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Anil Kumar's Sunday Satsang at
Prasanthi Nilayam
January 12, 2003
The Sunday Talk Given by Anil Kumar
“The Light of Delight”
January 12th, 2003
OM… OM… OM…
Sai Ram.
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
The Festival of Sankranthi
The festival of Sankranthi falls on the 14th of January this year.
Happy Sankranthi to all of you! Sankranthi has great significance.
It is of immense value, particularly for those who proceed along
the spiritual path. As per tradition, it is a belief that this
period in the calendar year is most auspicious and sacred, and
hence people embark on spiritual paths – spiritual sadhana as per
their choice and belief.
And so, as we step into the Sankranthi time, I pray for Bhagavan
to shower His choicest blessings on every one of you here. As we
step onto a new spiritual path, may He bless us with a new vision
and a new direction.
This morning I’ve chosen the topic: “The Light of Delight.” I want
to focus your attention on certain important points. As I said
earlier, the Sankranthi festival is particularly meant for
spiritual seekers and it places a special emphasis on
spirituality.
Man is Not a Machine
The first and foremost point I would like to draw your attention
to is that man is not a machine. You may be wondering why I would
say that. Nobody agrees when I say that today’s man has become a
machine. But unfortunately, it is true.
Right from dawn to dusk, just look at the way we run about, how we
struggle and strain ourselves – no time to stand and stare, no
time to enjoy life in general, no time to enjoy nature, no time to
establish communication with the whole organic world. Most
unfortunately, man has become a machine today. That’s the reason
why he has totally lost his delight.
May Bhagavan rekindle the light of delight in us during this
Sankranthi. This is my prayer, and it also happens to be the topic
of the day.
So, if man is not a machine, then who is he? Man is a soul. He is
not a machine. What are the differences between a machine and a
soul? The time has come to teach about this, particularly in this
age of remote controls, robots and computers. We now have robots
that can do any human activity, and computers that can excel human
memory. It is in this context that we should make a distinction
between a machine and a soul.
A machine has no consciousness. A machine has no soul. And, a
machine has no heart with which to feel. But man is a soul. He is
endowed with consciousness. He is endowed with awakening and with
the flame of awareness. Therefore, let us try to lead the life of
a man. Let us lead the life we were designed for, the one destined
and shaped by God Himself.
If we say, “Well, I don’t want to be a man. I want to be a
machine,” then woe unto us. Nobody can save us. Life has become a
matter of routine. Life has become burdensome. Life is painful. At
times, life appears to be torture. But it is not so, it is not so!
Life is really creative. Life is full of laughter. Life is a
melody. Life is music that calls for celebration every day. But we
don’t feel the beauty of life. Why? Because we have been brought
down to the level of a machine – living an almost programmed life,
a mechanical life. It’s time to say goodbye to that kind of
programmed life, to that sort of busy schedule. We haven’t
properly prioritised our schedules. Let us review our priorities.
We need to think in what direction we should proceed hereafter.
Help Us to Turn Inward
I want to draw your attention to this next point: In today’s
world, we seem to know everything. Bhagavan commented on this
once. He said that man has learned to fly like a bird and swim in
water like a fish. Man can go down thousands of feet into the womb
of Mother Earth to extract metals out of the ore. Man can employ
submarines that dive to any depth in the mighty ocean. And man can
even reach the moon.
But, most unfortunately, he cannot even reach an inch within.
While man can go thousands and thousands of miles away from this
planet, is it not pitiable that he cannot go even an inch within?
Life has become more or less extroverted or outward – so mundane
and worldly. The price we have paid for this is that we have
forgotten how to derive bliss from life.
This Sankranthi should help us to turn inward. This Sankranthi
should help us to travel at least an inch within, as we are tired
and fed up with the journey we have been making in this life
sojourn so far. We are really very tired of it. Let us see what
will happen if we go within.
The Energy Behind Matter
We know the matter in material objects thoroughly, but we do not
know the energy behind matter. Bhagavan said in one of His
conversations with the boys, “There isn’t any matter. There’s only
energy, and energy alone. It is only energy that takes the form of
matter, and then matter reverts back into the state of energy.”
So, there is only energy. Man has identified both matter and
energy, but the only one that really exists is energy. And, that
energy is neither created nor destroyed, as per the scientific
theory of energy. This Cosmic energy is convertible. It is not
created. It is not generated. It can be transformed into one form
of energy or into another form of energy.
But man has forgotten about this Cosmic energy. Therefore, man has
allergies – allergy, not energy. Because man focuses so much on
the outside, he has made himself susceptible to allergies. Such is
human life today.
The Beauty All Around
We are not able to enjoy the beauty all around. As the Holy Bible
says, God made all of Creation in six long days, and wanted man to
enjoy it. But man today has no time to enjoy. He has no time. We
should really be ashamed of our busy way of life. How many of us
really enjoy the sound of running brooks flowing across the
valley? How many of us care to listen to the humming birds in the
early hours of the morning? How many of us ever care to watch the
blossoming flowers in the morning? How many of us ever care to
notice the beauty and the grandeur behind the sunset and sunrise?
How many of us ever care to listen to music?
