March 19th, 2006
“Spiritual Vaccination”
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Inquiry is the Spiritual vaccination
I have collected some practical hints which we will discuss point by point so
that they are easy to practice.
We are given a vaccination so that we do not fall victim to an epidemic. When
you visit a country where there is yellow fever, you should be vaccinated for
that. Similarly, we should have a spiritual vaccination.
What is that vaccine? How does it help us? We have to be vaccinated so that the
duality does not affect us, so that we do not get caught in the cobweb of
duality and illusion.
What is that vaccine? The vaccine to be given to us is ‘inquiry’, which will
make our body free from the attack of epidemics like illusion, dualism, mistaken
identity, and attachment.
Secondly, some people ask, “What is it that I get by reading the Holy Scripture?
What is it I get by listening to some talks? What is it that I get?”
It is very necessary! Even in a market, if you buy two articles, one article is
free. (Laughter) If you get one operation, the other will be free. That is the
modern trend today. So I can understand people asking, “What do I get?”
detachment is happiness
Here is the answer that the scriptures give us. By repeating His Name (namasmarana),
by meditating on Him, by reading the scriptures, we get detachment or vairagya.
How does detachment help me? Will detachment help me to be happy? Will
detachment make me blissful? Why do I need detachment? I will use some answers
taken from Ramana Maharshi’s Divine talks.
The answer by Maharshi is this: Detachment is not going to confer happiness. The
other name for detachment is happiness itself. Detachment means happiness.
Detachment is not going to confer happiness on you; detachment itself is
happiness.
Next question is, “How do I get it?” The answer by Ramana Maharshi of Arunachala
is this: By acquiring that wisdom or the knowledge of the Self, you’ll be
detached and that detachment itself is happiness.
realising the eternal self WITHIN IS the purpose of life
Somebody asked Ramana Maharshi, ”What is the purpose of life?” A very good
question! If that question is put to a little boy, he will say that the purpose
of life is to have one or two sweets, (Laughter) or an ice cream right now. The
child is very clear about the purpose of life.
Some mundane worldly people are also very clear about the purpose of life. “I
want to be qualified; I want to be employed, I want to be rich, I want to be
successful.” We are very clear about worldly life. But spiritually, what is the
purpose of life?
Maharshi answers thus: While being alive, while in this body itself, if you
understand the immortal nature, the eternal spirit of the Self, you have served
the purpose of life. Spiritually, the purpose of life is to know the permanent,
eternal Self, while in this body.
Some people say, “Swami, I want to die for You.”
Baba said, “I want you to live; you don’t have to die for Me. I want you to
live.”
Therefore my friends, the spiritual purpose of life is to know the Self while
alive, while in this body. After all, whether we want it or not, whether we are
willing or not, we are sure to leave the body–only the date is unknown. The
password of the computer is known to God. He doesn’t tell us. If the password is
given to us, we can easily manipulate things. He won’t do that. Cyber crimes are
not possible with the Divine computer! It is protected by the best anti-virus.
(Laughter)
utilise the temporary to experience the permanent
The body is temporary; the body is sure to vanish. It is sure to die some day;
but within this body there is one thing that is permanent, immortal, and
eternal. That is the Self, or the spirit, or consciousness, or Atma. To
experience that which is permanent, while alive in this body that is temporary,
is the purpose of life. The body is a temporary thing to be used to know the
permanent thing.
How is it possible? How does a temporary thing help you to know a permanent one?
Baba gave an example: You have an iron safe or an almirah. So the safe is made
up of iron; but inside that safety locker, you have costly jewels, diamonds,
gold, etc. So the case is made up of iron, which is of lesser value than the
expensive gold and diamonds inside it. See this! One is a cheap, iron case; the
other is the most valuable jewellery. Similarly, our body is an iron case. But
inside this case is jewellery, which is consciousness, which is eternal.
Realisation and experience of that consciousness is the purpose of life, as
Ramana Maharshi tells us.
What is the path? Here it is clearly stated that there are two essentials for
any spiritual seeker:
1. Vairagya, or renunciation, detachment;
2. Inquiry or vicharana or mimamsa.
What happens in the process is our next question.
observe your thoughts to still the mind
I have many thoughts. I should observe or be a witness to my own thought
process. My friends, I am sharing with you the quintessence of the message of
Ramana Maharshi.
Maharshi says, “Do not identify with your thoughts. Be a witness or an observer
of your own thoughts.”
How is it possible? Does it seem silly? No! It is possible. Now a thought has
come to my mind; do I know or not? I know. Immediately the next thought comes.
Do I know about it or not? I know. A thought comes: ”What is the canteen time?“
I know. ”What is evening darshan time?“ I know. ”It seems Swami is going out now
to attend some marriage,” another thought, which I know. So, I know my thoughts.
Anyone who says that they do not know their thoughts, please raise your hand.
All of us know our thoughts! Therefore Ramana Maharshi says, “Stop! Watch your
thoughts. Be a witness to your thoughts.”
One after another, thoughts come fast. Observe your thoughts. Once you observe
your thoughts, the thought process slows down. When the thought flow is slow, it
takes you to another stage where eventually there will be no more thoughts.
So according to Ramana Maharshi:
1. First step is observing our thoughts;
2. In the second step, thought flow slows down;
3. In the third step, we reach thoughtlessness or the thought-free state.
That is called meditation or samadhi. So meditation is not thinking of any
object. Meditation is not concentration or imagination or speculation.
Meditation is not entertaining another thought. We are already burdened with
thoughts. Why should we add extra thoughts in the name of meditation?
Some people say, “When I sit in meditation, I get some cool breeze.” I see.
Without meditation I get cool breeze by switching on my fan! (Laughter) Why
meditate?
Some people say, “When I sit for meditation, I see some gold colour.” Please
walk under hot sun and close your eyes. Aha! You will get the gold colour. These
so-called things that we claim to have experienced in meditation are all a game
of the mind.
I am quoting Ramana Maharshi. Don’t fight with me as I cover these steps. (All
of us are very proud of our achievement in meditation.) Some say, “Meditate
here, as Swami comes here,” as if He is not there already! (Laughter) Some say,
“When I sit for meditation, Swami will come there.” Oh! Where does He come from?
Have you pulled Him and put Him there like a dot, or vermilion, or vibhuti?
These are all things we feel proud of, and it is shameful that we share thus,
feeling we have achieved something. We have achieved madness, according to
Ramana Maharshi’s literature.
true meditation is crossing the barriers of thought
While in meditation, whatever you imagine, whatever feelings you have, whatever
responses you get, they are all the gimmicks or the game of the mind. True
meditation is beyond the mind. What is the mind? Mind is apart, without time.
