GEMS FROM THE LORD (New Additions)

Man comes into the world, burdened with Maya and its instrument, the mind. The mind expresses itself through attraction and repulsion, Raga and Dwesha, affection and hatred, towards the external world. Raga is Rajasic in its effect and it can be used for one's uplift, as Narada used it to fix attention on the Lord. Dwesha is Thamasic as Durvasa expressed in his dealings with Ambarisha and others. Without Raga and Dwesha, the mind cannot function at all. If these two are removed, there can be no mind, and no Maya; and you get fixed in Jnana.

The study of the Vedas is the highest type of learning, since it leads to the conquest of death. All other studies deal with the means of living or the surroundings within which you have to live; they deal with earning and spending, deriving a little pleasure by this trick, escaping a little grief by that other trick. The Vedas show the path of the realm of eternal Bliss, where there is no birth or death. People learn details about China, Russia and America; they know about the volcanoes of the Pacific or the islands of the Arctic regions; but, they do not know an iota about the features of their own inner realms.

The Karma Kanda is the biggest part of the Vedas, because Karma or sanctified activity is the means by which the tree blossoms and the fruit matures and grows. The Upasana Kanda deals with Upasana, the method by which the fruit ripens, the Jnana Kanda describes Jnana, the process by which the fruit fills itself with sweetness. The first stage takes the longest time. So, it comprises the largest portion; the second and the third are quicker by comparison. So they are shorter. The third stage can be accomplished, even apart from the tree by keeping in a warm place amidst straw or a hot room.

Man can acquire the sweetness of Jnana by keeping himself in Sathsang or even by remaining in a solitary place, all by himself, by Dhyana, for example. But, by whatever means, the sweetness (Jnana) cannot be injected from outside; it must grow from within, it is the transformation of the inner nature won by a struggle with the inner foes.

Just think of this for a while. You are in this body, in this receptacle, in order, to realise the God you really are. This body is the cocoon you have spun round yourselves, by means of your impulses and desires. Use it while it lasts, to grow wings so that you can escape from it. You came into this world crying, announcing your grief and being thrust into it, grief for having lost hold on God. Having come with grief, decide not to go with it from here. Get rid of it in this life itself.

Become entitled to the honored title of Bhakta. My Glory is spread daily through who those call themselves My Bhaktas. Your virtue, your self- control, your detachment, your faith and your steadfastness are the signs by which people read of My Glory. Not that I want any such prop. But, it just happens so, in this world, where men estimate others indirectly, rather than directly. Let me tell you, such Bhaktas are very rare. That is the reason why I do not address your gathering as "Bhaktulara". You can lay claim to that name only when you have placed yourself in My hands, fully, completly, and with no trace of ego kept back to cater to your vanity.

All ills are traceable to faulty living. And what is that traceable to? The ignorance of one's real nature. Ignorance is so deep-rooted that it affects thoughts, words and deeds. The drug, that can cure it, is presented under different Names: Jnana,Karma, Upasana and Bhakti. They are all the same in potency and curative power. The difference lies only in the method of administration: either as a mixture or as a tablet or by injection.

This Nilayam should not be treated with scant reverence. Make the best use of your stay here. Do not treat this chance lightly. You come spending much money and you have put yourselves to much trouble to reach here; but you do not bloom as fragrant offerings at the Lord's feet by learning the Sadhana path. The senses have to be curbed into obedient servants of the spirit. For example, I insist on silence. Talk less; talk low, when you must talk; do not thrust your sorrows, your needs, and your problems into the ears of those who come here with their own bundles of such things.

In this Prasanthinilayam, there are certain limits laid down, certain modes of spending time usefully, recommended by Me. All who come here, whether long time residents or new arrivals, have to observe them. You have seen Me and stayed here, and heard the Discourses. Let me ask: What is the gain ? Are you going back unchanged, unaffected ? Dogs do not chew sugarcane; they seek a bone instead. Ill-fated mortals recoil, when the talk is about God, Goodness, Sadhana and Saakshathkara. But you must pull yourselves away from slums and by lanes and travel on the highway to God. Dwell always on the Glory of God; then you will shine in that Glory. Adhere to Truth, that is the surest means of removing fear from your heart. Prema can grow only in the heart that is watered by Truth.

The Shastras warn you of false steps; they console you in times of stress; and they strengthen you in distress. They give correct interpretations of moral dilemmas. They prescribe the dress, the food, the manner of speech, the methods of social conduct, the mode of mutual behaviour and the lines of onward march. They are the conscience of society.

The whole world knows what sacred ideals inspire the Sathya Sai Organisations. It is true that, in a big bag of rice, a few grains of sand may get in. Any human organisation is bound to have a few black sheep. But, that will not affect the organisation, as long as it is true to its principles. The kind of service and sacrifice, which the Sathya Sai Organisations are rendering, is colossal. The basis for all that is the Love that prevails among the members. From ancient times, the Upanishadic prayer said "Sahanaa Vavathu; Sahanaa Bhunaktu" "May He protect us all; may He nourish us all". The spirit of Oneness proclaimed in this Manthras is operative today only in the Sathya Sai Organisation.

Sanathana Dharma is bound to overcome today's rampant materialism, for it can harmonise the secular and the spiritual, into a single way of life. It can bring together into closer kinship both man and God. It is based on the Divine which is the reality of the Self. So, it is not limited to one country, one individual, one period or one set. It has a variety of procedures, point of view, disciplines and guidelines, in accordance with the special features of the region, the age, and the environment.

The scripture says: "Happiness cannot be won through happiness". "Na Sukaad Labhyathe Sukham" : "Happiness can be won only through misery." Pleasure is but an interval between two pains. To achieve the Sathwik happiness, that is positive and permanent, man must perforce take on trials and tribulations, loss and gain.

The human body is the home of countless microbes and other parasitic beings. No one can be free from these diseases inducing causes. But, one can easily overcome this sorrow, by developing feelings of compassion towards all beings and thoughts which thrive on Love and which spread Love. Illness, both physical and mental, is a reaction on the body caused by the poison in the mind. An uncontaminated mind alone can ensure continuous health.

Faith is the basis of every act. You do not run away from the barber because he is armed with a sharp razor. You place faith in him and allow him to cut your hair, quietly submitting to his idiosyncrasies. You give away costly clothes to the dhobi, since you have the faith that he will return them washed and ironed. You have faith in the driver of your car and in the engineer who built your house. So, too, believe in the inner Motivator, the Atman within, the voice of God.

The awareness of the Atman or the Divine in man can neither be gifted to another nor be accepted from another. It is, all the time, hidden behind the veil of ignorance. When the false image disappears the Truth shines in all its glory. It is like the sun behind the passing cloud. Your duty is to draw this veil and let the sun of awareness shine forth and illumine your thoughts, words and deeds.

Active participation in society, in a spirit of dedication and surrender, conceiving all acts as worship and all men as the embodiments of the Supreme, is a more beneficial form of Sadhana. For, there is no spot where He is not, no object which is not He. For, as the Sruthi declares, He willed that He becomes all this. Worship, adoration, and pilgrimage cannot be the end-all? The goal is the realization of "I am He, He is I". That alone can fill the heart with Bliss.

Man must withstand both praise and blame, success and failure, pleasure and pain, like the Meru mountain peak. He must strive to be steadfast and unmoved. Once you collect desire, you become their slave; you will find no end to them. When they are attained, others assail you and still leave you discontented. Be aware of your innate Divinity and show these recurring desires their due place. The Atma in you is unaffected by desire or defeat or victory. They are passing clouds.

Sense control will guard you against a host of evils. Do not believe that, because you are equipped with the senses, nothing harmful can happen. Through their free exercises, you may have your car registered in your name and be driving it yourself, but, if you do not apply the brakes timely, accidents are bound to be your lot. Your body can be compared to a car. Your eyes are like lights. Your stomach, the petrol tank; your mouth, the horn; your mind the steering wheel; Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha, the wheels; the air within the tyres is faith; and intelligence or Buddhi, the switch.

The knowledge derived through the mind utilising the senses is always incomplete, but, the knowledge that is earned through the Buddhi or intellect illuminated by the Atma, is full, freeing and revealing the Truth. The first is termed 'Manojnana' and the second 'Atmajnana'. 'Manojnana' informs that you are distinct from others; that God is at Kailas, Tirupathi or Kasi; or Prasanthinilayam. But names, forms and temples are only for the kindergarten stage.

The prayer that rose from millions in this country from all its temples, theerthas, holy seafronts, shrines and altars for centuries has been, "Sarve Janaah Sukino Bhavanthu" - "Let all the people of the World be happy and prosperous"; "Samastha Lokaah Sukino Bhavanthu" - "May all the worlds have peace and prosperity". So pray for all humanity, for the welfare and happiness, the peace and progress of Russia, China, Africa, Pakistan and all the countries of the world and all beings everywhere.

Man has all the resources he needs himself. He can tap them by identifying them and manifesting them and by sharing them with others. He is Sath-Chith-Ananda; he is Siva-Sakthi Swarup, matter-energy. When man extols himself, he is extolling God. Do not cultivate the conviction that you are mere men; be assured that you are destined for Divinity. When Divinity takes on the human form, as described in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavatha, one has to interpret the actions as providing examples and lessons and not as human stories enacted for entertainment.

