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26 de mzo 1971 Desgrabado del audio original (puede oirse en 'audio') | Desgrabacion y traducción completa del audio Desgrabacion y traducción completa del audio
26 de Marzo de 1971
Ugadi
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Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, March 26, 1971
Forbearance is truth itself. Forbearance is right conduct. Forbearance is Yoga and Ahimsa. Forbearance is what you should practice. It is equal to all kindness. It is present everywhere and it is important for everyone in the entire world. Forbearance is nothing other than Truth. In fact, it is everything that matters in everyone's life, everywhere in the world.
Just as a small hole the size of a pinhead can empty all the water from a vessel, if in the heart there is a small hole of the type of anger, all happiness and all prosperity can be completely lost through that small hole of anger.
Embodiments of the pure Atma:
Life is filled with happiness through connection with others, and with pain through separation from others. Life knows very well various situations in which we abandon old habits and old things. We adopt new habits and new things. Today we are bidding farewell to the old year. Tomorrow we will welcome a new year. The year that goes by the name of Sadharana is ending. Tomorrow begins the year with the name of Virodhi or Vikruti. "The enemy" and "Of bad shape."
If in the year that has such a gentle name as Sadharana we have had so many hostile situations and so many strange forms, so many strange conducts, so many strange thoughts, many wonder if in the coming year we will encounter more hostile situations and stranger thoughts! We should not become disturbed simply by hearing the name and taking the literal meaning of that name. It is possible, despite the bad name, that we may enjoy a certain amount of peace, a certain amount of good, and a certain amount of happiness in the year. Among us Indians there is a weakness, and that weakness consists of an illusory fear that arises upon hearing a name that implies a certain dread.
There is always some difference, some contrast between the name and the conduct that follows, between the name and the fruit that emerges. We give different names to our children. Let us take the example of one who has the name Soundarya Rajan. It does not mean that this individual has a beautiful face, at all. On the contrary, his face may be very ugly. In fact, it is for our satisfaction, the parents' satisfaction, that we give names that have a good meaning. It does not mean that the child will have conduct or form consistent with the name given by the parents. Many people bear names like Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna and so on. Do we see that people with the name of Rama have conduct approaching what we know of Rama? Generally we do not see in them anything of Dharma, anything of righteous conduct. In fact, in Kali Yuga, one who takes the name of Rama very often does not exhibit any conduct of the type of righteousness. Instead of being a Rama in Kali Yuga, he is often a Kama (desire) in Kali Yuga.
In those days his brother Lakshmana had such an attitude toward Rama that he always accompanied him and was with him at every moment like his shadow. Although Lakshmana had his own kingdom, had his own parents, his own family, his wife and children, he left everything, sacrificed everything for the sake of Rama and followed him wherever he went, like his shadow. Because of this sacrifice by Lakshmana, wherever the name of Rama is mentioned, the name of Lakshmana is also mentioned. For the sake of his brother he sacrificed everything, and due to the sacredness contained in this sacrifice, Rama was able to take his brother Lakshmana within himself. This is how Lakshmana, who accompanied Rama and followed in his footsteps, could be elevated by Rama to the supreme state.
But today, brothers like Rama and Lakshmana go to court over their properties. The names we take today and the names that prevailed in ancient times do not matter. It does not matter if the time is good or bad, it does not matter if the yuga in which we live is good or bad. It may rain, it may not, but either way, if we have good thoughts and good ideas, it will be possible to make good use of our life.
Today, for man it is essential that he have good ideas, that he have good conduct, that he have a good mind and a good heart. This has been described by the word Jnatum, which means that we must know in the world what we ought to know, with a clean mind. After we have gone through this process of knowing what we ought to know, we should proceed to the next step, Drashtum, that is, to see what we ought to see.
However, merely by seeing something we will not be reaching the end, we will not be fulfilling our desire. For example, if we want to obtain some fruit, by merely looking at it in the market we are not going to obtain the benefit of possessing that fruit. We must go further.