True meditation is crossing the limitations of time and the barriers of thought.
Therefore, my friends, thinking of an object, repetition of His Name, and
concentration on a single form will all help us initially to concentrate, which
is not wrong. Concentration is good.
Let me give you an example as given by Baba: You want a rose flower, so what do
you do? You go to the garden. In the garden there are so many flowers and
plants, but you want a rose. What do you do then? You go to the rose plant,
avoiding the rest of the plants. Standing in front of the rose plant, you cut
the flower. That is followed by smelling it, or wearing it on the head, or
whatever you may like to do with it.
So, there are several steps:
1. Avoiding all the plants, thinking only of the rose that you want to select;
2. Standing in front of the rose bush and cutting the chosen flower;
3. Smelling the fragrance of the flower.
That’s the example Baba gives frequently whenever He speaks of meditation. There
are three steps in meditation too.
First step in meditation is concentration
The first step is concentration. Is it necessary? Absolutely! If you want to
have a rose, you cannot go to the bookstore and ask for a rose! The sevadal will
give you the necessary treatment. If you go to the canteen and ask for a rose
flower, they will tell you that they are not sold there for eating purpose. If
you want a rose flower, you should go to the garden or to the flower market.
Similarly, you should concentrate on a Name and a form. You can concentrate on
any chosen form. It is your choice: Jesus on the cross, Krishna with flute and
melody, Bhagavan Baba, Shirdi Sai or Sathya Sai. Any form that is dear to you,
concentrate on that. That is the equivalent of going to the flower market or
going to the garden.
concentration leads to contemplation -- contemplation leads to meditation
Secondly, you look for the rose plant, avoiding all the rest. ”Oh! Rose plant is
a bush. It is a shrub, not a tree. It is small and beautiful with some thorns
and leaves that are edged like a saw.“ You think of a rose flower more and more
to identify it, to go near to it, isn’t it? So, all your thoughts are now
focused on the rose plant. This is called ‘contemplation’.
Concentration takes us to the next step of contemplation. Spiritually, I
concentrate on the Name and form. In the second step, all my thoughts will be
around it. For example, I concentrate on Jesus. I think of Jesus’s love. I think
of Jesus’s sacrifice. I think of Jesus, the saviour. All my thoughts are around
the chosen Name and form. That is the second step called ‘contemplation’.
In the third step, there will be no Name and form; there will be no more
ruminating on the quality or the nobility of the Name and form because the mind
is non-existent. You are not there to think or to do anything. When you are not
there, there is nothing to do. In the absence of mind, in the thoughtless state,
nothing can be done. That is called ‘meditation’.
Coming back to the rose example, once you cut the rose flower (representing
meditation), the leaves and the branches of the rose bush (representing
contemplation) do not bother you. Similarly, the rest of the plants and flowers
in the garden (representing concentration) do not bother you. Therefore my
friends, concentration takes you to contemplation, and contemplation takes you
to meditation. That’s what Bhagavan Baba says.
In one sentence, the thoughtless state or the no-mind state is meditation,
according to Ramana Maharshi. How do I know there is no mind? How do I know that
there is mind? This ‘I’ is ego; ego is the mind. As long as you want to know,
you cannot know, because this ‘I’ is the mind. I think I am clear.
Who is to be known? Who is the knower? When these questions stop, that is
meditation or samadhi. Therefore my friends, withdrawal of the mind, manolaya,
or annihilation of the mind, manonashana is the sign of true meditation.
Here is a simple example: As a Sathya Sai devotee, you have Baba’s picture. You
look at His picture and worship it. That is concentration.
In the second stage, you think of His Love, His sacrifice, His universality, His
broad-mindedness and His message. All your thoughts centre on Baba and His
grandeur and Divinity. That is contemplation.
In the third step, you do not see the photo; you do not know that you are
sitting there. There will be a state which cannot be reported. You forget
yourself. You are lost; you are engrossed.
For example, sometimes while playing, children suddenly sit and start staring.
What is it they are doing? They go on looking into the empty air, not doing
anything. It only indicates the withdrawal of the mind. Similarly, when there is
no thought; that is what is called meditation. This agrees with Bhagavan Baba’s
approach to meditation, which I wanted to share with you this morning.
identifying a true guru
Somebody asked Maharshi how to identify a guru, a preceptor. There are many
people who say that they have this guru, that guru, etc. These are people who
believe that they should have an account in multiple banks. They believe in
depositing some amount in all banks. Similarly, some people believe in visiting
all gurus. How to identify a true guru? Who is a guru? This is a question put to
Ramana Maharshi.
You feel calm, quiet, pure, and steady in Guru’s presence
These are the points that I want to share with you. These will be of help to
every one of us on the spiritual path.
First point, a guru is the one in whose presence you feel calm, quiet, pure, and
steady. If you feel these four in the presence of anybody, then he is your guru.
Usually we are not calm in everybody’s presence. In the presence of some people,
the calmness vanishes. We can never be pure in front of some people because they
encourage us to be impure. We can never be steady because the other person is a
source of constant nuisance and disturbance. So it is not possible to remain
pure and steady in front of everybody.
Therefore, the first sign of a guru is that you feel calm, peaceful, quiet, and
sacred in his presence. We experience peace in the presence of Bhagavan Baba.
Take some pictures or a video of people entering the security gate. Later take a
video or photos of the same people sitting in the hall at the time of darshan,
when Swami’s car passes by. Nobody can recognise their own photograph!
While entering Prashanti Nilayam with heavy luggage, people are not sure of
accommodation or anything. They come with the luggage of worries and the baggage
of problems and anxieties. Life is a question mark, as seen on their long
Shakespeare faces. (Laughter) Anybody will be afraid to talk to them at that
time because their faces are so tense.
At the time of darshan, if Swami’s car passes by, things change. Even a fellow
who rarely smiles, or does not know how to smile, starts smiling when Swami
passes by. Colgate dental cream with all the teeth flashing! Why? You do not
know that you are smiling. What you know is a long, worried face, a burdensome
life. That’s normal behaviour.
As Swami said at one time, most people are like Alsatian and Pomeranian dogs.
Suddenly at the time of darshan when Swami’s car passes by, the person becomes
so happy. You may wonder what happened to him? That is the sign of a guru. He
makes you calm, quiet, peaceful, and sacred.
