Sunday, December 23, 2007 - Bhagawan had asked for a drama presentation by the students incorporating the
story of Shravan Kumar from the Ramayana. This
evening, the students got ready with
the drama and were seated inside the Bhajan Hall with costumes. Swami arrived
just after five o'clock and came to the Bhajan Hall after His darshan round in the car.
He interacted with the students in costumes, asking about many of the main characters
like Rama, Sita, Shravan Kumar, Lava, Kusa and so on. After ten minutes of interaction,
Bhagawan moved to the stage area. But He asked for a change in the presentation. Instead
of the students facing the Mandir with Swami seated onstage, He asked them to face the
devotees in Sai Kulwant Hall so that all of them could see the drama. Swami moved down
from the stage and sat among the students in the
middle of the Hall. The forty-five
minute presentation had dances, songs and touching dialogues. The stories of Shavan
Kumar, Sabari and Guha the boatman were highlighted. Sai Rama appreciated the narration
of Sri Ramachandra's devotees and stood up to grant the participants group photographs.
Then He again interacted for fifteen minutes with the participants while wafers were
distributed to them, and then accepted Arati at 6.30 pm.
Celebrating Christmas Eve with Avatar Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Monday, December 24, 2007 -
Sairam dearest Sai Family,
Wishing all the brothers and sisters a very happy and merry Christmas. The atmosphere is
fully charged here and plat form well set for Christmas celebrations. Devotees from all
corners of the world have thronged in, to celebrate Christmas in the immediate presence
of our Lord. Sai Kulwanth hall, is wearing a BRIDAL look with all the beautiful
decorations. (talking of
Bride, by Swami’s grace hopefully, I will be getting married very soon, with the help of
family members and well wishers , already in search of a Sai devotee girl and hopefully
the good news is round the corner)..
This year’s Christmas choir was a huge one consisting of over 600 ladies and about 350
gents. It’s a huge number for any choir and blessed were those who were handpicked by
our beloved Lord, to sing His glory in His immediate presence. The choir practice
started a fortnight ago and the amount of hard work and practice they put in ended up in
a happy note, when our beloved Lord, very graciously blessed the huge group to sing on
the Christmas eve.
This afternoon, Sai Kulwant hall was full by 3pm with special seating arrangement made
for all the overseas devotees. Swami blessed the huge gathering with His divine darshan
at 4:45pm.
After taking a full round, Swami directly came on the stage. Swami then signalled for
the programme to start. The first programme was the children’s choir which interestingly
started with verses from Bhagwat Geetha’s last chapter. After 30 mins of sweet songs,
the adult choir started. They were also equally impressive and at 6pm Swami asked for
the Bhajans. While the bhajans were sung, Swami called one lady with Violin (Cello), who
was seated near the first pillar to Swami’s left. Swami’s hand made small circles and
there came a dazzling beautiful golden chain which Swami personally put around her neck
amidst huge applauds from the devotees. It took some time for Swami to open the hook of
the chain and the lady rested her head on Swami’s lap as Swami was trying to tighten the
chain. The lady’s happiness knew no bounds and she was in tears, probably thanking
mother Sai for such a surprising gift and a treasured one…..
The programme came to an end as Arathi was given to Swami around 7pm. Prof.Anil Kumar
later announced that there will be special Christmas carols programme by the students of
Sathya Sai University in the Christmas morning.
Looking forward to yet another beautiful Christmas in India’s Vatican, Puttaparthi….
With Love
Satish Naik member SBOI-Group
More details of 24th Dec from Sai students....
updated
December 24th, 2007
Puttaparthi had undergone a transformation, like it always does on the different
occasions to suit the taste of the devotees gathered at His Feet. Christmas trees, small
and big, seemed to have sprouted up in different parts of the ashram. Frosty had arrived
in front of the western canteen and a smiling Santa with his sleigh and gifts too sat on
the lawns near the canteen. The climate too chipped in with its contribution, chilling
the air and making every night into a truly "silent" and "holy" one. Though the air was
cold, there seemed a warmth in everyone as they prepared for an evening of carols in
front of their dear Swami.
