What is the True Purpose of Celebrating the New Year?

Pandit Sathyanarayana Avadhanulu could have spoken for some more time, but he stopped rather suddenly perhaps to give Me more time. You must not grow listless when others speak; for, whoever speaks here, he is giving you the nectar of the Vedas or Shastras (scriptures) and that is sweet and liberating ever. Moreover, he said that this evening, we have met here since it is New Year Day, the first of January 1964! Well. This is a delusion within the larger Delusion! This Day is welcomed as marking some big change, as if yesterday was something quite different for it belonged to 1963 and today is something quite distinct, for it is 1964! This day is celebrated by people, in picnics, in gambling, in drinking and feasting; they attend cinema shows, wear new clothes, give presents, to each other and greet all with joy and hilarity. They exhaust their money and their energy in the pursuit of frivolity, thrill and excitement.

All this is due to the custom that views this day as something unique. In fact, the 'year' is just a convention. There are as many New Year Days as there are days in the year; many communities and countries have their own distinct calendars. It is not the first of January or the first of Chaitra (first month of Telugu New Year) that is unique. The year is just a name to indicate a number of months, the month a number of days, a day to indicate a number of hours, the hour is a period of time counted in minutes, and the minute is a name for sixty seconds. Each second is new. It is a gift, a chance, an opportunity, a thing to be celebrated, to be used for your uplift. That is to say, each second is a fresh chance given to you for training the mind, refining the intellect, purifying the emotions, strengthening the will, for getting confirmed in the conviction that you are the deathless Atma (Self, the Infinite Consciousness).

Be like the lotus with head high above waters

Be thankful to the Lord that He gave you Time, as well as action to fill it with. He gave you food, as well as hunger to relish it. But, that does not entitle you to engage yourself in action indiscriminately. When you build a house, you install a door in front. What is the purpose of the door? To admit all whom you welcome and to keep out all whom you do not want. It has a double purpose; you do not keep the doors wide open, for all and sundry to come in as and when they like. So too, select the impulses, the motives, the incentives that enter your mind; keep out the demeaning, the debasing, the deleterious. Admit the highest wisdom of the scriptures, the wisdom culled out of the crucible of experience, called anubhavajnaanam.

All water is not potable; the stagnant pool is to be avoided, the flowing river is better. Select and drink. Use the mosquito curtain, but, see that the mosquitoes do not get in when you go to bed. Keep them out; do not imprison them inside the net. Sail in the boat that floats on water but, do not allow the water to enter the boat. Be in worldly life, but, do not allow it to get into you. Use the doors intelligently, to let in those whom you want, and keep out those whom you do not need. The lotus, born in slime and mud, rises up through the water and lifts its head high above the waters; it refuses to get wet though water is the element which gives it life! Be like the lotus.

By action, done with all this care, the Vision gets clarified. Man is blinded by the objective world and he believes that world to be real, meaningful and worthy of pursuit. The cataract grows in the eye and robs it of its efficiency. The cataract is the enemy of the eye. Ignorance, the cataract of the inner eye, blinds the intellect and robs it of its efficiency. So, it cannot see the Divinity that is your real nature. It misleads you into the impression that you are a man (Manava), whereas you are really God (Madhava).

Tread the path of Liberation

The rope is mistaken to be a snake and the perceiver flees in fear. The truth is, it is not the organ eye that sees; there are many whose eyes are good, so far as doctors can discover, but they cannot see! The eye sees because it is illumined by a microscopic spark of the rays of the Sun. The scripture says: "Chaksho Suryo Ajayatha": From the eye, Surya was born. The soul is the motive force of all the senses; the eye is but a window through which the soul peeps out at the external world. Of what use is the eye, when the vision is not correct? That is to say, when you have no Samadrishti. Samam means Brahman, the Absolute Reality; Samadrishti means, seeing only Brahman, the One, in all things at all times. This Ekatwam (Oneness) is the basic truth. All other experiences are partial, distorted, false. Dwell on that, in your meditation. Fix it in your inner consciousness. That is the path of Liberation, which you must start treading and, today is as good a day as any, for deciding to do so. You have meditated too long on riches, status, salary, children, relatives, fame and the standard of living. They are all of minor interest, momentary value, dubious profit. Meditate, fix your urge on the Nitya, the Satya, the Nirmala, the Nischala - the Eternal, the Real, the Pure and the Immovable.

The Eternal Charioteer

Pandit Avadhanulu referred to some incidents mentioned in the Mahabharata and so, I too shall mention just one point which will make you appreciate the Mahabharata more. The Lord had Maya (Illusion) as His Consort, so to say, and He had a son, called Manas (Mind). This Manas, to continue the parable, had two wives: Pravritti and Nivritti - Attachment and Detachment. Of course, Attachment was his favourite wife, and she had a hundred children. Detachment was ill-treated and neglected and she had five children. That is the symbolism of the Kauravas (hundred sons) and the Pandavas (five sons) of Mahabharata. Though the children all lived in the same kingdom, ate the same food and learnt from the same teacher, their natures differed widely from one another; the Kauravas, children of Attachment were greedy, cruel, self-centred and vain; the Pandavas, the five of them, each one represented a supreme virtue, so that they could be said to symbolise Satya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa (truth, righteousness, peace, love and non-injury). Since they were so pure and born of Detachment, the Lord became their guide. In fact the Lord will be the Guide of whoever installs Him as his Sarathi (Charioteer). He will not consider that position inferior. He is the Sanatana Sarathi (Eternal Charioteer) come to be the Charioteer of all. He is the Lord, for all who seek a Master, a support. The soul is the Master in every one and Krishna is the Universal soul, personified.

