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24th
Aug 2007 |
Divine Discourse on Vishu - Bhagawan visits Book Trust |
Puttaparthi |
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Note:
Discourses of Sri Sathya Sai Baba
at SBOIwebsite/group are unedited, authentic & only
sourced from the official Sai baba Org.
Index of Discourses
Bhagawan visits Book Trust
Photos
:Bhagawan visits Book Trust, Images, Report
All those
students who are working here are discharging their duties with
steadfastness and devotion. It is because of them that this Book Stall has
developed. It is not enough if you merely bring out books, you should put
into practice what is there in the books. You should understand and
assimilate all the teachings that are contained in the books and practise
them. Pustaka (book) and Mastaka (head) should be in harmony.
What the world needs today is service. We should love everybody. Love All
Serve All. This is what we are supposed to do. Whatever work we may do, we
should do it with the feeling that we are doing the work of God. There is
no place in this world where God is not present. He is all-pervasive.
Never doubt that God is here and is not there. He is everywhere. God is in
you, with you, above you, below you and around you. Whatever work you do,
whatever happens is only due to the Will of God, and not by your own
effort. (Showing His handkerchief) Here you see a cloth. This cloth is
woven with a bundle of threads. The threads are made out of cotton. So,
the process is first cotton, thread and then thirdly cloth. Similarly, 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.
There are three processes involved in writing a book – the person who
writes, the people who read and the person who prints it. Do not lay
importance on just bringing out books. The books we bring out should
broaden the vision of the people. We should not give room to
narrow-mindedness. The books should help people develop broad feelings. We
should publish books which are essential for everybody. But money is not
important, morality is important. Money comes and goes, morality comes and
grows. We should develop morality. What is the use of writing and reading
books without putting them into practice? We should be able to practice at
least one principle. There may be many items in the plate, but by merely
repeating the names of those items, will our hunger be satiated? Take at
least one item and eat. In the same manner there are many books. People
are writing about the divinity of Swami in many books. But are you putting
into practice at least one principle contained in them? No. What is the
use of reading books if you do not practice? You may listen to ten
teachings, but at least one of them you should be able to practice. Only
then will we derive the necessary strength to carry on our lives.
Our Rajan is putting in lot of efforts to develop the Book Trust. He is
doing much more than what is expected of a person of his age. Students are
also cooperating and working in the right direction to make it conducive
for the smooth functioning of the organisation. You may take into
consideration any workplace. Progress is possible only when there is
cooperation. Cooperation should be such that there should be relationship
between heart to heart. Whatever work we are doing, we should first
understand it thoroughly.
All are one, be alike to everyone. All should work with unity. One may
write the book, another may print it and yet another may bind the book.
But there should be cooperation and unity between all the departments.
Only when all work in unity can we get the desired result. When can you
develop unity? You can develop unity when there is purity. How can you
develop purity? If there are any negative feelings in the mind, purity is
not possible. First of all, there should be unity. Where there is unity,
there is purity. Where there is purity, divinity will manifest. So, first
of all develop unity and purity. Then you will attain the grace of
divinity. If you want to attain divinity, first of all you should develop
unity and purity. Therefore, I exhort you to develop unity and work
together – persons who are writing and those who are printing them. What I
see is not the Pustaka (book) that you print, I see your Mastaka (head).
Our Rajan brings so many things to Me that are printed by the Trust. But I
am not satisfied with any of them. I see the purity of heart of the person
who has written the book. Hence, purify your heart in the first instance.
A cooked dish will be tasty only when the vessel in which it is prepared
is clean. Cleanliness of the vessel is very important. In the same manner,
purify your heart. Any number of changes may take place in the world, but
the heart should not change. Here when I refer to the heart, it does not
mean physical heart. I am referring to the spiritual heart. Spiritual
heart means divinity. Divinity is referred to as Atma.
God has no specific form, but He is all-pervasive. He is in you, with you,
below you, above you and around you. The Atma is present wherever you see.
But when there are passing clouds you will not be able to visualise the
Atma. Moon is always present in the sky, but you will not be able to see
the moon when it is covered by clouds. You cannot deny the presence of the
moon because it is covered by clouds. If you want to see the moon, you
have to wait for some time. You can see the moon, once the clouds move
away. The Veda declares, Chandrama Manaso Jataha Chaksho Suryo Ajayata
(the moon was born out of the mind and the sun out of the eyes of the
Supreme Being). The Atma is shining like moon in the sky of our heart. But
sometimes, it is covered by the clouds of thoughts and desires. In some
seasons, you find thick clouds. When there are thick clouds, you will not
be able to see the moon. But do not deny the existence of moon just
because you are unable to see. In the same manner, God is present in the
heart of everyone. You are unable to see the Atma because of your thoughts
and desires. So, you should exercise control over your desires. Less
luggage more comfort makes travel a pleasure.You can experience immense
happiness if you reduce the luggage of your desires. It is because of
desires, you are unable to see the Atma. Therefore, reduce your desires.