We have no time, no time. Life has become only a matter of coins:
rupees, money, that’s all. Hence we talk in terms of money only.
Our conversations with people are only about how many dollars we
get and how many dollars they get. Such thinking only brings us
closer to doom, that’s all. Because more and more, so much value
has been attached to money, man himself has lost his value. In
fact, money is supposed to serve man, but man is serving money.
This should lead us to the understanding that money is the cause
of conflict, and the cause for loss of happiness in our daily
lives.
May Sankranthi open our eyes and help us to realise that man does
not live by bread alone. Yes. It is not merely ‘mammon’ that
matters -- it is God that really counts.
Life was not Designed to be Miserable
I want to say one or two points with regard to the world
by-and-large. Life was not designed to be miserable. Life is not
misery. I'm forced to say this because, as we watch the faces of
many people, we don’t find any charm. God has made us so
beautiful; but we are so tense, so full of tension and worries,
that we make our faces as ugly as possible.
No animal takes upon itself a form different from its original
design. A dog has its original form. A pet dog continues to be the
same - as beautiful as before. And a cat continues to be a cat
throughout its life. Also, no animal kills its own species. A dog
will never kill another dog. A cat will never kill another cat. A
tree continues to live as a tree.
But man can afford to be a beast, if it is possible. Why not? Man
is prepared to kill his fellow man. That’s why God decided to come
down in the form of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. (Applause) He
has come to remind us that we are men, that we are human beings –
because our way of life has become most inhuman, most brutal. We
can't feel proud of our humanity any longer.
The Human Mind Always Compares
In order to direct humanity onto the correct path, Bhagavan gives
so many discourses. He draws people from all over the world in His
own inimitable, unique, Divine style. Perhaps a family problem
will bring someone to Him. A business problem may bring somebody
else. Or it might be the quest for Truth that takes a person to
His Lotus Feet. There are many different channels of His
operation. Nothing is common. Each person is drawn to His Feet in
their own way, each with a separate reason. No one can be compared
to another.
But unfortunately, the human mind always compares. We wonder why
Swami gives a particular person special attention: “Why special
attention to him?” If we investigate, we’ll notice that he’s a
heart patient. Some surgery was advised and he has come here for
Bhagavan’s blessings – so He gives special attention. Would you
like such attention? (Laughter) Please let us question ourselves.
If we believe at all in the Divinity of Bhagavan, we will never
feel proud; we’ll never feel egoistic; we’ll never be after
propaganda and publicity, even if we receive special attention,
because the reason is known to Him and the season is ours at that
moment of time. We have to learn to accept whatever is given to
us, whether attention, detention, retention -- or even no
attention.
We Have Got to be Attentive
But we have got to be attentive. Being attentive is more important
than trying to get attention because attention cannot be given to
everyone. However, one can be attentive till the last moment of
life. So, this Sankranthi should help us to be more attentive
rather than crave for Divine attention.
In fact, life is so simple. It needs little clarity. But our
success, in normal parlance, depends upon how complicated we make
it. We make life complicated, though life is so simple, beautiful
and short. Man himself complicates this short, simple life; but
that is not in God’s scheme in any way.
Consider Your Life as an Experiment
Then the question is this: How am I to view this life in general?
How am I to live in this world? In this world of bumps and jumps,
in this world of ups and downs, in this world of flashes and
lashes, how am I to live?
A simple answer that Bhagavan has given is, “Consider your life as
an experiment.” Life is an experiment. Life is a training ground.
It is a training school. Yes. Once I understand that life is an
experiment, then my view of life will be totally different.
And also, an experiment is different from the person who does it.
I experiment, but I am different from the experiment. But,
unfortunately, we identify ourselves with the experiments. So we
get heated up and transformed into vapour, like something burnt on
the Bunsen burner in a laboratory.
If we can understand that we are different from the experiment,
and in viewing the experiment, if we make certain observations
from which we draw some inference and learn a theory or a
principle, then we will be learners. There’s great joy in being a
learner – more than in being learned. Learning is greater than
being learned.
If anyone says, “I'm learned” or “So-and-so is a highly learned
person,” please, take it from me, he is ‘dead and gone’. Because
what he has learnt is past. Past is death. The knowledge of the
past is borrowed, while learning is a process of the present.
Learning is in the present. Learning is possible when we are
humble. Let us try to learn in this style, rather than acquire
knowledge and call ourselves ‘learned’. This will be possible when
we understand that life is an experiment. It is a training school.
My friends, these are the thoughts collected from Bhagavan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba’s discourses. I repeat this in every one of my
talks, on every Sunday, only to impress upon you that I do not
know anything other than this. So as to leave no scope for
speculation or imagination, or vanity, or exhibition of my
scholarship, let me be very plain in this matter.
To Know One’s Own Being
Okay, let’s continue: An experiment has a purpose behind it. A
training school has a purpose. If I consider my life as a training
school, if I think of my life as an experiment, then what is the
aim of this experiment? The aim of this experiment of life is to
know one’s own being.
But, we do not know what this being is. We only know becoming. We
know doing, but we do not know being. We go on doing and doing and
doing. We want that state of becoming, but we do not know our real
being.
