Sathya Sai World Youth Conference 1997
Sathya Sai World Youth Conference
Divine Discourse July 16th 1997 -
Role of Sai Youth in World Crisis
Wealth once lost, can be regained;
A lost friend can be replaced;
A lost wife can be replaced;
A lost land can be recovered.
But the time that has gone cannot be recovered.
Embodiments of Love! Young men and women! Future citizens of the world!
When one's wealth is lost, it can be acquired again. If one friend is lost, another can be got. If the wife passes one can marry again. If land is lost, it can be acquired again. But if time is lost it cannot be got back.
In this vast cosmos and among the myriad species, man is the highest and noblest being. He is sublime. He is full of good traits. If a man loses these attributes of humanness, they cannot be easily regained.
Young men and women! The prosperity and well-being of the world depend on the conduct of the youth. Only when their conduct is good, the world can have an ideal future.
The night that has passed cannot be recalled by any means. The waters of the Yamuna, once they have merged in the ocean, cannot be turned back. A fruit that has been eaten and digested cannot be recovered. Man is spending his days aimlessly without any awareness of what is in store for him in the future. He is not aware of the continuous erosion of his life span by the passage of time.
Life is like a mega-clock. Its three hands indicate the rate at which the days, months and the year are passing. Man rejoices in the movement of clock's hands but does not realize every movement is a reminder of his diminishing life span. Hence, before the final hour strikes, every man should realize what his duties are and see that the remaining time is well spent.
What is the root cause of man's birth in the world? What are the duties of man? No one seeks to recognize the inherent divinity in man. Young men and women today waste a good deal of their time, without realizing the preciousness of human life.
There are two qualities in man; one is the animal nature; the other is humanness. Unfortunately man is forfeiting his humanness by falling a prey to the six enemies - lust, anger, greed, envy and others and misusing his God-given talents. He thereby-degrades himself to the level of the animal. On the other hand, man should use his mind, status, and talents to become virtuous, pursue the path of righteousness and strive to raise himself from the human to the Divine. All things in the world should be used properly, and not misused. A knife can be used for cutting vegetables or another's throat. How a knife is used depends on the man using it. His mental state should be in proper condition. A man's conduct is related to his thoughts and feelings. The heart is inherently pure. But one's thoughts can pollute it or keep it pure. One can make or mar his destiny by his thoughts and actions.
Today, everywhere, the world is haunted by suffering, unrest, disorder and agitations. Any country filled with noble beings is bound to be peaceful and happy. What is the reason for the sad plight of a country? It is the absence of men and women of high character. To protect a country it is not so important to have arms and missiles and atom bombs. It is most essential to have men and women of great virtue.
The worlds prosperity or otherwise is based upon the character of the youth-men and women. Hence, young men and women should be pure hearted and render selfless service to the country. They should keep the company of the good and Godly.
Losing the fear of sin (paapabheethi) and not cultivating the love of God (Daiva prithi), men today have lost the essential quality of humanness. This has resulted in the loss of peace in the world.
Every one should realize what one owes to the society in which one is born and from which one derives so many benefits. Young people should reflect on the question what gratitude they can show to the society, which has given them so much. What service are you doing to society?
Every man should show his sense of gratitude to society by rendering selfless service. It was for this purpose that the Seva Organization was started. But even here the Seva Organizations are being used to promote one's name and fame and not to render service for its own sake.
The body is given for rendering service to society. Today wherever you turn, in the administration, in the business world, in politics or other fields, you see no spirit of sacrifice. In every field the atmosphere is saturated with pollution. This foulness has to be removed. Today the pollution affects people in authority, the parents, the educationists and intellectuals. Those who preen themselves on their scholarship have no humility that should characterize genuine scholarship.
People should consider the whole world as the mansion of one human family. When this spirit of oneness prevails, there will be no tendency to harm others. You should forgive even those who harm you. The youth should cultivate the quality of forbearance.
Forbearance is a supreme virtue in man.
Embodiments of Love!
Man should be free from fear. Animals inspire and birds are subject to fear. But man should neither, cause fear in others nor be afraid of himself. Today's young men and women should develop fearlessness as a principal quality. You should be afraid of only one thing: fear of sin. God is the only being to be loved. All other forms of love are transient and selfish. Love of God is selfless and everlasting.
God seeks nothing from you. He is utterly selfless. Today if you wish to earn the esteem of society you have to secure the love of God (Daivapriti). For this you have to entertain fear of sin. What is sin? It covers all those activities, which are motivated by selfishness born out of regarding the body and sensual pleasures as the primary things in life. Merit (punya) arises from all actions which take one nearer to God (para+upa+kaara = Paropakaara). Sin has been defined as 'Parapeedanam' (causing harm to or forgetting the Divine). To remember the divinity in everyone is the means to acquire merit.
Young people today have lost the feeling of forbearance and as a result have become a prey to many bad qualities like anger and envy. They should remember that today most young people are afflicted, in varying degrees, with the disease of egoistic pride ('Ahamkaara'). And this is the cause of all sickness in the world. This egoism has no real basis because the individual is an insignificant speck in the vast cosmos. It is born of ignorance. This ignorance will go if man realizes that the whole universe is permeated by the Divine and belongs to the Divine. Everyone should do what is good and never forget God. That is the way to overcome egoism.
It is the privilege and duty of the young men and women to promote the welfare, progress and peace of the world. Transform all your actions into sacred duties. Experience the love of the Divine. That is the meaning of Swami's declaration: 'My life is my message'. Adhere to the ideals set before you by Swami.
Today people tend to forget ideals (Aaasayaalu) and foster desires (aasalu). Selfishness prevails over patriotism. This should change. Never forget your motherland. Remember that our ancients enthroned sacrifice as the supreme virtue. They stood for justice and truth. And as a result they enjoyed peace.