Guru communicates with you in the same wavelength
Secondly, guru is one with whom you can communicate on the same wavelength. If a
man burdened with problems comes to Swami and Swami talks to him about
immortality, Brahman, Atman, liberation, that fellow will consume poison and
commit suicide. Finished! What he needs now is different.
A fellow who is retired with all his children well settled has nothing left to
enjoy. What happens if Swami speaks about all worldly things like personality
development and career development to him? He has got only one career, the
career to be carried over to the next life.
Baba speaks of that which is relevant to you at that point of time. When Swami
speaks to students, He doesn’t speak of Bhu loka, Bhuvar loka, Svarg loka,
subtle body, or the astral body. Swami tells them how to be punctual, hard
working, honest, disciplined, and devoted. These are things students should
learn.
On the other hand, if He tells me what discipline is at this stage, well...leave
alone being disciplined! It is a waste of time because I cannot change now.
Better luck next life. We are all ‘settled fellows’ (settled in our ways)!
Some people ask me why Baba spends most of His time with youngsters. “Why does
Baba talk to students and not to us?” The answer is simple: When He talks to
students, there is a hope of some transformation someday. If He talks to us
retired people, it is a waste of time because we are waiting to come to a halt,
that’s all. It is not a long journey any longer.
Therefore my friends, Baba talks to people about what is relevant to them.
Suppose He calls some elderly people; what does He talk to them about? He tells
them about detachment. Understand that nobody will follow you; understand that
your property will never follow you; understand that all these people do not
belong to you; understand that you came all alone and are going all alone;
understand that God is with you and in you. You are already sixty or seventy.
You are not going to live for seventy years more to try again. Within this short
period, understand how best you can utilise this time.
That’s how He speaks to elders, whereas to youngsters He speaks about
patriotism, nationality, and culture. When He talks to young boys or kids of
primary school, He talks to them about ice cream, fountain pens, etc. This is
the ability of a guru.
So, how to identify a guru? A guru is one with whom you can communicate on the
same wavelength. You can tune to His thought process. He can come down to your
mental plane. That is the quality of a true guru and our Bhagavan is a true
guru.
you are speechless in the presence of a true guru
Another quality of a guru is that mind and speech come to a complete stop in His
presence. Mind comes to a stop and you are speechless in the presence of a guru.
Normally you feel like talking to everybody; but when Swami stands in front of
you, you are dumbfounded. If Swami asks what you want, you are speechless, you
are blank.
In fact, at home you started with a memorandum, with a speech, with a demand,
two letters, one written by your wife, one written by you. (Laughter) When He
actually stands in front of you, both the letters are forgotten. (Laughter)
You’ll get it when you go back. Why? You can’t help it. Mind’s fuse is gone, the
power is cut, and speech lost its quality of communication.
The mind vanishes so you cannot communicate or do anything except watch Him.
This is the sign of a guru. You ask anybody who got an interview. The moment he
comes out from the interview room, ask him, “What did you ask?” Everybody will
tell you that they wanted to ask many questions, but could not ask any.
(Laughter) Why? Mind is gone, finished. It is now under remote control. Swami
will operate it. He will stop it there.
“Did Swami say many things?”
“Yes.”
“What did you ask?”
“I did not ask anything.”
“Why?”
“I could not.”
“Why? What happened to you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Now you are talking with us; why you did not talk there?”
“I don’t know.”
This is the quality of a guru, according to Maharshi.
a guru attracts you like a magnet
So, the quality of a true guru is to make you speechless, to make you grow
beyond the mind. In this context, I would like to talk about another important
aspect here. Just as a magnet attracts iron filings, a guru attracts you. There
are some people who say that wherever they sit, Swami passes by that side. Poor
fellow, maybe he escaped from a lunatic asylum!
Rather, it should be put this way: “By Baba’s mercy I could sit on the side that
He passed by. Due to His grace I could sit there along His path, across His
path.” That is the way of putting things, rather than saying that wherever you
sit He comes by that side, making yourself superior. Then we’ll come to you, why
go to Baba? It’s wrong. You are not attracting Baba; Baba is attracting you.
Please understand this. It is the magnet that attracts the iron, and not vice
versa. The same iron, when it is away from the magnet, is full of dust and rust,
and loses the property of being attracted by the magnet. The magnet can no
longer attract that iron because it is full of rust and dust now.
Similarly, within Prashanti Nilayam, we are iron pieces without rust or dust.
When we cross the gate of Prashanti Nilayam, we are the same iron pieces with
rust and dust. That’s why some people wonder why they are unable to continue in
the same way or be as happy outside Prashanti Nilayam. The point is whether here
or outside, you are the same man. The same man is happy here and unhappy
outside. Why? It means that we have to reform and transform ourselves.
The quality of a guru is to attract. Some people are curious so they ask me, “Is
Swami going to Kodai?” Who am I to say? Am I His spokesman? Has He any spokesman
for that matter? If He says that He is going to Kodai, it means He won’t go. Oh
yes, that has happened several times. Who are we to convey His programme? Will
He allow anybody to guess or speculate? No! But wherever He goes, people follow
Him.
Suddenly when He starts travelling, hundreds of cars follow Him. How these
fellows know, I wonder! Suddenly Swami turns and asks, “How do these people
know?” (Laughter) How am I to answer that question? “Swami, I do not know.” Oh!
So first know that you do not know. (Laughter) My question is how did they know?
“They know because I made them know,” says Baba.
You do not know because you think you know. When you think you know, you will
never know. But when He makes you know, then you know everything. That’s why
without any advance notice, He starts moving fifty cars. Who told those fellows?
That I really wonder! He will help them to know. They will know somehow or the
other.
Similarly, my friends, let us know at this moment that it is Baba who is
attracting us. We are not attracting Him.
a guru is compassionate
On the other hand, some of us disturb Him, some of us irritate Him; but out of
His mercy He permits us to be here and have His daily darshan. That itself is a
proof of His infinite compassion.
Let me give a simple example: Suppose you have a helper or a maid at your house.
You ask her to do something and she does not do it. You remind her everyday, but
she doesn’t do it. Finally you’ll ask her to get out, is it not? But Baba is
managing with all of us, who may never do whatever He says!
Somebody asked Swami, “Why are You not talking these days?”
He said, “It’s a waste of time.”
“Waste of time. Why?”
Swami said, “Nobody acts as per My words. Therefore I stopped talking to you.”
“What, Swami, what do You mean?”
“When I talk, when I say something, you should do it. When you do not give value
to My words, why should I waste My time? At least I should value My words.
