Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

Embodiments of Love! The main aim of human life is to acquire the knowledge of the Self. This is the true Purushartha (goal of life). Human life will find fulfillment if this goal is attained.

The ability to distinguish between that which is permanent and that which is transitory, the ability to control the internal and external senses, yearning for liberation and the path of inquiry - all these four (the four auspicious qualities) depend on devotion. The word bhakti (devotion) (derived from the root word bhaj) means pure, unsullied and selfless love toward God.

In this world, no other virtue is greater than love. Love is truth, love is righteousness, and love is wealth. This world originated from love, is sustained by love, and ultimately merges in love. Every atom has its origin in love.

There are innumerable powers such as atomic power, magnetic power, etc., in this world, but the power of love surpasses them all. Life bereft of faith and love is meaningless and useless. For man in this world, love is life and love is everything. It is from love that the five elements (pancha bhutas) have emerged. It is love that shines brilliantly in every individual. But man, not being able to comprehend the significance of love attributes physical relationship to it. The love of a mother toward her child is vatsalya (affection). The love that exists between wife and husband is moha (infatuation). The love that exists among friends and relations is anuraga (attachment). The love toward material objects is ichcha (desire). Love directed toward God in totality is known as bhakti (devotion).

It is only love that encompasses and permeates the entire world. None can exist without love even for a moment, be it human beings or animals or birds or insects. This love is the very form of God. But today, man is misusing this sacred love by diverting it toward the ephemeral world. Never underestimate the power of love. Our ancient Rishis, leading a life of solitude in dense forests, could live in harmony even with wild animals only because of the power of their love.

There is nothing that love cannot achieve in this world. It can even melt the hardest of rocks. When the principle of love in every human being is unified, it becomes cosmic love (viswa prema). Do you want to quench your thirst for love? Yearn for His grace and worship Him.

In order to experience bliss, develop love more and more. The more you develop love, the more you will experience bliss. Bliss (Ananda) cannot be attained without love. In fact, it is love that takes the form of bliss.

Hiranyakasipu made every attempt to wean Prahlada away from the Godward path. But never did Prahlada give up chanting the divine name of Narayana. One day, Hiranyakasipu, on being prompted by Narada, called Prahlada and asked him, “Son, what is that you have learnt so far?” In reply, Prahlada sang a verse in praise of Narayana:

Narayana Param Brahma, Narayana Param Prema, Narayana Param Thapa Saryam Narayana Sama.

He said, “Father, I have learnt that Narayana is the Supreme Lord. He is the embodiment of love. Repetition of His name is the greatest penance, and everything is Narayana only.” Like Prahlada, you too chant the divine name always. Saints like Jayadeva, Gauranga, Thukaram, and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa prayed to the Lord fervently and yearned for His love. Cry for the Lord, just as Sakkubai and Meera did, unable to bear the pangs of separation. They could have His vision and earn His grace only due to such intense yearning. But, due to the impact of Kali age, people want to attain divine grace without making any effort whatsoever. Wickedness, misery, and violence are on the rise because love for God is waning. Transform all your wicked qualities like jealousy and anger into love.

God is the creator of this world. He is the presiding deity of action (Karmadhyaksha). You cannot have a table unless there is a carpenter to make it. You cannot construct a house unless there is a builder. Likewise, for everything there is a creator. All that you see, mobile and immobile, is the creation of God. That is the reason, He is extolled as Karmadhyaksha. He presides over every activity.

Today, spiritual aspirants undertake various types of sadhana (spiritual exercise) such as meditation, penance, yoga, and chanting Vedic hymns. Love should be the undercurrent of all these spiritual exercises or else it will be a sheer waste of time. No benefit accrues from chanting mantras if they are not coupled with the feeling of love. The Vedas declare: Na karmana na prajaya dhanena thyagenaikena amritatmanasuhu (neither wealth nor progeny nor good deeds can confer immortality; it can be attained only through sacrifice). Immortality is nothing but love. Love is nectarine, it is infinite and all bliss.

Today people are not making any effort to understand this principle of love. It is only the power of love that can nullify a curse or a sin. It is only love that can remove all the bitter feelings and enhance the sweetness of life.

Every human being is expected to be a friend and well wisher of the world. But such feeling of friendship and love is lacking in man today. Just as a honeybee sucks nectar from a flower, so also man should be able to draw the water of happiness even from the well of misery. That is the true quality of love.

