Free workshop for students
Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation is conducting a free workshop – ‘Sri Sathya Sai Student Empower Programme – Voices from the Industry,' on August 29 at BHEL Township for final-year students of BE, B.Tech, MCA, MBA, M.Sc and B.Sc along with unemployed youth with these qualifications.
Interested persons can contact: 98663 21428 for further details about the programme.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/article595305.ece
The Hindu : NATIONAL / ANDHRA PRADESH : Free workshop for students
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
FIFTY ‘GEMS’ FROM THE DISCOURSES OF SATYA SAI BABA
Goodness, compassion and tolerance: through these three paths, one can see the divinity in oneself and in others. Softness of heart is condemned by people today as weakness, cowardice and want of intelligence. The heart has to be hardened, they say, against pity and charity. But that way lies war, destruction and downfall. Love confers lasting happiness and peace. Sharing can reduce grief and multiply joy. Man is born to share, to serve, to give and not to grab. When you have faith in God as a precious truth in the altar of your heart, you will welcome, with equal alacrity, the blows and blossoms of fortune.
The Ramayana is a guidebook, a sacred text, an inspiring scripture, for every man in all lands, whatever his creed or condition might be. It imparts poise, balance, equanimity, inner strength and peace. Peace is the best treasure without which power; authority, fame and fortune are all dry and burdensome. Thyagaraja has sung that there can be no happiness without inner peace.
Why is it that the world reveres Rama and revolts at Ravana? Rama is not the uncle's son or Ravana the stepmother's child! It is the kinship of the spirit, innate goodness, responding lovingly, adoringly to the goodness in Rama; and reacting revoltingly to the wickedness of Ravana. It is not enough, nor is it essential that you should repeat the name of Rama loudly; respect it in the fullness of love and admiration. If you have no spring of love in you, dig into your heart with external instruments like Puja, Stotra, etc. and it will start to flow.
Vibhishana, Ravana's own brother, chastised him for his willfulness and lust and urged him to save himself, his kingdom and his kith and kin by restoring Sita unharmed to her Lord. When Vibhishana went over to Rama, Rama knew that he had a pure heart and that he could not survive the poisonous atmosphere of Lanka. So He took him and saved him. The Lord likes to be called
Aartha-traana-paarayana - more than any other name, for He is most happy when He rescues
those in agony.
You talk glibly of Rama Rajya, but how can it be established, if you do not emulate Rama? He was
Vignahavaan Dharmah, the very embodiment of Dharma. He never deviated from it. Dasaratha
means one who is master of the ten senses, the fiveKa rme ndriy a s and the fiveJna ne dri y as; that
is to say the successfulSadhaka. Such a person can have the holy progeny of the four
Purusharthas- Dharma(Ra ma ), Artha(Lak s hma na ), Kama (Bharatha) and Moksha(Sa trughna ).
Become a Dasaratha and save that holy progeny as a gift from God.
Hanuman succeeded in coordinating his thought, word and act. Therefore he had the unique distinction of being great in physical strength, mental stability and virtuous character. He shines as an invaluable gem among the personalities of the Ramayana. He was also a great scholar, who had mastered, of all things, the six schools of grammar. He knew the four Vedas and the six Sastras. The Gita says that a scholar is one who sees the same Divine force motivating everyone.
Pandithaha Samadarshinaha. Hanuman was a good example of this outlook.
Thev a na ras while building the bridge across the ocean, carried huge boulders on their heads, repeatingRa ma -na ma all the while; and that made the rocks weigh less. It is said that they even wrote the Name on the stones and that made them float. Each time they handled or lifted a stone, they sang RamaNa ma in unison and so they were a happy lot, doingP uja not work, which is unpleasant. Take the Name and make your work light: That is my advice to you.
Insist on your seeking and remaining in good company,s a ts a ngha. Being in the midst of such spiritual heroes, you can fight against evil with a greater chance of success. Once when Garuda the sworn enemy of snakes went to Kailasa, he saw the snakes that Siva wore around His neck, His arms, His waist, His Feet. The snakes were safe now and they hissed with their puffed hoods at the celestial bird, which could do them no harm since they were in such Divine Company. Garuda said " Well! Glide down from the body and I shall kill every one of you.!" That is the value of theS a th one has reached. Sath Sangha is valuable, for it is like keeping a pot of water inside a tank of water. There will not be any loss through evaporation.
Pride is one of the worst sins in the spiritual field. If you feel that you are abhak ta of Hare, He will
hare (destroy, in Telugu) you. Remember saranagathi should be like the attitude of Lakshmana.
Rama said "Take Sita and leave her in the forest" Implicit obedience! There is no other way. That
is Lakshmana. That isSa ra na ga thi; the rest are deserving only ofSa ra na ga thi, the arrow of Rama.
Hanuman was ordered to discover the whereabouts of Sita and he implicitly without question obeyed and succeeded. He did not calculate the dangers of the journey and hesitate; and he did not feel proud that he was chosen for the high adventure. He listened; he understood; he obeyed; and he won. The nameRa ma dhuta, messenger and servant of Rama that he earned thereby, has
made him immortal. You must earn that name, Sai Rama Dootha. Have fortitude and self control;
use good and sweet words; and examine each act of yours on the touchstone of My preference.
The toughest fiber is anger. It is the stickiest dirt. When you get angry, you forget mother, father and teacher; you descend to the lowest depths. You lose all discrimination in the excitement; even Hanuman set fire to the whole of Lanka when he was incensed by the Rakshasas who set fire to the tip of his tail; and he lost sight of the fact that Sita was in the Ashoka Vana. It was only after he had exulted in achievement for a little while that he remembered it and then he started condemning himself for his anger.
Do not ask God for anything. Let him deal with you as He wills. Did Jatayu ask that Rama should come to him and perform his last rites? Did Shabari plead with Rama? Earn the qualifications - holiness, purity, faith, and universal love; then He will approach you on foot, to console, comfort and save. If you have purity of heart and mastery over the senses, His Grace is your right.
Ego plays all sorts of tricks, in order to get unholy pleasure. During the construction of the bridge to Lanka to take the army across, Hanuman heaved a boulder across the raging waves of the sea, as part of the bridge! it floated. Rama heaved another; it sank. Hanuman's ego was tickled, naturally. He laughed in derision; at that very moment his boulder sank! And, the boulder, that Rama had thrown, rose from the bottom of the sea and floated! Hanuman's ego was pricked to nothing. That was the purpose for which Rama had willed that His boulder should sink.
The Lord will be the guide of whoever installs Him as hisSa ra thi. He will not consider that position inferior. He is the Sanathana Sarathi, come to be theSa ra thi of all. He is the Lord for all who seek a Master, a support. TheAtma is the Master in every one; and Krishna is the universal
Atmape rs oni fi e d.
The genuine Bharatiya vision is to life into a pilgrimage towards the God resident in oneself; a steady march along the straight path to Bliss. There is no such steadiness now. Fancy and Fantasy rule the mind of man. You desire one thing in the morning; at noon you change over to something else. That desire will not persist until evening. If your desire is fulfilled, you praise God and parade your devotion. But, if it does not prevail, you throw God overboard and parade your disbelief.
Detachment is a plant of slow growth. If you pluck the tender plant to look for the pods, you will be disappointed. So, too, long constant practice alone is rewarded by the peace that God offers. Grace is acquired by surrender, as Krishna has declared in the Gita.
When the Gita directs you to give up allDha rma (Set codes of morality) it does not ask you to give upKa rma, and, when you do it for God, through God and by God, theDha rma of it does not matter; it has to be acceptable; and it is bound to benefit you. The statement is not an invitation to licentiousness or complete inactivity. It is a call for dedication and surrender to the highest in man, namely God.
Perform all acts with as much love as you would offer God. In Truth, you eat for the satisfaction of the "I" in you and dress up to please the self-same "I". The husband loves the wife for the sake of the "I". And who is this "I," that is persistent in everyone? It is God himself. "Eswarah Sarva
Bhoothanam" says the Gita: The Lord resides in the heart of every being. He is the Atman in every
being. He is theAtma n in everyone, theP ara ma tma n.
Ponder over yours thithi (present condition),ga thi (direction of movement),S hak thi (capabilities) andma thi (inclination). Then, enter upon the path ofs a dha na step by step, so that you faster every day, every hour, every minute. Arjuna became entitled to the Gita Upadesh from the Lord Himself, because he evinced theVishada, theVa ira gy a theSa ra na ga thi and theEk a gra tha essential to assimilate the great message. When the yearning for liberation has become intense, beyond expression, man can set aside all social conventions, worldly norms and codes of conduct that do not subserve that high purpose.
The Gita says that, if you give up allDha rma, and take refuge in Him, then he will save you from sin and wipe your tears. Giving upDha rma does not mean that you can bid farewell to virtue and righteous action.; it means, you have to give up egoism that you are the doer. Be confirmed in the faith that He is thedoer of every deed, that is the genuine 'giving up'
Krishna was known to all as Almighty - All - Knowing, All - Encompassing and All - fulfilling. Yet the enthusiasm to dos ev a prompted Him to approach Dharmaraja, the eldest of the Pandava brothers, on the eve of the magnificent Rajasuya Yaga he had planned to perform and offered to take upse va of any kind. He suggested that He be given the task of cleaning the dining hall after the guests had partaken of the feast! Krishna insisted on outer cleanliness and inner cleansing. Clean clothes and clean minds are an ideal combination.
During the battle of Kurukshetra, which climaxed as the Mahabharata story, Krishna served as the
driver of the chariot of Arjuna throughout the day on the field and till dusk caused the
adjournment of the fight. He led the horses to the river, gave them a refreshing bath and applied healing balms to the wounds suffered by them during the fierce fray. He mended the reins and the harness and rendered the chariot battle-worthy for another day. The Lord sets the example for the devotees to follow. He teaches that service done to any living being is offered to Him and is accepted by Him most joyfully. Service rendered to cattle, to beasts and to men is laudable
sadhana.
The world today is in deep distress because the common man and his leaders are all distracted by lower desires and motives, which require only the lower skills and meaner impulses of man. This is what I call 'devaluation.' Though man is inherently divine, he lives only at the animal level. Very few live even in the native human level.
Bhishma, for example, has to be revered and accepted as an inspiration even more potent than Rama so far as homage to the father is concerned. In order to cater to the carnal cravings, which he would have ordinarily condemned, he denied himself gladly, spontaneously, without demur and for the entire period of his life, both wedded life and royal status. The Vedic injunctionP ithr
Devobhava was honored by him in the fullest manner.
This created Universe has two aspects; one is impermanence (Anithyam). The second is
unhappiness (Asukham). In the Gita, Krishna has said, "Anithya, Asukha Lokam Imam Prapya
Bhajaseva Maam". Nothing in the world can give happiness that is true and everlasting. Mistaking
the world as 'All' and forgetting theAtma n, which alone is eternal and the only refuge, is the greatest folly of man today; man is pinning all his hopes on the slippery work and is madly running after amassing and hoarding wealth. Of course material needs are to be taken care of but within limits and not at the cost of spiritual values. Money and mansions are not at the only wealth. Hoard the wealth of the spirit. Character is wealth; Good conduct is wealth; and spiritual wisdom is wealth.
Egoism is the most dangerous illusion that has to be exploded and destroyed. Bhima had it, but when he could not lift and lay aside the tail of a monkey, who was really Anjaneya himself, that the bubble was exploded. Arjuna had it, one day, after the battle; when Krishna brought the chariot back to camp, he wanted that, like all charioteers, Krishna should get down first; The Master must get down later, after the charioteer opens the door for him. Krishna refused and insisted that Arjuna should alight before He Himself should. At last Krishna won. Arjuna got down and then, as soon as Krishna left His seat and touched the ground, the chariot went up in flames. If only Krishna got down first, the fact was the various fire arrows that had the power of burning the chariot would hit the target, but, due to the presence of Krishna, their igniferous powers could not manifest themselves. After knowing this, Arjuna was humbled and his egoism had a powerful shock. He realized that every action of Krishna was full of significance.
The Gita advisesKa rma sa nya s a, that is to say,ka rma without attachment to the fruit thereof. There areKa rma s, which have to be done as duties, related to the status inSa msa ra, and, if these are done in the proper spirit, they will not bind at all. Do allka r ma as actors in a play, keeping your identity separate and not attaching yourself too much to your role. Remember that the whole thing is just a play and the Lord has assigned you a part; act well your part; there all duty ends. He has designed the play and He enjoys it.
It is when are in a desperate situation that you call upon the Lord, forgetting your pride and your egoism. The Pandavas were so full of misery in a worldly sense that they always had an attitude of prayer. If I had given you all the comforts and opportunities, you would not have come to Puttaparthy. Trouble is the bait with which the fish is handled out of the water. Kunti asked that Krishna should continue giving her and her sons all kinds of misery so that He may grant them His Grace continuously
The Mahabharata for example, is basically the story of the five vital airs of man (thePa nc ha
Pranas) overcoming the hundred obstacles in the path of upward progress. The eldest of the five
Pandava brothers is Dharmaraja (Morality, Righteousness); he is ably supported by Bhima (Physical strength devoted to Divine Service and charged with devotion), Arjuna (steady pure faith in God) and Nakula and Sahadeva, who represent steadfastness and equanimity. When these five are exiled, the Hastinapura (body) is inundated withAdha rma (unrighteousness)
In the Manasa - Sarovar (the deep, placid mind lake) of every man, there lurks a poisonous cobra, with six hoods: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate, infesting the air and destroying all who are near it. The name of the Lord, when it dives into the depths, forces it to come up to the surface so that it may be destroyed. So, allow the Divine in you, the Krishna, Lord of the mind, let him trample on the hissing hoods and take out the vicious viper; let it vomit the venom and becomesa thv ic and sweet.
Like allAv a ta rs, Krishna announced His Advent to the world, bit-by-bit, step-by-step, testing how far the Reality will be accepted by the masses. The signs and miracles were intended then as now, to proclaim theAva ta r.
The mystery and splendor of God can be only grasped by a pure mind and a clear vision. That is why the Lord granted a new eye to Arjuna in order that he might not be confounded by His Glory. A resolution adopted by the mind is like a stone thrown into a Sarovar or lake. It produces ripples that affect the entire face and unsettles equanimity. A good resolution orSa nka lpa sets up a series of such thoughts, each contributing its quota to the process of purification and strengthening.
The One is comprehensive of all this. So, it has no wants, no desires and no activity to realize
anything. Sri Krishna tells Arjuna: "Name Partha asthi Karthavyam, Thrishu Lokeshu Kinchava
Partha" (There is nothing I have to do in any of the three worlds). He has willed the world as his
sport, He has laid down that every deed must have its consequence. He is the dispenser of the
consequences but is not involved in the deeds.
One can also be rid ofMa ya if one can discard the threeGunas from one's makeup. The
Sathyaguna too has to be transcended, why? The Gita directs that even the eagerness to be
liberated is a bond. One is fundamentally free. Bondage is only an illusion. So the desire to make
close the bond is the result of ignorance. Krishna says," Arjuna, become free from the three
Gunas." In truth, the word Guna means the rope, for all the three Gunas bind the Jiva with the
rope of desire. Liberation means liberation from elusive attachment orMoha, "Mohakshaya -
decline in the desire caused by attachment to sensory pleasure."
Consider for a moment how long worldly triumphs last. They are but the play of the scintillating name and form of the Divine, which is the core of every being. Earn the vision that sees the Divine inherent in all. We are not troubled when something is good; only when something is bad. This is because the goodness in us is natural. In our evil aberration, we are worried and alarmed when we slide into wrong or pain or sorrow. This is because nature plans us to be right, to be happy and ever in a state of joy. It is a pity that man has lost his understanding of this basic Truth.
Dhyana is not mere sitting erect and being silent. Nor is it the absence of any movement. It is the
merging of all your thoughts and feelings to God. Without the mind becoming dissolved in God,
Dhyana cannot succeed. The Gita declares genuine Dhyanaas Ananyaschinthayanthomaam Ye
Janah Paryapasthi (Those persons who adore me without any other thought or feeling). Krishna
has assured such persons that He would Himself carry their burden and be by their side, guiding and guarding them. Persons adept in thisDhya na are very rare; most people go through the external exercises only. So they are unable to win Grace.
Life is a song, sing it. That is what Krishna taught through his life. Arjuna heard that song in the battlefield where tensions were at their highest and the fate of millions was to be decided by the sword. Krishna sang the Gita for Arjuna to listen. Gita means 'Song' and He sang because He was
Ananda, wherever He might be - in Gokulam, on the banks of the Yamuna or at Kurukshetra
between the warring armies.