In the evening, the whole of Kulwant hall had been decked and a huge gathering of the
overseas devotees waited for Swami's arrival. Swami arrived in the car and went around
slowly granting darshan. He alighted near the interview room and came straight outside.
Three big candles had been kept on the stage and they were lit in Swami's presence as He
smilingly watched on. With a gentle movement of His hand, Swami halted the Vedam
chanting and then beckoned the overseas devotees to begin.
The first part of the programme was the children's choir. The little ones began with
shlokas from the Bhagawad Geeta adapted to the western style of soft music. It had a
very pleasing effect and one could observe the effort that had gone into getting all the
pronunciations clear. It sounded very pleasing to the ear and in the middle, during one
of the shlokas, Swami began to nod His head in affirmation. What was the shloka being
chanted? Ananyaschintayantomaam - meaning "whomsoever thinks of me without any other
thought, I shall take care of their ultimate salvation without doubt." Anyone who could
catch the import was thrilled - the others were thrilled simply seeing His reaction!
There was a small enaction by the children for the carol, "We three kings of Orient".
The choir lasted about 20 minutes after which the adult Christmas choir began.
They began with the triple chanting of the Ganesha Gayathri. Wow! What a great feeling
it was as more than two thousand voices chanted it with the bass and alto harmonics, so
natural to the foriegn throat, and sent a feeling of reverberation in the mighty Kulwant
hall. 2007 years ago,(well, make that 2003 according to some as they say that Christ was
born in 4 AD) the angels in the heavens sang out as the father and mother of Christ,
Joseph and Mary, waited for the divine child to arrive, in a stable. Today the privilege
of the angels had been given to the blessed humans to sing out as the Father of Christ
waited to shower His Divine Love on them!
They began with a carol - "Listen". It literally made everyone sit up and listen as the
ladies and gents alternated beautifully doing justice to the wonderful lyrics and
composition. The carols that followed had been subtly modified and the devotees used
them as a medium to convey their deep Love and yearning for Swami. There were smiles on
every face and they reflected the Love being radiated from every heart. Some of the
songs were fast, some were gentle; some of them had the power of God being expressed
while still others reflected on His tenderness. They sang eleven carols and the final
concluding piece was "O Holy Night".
As they concluded, Swami beamed with joy and benediction. He sent Prasadam to be
distributed to all. Then, the conductor came upto Him and offered, "Swami, would you
like some bhajans?" Swami smiled, "Yes please." With a quick swing of her arms, just
like the way she had been conducting the whole evening, she signaled for the bhajans.
The bhajans began in great earnest. As they progressed, Swami called out for a lady
instrumentalist to come on stage. With a wave of His hand He got a chain with a pendant
for her. There was bliss on her face as He put the chain around her neck. She was in
tears of joy and was finding a dire shortage of words to express her feelings. Even
then, her eyes spoke eloquently of the feelings coursing through her and Swami
understood everything.
The bhajan, "Hari bhajan Bina" started and Swami seemd so happy. He enquired as to who
was singing and the singer was blessed with a padanamaskar too!! After that, Swami
received Aarthi and left. Before that He got it announced that the next day there would
be a programme by the students.
25th Dec. 2007
Christmas Celebrations
Choirs, Band Performance, Speeches and Divine Discourse
December 25 & 26, 2007
Christmas morning & evening celebrations
Tuesday, December 25, 2007 - Christmas morning celebrations commenced in Sai Kulwant Hall with Bhagawan
arriving at 8.20 am. After He came onstage, the Primary School violins performed for a
few minutes, followed by a ten minute performance by the University brass band. Carols
and other Christmas songs by the students was the concluding item of the morning. Santa
Clauses appeared on the scene during the "Jingle Bells" renderings by both the
Primary School
violins and the students' carols. Swami accepted Arati at 9.45 am after prasadam was
distributed.