Today humanity is haunted by fear because there is no spirit of sacrifice, righteousness is at a discount and truth has become rare. Young people should enthrone sacrifice (thyaaga) in their hearts, wear the crown of justice on their heads and carry the Sword of Truth in their hands. These are the weapons needed to defend the nation.
Young people should consider the true purpose of life. They should get rid of all the impurities in their hearts. With pure hearts they should embark on service at all times and everywhere. 'Hands in society, head in the forest'. From today develop an unwavering mind and a steady vision. That is the way to divinise the world.
People should realize the distinction between 'greatness' and 'goodness'. Most parents want their children to acquire greatness: But they have no true idea of what is greatness. They may desire that their children should become great scholars, get big jobs and acquire large wealth. Do these constitute greatness? No. Man is the one who sees the human in God. But the one who sees God in man is a good (manchi) man. The mark of goodness is to see the divinity in every man.
There is no use in acquiring greatness without goodness. You must seek goodness and not greatness.
Today there are many 'great' men in this country. What is the benefit the country has derived from them? Ravana was a great scholar. Rama was equally great as a scholar. But he was much more than that. He was a good man. Ravana performed rigorous penance and mastered a vast deal of knowledge. The result was ignorance arising from indigestion. Unable to control his desires, he brought ruin on his clan and his kingdom. All his studies did not save him from his evil qualities, which brought about his ruin. The only desire all should cherish is to win the grace of God (Daiva prithi).
Rama was devoted to truth and righteousness. Hence he became a good man and not a mere great man. After thousands of years, the very name Rama evokes veneration. Rama manifested divinity in the human. That is the sign of goodness. To see humanness in Rama is nothing special. Being human yourself you see the human traits in others. What you must see is the divine in human beings.
You must realize that greatness related to power, position or wealth is transient. It is lost when power and position go. But goodness is respected always. Therefore dedicate your lives to goodness. What is goodness? It is living according to Dharma (the code of right conduct) and justice, to love all and cherish faith in God. To help the needy and raise the lowly - all these constitute goodness.
Young men and women! Today at the inaugural function only the broad pattern of the tasks before you, has been presented. In the ensuing days the details of the duties you have come to discharge, the programme of activities you have to take up will be considered. What is basic to all these in the spiritual path, is the chanting of the name of the Lord. By this means you can experience God. You must chant the name with love.
Swami concluded His discourse with the bhajan 'Prema Muditha Manase Kaho Rama, Rama, Ram'.
Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Divine Discourse delivered during the 1st World Youth Conference - 16th July 1997.
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Divine Discourse July 17th 1997 -
Love God, Fear Sin, Guard Human Values
If free from arrogance, you are loved
If free from anger, you are free of sorrow
If free from desires, you gain wealth
If free from greed, you become happy
(Sanskrit Verse)
Embodiments of Love
So long as a man is puffed up with pride, none, not even his wife and children will love him. One should shed his ego and arrogance, if he wants to be loved by others. One has to suffer grief and misery as long as he is prone to anger. It is only when he gives up anger he can be happy. So long as one goes on multiplying his desires, he will continue to be in want. When he controls his desires, man attains prosperity. Greed makes a man unhappy and miserable. Only when greed and miserliness are given up one can have an enjoyable and peaceful life.
The whole world and the objects therein are inter-related by the bond of love. It is love that binds the human race together. The world cannot exist without love. God is love and resides in the heart of every one as embodiment of love. Based on this Truth we pray, that all the people in the world should be happy. (Lokaas-Samasthaas Sukhino Bhavanthu).
In ancient times, the sages and saints sacrificed everything for the sake of the welfare of humanity. Even the youth of those times followed suit. They are remembered even today because of their spirit of selfless sacrifice. On the contrary, the youth of today are becoming exceedingly greedy and totally selfish and harboring feelings of hatred and jealousy, while those in the ancient times were leading a life of Thyaaga and Yoga (sacrifice and sense control). The present day youth want to lead a life of Bhoga (enjoying worldly and carnal pleasures) which results in Roga (disease).
On the journey of earthly life, people take some wealth for expenses and when they finish the journey and reach the goal, they hand over the balance to some trustworthy friend and sleep soundly. Everyone brings the wealth of love from the moment of his birth. In this Karmakshethra (field of activity) that is the world, it is difficult to safeguard the treasure of love (Prema). Therefore, everyone should look for a faithful friend. Today, the only true friend is God. When you hand over the wealth of love to God, it will be easy for you to carry on a life of security and peace.
There is no greater teacher than your heart. Time is a great preacher. The world is scriptural text. God is the great friend. With full faith in these four entities, one should lead his life on this earth. Prema(Love) is the natural possession of every human being. It is the fruit of the tree of life. There are certain impediments in your enjoyment of the fruit. But, before tasting a fruit, you have to remove the skin and rind covering the pulp inside and also cast of the seed. The fruit of love is covered by the thick skin of ego. You have to peel off this skin of thine and mine. Then only you can taste the sweet juice. That is why the Vedas describe God as the 'Essence or Juice' (Raso vai Sah).
By pure love, you should establish unity with the Divine. The path of Prema (Love) is the straightforward road to realize the Divine. The human life is a journey from 'I' to 'We'. It is also progressing from 'Svam' to 'Soham' (from individual self to the state of merger with the divine)
This means that every one of your actions must be done as an offering to God. But, nowadays people start their journey from 'I' and come back to the same 'I'. This is selfishness. The day you give up selfishness you are on the right path. You experience love in three ways: Svaartha Prema (Self oriented love), Paraartha Prema (love towards all fellow beings) and Anyonya Prema (mutual give and take type of love).
