The Divine Revelation Sri Sathya Sai Baba Divine Discourse at the World Conference of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, Mumbai on May 17, 1968 You are engaged in discovering solutions to problems, arguments to overcome doubts, means to prevent new problems and fresh doubts from arising; such exercises which all conferences relish, cannot help successful navigation across the sea of spiritual endeavour. These are but frail contrivances, these discussions, resolutions, speeches, and regulations. The world is much too stormy and agitated to be quietened by these. This is the time for cool calm contemplation, not quick passionate speculation and hasty decision. You need to contemplate once again on the eternal lessons laid down by the sages of India’s past, lessons that have been neglected and cynically forgotten in recent years. The suggestions and solutions that come out of the discussions today are all good, so far as they go, but how can a person who cannot himself swim teach others the art? How can one whose granary is empty pour out in charity? Acquire the wealth of devotion, fortitude, and peace before venturing to advise others how to acquire them. Bharat (India) has suffered slights and disregard as a result of a spate of teachers who have not cared to practise what they teach. I know you have the enthusiasm to carry My message among the people of this country and other countries. Let Me remind you that the best and the only successful way in which you can do it is to translate the message into your own lives. Your thoughts, words, and deeds must be saturated with the message. Then they will spread effortlessly and efficiently, and the face of the world will be transformed. Namasmarana, the Only Hope for Man in This Age The Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Secretaries of Sathya Sai Organisations from all over the world are here. You are officers of the Sai Army. How can you lead soldiers into the fray when you are not aware of the intricacies of warfare, when you are yourselves inefficient instruments? You can attempt to lead others only after practising the disciplines to perfection. This is true of all fields of human activity. Ananda (bliss) and prasanthi (supreme peace) have to be acquired first by you and then can be communicated to others. Teachers in schools have themselves to be examples of what they require the pupils to be. Men in authority who exhort others to follow the paths of love and co-operation have themselves to practise those virtues. The people are now not willing to be led; the leaders have no capacity to lead. Progress is the result of mutual trust between the leaders and the led. The unrest that is rampant now in all sections of the people everywhere is due to the irresponsibility of parents, teachers, administrators and leaders, as well as of those who hunger to benefit from them. Namasmarana is one of the basic disciplines to which this Conference is paying great attention. The scriptures say that in this age of materialism it is the one hope for man. So you should not brush aside the Name as a piece of glass or as a pebble. Man Is Using a Gem to Play Marbles on the Road There was once a boy who picked up a precious gem, bright and round, and used it for playing marbles on the road with his comrades. A merchant dealing in precious stones chanced to pass along that road, and his discerning eye fell on the gem. He approached the boy, took him aside, and offered to pay him fifty rupees in exchange. If the boy could know the value of fifty rupees, he would have known the value of the gem! He went to his mother and told her that a stranger had tempted him with fifty rupees in return for the marble he played with. She was surprised that it was so costly, and she said, “Do not go out of the compound with it; play in the garden with your friend.” When the value was revealed, limits were set. The merchant had no sleep that night; he was planning to secure the gem from those simple folk so that he could sell it at huge profit to some millionaire or Maharaja. He discovered the house of the boy and he moved up and down that road hoping to see the boy. When he saw the boy play with it as if it was as cheap as a marble, his heart was wrung in agony. The boy threw it on the floor just at the moment his mother emerged from the inner apartments and it struck her foot and fell under a bush. He spoke to the boy, asking for the gem in exchange for a hundred rupees, and again for 500 rupees! The son ran into the house in tears, complaining about the stranger who will not let him alone. The mother came out into the garden and begged the merchant to go away. The merchant grasped the chance; he told the mother that he was ready to give a thousand rupees on the spot, if the marble was placed in his hand! On hearing this, she forbade the child to play with it outside the house; he could play only within the rooms. The merchant could not be shooed off like that; he appeared the next day in front of the house and held out 10,000 rupees as his offer for the marble. The mother refused to part with it but kept it now in an iron safe, under lock and key! When the merchant came the next day with 50,000 rupees, she took it to a bank and deposited it in their safety vaults. You Are Unaware of the Value of the Name of God You are also playing marbles with the Name of God, unaware of its value. Once you realise its worth, you will keep it in your heart of hearts as the most precious treasure. Know that