The next step is described by the word Tattvena Praveshtum (to penetrate into the true essence). We have to take this action, the action of taking it within oneself. This is the ideal that has been transmitted to us by the Bhagavad Gita.
These three steps, Jnatum, Drashtum, Tattvena Praveshtam, to know, to see and to experience it, these are the three steps in which we should place our life. However, today, whether in the matter of developing our devotion or in the matter of conducting our sadhanas, we know that we have been introducing certain external relationships into these practices. Today, if we are adopting some kind of sadhana, we are dividing it into two types.
We are calling something "God's work," and we are calling the rest "our work" or "my work." To divide work into two parts, the first as God's work, the second as your work, is equivalent to dividing your own heart into two parts. A noble task, whatever work you do, consider it as God's work. In the Bhagavad Gita we have been told: Mat Karma Purtam, that is, do My work, do God's work.
God tells you that you are inanimate beings. "Your body has no activity that is its own. Everything you do is being done by My desire." Therefore, you should consider that every work you do is being done in the name of God.
In His command to you, God has not only said that whatever work you do is His work. Moreover, whatever work you do must be done in His terms. He has also said that it must be in devotion to Him.
We are not taking the appropriate and good meaning of this third command, our devotion. This word means one who has in his desire to reach the divine, to reach God. Whoever does this, has the right to be called Mat bhakta (My devotee). But if this person is wanting to fulfill his desire with respect to some worldly achievement, and to attain that worldly desire prays to God, then he becomes a bhakta of that worldly desire. He is not a bhakta of God.
There is a small example for this. An official desires to obtain a promotion in his service. He has a photo of the Lord and prays to the Lord. This cannot be called devotion to God; this is devotion to his promotion. Another individual prays to God saying he wants a son. This type of devotion cannot be devotion to Paramatma; it is devotion to a son. A young student may be praying to God to obtain the highest grade on his exam; this can only be devotion to the exam, not devotion to Paramatma.
Note that in the Gita you have been described as Mat bhaktaha, that is, bhaktas of the Lord. This means to pray to the Lord saying that you only want Him, that you want to be one with Him, that you want His grace, and that you ultimately want to merge in Him. This can be called devotion to God. On the other hand, if you have in your mind something that is material and connected with the world and you want to attain it, and you pray to God to have this particular desire fulfilled, that means you are Vishaya bhaktas, that is, you are devoted to this material desire and not to the Lord.
On the other hand, if you develop the feeling that the entire world is God's, and God is present everywhere in the world, and then you pray to the Lord "let it be whatever it may be," you will be praying to one who fills the entire world, and that is a reasonable attitude.
The fourth command given in the Bhagavad Gita is Sanga varjita, one who abandons the surrounding society. Today we are understanding the word Sanga as society, but in spiritual matters it does not mean the external society we are accustomed to calling society; it is something else.
The body has been called Anga. In this body is Sanga or society. In society is Janga (adherence to spiritual practices). In Janga is Linga. Anga, Sanga, Janga, Linga. The conglomerate of these four, Anga, Sanga, Janga and Linga, is our body.
This has also been called Yantra, Mantra and Tantra. The body is the machine, or Yantra. The inhalation and exhalation, Soham, Soham, is the Mantra.
Our mind is the Tantra. You may have a very valuable machine, with a high cost, but that machine will function only when you connect it with the electric current. Otherwise the machine will not work.
In the same way, this machine of our human body can only function when there is the breath, the breath of Soham (and that is the mantra that is contained in this machine). But there is something that is a kind of synthesis between the mantra and the machine, and that is the tantra. There must be some connection between this machine which is the body, and the mantra or current which is Soham.
This connection is called tantra, and it is the chitta, or the antahkarana in the body, that has to connect the body and the breath. All the organs of the body that have come together and that have to work with this chitta, this functions as a unit. This unit of the body, which has to function, which contains five organs, which contains the five vital airs, which contains the five different types of sustenance, this unit is the panchendriyas.
