2003: Strive for Unity, Purity, and Divinity

Summaries of the discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on New year and Yudagi  1987 to 2009.

You are truly born, on the day you begin your journey to realize your true identity—Divinity.

2003: Strive for Unity, Purity, and Divinity

In this world every object has five aspects, namely, sath, chith, ananda, rupa, and nama (being, awareness, bliss, form, and name). Being, awareness, and bliss are the three core attributes of a man. They are true and eternal. Name and form are transitory. The delusion of permanence of name and form leads mankind to waste away its precious life. People who are worldly in outlook waste their time in watering the "branches", whereas, the Vedantins water the "roots" and thereby enjoy the "fruits".  The value and significance of human nature is beyond all estimation. Only when you practise human values will your life be redeemed. Man is but a spark of Divinity.

The value and significance of human nature is beyond all estimation. Only when you practise human values will your life be redeemed. Man is but a spark of Divinity.  Man suffers from various ailments, some internal and others external. A doctor can cure the external ailments. The Atmic feeling is the only remedy for all the internal ailments. You should make efforts to know the principle of Atma. The Atma is a synonym for Brahma, which is nothing but the Chaitanya permeating every human being. Man has a name and form, but Chaitanya has no form. The Chaitanya that is present in the human body is called "conscience". The all-pervasive Chaitanya is called "consciousness". When the individual understands the principle of unity in diversity, the "conscience" gets transformed into "consciousness". In spite of being endowed with such a sacred power, man gets deluded by the vagaries of the world.

In this world, only truth and goodness will remain with us for ever. Their value cannot be quantified. So, we should strive to develop truth and goodness in us. We should not hanker after name and fame.  The stories of God cannot be described in mere words. Man imagines and describes Him based on his own estimates.  There are various types of pramanas (experiences) in this world. They are pratyaksha pramana (direct experience), anumana pramana (experience based on inference), dvaita pramana (experience based on duality), and advaita pramana (experience based on non-duality). But God is beyond all these pramanas. He is known as Aprameya (immeasurable and indefinable). God is present in the heart of every man with all His divine powers.

There is no better place than a village to live in. The villages are the most valuable assets of a nation. If you serve the villagers properly, nothing could be a greater service than that. Grama seva is Rama seva. There is no satisfaction in service undertaken in towns and cities. The urban people are indifferent and self-centred.

We must transform the divine power latent in us into skill, for undertaking service to society. When knowledge is converted into skill, you acquire balance in life. In such a state of equanimity, you will develop insight. With such an insight and divine power when you undertake service activity, it will be most fruitful and beneficial to the society.

Points to Ponder

What is the purpose of service activities?

What is the direct experience of divinity in human beings?