All is brahman – All is God The stars are BrahmanThe Sun is also BrahmanThe Moon is BrahmanWater is BrahmanHeaven is BrahmanVaikunta (Abode of Vishnu) is BrahmanMother is BrahmanFather is BrahmanFortune is BrahmanPower is BrahmanAll beings are BrahmanThe individual is BrahmanThat which creates is BrahmanThat which sustains is BrahmanThat which destroys is BrahmanThe homemaker is BrahmanAll actions are BrahmanThe body is BrahmanAll of Nature is BrahmanThe Lifeforce is BrahmanAll is BrahmanThis august gathering is BrahmanThe Sai who is revealing this truth is verily Brahman

The Message i bring The Message I Bring – Milestone Speech This has been called the “milestone” discourse. However, it is believed to be not a real discourse by Sri Sathya Sai Baba but a series of sentences crafted from previous discourses by N. Kasturi. This speech does not appear in the Sathya Sai Speaks series, and no old-timer at Prasanthi NIlaym remembers it. This article indicates where each sentence came from. This video was developed by the late Richard Bock in 1968-69. Kasturi reads this “discourse” while we see darshan scenes. The speech also appeared on a long-playing (33RPM) record and appears in Sam Sandweiss’s book The Holy Man and The Psychiatrist. Audio (Kasturi reciting the “discourse”): mp3 file (22MB)   mp3 file (2.2MB)

Glorify the Name of the Lord EMBODIMENTS of Love! Only when we realise the preciousness of the diamond will we take care to safeguard it. Likewise only when we are aware of the value of chanting the Lord’s name will we make the effort to practise it and benefit from it. Devotees recite or sing the names of the Lord in two ways. One is Keerthanam and the other is Sankeerthanam. Keerthanam is done individually and benefits only the devotee concerned.’ Sankeerthanam is done collectively for the good of the world as a whole. Keerthanam is of various kinds. First is Guna Keerthana – praising the qualities and attributes of God through song. Second is Bhava Keerthana – expressing the inner feelings and emotions of the devotee. Reflecting the feelings of peace, companionship, yearning, filial love or sweetness experienced by the devotee, these songs give vent to the emotional outpouring of the devotee. The third is Leela Sankeerthanam – praising in song the sports and divine play of the Lord. This is done through singing the Ashtapadi (of Jayadeva) or describing the sports and miraculous deeds of the Lord. The rasa krida is also in this category. The fourth is Nama Sankeerthanam – singing the names of the Lord. This is the most efficacious of all forms of devotional singing. But in actual practice the devotees derive joy from singing all types of devotional songs. Special Significance Of Nama Sankeerthana What is the special significance of Nama Sankeethana – singing the names of the Lord? “Nama” is made up of three letters: “Na” “a”, “ma”. All music is based on the seven swaras – the seven notes. According to the science of numerology the letters “Na”, “a” and “Ma” have the numerical values: 0, 2 and 5 making up seven in all. The seven notes are Sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, da, ni. The Gopikas made use of these seven notes to combine music, rhythm and devotion in the Rasa Krida dance with Krishna. In this group dance, the Gopikas were so completely lost in devotion and song that they experienced oneness with the Divine. In this way, Sankeerthan (community singing) in praise of Krishna became popular and helped to develop devotion and promote collective prayers for the welfare of the world. Similarly community singing in the name of Rama also came into vogue. Numerologically, the letters in the name of Rama (Ra+a+ma) add up to seven. Besides the seven notes, the mystic number seven is associated with many sacred things like the seven islands, the seven oceans, the seven sages and so on. In accordance with this concept, seven-day festivals and yajnas are held. Threefold Purity Essential Not all realise the potency and efficacy of reciting the Lord’s name. The first requisite is purity of thought, word and deed. The name that is uttered by the tongue should be meditated upon by the mind. What is uttered and dwelt upon should be hailed by clapping the hands. This threefold concentration on the Divine name – unity of mind, speech and action – purifies the heart and nourishes the feeling of devotion. Better than recounting the qualities of the Lord, singing His glories or relating His exploits and teachings, the chanting of the name is supremely edifying. If merely the Lord is described as Dayamaya (the embodiment of kindness) there may be many who qualify for that description. If the term “Leelamanusha