'I should be happy. I should enjoy all pleasures and be comfortable. I do not care for others'. This is the attitude of Svaartha Prema (selfish love). Anyonya Prema represents the feeling that not only himself but also his relatives and friends should be comfortable and enjoy a good life. But, Paraartha Prema represents the feeling that all should be happy in the entire world. This is the highest type of Prema.
There are three examples to illustrate these three types of love. Svaartha or Selfish love is comparable to the bulb that illumines just one single small room. This cannot be called love at all. Anyonya Prema is like moonlight. Though it illumines all directions, it is very dim. It does not help one to have a clear perception. You may mistake a rope for a serpent and a stump of wood as human body in moonlight. Similarly, you may mistake a good man to be a wicked one and vice versa due to illusion. But Paraartha Prema is like Sunlight which is very bright and will not give room for any doubt. The confused person will be overpowered by delusion. He may believe the words of wicked persons, which may appear to be sweet. The words of wise people may appear to be unsavory but they communicate nectarine Truth. Divine love is like a downpour of rain, although sometimes interspersed with hard hailstones hurting you. But remember! They melt into the water of love for you. Similarly divinity sometimes may appear to be hurting you. But you should realize it contains nothing but love. God is love. Love is God. Live in Love. You should make an effort to lead such a life.
Some persons consider small defects in others as huge mistakes and criticize them while they ignore even great drawbacks in themselves. This is highly improper. The correct method is to magnify your own small mistakes and consider them as big mistakes and the big mistakes of others as small ones of no consequence. That is how you can control the commission of errors. With this attitude, you will be able to realize the Divine. The love of humans is earthly and selfish while Divine Love is spiritual and selfless. It is pure love. The ancients described the Divine as eternal, immortal, pure and unsullied. In order to experience Love of God, you should give up petty minded selfishness and expand your love.
[Bhagavan cited as an example how the love of a newly married man to his spouse decreases as days go by]. In the beginning he shows considerable concern when they are walking on the road and come across a thorn. The man shows a lot of concern and pulls the wife aside. In the same situation, a few months later, he retorts 'Are you blind? Can you not see the thorn?' - Thus the worldly love will become diluted while Divine Love will be constant and steady.
People cannot understand the greatness of Divine Love. They misconstrue this love and even blame God when they do not get their low desires fulfilled. Some want liberation. What is liberation? It is liberation from desires. They want to see God. Should you not have the requisite faith and feeling in your heart for this?
Even when you live close to God you cannot see God unless you have the faith and devotion, just like a frog in the pond which is ignorant of the honey in the Lotus, though nearer to it. While honey bees from far off places know the existence of honey in the flower and come and taste it, people from distant lands come and experience the sweetness of God's Love, while those nearer are not able to do so.
The proximity to the Divine can elevate human to the level of the divine. But many fail to realize this and waste their lives. Love is in everyone, but, because it is turned to selfish ends, it becomes attachment. You should aspire to experience Daiva Prema, Divine Love.
In the modern world, youth should know the nature of true love. Many from abroad mix with persons of the opposite sex, calling them boy friend and girlfriend. If you really love each other you must get married and not continue living as friends.
[Swami related an episode, which happened a few years back]: A foreign youth was sitting under a tree with a crest fallen face. He was just in his late teens, and when questioned by Swami, he said that his second wife had deserted him and he was anxiously thinking of his child she bore. If at this age he had worries, imagine what would happen when he became older? Some young people even before they are twenty years of age get married, divorced and remarry again and get separated from wife and child too and later feel sorry for themselves. They do not realize the value of human life, which is both rare and sacred.
According to the Upanishads, human life ;is sacred and rare. The human being is noble and powerful. He is called Manava, that is, not new at all but eternal. It is the body that changes often, not the Atma (the Inner Being or Self).
Young men and women, You may be getting a lot of thoughts because of your food and other habits. You should discriminate whether they are good or bad. You should not be carried away by bookish and superficial knowledge. You should have practical knowledge to make your life useful: Achieve coordination between your education and behavior. Perfect harmony in thought, word and deed is the hallmark of a human being. You should have full faith in God with no doubt at all. Divinity is beyond your human comprehension with the physical equipment you have. Your thoughts are only reflections, resound and reaction of the outer world. God has no such reactions. He has only one Sound, that is Truth Absolute.
You should follow the twin ideals 'Speak the Truth and do righteous deeds'. God is the changeless Truth but no one understands this. You can do so only when you follow the righteous path of morality and integrity.
Man has become a slave to money. He may forget God but will never forget money. You provide yourself with an air conditioner, a good bed, fans and other accessories with a view to having a comfortable sleep. But you do not get sleep. Why? You should have mental peace to sleep well. Your body, mind, chitha or will power , ahamkara or ego, being the inner instruments, must all be oriented towards peace as well as the external limbs and sense organs. This can be achieved only by developing divine love, which is selfless love and which always gives and never takes, while worldly love is keen on getting and then forgetting.
Divine love has no equal. It stands supreme. You pray to God for trivial worldly things. You should ask for something that you do not have. You are not having selfless love; hence you should only ask for love which the Divine has in plenty. God is the embodiment of bliss. Pray for love, peace and bliss. You should be able to distinguish between earthly happiness and Divine Bliss. Today, people pray for many trifles. God knows what is good for the devotee and gives it. He is a witness to all the thoughts, words and actions. Therefore, surrender whole-heartedly without any reservation whatsoever to God, and lead an ideal life. You are all embodiments of the Divine. So you should love all and never hurt anyone. If you harm anyone, you are harming the Divine.
St. John used to consider all as his brothers. But, on one occasion he punished one brother. Jesus appeared in his dream and questioned him 'Do you think you are hurting that man? No, you are hurting Me' You should understand this truth that any harm done to a fellow being is harming the Divine. You should cultivate the spirit of oneness.