We have at present persons who pride themselves on their encyclopaedic scholarship and technical skills; they claim to know the innermost secrets of nature; they fly into outer space and even land on the moon. But, ask them if they have 'Ananda' and can stay in 'Ananda'; they will reply that they have not yet experienced it. If they know everything worth knowing, why have they missed this? It is clear that they are suffering under some delusion.

Be eager to confer consolation and courage; be anxious to be of help. Watch for the chance. Snatch each opportunity to expand yourself by sympathy, to enlarge the horizon of Love by understanding and prayer. Do not keep another at arm's length, saying "My God is different from yours" or "My God is opposite to yours". It can never be so. Paramatma, the Name for God, does not mean a stranger God but the Supreme God. Who can vouchsafe for the correctness of the picture which you now worship as the picture of Rama or Krishna ? The poet described and the painter delineated, but, both rely on their imagination, rather than on actual authentic vision.

Cynics question the validity of the type of adoration and say that it will only confirm faith in a superstition. "Can God be a stone, or a peace of paper ?" they ask. This attitude is not correct. By adhering to the traditionally laid down ritual worship many aspirants have attained the vision of the Omnipresent and stayed in that incommunicable Bliss.

In fact, Puja (formal worship at regular hours), with the recitation of hymns and songs, is the very first step in the spiritual pilgrimage. Many seekers have undoubtedly achieved an awareness of God by years of asceticism among jungle caves. But, starting early with scrupulous care, the rites of archana, bhajana and aradhana (offering of flowers with the repetition of God's Name, singing His Glory and adoring Him as a living presence) are more fruitful and satisfying.

The sixteen modes of worship laid down in the Shastras to make the aspirant aware of that he is the very presence and that every gesture and movement of his has to be motivated by devotion and dedication, ensure the purification of the mind of man from ego and all its brood of blemishes. This is 'Chittha Suddhi', the cleansing of all levels of one's consciousness.

Puja or archana offered, without a purified heart is sheer waste of time. But even a short sincere session of Puja, spent in Divine Awareness, yields much fruit. Thiru Thondar, a Tamil Saint, confessed that he had engaged himself in worship of the Lord's idol in order to cleanse his mind. The material and the form are inseparable, but the seeker must dwell on the Form which he desires to be manifested in all its glory rather than on the material.

Technology must be dedicated to the promotion of high ideals, those which are cherished in Bharathiya culture. For, without the background of the culture, educated people are easily turned into slaves of other cultures. Those who belong to a country have to proceed along the special circumstances and resources of the country. Of course, one must love all mankind; all are children of God. One must not emphasise the differences between nations or between castes and creeds, cultivate universal heartfelt Love.

The five Pandava brothers are five qualities in human character, all observing the norms set by the eldest, which is the noblest and the most righteous. Rama is the example of uncompromising adherence to the principle of righteousness, whatever be the temptation to bypass it. Rama was charged with love that transcended all considerations of advantage and of caste or creed and extended to animals and birds, human and subhuman beings. Love is the key to open the doors locked by egoism and greed.

What exactly is implied by 'Adhyatmic' ? Is Bhajan or congregational prayer 'Adhyatmic' ? Or does it involve 'Japa' or 'Dhyana' ? Or does it denote religious rituals and ceremonies ? Or does it extend to pilgrimages and holy places ? No. These are only beneficial acts. 'Adhyatmic', in its real sense, relates to two progressive achievements or at least to sincere attempts towards those two achievements: elimination of the animal traits still clinging to man and unification with the Divine.

The mind is the altar. Place the animal which is to be offered as oblation (the evil aspects of your character, behaviour attitude etc.) and sacrifice it to the deity involved. Though born as a human, man is burdened by animal instincts and impulses, that have attached themselves to him during his previous lives as an animal. He has passed through many animal-existences and each has left its mark on his mental makeup, like a scar on the skin when a wound has healed.

Buddhi is the only instrument for realization. Jnana alone can grant the Vision the ultimate Truth. That is why the Gayatri, a Vedic prayer to the Light, that fills the Universe, to illuminate the intelligence is a prayer for prompting the spirit of inquiry and illuminating the path by the inner light of the Spirit.

Your devotion to God is best expressed by achieving the control of senses. For the senses rush towards the temporary and the tawdry and they foul the heart. I require from each of you no other gift, no more valuable offering than the heart I have endowed you with. Give me the heart, as pure as when I gave it to you, full of nectar of Love I filled it with.

It is certainly wasteful to spend precious time in mere study without any attempt to translate it into action. You need not give your word to Me now, but try to put into practice at least a few of the good things that appeal to you and that are helpful in giving you peace and contentment. To evoke the Divine in you, there is no better method than Namasmarana.

The mind is the altar. Place the animal which is to be offered as oblation (the evil aspects of your character, behaviour attitude etc.) and sacrifice it to the deity involved. Though born as a human, man is burdened by animal instincts and impulses, that have attached themselves to him during his previous lives as an animal. He has passed through many animal existences and each has left its mark on his mental makeup, like a scar on the skin when a wound has healed.

Food and recreational habits are the two main causes for ill-health. Great care has to be bestowed to ensure that injurious tendencies do not affect these two. At present, though drugs have multiplied and hospitals have been established in every nook and corner, ill-health is also widespread. This situation is attributable to the spread of deleterious food habits and pastimes.

It is certainly a wasteful way of spending precious time in mere study without any attempt to translate it into action. You need not give your word to Me now, but try to put into practice at least a few of the good things that appeal to you and that are helpful in giving you peace and contentment. To evoke the Divine in you, there is no better method than Namasmarana.

You must take every step in Sadhana or in Samsara, only after deep deliberation and satisfying yourself that it will be for your good. Otherwise, it will be like the story of the weeping city. One day a close female attendant of the Queen came to the palace weeping in great sorrow, and so the Queen began to shed tears. Seeing the Queen in tears, the entire Zannan wept and the weeping spread to the male attendants also. The King, finding the Queen inconsolably sad, also wept profusely in sympathy, and the sight made the entire city weep loud and non-stop. At last, one sensible person set in motion an inquiry, which passed through person after person until the Queen herself was accosted. She said that her attendant was in sore grief, and when she, a washer-woman by caste, was interrogated, she confessed that it was all due to the sudden demise of her favourite ass. Reason out; discriminate; and do not rush to conclusion or be led away by mere hear-say.

To remove the evils of egoism, service is the most efficient instrument. Service will also impress on the person doing service, the unity of all mankind. He who dedicates his time, skill and strength to service will never meet with defeat, distress or disappointment, for service is its own reward. His ward will be ever sweet and soft and his gestures ever revered and humble. He will have no foe, no fatigue and no fear.

The same Divine Compassion, that blessed Dhruva, saved Gajendra, restored Kuchela and stood by Prahlada, has come to earth, as the refuge of the refugeless, as the Lord of peace, harmony and righteousness, as the Lord of all the worlds, as the Sath-Chith-Anandamurthi, as the Puttaparthi Sathya Sai Sath-Chakravarthi - the king of kings.

When you scatter seeds on the surface of the soil, they do not germinate; you have to keep them inside the soil. So too, Bodha, if scattered, on the surface, will not germinate, grow into the tree of knowledge and yield the fruit of wisdom. Plant it in the heart; water the plant with Prema; and measure it with Faith and Courage. Keep off pests with the insecticides of Bhajan and Sathsang, so that you may benefit in the end.

Do not try to delve into Me; develop faith and Sraddha and derive Ananda through Prema. That is the utmost you can do; do that and benefit. Do not run after all and sundry who blabber textbook-stuff and wear the cloak of fakirhood. Examine, judge and admire. Examine the daily conduct, the motive, the outlook, the trend of the advice and the co-ordination between what is said and what is done.

Without surrender, there can be no liberation. So long as you cling to the narrow "I", the four prison walls will close in on you. Cross out the "I" and you are free. How to kill the "I" ? Place it at the feet of the Lord and say, "You", not "I" - and you are free of the burden that is crushing you. Associate always with the the vast, the unlimited, the Divine; dream and plan to merge with the Absolute; fill your ears with the call from the Beyond and the Boundless. Transcend the walls, the bars and bolts, the locks and chains. You can do so easily by fixing your mind on your own infinity.

I had to do My Dharma; and every act of Mine has its significance, which you cannot understand. You are in the dark, and you fear more. You cannot notice the heaps of earth and the pits on the road. You cannot even know that the road is smooth and fine. There is no fault or partiality in creation; be confirmed, in that. Then you will no more waver in your faith. If God's creation itself was faulty, all would have suffered equally.

Lakshmi or wealth accrues by fair means as well as foul; money is earned by gambling, by various forms of deceit; by highway robbery; by high and low; by all and sundry. Worship Lakshya, the Goal of expanding your Love till it embraces all beings, till it sees every being as your mind's eye; then, Lakshmi will, of her own accord, favour you to the extent necessary for realising the Goal. Never doubt that. Never falter.

You do not know the Gem shining inside you, the Divinity whose effulgence is your intellect, and whose reflection is the Prema you evince. You know many things other than this, but not this essential thing; you do not know where such and such a scholar lives in Venkatagiri, but you know where such and such a film-star lives in Madras: This is something to be ashamed of - this loss of the sense of values: You must recognise the Higher, the Highest.