vigrahudu” (One who has assumed the human form as a sport) is used, it may apply to any number of persons. Guru Nanak was the initiator of the practice of community singing of devotional songs. He believed that through such community singing the common man can ennoble his life and experience the presence of the Divine in everyone. Through that experience, one can become a knower of the Brahman (jnani). Ratnakara, who led the life of a highway man, became the sage Valmiki after prolonged meditation on the name of Rama. He got the illumination out of which the Ramayana was born. Moses was another great figure of old times who achieved God Realisation by continuously dwelling on the name of God. Community Singing Of Bhajans When the chanting of the Name is done in community singing, it should be in a form in which the entire group can participate easily. The tune, the rhythm, etc. should be such that all can follow the bhajan. If the lead singer takes up a song that is not familiar to others, the response from the group will be poor. There will be no enthusiasm or genuine participation. Their minds, will be distracted. When all the devotees participate in the bhajan, the vibrations that are produced will generate joy and harmony. Many who organise mass singing on special occasions are not aware what kind of bhajans should be sung then. A person who has an individual style of his own may sing as he likes in private, but he is not suitable for community singing. There are some rules to be observed in conducting community bhajans. Alapana (elaboration of a raga) may be done in keerthana (individual singing), but it is wholly out of place in community bhajans. Hence, in such bhajans the accent should be entirely on the Name. Today we are having the Akhanda Bhajan (nonstop twenty-four-hour global bhajan by Sai devotees all over the world). This is being done not for the sake of one individual, one nation or one community. It is for the welfare of humanity as a whole. The bhajans that are sung permeate the ether in the form of sound waves and fill the entire atmosphere. Thereby the whole environment gets purified. Breathing in this purified atmosphere, our hearts get purified. Reciting the Lord’s name is a process of give and take. Singing the Lord’s name should become an exercise in mutual sharing of joy and holiness. It should be remembered that the sounds we produce reverberate in the atmosphere. They remain permanently in the ether as waves and outlast the individual uttering the sounds. Today the atmosphere is polluted by unholy and vicious sounds. This results in the growth of evil thoughts and feelings, which lead to evil deeds. If the atmosphere has

Love Divine If one word could sum up the essence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s life and teachings, that word would be “love”. Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s life, His message, His ideals and His humanitarian works can all be enshrined in one word—Love. His life is His message and His message is love. He is truly the incarnation of love—Love walking on two legs. He says, “God is love; live in love,” and exhorts us to “Start the day with love; fill the day with love; spend the day with love; end the day with love—this is the way to God.” Just as the moon can be seen only by moonlight and not with the help of a candle, God who is the embodiment of love, can be experienced only through love. “But this love,” Baba says, “is unconditional, pure, selfless love which is directed towards God with one-pointedness.” Lord Jesus Christ, when asked what is the greatest commandment, said, “The greatest and the first commandment is love thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul and strength; and love thy neighbour as thyself.” The great apostle St. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians says, “Faith, hope and love abide, but the greatest of these is love.” Swami says, “Love is the source; love is the path; and love is the goal.” So, when we live our lives saturated with love, our lives get sanctified. Sri Sathya Sai Baba says, “The greatest examples of pure, pristine love are the gopis (cowherd girls of Brindavan) of yore.” There are some other examples of pure, unconditional, Divine Love in this compendium. If one could master this single Divine Principle, the other four human values—Truth, Peace, Righteousness and Non-violence—would also, automatically be mastered. Perfect mastery of love amounts to nothing less than Self-realisation. This study guide is a compendium of quotes from the following works of Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vahinis, Summer Showers. The editors have attempted to remain faithful to the presentation of the quotes as they occur in the online editions of the works from which they come, with the following exceptions: 1) correction of typos; 2) correction of grammar and syntax; 3) changes that incorporate gender-inclusive language; 4) standardisation of the transliteration of Sanskrit; and 5) minor changes to facilitate readability and coherence in the context of the study guide.