In the evening, Bhagawan arrived at 5.10 pm and the programme
of talks began at 5.20 after He came onstage. Mr. John Behner of Latin America introduced the
four speakers of the day - Ms. Inez from Argentina, Mr. Sumeet Tappoo from Fiji, Ms. Poppy
Hillcoate from Australia and Dr. Michael Congleton from the USA. The first two Youth speakers
spoke of the transformation Sai has brought in their lives. Ms. Hillcoate spoke of the joy she
experienced in past Christmases at Prasanthi Nilayam, and Mr. Congleton spoke of the joy
derived from selfless service. After the four speakers, Bhajans commenced. Bhagawan accepted
Arati after a Bhajan and returned to His residence at 6.30 pm.
Also read below more Christmas details from
Saistudents... December 25th, 2007
updated
Finally, the day for which preparations had been on for the past week dawned. In
Puttaparthi, it began with the Nagarsankeertan at 5:45 am. After that, Kulwant Hall was
full again by about 7:30 am. Swami came out for darshan at about 8:20 am and was
welcomed by children holding candles. He went around for a complete round of darshan. He
was in orange and that was a sort of surprise again as many expected Him to be in
whites!
Four cakes had been placed for Him to bless in the portico. The cakes were marvellous to
say the least. Two of them depicted the nativity scene so beautifully. The cake and
icing formed the stable and surroundings while beautiful idols of Jesus, Mother Mary and
Joseph had been placed to perfection. One another cake that could not be missed was the
one from the General hospital. The icing on the cake was a literal 'icing on the cakes'
made on Christmas day. Well, believe it or not, the nativity scene was painted on it
with icing! Swami appreciated each cake as He lit the candle and cut them. It was after
the cake cutting that Swami came out and sat on the stage.
As soon as He sat, He saw the primary school children sitting right in the front with
their violins. He immediately asked them as to what they were upto. Two kids went up to
Him and offered the card that carried the details of the programme. The violin concert
began. The tiny tots played with beautiful synchronisation and in unison. The final
piece they played was the famous Jingle Bells. Not one, but six Santas came up to the
stage with their bags full of goodies. Swami smiled and as the Santas showed their bags,
as though asking for His approval, He picked chocolates from their bags and put them in
other bags. He also threw a few of them to the boys sitting in the front. The the Santas
went about in all directions, hurling the chocolates to a gleeful crowd. Meanwhile, the
violins became silent and the children bowed down to Swami. Like a mother, Swami called
the children up in the front and gifted them with Hazelnut chocolate bars. Then came the
beautiful sight as the Santas were at the receiving end of the gifts! Swami gave each of
them chocolate bars too.
The second programme of the day was the one by the University brass band. The bandmaster
and another student went up to Swami with the card bearing the programme details. Swami
blessed the programme and it began. The band played four beautiful pieces and everyone
applauded in joy and appreciation. Then Swami signaled in a sweet manner, "Is it over?"
"Just one more piece Swami!" was the answer.
Swami nodded in agreement. The band began playing the piece, "Love is my form." The
whole audience clapped to the rhythm of the song. After that, they bowed to Swami and
sat. The final programme was the carol singing by the students. Two students again took
a card to Swami. Swami saw through the details of the programme. The carols began with,
"We wish you a merry Christmas." It was threaded along by Fred, Scrooge and the spirit
of Christmas (characters from the famous Dickensian play, "A Christmas Carol.") The
whole programme went along crisply and everyone seemed to enjoy it. The students sang
about nine carols and in the middle, the carol, "Jingle Bell Rock" was sung. It was at
this time that the senior Santas arrived! They too received blessings from Swami and
went about distributing that to everyone seated. As the carols progressed, Mr.Scrooge
was getting transformed by the Christmas spirit and Swami asked, "How many more?"
"Swami two more"
"OK" was the reply with a smile.