All men are kin, they are of the same likeness, the same build; moulded out of the same material, with the same Divine essence, in each. Service to man will help your Divinity to blossom, for, it will gladden your heart and make you feel that life has been worth-while. Service to man is service to God, for He is in every man and every living being and in every stone and stump. Offer your talents at the feet of God; let every act be a flower, free from creeping worms of envy and egoism and full of the fragrance of love and sacrifice.

You believe that those who have no faith in the Vedas and the Shastras and those who do not aver that there is some Omnipresent, Omniscient Being are Nasthikas; but let me tell you, those who revere their Parents and foster them and those who love and protect with care their brothers and sisters are Theists, Asthikas believe in Gratitude, Love, Affection, Duty and Dharma and these qualities are enough to save them from perdition.

All men are kin, they are of the same likeness, the same build; moulded out of the same material, with the same Divine essence, in each. Service to man will help your Divinity to blossom, for, it will gladden your heart and make you feel that life has been worth-while. Service to man is service to God, for He is in every man and every living being and in every stone and stump. Offer your talents at the feet of God; let every act be a flower, free from creeping worms of envy and egoism and full of the fragrance of love and sacrifice.

What exactly is a dream ? It is a dream within a dream. It is a dream, which unfolds before you even while you are "awake", another dream. It tries to shed some light, some joy, some courage, some faith, some hope, and some meaning on the dream called Life. Naturally, man has to seek all means of discovering the meaning of Life. For, without knowing it, he is lost; he wanders from birth to birth, receiving knock after knock and is seldom the better for all the experience.

When you go to a temple, you see the idol within but your thoughts are with your footwear that you had to keep outside the outer gate. These are matters that reveal the concentration that you are capable of. Every little point has to be taken care of, lest the benefit of the Sadhana be lost; you cannot get liberation by merely coming here; you cannot get it even by Darshan, Sparsan and Sambashan. You will have to follow the instructions, the order and the directions.

Moksha or liberation results from the breaking of the Mind with all its vagaries and wishes. You have to break your Mind but, how can you do it, when the fibrous armour of sensual desires encompasses it ? Remove them and dedicate the Mind to God and smash it in His presence. That moment, you are free.

The Gita is for saving all, and granting them liberation. Gita, in Telugu, means a line; it draws a line across and cancels the series of births and deaths; it teaches you to stand erect, unafraid, along the straight path of Dharma, along the line laid down.

The vehicle of human life is drawn in two wheels by the senses which are driven by Buddhi, with Viveka and Vairagya as the reins, the two wheels being the Kala Chakra and the Karma Chakra. The spokes of the wheel are the rules of Dharma, bound by the rim of Prema. The self is the Rider and he will not come to harm if the axle is Sathya and the goal is Shanti.

Having been born, man earns and acquires land, riches, materials, grains and articles of comforts and luxury, which he feels will give him happiness and which therefore become the object of his struggle. But, the object of realising God is forgotten. You may ask: why, should any one seek good company, do good deeds and direct his mind towards good thoughts? You are listening to Me and what do you get when you so listen? You agree that I am giving you Anandam. What do you give Me in return ? Give Me the Aacharana of what I am telling you: practice what I teach, that is enough. That is all I ask for.

Karma must not be felt as a burden, for that feeling is a sure sign, indicating that it is against the grain. No Karma which helps your progress will weigh heavily on you. It is only, when you go counter to your inner-most nature, that you feel it a burden. A time comes when you look back on your achievement and sight at the futility of it all. Entrust the Lord, before it is too late, your mind and let Him shape it as He wills.

Whom the Muslims adore as Allah, the Christians as Jehovah, the Vaishnavas as Phullajaakshe and the Saivites as Sambhu, who grants in answer to their several prayers, health, prosperity, and happiness to all wherever they may be, He is the One God of all mankind.

In every country today, men have become power-mad and they resort, without any compunction, to self-praise and dry declamation. They develop hatred against others, foster envy and feed their fatal egos. They plunge the society to which they belong into fear, anxiety and disorder. They do not know that, if elevating ideals are adhered to and practised, they could gain eternal fame; instead they are content with cheap applause and short-lived publicity.

The mansion called life must be built on a strong foundation, and the pursuit of Artha and Kama, of wealth and welfare and of all desirable objects must be regulated by the standard of Dharma. Dharma fosters those, who foster it. "Dharma Rakshithi Rakshithah". The strongest foundation is ever-present Faith in the Almighty. Some may ask, "If He is Almighty, why then can I not see Him ?" He reveals Himself only to the person who yearns for the answer, not the one who puts questions out of impudence or ignorance.

He will be present only in the transparent heart, the heart that is not clouded by egoism or attachment. The string of the rosary is present only in the Spatika heads, the crystal beads, not in the coral or Rudraksha beads. Though the string runs through these latter also, it can be seen only by splitting those beads. This is the meaning of the story of Hiranyakasipu who split the pillar; when he did that, he could see for himself the Lord, who is the core of every object and being.

Your reality is the Atma, a wave of the Paramatma. The main objective of this human existence is to visualise that Reality, that Atma, that relationship between the wave and the sea. All other activities are trivial; you share them with birds and beasts; but this is the unique privilege of man. He has climbed through all the levels of animality, all the steps in the ladder of evolution in order to inherit this high destiny. If all the years between birth and death are frittered away in seeking food and shelter, comfort and pleasure, as animals do, man is condemning himself to a further life-sentence.

The Truth can flash only in a mind clear of all blemishes. The first blemish that I would like to warn you against is: "inability to bear the success of others". Envy is the greatest of the sins. Vanity, envy and egoism are kin. They cut at the root of man's real nature. To feel proud that you are a Bhakta is also a blot. Though you may be a mountain, you must feel you are a mound and you should not pretend to be a mountain.

There are only three ways of saving oneself: Pravruthi, Nivrithi and Prapatti. Pravruthi (action, external activity) is a method of sublimating the instincts and impulses. Nivrithi (detachment; internal quiet), is a method of subduing the thirst of the senses and of the ego. Prapatti (surrender) is a method of utilising the senses, the instincts and impulses, the intelligence and the emotions for the glorification of the all-knowing, all-directing Divine. Do and dedicate, work and worship, plant and protect; but do not worry about the fruit; that is the secret of spiritual success.

When you reach the bank of a river in a strange land, you do not take advice, from a lame person or a blind person, on where you can best wade across. You follow a person who has waded often, and who is neither lame nor blind. The man who can see is a scholar; the man who can walk is a person with experience. The man with both capacities is a good guide, not those who prattle things learnt from the books or dole out set-formulae, irrespective of the stage the recipient has reached or roam about in search of people whom then can squeeze for money.

Man imagines that he has achieved much as a result of his search for material pleasures. He has discovered electricity and is using it for giving light. But what poor glory is this; when the sun rises, even the brightest bulb pales into insignificance. Man has invented the fan and, by means of electricity, he is able to create a breeze. But, when a storm arises in Nature, the toughest tree is uprooted and man's handiwork of brick and mortar is laid in ruins, with the roofs flying in the air. On what basis can he erect his pride?

The boulder on the hill, from which a portion has been blasted away to carve an idol for the temple, tells the idol, "Thath Thawam Asi" ("You and I are the same"). That and this are one substance. Yes, of one substance but what a difference? The hammer and chisel have made one, a thing of beauty and a joy for ever, an inspiration to make life beautiful and holy. You too must subject yourself to the hammer of discipline and the chisel of pain-pleasure, so that you become Divine.

All who come embodied are Avatars; that is to say, advents of the Divine, Manifestations of God. What, then, is the special feature of Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Christ? Why do you celebrate their birthdays with much reverential enhusiasm? The speciality is this: they were Aware: you are unaware of the Atma which is the Truth. Awareness confers Liberation from bonds, from time, space and causation and from sleep, dream and wakefulness. Avatars are ever alert, aware and alight.

There was a huge halo of splendour illuminating the sky over the village when Christ was born. This meant that He who was to overcome the darkness of evil and ignorance had taken birth; that He will spread the Light of Love in the heart of man and the councils of humanity. Appearances of splendour and other signs to herald the era that has dawned are natural when Incarnations happen on Earth. Jesus was to shatter the darkness that had enveloped the World and the Aura of Light was a sign that announced the event. The Masters arrive in answer to man's prayer, "Thamasomaa Jyothirgamaya"; "Lead us from darkness unto Light".

The word "Hindu" has been interpreted by scholars in various ways, but the real meaning is 'Him' (Himsa or violence), 'Dur' (far from): people who keep away from violence. The Hindus have been praying since the ages for the peace and prosperity of all the Worlds. 'Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavanthu'. Their conception of the immanence of God is strong and unshakeable. The rituals, ceremonies, vows and rites, prescribed in Hinduism, are all directed to the promotion and wellbeing of "all the Worlds". This is the reason why Hinduism is still alive and active.

Vishnu is described as "Bujagasayanam" sleeping on the snake and also as "Shanthaakaaram". The "Bujaga" or snake, which has visha or poison, represents the world of 'Vishaya' and, when you rest upon it, instead of allowing it to envelop you, you can afford to have 'Shantham' or peace. Let your boat be on water; but do not allow the water to enter the boat. Be in the world, but not of it. That is the secret of a successful life.