Life is meant for us to learn. Life is an experiment and we should
realise its purpose, which happens to be to experience our true
Self -- this is called ‘being’. Life is a school where we can
experience our true identity, our being. Life is an experiment
where we can enjoy our true nature, which happens to be a state of
being. This is what I want to impress upon you. May Sankranthi
help us to travel inward and experience that real state of being.
Perhaps to those who have not been exposed to this kind of
thinking, my presentation may look ridiculous. “How can you say
that I do not know my being? What nonsense you speak!” You may
question me like that. Or, perhaps your modesty or your
prayerfulness may prevent you from asking that question.
Yet, none of us know our true nature, our being. Why? If I
experience my being, then I will never be miserable, because the
nature of being is bliss. If I say there is sun, but in fact it is
very dark outside, what does that mean? You will simply say that
there is no sun there really, or that I am blind. When there is
sun, there is bound to be light -- it cannot be dark.
So, if I am truly being, and I am experiencing or realising that
state of being, then I can never be miserable because Ananda or
bliss is a feature of being. However, we are not in a state of
being because we think of everything else other than our true
being. Once this true being is known, we’ll certainly understand
the reason behind our vision.
The Divine Energy
It is not the eyes that see. It is our being that sees. If it were
the eyes that see, then how is it a blind man has eyes, yet cannot
see? Similarly, it is our being that hears, and not the ears. Deaf
people may have better ears than most of us, but they can't hear
because the being has not gone into that part of the human body.
Therefore, being is the Cosmic energy. Being is the Divine energy.
It is the Divine force, which goes into the different parts of our
body and is responsible for their effective functioning in our
lifetime.
So, may this Sankranthi help us to know our being -- to think
about our being. This is the purpose for which we are born. We are
not born to amass wealth. We are not born to live in vanity or
charity, or for publicity. We are born to know our being.
We'll Have No Fear of Death If We Know Our True Being
If we really know our being, then we’ll have no fear of death.
After all, if you look at any rich man, you will notice that the
richer he is, the greater the sense of fear in him. He has been
amassing wealth to be immortal – so he won’t die. He thinks that
his money will save him -- make him immortal, deathless. But all
the money that he has earned only takes him nearer and closer to
death. Why? Oftentimes in today’s world, the near and dear become
#1 enemies to him. He cannot even dine in the midst of his family
members.
Therefore, my friends, there will be no fear of death if we know
our true being. This death seems to be a nightmare to all of us.
Even for a man of position or a man of influence, whosoever he may
be, the fear of death is a nightmare. But, our true being has
neither birth nor death. Just as I move from one room to another
room in my home, the ‘I’, the being, moves from one body to
another body. That’s all. Our being is immortal; it is nectarine,
blemishless and unpolluted.
Cosmic Energy
So, if I know my being, then there will be no fear of death
because my true being is eternal Truth, Sathyam, which has neither
birth nor death. If I understand that it is Cosmic energy that is
responsible for the functioning and effectiveness of this body,
then I cannot feel proud of my muscle power because, behind the
muscle power, there is my being. Without it, there would be
paralysis.
So, I cannot feel proud of my psychological excellence or my
mental co-efficient – no. It is my being that is behind it all.
Whether we have ‘Good Knight’, a 500 watt bulb, or even a
floodlight, if there is no power supply (the being), we will know
the music of the mosquitoes of this place at night, duly hummed
into our ears. (Laughter)
So, when we know it is our being, then there is no reason to feel
proud of the muscle power or the mental faculty or intellectual
excellence. No. It is simply our being that is behind everything.
In that sense, being is Chith. Sath is existence, while Chith is
awareness. If I know my being, then I will never be sorrowful or
miserable. That being is the other name for the blissful state of
mind – Ananda.
We have so many misgivings and misunderstandings because we have
not known our true nature, the real being -- Sath, Chith, Ananda
-- Truth, Goodness and Beauty, Awareness and Bliss. We pray for
such an experience.
“Know Your Self”
Therefore, Bhagavan often says in almost every discourse, “Know
your Self, know your Self, know your Self.” I claim to know myself
as so-and-so. I know my name. I identify myself with my native
place. I identify myself with my profession, with my nationality,
with my race, with my religion, and so on and so forth. But I am
none of these. Therefore, Swami always says, in every discourse,
“Know thy Self. Know who you are. Koham, Koham, Koham?”
“Koham?” Put this question to yourself, “Who am I? Who am I?” My
friends, I prayerfully beg of you to see that this Sankranthi is
the most auspicious period from the spiritual point-of-view. God
will shower His blessings on us if we embark on any spiritual path
right from this moment of life. That’s the reason why every
festival calls for our attention. Every festival calls for our
involvement.
In the spiritual pursuit of life, which is the most important
aspect in this lifetime? To know your Self. Well, how do I know my
Self? Somebody should tell me who I am. But, what happens if you
come and tell me who I am? Well, how do I look at you? I will say,
“You don’t have to tell me, as I already know who I am. You don’t
have to tell me.”
So, I am not prepared to know, even if another man tells me.
