Out of the Mouth of Babes As Anjali lay in bed, she thought about Swami’s birthday, which was coming soon, and what would be the nicest gift to give Him, [the one] who held the entire world in His hands. Even though she was thousands of miles away from Him, she could feel His love all around her. She reflected over how tirelessly Swami took care of everyone, yet the people never showed any gratitude. “I wonder how patient I’d be if I were in His place,” she thought aloud. The moonlight was streaming into her bedroom window, and the world outside was asleep and quiet. As she gazed outside, a bright lonely star high up in the sky caught her eye. “Is that You, Swami?” she asked the star. “Are You up there watching over us?” She sighed and said, “Poor Swami, He must be so tired trying to teach people to behave themselves.” Anjali gazed at the star once more. All of a sudden, she felt herself being drawn into the star like a magnet….it was pulling her in. She felt herself land on something as soft and fragrant as a rose petal, and as she looked around she could see the earth at a distance. She realized to her amazement that she was sitting on the palm of Baba’s hand. She looked up and stared right into Baba’s beautiful smiling face. Baba had taken a huge form surrounded by a brilliant aura of love and was now bending over her whispering something—”I will show you the world through My eyes. You will understand the truth behind everything.” Anjali looked back at the lovely earth far at a distance. Suddenly she got a jolt, and then felt an ocean of love and waves pouring forth from her and embracing scenes that passed before her eyes. “Swami, the earth looks beautiful. I can see everything with love and compassion.” “Yes. If only man would understand how lucky he is to take human birth, he would treat his fellow beings with the same love that you now feel, for the love that you now feel radiates from Me and its light envelops the entire world to ultimately flow back to Me.” Anjali thought about this for a minute. Then she asked, “My parents tell me ‘do this’ and ‘do that’, and they get tired after a while. But You teach the whole world, Swami. Don’t You ever get tired?” “No, My eyes are always on My children, day and night and every second. I keep watch over all of you. I have come to make man understand the truth, that he is God and that he is born on the earth for the purpose of realizing this. Besides, all of them down there provide me with much entertainment,” He said with a laugh. “But, Swami, don’t You ever have to punish anyone?” queried Anjali. Then His face grew serious. “I do not punish anyone. Through man’s own wrongdoings he will receive retribution, and through his good deeds he earns merit. My love and grace pour forth. It is up to man to earn them through merit or reject them through demerit. Some seek my guidance and listen to me…others don’t,” He ended with a sigh. Anjali sat quiet for a while, digesting all of this information. Then she asked hopefully, “May be if You shouted at them, or spoke louder, then they would listen, wouldn’t they?” “Well, they can hear two voices: Mine and their egos’. They can hear My voice coming from their hearts, but many choose to listen to the voice of their ego instead,” Swami replied. “What is ‘ego’, Baba?” “How shall I explain it to you, My innocent child? Let’s see… ego is when people think to themselves ‘I am the best’, ‘I know everything’, and ‘I am right and others are all wrong’. It is when God tells you to do one thing and you do the opposite because you think you know better. Ego makes man selfish and greedy.” Swami pointed to a war scene back on the earth. “Look at the way they are fighting. Each side thinks that it is right and refuses to listen to the other when their opinions differ. They immediately begin to fight, as if fighting will solve all of their problems. Many die and sorrow descends on all sides,” said Baba sadly. Anjali watched the horrible scene for a minute, then noticed something. “Why is there a grey cloud around the war, Swami?” “Well, when many egos clash, the scene is enveloped in a grey aura,” replied Swami. Anjali noticed something else and pointed it out. “Look at those pretty cows grazing in the pasture over there, Swami. They have a pink cloud around them.” “Do you know why? Pink is the color of eternal love. The few who are surrounded by pink understand My message and are closer to Divinity. Animals follow their dharma [right action] and do not need to be taught how to behave. The only trouble is teaching man the lessons of life,” explained Swami. Anjali pondered over this. Then she asked, “Swami, do you love some people more than others?” “No, little one, I love all of you equally. You see, I separated Myself from Myself in order to have someone to love and someone to love Me. But humans have forgotten to love God”, replied Swami. Swami looked so sad that Anjali felt doleful as well, and she hastened to reassure Him. She stood up on His palm and hugged His thumb. “I love You very much, Swami.” Love shone in Swami’s eyes with the glow of a million stars as He looked at her. “Yes, I know, Anjali. That is why I am talking with you. Man has to become as small and pure-hearted as a child like you and listen to Me. Then he will learn to love both God and his fellow beings.” At this point, try as she

