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Sri Sathya Sai Baba Teachings |
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BHAGAVAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA
Discourses at Sai Sruti
Kodaikanal during April 1996 |
Chapter 17
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Contents ·
Chapter 19
18.
TRUTH IS THE FOUNDATION OF LIFE
Embodiments of Divine Love.
In spite of his intelligence and high education, a foolish
one may still have no understanding of God and a mean man
will not discard his mean ways. He uses his education to argue
and compete with others. The purpose of education is not only
to earn a living, but also to learn the ways to become immortal.
Once Adi Sankara and his disciples were going towards the
Ganges river to take a bath. On the shore Sankara saw a pundit
(scholar in the sacred scriptures) reciting the rules of grammar.
Sankara listened to him and then asked, "By learning to recite
all of this, what benefit will be gained for the future ?" The
pundit replied, " I'll be a great scholar and also an expert in
mathematics. Through my learning I shall get a position in the
court of kings and by having such a high position I can spend
my life happily."
"O man, Sankara replied, you will benefit from this
learning only so long as you are alive, but what will happen to
this learning and to you after you die ? What will be your
destiny? Sing the name of Govinda (Krishna). O foolish man,
the rules of grammar cannot save you when your end is near;
no friend or relative can come to your rescue." Swami sang
(Bhaja Govindam). Sing the glory of God; chant the name of
Govinda, experience God and share this Bliss with all; this is
the goal of life.
In the epic Ramayana, Hanuman continuously thought of
Rama; every hair on his body reverberated the name of Rama.
Hanuman visited Lanka and developed friendship with
Vibishana. Knowing that Hanuman had been with Rama,
Vibishana said to him, "How lucky you are. You are so
fortunate to be serving Rama. Though I have much wealth, I
am without inner peace. Even though I chant the name of
Rama, I have not yet had the darshan of Rama." Vibishana felt
sad still waiting for an opportunity to serve Rama. This episode
from the Ramayana illustrates that it is insufficient to only sing
the glories of Rama; one must also serve Him.
Hanuman then spoke, "Sita has been staying here so many
months in Lanka. Did you try to save Sita by attempting to
persuade Ravana to free her? You never attempted to save her.
You should help in Rama's mission." Vibishana replied, "I will
show you Mother Sita if you show me Father Rama." Hanuman
went to Ashoka gardens with Vibishana where all the demons
began to make fun of the monkey. On Ravana's command
Hanuman's tail was set on fire, thus he destroyed the houses
and various other places in Lanka when they caught fire.
Finally Angada, the son of Ravana, was sent to Lanka to settle
the matter. He asked Hanuman,"Who are you and where do you
come from?." Hanuman replied. "I am the servant of Lord
Rama." As it was the principle not to kill the ambassador to
their country, they merely caught Hanuman and brought him to
Ravana. Hanuman, seated upon a low seat, continued to repeat
the Lord's name while coiling his long extended tail round and
round into a big pile. Hanuman, now seated on a higher level,
faced Ravana and forced him to look up. The ground below
Ravana fell and this was considered to be a very bad omen.
Ravana asked, "Who sent you; you are only a monkey and
you are spoiling the entire country of Lanka." Hanuman
replied," That king who cut off your sister's nose has sent me.
Although you have excelled in 64 forms of knowledge, you
have no wisdom, peace or moral values. This is like a school
without teachers." There is nothing to equal a devotee. Ravana's
end was fast approaching; he could not act and think properly.
Once Rama told Lakshmana that if Ravana surrendered to
him, he would even persuade Bharata to make him the king of
Ayodhya. Even if one practices a little spirituality daily, it is
enough. Hanuman was so great because he was full of service,
virtue, peace, and Love for Lord Rama. Because he had Rama's
grace, he was courageous in front of Ravana. Like Hanuman
we should make every effort to serve, as well as to sing the
name of God.
Everyone is afraid of death. When one moves to a foreign
country, all his friends would wish him good-bye and any
foreign country would welcome him. On the other hand, when
one goes to the other world, all would weep, and he would
receive no good byes. From a foreign country you would return
in the same body, but from the other world you are bound to
return, but in what body, no one knows. So, instead of taking
birth after birth, one should try to redeem oneself in this
present life. When one is ill, one takes medicine but does not
continue the medicine when one is cured. Medicine is taken
with the belief that one will never be ill again. So, life is given
in order to come out of the cycles of birth and death. Learn
what you are supposed to know, and reach the destination.