Swami sat listening to the carols and at about 9:45 am received Aarthi as Prasadam was
blessed for distribution. Swami then retired.
The evening programme had four speakers scheduled. Swami came out for darshan at about
5:10 pm. He went straight on the stage and after a short while of Veda chanting, He
asked for the speeches to begin. Mr. John Behner of Latin America introduced the four
speakers of the day - Ms. Inez from Argentina, Mr. Sumeet Tappoo from Fiji, Ms. Poppy
Hillcoate from Australia and Dr. Michael Congleton from the USA. The first two Youth
speakers spoke of the transformation Sai has brought in their lives. Ms. Hillcoate spoke
of the joy she experienced in past Christmases at Prasanthi Nilayam, and Mr. Congleton
spoke of the joy derived from selfless service. After the four speakers, Mr.Behner asked
Swami to bless everyone with His divine discourse. The time was already 6:30 pm. Swami
said, "All are tired now. They will be fresh tomorrow and then I will speak to them
all."
A roar of applause made its way throughout the hall as everyone cheered at this promise.
Swami was all smiles. He asked for bhajans. As bhajans went on prasadam was distributed
and then receiving Aarthi, Swami left.
Tuesday, December 26, 2007 -
Yesterday Swami had
assured that today i.e. on 26th Dec. He will give a discourse. Accordingly, today
evening Swami gave a divine discourse covering many
spiritual messages, emphasising that
undercurrents of love are the fundamental truth of
life. Swami also talked about Jesus Christ and His life.
Bhagawan accepted Arati after a Bhajan and returned to His residence at 6.55 pm. Text of divine discourse will be published seprately.
Anything in Life can be Achieved with Faith in
God
26th December 2007
Prasanthi Nilayam
A man with
anger cannot achieve anything.
He commits mistakes and indulges in sinful deeds.
He is despised by everyone.
Love is God and God is love.
Devoid of love, humans cannot exist.
(Telugu poem)
It is lack of love that is responsible for all the differences, arguments, and
conflict in the world, especially in the present times. Several people say
that the world is afflicted today with sorrow, losses, and difficulties. I do
not subscribe to this view. I tell you, they are all our illusion only. In
fact, there is no unrest or sorrow in this world. I just see peace, peace, and
peace only, everywhere. When there is peace in our heart, we will be able to
witness peace all round. Unrest, sorrow, anger, etc., are the reaction,
reflection, and resound of the state of our inner being. Sorrows and
difficulties, anger and unrest are of our own making and creation. They are
not natural phenomena in the world.
When someone enquires after your name, you give some name. (Swami at this
point asked the name of one student sitting in front of Him. The boy replied,
“Vikas”). In fact, that is not his real name. Similarly, you enquire from each
one and they give different names. However, if God were to mention His name,
He will say Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman). In fact, all of us should repeat
the same name since we are all Embodiments of Divine Self. All our names are
given to us by our parents. We are not born with any particular name. Those
who cannot realise this truth cannot lead a happy life.
Embodiments of Love!
Actually love is another name of Brahman. In fact, love, Atma, Prema, Aham, or
Brahman — all these names carry the same meaning. There is nothing in this
world except love. But, unfortunately, we are not able to understand what love
is. We consider Love as relating to the world. We consider it to be physical.
In fact, it does not at all relate to the physical realm. It is truth, verily.
“You are not one person, but three: the one you think you are, the one others
think you are, and the one you really are. What others think is all
imagination. The Self within you is the only truth.
Who is this Self? That is “I”. This “I” is the same in all. The Christians
worship the cross (†). The cross is a symbol exhorting people to get rid of
ego. No one is different from you. Hence, you must always bear the truth that
all are one (I). Those that are born out of karma and grow and perish
ultimately (namely the physical bodies) are unreal. Hence, you are always
Brahman, in accordance with the Vedic declaration Aham Brahmasmi (I am
Brahma). It is only when you consider yourself to be Brahman that you can
realise this Truth. Till then, you will be confined to the different names
like Ramanna, Krishnananna, etc., that have been given to you by your parents
for the purpose of identification. Surely, you did not come into this world
with any name.
