Life 49 (Nov 25 - Dec 27)

[winston]

Why should we slowly grow to a state where we don’t seek anything from the Divine, through our prayers?

Begging and asking something are related to worldliness and connote Pravritti Dharma (path of worldliness).

True and sacred love relates to Nivritti Dharma (inward path of spirituality).

When you adhere to the principle of Nivritti, all tendencies of Pravritti will vanish on their own.

Nobody knows how precious and valuable things are in His treasury. You may be asking for glass pieces but He may want to give you precious diamonds.

You may be asking for petty things when He would have resolved to give you something very precious.

Therefore, leave everything to His Will. Only then will He give you what you really require.

You do not know what you really require and what you do not require. You also do not know what is good for you and what is not good for you.

He will give you on His own what is good for you, what is beneficial for you and what is ideal for you.

It all depends upon His Will when to give and what to give.

When you offer everything to Him with a steady mind and do all actions to please Him, He Himself will look after all your requirements!

- Divine Discourse, Jun 20, 1996

If you wish to ask for anything from Him, pray to Him thus: "Oh Lord! Let me have You alone."

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the correlation between Love and Righteousness and what are these very important qualities to be cultivated?

The outpouring of Prema (love) is Dharma (righteousness). One who understands Dharma will foster Prema.

A person who develops love for the Divine, can follow Dharma easily.

Dharma and Prema are twins. But man today has lost both these qualities.

Life without Dharma and Prema, is barren like a wasteland.

“Where there is Dharma, there shall be victory.”

“Where there is Dharma, there is the Divine; where there is Him, there is victory.
The Divine loves the devotee who follows the dictates of Dharma.”

- Divine Discourse, Apr 24, 1996

When man has love and righteousness, the Divinity latent in him becomes patent.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the best way to worship and extol the Divine?

Guru Nanak favoured community prayers in preference to individual prayer in isolation.

When all people join in unison to pray to Him, their prayers will melt the heart of His.

In a large gathering, there must be at least one who prays with a pure heart. That prayer will reach Him. Hence, devotees should take part in community bhajans.

They should participate in community service and involve themselves in the life of the community. This is the noblest path.

Cultivate love. Love is the form of the Divine and He can be realised only through love.

Of all the myriad names given to Him, the one which is most to be cherished is Sat-Chit-Ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss).

Sat represents Truth. Chit represents Jnana (wisdom). Where Sat and Chit are present, Ananda (Bliss) is bound to be present.

As He is Truth, He has to be realised through Truth.

As He is Jnana, He has to be realised through Jnana Marga (the path of Knowledge).

As He is Ananda (Bliss), He has to be realised through bliss.

Follow the path of Love and achieve the goal of Unity. Banish all differences. This is the supreme message.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 25, 1990

When people come together and sing the glory of the Divine in one voice, it has tremendous power.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the qualification necessary to attain the vision of the Divine?

Out of all the people in the whole world, only the devotee of His, can attain His vision.

Many learned persons have thorough knowledge of the scriptures but mere learning does not help a person to have the vision of the Divine.

It is pure love that makes Him manifest before a devotee.

The entire universe is contained in the word Prema (love). Except for Prema, nothing else of value exists in the universe.

The path of love is the supreme path for attaining Him.

The unbroken flood of love bestows happiness on all. This is the easiest path to attain Him for the entire mankind.

There are three main principles of love: Don’t ask; Always give and do not take; And be happy.

Man’s happiness depends upon following the path of love. He too will be happy when you follow the path of love. He will then make you dance in the ecstasy of love.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 24, 1996

Giving up narrow ideas and feelings, people should show compassion towards fellow-beings. Compassion is the hallmark of devotion.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why is service to be taken up as an important Sadhana (spiritual practice)?

Selfless service (Nishkama Seva) will ennoble man and raise his stature. It endows man with the intelligence and the skills required to refine human nature.

Doing one’s duty diligently is not enough. Men have to cultivate other qualities like love, sympathy, fairness, compassion and forgiveness.

Without these qualities, man will not be able to perform Nishkama Karma (selfless actions).

The joys and sorrows, likes and dislikes experienced by man and the impressions related to sensual objects that get accumulated are all a result of mental disturbances.

And it is the sense of dualism of “mine” and “thine” that is the cause for these disturbances.

This dualism is rooted in selfishness, which makes one think that as long as he is all right, it does not matter what happens to the world.

Such a self-centred person, who regards his body, his wealth and his family as all that matters to him, looks upon truth as untruth and the false as true.

To get rid of this deep-seated malaise, men have to engage themselves in service.

They have to realise that the body has been given not to serve one’s own interests but to serve others.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 21, 1988

Just as the birds have two wings which help them fly, Love and Service are the two wings which enable man to reach his goal of life quickly.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why should we always keep the Divine’s name in our minds?

You may undertake any number of spiritual practices but never forget His name even for a moment. Only then will you be protected.

Never do anything that will take you away from Him.