The Super‑Emperor Shuka was unattached to the world around him. He was aware of the immanent Brahman from the very moment of his birth, and he was steadily fixed in that awareness throughout [his] life. He can be said to be the greatest jnani(spiritualist) in history. Yet, he declared that the story of the leelas (divine sport) of Krishna, the saguna (endowed with divine qualities) incarnation of the divine principle, gave him inexhaustible joy. He said that the Krishna‑principle was beyond the ken of his analysis; it could only be experienced and tasted. No words can spell it out to another. Rasa (sweet essence) is the true characteristic of the Divine. Everything related to Him, concerned with Him is inexplicably sweet.  That is the reason why Sri Ramakrishna declared that he did not desire to merge in the Divine; he was content to taste the sweetness of the Divine. This is the path of bhakti (devotion). Through listening to the glories of the Lord, you become avid to praise Him, serve Him and His devotees, worship Him as if He is present before you, and be in His company all your life with no other thought than that joy. For such dedicated seekers all else will seem bitter and unattractive. God gives darshan to a sincere devotee There was a Sultan once who ruled over the region of Mathura, Brindavan, and other places on the river Yamuna. During his reign the Emperor of Vijayanagar came on pilgrimage and stayed at Brindavan for some days. He paid homage to Krishna in the temple. The Sultan argued that he must have come so far only to pay respects to someone greater than himself. He was determined to see that one, come what may. So he went late one night and called out before the closed doors of the temple. “Who is inside?” He heard a voice that gave the reply, “Govind Maharaj and Radha Rani.” The Sultan was now sure that there were two living persons inside, a Super‑Emperor and His Super‑Empress. He was filled with an agonizing yearning to see the distinguished occupants of the temple. He waited outside the door, without moving, without food or drink, for three full days. He was overcome with hunger and thirst; but he did not stir, for he was afraid the Imperial Couple may emerge any moment and he might miss the darshan (sight). That night when the town was asleep, just before midnight, Govinda Maharaj and Radha Rani emerged from the temple. They signed to him to follow them. They were magnificently dressed and had elaborately bejeweled headgear, necklaces, wrist-lets, and ornaments for the hands and feet. They moved on until they reached the banks of the Yamuna, where thousands of gopas (cowherd boys) and gopis (cowherd girls) were gathered to welcome them. There was music and dance in the bright moonlight. Heavenly joy shone on every face. At 4 a.m. they returned to the temple, and before they passed through the closed door they gave into his hands the kankanas (bracelets) they wore on their wrists, for safe keeping! Before he could say anything, they had gone. Implicit faith in God gives unlimited bliss A party of priests came along at that time and seeing him asked him why he was standing there and what he had in his hands. They had come to open the locks of the outer and inner doors and inaugurate the ceremonials of the day with Suprabhatam (awakening hymn) and Nagarasankirtan (moving choir). The Sultan said, “Govinda Maharaj and Radha Rani have just gone in; I was with them at the Yamuna bank from midnight till a few minutes ago. They gave me these kankanas for safekeeping. I don’t know why.” They surmised he was a thief caught in the act and therefore, spinning a yarn; they bound him and beat him. But they found the locks unbroken; everything was intact. Only the idol of Krishna had no gold kankanas! They were convinced that the man outside was a great bhakta (devotee), who had the unique vision of the lord. They honored him and craved his pardon for the wrong perpetrated in ignorance. Such is the reward for sincere yearning; unlimited ananda (bliss) can be earned through implicit faith in God.

