|Daily Sai news|
19
November 2005 |
Ladies Day |
Prasanthi Nilayam |
Exclusive Resource:
80th birthday day
& evening:
All the photos, audio,video & reports
REALISE YOUR
INNATE DIVINITY TO ATTAIN PEACE
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse delivered on the occasion of 80th
Birthday at Santhi Vedika in Hill View Stadium on 23rd November 2005)
Note:
Discourses of Sri Sathya Sai Baba
on this SBOIwebsite/group are unedited, authentic & only
sourced from the official Sai baba sites.
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)
.
back to main birthday news page
Latest birthday Photos large size
KING og kings Lord Sri Sai Baba On His silver throne
23 -nov-05
Swami's arrival in the morning
& cheerful devotees -
Latest
live report 1
-
Latest live report
2
evening program- report
evening celebrations Photos
***SBOI***
Home |