Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

Those who follow the above-said nine-fold path are of two kinds.

1. The followers of the hard path.
2. The followers of the safe and easy path.

These are sometimes referred to as (1) devotion with effort (bhakthi) and (2) self-surrender (prapatthi). That is to say, the practice of the young of the monkey is devotion and the practice of a kitten is self-surrender.

Devotion has to be continuous, uninterrupted, like the flow of oil from one vessel to another. Though the two kinds are basically the same, the practices are different. Without love (prema), nothing in this world can be acquired. Only when there is love does attachment (anuraga) in its turn produce the desire to protect and guard.

In both the above kinds of people, love is equal, no doubt, but in actual manifestation there is a difference. In the young-of-the-monkey path, the child has to rely on its own strength to protect itself - wherever the mother might jump about, the child has to attach itself fast to the mother’s belly and not release its hold, even if pulled apart!

So too, the devotee has to stand the tests at the hands of the Lord and hold on to the Lord’s name at all times and under all conditions, tirelessly, without the slightest trace of dislike or disgust, bearing the ridicule and the criticism of the world and conquering the feelings of shame and defeat. The example of this type of devotion is that first among devotees, Prahlada.

The path of surrender is instead like the way of the kitten. Just as the kitten simply continues mewing in one place, placing all its burdens in the mother cat, so the devotee puts complete trust on the Lord. The mother cat holds the kitten in its mouth and removes it to more elevated places or transports it safely through even very narrow passages. So too, the devotee places all burdens on the Lord and surrenders fully to His will. Lakshmana is the witness of this path.

The discipline of surrender (prapatthi) is much superior to that of devotion (bhakthi). The characteristic of surrender is complete self-surrender, in all aspects. To serve Rama, Lakshmana renounced all obstacles in his path, like wealth, wife, mother, home and even sleep and food. And this was not for a day or month or year but for a full fourteen years. He felt that Rama was his all, his happiness and joy, that He would grant him everything that he needed, and that his life’s purpose was only to follow Him, serve Him, and surrender his will to Him. If all burdens are placed on the Lord and He is followed ceaselessly and unforgettingly, He will certainly provide everything. This is the nature of the surrender type of devotion.

After being a housholder - experiencing the sorrow, happiness, and joy and learning the true significance of all these - one has to retire into the forest at the age of 45 or 50, leaving the house one built and the place where one lived. If his wife is alive, he has to get her consent and entrust her to the care of the son or her parents or take her with him and treat her like a brother, himself being immersed in celibacy (brahma-charya).

There is a great change even in diet. He has to eat roots and fruits and drink only milk. Things should not be baked full but only up to a third. Rice should not be used much. If it isn’t possible to arrange a diet on these lines, he can visit the nearby village and collect food by begging. But he has to bring the food into the forest and eat it there, in his own habitation. He has to give to his dependents the same food that he takes, for they can’t prepare food they prefer or get it supplied. If they don’t relish it, they have to be content with only milk and fruits, for he must not change his routine to satisfy others. However troublesome it may be, the discipline should not be modified or given up.

This is to be specially noted: the forest dweller cannot have any worship, alms-giving, or any such duties.

Even if he gives food or articles to others, it cannot be regarded as alms (dana). Also, he cannot receive anything from others as alms. He must have the same pure love toward all in equal measure. Discarding old clothes once a year, he must don new clothes during September-October (the month of Aswija).

The vows of penance during the waxing and waning of the moon (chandrayana-vratha) is the most important of the forest-dweller’s vows. For the first fifteen days of this month, he must eat a morsel less every day, and for the remaining fifteen, a morsel more. On the new and full moon days, he has to take only rice gruel (kanjee).

In the rainy season, he must do ascetic practice (tapas) standing in the rain; in winter, he must wear wet clothes while engaged in ascetic practices. Performing such asceticism systematically, he has to bathe three times a day.

The various Upanishadic statements are to be studied and their meanings understood and experienced. If such a forest-dweller falls victim to any disease, the diet routine has to be canceled and he has to live on air and water. He shall walk on and on in the northeastern direction until he dies. On the other hand, if he has no bodily disease and is hale and hearty, after adopting the above disciplines, he will experience the spontaneous dawn of true knowledge.

Many argue about how this discipline can result in the dawn of knowledge. Aren’t these mere bodily limitations, they ask. Knowledge can arise only by the realisation of the principle that guarantees self-realisation.

How can something that does not contain this principle be called knowledge, they argue.