Bhajan, meditation, etc. are only exercises for purifying the mind. 'Chithasya Suddhaye karmane' Develop love which is your life breath. When a tree is full of green leaves, branches and fruits, you are attracted by it. When it becomes dry, you destroy it because there is no life in it. A person without love is akin to a dead tree only.
Love is as vital for a human as fire is vital for a lump of coal to sparkle. You should get rid of weakness by concentrating on Divine Love, as Divine Grace confers the greatest strength. All other things may come and go but Divine Grace is ever flowing. Whatever you may or may not be able to do, develop Divine Love. God is the director and all humans are mere actors. Be good performers in God's play. To train you for this role only, this Youth Conference has been convened. In the midst of the world replete with fear, distrust and mutual recrimination, you have to prove yourself to be the messengers of the Divine and embodiments of love, peace and truth. Declare your reality as Divine to the world at large and make them realize the Divinity in every one.
Embodiments of Love,
You young men and women should know what is truth, what is love and what is God and what relationship is there between Mind and World. Youth go abroad in quest of money. You are not satisfied with what you can earn here and out of greed you go for earning more. You should have hands in society and head in the forest. This is real rest. Men spend their entire life with attachment to money to such an extent that even while on death bed they cannot think of God. In this conference, you have been told about fear of sin and morality in society. You have to carry these ideals with you and practice them.
You must radiate human values and ensure unity in thought, word, and deed. At present there is chaos and mutual animosity amongst various peoples. You have to spread the message of unity, purity, and divinity.
Vivekananda said: 'Give me ten men who are pure and perfect. I can change the whole world'. But I say 'I can bring about transformation even with one truly perfect human being'. You should have divine as the base number one. Any number of zeros placed alongside the figure of one will carry value; value increases manyfold with its additional zeros. But, without the number one, if you put zeros, they carry no value at all. The Divine is ONE. Sun, moon, earth etc. are all mere zeros. They get value only because of the primary number ONE, which represents the Divine. So God is the hero and the rest are all zeros!. Have full faith in God and surrender to God. Do service with a spirit of dedication as an offering to God. Spread the message of the glory of God in every village by chanting the name of God. Then the atmosphere and climate of the world will change for the better and become sacred.
Swami concluded the Discourse with the bhajan 'Bhajana Binaa Sukha Santhi Nahi'.
Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Divine Discourse delivered during the 1st World Youth Conference - 17th July 1997.
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Divine Discourse July 18th 1997 -
Adhere To Truth: Realise Divinity Within
Embodiments of the Divine! Young men and women,
Truth is God. It is only through Truth you can get peace, plenty and prosperity. Truth only bears the wealth of the whole world. There is no greater Dharma (virtue) than Truth. The mansion of Dharma is raised on the foundation of Truth. Though people may follow several spiritual paths, Truth is the most important of all. Anywhere and at any time, for any individual Truth is absolutely essential. Because Truth is forgotten, the whole world is in turmoil. It is only from Truth that all creation has originated, including human beings. The whole creation merges back into Truth. One who follows Truth and Righteousness will always be successful. Mere strength of armory, valor, skill and ability will not do. These are only worldly and external powers. The power of Truth is supreme. To foster Truth and Righteousness is the bounden duty of man. He should recognize the importance of harmony in thought, word and deed.
You may think that relating exactly what you saw is Truth. It is not so. Suppose you see a person taking the role of king in a drama. You see him on the stage with the royal robe and crown, etc. But when you see him off the stage after the drama is all over, he may be in his usual dress. Which is true? Is it his role on the stage or is it his role outside? If you analyze this, it becomes obvious that what is subject to change may be termed as fact but not Truth. Truth remains true at all points of time.
In Sath-e-yam, 'sath' means life; 'E' stands for food; 'yam' stands for Sun. Food is essential for every individual. Sun helps production of crops, which constitute our food to sustain our life. Sun and light never change. Sathyam stands for life-sustaining energy. If you read the word Sathya, Sa-thaya, on the reverse it is ya-tha-sa. 'ya' denotes outer and inner discipline as part of Thapas or 'tha'. When you do much Thapas, you acquire divinity or 'Sa'. Thapas is triple purity, that is purity in thought, word and deed. We are not able to know our own potentialities. Divinity is in the Microcosm and in the Macrocosm. Everything is a combination of atoms. You are not able to realize the Divinity within, in spite of all your education and scholarship. Whatever you study is only about the physical world and the gross matter.
If you want real lasting happiness you can get it only by union with God. God is all pervasive. Why should you search for God while He is within you? Body is like a water bubble and mind is a mad monkey. Don't follow them. You should follow only your conscience - which is Sathya - the principle of Truth. If you have an unpolluted heart and engage in unblemished action, you will experience the manifestation of God.
We say often we have no 'Saanthi' or peace. Why? Because you are multiplying your desires. One who is bereft of desires is peaceful. You must breed only good thoughts and progress forward transcending all thoughts and reaching a state of ending the mind which is but a conglomeration of thoughts. Desire is like the luggage during a journey, if you have less luggage, travel will be more comfortable. So also in life's journey you should restrict your desires which burden you.
You should lead a life of morality and character. The Upanishad says: 'Sathyam Bruyaath' (speak Truth). This is the physical aspect of the directive. 'Priyam Bruyaath' This is the Dharmic or virtuous aspect which means you should speak the Truth in a nice and palatable way. Next is 'Na Bruyaath Sathyam apriyam'. This is the spiritual aspect. You should avoid speaking even truth when it is not pleasing the person. At the same time, simply because it satisfies the other person, don't speak untruth. You should be able to distinguish truth from untruth. It is written on the board 'Truth is God'. This is not enough. You should have this imprinted in your heart.
Truth is changeless and eternal. This conviction is not traceable among persons in the modern world. You should join good company, which will help you to entertain sacred thoughts to be translated into action.
Young men and women!