Saranagathi or unconditional surrender is the main gate to enter the mansion of Mukthi. It has four floors: Dhyanam, Karma, Bhakti and Jnanam. Each floor rests upon the one beneath and the topmost one cannot be reached without ascending the first three. Remember this, when you hear people arguing about the relative superiority of the Yogas or labelling themselves as 'this' or 'that' in the Adhyathmic field.

Take everything as it comes. Cultivate contentment, do not multiply your wants and foster greed and despair. You take off your warm clothing when you start feeling warm yourself. The coat of desire has to be taken off when the warmth of Bhakthi increases. Strive to secure Grace; do not strive to secure any lesser fruit.

Please do not be under the delusion that God needs light and that He requires illumination. He is 'Jyothiswarupa' with the splendour of a thousand suns. He is the force which makes Light shine and He is above and beyond the Thejas that Nature can supply. It is not so much this stone structure that needs illumination, when you come to think of it. It is the temple that you are carrying about with you, in body, that must be fitted with lights. "Dehodevalaya Proktham". The body is said to be the temple. "Jivodevah Sanathanah" and in that temple is installed the Jivi who is the "timeless" God.

You try to avoid grief; you try to taste joy instead. It is the nature of man to do so. For he is essentially 'Anandaswarupa'. When we seek 'Ananda', it is like the call of the deep for the deep. When someone asks you, "How do you do ?" and you answer, "Quite well, thank you", he does not stop to enquire why you are well. It is only, when answer that you are ill, that he stops and expresses concern and probes into the causes, symptoms and care of the illness. "Well-ness is natural"; illness is unnatural. Anxiety is caused by the unnatural only. So, you are "Suka-Swarupa" also.

Clarify the Buddhi(intellect) by Sadhana(practice) so you get a vision of the Lord who dwells within, that is the Sudarsana which saved Gajendra, the wild elephant (man) that was caught by the alligator (egoism) while rollicking in the lake (world) . The objective world (Samsara), looks upon joy and grief as teachers of handihood and balance. Grief is a friendly reminder, a good task-master; even a better teacher than joy. The Lord grants both protection and punishment, for, how can He be the Lord, if He does not insist on strict accounting and strict obedience?

The youth today, in India as well as in other lands, are afflicted with deep discontent which manifests itself in revolt against rules, regulations, curriculam and social norms and an agitational approach to every little problem that affects them. What is the basic cause of this phenomenon? The reason lies in the fact, that they have started to neglect the ancient culture of India and its ideals. They are imitating undesirable and fanatic norms of behaviour and are addicted to a code of disbelief, having no roots anywhere.

When God has come assuming a Form, take it from Me, it will not fill inferior vessels or embellish tawdry stuff or enter impure bodies. So, do not extol these falsities and ruin those unfortunates. Deal with them severely and they will be cured. Those who have seen the brilliance of the diamond will not be mislead by glass trinkets. The Lord is like the diamond, however loud the praise and however adamant the claim.

Who can give us the secret of transcending the barrier that divides the region of death from the region of immortality ? Of course, the Lord has often sent Messengers to tell humanity about it and He has Himself come down in human form to communicate it and save mankind from perdition. It is because the task of guiding man has gone on so consistently that today, in India, there is at least this quantum of earnestness to achieve it and to escape from the cycle of birth and death.

"Eshwara Sarva Bhoothaanaam Hruddese Arjuna Thishtathi" "O Arjuna, The God resides in the heart of all beings" says the Lord. He is not to be found specially in Amarnath, Kasi, Tirupati, Kedaram or Gokarnam. Just as every drop of the ocean has the taste, the composition and the name of the ocean, so too every single being has the Divine taste and composition and the name of the Lord. Only you do not realise it so clearly. The Godavari realises itself by reaching the sea: man realises himself by merging in the Absolute. "Gamyam ithi Lingam" (That which merges in the goal is Lingam).

You have to trace your ancestry and be proud of it. From Paramatma, Moola Prakrithi (Nature) descended with the emergence of Maya (illusion) and from the stuff of that illusion, Akasa (Sky) ; and from Akasa, Vayu (Air); from Vayu, Agni (Fire); from Agni, Jala( Water); from Jala, Earth. By a combinations of five elements, this tabernacle of Paramatma, that is you, was produced. The entire ladder has now to be climbed up in order to reach the Paramatma, the origin of all. There is a regular syllabus for the promotion of the spiritual aspirant, which is given in that form in the Veda and in an elaborate story-form in the Bhagavatha.

The discovery of Truth is the unique mission of man. Man is a mixture of Maya (illusion) and Madhava (God); the Maya throws a mist which hides the Madhava, but through the action of the healthy impulses inherited from acts performed while in previous bodies or through the cleansing done by austerities in this body or through the Grace of the Lord Himself, Maya melts away; for it is just a mist which flees before the Sun. Then Nara (man) is transformed into Narayana (God) and this Bhuloka is elevated into a Prasanthinilayam.

Every one has a mother as the source of his life and body. So the mother has to be strong in mind and body. Ripe in culture and character, sanctified by holy thoughts and steeped in love and dedication. Good mothers make a good nation. Mothers have to be repositories of Thyaga, Yoga and Bhakti (Detachment, Discipline and Devotion). Their Karma (Activity) must be based on these three urges.

Every little moment of incident results in sound. Only, you may not be able to hear, because the range of your ear is limited. The falling of an eyelid over the eye makes a sound and the dropping of dew on a petal makes a sound. Any little agitation disturbing the calm is bound to produce a sound. The sound caused by the primal movement that resulted in the enveloping of Brahman by self-evolved Maya is the Pranavashabda or OM. The Gayathri is the elaboration of that Pranava and so, it is now held so venerable that initiation into Adhyathmic life is achieved by its contemplation.

The one Namaskaram you do, do with devotion. That is enough. You do not do even that; you do it so callously, so indifferently and automatically. When you fold both your hands and bring them together, feel that you are offering at the Feet all the actions of the five Karmendriyas and the five Jnanendriyas as indicated by the ten fingers. Again, the purpose of Namaskaram is to touch the Feet, to have Sparsan of the Lord. The negative pole Mayasakthi, and the positive pole, Mahasakthi, have to meet in order to produce a spiritual current that will flow through you.

Come: I am the repairer of broken hearts of damaged Anthahkaranas. I am like the smith, who welds, mends and sets right. Ten years ago, a devotee prayed to Me in song, "My heart has gone dry, my lamp has gone out, my path is dark, my brain is confused. Lord make me fit again for life's arduous journey". The Lord will be waiting outside the door of the puja room of the Bhakta, anxious to fulfil his wish. Verily he, who has the Lord as his Servant, is the real Prabhu.

You may complain that God is hard and heartless since He does not respond to prayer, give a signal from His pictures and speak from 'nowhere' in clear unambiguous terms, assuaging, assuring, advising - but, 'Let Me tell you: God is Love. Love is God'. His Akara (Form) is Prema (Love), His Swabhava, essential Nature is Ananda (Bliss), and His Raktha (Life-blood) is Sathya (Truth). When even the stony cliff echoes your voice and responds when you cry, will not the softest, sweetest, love-filled heart of God respond ? When there is no response, infer that there is something wanting in the cry; perhaps, the cry is hollow, insincere, mere play-acting set to a pattern, addressed to someone alien to oneself, taken to be far away and distant as a tyrant or task-master.

Know that God is the One that is dearest and nearest to you, as dear and as near as your own heart and pray to Him. Surely His answer will be vouchsafed immediately. You may have huge hordes of men in the army; but they are useful only when the few Generals, who lead them, know where they are and whether they should proceed and how to overcome the enemy, whose strength and weakness they have comprehended. Hordes of people sing, recite, adore, worship, praise and prostrate - but these are the soldiers. Those who believe, those who have faith and who practise the disciplines are the Generals in whom the Master confides.

Talkative persons easily step into scandal-mongering. Too much talk and a tongue addicted to scandal are twins; they work together and in unison. A poet addressed his tongue thus "O, Tongue, knower of taste, relisher of sweetness, always prefer the Truth". One should not inflame passion, diminish enthusiasm or inflict injury "Sathyam Brooyath, Priyam Brooyath" (Speak the Truth, Speak pleasantly) "Nabrooyath Sathyam Apriyam" (If unpleasant, do not speak the Truth) "Priyam cha na anvartsham brooyath" (Though it may be pleasant, do not speak falsehood).

You can master all knowledge and win loud applause. (The crowds that gather may praise and proclaim "Ah what a wonderful lecture he gave".) You can be hailed as a king and rule over the realm. You can pile up vast wealth and donate gold and land. But what is the benefit gained? Karna gave away the ear-rings he wore and even sliced off his Divine suit of armour and gave it away in charity. Wherein does renunciation lead? The question is, does it purify the heart? Does it help the Divinity within to manifest itself?