The meaning of sangavarjita, as enunciated in the Bhagavad Gita, is that we have to leave, abandon varjita sanga; that is, everything connected with these five senses has to be abandoned. This can also be described by saying that we have to go beyond the five senses.
The next command given in the Bhagavad Gita in this series is adveshta sarvabhutanam, do not hate any of the living beings.
We should not develop hatred toward anyone. We may ask if we do not hate anyone, will we obtain the fruit of that? No, we have also been taught that not only should we not hate but we should also love and show prema. Both commands, that is, not to hate and also to love, have been described, one as destroying your hatred, and the other as necessarily establishing your prema.
There is a small example for this. We have a piece of land; we want to cultivate that land and obtain some production. To do that, the first thing one should undertake is to plow the land, remove all the unnecessary weeds and prepare the land before putting in the seed.
This part of the exercise, that is, removing unnecessary things, softening the soil and preparing it to receive the seed, has been described as vidarana sakama marga, that is, removing unnecessary things. Now, by preparing the land and removing the weeds, will we obtain the fruit of the harvest? No, we have to do something more, and that is to choose the appropriate seed for the harvest you want, put it in the land and also build a fence around that land. So, in the Gita's command that seems to say, do not hate anyone, there are two parts to this process.
The first is the vidarana sakama marga, the second is the vidhayaka marga. That means do not hate others, and also show prema to others. However, today in Kali Yuga, we do not see any person who does not abuse another person. This is not appropriate conduct for devotees.
Even among devotees, it is a common occurrence that one devotee abuses another. If therefore, in this way, we are developing hatred and abuse toward others and we spend our life hating others, it means we are wasting our time. When we adopt this act of abusing others, then however sacred your life may be intrinsically, there is every possibility that you will fall to the lowest depths of degradation.
This type of behavior will also result in the abuses you heard about others turning back on you and causing you harm. At the moment we abuse someone, there is a feeling of happiness, of joy, because we have abused someone. But immediately afterward, the hatred generated by such abuse or the harm that may derive from such abuse becomes intolerable.
If you meet a person you do not like, it is better that you do not concern yourself with him either in a good way or in a bad way. But it is not desirable that you abuse him or cause him any harm. Our texts of the Mahabharata have given us a very good illustration of what is contained in what has been said now.
When Dharmaja was about to begin the Rajasuya Yaga that he had undertaken, there was a discussion about to whom Dharmaja should give the first tambula (ceremonial gift of a portion of betel). At that moment, Dharmaja, whose very life was enriched by Krishna and for whom Krishna was like his own heart and in every way—Krishna had helped the Pandavas throughout their lives—Dharmaja could not forget Krishna at that moment, so he prepared everything to give Krishna the first place of prominence in that Yaga.
But in that congregation there were many people who were of advanced age, who were warriors and who had exhibited their great powers of strength in many different ways. As if emerging from nowhere, Shishupala began to ask Lord Krishna: "What is all this? Why should you be given the first place of prominence? Is it because you stole the saris of the Gopikas who were bathing and caused them great embarrassment? Or is it because you entered the houses of the Gopikas and stealthily ate all the butter that was in them? What great thing have you done in your life for which you deserve this place of prominence? You should shut your mouth and leave the hall of this great Yaga."
But this intrinsically evil man, Shishupala, could only point his finger and recall some actions that seemed like bad actions in Krishna's life. Shishupala could not see the many good things Krishna had done during his life. Because Shishupala had a jaundiced sight, he had a bad sight.
He looked at Krishna and could not see the greatness that is contained in the superhuman being, in the many acts of great courage he had performed that were beyond human capabilities. He could only see with his jaundiced vision something that appeared bad in Krishna. It is not that there was no reason for this particular jealousy.
When Shishupala tried to marry Rukmini, Krishna came and married Rukmini. The reason for this attitude and conduct of Shishupala is that at the moment he intended for Rukmini to marry him, Krishna entered the scene, took Rukmini away and married her. This is an individual act that had developed this jealousy and this hatred in Shishupala.