An Emperor’s Taste   Bhagavan Baba, in the following short story, shows us the importance of controlling the vagaries of the mind. The Emperor of Delhi, the famous Akbar, was melancholy and depressed. His Empire was prosperous and safe from enemies, both internal and external. The cause of his sadness lay elsewhere. It was the food he ate every day. Of course he had himself shown the preference; the cooks and Birbal, the Superintendent of the imperial kitchen, were not to blame. Nevertheless, he had developed a disgust for meat, for, it was meat, meat, meat—morning, noon, evening, and night. So he called Birbal into his presence, and commanded that the menu be changed soon. The command was obeyed. Birbal racked his brains for a long while and decided on brinjals [eggplant] for a change. He procured baskets of brinjals, fresh and fine. He had chutney salad, soup, cutlets, and sweet, savory, and bitter dishes all prepared from brinjal. Akbar relished every item and praised Birbal to the skies. It was brinjal breakfast, brinjal lunch, brinjal dinner. Thus it went on merrily for a few days—but, for a few days only! Akbar grew disgusted with brinjals, too. He poured all his wrath on Birbal and Birbal had to switch over to something else. For likes and dislikes are but fancies of the moment; the mind wavers, flits from one thing to another. One has to realize this and be steady, adhering to the good and avoiding the injurious. Establish mastery over the mind or the mind will ride you into ruin. The mind is a bundle of desires. Give up desire; the mind disappears. ~Baba

Inner Peace Man’s life affords a holy opportunity, a supremely sublime chance.It is also a great good fortune to be able to receive an education that can help one to realize one’s destiny. Education that does not confer wisdom, wisdom without humility, scholarship without tolerance, music without virtue—are all husks without grain! Discriminative intelligence has to be gained from education; it must be accompanied by humility and tolerance. Tolerance must spread sweetness all around. Sweetness emanates from virtue. Love is the core of every virtue, of every good, of every phenomenon in nature. Love must be sought in and shared with every being and thing. Love is the essence of worship. Love toward God becomes compassion to living beings. All religions prescribe duties that promote purity of the consciousness at all levels. The goal to which every sadhana leads is the mansion of shanti (equanimity undisturbed). Embodiments of love! Let me tell you that inner peace is very hard to acquire and develop. Be unaffected, whatever anyone says, however much anyone harms you, however many obstacles anyone places on your path. Of course, the experience is bound to be bitter at first. But it will turn into nectarine joy in the end. Your forbearance might be construed as cowardice or dullness or weakness. Do not pay heed to these conclusions. For if you react with anger or hatred, vice or vengeance, you are certain to ruin your lives. Shanti is the one indispensable treasure to be gained by spiritual effort. Thyagaraja [poet philosopher] sang, ‘Without shanti, there can be no happiness, either for the skilled or for the scholar.’ Scholars are today stuffing their brains with pride, envy, competition, and other such poisonous attitudes. They do not treasure love and peace. They are acclaimed scholars when they pass certain memory tests, otherwise called question papers handed out at examinations. They do not pass any test dealing with mental qualities that make living happy and peaceful. The inner peace that emanates from a pure consciousness is won by meaningful moral activity; that is the activity to which one has to dedicate all one’s powers and skills. Every activity must be directed toward this end, not in the vain pursuit of sensual pleasures and hollow desires. When the mind revels in such demeaning thoughts and distractions, man degrades himself to the level of demons inspite of having the external appearance of a human being. A stinking pool will not cause as much damage to the neighborhood as a stinking mind can cause to the community. Education is the process by which the mind is purified and made socially beneficent. Nara is the Sanskrit word for a human being. [The syllable]‘ra’ means ‘destruction’ and ‘na’ that qualifies the word ra means, ‘no’. That is to say, nara is the being that ‘does not destroy’ and ‘is not destroyed.’ Nara is the indestructible atma [soul] and so his innate nature revolts against any idea of destruction. When such a nara desires and designs for destruction, how can he be anything other than a demon? The sovereign consciousness enshrined in the destructible sheath (the body) has to be recognized as the spring of one’s life; that is the reason why I have been telling you to ‘Follow the Master, face the devil, fight to the end, and finish the game.’ The degrees that you gather in universities cannot ennoble your life; the education you have received has to be manifested in your activities and in your dealings with others. Then only can you be at peace with yourselves and with society.

