Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

Why should one be born at all on earth If he will not lift his hands in prayer to Siva, Chant the name of Hari with his tongue, And is not filled with compassion and love for Truth? He is a curse for the mother who bore him. This is a poem by Pothana. It was blossoming from the flowers of his heart. It is the essence of the three yogas (Karma, Jnana and Bhakthi). It signifies the Karma-thraya (the three-fold action) in thought, word and deed. It shows the royal path to Liberation. "Chethularanga Shivuni Puujinchadeni" (If one will not worship Shiva with his hands) refers to the Karma-marga, the path of action. This is the first among the three yogas expounded in the Upanishaths. This is the first chapter in the Bhagavath Geetha. "Noru novvanga hari Keerthi nuduvadeni" (If one will not chant the glories of Hari with his tongue) refers to the second step. This is the Bhakthi yoga preached in the Vedas and the Upanishaths. This is the Bhakthi yoga extolled in the Geetha. "Dayayu Sathyamu tha thanuvedeni" (If he does not cherish compassion and Truth) refers to the primary duty of man to cherish in thought, word and deed, truth and compassion. Only he is a true man who has all three qualities. The Upanishaths define man as one who has full faith. Today, people instead of adhering to this sacred path, are ruining their precious human life by taking to wrong ways.

"Truth is the ornament for the neck." "Charity is the ornament for the hand." "Listening to sacred scriptures is the ornament for the ears." What other ornaments does a man need if he had these three? So says a Sanskrith saying. The ornaments which people wear today are a source of fear. But if the ornaments of truth, charity, and listening to sacred discourses are worn, there is no cause for fear. This is called Abhaya (fearlessness). The most important element in man's existence is sankalpa (firm thought). As are the 'thoughts, so is the speech. As is the speech so are the actions. The harmony of these three will lead to the experience of Divinity. Words come out of the heart. They should be filled with compassion. The heart is the abode of compassion. It is the source of' love. Hence whatever emanates from the heart should be filled with love. That love should express itself in speech. The flow of love in speech should find concrete expression in action. The heart is the seat of the Paramatma (Supreme Self). The Ganga that flows from it is the river of Truth. Actions are the harvest that is reaped from the field watered by Truth. Hence, it is said that the high-souled beings are marked by harmony in thought, word and deed. Unfortunately, today people think in one way, speak in another way and act differently. As a result, humanness has been degraded today. To raise it to its proper level, the triune unity of thought, word and deed is essential. This is the penance for our times. This is the means to realise peace. This is the truth. This is everything.

The cosmos was born out of Truth and merges in Truth. This is the Truth that is a manifestation. God is Truth. The human form is an expression of the Divine. Having emanated from the Divine, man should manifest his Divine origin by manifesting his inherent divine qualities. But, man is behaving in a demonic manner.

Man has to rise above the animal nature. He has to express his divine potencies. For this, man has to acquire Athmik knowledge (Knowledge of the Divine Self). Atma is the all-pervading Universal Consciousness. It is immanent in everyone. Only as along as this consciousness is present in the human body it is called Shivam. Once the consciousness leaves the body it becomes Shavam (a corpse). To experience the Divine within you all you have to do is to dedicate all your actions to the Divine. No other spiritual exercise is necessary. This does not mean you should give up other forms of worship like japa. The basic equipment is that whatever spiritual exercise is done it should be performed whole-heartedly, with full concentration. For instance, we have Likhitha Japa. (Bundles of notebooks in which devotees had written the name of the Lord thousands of times had earlier been placed at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan). Today people write the names without thinking aloud the name of the Lord in their minds and uttering the names with their mouths. As you start writing the Name, you must first reflect on the Name in the mind and utter the Name by the mouth, and then write the name with your hand, This is Likhitha japa, the penance of writing the Lord's name. Some people, to complete the writing of the name a crore of times, resort to devices like using carbon paper to multiply the number of names written or cyclostyling what they have written once. This cannot be described as Likhitha Japa. The name should get inscribed in the heart. It then becomes a kind of negative from which any number of prints can be taken.

Whatever you do, deem it as God's work. This can be applied to every ordinary act in daily life, whether it is sweeping the floor, or preparing chappathis or cutting vegetables. Everyone of these acts can be turned into a spiritual exercise by the spirit in which you do it. To perform every act as an offering to the Divine is true devotion. India and the world are today suffering from disorder and violence because people have lost Atma-Vishvasa (faith in the Self). They are fostering attachment to the body and ignoring the Spirit. Man should not follow the senses which are wayward, the body which is perishable, or the mind which is fickle. He must follow the conscience, which tells him what is right or wrong. From ancient times, Bharatheeyas have adhered to the four goals of human life: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha (Righteousness, wealth, desire and Liberation). But all the goals were linked to Dharma (Righteousness). Wealth should be acquired by righteous means. Desires should be related to what is righteousness. When wealth and desires are associated with Dharma, Moksha (Liberation) is easily attained.

Many devotees come to Svami and pray to Svami to show them the way. What is it that is to be shown to them? I tell them, "You crazy ones! There is no need for any new path for you. You go back by the way you came. You came from the Atma. You go back to the Atma." Here you have come from your respective places. You may spend a few hours or a few days here You will then return to your homes. You go on pilgrimages. But whatever places you may visit ultimately you return to your Svasthanam (native place). The true Svasthanam is the Abode of the Spirit - Sva + Sthanam. People who are not aware of the spiritual basis of life take to wrong courses.

Embodiments of love! Undergoing many hardships, you have come here out of your devotion and faith to experience the bliss of staying here in spite of many inconveniences. You 'must carry with you the same blissful feelings when you go back to your homes. Today each of you is experiencing separately. But when you go back, by recalling this experience you feel the presence of all the others in your hearts. Install the Divine in your hearts and carry on your duties with devotion and dedication. Remember the ultimate message of Vyasa that the whole purpose of life is to render help to others and avoid the sin of doing harm to others.

Shri Narayana Rao (who had spoken earlier) urged that Righteousness should grow in the world. Where is this Righteousness? It is in your conduct, your thoughts, words and deeds. Righteousness dwells in your heart. When the impulses arising from the heart are expressed in words, that is Sathya. To put into action your words is Dharma. For all these Love is primary. Love in action is Righteousness. Love in speech is Truth. Love in thought is Peace. Love in understanding is Non-violence. When you realise that God is in everyone, you will practise non-violence. God is one, though He may be worshipped in different forms and under different names. You may call him Rama or Krishna, Allah or Jesus, Hari or Sayee. Any Name can be uttered by any one. Embodiments of love! If you want to transform the world, to promote all-round prosperity in the country, to make the prayer that "all people should be happy" become a reality, develop faith in the Self. Never forget God. Without God there is no universe. Let the non-believers have their way. But they have no right to question the beliefs of others. To ask for physical proofs of the existence of experience like bliss or love or for subtle things like the fragrance of a flower is impracticable. To deny the reality of love on the ground that it has no recognizable form is meaningless. Love may have no form. But the mother who exhibits love has a form. All beings are manifestations of the Cosmic Divine. The forms are different but the spirit that animates them all is One, like the current that illumines bulbs of different colours and wattage. Cultivate this feeling of oneness and do not be critical of any faith or religion. Dedicate your lives to the service of your fellow-beings. Thereby you will be redeeming your lives.