Divine Words of wisdom by Sathya Sai Baba – On Character

1. Character is most important in human life

x1996-06-24

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Man’s life is made up of the three attributes. Losing such attributes, man loses humanness. Today the animals and birds seem better than man, who lacks the human values. Man is only human in appearance but not in his behaviour. Therefore good qualities strengthen human life. Life without character is life less. Amongst the human values, character is the true strength. Students and youth of present times must aim for attaining good character. One may be wealthy, strong and might be in a position of authority, but without good qualities, the position, wealth, strength or knowledge, all become useless. Character is very essential to recognise the humanness. It is the important human quality.

2. How to develop our character: A story of Shirdi Baba devotee Das Ganu

x1996-06-27

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Man’s character can be developed to some extent through proper words, actions and behaviour. Once when Baba was in Shirdi, there was a devotee by name Das Ganu. He used to work in the Police department. Baba used to celebrate Sri Ramanavami and Moharrum together whenever they happened to occur on the same day. However there were differences amongst the Muslims and the Hindus of Shirdi. In such times Das Ganu was posted in Shirdi on duty. Then Baba spoke to Das Ganu and said, “Das Ganu, you sing well. Please sing a song.” Das Ganu sang very melodiously. Later Das Ganu prayed to Baba to keep him in Shirdi permanently. Then Baba said, “Who is stopping you? You can stay here. Neither this body nor this place not even the village belongs to me. So you too can stay here.” “But will you stay here?” asked Baba. Das Ganu replied, “Certainly. I will come and stay here permanently.” Das Ganu forgot about it. Soon after the function, he left the job and returned to his village. While leaving for his village he came to Baba, bowed and said, “Baba, I have been waiting for a promotion in this job for the past three years. I want it only for my honour but not for the monetary benefits.” “So will you come after you get the promotion?” asked Baba. Das Ganu said that if he gets a promotion, he will most certainly come and settle down in Shirdi. Baba gave him leave to go. Das Ganu got a promotion order within a week of his joining the job. He got promoted as the Circle Inspector. Engrossed by his duties, he forgot his promise to Baba. Two years passed by. Again he came on duty during the festivals, Sri Ramanavami and Moharrum. Then Baba said, “Das Ganu, did you forget your promise?” Das Ganu said, “No swami I have not forgotten. But I aspire to perform better in this post and acquire the position of SP.” Baba gave him leave to go. By the time Das Ganu returned to his station, there were some stolen articles of gold in the station. The SP came to the station to enquire about those articles and checked the station thoroughly. He asked, “Where did you get these articles from? Who brought them here?” Das Ganu replied that he knew nothing about the articles. The SP questioned him, “You are in-charge of this station and in your station how can the articles be present without your knowledge?” The SP blamed Das Ganu with robbery. Then there were many enquiries regarding the articles. It was then that Das Ganu realised that these false charges and allegations were the result of his not fulfilling his promise to Baba. So he resigned from the post of CI and returned to Shirdi. Though God protects every person in many ways, it is the individual who begets the troubles on himself by forgetting his promises. Others do not give either pleasure or pain. Everyone is subjected to either pleasure or pain only due to their thoughts, words and deeds. (Man’s thoughts, words and deeds are solely responsible for the pleasure or pain that he experiences.)

3. What is Tarakam in Vedanta

x1996-07-31

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What is meant by ‘Tarakam’? It is ‘Khechari’, ‘Vechari’, ‘Madhyama’ and the true essence ‘Bhagawati’. One must try to analyse the essence of these four aspects. What is the meaning of ‘Tarakam’? Many people have described it in many ways. There are five signs in this. One should know clearly the five signs, ‘Pancha Mudras’. One should know these five signs, research and investigate them properly, experience them, then determine the necessary and the unnecessary and brush aside the unnecessary; have a vision of Nadabindu and realise the ‘hamsatwa’, later on experience the state of sath-chit-ananda on earth—this sums up ‘Tarakam’. Immersing and concentrating the human mind in the principle of sath-chit-ananda, the ultimate bliss is called as ‘Tarakam’.

4. As is your feeling so is your vision

x1996-06-22

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God is never selfish. He is selfless. How can selfish people to know the selfless? One’s own thoughts reflect as one’s ideas about others. “Yad bhaavam tadbhavathi” as is the thought so is the manifestation. People imagine according to their own thoughts and feelings. Therefore the Upanishads too reiterated: “Munde munde matir bhinna”, different heads have different thoughts. It is not enough if one punishes the body, one should also punish the mind. ‘Putta paina mardhinchina paamu maranamonduna?’ Will a snake be killed by mere rubbing of its hood?” Tanuvunu taadandinchina vishayabhogammulu anuguna? Will mere punishing the body stop the sensual desires? Aakali dappulu veedinantha aatmagnyani taanaguna? Will giving up hunger and thirst result in knowledge of Atma? Taanevaro teliyakunna tatwa gnyaani yetlaguno? Without self realization can one know the philosophical truth?! First and foremost one must know oneself for that is the very purpose of human life.

5. The words, mind, ego and the spirit belong to the same family

x1996-06-25

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Students!! The culture of Bharath is noblest and second to none. Man is sum total of his mind. Mind is the conglomeration of thoughts. Thoughts result in actions. Actions determine the joy and sorrow. Man’s behaviour is the cause for the joy and sorrow that he experiences. One’s behaviour is based on one’s thoughts. Mind is the collection of thoughts. Hence man is called as “Manishi”, human, as he originates from mind. Without mind man cannot be human. The one with mind is “Manishi”, human. Birds and animals do not have a mind. Therefore “Vaak”, word originates from the mind. The mind originated from ego and ego is a reflection of ‘Atma’, the soul. Hence the word, the mind, ego and the soul belong to the same family. Word, mind and ego together help man to attain Divinity. When there is harmonious relationship amidst all the three, then man attains divinity. When there is disharmony among these three it leads to restlessness.

