Life 49 (Nov 25 - Dec 27)

[winston]

Among the various paths to the Divine, which is the easiest?

The votary of the Karma Marga (the Path of Action) performs many actions for the welfare of the world. He participates in yajnas and yagas (ritualistic sacrifices). He is engaged in service and charitable activities. All these forms of karma are fraught with certain difficulties. To perform sacrifices, one must be acquainted with the texts. This is not easy for laymen.

The Jnana Marga (the Path of Knowledge) calls for knowledge of the scriptures and several other kinds of knowledge, which together lead to Atmajnana (Knowledge of the Self). Jnana has been defined as Advaita Darshanam (the awareness of the One Cosmic Consciousness). It means recognising unity in diversity. It is not easy to experience this unity.

The path of Yoga, which is concerned with control of the mind, is equally difficult. It calls for rigorous control of the senses. One has to overcome many difficulties, trials and tribulations. Very few have the mental and spiritual strength to face these difficulties and ordeals. The path of Yoga is thus beset with many hurdles.

Bhakti (the Path of Devotion) is the easiest path for all. It does not call for mastery of the scriptures. It does not enjoin the performance of rituals and sacrifices. The elusive quest for unity in diversity is avoided. By cultivating love for the Divine, the senses come under natural self-discipline.

- Divine Discourse Mar 06, 1989

The foremost path is the path of complete surrender to the Divine, for earning His love and grace.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the preparation and discipline we must put ourselves through and the offerings we must make to earn the grace of the Divine?

The body becomes healthy by exercise and work; the mind becomes healthy by upasana (devout contemplation) and namasmarana (remembrance of the Divine), by regular, well-planned discipline, joyfully accepted and joyfully carried out.

Ahimsa (non-injury) is the rice; arpitam (dedication) is the gram; prayaschittam (expiation) the raisins; paschattapam (repentance) is the jaggery.

Mix all these well with the ghee of sadgunam (virtue). That is the offering you should make to your Ishtadevata (chosen deity), not the paltry stuff you make out of articles got for a paisa in the shops!

- Divine Discourse, Sep 06, 1963

Sanctify every word and deed by filling it with Prema (Love) for whatever Name and Form you give to the Divine you love.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why is the pursuit of sensual pleasures alone insufficient for a fulfilling life?

The one who seeks preyas (sensual pleasures) is concerned with the body, while the one concerned with the Atma seeks shreyas (spiritual well-being).

Today, ninety-nine per cent of the population is involved in sensual desires and not in spiritual bliss.

Education today is mainly concerned with sensory pursuits.

All occupations are related to the achievement of sensual desires. All enjoyments are related to the senses. Even the acquisition of wealth is for enjoying trivial sensual pleasures.

There is doubtless a need for some concern about physical comforts. “Even the body is essential for the realisation of Dharma,” says the scripture.

The demands of the body have to be satisfied. Society has to be served. Family responsibilities have to be discharged.

The body is the basis for all these. But this should not be the ultimate goal of life.

The former relates to the external phenomenal world and is concerned with worldly desires. Together with this, there should be the yearning for a higher shreyas (spiritual life).

The pursuit of preyas is negative. The quest for shreyas is positive. Without association with the positive, preyas is of no use, however much there may be worldly goods.

It is only when one yearns for shreyas that even preyas leads to fulfilment.


- Divine Discourse Mar 05, 1995

Secular knowledge is no doubt necessary to eke out one’s living but spiritual knowledge is essential if the purpose of life is to be fulfilled.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the true significance of the concept of Purusharthas (Objectives)?

According to Indian culture, there are four Purusharthas (objectives) of man’s life, namely, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha (righteousness, wealth, desire and liberation).

Not only in India but these goals of life are prevalent in other countries also.

Some say that Purusharthas are meant only for men and not women. Purusha does not mean man. It refers to the Atma and consciousness.

Consciousness does not distinguish between men and women. The real Purusha is the Atma which is the same in all.

It is generally thought that Dharma refers to charity. But this is not correct. Those deeds that help man to attain Divinity come under Dharma.