You are all wasting time which is divine. God is described as Kaalakaalaaya namah! He is the master of Time: the four days that you have spent here are just a minute fraction of time. The same individual passes through stages when he is termed as boy, adult, old man etc. due to the passage of time. Time is God. Therefore you should not waste time. Excessive talk is waste of time. When you switch on the Radio and listen to all unnecessary programmes the current is wasted. The body is like a Radio Receiver. Chanting the name and singing the glory of God are useful. But while you indulge in unnecessary gossip, the energy is wasted. In doing wicked deeds also, you waste energy, thereby facing dangerous consequences too. By adhering to the twin ideals of Sathya and Dharma (Truth and Righteousness) you can sanctify your life and avoid wastage of the precious energy that you are endowed with.
Instead of preaching the ideals - which is unnecessary as they are already there - you should put them into practice. Propagation is 'quantity' while practicing is 'quality'. Quality is always important: A spoon of cow's milk is much better than a barrel of donkey's milk. Youth should turn their minds away from distractions and concentrate on practicing human values. I always advise people to avoid waste of time, energy, food and money. Young people take up a job or profession and start earning money. They should know how to use it properly. Food is God, Time is God and so you should take care not to waste them.
Be good, see good, hear good, talk good and do good. The basis for such a discipline is to think good which entails the control of mind. You must perform all actions as offering to God. Meditation on God is one of the steps for achieving steadiness of mind. Concentration is needed for every action such as walking on road, talking, reading etc. You must concentrate, with single minded devotion on God. Performing work as worship is also tantamount to meditation. When you have the feeling of Divinity in you, You will not think, see, hear talk bad or do any evil.
Having full faith in the Divinity within is self-confidence. This is the foundation on which the walls of Self- satisfaction have to be raised with Self sacrifice as roof, so that the mansion of Self-Realization is complete.
In Vedanta, man is urged to inquire 'Who am I?' You will realize that the body, mind and intellect are only your instruments. The single letter 'I' is the inner Self or Aathma while the three letter 'eye' refers to the body. You are the Master and should make use of these instruments. You should be careful to use your mind in the right direction. Just as a piece of cloth is a bundle of threads, Mind is a bundle of thoughts. If threads are removed there is no cloth. When you remove the thoughts there is no mind and no worry.
I often point out that you are not one but three persons in one. The one that you think you are - at the physical (body) plane; the one others think you are (mind); the one you really are: Aathma. When you have pure thoughts your heart is pure and full of love, radiating human values. In the term MAN, 'M' represents mind, 'A' represents Aathma and 'N' stands for merger of the two. It also indicates 'Nirvana' or Liberation. The Buddha undertook spiritual pursuits and finally he felt sorry he had wasted his life in such external pursuits while he had everything within himself.
Man forgets Divinity within and indulges in wasteful exercises. The five vital airs in man are termed as Pancha-pranaas. In reality Sathya, Dharma, Saanthi, Prema and Ahimsa - the five human values - should be deemed as the fivefold life breaths or Pancha Pranas(Prana, Apana, Udhana, Samana, Vyaana - the incoming, outgoing, upward flow, even and circulating breaths)
Since the values constitute the life breath, one who does not radiate the values in his actions is deemed to be lifeless!
There is an example for this in the case of the five great elements: Earth, water, fire, air and ether. Earth has the five attributes of senses such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell. Hence it is very heavy and cannot stretch out. Water has all the other attributes except smell and it spreads to a limited extent. Fire has three attributes only, namely, sound, touch and form. It spreads more than water. Next comes air which has two attributes only, sound and touch. It spreads around. But, Aakaasa or Ether has only one attribute, Sound. Hence it is all pervasive. God who is attributeless is present everywhere in every object.
Modern boys ask, 'Where is God? I want to see and catch Him.' You are aware of air because without air you cannot survive. Can you see or catch it? Similarly God is everywhere. Though you cannot see Him, you cannot live without God. God is consciousness.
We know by experiment that two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen combine to produce water. Both these are inflammable when they are independent of one another. But, when they combine they produce water, which can put out the fire. Separately they cause fire, when they join together they put out fire! There are two entities namely, formless and with form (Niraakaara and Sakaara). In ice, which is with form, there is formless water. Only when Form and Formless unite, you get liberation. This is similar to hydrogen and oxygen combining in a particular proportion giving water.
Consciousness which is all pervasive and in all beings can be comprehended only by human beings. Animals and birds do not have this faculty. It is Divinity. From this you get 'Conscience' which is limited to Body. The word 'Conscious' is related to Senses. Consciousness is everywhere. All these three are in man. From the DehaathmaBhaava (body identification) you have to rise to pure Aathma (consciousness). Conscience warns you when you move on the wrong path. You should not entertain any thoughts, which do not conform to the dictates of your conscience. 'Yad Bhaavam Thath Bhavathi' (As you feel so you become).
Youth! You should mould your life by pursuing a good path, practicing the ideals of Sathya and Dharma and grow spiritually. Today spirituality is being reviled. You give importance to Technology which is nothing but 'Tricknology'! It may yield temporary gains but is ultimately dangerous in the long run. In ancient times they observed Truth and Righteousness (Sathya and Dharma) and had no fear. But in modern times Science has developed but senses have degenerated.
Science is a semi-circle while spirituality is the full circle; The Vedic dictum says: That is full. This is full. This full has come from that: What remains is also full (poornam). You should keep everything within limit. Scientists discovered the Atom Bomb and also the Hydrogen Bomb, wasting huge sums of money to produce instruments of mass destruction. All that money could be utilized for the welfare of humanity. If you have the feeling of brotherhood of man, then there is no need for fear and consequent building up of nuclear arms.
