Spirituality
Divine Words of wisdom by Sathya Sai Baba - On Spirituality
1. Truth, brahman doesn't die at any given point of time: With Analogies
Description
Some millions of years ago, the Sun blew up due to excess of Helium gas in it. The Sun blew up into small pieces. The stars are the pieces that blew away from the Sun. Not only the stars but the Milky Way also has its beginnings from the pieces of the sun. Then when can the birth and death be decided? When there is a form then there is birth and death. But there exists an entity that lives even after the form perishes and that is the ‘truth’. A small example to illustrate this: ‘Aavu’- cow, is the name given to a cow. The name cow remains even after the cow dies. Similarly, the word ‘human’ remains even after the human dies. So also when Atma adorns a body it remains even after the death of the body. Mr. Jhumsai also said that one should be in search of truth. But one need not search for truth. How can one search for the truth that is all pervading? If there is a place where truth is not present then one can search for it elsewhere. The word of ‘truth’ spoken might die but the truth remains eternal. Likewise the nature of Brahman is changeless. The principle of Brahman is everlasting. It exists in the form of sound, light, movement, awareness, conscience and consciousness. How can one decide the exact form of Brahman? All forms are present in this truth. Vedanta has been propounding this aspect.
2. Spirituality must begin at a tender age: Analogy
Description
Some parents criticise when their children start to engage themselves in bhajans or devotion or in meditation. They tell them, “O madcap! Why do you need devotion, bhajans or meditation in this tender age? First you study well, procure a good job, earn money and after retirement then you can sit with the rosary.” Pada padamanchu kinkaralu paasamu laagedi vela Bandhuvul dabadaba bayata pettudika laabhamu ledani cheppu vela, Aalubiddalun labalaba yedchu vela Tarama hari naamu notanu palka?! When the hoop of death is thrown by the soldiers of death God, When the relatives say it’s hopeless, put the body outside, When wife and children start crying, Is it possible to chant the name of the Lord? After retirement when all the senses and limbs become weak how can a person engage in japa or bhajans? People eat fresh and healthy fruits, not the rotten ones. Having wasted the prime of life what spiritual practises can a person do in the ripe old age? In order to win the war and attain success, the soldiers must be recruited while young. Only after passing the recruitment phase, can the soldier enter the war and gain success. Hence, right from the young age one needs training. The chanting that is done all through life alone will be of succour at the time of death. If one does not inculcate devotion when young how can one get in later life? It is a big mistake to think that one can develop devotion later on in life. It must start right away. A tree will be straight only when it is straight as a plant. If the plant is slanting the tree too would become lopsided. This tender age is very sacred to fill one’s heart with love for the divine. One must fill one’s heart with the spirit of sacrifice and enter into service. Whatever work one does, it must be done as God’s work. Na tapaamsi, na teerthaanam, naa shastranam, japa nahi, Samsaara saagarottare, sajjanam sevanam vina!! Neither penance, nor pilgrimage nor scholarship nor chanting Will take one across the ocean of world! It is the service done to the fellowmen That takes one across the ocean of world!! No penance, no reading the sacred texts nor doing yoga, one must participate in the service. Whoever one may serve one must consider it as rendered to God. God dwells in all. ‘Ekatma sarva bhootantaraatma’ it is one atma that pervades all. If one does not fill one’s heart with pure and sacred feelings today, it is a big mistake to think that it can be done later.
3. True spirituality is seeing oneness in everything
Description
Sathya Sai Organisations must not only teach spirituality but efforts must be made to change every activity into a spiritual pursuit. True spirituality is to develop the unity in humanity, unity in divinity. How can one achieve unity in divinity? This unity can be got through the purity of mind. Without a pure heart one cannot achieve unity.
4. Outer appearance and Inner conscience
Description
By merely putting on robes, one doesn’t become a Sanyasi! If robes are to be taken as identity proof for a Sanyasi, then Ravana also wore such robes and kidnapped Sita. Arjuna also wore such robes to walk away from the war and reached Pramila in disguise. Sanyasa is not to be equated with the body and robes. It must be manifested with character and virtues. Because of the prevalence of such dualities, we are getting bewildered!
5. Man can put an end to the cycle of birth and death: With Beautiful Analogies
Description
“Apart from the will of the Lord, there is man’s effort also, to some extent, in the process of creation, sustenance and annihilation of creation. Man reaches his destination based on his deeds and on his thoughts. That is the reason man, who is born of “Madhava”, the Lord is forgetting the Lord. Man is becoming a demon and behaving like an animal wasting the sacred life given to him. Son, there is none without death and birth. But living beings have the capacity to put an end to rebirth after death. The end is in man’s hands. A small seed of green gram when sown in soil transforms into a sapling which gives many pods. But none can point out the origin of the green gram seed nor trace its predecessors. No one knows for how long this seed has been taking rebirth. Hence nobody can pin point the origin. But the end of the seed is one’s hands for when the seed is put in the mouth and chewed; it is the end of the seed. Therefore the beginning is not in one’s hands but the end is. Nobody can definitely tell about the birth and beginning of man. But the end is based upon one’s Sadhana. When travelling towards North with love for Brahman, knowledge of Brahman and with divine love one can attain divinity. Students!! A paddy seed has husk on it. As long as there is husk on the seed, it has the cycle of birth and death. But once the husk is removed it becomes rice. The rice, even though it is put in soil, does not germinate; it does not have the cycle of birth. Paddy has birth but rice within does not have birth. What is the difference between rice and paddy? Paddy is with husk and rice is paddy without husk. With desires man falls prey to the cycle of birth and death, “Punarapi jananam”. Without desires man is liberated from the cycle of birth and death, “Punarjanma na vidyathe”. Hence man is travelling on the basis of matter. His whole life is filled with matter. This is referred to as “Rayee”, which is the splendour of the Moon. ‘Moon’ here does not mean the shining physical entity but “Chandrama manaso jayathaha, chakso suryo ajayethe.” one’s mind, which is likened to moon. One cannot escape the cycle of birth and death as long as there are thoughts and counter thoughts arising in the mind. When these thoughts are replaced by those of Brahman and silence the mind, then there is no more rebirths. Hence O Bhargava, you are thinking that the birth and death unavoidable and have been existing from eternity. No it is not true. There exists a state that is beyond birth and death and that is attainable.” And so answered Sage Pippilada to the question posed by Sage Bhargava.
6. Man should get rid of selfishness and self interest to grow in spirituality
Description
One must not only sanctify one’s life by remembering God but also develop morally, ethically and spiritually. Today the world has progressed in the fields of science and technology. But morally the human kind is on the decline. What is the reason for this? Selfishness and self interests are the reason for the downfall. Man does things keeping his self interest in view. And he has selfishness as motive behind his every thought. Man is like a puppet in the hands of selfishness. Therefore one must give up the selfishness and self interest and develop social awareness and societal feelings. Man is unable to take even a step without selfish motives. Hence man today is bound by the shackles of selfishness. The day man gives up the selfishness to spirituality, that would be the day of realising the reality. One must cleanse one’s heart by developing sacred thoughts and by controlling the wavering nature. One can achieve success, even in small tasks, in the path of spirituality when one’s heart is pure, unsullied, selfless and steady.
7. Silence improves the spiritual power: Talk less
Description
That is the reason why the sages of ancient times took to silence and were able to realise the divinity through silence. Being silent increases the spiritual power. Excessive talking leads to nervousness in man. Due to the nervousness one loses the discrimination of what to speak and what not to speak. The less one talks the more one serves.
