Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

People acquire wealth through speech. Through speech, one creates relationships and attachments.

One also gets into bondage through speech. Speech can be the cause of death, too. (Sanskrit verse)

Speech is very valuable but does not cost anything. Speech should be pure, sweet, and bereft of emotions. The Bhagavad Gita says: One should speak only truthful, pleasing, and well-intentional words, which are beneficial to others (Anudvegakaram vakyam sathyam priyahitham cha yat ).

People perform all activities due to sunlight, but there is no connection between the activities and the sun. Similarly, the mind and intellect work on account of the light of the Atma . Without the light of the Atma , the mind and intellect can’t function. Like the sun, Atma has no attachment to duties and activities.

Just as people get sunlight from the sun, they get strength from the Atma . Atma is the witness. The results of good and bad deeds don’t affect the Atma . When the water is flowing, the image of the moon in it appears to move, but the moon doesn’t move.

What is the cause of troubles, sorrows, and worries? Ego and attachment are the cause. Attachments, happiness, sadness - all arise in the mind. The mind and intellect are the instruments. It is through these instruments that we get the experience of everything. The instruments are the cause of our problems. If we remove these instruments, we can experience the bliss of the Atma . You build a house. Even though space in the house is one, you divide it into the drawing room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, etc. Why call them by different names? It is because there are walls between them. If we remove the walls, it becomes a big hall.

We get bound by the connections we create. We think of someone as father, someone else as mother, and so on. They are all our imagination. Truth is the Atma ; that is real. We have forgotten our real nature. Because of bhrama (delusion), we have forgotten Brahma (Supreme Being). The body is made up of five elements. Though the body is inert, we can feel it because of the vibrations of the mind. The mind gets wisdom because of the radiation of the Atma . The radiation of the Atma is the source of all the powers of humanity.

Why do we forget the power of the Atma ? In the Kaivalyopanishad , it is mentioned that fire is produced when one piece of wood is rubbed against another. When we churn the mind and intellect by investigation, the light of wisdom arises in us. This wisdom shines in everybody, but the time duration of attaining it and becoming aware of it, varies with each person. Consciousness shines in everybody. Just as light is the nature of the sun and coolness is the nature of the moon, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute (Sat-Chit-Ananda ) is the nature of humanity. To obtain Self-realisation (Atma sakshatkara ), to realise one’s Self, no effort is required. Those who do not know this secret make a lot of effort and fatigue their mind. They do not understand the existence of knowledge about themselves within themselves. This sacred awareness pervades throughout the body. We should develop this awareness (prajnana ). We find it difficult because we do not perform our duty properly.

The ash that comes out of the fire covers the fire. After you blow off the ash, you can see the fire. You get this awareness without any spiritual effort because divine consciousness is there in you. Because of the ash of ignorance, you have ego and attachment. Remove these and you will see the Atma in everyone.

Everyone is a form of the Atma , and consciousness shines in all. That consciousness is Atma . If you develop this awareness, you do not need any other spiritual practice.

You are unable to recognise what is sacred because of the veil of ignorance due to your worldly feelings. Your involvement in worldly matters and giving importance to them is the root cause of this ignorance.

The body is just an instrument which moves and performs all actions. You do not get the desired fruit of your actions because you do not put the body to proper use. You should discharge your duties earnestly. Everyone should perform their duties whether they are a child, a youth, or an old person.

In childhood, one develops absorbing interest in play and enjoys the company of playmates. In youth and middle age, one is engrossed in cultivating worldly relations and earning money. In old age, one repents for not having this and that; one still craves money without contemplating on God, even at that ripe age.

Unable to give up vices and follow the path of righteousness, one gets trapped by the consequences of one’s actions and thus wastes this precious human birth.

(Telugu poem) If the train comes late, we criticise the railway department and blame the government and society because some people did not carry out their duties at proper time. But we do not learn the lessons that we ought to learn.

This body is a den of dirt and prone to diseases; it is subject to change from time to time; it cannot cross the ocean of worldliness (samsara ). It is nothing but a structure of bones. Oh mind!

Do not be under the delusion that the body is permanent. Instead take refuge at the divine Lotus Feet. (Telugu poem) But why has this body been given to us? The body is meant to undertake righteous actions (Sariramadyam khalu dharma sadhanam ). The body has been given to perform righteous deeds and to act with discrimination. People should perform the duties enjoined on them.

The body has no power of discrimination or knowledge; Only the mind and intellect have discrimination (viveka ), knowledge, and power. People today do not exercise fundamental discrimination. They have only selfishness, selfishness, selfishness. They use their intelligence to obtain what is good for themselves alone, without giving attention to the good of society. In this way, they use the body in wrong ways. They do not use it to follow the path that leads to enlightenment.

If you put wheat in the flour mill, you will get wheat flour. If you put rice, you will get rice flour. But if you put food in the body, only fecal matter will come out.

If you keep pickle in a jar, it remains intact for one year. If you put pickle in the body, it will rot in a short time. The nature of the body is like this. But the body is necessary for one to attain high ideals. So, in order to attain the goal of life, one should dedicate the body to God. One should put the body on the right path and shine as an exemplary human being.

But people perform spiritual practices that are temporary. They should realise that permanent bliss (ananda ) is within them only, and not outside. Every person with human qualities should perform righteous actions. Sharpness of intellect and high learning are valuable. But good conduct is of highest importance. Only one with good conduct can be called a human being. But people today behave in a childish way. Discipline is very important for one to attain God. But the discipline should not be imposed by any external force; it should evolve on its own from the love that is inside a person. Love is the real strength. Love is God. God is love. Do all actions with love. Develop love more and more everyday. By love, you become God. If you develop perfect love, God becomes yours. Develop this wisdom. People from distant places and different nations have come here after spending a lot of money. Why? Their love for God is the reason. If they did not have that type of love, they would not have come this far, undergoing so many difficulties. Love is in everyone. Consider everyone as a temple of God. Have true love for society, not illusory love. Have love for the entire world. Love everyone in the world. First develop love in you. Then expand your love to your family, to society, and the nation.