That’s why we continue to be like this. Though Bhagavan, now 77,
has given us thousands and thousands of discourses, we have not
stepped even an inch forward. Why? We don’t want anybody to tell
us who we are. We say, “I know, I know!”
Oh, I see. But, the fact is, I do not know what I don’t know, and
I'm not prepared to know, even when the other man is prepared to
tell me. That’s the reason why we are away, far away, from the
objective of life.
So, do we know our own Self? The true I-ness or Self or being is
known in a state of silence. That’s the reason why all noble souls
have stressed the observance of silence. In the state of
stillness, in the state of silence, in the state of nothingness,
in that void, we will know our true identity. But we don’t want to
sit in silence because we feel insecure in silence -- in silence
we are nobody, whereas in sound we are somebody. When talking to
people we are somebody, whereas in silence we are nobody. So we go
on talking. But we should certainly understand that the true Self
can be experienced only in silence -- no other way.
We don’t observe silence because of insecurity. In silence, I
close my eyes and I sit straight. I am no longer a professor. I'm
no longer a rich man. I'm no longer a presentable man. I'm no
longer an influential man, and I no longer belong to any religion.
In silence, I'm nobody, nothing. But nobody wants to be like that.
Everybody wants to be something. Therefore, there’s no silence.
Also, I'm afraid of silence because I will lose my separateness. I
will lose my achievement and credentials. I will lose my degree
and my position. Why silence? While talking, a few people will
praise me and I can praise them in return. We can live in mutual
flattery. But this just takes us nowhere, nowhere.
Meditation is ‘a Must’ for Every Spiritual Seeker
That’s the reason why meditation is ‘a must’ for every spiritual
seeker. But we manage to make meditation noisy. Meditation and
noise cannot go together -- it is impossible! Mass meditation
classes -- I don’t understand them. Meditation is absolutely
individualistic. It cannot be anything like mass marriages or mass
ceremonies, impossible! You have to withdraw yourself. You have to
get into that state of stillness of the mind, the state of
silence. So, how can you do it in a large way, in a mass
gathering? Therefore, to know yourself means being by your Self.
Really, am I to be by myself in this life? No, I'm never left to
myself, no. Why? Because the mind goes on comparing: “That man is
closer to Swami; this man is nearer to Swami.” Or, “That man has
ten flats, this man has got ten plots.” Hey! I have no time to
think of my Self. The mind is continuously busy -- busy thinking
of others, their properties, and their achievements. So, what
about you? When the oil is exhausted, the wicks cannot burn any
longer. Pitch darkness – death – naturally follows.
When time is hurrying forward like that, when time is speeding so
fast and chasing us, isn’t it necessary to think of one’s own
Self? Why should we bother about others? Why should we go on
thinking about everybody else? When my house is burning, how can I
go and involve myself in rescue operations taking place elsewhere?
If I do that, then by the time I return, I’ll find my house
completely burnt to ashes. Charity begins at home. So, let me
think of my Self, my true nature, without any future goal.
There’s Nothing Like Advancement in Spirituality
Let us understand that Self-inquiry has no goal. I mention this
because one gentleman, a friend, actually said, “Mr. Anil Kumar,
I'm spiritually-advanced.” (Laughter)
Oh, I see. After three days, the same gentleman - a very senior
man - said, “I have progressed on my spiritual path.”
Well, he’s my close friend and very well known, so I refused to
say anything or make a comment. However, I was praying to myself,
“Oh God, help him to help himself!” (Laughter)
There is nothing like ‘spiritual advancement’. It is not like the
incremental advancement we make in our jobs. In spirituality,
there’s no progress at all. A simple example: Suppose I ask you,
“Please tell me how long will it take me to get here?” You will
all say, “You are a madcap. You’re already here. You don’t need to
travel anywhere. You’re already here!”
Therefore, spirituality is not an achievement. It is not an
accomplishment. Spirituality is not a progression. Spirituality is
a realisation. Spirituality is the realisation of what you already
are.
Therefore, Sankranthi should help us to realise that we have no
goals in the future, as God is not a goal. God is not a commodity.
God is not an object. God is the Reality. God is the Reality, so
enjoy Him here and now! That should be our attitude and that
should be our vision for this year 2003 – not to desire or possess
any worldly things. This is a prerequisite for Self-inquiry.
When Swami comes, say I offer a letter that says, “Swami, see that
I get some promotion immediately, or as early as possible.” This
attitude is only an incremental, promotional approach, but not a
spiritual approach. There’s nothing wrong in it because we are all
householders. We have our own problems and so we pray to Him. But
we cannot call it spiritual because spirituality is not a bargain.
Spirituality is not a business. A true spiritual life has no
future goals and no desires for worldly things. Only then can the
mind be in stillness.
I always joke with our students, and some of my colleagues also,
that you’ll not be happy if Swami merely talks to you alone.
You’re happiest when others watch you talking to Swami. (Laughter)
If Swami talks to you all alone, a-bah, you are not all that
happy. When thousands of people start watching you as Swami talks
to you, a-bah, you feel like you got the Nobel Prize!
