Monday, February 23, 2009

MAHA SHIVARATHRI 2009



A wonderful and divine Maha Shivarathri was celebrated with a 4-hour non-stop bhajan beginning at 8.00pm - 12.00 midnight on 23 February 2009.  We also chanted special prayers including Sai Ashtottaram Namavalli (A garland of 108 sacred names in praise of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba), Lingashtakam, and Lord Shiva mantras.

Click below for more pictures :
http://picasaweb.google.com/ssbcned/MahaShivarathri23209#

DIVINE DISCOURSE 23/2/2009


Install God on the Altar of Your Heart and Meditate On Him
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba


Bharat is the motherland of many noble souls who earned great name and fame in all the continents of the world.
This is the land of valorous people who vanquished the foreign rulers in the battlefield and attained independence.
This is the land that excelled in music, literature, and other fine arts.
Having been born in this great land of Bharat, oh boys and girls,
it is your sacred duty to protect its rich cultural heritage!
(Telugu poem)

Embodiments of Love!

We are spending nights daily ever since we are born, but not all those nights can be termed as Sivarathri. People meditate upon, sing about, and listen to the glory of the divine name and experience the divinity of Lord Siva. Since the whole night is spent in meditation and singing the glory of the divine name of Lord Siva, this night is called Sivarathri. Not only this night, whenever you spend the entire night meditating upon the divine name, that night is also Sivarathri.

Lord Siva is not a separate Avatar. In fact, Hari and Hara (Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva) are beyond one's contemplation. They are beyond the physical body. Many people contemplate upon them as Avatars with a physical body and worship them in a particular form. They develop a deep urge to visualise them in a particular form. But who is it that ascribed those forms to Divinity? Surely, they did not incarnate in those forms. Some painters, like Ravi Varma, painted them in a particular form as per their imagination based upon certain descriptions in the Sastras and Puranas. That is all!

In fact, Vishnu and Siva are not limited to a physical frame. They are beyond description. They are formless and attributeless. Nirgunam, niranjanam, sanathana niketanam, nitya, suddha, buddha, mukta, nirmala, swarupinam (God is attributeless, unsullied, final abode, eternal, pure, enlightened, free, and embodiment of sacredness).

Devotees are accustomed to contemplate upon and worship these forms also since millennia. They wish to visualise God in those forms.

God is beyond description and is not limited to a particular form. No painter, however great they may be, can ever paint the picture of God. How can a painter paint the form of God, who is formless?

However, God assumes different forms as per the wishes of devotees. Whoever wishes to visualise God in whatever form of their liking, God manifests in that form. It is for that particular moment only. It is not permanent. All forms attributed to God are only temporary. Divinity is beyond name and form.

Once Goddess Lakshmi came to Parvathi and wondered

Oh! Gowri! You are very young and Sambasiva is old;
He has matted locks and wears a tiger skin;
He rides a bull and is constantly on the move;
He is adorned with snakes;
How did you court Him?
Don't you know all this?
He has no house of His own and sleeps in the burial ground.
(Telugu song)

Parvathi was deeply disturbed by these remarks and approached Lord Siva and asked, "You don't have a house of your own. You don't belong to a particular caste or lineage. Further, you are "arthanariswara" (androgynous). How then can you call yourself God?"

Lord Siva replied that God is beyond names, caste, and lineage. He then turned to Lakshmi and asked, "Oh! Mother Lakshmi! Are you aware of your own husband's antecedents? He is constantly on the move to protect His devotees and has no time for food and sleep. If at all He settles down to take food, some devotee like Draupadi prays meanwhile, 'Oh! Lord Krishna! I am in great trouble. Please save me.' Immediately, He rushes to rescue her, leaving His food. Thus, He is constantly on the move to protect His devotees like Narada or Prahlada. How then did you court such a Lord who has no time even for food and rest?"

Siva then clarified that God has no name and form; He is changeless; He has neither birth nor death; neither beginning nor end; He is eternal and Atmaswarupa (embodiment of Atma). He also emphasised that it is man's illusion to ascribe a name and form to God. The formless God manifests with a particular form and name as per the wishes of the devotees, to fulfil their aspirations.