But this line of thought is based on a big mistake. Through these physical regulations, traits (vasanas) are destroyed and concentration is established. The Upanishadic statements serve to foster and strengthen this one- pointedness, step by step - the experience of the Upanishadic maxims alone will bring about the dawn of knowledge. Aren’t the Upanishads the very knowledge itself? With that embodiment of wisdom (jnana-swarupa) as companion, realising It in one’s own experience, what need is there to search for knowledge elsewhere? Onepointedness is essential to establish spiritual wisdom firmly in the heart, and this one-pointedness can easily be gained by the above-mentioned bodily disciplines and austerities (tapas).

External control helps internal control in many ways. To succeed in external controls is more difficult than to achieve success in controlling the internal! A turn of the steering wheel in one’s hand in any direction makes the wheels of the car, which are not in one’s hand, move in the same direction. The wheels won’t turn in one direction when the steering is turned in another. The introspective wheels are based on the extrospective steering itself!

It is the natural basis. Sometimes, when the steering is turned one way, the wheels may drag another way, but this is due to the giving up of the natural characteristic. The internal wheels, if they have no air, which is the true essence, may behave as if there is no relationship with the steering. But they can’t go beyond the bounds of steering. The steering in the hand is related to the wheels below. If there is no such relation, the journey becomes impossible. The connection is inevitable. Therefore, for the one who has struggled with and conquered the external tendencies, the internal tendencies become easily controllable.

The external tendencies have name and form and are attracted by becoming objects of experience. So, to overcome them is a matter of some difficulty. But internal tendencies have no form even though they may be endowed with name; they are also experienced as spiritual bliss (ananda), so they can be overcome more easily.

They can be tamed with greater ease.

The bother is more for external conduct and behaviour. These are associated with taste, form, and heaviness.

The internal tendencies have no form, taste, or weight. Pure water has no form, taste, or heaviness. Impure water is different in all three. So, to clarify impure water is indeed difficult, but pure water can be given any form required, with very great ease.

Similarly, the difficulty is all about purifying mental behaviour, which is spoiled by the delusions of the world. There is no need to set right mental behaviour that is free from such delusions. Delusionless behaviour is necessarily pure. It is without any trace of defect and doubt. Why should it be set right? Therefore, if people first control and conquer external delusion as much as possible, the internal tendencies will easily move in the direction of Atmic bliss (Atma-ananda).

Yoga and penance (tapas) are only other names for the path of the control and conquest of these external ten- dencies and delusions. The rules of forest-dweller (vanaprastha) are but methods to succeed in this yoga. When one subdues delusion of all types in the forest-dweller stage, the journey ends in liberation (moksha). But we cannot say that liberation has only this one path. Through whatever path grace is obtained, that path may be chosen.

Liberation is achieved by these rules and observances of the forest-dweller stage; it can be secured by following this path. It also makes a person delusion free. It gives them one-pointedness.

Worship, with fixity of consciousness and purity of feeling and free of all extraneous thought, becomes itself mental union with the Divine (bhava-samadhi). As a result of this mental union, the Lord appears before the inner eye of the devotee in the form that he has chosen for worship. The vision is not merely a matter of imagination; it is a “face-to-face” experience. Without changing location, the devotee can abide in the presence of the Lord in the self-same place. This is called “being always with God (salokya-mukthi)”. Besides being always with the Lord, devotees realise all that they see as the glory of the Lord. The experience is referred to as “seeing always the glory of the Lord (samipya-mukthi)”. Existing ever with the Lord, witnessing always the glory of the Lord, and becoming suffused with God-consciousness is merger in the divine form (sarupya-mukthi). This is the final fruit of devotional scriptures.

But at this stage, there is still a trace of differential feeling. So, the nondualist won’t admit it as the highest.

Simply because a devotee has the same form as the Lord, we cannot assume that the devotee has the powers of creation, preservation, and destruction that the Lord has. Only when all trace of difference disappears and unity is attained is the highest stage reached. This is called union (sayujya). This comes of divine grace won by the essence of the spiritual practice of each; it cannot be claimed as the fruit of effort.

The devotee will aspire to this merging (aikya). The devotee wishes to serve the Lord as he pleases and to experience the joy of the form that he has attributed to the Lord. But the Lord, out of His grace, gives them not only existence with the Lord, witnessing always the glory of the Lord, and being suffused with God-consciousness but also union (sayujya)! The path of devotion (bhakthi marga) results also in attainment of knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-jnana). Even if the devotee does not crave it, the Lord Himself vouchsafes it to the devotee. Union-withGod liberation (sayujya-mukthi) is also referred to as absolute liberation (ekantha-mukthi).