What utter stupidity this is. Who can help us? Therefore, our
desire to be so important, our desire to have everyone think we
are so spiritually elevated, is Himalayan foolishness. Nobody can
help us. Spirituality has no future goal or any desire for mundane
things because it is the realisation and experience of what we
already are. This is only possible in a state of aloneness -- an
inward state.
I’ll give you one sentence to summarise: If I'm really spiritual,
then I know that I'm a part of this Divinity and that I'm not
apart from Divinity. I am a part and never apart. If I consider
that I'm apart, I feel the distance. If I feel that I'm apart, I
feel the time gap. But, when I am a part, there’s neither gap nor
time because I am That, ‘Thath Twam Asi’. Therefore, this kind of
consciousness, this kind of awareness, is absolutely necessary. We
pray to Bhagavan to give us this kind of perspective and direction
in our life.
A Challenge to Explore Ourselves
In fact, I'm sure that all of you will agree with me when I say
that, until now, nobody has given us a challenge to explore
ourselves.
A politician poses a challenge, “Come on and work for a better
society.”
Your boss will also place a challenge before you, “Come on and
work for greater profit.”
Everybody gives a challenge to you for higher, greater things, but
nobody ever gave you a challenge to explore yourself. It is only
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba who has given us the challenge to
explore ourselves. (Applause) And, it is not an expedition; it is
an exploration. Exploration and expedition are different.
Expedition goes to heights, while exploration is within. So let us
face this challenge that Bhagavan has given us -- to explore
within ourselves.
Immediately a question will come to us, “What shall I do?”
Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi said, “Don’t do - just relax.”
It seems like such a simple thing, but let me tell you, it’s out
of our reach. We don’t know how to relax. For example, if I'm
seated here, I’ll be thinking of the person who is next to me. I'm
not relaxed. I'm sitting here, but I'm very much bothered whether
Bhagavan will look at me or not. So I'm not relaxed.
Holding a letter in my hand, I'm always thinking of the letter and
the sentences I have scribbled – the pleas, the demands and the
requests -- and not thinking of the darshan. I don’t enjoy His
darshan because this letter is a disturbing factor. (Laughter)
And why do I have this letter? So that others will see that
Bhagavan received letters from me. (Laughter) So that they’ll
think how great I am, a-bah -- how great a devotee I am.
(Applause) Foolishness! Who will help us? I tell you, who can help
us? Even God cannot help us when we are in that rotten state of
publicity and misunderstanding. So we don’t enjoy His darshan; we
don’t enjoy His presence.
Someone will say, “Swami looked at me.”
All right, I might think, “How do you know that He didn’t look at
me?”
“Swami spoke to me.”
If I say, “What He said to you applies more to me than it does to
you,” can you say ‘no’ to that?
No, because Swami’s actions are mysterious, unknowable,
inexplicable and wonderful, beyond our gaze, beyond our
imagination, beyond our expression. So how can you interpret them?
When you give up this need to interpret, then you will be very
happy with the Reality. Let us not interpret, because
interpretation is psychological; interpretation is a gimmick of
the mind; it is a game of the mind. Let us inquire, but not
interpret.
Suppose it is a hot summer and I get a cool drink. If I go on
interpreting, “This cool drink is from such a factory, which was
established in such-and-such a year, and it has a label that looks
like this, etc,” then people will say, “Stop it. Drink it first!“
(Laughter)
So, let us try to experience, let us try to realise and then
analyse. Let us bask in the Truth of Divinity. Let us get
ourselves lost in the experience of Him. But we don’t want to.
When we really enjoy Bhagavan, our ‘I’-ness disappears. We do not
exist at all in front of Him.
But, if we go on telling everybody, “This is what Swami told me
and that is what I said to Him,” then ‘we’ still exist. With this
attitude, it will take us a hundred years more to be anywhere near
the Reality because the nearness, the quest of life, true
Self-inquiry only happens when we forget this individual ‘I’, this
separateness. This will be gone when the river merges in the
ocean. The river won't say, “Come along, come where I am.” No
river would say that because it is a part of the ocean now.
A Process of Being
Therefore, ‘know your Self’ means forget your self (ego). ‘Know
your Self’ means merge in the Divine. ‘Know your Self’ means that
there will be nobody to claim, “Here I am,” because you are One –
the drop in the ocean -- which means the drop is not separate from
the ocean anymore.
So, what shall I do for Self-inquiry? Self-inquiry is not a
process of doing; it is a process of being. Doing and being are
different because, in doing, there is work of some sort. For
example, I am speaking. Speaking is an act of doing. The speaker
is in the act of doing -- of speaking. Speaker, speaking and the
speech are three. But in being, there is only one – not three, not
two, no. In doing, there is duality -- the doer and the deed. So,
it is not a question of doing, but a question of being.
Let us not ask anybody, “What shall I do?” Let us do, then the
answer will be there anyway. By doing, we remain apart. We will
never be a part. So, spirituality is not an act of doing, it is
the act of being. Why? Because doing is action-oriented, doing is
illusory, and doing is the misuse of life.
Doing is the flower or the extrovert nature of being. For example,
there is electricity here in the microphone. The sound that you
hear is the extrovert nature of true being. True being is the
electricity behind the sound. Another example, a light is on. The
light shining forth is the extrovert nature of the electricity
inside. Therefore, doing is the extrovert nature of real being.
