Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

Truth is your true mother and Wisdom the true father, Dharma is the true brother and Compassion the true friend; The true wife is Peace and the true son Forgiveness

Embodiments of Love! In this world, every individual has a mother. The entire humanity has also one mother, and we should try to know her. This mother is Truth. Those who follow this mother will never face any problems in life.

This mother, Truth, remains the same in all periods of time and in all three worlds, and this mother transcends all the three attributes - satwa (purity, serenity), rajas (passion), and tamas (dullness, inertia). The physical mother may die or go to some other place, but this divine mother, Truth, remains one and the same beyond time and space and to every individual. It is therefore necessary that every person follow this noble, divine mother (Truth).

Who is father? Wisdom is the true father. Wisdom is not ephemeral, mundane, physical, secular knowledge. Advaita darshanam jnanam (Wisdom confers the experience of nonduality). So, Truth and Wisdom are the true mother and father of man.

Dharma is the brother. Dharma may vary depending upon time, country, religion, and tradition. However, dharma is loved by the entire humanity irrespective of caste, creed, nationality, and religion. This brother is the very embodiment of love. On this basis, the Vedas gave utmost importance to Truth and Righteousness. In the great epic Ramayana, Lakshmana personified the Principle of dharma. When he fainted in the battlefield, Rama lamented, saying that he could get a consort like Sita and a mother like Kausalya, but not a brother like Lakshmana. Rama said that His divinity blossomed because He had a brother like Lakshmana.

Compassion is the true friend. In this world, a firned today may become an enenmy tomorrow. But there is no greater friend than Compassion.

Peace is the wife. Peace is the previous jewel of saints, and it is the royal path in the spiritual field.

Forgiveness is the son. There is no greater quality than Forgiveness. It encompasses all the good qualities, like Truth, Righteousness, and Nonviolence, and it is the essence of all the Vedas.

Therefore, for every individual, the true relations are Truth, Wisdom, Righteousness, Compassion, Peace, and Forgiveness. The whole world is full of agitation and disturbance because of lack of these sacred qualities. Embodiments of Love! You should always remember your true mother and father. You cannot exist without them. The whole creation has emerged from Truth and merges back into it. There is no place where Truth does not exist. It is the good fortune of human beings to have this eternal Truth as their mother. But, today, humanity does not follow such a sacred mother.

You worship Devi (goddess) in these nice days of Devi Navaratri. You consider Devi as your divine Mother. This Devi is called Sathya Swaroopini, which means she is the embodiment of Truth. So, worshiping Truth amounts to worshiping Devi. If you understand and follow this truth, you will be successful in every field.

The Vedas also proclaim this Principle of Truth. There are many in this world who chant the Vedas. Many have gone through the sacred texts. But they do not seem to follow the right path. In fact, only when we tread the right path will we know the true meaning of the Vedas and the sacred texts.

Since ancient times, the sages and saints undertook many spiritual practices in their quest for Truth. They were determined not to give up till they had the vision of Truth. Ultimately, they declared to the world that they had seen God, who is all brilliance, is full of effulgence, and is beyond the darkness of ignorance. They also declared that God is not far off in a distance land but is present in the human body.

The saints had the vision of God, who is chin maya (full of effulgence) in the body, which is mrinmaya (made of clay). So, we should not underrate the human body and use it for mean and worldly pleasures.

The body is the temple of God. This body may be compared to an iron chest. Just as the precious jewels are kept in the iron chest, so also God is present in the human body. So, the body has to be maintained and made proper use of.for the sake of the precious jewel, the Atma. You get jewels only from the earth. Similarly, you have to search for the jewel of the Atma only in the body, which is made of clay.

Let us investigate what comes in the way of experiencing the Atmic Principle. Ego and attachment stand as obstacles in our path. Only when you give up your ego and attachment will you have purity of heart, which in turn will lead you to the experience of Supreme Wisdom.

The more you develop attachment, the more restless you become. Ego is much more dangerous. It has become an incurable disease in human beings. So, you have to keep ego and attachment under control and engage yourself in the quest of Atmic bliss.

During Navaratri (sacred nine days), people go through the sacred texts such as Devi Bagavatha, Ramayana, and Mahabharata. People also worship the deities Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswathi. Goddes Gayathri has three aspects. They are: Gayathri, Savatri, and Saraswathi. Gayathri is the presiding deity of our senses. Savitri is the presiding deity of the life principle. Saraswathi is the presiding deity of speech. All these three are within the same Principle of Truth.

