| |
Divine
Discourse on 22nd October 2005 - Children's Festival of Joy
Cultivate Sattwic
Qualities right from the Childhood
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
delivering His Divine Discourse on 22nd October 2005 at
Prashanti Nilayam
Text of the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 22nd October 2005
(Children's Festival of Joy), in Sai Kulwanth Hall, Prashanti Nilayam
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 heritage of human birth, deeply
entangled in the net of karma.
(Telugu poem)
Why waste your time in
idleness?
Time wasted is life wasted;
Arise, awake, it is not too late,
Think of the future, at least now. (Telugu Poem)
Embodiments of Love! Dear
Students!
If you spend your time thus, if you fritter away your time
and energy in vain pursuits thus, what for is your human birth?
What will happen to you in future? Did you ever ponder over
this? Time is the measure for human life. Time is the most
precious aspect in human life. Don't waste time. "Time wasted is
life wasted". You have to seriously question yourself whether it
is sensible to waste your time thus. If you waste your precious
time in this young age, when will you be able to sanctify your
life?
Man has to perform Karma in this Karmabhumi (field
of activity) right from birth to death. In fact, the human birth
has been given to us to perform Karma. We are, therefore,
engaged in performing various Karmas, continuously. But,
very few make any effort to enquire to their selves whether the
Karmas performed are Sathkarmas (good deeds) or
not.
One has to strive to sanctify his time, right from childhood. We
are, partaking of a variety of items as food, to sustain the
human body. But none is making an enquiry whether the food one
partakes of is proper and healthy; whether it is beneficial for
nourishing and nurturing his physical, mental and spiritual
health.
"Man is born out of
karma, grows and
departs from the world due to karma;
Karma is verily the embodiment of divinity.
It is only due to Karma that
Happiness and sorrow occur in the world." (Telugu Poem)
The Bhagavadgita exhorts that
man has a right only to perform his duty and none to the fruit
thereof. Of course, there will be a result for every Karma
that is performed by a human being. There will be a good result
for a good Karma and a bad result for a bad Karma.
This is the eternal law. When you partake of a mango fruit, you
will only have the belch of that fruit and not that of a lime
fruit. In the same manner, your head (thoughts) will always be
conditioned by the type of food you consume.
"As is the food, so is the head (thoughts). As is the head, so
is God." Thus, the food, the head, and God will be on the same
wavelength. Hence, one has to cultivate good and noble thoughts
always. If you eat Sattwic food and cultivate Sattwic
nature right from childhood, your entire life will run smoothly.
Hence, one has to be wary of his food and head (thoughts). If
you wish to sanctify your human birth, you should not live like
a bird, beast or an animal. Having taken birth as a human being,
one has to perform the Karmas worthy of a human being.
One has to conduct oneself as a human being. What does the term
"Human Values" imply? Sathya (Truth), Dharma
(righteousness), Santhi (Peace), Prema (Love) and
Ahimsa (non-violence). It is only when we cultivate and
exhibit these five human values in our daily lives that we will
be entitled to be called as human beings. Human being is a
repository of Trigunas, namely, Sattwa (calm
serenity), Rajas (passionate activity), Thamo Guna
(sloth and slumber). Unfortunately, today, we find the Rajo
and Thamo Gunas more active in human beings. We do not
find even a trace of Sattwic Guna anywhere. Hence, it is
of utmost importance today that people are taught and encouraged
to cultivate Sattwa Guna, perform Sattwic
karmas and finally reach the abode of Sattwic Guna.
Embodiments of Love!
You are now in the stage of childhood. This is the right age to
cultivate Sattwic Guna. The quality of your life in the
later stages will depend upon the qualities you cultivate now.
What is the use of trying to cultivate Sattwic Guna at
the fag end of your life, when your physical body refuses to
co-operate with you in your Sadhana? Hence, you must
cultivate and put into practice the sattwic guna in the
youthful age itself. If man wishes to experience Manavatwa
(humanness) and reach Daivatwa (divinity), Sattwic
Guna is very essential. It is only when you consciously
cultivate Sattwa Guna that you will be able to attain Sattwic
nature. If you aim to attain Sattwic nature but indulge
in Rajasic and Thamasic acts, it is not possible.
All our ancient sages and seers did their Sadhana when
they were young and strong.
Embodiments of Love!
You have to partake of Sattwic food. By partaking of
Sattwic food, you will be able to cultivate Sattwic
thoughts. And, by cultivating Sattwic thoughts, you will
be able to undertake Sattwic Karmas. It is
absolutely necessary that one should have Sattwic friends
in youth and constantly move about in their company. It is said,
"Good company leads to
detachment;
Detachment makes one free from delusion;
Freedom from delusion leads to steadiness of mind;
Steadiness of mind confers Liberation." (Sanskrit Sloka)
Hence, you have to partake of
Sattwic food keeping your goal of liberation in the mind.
You may at times have a doubt that you may not get such
Sattwic food. I do not at all agree with this view. Don't
you get vegetables and edible green leaves in plenty? In fact,
the moment you are born out of your mother's womb, you are
surviving and thriving on your mother's milk or cow's milk. Is
this not Sattwic food? Can you not live upon a vegetarian
diet consisting of vegetables, green leaves and cow's milk? Why
should you cater to the dictates of your palate adding chillies,
salt, tamarind and spices? It is only when you gradually reduce
these ingredients for taste you will be able to cultivate
Sattwa Guna. Parents have a great responsibility in teaching
the children about the efficacy of Sattwic food and
getting them accustomed to it right from their childhood. On the
other hand, if the parents themselves prepare and serve
Rajasic and Thamasic food consisting of meat, fish,
etc., in their homes, how can they expect the children to
develop Sattwa Guna? I am of the view that the children
at least should abstain from such Rajasic and Thamasic food and
demand from their parents only the Sattwic food. One has
to consciously cultivate the habit of partaking of only
Sattwic food. Only then will one be able to develop
Sattwa Guna.