When someone enquires of the parents about the name of their newly born child,
they may reply that no name has been given to the child yet. It is thus clear
that all names given to us are by someone only and not innate. They are for
the purpose of identification of the concerned individuals. There are millions
and millions of people inhabiting this world, but none seems to have realised
the truth that they are God. Unfortunately, today we are leading our lives
with names given to us by someone.
What is Brahman? “I”. The Brahman neither is born nor has ‘death’. That is the
only Truth; other events come and go. For example, I have willed to create
this chain (Swami created a gold chain with His divine hand). This has been
created by My Divine Will. It was not there earlier. Thus, all things and
beings in this world are born out of sankalpa (will). Hence divine Sankalpa is
the cause for all creation.
In addition, maya (illusion) also plays its role. When maya and Truth come
together, creation takes place. Without maya, there can be no creation. The
maya is like a shadow to a human being. But this shadow deludes us. At
sunrise, our shadow is long. As the sun gradually rises, the shadow falls
under our feet at mid-day. Thus, the shadow grows and shrinks. We should not
therefore mistake the shadow as our basis.
Embodiments of Love!
Love is the foremost quality of a human being. And faith is the basis for that
love. The spelling of the world love is LOVE. Here ‘L’ stands for ‘Lord’.
Thus, Love is born out of the Lord (God). The entire creation is a
manifestation of God’s love, be it a tiny ant or a mighty elephant. Everything
is the creation of God. Not even a blade of grass will move without divine
Will, People who do not realise this truth get carried away by their pride of
intelligence and discrimination.
But no one, however great they may be, knows what lies ahead for them in
future.
(Telugu poem)
How did this blade of grass come into existence? It is nothing but God’s Will!
Similarly, every human being is born out of divine Will only. There can be no
creation without God. When you look at the earth during summer it looks
parched. But, with the onset of rainy season, the earth looks green with
various plants. From where did they come? From the rain. The rain came from
the clouds. The clouds are caused by the sun. And, the sun itself originated
from God. Thus, the entire creation has its origin in God. There can be no
air, sun, rain or plants without God.
Knowing this truth, we still tend to forget God. On the other hand, we
remember everything else. This is not correct. Never forget God. If you forget
God, it amounts to forgetting everything. For God is the source and cause for
everything. Unfortunately, today, we are forgetting the fundamentals or root
cause for the entire Universe.
If there is no foundation, there can be no walls. If there are no walls, there
can be no roof. You cannot live in a house that has no roof. Hence, first and
foremost the foundation is very important. Based on the foundation, the
pillars are raised and finally the roof is laid. Based on this analogy,
self-confidence is the foundation, self-satisfaction is the wall,
self-sacrifice is the roof and finally self-realisation is life.
Thus, there should be a foundation for everything. That is fundamental truth.
We are forgetting this fundamental truth.
Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary. When Mary was carrying him in her womb,
Joseph and Mary were required to travel to Bethlehem to take part in a census
ordered by the Roman Emperor. They had to travel all the way riding on a
donkey. It was an arduous journey. When they finally reached Bethlehem, it was
night. There was no place for them to rest and they were tired. Joseph
searched and searched for a resting place, but he could not find any. Finally,
he went to a cattle shed and knocked at the door. He explained to the inn
keeper that Mary was about to give birth to a child. The inn keeper
reluctantly gave them a place in a corner to spend the night. The same night,
Mary gave birth to a baby boy. A makeshift bed was arranged for the newly born
child, with some old clothes and dry leaves.
The boy was named Jesus. He was happily growing under the loving care of
mother Mary. When he grew up as a boy, Joseph and Mary had to travel to
Jerusalem to participate in a festival. Jesus got mixed up in the crowd and
could not be traced in spite of an intensive search. The parents were very
worried. At last, Jesus returned to his parents.