Pleasure is an interval between two pains. Pleasure and pain co-exist in God's creation itself. Take for instance how God has made the human body. The bright and beautiful face has pitch dark hair above it. But, in fact, that adds to the beauty of the face. Likewise, pleasure has value only when pain is associated with it. Good and bad co-exist in everything. But today, man is not attracted by good, he sees only bad in everything.

Every action is under the control of God. Earth revolves around itself at the rate of 18.5 miles per second. It takes one year for the earth to revolve around the sun. Light travels at an incredible speed of 1,86,284 miles per second. It takes 22,000 crores of years for the light to go around the universe.

According to the Vishnu Sahasranama sthotra, the entire universe is the very form of Vishnu (Viswam Vishnuswarupam). Even if man were to travel at the speed of light, it will take 22,000 crore years to circumambulate Lord Vishnu. Who can live for such a long period of time? Due to the evil effects of Kali Age, man is not able to live even for hundred years, let alone 22000 crore years!

But it is possible to go around the Viswa Swarupa (God in the form of universe) in one second. It is love that makes it possible. The speed of love is such that it can go around the universe in one second. The speed of light may be estimated, but not the speed of love.

But man has put barriers around such transcendental and infinite love and is using it for trivial purposes. That is why the world has become chaotic today. People may attribute various reasons for the lack of peace and security. But the main reason is that man is not able to develop love within. He is not making any effort to realize the presence of the infinite, immortal, and nectarine love within.

Let your thoughts, words, and deeds be suffused with love. Let your life be filled with love. Nothing else is required to have the vision of the Divine (Sakshatkara). Love is God, live in love.

Today, love finds no place in the human heart, since it has become a den of desires. Where there is love, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is truth. Where there is truth, there is God. So develop faith in God.

Yesterday someone asked Me how to develop faith. I replied that faith is way of life. It is but natural to a man. The feeling of I am itself signifies faith. I am means I exist. Am (existence) itself denotes faith. Without faith in your existence, you cannot live even for a moment in the world.

Truth, sacrifice, and righteousness constitute humanness. Truth is neethi (morality), Dharma is reethi (code of conduct), and sacrifice is khyathi (reputation). The combination of all these is manava jathi (human race). One cannot be called a human being on the basis of form. One has to adhere to truth, uphold dharma, and develop the spirit of sacrifice to deserve the title of human being.

Divine grace is the true wealth. Acquire that and you would have acquired everything. Character is important, not wealth. But man is wasting his life hankering after wealth. No doubt money is necessary, but it should be within certain limits. Spend your time in serving others. Love your fellowmen. Surrender yourself to God. Nothing surpasses divine love. The entire world is permeated with love.

The Vedas declare: Anther bahischa tat sarvamvyapya Narayana sthitha (That all-pervasive God is present within and without). All names and forms are His. Names and forms may vary, but the Atma is the same in all. Recognize the unity of all beings. That will result in universal love. The world is a mansion. All belong to the caste of humanity. Unity should prevail in such a mansion.

Embodiments of Love! Today is Guru Purnima. What is its significance?

The Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheswara are within us. That is why I often say you are not one but three. This is the meaning of the three words Bhur, Bhuvah, Suvah in the Gayathri mantra. Bhur means bhuloka (earth). The earth is made up of matter. Therefore, the human body, which is also made up of matter, is called bhuloka. This can also be referred to as materialisation.

Bhuvaha means life force.(prana) It is this life force that makes the body move. It is known as vibration.

Suvaha means wisdom. This is known as radiation. The Vedas declare: Prajnanam Brahma. This Prajnana is nothing but radiation. Human being is a combination of materialisation, vibration, and radiation. You don't need to search for God outside. Turn your vision inward. There you will find God.

Today is full moon day. The Vedas say: “Chandrama Manaso Jatha Chaksho Suryo Ajayatha Mukha dindrascha Agnishcha (the moon was born out of the mind, the sun out of the eyes, and the fire and Indra out of the mouth of the Supreme Purusha).” Moon is the presiding deity of the mind. That day is Purnima, in the true sense of the term, when the mind is filled with pure love. Let your mind shine brilliantly like the moon on a full moon day. This is possible only when you fill your mind with love.

Embodiments of Love! Today, we find people depositing their money in banks. Likewise, deposit the power of your senses, your mind, and the wisdom in the bank of God. They will never diminish; they will continue to grow forever and will be returned to you in times of need. Sustain and safeguard sacred love. Never give vent to hatred. Consider whatever happens as good for you. You might have seen in newspapers that the Indian army had a confrontation at the border. But whatever has happened is good for India in the sense that the Chinese, the Americans, and the Russians have become more friendly with India and India has earned a good reputation in the international community. It is the peace-loving nature of India that has made this possible. Peace is the real virtue of India.

