The life principles of Man

The life principles of Man

A short compilation from the Divine Discourse of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba: “The life principles of Man.” 9 October, 2001, Prasanthi Nilayam.

 Prajnana is the unchanging and eternal principle that is in you at all times and under all circumstances. People call it supreme knowledge, but the correct translation for this term is Constant-Integrated-Awareness. This Constant-Integrated-Awareness is present all over the body. How it is that man is not able to recognise such all-pervasive divinity, which exists in all the three periods of time, past, present and future?

     The life principle that flows through each and every nerve of the body is verily divine. The life principle that sustains our body is Prajnana. On this basis, it is said, Prajnanam Brahma. The same thing is reflected in another divine axiom, Ayam Atma Brahma. It can be interpreted as ‘I am Atma and Brahma’. The third one is Tat Twam Asi. Tat denotes that which is outside, and Twam stands for innate divinity. It means that the same divinity is present within and without. That all-pervasive God is present within and without. That which is seen, heard and experienced outside is nothing but the reflection, resound and reaction of the inner being. When reality is within, why crave for its reflection outside? 

     God has no distinctions or differences. No one can stipulate dos and don’ts for Him. He can do anything, since He is in everything and is everything. He has no master above Him. If man wants to visualise God, he will see Him only in the form of a human being far superior to him in all respects. So, man should know the nature of a human being to begin with. All the sacred texts have described God as having human form. It does not mean that God is confined to a human form.  God has no specific form. People attribute various forms to God. Here we have an idol of Dakshinamurthi. This form is but your own imagination. It is not the reality. How can you visualise God who is the very form of the universe? The Viswa (universe) is made up of five elements. The human body also consists of five elements. Hence, it is called Viswa (Totality, Whole creation). The Veda says, with thousands of heads, thousands of feet and thousands of eyes, Divinity pervade everything. The human’s form keeps changing, but the spirit remains unchanged. Do not follow the body. Do not follow the mind. Follow the conscience. Conscience is the Atma (Self).

     Through steady faith one can attain divinity. One should have faith in one’s own Self. Develop self-confidence, which will lead to self-satisfaction. When you have self-satisfaction, you will be prepared for self-sacrifice. Only through self-sacrifice, can one attain self-realisation. Self-realisation means to realise that you are everything. Self-confidence is the foundation, self-satisfaction is the wall, self-sacrifice is the roof and self-realisation is life.

     You are the embodiment of Prajnana. (Consciousness, Knowledge). It is not worldly or secular knowledge. This true knowledge is within you. It is not something that you acquire after you are born. It is with you right from your birth.  But you have forgotten this truth and, consequently, you suffer from delusion. In this world, everything is an illusion; nothing is permanent. You have to carry on with your life sojourn and discharge your duties keeping in view the eternal Atmic principle.

     The term Brahma means vastness. Similar is the meaning of the term Vishnu. So, God symbolises vastness and broad-mindedness. But He appears narrow-minded to the narrow-minded.  As are your feelings, so will be the result. God is filled with broad feelings. It is not possible for anybody to comprehend God’s Will. Unable to understand the Divine Will, people forget the yathartha (reality) and lead themselves jnto anartha (difficulties). They are carried away by padartha (worldly objects) and ignore Parartha (Divinity). Take Parartha as the fundamental principle. Do not repose your faith in the physical world. However, you have to play your role well in this drama of life. To that extent, you can keep the world in your mind. If you have firm faith in God, you will perceive divinity everywhere.

      All forms of God that are attributed to Him are man’s own creations and imaginations. God is depicted to be having four hands holding shankha, chakra, gada and padma (conch, discus, mace, and lotus). If God were really to be born with four hands, people would certainly put Him in exhibition. What is the inner meaning of God having these four insignia? Shankha (conch) represents sound; chakra (discus) denotes the wheel of time; gada (mace) symbolises power, and padma (lotus) stands for heart. It is only to make you understand that God is the master of sound, time, power, and heart that He is depicted to be having these insignia in His hands.

     Of all the forms of God, the human form is very significant. Who is a human being? The proper study of mankind is man. It means the thoughts, words, and deeds should be in harmony with one another. When you are in the company of God all the time, why should you give room for worry? In order to understand that God is not separate from you, undertake sacred deeds. Help others.

