period. The Aryan Root Race, to which the Hindu, European, and
modern American races belong, is the fifth, the Chinese and Japanese
belonging to the fourth race. Each Root Race has seven Subraces.
Sensa, or Senzar - The name for the secret sacerdotal language, or
the „mystery speech“ of the initiated Adepts all over the world. It is a
universal language, and largely a hieroglyphic cypher.
Shamballa - The City of the Gods, which is in the West to some nations, in the East to others, in the North or South to yet others. It is the
sacred island in the Gobi Desert. It is the home of mysticism and of the
Secret Doctrine.
Shankara - An Indian saint. Shankara propagated the ancient and
Veda teaching in the form of Advaita Vedanta or non-dual philosophy.
It is absolutely necessary for everyone to realize this one supreme
thing behind all creation.
Shiva - It is the beneficent aspect of Mahesvara. The third of the Supreme Trinity of Supreme Deities; God. His symbol is the Shivalinga.
It is the symbol of creation of the universe.
Sutratma - The thread-soul, silver cord, or magnetic link. It is a constant rhythmic response to the thought energy of the Soul and there is
a steady flow of force between that centre of energy we call the Soul
on its own plane, and that centre of force which is a human being. The
energy travels along the „thread“ we call the sutratma and sets up a
vibratory response between the brain and the Soul.
Triad - The Spiritual Man; the expression of the Monad. It is the germinal spirit containing the potentialities of Divinity. These potentialities
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will be unfolded during the course of evolution. This Triad forms the individualized or separated self, or Soul.
Vishnu - The protector and preserver God of the Hindu trinity comprised of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva; God the protector and preserver.
In order to preserve and protect, Vishbaratnu incarnates from age to
age.
Viveka - The Sanskrit „discrimination.“ The very first step in the path
of occultism is the discrimination between the real and the unreal, between substance and phenomenon, between the Self and the not-self,
between Spirit and Matter.
Yoga - One of the six schools of India, said to be founded by Patanjali,
but really of much earlier origin. The practice of Meditation as a means
of leading to Spiritual Liberation.
Note: This glossary does not undertake fully to explain all the above
terms. It is simply an attempt to render into English certain words.
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