Gayathri Mantra beings with “Om Bhur Buvah Suvah.” Bhur means materialisation (body), bhuvah means vibration (life principle), and suvah means Atma (radiation).

Dr. Venkatraman, the previoius speaker, said that matter could be converted into energy and vice versa. From a scientist’s point of view, that is true. But in My view, matter and energy do not exist separately. Matter is energy, and energy is matter. These two are inseparable and interrelated. In fact, there is no matter in this world; wherever you see, youf ind only energy. During these nine days, Goddess Shakti (the Energy Principle) is worshiped. Truth, Righteousness, Peace, and Forgiveness are all expressions of the Principle of Shakti. Truth is the primal cause. There is nothing other than this. All faculties of energy are present in this Truth. So, consider Truth as your mother and follow it.

The Vedas proclaim, “Sathyam vada; dharmam chara,” which means: speak the truth and follow rightesousness. Unfortunately, people today do not follow this. On the contrary, they follow asathya and adharma. (untruth an anti-dharma) This is the cause of all suffering.

The ancients gave utmost priority to Truth and Righteousness. Before undertaking any work, they enquired whether it was right or wrong. They followed the dictates of their conscience. But today, such an attitude is lacking.

Many people say that they are in search of Divinity. Once you follow the path of Truth, you will find Divinity everywhere. A small example.

The same eyes see the mother, daughter, wife, and sister. Here, you need to enquire as to what kind of feeling you should have toward each. This is the quest for Truth. Mother should be viewed with reverence and respect. Daughter should be considered as part of your own being. In this way, you should enquire and understand the Truth.

If you just go by the direct evidence of what you see, you will never know the Truth. All that you see is bound to perish. There are many things that cannot be perceived by the naked eye. On the spiritual path, everyone wants pratyaksha pramanam (direct evidence). But direct evidence cannot constitute the entire Truth.

For example, you see a person who is five feet five inches tall, weighing forty-five kilograms, and fair complexioned. All these can be seen by the naked eye. But you cannot go merely by these physical qualities. You should also take into consdieration the unseen qualties, such as love, compassion, anger, etc. It is utter foolishness to go by the physical form, which is direct evidence.

It is not possible to see the direct manifestation of God. Truth is everywhere. Dharma is everywhere. God, who is the embodiment of Truth and Righteousness, is everywhere. So, you should practrice Truth and Righteousness and enjoy the bliss.

For everything, conscience is the witness. If you do not follow the conscience, everything becomes unsacred. The Atma is the eternal witness, and that is conscience. The Atma is everywhere. It is in every individual and every creature. It has no form. It is attributeless, eternal, ancient, unsullied, and immortal. Who can understand such an Atmic Principle? You speak of Truth and consider whatever you see and hear as Truth, but all this is limited to the senses. The Atma is beyond senses.

Then how to know the Atmic Principle? You do not need to search for this elsewhere. Turn you vision inward.

The Vedas said, “Pashyannapi na pashuathi moodho (he is a fool who sees yet does not see).” All that you see is divine, but you mistake it for nature. The one with Atmic vision will see the entire nature as divine. But, if you have the worldly view, you can see only the world.

“Vishvam Vishnumayam (Vishnu pervades the entire universe)”. Names and forms may vary, but the Atma is uniform in all. To understand this unity, you have to turn your vision inward. There is no separate path to know God other than knowing one’s own Self. There is no human being that has no hunger for food. Similarly, you should also have hunger for God. Some people may call it madness; that is their madness. Each has their faith, conviction, and experience. No one has the right to criticise others.

It is only the body that has birth and death; the Atma has no birth and death. It has no beginning and no end. It is the allpervading eternal Brahma.

Whos is Brahma? He is not the one with four heads as described in books. Brahma is vastness. You find only Brahma wherever you see. This expansion of love is God. The feeling of “my body” is contraction of love, which is death. So, you should expand you love. Your love should not be limited to your family and relations.

In mathematics, 1+1+1+1 becomes 4. The number increases or decreases depending on whether 1 is added or subtracted. But in spiritual mathematics, Atma + Atma + Atma results again in Atma. It does not increase or decrease.

The first name of Atma is “I” The Vedas declare, “Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman).” This “I” is the first name of God. It is possible to know this “I” only by following the path of Truth.