God is formless and attributeless. It is the devotees who attribute some names, forms, and attributes to God and feel satisfied. All names and forms are anithya and asathya (evanescent and false). The only eternal and true form of God is Atma. Everything in the world may change; but the Atma will never undergo a change. The entire universe is contained in the Atma. This is also called divine consciousness or Aham or Brahman. People misunderstand this eternal truth, ascribing several names and forms to it.

When the formless God assumes a form, it is natural for human beings to meditate and worship that form. People derive great satisfaction and experience bliss by doing so. It is alright as long as that form remains. Once that divine form ceases to exist, what will you do? The happiness and bliss derived from the worship of a particular form of God are born out of your illusion only. The physical vestures last for a particular period and then cease to exist. Divinity takes different forms later.

For example, you are now attached to this physical body. You worship this body and derive great satisfaction and bliss thereby. But, after sometime, this body may disappear like the earlier Avatar. Then you should not feel sad. When the divine Atma embodied in this physical body reaches its eternal Abode, it is a matter of joy, not sorrow.

In Tretha Yuga the Rama Avatar came. He went into exile in the forest and destroyed several demons, including the great rakshasa (demon) king, Ravana. Finally, having fulfilled His Avataric mission, He went into the Sarayu river and disappeared. The same is the case with Lord Krishna in the Dwapara Yuga, who left His mortal coil after having been hit by the arrow of a hunter in the forest. Thus, the physical vestures are always temporary and untrue.

The body is made up of five elements and is bound to perish sooner or later,
but the indweller has neither birth nor death.
The indweller has no attachment whatsoever and is the eternal witness.
Truly speaking, the indweller who is in the form of Atma, is verily God Himself.
(Telugu poem)

Hence, never consider the physical body as permanent. Bodies appear according to the time and circumstances. Once the prescribed time is over, they just disappear. Even the experiences gained by the physical body vanish.

Considering the physical bodies as true, if you wish to have the darshan of Lord Krishna of Dwapara Yuga now, how is it possible? As long as He walked in that body, He appeared in Mathura, Brindavan, Gokul, Dwaraka, etc., and made people happy with His darshan, sparshan, and sambhasan (sight, contact, speech).

Take the example of an electric bulb. Each bulb has separate wattage, which remains for a limited period of time. Avatars are like these electric bulbs. Over a period, God has incarnated as several Avatars. Be attached not to the physical form of a particular Avatar but to Divinity as the formless, attributeless, Parabrahma, which manifested as different Avatar in different ages.

You were born as a baby and grew up as a child, youth, and elderly person. All these different stages in life are only for a limited period, but you the individual are there in all the different stages. Avatars come, fulfil their mission, and disappear. You must therefore meditate upon Divinity, which is true and eternal.

There are three aspects in sadhana (spiritual practice): concentration, contemplation, and meditation. At the moment, you are fixing your gaze on this form; that is concentration. When this form moves away after sometime, you still look at this form with your mental eye; that is contemplation. As a result of this exercise, this form gets imprinted in your heart permanently. That is meditation. As you go on meditating thus, the form remains in your heart permanently.

At present, you are confining your sadhana only to concentration and contemplation. These two stages are only transitory. It is true that the first step in your sadhana is concentration. Concentration has to be transformed into contemplation and later into meditation. In this final stage of meditation, you will continue to visualise the form of God even if you close your eyes. The ancient rishis adopted this form of meditation. That is why God manifested before them whenever they wished, talked to them, and fulfilled their desires.

The nirakara, nirguna Parabrahma (formless, attributeless Supreme Self) is changeless and eternal. It represents the ultimate reality. It is known by different names like Rama, Krishna, and Sai. Do not make any distinction between the names, for Parabrahma is beyond names and forms. Install that ultimate reality on the altar of your sacred heart and constantly meditate upon it.

Some people tend to misinterpret the sastras and puranas (scriptures and ancient texts) to suit their convenience and selfish ends. A small story: Once an impostor posing as a renunciant stood before a house and begged for food saying, "Bhavathi bhiksham dehi!" (I am hungry, kindly give me food!).

The housewife heard his plea and came out. She told him, "Sir! Please go to the river and have a bath and come back. Meanwhile, I will keep the food ready for you."

Then the sanyasi (renunciant) quoted a line from the puranas, "Govindethi sadasnanam" (the constant chanting of the name of Govinda is as good as taking a bath).