When asked where he had gone, he replied that he went to hear the discourse of
a priest in a nearby temple. The priest had taught him, “You alone are the
truth; remember this.”
Constantly contemplating on this teaching, Jesus thereafter wandered and
wandered alone for a long time and later came near a river, where some boatmen
were sitting. The first among them seen by Jesus was Peter. Jesus asked him,
“What is your name?”
He replied, “My name is Peter. He is my father” (pointing to an old man
sitting nearby). The old man was making fishing nets. Jesus made friendship
with Peter.
Peter complained to Jesus, “We went in search of fish for the whole of
yesterday but could not find even one.”
Jesus replied, “Go to such and such place. You will find fish in plenty.”
Jesus also accompanied the boatmen in this exercise.
As foretold by Jesus, they could catch plenty of fish. The boatmen wondered,
“How great Jesus is! He knows everything.”
From then on, they treated Jesus as their preceptor. Though he was young in
age and form, he was old enough in wisdom. Hence, all of them were
meticulously following his words. The entire community of fishermen there
treated Jesus as their Master, with great reverence. Even great Masters appear
to be ordinary human beings in the first instance. As they gradually reveal
themselves, people will realise their true nature and flock round them in
large numbers. The same is the case with Jesus.
The fishermen could become rich with a bounty of fish, with the help and
guidance of Jesus. As they became rich, jealousy grew among the others. They
vied with each other in seeking his help and guidance. Some people, however,
became jealous of Jesus’ popularity and considered him their enemy. They
reported to the chief priest that Jesus had no miraculous powers and that he
was deceiving people. Jesus was summoned and questioned, “How did you acquire
these powers?”
Jesus replied, “All this is divine Will”. Jesus was moving about with his
disciples preaching his doctrine of love and moral principles. Jesus was
questioned, “Who are you?” He replied, “I am Jesus.”
Vexed with the attitude and teachings of Jesus, a death sentence was passed
against him. He was to be crucified. The governor, a kind-hearted person,
however, did not want Jesus to be awarded a death sentence. He lamented that
Jesus was a great and noble man and he was being crucified for no fault of
his. He told Jesus, “You are a great man. These stone-hearted people are
trying to kill you without any reason.”
Jesus replied “I am happy that at least you have realised that I am a good
person.”
Finally, at the time of his crucifixion, his mother Mary came near and started
shedding tears. Jesus consoled her saying, “Why do you cry, mother? The body
is like a water bubble. Let them do whatever they wish with this body. You
think these people are trying to kill me. I have no death. None can kill me.”
Mary replied, “Are you not the son of this body?”
Jesus replied “Of course! I am related to you at the physical level, as a son.
But, ‘I am I’ only. You are all like children to me. You are all Embodiments
of Divinity.”
Thus, Jesus attained the highest level of spirituality, having gone through
all tests. Jesus was not merely a human form. He is the Embodiment of Divine
Self, verily. But, some people could not realise his Divinity, as at present.
Even now some people have faith in Divinity whereas others do not. Some extol
Divinity, whereas some others criticise Divinity. It all depends upon their
faith. If you consider a stone as God, it becomes God automatically.
Jesus underwent several trials and tribulations during his time. He became the
Saviour and Messiah of the poor and forlorn. He helped them in many ways.
Once, while he was crossing the desert, a poor woman approached him, begging
for food. He gave her bread saying, “take this.” When someone asked where
bread came from. He replied that it was divine Will.
There is nothing greater than divine Will. Everything is God’s Will. The
foremost duty of a human being is to realise the Will of God and submit
himself to that divine Will. Those who developed faith in the Will of God were
protected, while others were not. Hence, faith is the basis for everything.
People today are blind, having lost their both eyes of faith. Faith is the
basis for all creation. Where there is faith and love, everything else will be
added unto such a person. Hence, first and foremost, one has to develop faith.
Several people have faith, but they lack love. Faith devoid of love has no
use. Love and faith must be together like mutually attractive magnetic poles.