Why does He attract all to His Presence? To plough the heart, prepare it for receiving the shower of Grace, to grow the seeds of Love, weed it of all evil thoughts, which smother the crops of joy and to enable it to gather the harvest of wisdom. That wisdom finds its fulfillment in Krishna Himself, for Krishna also means pure essence, the Supreme Principle, theSa t- Chi t-Ana nda
When Dharmaraja, the eldest of the five Pandavas, came to know after the death of Karna, which they effected successfully, that Karna was his brother, his agony knew no bounds; he was struck disconsolate and was torn by despair. If only he had known the truth, all that grief would have been avoided. So, too, until you know that all are altars where the Name of God is installed, all are moved and motivated by the Grace of the self same God, you are afflicted by hate and pride; Once you know it and experience it, you are full of Love and reverence to all.
The question on the battle-field was not who was the kin of whom, but who was right and who was wrong; fight for justice, fight for truth, fight for these as aks ha triy a is duty bound, and leave the result to the dispenser of all. Krishna told Arjuna "I am surprised that you should weep so, for you are Gudakesha, the conqueror of sleep, of ignorance. You do not kill; don't be conceited at all that, nor do 'they' die; 'They' have many more things to do; and in the real, they are deathless" "The sentence of Death has already been pronounced on their bodies by Me and you have but to carry out My orders" Krishna said.
When the righteous Pandavas were harassed by wicked Kauravas, the beauteous Krishna appeared and saved them. The Lord can never deign violence and bloodshed. Love is His Instrument, Non-violence His Message. He achieves the correction of evil-minded through education and example. But, it may be asked, why did Kurukshetra happen? It was a surgical operation and therefore cannot be described as an act of violence. The Surgeon saves life through
the beneficial use of His Knife.
Consider the name Krishna that the Avatar bore; what a significant Name? Krishna is derived from
the rootk ris h, which means
1. To Attract
2. To plough and cultivate
3. The Divine Principle beyond time, space and Causation.
Krishna like all Avatars attracts not only seekers, saints and sages, but the simple, the innocent and the good. He draws also the curious, the critics the skeptics and those who suffer from atheism. He draws them towards Himself by the irresistible charm of His person, by his invincible Look, His Voice, His Flute, His counsel and His undaunted heroism! He is ever in a state of Bliss, spreading harmony, melody and beauty around Him; He sings everywhere in the peaceful pasture lands of Brindavan and in the blood soaked battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Bhishma was abhak ta and by winning the Lord's Grace he was clothed with more Majesty and splendor than any early emperor. What majesty have these scepter holders? They cannot claim to have inner peace, inner joy, they know not the joy of sharing love with all. Bhishma surrendered, to the Lord when He challenged Him with thesuda rs ha na that is to say, when He offerssu (good)
darshana (vision) one must be wise enough to surrender, give up all that is what Bhishma did.
Arjuna exclaimed Krishna as the Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient God, when the foe was defeated day after day. But when his son Abhimanyu was killed in the conflict, he raved in the grief that Krishna had not guided him properly and guarded him efficiently. His mind wavered with every wind as fortune. To many the mind is the master of the intellect also. One must be vigilant and preserve the impartiality of instrument called Reason of Intellect. Clarify reason, then it will reveal God everywhere, even in you. Once you accept God as the core of the Universe and yourself have that faith strong and steady.
Fill every moment with energy, enthusiasm and effort. The epics teach you how to succeed in this. The Mahabharata describes how when every other of the hundred Kauravas died, the eldest Duryodhana was challenged by Bhima to meet him in a duel. When he at last fell to the ground, Bhima struck his head with his foot in order to add insult to injury. Duryodhana's pride was hurt. A Kshatriya such as he could not pass that insult by. He retorted even when he was dying "Do not exult that you have done some heroic act by trampling on my head! In a few seconds dogs and vultures will be doing that act. It does not require a hero to plant his foot on a dying man. You dared not do this when I was capable of hitting back, you coward!" That kind of awareness of one's potentialities and quick response to all happenings must be present in you too. Heroism gushed out even when he was passing away!
The Krishna whose advent you should celebrate is not the cowherd boy who charmed with His flute, but the Krishna the indefinable Divine principle that is born in the navel of the body (Mathura) as the product of Divine Energy (Devaki) that is then transported to the Mouth (Gokula) and fostered by the Tongue (Yasoda) as its source of sweetness. Krishna is the visualization of theAtma that the repetition of the Name grants, the vision was gained by Yasoda; you must foster that Krishna on your tongue. When He dances on it, the poison of the tongue will be ejected completely, without harming anyone as happened when as a child He danced on the hoods of the serpent Kaliya.
Purity of motive is the best guarantee that you will have Peace. An uneasy conscience is a
tormenting compassion. Righteous action will have no bad effects, to disturb your sleep or health.
If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in character:
If there is beauty in character, there will be harmony in the home;
When there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation;
When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the World.
So, be righteous; avoid all prejudices against others on the basis of caste, creed, color, mode of worship, status, or degree of affluence. Do not look down or up on any one; look upon all as Divine as you really are.
All faiths are inter-related and mutually indebted to each other for the principles they teach and the disciplines they recommend. The Vedic religion was the first in time. Buddhism, which appeared about 2500 years ago, was its son; Christianity, which was influenced much by the Orient, was its grandson. And Islam, which has the prophets of Christianity as its base, was the
great grandson. All have love as the fundamental discipline of the mind, in order to chasten it and
merge man with the Divine.
Vinayaka is called the child of two mothers Gowri and Ganga. You are the pet children of four mothers, each of you; Sathya, Dharma Shanthi and Prema. Do not ridicule them by your act. Honor them and be grateful to them. Do not claim 'Anyaya' (Injustice), 'Akrama' (Indiscipline), 'Asathya' (Falsehood), and 'Anachara' (Evil Behavior) as your mothers. Instead expand your heart, taking in all humanity into the circle of your kin, even the birds, beasts, worms, and insects, trees, and plants. The Vedic Prayer asks that the aspirants heart may be expanded 'Brhathe Koromi'-I make myself vast! The vastest is 'Brahmam'; from which comes the same root, 'brh': to enlarge.
Love must be manifested as service ors ev a.Sev a must take the form of food for the hungry,
solace for the forlorn, consolation of the sick and the suffering. Jesus was himself out in such
seva. The heart full of compassion is the temple of God. Jesus pleaded at the sight of the poor.
Jesus is worshipped but His teachings are neglected. Sai is being worshipped, but His teachings are neglected. Everywhere, pomp, pageantry, hollow exhibitionism and lectures, lectures, lectures! No activity, no Love, no seva. Heroes while lecturing are zeros while putting into practice. Develop compassion. Live in Love. Be Good, Do Good, and See Good. This is the way to God...
--------------------BABA
AND FINALLY
"Conclusion Is a Place Where We Are Tired Of Thinking...!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
The Ramayana is a guidebook, a sacred text, an inspiring scripture, for every man in all lands, whatever his creed or condition might be. It imparts poise, balance, equanimity, inner strength and peace. Peace is the best treasure without which power; authority, fame and fortune are all dry and burdensome. Thyagaraja has sung that there can be no happiness without inner peace.
Why is it that the world reveres Rama and revolts at Ravana? Rama is not the uncle's son or Ravana the stepmother's child! It is the kinship of the spirit, innate goodness, responding lovingly, adoringly to the goodness in Rama; and reacting revoltingly to the wickedness of Ravana. It is not enough, nor is it essential that you should repeat the name of Rama loudly; respect it in the fullness of love and admiration. If you have no spring of love in you, dig into your heart with external instruments like Puja, Stotra, etc. and it will start to flow.
Vibhishana, Ravana's own brother, chastised him for his willfulness and lust and urged him to save himself, his kingdom and his kith and kin by restoring Sita unharmed to her Lord. When Vibhishana went over to Rama, Rama knew that he had a pure heart and that he could not survive the poisonous atmosphere of Lanka. So He took him and saved him. The Lord likes to be called
Aartha-traana-paarayana - more than any other name, for He is most happy when He rescues
those in agony.
You talk glibly of Rama Rajya, but how can it be established, if you do not emulate Rama? He was
Vignahavaan Dharmah, the very embodiment of Dharma. He never deviated from it. Dasaratha
means one who is master of the ten senses, the fiveKa rme ndriy a s and the fiveJna ne dri y as; that
is to say the successfulSadhaka. Such a person can have the holy progeny of the four
Purusharthas- Dharma(Ra ma ), Artha(Lak s hma na ), Kama (Bharatha) and Moksha(Sa trughna ).
Become a Dasaratha and save that holy progeny as a gift from God.
Hanuman succeeded in coordinating his thought, word and act. Therefore he had the unique distinction of being great in physical strength, mental stability and virtuous character. He shines as an invaluable gem among the personalities of the Ramayana. He was also a great scholar, who had mastered, of all things, the six schools of grammar. He knew the four Vedas and the six Sastras. The Gita says that a scholar is one who sees the same Divine force motivating everyone.
Pandithaha Samadarshinaha. Hanuman was a good example of this outlook.
Thev a na ras while building the bridge across the ocean, carried huge boulders on their heads, repeatingRa ma -na ma all the while; and that made the rocks weigh less. It is said that they even wrote the Name on the stones and that made them float. Each time they handled or lifted a stone, they sang RamaNa ma in unison and so they were a happy lot, doingP uja not work, which is unpleasant. Take the Name and make your work light: That is my advice to you.
Insist on your seeking and remaining in good company,s a ts a ngha. Being in the midst of such spiritual heroes, you can fight against evil with a greater chance of success. Once when Garuda the sworn enemy of snakes went to Kailasa, he saw the snakes that Siva wore around His neck, His arms, His waist, His Feet. The snakes were safe now and they hissed with their puffed hoods at the celestial bird, which could do them no harm since they were in such Divine Company. Garuda said " Well! Glide down from the body and I shall kill every one of you.!" That is the value of theS a th one has reached. Sath Sangha is valuable, for it is like keeping a pot of water inside a tank of water. There will not be any loss through evaporation.
Pride is one of the worst sins in the spiritual field. If you feel that you are abhak ta of Hare, He will
hare (destroy, in Telugu) you. Remember saranagathi should be like the attitude of Lakshmana.
Rama said "Take Sita and leave her in the forest" Implicit obedience! There is no other way. That
is Lakshmana. That isSa ra na ga thi; the rest are deserving only ofSa ra na ga thi, the arrow of Rama.
Hanuman was ordered to discover the whereabouts of Sita and he implicitly without question obeyed and succeeded. He did not calculate the dangers of the journey and hesitate; and he did not feel proud that he was chosen for the high adventure. He listened; he understood; he obeyed; and he won. The nameRa ma dhuta, messenger and servant of Rama that he earned thereby, has
made him immortal. You must earn that name, Sai Rama Dootha. Have fortitude and self control;
use good and sweet words; and examine each act of yours on the touchstone of My preference.
The toughest fiber is anger. It is the stickiest dirt. When you get angry, you forget mother, father and teacher; you descend to the lowest depths. You lose all discrimination in the excitement; even Hanuman set fire to the whole of Lanka when he was incensed by the Rakshasas who set fire to the tip of his tail; and he lost sight of the fact that Sita was in the Ashoka Vana. It was only after he had exulted in achievement for a little while that he remembered it and then he started condemning himself for his anger.
Do not ask God for anything. Let him deal with you as He wills. Did Jatayu ask that Rama should come to him and perform his last rites? Did Shabari plead with Rama? Earn the qualifications - holiness, purity, faith, and universal love; then He will approach you on foot, to console, comfort and save. If you have purity of heart and mastery over the senses, His Grace is your right.
Ego plays all sorts of tricks, in order to get unholy pleasure. During the construction of the bridge to Lanka to take the army across, Hanuman heaved a boulder across the raging waves of the sea, as part of the bridge! it floated. Rama heaved another; it sank. Hanuman's ego was tickled, naturally. He laughed in derision; at that very moment his boulder sank! And, the boulder, that Rama had thrown, rose from the bottom of the sea and floated! Hanuman's ego was pricked to nothing. That was the purpose for which Rama had willed that His boulder should sink.
The Lord will be the guide of whoever installs Him as hisSa ra thi. He will not consider that position inferior. He is the Sanathana Sarathi, come to be theSa ra thi of all. He is the Lord for all who seek a Master, a support. TheAtma is the Master in every one; and Krishna is the universal
Atmape rs oni fi e d.
The genuine Bharatiya vision is to life into a pilgrimage towards the God resident in oneself; a steady march along the straight path to Bliss. There is no such steadiness now. Fancy and Fantasy rule the mind of man. You desire one thing in the morning; at noon you change over to something else. That desire will not persist until evening. If your desire is fulfilled, you praise God and parade your devotion. But, if it does not prevail, you throw God overboard and parade your disbelief.
Detachment is a plant of slow growth. If you pluck the tender plant to look for the pods, you will be disappointed. So, too, long constant practice alone is rewarded by the peace that God offers. Grace is acquired by surrender, as Krishna has declared in the Gita.
When the Gita directs you to give up allDha rma (Set codes of morality) it does not ask you to give upKa rma, and, when you do it for God, through God and by God, theDha rma of it does not matter; it has to be acceptable; and it is bound to benefit you. The statement is not an invitation to licentiousness or complete inactivity. It is a call for dedication and surrender to the highest in man, namely God.
Perform all acts with as much love as you would offer God. In Truth, you eat for the satisfaction of the "I" in you and dress up to please the self-same "I". The husband loves the wife for the sake of the "I". And who is this "I," that is persistent in everyone? It is God himself. "Eswarah Sarva
Bhoothanam" says the Gita: The Lord resides in the heart of every being. He is the Atman in every
being. He is theAtma n in everyone, theP ara ma tma n.
Ponder over yours thithi (present condition),ga thi (direction of movement),S hak thi (capabilities) andma thi (inclination). Then, enter upon the path ofs a dha na step by step, so that you faster every day, every hour, every minute. Arjuna became entitled to the Gita Upadesh from the Lord Himself, because he evinced theVishada, theVa ira gy a theSa ra na ga thi and theEk a gra tha essential to assimilate the great message. When the yearning for liberation has become intense, beyond expression, man can set aside all social conventions, worldly norms and codes of conduct that do not subserve that high purpose.
The Gita says that, if you give up allDha rma, and take refuge in Him, then he will save you from sin and wipe your tears. Giving upDha rma does not mean that you can bid farewell to virtue and righteous action.; it means, you have to give up egoism that you are the doer. Be confirmed in the faith that He is thedoer of every deed, that is the genuine 'giving up'
Krishna was known to all as Almighty - All - Knowing, All - Encompassing and All - fulfilling. Yet the enthusiasm to dos ev a prompted Him to approach Dharmaraja, the eldest of the Pandava brothers, on the eve of the magnificent Rajasuya Yaga he had planned to perform and offered to take upse va of any kind. He suggested that He be given the task of cleaning the dining hall after the guests had partaken of the feast! Krishna insisted on outer cleanliness and inner cleansing. Clean clothes and clean minds are an ideal combination.
During the battle of Kurukshetra, which climaxed as the Mahabharata story, Krishna served as the
driver of the chariot of Arjuna throughout the day on the field and till dusk caused the
adjournment of the fight. He led the horses to the river, gave them a refreshing bath and applied healing balms to the wounds suffered by them during the fierce fray. He mended the reins and the harness and rendered the chariot battle-worthy for another day. The Lord sets the example for the devotees to follow. He teaches that service done to any living being is offered to Him and is accepted by Him most joyfully. Service rendered to cattle, to beasts and to men is laudable
sadhana.
The world today is in deep distress because the common man and his leaders are all distracted by lower desires and motives, which require only the lower skills and meaner impulses of man. This is what I call 'devaluation.' Though man is inherently divine, he lives only at the animal level. Very few live even in the native human level.
Bhishma, for example, has to be revered and accepted as an inspiration even more potent than Rama so far as homage to the father is concerned. In order to cater to the carnal cravings, which he would have ordinarily condemned, he denied himself gladly, spontaneously, without demur and for the entire period of his life, both wedded life and royal status. The Vedic injunctionP ithr
Devobhava was honored by him in the fullest manner.
This created Universe has two aspects; one is impermanence (Anithyam). The second is
unhappiness (Asukham). In the Gita, Krishna has said, "Anithya, Asukha Lokam Imam Prapya
Bhajaseva Maam". Nothing in the world can give happiness that is true and everlasting. Mistaking
the world as 'All' and forgetting theAtma n, which alone is eternal and the only refuge, is the greatest folly of man today; man is pinning all his hopes on the slippery work and is madly running after amassing and hoarding wealth. Of course material needs are to be taken care of but within limits and not at the cost of spiritual values. Money and mansions are not at the only wealth. Hoard the wealth of the spirit. Character is wealth; Good conduct is wealth; and spiritual wisdom is wealth.