Brahmacharya does not mean merely desisting from marriage. It means becoming soaked in Holy Love for the Divine, through transparent sincerity, unselfish will, pure consciousness and holy thoughts. You all know that Hanuman is described as the eternal Brahmachari. He was married to Srivatsala, yet he earned that description. How? Brahmachari means, 'He, who is in Brahman'. Hanuman had no other thought than Rama (who is Brahman) and so was ever moving in Brahman and living in Brahman. Your thoughts, feelings, desires and activities must all move in Brahman, the Universal Absolute. That is to say, whatever is spoken and whatever is seen must be cognised as Brahman. That is the real Brahmacharya stage.

Life can be sanctified and elevated to a worshipful pilgrimage if only everyone clings to his way and sees it in its proper perspective. Idle brains exaggerate matters; and cynics cause great social damage. Gulfs are widened by thoughtless criticism. If only all of you remember the principle underlying the brotherhood of man, mankind will become a mighty family, full of peace and joy.

Prema or love is a much-misused word. Any positive response to the attraction is called love. Any feeling of attachment, however trivial and transitory, is characterised as Prema. We must certainly coin new words or set aside specific words to indicate the forms of love. The attachment of parents to their children or of children to parents must be called affection. The love towards the opposite sex can be best described as fancy, fascination or delusion, Moha. The feeling of kinship or comradeship evokes dearness. The pleasure one gets through a sense of possession, especially of material objects, can be known as satisfaction. Only the yearning to reach for the sublimity that lies inherent in Truth is entitled to be called by that holy word 'Prema'.

It is My general practice to induce people to learn the sweetness of the Name. I begin My discourses with the recitation of a spiritual poem and end them with these Namavali (Bhajan), and in between, I give the lesson I love to teach. It is like a testy health-giving meal which I serve you on a plate (the problem) covering it with a lid (the Namavalis). That is how you may take it.

The Lord has said in the Gita: "Anudevega Karam Vakyam Sathyam Priya Hitam Chayat" (Speech, that does not offend, that is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, has to be praised). Such speech sanctifies the tongue. It knows and respects the limits. The ear cannot tolerate a false or discordant note. Every one of the senses responds within its own limits of tolerance and protests when that limit is exceeded or disregarded. You must be vigilant that they are put to use, with proper attention to those limits. When they stray from the path or overstep the boundaries, reason bides in head and makes you inhuman.

How can a person, who cannot himself swim, teach others the art? How can one, whose granary is empty, pour out in charity? Acquire the wealth of devotion, fortitude and peace, before venturing to advise others how to acquire them. Bharath (India) has suffered slights and disregard as a result of a spate of teachers who have not cared to practise what they teach. I know you have the enthusiasm to carry My message among the people of this country and other countries. Let Me remind you that the best and the only successful way in which you can do it is to translate the Message into your own lives. Your thoughts, words and deeds must be saturated with the message. They, then will spread effortlessly and efficiently and the face of the world will be transformed.

The Name undoubtedly brings in the Grace of God. Meerabai, the Queen of Rajastan, gave up status and riches, fortune and family and dedicated herself to the adoration of the Lord, Giridhara Gopala. Her husband brought a chalice of poison and she was ordered to drink it. She uttered the Name of Krishna while she drank it. It was transformed into nectar, by the Grace of the Name evoked.

God is the harmony of all the Forms and Names that man gives Him. Only those who are ignorant of the Glory of God will insist on one Name and one Form for His adoration and, what is worse, condemn the use by others of other Names and Forms. Since you are all associated with the Sathya Sai Organisation, I must warn you against such silly obduracy. Do not go about proclaiming that you are a sect distinct and separate from those who adore God in other Forms and Names; thereby, you are limiting the very God whom you are extolling.

People pray to God to relieve them from pain, grief and loss, to confer on them health, strength and wealth. But if you develop an intimate attachment to Him and make Him yours, then He will manage to give you all that you need. Do not demand the relationship into bargaining: give me this; then I shall give you that in exchange. If you insist on wages you become a coolie (laborer). Become His own. He is providing for the idler, the insane and the shirker: can He not provide for you?

The duration of life is under the control of Him, who gave life, the Creator. it does not depend on the categories of food consumed or the quality of drugs that are injected, or the qualification of the physician who prescribes the medicine. The chief causes of ill-health and death are Fear and Loss of Faith. If one concentrates on the Atma, which has no change in characteristics, no subtraction or senility, and no decline or damage, man can conquer Death. Therefore, that most effective prescription is the injection of Atma-Vidya (Knowledge of the Atma, the Soul as one's Real Self).

The future of India is in your hands. You are fully aware of the characteristics of this Kaliyuga, we are passing through. You find around you injustice, irregularities, immorality and untruth, with all their devilish attributes and atrocities. But we have to march ahead in spite of all this with a quiet tolerant and benign attitude towards life. Almost all the fields and walks of life are polluted with these poisonous feelings; but the field of education, being the most prominent organ, needs our special attention.

Every Indian will have to recognise the culture based on Vedic philosophy. You will know how restless and agitated the youth of India today, trying to rob everything with all pride and no achievement and thus getting involved in meaningless pursuits. The student of today is not able to realise what he should primarily be concerned with. It is only in name that he is a 'Vidyarthi' the seeker of Knowledge. In practice, he is only a 'Vishayarthi', a seeker of worldly pleasures.

Love is the seed, courage is the blossom and peace is the fruit that the sages grow in the garden of their hearts. They toiled for identifying themselves with the Truth, not for painting falsehood, with the authenticity of Truth and parading as if they had accomplished the mission on which they had come to earth. They achieved such success that Bharath was for centuries the Preceptor of Humanity; but now, the Preceptor has started taking lessons from the least intelligent of the pupils and rearing the head in pride when the pupil congratulates him.

Love is the seed, courage is the blossom and peace is the fruit that the sages grow in the garden of their hearts. They toiled for identifying themselves with the Truth, not for painting falsehood, with the authenticity of Truth and parading as if they had accomplished the mission on which they had come to earth. They achieved such success that Bharath was for centuries the Preceptor of Humanity; but now, the Preceptor has started taking lessons from the least intelligent of the pupils and rearing the head in pride when the pupil congratulates him.

Vishnu is described as "Bujagasayanam" sleeping on the snake and also as "Shanthaakaaram" (peaceful form). The "Bujaga" or snake, which has visha or poison, represents the world of 'Vishaya' and, when you rest upon it, instead of allowing it to envelop you, you can afford to have 'Shantham' or peace. Let your boat be on water; but do not allow the water to enter the boat. Be in the world, but not of it. That is the secret of a successful life.

At this critical hour in the history of the world, when the demoniac forces of fear and anxiety, injustice and inequity are raging in wild fury, it is the duty of every human being to be equipped with spiritual strength so that he may not be overwhelmed by the storm. This is an urgent and essential task and I must say that the women of India have a contribution to make, a service to render and a role to play. They must bring God into the hearts of the child and help it to keep Him there. For, faith in God, is the tonic that man needs to get back health and happiness.

Heart without love is as dreary as a town without a temple. Spiritual pride is the most poisonous of all varieties of pride. It blends and leads the person suffering from it into ruin. Beware of pride; be always aware that you are but an instrument in My Divine Mission of Dharmasthapana, revival of righteousness. Try to be more and more efficient as such instruments. The Hand, that wields the instrument knows how and when it has to be applied.

There are no characteristics in God, but, in the characteristics of Sathya, Jnana and Ananda, there is God. God is everywhere and no space-ship can hit against Him; no space-pilot can espy Him. He is too subtle for all that type of contact, subtler than ether or Akasha. So, do not lend your ears to people who swear there is no God. God is too vast and too far above the reach of reason or imagination. You can only get glimpses of the Bliss derived from the contemplation of His Magnificence.

There are no characteristics in God, but, in the characteristics of Sathya, Jnana and Ananda, there is God. God is everywhere and no space-ship can hit against Him; no space-pilot can espy Him. He is too subtle for all that type of contact, subtler than ether or Akasha. So, do not lend your ears to people who swear there is no God. God is too vast and too far above the reach of reason or imagination. You can only get glimpses of the Bliss derived from the contemplation of His Magnificence.

The chief means by which you detach your mind from distractions and attach yourselves to the search for God are: Yoga and Thyaga. Kama (desire) has to be got rid of by Thyaga (renounciation); and Rama (God) has to be secured by Yoga (the conjunction of all your faculties for the common purpose). Desire discolours the intelligence; it perverts judgement; it sharpens the appetites of the senses; it lends a false lure to the objective world. When desire disappears or is concentrated on God, intelligence is self-luminous and it shines in the pristine splendour; and that splendour reveals the God within - and without. That is the real 'Atmasakshatkara'.

You know that you can draw cheques upon a bank, whenever you need money, provided you have enough current deposit therein. If the Bank goes bankrupt, it will be a disaster. The educational system is the Bank on which the nation draws a check whenever it wants strong, reliable skilled workers. If it goes bankrupt as it has very nearly gone today, it is a national disaster.

Do not preach; practise. In politics, in the field of administration, in schools and colleges, in spiritual institutions, every-where, we have a surfeit of preachers but a famine of practitioners. Heroes on platforms prove themselves to the zeros when they descend to the ground. Therefore, demonstrate, in your own lives, how love can confer peace and joy; how all faiths lead to the same goal; and how all man are brothers of one another.