Therefore I don’t talk to you.” Am I clear? This is what Baba said.
Therefore my friends, a true guru goes beyond all our limitations and attracts
us in spite of our pitfalls and weaknesses.
Meditation is knowing the ‘I’
Somebody asked Ramana Maharshi, “Swami, while in meditation, should I open or
close my eyes?” Very good question!
What is the reply given by Maharshi? “Whether eyes are kept open or closed,
understand who is opening the eyes and who is closing the eyes. Understand this
‘I’ who opens or closes the eyes. The ‘I’, who opens or closes the eyes, is one
and the same. Understanding that ‘I’, understanding who is opening or closing
the eyes, is more important than the opening or closing of the eyes.”
I am reminded of a joke by one poet, a good joke by a Telugu scholar. Somebody
came and asked him, “Sir, is a dog moving from the right to the left auspicious,
or a dog moving from left to right? Which is a good sign?”
The scholar said, “So long as it doesn’t bite you, it is very auspicious.”
(Laughter)
So knowing who ‘I’ am is meditation, as Ramana Maharshi said.
a guru Corrects your path
At this moment, I want to draw your attention to another episode from the
biography of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji wrote a letter to Kasturba, his wife, who
fell sick. She was in a critical condition. But Gandhiji could not go and visit
her because he was very busy with the freedom movement. He wrote a letter to his
wife who was ailing and sick. What did he write?
”Kasturba, don’t feel sorry that I am not with you. Everything happens as per
the will of God. Do not think that doctors can prolong your life. It is God that
prolongs your life and not the doctor. The doctor assists him. The doctor is an
instrument, that’s all.”
He wrote, ”Kasturba, understand that you are not going to die. It is the body
that is going to die. But you are not going to die; you are permanent.
Understand that you are not the body. That is the purpose of this life.”
Finally Gandhiji wrote a beautiful message to his wife. ”The purpose of life is
to know the imperishable consciousness in this perishable body. Body is
perishable; consciousness is imperishable. To recognise this is the very purpose
of life.”
Guru has another role also. Sometimes when you are proceeding on one path, the
guru asks you to take a diversion. He tells you when it is not proper. Those of
you who have gone through books on Swami will agree with me when I say that Baba
rectified the spiritual path of several people. Some people were going in the
wrong direction. Swami corrected them because He is a guru. So a true guru
corrects you and transforms you.
a guru is the path and the goal
Finally it is said that guru is the way and the goal. This is the climax: guru
is both the path and the goal. Baba wants us to do bhajans. At the end, He is
the bhajans and He is the aim of the bhajans. Therefore guru is the path and the
goal.
That is what Maharshi says, and it is very much applicable to our situation.
When somebody asked Ramana Maharshi, “Swami, we pray to You for Your grace. When
are You going to be merciful to us?” It was a good question and prayer. Some
people ask Swami for grace too.
Maharshi replied, “Do you think that you developed an interest in spirituality
without grace? Do you think that you could read all these books without grace?”
Baba says, “Without grace, do you think that you have come here on your own? Do
you think you can come here without My grace? Can you have My darshan without My
grace?”
Therefore, to doubt is ignorance. Without His grace, nothing can happen because
it is His grace that has brought us here. His grace has made us eligible to have
His darshan. Then why are we craving for grace again? It is only ignorance,
according to Maharshi.
Then somebody said to him, “Swami, it is true that I have Your grace; but I want
some more grace, some more, extra.” (Laughter)
Ramana Maharshi said, “Can you withstand that? It is a shock. Are you ready for
it?”
He said, “Swami, I will meet you later.” (Laughter)
This fellow knows that when full grace is there, he will be no more. He is not
prepared for that. He wants to be some more. He doesn’t want the state of ‘no
more’. He wants the state of ‘some more’.
Therefore my friends, we should deserve before we desire. If we desire without
deserving, we’ll get frightened. We cannot receive that shock because we are not
prepared for it.
Preparation is necessary for grace
Enough preparation is necessary to receive all the grace of Bhagavan. Although
we want it, we cannot withstand it if it is conferred just like that. We have to
prepare. Preparation for abundant grace can be done by means of bhajans,
spiritual reading, listening to Divine discourses, etc.
But we think preparation is the end. Cooking is not the end. Once I have cooked
all items, can I say that dinner is completed? How? Cooking is over, but
completion of cooking is not the end of dinner. I should eat and my hunger
should be satiated. Only then is the dinner completed.
Similarly, our reading, bhajans, meditation, prayer, and satsang all amount to
preparation, which is very necessary. You should be prepared with a pen with ink
in it when you go for examination. If not, then take the supplementary
examination later. A doctor should have a thermometer and blood pressure kit
with him. If he doesn’t, he should go to the cafeteria and not to the
dispensary. So, we should make a preparation to deserve His additional grace.
That is what Ramana Maharshi says.
I don’t know if I said it earlier, but I better I say it: We all worship
Subrahmanya. We go to the anthill and offer milk. Suddenly out of the anthill,
if the snake comes out, we say “Hari Om! We’ll see you next year, not now.” Or
we call somebody and kill it. But while it is inside, we worship it. That’s bad.
So we are not prepared. “Lord Subrahmanya, You are merciful, You are great!
Please confer Your Grace upon us.” But when that happens we say, “I don’t want
it. I want it, but not this much please.” (Laughter)
Therefore we have not made adequate preparation to be the recipients of His
grace.
a guru CLEARS all doubts
In the same wavelength, I can also tell you another point. When you ask a
question, Swami remembers that question and answers it sometime or other. But
even without asking questions, all our doubts are answered in His Divine
discourses. Am I not right?
At the end of every discourse you meet friends who say, “Sir, my doubt is
cleared; my fear is gone. All my worries are gone.”
“How did they get answered? Did you ask Swami?”
“No.”
So how are they cleared? The Indweller knows all. Therefore in the Divine
discourse, all our doubts are clarified. This is the quality of a guru. A
question you wanted to ask is answered—unasked, unsolicited.
Also, guru is in full knowledge, full awareness of the depth of the subject. I
can give you any number of examples. A bishop from the Catholic Church in France
came and said, “Swami, You are quoting the Bible freely. Freely You are quoting,
without any help, book, or paper, and You are interpreting the Bible in such a
way that most of us do not know. We do not know the interpretations of a
biblical statement. You are explaining excellently, Swami. It is fantastic.”