The housewife immediately realised that the person standing in front of their door begging for food was not a true renunciant and replied, "Dear Son! Govindethi sada bhojanam" (the constant chanting of the name of Govinda is as good as a meal). You may go.

It is said that the face is the index of mind. It reflects our inner thoughts and feelings. If the so-called renunciant in this story really believed in the glory of the divine name, he should have taken a bath before asking for food. He was a lazy person. He wanted food to satisfy his hunger but was reluctant to have a bath before the meal. Never believe in such impostors.

Some people sit silently, closing their eyes. They say they are doing meditation. That is not meditation. They may be sitting silently, but their mind may be wandering, thinking about all and sundry. Only a mind that is unwavering and firmly fixed on the higher reality can be called meditation. Meditation is the next stage to contemplation.

A small example: you may have scored first class marks in the half yearly examination, but you will not be eligible to get a degree. Only after passing the final examination will you be eligible to receive a degree. Contemplation and meditation are comparable to the half yearly and final examinations. Thus, spirituality represents a higher stage in life.

Today, people are engrossed in the pursuit of physical and worldly objects, forgetting moral and spiritual goals. How then can they attain spiritual progress? If one wishes to have a spiritual experience, one has to acquire the necessary strength to face the final examination.

To say that this is my body, my house, my property, etc. represents the physical aspect. When you say, "this is my body," it means "my" is separate. That is, you are separate from your body. Similarly, when you say "my mind", "my buddhi (intellect)", "my chitta (subconscious mind)", etc. it means they are all separate from you. Hence, your true nature is "I", which is separate from all that you call as "my body, my mind, my buddhi", etc.

You have to sacrifice all your karmas (i.e. the fruits of your actions). That means, you have to perform your karmas (actions) with an attitude of Sarva karma Bhagavad preethyartham (all actions to be performed in a spirit of surrender to God). Then only will you become immortal.

If you wish to attain the true and eternal state, you must realise the Atma Tathwa (Atmic Principle). Only the Upanishads delineate on the Atma Tathwa extensively, not the epics like Bhagavatha and Ramayana. The same Atma Tathwa, that is, the supreme reality, incarnates from age to age to restored dharma whenever it is on the decline, as stated in the Bhagavad Gita:

Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata,
abhyutthanamadharmasya tadatmanam srujamyaham.
(Sanskrit verse)

(Oh Arjuna! Whenever there is a decline in dharma and rise in adharma,
I incarnate from age to age for the establishment of dharma.

Install God on the altar of your sacred heart and meditate on Him constantly. In spite of sorrow, difficulties, and calamities that you may encounter, hold on to Him firmly. They trouble your body, not you; for, you are separate from your body. The body is like a box in which the mind, intellect, chitta (subconscious mind), indriyas (senses), and anthakarana (inner psycho-somatic fourfold instruments of mind, intellect, memory, and ego) are packed.

We cultivate qualities like anger, jealousy, envy, and pride due to our contact with the outside world. Only when we get rid of these qualities do we enjoy peace. Therefore, we have to start our sadhana with sathya (truth) and dharma (righteousness).

When truth and righteousness go together, santhi (peace) will reign. Peace brings love. Where there is peace, there hatred cannot be. When we develop hatred against someone, it means the spring of love is dried up in our heart. When there is love in our heart, we do not get angry, even if someone accuses us.

Normally, we do not care for anyone when we are angry. Many people speak ill of Me, accuse Me, and even heckle Me, but I am not disturbed. I am always happy and blissful. That is real love.

Where there is anger, hatred, and jealousy, it means that there is no love. Hence, always follow the motto of "Love All, Serve All!" The basis for following this principle is sathya and dharma (truth and righteousness). Always speak truth and follow righteousness.

As against this principle, people are now lecturing so much about dharma without themselves treading the path of dharma. Dharma cannot survive in such circumstances. It is said, "Sathyannasti paro dharmah" (there cannot be a greater dharma than speaking truth). Sathya and dharma are like the two hands, two legs, and two lips in a human body. It is only when the two lips work together that a human being can speak. Similarly, it is only when sathya and dharma go together that peace reigns. Where there is no dharma, there love cannot be. Thus, sathya and dharma are the basis for all other values like santhi (peace), prema (love), and ahimsa (nonviolence).