In Mahaabhaaratha, you have the Paandava brothers of whom Dharmaja is the eldest. Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva are the other brothers in order of their age. Now you have America and Russia leading in the world in technological skill and destructive power. But Bhaarath is like Dharmaja. Even though Bheema and Arjuna were endowed with more strength and valor than Dharmaja, they always bowed to him, Now Bhaarath is the nation upholding Dharma. When once you develop Dharma there is no need to attack or harm any one: hence no need to have destructive weaponry.
Dharma is the weapon (Astra). Sathya (Truth) is the attitude (Bhaavam). Truth is common to ail countries in the world. If you practice Truth (Sathya) and Dharma (Righteousness), you have no need to have bombs.
We always chant at the end of all prayers and bhajans: Om Saanthi! Saanthi! Saanthi! Why are we mentioning 'Saanthi' three times? It is to invoke peace for Body, Mind and Aathma (Inner Self). Aathma Saanthi can't be there without, Saanthi of Body and Mind. Hence we invoke peace of all the three entities.
You should restrict your talk to the barest minimum. When you talk too much, you may stray away from Truth. That is why, the ancients practiced 'less talk-more work'. Love is the most essential undercurrent of your talk and work. Speaking with love is Sathya and doing work with love is Dharma. It will give you peace (Saanthi).
Love principle (Prema thathva) should be followed. God is Love - Live in Love. We have only polluted love. We should practice pure love. With the same set of eyes, you see your mother, wife, daughter etc. Though the eyes are the same, the vision is different. You see the Mother with respect, wife with anuraga or attachment and daughter or son with vatsalya or affection. The feelings are different. As you feel sorry when someone teases your sister, likewise the others will feel when you tease other girls. This principle of oneness should be imbibed by you.
Students are generally good but change their behavior due to environments. The famous scientist Einstein invented great scientific truths. But, in the last stage of his life he began realizing the Truth and took to the study of Bhagavath Geetha! He used to say 'Tell me your company, I shall tell what you are'. What is good company - Sath Sanga? Sath is Truth, that is, God. So this means you should always be with God. Sathsanga does not mean Bhajan participants. If you realize your Reality, which is Divinity, there will be no trouble. When Mahaathma Gandhi wanted to go abroad to England for higher studies, his mother did not like it. Gandhi understood his mother's fears about his maintaining sobriety and purity of conduct. So he made promises that he would not drink, would not smoke, and have no contacts with women. He kept up all the three promises and returned with his principles of morality preserved intact.
Today the mothers themselves encourage their sons to go abroad and do not bother about their behavior and conduct. You should have the feelings of oneness of humanity. Wherever you are, you should not hate any one.
Goldstein mentioned that 2,000 delegates attended this conference from abroad. He did not make mention about the large number of delegates from India at all. You should consider the whole world as a mansion in which countries are different rooms. You should develop this feeling of oneness. The main lesson of spirituality is to share and live together in unity. Swami does not like the word 'Religion' which is often misused. Religion should help one to realize one's Reality. But people have narrow compartmentalized feelings as Muslim, Christian, Sikh etc. Love makes no difference. It is the basis of all human values and you should practice it with full vigor to justify your real humanity. Having come here, you should return after leaving all your bad thoughts and feelings.
Prashanthi Nilayam is just like an automobile workshop where all parts of a car are repaired, reconditioned and returned to the owner with new tyres, new parts and new painting. You, who come here, should shed your evil habits and thoughts like untruth etc.. and go back with fresh outlook so that your friends and others should find you to be a transformed person. They should feel happy from your better behavior. Thus you will contribute to the progress of your nation also.
Speak softly and obligingly. By using harsh words even to your mother, you will ruin yourselves. Consider Mother, Father, Teacher and Guest as God. You have to respect your parents even after your marriage, since they gave birth to you and brought you up. Wife is your selection. But Mother is not so. Mother should be given first place. You have to talk to her sweetly, softly and respectfully. You should also try to influence your friends and relatives, inspiring them to transform and make their life meaningful by doing service to humanity. What is service? It is to do good and share your knowledge with others without selfishness.
Many people invite me often to visit other countries. I do not like to go abroad before setting right this country and transforming its citizens. Many people go abroad begging for money. Many also resort to begging in the name of Swami. Swami has absolutely no selfish motive. You must serve your mother country first. Swami wants nothing from you.
You must become truly embodiments of love and serve to remove fear. Be good and get happiness; Do good and you will be good. Through sacred action, make life sacred with the principles of Truth and Dharma as your guide posts.
Swami brought his discourse to a close with the bhajan Sathyam Jnaanam Anantham Brahma.
Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Divine Discourse delivered during the 1st World Youth Conference - 18th July 1997.
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Divine Discourse July 19th 1997 -
Cultivate Character: Lead An Ideal Life
Just as there is oil in the sesame seed, butter in milk, fragrance in the flower, tasty juice in the fruit, fire in wood, there is Divinity in this vast Universe. The Divine is all pervasive and is present in every being. It is the Divine Power inside that makes it possible for the eyes to see and ears to hear. The entire creation is the expression of the Will Power of God. Prakriti (Nature) is a manifestation of the Supreme Divine (Paramaatma). Man is born to manifest and reflect Divinity. All constituents of Nature reflect their inherent qualities. Man also has to do so but is not reflecting his innate human quality.
Every one should consider devotion and discipline as of the utmost importance. Duty comes only next to these two. You, the youth (both male and female) are intrinsically very good; but, you lack in discipline. You should observe good discipline. You should not waste time, which is precious and sacred.
How should you utilize the time usefully? You have to follow the ideal path reflecting sacred human values. Not only that, but you should also inspire and encourage others to follow a disciplined life. Today, people do not understand discipline. They sit in a meeting and go on cheering and clapping when a speaker tells something to please them. This is sheer waste of time and energy. Every second is valuable and should be used well. Character is the most important life principle to be imbibed. This is the golden period in your life span and if you spoil this fine opportunity in careless living, your future will be ruined.
