Sunday, February 28, 1965
On this day, Mahashivaratri celebrations commenced at Prashanti Nilayam with the flag hoisting ceremony and a Discourse by Swami. Swami then performed the Vibhuti Abhishekam to the idol of Shirdi Sai in the auditorium at 10.30 am. In the morning discourse, Swami said:
"Today, when from the Himalayan ranges down to Kanyakumari Cape, the entire land is resounding with the declaration, Shivoham, Shivoham, it is indeed your good fortune that you have been able to come here and be with Me. On all such days set apart by tradition for the contemplation of one's innate Divinity, you must examine your own equipment and decide on what to discard and what to retain. All qualities, attitudes, habits that remind you of the Absolute into which you have to merge, have to be retained and developed; all that draw you away into the relative world of Time and Space, have to be discarded or at least recognised as having but temporary value.
All the joy you crave for, is in you; but, like a man who has vast riches in the iron chest, but, who has no idea where the key is, you suffer. With proper directions, dwelling upon them in the silence of meditation, it is possible to secure the key, open the chest and be rich in joy.
The flames of anger, pride, hatred, envy are more devastating than other fires; they arise in the mind stealthily and in spurts; they are ever demanding more and more to feed upon. Fire is called Anala in the Geeta, for Anala means, "not enough!" Fire never says, "Enough" or "I am satisfied." You dread fire when it leaps at a distance; what then is to be said when it is inside your very self? How to put out these awful flames? Well, Sanatana Dharma (the ancient spiritual code) has certain extinguishers tested by experience and guaranteed by sages. They are Satya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema. Saturate your heart with these and you are rendered fireproof.
You seek Joy and earn Pain
Like the frog caught and held in the mouth of a cobra which, unaware of its fate, flicks its tongue at a fly, you too are unaware of Death which holds you in its fangs. You seek joy and earn pain, hunt for pleasure and bag grief. You attach yourselves to the body that decays and let go the God that lasts. Of course, a thousand wise men have poured this into your ears, but their words have fallen on hard ground and 'refused to sprout. Had they fallen on the soft soil of your heart and been watered by the tears of contrition, certainly they would have germinated and grown. A clean Consciousness is as a lamp; pour into it the oil of Grace; place in it the wick of self-control; keep in position the chimney of Nama Smarana, so that the gusts of Joy and Grief might not scotch the flame. Light the lamp, with some Mahavakya (Great Statement), like Aham Brahmaasmi (Self is Brahman) or Tat Twam Asi (Thou art That). Then, you will not only have Light; you will be a source of Light.
The Flag I am hoisting now is a call to light your own lamps. The symbol on it is here on the ground, represented elaborately and clearly for all to see and learn. These concentric circles round the Lotus Pillar mark the stages of the progress of the spiritual aspirant to the Goal. He has to pull himself across the sandy waste of Desire, up the blood-red steps of Anger and Hatred, through the cool green spaces of Bliss, to attain the vast silence of Yoga (union with God). There he must get well established in meditation, like an erect Pillar. You will notice that there are six rings on that Yoga-danda or Pillar in the centre of the Circle. They are the Chakras (energy centres), up which the Kundalini Shakti (the Serpent Power) of the Sadhaka passes towards the Goal. And what is the Goal? The blossoming of the Lotus of the Heart and the emanation of Jnana-Jyoti (light and wisdom) from it, consuming all delusion and making the Individual Splendour merge in the Universal Splendour.
Three Gates of Prashanti Nilayam
You will also notice that the Prashanti Nilayam has three gates but, no wall around, or even fence! Some sage has asked' For Him who has the Universe as His residence, which is the front door? Here too, we have entrances everywhere, nothing to keep people out! The first gate is Tamoguna (quality of inertia) and if you enter it, you aloe drawn by the garden, the decorations, the festoons, and the music into stepping across the Rajoguna (quality of activity) gate, and pass on to the Hall, where Sattvaguna (quality of poise and serenity) prevails. There is a meaning in whatever I do or speak; I never indulge in significance-less acts. These gates too have a lesson for you.
Do not treat a holy day like Shivaratri as a holiday, set apart for picnic, cinema, card-game, revelry, rivalry and fun. The Rishis fixed these days in the calendar for the contemplation of God and the service of God in man, for the removal of the weeds of vices and weakening habits. Contemplate the Atma-Linga (spirit of the soul), the Jyoti-Linga (the effulgent form), which this day emerges from Me; be convinced that the Linga is in every one of you, for it is a mark of the Shiva that resides in the Shava (body shell). Allow the vision of the Atma-Linga to enter into your inner consciousness and elevate it into Divine heights; do not waste the few days that you are bent on spending at the Prashanti Nilayam, into days of hectic chatter, vain disputation, idle curiosity or restless wandering' learn the discipline of the place and limit your talk, your association, your comfort, so that you may live in thoughts Divine, not merely in this atmosphere but later, in your own homes. Take delight in the Shanti (peace) of this place; do not disturb it by thought, word or deed. Utilise this rare chance, this unique opportunity, secured by the merit of many births, for self-improvement.”
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| Sri Sathya Sai during the Shivaratri Bhajans in Prasanthi Nilayam |
Evening Bhajans commenced at 7.30 pm. During the Bhajans, a shining transparent green Linga emanated from Swami to mark the Lingodbhava. The Linga that comes out of Swami’s mouth is a tremendous symbol of something too infinite for our little minds to grasp. It is part of the Glory and beauty of His Creation.