The actions that induce bliss in the heart, manifest non-duality and advocate oneness constitute Dharma.

The innermost feelings that reflect Divinity come under Dharma. Everyone must practice this Dharma.

In fact, human life is destined for this very purpose.

Man should realise the truth that he is born to manifest Divinity. Dharma does not refer to the stages of life like grihastha (householder stage) or sanyasa (renunciant stage). These are related to the world and not to the Atma.

Man forgets his inherent humanness and gets caught up in worldly and mundane problems in his day-to-day life. As a result, his life remains disoriented to the Supreme Principle.

- Divine Discourse, May 01, 1997

Life is best spent and human effort best directed when awareness of the Atma principle is sought to be attained.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the delusion that stops us from experiencing Brahman or Divinity?

When a person suffers from a severe stomach ache due to appendicitis, the doctor operates upon him and removes the appendix.

Can we say, the doctor is cruel when he cuts the stomach of a patient? No, no. He cuts his stomach out of his compassion for the patient. The pain inside the body has to be cured by causing pain to the body from outside.

Similarly, the tests given by the Divine are only to help man to bear the consequences of his actions. Everything He does is for the good of man and not to harm him.

Why? He is absolutely selfless, without selfishness and self-interest; in fact, He actually does not know what selfishness and self-interest are.

Some people attribute partiality, selfishness and self-interest, to even acts of His. It is only their imagination. This imagination is the cause of their delusion.

So long as your heart is filled with bhrama (delusion), you cannot experience Brahma!

You cannot have thoughts of Brahma unless you drive away bhrama from your heart! Your heart has only a single chair in it. It is neither a double-seated sofa nor a musical chair!

When you remove bhrama from your heart, Brahma will occupy it. It is not possible to make bhrama and Brahma sit on the same chair in your heart.

But due to the impact of Kali Yuga, people are trying to make both of them sit on the same chair! They may make any amount of effort, but Brahma will not enter their heart so long as bhrama is there!

- Divine Discourse Jun 28, 1996

Love always gives and never receives. Such selfless Love is only with Him.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the innate nature of man and how does it become tainted?

The natural colour of this handkerchief is white. As you use it, it becomes dirty and stained. Its colour also changes because of the dirt accumulated on it.

Similarly, when a child is born, its heart will be pure, unsullied, as clear as crystal and as pure as glittering gold. But when metals like silver, copper and brass are added to pure gold, it loses its lustre and value. It becomes impure.

The true nature of man is immortal, eternal, peaceful and blissful. Such a nature of man gets polluted by worldly desires, by his activities and by his attachment to kith and kin. He himself is responsible for the erosion of values in his life.

Today, we don’t find any trace of human values in human beings. Human values do not come from outside. They cannot be acquired. They are already there in every person.

Man is not able to recognise this. He speaks untruth, undertakes wrong activities, looks at forbidden things and entertains wrong thoughts. He has lost his purity.

How can we call a person a human being if they lack human values?

- Divine Discourse, Oct 5, 2000

Peace is the outcome of our actions and thoughts. If our thoughts are pure, our actions will also be pure. When actions are pure, life itself becomes holy.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the cleansing that is necessary for one who wishes to embark on a spiritual journey?

We must shape ourselves into fit instruments for the spiritual pilgrimage.

There are four classes of persons:-
1. those who pay attention to their own faults and the excellences of others (the best)
2. those who highlight their own excellences as well as the excellences of others (the middlings)
3. those who pay attention only to their own excellence and only to the faults of others (the worse type) and
4. those who present their own faults as excellences and the excellences of others as faults (the worst).

Each one can discover for himself the group to which he belongs.

Remember this - when one is yearning to become aware of the Full, the Sacred, the Prema, the Atma, the Bhagawan, he has to prepare himself for the first and the best group —discovering his own faults and observing only excellences in others.

This is the most desirable sadhana. Man is suffering today because he is engrossed in the external world, with no sadhana or steady practice to correct his vision.

