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| Sri Sathya Sai at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus Hostel |
Among all the living beings, man is sacred. In this world, it is but natural that a person who is occupying an important or high position will have great responsibilities. Similarly, man occupies the highest position among the living beings and is charged with important responsibilities. What are these responsibilities? The first responsibility is with respect to sin. The second one is Shasanam, the ordinances and laws. The third one is Shastram or scriptures. The fourth is the one, which cannot be even imagined, is in the form of curse. Man is bound by the above mentioned four responsibilities.
The first one is Papam or sin. Among the living beings, man alone is capable of committing sins. That is because man alone is endowed with the power of discrimination, which can distinguish between good and bad. Only man, with the power of discrimination, will face situations in which he may commit sins. What is the meaning of sin? Sin refers to any act committed, even after knowing that it is bad. If you know that an activity is bad and must not be done, and you still do it, it amounts to sin. Though man has been endowed with the power of discrimination, on account of his ego and jealousy, he commits sins. Even among men, children and mentally challenged people are not affected by sins. The reason is that these people will not be having discrimination power. These people are ignorant and they do not know what they are doing. Innocence and ignorance free a person from being attached to sin. The realised soul, a Jnani, would not have any attachment or selfishness in him. He will always be having a sense of equality and equanimity. He would not commit any sin. Selfishness and such other vices do not exist in a realised soul.
Whatever he sees, whatever he utters, whatever he does is entirely for the welfare of the world. Therefore, this realised soul would not be suffering from sins. A man, who does not belong to these three categories, who is having attachment to body and is selfish, he alone will be committing sins. He, who allows the mind to waver, giving unbridled freedom to it, will be subject to the dualities of happiness and misery, joy and sorrow, profit and loss, etc. Every man is prone to commit sins. He has to avoid this by using his power of discrimination; finding out what is good and what is bad and doing only good actions.
The second one is Shasanam or law. In the world there are two courts of justice. These courts of justice are places, where punishment is given for people who have not obeyed the law, who have been cruel, and those who have committed sins. These courts of justice, award punishment to people who have transgressed the court, the laws of the nation and those who have done injustice. The laws are established for giving justice to man and not for the sake of animals and birds. One small example: Imagine that some animals have gone into the fields, destroyed them and caused a great loss. No court of law will give a verdict that those animals, which were responsible for destruction of the crops will have to pay any fine or undergo any punishment. If it becomes so essential to give some punishment for such acts, the punishment will be awarded to the master who owns those animals that caused the destruction. This makes it very clear that law courts of justice are established to dispense justice and award punishment to people who are responsible for breaking the law. You hear of many such incidents which take place in day to day life, like stray dogs entering into the house, eating and spoiling the food and breaking the pots in which this food is kept. Is there any court of law, which can ask these dogs to pay compensation for breaking the pots and eating the food in the houses? Instead of these animals, if man were to do the same thing, the courts of justice would award punishment to the man who is responsible for such destruction. The substance of this example is that human beings must recognise that these courts of law are established to award punishment to people who indulge in breach of law and they must conduct themselves in such a way that they are not subjected to any type of punishment. Only then, it can be assumed that things have been clearly understood.
The third one is Shastras or the scriptures. These scriptures have laid down a code for the people who are in the four stages of life – Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa. These scriptures have also laid down, as a part of the code, all the acts which have to be done and those acts which should not be done, right from the birth of a child until he reaches the last stage of his life, like naming ceremony, marriage celebrations, etc.
The procedures and mantras for performing the Yagnas and Yagas, which are performed for the welfare of the world and humanity, are laid down in these scriptures. While conducting a marriage, the promises that the bridegroom has to make to the bride and vice-versa are all laid down in such a way that a man’s family life would be safe and happy. Today, people undergo various problems and difficulties in their family lives. This is only because people do not conduct themselves according to the promises given to their spouse, with fire as the witness. If we conduct ourselves according to our promises, we will be able to lead a very happy and peaceful life. Man has been endowed with two eyes through which he can see. He has been given two ears to hear good as well as bad. But man has only one tongue. Man has to stand by the word which he has given. If he goes contrary to the promise he has given, then he is like a poisonous snake. If a man stands by his word and acts accordingly, then he would be able to see the unity in life, as well as the Divinity.
Importance of Right Understanding
In Indian culture, there are two important statements - ‘Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara’ (Speak the truth and follow the path of righteousness). Truth means that there is only one reality. Truth is only one and not two, as illustrated in the statement: ‘There is only one Brahman, there is no second entity’. If one does not follow the code laid down by the scriptures, scriptures also give you punishment. There are four types of sins which a tongue can commit – speaking untruth, criticizing others, making fun of others and indulging in too much talk.
