Sri Sathya Sai Address Sai Organisation Office Bearers and Devotees in Kerala

Sunday, December 17, 1967 to Thursday, December 28, 1967

Swami inaugurated the anniversary celebrations of the All India Prashanti Vidwan Maha Sabha at Tiruchchirapalli on 17th December, 1967. He then left for Budalur in Tanjore district. He granted Darshan to the devotees at Sathya Sai Nagar, Budalur and blessed the Bhajan sessions at the Sathya Sai Vihar temple hall. Swami proceeded to Palghat in Kerala on 19th December. On His way to His residence at Palghat, Devi Vilas, He inaugurated the Sathya Sai Samiti (Palghat) at the Vignana Ramaneeyam Hall. 

Swami Chinmayananda had Darshan of Swami at Devi Vilas and had conversations with Him. Swami blessed the foundation stone of the prayer hall at Alathur village in Palghat. 

(Left) KR Menon, Organisation Secretary offering Pranams to Sri Sathya Sai in the shrine room
(Right) Sri Sathya Sai with devotees in Trichur

He left for Trichur at 5.00 pm on the 19th and blessed the devotees at Trichur with His Darshan. 

Newspaper report in Trichur

Swami reached Ernakulam from Trichur at 10 pm. Chief Justice, V. Balakrishna Eradi, received Swami at Eranakulam. On 20th December, the first Conference of the Office Bearers of Sri Sathya Sai Organisations of Kerala was held in the Divine Presence. Justice Eradi spoke about Swami’s matchless love. Swami in His address declared that the conference in Kerala was the first of a series of State Conferences, preparatory to the World Conference to be held in Bombay in early May 1968. Swami inaugurated the Bhajan Mandir donated by Sri T. Krishna Nair at Ernakulam. 

In the Discourse that followed, He said:

“The conference of the Office-Bearers of the Sathya Sai Organisations in Kerala State has been called in order to assess how far the resolutions made at Madras Conference at the All-India level are put into practice and in order to prepare the Organisations for the World Conference that is to be held in May 1968. I have come amidst you because this is an appropriate occasion when I can give you the joy of Darshan. You know that these organisations - Seva Samitis, Bhajan Mandalis, Seva Sanghams - are for awakening in man the consciousness of the Divinity inherent in him and to encourage him to cultivate it, so that he could blossom into a real Sadhaka and then into a Sadhu (detached, devoted, virtuous, wise, aspirant), and finally into a Liberated Personality merged in the Supreme.

You are about 150 in number; your President said that the number of Organisations is still small, but I am not enamoured of mere numbers. For, this is not like any other Organisation. This does not seek to establish a new cult or sect, a new type of Japa or Dhyana, a novel ritual, an initiation that separates people as 'disciples' within the fold and 'non-initiates' without the fold. It seeks to restrain Tamo Guna (dullness, ignorance, and all the evils that arise from these) and Rajo Guna (passion, violent emotion, desire, egoism and consequent evils); it instills in men the Truth that all are kin in Atma, that the stranger is but oneself in another habiliment, and that service to another is the best service that one can do to oneself.

All are limbs of one body, nourished by the self-same life-blood, motivated by the same Will, the Will of God; bound by the same Divine Law. That is the Vishwarupa (Cosmic Vision), that one must see and experience: God in all, God everywhere. That endows you with everlasting Ananda.

God is the Father, mankind the children

Feelings of hatred, malice, envy and pride that create separation between men who are kin, arise from identification with the body. You feel and believe you are the body; you know your body is separate from the other bodies; your hunger, your thirst, your comfort, your family, your community, your state; thus, you create bounds for your love, and crib yourselves, treating all outside the bounds as enemies, strangers, competitors. But the source is one, the sustenance is one: God the Father, mankind the children. Pay attention to the Fatherhood, more than to the brotherhood. That will underline the brotherhood more and more in your heart and remove the poison of distinction that has come through ignorance.

Man is a pilgrim, who has already come a long way from birth to birth. The journey so far accomplished decides how far he has to go still. If he has lost his way and meandered into the deserts or jungles, he will have a great distance to travel yet. If he has been led right, his pilgrimage will end soon successfully. Cultivate sympathy with fellow-pilgrims, seek to know the right path; learn to guide and be earnest to reach the goal, safe and quick.

Don't have crookedness in your speech

These organisations are meant to broaden your love, to canalise your activities along lines of constructive service performed, as worship, not to confer on some people more power over others, or greater control over the activities of other members, or for the display of the devotion of some people. All must be conscious of this, all the time. Help the weak and the unwary at all times.