It is not uncommon for many individuals to give importance to such small events that only have individual significance, and to search for bad qualities in good people, in order to support their attitude of jealousy. The result of such bad expressions and such bad qualities exhibited by Shishupala was that his head was separated from his body. Sometimes we abuse others for various reasons, and if one receives a punishment for that, it is not that God had given him that punishment. Punishment is always the result of bad thoughts and bad actions of each individual. Whether good or bad, whether attached to God or not, it is not the result of bad thoughts and bad actions.
It is our good that can give us good. It is our bad that can give us bad. Therefore, when it comes to good and bad, it is not the result of our bad thoughts but rather it is the result of what God has given us. Anything bad that happens to you is the result of the good you may have done and the bad you may have done.
It has nothing to do with God's anger or God's grace. It is your own. If an actor comes to the stage, in one act he may look very sad and cry. In another act, he may look very pleasant and may be a king. In a third act, he may come as a beggar. In all three acts, there is the stage light, the spotlight that is illuminating him.
In all three cases, whether a king or a beggar or someone crying, the spotlight is only a witness. It is not participating in all these actions of the actor. The purpose of this spotlight on the stage is only to give the necessary light in all three cases.
Someone turns on the light in his own house and continuously writes Sairam, Sairam, Sairam. Another turns on the same light and begins to arrange various things in his house. A third turns on the same light and begins to count the bills in his cash box.
For all these people, the light is simply providing the necessary light. It is not as if it has any connection with one of them. In the same way, the world is a stage. God is a shining source of light. The actors on this world stage are diverse types of people: atheists, theists, theist-atheists, atheist-theists, rich people, poor people, yogis and many more types.
But although there are so many different types of people on the world stage, Divinity does not take any particular attitude toward one of them. It is not possible for any kind of abuse to reach Divinity. Everything consists of your own action, and very often your own action, your own abuse will return to you as a reaction and hurt you.
Therefore, you must conduct your life so that you do not cause harm to anyone. Every devotee must keep in mind the commands that have been given in the Bhagavad Gita. That is: in My work, in My name, My bhakta must abandon everything that is worldly and must not hate anyone.
There is no individual in whom God is not present. Whether you believe it or do not believe it, God is present everywhere. However, it is very necessary that man have some courage and that he be able to do things with courage.
Today, wisdom appears in the world in many different ways. Knowledge is of various types. Knowledge may be of the Shastras, knowledge may be of the subject of music, knowledge may be of worldly matters and sciences, but of all these types of knowledge, the one that is totally superior to all others is knowledge of the spiritual aspect.
If you want to promote spiritual knowledge, a certain amount of courage is necessary. Man has such courage, but he is putting this quality in the wrong direction. We can take Valmiki as a good example of this.
Valmiki, at one time was called Ratnakara. In the forests, when people who had much money passed by, this Ratnakara showed incomparable courage by going out to meet them, cutting off their heads and taking away all the available wealth. However, upon coming into contact with the Maharshis, upon hearing the teachings of the Maharshis and receiving their blessings, he experienced a change in himself, and he put all that courage and capacity into pronouncing the name of Rama. This extraordinary boldness and courage that Ratnakara possessed when he committed robberies and cut off heads seemed to indicate that he had no heart. The same person, when he turned his boldness and courage toward pronouncing the name of Lord Rama, became one of the greatest Rishis.
He became Valmiki, and gave the world an invaluable text, by writing the Ramayana.
A devotee expressed this feeling in a beautiful poem. The poem says that most people spend a considerable amount of life thinking about our children, our grandchildren, about how to accumulate wealth, how to use wealth to obtain material pleasures, etc.
Of this enormous amount of time we spend in the thought of material desires and in the thought of our children, grandchildren and other family members, if we can spend a very small fraction of that time in thought of the Lord, then you can place yourselves at the feet of the Lord. It is not difficult through such devotion for such a small amount of time to open the most difficult doors for any individual to reach divinity and merge with Him.