Let the Lord shape your mind

There are two birds sitting on one tree, the Upanishad says: the Jeevatma and the Paramatma, the individual soul and the Supreme Soul on the tree of this body, this World. One bird eats the fruits of that tree, while the other simply looks on, as a witness. But, the wonder is, the two birds are really one, though they appear as two; they cannot be separated, since they are two aspects of the same entity. Steam in the air cannot be seen; it has no shape or form; but it is the same as ice, which is hard, heavy and cold. Nirakara and Sakara (without Form and with Form), are just two ways in which the One manifests Itself.

The minute hand of the clock is the individual soul the bird that eats the fruits. It goes round and round but, the hour hand moves silently and slowly, with a certain dignity. The hour hand can be said to be the Supreme Soul. Once an hour the two meet, but, the individual soul does not get that consummation fixed for ever. It loses the precious chance and so has to go round and round again and again. Liberation is when the two merge, and only one remains. 

When the obstacles in the path of truth are laid low, deliverance is achieved. That is why Moksha (liberation) is something that can be won, here and now; one need not wait for the dissolution of the physical body for that. Action must not be felt as a burden, for that feeling is a sure sign,

indicating that it is against the grain. No action which helps your progress will weigh heavily on you. It is only when you go counter to your innermost nature that you feel it a burden. A time comes when you look back on your achievement and sigh at the futility of it all. Entrust to the

Lord, before it is too late, your mind and let Him shape it as He likes.

Assign to your mind the task of serving the Lord and it will grow tame. You do not hand over the goldsmith an ornament that is quite nice; you give him for repairs or reshaping, the ornaments you feel have been broken or dented or gone out of fashion. So too, give the Lord your mind that certainly needs repair, if not complete reconstruction.

Man should have no fear

The blemish that affects the mind is illusion. It is like a fierce dog that will not allow any one to approach the Master. You can manage to by-pass it, only by assuming the Roopam or Form of the Master, which is called Saaroopyam, or by calling out for the Master so loudly that He comes down and accompanies you into the house, that is to say, by winning His Grace, Saameepyam (proximity). Illusion is His pet and so, it will not harm you if He orders it to desist from harming you.

The Master comes to save not one good man from Illusion, but the whole of mankind. Of course, He has to come assuming a Form that man can love, revere, and appreciate. He can give joy and courage, only if He speaks the language of human intercourse. Even as it is, many are afraid to approach Me, for they know I am aware of their innermost thoughts and deepest desires. But, let Me tell you, only helpless animals have fear. Man, who is child of Immortality, should have no fear. People pray before stone images of the snake god, but when the actual snake appears in answer to their prayers, they run away terror-stricken from the shrine! The Lord manifests Himself only to shower Grace, never to strike terror.

On the banks of the river near Lucknow, there was a sage who addressed dogs, crows and men equally as God; he had realised the unity of all in the Divine Essence. That is the result of Divine knowledge, or intense Bhakti, where you do not see anything other than your Ishtadevata (Chosen Deity), wherever you turn. Be ever in that Divine Bliss, the bliss that comes from God-consciousness, always and everywhere. That is the Eternal Bliss (Nityananda) which the wise enjoy.

Like the silk-worm that spins from out of itself the cocoon that proves to be its tomb, man spins from out of his own mind the cage in which he gets trapped. But, there is a way of escape, which the Guru can teach you or which the God in you will reveal to you. Take to the spiritual practice which will bring relief. Away with the roles of clown and clout, which you have acted all the ages. Take on the role of the Hero, not the Zero! Forget the past, do not worry about possible errors or disappointments. Decide and do.

There are some spiritual teachers who advise you to keep a daily diary, where you note down every item of evil that you did; they ask you to read it as a spiritual exercise and resolve to correct yourself. Well, reading it, and writing it will only tend to impress it more effectively on the mind. It is better to substitute good thoughts for the bad and cleanse the mind of all evil by dwelling on righteous deeds and holy thoughts. Forget the things that you do not want to remember. Bring to memory only those things that are worth remembering. That is the sane way to achieve spiritual progress.

Source: Divine Discourse on January 1, 1964 at Prasanthi Nilayam

Sri Sathya Sai: The Eternal Companion – By Dr. Naren Ramji

Dr. Naren Ramji with Sri Sathya Sai during the SSSIHL Convocation Ceremony - November 22, 2009

The whole of humanity is a part of God but when does humanity allow God to be a part of his or her life is a choice one has to make. It is not just a few of us who are His; the whole world is His. Many of us are testimonies of being nobody and were moulded by Him to become someone. He is our ‘eternal companion’ not just because of what Swami has done for us but continues to do to this day. 

Everybody is God’s property and God chooses to draw His property to Him at some point. So our family’s journey or ‘the pull’ from Swami came sometime in 1949. I must confess that our family had no spiritual inclination, nor even any religious fervour such as Pujas, etc. My grandfather was serving in the Government of India at Delhi. My grandmother, my mother and her younger sister resided there. Sri Raman and Sri Lakshmanan were the Vidwans of the Venkatagiri royal household, and had the privilege of singing in front of Bhagavan many a time. It so happened that Sri Lakshmanan happened to be staying in our house as he was working in the All India Radio in Delhi and teaching music to my mother. My mother was a young girl of about ten years of age at that time. It so happened that a postcard written by his brother Sri Raman, after a visit to Puttaparthi, to him, was picked up by my mother who read the whole postcard though it was not addressed to her! The contents of the letter seemed intriguing.