Spirituality is a quest after our being, and not the extrovert
nature of doing.
One time Bhagavan said that we ask everyone, “Who are you? Where
do you come from?” But instead of that, we should inquire within
to know who we are. Then every thing and everybody will be known.
All of existence will be known -- the whole Cosmos will be known
-- because:
Atma Sarvabhutanam.
Isavaasyam Idam Sarvam.
Vasudeva Sarvam Idi.
Experiencing the Cosmos is possible if you know your Self first.
If the Self is known, then the rest is known. If the Self is not
known then, even if the rest is known, it is just unrest – nothing
short of it. Therefore, Bhagavan always lays emphasis on
Self-inquiry, which happens to lead to the ultimate Reality.
The Process of Action
We do little things that give us results that are not that great,
nor of intrinsic value. Some people say, “Sir, I went around
Ganesha 108 times and I got the job immediately.” I see. But that
is not the end purpose of life; rather, it is just the beginning
of many problems to come. (Laughter) They will have to go around
twice everyday, 108 times in the morning and then again in the
afternoon, because every minute is a problem. Every second is a
problem in life. So this kind of thing is not the Truth.
Our action -- the process of action -- what we call sadhana, may
give certain results; but these results are not of intrinsic
value. What do I mean by ‘intrinsic value’?
“Oh God, I'm suffering from a terrible headache, so I pray to
You.” Gayathri Mother is very kind to me: I go there at 7:30 every
day to watch arathi and be a participant. Then I'm free from the
headache. Good.
But this afternoon, if I have stomachache, then I will have to go
to Subrahmanyam! (Laughter) This is because Gayathri has not
solved all of my problems. She made me free from the headache, but
Subrahmanyam is the right man for the stomach. He’s in charge of
the abdominal parts of the body. Well, I don’t know. So, we go on
in this way because the results change; but they are not of great
intrinsic value, and this we have not understood.
On the other hand, if you are aware of your being, your real
being, then the doors to infinite treasures are kept open. The
doors leading to infinite treasures are open because being is
everything. That is, our being is everything because it is this
being that the whole Cosmos has come from.
This is the reason why some great people say, “You are the world.”
What a statement this is! How can we believe it? Believe it or
not, it is the Truth. “You are the world.” How can I say that?
Close your eyes. Where is the world? There’s no world. Open your
eyes -- there’s the world. So, you are the world; that is, the
true Self, the intrinsic nature.
Also, the more we do this and that, the farther and farther we
take ourselves away from our being. Being and doing are inversely
proportional to each other. How can I say that?
There are some people who hold a japamala, a talisman, with 108
beads. “Sir, I come for darshan after morning japa.”
“Oh, I see. Please, let me see the japamala.”
“Yes.”
You don’t even need to ask, he will take it out and show it to you
anyway. (Laughter)
Further, he will add, “Swami has blessed it.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Then I complete 108.”
“I see.”
But, if you go and watch him doing japa at 6:30 AM, well, Sai Ram!
(Anil Kumar imitates the man hurriedly doing japa, rolling his
beads at a frantic pace.) (Laughter) What has he done? He’s very
busy moving his lips and his fingers, “Sai Ram, Sai Ram, Sai Ram.”
108…over! Doing this in this way will take you farther and farther
away from your being -- that’s what I mean.
Suppose I organise some bhajan at my residence. I’ll be walking
around, running everywhere, asking, “How many guests have come?
Did all the top people in the organisation arrive? How about all
the rich people? How much prasadam should I distribute?”
Well, I went to one bhajan centre at my hometown. There was an
unusually large crowd that attended the bhajan. On inquiry, I
found that they were giving everyone a bagful of prasadam. Oh yes!
They were giving a coconut, betel leaf, betel nut, a sweet, a hot
dish and, because it was summer, a mango fruit. So bhajan was
full, 100% attended. This was not being; it was only doing.
Another example: If I organise some yajna or yaga, or some ritual
at home, then I will be very busy, thinking how nicely it needs to
be done. I might take some photographs also, call everybody, and
even stop the traffic. And I won’t allow anyone to go until they
see the photos – to see how nicely I took them. That is only
doing. Doing will take you farther and farther away from your real
being.
The Greatest Discovery
My friends, during this period of Sankranthi, let us all remember
one thing that we have to our credit -- the greatest discovery.
What is the greatest discovery? The greatest discovery has nothing
to do with the world. The greatest discovery is to find one’s own
Master in the form of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. That we have
done. (Applause) This is the greatest discovery of our life.
And, we could only accomplish this after a number of lives. Having
discovered Him, we have to treasure Him as the most valuable
because we only made this greatest discovery after repeated
births. We did not get it all of a sudden, like heavenly manna.
So what shall I do? Having made this greatest, most valuable
discovery of my Master, let me live according to the light He has
shown me. Let me live according to the life He has shown me and go
along the path He has prescribed for me. That should be our effort
during the year 2003.