Egoism is the most dangerous illusion that has to be exploded and destroyed. Bhima had it, but when he could not lift and lay aside the tail of a monkey, who was really Anjaneya himself, that the bubble was exploded. Arjuna had it, one day, after the battle; when Krishna brought the chariot back to camp, he wanted that, like all charioteers, Krishna should get down first; The Master must get down later, after the charioteer opens the door for him. Krishna refused and insisted that Arjuna should alight before He Himself should. At last Krishna won. Arjuna got down and then, as soon as Krishna left His seat and touched the ground, the chariot went up in flames. If only Krishna got down first, the fact was the various fire arrows that had the power of burning the chariot would hit the target, but, due to the presence of Krishna, their igniferous powers could not manifest themselves. After knowing this, Arjuna was humbled and his egoism had a powerful shock. He realized that every action of Krishna was full of significance.
The Gita advisesKa rma sa nya s a, that is to say,ka rma without attachment to the fruit thereof. There areKa rma s, which have to be done as duties, related to the status inSa msa ra, and, if these are done in the proper spirit, they will not bind at all. Do allka r ma as actors in a play, keeping your identity separate and not attaching yourself too much to your role. Remember that the whole thing is just a play and the Lord has assigned you a part; act well your part; there all duty ends. He has designed the play and He enjoys it.
It is when are in a desperate situation that you call upon the Lord, forgetting your pride and your egoism. The Pandavas were so full of misery in a worldly sense that they always had an attitude of prayer. If I had given you all the comforts and opportunities, you would not have come to Puttaparthy. Trouble is the bait with which the fish is handled out of the water. Kunti asked that Krishna should continue giving her and her sons all kinds of misery so that He may grant them His Grace continuously
The Mahabharata for example, is basically the story of the five vital airs of man (thePa nc ha
Pranas) overcoming the hundred obstacles in the path of upward progress. The eldest of the five
Pandava brothers is Dharmaraja (Morality, Righteousness); he is ably supported by Bhima (Physical strength devoted to Divine Service and charged with devotion), Arjuna (steady pure faith in God) and Nakula and Sahadeva, who represent steadfastness and equanimity. When these five are exiled, the Hastinapura (body) is inundated withAdha rma (unrighteousness)
In the Manasa - Sarovar (the deep, placid mind lake) of every man, there lurks a poisonous cobra, with six hoods: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate, infesting the air and destroying all who are near it. The name of the Lord, when it dives into the depths, forces it to come up to the surface so that it may be destroyed. So, allow the Divine in you, the Krishna, Lord of the mind, let him trample on the hissing hoods and take out the vicious viper; let it vomit the venom and becomesa thv ic and sweet.
Like allAv a ta rs, Krishna announced His Advent to the world, bit-by-bit, step-by-step, testing how far the Reality will be accepted by the masses. The signs and miracles were intended then as now, to proclaim theAva ta r.
The mystery and splendor of God can be only grasped by a pure mind and a clear vision. That is why the Lord granted a new eye to Arjuna in order that he might not be confounded by His Glory. A resolution adopted by the mind is like a stone thrown into a Sarovar or lake. It produces ripples that affect the entire face and unsettles equanimity. A good resolution orSa nka lpa sets up a series of such thoughts, each contributing its quota to the process of purification and strengthening.
The One is comprehensive of all this. So, it has no wants, no desires and no activity to realize
anything. Sri Krishna tells Arjuna: "Name Partha asthi Karthavyam, Thrishu Lokeshu Kinchava
Partha" (There is nothing I have to do in any of the three worlds). He has willed the world as his
sport, He has laid down that every deed must have its consequence. He is the dispenser of the
consequences but is not involved in the deeds.
One can also be rid ofMa ya if one can discard the threeGunas from one's makeup. The
Sathyaguna too has to be transcended, why? The Gita directs that even the eagerness to be
liberated is a bond. One is fundamentally free. Bondage is only an illusion. So the desire to make
close the bond is the result of ignorance. Krishna says," Arjuna, become free from the three
Gunas." In truth, the word Guna means the rope, for all the three Gunas bind the Jiva with the
rope of desire. Liberation means liberation from elusive attachment orMoha, "Mohakshaya -
decline in the desire caused by attachment to sensory pleasure."
Consider for a moment how long worldly triumphs last. They are but the play of the scintillating name and form of the Divine, which is the core of every being. Earn the vision that sees the Divine inherent in all. We are not troubled when something is good; only when something is bad. This is because the goodness in us is natural. In our evil aberration, we are worried and alarmed when we slide into wrong or pain or sorrow. This is because nature plans us to be right, to be happy and ever in a state of joy. It is a pity that man has lost his understanding of this basic Truth.
Dhyana is not mere sitting erect and being silent. Nor is it the absence of any movement. It is the
merging of all your thoughts and feelings to God. Without the mind becoming dissolved in God,
Dhyana cannot succeed. The Gita declares genuine Dhyanaas Ananyaschinthayanthomaam Ye
Janah Paryapasthi (Those persons who adore me without any other thought or feeling). Krishna
has assured such persons that He would Himself carry their burden and be by their side, guiding and guarding them. Persons adept in thisDhya na are very rare; most people go through the external exercises only. So they are unable to win Grace.
Life is a song, sing it. That is what Krishna taught through his life. Arjuna heard that song in the battlefield where tensions were at their highest and the fate of millions was to be decided by the sword. Krishna sang the Gita for Arjuna to listen. Gita means 'Song' and He sang because He was
Ananda, wherever He might be - in Gokulam, on the banks of the Yamuna or at Kurukshetra
between the warring armies.
Why does He attract all to His Presence? To plough the heart, prepare it for receiving the shower of Grace, to grow the seeds of Love, weed it of all evil thoughts, which smother the crops of joy and to enable it to gather the harvest of wisdom. That wisdom finds its fulfillment in Krishna Himself, for Krishna also means pure essence, the Supreme Principle, theSa t- Chi t-Ana nda
When Dharmaraja, the eldest of the five Pandavas, came to know after the death of Karna, which they effected successfully, that Karna was his brother, his agony knew no bounds; he was struck disconsolate and was torn by despair. If only he had known the truth, all that grief would have been avoided. So, too, until you know that all are altars where the Name of God is installed, all are moved and motivated by the Grace of the self same God, you are afflicted by hate and pride; Once you know it and experience it, you are full of Love and reverence to all.
The question on the battle-field was not who was the kin of whom, but who was right and who was wrong; fight for justice, fight for truth, fight for these as aks ha triy a is duty bound, and leave the result to the dispenser of all. Krishna told Arjuna "I am surprised that you should weep so, for you are Gudakesha, the conqueror of sleep, of ignorance. You do not kill; don't be conceited at all that, nor do 'they' die; 'They' have many more things to do; and in the real, they are deathless" "The sentence of Death has already been pronounced on their bodies by Me and you have but to carry out My orders" Krishna said.
When the righteous Pandavas were harassed by wicked Kauravas, the beauteous Krishna appeared and saved them. The Lord can never deign violence and bloodshed. Love is His Instrument, Non-violence His Message. He achieves the correction of evil-minded through education and example. But, it may be asked, why did Kurukshetra happen? It was a surgical operation and therefore cannot be described as an act of violence. The Surgeon saves life through
the beneficial use of His Knife.
Consider the name Krishna that the Avatar bore; what a significant Name? Krishna is derived from
the rootk ris h, which means
1. To Attract
2. To plough and cultivate
3. The Divine Principle beyond time, space and Causation.
Krishna like all Avatars attracts not only seekers, saints and sages, but the simple, the innocent and the good. He draws also the curious, the critics the skeptics and those who suffer from atheism. He draws them towards Himself by the irresistible charm of His person, by his invincible Look, His Voice, His Flute, His counsel and His undaunted heroism! He is ever in a state of Bliss, spreading harmony, melody and beauty around Him; He sings everywhere in the peaceful pasture lands of Brindavan and in the blood soaked battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Bhishma was abhak ta and by winning the Lord's Grace he was clothed with more Majesty and splendor than any early emperor. What majesty have these scepter holders? They cannot claim to have inner peace, inner joy, they know not the joy of sharing love with all. Bhishma surrendered, to the Lord when He challenged Him with thesuda rs ha na that is to say, when He offerssu (good)
darshana (vision) one must be wise enough to surrender, give up all that is what Bhishma did.
Arjuna exclaimed Krishna as the Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient God, when the foe was defeated day after day. But when his son Abhimanyu was killed in the conflict, he raved in the grief that Krishna had not guided him properly and guarded him efficiently. His mind wavered with every wind as fortune. To many the mind is the master of the intellect also. One must be vigilant and preserve the impartiality of instrument called Reason of Intellect. Clarify reason, then it will reveal God everywhere, even in you. Once you accept God as the core of the Universe and yourself have that faith strong and steady.
Fill every moment with energy, enthusiasm and effort. The epics teach you how to succeed in this. The Mahabharata describes how when every other of the hundred Kauravas died, the eldest Duryodhana was challenged by Bhima to meet him in a duel. When he at last fell to the ground, Bhima struck his head with his foot in order to add insult to injury. Duryodhana's pride was hurt. A Kshatriya such as he could not pass that insult by. He retorted even when he was dying "Do not exult that you have done some heroic act by trampling on my head! In a few seconds dogs and vultures will be doing that act. It does not require a hero to plant his foot on a dying man. You dared not do this when I was capable of hitting back, you coward!" That kind of awareness of one's potentialities and quick response to all happenings must be present in you too. Heroism gushed out even when he was passing away!
The Krishna whose advent you should celebrate is not the cowherd boy who charmed with His flute, but the Krishna the indefinable Divine principle that is born in the navel of the body (Mathura) as the product of Divine Energy (Devaki) that is then transported to the Mouth (Gokula) and fostered by the Tongue (Yasoda) as its source of sweetness. Krishna is the visualization of theAtma that the repetition of the Name grants, the vision was gained by Yasoda; you must foster that Krishna on your tongue. When He dances on it, the poison of the tongue will be ejected completely, without harming anyone as happened when as a child He danced on the hoods of the serpent Kaliya.
Purity of motive is the best guarantee that you will have Peace. An uneasy conscience is a
tormenting compassion. Righteous action will have no bad effects, to disturb your sleep or health.
If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in character:
If there is beauty in character, there will be harmony in the home;
When there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation;
When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the World.
So, be righteous; avoid all prejudices against others on the basis of caste, creed, color, mode of worship, status, or degree of affluence. Do not look down or up on any one; look upon all as Divine as you really are.
All faiths are inter-related and mutually indebted to each other for the principles they teach and the disciplines they recommend. The Vedic religion was the first in time. Buddhism, which appeared about 2500 years ago, was its son; Christianity, which was influenced much by the Orient, was its grandson. And Islam, which has the prophets of Christianity as its base, was the
great grandson. All have love as the fundamental discipline of the mind, in order to chasten it and
merge man with the Divine.
Vinayaka is called the child of two mothers Gowri and Ganga. You are the pet children of four mothers, each of you; Sathya, Dharma Shanthi and Prema. Do not ridicule them by your act. Honor them and be grateful to them. Do not claim 'Anyaya' (Injustice), 'Akrama' (Indiscipline), 'Asathya' (Falsehood), and 'Anachara' (Evil Behavior) as your mothers. Instead expand your heart, taking in all humanity into the circle of your kin, even the birds, beasts, worms, and insects, trees, and plants. The Vedic Prayer asks that the aspirants heart may be expanded 'Brhathe Koromi'-I make myself vast! The vastest is 'Brahmam'; from which comes the same root, 'brh': to enlarge.
Love must be manifested as service ors ev a.Sev a must take the form of food for the hungry,
solace for the forlorn, consolation of the sick and the suffering. Jesus was himself out in such
seva. The heart full of compassion is the temple of God. Jesus pleaded at the sight of the poor.
Jesus is worshipped but His teachings are neglected. Sai is being worshipped, but His teachings are neglected. Everywhere, pomp, pageantry, hollow exhibitionism and lectures, lectures, lectures! No activity, no Love, no seva. Heroes while lecturing are zeros while putting into practice. Develop compassion. Live in Love. Be Good, Do Good, and See Good. This is the way to God...
--------------------BABA
AND FINALLY
"Conclusion Is a Place Where We Are Tired Of Thinking...!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
MONEY COMES AND GOES....BUT MORALITY COMES AND GROWS...BABA
Makara Sankranthi, 14 Jan 2009
1
Money Comes and Goes,
But Morality Comes And Grows
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Prasanthi Nilayam
Makara Sankranthi, 14 Jan 2009
Bharat is the motherland of many noble souls who earned great name and fame in all
the continents of the world.
This is the land of valorous people who vanquished the foreign rulers in the battle-
field and attained independence.
This is the land that excelled in music, literature, and other fine arts.
Having been born in this great land of Bharat, oh boys and girls!
It is your sacred duty to protect its rich cultural heritage.
(Telugu poem)
Dear students!
Be prepared to uphold the honour and glory of this country of Bharat! You are sure to come
out victorious in this effort.
Today, people are able to achieve great progress in secular and scientific fields, but they are unable to march forward in the field of spirituality. One has to progress in spirituality more than in other fields. People used to give great importance to progress in the spiritual arena in the an- cient times. In fact, it used to be the goal of their life. However, there is a decline in the spiritual outlook of people in recent times.
In these days a lot of effort is made to achieve progress in secular, physical, and worldly mat- ters. Whatever achievements made in these areas are only temporary and transitory; they are not permanent. While people are able to make giant strides in secular areas all over the world, there is decline in the importance given to spiritual and moral progress. This tendency is in sharp con- trast to the culture of Bharat in ancient times.
This land of Bharat has given birth to many noble women like
Savitri, who brought her dead husband back to life;
Chandramati, who extinguished wild fire with the power of truth;
Sita, who proved her chastity by coming out of blazing fire unscathed; and
Damayanti, who reduced an evil-minded hunter to ashes with the power of her chas-
tity.
This land of piety and nobility attained plenty and prosperity and became the teacher
of all the nations of the world because of such women of chastity.
(Telugu poem)
Savitri, a great woman of chastity, brought her deceased husband back to life by the power of her chastity. Such women brought great name and fame to the country of Bharat. Can you find parallels to her anywhere in this world? No doubt, whoever is born must die, but is there a woman in any country in the world who could bring her dead husband back to life, except in Bharat? The whole world is falling to abysmal depth due to transgression of the righteous path, lack of character, and bad behaviour.
Once Arjuna was narrating to King Dharmaraja a few strange incidents he observed while go- ing on a tour of the Kingdom. A farmer reported to Arjuna, “Swami! Yesterday I left the imple- ments in the field itself after ploughing, since it was getting dark. Today when I went to the field to pick up those implements, they were not to be found there.”
On another occasion, he noticed some ladies locking their houses and going out. On enquiry they informed him, “Swami! We wanted to go out on some work, and unless we lock our houses, our belongings won’t be safe.”
This was stunning news to Arjuna, since no house in the kingdom used to be locked in those days, unlike in present times, and people were able to move very freely without any worry. Later, when King Dharmaraja himself went on a stroll, he observed a lady talking to a man in public standing in the middle of the road. Such type of behaviour went against the custom prevailing in the country.
Dharmaraja was taken aback at these developments and felt that the age of Kali had begun. He therefore decided that it was time that the Pandavas leave for their heavenly abode. Ladies and gents engaging themselves in conversation in full view of the public was a taboo in those days.
Bharat is a land where noble thoughts and feelings are cultivated right from childhood. In fact, Bharat is the spiritual teacher for the entire world. Even now, you will find thatBharatiyas do not go astray in their behaviour, as it is happening in some other countries in the world. They are decent and courteous in their behaviour, at least in public. Even an aged son dare not talk to his mother standing in front of her.
In the earlier days of Swami’s Avatarhood, the Raja of Venkatagiri used to visit Puttaparthi. He used to bring the heir apparent and his other son along with him. Before their departure, the sons used to take the blessings of their mother, who used to sit behind a screen and stretch her legs for her sons to offer their obeisance to her. Such were their noble feelings and exemplary character.
Today, you will find boys and girls moving together even in public places. If someone makes enquiries, they reply that so and so was their classmate. Such acts in the old days were consid- ered as highly improper. In fact, the term “classmate” itself is a wrong expression. Do not use the word “classmate”. Say, “a fellow student in the class”.
The rules of conduct in the earlier times were very strict. The situation has changed now. Boys and girls visit each other’s houses without any inhibition and even dine together. This is highly improper. Before doing such things, one has to ask oneself, “Am I a human being or an animal or a beast?” Animals have animal qualities, but you are a human being. Hence, you should possess human qualities. You say you are a human being. Therefore you have to ask yourself, “Do I possess human qualities?”
What are those human qualities? Never hurt anyone. Do not speak harsh words against any individual. Have compassion and a charitable disposition. Only such a person can be said to be a human being.
