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Video Part 2 - Gurupoornima 2011
GURU POORNIMA 2011 SPECIAL
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Sai Video Presentation
Sairam! With Guru Poornima around the corner, let us
refresh ourselves with the teachings of our beloved Guru,
Bhagawan Baba. And as we drench ourselves in that nectarous
shower of love and grace, we invite all of you to join us.
In this sacred land of Bharat, forbearance is the real
beauty. The modern man has no idea what forbearance is. He
is not able to realise that forbearance is the real beauty
in this sacred land. One bereft of this virtue is no human
being at all. We should have sympathy and forbearance
towards the poor and the physically challenged. But man
today shows disgust towards such unfortunate people. In fact
sahana (tolerance) is the most valuable and sacred mantra of
the Bharatiyas. But man, out of his ignorance, has given up
such a sacred mantra and is carried away by yantra and
tantra (classified devices or techniques to aid one's
spiritual pursuit).
There is one point we must keep in mind here. When Swami
refers to Bharatiya, He does not mean the people who reside
in the geographical borders of India. 'Bha' means Bhagawan
and 'Rathi' means attachment. It is not mere ordinary love
but the soul's deep longing for union with the Divine. A
true Bharathiya is one who has this kind of love for God.
And the place of residence of such a lover of God is Bharat.
In this discourse on July 2, 2004, Swami went further and
explained the true meaning of love and forbearance.
This video
presentation is a collage of five clips of the Divine
Discourse delivered on the occasion of Guru Poornima
2004. Presented below is the transcript of these
messages supplemented with connecting narrations.
Embodiments of Love! Love is not merely that which exists
between two individuals at the physical level. True love is
that which exists between two hearts. Bharatiyas today are
neglecting such sacred and noble love. It is only the love
towards God that has sustained and protected the people in
this sacred land of Bharat since ancient times, just as the
eye lid protects the eye. This divine love permeates the
entire universe. It is present wherever you look for it.
There is nothing in this world except divine love. All other
types of love are only mere passing infatuations. Real love
emerges from the depth of one’s heart. Cultivating such
divine love and sharing it with others is most pleasing to
Me. Today everywhere you find worldly and physical love for
achieving selfish ends. But you cannot call that real love.
Real love is sacred, divine and selfless, and it has to
spring from one’s heart.
Swami is an expert in giving examples. The mike into which
He is speaking, the lights above, the tumbler of water next
to Him, the handkerchief - all become objects to teach us
profound lessons. When Swami explains the vedic chant
Sahasrasheersha Purusha He says that it does not mean that
the cosmic Lord has thousand heads, hands and legs. It only
means that whomsoever we see in society is a part of God;
that is why one must salute everyone. Swami explains this
concept with a unique example.
(Showing a flower . . .) What is this? This is a flower.
Everybody says so. But the truth is it is a manifestation of
divinity. There are several petals in it which represent
divinity. If the petals are taken out one by one, it cannot
be called a flower. Similarly, if there is no love in a
human being, he cannot be called an “Embodiment of love”.
The source and sustenance for the entire universe is love.
This quality of love takes different shapes in different
individuals, say between father, mother, brothers and
sisters, but you refer to it all as love. All these
individuals together constitute a family. It is not enough
if you limit your love to the family members. The entire
universe must live like a family. Whomever you see, offer
your pranams; say 'Namaskar! Namaskar!' Can you come across
a nobler feeling than this? All the forms you come across in
this world are embodiments of divinity. There is nothing in
this universe which is not divine.
Is it any surprise then that Swami tells us to relentlessly
serve society? And how should this service be? It is not as
if we are helping someone, truly we are redeeming ourselves
through our service. Swami tells us the story of how a saint
jumped into the slush to save a struggling calf. When
praised for his selfless act, he replied, “When I saw the
suffering calf, I felt intense pain in my heart. I did
nothing selfless - I merely relieved the anguish of my
heart; thats all.” Now that is how Swami wants us to serve
all. And when we do that, we shall see Him in all, every
time.
God has only one attribute - love. That is His form. When
someone converses with Me lovingly, My joy knows no bounds.
If people employ empty rhetoric without love to describe My
qualities, I am not at all pleased or impressed. Talk to Me
with a loving heart. Pray to Me with a love-filled heart.
Whatever you pray for with a loving heart, I will readily
respond. With love call out to me as “Sai” and I will
readily respond saying “Oyi”. Any amount of prayer devoid of
love cannot move Me. If you call Me with love, I will
respond immediately, wherever I am. There is nothing greater
than love. Therefore if you wish to have the darshan of God
and experience Him, pray to Him lovingly. You may have any
amount of wealth and virtues, but they are no match to the
quality of love. The sweetness inherent in the word prema is
not to be found anywhere else in the world. The more you
cultivate and practise it, the sweeter will be your
personality. Therefore cultivate love as the foremost
quality in you.
God gives us what we desire so that one day we may desire
what He has come to give. In the celebrated book
Autobiography of a Yogi Sri Yogananda refers to the saint
Bhaduri Mahasaya who had forsaken great family wealth to
become a yogi. When he was asked about it, he replied with a
mild rebuke, “You are reversing the case! I gave up a few
paltry rupees for a cosmic empire of endless bliss. The
worldly folk are the real renunciates. They relinquish an
unparalleled Divine Love for the sake of earthly toys.” Let
us be wise and seek from Swami, what He has come to give.
On this auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, love is the
most valuable gift I hand over to you. This is my most
precious gift to you. Devoid of love, whatever other gifts I
may give, they will be of no use. My love is pure, sacred
and most precious. You also cultivate such love.
Prema Muditha Manase Kaho....