Once, when I went to Bombay, the then head of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Sri K.M. Munshi, convened a conference of intellectuals. He asked Me to address them. One person from the audience asked Me, “Swami, America and Russia are manufacturing more and more weapons. But India is lagging far behind in this respect. Should not India also manufacture weapons?” I told him, “Dear one, what Bharat (India) needs today is not arms and ammunition. It needs to uphold Dharma. Dharmo rakshathi rakshithaha (if you protect dharma, dharma will protect you in return). We should not waste money in manufacturing weapons.

Some countries are spending a lot of money on defense and, as a result, the people of those countries are suffering for want of proper food. Only divine love and grace and not weapons can protect a nation. You might have read in the Mahabharata that Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva implicitly obeyed the command of Dharmaja, the embodiment of dharma. Likewise, India, America, and Russia can be compared to Dharmaja, Arjuna and Bhima respectively. Just as Arjuna and Bhima obeyed Dharmaja, so also America and Russia will follow India provided India upholds dharma. What India needs to possess is Sathyasthra and Dharmasthra, the weapons of truth and righteousness. Both are inherent in the principle of love. Just as a gigantic tree emerges out of a small seed, the entire universe originated from love.

Embodiments of Love! In this world, you can achieve everything with love. I am the best example for this. Love is My greatest property. I love everybody and do not desire anything except love. The power of love can transform earth into sky and sky into earth. There is nothing in this world that cannot be achieved by love.

Here is a small example. Many students are coming here for studies. But modern education is not doing any good to the world. All the subjects like physics, botany, and chemistry will help only to eke out a livelihood. But none of them can attract the human heart as music does.

Even God is attracted by music. Once, Narada asked Vishnu, “Swami, You have various branch offices like Vaikunta, Kailasa, and Swarga. But I want to know the address of Your head office so that I can contact You without delay.” Vishnu said, “Madbhaktha yathra gayanthi tathra thistami Narada (you will find Me installed wherever My devotees sing My glory).” That is why God is extolled as Ganapriya and Ganalola (lover of music). It is music that melts human heart and literally moves everyone.

So, music should be started in our colleges. I wanted to start a music college here. But I did not tell anybody about this. I usually do not tell what My plans are. Whatever I Will certainly happens.

Last week a devotee named Puri from Indonesia came here and prayed to Me to start a music college here for which, he said, he would donate 10 crore rupees. The modern music is essential. But along with that, street plays, Harikathas (singing the stories of God) have to be encouraged. Music plays a vital role in fostering Indian culture.

The construction of this college will commence in the next month i.e. Sravana. The current month is Ashada, in which, according to the elders, a new project is not undertaken. That is the reason I postponed the commencement of construction to next month.

Last month when I was in Bangalore, one day, the Chief Minister of Karnataka came to Me and said, “Swami, You have constructed a Super Specialty Hospital in Prasanthi Nilayam, which is of immense benefit to the poor. But diseases are common for both the rich and the poor, urban and rural. It will be of great help to the people of Bangalore city if You would be kind enough to establish another Super Specialty Hospital here.” I just smiled and did not say anything.

The very next week, the Chief Minister, the Finance Minister, the Revenue Minister, and many other dignitaries came here with the documents concerning the registration of 70 acres of land. This plot is situated adjacent to the Information and Technology Park. They are supplying water and electricity. If you are prepared to undertake noble tasks, the whole world will support you.

An American devotee named Sinclair has come forward to donate money for this hospital. Previously he had donated for the Super Specialty Hospital in Prasanthi Nilayam also. I have not told about this project to anyone else, otherwise there would have been a shower of gold.

There are many men of sacrifice in this world. But I do not like to ask anyone. One should never doubt whether the good task undertaken will find fruition or not. Many more things are going to happen in the future.

Fill your hearts with love. There is no wealth, no dharma, no meditation greater than love. I expect all of you to live in unity like brothers and sisters. If you become embodiments of love, you will become divine. Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati (the knower of Brahman verily becomes Brahman).

Students are the long-journey passengers, traveling in this train of society. All the elders are bound to get down soon. So, it is the paramount duty of students to develop sacred love. The main education offered in our institute is love alone. Do not love God for the sake of worldly desires. Love Him with spiritual outlook. Gopikas prayed to Krishna,

I am giving you all free education and free medical care, in return you have to give Me only one thing, and that is love. Develop love. That is all I want from you. I want you to take a vow that you will lead a life suffused with love from today onward. With this, I bring my discourse to a close.