Embodiments of Love!
All our senses are conditioned by the Trigunas and the
Gunas, in turn, are conditioned by the food we consume.
Hence, if we start eating Sattwic food, undertake
Sattwic Karmas and move about in the company of Sattwic
friends, I am sure that we can transform ourselves into
Sattwic individuals. It is the bad company that is
responsible for evil qualities. If you want to cultivate good
qualities, you have to eat Sattwic food. In fact, it is
the food that we consume is responsible for all the evil
qualities.
Dear students!
If you develop bad qualities like anger, passion, envy,
jealousy, etc., right form this early age, your entire life will
be spoiled. You are poisoning your young minds with these evil
qualities. My advice to the youngsters and students is eat
Sattwic food; cultivate Sattwic behaviour and keep
the company of Sattwic people right from this early age.
I often observe that youngsters today join bad company the
moment they enter the school or college and continue to move
about in the company of bad people. With the result, they
cultivate bad qualities, resulting in bad behaviour. Frequently
they are not even aware of the subtle changes taking place in
their behaviour towards elders, parents, teachers and society.
They think that they are on the right track, since they are
pursuing education in a good educational institution. The
education they are pursuing may be good, but the core of their
heart is polluted due to bad company. Several bad thoughts
emanate in their mind even at a young age.
People often think that it is a natural phenomenon due to young
age. I do not at all subscribe to this view. It is not a natural
phenomenon at all! It is most unnatural. Since, you are
partaking of bad food, you are having bad thoughts. Hence, first
and foremost, give up bad food. People who are devoted to Swami,
must join Satsanga. But, you are joining bad company and,
as a result, are developing bad thoughts. Once bad thoughts
enter your mind, none can drive them away. Hence, you have to
cultivate good thoughts, even before bad thoughts enter your
mind.
Dear children!
There are several parents who are not concerned about the future
of their children. Either they are too busy pursuing their
vocations or they are helpless in supervising your behaviour.
But, if you tread the right path they will be most happy. On the
other hand, if you are moving about in bad company cultivating
bad habits, resulting in bad behaviour, they will be very sad
and will be unable to share their distress or anguish with
anybody. Hence, it is your foremost duty to keep your parents
happy. If you want to keep your parents happy, you must tread
the right path. So, tread the right path and keep your parents
happy. Only then will you be able to cultivate good behaviour.
There are three aspects in human life, which are interlinked ?
the thoughts, behaviour and the end result. As are the thoughts,
so will be the behaviour and as is the behaviour, so will be the
result. Teachers expect good behaviour from their pupils. How is
it possible, when the students move about in bad company, eat
wrong kind of food and entertain bad thoughts? The end result is
always bad in such a situation. While taking bitter food, how
can you experience sweetness? In short, the Rajasic and
Thamasic food that you consume is the root cause for the
bad thoughts that are entering your mind.
Dear students!
All of you must tread the right path. Even if your parents for
any reason offer you Rajasic and Thamasic food prepared
in the home, you must explain and convince them of the
ill-effects of such food, saying, "Mother! If you serve Rajasic
and Thamasic food to me thus, I will only get bad thoughts. This
is not conducive to good behaviour on My part." You must also
convince them of the need to prepare and serve Sattwic
food to all members of the family. Not only should you eat
Sattwic food, you should also read good books. Your entire
life is dependent upon good food, good thoughts and good
company.
Dear students!
You should not read all sorts of trash like cheap novels,
stories, etc. Such trash will generate bad thoughts in you and
pollute you mind. When you go to a library, you should read the
biographies of great and noble people which will help to
cultivate good qualities and good thoughts in you. One reason
for the pollution of young minds and proliferation of bad
thoughts in them is reading all sorts of cheap literature. In
fact, it is only the mind that is responsible for good or bad
thoughts. That is why it is said, Manaeva Manushyanam Karanam
Bandhamokshayo (mind is responsible for both bondage and
liberation of man). Unfortunately, in these days it is only
cheap books that have become popular and acquired great
attraction. Good books have become a rare commodity. A question
may arise as to where one would get such good books. You go to
good libraries of institutions committed to the moral and
spiritual uplift of humanity. Frequently we come across people
travelling in trains and buses purchasing worthless books
available in the railway platforms and bus stands and reading
them with absorbing interest. They may say that they are reading
them for whiling away the time. They do not realise how harmful
those books are in generating bad thoughts and polluting their
minds. Hence, you must always select books that contribute to
your intellectual, moral and spiritual development.
Embodiments of Love!
If you wish to cultivate good thoughts and good behaviour, you
must read good books. Several students today consider it a
fashion to read cheap literature that is available for a low
price. With the result, cheap thoughts and cheap behaviour are
generated in them. They look for cheap books and trash
distributed free of cost. They woefully lack a sense of
discrimination to judge whether such writing is conducive to
their moral, spiritual and character development. They will,
however, realise the consequences of their action after their
minds are totally polluted. Then it will be too late for them to
retrace their steps. It is only through good books that good
thoughts and good behaviour can be cultivated.
Dear students!
There are several other important aspects to be taught to you in
these three days which will enable you to cultivate noble
thoughts and tread the right path. I will teach several aspects
in due course that will enable you to cultivate pure thoughts.
Source:
http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/Child_Fest_Discourse.htm |