Vamsi Kunj There was an occasion when Krishna laid His flute aside and declared that He would not play on it again. It is a long story, not found in books. I alone must tell you about it, for only the Person who has experienced it can describe it. A bride named Neeraja came to Gokulam as the daughter-in-law of a Gopa family. Her husband and parents-in-law warned her against Krishna and His pranks and threatened her, on pain of dire punishment, to keep away from Him and to avoid Him by every possible means. It was Govardhana puja [prayer to Govardhana Mountain] day, celebrated every year, and all the gopas [cowherd] and gopis [cowherd maids] had to go beyond the village limits to circumambulate and worship the Govardhan Hill. Neeraja, too, went with the others, and in spite of the severest warning she peeped into a crowd of enthusiastic gopis watching the dance of Radha with Krishna in a flower bower near the hill. She was so captivated by the Divine presence that she was no longer the same person. Another day, while on the Yamuna [river] bank, she saw Krishna fashioning a flute from a reed taken out of Vamsi Kunj [garden] and she heard Him play! Oh, it was over-whelmingly ecstatic! It was a call to transcend the material bonds, to free oneself from the shackles of earthly endeavors. Neeraja did not care for anyone now. She became God-mad. In fact, she was the first to hold the reins of Akrura’s chariot when he was taking Krishna away from Gokulam to Mathura and to try to push the vehicle back! Well, she was driven out of her house by the mother-in-law for that. She was an outcast. The whole village rose up against her; she spent her days in the Vamsi Kunj, her whole mind fixed on the Lord whom she had installed there. Years passed; Nanda, Yasoda, and Radha all left the world. Neeraja was now 52 years old. One day she prayed desperately to Krishna, “I can no longer bear this forlorn life. My eyes have gone dry; they have no more tears to keep this love green. My heart, too, is fast turning into a wasteland. Come, O Lord, come and save me, take me unto Yourself.” Krishna heard the prayer. He responded to her yearning and called her by name so sweetly that the very voice filled her with new life. The Vamsi Kunj was fragrant with Divine glory. Krishna came near and took Neeraja’s palm in His Hand. “What do you desire?” asked He. She asked “What is the purpose of life?” Krishna replied, “To merge in God.” “Well, let me merge in You… but before that, before my prema [divine lovr] merges in Yours, let me hear You play on that flute for a short while.” Krishna smiled and gave the excuse that He had not brought His flute. But seeing Neeraja’s yearning, He plucked a reed from the Vamsi Kunj, broke it right and in a trice converted it into a flute. With Neeraja on His lap, Krishna played so melodiously on the flute that the entire Gokula, and indeed even the whole world, was bathed in ecstatic joy. When He stopped, Neeraja had attained final beatitude and was no longer a limited individual gopi separate from Him. Krishna laid aside His flute and said He would not play on it again. This is the story of one gopi; the story of every gopi would be interesting, each in its own way, for they were all so transmuted by the bhakti they bore toward the Lord. The gopis were declared by [sage] Narada in the bhakti sutras [aphorisms on devotion] to be the greatest among the bhaktas [devotees].

Madhusudana The objective world, subject to the effects of time and conditioned by space, is but a projection of the Divine mind. If God is offered material gifts, He receives only things composed by His own mental projection. What must be offered to God is something genuinely yours, feelings without form, unadulterated unmixed emotions, like love. Pray to Krishna with open palms that grasp nothing material. Be in His hands the hollow flute. Have no restriction or constriction obstructing the melody of His breath that is animating you. Madhusudana is one of the names of Krishna. Pundits define the name to mean, ‘He who killed the demon, Madhu.’ But the name has a deeper significance. Madhu means honey, sweetness. And which is the sweetest and most desired object for everyone? Himself, the ego, isn’t it? Krishna destroys egoism. He is the sudana [destroyer] of madhu, the conceit in oneself. Unless that is killed, He will not be your charioteer, and you will not be blessed by your Bhagavad Gita.

