1994: Cultivate Forgiveness and Love
Summaries of the discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on New year and Yudagi 1987 to 2009.
1994: Cultivate Forgiveness and Love
In this worldly life love is manifesting in several forms such as the love between mother and son, husband and wife, and between relatives. This love based on physical relationships arises out of selfish motives and self-interest. But the love of the Divine is devoid of any trace of self-interest. It is love for the sake of love alone. This is called Bhakthi (devotion). One characteristic of this love is to give and not to receive. Secondly, love knows no fear. Thirdly, it is only for love's sake and not for selfish motive. All these three angles of love jointly cannot Prapatthi (Surrender). When one revels in this attitude of Prapatthi, one experiences the bliss of the Divine. For this, the prime requisite is Kshama (forgiveness).
Kshama cannot be learned from textbooks. Not can it be acquired from preceptors not from anyone else. It is to be cultivated by oneself in times of difficulties, trials and tribulations that one is forced to meet. Only when we face problems and difficulties that cause grief and misery this quality of forbearance and forgiveness has the scope for taking root.
People with jealousy and hatred are pursuing the wicked path and bringing ruin on themselves. Jealousy is a dangerous canker that eats at the root of the tree of life, while hatred is pest that attacks the trunk of the tree. Thus the tree of life is completely destroyed by both these pests. The Kauravas in Mahabharatha were victims of these two pests and sought their own ruin.
When mind conceives a thought, all the organs are co-ordinating to get the thought executed. If senses do not follow thoughts, life will become miserable. When there is forbearance, all organs co-ordinate harmoniously and work in unison.
Happiness and sorrow have to be experienced in the worldly life as they are inevitable like the sunset and sunrise. It is the mind that is responsible for pleasure and pain. If your mind is good you will find anything good.
There is sweet juice inside the orange fruit. But it is covered by the bitter outer rind. It is the bitter rind that protects the juice inside. So we should put up with the bitter difficulties in order to enjoy real pleasure. Man is embodiment of the quality of Kshama. There is nothing in this world that you cannot achieve with this quality.
God will accept the bad qualities provided they are offered with sincere devotion and repentance and shower His Grace on you. For example, suppose you have a soiled, torn and mutilated hundred rupee currency note, no one will accept it. But, if the number is intact, the Reserve Bank will accept it and give a good note of same value in return. Thus people offer all the bad qualities to God and receive good from Him. When you sit near God, your bad qualities are kept off and good thoughts and divine qualities will come to you. This Being a human, you should make others happy.
Points to Ponder:
How can one experience the friendship of the Lord?
1996: The triple purity
Devotion alone bestows the supreme good
Esteeming devotion as the supreme end and the highest goal of life, Bhaaratheeyas have been pursuing the path of devotion from ancient times. The term Bhakthi (devotion) has been interpreted in many ways. The word Bhakthi is derived from the root 'Bhaj.' "Bhaja Sevaayaam," declared Shankara. "Service is devotion," according to Shankaraachaarya. Whom do you serve? What is the form of service? Service to God is true form of service.
Viveka Chudaamani (of Shankaraachaarya) expounded the meaning of Bhakthi in a different way. "Svasvaruupa dharshanam Bhakthi" (The recognition of one's own true Self is Bhakthi). Naaradha, who was a great exponent of devotion, declared: "Bhaja Paramabhakthih." Naaradha defined Bhakthi as the ceaseless flow of devotion arising from dwelling on the Lord's name. He also declared that one who is filled with Paramabhakthi (supreme devotion) is in a state of intoxication, forgetful of the body, totally immersed in the love of the Divine. This means that true devotion consists in obliviousness of the body and total absorption in the love of God.
Raamaanuja who is the exponent of the Visishtaadhvaitha philosophy, derived the meaning of Bhakthi from the name of Raadha and interpreted it as the continuous flow of love for God. The word 'Raadha' contains four syllables: Ra, aa, dh, and aa. If you read the word starting from Ra, you have Raadha. Starting from aa, you get the word Aadhaara. Starting from Dh you get the word, Dhaaraa. Starting form the second: aa, you get the word Aaraadha. Aadhaara means "basis." Dhaaraa means "continuous flow." Aaraadha means "worship." Thus Raadha signified for Raamaanuja the continuous stream of worship of the Divine.
The Vedhas repeatedly harked upon two words: Nithyam and Svagatha. Nithyam is that which remains unchanged through all times. This has also been described as Truth which remains the same in all the 'three' categories of time past, present and future. Svaagatha refers to that illuminating power, which remaining alone spreads its effulgence all around.
This is illustrated by the sun, who is one entity that is unchanging and spreads his light all round. The permanence of the sun indicates the attribute of Nithya and the dispersal of his light indicates the quality of Svaagatha. Both the qualities are rooted in a single entity. The smrithi referred to this characteristic as Svaruupa-Svabhaava (the combination of form and quality). Likewise, the Aathma has two qualities. One is: Prabhaava (effulgence). The other is spreading the light all around. The Smrithi described it as: Sathyam, Jnaanam, Anantham Brahma (The Supreme Self is truth, wisdom and infinite). It is the nature of the Self to spread Jnaana (spiritual wisdom) everywhere.
Turn the love that arises in you towards God. Dedicate your body to the Divine. This is the true mark of devotion. There are three constituents in man: the mind, the power of speech and the body. These three are called Thrikaranas---the three active agencies in man. It is when all three are used for sacred purposes, man becomes sanctified. It is through spirituality, morality and righteousness that the three instruments get purified. Only the one who has achieved this triple purity can realise the Divine.
Render service to society, without which you cannot exist. Your welfare is bound with that of society. Develop the feeling of oneness with all, loving all as members of one Divine family.
Points to Ponder:
What for has man been given a body? What for does he exist?
The scriptures say: "Shareeram aadhyam khalu dharma saadhanam" (the body verily is primary tool for realising righteousness). The body has been given to man to practise Dharma.
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