Divine
Discourse on 23rd November 2005
80th Birthday Celebrations
Realise Your Innate
Divinity to Attain Peace
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
delivering His Divine Discourse on 23rd November 2005 at
Puttaparthi
Text of the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 23rd November 2005
(80th Birthday Celebrations), at Santhi Vedika in Hill View
Stadium, Puttaparthi
Bereft of
truth, righteousness, love and peace
the value of all your education is zero;
Bereft of truth, righteousness, love and peace
the sanctity of all your acts of charity is zero;
Bereft of truth, righteousness, love and peace
the utility of the positions of power occupied is zero;
Bereft of truth, righteousness, love and peace
the result of all your good deeds is zero.
(Telugu poem)
Embodiments of Love!
Human birth is meant to attain peace and not for occupying
positions of authority. One may have all types of wealth and
comforts but bereft of peace life itself has no meaning. There
are many in this world who are well-to-do, highly educated and
occupying positions of authority. But, in what way is society
benefited by them? They have no time or inclination to wipe off
the tears of the suffering humanity. How can we help the poor
and the downtrodden? This should be the concern of the people in
power. But, nobody seems to think on these lines. In the name of
social work, people are actually indulging in 'show-work'! They
drive away the beggars who come to their doorstep begging for
alms. Man should engage himself in acts of charity in order to
experience peace.
You should
understand the import of the term
Manava in the first instance. What is the goal of a
human being? Is it to strive for the fulfilment of one's
desires? Is it to come up in life in the worldly sense? Is it to
enjoy sensual pleasures? Human life is a mixture of happiness
and sorrow. It is not possible to experience one to the
exclusion of the other. How can you expect to attain happiness
and peace if you are not prepared to help your fellow human
being? Everyone has to experience ups and downs in life, but
they are like passing clouds. Difficulties are a part of life.
None can escape them. Hence, one has to treat happiness and
sorrow with equanimity. There is pleasure in pain and
vice-versa. One should not be elated by pleasure nor depressed
by pain. We have to develop the spirit of equanimity in order to
progress in life. Samatwa
(equality) is very essential for Samaja
(society) to progress. Sukhadukhe
samekruthwa labhalabhau jayajayau (one should
maintain equipoise in happiness and sorrow, gain and loss,
victory and defeat). But, man, in spite of enjoying all comforts
and pleasures, is unable to bear even a small difficulty. He is
disturbed and distressed by the slightest trouble.
If you ask a
well-to-do person, whether he is happy, what will be his reply?
He will say, "Sir, I have no dearth of money. My sons are well
settled in life. My home is very well furnished with all types
of comforts and conveniences. I have everything in life except
peace of mind." How can one attain peace of mind? It is possible
only when one realises his innate divinity. Why are we not able
to experience peace? Where does the mistake lie? We go on
enquiring others, "Who are you"? But, we do not make an effort
to enquire into ourselves, "Who am I"? There lies the mistake.
Once we realise who we really are, we will be free from sorrows
and difficulties forever. Hence, first and foremost we should
make efforts to realise our true identity. What is the use of
knowing everything without being aware of the Self?
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
endeavours.
Easwara Sarva Bhutanam (God is
the indweller of all beings), Isavasyam
idam sarvam (the entire universe is permeated by God)
We must realise that we are born to experience our innate
divinity and not merely to enjoy worldly pleasures. We have to
take to the path of spirituality to experience our innate
divinity. If we lack in spiritual outlook, we do not deserve to
be called human beings. In fact, it amounts to betrayal of God.
God does not expect you to worship Him. He expects you to lead
an ideal and purposeful life.
Once sage
Narada enquired Lord Vishnu as to what was the royal path to
immortality. Then Lord Vishnu replied, "One should realise that
I am present in all beings". The spark of divinity is present in
all. Man is not a mere mortal. He is essentially divine.
Jiva (individualised soul) and
Deva (God) coexist. The
former is negative and the latter positive. Lord Vishnu told
Narada, "I have to assume the form of a human in order to move
among men and protect the world. I am present in everyone in the
form of Atma. When man
constantly contemplates on the principle of
Atma, I manifest Myself."
The same divine
principle of Atma is present
in all. One who realises this truth experiences the
all-pervasive divinity. God is in you, with you, around you,
above you and below you. However, you cannot realise this truth
unless you give up negative feelings. God is everywhere. You
have not to search for Him. Develop firm faith that He is in
you. God has no specific form. He transcends all names and
forms.