Embodiments of Love!
First and foremost, develop faith. There can be no life without faith.
Sometimes, faith is also termed ‘Self’. Without Self, you cannot help others.
Only when there is faith can you achieve anything in life. Even now, there are
several people who have progressed in life with firm faith in Jesus.
Some people develop faith when their desires are fulfilled. If their desires
are not fulfilled, they lose faith. This type of attitude is not good. Keep
your faith firm, irrespective of whether your desires are fulfilled or not.
Preserve your faith carefully. Faith can work wonders. It can make a blind
person see; a dumb speak. Do not at all doubt the power of faith.
Some incidents happening in this world may shake your faith in God. But, if
you hold on to your faith firmly, you can boldly face any situation.
Even now, some people consider this body (referring to Himself) as an ordinary
man. If that were to be so, how could all these superhuman tasks be achieved?
No, no; it is a mistake to think so. ‘This’ body may appear to be a mere
physical entity to you. It is the fault of your own vision; not Mine. There is
something wrong in your perception. It is a mistake of your vision, not Mine.
Hence, correct your vision, develop right perception.
If you are alright, I will be alright (loud applause). You are all in Me. This
is the fundamental truth. I am getting some things done, making you as My
instruments. For I require some instruments to carry on My mission. Hence, I
am moulding you as those instruments (loud applause). By imparting education,
knowledge, and wisdom, I am developing you all as My instruments. Hence, may
you all lead purposeful lives with firm faith in God!
You think that education and academic degrees have helped you to come up in
life. This view is not at all correct. How many educated people are not there
in this world? Of what use are they to the world? In fact, the world is not
benefited by the educated class. More harm is done to the world by such people
than good. More than education, the spiritual life will protect a person in
every way. 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 God and develop the outlook “I am not this body. This is a vesture
taken upon by Me. There is God inside who is conducting my life.”
God is “in you, with you, around you, above you, below you” (loud applause).
Develop full faith in Divinity. Then you can achieve anything in life.
Dear students!
You are like fully ripened fruits. But the fruits must contain sweet juice.
Without that sweet juice, 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 God. God has several names;
but God is only one. The ornaments may be many, but gold is one. You shall 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. “I am you and you are Me;
you and I are one” (loud applause).
Ekoham Bahusyam (the One willed to become many). Whoever realises that
oneness, achieves total bliss. Every student shall develop faith in God. I am
sure that students have joined this Institution not merely for acquiring
education and academic degrees. They have come here for learning Swami’s
teachings. If you follow the teachings with firm faith in Swami, you will
achieve success in all your endeavours. You should have faith in Swami’s
teachings, love them, adore them, and follow them. (Bhagawan sang the bhajan
“Hari Bhajan Bina Sukha Santhi Nahi …” and continued His discourse.)
When you do bhajan, you will experience peace and happiness. Hence, constantly
do namasmarana (repeating God’s name) in your heart. You may not be able to do
japa (soft repetition of the name), dhyana (meditation), or yoga; but do
namasmarana. There is no easier path than namasmarana to be in communion with
God. Children, adults, and elderly people — all can do namasmarana. Hence,
continue to do namasmarana throughout your life.
You may study and acquire degrees; but do bhajan also.
Do not consider Jesus as an ordinary mortal. See God in Him. You often refer
to someone and say “He is a man” or “she is a lady”. No, no. This is not the
correct way of identification. Gents or ladies — “all are one; be alike to
everyone.”
Lord Krishna, in the Bhagawad Gita, declared, Mamaivamso Jeevaloke Jeevabhutha
Sanathanah (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). You are all
parts of Me. You and I are one. You are not different from Me. I am in you,
with you, above you, below you, and around you. Develop that spirit of oneness
and lead your life. I hope I have made Myself clear. The moment you go to your
places, do not think that Swami is there, while I am here. Always develop the
feeling “He is with me, in me, around me, above me, and below me.” All are one
(loud applause).