[Released 22nd Augustl]
Tamil New Year and Vishu Discourse in Sai Sruthi, Kodaikanal
14th April- 2006 [quick
download discourse text file - Right click & save] by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Note:
Discourses of Sri Sathya Sai Baba
on this SBOIwebsite/group are unedited, authentic & only
sourced from the official Sai baba Org.
"HAPPINESS
IS HOLINESS"
14th April 2006
Tamil New Year and Vishu Discourse in Sai Sruthi, Kodaikanal
Lord Krishna made this divine declaration: Mamaivamsho Jivaloke Jivabhuta
Sanathana (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). Hence,
do not feel that you are different from God. God resides in you. In fact,
you are God.
Nothing is Permanent in this World
You think, you are a human being because you are endowed with human body,
but the Atma that indwells all manifests your divinity. There are
thousands of bulbs that have been put up for decoration. Their colour and
wattage may differ, but the electric current in all of them is one and the
same. Like the current that makes all the bulbs shine, the Atma present in
all human beings makes them see, hear and work. But today man is caught in
worldly affairs and is ignoring spirituality. If you have spiritual
vision, you will know that it is the same God who is present everywhere.
Everything from earth to sky is nothing but God. Even this flower, this
tumbler, this microphone and the tablecloth that you see here are all
aspects of divinity. Divinity pervades each and everything in this
universe. But you see differences due to your faulty vision.
Change is the nature of the five elements, and not of God. There are only
five elements in this universe; there is no sixth element. Our human form
is a combination of the five elements and is sustained by them. Man has
relationship with the five elements so long as the body lasts. Once the
body perishes, he has nothing to do with even one of them. These elements
are present in man in the form of his senses of sound, sight, touch, taste
and smell. Our senses are responsible for good and bad, merit and sin.
Good and bad are not given by God; they are the consequences of man’s own
actions. Sometimes you think that God has given you suffering and
sometimes you feel God is responsible for your happiness, but God neither
gives happiness nor suffering. This is all man’s illusion. Man suffers due
to his own evil qualities like jealousy, hatred, anger and pomposity.
Where does anger come from? It comes from within us because of our wrong
food and evil thoughts. Desire arises because of your covetous nature.
Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya (desire, anger, greed,
attachment, pride and jealousy) all arise from us.
You think God has a form. But God is formless. God is positive and man is
negative. Negative comes and goes, but positive is permanent. Repose your
faith in the positive and not in the negative. Everything in this world
comes and goes like passing clouds. A boy gets married to a girl. But
before marriage, where was the boy and where was the girl? Their
relationship developed only after marriage. But even that is not
permanent. There is nothing in human life that is permanent. Everything is
temporary; it comes and goes. If man wants to become eternal, he has to
develop Atma Viswasa (faith in the Self). You may come and go, but I am
with you forever. Divinity is changeless. Instead of aspiring for the
changeless, man is running after all that is fleeting and temporary. All
that we desire in this world is subject to change. Bodies are subject to
change. You may see a body today and may not see it tomorrow. There is
nothing in this world that is permanent. There is only one entity that is
permanent about whom it is said, Sarvatah Panipadam Tat Sarvathokshi
Siromukham, SarvatahSruthimallokeSarvamavruthya Tishthati (with hands,
feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the
entire universe). There is only One that is present always, but during our
short life-span we develop many illusions.
Pray to God Desirelessly
We celebrate New Year and feel very happy. In fact it is not new; it is
just a change of time. Today is the beginning of Chaitra (a month in
Indian calendar). Next month is Vaishakha. In this way, many Chaitras and
Vaishakhas have come and gone, but nothing is permanent. Why should we
bother about all that is impermanent and passing? A fruit is at first
unripe and after some time it becomes fully ripe and ultimately it decays.
Similarly, human body is subject to change; it has childhood, youth, old
age and ultimately death. So, there is nothing in this world that is
permanent. Whatever you see in this world is just temporary and passing.