Of the time you have, you may spend 23 hours and 55 minutes on selfish matters as mentioned. But if you spend 5 minutes of that day remembering the name of the Lord, this is sufficient and this will lead you to the most difficult possession, that of salvation. The reason for which God has given us this body, while this body lasts us, is to participate in sacred things, to do sacred work.
But if we cultivate the feeling that God will take care of everything and will do everything for us and we do not need to use any portion of the strength that God has given us, that is not going to be of any use at all. Just a small example for this. If we want to clean our hand, we need water. But the type of grease we have on our hand has accumulated over many births, and that grease is not going to be removed with just water. We have to use some external aid such as soap or shampoo or one of those soap nuts, in order to remove the grease more easily.
Our devotion is like water alone. Japa or meditation, these are like the various auxiliaries, soap, shampoo and so on. It is by bringing these things together that we will be able to clean our hand. Without practice, without sadhana, you are like lazy ones, who sit down telling themselves "Oh, God will do everything," "God has given me birth, won't He find the necessary food and fulfill my needs? He will do everything." That is not the right attitude. We must at least do what is useful for others, that is service to society. There is a small story for this.
There was a music teacher. He used to have some children and give them private lessons and teach them music in a very good way. But the exams were approaching. He used to go in the morning at 7 o'clock and return at noon, at 12.
One day he had to give some special classes and special private lessons to the students, and he did not return home at noon. Nor at 1 nor at 2. His wife began to imagine what had happened to him, whether he had a car or motorcycle accident on the road, etc. The husband arrived at 3, hungry. The wife was also hungry. If she had been like one of these modern wives, she would have already taken her food and would be resting. But this lady was not like that, she did not eat until giving food to her husband. That was the custom and tradition in those days.
She told him, "Oh, you have arrived very late, I am also hungry. Go to the well, bathe and come back quickly, and we will eat." He went to the well that was in the courtyard, took off his clothes, drew water with the bucket, poured it over himself and applied soap to his face. He closed his eyes, and standing by the well he began to sing: "Oh Lord, all responsibility rests upon You."
The wife entered the house, prepared food and put it on the plate, but heard this man singing. Intrigued, she ran to the well. She said: "What is the matter? Are you still enjoying music? Why don't you come at once to eat?" There was no answer. "...Oh Lord, all responsibility rests upon You..." (Laughter) She feared he had gone mad. She approached her husband and gave him a pat, and asked: "What is wrong with you?" The only answer was "...Oh Lord, all responsibility... etc." (Laughter)
The woman went inside, brought a container of cold water, poured it over her husband's face and asked: "What is the matter? What is the problem with you?" Then he said: "The bucket fell into the well. I could do nothing." Then the wife told him: "You are a lazy one, you kept hanging around here instead of asking for help to get the bucket out. You ask God to help you. That is wrong, you must do what you can do yourself, first of all."
To the extent that we have the strength to do our work, we must do it. If we simply become lazy ones and tell God to do everything for us, this is only a symbol and symptom of laziness in us. Fulfilling our duty, doing our work and thinking of God, that is how we should spend our time.
That is the sacred way to spend our time. Even if we do not pronounce the name of the Lord in any other way, at least to think of Omkara, is something sacred. Just as a row of train cars cannot move if there is no locomotive, and just as putting simply zeros has no value if the unit "1" is missing, the value comes from this Om. Without the Omkara, any other name of the Lord is not sufficiently secure.
In this Omkara are contained the name of Rama, the name of Vishnu, the name of Ishwara. Some people may have the doubt that Om is pronounced only by Shaivites, and should not be accepted by Vaishnavites. In the sphere of spirituality, there is no room for such differences.
The Omkara consists of three syllables A, U, M. These three syllables represent respectively Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. "A" also represents Agni, which is associated with the Sun and the Moon.
Just as A, U and M together form the Omkara, so also, these three brothers who signify these three syllables, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna, when they unite, become one and that is Rama. Rama is like the Omkara. We should not introduce differences between the three syllables.
What is in your heart, what comes from your heart, no matter what name of the Lord it may be. To be able to accept it with full confidence that it represents the divine, is the way to have a sacred life.
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