Selfless Love “The act of service is not to be judged, according to the cost or publicity it entails; it may be only the offering of a cup of water in the depth of a jungle. But the need of the recipient, the mood of the person who offers—these decide whether the act is gold or lead. Fill every act of yours with love. Let no one suffer the slightest pain as a result of your thought, word or deed. Let this be your sādhanā (spiritual discipline). It will surely help you to achieve the goal.” – Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Selfless service is perhaps the single, most efficient and universal tool for understanding, experiencing and expressing this Divine Principle of Love. Service is love in action. Sri Sathya Sai Baba says that the best way to love God is to love all; serve all. The main purpose of the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation is to help one realise one’s innate Divinity by the practice of Divine Love through selfless service. Baba has also made it clear that the quality of service is most important, not the quantity. The spirit or the motive behind service is the deciding factor. When we render service, we should feel that we are serving God. This is why He says, “Service to man is service to God”. Service done in this manner makes us realise that “service is done by God, to God, and for God”. The person who is serving, the recipient of the service and the process of serving are all one—and are all divine. Just as the proof of rain is in the wetness of the ground, pure, self- less, loving service transforms and we enjoy supreme peace and equanimity – the “peace that passeth understanding”. Sri Sathya Sai Baba cautions us about major obstacles that stand in the way of selfless service: ego and attachment; and the feeling of doer-ship and enjoyer-ship. A true Sri Sathya Sai volunteer strives to overcome these obstacles through selfless service. Service done in a pure, selfless manner then becomes yoga—leading to union with God. Baba says that when we realise “service to man is service to God”, we also experience the ultimate truth – “God pervades everything”. This study guide is a compendium of quotes from the following works of Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vahinis, Summer Showers. The editors have attempted to remain faithful to the presentation of the quotes as they occur in the online editions of the works from which they come, with the following exceptions: 1) correction of typos; 2) correction of grammar and syntax; 3) changes that incorporate gender-inclusive language; 4) standardisation of the transliteration of Sanskrit; and 5) minor changes to facilitate readability and coherence in the context of the study guide. Since every quote occurs with a citation indicating its online source,

The Sadhana of Love The Sadhana of Love programme has been developed for Sathya Sai adults, young adults, and children to support the realisation of our inherent divinity – our true nature as pure love. The Young Adults 2020 Sathya Sai Sadhana of Love Programme is here There are four key principles needed on our journey to achieving this: Self-confidence, Self-satisfaction, self-sacrifice and Self-realisation. Within the Sadhana of Love – Choose Your Sadhanas, each step includes Swami’s definition of that step and 18 supporting sadhanas (spiritual practices) with explanatory quotes from His teachings. Guidelines With love as the focus, you are encouraged to listen to your conscience and choose sadhanas that you feel will manifest the most love and lead to the realisation that the same divinity dwells in all as love. Once your selected sadhanas are well established in your daily life, you can make further selections to help expand your love. In addition to these personal sadhanas, groups can choose group-based sadhanas to practise. Leaders are encouraged to discuss options with adults, young adults, young adult advisors, children, SSE teachers, and centre and regional presidents. Devotees may determine their own ways of promoting the understanding and practice of the Sadhana of Love. Devotees can identify tools and techniques to implement, monitor and discuss the benefits of practising their sadhanas. Methods proven to be successful in the past include: The sharing of successful practices and positive outcomes is encouraged. Start your Sadhana of Love journey now.