Of what benefit is it have a body, if you do not seek to know how best to utilise it? Learn from the saints and sages who have realised the Truth about the path you shall tread and the goal you have to attain. That goal is God. He is beyond all notions of good and bad, right and wrong. These are earthly measures, by which the temporary is weighed and judged. He has no form or limbs, no dualities, no preferences, no prejudices and no predilection. To say that He is 'Sathyaswarup' (having the characteristic of Truth), and 'Jnanaswarup' (having full wisdom) and 'Anandaswarup' (full of Bliss) is also not correct. For, He has no 'Swarup' or 'Swabhav'; He is Sathya; He is Jnana; and He is Ananda. That is the experience of those who have tasted Ananda.

You may boast that you have been visiting Puttaparthi since twenty years or that you have made the place your permanent residence; but, unless you follow the lesson I emphasise, that boast is mere empty vanity. If you develop love for all beings, in the faith that God resides in all, you may be anywhere else, but your prayers would reach Me and My Grace will reach you. While in My previous body, I told Nanashab that I am in ants, insects and animals, besides all men. When a dog ate all offerings intended for Baba, it was declared to have reached Baba, for He had eaten it in that form. "Nana says, he is giving Me food, but, when I go in the form of dog, he drives Me off."

India has always laid down disciplines to cultivate universal love; the Yagnas and Yaga which are recommended in the Vedas are for Lokakalyana, Lokasangraha, the welfare and security of all mankind. That is why India is as the engine which drags the wagons along, all wagons that are coupled with it. The wagons are the different nations. 'Lookaa samasthaah Sukhino Bhavanthu' is the prayer that rises from the children of the land since thousands of years. God is Omnipresent. He is immanent in every being, and in equal measure. So man must visualise Him equally in himself and in others.

Once Ramadas wailed: "O Lord! You are mighty, all powerful, all knowing; I am alone helpless, orphaned and poor." Then the Lord interrupted the self-condemnation and said: "No, how can you call yourself poor, helpless and orphaned? I am with you and in you, showering My Grace. The only orphan in the universe is Myself, for I have no guardian, no means of support, nobody to fall back upon. I am the A-natha(Orphan) ; all else are Sa-natha (with Lord), for I am their Natha (Lord)."

The universe is the body of God; in that body, the Ekabhava (Unity Consciousness) is Bharath. "Ekam Sath" (There is only one truth) the Vedas declared aeons ago ! This is the reason why sages, saints, Divine personages and incarnations of God appear here and proclaim their message to mankind from this land. The precious message is being exported but very little is used inside the country. That is the tragedy.

Man strives to provide himself with food clothing and housing for the sake of the body. He must also provide himself with something to keep the mind healthy and happy. It is the mind that conditions even the body. The mind is the instrument, the fly-wheel, and the thickest comrade of man. Through it, one can ruin oneself or save oneself. Regulated and controlled and chanelised properly, it can liberate; wayward and let lose, it can entangle and bind fast.

Train the mind to dwell on the inner equipment rather than the outer attractions. Use the mind to cleanse the feelings, impulses, attitudes, tendencies and levels of consciousness. Let it not accumulate dirt from the outer world and deposit them within itself. If it is attached to work (Pravriti Marga), the consequences of work get attached to it. Unattached work is the purest; it does not encumber the mind with elation or disappointment, 'I did it', 'this is mine'. These are the two fangs that make the individual poisonous. Pull out the fangs; the snake can be handled and played with as a pet.

The Lord is closest to you. He is the Mother, Father, Teacher, Friend, Guide and Guardian. Call on Him, and He responds immediately. From dawn to dusk, spend every minute in His company. That is the reason why I have directed that every Sathya Sai Organisation must arrange for Nagar Sankirtan in the pre-dawn hours. It is a mission of Love and all will welcome it. It is a great act of social service to wake up people with the Name of God. It is a purificatory pilgrimage, casting off anger and hate that infest the atmosphere.

The Gita speaks of 'Yukthahara Viharasya', habits of feeding and recreation, which are controlled and regulated. The gross part of food is discarded as feces, the subtle part is transformed into muscle, blood, etc., and the more subtle aspects are transmuted into the mind and its activities. That is why the Sages have prescribed certain limits and levels of food, in order to promote the spiritual urges and prevent country tendencies. But, nowadays, as a result of the downgraded time-spirit, food that damages the spiritual urge is being increasingly favoured.

The Karma or activity is the indicator of inner character. Observing one's actions, their motives, their consequences and the extent of one's involvement, it is possible to declare one as a Pasu (beast) or Pasupathi (the Lord of Individual Souls) that is to say, as Divine as God Himself).

At achool, the first lesson, is "Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool ?", and the second "Ding, dong bell, pussy in the well!". Gone are the days when the first lesson was on Rama, Krishna or some great sage or saint ? Getting to know about black sheep will make children black sheep; getting to know about the great and the good will make children great and good. Children of the Bal Vikas are therefore told stories of Rama, Krishna and other Divine persons. Learn those tales and decide to live like them. Learn Indian ways and Indian tales, and be true Indians.

Why say, "Good morning", or "Good night". "Namaskar" or "Namaste" is the Indian way, the really humble way. You must have Bhaya, Vinaya and Viswasa - fear, humility and faith. Fear of what? Fear of doing wrong and of falling into falsehood. Humility before whom? Before elders, teachers and parents. Faith in what? Faith in God, in your own strength and in your own victory.

"Tamasoma Jyothirgamaya", is the prayer. Egoism is Thamas. There is an easy way to illumine the inner consciousness and the outer behaviour with the light of God. Put the lamp of the Name of the Lord, the illuminating flame, on the tongue. That is the doorstep. That light will drive out the darkness from both inside and outside. Have it ever burning, clear and bright. You will soon reach remarkable heights and enjoy happiness, the like of which you cannot get, by sticking to the senses.

Krishna took upon Himself three vows:

1. "For the protection of the good and the punishment of the bad; for the establishment of the moral order, I shall take birth Myself, age after age."
2. "Who ever is wholly immersed in my contemplation with no other thought; I shall be ever with him ! And I shall bear the burden of his welfare."
3. "Surrender unto Me, giving up all other duties and obligations, I shall liberate you from all sin; do not grieve."

The Lord has to take the Form that is suitable for the task He has to fulfil. To catch a gang of decoits, the Police Officer has to move among them as a decoit. That is why the human form has been taken. But, who, challenged with impurity by their own wives, dare challenge the Avatar and ask for proofs! Of course, if you desire to understand, you are welcome; be near, watch, learn and believe. Put on the role, if you have the courage and the convicition that you can enact it well. Are you not tired of playing the parts of beggar and clown, in scene after scene, birth after birth ? Aspire for the nobler role, at least now; in this birth.

You stay far and complain that Grace has not come. You do not scrape off, by the process of repentence, the mud and rust that prevent you from getting close to Me . You come for needs sometime and stray away into the distance. I do not mean physical distance at all. You may be physically far but mentally by My side. I do not measure distance in miles or metres. I am with you, in you, beside you and ever; only you have to be aware of that and make use of My presence. You must become an 'Aartha',torn by intense suffering to sense the Lord.

If you plan to give joy to others, you will yourself be joyful. Who are these others? Even when the Lord has come with a definite human body, all humans that you come across are but parts of His Glory and Splendour. "Iswara sarva bhuthanaam, hrudesse Arjuna tishtathi" "O, Arjuna, the Lord dwells in the regions of the heart in all beings", says the Lord in the Gita.

How can we find time for all this, when we have to toil every moment for feeding and clothing ourselves, many people say ? But you forget that the Lord will grant you material things, and even immortality, if you place full reliance on Him. Whatever you do, have the name, Rama or Krishna, Siva or Hari on your tongue: no extra time or energy is needed for that. When you rise in the morning, rise with the Name on your tongue and slide into sleep with the Name on your tongue.

Consider the condition of the field of your heart; it is overgrown with thorn and bush of lust, anger, greed, and envy. Remove them, root and all. Do not allow the land to turn fallow. By continuous good work, plough the field and fill the field with the water of Prema. Select the Nama(Name) seed that appeals to you and sow it in the field. Discipline is the force which will guard the growing crop against cattle. Virtue is the pesticide. Fostering the field with great care, you can bring home the precious harvest of Ananda (bliss).

One day, Krishna pretended to be fast asleep . With the flute thrown aside by His side, when Radha approached the fortunate flute and asked it in plaintive terms, "O lucky Murali(flute) ! Tell me how did you earn the great good fortune. What was the vow you observed, the vigil you kept, the pilgrimage you undertook ?" The flute got a voice through His Grace and answered, "I rid myself of all sensual desire of envy, greed, ego, that is all. I had no feeling of ego left to obtruct the flow of His Prema through me to all creation."

Revere Jnana as you revere your father; adore Love as you adore your mother; move fondly with Dharma as if it is your own brother; confide in Daya (compassion) as if it is your dearest friend; have Shantam (peace) as your better half; treat Sahana (Fortitude) as if it is your own beloved son. These are your genuine kith and kin. Move with them and do not forsake or neglect them.

