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MAHASIVARATRI 2002 PHOTOS

The following discourse has been translated into English from Bhagavan's Telugu speech as heard on this festival's ashram audiocassette. It is a complete, literal translation made with the objective of preserving Bhagavan's precious original poetic style as much as possible.

DISCOURSE BY BHAGAVAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

International Seva Conference: Valedictory Address

23^rd July 2002

Bhogya Bhagyambulu Enniyo Pondi Unna,

Manasu Nanduna Santiyu Marugu Padenu.

Manavatvamu Gurtimpa Marachiranta.

Sathyamunu Telupu Mata Ee Sai Mata.

No matter how much worldly enjoyments are gained,

Peace in the mind falls behind.

All forget to recognize humanness.

This word of Sai is the word of truth

that is being conveyed.

(Telugu poem)

Equanimity in Both Happiness and Sorrow

Embodiments of Love!

Man aspires for neither happiness nor sorrow. It is man’s important duty to realise equanimity in both happiness and sorrow, which is his true nature, Divinity. Neither happiness nor sorrow is suitable. They are not suitable for man to achieve. As one is happy with joy, sorrow enters. As one is sorrowful over misery, happiness enters.

From ancient times, numerous sages gave up both happiness and sorrow. They recognized the truth that it is only sorrow that confers Divinity on humanity. More than happiness, only sorrow gives numerous types of help to man.

Na Sukhath Labhyate Sukham.

Happiness cannot be obtained through happiness.

(Sanskrit sloka)

We cannot obtain happiness through happiness. Happiness is obtained only through sorrow.

In the nine paths of devotion, the nature of Love is the important connecting thread.

Sravanam (Hearing), Kirtanam (Singing),

Vishnu Smaranam (Remembrance),

Pada Sevanam (Serving the Lotus Feet),

 Vandanam (Salutation), Archanam (Worship),

Daasym (Servitude), Sneham (Friendship)

 and Atma Nivedanam (Surrender to the Self).

(Sanskrit sloka)

Therefore, that which gives important bliss to man is only sorrow. From ancient times, all the ancient sages understood from their study that it is only sorrow that confers joy. They felt, “We should accept sorrow with the same state of mind that we accept happiness.”

Boys and girls, youth with tender hearts, not only in this country of Bharath but in all other countries also, are important directors (for the future).

The Wealth of Love

More than the object that is bought, the money that is used to buy it is very valuable. If there is money, we can obtain anything at all. Therefore, objects are not most important to us. Man of today is wasting his life, feeling that money is (most) important for him. Importantly, the wealth that man should have is the wealth of Love. If that one thing, the wealth of Love is there, we can achieve everything in this world.

Meetings are going on since these last four days. Youth, elderly people and people of middle age have all come together, and they are deliberating on numerous matters. However, what is it that has surfaced in these deliberations?

Though so many types of wisdom are practised, though so many different types of sadhanas are done for so long, if the feeling of Love is not in the heart of man, all of these are useless. Therefore, the thing that man has to recognize today is the nature of Love. That only is the true effect of devotion.

In the world, whether the parents, the husband and wife, or the children who are born, all are interested only in money, money, money and money. They are aspiring for money, but no one desires the Divine, pure, steady and selfless nature of Love. With this money is our life lived?

The Love of God cannot be obtained with money. It cannot be obtained by education. It cannot be obtained through the sadhanas that we are doing. The suitable meaning comes only when Love is offered as (pure) Love.

Hence, numerous types of difficulties are experienced in the world because people don’t realise the basic foundation of the nature of Love, and the true feelings concerning what is worldly, physical and dharmic.

If one wants to attain Divinity, no one at all can attain God through any other path except that of Love. If God is obtained, we can obtain anything. If God is not obtained, all is useless for us. But man is not trying to recognize well this Truth. Saying that wealth and money is most important, he is making numerous efforts aspiring for money.

The Basis of All These

Embodiments of Love!