Sathya(truth), dharma(righteousness), santhi(peace), prema (love), and ahimsa(nonvio-
lence) are the five qualities a human being should possess. Giving a go-bye tosathya and
dharma, people pray for santhi. Is it possible? Can anyone get peace outside? Peace is a state of
mind that is very much inside one’s own self. It emanates from one’s heart. People are now
searching for peace in the outside world
There is reaction, resound, and reflection for everything in the world. Only when you develop the quality of hatred in yourself will you see hatred in others. Even when no one causes any harm to you, you try to hurt others. Whatever you do to others, surely you will experience the result of that action. Whatever you hear or experience is all due to the reaction, reflection, and resound of your own actions and feelings. Others are not responsible for it.
You forget this simple truth and lament, “so and so is accusing me; so and so is causing pain to me; so and so is hurting me”, etc. No one is responsible for either your good or your bad ac- tions.
Neither is it God’s creation, for God isnirgunam,niranjanam, sanathana niketanam,nitya,
shuddha, buddha, mukta, nirmala swarupinam (God is attributeless, unsullied, final abode, eter-
nal, pure, enlightened, free, and embodiment of sacredness).
You go on fighting with others and try to hurt them. Then you are not a human being at all!
Always help others, never hurt anyone. “Help Ever, Hurt Never.” It is said,Paropakara pun-
yaya, papaya parapeedanam (one attains merit by serving others and commits sin by hurting
them), Sarva jiva namaskaram Kesavam pratigachchhati (whomever you salute, it reaches God),
and Sarva jiva tiraskaram Kesavam pratigachchhati (whomever you criticise, it reaches God).
You think you are accusing someone or making fun of someone. It is all your illusion. In fact, you are accusing yourself and making fun of yourself in the process. Everything has reaction, reflection, and resound. You yourself are responsible for either good or bad. If you wish to enjoy good things in life, do good to others in the first instance.
Today’s education is information-oriented. It is bookish knowledge. It is not real education. It
is not this type of education that you should pursue. You have to pursue “Educare”.
Educare manifests in one’s own heart. Education relates to gathering information by reading several books and storing them in your brain. Whatever you remember out of that knowledge, you will reproduce in your examinations and acquire degrees. That you call education. That is not real education.
You have to follow your inner voice. That is real education. In the recent sports day, you played many games, displayed beautiful gymnastic skills, and sang several songs. All these ac- tivities relate to the body, which is the result of your pastkarmas (actions). However, do not re- pose absolute confidence in the physical body. The body is given to you for discharging your duty as a human being. Do not misuse your body.
It is the responsibility of teachers, headmistress, principals, vice chancellors, and chancellors
to teach the students the value and purpose of human birth.
Your duty is to follow your conscience. Your conscience helps you manifest noble qualities. But you do not pay heed to the voice of your conscience and go against the human values. Hence, never ignore your conscience. Your conscience is your most valuable property.
You do not have to dojapa (soft repetition of the name of God),tapa (penance, severe aus- terities),dhyana (meditation), or yoga. You will achieve a lot of progress in yoursadhana (spiri- tual practices) if only you listen to your inner voice. Whatever comes from the depth of your heart will do good for you. Whatever goes against the dictates of your conscience is worldly, whereas inner voice or conscience is spiritual. “Help Ever; Hurt Never,” is the cardinal principle of spirituality. Whoever follows the inner voice will always be safe. Never go against that inner voice. That is true spirituality.
Spirituality does not mean just conforming to worship and meditation. These practices have degenerated into several undesirable activities these days. The underlying principle and the pur- pose of thesesadhanas are totally forgotten.
It is said, Manasyekam vachasyekam, karmanyekam mahatmanam (Those whose thoughts, words, and deeds are in perfect harmony are noble ones). Unless there is perfect accord between your thoughts, words, and deeds, you are not a human being at all!
You get very angry against someone and slap them. But think for a moment; it is a great sin to hurt others. In the process, you are hurting not your enemy but God, verily! All are divine. Hence, never hurt anyone. It is natural to help those who help you, but you should be able to help even those who harm you.
There is nothing great in helping those who have helped you.
The noble ones are those who help even those who have harmed them.
(Telugu poem)
It is only Sai in this world who helps even those who try to harm Him, ignoring their faults. I never mind the harm done to Me by others. We must always be calm, serene, and peaceful under all circumstances. If only you maintain the quality of peace, you can achieve anything in life. Wherever you see in the outside world, it is only pieces and pieces! Do not hurt the feelings of others, come what may.
Always treat your parents with love and respect. In fact, your parents are your first teachers. Respect them. Any amount of your good work that inconveniences your parents is of no avail. That cannot be considered good work at all. Though it may appear to be yielding some benefits temporarily, the end result of all this work will turn out to be very bad. Hence, ensure that you do not cause any inconvenience or suffering to your parents. The more you inconvenience them, the more you will suffer.
With regard to charity, the more you give in charity to others, the more benefit you will re- ceive later. Therefore, try to help others, always. Do any kind ofseva (selfless service) that you are capable of. When you thus go on helping others, you will be progressing in the path of truth.
As you travel in the path of truth,dharma will automatically follow. Wheresathya (truth) and
dharma (righteousness) go together, santhi (peace) will reign there. Then prema (love) will fol-
low. Where there is love, there hatred cannot be. You will not have enemies then. It is only when the spring of love gets dried up in your heart that you will try to cause suffering to others. Hence, develop love for all.Sathya,dharma,santhi,prema, andahimsa are human qualities.
Today, there is rampant violence everywhere in the world. People are afraid to stay alone even in their houses. Several changes are taking place all over the world. Earlier, the United States of America was considered to be a super power and a wealthy country, but now, all that glory is gone. As a result, people who were going to their workplaces in cars earlier are now walking.
We think money and wealth can do anything. But money is not important; your mind is im-
portant. If only you can control your mind, everything will turn out to be good for you.
Dear students!
Whatever work you undertake, do it with a sense of dedication to God.Sarva karma Bha-
gavad preetyartham (do all actions to please God). Always remind yourself that God is the doer and you are just an instrument in the hands of God. You can achieve anything in life only when
there is the Will of God. Perform your duty and remain a witness to all that goes in the world.
It is said, “Paropakarah punyaya papaya parapeedanam”. Always follow the principles of “be good, do good, and see good.” Let your tongue speak only the truth. Let all your deeds be helpful to others. Whoever undertakes service in society with such a motto will always be happy.
Pride, jealousy, etc, are all bad qualities. They drive away good qualities. They do harm to you as well as to society. Hence, be good and do good to others. If someone is in a difficult situa- tion, go all out to help them even at the cost of your own work. This is the foremost duty of a human being. “Help Ever, Hurt Never” should be your motto. It is enough if you remember these two commands always.
Do not cause harm even to your enemy. Hurt never. Do not cause even the slightest inconven-
ience to others. This is true education.
You make your parents suffer in the house, come to the office and show your egoistic power on your subordinates, and draw a huge salary for your so-called work and responsibility. This is a great mistake. As you go up in your career and life, your ego and jealousy must come down. Then only will you earn respect from one and all.
Always remember society and its welfare. You are a member of the society and therefore you have a social responsibility. You owe your very existence to society. Similarly, society is not separate from you. Individuals make a society. You and society are inseparable and mutually de- pendent. Only when fellow members of the society prosper will you also prosper.
Dear students!
You all have done well in your studies, getting good marks and securing ranks. You brought good name to the Institution in the fields of education, sports, and cultural activities. Yesterday, you witnessed a play on Bhakta Potana. He did not feel bad, in spite of criticism and belittling from his brother-in-law Srinatha, also a great poet. Since Potana was a great devotee of Rama and surrendered himself totally to the Lord, Rama Himself composed the great epic Bhagavatam on his behalf. Potana always believed that his poetry, his life, and even his very existence were all the gift of Lord Rama. He was a true devotee.
When Potana was suffering from acute poverty and finding it very difficult to make both ends meet, his brother-in-law advised him to dedicate his works to the King and make a comfortable living with the money and jewelry gifted by the King. Potana refused to do, so saying that he would take refuge only in Lord Rama. Instead, he decided to live by cultivating his small piece of land.
One day, while Srinatha was going by the side of the fields in a palanquin, he saw his brother- in-law Potana working in his field. He derisively passed a comment on Potana, addressing him as “haalika!”, meaning, “Oh farmer! Are you Ok?”
Potana gave an apt reply saying, “How does it matter if I am a farmer? I feel it is better and nobler to make a living by farming than dedicating my poetry to earthly kings and living upon their charity. That gives me great satisfaction!”
The earth is the basis for all objects and activities in the world. Whoever reposes his faith in the land will never undergo any difficulties. Hence, I advise students to develop faith in their motherland and pursue their vocations in this great land of Bharat itself, instead of dreaming to go to other countries like America and earn lakhs and lakhs of rupees. Earn name and fame in
your motherland itself.
Earning money is not something great. Even a beggar can earn a lot of money. “Money comes and goes, but morality comes and grows.” Cultivate that morality. Whoever has morality will never undergo any difficulty.
-------- BABA
And Finally
"Conclusion Is A Place Where We are Tired Of Thinking...!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
1
Money Comes and Goes,
But Morality Comes And Grows
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Prasanthi Nilayam
Makara Sankranthi, 14 Jan 2009
Bharat is the motherland of many noble souls who earned great name and fame in all
the continents of the world.
This is the land of valorous people who vanquished the foreign rulers in the battle-
field and attained independence.
This is the land that excelled in music, literature, and other fine arts.
Having been born in this great land of Bharat, oh boys and girls!
It is your sacred duty to protect its rich cultural heritage.
(Telugu poem)
Dear students!
Be prepared to uphold the honour and glory of this country of Bharat! You are sure to come
out victorious in this effort.
Today, people are able to achieve great progress in secular and scientific fields, but they are unable to march forward in the field of spirituality. One has to progress in spirituality more than in other fields. People used to give great importance to progress in the spiritual arena in the an- cient times. In fact, it used to be the goal of their life. However, there is a decline in the spiritual outlook of people in recent times.
In these days a lot of effort is made to achieve progress in secular, physical, and worldly mat- ters. Whatever achievements made in these areas are only temporary and transitory; they are not permanent. While people are able to make giant strides in secular areas all over the world, there is decline in the importance given to spiritual and moral progress. This tendency is in sharp con- trast to the culture of Bharat in ancient times.
This land of Bharat has given birth to many noble women like
Savitri, who brought her dead husband back to life;
Chandramati, who extinguished wild fire with the power of truth;
Sita, who proved her chastity by coming out of blazing fire unscathed; and
Damayanti, who reduced an evil-minded hunter to ashes with the power of her chas-
tity.
This land of piety and nobility attained plenty and prosperity and became the teacher
of all the nations of the world because of such women of chastity.
(Telugu poem)
Savitri, a great woman of chastity, brought her deceased husband back to life by the power of her chastity. Such women brought great name and fame to the country of Bharat. Can you find parallels to her anywhere in this world? No doubt, whoever is born must die, but is there a woman in any country in the world who could bring her dead husband back to life, except in Bharat? The whole world is falling to abysmal depth due to transgression of the righteous path, lack of character, and bad behaviour.
Once Arjuna was narrating to King Dharmaraja a few strange incidents he observed while go- ing on a tour of the Kingdom. A farmer reported to Arjuna, “Swami! Yesterday I left the imple- ments in the field itself after ploughing, since it was getting dark. Today when I went to the field to pick up those implements, they were not to be found there.”
On another occasion, he noticed some ladies locking their houses and going out. On enquiry they informed him, “Swami! We wanted to go out on some work, and unless we lock our houses, our belongings won’t be safe.”
This was stunning news to Arjuna, since no house in the kingdom used to be locked in those days, unlike in present times, and people were able to move very freely without any worry. Later, when King Dharmaraja himself went on a stroll, he observed a lady talking to a man in public standing in the middle of the road. Such type of behaviour went against the custom prevailing in the country.
Dharmaraja was taken aback at these developments and felt that the age of Kali had begun. He therefore decided that it was time that the Pandavas leave for their heavenly abode. Ladies and gents engaging themselves in conversation in full view of the public was a taboo in those days.
Bharat is a land where noble thoughts and feelings are cultivated right from childhood. In fact, Bharat is the spiritual teacher for the entire world. Even now, you will find thatBharatiyas do not go astray in their behaviour, as it is happening in some other countries in the world. They are decent and courteous in their behaviour, at least in public. Even an aged son dare not talk to his mother standing in front of her.
In the earlier days of Swami’s Avatarhood, the Raja of Venkatagiri used to visit Puttaparthi. He used to bring the heir apparent and his other son along with him. Before their departure, the sons used to take the blessings of their mother, who used to sit behind a screen and stretch her legs for her sons to offer their obeisance to her. Such were their noble feelings and exemplary character.
Today, you will find boys and girls moving together even in public places. If someone makes enquiries, they reply that so and so was their classmate. Such acts in the old days were consid- ered as highly improper. In fact, the term “classmate” itself is a wrong expression. Do not use the word “classmate”. Say, “a fellow student in the class”.
The rules of conduct in the earlier times were very strict. The situation has changed now. Boys and girls visit each other’s houses without any inhibition and even dine together. This is highly improper. Before doing such things, one has to ask oneself, “Am I a human being or an animal or a beast?” Animals have animal qualities, but you are a human being. Hence, you should possess human qualities. You say you are a human being. Therefore you have to ask yourself, “Do I possess human qualities?”
What are those human qualities? Never hurt anyone. Do not speak harsh words against any individual. Have compassion and a charitable disposition. Only such a person can be said to be a human being.
Sathya(truth), dharma(righteousness), santhi(peace), prema (love), and ahimsa(nonvio-
lence) are the five qualities a human being should possess. Giving a go-bye tosathya and
dharma, people pray for santhi. Is it possible? Can anyone get peace outside? Peace is a state of
mind that is very much inside one’s own self. It emanates from one’s heart. People are now
searching for peace in the outside world
There is reaction, resound, and reflection for everything in the world. Only when you develop the quality of hatred in yourself will you see hatred in others. Even when no one causes any harm to you, you try to hurt others. Whatever you do to others, surely you will experience the result of that action. Whatever you hear or experience is all due to the reaction, reflection, and resound of your own actions and feelings. Others are not responsible for it.
You forget this simple truth and lament, “so and so is accusing me; so and so is causing pain to me; so and so is hurting me”, etc. No one is responsible for either your good or your bad ac- tions.
Neither is it God’s creation, for God isnirgunam,niranjanam, sanathana niketanam,nitya,
shuddha, buddha, mukta, nirmala swarupinam (God is attributeless, unsullied, final abode, eter-
nal, pure, enlightened, free, and embodiment of sacredness).
You go on fighting with others and try to hurt them. Then you are not a human being at all!
Always help others, never hurt anyone. “Help Ever, Hurt Never.” It is said,Paropakara pun-
yaya, papaya parapeedanam (one attains merit by serving others and commits sin by hurting
them), Sarva jiva namaskaram Kesavam pratigachchhati (whomever you salute, it reaches God),
and Sarva jiva tiraskaram Kesavam pratigachchhati (whomever you criticise, it reaches God).
You think you are accusing someone or making fun of someone. It is all your illusion. In fact, you are accusing yourself and making fun of yourself in the process. Everything has reaction, reflection, and resound. You yourself are responsible for either good or bad. If you wish to enjoy good things in life, do good to others in the first instance.
Today’s education is information-oriented. It is bookish knowledge. It is not real education. It
is not this type of education that you should pursue. You have to pursue “Educare”.
Educare manifests in one’s own heart. Education relates to gathering information by reading several books and storing them in your brain. Whatever you remember out of that knowledge, you will reproduce in your examinations and acquire degrees. That you call education. That is not real education.
You have to follow your inner voice. That is real education. In the recent sports day, you played many games, displayed beautiful gymnastic skills, and sang several songs. All these ac- tivities relate to the body, which is the result of your pastkarmas (actions). However, do not re- pose absolute confidence in the physical body. The body is given to you for discharging your duty as a human being. Do not misuse your body.
It is the responsibility of teachers, headmistress, principals, vice chancellors, and chancellors
to teach the students the value and purpose of human birth.
Your duty is to follow your conscience. Your conscience helps you manifest noble qualities. But you do not pay heed to the voice of your conscience and go against the human values. Hence, never ignore your conscience. Your conscience is your most valuable property.
You do not have to dojapa (soft repetition of the name of God),tapa (penance, severe aus- terities),dhyana (meditation), or yoga. You will achieve a lot of progress in yoursadhana (spiri- tual practices) if only you listen to your inner voice. Whatever comes from the depth of your heart will do good for you. Whatever goes against the dictates of your conscience is worldly, whereas inner voice or conscience is spiritual. “Help Ever; Hurt Never,” is the cardinal principle of spirituality. Whoever follows the inner voice will always be safe. Never go against that inner voice. That is true spirituality.