6. The attributes of wisdom – Sraddha, Rutham, Sathya and Yoga

x1996-06-21

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The first one is “Shraddha”. It has two meanings: ‘interest’ and ‘stability’. Shraddha is comprised of two aspects, namely ‘interest’ and ‘stability’. It is not enough if one has just ‘Shraddha’ or interest; one should have full faith in one’s interest. Therefore intellect has these two, namely the ‘interest’ and ‘stability’. The power of intellect is ‘Rutham’. What is its effect? It is the discrimination of good and bad under at all times that is the past, present and future, the three phases of time. The harmony of the thought, word and deed is called as ‘Rutham’. The word ‘Rutham’ is truly applicable only when there is purity in thought, word and deed. Hence the second aspect after ‘Shraddha’ is ‘Rutham’. Expressing the nature of ‘Rutham’ by way of word is called as ‘Sathyam’. ‘Sathyam’ or truth is that spoken word which comes from deep faith in the purity and unity of thought, word and deed. Merely uttering that, which is seen, heard or done, as it is, does not amount to truth or ‘Sathyam’; it only becomes a fact or ‘nizamu’. There is wide difference between truth and fact. There is a gulf of difference between intelligence and intellect; they are considered as same by people who do not know the difference between the two. Therefore truth is the expression of the nature of Rutham in word. The fourth aspect is ‘yoga’. What is ‘yoga’? There are many kinds of ‘yoga’ in the world today. According to Patanjali Yoga sutras yoga is defined as “yogaha chitta vruttinirodhakaha” meaning yoga is to have total control over one’s senses. Yoga means to have all the powers in a human under his control. Having total control is called as yoga. Exercising control over what one hears is yoga; control over smell is yoga; controlling one’s speech is yoga; control over one’s thoughts is yoga- therefore yoga is having control over the five senses. However one has to talk and cannot give up talking. But how should one talk? One must talk with purity and unity of thought, word and deed. One must not engage in arguments over untruth. Arguing about things unknown to oneself is ignorance. Arguments breeds hatred and disunity. Hence Vedas say, “Vaade vaade varjyathe vairam” meaning continuous argument gives scope to enmity. Therefore students should have full faith on the control over the senses. This age is very sacred, divine and a one that lays a royal path to bright future. It is the age where one builds the royal path to bright future. Today’s youngsters are the emancipators of this country. Sense control is the first and foremost lesson that the students should learn. Therefore, the combination of steadfastness, the Rutham, the truth and the yoga amounts to the mighty power. The divine manifestation is the mighty power. In that divinity, exists the Rutham; Sathyam, the truth, shines on this mighty power. Hence it is said that ‘truth is God’. Steadfastness is also divine for it is only through steadfastness that one can aspire to attain knowledge- “Shraddhavaan labhate gyanam”. Gyanam, wisdom, is God. It is said, “Sathyam gyanam anantham brahma!” meaning God is truth, God is wisdom, and God is without limits. Therefore truth is God; Rutham is God, Shraddha is God, Yoga is divine. God has so many names viz., “Yogeeshwara”, “siddhi sankalpa”, “sankalpa siddha”, and “yoga Yogeeshwara”. Of all the five aspects “buddhi” or intellect is the most important. The vedas reiterate this fact as “buddhi graahyam ateendriyam”. Intellect is transcendental, beyond the senses. Comparing such intellect with intelligence is not proper.

7. Three p's important for building good character

x1996-06-24

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Embodiments of Love!! In order to be successful in the field of spirituality, every man must develop the trinity of character. The first one is ‘pavitram’ purity, sanctity. The second one is ‘sahanam’, patience. And the third one is ‘pattudala’, perseverance. These three have been called as ‘pikara trayam’- the three ‘p’s. The first ‘P’ is “purity”. The second ‘P’ is “patience” and the third ‘P’ is “perseverance”. The man, who develops the three aspects of character, sanctifies and redeems his life.

8. What is Sankhyamu in Vedanta

x1996-07-31

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The second one is ‘Sankhyamu’. It refers to the ‘panchendriya’, the five senses, ‘pancha prana’ the five life breaths, ‘Pancha bhoota’, the five elements , ‘Pancha Kosamu’ the five life sheaths, the mind, ‘Chittamu’- intellect, ‘Antahkarana’- conscience, jeevamu -the in-dweller- these twenty five aspects. Then one must properly investigate and research each aspect to know the real ‘I’. Investigation and enquiry must lead one to know that none of them is the real “I”. Believing that none of the aspects help in knowing the real principle of one self- the atma, one must realise that the principle of Atma is the sat-chit-ananda which is beyond enquiry and beyond the transcendental. Ultimately one realises that the sath-chit-ananda is atma and that one is atma, and realises the total identification of the “I” with the Atma. This is called as ‘Sankhya Yoga’. It involves a thorough enquiry of the inner as well as the outer senses.

9. The purpose of Life is to know who you are

x1996-06-22

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Will a snake be killed by mere rubbing of its hood?” Will mere punishing the body, stop the sensual desires? Will giving up hunger and thirst result in the knowledge of Atma? Without self realization can one know the philosophical truth?! First and foremost one must know oneself for that is the very purpose of human life. “Who am I?” Am I the body? Am I the mind? Am I the intellect? Or Am I the inner sense?” No, it is ‘my’ body; I am different from my body. Therefore I am not the body. This body is a means; vesture likened to the clothes one wears. Hence one cannot claim that one is the body. One only punishes the body for the mistakes committed. But there is no fault in the body. All the fault lies with the mind.