Strive for Love. Attempt to attain Love. Recognize the Truth that Love is your property. We cannot obtain any property that excels this. Though (other) property is attained, it is useless. Hence, try to recognize the nature of Love that arises in every man’s heart. You will be one who knows your own (true) nature only when this nature of Love is recognized.

The entire philosophy of Bharath teaches, “Know yourself”. To know yourself you may ask, “Who am I to know?” You are not the body. Yesterday I said, “I am not the mind. I am not the intellect. I am not the feeling.” However, first and foremost, one has to attain the state from where all of these have come.

Curds come from milk. Butter comes from curds. Ghee comes from butter. Instead of us spending time in the very foolish delusion of, “I want ghee, I want butter, I want curds,” if we desire the basis of all these – milk -- how lucky we would be!

When one does the sadhana, keeping the feeling of samsara (worldly life) as the churning rod, it is churned and the smell of ashanthi comes with samsara. You think that it is (pure) butter (or ghee). However, it is not butter. Due to their being a little water in the butter, it has a bit of a bad smell. Only when we turn that remaining amount of water into vapour, we will get completely pure butter.

Temporary Sadhanas

Embodiments of Love!

You are not the mind; you are not the intellect; you are not the senses; you are not the anthahkarana. You are the basic foundation for all of these. Milk is the basic foundation of all of them. If we get that milk, we will get butter from it. We will get curds. We can also get ghee (purified butter). Hence, we shouldn’t waste time desiring some separate item.

Today people are undertaking numerous sadhanas in the Sathya Sai Organization. However, are these sadhanas sathya (true) sadhana, mithya (temporary, relative and hence, ultimately false) sadhana or nithya (permanent) sadhana? No, no! They are not sathya sadhana. They are mithya sadhana. It means, it may seem to be truth to us for some time, but afterwards this ‘truth’ will change.

We do japa. How long is japa sadhana for you? Japa is sadhana only for some time. Afterwards, you will give up the japa. You will enter into meditation. You enter into doing meditation. But, how far will even that meditation continue for you? We will continue meditation until we experience the object of meditation. After attaining the object of meditation, what becomes of this meditation? Afterwards, all will be mithya (temporary, and hence unreal).

Therefore, all the sadhanas that are done are only temporary, but not permanent. Therefore, it is not a great aim to do these temporary sadhanas, attain a temporary result and to thus live a temporary life. We should undertake that which is permanent, true, eternal, sacred, and which gives eternal bliss.

  Satatam Dhyana Maha.

Always meditate on God.

(Sanskrit sloka)

Meditation At All Times

We should always think of God.

Sarvada, Sarva Kaaleshu,

Sarvatra Hari Chintanam.

Contemplation of God always,

at all times and in all places.

 (Sanskrit sloka)

We should do this meditation at all times and in all situations, in the same way that our inhalation and exhalation are always continuing on naturally. We should complete our whole life with this inhalation and exhalation. This inhalation and exhalation is the true sadhana. This only is the suitable method to attain the nature of God.

“Soham, Soham, Soham” This is what we have to attain. It came to us: Soham came. However, from where did this Soham come to us? Soham came from the word ‘koham’. ‘Koham’ means ‘Who am I?’ Then only the answer of ‘Soham’’ came to us. We have to search for an answer to every action of our life. Our sadhana will bear fruit only when we recognize this eternal Truth.

Today we are building the mansion of our life on a water bubble. In which second will it dissolve into water? Therefore, mankind should depend on what is true and eternal; but we should not depend on an unsteady water bubble. The entire life of man today is changing every moment. Adi Sankara said this:

Ma Kuru Dhana Jana Yauvana Garvam.

Hasriti Nimisha Kala Sarvam.

Do not be proud of your wealth, progeny and youth.

All will be destroyed in a minute of time.