God-Man, Man-God Sage Valmiki asked Sage Narada, “At the present time, is there a man who is full of virtues, possessed of heroic prowess, who knows the principles of righteousness, who is aware of the service rendered to Him and is grateful for the same, who is truthful in speech, who adheres to His resolutions without being agitated, who is established in moral conduct, who is friendly to all beings, who is full of knowledge, who is capable of undertaking any task, whose form is pleasing to all who see Him, who has subdued His senses and is conscious of  His atmic [divine] reality, who has conquered anger, who is endowed with  spiritual splendor, who is free from envy and fault finding, and who causes even the gods to dread His fury when he is provoked into battle?” The question apparently is about a man, a nara, but all the traits are found only in God! Narada responds in the same language. He says, “I shall tell you of a man (nara) who has all these qualities.  He is born in the Ikshvaku line [dynasty] as the son of Dasaratha [Rama’s father], as the promoter of the joy of Kausalya [Rama’s mother].”  He then gives Valmiki a short resume of the story of Rama. Thus, Rama is introduced as a nara, and seldom in the Ramayana is he explicitly spoken of as God.  Rama himself declares, “Aatmaanam maanusham manye, Ramam Dasarathaathmajam”—“Know that I am a man, Rama the son of Dasaratha.” This play-acting by God as man, of Narayana as nara, is based on the very need that brought about the advent of Rama. Brahma, who led the gods to the seat of Vishnu, prayed that He should incarnate himself as man, because Ravana, the rakshasa [demon] leader who by His ascetic achievements and spiritual loot had kept the Sun and Moon in bondage, the five elements in dread of His displeasure, and all morality at bay, could be killed only by a man! Thena Gandharva yakshaanaamDevathaanaam cha rakshasaamAvadhyo/smeethi vaagukthaaThathethyuktham cha thanmayaa. He prayed, “Let me prove incapable of being killed by the Gandharvas [demi gods], the Yakshas [benevolent nature spirits who are the custodians of treasures that are hidden in the earth], the devatas or the gods, and the rakshasas.” I uttered the words, “So be it.” Ravana had become so proud and overbearing that he cast off all respect for virtue and spiritual attainments.  However, there was one method and one only of destroying him. For, Naa keerthayad avajnaanaathThad raksho maanushaamsthadaaThasmaad Sa MaanushaadvadhyoMrythurnaanyo/sya vidyathe He did not mention human being in that list, because he was full of contempt for them.  Therefore, Ravana was capable of only being killed by a man.  Otherwise, there was no death for him! Therefore, Vishnu agreed to be born as man, and Rama played the role very consistently, declaring, “Aathmaanam maanusham manye.”  In spite of this, however, the Divinity of Rama is apparent at every step to any one who watches for deeper meanings and significances. The Ahalya episode is one example: The curse that was pronounced by Gauthama [a sage] on his [seemingly] unfaithful spouse, Ahalya, was: Iha varsha sahasraaniBahooni thwam nivasishyasi;Vaathabhakshaa niraahaaraaThapyanthee bhasmasayineeAdrayaa sarvabhoothanamAasramesmin vasisshyasi “You will reside here for many thousands of years, without food, living on air alone, lying on ashes, full of remorse, unperceived by all created beings.” ‘Nirahara’ means, as used in the Bhagavadgita, “without any of the senses being fed with what they crave for,” and the Gita says that those who follow that discipline will be rid of even the least trace of desire only when “they see Paramatma [Super soul]—Paramdrshtwaa.” (II-59) So, whom must Ahalya see for her nirahara discipline to bear fruit? Let Gauthama who dictated the discipline, give the answer: Yadaa chethadwanam ghoramRamo dasarathaathmajamAagamishyathi durdharshahThada poothaa bhavishyasi “When Rama, the son of Dasaratha comes into this dread forest, you will be rendered pure.” So, Rama is the param [eternal]. That is selfevident. But what did Rama do when Ahalya was freed from the curse and became visible? Since she is a holy rishipatni [wife of a sage], he “bowed to her feet in great joy,” and she in turn, remembering Gauthama’s words, offered padyam [food], argyam [water], and more according to the tradition of hospitality. Thus the playacting is continued throughout the entire Ramayana, God as man, man as God.

The Nishkama Karma Method The most direct method of achieving spiritual success is nishkama karma, action without any attention or attachment to the fruit there from—action as duty, action as dedication, action as worship. But, action and the fruit thereof are not two separate entities; the fruit is the action itself, in its final stage, the climax, and the conclusion. The flower is the fruit; the fruit is the flower; one is the beginning, the other is the legitimate end. The flower becomes the fruit. The action becomes the consequences. One’s duty is to act; act well, act in fear of God; act within the bounds of morality, act in love, continue acting, the consequences will naturally follow as the fruit follows the flower. One need not worry or exult. Act enthusiastically, with faith—success is yours. ~Baba