Monday, July 2, 2001 to
Wednesday, July 4, 2001
An International Convention of Bal Vikas Gurus on the theme of ‘Sri Sathya Sai Educare’ was held at Prashanti Nilayam between 2nd and 4th July 2001. More than 7,000 Bal Vikas Gurus from all parts of India and 44 overseas countries participated in this convention. Bhagavan lit the lamps in Sai Kulwant Hall and inaugurated the convention on 2nd morning. The inaugural session commenced with Vedic chants and the address of Sri V. Srinivasan to the delegates. He then read out the message from the Prime Minister of India, Sri Atal Behari Vajpayee, expressing his good wishes for the convention. Smt. Sarla Indulal Shah traced the history of the Bal Vikas movement. Sri Ryuko Hira, Sri Art-Ong Jumsai and Dr. Michael Goldstein addressed the delegates.
The Valedictory Function of the convention was held in Sai Kulwant Hall on 4th morning. The programme commenced with Bhagavan’s Darshan amidst Vedic chants. Sri Indulal Shah, the International Chairman of the Overseas Sathya Sai Organisations, presented an overview of the deliberations of the convention. Dr. Victor Kanu, Director, African Institute of Sri Sathya Sai Education addressed the delegates.
Bhagavan then delivered His Valedictory Message. Excerpts are provided below:
“…Today, thousands of Bal Vikas Gurus have gathered here. Worldly education too is essential, but children should be taught spiritual education from the young age. In the conference held elsewhere, you find an ocean of difference between the number of delegates who are supposed to participate and the number of people who actually take part in the deliberations. But our conference is unique in the sense that all the delegates attend it. Nobody gets up in the middle except a few who do so only out of physical constraints. You cannot find such conferences being held anywhere else in the world. Though I know everything, sometimes I watch the proceedings of the conference from behind the screen or from above. All delegates are attending the meeting with utmost sincerity and devotion. Such conferences should be held more frequently. Many more members should be trained and should be taught new procedures. Only then will the whole world get benefit out of this.
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| Letter from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Sri Sathya Sai - June 30, 2001 |
Yesterday our Prime Minister Vajpayee sent a letter to Me through Indulal Shah, “Swami, our government with all the power at our disposal cannot undertake such noble tasks. It is not possible for anybody except You. Please take up more and more responsibilities and involve even the Government in this matter.” They write such letters out of love, but we do not involve ourselves in the matters relating to Government because their temperament and influences do not match with our activities, experiences and happiness. So, we care of our activities without involving others. Many conferences are being held here, but do you find collection of funds here? No. Each one takes care of their own requirements. They come here wholeheartedly and enjoy the bliss. Such conferences should be held not once but thrice a year. Each time, new delegates should be given a chance. Be prepared to put any amount of effort for education purposes.
Let There Be Less Talk And More Action
Today students are acquiring various degrees. They are becoming doctors and engineers, but they are not doing the work that is expected of them. What is the use of their education? Can you call them educated at all? The modern field of education has become highly corrupted. Even those who cannot read a thermometer properly, manage to get a doctor’s degree these days! Even the engineering education has become a sham. In our institutions, you may call even a First Standard boy and ask him a question. He will give the correct answer. Our boys are well educated but they are not putting their knowledge into practice. They say, “Swami knows everything. Whatever He tells is good for me”. When you believe that whatever Swami says is good for you, why don’t you follow His command? I do not want such people. One must practise what one says. You may be teachers, but you should be good students in the first instance. If a student takes to bad ways, he ruins himself, but if a teacher takes to evil ways, he will be spoiling the lives of many students. So, teachers have to be very careful. It is not enough to merely attend here and keep quiet. You should go outside and propagate all that you have seen and experienced here. Be heroes in practice, not merely in platform speeches. Share the bliss that you have experienced here for the last three days. Talk less and work more. That is what I am doing precisely. For the last ten days, I have not been talking to people much. Why? There may be a few narrow-minded people who might feel that Swami is telling them to talk less, but He is not following the same. That is why I am talking less now. I am doing so only to teach them. There is limitless bliss in limited talk. Bliss cannot be obtained from outside, it comes from within. The good or bad that you see in others is nothing but the reflection of your own inner feelings. Once you understand this truth, you will never talk bad about anybody. All that you experience in this world is nothing but the reflection, reaction and resound of your own feelings. So, you should be good to everybody and take them along with you with the spirit of love. Take care that you do not forget your Swabhava, which is the true Purushartha (objective of life).
Follow Your Conscience
Many speakers have taught you many things on the basis of their experiences. I have been hearing them. Try to understand their experiences, put their teachings into practice and teach the same to others. I tell you only one thing. Having been born as human beings, you should overcome Maya, have the vision of the Atma and attain Nirvana. This is the purpose of your life. Where is the Atma? It is your very form. You are not the physical body. Body is temporary, it is like a water bubble. Mind is like a mad monkey, do not follow the body, do not follow the mind. Follow the conscience, which is your true form. How can you have the vision of the Atma? You need not search for it outside. Turn your vision inward. Only then can you have the vision of the Self.
A person remained silent though he was being criticised. When his friend wanted him to react, he replied, “The same Atma is present in me as well as in the person who is criticising. So, why should I be annoyed when he is criticising himself.” A deep enquiry into the truth will reveal that when you love or hate others, you love or hate your own self. In fact, there are no ‘others’. You consider yourself different from others because of body attachment. Once you give up body attachment, you will realise that there are no others and all are yours. That is the true vision of the Atma. The Atma does not have a specific form. Bliss is Atma, Consciousness is Atma. Conscious means related to the senses; conscience is the inner witness and Consciousness is the all-pervasive Atma. Understand the unity of these three. Take to the path of service. Then you can proceed along the path of adoration and ultimately attain illumination. To the extent possible, serve everybody. True happiness lies in service.
Love And Sacrifice Will Confer God’s Grace
You may be disappointed that I have not spoken to you in the last two days, but I have been with you and listening to you all along. I do not have anger on you, nor am I disgusted with you. But I am disappointed in the sense that you are not paying heed to My words. Then how can you come up in life? What is the use of My talking to you or moving closely with you? This is the reason I have not spoken to anybody. But some people are unable to understand this truth. How can the narrow-minded understand My broad feelings? How can you attain God’s grace? Here is a small example. You toiled hard, earned money and deposited it in a bank for safety and security. No doubt that the money belongs to you, but the Bank Manager will not give it to you on your mere asking for it. There are certain rules and regulations for the withdrawal of money from the bank. You can withdraw the money only when you sign the cheque and surrender it to the Bank Manager. Likewise, you have deposited the ‘money’ of meritorious deeds with God, the Divine Bank Manager. Affix the signature of love on the cheque of sacrifice and surrender it to Him. Only then will He confer the wealth of His grace on you.
Man’s mind has become polluted because of modern education. When the mind is polluted, how can man come up in life? He may be highly educated and occupying positions of authority with name and fame. But all his achievements will prove futile if he does not know what he is supposed to know. What is it that he is supposed to know? It is the principle of the Atma. In order to lead a blissful life in this world, it is enough if you know that you are the embodiment of the Atma and everybody else also is the same. You are subjected to misery as you are unable to understand this subtle Truth. Tomorrow I will tell you in detail the Truth of human life, the goal of human life and the pathway to bliss.”
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