Life 45 (Jan 23 - Aug 23)

[winston]

What is the Dharma (conduct) that we must strive to follow?

Dharma is not a thing that can be determined by each and every person, according to one’s whim.

Some may say that the dharma that comes out of one’s heart is one’s dharma; how can it become the dharma of the Divine?

So, in your heart - not the physical heart but the spiritual heart - you must try to locate and cognise the "Principle of the Self".

The word “I” belongs to Atma (Inner-Self) and never to the body. Thus, dharma is that which comes from our heart and which is to be put into practice by us.

The "vyavaharika dharma" or dharma relating to the daily routine, changes from day to day. Those things that change from day to day are not real dharma.

Dharma is eternal, it is immutable, it is truth. If it is changeable, why should we establish such a dharma?

Should we act according to it? In the Scriptures, It is said that human is the embodiment of dharma. Even though humans have a physical body, the dharma that He lived and set as example and established in the world for eternity, is the eternal dharma; it is the Unchanging Truth.

- Summer Showers 1972, Ch 11.

The stream of dharmic activity should never run dry; when its cool waters cease to flow, disaster is certain.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Desires

What is the root cause of one's ruin? Unable to conquer one's desires and unwilling to get rid of one's impulses.

Only by suppressing desires, does a man manifest his humanness.

A man who is unable to put an end to his desires puts an end to himself.

A good man by his good conduct, achieves greatness.

Aspire only to be a good man and dont seek greatness.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 16, 1997.

By conquering the world, one may become the supreme sovereign over them. But one who has mastered his senses is supreme over all rulers.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the real sweet we can consume every single day, without any worry?

Your health will get spoilt by eating all kinds of sweets sold in the marketplace. Those sweets may be tasty but are harmful for you.

Instead, the sweet of "the Name of the Divine" has been prepared by our great rishis. It has a wonderful effect on your mind. It can never become stale or spoiled.

The more you eat this sweet, the more joy will you derive from it. It is sweeter than sugar and tastier than curd. The divine Name is full of sweetness and it will remain sweet forever.

There have been many incarnations of the Divine on earth. But the divine name remains eternal. Since ancient times, He has remained the chant that liberates for one and all.

Right from children to elders, everyone derives bliss chanting the Divine Name.

Age is no obstacle to experiencing the sweetness of the Divine Name. There is immense sweetness in this name. Never give up such a sweet, nectarous and blissful Divine Name even for a second!

- Divine Discourse, Apr 07, 2006.

Picture the Divine in your heart and utter the Name - then you will feel the joy of singing the Name.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the foremost teaching of Lord Rama that we must recall and practice throughout our life?

The foremost teaching of Rama was that one should follow Satya (Truth).

Taking Truth as the basis, one should sustain and promote Dharma (Righteousness).

Righteousness is not confined to any particular place or country; it is present in all. It is born out of Truth.

In fact, Righteousness cannot exist without Truth.

What is Righteousness? Some people wrongly limit Righteousness to mere feeding of the poor or acts of charity.

Righteousness should flow from one’s own heart. Then, it should be put into practice.

Do as you say. That is man’s foremost duty. There should be perfect harmony between one’s words and actions.

On the other hand, if one says one thing and does something contrary to it, it connotes adharma (Unrighteousness).

You are entitled to be called a human being only when your thoughts, words and deeds are in harmony.

Achieve unity of thought, word and deed.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 07, 2006.

All the ideals propagated by the Scriptures should be properly understood and put
into practice by one and all. Only then will human life find fulfilment.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why should people read the Scriptures over and over again and introspect?

The world today is in dire need of the story of the Divine.

For one thing, sons today do not follow the injunctions of their fathers. Fathers do not set the right example for children.

Disciples do not respect preceptors properly. Preceptors do not treat disciples with affection.

There is no love lost even between friends! Relations are estranged amongst themselves. In all fields of life - in administration, agriculture, business or politics - discord is rampant.

Divisions and conflict prevail in social, political and even spiritual fields! If you enquire into the causes for this situation, you find selfishness is at the root of it all.

The basic elements are common to all mankind. The world is one family. All men are brothers.
The Divine preached to the world this basic truth. He taught the world the duties of everyday life, the social duties and family obligations.

This triple stream of duties is the message of the Scriptures. Whoever bathes in this triple stream is absolved of his sins and is redeemed. The Scriptures must be read, reread and lived up to by everyone!

- Divine Discourse, Apr 16, 1997.

The day you root out selfishness from within you, divinity will blossom in your heart.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the relationship between the Divine and His myriad creation?