I also know of some Buddhists kneeling in front of Swami, saying, “Swami,
Buddha’s message is conveyed so much better by You than by Buddhists
themselves.” Why? Because Swami personifies all that any sacred text contains.
All the holy books contain the essence, which is in a human form, whom you call
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. That is the quality of a guru. I wanted to tell
you that.
a guru is in total identification with the self
Another quality of a guru is total identification with the Self. He is lost.
Even if He is sitting there amongst you, you do not know what He is thinking. My
friends, you may not believe it, but it is true. He is sitting on the chair with
a few of us in front of Him. Suddenly He closes His eyes. For half an hour or
forty-five minutes, we do not know. Is He sleepy? No. On the other hand, He is
waving His hands with His eyes closed for a long time. What is happening to
Swami? When some programme is taking place, He seems to be lost somewhere.
This is the quality of a guru. We can understand some of these actions of the
Divine personality of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba if we dig into the literature
of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa or Sri Ramana Maharshi. He gets lost because He
is in total identification with His Divinity. So He is not bothered about what
is going on. There may be a drama, a dance, or a group singing; but He is beyond
these things. He is in total identification with Divine consciousness. That’s
the quality of a guru.
A GURU CUTS STRAIGHT TO THE TRUTH
Swami does not mince words. He tells you straight, whether you agree or not,
whether you listen to Him or not. To a ritualistic person, He says that the
spiritual is more important than the ritual. He tells the man who thinks
spirituality is reading spiritual books and having scholarship, that experience
is more important than all the wealth of his knowledge. He says to the man who
works like a machine that work is not the end of life; he should go beyond this
activity and cultivate love for God. He tells you plainly and directly, in your
own interest, whether it jells with you or not. This is the quality of a true
guru. That’s what we find in Bhagavan.
a guru is egoless
Another quality of a guru is absence of ego. Let me give a simple example. Swami
asks so many people to speak in His presence. Sometimes it’s boys, sometimes
elders. What do they speak? Sometimes the speakers themselves do not know. But
what do devotees hear? They are here to hear Bhagavan’s discourses not these
boys’ talks.
I always tell my boys, “They watch Swami; they don’t hear you. Just because they
are hearing your talks, don’t think that you are great orators, you or me,
anybody for that matter. People are tolerating you. (Laughter) People are
bearing with you.”
“Pain is an interval between two pleasures. Swami’s darshan is one pleasure;
Swami’s discourse another pleasure; pain in between is your talk and my talk.
Our talk is the pain. Darshan and discourse is pleasure.” That’s what I tell
people.
Therefore my friends, there is no trace of ego in Him. A fellow comes to Him
after his talk and asks, “Swami, how did I speak?”
You watch his face as He says, “Nice, nice.”
Is it nice? We know how nice it is. He always appreciates. When a fellow talks,
we look at our watches wondering when he will be done. As soon as that man comes
to the end of his talk, he approaches Swami and asks, “Swami, how is it?”
“Very nice.” That’s egoless-ness.
There is nothing the speaker could do at his level. He was at his best.
Therefore Swami says it was fine. But if you asked any one of us, we’d say that
it was not fine at all. ‘We don’t want to see his face next time Swami, please!’
(Laughter)
But He still appreciates, because there is no ego in Him. There are some people
who sing songs and play music that is not known in this country. They play some
instruments, sing French or German or Japanese songs that we don’t understand.
In the end, they all come out smiling and Swami goes on, “Aha! Very nice. Very
good.”
Please watch the cassettes and when Thyagaraja or other south Indian music is
played, most of our brothers from America, Japan, Germany, and other overseas
nations cannot follow it. But if Swami asks how the music was, “Very nice,
Swami,” (Laughter) is the usual response. How do you say that it was very nice?
They mean, “We could see You for so long, while they were singing. I could see
You and that was very nice. ‘Nice’ applies to You, not to the music.”
It does not matter whether it is eastern or western, southern or northern music
or literature or language. Swami loves and encourages every form of expression
and art because there is no identification with anything but the Self in all.
If I say that I like only Carnatic music, do I imply that I dislike Hindustani
music? If I say that I like western music, someone may ask whether I dislike
Indian music. So when you identify, when you say, ”I like” -- gone, it is ego!
Swami will never say, ”I like” or ”I don’t like.” There is no identification.
That’s the quality of a guru.
Love, PEACE, and compassion overflow in a Guru
Love, peace, and compassion overflow in a guru. Whenever a poor man or a beggar
approaches, or any student reports that a family member is sick, watch Swami’s
face. It is full of concern, and overflows with kindness.
Therefore my friends, these are all the qualities of a guru, as explained by
Ramana Maharishi, which are quite applicable to our Jagath guru, Bhagavan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba.
Thank you very much. (Applause)
OM…OM…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
--------------
March 5th, 2006
“Questions and Answers”
OM…OM…OM…
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Yesterday evening, some of my friends met me and said that they would like to
have the chance to ask some questions. I don’t know whether they are here or
not, but it’s over to you if you have any questions. Are there any questions,
please?
"LEAVE ALL YOUR BURDENS HERE, TAKE BLISS FROM ME"
Did Baba say, “Give all, take nothing?”
I remember Baba saying, “Leave all your burdens here, take bliss from Me. Take
everything from Me.” That is what I remember.
NEGLECTING THE BODY IS NOT SPIRITUALITY
When we start on the spiritual path, we become more body conscious, doing
exercises, and so on. Is that attachment to the body?
The question is relating to the attachment to the body. What does Baba say about
it?
Attachment to the body is considering that the body is the ‘be all and end all’,
that the body is everything and there is nothing beyond. A human life centered
on the body, lived for the body, beginning and ending with the body, that is
body attachment.
Body attachment does not think of the principle which is eternal, immortal and
essentially Divine. Body attachment is limited to food, raiment, and shelter. To
have food to eat, a place to live, and clothing, is enough satisfaction. To aim
for every comfort and convenience, all luxuries and pleasures, also describes
body attachment.
On the spiritual path, one has to grow beyond that, but not to the total neglect
of the body. Some people think that spirituality requires us to neglect the
body. Certainly not! They are totally mistaken. Looking shabby or unclean,
starving the body, these are not signs of spirituality.
One has to maintain the body. The body is a vehicle or an automobile of
transport and is an effective instrument gifted to man to realise the ultimate.
In other words, the body is a means to an end but not an end in itself. This
kind of awareness will help us to go beyond the limitations of the body and
beyond the attachment to the body; but we should never utterly neglect the body.
