Life 49 (Nov 25 - Dec 27)

[winston]

What distinguishes ordinary people from spiritually evolved souls?

In this world of sensory objects, the one who grieves when he is in the midst of troubles and exults when he is joyous can be compared to a piece of iron.

If you put a piece of iron in the fire, it becomes soft and red, and loses its intrinsic characteristics. When you take it out, it becomes hard and black, and gets back its original form. Such people can be said to be of the lowest type.

On the other hand, if one feels happy in the midst of sorrow, such an individual can be compared to gold.

If you take a piece of gold and put it in the fire, it gets rid of its impurities. In the same manner, the one who finds the bliss within when subjected to sorrow can be said to be like gold.

An individual who remains equal-minded in the midst of joy or grief can be compared to a diamond. This means that this individual, whatever sorrows he may face, whatever troubles or difficulties may come to him, he considers it his duty to develop equal-mindedness and bliss.

In the case of a diamond, you may try to cut it in many ways, but with each cut, its value only increases.

The fourth kind of individual is well above sorrows and pleasures, transcends the Gunas and experiences Brahmananda as one's very nature.

Of these four types, only the Atmic nature is true and eternal, while the other three relate to the world and are subject to change.

The individual who wishes to experience this nature of the Atma should not be bound by worldly fears and attachments.

- Summer Showers, Jun 11, 1973

Our body is like sugarcane. Troubles are the process of refinement, which produces the sweet juice of Divinity within us.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the greatest threat to peace and harmony in the world today?

No quarter should be given for propaganda which sets up one religion against another.

All the diverse communities in the nation should be united. Mankind should become one family. The world will then become a paradise.

If differences are allowed to grow, the nation will disintegrate.

It is said that atom bombs will reduce the world to ashes. But those who are promoting religious bigotry and hatred, are doing damage worse than what atom bombs can do.

They are destroying love and compassion in human hearts. They are breaking up mankind into fragments. There is no greater sin than this.

What the world needs today is the redeeming and unifying force of love, love which continually expands and embraces more and more people.

By giving up narrow ideas regarding one’s religion, nation or caste, by developing a broad outlook and cultivating the company of the good, you can elevate your life and make it meaningful and satisfying.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 25, 1985

All religions, all scriptures, all spiritual teachings point only to one truth: the unity of divinity.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What are two essential attributes that need to be cultivated to be successful in the practice of meditation?

Discipline must be followed while practising dhyanam (meditation).

In fact, following discipline is the most important and essential thing for meditation.

If the spiritual aspirant follows discipline well, he can achieve success quickly.

Dhyanam (Meditation) is a first-class cure for Bhava-roga (Illness of worldly existence). Along with it, there is another important thing which needs to be cultivated; its name is ‘Trupti’ (Contentment).

If there is contentment in the mind, one enjoys an endless celebration. Desires make the mind waver; desire is like an all-consuming fire in the body, which will destroy man, slowly and surely. The antidote to desire is contentment.

The joy of contentment is the royal road to meditation.

Just as a traveller who has trudged along for miles in the scorching sun feels calm and refreshed when he takes a bath in the limpid waters of a cool and shady lake, so too the unfortunate individual struggling in the scorching heat of desires feels happy and relieved fully when he bathes in the lake of contentment.

- Dhyana Vahini, Ch 14

One who wishes to realise the Divine should cultivate contentment.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

How important is duty in the path of devotion?

I want to draw your attention to something very important. This is the root cause for our country coming to such a sorry state today.

People do not perform their duty properly. What is the use of such people listening about bhakti (devotion)? Be it a doctor or a lawyer, it is most important that they perform their duty with dedication.

If the patients are suffering and the doctors run to the Mandir to participate in the Arati of Swami, can this be devotion? It is no devotion at all. It is sheer madness and foolishness.

Look after the patients under your charge with sincerity and earnestness so that they do not undergo any suffering at all. This is your Seva, this is your duty.

People who neglect their duty this way can never develop devotion, however much they listen about devotion.

What is the use of pouring payasam (sweet pudding) into a vessel that has ten holes? The vessel will always remain empty, however much is the payasam you pour into it.

Likewise, if your heart has the holes of selfishness and self-interest, what is the use of stuffing it with devotion? Therefore, what is important is that you should perform your duty properly and sincerely.

- Divine Discourse, Jun 28, 1996

A true aspirant will carry out every task assigned to him as if it is an act of worship by which the Divine will be pleased, through which he can approach the Pedestal of The Divine.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the nature of true love and what is the prerequisite to developing such love?

In this worldly life, love manifests in several forms, such as the love between mother and son, husband and wife, and between relatives.

This love based on physical relationships arises out of selfish motives and self-interest.

But the love for the Divine is devoid of any trace of self-interest. This is called bhakti.

One characteristic of this love is to give and not to receive. Secondly, love knows no fear. Thirdly, it is only for love’s sake and not for a selfish motive.