The sapling has to be tended very carefully, so that it could grow into a mighty tree in the right manner and serve the people well. To whatever country you may belong, cultivation of character is essential at any point of time. There is no such thing as American character, Russian character and so on. Character is common to the entire humanity. There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity, one language, the language of the Heart and one Religion, the Religion of Love. Whichever country you may hail from, whatever language you speak and whichever faith you follow, you should maintain sterling human character.
In ancient times the youth maintained good character. If you maintain good character, the future generation will prosper. Individual sacredness and purity ensure sacredness of society and country.
When all countries are filled with such noble people the world will be blooming with peace and prosperity.
If you say that the world is not a bed of roses but is a place of misery, the fault lies in you, the inhabitants. It is Character that marks the life of a good individual. If you go through history you will find that in the ancient days people were noted for their control of senses. Take the example of Janaka, the great ruler and father of Sita, offering his daughter in marriage to Rama immediately after the latter broke the Shiva Dhanush (the formidable bow of Shiva), in terms of the proclamation made by him. When Janaka repeatedly asked Rama to look at Sita and take her hand, Rama looked in a different direction because he should not look at a woman till he tied the wedding knot around her neck. This is the ideal propagated by the great Avataar Rama. Later on, when Lakshmana followed Rama and Sita to the forest and stayed with them for fourteen long year she never once looked at the face of Sita who was just an eighteen year old damsel. Abundant testimony to this exemplary behavior of Lakshmana is born e by the episode when Rama and Lakshmana acquired the friendship of the monkey-king Sugriva. Sugriva bade the monkeys to bring the bundle of jewels dropped by Sita when she was being abducted by Raavana. When Rama saw this he was overwhelmed and asked Lakshmana to identify whether they belonged to Sita. But Lakshmana respectfully said 'I can only identify the anklets worn by mother Sita as I used to worship her feet every day. I cannot identify the bangles or necklace worn by her as I have never looked up at her face'. Because of such worthy and laudable behavior, they are remembered even today, though thousands of years have passed. Youth should protect Character in that way. Both men and women should consider character as their very life breath.
You may go to villages for doing Seva or Service. Doing selfless service is the best way to cross the ocean of Samsaara. The Vedas declare 'Not by penance - not by undertaking pilgrimages to holy places - but by rendering service to humanity you can achieve the goal of liberation'. Ego is eliminated by the spirit of Service and thus it is linked to progress in spirituality.
When the great Sage Valmeeki completed composing the Epic Raamaayana, he was contemplating as to who could propagate this great Epic to the world at large. The two boys Lava and Kusha came before him. When questioned by them as to what he was contemplating on, Valmeeki said that he wanted the story of Raamaayana, which he had composed in poem, be taught to the people and the Divine Glory of Rama should be spread far and wide. The boys with folded hands submitted to the sage who was also their preceptor, 'We are ready to even sacrifice our life for your Seva. Command us and we shall follow'.
Valmeeki was moved to tears at the spirit of service exhibited by the young boys. He said, 'Go out and spread this epic story without delay'. Valmeeki had taught them the scriptures and molded their character too. The nectar like contents of an earthen pot are far better than poison kept in a golden jar. The human body is only a mud pot. God exists in this mud pot as Amrith or nectar. We do not want a golden vessel with poison. The world is tempting like a golden vessel but is full of poison of worldly pleasures and pains.
God resides in the heart of persons and not in shrines like Tirupathi, Badrinath or Prashanthi Nilayam. He is essentially 'Hridhayanivasi' (Indweller of the heart). Valmeeki told the boys: 'Go and spread the message of Raamaayana with the spirit of selfless sacrifice for the welfare of the world'. The boys wore garlands of beads and holding musical instruments in their hands, started on their sacred journey. It is Valmeeki's inspiration that made them pursue this noble task with utmost zeal. Nowadays youth are reluctant to wear Vibhuthi on their foreheads and participate in Nagarasankeerthan. They go forward quite willingly and openly for indulging in wicked deeds but feel shy to participate in singing the glory of God. They revel in singing cinema songs of low taste while they fight shy to sing the Divine Names. To spend life in such unholy pursuits is a wasteful exercise and will not bring credit. Morality is the backbone of the community and a society of people bereft of moral values is worse than the jungle infested by wild animals. Even beasts have season and reason while man has lost both.
You are all embodiments of God. It is proclaimed in the Gita that all beings are sparks of Divinity. You should not feel shy to speak the truth when you are going to pilgrim shrines such as Tirupathi or Parthi. You should not also fight shy of engaging yourselves in service especially in rural areas, as the villages lack amenities and hygienic conditions. They need your attention more. You may not be able to visit the villages frequently when you are employed in any job due to difficulties of getting leave. When you go to a village, collect a few young persons of the village and teach them health and hygiene and impress on them the necessity to maintain environmental cleanliness. You need not spend much money for traveling to distant places. Select the villages close by and teach the villagers principles of health, hygiene and living in clean surroundings. You can take doctors to give them treatment and health check-up. You should inspire the villagers by your attitude of service and humility.
You know the greatness of Hanumaan who was the symbol of selfless service. He was endowed with mighty power, valor, strength and he was hailed as a great scholar of impeccable character. Yet when the demons in Sri Lanka, questioned him who he was, he never hesitated to reply that he was the servant of Sri Ramachandra.
You will have to feel honored to call yourself as a servant of God and humanity. If you start serving with the attitude that service to man is service to God you will find God there. The same thing you cannot experience in japa or dhyana. You have to shut your mind and open your heart which happens while doing Seva.
Some may ask: while you are God why worship God? Even as you realize you are Divine, you have to do certain things as part of your duty. According to the tradition of Bhaarath, you have to do things to please God or in other words transform work into worship. When you practice this, it becomes easier to realize God. Everything you learn by practice only. Walking, talking, eating, singing and serving need practice. Practice service dedicating all activities to God.