Swami sang "Asathoma Sath Gamaya; Thamaso Ma,
Joythir Gamaya; Mrithyor Ma, Amritham Gamaya" (From
Untruth, lead me to Truth; from Darkness, lead me to Light;
from Death lead me to Immortality).
Human beings believe that their life span is long, so
without knowing the basic Truth, they go on planning. But
truly, God is the only one who plans, thus the "Masterplan" is
known only to Him. Thus, discharge your duties and do service
with faith in God. How should you conduct your life? There is
no use to do penance that involves physical exertion or strain;
penance means giving up dullness and laziness. Man goes on
spiritual pilgrimages such as to Rishikesh to experience the
Divine. To partake in a pilgrimage is an expression of devotion.
The presence of a sacred river such as the Ganges flowing from
the Himalayas, and the sacred places like Kasi, Prayag,
Rishikesh denote pilgrimage centres. Unfortunately, devotion
today, even on a pilgrimage, is filled with worldly thoughts.
There is no use to have negative thoughts. Since man is having
so much negativity, he is unable to experience the positive
Divinity in life. Man should have sacred ideals. The sacred
texts, the Shastras, command you to practice Truth and obey
the commands of God.
Once, Rama was commanded by his father to go into exile
to the forest. Lakshmana was very angry because Rama wasn't
taking him along. Rama cautioned him, "Don't give up your
Dharma, your responsibility out of affection for Me. It is on
account of your attachment to Me that you are reacting like
that. I am going into exile for the sake of Dharma. Dharma
protects the one who follows and practices Dharma, there is no
higher Dharma than Truth. The power of Dharma rests on the
foundation of Truth. I will follow theDharmic path only." Thus
Rama argued that is it Truth and Dharma that are important in
life. When you build a house or construct something, because
the foundation is there first as a base, one is able to construct
walls. Without the foundation the walls would have no support.
Although the walls will be visible the -foundation is hidden
from view. Likewise, Dharma represents the walls and Truth is
the foundation which is hidden. For the entire world Dharma
is the most important. Rama exemplified this by following the
commands of his father and sacrificing attachment.
Rama visited his mother and told her "I will obey the
command of my father." Everyone should obey one's father.
Rama never blamed Kaikeyi for banishing Him to the forest.
Rama was supposed to be coroneted following the wish of King
Dasaratha. The wife should follow her husband, but Kaikeyi
disobeyed her husband by wishing for the banishment of Rama
and for the enthronement of her son. So Rama said, "I must go;
I will follow my father's command." In the Ikshavaku lineage,
it was the tradition to follow the command of the parents; no
one should go against the parents. Kausalya agreed, "Yes, do
follow the command of your father, but follow mine also.
Please take me along with you; if you take me, this amounts to
following your father's command. I have never had happiness
in my life. After you were born, I expected much happiness. I
cannot live without you." Rama replied, "Mother, it is the duty
of every woman to continue to serve only her husband." Sita
was listening to all this. She was not an ordinary person, she
was the daughter of the Earth. She said, " I will follow You to
the forest." Rama replied, "It is not possible for you to do this
as there are wild animals there; I will find it difficult to protect
you."
Sita laughed and answered, "When You are the very lion
itself beside me, why should I be afraid ? If You can't protect
one lady, how can You protect the entire world? No, I don't
believe You. You have asked Your mother to serve Your
father; so why should You give a separate command to me?
The wife is like a shadow, so I will certainly follow You.
During those days people adhered to Dharma even if they
had to go through turmoil, troubles and loses. These days no
son follows his father and no wife follows the husband. The
students today do not obey and respect their teachers. The
Ramayana sets ideals to show how a brother should treat a
brother and how a social order should function. The Ramayana
demonstrates how the welfare of the society is based on living
in society with Divine feelings.
Divinity is latent in everything. It becomes patent through
acts of service and chanting the Lord's name so one should
make proper use of these two. Just because you have some
education you cannot behave as you like. Through education
you must become an ideal person. Valmiki composed the
Ramayana, using Rama as the ideal man. He had full faith at
the completion of the epic, that Rama was God although in the
beginning he thought that Rama was only an ideal man.
Tulsidas (a poet) declared that Rama was God. In the end, he
said that He was the noblest and highest human being.
Narayana (omnipresent aspect of God) Himself is not separate
from the ideal man; He is the Supreme Soul (Purushottama).
Thus Lord Rama behaved as a man but within Him was full
Divinity. His body was an instrument just like ours. We take
ourselves to be the body, and so we do not recognize Divinity.
Swami ended His Discourse by singing "Om, Sri Ram, Jai
Ram, Jai Jai Ram"
April 23, 1996
Chapter 19
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