Human life is full of many secrets and mysteries. It is full of many powers. It is full of attraction. Man is a powerful magnet. He is a powerful electric generator. There are three kinds of transformation which are very essential for developing humanness within oneself. The first one is spiritual transformation, then comes transformation in the society and finally, individual transformation. First and foremost, we need to understand what spiritual transformation is. Only then will there be social transformation in us, followed finally by individual transformation. Without these three transformations, a man cannot be called a man.
The Three Types of Transformation
How do bad feelings enter into man? Bad feelings enter man in many ways. Wrong thinking and bad thoughts enter into a man and lead to several contacts and relations. Wrong thoughts poison man’s mind. First and foremost, therefore, you should have purity in feelings. Even if we are forced to enter into bad company, we must think of doing something good. Then you can achieve individual transformation.
Second is social transformation. How do you get it? Stealing, speaking untruth, playing cards and many types of bad habits get into your character. Students, both boys and girls, get into bad company and destroy their own lives. By this, they lose all that they have studied in addition to the good experiences they have had, and the transformation that had taken place in them. Wicked people not only destroy themselves, but also destroy others. If you have bad habits, there cannot be any social transformation.
The third phase is spiritual transformation. What is this spiritual transformation? Speaking truth, practicing Dharma, respecting others, loving your parents, and taking a vow to serve others are signs of spiritual transformation. It is Sai Sankalpa to bring about this transformation. It is the spiritual change that is required first and foremost. In spiritual change the first letter is ‘S’. In association (social) change, the first letter is ‘A’. And in the individual change the first letter is ‘I’. All three together become ‘SAI’, the combination of all these three changes. Bhagavan came with this name in order to bring about these changes. You have to start with ‘S’, that is spirituality first. But many of you are thinking of starting with ‘I’. ‘IAS’ means Indian Administrative Service. That is only a degree. But ‘SAI’ is not a degree. It is inner behaviour, inner joy, inner change, inner practice and inner life. Therefore, we must start with ‘S’ and not with ‘I’. There is an intimate relation between ‘SAI’ and ‘IAS’. ‘SAI’ and ‘IAS’ both are the reversal of each other. Sai gives you many types of teachings. Swami will never teach anybody for His own sake. Many times, you would have heard that after a discourse Swami sings ‘Rama’, ‘Krishna’ or ‘Hari’. But He never sings ‘Sai’. Swami is so selfless. Right from hair to toe, Swami is selfless. Swami does not do anything for Himself. He does not desire anything. He won’t tell you anything. Whatever Swami says is for your own good. This age of yours is sacred. It is a golden age. When you transform yourself at this age, you will become ideal individuals in the society. Today, we need ideal citizens in the country. These are the three qualities of an ideal citizen – Spiritual change, Associational change and Individual change. With these three changes humanness shines forth.
Start Early, Drive Slowly, Reach Safely
Sometimes, when Swami speaks to you harshly or punishes you, you start accusing and blaming Swami. You may accuse Me, you may blame Me, but you should be very good. For that sake alone I am doing everything. You should not entertain undesirable thoughts. Having such thoughts within, you see the same reflection in everybody. Everything is reflection, reaction and resound! Buddha was travelling through various villages with many youngsters. And even now Swami likes youngsters very much. Even Shankara was like that. Every great sage and incarnation tried to transform the youth. The reason is that the youth start early, drive slowly, and reach safely. If you start when you are young, only then will you be able to drive your family home safely once you become a householder. You will be able to bring the changes that you want in the family. When you start the process of transformation from young age, you will have mature discrimination power which will enable you to put things into practice.