(Sanskrit sloka)

True and Eternal Nature

They are all destroyed in a moment. They move on in a moment. Nothing remains permanent for us. Why should we depend on something that is impermanent like this? It is only our Atma that is permanent. Atma is called ‘Brahman’. Brahman refers to Divinity. This nature of Brahman is called, to some extent, ‘brihath’ (vastness, the macrocosm). The nature of Atma that comes from brihath is the true aham (‘I’). Aham is permanent and Truth. Man must make effort to recognize such a true and eternal nature of aham. First and foremost, the unity of the three, Atma, aham and Brahman, has to be recognized. These three are different words, but the inner meaning of the three is the same.

Therefore, the nature of Brahman is pure Truth. It is always with, around, beside and in us. It is the only thing that is always with you, whether you are in the waking state, dreaming state or in another (deep sleep) state. Therefore, it is only the nature of Brahman that is always with us. That Brahman is humanness that contains Divinity.

That Divinity is within you. You are that nature of Brahman. There is nothing that excels you here. Therefore, when every man tries to search for Divinity, Divinity is not somewhere else. God is with, beside, around and in you. Why are you thinking so much about such a Divinity as being distant?

However, man of today is wasting his whole life due to worldly desires, physical likes and unnatural desires. Man wants so many desires and all of them are low. It is the same in all fields, physical, worldly, righteous, spiritual, secular or political. Yet the whole life of man today contains selfishness and self-interests. If there is no selfishness, there would be no self-interests. Both selfishness and self-interests come together and burn up humanness.

One might question, “How can I live without selfishness?” Your life is polluted due to you retaining selfishness. This is not a suitable path. There are also people under the delusion thinking, “We are helping in the world. We are doing seva to the world!” This is not help to the society. It is only hurt, hurt, hurt. You are doing harm. Using the name of society, you are polluting your sacred feelings. Who is society?

SAI: Spirituality, Association and Individual

For that reason I said yesterday, “Man considers first the individual, second the association and third spirituality.” But I said, “First and foremost, spirituality is needed. Association is the second and individual is the third. That individual is ‘I’. Association is ‘A’. Spirituality is ‘S’ (Applause) The unity of these three is ‘SAI’.” (Applause)

Therefore, man has to place Divinity first and foremost. Only when Divinity is kept first, association joins us. Only when there is association, one will investigate into the Truth, “Who am I?” Then only you have to recognize “Who am I?” Only when you recognize who you are, you will understand what society is. Only when it is understood what society is, will it be possible for you to recognize the Divinity, which is the very form of all that is in this society.

Hence, from the very beginning, our Srinivas said that he wanted to educate small children in a primary school. They should be brought up, made to progress and to develop excellent feelings. So, today we will start a primary school. What is this primary school?

We have to develop individuality. When we develop the individuality, then society will progress. First and foremost, develop your own nature. Find out who you are. Then it will be known what all of this is. Therefore, first and foremost, you should try to recognize your own nature.

Food for Head and Head for God

Embodiments of Love!

However, you cannot understand spirituality so easily. Yet, we should make a few secular and external efforts, and within that we should grasp the permanent, true and eternal nature.

First and foremost, food is needed for our body. This only is food: Food for head  and head for God. (Applause) First and foremost, we have to prepare suitable food. Dirty (polluted) food should not be touched at all by the one who wants to attain Divinity. It should be completely clean, pure, balanced and sacred. We should obtain things like that. That only is sathwic food. We should give our body vegetables and greens that we obtain.

We should not take any impure things like eggs and meat. Due to eating these impure things, our whole life changes into being polluted. Therefore, first and foremost, make distant impure food.

Afterwards, keep far intoxicating items. Due to taking intoxicants, all the senses in man stand still. So alcohol is not good for sadhana. One has to gain control with natural absorption (in the Divine Self), but one should not get absorbed with this artificial food (alcohol). (Laughter) Drunkenness only comes artificially. Divine intoxication comes naturally. It means all that is related to Divinity comes naturally to us. Narada said this:

  Yallabdhwa Puman Ichcharamo Bhavathi,

Trupto Bhavathi Matto Bhavathi,

Atmaramo Bhavathi.