Love My Uncertainty Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba It is my perception—drawn from listening to many individuals relate their personal histories—that insecurity is the most common underlying cause for the majority of the problems from which we suffer. So we need to find a remedy for this condition if we hope to be able to make practical spirituality our way of life. Such widespread insecurity is understandable when we consider the manifold symbols of hoped-for security that people strive to attain—none of which are lasting or can guarantee permanent security. The more people strive to attain some measure of the security they crave, the further it recedes, like a will-o’-the-wisp, forever beyond their reach. Different individuals express insecurity in various ways, according to their supposed needs. Some people think they will feel secure if they find the perfect partner, while others concentrate on securing a safe occupation, or a certain amount of money. Still others believe they can achieve their goal by attaining a degree from an accepted college, or through promotions to important and influential positions at work or in the community. So many people are desperately trying to find that magical and mystical state in which they will feel safe and secure. One’s heritage, education, and the opinions and values current in the world all point to specific panaceas for this chronic disease of insecurity. We are persuaded by the media that if we buy a particular product or attain a specific goal, we will feel satisfied and fulfilled. But the reverse is the inevitable result, and we are forced to look further and more feverishly for the illusive state of security. As this situation persists, more and more people exhibit signs of insecurity in their behavior, both consciously and unconsciously. This results from a desire to convince others, but primarily themselves, of their own value, ability, prowess, knowledge, importance, attractiveness, or any other proof of their superiority that they can accept as convincing. Often this attitude smacks of “protesting too much”; assuming a role of appearing utterly secure and sure of themselves, their attitude is actually but a mask concealing their self-doubt. Some people resort to the cruel habit of criticizing others, not only to boost their own importance, skill, brilliance, or other attribute in the eyes of others, but also to reassure themselves of their own superiority. Other people openly reveal their lack of confidence and self-esteem in bids for reassurance from others that they are worthy of approval, since they themselves have no confidence in their own value. Still others consort with people whom they consider to be important in some way, erroneously believing that this “importance” will reflect onto them, but this establishes only a temporary, borrowed sense of security. Such are the hangers-on who gather around famous people, hoping to ride to fame or fortune on another’s coattails. These are just a few of the many ways people fool themselves in efforts to overcome the gnawing feeling caused by insecurity. What Is Security? But what actually is security? Is it so important or worth all the effort expended to attain it? And why does worldy security always seem beyond our reach, despite every effort to achieve it? The answer lies in yet another question that Sri Sathya Sai Baba repeatedly urges us to ask ourselves: “Who am I?” He supplies the answer in many different ways, usually by showing us what we are not. When we have discarded at last all the things we are not, we can be free to discover who we are, for Baba assures us that we are all God. But this assertion is difficult for most people to believe, since they are accustomed to identifying themselves with their physical-body-mind-personality-ego complex, forgetting that this is merely an illusory container for the real Self. Insecurity is completely unnecessary; in fact, it is a futile waste of time and energy, simply because people have sought their security in the wrong direction—in the outer world instead of within themselves. If we expect security to be granted to us by attachment to anyone or anything outside ourselves, we are doomed to disappointment. Security can be found only when we identify ourselves with who we really are: the unseen Spark within the outer observable sheath in which we exist in the world, which is of equal value to the Spark in everyone else. So, where is the need for insecurity, if we are all equal in value? And why do we try to be “better” than anyone else? Our heritage and early conditioning are the cause of our mistaken identity and the resulting insecurity that it causes. We have been taught in each recurring birth into this world to identify ourselves with our physical bodies and its attendant thoughts, feelings, speech, acts, desires, and senses. We have all been taught untruths about our true identity, from the very beginning of our many sojourns on earth, resulting in the haunting sense of insecurity that we have suffered continuously. In each successive life we have continued to seek security, only to be left even more insecure by having failed to find it. Many people have been driven to depression, insanity, and even suicide by the failure of their search. And in each new age, the situation has worsened, as this pattern has become more deeply etched on the human psyche. The resulting dejection leads to even more control by the “monkey mind” in its search for security. Relying on the Inner Reality Now the time is approaching for a new and very different way of life to be ushered in, heralded in large part by Baba’s life and ministry. In the coming New Age, we shall all be taught who we really are, and our erstwhile hidden identity will be revealed to everyone, so we can learn to feel secure in the knowledge that we are all equal in our God-selves—none better or worse, wiser or more stupid, stronger or weaker, richer or poorer—but all one,