Spirituality does not mean just conforming to worship and meditation. These practices have degenerated into several undesirable activities these days. The underlying principle and the pur- pose of thesesadhanas are totally forgotten.
It is said, Manasyekam vachasyekam, karmanyekam mahatmanam (Those whose thoughts, words, and deeds are in perfect harmony are noble ones). Unless there is perfect accord between your thoughts, words, and deeds, you are not a human being at all!
You get very angry against someone and slap them. But think for a moment; it is a great sin to hurt others. In the process, you are hurting not your enemy but God, verily! All are divine. Hence, never hurt anyone. It is natural to help those who help you, but you should be able to help even those who harm you.
There is nothing great in helping those who have helped you.
The noble ones are those who help even those who have harmed them.
(Telugu poem)
It is only Sai in this world who helps even those who try to harm Him, ignoring their faults. I never mind the harm done to Me by others. We must always be calm, serene, and peaceful under all circumstances. If only you maintain the quality of peace, you can achieve anything in life. Wherever you see in the outside world, it is only pieces and pieces! Do not hurt the feelings of others, come what may.
Always treat your parents with love and respect. In fact, your parents are your first teachers. Respect them. Any amount of your good work that inconveniences your parents is of no avail. That cannot be considered good work at all. Though it may appear to be yielding some benefits temporarily, the end result of all this work will turn out to be very bad. Hence, ensure that you do not cause any inconvenience or suffering to your parents. The more you inconvenience them, the more you will suffer.
With regard to charity, the more you give in charity to others, the more benefit you will re- ceive later. Therefore, try to help others, always. Do any kind ofseva (selfless service) that you are capable of. When you thus go on helping others, you will be progressing in the path of truth.
As you travel in the path of truth,dharma will automatically follow. Wheresathya (truth) and
dharma (righteousness) go together, santhi (peace) will reign there. Then prema (love) will fol-
low. Where there is love, there hatred cannot be. You will not have enemies then. It is only when the spring of love gets dried up in your heart that you will try to cause suffering to others. Hence, develop love for all.Sathya,dharma,santhi,prema, andahimsa are human qualities.
Today, there is rampant violence everywhere in the world. People are afraid to stay alone even in their houses. Several changes are taking place all over the world. Earlier, the United States of America was considered to be a super power and a wealthy country, but now, all that glory is gone. As a result, people who were going to their workplaces in cars earlier are now walking.
We think money and wealth can do anything. But money is not important; your mind is im-
portant. If only you can control your mind, everything will turn out to be good for you.
Dear students!
Whatever work you undertake, do it with a sense of dedication to God.Sarva karma Bha-
gavad preetyartham (do all actions to please God). Always remind yourself that God is the doer and you are just an instrument in the hands of God. You can achieve anything in life only when
there is the Will of God. Perform your duty and remain a witness to all that goes in the world.
It is said, “Paropakarah punyaya papaya parapeedanam”. Always follow the principles of “be good, do good, and see good.” Let your tongue speak only the truth. Let all your deeds be helpful to others. Whoever undertakes service in society with such a motto will always be happy.
Pride, jealousy, etc, are all bad qualities. They drive away good qualities. They do harm to you as well as to society. Hence, be good and do good to others. If someone is in a difficult situa- tion, go all out to help them even at the cost of your own work. This is the foremost duty of a human being. “Help Ever, Hurt Never” should be your motto. It is enough if you remember these two commands always.
Do not cause harm even to your enemy. Hurt never. Do not cause even the slightest inconven-
ience to others. This is true education.
You make your parents suffer in the house, come to the office and show your egoistic power on your subordinates, and draw a huge salary for your so-called work and responsibility. This is a great mistake. As you go up in your career and life, your ego and jealousy must come down. Then only will you earn respect from one and all.
Always remember society and its welfare. You are a member of the society and therefore you have a social responsibility. You owe your very existence to society. Similarly, society is not separate from you. Individuals make a society. You and society are inseparable and mutually de- pendent. Only when fellow members of the society prosper will you also prosper.
Dear students!
You all have done well in your studies, getting good marks and securing ranks. You brought good name to the Institution in the fields of education, sports, and cultural activities. Yesterday, you witnessed a play on Bhakta Potana. He did not feel bad, in spite of criticism and belittling from his brother-in-law Srinatha, also a great poet. Since Potana was a great devotee of Rama and surrendered himself totally to the Lord, Rama Himself composed the great epic Bhagavatam on his behalf. Potana always believed that his poetry, his life, and even his very existence were all the gift of Lord Rama. He was a true devotee.
When Potana was suffering from acute poverty and finding it very difficult to make both ends meet, his brother-in-law advised him to dedicate his works to the King and make a comfortable living with the money and jewelry gifted by the King. Potana refused to do, so saying that he would take refuge only in Lord Rama. Instead, he decided to live by cultivating his small piece of land.
One day, while Srinatha was going by the side of the fields in a palanquin, he saw his brother- in-law Potana working in his field. He derisively passed a comment on Potana, addressing him as “haalika!”, meaning, “Oh farmer! Are you Ok?”
Potana gave an apt reply saying, “How does it matter if I am a farmer? I feel it is better and nobler to make a living by farming than dedicating my poetry to earthly kings and living upon their charity. That gives me great satisfaction!”
The earth is the basis for all objects and activities in the world. Whoever reposes his faith in the land will never undergo any difficulties. Hence, I advise students to develop faith in their motherland and pursue their vocations in this great land of Bharat itself, instead of dreaming to go to other countries like America and earn lakhs and lakhs of rupees. Earn name and fame in
your motherland itself.
Earning money is not something great. Even a beggar can earn a lot of money. “Money comes and goes, but morality comes and grows.” Cultivate that morality. Whoever has morality will never undergo any difficulty.
-------- BABA
And Finally
"Conclusion Is A Place Where We are Tired Of Thinking...!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
Belgian Princess----Visits Puttaparthi...
The Belgian Princess from childhood has always been a devout Christian. She had always followed her individual duty and duty towards the society i.e. what Baba termed later her Dharma. She used to regularly have Baba’s dream where He used to tell her repeatedly to visit him in Puttaparthi. She was not very inclined to do so since she thought going to Baba would be against the Christian faith, which she had been following for so long. She was of the opinion that her dreams may not have anything serious to think about since she was nothing even remotely connected to India and she had never heard of Sai Baba and hence no question of going to India.
An old friend of hers’ once met her during one of her outings. Meeting after a long time they both talked for a long time. During this conversation, her friend mentioned to her in passing that she had met a spiritual teacher in India whom she had accepted as her Guru (preceptor). Having heard her friend mention India, the princess asked her as to whether she had heard of someone called Sai Baba in a village called Puttaparthi. Looking a little surprised, she said, “Well, He is the one I am talking about. Sai Baba is my master, my Guru.” So saying she showed the princess His photograph. She looked at it and was aghast. The features of the man in the photograph were
exactly the same as that of the person, who in her dreams was asking her to visit him. Were the
dreams leading her to something? She didn’t know.
A week later the Belgian princess was on her way to India, with her friend accompanying her. All through their journey, the princess and her friend talked about nothing but Sai Baba. The more she heard about him, his miracles (which Baba often says are his visiting cards) and his work, the more she curious she became. The princess alighted in India and as she moved closer to Puttaparthi, her heart beat faster and she asked herself –
“Who is Sai Baba? And how on earth does He know about me?”
As she alighted in Puttaparthi, she checked into an accommodation generally provided to people coming to have accommodation. But being the princess of a nation, she was entitled to government of India’s hospitality. Moreover the princess herself never informed the accommodation authorities of her royalty status. But the foreign affairs ministry received a phone call from the Belgium High commission (who were told of the visit by a royal palace communiqué) that Her Highness The Princess of Belgium was in India to visit Sai Baba. The foreign ministry informed the concerned authorities at Puttaparthy and the princess was moved to the VIP guesthouse, where she stayed until her return back home.
Seated in front, the next morning, along with her friend, the princess waited for Baba. As the music started (generally every Darshan at Puttaparthi and Brindavan begins with Indian Classical music being on the Audio system and continues till the end of Darshan), her heart fluttered in anticipation. “Will He recognize her? Will He speak to her? --” All sorts of questions came on to her mind.... Baba walked slowly along the ladies side. As He came near her, He stopped and spoke.... to a lady next to the princess. As He was speaking to the lady, the princess bowed to touch His feet. Baba turned, placed his hands over her head and said, “So, You have come.”
Baba called her into the interview room along with her friend. They went in and took their place. As Baba came in, He asked them to come nearer to Him and materialized two medallions of Jesus and gave it to them. These materializations are normal for a regular visitor to Puttaparthi but for the princess this was something she never expected, leave alone expecting she never even thought it was possible ... a medallion out of thin air!
The medallions were similar with a slight difference. The one given to the princess’ friend showed the full picture of Jesus on the crucifix. The one the princess had showed him only up to the waist. Both looked at Baba, who smiled and said ---
“Princess, you have been a sincere devotee of Jesus right from childhood. You have followed
righteousness through out your life. That is why I called you here.”
He stopped for a while and said again ---
“Princess, Do you remember, at the age of five, you saw a movie called ‘Jesus of Nazareth’? That was the movie, which attached you to Jesus so much. The scene where Jesus was crucified made you cry. Especially when His legs were nailed, You burst out and cried for two days. It has since then left an indelible mark on your life.”
As Baba mentioned these words, that phase of her life passed through the princess’ mind. But
that was the phase about which only she knew. How did Sai Baba come to know of it?
He stopped for a while and spoke again --“I never give what people don’t like. You love Jesus, so I gave you a medallion of Jesus Himself. But your medallion doesn’t show the nailed legs of His. That made you cry a lot. I don’t want you to cry now.”
After Baba spoke, there was silence for a while. The princess now spoke-- “All along I thought my dreams were imagination. Never did I think that they would lead me to where I am today. How do you know about all these things concerning me? I still have to understand you but from what I have experience here so far, I can say that whatever you are, You are remarkable.”. Baba spoke again --“Child, You have a pure heart. That’s why you are here. You have never reneged on your duty. I am pleased by your steadfast adherence to duty and dharma. Ask me what you want, anything and I shall give.” The princess remained silent for a while. Her thoughts flew to her sons at Harvard. They were good children but she had one problem, they never believed in God. They never accompanied her on her visits for Sunday mass or regular sermons at church. She wanted to ask Baba about them but something stopped her and she kept quite.
Nothing in any corner of the world is hidden from Baba. Baba, as He does on so many occasions, here too, read her mind. He asked -- “Ok, So you want to ask me about your sons -- at Harvard, isn’t it? So why don’t You just ask?”. With holding nothing more from Baba and convinced of His omniscience, the princess spoke with a mother’s concern-- “Baba, My children... My children don’t believe in Jesus. I am quite concerned about them. Please change them, Baba. I know You can do it. I’ve faith in You.” “Alright, speak to them about me tonight and tell me about their reaction.”-- replied Baba. The interview then drew to a close.
The next day, they were called for interview again. As soon as Baba came in, He asked her -- “Did You speak to them?” The princess replied hesitantly “ Yes, I did. But.... But.... But they were not interested. They said “You keep your Sai Baba with You. Don’t involve us in it.” and hung the receiver”. Baba said “Never mind, Speak to them again tonight...(Silence for a while) and tell them I will give them an experience.”. She did as was commanded. Her sons, however, refused to take any serious view of Sai Baba, who for their mother was a phenomenon not different from the kind Jesus was. The princess informed Baba about her talk with the two princes. Baba said-- “Good. Now, Wait till tomorrow”.
The next day at Darshan, Baba enquired from the princess about her children again. “Speak to them again today and then tell me what they spoke about.”-- Baba commanded. After Darshan, the princess and her friend went towards the telephone centre to call her sons, without the least indication of what had happened in Harvard with her sons after she made the last phone call to them two days before. What happened there stunned not only the princes and their mother but the entire class in which the princes studied.
As the Class of Harvard sat for class that day, an orange light (Baba’s robe is orange in colour!) appeared from nowhere and stuck to the shirt of the eldest of the two princes. As the prince got up to find out what it meant, the light chased him out of the room and followed him vigorously. Seeing something very astonishing the whole class of Harvard ran out.
The scene--The light behind the prince and the rest of the class behind the light. How far could they run? They finally fell exhausted. The light too stopped for a while. It encircled the entire lot of students and disappeared.
The following evening the princess waited for Baba to tell him all that happened. Baba came and as he came towards her asked, “Did you speak to the princes? (Silence for a moment) Did they mention anything about an.. (halts for a second).. an orange light?” The princess looked at Baba with eyes wide open.. and.. smiled. Baba smiled back and went into the interview room.
The princess spoke to her children again that night and informed Baba that the entire class of Harvard wanted to come for Baba’s Darshan. Baba said “Good.. But not now, later. I will call.” The princess was disappointed but left it to Baba’s will. When the princes will come only Baba knows. But they will come some day.. Today or tomorrow. Baba’s will shall prevail.
The princess left India some time around the first week of February. She came a totally confused woman, full of doubts. Baba was nobody for her but with the kind of love and attention that Baba showered on her, she went with Baba firmly embedded in her heart.
The Princess left a highly contended woman. She is still remembered as a very benign personality, full of love and compassion. Her face radiated an extraordinary brilliance, which to a great extent reflects the strict spiritual discipline and endurance she had developed in her pursuit of the TRUTH.
And Finally
"Conclusion Is a Place Where We Are Tired Of Thinking..!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
An old friend of hers’ once met her during one of her outings. Meeting after a long time they both talked for a long time. During this conversation, her friend mentioned to her in passing that she had met a spiritual teacher in India whom she had accepted as her Guru (preceptor). Having heard her friend mention India, the princess asked her as to whether she had heard of someone called Sai Baba in a village called Puttaparthi. Looking a little surprised, she said, “Well, He is the one I am talking about. Sai Baba is my master, my Guru.” So saying she showed the princess His photograph. She looked at it and was aghast. The features of the man in the photograph were
exactly the same as that of the person, who in her dreams was asking her to visit him. Were the
dreams leading her to something? She didn’t know.
A week later the Belgian princess was on her way to India, with her friend accompanying her. All through their journey, the princess and her friend talked about nothing but Sai Baba. The more she heard about him, his miracles (which Baba often says are his visiting cards) and his work, the more she curious she became. The princess alighted in India and as she moved closer to Puttaparthi, her heart beat faster and she asked herself –
“Who is Sai Baba? And how on earth does He know about me?”
As she alighted in Puttaparthi, she checked into an accommodation generally provided to people coming to have accommodation. But being the princess of a nation, she was entitled to government of India’s hospitality. Moreover the princess herself never informed the accommodation authorities of her royalty status. But the foreign affairs ministry received a phone call from the Belgium High commission (who were told of the visit by a royal palace communiqué) that Her Highness The Princess of Belgium was in India to visit Sai Baba. The foreign ministry informed the concerned authorities at Puttaparthy and the princess was moved to the VIP guesthouse, where she stayed until her return back home.
Seated in front, the next morning, along with her friend, the princess waited for Baba. As the music started (generally every Darshan at Puttaparthi and Brindavan begins with Indian Classical music being on the Audio system and continues till the end of Darshan), her heart fluttered in anticipation. “Will He recognize her? Will He speak to her? --” All sorts of questions came on to her mind.... Baba walked slowly along the ladies side. As He came near her, He stopped and spoke.... to a lady next to the princess. As He was speaking to the lady, the princess bowed to touch His feet. Baba turned, placed his hands over her head and said, “So, You have come.”
Baba called her into the interview room along with her friend. They went in and took their place. As Baba came in, He asked them to come nearer to Him and materialized two medallions of Jesus and gave it to them. These materializations are normal for a regular visitor to Puttaparthi but for the princess this was something she never expected, leave alone expecting she never even thought it was possible ... a medallion out of thin air!
The medallions were similar with a slight difference. The one given to the princess’ friend showed the full picture of Jesus on the crucifix. The one the princess had showed him only up to the waist. Both looked at Baba, who smiled and said ---
“Princess, you have been a sincere devotee of Jesus right from childhood. You have followed
righteousness through out your life. That is why I called you here.”
He stopped for a while and said again ---
“Princess, Do you remember, at the age of five, you saw a movie called ‘Jesus of Nazareth’? That was the movie, which attached you to Jesus so much. The scene where Jesus was crucified made you cry. Especially when His legs were nailed, You burst out and cried for two days. It has since then left an indelible mark on your life.”
As Baba mentioned these words, that phase of her life passed through the princess’ mind. But
that was the phase about which only she knew. How did Sai Baba come to know of it?
He stopped for a while and spoke again --“I never give what people don’t like. You love Jesus, so I gave you a medallion of Jesus Himself. But your medallion doesn’t show the nailed legs of His. That made you cry a lot. I don’t want you to cry now.”