When the individual carries out their duties without fail, their family will progress. In the word ‘samaja ’, ‘sam ’ means that which you have attained and ‘aja ’ means pure. Samaja (society) means acquiring purity. When society progresses, we also progress. Perform all actions and spiritual practices, keeping the welfare of society in mind. You are the mirror of society. Think always of the welfare of society. When others are happy, you should feel happy. When others are unhappy, help them to become happy.

It is not blood circulation or the movement of the body that are important; your actions are important. Spirituality is not living alone in solitude. Spirituality connotes having equal vision for all, living among all, and serving all with a feeling of oneness (ekatma bhava ).

Move in society with equanimity, keeping the focus of your mind and heart on God. Live with the awareness and vision that all are one only. Do not think that you are separate from others. Only then can you experience Divinity. Develop love for God and achieve oneness.

Put the great aphorisms “That thou Art (Thath twam asi )” and “Brahman is Supreme Consciousness (Prajnanam Brahma )” into practice. There is bliss and strength in Divinity. Practice is your life breath. There is bliss and strength in Divinity. Separate threads are not strong. They acquire strength when woven into cloth. Unity is very necessary.

Attain oneness by doing service to society. You will find divine bliss in oneness. When you travel alone, you may have fear and may have to face several difficulties. But when you travel with ten people, the strength of all of them will be yours. To experience the strength of unity is bliss (ananda ).

The world is a mansion in which each country is like a room with a different name such as India, Japan, and America. Though the countries have different names, people living in them are the same. Understand this principle of unity of humanity. With unity, one can achieve anything, but effort has to be made for it.

Spending a lot of money, scientists have gone into outer space with enormous experience and effort. But they do not know their own heart. Look within yourself rather than venture into the outside world. Whatever we see outside is but a reflection of the inner being. Whatever is not inside does not exist outside.

For example, when you close your eyes, you cannot see anything. When you open your eyes, you see all that is visible. What you see is your own creation. It is your eyes that create everything. Everything is inside you. The whole world is inside you. This is the sacred teaching of scriptures. The Pandavas lived in the forest for ten years. For one year they changed their names and lived incognito.

What is the meaning of living incognito? It is to live without being seen by anybody. It is like our own inner power. We do not know about it, but it is there inside us. It is only through this power that we are able to walk, talk, sing, and act. All the feelings are also within us. Hatred and anger come from inside. They cannot come from outside. But we see only material objects. Our outlook is materialistic. This is ignorance! What we see outside is partly true. For example, we see a fat fair man who is 6 feet and 2 inches tall. This is only partial truth. We can know the full truth when we come to know about his qualities and conduct. When you don’t have human qualities and if you say, “I am a man”, what you say is only half correct. You should say repeatedly, “I am a man, not an animal”. (Swami repeated this three times).

If I am a human being, I should have human qualities, not animal qualities. Otherwise, I am not a human being.

Who is manava (man)? ‘Ma ’ means ignorance, ‘na ’ means without, and ‘va ’ means to conduct oneself. One who conducts themself without ignorance is a human being.

There is another meaning of the word manava . ‘Nava ’ means new and ‘ma ’ means without. So, ‘manava ’ also means “I am not new.” You have taken several births. Swami knows about them, but you do not.

That is what Lord Krishna taught Arjuna in the battlefield. He said, “Out of ignorance, you are trembling with fear, thinking that you are going to kill others. In fact, you are not the one who is fighting. I fight, I take life, and I give life. I do it all.

“You have become feeble because of the weakness of your mind. You are suffering because of your attachment to your relations, who are temporary, like passing clouds. Before marriage, there is no relationship between husband and wife; before the birth of the child, there is no relationship with the child. You cannot understand this until you know that you have had several births. If you think about it, you would know that you had many births earlier.” “I am unable to believe this,” said Arjuna. Krishna replied, “Take a small example. You married my sister Subhadra on a particular date and you remember this. But if someone asks you, where you were on 26 April you do not remember. What is the reason? It is because you do not give importance to this date as you give to your wedding day. The reason for not remembering your previous births is also similar.” An optimist and a pessimist looked at water in a tumbler. The optimist said that the glass was half full. The pessimist said that the tumbler was half empty. The optimist is full of happiness. The pessimist sees the thorn below the rose; the optimist on the other hand sees the rose flower. Pessimism and optimism both depend on vision or attitude (drishti ). The two are closely related. Hopelessness arises out of faulty vision. The optimist and the pessimist walk on the same path. The optimist looks up and sees the sky and the stars whereas the pessimist looks down and sees pits. Both are walking on the same road. But there is difference in their vision and their points of view.

Change your vision and see everything as God. Understand the difference between vision and spectacles. We see colours with our natural vision. With blue-coloured spectacles, everything appears blue, but we cannot blame the spectacles. When you see the world with the spectacles of love, the entire world will appear to be full of love. Everything turns into love. Spectacles cover the eyes but do not obstruct the vision. God is full of love. When you wear the spectacles of love, you see the correct colour and get the complete view. When the mind and intellect are proper, vision will be good.

Without love, whatever spiritual practice you undertake will be a waste. Do not speak ill of any individual, nation, or religion. Everything is God’s creation. Discharge your duty, rid yourself of hatred, develop love, and lead a divine life. Fill your life with bliss (Ananda ). (Bhagavan brought His divine discourse to a close with the bhajan , “Prema Mudita Manase Kaho Rama Rama Ram”. )