You should also know that the Divine Master, Bhagavan Sri Sathya
Sai Baba, knows more about you than you know about yourself. Baba
knows you more than you know yourself. We may forget some details
of our lives, but He has that photograph, that x-ray eye -- we
cannot hide anything from His knowledge. We cannot say anything
because everything is there in His Hands.
That’s why He says, “I know you from the past several lives. It
may be the first time that you are meeting Me; but I have known
you for a long time.” It only means that the Divine Master knows
you better than you know yourself.
So, what should our prayer be? Our prayer should be, “Oh God,
Bhagavan, this being Sankranthi, help me. Help me to raise my
consciousness. Kindly give me a spiritual lift. Kindle the light
of delight in my heart and raise my consciousness, so that I will
be involved in this sacred process of Self-inquiry, of knowing my
being, which is very important.”
We Don’t Miss Love
But sometimes some people may say, “If I try to know my being,
what will happen to the other beings around me – my children, my
wife, my property?”
Nothing will happen to them, because the same being-ness is in
other beings as well. In fact my friends, the greatest Truth is
this: You will never miss Love, no.
It is rather funny when people say, “Oh my child, I love you.”
I see some people saying, “I love you, my child.”
Well, if you don’t love your child, who will? I know not!
(Laughter)
Or, a wife telling her husband, “I love you, dear.”
Perhaps the husband was not sure? (Laughter) I don’t know. If the
wife doesn’t love her husband, whose husband is she going to love?
(Laughter)
There’s a good joke: One friend said, “Don’t have body
attachment.”
And one person replied, “I have no body attachment.”
The other man, full of humour said, “It’s good that you don’t have
attachment to your body, but it is also necessary that you should
not be attached to others’ bodies!” (Laughter) It is even more
important, you know.
Therefore, my friends, we don’t miss Love because Love is eternal.
Love is nectarine. Love is continuity to eternity. Love is like a
fresh spring, like a fountain, like the sacred Ganges that flows
incessantly. Life is continuous, like the life force, like
vitality. It is ever fresh.
However, what we miss is our attachment: “Oh son, I miss you!” You
miss your attachment towards your son, not Love.
So, the greatest thing that we need to know is that we miss our
attachment, not Love. Love cannot be missed because it is eternal.
It is our true nature. Love is beyond time and mind. It is
continuous.
I thought that I should speak on this “Light of Delight” as a
special message. So, I collected some excerpts from Divine
discourses, which I feel have relevance for us as we make our way
on this Sankranthi festival of 2003.
Questions
Now, I will spend some time, answering certain questions that have
been passed on to me.
What Does Bhagavan Say About Telepathy?
First question, “What does Bhagavan say about telepathy? Some
people are gifted with telepath. What does Bhagavan say?”
I don’t know what Bhagavan has said about telepathy, but I have
complete sympathy towards that man. (Laughter) Why? Because
certain achievements like telepathy, certain achievements of
forecasting, certain achievements like controlling another man’s
mind or reading the mind of another person, are not the ultimate
goal.
For example, if you take a flight to New York, there may be other
places, like Bombay and Frankfurt, where you have to land and
disembark before you finally arrive at JFK Airport. So, when
getting off at Frankfurt, you don’t say, “I want to settle here.”
No. You continue on to New York -- you can't settle there in
Frankfurt, can you?
Likewise, there are certain intermediate stages in spirituality.
On the spiritual path, we have certain achievements, certain
simple things, but they are our greatest obstacles.
Speaking of the future - horoscopes and what lies ahead of you,
there are some people who want to read some Nadi Grandha books.
Suppose some books or horoscopes tell me that I am going to be a
king next year. (Laughter) So, I will have to be waiting
throughout this year. It may turn out that I may not be a king,
but the waiting is a certainty. (Laughter) Suppose the books tell
me that I'm going to be a beggar next year. I become a pauper
starting right now. (Laughter)
So, there is no point in learning the future. It is not necessary!
Not necessary. So my friends, let us not be bothered about
telepathy.
Is it Justifiable to Leave the Family?
The second question is this: “Bhagavan Buddha left his family. But
wasn’t it His duty to take care of His family? Is it justifiable
that He left his child and wife like that?”
It’s a question of priorities in life. There are some people who
sacrifice everything for political ends. There are terrorists --
they leave their families to kill somebody else. It is a question
of priorities. (Laughter) Is it necessary to leave your family to
kill somebody? Yes, if it is a priority. Bin Laden -- what has he
done? He left everything to finish off somebody – his priorities
in life.
For Buddha, God was uppermost, and all the rest were obstacles
along His way. Buddha was a realised soul. Buddha was an
Incarnation.
For your information, I will share with you what Baba has said:
“If it is a matter of choice between father and God, you should
choose God and not the father. An example of this is Prahlada. If
it is a matter of choice between a husband and God, choose God,
not the husband – an example is Meera. If it is a choice between a
brother and God, choose God, not the brother – an example Is
Vibhishana.”
If it is a choice between father and God, choose God, not the
father, as was the case with the boy Prahlada. So, with regard to
our relations and God, we should choose God, and none else.