After Baba spoke, there was silence for a while. The princess now spoke-- “All along I thought my dreams were imagination. Never did I think that they would lead me to where I am today. How do you know about all these things concerning me? I still have to understand you but from what I have experience here so far, I can say that whatever you are, You are remarkable.”. Baba spoke again --“Child, You have a pure heart. That’s why you are here. You have never reneged on your duty. I am pleased by your steadfast adherence to duty and dharma. Ask me what you want, anything and I shall give.” The princess remained silent for a while. Her thoughts flew to her sons at Harvard. They were good children but she had one problem, they never believed in God. They never accompanied her on her visits for Sunday mass or regular sermons at church. She wanted to ask Baba about them but something stopped her and she kept quite.
Nothing in any corner of the world is hidden from Baba. Baba, as He does on so many occasions, here too, read her mind. He asked -- “Ok, So you want to ask me about your sons -- at Harvard, isn’t it? So why don’t You just ask?”. With holding nothing more from Baba and convinced of His omniscience, the princess spoke with a mother’s concern-- “Baba, My children... My children don’t believe in Jesus. I am quite concerned about them. Please change them, Baba. I know You can do it. I’ve faith in You.” “Alright, speak to them about me tonight and tell me about their reaction.”-- replied Baba. The interview then drew to a close.
The next day, they were called for interview again. As soon as Baba came in, He asked her -- “Did You speak to them?” The princess replied hesitantly “ Yes, I did. But.... But.... But they were not interested. They said “You keep your Sai Baba with You. Don’t involve us in it.” and hung the receiver”. Baba said “Never mind, Speak to them again tonight...(Silence for a while) and tell them I will give them an experience.”. She did as was commanded. Her sons, however, refused to take any serious view of Sai Baba, who for their mother was a phenomenon not different from the kind Jesus was. The princess informed Baba about her talk with the two princes. Baba said-- “Good. Now, Wait till tomorrow”.
The next day at Darshan, Baba enquired from the princess about her children again. “Speak to them again today and then tell me what they spoke about.”-- Baba commanded. After Darshan, the princess and her friend went towards the telephone centre to call her sons, without the least indication of what had happened in Harvard with her sons after she made the last phone call to them two days before. What happened there stunned not only the princes and their mother but the entire class in which the princes studied.
As the Class of Harvard sat for class that day, an orange light (Baba’s robe is orange in colour!) appeared from nowhere and stuck to the shirt of the eldest of the two princes. As the prince got up to find out what it meant, the light chased him out of the room and followed him vigorously. Seeing something very astonishing the whole class of Harvard ran out.
The scene--The light behind the prince and the rest of the class behind the light. How far could they run? They finally fell exhausted. The light too stopped for a while. It encircled the entire lot of students and disappeared.
The following evening the princess waited for Baba to tell him all that happened. Baba came and as he came towards her asked, “Did you speak to the princes? (Silence for a moment) Did they mention anything about an.. (halts for a second).. an orange light?” The princess looked at Baba with eyes wide open.. and.. smiled. Baba smiled back and went into the interview room.
The princess spoke to her children again that night and informed Baba that the entire class of Harvard wanted to come for Baba’s Darshan. Baba said “Good.. But not now, later. I will call.” The princess was disappointed but left it to Baba’s will. When the princes will come only Baba knows. But they will come some day.. Today or tomorrow. Baba’s will shall prevail.
The princess left India some time around the first week of February. She came a totally confused woman, full of doubts. Baba was nobody for her but with the kind of love and attention that Baba showered on her, she went with Baba firmly embedded in her heart.
The Princess left a highly contended woman. She is still remembered as a very benign personality, full of love and compassion. Her face radiated an extraordinary brilliance, which to a great extent reflects the strict spiritual discipline and endurance she had developed in her pursuit of the TRUTH.
And Finally
"Conclusion Is a Place Where We Are Tired Of Thinking..!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
About CHILUKURU BALAJI TEMPLE....
Om! Gam! Ganapathaye! Namaha!
Om! Sri Raghavendraya Namaha!
Om! Namo! Bhagavathe! Vaasudevaya!
Om! Ham! Hanumathe! Sri Rama Doothaya Namaha!
CHILUKURU BALAJI
(A rare temple of Lord Sri Venkateshwara)
! Kalyanadbhutha Gatraya Kamithartha Pradayine!
Sri MadhVenkatanathaya Srinivasayathe Namaha!
Above sloka stands as a testimony to the benevolence of Lord Sri Venkateshwara also known as Balaji who is an epitome of auspiciousness (Kalyana), the one who bestows wealth and fulfills all the desires of his devotees who sing his glory. One such place that has come up in the recent times is at Chilukuru near Hyderabad where the temple of Lord Balaji stands as a salutation to the above qualities of the Supreme God Sri Venkateshwara. With its Sthala Mahatyam, sanctified by the manifestation of Lord Sri Venkateshwara, the temple is providing remedy and solution to the multi various desires and sufferings of devotees. The underlying principle is that, if there is sincerity in devotion and prayers, the compassionate Lord responds wherever it may be and that need not be Tirumala alone. We find many such instances in Puranas and we are finding them even in these days of Kali Yuga.
Legend behind the temple
As per Sthala Purana, about 500 years back there lived in Chilukuru village an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Venkateshwara by name Gonnala Madhava Reddy who used to visit Tirumala temple every year without fail to have a darshan of the Lord. In those days people used to visit Tirumala either by foot or by using bullock carts. On one such occasion Mr. Reddy could not visit Tirumala due to his deteriorating health condition and old age. In his heart of hearts he was feeling very guilty for having not visited the Lord at Tirumala and was seekingLord’s pardon.
Pleased with His devotee’s sincerity in devotion and honesty in his inability, Lord Venkateshwara one day, appeared in his dream in his original form and gave darshan to Mr. Madhava Reddy. Further the Lord blessed him and revealed that for the benefit of his devotees, He has manifested Himself in a nearby place and ordered him to excavate His idol in an anthill.
Thrilled with this Divine experience Mr. Reddy with the help of co– villagers
started excavating for the Lord’s idol as per the directions given by the Lord.
Accordingly they found an Anthill in a nearby place and started digging the same. During the course of digging, they found blood started oozing out of the anthill. Enthralled by the incident the villagers suddenly heard a Divine voice asking them to perform abhisheka on the anthill with milk. When the villagers did the same the anthill started melting and there appeared a beautiful idol of Lord Sri Venkateshwara with marks of cut injuries on the left forehead and also on the left part of his chest. These were the marks of injuries caused to the self manifested idol of the Lord during excavation. Rarity of this idol found in the anthill was that the Lord Venkateshwara was accompanied along with his consorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi on either side on a single platform. Subsequently the idol was installed at the current place and people started worshipping the Lord known as Chilukuru Balaji.
As per the temple sources it is said that, the temple was visited by Sri Akkanna and Madanna the esteemed ministers in the court of Abul Hasan Thanisha who ruled Golkonda during 17th century and contributed liberally for the construction of the temple. Subsequently the temple was visited by several other dignitaries. During the course of a visit to the temple by a Saint from Ahobilam the pooja rituals were set in order and since then they are being conducted by the hereditary priests as per Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya.
There is also a temple of Lord Shiva known as Sundareswara Swamy to the left of Balaji temple in the same complex. The Shiva linga is said have self manifested behind a Peepal tree where a Saint is said to have performed penance in olden days. Darshan of both the Peepal tree and the Shiva Linga at this place are believed and said to be highly meritorious and effective.
Salient features at the temple
Unlike other temples, there is no Hundi and offering of Dakshina at this temple. No special darshan or VIP darshan, no special sevas by paying money. All are given equal treatment at the temple irrespective of their status and every one has to fall in line to have a darshan of the Lord. No special prasadam is given or sold; only sugar crystals are given as Prasadam free of cost.
Pradakshina (Circumambulation) around the temple is given lot of importance and significance at this temple. Whoever visits the temple for the first time will have to offer eleven rounds of Pradakshinas and pray for the fulfillment of their desires. Once their desires are fulfilled the devotees comes back and offer 108 pradakshinas as a token of gratitude and thanks giving to the Almighty.
Actually Pradakshina is a sort of prayaschittam or penance to beseech God’s grace to get rid of bad karmas that one may be facing in life. The guiding principle behind this is that, if God’s worship is performed with sincere devotion and total surrender it helps in reducing the impact of bad karmas and not by the amount of offerings to the God. This principle we find even in Mantralayam temple where devotees offer Seva to Sri Raghavendra Swamy in the form of Pradakshina around the Brindavana.
Why eleven Pradakshinas are prescribed?
There is an interesting background behind this custom. It seems about 40 years back when there was no water facility at the temple and the excavation of the priests for the bore-well failed, they undertook circumambulation around the temple praying the Lord for success of water. Surprisingly water came out of the bore-well after the priests completed eleven rounds of pradakshinas. Subsequently the priests undertook 108 pradakshinas as a gesture of thanks giving to the Almighty. Since then it
has become a custom at the temple to offer 11 rounds of pradakshinas
initially and thereafter 108 rounds.
The fact that the number of devotees visiting this temple and offering 11/108 rounds of pradakshinas is increasing day by day stands as a testimonial to the merits of this temple and to the guiding principle behind this penance.
Management of the temple
The temple is managed by the hereditary priests and the poojas and rituals are held as per Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya. Endowments department tried to take over the temple but in vain as the hereditary priests succeeded in retaining the temple management through court intervention. Seven day annual festival (Brahmotsavam) is held every year at the temple during Chaitra Masam (March-April) commencing from the next day after Sri Rama Navami festival. The temple is publishing a trilingual monthly journal called VAK and the only contribution or offering that we find at the temple is through purchase of this magazine at a nominal cost of Rs.5/-
How to reach Chilukuru?
Chilukuru is a name of the village in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh, about 30 km away from Hyderabad city on the banks of Osmansagar Lake nearby Golkonda fort. Plenty of bus facilities are available from Mehdipatnam in Hyderabad city, about one hour journey from Chilukuru. Auto rickshaw facilities are also available from Mehdipatnam and on a sharing basis it costs around Rs.20/- per head.
Temple Timings
Balaji temple at Chilukuru is open from morning 5.00 am to night 8.00 pm. Thousands of devotees visit this temple every day and during week ends starting from Friday there will be heavy rush at the temple.
Chilukuru Balaji– The VISA God
Chilukuru Balaji is popularly and affectionately called as the VISA God. This is because the aspirants of VISA could get their VISA clearance after worshipping the GOD at this temple and after performing the circumambulations. Generally VISA is the permit to enter a country granted
by its Government. Whoever it may be have called very appropriately the Lord at this temple who is none other than Lord Sri Venkateshwara as the VISA God. He is none other than Lord Sri ManNarayana the President of the Universe the one who grants VISA (Moksha) for a soul to enter Parama Padam (Sri Vaikuntam) the abode of Lord Sri Maha Vishnu. With the practical experiences of the devotees standing as a testimony to the Mahima of Chilukuru Balaji (Lord Sri Venkateshwara) the temple is gaining prominence as a mini Tirumala.
Vishnum Narayanam Krishnam! Madhavam Madhusudhanam
Harim Naraharim Ramam! Govindam Dadhi Vaamanam!!
Om! Namo! Venkatesaya!
Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu
bhargavasarma
OM Namoh Narayana...!!!
With Best Regards,
Sanlovesu
Om! Sri Raghavendraya Namaha!
Om! Namo! Bhagavathe! Vaasudevaya!
Om! Ham! Hanumathe! Sri Rama Doothaya Namaha!
CHILUKURU BALAJI
(A rare temple of Lord Sri Venkateshwara)
! Kalyanadbhutha Gatraya Kamithartha Pradayine!
Sri MadhVenkatanathaya Srinivasayathe Namaha!
Above sloka stands as a testimony to the benevolence of Lord Sri Venkateshwara also known as Balaji who is an epitome of auspiciousness (Kalyana), the one who bestows wealth and fulfills all the desires of his devotees who sing his glory. One such place that has come up in the recent times is at Chilukuru near Hyderabad where the temple of Lord Balaji stands as a salutation to the above qualities of the Supreme God Sri Venkateshwara. With its Sthala Mahatyam, sanctified by the manifestation of Lord Sri Venkateshwara, the temple is providing remedy and solution to the multi various desires and sufferings of devotees. The underlying principle is that, if there is sincerity in devotion and prayers, the compassionate Lord responds wherever it may be and that need not be Tirumala alone. We find many such instances in Puranas and we are finding them even in these days of Kali Yuga.
Legend behind the temple
As per Sthala Purana, about 500 years back there lived in Chilukuru village an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Venkateshwara by name Gonnala Madhava Reddy who used to visit Tirumala temple every year without fail to have a darshan of the Lord. In those days people used to visit Tirumala either by foot or by using bullock carts. On one such occasion Mr. Reddy could not visit Tirumala due to his deteriorating health condition and old age. In his heart of hearts he was feeling very guilty for having not visited the Lord at Tirumala and was seekingLord’s pardon.
Pleased with His devotee’s sincerity in devotion and honesty in his inability, Lord Venkateshwara one day, appeared in his dream in his original form and gave darshan to Mr. Madhava Reddy. Further the Lord blessed him and revealed that for the benefit of his devotees, He has manifested Himself in a nearby place and ordered him to excavate His idol in an anthill.
Thrilled with this Divine experience Mr. Reddy with the help of co– villagers
started excavating for the Lord’s idol as per the directions given by the Lord.
Accordingly they found an Anthill in a nearby place and started digging the same. During the course of digging, they found blood started oozing out of the anthill. Enthralled by the incident the villagers suddenly heard a Divine voice asking them to perform abhisheka on the anthill with milk. When the villagers did the same the anthill started melting and there appeared a beautiful idol of Lord Sri Venkateshwara with marks of cut injuries on the left forehead and also on the left part of his chest. These were the marks of injuries caused to the self manifested idol of the Lord during excavation. Rarity of this idol found in the anthill was that the Lord Venkateshwara was accompanied along with his consorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi on either side on a single platform. Subsequently the idol was installed at the current place and people started worshipping the Lord known as Chilukuru Balaji.
As per the temple sources it is said that, the temple was visited by Sri Akkanna and Madanna the esteemed ministers in the court of Abul Hasan Thanisha who ruled Golkonda during 17th century and contributed liberally for the construction of the temple. Subsequently the temple was visited by several other dignitaries. During the course of a visit to the temple by a Saint from Ahobilam the pooja rituals were set in order and since then they are being conducted by the hereditary priests as per Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya.
There is also a temple of Lord Shiva known as Sundareswara Swamy to the left of Balaji temple in the same complex. The Shiva linga is said have self manifested behind a Peepal tree where a Saint is said to have performed penance in olden days. Darshan of both the Peepal tree and the Shiva Linga at this place are believed and said to be highly meritorious and effective.
Salient features at the temple
Unlike other temples, there is no Hundi and offering of Dakshina at this temple. No special darshan or VIP darshan, no special sevas by paying money. All are given equal treatment at the temple irrespective of their status and every one has to fall in line to have a darshan of the Lord. No special prasadam is given or sold; only sugar crystals are given as Prasadam free of cost.
Pradakshina (Circumambulation) around the temple is given lot of importance and significance at this temple. Whoever visits the temple for the first time will have to offer eleven rounds of Pradakshinas and pray for the fulfillment of their desires. Once their desires are fulfilled the devotees comes back and offer 108 pradakshinas as a token of gratitude and thanks giving to the Almighty.
Actually Pradakshina is a sort of prayaschittam or penance to beseech God’s grace to get rid of bad karmas that one may be facing in life. The guiding principle behind this is that, if God’s worship is performed with sincere devotion and total surrender it helps in reducing the impact of bad karmas and not by the amount of offerings to the God. This principle we find even in Mantralayam temple where devotees offer Seva to Sri Raghavendra Swamy in the form of Pradakshina around the Brindavana.
Why eleven Pradakshinas are prescribed?
There is an interesting background behind this custom. It seems about 40 years back when there was no water facility at the temple and the excavation of the priests for the bore-well failed, they undertook circumambulation around the temple praying the Lord for success of water. Surprisingly water came out of the bore-well after the priests completed eleven rounds of pradakshinas. Subsequently the priests undertook 108 pradakshinas as a gesture of thanks giving to the Almighty. Since then it
has become a custom at the temple to offer 11 rounds of pradakshinas
initially and thereafter 108 rounds.
The fact that the number of devotees visiting this temple and offering 11/108 rounds of pradakshinas is increasing day by day stands as a testimonial to the merits of this temple and to the guiding principle behind this penance.
Management of the temple
The temple is managed by the hereditary priests and the poojas and rituals are held as per Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya. Endowments department tried to take over the temple but in vain as the hereditary priests succeeded in retaining the temple management through court intervention. Seven day annual festival (Brahmotsavam) is held every year at the temple during Chaitra Masam (March-April) commencing from the next day after Sri Rama Navami festival. The temple is publishing a trilingual monthly journal called VAK and the only contribution or offering that we find at the temple is through purchase of this magazine at a nominal cost of Rs.5/-
How to reach Chilukuru?