That evening when Sri Lakshmanan came home, my grandmother asked him who this Baba was. He described Baba, their meeting and other experiences. Later that summer when my grandmother, mother and aunt had been to Chennai, they met the family of Sri Lakshmanan. Their sister had come there with a group of about 10 to 15 people and all of them felt that they should have the Darshan of Baba in Puttaparthi. At that stage, it was just curiosity and not any spiritual yearning. 

After an arduous journey to Puttaparthi (in those days the travel to Puttaparthi took about 12 hours from Bangalore) their group reached Puttaparthi at around 1:00 AM. Swami was resting in the erstwhile Mandir (presently Kalyan Mantap) on a cot with all devotees around Him. Sri Lakshmanan’s sister requested all the members of her group to leave the luggage and rest for the night. 

The next morning, even as my grandmother entered the hall where Swami was sitting, He looked at her and told the people around Him, “See, this lady has come from Delhi. I don’t need an advertisement. I will call people to Me when the time comes”. Even after the first revelation and Darshan, my grandmother was not very much impressed with Swami. She construed Swami to be a mere young lad wearing a silk robe with just a few people around Him. They had planned to stay for a few days but Swami insisted that they stay longer. That trip lasted about 10 days. After a week, the questioning person in my grandmother, made the following observation: ‘I don’t know about His greatness, I don’t know anything about spirituality, but what I see is that every family which comes to Baba leaves in tears of joy. What is this phenomenon? Could this be Love?’ Even as this thought passed through, she heard Swami’s voice and as she turned around, Swami was standing behind her. He simply said, “You are thinking along the right lines. Continue thinking like this, you will reach God”. Swami has never asked for blind faith. He has always encouraged anybody to question, experience and then be convinced. That is how my family was taken into His fold.

Though I had been in Swami’s fold from my childhood, that didn’t mean that I had a yearning to be a student of His Institution! In early 1986, I received a phone call from my mother saying that Swami was going to Kodaikanal and that it would be a good time to have Darshan there since the crowd there would not be much. 

Sri Sathya Sai at Kodaikanal

Towards the end of the Kodaikanal trip, on the last day, Swami told me that He was leaving for Bangalore in connection with the MBA programme that He was commencing at the College. He looked at me meaningfully but did not say anything further. I took the cue and said, “Swami, can I do MBA in Your Institution?” Swami said, “Very happy!” The next morning, sitting in Darshan, Swami searched me out and said, “Today in The Hindu (newspaper) an advertisement has come for the MBA programme. Did you see it?” I said, “Swami I have not seen the papers yet”. He said, “See that and apply”.

During the Guru Pournima of that year, Swami called my family for an interview. In the interview, He asked me, “What do you want?” I said, “Swami, I want Your grace”. He said, “What else do you want?” I said, “Swami, I want to get a chance to do MBA in Your Institution”. He said, “What more do you want?” I was tongue tied not knowing what to say. Giving a very sweet smile, He asked, “Don’t you want Me?” That is the very purpose why He brings all of us to Him – to seek Him. In the interview, as He blessed me with a seat, He told me one very simple thing. He said, “I know that you have never woken up early in the morning, throughout your life. Now are you going to stay in My Hostel”. He said, “For My sake, can you get up early morning and recite Suprabhatam?” This was something which one can never refuse.

During my second year of MBA, we had been for the annual industrial tour which was in the month of January. Swami was in Brindavan. Every evening we used to have a beautiful time in Bhagavan’s Divine company. We received a lot of attention. Just before the industrial visit got over, Swami left for Puttaparthi. However prior to His leaving, He said, “When you come to Puttaparthi, I will give you a taste”.

It didn’t strike us as to what was coming but what came was quite unexpected. By the time we reached Puttaparthi, nobody wanted to be near us. Swami simply stopped speaking to us. He was ‘upset’ with us. The same people, who sat with us in the first year, were all sitting far away because Swami would take a detour around where we sat. We, as a batch, started writing letters asking for forgiveness. A senior teacher came back and returning our letters to us told us that Swami had sent them back! We then decided that we wouldn’t send the letters as a batch and do it individually such that atleast one would slip into His attention. But without fail, Sir would come back to Hostel everyday saying Swami had sent it back. 

So Swami was basically telling us, ‘I don’t want to talk to you, neither can you talk to Me.’ This was the biggest lesson for me because when Swami cuts us off completely, Swami is actually forcing us to talk to Him because He was always there with us and that was the inner connection. For the entire duration of our second year, He didn’t speak to us. Finally, Swami relented and called us all inside. Swami, the Divine Mother, melted and gave instructions to all boys telling them what He expected them to do. 

Though I came for just my MBA, somewhere down the line the desire to be a part of this Institution grew within. I would write letters to Swami with this prayer. However, Swami would go to my grandmother and say, “See his father is not happy with him being here. Let him go back”. This kind of testing went on for almost three months. I would literally have mental fights with Swami, every night, asking Him, ‘What is lacking in me that I cannot be close to You? Why can’t I be in Your Institution?’

Eventually, though Swami appointed me as a teacher in the Management Department, the testing continued. In the year 1990, we were in Brindavan for the industrial visit and the summer course was to follow. Before the Summer Course, the then Registrar of the University spoke to all the MBA boys and teachers. He said, “Swami is very upset with you boys. You have not been following His words”. Then suddenly he let one statement out very casually, “Swami has said, ‘Why boys? Even teachers! This Naren Ramji does not even know whether he wants to be here or go away’.” I followed sir after the meeting and asked him what the matter was. He told me that Swami had mentioned that my father had written a letter to Swami and hence I should immediately go back to Delhi.