Having been
born as a human being you should strive for the welfare of the
society. You are a member of the society and your welfare
depends on the welfare of the society. Hence, undertake
activities which are beneficial to the society.
Embodiments of Love!
Do not identify yourself with the body. You are the embodiments
of the Atma.
The body is
made up of five elements and is bound to perish sooner or
later, but the indweller has neither birth nor death. The
indweller has no attachment whatsoever and is the eternal
witness.
(Telugu poem)
Can anyone say
"My Atma is dead"? The
physical body perishes with the passage of time but the
Atma 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 Atma
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 night-time 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 Indian sun, American sun 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.
Who is God? In
fact, you yourself are God. Hence, everyone should develop the
firm conviction, "I am God". When you develop such firm
conviction, there will be no room for ego and hatred. You are
God and your fellow human being is also God. Develop such
principle of oneness and equality. When you harm others, you
actually harm yourself. Victory and loss are a part of the game
of life. One should not criticise or blame the other. When
someone meets with failure in his endeavour, empathise with him.
When you do not identify yourself with others, differences are
bound to crop up.
Who are you?
You think you are the body. But, you are neither the body nor
the mind. The human body is like a water bubble. How can you
identify yourself with such an ephemeral body? You may say "I am
the mind". Mind is nothing but a bundle of desires. One day or
the other you have to give up all desires. Hence, do not
identify yourself with the mind. Today's man has limitless
desires. His mind wavers from moment to moment and hence is
called a monkey mind. Do not allow your mind to behave like a
monkey. You belong to mankind and hence keep your mind always
steady. Constantly remind yourself that you are a human being.
Daivam manusha rupena (God
is in the form of human). Give up body consciousness and live in
the constant awareness that you are God.
We construct
temples to consecrate idols and worship them. Where does the
idol come from? It is your own creation. You offer worship to
the man-made idols but you are not prepared to worship the God
in man. There is no point in merely worshipping idols if you do
not realise your innate divinity. Everyone must respect and
revere the principle of the Atma
within. Consider Atmaviswasa
(faith in the Self) as your very life-breath. Faith in the idols
is temporary. When you go to Tirupathi, you worship God in the
form of Lord Venkateswara. You extol Him saying, "Lord
Venkateswara is our family deity". When you make a pilgrimage to
Brindavan, you worship God in the form of Krishna. In Ayodhya,
you worship Him in the form of Lord Rama. Depending on the place
and circumstances, different names and forms have been
attributed to God. But, in reality Lord Venkateswara, Krishna,
Rama, Sai Baba, all are one and the same. Call Him by any name,
He will respond. He has no differences. You should not be
deluded by differences in name and form. Develop firm faith in
the oneness of the Atma.
"Religions are many but the goal is one".
Embodiments of Love!
Having come here after spending a lot of money and putting up
with inconveniences, you should make proper use of your stay
here. Ask yourself, whether you have spent your time in a
purposeful manner. What is the use of coming here if you do not
practise Swami's teachings? Develop unwavering faith in the
oneness of divinity. Only then can you experience peace. So long
as you do not contemplate on the oneness of God, your mind will
continue to play its tricks.
You may
criticise someone as a bad person today and extol him as a good
person tomorrow. Good and bad are your own thinking. Your mind
is the cause for both. In reality, man is always good by nature.
Human life is highly sacred. That is why it is said,
Daivam manusha rupena. Do not
belittle yourself thinking that you are a mere mortal. You are
verily God Himself. The very fact that you portray God in a
human form and worship Him proves that human being is
essentially divine. Do not attach undue importance to names and
forms. Understand the inherent principle of divinity.
What is the use
of taking birth as a human being if you conduct yourself like an
animal? You need not give up everything and become a
Sannyasi. See God in man. God
is all-pervasive. You cannot say that God is confined to a
particular place. There is no place where God does not exist.
Sarvatah panipadam tat sarvathokshi
siromukham, sarvatah sruthimalloke sarvamavruthya tishthati
(with hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading
everything, He permeates the entire universe).
We cultivate
paddy. However, we do not consume it in its raw form. We remove
the husk covering the grain and transform it into rice. So long
as there is husk, it is obliged to have 'rebirth'. Our desires
are like the husk covering the rice grain. We will be free from
the cycle of birth and death once we give up all desires.