All these three angles of love jointly connote prapatti (Surrender). When one revels in this attitude of prapatti, one experiences the bliss of the Divine.

For this, the prime requisite is kshama (forbearance). Only a person who has this attitude of kshama can be considered to be endowed with sacred love.

This cannot be learned from textbooks. Nor can it be acquired from preceptors nor from anyone else. It is to be cultivated by oneself in times of difficulties, trials and tribulations that one is forced to meet.

When you are confronted with problems and difficulties, you should not get upset and become victims of depression, which is a sign of weakness.

In such a situation, you should bring tolerance and an attitude of forgiveness into play and should not get agitated, giving rise to anger, hatred and a revengeful attitude. You are embodiments of strength and not weakness.

- Divine Discourse Jan 01, 1994

The quality of kshama (forbearance) is the greatest power in a human being. If one loses this quality, he becomes demonic.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why is our heart not broadening in the present times and why should it?

Man has two essential organs: the head and the heart.

Pravritti (interest in the external) arises from the head (the mind), while Nivritti (interest in the internal) arises from the heart.

What we are witnessing is an excessive growth of thoughts arising in the head. This means that involvement with the external world is growing from minute to minute.

But internal feelings are not developing with steadiness and purity. Aeons change. The world is changing. But man’s heart is not getting transformed.

Man is growing, but his heart is not expanding. It is only when the heart widens that humanness will find fulfilment.

Why is the heart of man not broadening at the present time? The reason is the secular education that is prevalent today. This educational system is diverting man’s attention towards the external world.

The student concentrates his attention on worldly and technical knowledge. He devotes no attention to the knowledge of spiritual and ethical importance.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 15, 1995

Broadening your heart and making it bigger and bigger, you should make it as big as the Divine
Himself.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why are character and virtues, more important than education and money?

A person whose heart is filled with good thoughts and noble intentions, will put education and money to good use.

On the other hand, a person whose heart is filled with evil thoughts, bad qualities and wicked feelings, will put both education and money to evil use.

It is only the mind of man which is the primary cause of good or bad use of education and wealth.

Here is an example to illustrate this. If you put water in a red-coloured bottle, the colour of the water will appear to be red. If you put it in a blue-coloured bottle, it will appear to be blue.

In the same way, whatever is the quality of the human heart, education and money will assume that quality only. If a man is filled with rajoguna (quality of passion), the education and wealth he acquires will assume rajoguna.

If a man is filled with sattvaguna (quality of serenity), the education and money acquired by him will also have a similar quality.

The qualities of man are responsible for making education and money either good or bad.

A man may have many types of powers, but if he lacks the power of virtues, his education and money will be absolutely useless.

- Divine Discourse, Jun 28, 1996

Life has to be spent in accumulating virtue and safeguarding virtue, not riches.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What can a devotee win the Divine with?

The esoteric meaning is that the body should be considered a leaf, the heart a flower, virtue as fruit and the tears of joy flowing from the devotee’s eyes as the water offered to the Divine in a spirit of complete surrender.

Tears should be shed only for the Divine and not for anyone else. Whatever one’s grief, one should not shed tears.

Tears may flow out of joy or enthusiasm or ecstasy but not from a feeling of sorrow.

The Divine will not succumb to wealth. He will yield only to goodness.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 15, 1995

The Divine, who is the embodiment of love, can be attained only through love, just as the effulgent Sun can be seen only through its own light.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

How should human faculties like eyes, ears and so on, be used to lead a purposeful and spiritual life?

The mere presence of the light is not enough.

We should seek to go forward with the help of that illumination.

If having this light, we do not follow the path revealed by it, we are as unseeing as the blind.

- Divine Discourse Jul 14, 1984

Equip yourselves with a clear eye through detachment and love, sharpen your discrimination so that it has no prejudice or predilection then you can see the Divine in you, around you and in all that you know, feel and are.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why do some devotees feel distant from Him and what should they do?

On various occasions, the Divine subjects the devotees to different kinds of tests and trials with a view to raising them spiritually to a higher level.

He who is the source of all wisdom, will confer illumination only on those who approach Him.

Those who feel that He has not seen them or spoken to them should ask themselves how close they are mentally to Him and how near they are to the Divine in their practices.

Each one should engage themselves in the process of self-enquiry. He has neither anger nor benevolence.

Even when He appears to be harsh, there is grace in that harshness. When He appears to chastise, there is compassion in it. When He seems to be angry, there is love behind it.

Only those who understand the nature of the Divinity can appreciate the ways of the Divine.

The Divine resorts to certain kinds of punishments to make the devotee pursue the right path and enable him to lead an ideal life. Such punishments are for the devotee's good and well-being.

- Divine Discourse Mar 06, 1989

Regardless of time, space, or circumstance, one should feel closeness to Him - that is true Bhakti (Devotion).

Source: radiosai.org