You have two eyes in your consciousness, namely, Sathya and Ahimsa. They are the guides which will take you to the goal, the two lights, the sun and the moon of the inner firmament. If you want to know the way in which you have to observe Satya or Truth in speech, look into the Geeta. It tells you that the best speech is "Anudvegakaram Vaakyam" (speech that does not create pain or anger or grief to others). The Shastras also say, "Satyam Bruyaat, Priyam Bruyaat Na Bruyaat Satyam Apriyam" (Speak the truth, but speak pleasantly. Simply because a statement will be welcome to the hearer, don't speak it out to win his approval; if speaking truth will cause grief or pain, keep silent.) That is the vow of truth in ordinary daily life. Don't have hypocrisy or crookedness in your speech. Both unpleasant truth and pleasant untruth have to be avoided. Satya is God Himself, as the Shruti says, Satye Sarvam Pratishthitam “All this is established on the firm foundation of Truth,” state the Vedas. So, see that no trace of falsehood contaminates your transactions in these organisations. Truth is My nature, My Mission, My Message. Organisations bearing My Name have to be strictly adhering to Truth.

Ahimsa (non-injury) is another phase of Satya. When once you are aware of the kinship, the Oneness in God, the fundamental Atmic unity - no one will knowingly cause pain or distress to another. Let your Organisations promote Love, scatter Love, be fragrant with Love, and preach the Gospel of Love, through example.”

Swami gave Darshan at the Darbar Hall grounds on 20th evening. 

In a short Discourse followed by a few Bhajans, He said:

“This morning I spoke to you about the basic outlook that you should have, when you carry on the various activities of the Sathya Sai Organisations; now I shall go into more details, so that you can chalk out various programmes of work, on behalf of the Samitis and Sanghs and Mandalis, in your own places.

Members spoke now about the irreverent and wild activities of students and the need to divert their activities and adventures into channels which will make them useful and worthy citizens. They are but imitating the elders and leaders. They find their parents and teachers fighting with others to gain some ends or fighting among themselves to gain superiority or power. So, they too fight with others and among themselves. The parents, teachers and elders must set a good example. Otherwise all this schooling and college-going activities are sheer waste, nay, positively harmful.

There is a conscience in man, whispering fight advice, restraining unjust hands, which man has almost succeeded in silencing; but, it is the voice of God; it can never be made dumb. Make the children cognisant of it. In Kerala, there is a practice, still happily existing in rural parts, of the elders gathering the children around them every evening and spending an hour or so reciting aloud the Stotras in praise of God. It is essential that it must be revived. Time thus spent in is well spent. It will give great peace and joy. Plant a fruit tree; you get fruits therefrom. Plant neem trees; you cannot expect them to yield oranges! Sow falsehood, fear, faction--you reap the same. 

Perform acts of sympathy without fanfare

Samitis can hold classes for children and tell them stories from the Upanishads and Epics, teach them Bhajans, and get dramas enacted by them on Puranic themes. Let them also develop reverence towards parents, teachers and elders. The home atmosphere must be made purer, more holy. They must learn by observation that their parents are happy and without anxiety because they have full faith in God and they know that whatever happens is for the best. On Sundays, you can gather the children and teach them, in an attractive way, religious texts. You can give them some nutritious milk also at that time, so that they can get both Ksheeram and Saaram (Milk and Essence).

The doctors among you can serve the poor by treating them without insisting on payment; give the poor all the attention and care that you lavish on the rich, paying patients. Do it for the sake of God; feel that it is the Puja you are offering Him. The lawyers among you can help those, who for want of a skilled advocate, have to go unfended or have to suffer at the hands of unscrupulous men. Do not publish these acts of sympathy; do them spontaneously without fanfare. That is more precious than demonstrating your service with the help of headlines and photographs. These reduce the worth of deeds of compassion. You must be uncomfortable, when those around you are unhappy; when you ease their discomfort, you are making them happy and making yourself happy, isn't it? Similarly, you must be happy, when those around you are happy. This is more difficult than the previous one; but it is the sign of the truly good.

Service done to the disabled is a Sadhana

It is your duty to recognise all men as your kin and to share your skill with others, so that the maximum benefits accrue therefrom. The skill is a trust, which must rescue all. Service done in homes for the disabled, the defectives, the feeble minded, the delinquents, the orphans, the refugees - is indeed very beneficial and a good Sadhana. So too, in jails and hospitals. Visit these places often, give solace and strength; light lamp of devotion in the inmates. Do Bhajan; help them to write to their homes, give them books for reading or read books for them, be the kith and kin of those who have none whom they can call their own. Your smile will be a lighted candle in their darkness.

Women devotees, if they have the enthusiasm and support, can start Mahila Satsangs not only for Bhajans and study of sacred texts and books, but for service of women. Go among the poor in the slums and spread light and joy therein. Gather the helpless girls and try to provide them with some means of honourable livelihood. Sweeten their lives with Bhajan and the Sadhana of Japa and Dhyana. Women too have a right to know that they are the Atma, encased in human form, and they too can tap the strength, the joy and the peace that the Atma holds. Inculcate in them the prayer habit; that will cleanse the mind of all impurities, and make God shine in His full splendour.”

Swami left for Trippunittura on 20th night, where a magnificent welcome had been arranged by the devotees.

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam (1926-1985)