A boy prayed to God to give him strength. What for? It is not for watching TV or movies but for serving God through service to mankind. You say diamond and gold are highly valuable. If you enquire deeply, man is more valuable than all the wealth of the world. Men alone decide the value of gold and diamond, and other materials. Man should have faith in himself. Every one should chant the name of God and engage in service in accordance with the advice given by Hanumaan to Vibheeshana. He said: 'Mere chanting Rama's name won't do. You should also engage yourself in Rama's work'. Vibheeshana went on chanting the name but failed to make any effort to alleviate the suffering of Sita and Rama on their separation while Hanumaan engaged himself in the service of Rama.
You should use your will power to engage in such sacred tasks. A common example can be seen in an electric light. Dharma (virtue) is the wire which carries the current, Shanthi (peace) is the bulb and Prema (love) is the light. Light the Lamp of the World with Divine Love.
Divine Love lights the lamp of life, which you are not able to perceive. None can regulate Divine Love. Worldly love is fraught with conditions and expectations in return. Divine Love does not expect anything in return.
Some say they are searching for Truth. This is meaningless because you are yourself the embodiment of Truth, which is nothing but God. Because you are not aware of this, you indulge in wrong pursuits. In a coeducational institution, what happens is that a boy and girl in the impressionable age when there is no self- control, first look at each other exchanging glances; then it goes on developing into friendship by smiling, talking, exchanging letters and finally leads to coming together. You should control your vision initially. Many saints have prayed to God to give them the correct vision only to see good, ears to hear songs of Divine glory and hands to engage in worship. Jayadeva in a song appeals to the tongue not to indulge in untruth, not to speak ill of others and avoid excessive talk.
Nagara Sankeerthan (community singing of spiritual songs) has been arranged as part of the programme of the Sathya Sai Organization to still the mind in the cool hours of early morning and purify the atmosphere and make the singer and the listeners peaceful and happy with thought of the Divine.
You must make it a practice to observe silence for at least one hour daily. It saves your cosmic energy and ensures peace of mind. You should develop also the discipline of simple living and high thinking. You should avoid gaudy dress. Your white dress reflects the inner purity of your heart. Dress should be simple but clean.
You have to enquire 'who am I' instead of asking everyone else 'who are you?' You must uncover your Reality, which is hidden by the outer coats of ego and attachment. You have to remove them to see your bare chest. These represent the three qualities of Sathva, Rajas and Thamas (goodness, passion and inertia) covering your innate Reality. You have to transcend them to realize your inner Self.
Embodiments of Love! Young men and women!
Character is the basis for all your behavior, quality and actions. None can be perfect but you can make an effort to develop excellent character. When you go to villages, you should create a good impression in them by your behavior. You should reflect peaceful and happy demeanor. You should be careful not to disturb their work. They should not mistake you for a gang of rowdies. You must behave with humility and start working sincerely. Avoid talking too much.
Learn to turn over a new leaf even if you have not lived an ideal life in the past. Do not brood over the past and worry about the future. Concentrate on the present. Take everything as the gift of God; discard worry. You cannot demand sweet medicine for your illness from the doctor. You must take whatever is prescribed. Do not give room in the heart for anything else but God. The world outside is a reflection of the Inner Being. Be happy within and joyful outside and have enthusiasm for service. Do not bother about others heckling you as you are engaged in Service to God.
If some are questioning your faith in God, tell them that He is in your heart and the others have no business to question your belief. Have strong and unshakable faith. Be fearless and avoid 'crying'. You have to shed only tears of devotion to God. Such tears have spiritual meaning, because Naara means water and Nayana means 'eyes'. Both together make Naaraayana. Difficulties are like passing clouds. There are no permanent clouds at all.
Even though there are millions of youth in the world, only those of you who have come here are lucky to experience this unique chance. Wherever you go for service, Swami will always be with you. Whatever happens I shall protect you. Do not be carried away by profit or loss. Think of God ceaselessly. Even the great saint composer Thyagaraja doubted for a moment the Sakti (power) of Rama but immediately repented and said the fault was his to have doubted, but God was all powerful. Never give room for doubt.
The inner current of all the nine types of devotion is Prema - Love for God.
The teachings you have heard here during the four days should follow you like a shadow wherever you go. The cow consumes plenty of grass wherever it sees a green patch but goes to its shed and slowly chews the cud. Similarly, you should go to your places and recapitulate all that you learnt here and follow them scrupulously. You should stick to the principles of faith in God, and Unity in Diversity. Swami is prepared to do anything for you if you follow the path explained to you and become good and useful to the society. This is my only desire.
You must spread the message to others, each one instructing hundreds of persons in your places.
While you render service in the villages, the villagers should be inspired and encouraged to do the work themselves. When you go out for service, do not fail to take permission of your parents. if they object, tell them softly that this body is given only for doing service and not for wasting in eating, drinking, sleeping and idling. They will not object once they are convinced that you are going for genuine service. You must behave in an exemplary manner.
Usually, a father distributes sweets when a son is born. But a father will be really happy only when the society respects his son. True happiness is derived only when you earn a good name. Be good. See good. Do good deeds. This is the ideal Swami wants you to imbibe. All of you have been behaving well these four days during your stay here. Continue this even when you go to your places. Because of emotion you may sometimes lose self-control. You should avoid getting emotionally charged and upset. You must control emotion, reduce your talk and practice Truth. Make your life blissful. Worldly pleasure is only temporary. Permanent bliss can be had only in association with the Divine. It is 'heart to heart and love to love connection'. You have Swami's Blessings in abundance.
Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Divine Discourse delivered during the 1st World Youth Conference - 19th July 1997.
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