This is a place where you must try to help and not hinder; this is the atmosphere of peace (Prasanthi). Do not behave here as you do when you gather elsewhere. There is no scope here for envy or malice of hate or competition. When Kama (desire) and Krodha(anger) are rising in hot flames from the heart, how can the cool rays of Shanti, Sathya, Ahimsa and Prema emanate therefrom? This human birth is a rare chance! Use it for spreading joy, and not grief. Of course, it is natural for man to resent and to grow angry. But you should not allow anger free and furious scope.

Krishna undoubtedly had the power to transform in a trice the wayward mind of His kinsmen into unilluminated instrument for resolute action. But, Krishna did not use the power. He only prescribed the medicine and the regimen. Arjuna had to swallow the drug and follow the regimen himself, in order to be saved. Krishna said, "You are My friend; you are My kinsman; you are so near to Me that I am now your charioter; you are also in great distress. I agree that the delusion, which has overpowered you, must be removed quickly; but, your Ajnana must fall off through your own efforts not through some Miracle of My design."

One can claim genuine victory only when one has reached not the dead satellite, but the living star; not the Chandra(Moon) but the Ramachandra, the Lord who rules over the inner satellites, the inner planets, the inner motives and agitations. Then one's inner reaction and agitation will be transmuted into the Divine.

Every one's heart is Dharmakshetra where the battle between the forces of Good and Evil is fought. The whole country is Dharmakshetra. So, the mothers and children of this land must be devoted to Dharma, above all. The Gita begins with the words, Dharmakshetra, and ends with the words: 'Sarva Dharmaan Parithajiya'; 'Through Dharma, you have to transcend Dharma'. That is why Kausalya exhorted Rama when He went into the forest: "May the Dharma, which you are upholding by this act, be your guardian when you are in the forest, as an exile". And Rama upheld Dharma even under the most trying circumstances.

This world is His play; it is not an empty dream; it has purpose and use; it is the means by which one can discover God; see in Him in the beauty, grandeur, the order and the majesty of nature. These are shadows of His Glory and His Splendour; that is why the Vedas have three Sections or Kandas; Karma, Upasana and Jnana. Karma leads to the consciousness of the ever-present, immanent, all-powerful God. Upasana or adoration of that God lends to the knowledge that He is in all. When you experience that, there is no second, that is Jnana.

My place is among you, with you and wherever work lies. That is why I moved among you and stood at your back. This is just to show you that, even in your own places, when you do Bhajan or some other type of adoration like serving children of the sick or the poor; I do not sit on a special seat, apart and distant. Do not believe I am on the piedestal that you offer Me. I am part of you, a partner and partaker in all your efforts inspiring and instructing, when you ask or need inspiration an instruction.

By developing spiritual qualities, you will be promoting the resuscitation of this country and its culture. Look at the warning that the sacred texts offer ! Somaka, the Asura, stole the Vedas ! Ravana kidnapped Sita, Duryodhana grasped an empire; Kamsa slaughtered children; but not one of them realised their heart's desire that their names be exalted by history. Sentence of death awaits every one, cutting off their pride and pomp. Some young persons feel that the work they have on hand gives them great pleasure but they do not pay heed to its future consequences. When you seek beneficial results, you have to involve yourselves in beneficial activity.

There are some who are attracted by various systems and methods like Hatayoga, Kriyayoga or Rajayoga, which claim to help people to realise the self. But I must tell you that no one of this can make you realise God - I am saying this most emphatically. The Prema Yoga, discipline of Love alone can lead you to God. Those Yogas may calm the minds' agitation temporarily and may improve health and prolong life for a few more years - but that is all that they can do. What is the good you hope to achieve with that body in those extra years? If love is absent, they weigh you down as life's big burdens.

One can be in the world but yet unaffected. Activity will then be for the Almighty, by His Grace and through His will. Do not get work done through cooks, servants, ayahs and others in the home; women must not depend on these for the care of their children or attendance on their husbands. Earning leisure for Dhyana (meditation/worship), through these servants, is not a spiritual gain.

What is the immortal part of man? Is it the wealth he has accumulated? The residences he has built, the physique he has developed, the health he has acquired, and the family he has reared? No, all that he has done, developed or earned are destroyed; he has to leave them all to the ravages of time. He cannot take with him even a handful of earth he loved so much. If only the dead could take with them, a handful each, the Earth would have become scarce; it should have been rationed by now! Discover the Immortal "I"; and know that is the spark of God in you! Live in the companionship of that vast measureless Supreme and you will be rendered vast and measureless. Consider all objects that you collect here as given on trust to be used in this caravansari, during your pilgrimage, in this Karmakshetra.

This world is His play; it is not an empty dream; it has purpose and use; it is the means by which one can discover God; see Him in the beauty, grandeur, the order and the majesty of Nature. These are shadows of His Glory and His Splendour; that is why the Vedas have three sections or Kandas: Karma, Upasana and Jnana. Karma leads to the consciousness of the ever-present, immanent, all-powerful God. Upasana or adoration of that God lends to the knowledge that He is in all. When you experience that, there is no second, that is Jnana.

My place is among you, with you and wherever work lies. That is why I moved among you and stood at your back. This is just to show you that, even in your own places, when you do Bhajan or some other type of adoration like serving children of the sick or the poor, I do not sit on a special seat, apart and distant. Do not believe I am on the pedestal that you offer Me. I am part of you, a partner and partaker in all your efforts, inspiring and instructing, when you ask or need inspiration or instruction.

By developing spiritual qualities, you will be promoting the resuscitation of this country and its culture. Look at the warning that the sacred texts offer. Somaka, the Asura, stole the Vedas. Ravana kidnapped Sita, Duryodhana grasped an empire, Kamsa slaughtered children; but not one of them realised their heart's desire that their names be exalted by history. Sentence of death awaits every one, cutting off their pride and pomp. Some young persons feel that the work they have on hand gives them great pleasure but they do not pay heed to its future consequences. When you seek beneficial results, you have to involve yourselves in beneficial activity.

There are some who are attracted by various systems and methods like Hatayoga, Kriyayoga or Rajayoga, which claim to help people to realise the self. But I must tell you that no one of this can make you realise God - I am saying this most emphatically. The Prema Yoga, discipline of Love alone can lead you to God. Those Yogas may calm the minds' agitation temporarily and may improve health and prolong life for a few more years - but that is all that they can do. What is the good you hope to achieve with that body in those extra years? If love is absent, they weigh you down as life's big burdens.

One can be in the world but yet unaffected. Activity will then be for the Almighty, by His Grace and through His will. Do not get work done through cooks, servants, ayahs and others in the home; women must not depend on these for the care of their children or attendance on their husbands. Earning leisure for Dhyana (meditation/worship), through these servants, is not a spiritual gain.

What is the immortal part of man? Is it the wealth he has accumulated? The residences he has built, the physique he has developed, the health he has acquired, and the family he has reared? No, all that he has done, developed or earned are destroyed; he has to leave them all to the ravages of time. He cannot take with him even a handful of earth he loved so much. If only the dead could take with them, a handful each, the Earth would have become scarce; it should have been rationed by now! Discover the Immortal "I"; and know that is the spark of God in you! Live in the companionship of that vast measureless Supreme and you will be rendered vast and measureless. Consider all objects that you collect here as given on trust to be used in this caravansari, during your pilgrimage, in this Karmakshetra.

The law of Karma is not an iron law. By dedication, by purification, which invites benediction, its effects can be modified and its rigour mitigated. Do not despair, do not lose heart. When vices hold sway over your heart, it becomes foul and sooty. The flames of Kama, Krodha and Lobha char the heart. Grace is provided by the quenching of this flame. Grace confers Ananda, which Kama, Krodha and Lobha can never confer.

By the example of your lives, you have to restore confidence among the people in the higher values of life. Do not neglect the great lessons embedded in Sanathana Dharma, which have sustained countless generations in this land for many centuries. "May all the worlds be happy", this is the goal towards which Sanathana Dharma is leading us. Welcome, within the fold of your love, all men without distinction of race or religion, colour or class. Have the picture of the happy, lovefilled human community in your heart. That will give you enough encouragement in your mission.

It is not possible to consider creation and the creator, nature and God, as different or separate. Can we see that waves are separate from the sea? They are of the sea, with the sea and from the sea. Man too is of God, with and from God. The bubble is born in water, stays in water and is lost in water. The cosmos too is a bubble born in the Absolute, exists as the Absolute and merges in the Absolute or Paramatma. Nara (the human) is the bubble. God, Narayana is the sea. Recognise this truth as the bubble cannot be conceived as without water, the cosmos, this world cannot be conceived as without God.

Good men are the targets for maligning by the small. Have your own errors and evils hidden so that you can tackle them in solitude. Do not inflict them on others. Wrestle with them and overwhelm them in the silence of Sadhana. Deal with others only beneficially and in joyful co-operation. Look at Lord Siva. The poison, which will ruin the world, has been contained in His throat. The moon that can shower cool, calm comfort, is worn by Him on His head, for all the worlds to benefit from. That is a lesson for you. Why render others miserable, because you are too weak to suppress the bandits your heart has welcomed?

I know there are many of you who argue and discuss how and in what manner these structures came to be built so grandly. If you have known Me through and through there will be no such argument at all. You will know that this is but an insignificant product of My power. I have done this, only as an example, for, unless those who lead, are themselves active and earnest, to bend and bear the burden, those, who are encouraged to follow, will lose heart and miss the way.