I knew very well that my father wouldn’t write letters to Swami, and that Swami was merely churning the pot. So immediately began, what I call ‘Postal Sadhana’. Every day I would write a letter and give it inside Swami’s residence. And every evening, during Darshan, I would stand at the end hoping for Swami to say something. Swami would come into the College auditorium, walk among the gents, to the staircase and then proceed to the stage and seeing me standing there, Swami would put His head down and walk away. 

The duration of Summer Course was over and we all went back to Puttaparthi. Swami was still in Brindavan. On the first day of the academic calendar, I went to the College to teach thinking everything was resolved. In the evening, the Principal called me and I found Registrar waiting with him in the visitors’ room. He said, “I have got a message from Brindavan. Swami has said that you need not come to College and teach! You can stay at home and contemplate your future”. These were the words. Swami soon returned to Prasanthi Nilayam, and a few weeks later a senior member of the Administration asked me if I had prayed to Swami about my intense desire to stay here. I told him about the letters that I wrote every day to Swami. He simply said, “I think you must tell Swami, face-to-face”. Being the diffident person that I was, I was nervous. However, since the person advising me was a senior member, I felt this was the only way forward.

That day I went and sat in the first row for Darshan. When Swami is upset, you are reluctant to get up and tell Him anything. As I hesitatingly stood up, Swami said, “Sssh!” (Pointing at me to be quiet and sit down.) That was enough to freeze me completely. I just gave up. So for the next five days I just sat there and never attempted to get up. On the sixth day, I think Swami took great pity and called me for an interview. Inside, He very lovingly asked, “What? Did you get scared? You think Swami doesn’t know your thoughts? Swami, wouldn’t talk to you?” Now when I think back I know why Swami did this. When all your chips are down, Swami wants to know what your decision is. Is Swami the first priority or not? And this was the final, possibly breaking of that little thread. 

He said, “Look! You make a decision now. Do you want to be with Me or do you want to go back?” I said, “Swami, I don’t want to go back. I want to be with You”. Then He said one thing. He said, “If that’s your decision, leave everything to Me; I will take care of it. Do not worry about anything, leave it to Me”. It’s a very profound statement. ‘Leave it to ME’ means whatever the waves outside, the dissonance, disagreements, etc., leave it aside, and just leave it to Swami; that’s all. When God chooses to be our Guru, He is strict with us. He tries to mend us to do the right thing. Though God is all compassionate in that sense, God doesn’t punish. But the Guru has to train you to go towards God and that’s the rare privilege we all have. But the beauty of Swami is that even when He puts you to a test, He gives you solutions, supports you. And, finally we come out unscathed or victorious, which is due to His Grace. At the same time, He is so happy with our apparent successes.

Ever since, it has been a very fulfilling experience to be a teacher at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. I have learnt that with Swami the journey and learning never ends. It goes on even today for all of us, including me and it will never end. Swami keeps using that opportunity to make us learn, whether it is the Vice-Chancellor of the University or the junior-most student. All of us are here for only one purpose and that is reaching God. Whatever it takes for us to do that, Swami will keep tweaking and tweaking us till we reach that point. 

The first time I was exposed to Swami’s attention to detail and His magnificent way of managing things was when the first International Cardiac Conference was being organised at Prasanthi Nilayam. The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences had invited international cardiologists to come and visit the hospital. It was in the early nineties and there weren’t many facilities in Prasanthi Nilayam. We had to upgrade the auditorium, College building, etc. 

Swami had selected a few teachers and students to be involved in that. And that is when I was a witness to the way Swami went into details about everything. He went with us to the rooms where doctors were going to stay and taught us how to fold the bed sheet, told us how to make the bed. He instructed us about the way to put a mineral water bottle, the glass, the towels in the bathroom, etc. That is the level of detail Swami went to, apart from, of course, looking at the cleanliness of the toilet, the seating area, the menu for the dining sessions. The younger generation should understand, Swami was extremely particular about every little thing. This has rubbed off on the way we work now because we shudder to see something wrong just imagining Swami’s frown.

Dr. Naren Ramji as the new Registrar of SSSIHL - June 2009

One of the most challenging tasks or duties for me was assuming the Registrar’s role in 2009. The message from Swami was that it was Swami’s desire that we (Srirangarajan and I) assume these (Registrar and Controller of Examinations) responsibilities. That is Swami’s method – He wants to know if you will accept. Swami didn’t direct us to take over. When Swami asks you to do a job, you just do it. But let me confess that being a teacher is a completely different from having to work as an administrator. One doesn’t know what comes each day. I remember once going to Swami and praying, “Swami I want Your blessings because this job is something which I am finding very overwhelming”. Swami said, “Nene Pettaanu. (I only put you there.) What are you talking about blessings?” The message was loud and clear. ‘What do you think? As if you are carrying the burden of the world on your shoulders. It is Swami who is doing everything’. And this is very true and this is what actually I would like to convey. And that is why I use the word ‘companion’. He is with us. He is with you if you choose to believe He is with you. 

Here is another example of how Swami is so considerate. It was the convocation in 2010, the 29th convocation of the University where the Prime Minister of India came as the Chief Guest. This was my first exposure to what is called ‘bureaucratic red tape’. A lot of instructions were streaming down, from the Administration saying, ‘This must be done this way and that way’. We got the seating arrangement from the Prime Minister’s office saying that Prime Minister would be sitting in the centre and Swami sits by the side! I was quite upset. 