What can ten baths a day do to cleanse a person when his mind is fouled by evil thoughts? What can the shaven head and the ochre clothes do to foster spirituality when his mind is riddled by desires and wants?

- Divine Discourse, Apr 05, 1981

Instead of criticising others and finding faults with the actions of others, subject yourself to vigilant scrutiny, understand yourself well and correct your own faults; do not be like the dancer who blamed the drummer for her wrong steps.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

People often interchangeably use the terms Dharma, Religion, Righteousness and so on. Is that right, and does that convey precisely the concept of Dharma?

There is no word which can successfully convey the depth and the amplitude of meaning contained in the word - Dharma.

Words like ‘right action’ and ‘righteous living’ are only translations which do no justice to the original meaning.

Only Dharma is the equivalent of the word Dharma.

Many people have mistaken Dharma for religion. But ‘religion’ does not convey the infinitude of meaning latent in the word - Dharma.

Dharma is an ocean, whereas religion is a lake. While the scope and significance of a religion is confined to a certain number of people following a certain creed, Dharma is universal in scope, transcending race and religion.

Dharma belongs to all. It is a belief common in the West that everybody has certain rights. But on the contrary, the Indian belief is that everybody has certain Dharmas to perform. But rights and Dharma are related.

When the parents discharge their Dharma, the rights of the children grow; when the children perform their Dharma, the rights of the parents grow.

Similarly, when the teachers discharge their duties, the rights of the students will grow. When the students discharge their duties properly, the rights of the teachers will grow.

- Divine Discourse Jun 03, 1993

Dharma (virtuous conduct) purifies the mind and leads you to the Divine. It creates a taste for the Name and the Form of The Divine.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why is it important to follow the Divine command and surrender ourselves to His will?

Suppose an elderly person travels in a train with his children; he has the tickets for all of them. And he tells them not to get down anywhere in the middle of the journey but wait for him to get down.

The children get attracted by the several eatables that are sold on the platform in some stations en route and have a strong desire to get down and buy them. But they restrain themselves from getting down as they may be in trouble if the train starts and they are left behind.

Since the father didn't get off for long, they became impatient and tried to get off at some stations.

The eldest of the children tells them, "As per father's command, we cannot get down as we like."

The Divine is the father of all. All are His children proceeding on the journey of life. He has told us, "Follow My command, do not get down anywhere you like."

The pity is, no one follows His commands in the world. They behave according to their whims and fancies.

Those who travel by train would have seen goods wagons bearing a painted mark like "Return 5-98." This indicates that the wagon should be returned to the workshop on the due date for attention. It is only the station master who knows this and takes action.

In the case of humanity, The Divine is the Master who knows when each one has to return. Only the Master has to worry about it.

He is the supreme authority and everything happens according to His will.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 28, 1998

The fundamental factor in spiritual life is the suppression of desire, the surrender of the individual will to the Divine Will, which will elevate thoughts, words and deeds into acts of worship.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why must virtues and noble thoughts precede the practice of meditation?

There is no fruit without a flower and there can be no devotion with karma. The fruit ripens and becomes sweet; bhakti ripens into jnana (wisdom).

So we must first take up holy activity with clean intentions.

One sadhana that is cultivated on a large scale today is dhyana (meditation). But the dhyana that is done is not in consonance with the principle of Bharatiya Culture.

In the absence of a purified mind, dhyana can never achieve the mergence. How can a house be built without brick and mortar?

It is said that one can succeed in dhyana by indulging in it whenever a little time is available and that one can be engaged in this sadhana, whatever the habits one is prone to, whatever feelings and thoughts reside in you and whatever path you follow. But this advice is not correct.

If one has to remain quiet for some time without being distracted or disturbed by fear or anxiety, one could indulge in drink or consume opium.

Dhyana must have far higher aims and far stricter credentials. Or else, the culture of Bharat will suffer great damage. Therefore, fine virtues have to be cultivated first and good thoughts have also to be entertained. One should uphold the true glory of man.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 05, 1981

When the senses are dominant, equanimity is a dream. Be their master; you can be yourself, undisturbed and free.

Source: radiosai.org