There is only one thing that is permanent and you have to pray for that.
But whom are you praying for? You are praying for yourself, not for God.
In fact, you are praying to yourself because God is in you. Because of
your identification with the body, you think you are a devotee and God is
separate from you. There is no difference between the devotee and God.
Whatever you see, it is God; wherever you go, God is there; whatever you
do, it is for God. God is present even in a particle of dust. When the
wind blows, the dust goes up. When there is no wind, the dust comes down.
In the same way, when man has desires, he is engulfed in delusion. When he
is without desires, his delusion is also subdued. Sometimes, man is
peaceful and at another time he is agitated. These states of man are the
result of his food, his habits and worldly relationships; they are not
caused by God. God has nothing to do with that. God is eternally present
and the five elements are also present forever. Even after man dies, the
five elements continue to have their existence. The consciousness present
in all the five elements in man is responsible for all his body functions.
When a man is newly married, he loves his wife very much. His love is so
intense in the beginning that if she is about to put her foot on a thorn,
he pulls her away with great concern, saying, “There is a thorn, there is
a thorn.” After some time, when the same situation arises, he merely
cautions her, “Be careful, there is a thorn.” When more time has elapsed,
he will resort to scolding, “Don’t you have eyes? Can’t you see the
thorn?” The love that is there in the beginning gives way to anger with
the passage of time. Worldly love is subject to change. Even the love
between husband and wife and mother and child undergoes changes with the
passage of time. Everything is temporary in this world. It is impermanent
and it comes and goes. We are happy when we gain something; we are grieved
when we lose anything. Loss and gain are the cause of our happiness and
sorrow. But profit and loss are only relative terms.
Embodiments of Love!
There are no permanent relationships in this world. So long as the body
lasts, the relationships exist. When the body is lost, the relationships
are also lost. There is one thing that is permanent in this universe and
that is what you have to aspire for. Human life is given to man to know
himself and to realise God. People worship God and pray to Him. When their
desires are fulfilled, they are very happy. If their desires are not
fulfilled, they change even the photo of the deity in their altar. If we
worship God only to fulfil our desires, then it is not true worship. Our
love and devotion for God should be changeless. It should not change under
any circumstances. Love is the very form of God. Love is God. Live in
love. Love is present in all. Even the person whom we think as wicked has
love for his wife and children. If you have love in your heart, you will
find love everywhere. If you love a dog or a cat, they will also
reciprocate your love. You will not have fear of even wild animals if you
do not harm them. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati (as is the feeling, so is the
result). Everything depends on our feelings.
Desires are the Cause of Man’s Suffering
All of us should consider our body as only an instrument to discharge our
duties. Never think that this body is permanent and you have to accumulate
wealth to maintain it. It is merely a waste of time and effort when you
try to accumulate worldly possessions. Everything else is temporary except
love and truth. Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than
adherence to truth). There are many types of duties that we have to
perform with the help of the body. But our foremost duty is to develop
love. Where there is love, there is bliss. True relationship exists only
when there is love. Where there is no love, bliss cannot exist there,
neither can there be true relationship. God is the embodiment of bliss.
Nityanandam, Parama Sukhadam, Kevalam Jnanamurtim, Dwandwateetam, Gagana
Sadrisham, Tattwamasyadi Lakshyam, Ekam, Nityam, Vimalam, Achalam,
Sarvadhee Sakshibhutam, Bhavateetam, Trigunarahitam (God is the embodiment
of eternal bliss, He is wisdom absolute, beyond the pair of opposites,
expansive and pervasive like the sky, the goal indicated by the Mahavakya
Tattwamasi, One without a second, eternal, pure, unchanging, witness of
all functions of the intellect, beyond all mental conditions and the three
attributes of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas.) Man should develop the divine
quality of love and not the worldly relationships.
