Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

EMBODIMENTS of Divine love! Today the world is replete with great intellectuals, learned scholars who excel in logomachy, professional politicians and sanyasis who flaunt the ochre robe. But the divinity that is inherent in humanity is not to be seen at all. People have forgotten their Divine essence. Humanity has to discover its basic human qualifies. Whatever learning one may acquire, whatever positions one may occupy, however great a scientist one may be, if he lacks human values, he is no human being at all. What is humanness? Essentially it means unity in thought, word and deed. When what one thinks differs from what he says and what he does, he ceases to be human. He becomes a demon. Today what men have to cultivate is unity and purity in thought, word and deed. True human qualities can grow only in a heart filled with spiritual aspirations, like a seed sown in a fertile soil and not on a piece of rock. Hence, to develop these qualities, men will have to develop compassion and equanimity amidst the vicissitudes of life.

Man today is caught up in meaningless worries, endless desires and unattainable ambitions and has no peace of mind. To one who is groping in the darkness of ignorance and peacelessness, it is spiritual illumination alone that can reveal the right path. Today cynicism and apathy are rampant. People are not interested in religious discourses. The reason is that these discourses are confined to the platform. There is no earnest enquiry into the value of these teachings, nor is there practice of the precepts. The foremost need today is to live the life of the Spirit.

For the progress of the world, it is not some factory or industry that is needed. The world needs good students and good men and women. Only then the nation will progress. Men do not realise that as their desires increase, their happiness diminishes. There is no limit to desires. They multiply like ants in an anthill. There is no sense of satisfaction, however much one may possess or enjoy. Animals and birds have contentment. They have neither the selfish propensity to hoard nor the sinful quality of exploiting others. Man alone is prone to acquisitive hoarding and exploitation.

To realise one's divinity, there is no need to embark on a long quest. Divinity is all-pervading and is present in and outside every being. Every man is an embodiment of the Divine. God is the embodiment of love. Man who has emerged from God, is also an embodiment of love. But, because he expresses his love towards external objects, he is forgetting the truth about his inner being. Instead of limiting his love within narrow confines, man should extend it to all and thereby make his life purposeful and worthy.

Today love is disappearing even between mother and children, father and son, husband and wife and between friends. Narrow-minded attachments are divisive in their nature. These should give place to a broad feeling of love and regard for all on the basis that the same Divine is present in everyone.

There is an example from the Mahabharata to illustrate this situation. Because of Sri Krishna's grace, all the Pandava brothers survived the Kurukshetra war. All the hundred Kaurava brothers died in the war. Seeing the plight of Gandhari, not one of whose sons had survived the war, people blamed Krishna for such a calamity. Krishna went to Gandhari to console her. On seeing Krishna, she burst out in anger: "Krishna! Being Divine, should you exhibit such favouritism? Could you not have saved at least one of my sons?" Smilingly Krishna replied: "Mother! Did you set your eyes on even one of your sons? When you yourself did not choose to cast your eyes on your sons, how do you expect God to look at them?" (Gandhari had blindfolded herself from the time of her marriage to her blind husband, Dhritarashtra, and had never removed the bandage out of devotion to her husband). You have to earn the mother's love. There is nothing greater than one's mother and Motherland.

Man is beset today with many problems and difficulties. He alone is a true human being who faces these difficulties with fortitude and overcomes them. For this, what is required is strength of the Spirit. Without spiritual strength, all other things are valueless. Karna had physical strength and material wealth. But he lacked Divine grace and hence he fell in the battle.

Embodiments of Divine Love! Remember always that God permeates everything in the cosmos. Everything you experience is Divine. What all you see is Divine. What you eat is Divine. The air you breathe is Divine. You cannot see the air, nor can you grasp it. Likewise you cannot grasp God. The eyes cannot see Him. He can only be experienced in the heart. He is beyond the mind.

The human birth is precious. Sanctify it by leading righteous lives. Do not fritter it away. Whatever spiritual discipline you may practise or not, cultivate love for all. Offer that love as a divine offering to all. Only through love can world unity be promoted. It is because of the absence of love that all kinds of differences arise.

Make this the ruling principle of your life. Be considerate to everyone. Today speeches are made on Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema (Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love) and exhibitions are organised to propagate these values. But there is no attempt to exemplify these values by practical living. Of what avail are speeches and exhibitions if these values are not practised? The world will not be reformed by propaganda. It is only when there are living examples of these ideals that they become meaningful and inspiring. All the Chaos in the world is due to the fact that people lead double lives. They say one thing and act differently. There should be unity in thought, word and deed. True spirituality consists in promoting human unity through harmonious living and sharing the joy with one and all. Bhajans and all forms of worship are only good actions, but are spiritually not important. Devotion consists in expressing love towards all. You cannot effect a change of heart by speeches. They often lead to confusion and conflict. Better than speeches is practice of love, with faith in the Divine. Follow the path of love and redeem your lives.