His Life
Divine Words of wisdom by Sathya Sai Baba - On HIS Life
1. Swami always look for your feelings; Different examples from Mythology
Description
More than the Vedas, it is very essential to understand the teachings of Vedanta. The path of love is much easier than the practice of soft repetition of the Name (japa), meditation, yoga, etc. God is not interested in knowing how many bags of rice and how many saris you distributed to the poor. You may send this list of items to the income tax department. What I am interested in is only your feelings. Even if you perform a small act of charity, I see your feelings behind it. I am not interested in the number of saris and bags of rice that you distribute. Swami values only quality. Rukmini could earn the grace of Krishna by offering only a leaf of tulasi. Kuchela could earn the grace and love of Krishna by offering Him a fistful of beaten rice. What did Draupadi do when she had to feed Sage Durvasa and his one thousand disciples when she had nothing with her? She offered a grain of rice left in the cooking pot to Krishna and prayed to Him, “You are our only refuge.” When Krishna put that grain of rice in His mouth, immediately the hunger of Durvasa and his disciples was satiated. In the times of every Avatar, there are such instances of devotees earning the infinite grace of the Lord by making small offerings with devotion and love. Therefore, get rid of the impurity of your mind. Destroy your ego. Learn to make offerings of love. Only then will you have the good fortune of experiencing Bliss (Ananda).
2.Don't try to understand Me, experience Me
Description
Seeing My physical form, you may be deluded into thinking that I am also a human being like you. You may love Me but may not attach due importance to My words because of this delusion. But I am neither the body nor the mind nor the intellect (buddhi) nor the subconscious mind (chitta). I am none of these. I have assumed this body only for your sake. This can be illustrated by a small example. There is water in this tumbler. A tumbler is required in order to hold water. There is a lamp, oil, and a wick. But can the lamp light itself? Shouldn’t there be someone to light the lamp? There are flowers, a needle, and thread. But can a garland be made on its own? Shouldn’t there be someone to stitch the garland (Telugu Poem) There is knowledge and there is intelligence, but can you experience the knowledge unless there is a guru to impart the knowledge? Similarly, this body has come to demonstrate what is truth, what is unreal (mithya), and what is Brahman. Realise your oneness with Swami Embodiments of Love! Don’t think I am speaking out of ego. I am only revealing the truth about Myself. You have not understood even a fraction of My Reality. None can describe My nature as this or that. I am a man among men, a woman among women, a child among children, and when I am alone, I am Brahman. This is My Reality (loud applause). I conduct Myself according to the group of people around Me. When I am among elders, I have to behave like an elder. When among children, I have to act like a child. If an old man plays with toys, children will laugh at him. If a child uses a walking stick like an old man, elders will be amused. It is natural for an old man use a walking stick and for a child to play with toys. Similarly, when I am with children, I make them happy by giving them this and that. But when someone comes to Me with a desire for spiritual knowledge, I teach the same to him. When a householder comes to Me, I teach him the dharma of a householder. Similarly, I teach everyone what they require. Why do I do all this? It is only to make you realise the ultimate reality of your oneness with Swami. You have attained this opportunity out of your great good fortune. No other Avatar has provided this type of opportunity to human beings (loud applause). Having attained this golden opportunity, if you conduct yourself in accordance with My teachings, your life will be certainly sanctified and redeemed. You will see the rise of My glory with the passage of time when even the blind people and ignoramuses will say, “Swami is God.”.
3. Mere listening to discourses take you nowhere
Description
In-spite of listening to several discourses, despite spending long spells of time in participating spiritual workshops, and even after listening to divine discourses for over 30, 40, or even 50 years, mindset remains the same! With miscellaneous content collated from newspapers, magazines and some books, people are filling their brain space but not attempting at filling their hearts with love. They are merely listening but not putting efforts to taste the bliss in it. You have been living in the ashram premises for several years. If you introspect within yourself, you will realize that there has been no change whatsoever that has taken place in your mindset! What is the reason? If you take a rounded pebble (gundu) and put it in water, you will notice that not a tiny drop of water makes its way into the pebble because it is impervious. Same is the case here. In a hard-stone hearted person, how can sacred love soak into his heart!
4. Divine alone has will power
Description
In order to experience divine feelings one must recognise the nature of the intellect. Intellect has everything. Divine will is the self will. God alone has the will power. Many people say that they act according to their self will. Where from does the self will arise? Who is self? God is the self. Hence, self will is the power of the divine and is present in everyone. But people do not believe in it as the divine power. They believe it to be their power which amounts to ignorance and foolishness. There is divine power in all the powers. Therefore if one wants to know the divine power one must have the interest and stability. These two are most necessary. One should have intense love and affection for God. How should the love for God be? It must not shift with the flow of the wind nor oscillate like the pendulum; it should be steady. When one has the steady faith and love for God, one becomes the recipient of God’s grace.