Swami is the centre of our ceremonies and He is the Chancellor and therefore Swami should be seated in the centre. Some elders advised me not to push the matter because they said it’s the protocol. I was stubborn and told my office to find all the photographs when dignitaries like the President of India, all had come previously, scan those pictures and send them to the PM’s office. I picked up the phone and spoke to the Secretary of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and told him that I would be sending some pictures for his perusal and that he should clear it for sending. Within 24 hours, we get a fax from the PM’s office saying that our seating arrangement was approved!

Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh with Sri Sathya Sai at SSSIHL Convocation - November 22, 2010. Dr. Naren Ramji as Registrar is kneeling on the right.

I would like to end with a wonderful learning I have had which has stayed with me to this day. When I had joined the University as a teacher, a very well-meaning elder in the Ashram came to me after about a few months and said, ‘You know Swami has given me this message which has to be given to you.’ I listened to the message and out of a need to thank Swami for sending the message, I wrote a letter mentioning the message that I had received and thanked Swami for guiding me.

That evening Swami came out of Interview Room, searched for me, called me inside and I got the first pounding of my life! I can remember very clearly that day I broke down because Swami was so furious. He told me, “When I am here and even when I am not here, do you think I will send a message to you through somebody else? I will tell you directly. You don’t have to believe anybody coming saying ‘I have got a message from Swami’ I will tell you. I may tell you through a dream or any other way, but you will know it is Me”. That was a very strong message saying which taught me that God has got no limitations. To say that ‘I am not in tune with Him and therefore He cannot speak to me’ is putting limitations on God, not us. Swami can tell you anytime, anyway; one doesn’t have to be specially realised or something like that. It’s a very important testament, that’s why I say He is the Eternal Companion. Seek from Him what you want to know, He will tell you. Swami was telling me that, ‘Look, I am there looking at you all the time what you do.’ I will close with a quote of Swami where Swami says, ‘Don’t walk in front of Me for I will not follow you. Don’t walk behind Me I will not lead you. Walk beside Me’. That is why I have always experienced Swami as my Eternal Companion.

- Dr. Naren Ramji

Student (1986-1988), Faculty of Business Management

Currently, Registrar, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

Prasanthi Nilayam

Source: Sai Nandana 2015 (90th Birthday Offering)

Sri Sathya Sai Message to the World Bal Vikas Conference

Tuesday, December 27, 1983 to 

Saturday, December 31, 1983

A five-day World Conference of Bal Vikas teachers and students was inaugurated in Poornachandra Auditorium by Bhagavan at 9.30 am on 27th December 1983. The Conference was held between the 27th and the 31st of December. Major General Mahadevan, State President of Tamil Nadu Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, welcomed Bhagavan and the delegates. He stated in his speech that it was a red-letter day in the history of the Bal Vikas Movement. Bhagavan in His Inaugural Address pointed out how Bharatiya culture had survived the vicissitudes of centuries, while many ancient civilisations had disappeared. It was the duty of the Bharatiyas to preserve this heritage and live up to the values represented by this culture. He gave the details of the cyclone that had hit Puttaparthi the previous night. A sudden gale brought down the Shamianas (tents) where the Bal Vikas students were housed. Children were trapped underneath the collapsed tents. However, the only words that escaped their mouths were “Sai Ram”. They started singing Bhajans immediately. Bhagavan pointed out that the Bal Vikas training had trained them to face such ordeals with courage and faith.

Bhagavan addressed the Bal Vikas and Pre-Seva Dal students in a special session on 30th morning at Poornachandra Auditorium. In the Divine Discourse, He said:

“You, children of the Eternal! You are not lumps of flesh. You are embodiments of the Eternal. You are repositories of Bliss. Your hearts are shrines of the Divine. The whole of Nature is your playground; all the things in it are your play-things. Regard yourselves as masters of the Universe and not its bond-slaves. As long as you are bound to your desires, you cannot escape being subject to the material world. With all his prowess, Ravana could not save himself from disaster because he was a slave to his passions. Once you surrender to the Divine, nature becomes your servant.

The boys and girls of today should realise this basic truth. They represent the future of humanity. They are the guardians of the nation's culture. The greatness and prosperity of the country depend on them. The nation's future will be determined by how the lives of the young children are shaped. Today the world is plunged in chaos, violence and wickedness. It is for the young people to see that these demonic forces are routed for accomplishing any objective two things are needed: Krishi (individual effort) and Kripa (Divine Grace). The two are like the negative and positive poles of a magnet. If there is only Divine Grace, but no proper effort on the part of the individual, the object cannot be achieved. Divine Grace is always there. We need not go far to seek it. The efforts made to secure it are called Sadhana (spiritual effort). 

Children should learn to admit their mistakes

Every person should possess four important qualities: Shanti (peace), Sathya (Truth), Nirahankara (absence of egoism) and absence of Asuya (envy). These four are essential. Suffusing all the four is Prema (love). These qualities are not got through studies or from a teacher or as a gift from someone. They can be acquired only by one's own effort. These noble qualities have to be developed from childhood itself. Only then will they stand in good stead in later years.

