Every action carries with it an equal reaction. Every action is a seed. These seeds will grow into trees. So we should undertake sacred actions. As is the action, so is the consequence. We undertake actions with all the joy. But when we suffer the consequences, we shed tears. Therefore, we should discriminate between the good and bad and conduct ourselves accordingly. We don’t consider the appropriateness of our speech and action. However, when the time comes for us to suffer we become frustrated.
Everything is natural action. There is rain, but has it rained for a single person? No, it has rained for everyone. The rain provides coolness to all and quenches the thirst of all. You find the wind blowing. This is also not for a single person. It gives life to all the living creatures. Thus, all the five elements are there to protect the living creatures. They are not meant for a specific person. The same thing is with God. He is not for a single community, but for all. He has descended on earth for the emancipation of all mankind. So God will see to it that you cannot run away from the consequences of your actions. Therefore, before we start doing anything we should first think. No one should be troubled by your actions.
However in this world, it is impossible. With the feeling of body-consciousness and attachment, you cannot do like that. The one without any ‘body-conscious’ feeling can only act that way. Misery arises out of nature alone. Nature, in turn, is based on our vision. So as long as we have the ‘body’ feeling there will be the effects of nature. As long as there are worldly feelings there will be misery. The moment the ‘body’ feeling goes, nature will also vanish. And the moment nature vanishes there will be no misery. In the waking state you have the body attachment and you have pain. In deep sleep you don’t find your body. When there is no body consciousness there is no nature. When there is no nature, we don’t have sorrow. It is only in the deep sleep that you can understand that you are beyond pleasure and pain. By constant thinking of God you have to reduce the attachment to the body. Then, the worldly ideas would also decrease. When once there are no worldly feelings and attachment to the body, there is no misery. Pain and pleasure cannot be invited. A bonfire in the forest will burn down everything without any distinction. The day when you decrease the bodily feeling, there will be no misery, pleasure or pain either.
All those mansions that you see in the dream are not found in the waking state. Therefore the Upanishads declare, “Awake, arise and rest not till the goal is achieved. Oh man! Get up from the sleep and slumber. Move about in the broad daylight of wisdom. Know your Truth. Being the embodiment of the Truth, you still move about in search of Truth. It is not present in the outside. That Sat-Chit-Ananda is verily yourself.”
Suppose there is a king, a prime minister or a president. While they are asleep they don’t have the feeling that they are the king or prime minister or president. But when they get up they start saying that they are prime ministers and presidents. In the same way when we are in this ignorant state of slumber we will not realise the Truth. Wake up! Wake up in the light of wisdom and realise that you are ‘Sat-Chit-Ananda’! As long as you are fast asleep you will not know yourself. When you get up, you will know your name, where you are from and the other details. Where are we now? We are in the sleep of this world. It is a worldly sleep, a physical sleep, the sleep of ignorance. So for that reason we are not able to understand the truth itself. Arise and wake up from this sleep!
Suppose you have been bitten by a snake in your sleep. You shout out. But because you have been bitten in your sleep, you can’t apply any medicine! If you wake up, you will forget the pain. If you are woken up, you will not find any snake or pain. In the modern life we are sleeping in the sleep of worldly attachment. This world is ephemeral and is full of misery. We suffer a lot in this sleep. What is the medicine? What is the solution? If you wake up from the sleep of ignorance the problem is solved. All this follow because we have body attachments. Gradually we have to reduce this body feeling. Then the bliss will increase. Everyone who wants to enjoy the state of bliss has to reduce the body attachment. Because of body attachment there is ego. One is egoistic because of the position, the association, physical strength and so on. You should not give any scope for ego.
When the clouds are full of water they come down because of the heaviness. When the tree yields many fruits the branches bend. This branch tosses on either way but this bird is not afraid. Why? The bird knows that it is relying on its wings. Let the branch fall but as long as the bird’s wings are there it is safe. With this realisation the bird sits bravely on a swaying branch. But today, man does not have even that much faith as that of a bird. Even with the slightest of the problems on this tree of life, he is afraid. What is the reason for this? The reason is that he has lost self-confidence. The bird at least has confidence in its own feathers, but man does not have self-confidence. For the slightest of sufferings man gets depressed and frustrated. He can’t bear any suffering. That’s why birds and animals which lead their life in a natural way are living fearlessly without any resistance.
Man today depends on his intelligence, physical strength and money, but does not have confidence in his own Self. When he has this confidence he can achieve anything. You may have money (Dhana Bala), but how long will it last? It is like a passing cloud. It comes and goes. How long will people (Jana Bala) be there? As long as you have position and wealth people will surround you. When do you receive respect in this world? You will receive everything when you have the strength of the soul. Therefore we should try to lead our lives with the strength of the Atma and the strength of the Divine. In full faith, we should resort to good activities. As is the action so is the result. As is the food consumed, so is the belch. As is the flour, so is the Chapati. So everyone should resort to good actions. One should enjoy eternal bliss (Sadananda). One should reach the eternal world of Truth. This is the chief goal of every man. This is the purpose of life. Having done bad you can’t expect good outcomes later. Therefore do good deeds. Make every effort to be very close to God. Every step should take you towards His proximity. Then you will be triumphant.
Source: Discourse 3, My Dear Students Volume 3; Divine Discourse delivered on June 30, 1996 at Prasanthi Nilayam
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