By these four types of activities, the tongue commits sins. The students of today should make an effort to take the path of truth and observe truth. But what you find in the youth of the modern age is that they utter one thing and contradict it the very next second. The Bhagavad Gita has declared, “You have to dedicate your life for truth”. But you do not find people living their lives based on this statement. If a person undergoes these three states of Yoga (spiritual practice), Bhoga (pleasure) and Roga (disease) in a day itself, how can we describe that person as equal minded?
By the movement of the sun and the movement of the earth, morning, afternoon, evening and night is all observed. But in reality, there is no such change in human nature and human beings. Students should know that when the sun is on the equator, there is day and when it moves away it is night. Really speaking there is nothing like sunrise and sunset. In God’s creation, everything has been created for the welfare of humanity, for the preservation and the good of the humanity.
Creation is one which is so sacred, but it has been misunderstood on account of artificial understanding and wrong interpretation given to it. Such an attitude is likely to harm the nation. Students of science know very well that the moon is comparatively closer to earth with respect to the other celestial objects. Moon is at a distance of 2,45,000 miles from earth. On full moon day and new moon day, moon comes little closer to earth by a few degrees. But, for such a small change itself, there is such a tremendous response in the oceans and the waves rise up to great heights. What if the moon was to come two or three miles closer to the earth? There would be Pralaya and total destruction. Only when the moon is at the usual distance of 2,45,000 miles, the earth is safe.
When the five elements are in the right proportion and in the place where they ought to be, and when the senses also perform their functions properly, then everything is okay. God would be able to take care of your welfare and offer you all the protection necessary when you observe laws as laid down in the scriptures. You must design your life according to the code laid down. When you hurt or harm the great sages, you come in the way of the welfare of the world. They may utter, out of agony, a word of anger and it becomes a curse. Unfortunately, there are quite a few people who think that what sages are doing is wrong on their part. Whatever curse is given, that curse is going to be a sort of protection. Only when a wrong act is punished, one would be able to correct himself. If you go on forgiving mistakes committed, then more and more will be committed. As more acts go unpunished, man also loses the power of discrimination. In order to awaken the people to what is reality and what is discrimination, this curse or Shapam is also prescribed as a part of the Shastras.
Story of the Eleventh Shankaracharya
Once upon a time, certain laws were laid down for people who were occupying the places of Peethadhipatis. During the days of the 11th Shankaracharya, there was one gatekeeper who was standing near the entrance of the Math. His name was Ubhaya Bhaskara. He was uttering again and again ‘Tasmat Jagrata Jagrata’, (be careful, be careful). Shankaracharya, while sitting for meditation, was thinking of the wealth that he possesses, number of disciples that he has and all such worldly matters. When his mind was going in this wrong path, there was a declaration coming from the watchman, “Be careful, be careful”. That became an eye-opener for Shankaracharya and he reminded himself that he is going on a wrong path. There was another disciple, who was uttering from behind:
‘Mata Nasti, Pita Nasti, Nasti Bandhu Sahodaraha
Artham Nasti, Griham Nasti Tasmat Jagrata Jagrata’
[There is no mother, no father, no relative, no brother, no wealth, and no property. Be careful, be careful.]
Another disciple, from another side was declaring that:
‘Janma Dukham, Jara Dukham, Jaya Dukham, Punah Punah,
Antah Kale Mahadukham, Tasmat Jagrata, Jagrata’
[Birth is sorrow, life is sorrow, and everything in the world is full of sorrow. When the last moment of life arrives, it is also a great sorrow. Always be careful.]
You have to recognise, therefore, that all these laws which have been laid down, and all these declarations, are meant to correct the wrong thinking of man and put him on the right path of thinking, so that he will be safe. These sacred paths alone can lead you on to the Lotus Feet of the Lord. Only when you follow these paths, you will be able to reach an elevated state. For whom are these four - peace, love, scriptures and curse required? Only a sick person, who really wants to cure his sickness, needs the medicine and diet control. For a person who does not want to cure himself from the disease, he will not require any medicine or diet control. All these four, in the same way, are required for only those who want to free themselves from the bondage. A person who does not care to free himself from the bondage, who indulges himself in the worldly way, does not need any of these four things. For him, his own words are curses.
Source: Mind, Body And Atma, Discourse 12, My Dear Students Volume 1, Divine Discourse at Sathya Sai Hostel on September 11, 1986
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