The first quality is Satyam. ‘Satyameva Jayate’, says the Upanishad. (Truth alone triumphs). What is this Truth? It is adherence to what is true in thought, word and deed. Often many untoward situations arise which render such adherence difficult. Children, for instance, out of fear of punishment or scolding by parents or teachers indulge in prevarication or falsehood and avoid admitting the truth. This tendency results in due course in vitiating their entire life by making them lead double lives. Having regard, therefore, to their future, they should learn from their boyhood to admit their mistakes and speak the truth. There is nothing wrong if they are punished by their parents or teachers for their misdeeds. Through such corrective measures, they will learn to behave properly in their later years. If from the beginning you learn to speak the truth, you will find it easy. But once you take to lying, to return to the ways of truth is very difficult. Hence, when you are still young and your minds and hearts are pure and untainted, you must cultivate the habit of sticking to truth. By speaking the truth always, your minds will be filled with good thoughts.

You should not give up truth, whatever difficulties you may encounter, whatever troubles or trials may come your way. This is the lesson to be learnt from the inspiring story of Harishchandra, who won undying fame because of his preparedness to sacrifice everything for upholding truth. Material prosperity or positions of authority may come and go. But the reputation for truth and integrity will last for ever. If you install truth and righteousness in your hearts, your lives will become eminently meaningful and worthy.

Cultivate freedom from envy

Next to truth, you must cultivate forbearance. Forbearance endows you with the strength to face "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." A man without forbearance easily succumbs to reverses and difficulties.Together with truth and forbearance, you have to cultivate freedom from Asuya (jealousy). Envy is like the pest that attacks the root of a tree. It can destroy one's entire life. We may be enjoying many things in life - knowledge, wealth, position, power and the like. But if the virus of envy enters our minds, it can pollute everything. We should not give place to envy even in the smallest matter. If a fellow-student scores more marks than you, you should not feel envious. If others do better than yourself, you should feel happy rather than allow yourself to be consumed by envy. If someone is better dressed than yourself or is more wealthy, you should feel that he is enjoying what he has and you should be content and happy with what you have. To be free from envy is a divine quality. It makes you feel happy over others' happiness or success.

Learn to make sacrifices for those in need

And, then, there is Discipline. Without discipline, your life will be beset with pitfalls. Children of Sathya Sai Educational Institutions must set an example in discipline. In big gatherings, they should observe silence and order and restrain their enthusiasm. If children who have gone through the Bal Vikas course indulge in chatter and frequent clapping of hands, they bring discredit to the movement. Whatever the situation, you should observe strict discipline and obey the orders of your teachers or elders. You should also learn to make sacrifices for the sake of others in need. Sacrifice means going to the help of others to the extent of your capacity. If you are not able to help others, you must at least refrain from doing any harm. Even that is a form of sacrifice (giving up the tendency to do harm to others.) 

Those in power today are engaged in many activities which inflict burdens on the people and create hardships for them. But they are doing precious little to provide facilities for the improvement of children. Even the so-called developed countries are wasting crores of rupees on all kinds of projects, but they do not pay enough attention to the health and welfare of the younger generation. They try to exploit the young in one way or another for their own selfish purposes, but have no concern for the long-term future of these children. What the big powers spend on armaments for six days will be enough to keep in comfort lakhs of children in a whole year.

Remember that children have tender hearts

It is highly important to take care of the health of children. Good health is the basis of everything else in life. The condition of the children in the backward countries is pitiable. Most of them lack nourishing food, proper clothes and roofs over their heads. They are undernourished and weak and suffer from many ailments. Every day 40,000 children are dying on account of malnutrition in the third world countries. I wish the affluent people did something to help these hapless children. They should not be satisfied with their own prosperity and welfare. They have a duty towards those less fortunately placed than themselves. They should go to the help of the poor and the weak not in a spirit of condescension or of extending patronage. They must offer help of genuine sympathy and fellow-feeling. They must regard such sympathy as one of the primary aims of meaningful living.

Dear teachers! When you teach the children, you must remember that you are engaged in a noble task for the sake of the children entrusted to your care. You must feel that you are educating yourselves when you are educating the children. For instance, when you impart some knowledge to the children, your own understanding of the subject improves. Even when you study books for teaching the children, you also derive joy from the study. Hence you must always have the feeling that whatever you do for others is in reality a service done to the Divine that resides in every one. When teachers do their duty in this spirit, they will be imbuing the children with the spirit of Universal love. Remember that the children have tender hearts and innocent minds. Only if you fill their hearts with love will the world have genuine peace.

Prasanthi Nilayam is children's native home

You have brought these children from distant places, away from their parents, out of your devotion to Bhagavan. This testifies to your devotion. The children have put up with many difficulties and discomforts out of their devotion to Bhagavan. They have all come to Prasanthi Nilayam, out of their love for Bhagavan. Prasanthi Nilayam is their native home. Here they can experience a bliss they can find nowhere else. Bhagavan is more than a mother for all of them. I want you all to go back with joy and with the feeling that you have spent a blissful period in your mother's home. All the expenses of your stay will be borne by the Sai Trust. You may use the money you have brought for the Bal Vikas activities. I bless everyone who has contributed to the success of this great conference the Sai Organisers, the Seva Dhal volunteers, the teachers and students, with long life and all health and happiness.”

Sri Sathya Sai at the Poornachandra Auditorium

Bhagavan blessed the Bal Vikas and Pre-Seva Dal students with Padanamaskar on 31^st morning in the open ground around the Prashanti Mandir, and distributed clothes to all the children and teachers. During the Valedictory function in Poornachandra Auditorium on 31^st evening, Bhagavan blessed the assembly with His New Year Message. He said:

"Every second is a new moment in your life. Do not wait for a whole year to celebrate the new year and make new year resolutions. Utilise every second to purify your heart and fill it with love. You will then realise that God is yours and you are with love. True devotion is the means to realise the Divine. Devotion means love of God without any desire for reward. Such devotion can be developed only through good conduct. There can be no devotion without righteousness. Purity of mind is an essential for enjoying Divine Bliss as purity of body is essential for bodily health.

