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Discharge Your Duties With a
Sense of Surrender to God
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
delivering His Divine Discourse on 14th January 2006, Makara
Sankranthi, at
Prashanti Nilayam
Text of the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 14th January 2006,
Makara Sankranthi, at Prashanti Nilayam, Sai Kulwanth Hall
God is
love and love is God. True spiritual discipline lies in
developing love to love relationship. Dear children! Hold on to
this principle of love and demonstrate the ideal of unity.
(Telugu poem)
Dear Students! Boys and Girls!
It is said Daivam manusha rupena
(God incarnates in the form of a human being). That is why human
birth is considered to be highly sacred. God incarnates in human
form to redeem mankind. Do not be under the mistaken notion that
God is confined to a specific form. Divinity is not a separate
entity. It is immanent in humanity. The human form is a
conglomeration of five elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air
and ether. The divine power which makes the five elements
function is referred to as the Atma.
What is the form of Atma?
Many people often ask this question. In fact, it transcends name
and form.
Merely having a
human form does not make one a human being; it is the conduct
and behaviour that matters. In the same manner, mere acquisition
of bookish knowledge does not make one truly educated. Such
worldly education is negative in nature. One must make a
distinction between education and educare. Whereas education is
information-oriented, educare is transformation-oriented.
Education is limited to physical and mental levels. Just as the
rivers like Krishna and Godavari have their source in the ocean,
education has its roots in educare. Physical and worldly
knowledge corresponds to education. Educare is related to our
inner feelings and purity of heart. Our
Maata,
Paata and
Baata (speech, song and way of
life) should originate from the heart. That is the essence of
educare. Even if you acquire a number of degrees, if you lack
purity of heart, you cannot be called truly educated. Nowadays
very few make the efforts to understand what educare is. Only
those endowed with practical knowledge and wisdom will be able
to understand and appreciate the concept of educare. Others will
be deluded by high academic degrees. They are interested only in
acquiring bookish knowledge and disseminating the same. Such
vain pursuits will not entitle them to be called really
educated. It is common nowadays for students to acquire various
academic degrees such as B.A., M.A., C.A., Ph.D., etc. However,
those who understand the real purpose of education and its inner
significance are rare. Once you understand the purpose of
education and act accordingly, your life will be redeemed. You
should not entirely depend on what your teachers teach in the
classroom. You have to understand the nature of your body, mind,
senses and intellect to be able to realise your inner self.
Every
individual has three attributes, namely,
sattwa, rajas and
tamas. They represent the Trinity of
Brahma, Vishnu and
Maheshwara.
Sattwa
guna corresponds to the inner
purity. Rajo guna is
reflected in our actions. However, the fundamental truth is that
Atma has complete control
over all the senses and functioning of the human body. You
perform various tasks. You participate in sports and games. All
these represent rajo guna.
These days people teach parartha
(spiritual values) without giving up
swartha (selfishness). This is a grave error. You
should give up swartha in
the first instance and consider
parartha as the basis of all your endeavours. Develop
faith in God. God is the adhara
(support) and everything else is adheya
(supported). Divinity is one. The Veda
has therefore declared: Ekoham bahusyam
(the One willed to become many). The names and forms may vary,
but the inherent divine principle is one and the same. For
example, this hall is decorated with a number of bulbs. But the
electric current that flows through them is the same. Similarly,
sweets may be many, but the essential ingredient in them, that
is sugar which imports the sweetness is the same. Often times,
we merely go by the names and forms, forgetting the reality.
A human being
should essentially have three qualities ?
nischalattwa,
nirmalattwa and
nirmohattwa (steadiness, purity
and detachment). One who has these three qualities is verily God
Himself. You do not need to enquire from others whether you are
good or otherwise. Your conscience is the judge. 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 incarnates in various forms. People worship
God, sing His glory thinking that He is present in some distant
place. In fact, the Panchabhutas (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.
Who has given
you life? What is the source from which it has manifested? Have
you acquired it by some spiritual practice? No! God gives you
life and He is the one, who sustains it. He is present in every
living being in the form of Atma.
Everything has originated from the Atma.
Students study a number of textbooks and acquire high academic
qualifications. What is the source of all their knowledge and
learning? It is nothing but divinity. But, man due to his
delusion is unable to realise this Truth. First and foremost,
develop firm faith that God exists. When He incarnates in the
human form, He conducts Himself like a human being. Only then
can man understand divinity and the sacredness of human birth.
Educare is
related to bhava (feeling),
whereas education is related to bahya
(external). The education you acquire should be beneficial to
society. You should utilise your knowledge and intelligence for
the benefit of society. Keep your emotions under check. Do not
fret and fume like Durvasa who had no control over his temper.
Only the one who has complete control over himself is a true
human being.
The
Atma represents the oneness of
all beings. Ultimately, everything merges in the
Atma.
Religions are many
but goal is one.
Clothes are many but yarn is one.
Jewels are many but gold is one.
Cows are many but milk is one.