Once while Buddha was walking with some youngsters, a man suddenly confronted him. He started blaming Buddha as he liked. He said, “You are spoiling the youngsters. What will happen to the future of these youth?” He started blaming Buddha in many ways. Buddha was quiet and continued walking. For a long time this man kept on following Buddha and accusing him. But Buddha did not reply. After some time this man became tired and went away. The disciples then asked Buddha, “Lord, why didn’t you shut that man’s mouth? He criticised and accused you in many ways. He ascribed those qualities to you which are not there in you. Why did you let him go like that?” Then Buddha smiled and said, “O foolish men! When you do not pay any attention to a visitor who comes to your house or at your door he will go away along with his luggage. If, however, you pay attention to him and inquire about him, he will come into the house with his luggage. That man came to us and went on speaking as he liked. But since we did not talk to him, he will never enter our company again and those accusations won’t affect you. If you enter into an argument with him, you are bound to get affected by his allegations. You should not get into any argument. He is an ignorant passerby and he speaks due to his ego and because of the impact of his bad time. That is why he speaks like this. It is because of reflection, reaction and resound that he sees all this around himself. And it does not apply to me. Whatever I eat will benefit only me. It doesn’t go to another person. Similarly, whatever he says applies to him alone.”
Who is Swami’s True Disciple?
A person comes to you for food. With great compassion, if you try to give him something, he may not accept it. Or he may take it and throw it off. Why should you subject yourself to a certain feeling? If you don’t give him anything it is good. If you offer him food and if he accepts it, his hunger will be satisfied. If he does not, you can always take it back. There is no loss to you in it. But you should not go in for criticism or discussion on it. In the spiritual path, whatever other people may talk, you should never enter into any argument. You should never reply back. In the spiritual path there is no scope for, or question of any argument. Enmity increases because of argumentation. Others are different and you are different. They will follow their own feelings. They won’t follow our feelings. Their habit, their behaviour and their discipline is different. Earlier also it was like that. We may tell them about sacred things but they may not accept our advice. They follow a path which is contradictory. But the one who teaches feels bad because the person is going astray. They do not know what is going to happen in the future because of their behaviour. But those who can forecast the consequences, warn him against it out of concern for him. Bad company is like sweet poison for you. Rather, it is poison covered in sweet. Ignorant people don’t know it. But Swami knows it. Therefore it is My duty to tell you that which is not good for you. What is the use of repenting later? To tell is My duty. And it is the duty of the Guru to tell right things to his disciples. Only he, who follows Swami’s commands, is a true disciple. He will explicitly obey Swami’s command. He will not do anything else. If someone is not a true disciple, he will not practice what Swami says.
The True Offerings
Swami does not hate anyone. He loves everyone. My property is Love. Swami looks at everyone only with love. But people do not realise this ‘Love’ principle. They try to compare Swami’s love with their own love. They try to bring down Swami to their level. But if you have to come up to Swami’s level, then love everyone, love all the creatures. Consider a person climbing a hilltop. It is very difficult for him to move upwards, but very easy to go downwards. If you are at the top of the hill, it is very easy to come down to the foot of the hill. It is very difficult to move upwards. Even a lorry made up of iron strives hard to reach the top of the hill. Spiritual attainment is an uphill task. The human life finds it difficult to achieve it. People cry but ultimately they reach the destination. But sometimes they do not recognise the truth. It is difficult and is a great suffering to move upwards. It is like water, which comes down rapidly even if we put it at the top of the hill. Spiritual progress is like fire, the fire burns pointing upwards. The fire goes upwards and the water flows downwards. You are the image of the water. That is why you become 'Nara'. Nara means water. You must get water but what kind of water? You must get water from the eyes. It must be tears of joy. One should offer either a leaf or a flower or a fruit or water to God. What is leaf? It is not the Bilva or Tulsi. Leaf is the body, flower is the heart, fruit is the mind, water means tears of joy. What is the use of offering to Swami fruits that perish? Today they are there and tomorrow they just perish. There are many types of flowers. You offer them in the morning and they fade away in the evening. That is not the flower you must offer. You must offer the ‘Hrudaya Pushpam’. Swami will not appreciate and admire the other types of flowers you purchase. If you give the flower of the heart, He will accept it with compassion. That is Hrudaya Kamala, lotus of the heart. That lotus is required. It will never fade, it will never perish. That type of Hrudaya Pushpa is required. You must keep God in your Hrudaya Pushpa, the flower of the heart.
Source: Discourse 8, My Dear Students Volume 3, Divine Discourse delivered on February 22, 1999 at Trayee Brindavan
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