Higher than all the knowledge that can be acquired in the world is the Atma Jnana (knowledge of the Self). There is nothing equal to the bliss that comes from Self-realisation. It is attained only when the ego-sense is destroyed and there is prayerful submission to the Divine. Prayers must issue not from the lips but from the heart. Prayers from the lips are like a telephone number call. They will not reach the person you want. Prayers from the heart are like a "particular person call." They will go straight to God.

Prayers, again, are used for seeking fulfillment of material desires. Out of the millions who offer prayers, very few seek God Himself with pure hearts. The happiness derived from material benefits is lost when these are lost. Life is a constant succession of happiness and sorrow. To be free from these opposites one has to cultivate detachment. This detachment is Vairaagya." 

On 28th, Bhagavan inaugurated an international exhibition of paintings and handicrafts done by Bal Vikas students in the foyer of Sathya Sai College. He witnessed the cultural programmes and an international rally by 7,000 children at Hill View Stadium on 29th and 30th December.

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digivijayam (1926-1985)

Sri Sathya Sai on Jesus Christ – Part 4 (Personification of Love and Compassion)

"Jesus had no trace of ego in Him. He was filled with compassion at the sight of the meek and the afflicted. Paul opposed Jesus in all matters from the very outset. Once Jesus appeared in the dream of Paul and questioned him, “What harm have I done to you? Why do you criticise Me so?” This caused Paul to ponder and realise that his ignorance and ego blinded him to reality. Thereafter he became an ardent disciple of Jesus. In every age, every noble soul had to put up with criticism. People always have mistaken notions about good and bad. If only we understand the truth in the Bible, we will come to the conclusion that there was no fault in Jesus at all. Jesus always aspired to put people in God consciousness."

- “Love God wholeheartedly”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 31, November 24, 1998, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Jesus was compassion (Karuna) come in human form. He spread the spirit of compassion and conferred solace on the distressed and the suffering. Noticing the torture of birds and beasts at the temple in Jerusalem, He reprimanded the vendors and drove them out of the precincts. He drew upon Himself the anger of the priests.

…Jesus was the target for many mighty obstacles and he braved them all. As a result, His name and story and message are shedding splendorous light all over the world now. Not only Jesus; every Prophet, Messenger of God, Teacher of Truth and Spiritual Leader had to wade through ridicule, neglect and persecution.

…The Divine, though it moves among the entire sundry, can never be affected or deflected. Envious folk heaped insults on Jesus. Even among His disciples, some betrayed Him and deserted Him. Self-dominated people turn envious at greatness and goodness. But since Prema of Jesus, had no trace of self in it, Jesus was unafraid. The loveless are enveloped in fear. Love instills courage and promotes adventure. It delights in daring. If you follow the Master, you can face the devil, fight to the end and finish the game. Jesus was Love. Sathya Sai too is Love. That explains the gathering of Christians of all sects, which we see here. In Rome today, Catholics gather to celebrate the Advent of Jesus. The Protestants celebrate it by themselves in their churches. The Jews are not welcomed anywhere. But, in the Presence of Sathya Sai, all are equally welcome. The Jews arraigned Jesus and demanded that He should be punished; in this presence, Jews adore that very Jesus. 

The Prema of Sathya Sai has transformed and transcended those memories. It made them realise that there is only one caste, the caste of humanity; there is only one religion, the religion of love.

…Compassion was His Message. He was sorely distressed at the sight of the poor. This day, Jesus is worshipped but His teachings are neglected. Sai is being worshipped but His teachings are neglected. Everywhere, pomp, pageantry, hollow exhibitionism! Lectures, Lectures, Lectures! No activity, no love, no Seva. Heroes while lecturing, zeros while putting what is said into practice. Develop Compassion. Live in Love. Be Good, do Good and see Good. This is the way to God."

- “Parama Prema”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 15,

December 25, 1981, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Jesus teaches infinite love and compassion. To resurrect love and compassion, you must kill jealousy and selfishness, purify your hearts. Earn the true mercy of Jesus. Follow the path shown by Him and reach the position He holds."

- “The Way of Jesus”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 14,

December 25, 1979, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Love must be manifested as Service, Seva. Seva must take the form of food for the hungry, solace for the forlorn, consolation for the sick and the suffering. Jesus was Himself out in such Seva. The heart full of compassion is the temple of God. Jesus pleaded for compassion."

- “Parama Prema”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 15,

December 25, 1981, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Jesus is the embodiment of compassion. He looked with compassion at the poor and the miserable and gave them succour. In those days, people used to treat birds and animals without pity in the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus sought to put an end to these cruel practices. From those times to the present, those who care for the well-being of all living beings and humanity were subjected to many trials and tribulations. Good people are always pursued by difficulties and troubles. The messiahs, the prophets, saints and God-men have always suffered from troubles and ordeals of various kinds. You should not bother about them. Have faith in God. When you live up to the truths you believe in, you will be indifferent to what others think. Jesus was unaffected by the persecution to which He was subjected on a charge of treason. Moreover, whatever attempts may be made to suppress good people, their goodness cannot be extinguished."

A fine diamond even if it is in a heap of garbage will not lose its brilliance or its value. 