For delusion-constituted (maya-constituted) hn beings, there are two gates of illusion: the appetite for sex and the appetite of the tongue. These two have to be conquered by everyone; as long as they persist, they cause sorrow. All worldly desires are comprehended by these two, so only those who have mastered these two can be said to have successfully waded through the world. These two are the causes of all sins, and sin is the manure on which illusion (maya) thrives.

Really speaking, this world has to serve only the purpose of sustaining the body. Those aspiring for liberation have to subdue the senses. “Food for guarding the body, dress to ward off the cold,” says the later (uttara) Gita.

However, if one gets immersed in these pursuits, one will forget the purpose for which one has come and the goal of all activity and holy endeavour. Instead, whatever activity a person may be engaged in, the person must, as automatically as breathing, be contemplating on and always aware of this: “I am born to serve God and to realise my true self.” All acts - wearing, eating, walking, studying, serving, moving - should be performed in the belief that they take one into the Presence. Everything should be done in a spirit of dedication to the Lord.

A farmer clears and levels the land, removes the stones and thorns, ploughs and prepares the field, manures and strengthens the soil, waters and fertilises it. Then, after sowing, transplanting, weeding, spraying, and waiting, he reaps the crop. After winnowing and threshing, he stacks the corn. All these various processes are for the sake of the stomach. So, too, one must feel that all hunger and thirst, joy and sorrow, grief and loss, suffering and anger, food and appetite are but impulses helping us toward attaining the presence of the Lord. When one has this attitude, sin will never tarnish these activities. The appetites will also vanish, without a vestige of name or form.

On the other hand, if the appetites are treated as important, one can earn only sorrow, not joy. It will be impossible to acquire peace. Mastery of the sensory desires can’t be learned at schools where the arts of sustaining the body are taught systematically.

If the person is ill or even if the mind is immersed in something else, the taste of food cannot be grasped. So also, if the heart is full of ignorance (thamas) or is wayward, no joy can be experienced even if one is engaged in remembrance of the name (nama-smarana), devotional singing, recitation of the name (japa), or meditation.

The tongue will be sweet as long as there is sugar on it. Likewise, if the pillar of light called devotion continues to burn in the corridor of the heart, there will be no darkness. The heart will be illumined in bliss. A bitter thing on the tongue makes the whole tongue bitter; when the qualities greed and anger enter the heart, the brightness disappears, darkness dominates the scene, and one becomes the target of countless griefs and losses.

Therefore, those who aspire to attain the holy presence of the Lord must acquire certain habits, disciplines, and qualities. The usual ways of life won’t lead to God. They have to be modified somewhat by means of spiritual discipline.

Look at the crane; it walks about pretty fast in water. But while walking, it can’t catch fish; for that purpose, it must become quiet and stand motionless. So also, if one proceeds with greed, anger, and similar qualities, one cannot secure the fish of truth (sathya), dharma, and peace (santhi). Whatever spiritual practice one may have, one must practise uninterrupted remembrance of the name (nama-smarana). Only then can one master the natural attributes of greed, anger, etc. All the scriptures (sastras) teach but this one lesson: since the Lord is the universal goal and this journey of life has Him as the destination, keep Him constantly in view and subdue the mind, which makes you wander from the path.

All the good qualities automatically gather around the person who practises control of speech and constant contemplation of the Lord. See! In the Dwapara era (yuga), the Kauravas were engaged in wicked deeds even while experiencing the fruits of their previous good deeds. On the other hand, the Pandavas were thinking and doing only good deeds, even while undergoing sufferings due to their previous evil deeds! This is the difference between the wise and the unwise. The Kauravas were slaves of the appetites of hunger and sex, and the Pandavas did every act for the sake of the Lord, with truth (sathya) and dharma as their charioteers.

Those who are overwhelmed by grief can never feel interest in either a feast or a fight; similarly, the real aspirant who is immersed in thoughts of God can never taste or even think of worldly objects of enjoyment.

Before death takes its toll, one must realise in this body itself the eternal truth and the relationship between a person and that truth. The Kathopanishad exhorts,

Those who are agitated by doubts about what to accept and what to reject, those who are blinded by illusion, and those who cannot distinguish between darkness and light, death and immortality - all these should approach great people who can show the path to understand the eternal truth, the self-illumined basis of all creation. Then, both this world and heaven will be merged in the same effulgence! For the sake of this realisation, one should have deep yearning and hard, disciplined practice.

This human birth is the consequence of countless good deeds, and it should not be cast aside; the chance must be fully exploited. As the Kenopanishad says, This present precious life should not be thrown away (Na Chath Iha Avedheen Mahathee Vinashtih).