Having attained That (Brahman),

man gets total satisfaction,

intoxication and ecstasy of the Self.

(Sanskrit sloka)

Hence, we have to be immersed in natural intoxication. We should not give any opportunity at all for artificial intoxications. Mankind is becoming totally demonic due to partaking intoxicants, meat and things like this. Not only this. Afterwards, trivial (small) things are also present among intoxicants. Intoxicants are present in food also. So no intoxicants at all should be used. A few intoxicants are also present in a few medicines. However, though it is medicine, we should not use it at all. We may be put to difficulty, but the intoxicants should not be used at all.

Under Limitation

Embodiments of Love!

All of you are doing so much sadhana. Many people, thinking that milk and curds are sathwic, are attempting to take them excessively. They are also not sathwic at all. There are a few intoxicants in those also. Whatever we take, it should be under limitation. Curds should not be taken as much as one likes. So, it should be limited.

All the food that we eat should be eaten under complete limitation. When we are hungry, don’t try to eat completely appeasing the hunger. We should stop when we suspect that a little more can be eaten. Thamo guna begins when we eat fully. Therefore, we should not give an opportunity to thamo guna either.

What Is This Meditation?

All of you are doing so many sadhanas. Yet in these sadhanas, knowingly or unknowing, a few mistakes are occurring. Saying “Meditation, meditation, meditation”, people sit in meditation. However, what is this meditation? What is the meaning of this meditation? What are you doing that you think is meditation? You are thinking that it is concentration. Concentration is not meditation. Concentration is going on in our daily life. This does not count as sadhana. This concentration is part of daily life.

Hence we should use this sadhana very carefully. When we do sadhana, we sit without moving. However, all think that this is very great. This is a big mistake. We should move! The mind also should waver. From the mind that wavers, we should attain the Divinity that does not waver. Therefore, from that which moves we should attain that which does not move. That only is true meditation.

Meditation is not sitting with the eyes closed, without moving. This is only an individual fault in daily life, which comes through habits. If this continues, gradually after some time, it all becomes useless. The mind begins to waver much more. Mind is steady only for some time. This is not true meditation.

We should develop feelings that waver. We should become immersed in feelings that waver. We are not transient beings. We are eternal and true beings. We should try to recognize the nature of Atma that does not waver, within that which wavers.

Sadhanas Appear As Drama Stories

Today numerous people are doing numerous types of sadhanas. However, all of these only work for some time. Afterwards, we will be ones who have nothing at all. Therefore, we should not take hold of transient and impermanent things like this. Don’t try to retain God in your heart, feeling that He is outside. First and foremost, one should make steady the Truth that He is inside oneself. One should only see the nature of Divinity that is within oneself. Not only seeing this within oneself, it should be shown to others also.

All the sadhanas that we do today only appear as drama knives. These knives only work for dramas, but they are useless for killing. So we should attempt to kill the nature of delusion that is in us. The delusion that is in us gradually has to be made distant. There are numerous paths for this.

Types of meditations are numerous, like sankalpa meditation, sthira meditation, chiththa meditation, conducted meditation and condition meditation. However, today it becomes emotional. They become emotional. So, meditation should not be related to this emotional type.

No Sadhanas Are Needed At All

Embodiments of Love!

Whether you know or not, you are doing sadhana feeling that what you know is correct. So if you want true meditation, ask Me. I will tell you. (Applause)

We don’t need anything at all. No sadhanas are needed at all. Follow according to what is said. In a moment, you will behold God. This Sakshathkaara (direct perception of God) is something that manifests, but it is not achieved through sadhanas.

Therefore, every individual is doing sadhana. These sadhanas are not proper sadhanas. People take some forms of God as important, and with these forms one is glorifying one’s own form. No, no! One’s own form should be forgotten. Divinity should be developed. Therefore, what is the use of doing so many sadhanas, while clinging to one’s own form?