Suppose a person has delicious dishes and fruits before him which he loves
to eat, he will get happiness when he consumes them. If at that very
moment he gets the sad news of the tragic death of his son in an accident
in the bazaar, he will run to see his son and throw away all the dishes,
because his love for his son is more than his love for food. When the food
is before him, he thinks that his entire happiness lies in consuming it.
Where has the love for food gone now? In a similar way, man develops love
for many things in this world. In fact, there is nothing in this world
which you should desire for. Desires are the cause of all the suffering of
man. Less luggage more comfort. When there is luggage, you cannot escape
from trouble. Here luggage refers to worldly relationships and desires.
Only when you get rid of worldly bondage can you be happy. There is
nothing in this world that you should desire for. If any worldly desire
crops up in your mind, give it up at once. Giving up of desires is true
renunciation. Less luggage more comfort makes travel a pleasure. You can
have real happiness only when you reduce your luggage. There are so many
millionaires in this world. But, are they able to live forever? They come
and go like passing clouds. You find clouds only in the sky. Without sky,
there can be no clouds. So long as you have body consciousness, you will
have the clouds of desires.
Everybody has to Leave the World Empty-handed
Embodiments of Love!
You should have body conscious-ness only to discharge your duties. You
have to do your duty. Duty is God. You should not develop undue worldly
relations. But, you are developing more and more desires and more and more
greed. You have to reduce the luggage of your desires. You may accumulate
any amount of luggage, but it is not going to be permanent. Alexander, the
great emperor, conquered different parts of the world and came to India
with a desire to conquer this country. On his return journey, he suffered
a grave illness. Sensing that his end had approached, he called all his
ministers and generals and told them that he was not going to live any
more. He instructed them to take his body to his country after his death.
He further told them to expose his hands out of the bier with his palms
upwards and carry the funeral procession in all the streets of the city.
This was to tell the people of the world that in spite of his great
conquests in the world and a great name and fame, Alexander left the world
empty-handed. This is true of all of us. Whatever we may accumulate, we
have to go empty-handed only. In the ultimate analysis, all the worldly
possessions are useless. Then why should we worry about all that is
useless? Do your duty making best use of the present; do not unnecessarily
worry about what is to come in future.
Many things happen in this world; God is the witness of all that happens.
God is always blissful; He has no suffering, no difficulty, no worry. God
is not the cause of the difficulties and sufferings of anybody. He has no
desires. You may think that God has desires, but in reality He has none.
He is Gunateeta (beyond attributes), Trigunarahita (bereft of the three
qualities of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas). You become the victim of delusion
as you are bound by these three qualities. If someone dies, people lament
over his death for a few days and then they forget. In this manner,
nothing is permanent in this world. However, we have to do what we are
supposed to do. You wear a shawl when it is cold. As soon as the cold is
gone, you remove the shawl. Likewise, you don the vesture of human body
and nourish it for performing your worldly duties. Ultimately, you have to
give up this body.
Do all Actions to Please God
Embodiments of Love!
You do all kinds of worship, penance and Yajnas, but what is the use of
all this? They cannot protect and sustain you if you are bereft of the
divine quality of love. It will be just a waste of time and energy. What
you have to nourish and develop is love. If you have love, you can conquer
anything. Except love, there is nothing that can nourish and sustain you.
Develop self-confidence. When you have self-confidence, you will attain
self-satisfaction which will lead you to self-sacrifice and ultimately to
self-realisation. What is the meaning of self-realisation? It means to
realise one’s Self. You keep asking everybody, “Who are you?” But you do
not ask yourself, “Who am I?” Am I the body, am I the mind, am I the
intellect, am I the Chitta, am I the senses? When you say, ‘my body’, you
are different from the body. Body is like a water bubble, mind is like a
mad monkey. Do not follow the body, do not follow the mind. Do not think
that the body is permanent. But so long as you have the body and mind, you
have to use them to perform your duties. If your mind is not sound and
steady, none of your endeavours will fructify. Hence, first and foremost
control the mind. Who is man? One who is endowed with mind is man. Do not
allow your mind to become monkey mind. Understand that you belong to
mankind. So, you have to conduct yourself with kindness and compassion.