The Divine pervades everything in the cosmos with His myriad feet, hands, eyes, faces and ears. But man, not recognising the fact, imagines he is the doer and indulges in all kinds of speculation, thinking that no one knows about them.

The Divine sees everything. No one can conceal anything from Him. He dwells inside and outside every living thing. Hence, nothing can be hidden from Him.

He dwells in all beings in one and the same form. Although living beings may vary from each other, He is One and indivisible.

The sun shines over the water in the lake, in a well, in a vessel, in a river or over the ocean. Although the sun is one, he is reflected in different ways. The containers are varied but He is one and the same in all beings.

There is nothing in the world nearer to one, than the Divine. He is very much nearer to you than your mother and dearer to you than your father. You cannot afford to forget such a Divine. Bear this good counsel in mind.

- Divine Discourse, Jan 14, 1991.

He is the nearest, the dearest, the most loving, and the most eager companion, comrade and kinsman for man.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

How can we drive away sadness, worry and fear?

Cast away the vice of egoism, the evil of greed and the poison of envy.

When you seek joy from something outside you, remember that a far greater joy lies in wait within your own inner consciousness.

When you are afraid of someone or something outside you, remind yourself that the fear is born, fed and fertilised in your own mind and that you can overcome it by denying it.

How can fear counter the path of a spiritual aspirant? It can hide in no shadow, it can pester no sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) who has the Divine in his heart.

Faith in the Almighty is the impregnable armour that the sadhaka can wear; and peoples of all lands are sadhakas, whether they know it or not.

Be steady, do not waver, keep straight on, and hold fast to the ideal without despair. Pray until He relents; do not turn away sadly if He does not shower grace when you expect it.

- Divine Discourse, Oct 01, 1976.

You should give up the worldly feelings and thoughts and develop full faith in the principle of unity.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

On the holy occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, what lesson should we learn from the teachings of religions such as Jainism?

Buddha was so agonised by the suffering that haunts the life of man, that he investigated the behaviour of the mind and intellect of man and discovered remedial disciplines;

He analysed the vagaries of the mind, which lead man into the whirlpools of desires; he analysed the ways of reason too and spotted the areas where prejudice takes root;

Above all, he preached surrender to dharma (righteousness), to compassion and to Buddha (the Enlightened One).

Jainism, the religion that was rendered an All-India movement by Mahaveera, extols Jina, the heroic conqueror of the senses, the emotions and the stratagems of the intellect.

He called upon all to carry out the duties commensurate to their status and professions, with steady faith and enthusiasm. He declared that all things and beings are holy in their own right and are but pilgrims on the road to Realisation.

Any Injury inflicted on any of them is an intervention in that sacred journey and so has to be
scrupulously avoided!

- Divine Discourse, Oct 01, 1976.

When the senses are allowed to have their way, all kinds of reactions occur. It is only when the senses are brought under unified control that the nature of Divinity can be comprehended.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the outlook we must strive to develop and what quality enables that?

Devoid of spiritual outlook, all your education and academic degrees are a mere waste. Their value is zero.

Hence, fill your lives with devotion to Him and develop the outlook “I am not this body. This is a vesture taken upon by me. There is the Divine inside who is conducting my life.”

You are like fully ripened fruits. But the fruits must contain sweet juice. Without that, it cannot be a fruit.

You must all have the sweet juice of love. If there is no sweet juice, people will just bite the fruit and throw it away. Hence, fill your hearts with the sweet juice of love.

Whatever be the name and form, develop faith in the Divine. He has many names; but He is only one.

The ornaments may be many, but gold is one. Do not lose sight of the gold. Without gold, you cannot make ornaments.

Develop faith as your foremost quality, irrespective of whether it brings you the desired results or not. Add love to that faith.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 26, 2007.

He and you are one. You are not different from Him.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the 4-point command that we must keep in mind always?

Be devoted and disciplined. Be intelligent and strong. Be steadfast and sincere. Then, no harm can come to you; you will achieve victory in all your efforts.

There are four F's that you must keep before your attention:-
(1) Follow the Master
(2) Face the Devil
(3) Fight to the End and
(4) Finish at the Goal.

‘Follow the Master’ means, observe Dharma.

‘Face the Devil’ means, overcoming temptations that beset you when you try to earn wealth or wherewithal to live in comfort.

‘Fight to the End’ means, struggle ceaselessly; wage war against the six enemies led by kama (desire).

And finally, ‘Finish at the Goal’ means, do not stop until the goal of Liberation from ignorance and delusion is reached.

The four F's are fundamental for the pursuit of goals of human life. March on, fearlessly!

- Divine Discourse, Jul 06, 1975.

March on with your eyes on the goal. Do not worry about the past, its mistakes and its failures.

Source: radiosai.org