This is referred to as Vairagya in Vedanta. What is meant by Vairagya? It
is reducing your desires. You should not have more and more desires. Our
body grows with every day. But our life-span decreases day by day. As the
body grows, our life-span also decreases. Hence, it will be very
beneficial to us if we reduce our desires. You can always be happy and
cheerful when you reduce your desires. You may read any number of books
and listen to many sacred histories, but first and foremost you must
reduce your desires. Only then can you find benefit out of them. Everyone
has desires, but some are necessary and some are not. When we wake up in
the morning what is that we do? We get up from the bed with a lot of
desires.
Oh man! You struggle hard in life merely for the sake of filling your
belly. You acquire myriad types of knowledge from various fields. Examine
and enquire for yourself what great happiness you have achieved by
spending all the time from dawn to dusk in acquiring worldly knowledge and
earning wealth while forgetting God.
(Telugu Poem)
Forgetting God, whatever you may do is a mere waste of time. You should
always keep God as your goal. God is not present in a far off land. He is
present everywhere – in you, with you, below you, above you and around
you. Hence, we should never forget God. People may say anything, you may
face any number of difficulties, but you should never forget God. Only
when you have such pure, unsullied and steady devotion can you be called a
true devotee. You cannot call yourself a devotee if you do not have
steadiness of mind. Your devotion should be steady like an ocean which
never reduces in quantity. On the one hand, the water gets evaporated from
the ocean and on the other hand, rivers merge in it, but still the ocean
maintains all its characteristics. Our heart should be filled with
devotion like an ocean. We should not entertain the waves of desires and
malign it. Any number of waves may arise, but the ocean maintains its
pristine state. Hence, keep your heart always pure, steady and selfless.
Our Rajan is putting in a lot of effort. He is bringing about many changes
in the publication of books. For the 80th Birthday, many good books were
brought out.
Never entertain any desires. Whatever you do, do it as an offering to God.
Sarva Karma Bhagavad Preetyartham (do all actions to please God). That is
the sign of true devotion. Do not give rise to differences like this is my
work, that is Swami’s work and yet another work pertains to public. Think
all work is God’s work. One who writes the book, one who prints and one
who reads the book, all are one. All are one. Never entertain any
differences. Only when you do not have differences, can you develop steady
devotion. Your devotion should always be steady; it should not waver
moment to moment. When you have a wavering mind, everything will keep
changing. Do not give scope to a wavering mind. Desires and thoughts may
arise, but we should utilise our power of discrimination. Is it good or
bad? Is it right or wrong? When your conscience tells something is right,
follow it. Always follow your conscience. It is like a traffic signal.
Follow it conscientiously. When your conscience tells something is right,
follow it scrupulously, irrespective of what others say. Let people talk
whatever they want, but we should remain steady in our mind. Greatness
does not lie in bringing out books, but we should understand the essence
contained in the books. We should bear in mind the essence in the books.
Without matter, it cannot be called a book. Without any subject, you
cannot get matter. What type of subjects you should choose? You should
choose those subjects which are related to the heart. If you do not go by
the dictates of the heart, you will not be successful.
An author should write good books which are beneficial to one and all. We
should not print unnecessary things. There are many books brought out in
the outside world which gives rise to worldly desires. What is happening
to all those books? Nobody is reading them. Whatever subject is pleasing
to the heart should be the subject matter of books. They are true and
eternal. We should perform actions without deviating from the path of
Sathya (truth) and Dharma (righteousness). Sathya and Dharma are not
different from each other. Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (There is no Dharma
greater than adherence to Truth). Sathya and Dharma are one and the same.
Without Dharma there cannot be Sathya and without Sathya, there cannot be
Dharma. They are interdependent and are like mirror images. We can achieve
anything when we have Sathya and Dharma on our side. We should always keep
Sathya and Dharma as our goal. Then we will certainly achieve our goal.
Now, I cannot explain in detail any further due to time constraint. I
wanted to tell you something related to publication of books and nothing
else. We should publish only good books. Good books that are beneficial to
one and all. You have heard Bhagawan’s Discourses, read many books. At
least from now onwards put them into practice.
Source: http://sssbpt.org
***SBOI***
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