When there are many chances of saving oneself, isn’t it a big loss if no thought is spent on ways of escape?

For all those who are really animals in human form, slaves of pride and animal traits, this awareness in time is most important. Delay is fruitless; it is as silly as starting to dig a well when the house catches fire. Therefore, the discriminating individual will endeavour by all means at their disposal to understand the underlying principles, to master the teachings of the great people who practised the spiritual path, and to bring all this, as much as possible, into the ken of their own experience.

Discarding the path and wasting one’s life is an insult to the very name of the species! Instead of getting enslaved to the evanescent and the false and wasting precious time in their pursuit, dedicate every minute to discovering truth and contemplating the everlasting, ever-true Lord. Such dedication is the real function of the soul. On the other hand, spending time in illusory appetites is the drag of the world. One shouldn’t fall victim to the poisonous attractions of worldly luxuries or the wiles of seductive beauty. One day, all these fascinating scenes will vanish as a story unfolded in dream!

Education and other things that make one grow and become big are of no use for spiritual progress; they bring about only spiritual downfall. That is why this is the illusory universe (maya-prapancha). Truth, in whatever illusion it is immersed, will only shine more effulgently, for such is the nature of truth. How can we say that the objective world, which undergoes modifications every minute, waning and waxing with the waywardness of appearing and disappearing, is eternal truth?

The characteristic of a spiritual aspirant is the attainment of truth, not the search of the unreal in this evanescent world. In this false world, there can be no true living (sathya-achara). There can be only false living (mithya-achara). True living consists in the realisation of the Lord. This must be borne in mind by everyone every moment of their life.

The spiritual aspirant should note the distinction between the conduct of the natural (sahaja) person and the spiritual aspirant. The natural person has no fortitude (sahana), is conceited (ahamkara), and is full of desires relating to the world (jagath), by which the person is trying to have a contented existence (janma). Aspirants are engaged in contemplation of the Lord (Sarveswara-chinthana) as ceaselessly as the waves of the sea (sagara), accumulate the wealth (dhana) of equality and equal love to all, and are content in the thought that all is the Lord’s and nothing is theirs. Unlike the natural person, the spiritual seeker won’t easily bend before grief or loss, anger or hatred or selfishness, hunger, thirst or fickleness.

One should master all the above good things as much as possible and journey through life in fortitude, courage, joy, peace, charity, and humility. Realising that tending the body is not all-important, one has to bear even hunger and thirst patiently and be engaged uninterruptedly in contemplation of the Lord. Quarreling at every tiny little thing, losing one’s temper, becoming sad at the slightest provocation, getting angry at the smallest insult, worried at thirst, hunger, and loss of sleep - these can never be the characteristics of an aspirant.

Rice in its natural state and boiled rice - can these two be the same? The hardness of natural rice is absent in the boiled one. The boiled grain is soft, harmless, and sweet. The unboiled grain is hard, conceited, and full of delusion.

Both types are souls (jivis) and humans, no doubt, but those immersed in external illusions (avidya-maya) are “people”, while those immersed in internal illusions (vidya-maya) are “spiritual aspirants”.

God is immersed in neither external nor internal illusions. He is devoid of both. He who has no external illusions becomes a spiritual aspirant, and when he is devoid of even internal illusions, he can be termed a God. Such a person’s heart becomes the seat of God.

Therefore, it is possible to deduce that all is pervaded by God. Though, of course, the Lord is situated in every heart, spiritual practice is necessary so that they may discover it for themselves, right? It isn’t possible for us to see our own face! We need a mirror to show us its image! So too, a basic path (marga), a spiritual practice, is necessary to become devoid of qualities (gunas).

In this world, there is no penance (tapas) higher than fortitude, no happiness greater than contentment, no good deed (punya) holier than mercy, no weapon more effective than patience.

Devotees should consider the body as the field and good deeds as seeds and cultivate the name of the Lord, with the help of the heart as the farmer, in order to get the harvest, the Lord Himself. How can one get the crop without cultivation?

Like cream in milk and fire in fuel, the Lord is in everything. Have full faith in this. As the milk, so the cream; as the fuel, so the fire; so also, as the spiritual discipline, so the direct experience (sakshatkara) of the Lord, right?

Even if the attainment of liberation (mukthi) isn’t directly realised as a consequence of taking up the Lord’s name, four fruits are clearly evident to those who have had the experience:

1. company of the great
2. truth
3. contentment
4. control of the senses

Through whichever of these gates one enters, whether one is a householder, recluse, or a member of any other class, one can reach the Lord without fail. This is certain.