Chilukuru is a name of the village in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh, about 30 km away from Hyderabad city on the banks of Osmansagar Lake nearby Golkonda fort. Plenty of bus facilities are available from Mehdipatnam in Hyderabad city, about one hour journey from Chilukuru. Auto rickshaw facilities are also available from Mehdipatnam and on a sharing basis it costs around Rs.20/- per head.
Temple Timings
Balaji temple at Chilukuru is open from morning 5.00 am to night 8.00 pm. Thousands of devotees visit this temple every day and during week ends starting from Friday there will be heavy rush at the temple.
Chilukuru Balaji– The VISA God
Chilukuru Balaji is popularly and affectionately called as the VISA God. This is because the aspirants of VISA could get their VISA clearance after worshipping the GOD at this temple and after performing the circumambulations. Generally VISA is the permit to enter a country granted
by its Government. Whoever it may be have called very appropriately the Lord at this temple who is none other than Lord Sri Venkateshwara as the VISA God. He is none other than Lord Sri ManNarayana the President of the Universe the one who grants VISA (Moksha) for a soul to enter Parama Padam (Sri Vaikuntam) the abode of Lord Sri Maha Vishnu. With the practical experiences of the devotees standing as a testimony to the Mahima of Chilukuru Balaji (Lord Sri Venkateshwara) the temple is gaining prominence as a mini Tirumala.
Vishnum Narayanam Krishnam! Madhavam Madhusudhanam
Harim Naraharim Ramam! Govindam Dadhi Vaamanam!!
Om! Namo! Venkatesaya!
Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu
bhargavasarma
OM Namoh Narayana...!!!
With Best Regards,
Sanlovesu
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Heart Of Hearts...!!!
Heart of hearts touches brings love to all human life, true love makes the
heart beat strong fast even. Broken hearts bring pain emptiness of life
for love is the greatest emotion. Heart beats of the love of life hearts
break without the touch of human life. Touch my heart for it longs to
touch be touched. Heartache or heat breaks of heart love.
Love is the strongest emotions that affect the heart makes you cry feel
vulnerable. The heart beats the blood flows love makes the heart flutter.
Love makes the heart so tender yet open to heart break of such pain.
Heart beat is a love neat such a life changing emotion.
Touching the heart brings joy smiles breaking the heart bring tears of
life. Hearts broken long to heal touch a heart it longs for comfort. Lay
your head upon the chest of loved ones you can feel each heartbeat.
Violences stop the heart tear ripped hearts part these hearts never heal
long for the moment of lasting peace.
Each heart beats shows so much emotion from love to hate to anger the
heart can rages like no other human body part. Heart touching the heart
has comes with so many human affects from smiles to crying heads
breaks the heart. My heart longs for a world of peaceful heart beats the
sounds of hearts beating over the sounds of hearts stopping.
Dates bring hearts that flutter in great anticipation of all beauty ahead.
Love feeds care teaches loving share love making the heart races to
heights of purity pleasure. The heart has so much joy pleasure yet can
bring the pain of loss hurt of life all long for the heart.
Lives are total affected by the heart from the greatest feeling of
overwhelming love to the greatest loss of life. Love affects the heart
drives the life to heights of great human pleasure joy so one must
embrace the heart. Hearts bring life children man women such human
great joy the sound of all hearts beating beats the quite of hearts dying.
The hearts of mothers fathers sons daughters so much family lover life
must keep the families boundless heart of inbounding joy...!!!
And Finally
"Conclusion Is A Place Where We Are Tired Of Thinking....!!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
heart beat strong fast even. Broken hearts bring pain emptiness of life
for love is the greatest emotion. Heart beats of the love of life hearts
break without the touch of human life. Touch my heart for it longs to
touch be touched. Heartache or heat breaks of heart love.
Love is the strongest emotions that affect the heart makes you cry feel
vulnerable. The heart beats the blood flows love makes the heart flutter.
Love makes the heart so tender yet open to heart break of such pain.
Heart beat is a love neat such a life changing emotion.
Touching the heart brings joy smiles breaking the heart bring tears of
life. Hearts broken long to heal touch a heart it longs for comfort. Lay
your head upon the chest of loved ones you can feel each heartbeat.
Violences stop the heart tear ripped hearts part these hearts never heal
long for the moment of lasting peace.
Each heart beats shows so much emotion from love to hate to anger the
heart can rages like no other human body part. Heart touching the heart
has comes with so many human affects from smiles to crying heads
breaks the heart. My heart longs for a world of peaceful heart beats the
sounds of hearts beating over the sounds of hearts stopping.
Dates bring hearts that flutter in great anticipation of all beauty ahead.
Love feeds care teaches loving share love making the heart races to
heights of purity pleasure. The heart has so much joy pleasure yet can
bring the pain of loss hurt of life all long for the heart.
Lives are total affected by the heart from the greatest feeling of
overwhelming love to the greatest loss of life. Love affects the heart
drives the life to heights of great human pleasure joy so one must
embrace the heart. Hearts bring life children man women such human
great joy the sound of all hearts beating beats the quite of hearts dying.
The hearts of mothers fathers sons daughters so much family lover life
must keep the families boundless heart of inbounding joy...!!!
And Finally
"Conclusion Is A Place Where We Are Tired Of Thinking....!!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
At first there were only words...!!!Trust Me
Vedas do not mean a set of holy books. The word Veda is from
the word 'Vid' which means to 'know'. We are conscious , living,
because we are always in the process of ''knowing''. Whatever
we know is a form of our 'knowledge'. This world is created
from ''Knowledge'' or ''Consciousness''.
This world, every entity is the 'knowledge'' or 'feeling'' of the
Creator. In our mind if we imagine a flower, it is made of my
mind or of ''me''. Similarly, in the external world, everything is
created in the Universal ''mind''. In our mind, every idea is
associated with a word or definition. Words in us are the forms
of our mind, shapes of the mind. Similarly, this revealed world
is the ''words'' of the Creator!. This is why, many ancient
religions have said that the creation is from the ''words of
God'', or that "at first there were only words".
Everything is first created in the "mental sphere" and physical
formation is an effect of "mental creation"
Vedas are also called ''Shruti'''. Shruti means listening. Every
expression of thought in you is a word, the formation of your
thought is a word. Whatever you speak or whatever formation
your thought takes, you know it, you listen to it. This is "Shruti"
or listening. In every creation always there are two things, "to
become" / "to create" and "to know what is
created". Whenever Consciousness splits Her/Himself or
creates, ''there is a formation" and there is a " knowing of what
is formed". This is why , we always find two fundamental space or dimensions, "inside"(where we are knowing" and " outside" where we have got expressed. You are knowing your self as a " person so and so......". Universal consciousness, the Creator is knowing in you as "yourself" and this is "you". This is not only "you" of today, in this knowing of Creator, "you" of eternity is existing.
This is how Consciousness has become every being. This is
why Vedas have called HER/HIM, "Y(J)ataveda". Y(J)ata means
to be ''born'', "Veda", means ''to know". In Consciousness, 'to
know' is same as 'to become'. This is how the "thoughts" of the
Creator takes the form of universe.
As you read this Book of World, the open pages of the Vedas,
as you listen more correctly the words by which the world is
made of, you can listen the words of the God, the Eternal
words, by which everything is created and held.
To listen means to feel, and you feel in your
consciousness. Whatever you feel inside, you actually becomes
that in your inside, in your consciousness. This is why your
future life, your future, your every thing depends on how you
feel. Your every work is associated with feeling. when you say
"work' or "Karma", its not just the external work, its the feeling
with which you are working or active.
Every creature, inert or animated is made out of the feelings of
the Creator. If we look at us, we realize that we live in an ocean
of feelings! We are always happy or sad, gleeful or afraid. We
are always, seeing, hearing,..... When we see a flower, we
describe our own feelings which we term as a flower. We feel it
inside ourselves. When we smell it, the fragrance is inside us.
This inside is our inner world, the micro and for every one it is
unique. As we will learn what is inside, we will also learn what
is outside. We can start from outside, as the present civilization
has taught us but such start does not lead us far, because our
own reference is our inside!
The three aspects of Vedan, feelings, behind the creation are
Reek, Y(J)aju and Saam. This world is Reek, expression of mind,
made of words of the creator(Mantra), the word gets joined to
you, the world gets joined to you, through your sensory
organs(Indriyas). This is Y(J)aju.
The tree which is outside, created in the divine mind, is Reek. It
comes flowing to you, through your sensory channels organs,
joins you, this is Yaju or Jaju. As this feeling gets assimilated in
you, you really feel it, you may say, ''what a great tree''. This is
"Saam''. In your inside, in the realm of feeling, whatever you
feel, you become that, you become "same" as that you feel,
this is ''Saam''. This is how in every moment you are being
built by the waves of Vedas, by Reek, Y(J)aju and Saam. From
the divine One's,absolute One's feelings, feelings are coming to
you, and you are thus living in the world. Like the incessant
trains of waves breaking down on the shore day and night
relentlessly so are waves of the Universal Consciousness are
breaking down in you all the while. Your every action, every
moment is thus connected to Universal Consciousness. As a
river appears to be a sheet of still water but actually it consists
of several under currents, so also you. You are extremely
dynamic and ever changing in your inside.
And Finally
"Conclusion Is a Place Where We Are Tired Of Thinking.......!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
the word 'Vid' which means to 'know'. We are conscious , living,
because we are always in the process of ''knowing''. Whatever
we know is a form of our 'knowledge'. This world is created
from ''Knowledge'' or ''Consciousness''.
This world, every entity is the 'knowledge'' or 'feeling'' of the
Creator. In our mind if we imagine a flower, it is made of my
mind or of ''me''. Similarly, in the external world, everything is
created in the Universal ''mind''. In our mind, every idea is
associated with a word or definition. Words in us are the forms
of our mind, shapes of the mind. Similarly, this revealed world
is the ''words'' of the Creator!. This is why, many ancient
religions have said that the creation is from the ''words of
God'', or that "at first there were only words".
Everything is first created in the "mental sphere" and physical
formation is an effect of "mental creation"
Vedas are also called ''Shruti'''. Shruti means listening. Every
expression of thought in you is a word, the formation of your
thought is a word. Whatever you speak or whatever formation
your thought takes, you know it, you listen to it. This is "Shruti"
or listening. In every creation always there are two things, "to
become" / "to create" and "to know what is
created". Whenever Consciousness splits Her/Himself or
creates, ''there is a formation" and there is a " knowing of what
is formed". This is why , we always find two fundamental space or dimensions, "inside"(where we are knowing" and " outside" where we have got expressed. You are knowing your self as a " person so and so......". Universal consciousness, the Creator is knowing in you as "yourself" and this is "you". This is not only "you" of today, in this knowing of Creator, "you" of eternity is existing.
This is how Consciousness has become every being. This is
why Vedas have called HER/HIM, "Y(J)ataveda". Y(J)ata means
to be ''born'', "Veda", means ''to know". In Consciousness, 'to
know' is same as 'to become'. This is how the "thoughts" of the
Creator takes the form of universe.
As you read this Book of World, the open pages of the Vedas,
as you listen more correctly the words by which the world is
made of, you can listen the words of the God, the Eternal
words, by which everything is created and held.
To listen means to feel, and you feel in your
consciousness. Whatever you feel inside, you actually becomes
that in your inside, in your consciousness. This is why your
future life, your future, your every thing depends on how you
feel. Your every work is associated with feeling. when you say
"work' or "Karma", its not just the external work, its the feeling
with which you are working or active.
Every creature, inert or animated is made out of the feelings of
the Creator. If we look at us, we realize that we live in an ocean
of feelings! We are always happy or sad, gleeful or afraid. We
are always, seeing, hearing,..... When we see a flower, we
describe our own feelings which we term as a flower. We feel it
inside ourselves. When we smell it, the fragrance is inside us.
This inside is our inner world, the micro and for every one it is
unique. As we will learn what is inside, we will also learn what
is outside. We can start from outside, as the present civilization
has taught us but such start does not lead us far, because our
own reference is our inside!
The three aspects of Vedan, feelings, behind the creation are
Reek, Y(J)aju and Saam. This world is Reek, expression of mind,
made of words of the creator(Mantra), the word gets joined to
you, the world gets joined to you, through your sensory
organs(Indriyas). This is Y(J)aju.
The tree which is outside, created in the divine mind, is Reek. It
comes flowing to you, through your sensory channels organs,
joins you, this is Yaju or Jaju. As this feeling gets assimilated in
you, you really feel it, you may say, ''what a great tree''. This is
"Saam''. In your inside, in the realm of feeling, whatever you
feel, you become that, you become "same" as that you feel,
this is ''Saam''. This is how in every moment you are being
built by the waves of Vedas, by Reek, Y(J)aju and Saam. From
the divine One's,absolute One's feelings, feelings are coming to
you, and you are thus living in the world. Like the incessant
trains of waves breaking down on the shore day and night
relentlessly so are waves of the Universal Consciousness are
breaking down in you all the while. Your every action, every
moment is thus connected to Universal Consciousness. As a
river appears to be a sheet of still water but actually it consists
of several under currents, so also you. You are extremely
dynamic and ever changing in your inside.
And Finally
"Conclusion Is a Place Where We Are Tired Of Thinking.......!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
LORD RAMA AND AYODHYA....!!!Pls Read Dis...
Tale to Understand the Importance of Having a sense of Patriotism for One's Own Country at all times!]
In Ramayana, after the death of Ravana , Vibhisbana fell at the feet of Rama and said, "Swami, I never
aspired to be the King of Lanka. I only wanted my brother to give up his bad qualities. I pray to you to take
over the Kingdom of Lanka."
All the rakshasas also came and prayed to Rama that he should become King of Lanka .
Lakshmana also supported them saying, "O brother, Bharatha is already ruling over Ayodhya. Even if you
return to Ayodhya, you may not be crowned as the King.
So, I request you to take over this kingdom and transform all the rakshasas.Lanka is full of golden mansions. Where else can you find such a beautiful place? I will be very happy if you rule over this Kingdom."
Rama lovingly took Lakshmana close to him and said,
"Lakshmana, how could you get such a silly desire? Just because one's mother is ugly, can he call any other
beautiful woman as his mother? Even though my country is poor compared to Lanka, I still consider it as
my mother. Lanka may be full of gold, but I don't want it"!!
*********
SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY
What a tremendous patriotism Lord Rama had for his own kingdom Ayodhya! He respected and adored his
kingdom like his own " mother" as, any country we belong to becomes our " motherland" since we have
been nurtured and brought up in that country, like how a mother nurtures her child.
We should develop this kind of love and faith towards our country. Parents and teachers should inculcate such spirit of patriotism in their children and students. We should declare wholeheartedly with a sense of pride that this is my country, this is my mother tongue.
A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods , but it is a principle and
patriotism is loyalty to that principle.Unless our conception of patriotism is progressive, it cannot hope to
embody the real affection and the real interest of the nation.
We should love and serve our homeland; at the same time not hate or hurt the homeland of others. We
should not indulge in criticizing other countries or people belonging to other nations. Having trust and faith
in our own country, we won't try to put down any other country. We should never bring grief or sorrow to
our country. To have pride in our own motherland is important.
There are millions of educated men and women all over the world, but how many really benefit or contribute to the society's progress? We are utilising our education for our own selfishness and self-interest alone.We have to eschew selfishness and self-interest and make our education useful by resolving to serve the society and our country,for its progress and development. That way we should make the best use of our education we have received.
Let us respect and revere our elders and our country and set an ideal to humanity.Let our conduct befit the degrees we have acquired.Education is meant to broaden the mind.Education and discrimination should go hand in hand. The prosperity of the nation depends on the progress we make in the field of education.The future of the nation rests on the students and the dynamic youths a nation produces and nurtures.
Every Nation has stocked plenty of wealth for us. What is this wealth? It is the spirit of sacrifice, which can be acquired through service to society.
"Karmanu bandheeni Manushyaloke ", human society is bound by action.
"Sareeramadhyam Khalu Dharma Sadhanam ", the body is gifted in order to undertake righteous actions,
not to eat, drink and make merry.
We must render service to others till our last breath.
The essence of 18 Puranas can be summed up in one phrase: "Paropakarah Punyaya Papaya
Parapeedanam." HELP EVER; HURT NEVER. Set an ideal, which is helpful and delightful to one and all!!
And Finally,
"Conclusion Is a Place We are Tired Of Thinking....!!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
In Ramayana, after the death of Ravana , Vibhisbana fell at the feet of Rama and said, "Swami, I never
aspired to be the King of Lanka. I only wanted my brother to give up his bad qualities. I pray to you to take
over the Kingdom of Lanka."