(Telugu poem)
Unfortunately,
today instead of visualising unity in diversity, man sees
diversity in unity. That is the cause of all his suffering. The
principle of Atma is the
basis of all creation. You may forget anything but not the
Atma. The five elements that
are immanent in you are nothing but the manifestations of
Atma. Merely rotating the beads of
a rosary does not constitute japa.
One should transcend the worldly and physical plane of
existence. That is true japa.
One who realises the source of his being is truly human. You may
study Bhagavad Gita and
learn all the slokas by
heart. But that does not make you a scholar. It is enough if you
are able to put at least one sloka
into practice. With the help of letters of alphabet a,b,c,d ?
any number of books can be written. Hence, the letters in the
alphabet form the basis for any book, be it
Ramayana, Mahabharata
or Bhagavata. Likewise, the
Atma is the basis for
everything. Once you understand the principle of
Atma, you would have understood
everything else. It is only to impart such knowledge that we
have established educational institutions. In our schools and
colleges, character, virtues and conduct are given utmost
priority. One should have the desire to tread the right path in
life and attain God. One should accept everything as the Will of
God. When you develop purity of heart, you will be successful in
all your endeavours.
In the name of
meditation, people sit cross-legged and with closed eyes. How
can such practices lead you to Divinity? When you close your
eyes, you cannot even see the person standing in front of you,
leave alone seeing God. In fact, God is present in you. A true
vyakti (individual) is one
who manifests the avyakta
(latent) divinity. If you understand the principle of
Atma and make sincere efforts,
you can certainly experience
atmasakshatkara (realisation of the Divine). You may
do japa or
tapa, but if you lack purity of
heart, all your spiritual practices will prove futile. Whatever
may be the practice you undertake, you should always focus your
mind on the Atma only.
Manishi
(man) is one who is endowed with manas
(mind). Manishi is also known as
manava. What is the inner
meaning of this term? 'Ma'
means maya (ignorance), 'na'
means nasthi (without) and 'va'
means varthinchuta (to
conduct oneself). A human being is one who overcomes
maya and conducts himself
without ignorance. Education is meant to help you overcome
delusion. One who transcends the mind is a
Paramahamsa (a realised soul).
We are not simply manavas
(mere mortals). We are verily the embodiments of
Madhava (immortal divine
principle). We should have faith in God and face the challenges
of life with courage and valour. Only then do we deserve to be
called a human being. The mind is meant to contemplate on God.
One who knows the value of a diamond will preserve it safely and
make proper use of it. Likewise, the one who realises the power
of mind will not let it go astray. One should strive to attain
the state of 'die' mind (annihilation of the mind). It is
possible only by contemplating on God incessantly. It is said,
Mano mulam idam jagat (mind
is the basis for the entire world). If you do not control your
mind and get carried away by its vagaries, what will be your
fate? It is only through mano nashana
(annihilation of the mind) can one become a
Paramahamsa. Never follow the
mind. The mind by nature is highly sacred, but due to the impact
of modern education it has become unsteady like a monkey. What
is the use of going through voluminous books without
understanding the nature of the mind? When you learn the
alphabet from A to Z, you should also learn the meaning of
words. What is the use of reading words without understanding
their meaning? Here, students learn the
Vedas. It is said,
Anantho Vai Vedah (the
Vedas are infinite). They are
endowed with infinite power.
When you read
the Bhagavad Gita, you
should make efforts to understand its teachings and put them
into practice. Otherwise, there is little meaning in going
through the Bhagavad Gita or
giving lectures on it. No benefit accrues from merely repeating
the slokas like a parrot
without understanding them. The Vedas
have been handed down from generation to generation by noble
souls. They contain the eternal truths. But, in the name of
modern education, people are neglecting them. One may like it or
not, but the study of the Vedas
is very essential for one and all. It is not enough if you
merely read the Vedas, you
should also understand the teachings contained therein. Man has
forgotten his true Self. He is trying to acquire education
without knowing his own reality. As a result, he reposes faith
in everything else except God. You should never forget the
fundamental principle, namely, divinity.
Dear Students!
You are able to understand and acquire worldly and secular
knowledge. But it is not easy for all to understand the inner
reality. The names and forms of individuals may appear to be
different, but essentially all are one. The innate reality is
adhara and the external names
and forms are only adheyas.
Knowing the adheya without
understanding the adhara
will serve no purpose. Even while dealing with physical matters
we should have spiritual outlook. Hence, develop faith in God in
the first instance. Anything can be achieved with unflinching
faith in God. Discharge your duties with a sense of surrender to
God. That is the essence of true education. Education does not
mean mere acquisition of bookish knowledge. True education is
beyond bookish knowledge.
Students! Embodiments of Love!
First of all, you have to realise that divinity is present
everywhere. Let all your actions be pleasing to God. You have
come from God and are living in God. All your actions should
therefore be dedicated to God. When you follow such a sacred
path, you will ultimately merge in God. God is
bhavapriya not
bahyapriya. He sees the feeling
behind your actions. The world is interested in
bahyam (outward show), but God
is interested in your bhavam
(feeling). Hence, purify your feelings in the first instance.