You are running after all that is false and ephemeral and giving up all
that is true and eternal. In Kali Age, everything is becoming business.
Wherever people go, whatever they do, they do it with a business motive.
Even trivial matters have become business activity. How long can you do
this business? It is all useless. Man should learn to give; he should not
try to grab all that comes his way. Body is given to man to do good to
others. Paropakara Punyaya,Papaya Parapeedanam (one attains merit by
serving others and commits sin by hurting them). Do not always accept the
service of others; rather, try to serve others to the extent possible.
When you serve others, think that you are serving God. Do all actions to
please God. All your actions will become meaningful only when you do them
with the motive of pleasing God. Never do anything with a selfish motive.
Today you are here. Tomorrow you may be somewhere else. Nothing is
permanent. Only love is permanent in this world. Fill your life with love.
You can love others only when you have love within you. Your innate love
is your divinity. If you have love in your heart, nobody will hate you.
Others will hate you only when you have selfish desires. Never hate
anybody, never feel jealous of anybody and never get angry with anyone.
Embodiments of Love!
You have come all the way from distant places because of your love for
Swami. Preserve this love forever and live in the presence of God. Never
forget this love which is in you, with you, below you, above you, around
you. Do not think that God is separate from you. He is the witness of
everything. People go to temples with trays full of flowers and fruits.
Is it possible to limit the One to a temple who pervades the entire
cosmos? How can one offer food to the One who has the entire cosmos in His
belly? How can one give a bath to the One who is present in all rivers?
(Telugu Poem)
Worry is a Mentally Created Fear
People offer food to God and afterwards consume it themselves! God does
not want anything. God has no desires at all. Sometimes, God may act in a
way which makes you think that He has desires. But God has no desires at
all. He has no bondage either. Whatever He does is for your sake. Whatever
He says, does and thinks is for your sake. Pray for the welfare of all.
Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu (May all the people of the world be happy!).
Do not wish any harm even to your enemy. Love Ever, Hurt Never. Do no do
anything that is contradictory to the principle of love. Love is God. Live
is Love. Consider love as God. Salute whomever you come across, even if he
be your enemy. Love even your enemy. Whomsoever you salute, it will reach
God, for God is in all. With these sacred feelings, do not have hatred
towards anyone.
All that has to happen will happen. Do not worry about it. Past is past,
forget the past. Future is uncertain, do not brood over it. Present is
important, live in the present and be happy. Do not worry about past and
future. Where is the past? Many people have passed away. Has any of them
come back? None. Similarly, we do not know anything about future. Why
should we worry about it? You should try to seek happiness in the present.
When you have such an attitude, you will never worry about anything in
life. What is the shape of worry? It is a mentally created fear. We should
never worry. A true devotee will not have any worries. You cannot call
yourself a true devotee if you are beset with worries. Hurry, worry, curry
are the cause of heart diseases. One should therefore avoid hurry, worry,
curry.
All of you are the embodiments of love and divinity. You are Atmaswarupa
(embodiment of the Atma). For the sake of identity, you have a name, but
in reality, all of you are the embodiments of the Atma. Only the Atma is
eternal.
Today marks the beginning of New Year. People of Kerala celebrate it in a
traditional way by having the holy vision of Vishukkani in the morning.
They have delicious dishes and all merriment. It is a festive occasion for
the farmers who bring home the harvested grain. It is, in fact, a holy day
for them as they reap the fruit of their hard labour after toiling hard
from morning to evening in their fields all the year round. The farmers
lead a very hard life. This is the time of their rejoicing as the
harvested grain ensures them freedom from all worries and makes them happy
and blissful. Happiness is true holiness. True bliss lies in cultivating
the principle of love and leading a life of contentment. We should always
be contented. When there is no contentment, worries raise their head. All
troubles are created by worrying.
Live always in Bliss
Embodiments of Love!
