… Swami will certainly manifest in front of you

Sathya Sai with Students and Staff in the Prasanthi Bhajan Hall

February 15, 2004 (Sunday)

This day, was the occasion when just prior to the completion of their courses in His Institution, the students expressed their gratitude to Swami through speeches and songs. In the morning, all the students of the second year postgraduate classes gathered inside the Bhajan Hall awaiting Swami’s arrival. On the previous day, He had permitted them to present their cultural programme inside the Bhajan Hall this morning.

Swami came, and sat in a chair surrounded by the students in the middle of the Bhajan Hall. After, He gave His assent, the programme consisting of speeches and songs in different languages commenced. This went on for about 20-25 minutes. After their cultural programme the students earnestly prayed to Swami to bless them with His Message as they leave His close physical proximity after the completion of their education. Initially Swami did not agree, but after a lot of prayers, He finally relented. He called Prof. Anil Kumar who was seated in the portico to come inside the Bhajan Hall and translate the Discourse in English. Swami gave the Discourse inside the Bhajan Hall to all the students studying of the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus who were completing the second year Postgraduate programmes and leaving the portals of the Institute in March 2004. This was a sort of an exclusive gathering.

Everything is Divine. (Showing a letter He was holding in His hand.) Even this paper is God. But how do we experience God in the paper also? We use this paper as mere paper. If we think of it as God, then we will see God in the paper too. ‘Yad Bhaavam Tat Bhavati.’ (As is the feeling, so is the result) But you may ask, “Swami, how much time will it take to get that experience?” Yes, it will surely take time. For example, the baby is not seen until the time of delivery. Just because we cannot see it, we cannot deny its existence. So too, if we want to experience God in all, we too will have to undergo pains. It will surely take time. Everything depends on ‘Desha, Kaala, Paristhiti Prabhaava’ (The effect of the place, time and circumstance). Another example is the digestion of food. The food does not get digested immediately. It takes a couple of hours. You may ask, “Swami, is the change in everybody uniform if one starts to think of God?” Yes, it is the same. But we do not experience it since we do not have the feeling of oneness.

Hiranyakashyap asked Prahalada whether God was there in the pillar too? Prahalada answered in affirmation. Hiranyakashyap hit the pillar in order to prove Prahalada wrong. Hiranyakashyap saw the pillar as a mere pillar and hence He did not believe the existence of God. But Prahalada visualised God in everything. And that is why Lord Narasimha appeared in front of him.

Prahalad with Sri Narasimha

The whole universe is Divine. This is based on your feelings. The difference lies in the feelings. As long as there is materialistic feeling, we do not see God. When there is no body attachment, Divinity manifests itself. Divinity is indeed latent in us. Have Divine feelings, then everything transforms into Divine. Reduce your body attachments. Spiritual endeavours are undertaken to reduce body attachments. Many Pujas are done, not for the picture but for one’s own self. When one contemplates on the Self-supreme, one finds Divinity. Body is like the pillar and in the body is present the Atman (Lord Narasimha). The moment ‘body feeling’ is given up, we find God. God is here (Ikkada), there (Akkada), but yet remains only one. Only one God exists. 

As long as you think that Swami is in Puttaparthi, He remains there for you. But the moment you think that He is present wherever you are, He manifests Himself there. 

The river Kaveri is located in Karnataka. It branches off to many tributaries and finally merges into the ocean after which there are no branches. Until it merges, it has got different forms and names. Similarly, until we merge in God, our names and forms will remain different. As long as we have body attachment, we will be distancing ourselves from Divinity. Whose property is the body? You say it is the gift of parents. How could they have given you? The thoughts of parents have taken the form. So thoughts are very important. If thoughts are good, we see everything as God. We cannot deny the existence of God. What we have to change is our thoughts. You sit for meditation thinking of God. Gradually you see the form of God and forget yourself. So, for everything thoughts are the basis. It is you who is changing the thoughts. God has nothing to do with your thoughts. He is constant. If you think of the world, the world is in you. If you think of God, God is in you. As you sow, so shall you reap. God is ‘Akshara’ (the un-destroyable, the primordial) and He is in ‘Bhaava’ (feeling). The very feeling of Divinity is His manifestation. There is no change in God. There are changes only in you. You have to have Godly feelings. So change your thoughts. 

You have your own imagination while drawing the picture of Lord Ganesha. You can assume any form and name. They are your own making. But God always remains one. You all are sitting here. You all are thinking of the same Swami. Then some of you start thinking of Lord Rama. All these changes are due to the thought process. 

Consider everyone as God. Never have bad feelings towards anyone. If you say ‘Hello’ to an enemy, then his hot blood cools down. For the blood to cool or boil, the thoughts are responsible. Some are sitting close to Swami and pressing His feet. You feel happy doing that. But if you do it for somebody else, you do not get the same feeling of happiness. As is your feeling, so is your experience. Have the feeling that Swami is in you, and then certainly Swami manifests in front of you. If you have good thoughts, then you will have good results. Otherwise you will have bad results. Your whole life will be successful if you have good thoughts. 

Student : Swami, how to experience inner silence?

Swami : Constantly feel that God is in you.

Student : Is it enough if we think that God is in us?

Swami : No, you should merge yourself and drown yourself in it. The first time one tastes sugar, one will take a couple of seconds to tell that it tastes sweet. Next time one takes it, the answer comes out immediately. When one again takes it another time, one tells that it is sweet (with a stress on the pronunciation the word ‘sweet’). The more and more you take it, you feel the sweetness more and more. So also, the more you drown yourself in God, the sweeter it gets.

Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (2001-2004)