You ask others,
"Who are you?" But have you ever enquired into yourself, "Who am
I?" True education lies in knowing the answer for this question.
What is the use of knowing about others if you don't know your
own reality? That is not true education at all! A true spiritual
aspirant is one who understands and experiences the principle of
oneness. You say, "She is my mother", "He is my father", so on
and so forth. Such physical relationship is related to the mind.
If you take the physical relationship to be real, you will never
understand the truth. You say, "I am Ramaiah." It is the name
given to the body. But you are not the body. You should say with
firm conviction, "I am I." However, when you call yourself
Ramaiah, you should act according to your name. Once you
understand your reality, you will experience everlasting bliss.
Many students have gathered here. But not all are studying the
same subject. You are pursuing various courses such B.A., M.A.,
M.Sc., etc. You should understand the purpose of education.
Nowadays several students aspire to go abroad after completing
their studies. They forget the very purpose of education, and
are enamoured by worldly attractions.
One should have
single-minded devotion towards God. Your faith should be total
and unconditional. If your faith is unsteady with 'bumps and
jumps', you will be confused and will become restless. Keep your
desires under control. Limitless desires will take you away from
divinity. Annihilation of desires will lead you to the principle
of unity. You should develop virtues and lead a good life.
Understand the purpose of education and act accordingly. Only
then will your birth as a human being be meaningful. One
electric bulb can provide illumination to many. Likewise, a
heart filled with love can illumine many lives. The educated
people should not look down upon the uneducated. If they are
truly educated, they will treat everyone equally and develop
unity. Where there is unity, there is purity. When we have
purity, we can experience divinity. Love is the basis for unity.
Devoid of love differences are bound to crop up.
Students!
Having joined our institution if you merely acquire degrees
without developing virtues, we will not be happy. You should
develop purity within and purity outside. Only then can you earn
a good name in society. People will praise you saying, "So and
so is a good boy, he minds his own business and does not involve
himself in unnecessary activities." Such good persons can bring
about transformation in society. Being students, you should
follow the code of conduct prescribed for the state of
Brahmacharya. On the contrary,
if you succumb to the vagaries of the mind and move about
without any restraint, people will call you a rowdy. When you
are good in thought, word and deed, everyone will talk high of
you.
Embodiments of Love!
There is love in one and all. There is none bereft of love in
this world. Develop love. Let people speak what they want. Do
not be perturbed by criticism. If someone criticises you loudly,
it goes into thin air, if he criticises within, he will only be
the one who will be affected by it. In this manner, you should
neither be elated by praise nor depressed by criticism. If you
want to attain God, there should be harmony in your thoughts,
words and deeds. It is said, Manasyekam
vachasyekam, karmanyekam mahatmanam, manasyanyath
vachasyanyath, karmanyanyath duratmanam.
(Those whose thoughts, words and deeds are in perfect harmony
are noble ones; those who lack harmony of these are wicked.) It
is not enough if you have good command over language and speak
eloquently about Divinity. You should also put into practice
what you speak and experience divinity. You may be able to
attract people with powerful speech, but what is the use if you
do not translate your words into action.
When Jesus was
born, three Arabian kings came to see the child. Seeing the
divine effulgence of the child, the first king exclaimed, "He is
the messenger of God." The second king said, "He is the son of
God." The third king proclaimed, "He is verily God Himself." All
the three statements are true. Never think that you are
different from God. You should transcend duality and understand
oneness with divinity. Whatever may happen, do not deviate from
the path of oneness. You should have unwavering faith. Install
these teachings firmly in your heart and put them into practice
in your daily life. Even after you go back to your room,
ruminate over what is being taught here.
With prayer to
God, you can achieve anything in life. I want you to pray. I
want you to stand united like brothers and sisters and earn a
good name. Only then will the purpose of establishing colleges
here be fulfilled. I am always with you, in you, above you,
around you. Make efforts to instill such faith and devotion in
your fellow human beings. That will make Me very happy.
Today is
i, which marks the commencement of
Uttarayana, the auspicious
and sacred time. At least from today onwards, develop noble
feelings. Follow the sacred path. Then your future will
certainly be safe and secure. I hope I am not causing
inconvenience to you by speaking at length. When I see all of
you, My heart overflows with ananda
(bliss). Happiness lies in union with God. Hence contemplate on
God incessantly. Never give scope for anxiety or worry, thinking
"examinations are approaching. How am I going to face them? Will
I pass in the examinations?" Do not give scope for despair and
despondency with such negative attitude. Have faith in God. Do
your duty and face any situation with courage. Then, the result
is bound to be good. Love is everything. Love is God. Live in
love.
(Bhagawan
concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Hari
Bhajan Bina Sukha Santhi Nahin ?")
Source:
http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/sankranthi_Disc06.htm |