The day you are happy is the holy day. Love is divine. Suffuse your love
with the principle of divinity. Keep your heart filled with love forever.
Then every day will become a New Year for you. What is New Year? The
celebration of New Year does not lie in eating Payasam (sweet rice
pudding) and other delicious dishes. The day you are filled with bliss is
the New Year. Always live in bliss. If difficulties confront you, drive
them away. In fact, suffering and troubles have no real existence. Then
why are you worrying? Develop the attitude of detachment. Then you will
have no suffering and no worry. Remind yourself, “I am a human being.
These difficulties and suffering do not belong to me.” If you develop real
body detachment, you will not be affected by any affliction. Physical
ailments like stomachache, headache or body pain are natural to the body.
Why should you worry about that which is natural? You suffer because you
develop too much attachment to the body. However, you have to take care of
the body to the extent that you are not dependent on others. You should
realise your true nature. Regulate your diet and habits. Since you have
too many desires, you have all the problems. If you eat too much, you will
have to suffer from indigestion. Hence, control your craving for food. Eat
moderately and maintain good health. That is what I advise the children
always.
Get up early in the morning at the crowing of the cock,
Have a bath after your morning ablutions,
Wear a proper dress.
Eat properly and moderately.
Go to school and study diligently.
Earn a good name. (Telugu Poem)
Develop good health, cultivate good habits, have good conduct and earn a
good name. If you have all these, you will not need anything else in life.
Do not run after medicines and doctors for your small problems. If a
medicine cures one disease, it will create another. Many doctors have made
the medical profession also a business. What are you going to achieve if
you lead a life full of worries? Nothing at all! Some doctors may
exaggerate even your minor ailments as cancer and ulcer. In such cases,
even if you do not have such a disease, worry caused to you by the
imaginary disease may lead to it. The more you worry about it, the more
would be your suffering. Therefore, do not worry about your small physical
problems. If you lead a life of moderation and maintain a healthy
lifestyle, you don’t need to be at the mercy of doctors.
Embodiments of Love!
Stop the habit of worrying. Even an intelligent student will not be able
to write his examination well, if he becomes nervous in the examination
hall due to his doubts, though he may know the answers to the questions.
Doubts are the cause of your worry. You have to face all difficulties
because of your habit of worrying. You should work hard without worrying
for anything. When you lead such a straightforward life, you will not have
to run after anybody and beg favours from others. Experience the bliss
that is within your heart without making a show of it to others. Have
belief in that which ought to be believed. Have love for that which ought
to be loved. You have to love only one thing and that is God. Once you
have love for God, you will have everything in life. On the one side is
the world and on the other, God. You cannot have both simultaneously. It
is like riding on two horses which is sure to prove dangerous. Focus your
mind only on God and have total faith in Him. Ekam Sath Viprah Bahudha
Vadanti (truth is one, but the wise refer to it by various names). You
should always think of God, both in pleasure and pain. If you aspire to
have happiness and bliss, you should desire only for God. Do not worry too
much about your difficulties. If you have love for God, all your
difficulties will vanish in a trice. All difficulties are temporary like
passing clouds.
Swami loves His students very much. Once it so happened that a student was
trying to tie buntings on a door while standing on an iron stool. As he
saw Me coming, he felt nervous and fell from the stool. Both the stool and
the boy fell on Me and My hip bone was fractured. Doctors advised rest for
three to six months. But I told them that I did not need rest even for
three minutes. What is this body for? It is for helping others. The body
needs balance. There would be difficulty in walking when the balance is
lost. But I do not care even for balance. It is temporary and will become
all right on its own. I am able to walk with the support of boys. We
should not worry about small problems. Do your duty. Then everything will
become all right. Develop love.
Embodiments of Love!
Do not forget the principle of love. Love God. It is nothing great if you
help someone who has helped you. Greatness lies in helping those who have
done harm to you.
(Bhagavan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, “Prema Mudita Manase
Kaho …”)