All the rakshasas also came and prayed to Rama that he should become King of Lanka .
Lakshmana also supported them saying, "O brother, Bharatha is already ruling over Ayodhya. Even if you
return to Ayodhya, you may not be crowned as the King.
So, I request you to take over this kingdom and transform all the rakshasas.Lanka is full of golden mansions. Where else can you find such a beautiful place? I will be very happy if you rule over this Kingdom."
Rama lovingly took Lakshmana close to him and said,
"Lakshmana, how could you get such a silly desire? Just because one's mother is ugly, can he call any other
beautiful woman as his mother? Even though my country is poor compared to Lanka, I still consider it as
my mother. Lanka may be full of gold, but I don't want it"!!
*********
SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY
What a tremendous patriotism Lord Rama had for his own kingdom Ayodhya! He respected and adored his
kingdom like his own " mother" as, any country we belong to becomes our " motherland" since we have
been nurtured and brought up in that country, like how a mother nurtures her child.
We should develop this kind of love and faith towards our country. Parents and teachers should inculcate such spirit of patriotism in their children and students. We should declare wholeheartedly with a sense of pride that this is my country, this is my mother tongue.
A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods , but it is a principle and
patriotism is loyalty to that principle.Unless our conception of patriotism is progressive, it cannot hope to
embody the real affection and the real interest of the nation.
We should love and serve our homeland; at the same time not hate or hurt the homeland of others. We
should not indulge in criticizing other countries or people belonging to other nations. Having trust and faith
in our own country, we won't try to put down any other country. We should never bring grief or sorrow to
our country. To have pride in our own motherland is important.
There are millions of educated men and women all over the world, but how many really benefit or contribute to the society's progress? We are utilising our education for our own selfishness and self-interest alone.We have to eschew selfishness and self-interest and make our education useful by resolving to serve the society and our country,for its progress and development. That way we should make the best use of our education we have received.
Let us respect and revere our elders and our country and set an ideal to humanity.Let our conduct befit the degrees we have acquired.Education is meant to broaden the mind.Education and discrimination should go hand in hand. The prosperity of the nation depends on the progress we make in the field of education.The future of the nation rests on the students and the dynamic youths a nation produces and nurtures.
Every Nation has stocked plenty of wealth for us. What is this wealth? It is the spirit of sacrifice, which can be acquired through service to society.
"Karmanu bandheeni Manushyaloke ", human society is bound by action.
"Sareeramadhyam Khalu Dharma Sadhanam ", the body is gifted in order to undertake righteous actions,
not to eat, drink and make merry.
We must render service to others till our last breath.
The essence of 18 Puranas can be summed up in one phrase: "Paropakarah Punyaya Papaya
Parapeedanam." HELP EVER; HURT NEVER. Set an ideal, which is helpful and delightful to one and all!!
And Finally,
"Conclusion Is a Place We are Tired Of Thinking....!!!!
AS USUAL
SANLOVESU
Born to Serve...!!!!.Baba
Om Sri Sai Ram
BORN TO SERVE
Bhagawan's inaugural discourse at the All India Sai Active Workers' Conference,
At the Poornachandra Auditorium, on 19-11-1987
The Clarion Call of Swami for us always to remember and recollect as Active workers, Sevadal, Devotees,
human beings or in whatever terms we are called or think ourselves.
Embodiments of the Divine Atma!
You have to recognise that life is meant for selfless service and not to be lived for selfish purposes. Only through such service can the oneness of mankind be experienced. Unselfish service is the sheet anchor of Karma Yoga (the Yoga of Action). The basis of yoga is disciplining the mind and the body through disinterested service.
Society honors only the persons who serve society. Such persons earn the grace of God. Every individual has to realise the paramount importance of selfless service. The spirit of service should be coupled with readiness for sacrifice. Only then it can be called selfless service free from any taint of self-interest. Such service lends savor to life.
LOVE AND SERVICE
Universal love sustains life by its nourishment. Love is the life-breath of man. Magnanimity of spirit lends fragrance
to life.
However eminent a person may be, he has to realise that the main purpose of life is to render dedicated service to one's fellowmen. The relationship between mother and child, preceptor and disciple, God and devotee is based on mutual dependence. There cannot be a child without a mother, a disciple without a teacher, a devotee without God. Each is associated with the other in an inextricable bond.
One should be prepared to serve others than choose to be served by them. Moreover, there is nothing meritorious in serving those who are high above us. For one thing, they can command the services of attendants. Rendering service to those who are in the same position as ourselves is not also commendable. Service should be rendered to those who are worse off than ourselves and who are neglected by the world.
There are three levels of people in the world. At the highest level are those who may be placed in the category of " Lakshmi-Narayana Those who are in the same stage as ourselves are in the category of "Aswatha-Narayana" Those who are poorer than ourselves may be described as “ Daridra-Narayana ". There is no need to render service to one who is “ Lakshmi-Narayana ", as there will be servants to take care of him. " Aswatha-Narayana " is the type of person who is filled with endless desires and is never contented, whatever his accomplishments or earnings. Service to such persons is unnecessary. It is the weak, the destitute and the helpless who need to be served. Even in rendering service to such persons, there should be no feeling that we are serving " others ". We should feel that we are serving the Lord (Narayana) who dwells in them.
When service is rendered in a total spirit of dedication, with concentration of thought., word and deed, the heart gets
sanctified. Without purity of heart there can be no spiritual progress.
"ACTIVE WORKERS "
"Active workers " (in the Sai movement) should have no feelings of arrogance or ostentation in carrying on their activities. They must be broadminded, completely free from selfish concerns, and must develop love towards all. Active workers are the spinal cord of the Sai Organisation. They should understand what are human qualities and practice them in their life. Without having the right attitude, service done demonstratively in a spirit of self-conceit is a travesty of service. They should rid themselves of the sense of " mine " and " thine".
Pre-occupation with one's own welfare and happiness is the bane of the dualistic mentality. It breeds discontent and sorrow. Feelings of attachment and aversion sully the mind and only through service can such a mind be purified. External observances like bathing several times a day and smearing Vibuthi all over and mouthing mantras mechanically will not serve to cleanse the mind of impurities. These are only outward show, with nothing spiritual about them. Transcendental knowledge that can be got through diligent enquiry and steadfast faith and which will help to raise man from the animal level is being ignored today. No effort is made to acquire this knowledge. Perceiving untruth as truth and treating truth as untruth men are immersed in accumulating ephemeral objects, considering them as permanent. Men must get out of this narrow groove. They must outgrow their selfish tendencies and learn to regard the whole of mankind as one family. That is true service. Few have such a large hearted approach today.
The first requisite, therefore, is to get rid of all the bad thoughts, the selfishness, pride and other undesirable qualities
from the heart so that the spirit of love can find its rightful place in it. Only a heart filled with love is pure and holy.
Hence, you should take up service activities in a loving spirit. You should not be concerned about name or fame. Fame is not a commercial product or a commodity that can be got from some one. It flows spontaneously like a river, which starts in a small way, but gathers volume as it goes along. Do not go after name or distinction. Concentrate your mind upon achieving your objectives. Fill your heart with love and engage yourself in service. The man who cannot do service to others is no man at all.
"BORN TO SERVE"
We must consider that we have taken birth only to render service to society as a sacred duty. Whatever small service we may do, if we do it in the right spirit, serving with no thought of self, we shall be doing something commendable and worthwhile. An act of service by itself may be a small thing. But it must be done wholeheartedly. Just as a cow transforms whatever it may consume into sweet, wholesome milk, any kind of service done with a pure heart will result in great good. You should not have any returns in view in rendering service. This is my duty. I am born to serve "-It is with such an attitude that you should take to service.
SERVICE AND ABILITY
All beings in creation are living by rendering mutual service and no one can be considered superior to another. Every person should render service according to his capacity and the sphere of his activities. There are various limbs in the human body. But the hands cannot do what the legs are capable of, nor can the eyes perform the duties of the ears. What the ears can enjoy the eyes cannot. Likewise among human beings there are differences. Their capacities and aptitudes may vary. But each should take part in service activity according to his ability, equipment and field of work. Any individual may offer worship and engage in spiritual activities according to his preferences. But, in my view, the merit to be gained through service is greater than what can be got through these religious observances.
Na thapaamsi Na tbeerthaanaam No saasthraanaam Na Japaanapi Samsara Saagarothtbaaram Sajjanasevanam
Vinaa.
("Neither by penances nor baths in sacred waters, the study of scriptures nor through meditation can the ocean of
samsara be crossed without rendering service to the good".)
Whatever pilgrimages we may under take, our hearts hanker only after worldly objects and hence no cleansing of the heart occurs. The individual quest for his liberation (Mukti) is self-centered. This is not right. One should strive to help others also to achieve liberation. That is true service. Few have such a large hearted approach today.
SHED SELFISHNESS
How can those who have been immersed ceaselessly in selfish pursuits earn the grace of God? Therefore, to begin with there must be realisation of the divinity that is inherent in all human beings and which pervades the entire Cosmos. The unity that subsumes the diversity has to be understood to grasp the nature of divinity. So long as there is no understanding of divinity, there can be no correct under standing of even human nature. Eliminate selfishness, which is the cause of dualism and its brood of opposites, joy and sorrow likes and dislikes etc. The egoist cannot understand his own true nature, much less that of others. Hence the first step is understanding one’s own self. Every one refers to " I " but where is it located? And wherefrom does it arise? The ancient scriptures described the seat of " I " (Ahamkara) as ‘ Hridaya" (the heart). This may suggest that the " I " is somewhere in the body. But this is not correct. " Hridaya " is all-pervasive. It is otherwise known as Atma. Some consider that the Atma dwells in the heart. This is also wrong. Hridayam and Atma are one and to view them as different entities is wrong. If this is the case, it may be asked why are people plunged in the darkness of ignorance? It is because their vision does not extend upto the Atma. It does not go beyond the mind. One who is unable to go beyond the mind cannot escape from the shroud of ignorance. The way out of this condition is to realize that like the moon and the sun, the mind derives its light from the Atma and when the vision is turned towards the Atma the mind fades away or ceases to shine
THE SPIRIT OF LOVE
It is necessary to realise that the Atma is all-pervasive and cultivate a feeling of love for all. The Cosmos (Viswam) is a projection of the Divine (Vishnuswaroopam). There is no Deed to search in any particular place for the Divine who is omnipresent. Formal religious observances or spiritual scholarship will not lead to God-realisation. It is not intellectual eminence that is required for spiritual sadhana. It is better to have a single person with a good and kind heart than a hundred vainglorious intellectuals. We should train ourselves to become good men, who are fit to undertake worthy tasks. If your minds are filled with hatred, envy and likes and dislikes, you are not qualified to embark on service activities.
" Offer service and receive love ". This is the recipe for experiencing Divinity. But today service is not offered wholeheartedly. Few render service with love and hence few receive God's grace. Even their love is self- centered and is not all embracing. Our love should not be confined to our kith and kin. It must extend beyond the family to society as a whole, then to the nation at large, and finally embrace the whole world.
This is the implication of Buddha's call: " Sangam Saranam Gachchaami ". Starting from the intellect (Buddhi) one should go beyond the intellect to " Sangam ", society. This way, the oneness of the individual and society is realised. But mere recognition of membership of society is not enough. One has to recognise and discharge through service one's obligations to society. That is the implication of the prayer: " Dharmam Saranam Gachchaami ". Doing service in the right spirit is " Dharma ".
THE PATH TO GOD
Service is also the path to God-realisation. God is the embodiment of Love, Truth and Peace. Therefore, to realise God one has to develop love, adhere to Truth and experience Peace within oneself. The human body is like a chariot and the Atma is the charioteer. The bodies may have different forms a n d names. But the Atma is one and the same. It is essential to recognise the unity that underlies the apparent diversity. For instance, hunger is common to all, though the kind of food through which it is appeased may vary from an emperor to a beg gar. Likewise, joy and grief, birth and death are common to all. The Atma is common to everyone. Recognising this oneness, they should engage themselves in service to all. Unfortunately, there is no feeling of unity today in the world. All the problems bedeviling mankind are due to the absence of unity.
"PROMOTE UNITY"
The foremost duty of the Sai Organisations is to promote unity on the basis that all are sparks of the Divine and constitute one family. Without realising this basic truth, there is no use in rendering any kind of service. There can be no sacredness in service, if good thoughts and good feelings are absent. Service as an act of righteousness (Dharma) can be offered only by one who is Pure in heart, selfless and equal-minded towards everyone ("Samathva").
Great devotees in the past exemplified this quality of “Samathva" 'equal concern for everyone). There is the example of Saint Tukaram. He maintained his household by cultivating a small piece of land. He was, however, indifferent to his own needs and spent all his time in contemplation of God. One year he grew sugarcane on his land. When the crop was ready for harvesting, passersby came to him and asked for a stalk of cane. Generous and self- sacrificing by nature, Tukaram allowed them to help themselves to as much cane as they liked. At this rate, only a fourth of the crop was left and Tukaram cut it and was bringing it home in a cart. On the way, many children asked for cane and Tukaram gave it freely. By the time he reached home, only a single piece of cane was left. Seeing the empty cart, his wife flew into a rage and berated him: "Don't you have any thought for your wife and children? What do you mean by giving away recklessly all the cane? " Tukaram kept smiling while his wife was showering him with questions. Ultimately, he told her " Here is one piece of cane I have brought for you ". Unable to restrain her anger, she seized the piece of cane from Tukaram and hit his legs with it. The cane broke into two, leaving one half in her hand. Tukaram laughed heartily and said: " I was wondering on the way home how to divide the cane between you and the children. I now have the answer. The cane left in your hand is your share. The children can share the other half ". He felt happy at the way his wife had distributed the cane equally to all.
This is the way devotees express the sense of equality towards all. (Swami related an episode from the Mahabharatha relating to Draupadi’s forgiving, attitude towards Aswatthama, who had killed her children in cold blood, and described Socrates’s spirit of forbearance towards his wife as examples of how the believers God show qualities of forbearance and forgiveness even in trying circumstance
NO PLACE FOR ENVY
Sai Sevaks should cultivate a similar spirit of tolerance and serenity to be able to render social service effectively. It is unbecoming of Sai Organisations for anyone in them to bear ill will or envy towards others. All should behave as children of one mother. Consider that every one is an embodiment of the Divine Atma. Only then you can render service with zeal and vigor. Whatever may be one's wealth or position; in the sphere of service he should regard himself as equal with everyone else. All should bear in mind that wealth and position are not permanent. What is it that can be achieved through these? You get what is destined for you and lose what you are fated to lose. Neither of these can be prevented by any subterfuges. Only the grace of the Divine will remain forever.
Today we are having a conference of active workers. There are many who claim to be rendering social service. But selfish motives are present even in the field of service. Such selfishness should not have any place in Sai Organisations. The individual and the society are one. Whatever one does for society is also good for him. When service is done in that spirit the individual as well as society derive benefit from it. It may not be easy to cultivate such a sense of identity. But through persistent effort one can get over the sense of " mine " and " thine “ and identify oneself with society at large. Once the will is there, anything can be accomplished. The power of a person’s sankalpa (resolution) will outlast him.
OFFERING TO GOD
All service should be regarded, as an offering to God and every opportunity to serve should be welcomed as a gift
from God. When service is done in this spirit, it will lead in due course to Self-realisation
It is this kind of selfless, spiritually oriented service that is needed today. To a world riddled with conflict and chaos, this will provide a climate of serene peace. Regard yourselves as brothers in a family. But do not stop there. Go beyond kinship to the realisation of Atmic unity. You have to march from the Annamaya (the physical) to Vijnanamaya (the Higher Wisdom) and on to the state of Divine bliss (Anandamaya). Shed completely all selfishness and self-interest and enter upon service activities as the highest purpose of life. Service must become your life breath. You must become ideal sevaks and set an example to the world.
*****
"The Divine manifestations of Sai are called Chamatkaara. Every devotee should try to understand the significance and the reason for these Chamatkaars (miracles). This particular phenomenon implies attraction and it is a Divine quality based on the strength of the Atma. How is this quality to be used? It has to be used for Samskara, which means for the transformation of human nature into Divine nature. The intrinsically worthless human nature is subjected to Samskara, so that it may change to invaluable Divine nature and the Divine attraction or Chamatkaara is used for that purpose. This Samskara forms the basis for Paropkaara. The path of Paropkaara or selfless service and sacrifice for others in society, will ultimately lead you to Sakshathkaram (Self-realisation). The purpose of the Chamatkaara is to lead you to the ultimate Reality. The four steps are Chamatkaara, Samskara, Paropkaara and Sakshathkaram. Therefore, this Chamatkaara is not an exhibition but a Divine manifestation with a Divine purpose which causes no harm to the world."
-Baba
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