But, I don’t think we choose God first, no. In order for us to
choose God first, He has to be part of our family. (Laughter)
“God, help my family. God, help my community.” So, the priority is
never God. If anyone prays like this, it is for the benefit of the
family only.
Buddha kept God as His top priority, so He left His family. I
don’t know how many of you know this, but Buddha, after attaining
realisation, enlightenment, went back to the palace. He returned
to His palace.
Suddhodana, His father stood there and said, “Oh, son! Where were
you all this time, all these days? What happened to you? Come
here!”
And Buddha replied, “Father, your son died long ago.”
“You are here, you are my son! Why do you say that my son died
long ago?”
“No, your son, Siddhartha, died long ago. In front of you, you
don’t see your son. You see Buddha, the Realised.”
And then He found Yashodara, His wife. Buddha wanted to avoid her
because years earlier he had left at midnight, without informing
her. He hoped to avoid her, but women are very clever. (Laughter)
They never allow avoidance. It is their nature. So, this man was
not successful in avoiding her either.
She immediately came and said to Him, “Oh Lord, please follow my
words carefully.” Yashodara, wife of Buddha, spoke to Him like
this, “Oh Lord, what is it that you had there in the forest that
was not here in the palace? What is here in the palace, which was
not available there in the forest? Do you consider the palace an
obstacle? Did you feel that I would not have permitted you to do
penance or tapas here in the palace?”
Buddha had no answer, just as Rama had no answer when Sita started
questioning him. Sita started questioning Rama and He had no
answer. That’s why Swami always says, “Woman is known for her
intelligence, while man is known for his intellect.”
Intelligence and intellect are different. Intelligence is emotion.
Intelligence is reaction. Intelligence is spontaneous.
Intelligence is instantaneous, while intellect is logic. Intellect
is rational. Intellect likes to reason. So, women symbolise
intelligence. Before their intelligence, the intellect cannot
stand. That made Rama fail. That made Buddha fail. They could not
answer. And so, when I said Buddha left His family, it was not for
any reason other than His choice was God. For Him, everything else
was secondary.
What Shall I Do Now?
The next question put to me is this: “God is goodness. God is full
of values, while man in contrast has no values. Man is brutal.
He’s horrible. He’s crazy. What shall I do now?”
Man has become brutal and crazy due to his own actions. I have got
a white kerchief with me. It has become dirty. Who is responsible?
I am responsible. I used it and made that kerchief dirty.
Similarly, man is pure. Man is not polluted. Man is Love, man is
bliss; but he made it just the opposite. It is of his own making.
If I find a rich man begging near a bank, what should I tell him?
“Hey, poor fellow! You are not a beggar. Go to the bank, check
your entries in your passbook, and then you’ll know that you are a
rich man. You don’t have to beg.”
Similarly, this kind of weakness is of our own making; it is not
of God’s design. Why? Because of our selfishness. Why? Sensual
pleasure. Why? Attachment. Why? Physical comforts and
conveniences. When these things are gone -- the selfishness,
arrogance, avarice, lust and desire -- when these things are gone,
then you are pristine, pure, as fresh as a newly-born babe, as
fresh as a newly purchased kerchief, so dry, and white. But I made
it so dirty, with the passage of time.
What Do You Mean By Transformation?
Another question: “What do you mean by transformation? Does it
mean controlling the senses or eliminating the ego? When there is
Reality inside, what do you mean by transformation?”
This is a very good question. I do not mean transformation of the
Self, no. I mean transformation of our attitude, transformation of
our conduct, transformation in our behaviour, transformation of
the information that we receive from all around. As Baba says,
“News is nuisance.”
So, I mean transformation of the information, transformation of
the human heart, which has been so tough and rough, and is not
responding to the misery, woes and tears of our fellow men.
When I remove my coat, shirt and t-shirt, I see my chest. So,
similarly, transformation is needed in order to see the Reality.
Transformation is not different from what you are. Transformation
of the worldly man into a spiritual man, transformation of the
physical personality into someone who knows the true Self -- this
word ‘transformation’ is used in that sense – not to mean
something that is completely different.
How To Pray When You Have to Sacrifice?
And another question, “How can you pray with absolute faith when
you have to sacrifice? Abraham had to sacrifice his son. Abraham
had to kill his son, as per the command of God. Abraham was called
by God and commanded to sacrifice his son. When I have such a
costly sacrifice, how can I pray to God?”
Abraham was prepared to kill his son in response to the command of
God. That is symbolic. It means you should be prepared to
sacrifice your kith and kin. You should be prepared to sacrifice
your near and dear, in preference for God. That’s what I mean. It
doesn’t mean that everyone should bring his son here and kill him,
no. Not that! (Laughter) It is symbolic; there is an inner
significance behind it. You should be prepared to ‘kill’ your
relationships, to ‘kill’ your attachment, to ‘kill’ your bondage.
We should understand it in that sense.
As the time is up, since you have to go to the canteen and go for
darshan line, I will take leave of you. I have already taken extra
time because those people who have sent questions should not be
disappointed. After all, it is not just for fun that we are
collecting questions. We need to answer them.
Before I take leave of you, Happy Sankranthi to all of you!
God bless you. Sai Ram!
Om Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Thank You!
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