In this world, only Truth exists; there is no falsehood.If you find falsehood, the mistake lies in your drishti (vision) and not in the srishti (creation). If you put on blue glasses, the world appears blue in colour; if you put on red glasses, you will find only redness all around. The defect lies with the colour of the glasses, but not with the world.

The very principle of creation is Divinity. “Sarvam khalvidham Brahma,” so revere everyone as Brahman. Love everyone as Brahman. Then there will be no scope for hatred or enmity. What is the reason for all the agitation in the world? It is lack of equanimity. Only through equanimity can you develop love.

Embodiments of Love! In these seven days of yajna, we have seven modes of worship. We call it Sapthaham (sevenday event). What is the significance of having a Sapthaham? This number seven is very significant in numerology. In music, we have saptha swaras (seven notes). There are seven oceans, seven rishis (sages), seven colours, and seven worlds. They are all within us. There is nothing beyond you.

It is foolishness to think that God is separate from you and to search for Him outside. You are God. But since you identify yourself with the body, you are not able to understand this Truth. Body is like a ater bubble, and the mind is like a mad monkey. Why do you rely on these two? Follow your conscience. Only then will you have self-satisfaction.

Atma symbolises hridaya (spiritual heart). God dwells in hridaya. Hridaya is the centre of Love and Peace. Only sacred qualities should emerge out of hridaya. But instead, animal qualities like anger, hatred, and jealousy emerge, and you becom a beast and not a human. Such a heart is a dwelling pplace for animals, not God. If you conduct yourself with peace, love, and compassion, you are God. The Navaratri worship was started in order to foster sacred qualities within us.

You would have heard the name of Dasaratha. Who is he? He is not the king of Ayodhya. Dasaratha refers to one who has control over the human body, which has five senses of perception and five senses of action. The matster of these ten senses is Dasaratha. This body is a chariot, and Dasaratha is the master of this chariot.

Dasaratha had three wives. They signify satwic (serene, pure), rajasic (passionate), and tamasic (dull, lethargic) qualities. He had four sons. They signify the four objectives of life: dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. What is the capital of Dasaratha’s kingdom? Ayodhya, which means it is a place that no one can get into. It signifies Hridaya, which no wicked qualities can enter.

The entire universe is within you. The mountains may appear smooth from a distance, but once you go near, you will know the truth. It is the distance that lends enchantment. As long as you think that Kailas, Vaikunta, and Swarga are at a distant place, you will be crazy about them. Actually, all of them are in your hridaya. Your happiness is heaven and your misery is hell. The concept of heaven and hell was introduced in order to see that you do only good. Heaven and hell are not separate; they are in your mind.

What is the cause of misery? Your own actions. Buddha did penance for six long years. One day, he opened his eyes and said that he had caught hold of the thief. Who is the thief? It is the mind. He realised that mind was the root cause of all suffering. If you control your mind, you will never suffer.

Churchill said, “Man has conquered everything, but he has not conquered himself.” Man is trying to know everything without understanding his true Self. Know Thyself, then you will know everything. This is what the Upanishads said: “try to know and experience that by which everything is known and experienced.” That is Atmic bliss, which is eternal and supreme. True happiness lies in union with God. If you are with the world, you will never get happiness.

The human heaert can be compared to Ksheera Sagara (Ocean of Milk), but today it has become Kshara Sagara (Ocean of Salinity). Lord Vishnu dwells in the Ocean of Milk, which means that He resides in our heart. But if we make our heart into a Kshara Sagara, then whales and sharks (bad qualities) will enter. Human heart should be pure; only then can Lord Vishnu reside in it. If you understand God, you will not search for Him outside. God is within you, in you, above you, below you, around you. There is no one nearer than God. God is nearer than your physical mother. So, worship God as your mother, who is the embodiment of Truth.

I begin My discourse with a sloka (verse) or a poem and conclude it with a bhajan (devotional song). Do you know what they are? The first sloka or poem is like a plate, the discourse can be compared to the various delicious items that are served on the plate, and the bhajan at the end is like a plate covering the delicious items. Do not treat this as a mandu (medicine), thereby taking only a little of it. Treat this as a vindu (banquet) and partake of the delicious items that I serve to the maximum extent. Experience and enjoy this banquet.

Students! Embodiments of Love! You have to learn many things in daily life. First, know the mistakes in your life and try to correct them. Love is essential to become a complete human being. If you follow the path of Love, everything becomes Love.