THE PURPOSE AND DUTY OF LIFE
Could you please tell us what is the purpose of life? What is the most important
duty in the life of every human being?
Two beautiful questions have been put to us. The first part of the question is,
“What is the purpose of life?” To a man of mundane interests and worldly
pursuits, the purpose of life is to be rich, or to be an intellectual, or to be
in a position of authority, or to wield influence in society; if possible, to
also dominate in any way possible. These seem to be the objectives of many
worldly people.
The purpose of human life is to merge in God
But spiritually-speaking, the purpose of life can be briefly stated like this.
To quote Bhagavan, I will give an illustration. The sun heats the waters of the
ocean, which in turn become vapour rising to the sky to form clouds. Clouds come
down to earth as rain, creating rivers and lakes. The rivers flow continuously,
through different areas, and their purpose is to ultimately merge back into the
ocean from where they were born.
So the river is brought out of the ocean and the purpose of the river is to
ultimately merge in the ocean. Until then, the river is very restless. It flows
in different areas and directions, each with its own name, form and taste. But
once the river merges in the ocean, it loses its form; it loses its name, and
loses its taste. It is as good as the ocean itself. So in the beginning, it was
the ocean, now it is the river, and in the future, it is going to be the ocean
once again.
The awareness that one is born out of this ocean of Divinity, is leading the
life of the river of individuality, and that one has to merge back into the
ocean is the purpose of human life. The purpose of human life is to merge in
God. Since he was born in God, he has to merge in God. Where is he between these
points? He is in God again, but unaware of this. He thinks he is out of God, but
he is in God. So he has to merge in God, of whom he is not aware.
Our main duty is to realise the Centre of our Being
And the second part of the question is, “What is our main duty?” The main duty
(as Bhagavan said) is to get out of that which we are not. What do I mean by
that?
Essentially, we are spirit. Basically, I am consciousness, but consciousness in
identification with the body leads away from reality. Consciousness in
identification with the mind goes still further from reality; and consciousness
in identification with the intellect goes even further away from reality.
So the reality is far distant from us. We have gone away from the centre of our
very being. The centre of our very being is consciousness or spirit or Atma. But
we have skipped over that centre and are groping in the darkness of the
periphery. We are in the periphery of the body, the periphery of the mind, and
the periphery of the intellect.
So our main duty is to realise the centre of our being, which happens to be the
same as the universal centre. The individual centre is not different from the
universal centre. The centre of my life is same as your centre; the centre of
our very being is the same as the universal centre.
So our main duty is to be away from that which we are not. In other words, to be
free from the peripheral dictates of mind, body and intellect, and to live in
the very centre, to be fully aware, to be fully alert, awake to the centre of
our very being. This is our duty.
Any other questions? To the extent of my knowledge, I will certainly give the
answers and if I do not know them, then I sincerely apologise and will wait for
the opportunity to ask Bhagavan for a reply. Till then for as long as promised,
and as long as He wills, I will respond to your questions.
The symbolic meaning of the lingam
I want to know about Mahashivaratri and the significance of the lingam
materialised by Bhagavan.
This is a question relating to Mahashivaratri (a very important spiritual
celebration – ‘the night of the God Shiva’), and the lingam (a small oval-shaped
object usually of gold or stone) which sometimes is materialised by Bhagavan.
First point: The meaning of the lingam is a sign or a symbol. The national flag
is a sign or a symbol of our nation. Likewise, the meaning of lingam is a sign,
a symbol or a mark. That is the first point I want to make clear.
Second point: Lingam means ‘the One who is the origin, the One responsible for
sustenance and the One into whom all the created objects merge back’. So the
lingam represents three principles: creation, sustenance and annihilation --
birth, growth and death. That is what it signifies.
Third point: Lingam represents the light of knowledge, jyotirlingam. It means
the light of wisdom or the light of knowledge.
Fourth point: Lingam represents the Atma or the Self, or we can say Atma lingam.
It represents the being. The lingam represents the eternal blissful state of our
awareness or consciousness. We are living in a dual world. We are passing
through dualistic experiences. But truly speaking, we are non-dual, eternal,
immortal and blissful. That’s what we really are. So the eternal, nectarine,
unpolluted Self or consciousness is the lingam, and that is termed Sada Siva
lingam. Sada means ‘eternal’, Sivam is ‘that which is auspicious, immortal’ and
linga is sign or symbol.
Fifth point: Lingam also represents our body. The body is made up of five
elements. Water and fire are internal; that is why we have a normal body
temperature of 98.4º. When fire is absent, the next step is a gathering in
honour of the departed soul. (Laughter) There is fire and water in the body;
there is air in our breath. The muscles are the earth; and then there is the
space within which the different systems are contained, as we keep our luggage
in a suitcase. So the five elements are present in the body. The five elements
are Divine, as Bhagavan said the other day. That’s what is meant by
Anda-Pinda-Brahmanda lingam. Anda-pinda lingam means ‘the body which is made of
the five essential elements’.
The body is composed of limbs and organs. These are called anga. They are all
linked. My hand is not different from my head (unless amputated). All are as
one, and therefore the body is in existence. The angas (limbs) are connected.
That is called sanga. The anga is in perfect harmony or unity in sanga; because
of the sanga, there is activity -- the mind thinks, the legs walk. This is all
due to the Atma or inner consciousness and is what we call linga. Therefore,
there is anga that gets unified (sanga), which leads to the activity of sanga
due to the entity linga.
Linga is always upwards, meaning the consciousness is upwards and universal. Our
mind is always downwards. That’s the reason why people are narrow-minded. The
spirit is never narrow, it is universal and expansive. So linga is always
upwards. It is limitless.
significance behind materialistion of linga
Now for the second part of the question about the linga materialised by
Bhagavan: Swami said the linga is present in everybody. He manifests that linga
from within for us to see that it is there. So our business from now on is to
think of linga being present in everyone of us. It is not exclusive; the
Divinity is present in every one of us. Bhagavan demonstrates this so that we
can see, realise, .and finally experience linga or the consciousness within each
one of us. That is the significance behind the materialisation of the linga.
Can you please share some of your experiences about Swami's omnipotence?
Let me postpone this question. I have had a number of experiences and once I go
into them, this present opportunity to answer other questions will be lost. I
shall certainly cover it, at some time.
Swami wants us to learn spiritual surrender
We all know that Swami is Brahmanda nayaka. He is able to control everything.
All the devotees are praying with heart and soul to see Him walk as He did
before. What does He want to teach us? There must be some lesson for us to learn
here. Can you please tell us?