    Sanctify all the limbs of the body in selfless activities. But it is not that easy to practice. There is always some self-interest in whatever man does. Self-interest is also necessary, but it should be within certain limits.

     Man has the sacred name manishi. When reversed, it reads as shinima (cinema). Today man has become a ‘Cinema manishi’ meaning ‘one leading an artificial life’. Today, the world is plunged into utter chaos and confusion. You find misery, sadness, sin, and anger everywhere.  Where is peace? It is within you.

The Life Principles of Man – A Sacred Guide to Truth, Love, and Right Living

The life principles of Man are the values that give direction, dignity, and meaning to human life. A person is not truly great only because of wealth, education, power, or outer success. Real greatness is seen in character, compassion, honesty, discipline, and the ability to live with love. When life is guided by noble principles, every action becomes more meaningful and every relationship becomes more peaceful.

Human birth is precious because it gives us the power to think, choose, learn, and grow. Animals mostly live by instinct, but human beings can use discrimination. We can decide between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, selfishness and service. The life principles of Man remind us that this power should not be wasted in anger, greed, jealousy, pride, and meaningless desires. It should be used for self-improvement and service to others.

Truth is one of the first principles of human life. A person may gain temporary benefit through lies, but inner peace cannot be built on falsehood. Truth gives courage to the heart and strength to the soul. When thoughts, words, and actions become honest, life becomes clean. The life principles of Man teach that a truthful person may face difficulty for some time, but ultimately earns trust, respect, and peace.

Love is another sacred principle. True love is not only emotion or attachment. It is kindness, understanding, forgiveness, patience, and care. A loving person does not enjoy hurting others. Such a person tries to heal, support, and uplift. The life principles of Man become beautiful when love is practiced not only toward family and friends, but also toward strangers, the poor, the weak, animals, and nature.

Service is the practical expression of love. A life lived only for personal comfort becomes narrow. When we help others, life becomes wider and more sacred. Feeding the hungry, comforting the sad, guiding the confused, respecting elders, and supporting those in need are all noble actions. The life principles of Man show that service without pride purifies the heart and brings us closer to the Divine.

Discipline is also necessary. Without discipline, even good intentions become weak. The mind easily runs toward laziness, anger, desire, and distraction. Discipline helps us control speech, manage time, work sincerely, and stay steady on the right path. A disciplined person does not depend only on mood. Such a person acts according to duty, values, and wisdom.

The life principles of Man also include humility. Pride makes a person blind to mistakes and insensitive to others. Humility keeps the heart open to learning. A humble person understands that every blessing is grace. Knowledge, talent, success, family, health, and opportunity are not reasons for arrogance. They are responsibilities to be used wisely.

Forgiveness is another important principle. Holding anger for too long makes the heart heavy. Forgiveness does not mean supporting wrong behavior, but it means freeing ourselves from bitterness. A wise person learns from pain and moves forward with dignity. The life principles of Man teach that forgiveness brings peace to the one who forgives and softens the hardness of the heart.

Faith gives strength during difficult times. Life will always bring tests, delays, failures, and uncertainties. A person without faith may easily become hopeless. But faith reminds us that every sincere effort has meaning and divine grace works in seen and unseen ways. Faith does not remove responsibility; it gives courage to fulfill responsibility with patience.

Self-control is also essential. Anger can destroy relationships, greed can disturb peace, and ego can ruin character. A person who cannot control inner weaknesses remains restless even if outer life looks successful. The life principles of Man guide us to watch our thoughts, purify our desires, and act with awareness instead of impulse.

Gratitude makes life peaceful. Many people focus only on what is missing and forget what they already have. Breath, food, shelter, family, health, friendship, and the chance to begin again are blessings. A grateful person complains less and serves more. Gratitude turns ordinary life into a sacred gift.

In the end, The life principles of Man are not only ideas to read or speak about. They must be practiced every day. Truth should guide words, love should guide relationships, service should guide actions, discipline should guide habits, and faith should guide the heart. When these principles become part of life, the human being rises above selfishness and becomes a source of peace.

A person who follows The life principles of Man slowly becomes calmer, kinder, stronger, and more useful to the world. Such a life becomes a blessing to family, society, and humanity. This is the true purpose of human birth – to live with goodness, serve with love, grow in wisdom, and move closer to divine awareness.