In the Divine Discourse the next morning at 8 am, Swami said:
"Shivaratri is the day on which Maheshwara takes up the Linga form for the benefit of spiritual seekers; what they have to seek from Maheshwara is Jnana (spiritual wisdom). It is Jnanam that makes manifest the Divinity latent in man. It is the final achievement of all Tapas (penance), all Yoga and Yaaga. You cannot get that joy or even a fraction of that joy, pursuing earthly pleasure. To cure you of the bite of a cobra in a dream, you have to be awakened, that is all. 'Waking' is the acquisition of Jnana. That Jnana (knowledge) is got by ceaseless Dhyana (meditation) of the glory and potence of the Almighty.
Two things are essential for happy life. Dhanya and Dhyana. Dhanya (grains) for the sustenance of the Body and Dhyana (contemplation) for entering the temple of the Lord and merging in His Glory. It was said by Shastri that sages retired into the silence of the forest and by means of hard mental toil won for mankind the great treasure of spiritual experience and inspiration. He gave many examples of such seers; but, there are some who condemn this retirement from the jostling crowds and call these heroes, cowards afraid to face the stern demands of life! They label them as selfish, desirous of their own salvation, regardless of the rest.
The real reason for their taking refuge in lonely places is to learn the secret of liberation for the benefit of humanity. It is like the young man who goes abroad now for higher technical training; you cannot condemn him as a coward or socially useless individual, when the very purpose is to sharpen and deepen experience and become more useful! The purpose of the sages is only to keep the senses away from things that delight and deviate, to escape the infection that will damage the springs of joy.
Passions are only apparent
The Atma Vidya that they specialise in when they are in the Ashramas and Tapovans (hermitages) of the forest brings salvation to all those who later come in contact with them. Their calmness and joy will inspire others too. You find fault with them for leaving you; but what good does the man who stays, achieve? People behave in the same family, though living together, as snakes and scorpions to each other. Many a home reminds you of a menagerie rather than a cosy abode of joy and peace!
This morning, I spoke of anger, hatred, envy and pride as flames of fire consuming the mind. Now, the Shastri from Delhi said that such passions are only apparent and that the real You are not bothered by them! This reminds Me of a story. A boy offered to label the names of the articles contained in tins and cans and pots in the kitchen of his house and his mother agreed; he wrote and pasted correctly on all except the sugar tin. Upon that he placed the label, RED CHILLIES! When reprimanded, the boy said it was only to deceive the ants, which will not swarm over a red chillies tin! Superficial Vedanta will not keep the fire away.
Of course these qualities are useful sometimes like the hiss of the cobra to keep the disturbers away. Anger and hatred can be used to ward off the evil that stalks the Sadhaka (aspirant); be angry at things that hamper you; hate the habits that brutalise you. Cultivate Jnana and visualise the Lord in things and activities. That makes this human birth worth while, Do not seek faults in others; for the others are but manifestations of the Lord you are seeking to realise. It is your own fault that you see in others. There are only two things in this world, one apparent, the other, real; the Kshetra and the Kshetrajna. The Kshetra is the Deha (body) and the Kshetrajna is the Dehi (Self). The Loka (world) is the Form of the Lokesha (Lord of the world); the World is the Body of God.
Make death a sublime act of Liberation
You are awake when you feel that you have full knowledge; but, when awake, you are aware only of the many, not of the One. It is only when you are in deep sleep that all the multiplicity vanishes; then you are not aware of the world and of your deluded picture of it. Examine even while awake the stages of dream and deep sleep and realise that wakefulness is a handicap to the seeker of Truth; the senses are deceptive; they are inefficient instruments. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa once shocked everyone by slapping Rani Rasmani on the cheek, while she was praying before the shrine at Dakshineswar, for he knew that she was asking the Mother not liberation, but bondage! Make use of the chance given to set yourself free; do not foolishly let it go.
Perhaps, when you return to your village, you too will tell people, "There were thousands and thousands of people from all parts of India and even some from foreign countries, at Puttaparthi. There was a big rush to have Baba's Darshan (sight), etc." That is not what you should take back from here. There was a lady once who attended the musical recitation of a Puranic story; she sat through all the long hours; she described the gathering, the noise, the lights, the mike, the loudspeakers, but, what the story was which the reciter expounded, she had no idea at all! Learn from here the value of silence, of Nama Smarana, of Bhajan, of Japa, of Dhyaan, of single minded remembrance of the Lord, of the association with spiritually kin. These will stand you in good stead, when distress assails you. The master of the house was dying and when the wife and children pestered him with their anxiety, "What is to happen to us, when you leave us?" the dying man turned to them in equal despair; "What is to happen to me, when I leave you?" he asked and died. Do not move helplessly on to that doom of despair. Do not die in spirit, though the body may fall away. Know that the real "You" is deathless; make death a sublime act of liberation.
Three Nishthas of Spiritual Pursuit
Such knowledge can come only through a life devoted to Dharma Nishtha (steady pursuit of the moral code) and Karma Nishtha (steady devotion to the duties of one's stage of life). These two must end in the evolution of a third Nishtha like fire and Water producing steam to haul the train of wagons, or, like oil and air producing gas in the engine to haul the car. The third Nishtha is Brahma Nishtha - the steady contemplation of the One Basis of all this seeming multiplicity, namely, Brahmam. The Nishtha becomes steady by practice that your separate individual existence is merged in the great Deluge of Wisdom, which merges you in Him, restores you to Him, rather.
Many thousands have come today to this Prashanti Nilayam and joined this unique Satsanga (holy gathering). Many who were coming regularly for all Shivaratris to witness and be elevated by the sight of the Atma Lingodbhavam (Oval shaped Form of Self) have not come today; many who have not come so far have had the good fortune to be present. It is not mere chance. In the spiritual field, why, in all fields, there is no chance at all. Such fortune is due either to Grace or spiritual practice. Enter into prayerful silence and be blessed by the Great Vision of the Emergence of the Atma-Linga.”
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