“What am I doing? I am doing meditation.” How do you know that you are doing meditation? Does the meditation that you know about become meditation? It is not at all meditation. Therefore, that which you forget is meditation. That which makes you forget yourself is meditation. That which makes you forget your nature is meditation. That which increases your sacredness is meditation. That which fills you with your own eternal nature is meditation.

Therefore, instead of filling yourself with the eternal nature, it is very deceitful to retain desires and go towards what is ephemeral.

Nature of the Mind

Embodiments of Love!

Develop this Love in a sacred way. Numerous people continue to follow certain people, saying they are gurus, elders or people who do sadhana. This is not true gurutva (the nature of a guru or guru-ness). You should maintain the one feeling in your heart, without changing. (Applause) No changes should happen to us at all. If your mind is on one thing only, that only should remain permanent.

At one time, Buddha put this into practice. One day he forgot himself. He forgot himself and he was immersed in Oneness. He was moving about. Ananda saw this scene. He said, “What is this, elder brother? Why are you wandering about like this?” Then Buddha’s memory returned.

“Due to my following this physical, transient and impermanent nature of the mind, I became the form of the mind. I should not think of this mind at all. There is only One (Cosmic) Mind. No matter how many births are taken, the (Cosmic)) Mind is only One. This Mind will never change. I should first and foremost attain such an (eternal) nature of the Mind that never changes.”

Ananda saw. He thought wholeheartedly one time, “The mind arose from the heart.” Ananda attained liberation. The root cause for attaining liberation was that he thought of the Mind. The (ordinary) mind should not be thought about. That mind gives disturbances in many ways.

Manah Eva Manushyanam

Karanam Bandha Mokshayo.

The mind alone is responsible

for both the bondage and liberation of man.

(Sanskrit sloka)

Therefore, this mind should not be thought about. One should forget the mind, give up the mind, keep Divinity, and merge in Divinity. That only is true liberation. Ananda noticed that liberation in Buddha. He also practised the same thing. In a few moments, Ananda also attained liberation.

What is the body? Bodies are made up of the five elements. They are created. They are not true and eternal. How can we attain Truth when we follow something like this? We should forget the delusion of the body. Attachment to the body should be sacrificed. One should merge in attachment to the Atma. That only is true meditation. That only is true thyaaga (sacrifice or renunciation). That is true yoga. That is true bhoga (enjoyment). That bhoga only is bliss. Bhoga doesn’t mean worldly enjoyments. All is contained in It. Therefore:

Sathyam Bruyath, Priyam Bruyath,

Na Bruyath Sathyam Apriyam.

Speak Truth.

Speak pleasantly.

Do not speak unpleasant truth.

(Sanskrit sloka)

Only then you will attain your liberation.

Therefore, many people say that they want liberation. Liberation is not something that is attained only temporarily. The mind should be forgotten. Wherever one looks, the mind should not be present. That only is true liberation. If you say, “Wherever I look, I can only see the mind,” how can you have liberation? Man will attain liberation only if the mind is forgotten.

JOY

Embodiments of Love!

Importantly, I think that you never tried to do such big sadhana. Let us observe this subject gradually. First and foremost, begin with contemplation on God with Love. Then only you will get the suitable state.

First and foremost, the Pandavas began in the beginning with ‘I, I’. Afterwards, they came to ‘we, we, we’. Afterwards, ‘all’ came. Therefore, first and foremost ‘I’ should not be kept. The ‘I’ should be given up. Then you will have true bliss.

Buddha said, “Joy, joy, joy.” What does ‘joy’ mean? J-o-y, joy. What does ‘J’ mean?  He didn’t understand. He didn’t know what ‘O’ was. He didn’t understand what ‘Y’ was. J-o-y. ‘J’ means everything. ‘O’ means the totality. ‘Y’ means liberation. The unity of the three (letters): j-o-y becomes joy. Hence, there are so many meanings to each letter. So, it is true sadhana to recognize and practise according to these letters.