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Speaks on Wisdom 1. Humility “The first virtue is humility, the absence of pride. As long as you have pride, you cannot earn wisdom. A person’s behaviour should be like the behaviour of water; whatever colour you pour into water, it absorbs it and never asserts its own colour. It is humble without conceit. But now the behaviour of people is quite contrary. When they do the smallest service or donate the slightest amount, they are anxious for people to know about it. For this, they go about prattling or arranging to get it published. The absence of such pride and ambition is what is recommended as humility.” 2. Absence of vanity “The second is absence of vanity. This is a very great virtue in people. It means the absence of pretence, pompousness, boasting that one is great when one is not, claiming that one has power when one has nothing, that one has authority when one has no such title.” Here, readers will note one point. The world today is full of this false pretence, this hypocrisy. Whichever field of activity you watch, whomever you observe, you discover this dire defect. The governments of nations are in the hands of people who are pretenders to power, authority, and capacity. Those with no knowledge claim to know everything. Those with no one even to help them at home claim that they have a huge following. In every activity, this hypocrisy is the very first step. It ruins people in every field, like a pest that destroys the crop. If this hypocrisy is wiped away, the world will be saved from disaster. Pretence will make you lose this world and the next. It is harmful at all times and places. It does not suit ordinary people; how can it then be beneficial to the spiritual aspirant? 3. Non-violence “The third virtue is non-violence. This also is an important virtue. Violence is not simply physical; it means even more: the mental pain that is inflicted, the anxiety and worry that are caused to others by your actions and words. Even if you desist from causing physical pain to others, you cannot claim to have non-violence. Your activities must not cause pain and must be unselfish. Your thoughts, words, and deeds must all be free from any motive to cause such pain.” 4. Patience, fortitude “The fourth is patience or fortitude. It means that you should consider as unreal the evil others do unto you, the loss you suffer through them, the hatred they evince toward you. Treat these as you treat a mirage. That is to say, you must develop that degree of patience or fortitude. It is not the helpless putting up with the evil that others do because you are powerless to retaliate. It is the expression of the peace that reigns in the heart, this outer behaviour.” It is true that many people put up with the injury that others inflict because they lack physical, economic, or popular support; this suffering cannot be honoured as real fortitude. 5. Integrity “Next, let us consider the fifth: straightforwardness, integrity, sincerity. It means the agreement of action, speech, and thought; this applies to secular and spiritual activity. This is a facet of the second virtue, absence of vanity.” 6. Reverential service rendered to the spiritual teacher “The sixth is reverential service rendered to the spiritual teacher. This virtue will promote affection for the pupil, so one will benefit a great deal. But the guru who has no goal will only mislead the disciple into perdition. The guru must shower grace on the disciple as freely and as spontaneously as the mother cow feeds the young calf with milk. The teaching of the guru is the source and sustenance for attaining God and acquiring liberation.” 7. Cleanliness “The seventh virtue is cleanliness—not merely outer cleanliness but inner cleanliness. And what is inner cleanliness? The absence of affection and hatred, of desire and discontent, of lust and anger; and the presence of good, i.e., godly, qualities. Water cleans the body; truth cleans the mind. Knowledge cleans the reasoning faculty; penance and discipline clean the individual.” 8. Steadfastness “The eighth virtue is called steadfastness, fixity of faith, the absence of fickleness or waywardness. Aspirants must hold fast to what they have once fixed their faith upon as conducive to their spiritual progress. They should not flit from one ideal to another, changing their goal from day to day. This is also referred to as dedication. Fickleness, the product of weakness, has to be scrupulously avoided.” 9. Control of the senses “The ninth is control of the senses. Be convinced that the senses have to subserve your best interests, not that you should subserve the interests of the senses. Do not be the slave of the senses; rather make them your slaves.” 10. Detachment “Next, the tenth virtue: detachment or renunciation (vairagya)—the loss of appetite for sound, touch, form, taste, smell, etc. The senses run after these things because they titillate and give them temporary joy. However, the senses are not interested in the goals—righteousness-wealth-desire-liberation (dharma-artha-kama-moksha) of the sublime type. The Atma can be discovered only through pursuit of the sublime.” 11. Absence of egotism “The eleventh virtue is absence of egotism—the breeding ground of all vices and faults. The ego-centric individual pays no regard to right and wrong, good and bad, godly, and wicked. That person doesn’t care for them, doesn’t even know about them. That person is completely ignorant of dharma and morals and will not conform to justice. To be devoid of this poisonous quality is to be endowed with absence of egotism. Egotism is a foe in the guise of a friend.” 12. Awareness of birth-death-old age-illness-grief “The next virtue is called janma-mrithyu-jaraa-vyadhi-dukha-dhosha-anudarsanam, meaning only this: awareness of the inevitable cycle of birth and death, of old age and disease, of grief and evil, and of other signs of the temporariness of this created world and life in it. Although people see these things happening to them as well as others,