The lesson for us to learn is to bear anything that comes in our life with
forbearance and patience, ungrudgingly, uncomplainingly, doing our work
regularly, happily, smiling, without having a break from our duties. Swami in a
wheelchair wants us to learn how to accept things. Let us not fight against
things that happen. Once I am reconciled, accepting all, that is called
‘surrender’ in spirituality. So He wants us to learn spiritual surrender. We
should learn to accept the reality given to us. But He is beyond and able to
carry on.
How about us poor mortals? We should also be able to carry on. But we are
disturbed by the slightest deviation from the normal routine of our life. A
simple headache is enough to declare curfew at home. (Laughter) A rise of one
degree in temperature will see no traffic on the street. A fight at home is
enough to apply for casual leave from work. That is our situation.
"I don’t want anybody to watch TV because I have a headache." (Laughter)
"Nobody can go out to have pizza or porridge, a donut, a pie or an ice-cream.
Don’t you know that I am running a temperature?" My temperature is a universal
problem. My headache is the headache of the world! (Laughter)
That’s how we feel; but here is Bhagavan who is beyond. That’s the lesson we are
supposed to learn. Suffer, but yet make everybody happy; accept unconditionally
what is given to you. That’s how I see it.
spirit of service culminates in liberation
Baba preaches service to mankind as the highest priority for mankind. Baba also
preaches that our ultimate aim is for liberation or moksha. What should it be?
Attain moksha or serve mankind?
Your question is very genuine because you are from the land of West Bengal where
the Indian renaissance movement took place. This question has two parts, service
to humanity and desire for liberation. What should be our priority?
My friend, liberation will take care of itself; let’s not worry about it. Let us
serve sincerely. Let us serve without the feeling of ‘I’m the doer’ (doership),
or ‘I am the cause’. This ‘I’-ness should go. Let us do it without wanting
enjoyment as the reward (enjoyership).
"You know what I have done? Let me tell Swami!"
"You know how things were when I was there. You can see how things have changed
now!"
Expectation of credit, felicitation, compliments, appreciation, all reflect the
spirit of ‘enjoyership’ or what we call bhogthruthva. I, the doer, is karthrthva.
Let us serve by giving up two things: yourself as the doer and yourself as the
enjoyer.
"I am not doing anything." Then does that mean you are not ‘doing’? Yes, you
are, but only as an instrument in His hands.
“I am not the enjoyer.” Why? The credit or discredit then goes to Him. When I am
the doer, I can be complimented or condemned. When I am not the doer, there is
no one to receive the compliment or discredit.
So when we do service like this, without being the one who enjoys or the one who
is the doer, you realise that God is everywhere. You realise that everyone
represents Divinity and that name and form are only signs of identification.
Basically, it’s all Divinity. That experience of oneness, universal
consciousness which is beyond name and form, is called liberation. Liberation is
nameless, formless, attribute-less, eternal, endless and without beginning, the
permanent state of consciousness.
A young tender fruit gradually increases in size. When the fruit is fully ripe
and ready, it falls to the ground. I just have to stand in front of the tree. I
don’t have to pray. When the fruit is ready, it falls on the ground by itself.
Similarly when the spirit of service is totally spiritual, Divine, selfless,
pure, it culminates in liberation. Service is not at the expense of liberation.
Our job is to serve; His job is to give.
Restoring the purity of heart is sadhana
Could you explain the meaning of Baba's words: “a pure heart is all sadhana
(spiritual practice)?”
Without any reservation, whatever I communicate or illustrate here is only from
Sai literature. I do not give my own opinion or thoughts on the subject under
discussion. I am totally free of that; be sure of it. (Laughter) I quote from
Swami's literature only.
So, what does Baba say about this? The heart is pure, but it becomes impure. A
handkerchief is white when manufactured; but once it is purchased, it becomes
dirty and marked with usage. So I give it to the washerman, who washes it
thoroughly and then irons it, so that it becomes as white as before.
So the heart is pure, but it is made impure because of ambition, desire, lust
and avarice. Due to all these pollutants, it has become dirty. Removing this
dirt is through spiritual practice, sadhana.
Therefore, our sadhana is to remove the dirt and stains by washing with soap and
water. Soap is the repetition of God’s Name, and the water is love. In that way,
all the dirt accumulated because of excessive usage can be removed and the heart
brought back to its original white (pure) nature. That’s what is meant by, “A
pure heart is all sadhana.”
Never give up the Divine values
Swami's teachings are simple and profound, but sometimes I find when I try to
apply them in my life, there is lot of resistance from the world. My heart says
to do something which is right, but trying to implement those principles is
difficult.
Suppose I am working with a team of 50 or so, and none agree with my point of
view. My heart says that it is true, but I don’t have courage to implement or
practice it. So what is my duty, in these instances?
A young and enterprising man as he enters the world will face such questions. I
can understand your position.
The first point: If the whole world agrees with what you do and what you say, it
is no longer sadhana. If everybody says "Good, whatever you say is fine, carry
on," it is not sadhana. Doing something in spite of opposition or resistance is
sadhana or spiritual practice.
The second point: The values you treasure are Divine. Naturally it is the duty
of the Divine to see that others also join you in due course of time. Initially
there will be opposition and some kind of conflict; but over time, people will
come to agree with your line of thought. Cheap worldly values are immediately
accepted, valued, and devalued. They do not retain their value. But the
essential Divine values take time for everybody to first accept, and then it
takes some more time return to that way of life. Never give up, and Swami will
support you.
I will give you one example. I won’t give any names. There was a situation where
a lecturer was served a three months’ notice to quit his job. He had to leave,
and from the moment the notice was served, people ignored him. People notice you
while you are in the notice of Bhagavan. Once away from that, we become
non-existent in the sight of fellow devotees. That’s the experience of many
people. So this man was served with the three months’ notice to quit. Everybody
stopped talking to him and he was totally ignored.
He is still very much here but I am not mentioning his name. Two months passed,
two months and fifteen days, twenty days. Everybody started asking when he would
leave. Just three days before the last day, he got a letter saying that he could
continue on at the university.
That’s what we call Divine intervention. He will never leave you. But our worry
and anxiety is to test how strong is our conviction, how committed we are to the
values that we cherish. Be patient. Patience, purity and perseverance are the
three P’s which will ultimately make you a victor, triumphant. Take it that He
is testing you. This is true with many people.