When one sits temporarily, the mind may be steady. But you should not proceed only with that.  For some time, it is steady. Afterwards, that mind will make one succumb to difficult situations. It won't let you think of even one (spiritual) thing. It will fully criticize the path of Truth. Therefore, we don’t need to do sadhana to attain such a temporary thing. Try to attain through Love. Develop Love in meditation. Then only true meditation will be obtained.

Embodiments of Love!

So, tomorrow is Guru Purnima. I will speak completely about this on the day of Guru Purnima. (Applause) It is Guru Purnima: the guru is coming as purnima (full moon). However, after we forget that nature of guru, we won't have anything else. We are completely forgetting the guru-nature. This is a big mistake. Keeping the nature of guru in the heart, we should transform it (our heart) into Divinity and be immersed in that sacred state. Hence, tomorrow try to know the secret of this Guru Purnima to some extent.

 (Bhagavan ended His Divine Discourse.)

International Seva Conference:

Valedictory Address Glossary

23^rd July 2002

Taken from "A Glossary of Sanskrit Words

Gleaned from Sai Literature"

1)     Aham: (pg. 9) I, the Cogniser, the Knower

2)     Antarkarana: 1)     The Inner Motivator; Lingadeha; the internal instruments of action. It is the Anthah Karana or the Lingadeha that moves from this world to another, from one birth to another, according to the accumulated merit. It is the limited Lingadeha that has the entries and the exits. You, who are like the sky - omnipresent and unaffected, have no arrival into this world nor departure to another. You are not of that nature.

3)     Ashanthi (pg. 41) Peacelessness that is confounding the world

4)     Atma: (pg. 50) A spark of the Divine; a conglomeration of manas (mind), buddhi (intellect) and samskaara (civilized tendency); Man’s true reality is the Atma. The Atma is a wave of the Paramatma, God viewed as the Universal; the Soul

5)     Bhoga (pg. 81) Festivity catering to the senses; enjoyment

6)     Brahman (pg. 86) The Cosmic Self, all-pervading, immanent in the whole Cosmos. It is Param Aksharam, the Highest Indestructible, Indescribable.

7)     Brihath: (pg. 90) Macrocosm, big, large, vast, extended

8)     Dharma (pg. 291) Righteousness

9)     Gunas: (pg. 148) Sathwa guna - peaceful, emphasizing on virtues. Rajo guna - active, emphasizing on luxuries. Thamo guna - dull, emphasizing on vices.

10)  Japa (pg. 162) The repetition of the Name of the Lord

11)  Mithya: (pg. 231) A mixture of truth and falsehood, real and unreal. (From Telugu dictionary: unreality; temporary, unlasting, and hence false, untrue, unreal, deceptive).

12)  Nithya: permanent, steadfast; one who never changes under any circumstances

13)  Praana: (pg. 275) Praana means ‘vibration’ and it is the very breath of life; life force or vital energy; positive energy

14)  Sadhana (pg. 303) The path of spiritual discipline.

15)  Sakshathkaara: (pg. 315) Direct perception of God. Visualisation of the Lord or the actual realisation of Brahman, ultimately reached as the highest stage of samadhi.

16)  Samadhi: (pg. 316) The attainment of a serene state of mind or equanimity, which enables a person to be above the sensation of joy or sorrow. The state of spiritual ecstasy. Attaining equal-mindedness by forgetting body consciousness and being immersed in bliss. Samadhi means equal-mindedness in all situations, whether of pain or pleasure, loss or gain.

17)  Samsara: (pg. 320) Change or flux; sensual desire; the process of living which changes and turns with time and space; the sensory world which captures the mind and gives rise to craving, grasping and suffering; worldly life.

18)  Sathya (pg. 341) Truth that persists without change at all times and at all places

19)  Seva: (pg. 345) Loving or selfless service

20)  Soham: (pg. 355) Soham does not have a form. It means, “I am God.”

21)  Thyaaga (pg. 380) Sacrifice; renunciation; detachment

22)  Yoga (pg. 421) Discipline; self-restraint; concentration; self-control