Life 29 (Nov 17 - Aug 18)

[winston]

Why should we salute our actions? What is its significance?

Today, people ignore the law of action and act as they please. It is easy to indulge in sinful deeds but is extremely difficult to bear the bad results they yield.

Good and evil, happiness and misery, merit and sin depend on your actions. As is the action, so is the result. Hence the Scriptures teach - “Salute the action”.

Offer salutations to the actions you perform, so they become sacred, bring you good name and contribute to the welfare of the world.

Since time immemorial, people offer respect to action, be it big or small, before undertaking it.

A dancer pays her respects to the anklets she wears before commencing her performance. An illiterate lorry driver offers his obeisance to the steering wheel before driving the vehicle.

Why salute the action? It is to discriminate and choose right actions and to give up the sense of ego or doership! This is the sacredness that our culture imparts to action.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 14, 2001.

Being cultured means giving up one's bad conduct, bad behaviour, bad deeds and cultivating good thinking and noble feelings that lead to good actions.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why is it very important to forget differences and see Divinity within us and in everyone?

Self is nothing but the principle of the all pervasive Atma (Divine Self).

There is only one Self. Hence the scriptures state that the Divine is one without a second.

It is rather surprising that people are unable to believe this principle of unity. You have faith in what is broadcast on television and radio, but do not have faith in the Self.

One without faith in the Self is verily blind. In this world every being is an embodiment of Divinity. Whomsoever you salute, it reaches the Divine. Likewise, whomsoever you criticise, the criticism too reaches the Divine. So do not criticise or hate anybody.

There are many people who undertake spiritual practices like recitations, meditation and yoga. No doubt these are sacred activities and one may undertake them. But it is very essential to recognise the principle of unity. There is only one Divine and He is omnipresent.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 14, 2001.

All are One, Be alike to everyone.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What does it take to be a true devotee?

You now have multitudes of claimants for the status and benefits of a person with devotion; you can see them on the roads to holy rivers or cities, or singing spiritual songs wearing all the paraphernalia of devotion.

But the claim to be a devotee of the Divine, a votary of the Highest, can be admitted only if the passions and emotions are pure and if the character is virtuous.

The tongue may utter the Name of the Divine, the ear may be open when His glory is recited, and the hand may scatter flowers on the image of Him but the tongue may not know or relish the taste, the ear may not pine, or the hand may not yearn.

These can happen only when the heart is aware of the Supreme, and when the mind is thrilled recollecting the glory of Him. Otherwise one is like the spoon which dips into sour and sweet with equal alacrity and insensitivity. It does not refuse or relish any of the tastes.

- Divine Discourse, Mar 23, 1966.

Desire destroys devotion, anger destroys wisdom, greed destroys work – hence sacrifice these bad qualities at the Divine’s Feet.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why is it important to regulate our life with duty and discipline?

You want to study well, pass and get a first-class. After that you want to get a good position, get married and lead a happy family life. And then you desire for children, and want that they be intelligent and do well in life. There is no limit for such desires.

The most important reason for bondage is giving too much freedom to the mind. For example, when an animal is tethered to a post, it will not be able to go to another place and spoil it.

It will not be able to show anger or violence or do harm to any person. But if it is untied and let loose, it can roam over various fields, destroy the crops and cause loss and harm to others. For the mischief it does, it gets beaten.

Similarly, the mind must be bound by certain regulations and limits. As long as one lives within certain limits and disciplines, as well as particular rules and regulations, one will be able to maintain a good name and lead a happy and useful life.

- Divine Discourse, Feb 17, 1985.

The spiritual path is the path of detachment, of sense control and of rigorous mind training.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Are we practicing living as a true human?

You must crave for the vision of the Divine; only then you are entitled to the status of human-ness. To do so, you must conquer your mind.

Remember, true human is one who is the ruler of the mind not its slave! Every human must endeavour to reach the Divine.

To earn the vision and grace of the Divine, you have to pray to the Personified Power with Name and Form; it is your yearning that decides in what form the Divine appears.