Paddy becomes
suitable for consumption only after it undergoes the process of
refinement and becomes rice. Rice is used for making various
preparations such as Pulihora,
Chitraannam, Chakkera Pongali, Paayasam,
etc. Rice flour is used for preparing
Idlis and Dosas.
The names of these food items may vary, but the essential
ingredient of rice is the same in all. Just as paddy is
transformed into rice, our mind should also be purified through
the process of refinement, termed as
Samskara.
You are deluded
because of your materialistic outlook. You have to change your
vision. Do not expect God to change the creation. He has given
you everything in its pristine form. But, you are polluting it
because of your selfish desires. The mind is the root cause for
all this. Hence, annihilate the mind and everything will be
clear to you.
Embodiments of Love!
Your heart is pure and sacred but you are deluded by the clouds
of desires. Just as the sun and the moon are not visible to us
when they are covered by the clouds, we are unable to visualise
our reality because of our desires.
Childhood passes in trivial
play with other children
Youth passes in amorous sport
Middle age absorbs time and effort in amassing wealth
Come dotage, time crawls in futile longing for worldly
desires, yet there is no time for contemplation of God.
Thus is wasted the precious human birth, deeply entangled in
the net of Karma.
(Telugu poem)
Man feels proud
of his youth and falls into the trap of
Maya (delusion). As the end
approaches he regrets for not having attained peace of mind in
spite of enjoying all comforts and pleasures. Man passes through
various stages in life such as childhood, youth, middle age and
old age. However, there is no transformation in him with the
advancement of age. Instead of trying to change the
Srishti (creation), man should
change his Drishti
(outlook). We can see the reality only when we change our
Drishti. There is nothing wrong
with Srishti. God's creation
is perfect and none can alter it. In this creation God can make
anything happen by His divine Will.
So long as one
is endowed with physical strength and vigour, one may enjoy
himself by participating in Aatalu
and Paatalu (play and song).
However, one should not indulge oneself in any activity beyond a
certain limit. As the age advances, the physical body undergoes
certain changes. All of you are aware what a great singer M.S.
Subbulakshmi was. However, her voice refused to cooperate with
her in the old age. When she mentioned this to Me, I told her
that she had used her voice in excess and that was the reason
for her predicament.
Your voice and
vision are bound to change with the passage of time. You suffer
from unrest and anxiety because you rely on your physical body.
Instead, rely on the changeless and eternal principle of the
Atma.
Man is ruining
his life because of his habits. He should lead a life of
righteousness. Do not give undue importance to food and drink.
Consider character as your very life-breath. If you lack
character, you will have to face innumerable difficulties in
life.
Divinity is
referred to as 'Sath', which
means changeless and eternal principle. People of different
religions call it by different names. The Muslims extol God
saying, "Allah Ho Akbar".
They consider God as their sole refuge. Whether one is a Muslim
or a Hindu, God is the only refuge for all! You should
emphatically declare to yourself, "I want God". You should get
immersed in the divine, not in deep wine! Once you accept Rama
as your God, you should spend your entire life in the
contemplation of Rama. But, these days man has become
fickle-minded. One day he keeps the picture of Lord Rama in his
altar and starts worshipping Him by chanting His name; but, the
very next day he replaces Rama's picture with that of Krishna's,
if his wishes are not fulfilled.
Once there
lived a devotee of Lord Shiva. He used to worship Shiva every
day and chant the sacred Panchakshari
Mantra "Om Namah Shivaya". But, after some
time he felt that Lord Shiva had not done him any favour. Hence
he put aside Shiva's picture in the almirah and kept Rama's
picture on the altar. Initially, he could experience some peace.
However, his desires remained unfulfilled and he became
restless. He kept Rama's picture also in the same almirah and
started worshipping Krishna, on the advice of his
guru. He chanted the divine
name "Gopala Krishna" incessantly. After some time, he felt that
even Krishna had not done him any good. One day a lady devotee
came to him and said, "What is the use of worshipping Rama and
Krishna? Better you do Devi Puja
(worship)." As per her advice, he kept a picture of Devi on the
altar and started worshipping it. As the Puja was in progress,
he noticed that the fragrance from the incense sticks was
wafting towards the almirah where the pictures of other deities
were kept. He therefore decided to remove those pictures from
the almirah thinking that the incense sticks were meant for the
goddess and that the other deities had no right to enjoy the
fragrance. Immediately, the Divine Mother manifested herself
before him and said, "Oh simpleton! You worshipped Shiva for a
few days, and then you switched over to Rama and later on to
Krishna. What is the guarantee that you will not discard My
picture also tomorrow? This is not true devotion. You should
contemplate on one name and one form till your last breath. You
should remain unperturbed by difficulties and lead a spiritual
life. Fill your heart with sacred feelings. Only then will your
life be redeemed." If you want to progress in life never forget
the name of God. Do not divert your mind from one name to
another. Let your mind be focused on one name and one form.
