Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

EMBODIMENTS of love! Trees bear fruits, rivers carry water, cows yield milk, not for their own sake but for the sake of others. Equally the body is given to man for helping others. (This is the purport of a Sanskrith shloka with which Swami began His discourse) We witness today humanity being racked by innumerable troubles and worries. No administration or authority can solve these problems. God alone can save mankind. Men have to develop Atma-Vishvasa (faith in the Self). Thereby they should acquire the grace of the Divine. Humanity as a whole is in need of God's grace. To receive this everyone has to fill his heart with love, render service to his fellowmen and thus redeem his life. Everyone has to embark perpetually on the quest for truth. In every thought, word and action this quest must go on. Truth is not merely what appears as a fact for the moment. It is changeless and beyond time. In uttering truth one should bear in mind that it should be pleasing and wholesome. It should not cause excitement. It should not cause harm to anyone. Truth that is practised in this way will transcend barriers of caste and creed. Rooted in the spiritual, it is valid universally.

How is the quest for Truth to be undertaken? A distinction should be made between truth, untruth and apparent fact. What is apparent at one moment is liable to change at another. Moreover, what is apparent may not be the real truth, as for instance, in the case of the Sun "rising in the East" and "setting in the West". The sun in fact does not rise or set at all. It is the revolution of the earth round itself which produces the apparent phenomenon of the sun rising and setting.

To cite another example. The same pair of eyes look at different persons - the mother, the wife, the child and so on. Though the eyes are the same, the feeling with which each person should be viewed has to be different. The mother should be looked with a feeling of reverence. The child should be looked at with affection. The wife should be seen with endearment. The quest for truth in this instance calls for understanding how each person should be viewed in the context of his or her specific relationship.

In looking at the world, man has to change his vision. There is nothing wrong in creation. It is man's vision that has to be rectified. The eyes look at good and bad things, the ears listen to sweet or harsh words. The sense organs are the same. It is the individual who has to discriminate between what is good and what is bad, in using the sense organs. The senses are misused when you look at bad things or listen to evil talk. The tongue is likewise misused when one indulges in bad speech instead of using it to chant the name of God. No one should indulge in abuse or criticism of others.

The search for truth should go in every sphere of life. There is no need to search for God. He is everywhere. He is the indweller in everyone. As the Isopanishath declares: "God is immanent in the entire cosmos.

God can be called by any name - Rama, Krishna, Allah or Jesus. The same God is adored under different names. The names and forms are countless. All names are His. There is no name or form that does not belong to Him.

"Sathyam, Jnanam, Anantham, Brahma" says the scripture. Truth is infinite. Everything is based on Truth. Today people have to adhere to Truth. Truth is God. The answer to the question, "Where is God?" is: “He is everywhere."

Today the world is filled with hatred and discord. What is the reason? It is the feeling of "mine" and "thine." Everyone must try to find out the nature of his true self. Everyone answers the question, "Who are you?", with the reply: "I am so-and-so." The "I" that is proclaimed by everyone is Aham, the appellation of God. The inherent Divinity of each person is turned into Ahamkara (egoism), by identifying the Self with the body. The body is liable to change and decay. It should be regarded only as an instrument for realising the Divine. The breathing process which takes place as long as life remains in the body proclaims through the manthra, "So Ham", that the individual is one with God ("I am He"). This manthra emanates from the heart. People today recite manthras mechanically.

Today is New Year Day for Malayalis. The day is usually observed as a festival occasion. But it should be regarded as a sacred day for purifying one's self. One should get rid of all bad thoughts and fill the mind with good feelings. Hatred should be banished. One should cultivate this spirit of equal-mindedness in facing the ups and downs of life. People should contemplate on God as the embodiment of infinite bliss, the bestower of all happiness, as the transcendental Lord, as the Eternal witness in the hearts of everyone, the One Absolute, immaculate Being, free from the three gunas and the pure embodiment of supreme wisdom. The Lord is described as the embodiment of Brahmanandham (Brahmik Bliss). This bliss is far beyond the comprehension of human beings. It is infinite and unchanging bliss. The heart is the seat of all bliss. There is a basic difference between the mundane happiness and Brahmik bliss. The former is temporary and is purely physical. Bliss resides in the Spiritual heart of man, which is on the right, side. From this new year day cherish pure thoughts and cultivate good feelings.

Each should practise his own religion sincerely. A Christian should be a good Christian. A Hindhu should be a good Hindhu. A Muslim should be a good Muslim. Let each one be a true practitioner of his religion. No one should criticize or hate another's religion. Muslims should not hate Hindhus and Hindhus should not hate Muslims. "All are one. 13e alike to everyone," declared Jesus. The one God is common to all.

Embodiments of Love! Whatever you may do, never give up your faith in God. Do not place your trust in the transient things of the world. Regard all humanity as one family. Transcend the barriers of creed, language and nationality. The message of the Vedas is universal, meant for all mankind. The message is one of unity and harmony. "Let us live together, strive together and rejoice together." Develop this spirit of oneness.