Silence is the Language of the Spiritual Seeker The Voice of God Can Be Heard Only in the Depth of Silence Silence Is the Speech of the Spiritual Seeker You Can Experience Divine Bliss Only in Absolute Silence Silence Develops Love Silence is the only language of the realised. Practise moderation in speech. That will help you in many ways. It will develop love, for most misunderstandings and factions arise out of carelessly spoken words. When the foot slips, the wound can be healed; but when the tongue slips, the wound it causes in the heart of another will fester for life. The tongue is liable for four big errors: uttering falsehood, scandalising, finding fault with others, and excessive articulation. These have to be avoided if there is to be peace for the individual as well as for society. The bond of brotherhood will be tightened if people speak less and speak sweetly. That is why silence was prescribed as a vow for spiritual aspirants by the scriptures. You are all spiritual aspirants at various stages of the road, and so this discipline is valuable for you also. Talk Sweetly without Anger The first step in spiritual discipline is the cleansing of speech. Talk sweetly without anger. Do not boast of your scholarship or attainments. Be humble, eager to serve; conserve your speech. Practise silence. That will save you from squabbles, idle thoughts, and factions. Make the Place Where You Are a Citadel of Silence You need not escape into a forest to gain silence and the chance of uninterrupted spiritual practice. You can make the place where you are a citadel of silence; shut off the senses, let them not run after objects. Your home becomes a hermitage; your spiritual practices will then move on, without any obstacle. Stay Away from Bad Company I know that you are finding time, in spite of the hard work throughout the day, to attend cinemas, to engage in wayside chats, to promote and partake in factions, and quarrels, and for many other distractions that add to the sum of your worries. It is best you stay away from companions who drag you to such distractions that weaken and worry you; spend a few minutes every morning and evening in the silence of your own shrine or home; spend them with the highest of all powers that you know of. Be in His elevating and inspiring company; worship Him mentally; offer unto Him all the work you do; you will come out of the silence nobler and more heroic than when you went in. Communion with the Master Just consider – do you come out of the cinema theatre more peaceful, more heroic, purer, nobler than when you went in? No; your passions are aroused, your animal impulses are catered to, your lower nature is fed. Nothing else can give one the rich reward that silence and prayer and communion with the Master can give. Not even a decent bank account, or a string of degrees, or the muscles of a prize-fighter. Kindness Has to Be Fostered in Silence One great temptation for weak minds nowadays is the opportunity for publicity. Even a gift of five rupees to some charitable organisation is announced in thick banner headlines! Conceit is thus encouraged, and man slides into paltry pomp. Kindness has to be fostered in the silence of the mind. The Silent Man Has No Enemies The tongue is the armour of the heart; it guards one’s life. Loud talk, long talk, wild talk, talk full of anger and hate – all these affect the health of man. They breed anger and hate in others; they wound, they excite, they enrage, they estrange. Why is silence said to be golden? The silent man has no enemies, though he may not have friends. He has the leisure and the chance to dive within himself and examine his own faults and failings. He has no more inclination to seek them in others. If your foot slips, you suffer a fracture; if your tongue slips, you fracture someone’s faith or joy. That fracture can never be set right; that wound will fester forever. Therefore use the tongue with great care. The softer you talk, the less you talk, the more sweetly you talk, the better for you and the world. Silence Is the Best Practice to Guard Faith Silence is the best spiritual practice to guard faith; that is why I insist on silence here also, as a first step in your spiritual practice. Repeat God’s Name in the Silence of the Heart The magnet cannot draw to itself a bit of iron that is covered with rust and dust. You cannot yearn for God when your mind is laden with the rust of material desires and when the dust of sensual craving sits heavy on it. Clear the rust, know the glory of God, and repeat His name in the silence of the heart. Any one of the names that denote Him can be selected. Do not listen to people who canvass for one particular name and cavil at others. Keep Silent if Speaking Truth Causes Grief or Pain If you want to know the way in which you have to observe truth in speech, read the Bhagavad Gita. It tells you that the best speech is speech that does not create pain or anger or grief to others. The scriptures also say, “Speak the truth and speak pleasantly. Do not speak the truth which is not pleasant. If speaking truth will cause grief or pain, keep silent.” The Voice of God Can Be Heard Only in the Depth of Silence It is only in the depth of silence that the voice of God can be heard. Speak as low as possible, as little as possible, as sweetly as possible. All Joy Is Within All the joy you crave for is in you. But, like a man who has vast riches in the iron chest but who has