You can achieve anything through prayer. You need not pray loudly; it is enough if you pray mentally.

Some people have a mistaken notion that He will not come to their rescue if they do not pray loudly.

He resides in your heart. He listens to your prayers. If you aspire to attain His grace, you have to contemplate on Him incessantly.

Worldly difficulties come and go. One should not attach much importance to them. However, through prayer one can overcome any difficulties.

Only His grace is true and everlasting. One should strive to attain it.

Chant His name, day in and day out. That alone will protect you at all times.

Just as air is all-pervasive, He is present in you, with you, around you, below you, above you. Hence, you should be in constant communion with divinity.

- Divine Discourse, Jul 21, 2005

To get rid of selfishness, man has to engage himself in selfless service and in chanting His name.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What should our mind be centred on if we wish to find true happiness?

If your thoughts centre round the body, you will have worries about pains and illnesses, real or imaginary;

If they are centred on riches, you will be worried about profit and loss, tax and exemptions, investment and insolvency;

If they roam round fame, then, you are bound to suffer from the ups and downs of scandal, calumny and jealousy.

So, let them centre round the seat of power and love, which deserves willing submission and let your whole being surrender to it. Then, you will be happy forever.

For the sages, the Name of the Divine was the very breath; they lived on the sustenance inherent in the contemplation of the glory of Him.

When the milky ocean of the Scriptures was churned with intelligence as the rod and devotion as the rope, the butter of the three great classics emerged, for spreading the message of the Namasmarana (chanting of the divine name) way to peace and joy.

It is to revive this message and to restore faith in the Name that the Avatar has come into the world, in the Kali Yuga.

- Divine Discourse, Oct 3, 1965

Turning the mind towards Him, you get liberation. Turning the mind towards the world, you get bondage.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Where can the principles of non-dualism be applied and where should they not be applied?

Names and forms are momentary.

The form of the tiger is momentary. The form of the snake is momentary. As names and forms are momentary, take them as such.

However, the principle of non-dualism should not be misconstrued.

In your pocket, you have a pen. The other man also has a pen in his pocket. You cannot take another man’s pen from his pocket. Is it proper? No! At the worldly level, your pen belongs to you, My pen belongs to Me.

If you slip, you sustain a fracture of your leg. Then you may have a bandage.

Your mother has intense love for you. Your mother may feel sad because you are suffering. But it is not possible for her to have the bandage on her leg.

Individuals are different but the pain may be the same for both. You will have the pain of a fracture; your mother will have the pain that you are suffering. But the mother is not having pain of the fractured leg.

Mother is feeling sad because of the suffering of the son, not of the fracture. So, you can follow non-dualism in feeling but not in action.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 26, 1993.

In this world, you and the world are temporary. But Truth and Love are permanent.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the connection between the Spirit within and the external world?

Understand the true relationship between the external phenomenal world and the world of Spirit inside.

The external world is a reflection of the inner being.

All happiness that you seek from external objects is within yourself.

Take the example of the ocean. The water that turns into vapour from the ocean assumes a different form and quality. It acquires purity and sweetness and returns to the ocean in another form.

Look at the changes it goes through in this process. Going up as vapour, becoming a cloud, coming down as rain, flowing as rivulets, it joins the ocean as a river.

The change into vapour is Sathya (truth). The formation of the cloud is Dharma (right conduct). Coming down as raindrops corresponds to Prema (drops of love). When the drops join to become a river, there is the flow of Ananda (bliss). This stream of bliss merges in the ocean of Grace.

Sometime or other, what has come from the Divine has to merge in the Divine. This is the natural destiny of all living beings - taking birth as a manava (man), leading a life of a jivi (individual being), again returning to the form of Madhava (divine nature) and ultimately merging in the Divine.

- Divine Discourse, Mar 07, 1997

Man should express love more and more to make the inner divine light in the body shine more brilliantly.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What should we do to draw Him towards ourselves and secure His grace?

Many people who have some questions regarding Him, do not realise the ways of the Divine.

They look at all things from the worldly point of view. They should look at things from the Divine point of view.

Change the angle of your vision. When you practise seeing the world from the point of view of the omnipresence of the Divine, you will get transformed.

You will experience the power of the Divine in everything in creation. You cannot hide anything from Him.

Many imagine that He does not see what they are doing. They do not realise that He has a myriad eyes.

Even your eyes are divine. But you are not aware of your true nature.

When you have faith in yourself, you will have faith in Him. Realise that there is nothing beyond the power of His.

Love Him with that supreme faith. Then you will be drawn towards Him.

It needs purity. A magnet cannot attract a piece of iron covered with rust. Similarly, He will not draw to Himself an impure person.

Hence, change your feelings and thoughts and develop the conviction that He is everything. He will not give you up when you have this conviction.

- Divine Discourse, Feb 27, 1995

Consider all work as His work and develop love. When love grows, faith will also grow more.

Source: radiosai.org