Why there is so much emphasis on this? The reason for this is that among the student community, there is limited sense control. They don’t understand what balance of mind is. They feel that their goal is to move around freely. They should understand what freedom is. They believe that freedom is moving around as one feels like, living as per one’s whims and fancies, and behaving as per one’s wishes. Even birds and animals enjoy such freedom. There is no rule whatsoever for the dogs and monkeys pertaining to their activities. They wander as they feel like. What is then so special about the life of a human being? One who is a human being, who is educated, one who is a student should understand this aspect very clearly. What is the meaning of ‘Swechha’ (freedom)? ‘Swa’ + ‘Ichha’ = Swechha. ‘Swa’ means Atma. Living with thoughts pertaining to the Atma is Swechha. Following the body is not Swechha. One has to exercise control over the body, observe the thoughts entertained by the mind and follow that which is to the satisfaction of the Atma after discriminating if it is good or bad and right or wrong. That is true freedom. That is self confidence. Thus confidence should be developed in the activity one undertakes. Only when there is faith can one understand the meaning of ‘Swa’ (Atma). Conscience pertains to Atma.
A Devotee should have Faith and Purity
Students! Essentially try to cultivate noble qualities than mere study. Don’t get excited and become emotional in petty worldly matters. To understand the Divine principle, devotion is very essential. When there is such ardent faith in God, we develop strength necessary to withstand praise and abuse, gain and loss, victory and defeat. ‘Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara’, the principles of speaking the truth and being righteous were followed by the people of yore. Truth has to be spoken and not something to be enacted. Righteousness is that which has to be practiced and not spoken. Dharmaraja (Yudhishtira) stood as a role model in speaking truth and practicing righteousness. He also had a third belief. That was, ‘It is not that God speaks truth. It is that whatever God speaks is truth.’ Whatever God speaks is Truth. There is a lot of difference between the two statements – ‘God speaks truth’ and ‘Whatever God speaks is truth’. Hence he obeyed Lord Krishna in the battle field when the Lord commanded him to utter the words “Ashwatthama Hatah Kunjaraha”. He obeyed God’s command in letter and spirit without a second thought. That was his faith. How else could an ardent devotee like Dharmaraja sustain his power? To his right was Bheema and to his left was Arjuna and he stood at the centre. Indians should understand the significance of this very clearly. Bheema who is to the right of Dharmaraja is not a symbol of physical strength but he is upright in practicing the right conduct and moral principles. He obeyed the words of his brother Dharmaraja but never misused his physical strength anywhere. Arjuna standing to the left of Dharmaraja is personification of purity. Arjuna means purity. Not only purity, he also possessed various powers and capabilities. Hence he received various honours from Indra and Upendra. Unlike the present day Indians receiving honours like Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan, he received titles such as Arjuna, Phalguna, Partha, Kiriti, Shwetavahana, Savyasachi, Vijaya Krishna, Dhananjaya, etc. Such a personality of high honour and dignity has been eternally pure. Because of morality being on one side and purity on the other, Dharma prevailed in those days of Dharmaraja.
Every devotee should develop ardent faith and belief in God. On the other hand, he should develop purity and be unsullied. Only because of these two, Dharmaraja became a personality of universal repute. Had Dharmaraja been alone, he would not have gained such fame and name. Bheema and Arjuna guarded the honour and repute of Dharmaraja. Devotees also should have the guard of ardent faith and purity. If faith is not sturdy and there is no purity, they get confused and become like ‘Doubting Thomas’. In such a life full of doubts, what result can devotion give you? You have doubts at every step of your life. Such a man cannot achieve anything in the world. Not only unsullied faith, one should also have the physical strength and intellectual sharpness. That is ardent faith. This comes if you have love for God even for a single second.
During his life sojourn on earth, man spends so much time thinking about his family, friends, money and business transactions. He devotes all his time for the sake of money, food, pleasures, name and fame. If only he could devote even a fraction of the time he spends in pursuit of mundane matters in the contemplation of the Lotus Feet of Nanda Nandana (Krishna), He can avoid going to the abode of Lord Yama (the Lord of Death).
You spend a lot of time on useless, momentary, temporary and worldly activities. Are you spending even a second of it for God? It is sufficient even if you concentrate for a second on the Lotus Feet of the Lord Krishna. If someone is given a Shiva Lingam, they have difficulty in performing Abhishekam for it. But they have time to clean the buffaloes with utmost care and interest! They don’t have time only to perform Abhishekam for the Shiva Lingam with just a spoon of water. Not that they don’t have time and the process is tedious. They lack interest. They are more interested in worldly activities. You lack interest in something that is pure. Only because of lack of purity, you are losing the power of discrimination. “Shraddhavaan Labhate Jnanam” – only out of faith can one acquire wisdom. Hence we have to develop interest for spiritual talks.
Be Grateful for the Help You Have Received
Students! Only when you blend your education with spirituality, you can reach the goal of your life. Worldly education alone cannot confer peace and happiness to human beings. Spirituality alone can give eternal peace and happiness to mankind. Spirituality is selfless. We have been experiencing the Hindu Dharma which expounded the statement “Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu”. Vedas gave this profound unity of mankind through various sacred hymns. Everyone should be united. “We shall grow together, walk together and learn together”, has been the prime message of the Vedas. But today such unity has been confined to saying, ‘Hello, Hello’. We thus limit our relationship with others to mere words. Hence to promote unity, gratefulness has been set as an important goal in spirituality. You have to remain grateful to the person from whom you received even the slightest help. This is the first duty that students should learn.
Earn Righteously, Spend Righteously
It is not sufficient if you just study, receive degrees, join good companies and earn high salaries. Your ancestors also have earned a lot of money. But they used it through judicious and righteous means. They built shelters for passersby, dug wells, and established educational institutions and health centers. They spent their money in such righteous ways. But today as wealth is being amassed; people are building multi-storeyed buildings, buying cars for selfish purposes, spending time in clubs, playing cards, and thus wasting money. “Yatha Raja, Tatha Praja” – as is the king, so are the subjects. Money acquired through unfair means is being spent off in similar unfair activities. Your ancestors spent the money in righteous ways as it was their hard earned money.
Students! Earn money. There is nothing wrong in it. But spend it in righteous ways. Else, that very money will cause a lot of tribulations in your family. Today worshippers of wealth are increasing. Devotees of Hari are nowhere to be seen. Worshippers of Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) are seen everywhere and not worshippers of Sriman Narayana (the Lord of Lakshmi). This is the devotion prevalent today. Wealth comes today and goes tomorrow. If you look at a ₹100 note, it laughs back at you saying, “Oh mad man! I have seen a lot of faces like that of yours before coming to you. I will be going to someone else tomorrow!” All this money is not ours.
Source: Roadmap for a Righteous Life, Discourse 5, My Dear Students Volume 3, Divine Discourse delivered on June 26, 1989 at Sri Sathya Sai Hostel, Prasanthi Nilayam
Wonderful and deep message for all.
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