A pumpkin, even if it is grown beside a hedge, will not lose its sweetness.

A peahen’s egg, even if it is hatched in a crow’s nest, will not lose its colours."

- “Let Love Prevail”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 26,

December 25, 1993, Prasanthi Nilayam

"When Paul went on accusing Jesus, He lovingly went up to him and gave a pleasing smile. The sweetness in the nectarine smile of Jesus transformed the poisonous heart of Paul. Be always cheerful, even in times of adversities. Always put up a smiling face, never a castor-oil face. “Happiness is union with God”.

- “Sacrifice leads to Immortality”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 31, December 25, 1988, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Christ declared that God can be realised only through love. Once a high priest in Jerusalem called Jesus and asked Him, “Are you King of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “I do not say so”. The priest told Jesus, “You are leading the people astray by Your wrong teachings. You are telling them that everyone can enter Heaven only through You.” Jesus said that He had been telling the people to seek the Kingdom of Heaven. The priest asked, “Where is that Kingdom?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you, within everybody. When this is My teaching, how can I be accused of claiming that the Kingdom of Heaven can be attained only through Me?” How did Jesus get the courage to speak in this fashion? It was because He was proclaiming the truth. Truth is born of love, which comes from faith in God."

 - “Divinity through Love”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 20,

December 25, 1987, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Derision and denunciation follow the footsteps of the great in all ages. They haunt them like the shadow which cannot be avoided. His own disciples turned against Jesus, even those who adored Him and hung on His words. They did evil to Him who did them good. But, Jesus wished well for those who insulted and injured Him. This is a lesson badly needed today. No one should count the harm inflicted on him and plan revenge. He must on the other hand return love for hatred, fraternity for enmity. To behave otherwise is a sign of weakness, of want of courage, of lack of faith in human goodness. Jesus won in this holy struggle. On this day, we must cultivate in ourselves that conviction and that courage."

- “Everyone is a Son of God”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 15,

December 25, 1982, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Jesus advised one of His foremost disciples, Peter, to live in love, for Love is God. Man can experience God only when he becomes the embodiment of Love, which doesn’t seek anything or expect even gratitude in return, Love which becomes sacrifice and service, spontaneously. When Peter listened to such exhortations from the Master, he found a new joy welling up within him and a new meaning in the word JOY. ‘J’ meant Jesus and the letter directed him to love Jesus first. ‘O’ meant others who must be loved next. ‘Y’ meant yourself who ought to be loved only last. But, look at the human condition today. Man loves himself first, others next and Jesus last!

The body is the temple of God and therefore it has to be maintained, unaffected by disease and distress. It has not been offered to man for catering to one’s selfish vagaries. Jesus sanctified His body by sacrificing it for saving others. He was conscious of that supreme purpose and duty. With faith in the oneness of humanity, He stood against opponents and critics and confronted their onslaughts."

- “Truth and Faith”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 19,

December 25, 1986, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Since Jesus bore all the difficulties with fortitude, He is being adored and worshipped to this day. Once a young disciple asked Jesus, “O Master, when I am faced with some problems, how am I to solve them?” Jesus replied, “O Simpleton, do not seek solutions to your problems. Love God, who is installed in your heart. Love even those that hate you because God is present in them also. How can you ever have suffering when you love all? Your heart will be filled with bliss when you love everybody.”

- “Overcome Jealousy with Love”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 33, December 25, 2000, Brindavan

"Jesus taught that God is Love. Instead of recognizing this basic truth, men are allowing hatred, envy and other evil qualities to pollute their love. Man is gifted with the quality of love not to express it for selfish purposes but to direct it towards God. Jesus declared that there was nothing great about returning good for good. They should do good even to those who harm them.

As Jesus went on with His preaching and drew multitudes towards Him, some of the priests and those in authority grew envious at His popularity. This happens in all countries. They started persecuting Him and charging Him with treason. Jesus, however, continued up to the end to carry on His mission of Love and Righteousness, first, as the Messenger of God, and later as the Son of God. There is a reason for anyone coming in the human form. This may not be known to all. Only the Divine knows the real purpose. Everyone should regard himself as a Messenger of God and try to lead an ideal life. This means that one has to give up selfishness and self-interest. This may not be easy. But with God’s Grace, it should be possible to progress towards Self-realisation gradually.

Love is the means of developing devotion and achieving liberation, apart from other things. Only the love of God is real love. It is the royal road for man to realise the Divinity in him and in everyone. Look at the state of things in Bethlehem, the birth-place of Jesus. Christmas could not be celebrated there this year, because of the ill-feelings among the people. 

How unfortunate that while the rest of the world is celebrating Christmas there should be no celebration in the place where Jesus was born."

 - “Love - The Key to Human Unity”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 21, December 25, 1988, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Develop the love of God. All other forms of love are not love at all, but only fleeting and impermanent attachments. Man’s biggest folly is forgetting his divinity. All should realise that they come “from God”. All are children of God. Everyone should seek to get nearer and nearer to God. That is Sadhana. You must feel that God is Hridhayavasi (dwells in the heart). You must develop compassion in the heart, because without it the heart is only a stone. That is the message of Jesus- the message of Love. Love is God. Live in love. Start the day with love. Spend the day with love. End the day with love. This is the way to God. Only the person who is filled with love will be dear to the Lord."

- “Realise God through Love”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 29,  December 25, 1996, Prasanthi Nilayam

Continued in Part 5

Source: Sai Vani: Avatar on Mahapurushas