Realise the peace within you
I’m from Australia. I want to ask a question that has been on my mind for a long
time. It’s about man torturing his fellow man. We see brutal torture in the
newspapers and on television. I don’t feel that single prayers are enough. What
can we do to change man’s thinking? Why is torture here on earth?
It’s equally torturous to hear about torture. What can we do about torture, man
torturing his fellow man? Let me be very clear, torture does not necessarily
mean only that done on the physical body. One can torture another mentally. One
can be tortured intellectually. So torture is not only physical; it can be
psychological or intellectual.
Suppose you don’t listen to me, so I feel tortured. When you ignore me, I am
tortured. When you hit me, that is physical torture, which everybody can see. So
torture can have several aspects.
There is torture within every individual. The intellect decides something and
the mind does not agree. The senses desire things, but the intellect says ‘no’.
The intellect says, “Go to bhajans,” but the mind says, “Go to the cafeteria.”
The intellect says, “Stay on, Swami may come anytime,” but the mind says, “Have
your breakfast. Swami will come later, don’t worry.” (Laughter)
So, my friends, torture is a process going on within every individual. Torture
is also a phenomenon taking place between two individuals. Torture is a thing of
domination, a process of insult, shame and humiliation. Torture is a sign of
ego. Torture is violence and aggression. It is total brutal animalism, bestial.
What can we do? One nation wants to torture another nation; one group wants to
torture some other group. It is going on everywhere, from the individual to an
international level. What can I do? At least, let me try to live in peace within
myself. Do not let me torture myself.
One: Suppose I don’t eat. The world will not suffer, but my body is tortured.
You don’t eat; so what happens, you are torturing your body. You don’t sleep;
you are torturing your body. So I should not torture my body.
Two: I torture my mind by allowing desires to multiply. Mind wants a bicycle;
later it demands a scooter; then it insists on a car at least. Finally it craves
for a Mercedes! So by just allowing the mind to behave like that, I am torturing
myself. So don’t let me torture myself physically by over-fasting, or by neglect
of the body. Don’t let me torture myself because of the vagaries and fancies of
the mind, multiplying my desires.
Three: Don’t let me be tortured by the people around me. Sometimes people are
also capable of torturing you.
When you are immersed in bhajans, somebody sits by and says, "Do you know what
happened in 1980?"
The bhajan is on, so why don’t you keep your mouth shut! (Laughter)
Suddenly when we are sitting with eyes closed, somebody will come and ask, "Did
you read this book?”
You go and read, why disturb me!
People want to speak about themselves and what they have done chronologically.
"1970 was my first visit; December 15th,1975, my second visit,” and so on.
Ultimately we begin to feel like saying, “Swami, why did you allow him to visit
You so many times because he is torturing everybody!”
Blowing one’s own trumpet means you are torturing someone else. The boastful
pride and the ego serve as effective implements to torture others.
So let me not torture myself and let me not torture others. Let me live in peace
within myself and pray to God:
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu.
Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi.
May all the worlds be happy.
Om…Peace, peace, peace.
‘Let there be peace.’ That is the prayer that we can do at the individual level.
Say ANY NAME OF GOD to pacify the mind
Swami says so many things about the mind. He says the mind functions on several
levels and that we can tame it or get over it, and slowly illuminate it. For
mortals like us, even controlling some desires relating to the external world is
really difficult. How can we do what Swami advises: “Practice slowly and reach
that level where you go past the mind?”
The mind refuses to be controlled, just like a child. The mind is a mad monkey,
as Swami says. Swami says so many things about the mind, and we say, "Never
mind!" (Laughter) But to control the mind, knowing that it is uncontrollable,
here is the technique we need:
That’s why Swami says:
Govindethi Sada Jnanam,
Govindethi Sada Japam,
Govindethi Sada Dhyanam,
Sada Govinda Keerthanam.
Oh mind, if I let you go, I know what you will do. You will not leave me till I
am miserable.
You will not leave me until I feel absolutely suicidal, totally frustrated, and
disappointed.
I know you do that, O mind.
Now I will give you an exercise to engage the mind. First, I will tell you a
small story.
A beggar prayed to God. God appeared and asked, "What do you want?"
"Oh God, I have so many things to ask, please give me some time."
Then God said, "Ok, here is a devil. This devil will supply whatever you want,
but on one condition: if you no longer make any requests, it will swallow you."
This fellow thought, "C'mon, I can do that. I have so many desires, more than
sufficient for the devil.”
So he kept on commanding the devil, "I want food, I want a house," and so on.
The devil went on supplying all that he wanted. The list was eventually
exhausted. He had everything in this world. Then he started to run and the devil
chased him.
He prayed to God, "Oh, God, save me now!"
God appeared and asked what he wanted.
"Swami, the devil is ready to swallow me."
"You wanted this. What should I do?"
“No, no, save me!"
Then God said, "Get a pole and ask the devil to climb up and down the pole until
further orders."
Those orders are still in place and the devil is still moving up and down. It
cannot travel elsewhere.
The mind is like that. The pole is the body, the devil is the mind. If you say,
“So-hum, Hari Om” (or any Name of God), it will not swallow you.
So the best way to control the mind is to engage the mind. If the mind is not
engaged, the thought at that moment needs additional energy. Thought is energy.
By ruminating over that thought, it draws more energy; it becomes more energetic
and causes the body to act. By that stage, we are finished.
So let us not give strength to the thought by ruminating or reflecting on it.
When thought comes, say "Hari Om." If thoughts come in between, do it again. In
that way we can pacify our mind.
But to control it is not easy. Trying to control the mind is something like
trying to contain the ocean in a tumbler. Can you do it? It’s impossible. If
anyone says, "I have controlled the mind," don’t believe him. He is a fraud. He
doesn’t know what the mind is. Never mind him.
The mind can be engaged; it cannot be controlled. The children are making a lot
of noise. When guests come, they are even noisier. (Laughter) We feel very
embarrassed; what shall we do? Let them watch a children’s program on
television, or some cartoons. They love it and it keeps them entertained. Now,
you can talk amongst yourselves. (Laughter) But if you beat the children, it
creates an additional problem. They will start crying and get into mischief.
(Laughter) You cannot control them by force.
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 Sri Bhagavan Sri Satya Sai Babaji ki, Jai!
-------------
top
Note: This Audio & Text has the copyright of the author -
Prof. ANIL KUMAR
. It is
"reproduced" on this website only for the purpose of (seva) service so
that Sai Baba devotees can download
AUDIO Of Prof. ANIL KUMAR SATSANG Sunday
Satsang at Prashanti Nilayam.