- Divine Discourse, May 1963.

Dedication ensures success, purifies inner vision and gives lasting joy.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

How can we attain Divinity?

You cannot attain Divinity by your wealth. Divinity can be attained only through devotion.

The Divine is pleased with the offering of a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water. Do not take this literally. Your body is the leaf, the flower is the blossom of your heart, your mind is the fruit, and the tears of joy is the water - these are the acceptable oferings to Him.

You will have everything in life if you have love in you. Never hate anybody. Make this your goal in life.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 2000.

Pure and Selfless Love is the only wealth.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Is there anything superior than offering our devotion to the Divine?

The Divine don’t want your devotion; He only wants your transformation.

You should understand that the purpose of this human body is to serve others. Involve yourself in such activities which will benefit others and give them happiness. Resolve to tread the path of service.

Scriptures teach that neither by penance nor by pilgrimage nor by study of scriptures nor by devotion, can one cross the ocean of life. You can achieve liberation only by serving the pious.

The path of service is superior to all other spiritual practices. Only through service can you please the Divine.

Some people indulge in meaningless activities in the name of devotion and waste their time. True devotion lies in performing actions that will sanctify time.

I am not asking you to serve the whole world in a big way. It is enough if you keep the Divine in your heart and serve as your capacity permits you with love.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 14, 2001.

Service activities should spring out of Love and scatter Love in profusion.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

How can one get over animal qualities?

Animal qualities are fast increasing in man. Animals have a season and a reason but humans have none.

Today humans have become worse than animals. Human qualities like compassion, kindness, love and forbearance are absent.

One should be free from evil thoughts which are the root cause of worries. This requires constant and sustained practice.

One can control the mind and attain peace by spiritual practices. It is only in a peaceful mind that noble thoughts arise.

The mind should be under one’s control. Master the mind and be a mastermind. Unfortunately, instead of controlling the mind, people have become slaves of their senses. That is the main cause of unsteadiness.

Moreover, people have body attachment, which is the reason they get easily disturbed if people find fault with them.

Why should one worry about the body when it is like a water bubble? You should get rid of body attachment.

- Divine Discourse, May 26, 2001.

Desire destroys devotion, anger destroys wisdom, greed destroys work – hence sacrifice these bad qualities at the Divine’s Feet.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the most valuable message with regards to the time at our disposal?

Death is imagined by some as a terror-striking Being riding a monster-buffalo, pouncing on you with a noose. No! The noose is your own making!

He does not pounce; he gives advance notice of his arrival to take you - intimations like grey hair, falling teeth, failing vision, hearing deafness, shrinking skin, etc.

He does not ride any beast; he is only another name for Time. It is Time that creeps steadily towards you and shears the cord of life.

So utilise the capacity for action (karma) with which you are endowed, to liberate yourself. The Law of karma holds out hope for you; as the karma, so the consequence.

Do not bind yourself further by seeking the fruit of action. Offer the act at the feet of the Divine. Let it glorify Him.

Be unconcerned with the success or failure of the endeavour. Then death will not bind you, but will come as a liberator!

- Divine Discourse, Apr 14, 2001.

Do not contemplate on death; it is just an incident in life. Contemplate on the Divine, who is the Master of all life.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why do we go to temple, church, mosque etc and how should we benefit from holy places of worship?

Temples are centres of discipline, where aspirants are guided step by step to attain a vision of truth.

They are schools for training of the spirit, academies for promotion of scriptural studies, institutes of super-science, and laboratories for testing the values of life.

They are hospitals for the treatment and cure not only of the ‘birth-death disease’, which has persisted for ages, but even the much more patent ‘mental disorders’ that trouble those who do not know the secret of acquiring peace.

They are gymnasia where people are reconditioned and their hesitant faith, waning conviction, and the upsurging egotism is cured.

Their purpose is to awaken the Divinity in humanity, inducing people to believe that the physical frames in which they live are themselves houses of the Divine.

- Dharma Vahini, Ch 10.

The heart with compassion is the temple of the Divine.

Source: radiosai.org