When you have filled your heart with sympathy for the distressed, the Lord will shower His Grace. Draupadi had earned the Grace through her devotion and virtues. Sita, too, had stuck to the highest ideals of life inspite of her severe sufferings. She was kept as a prisoner by her abductor. When Hanuman offered to recross the ocean with her on his shoulders and take her safe to her Lord Rama, she replied that she would not allow herself to be abducted back from the custody of Ravana, since that would deny Rama the chance to punish him for his crime and retrieve her. Quite in consonance with Dharma.

The Gita is His Command. How can you earn the Master's Grace if you do not carryout the Master's commands. If the son says, "Leave me to myself, I need no instructions from you", how can he expect the father to give him a share of the property? The Gita also helps you to recognise the incarnations of God. Usually, when the Lord appears with Form, man is pestered by doubts and he actually loses the precious chance. He asks himself and all those whom he meets "Is it true ?", "Can it be true ?" and before his doubts are removed, he deserts his quest and wanders into the wilderness. Ofcourse steady enquiry is essential. Do not be led by others. Awaken your own reason, amass your own experience and decide for yourself your own path.

Nothing that is experienced will go to waste. It will shape the course of events. It will change the attitudes and habits. It will purify and clarify situations about outlooks. That is why I want you to read the Gita; it is like learning swimming - this learning of the Gita. Swimming saves you from drowning. Gita saves you from drowning in the treacherous flood of worldly desires. The Gita is the real purpose for which the Avatar of Krishna was undertaken.

To condemn all is unjust, untrue, and unkind. Take My own instance. I never exult when I am extolled, nor shrink when I am reviled. Few have realised My purpose and significance. But I am not worried when things that are not in Me are attributed to Me. Why should I worry ? When things that are in Me are mentioned, why should I exult ? "Sayiki Sarvam Yes, Yes, Yes". "For Sayi, it is always - S.S.S." If you say, "Yes, you are the Lord", I am the Lord to you; if you say "No", I am 'no' to you. I am Ananda, Shantham, Sathya Bliss, Equanimity and Truth. Take them as your Atmathathwam. You will not be wrong.

The influence of the Divine is such that while you are contemplating it, all traces of envy and greed will disappear from the mind. The boy Krishna had entered in a Gopi's house and was just standing beneath the pot of curds when she discovered Him. Krishna ran out into the street and Gopi pursued Him, and wanted to catch Him soon, for she was so distressed that the boy was running in the hot sun. She never worried about the loss of curds or milk or butter, but the very thought of Krishna's tender feet walking over the hard stones in the sun was something she could not bear. The Prema that Krishna showered, made everyone forget everything else. He too gave such disarming replies to the queries of the mother and the Gopis that no one could have anything but Prema towards Him. That is the characteristic of Avatars at all times.

Dharma, the very clothes that Bharthmatha has worn since centuries, which is the expression of her natural style, is now seized on by wicked irreverent hands. They wish to dress her in unbecoming styles on their own initiative or frenzied dictates. So, Krishna has to come again for resuming the eviction of the wicked. Krishna revealed, the hollowness of the people who were confident of their capacity to dishonour Draupadi and the weakness of those entrusted with the task of protecting her. Now too, the Lord has to foil the attempts to undermine Dharma and to stand in support of those who are the traditional protectors of Dharma.

Yasoda one day was searching for Krishna who had strayed away. She thought He went to the house of Radha and went there. Radha just closed her eyes and meditated on Krishna for a while and when she called "Krishna", Krishna was there. Then Yasoda shed tears of joy. She said, "I love Krishna as a mother. I have a sense of egoism in me that He is my son and that I must save Him from harm and seek to give Him guidance and protection. Your Prema is pure, it has no egoism promoting it".

Remember always that it is easy to do what is pleasant, but it is difficult to be engaged in what is beneficial. Not all that is pleasant is profitable. Success comes to those who give up the path strewn with roses, and brave the hammer-blows and the sword-thrusts of the path fraught with danger. As a matter of fact, no road is strewn with rose-petals. Life is a battlefield; a Dharmakshetra, where duties and desires are always in conflict. Smother the fiery fumes ofdDesire, hatred and anger, that rise up in your hearts. It is sheer cowardice to yield to these enemies that turn you into beasts.

The vision of the Virat, the Cosmic Form is given to those who surrender their ego and take refuge in the Lord (as Arjuna did) and who imbibe with care the Gita sung by the Lord in the silence. God is Omnipresent. He is the inner Motivator of every particle in the Universe. To declare that He is amenable only to your style of worship and that He will answer only the Name that you have learnt to use, is to insult His Omniscience and His Glory. See Him in all; serve Him in all; revere Him in all. Pray, "Let the Whole World prosper; Let all mankind be happy".

Vasudeva Sarvam idam does not mean that all this is just Krishna, the son of Vasudeva. It means that all this is God, by whatever Name He is known. So, if you decry anyone, you are decrying God, that is His real core. If you become aware of the God in you and the God in all else, there is nothing to equal the peace and joy that you get.

Let Me tell you, without reforming conduct, daily behaviour, and the little acts of daily type, 'Ananda' will be beyond reach. I consider 'Pravarthana' practice as essential. A man or an institution is to be judged by his integrity and whether acts are according to the principles proposed. The mind, the body and the word - all three, must work in unison. By such disciplined Karma, the senses will be sublimated and Prasanthi won. Then, out of this Prasanthi, will arise Prakanthi or the great light, and, from that, will emerge Paramjyothi, the Supra-splendour of illumination. That illumination will reveal Param-Atma the Over-Soul, the Universal.

Prashanthi Nilayam is holding forth and exemplifying the higher ideals, in the material, ethical, economic, moral, spiritual, worldly and even political fields. There is no place here for anything contrary. This can be asserted without any possibility of contradiction. In spite of this, some ignorant individuals rely more on their guesses than on facts, and indulge in spreading wrong conclusions. Let me tell them that, if a single person in the whole world points out a wrong step in Prasanthi Nilayam, he shall be met and convinced for. The Prasanthinilayam is eagerly bent upon the task of upholding and demonstrating high and holy ideals achieving spiritual realisation. It does not seek those worldly riches, nor does it yearn for earning favours and fame.

In Prashanthi Nilayam, no misuse or extravagance can ever happen, for any festival either Shivarathri, Navarathri, or the Birthday. Many people imagine that lakhs of rupees are spent here for the Dasara celebrations, but, all who come serve their best in the fullness of devotion that dwells in their hearts and so, not a Naya paise is spent for any purpose. The priests who officiate in the Yagna and the lecturers who deliver discourses - all come and share in the joy, out of Love and Faith, their comforts are looked after by the members of the Seva Dal and the Sevasamithis and by the volunteers, who dedicate their strength and skills to make the Festivals a success. No paise is spent on any item.

In Prashanthi Nilayam, no misuse or extravagance can ever happen, for any festival either Shivarathri, Navarathri, or the Birthday. Many people imagine that lakhs of rupees are spent here for the Dasara celebrations, but, all who come serve their best in the fullness of devotion that dwells in their hearts and so, not a Naya paise is spent for any purpose. The priests who officiate in the Yagna and the lecturers who deliver discourses - all come and share in the joy, out of Love and Faith, their comforts are looked after by the members of the Seva Dal and the Sevasamithis and by the volunteers, who dedicate their strength and skills to make the Festivals a success. No paise is spent on any item.

Man has Truth as his nature. That is to say, you can rely on man's behaviour being always true. He will speak out only what he feels to be sincere. He will act according to his words. His thought, word and action will be consistent and complementary. If, in any one case, this concordance is absent, then the person is a man only in outer form. He is worse than a beast, for beasts are free from the burdens of thought and speech.

God gives an ear to the prayers that rise in all languages and even from the silence of the dumb. He has no trace of anger or worry. You too have no reason to develop anger and anxiety. When the teeth bite your tongue, do you get angry at them for hurting? Do you break the teeth that hurt it so? No. Teeth and tongue are both yours. Similarly he who hurts you and you are both limbs of the same body, God. Feel that Oneness and avoid hate. God is on the lookout for the inner vision. He blesses those whose hearts are so vast, that they can take in all His children. How can He be pleased when you are so selfish and narrow-minded, that you send away His children from the door-step of your heart.

What has brought you all, in this vast number, from your homes and villages to this place? Ponder over this. The reason for your presence is not any force or authority to earn material profit or gain. It is the Love you have for Me, and the Love I have for you.

Rama strove to uphold Sathya as the main plank of Dharma. Whatever the trial and however hard the travail, He did not Give up Truth. Sathyam is Dharmam; Dharmam is Sathyam, the two are irrevocably intertwined. 'Sathyam Vada; Dharmam Chara', say the Upanishads. Rama will be remembered so long as mountains raise their heads and the ocean exist, because of this strict adherence to Sathya and Dharma. If He had argued "Why should I be bound by the word of my father ?", He would not have earned this immortality. The immortal had come in the form of Rama to show the way to immortality.

When you travel towards God, obstacles have to be bypassed. Prahlada went against his father, Vibhishana went against his brother, Jamadagni had to harm his own mother, Meera could not obey her husband, because they stuck to the path of God and broke through all those who opposed them.