Manah eva manushyanam karanam
bandhamokshayo (mind is the cause for bondage and
liberation of man). The mind wavers because of the desires you
entertain. Hence, you will attain peace only when you give up
desires. Mere performance of acts of charity will not confer
nobility on you. Offer yourself to God with single-minded
devotion. Only then can you attain peace and happiness. Control
your desires. Control your thoughts. Then everything will come
under your control.
Embodiments of Love!
You are endowed with the eternal principles of truth and love.
Sathyannasti paro Dharma
(There is no Dharma greater
than adherence to truth) Consider Sathya
as the basis of your life. Follow the path of
Dharma. Only then will the
principle of Love manifest in you. When you have love, you will
be successful in all your endeavours.
Embodiments of Atma!
You are not the body which is bound to perish. You are the
indweller which has neither birth nor death. It has no
attachment whatsoever. You will attain immortality once you
realise your true identity. You will be free from all worries
and desires. You may ask "Is there anyone without worries and
desires?" I am Myself the living example in this regard. I have
absolutely no desires whatsoever. Everything is in My hand. I
can give you whatever you ask for. However, do not crave for
materialistic things from Me. They are transient like passing
clouds. Ask for that which is eternal. The entire world is
sustained by the twin principles of truth and love. They are
present in everyone. I am the truth that is present in all. I am
the love that is present in all. Truth and love are
all-pervasive. However, you are not making efforts to experience
truth and love.
Embodiments of Love!
Today you may be occupying positions of power, but how long can
you remain in power? It is only temporary. Only divinity is
everlasting. You have chosen the path of truth. Never deviate
from it. Never forget the principle of truth you have
experienced. You may forget anything in life but not truth and
love. Truth is Bahirvahini
(manifest flux) and love is Antarvahini
(undercurrent). Both of them have to be protected and sustained.
That is the duty of a human being. Bereft of truth and love one
does not deserve to be called a human being at all!
Embodiments of Love!
Let your life be filled with love. Do not confine your love to
your family and friends. Share it with one and all. Whomsoever
you come across, consider everyone as the embodiment of
divinity. Share your love with your fellow human being and
become the recipient of his love. Follow the path of truth. I
always teach the principles of truth and love. Congregations as
this are meant only to exhort you to adhere to the path of truth
and love. All of you have gathered here out of your love for Me.
Having come here and listened to My message, you should practise
truth and love in your daily life. Only that will make Me very
happy. Let your love be not tainted with worldly feelings. Let
it flow incessantly towards God. This was the ideal demonstrated
by Radha. She was the kind of person who was always in the
thought of Krishna and her name itself conveys her greatness and
sacredness. If you start with 'R' you get 'Radha',
if you start with 'A' you get 'Adhar'
(basis), if you start with 'D' you get
'Dhara' (incessant flow), and if you start with
'A' you get 'Aradh' (worship). This
means that the very basis of Radha's life was incessant
Aradhana (worship) of Lord
Krishna. Radha symbolised Dhara
(Prakriti or Nature).
Krishna is Paramatma (God).
Radha knew only Krishna and none else. She was totally immersed
in the love of Krishna. It is because of such one-pointed
devotion that she could attain liberation. One who aspires to
attain liberation should follow the path of love as demonstrated
by Radha.
Embodiments of Love!
I do not want to cause inconvenience to you by speaking at
length. Hence, I bring My Discourse to a close. Consider
whatever work you do as God's work. See God everywhere. I will
be happy when you develop such divine feelings. So many people
have assembled here. I confer on you the sacred wealth of My
love and bliss. May all of you lead a long, happy, healthy and
peaceful life!
(Divine
Discourse delivered on the occasion of 80th Birthday at Santhi
Vedika in Hill View Stadium on 23rd November 2005)
Source:
http://www.srisathyasaipublications.org/birthday_discourse.htm |