(Bhagawan sang the bhajan, "Prema mudita manase kaho ..." and continued His discourse.)

Embodiments of Love!

Always meditate on the divine name ---not just contemplation, but meditation. That meditation should be with love for God. Without love, your meditation will not achieve the desired result. Your love for God should be continuous through day and night. It is possible that when you pray to God to fulfil some desire and things go contrary, you may get angry and develop hatred against Him. But that has nothing to do with spirituality. Your innate nature and love for God should never undergo a change.

Continue to attach yourself to the divine name. That is real meditation. When you are in deep meditation, nothing in the external world should be visible to you even if you open your eyes.

Another aspect about which you need to be careful is your speech. Too much talk is very bad. Do not indulge in excessive talk. Try to mend your nature. Observe silence as far as possible and be quiet. Talk as much as is needed. Just answer to the point. If you talk more, you will be branded as a chatterbox. Too much talk is not good, even from the health point of view. This is very important, especially in the case of children.

You have to keep your mind steady right from the young age. What is important is not studying textbooks but steadying your mind. Textbooks you can always study ---in the classroom, in the hostel, etc.

Are you all happy? (All the students in one voice replied that they are happy.)

(Bhagawan concluded His discourse with the words, "Be always happy, happy, happy!")

DIVINE DISCOURSE 23/2/2009


Install God on the Altar of Your Heart and Meditate On Him
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba


Bharat is the motherland of many noble souls who earned great name and fame in all the continents of the world.
This is the land of valorous people who vanquished the foreign rulers in the battlefield and attained independence.
This is the land that excelled in music, literature, and other fine arts.
Having been born in this great land of Bharat, oh boys and girls,
it is your sacred duty to protect its rich cultural heritage!
(Telugu poem)

Embodiments of Love!

We are spending nights daily ever since we are born, but not all those nights can be termed as Sivarathri. People meditate upon, sing about, and listen to the glory of the divine name and experience the divinity of Lord Siva. Since the whole night is spent in meditation and singing the glory of the divine name of Lord Siva, this night is called Sivarathri. Not only this night, whenever you spend the entire night meditating upon the divine name, that night is also Sivarathri.

Lord Siva is not a separate Avatar. In fact, Hari and Hara (Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva) are beyond one's contemplation. They are beyond the physical body. Many people contemplate upon them as Avatars with a physical body and worship them in a particular form. They develop a deep urge to visualise them in a particular form. But who is it that ascribed those forms to Divinity? Surely, they did not incarnate in those forms. Some painters, like Ravi Varma, painted them in a particular form as per their imagination based upon certain descriptions in the Sastras and Puranas. That is all!

In fact, Vishnu and Siva are not limited to a physical frame. They are beyond description. They are formless and attributeless. Nirgunam, niranjanam, sanathana niketanam, nitya, suddha, buddha, mukta, nirmala, swarupinam (God is attributeless, unsullied, final abode, eternal, pure, enlightened, free, and embodiment of sacredness).

Devotees are accustomed to contemplate upon and worship these forms also since millennia. They wish to visualise God in those forms.

God is beyond description and is not limited to a particular form. No painter, however great they may be, can ever paint the picture of God. How can a painter paint the form of God, who is formless?

However, God assumes different forms as per the wishes of devotees. Whoever wishes to visualise God in whatever form of their liking, God manifests in that form. It is for that particular moment only. It is not permanent. All forms attributed to God are only temporary. Divinity is beyond name and form.

Once Goddess Lakshmi came to Parvathi and wondered

Oh! Gowri! You are very young and Sambasiva is old;
He has matted locks and wears a tiger skin;
He rides a bull and is constantly on the move;
He is adorned with snakes;
How did you court Him?
Don't you know all this?
He has no house of His own and sleeps in the burial ground.
(Telugu song)

Parvathi was deeply disturbed by these remarks and approached Lord Siva and asked, "You don't have a house of your own. You don't belong to a particular caste or lineage. Further, you are "arthanariswara" (androgynous). How then can you call yourself God?"

Lord Siva replied that God is beyond names, caste, and lineage. He then turned to Lakshmi and asked, "Oh! Mother Lakshmi! Are you aware of your own husband's antecedents? He is constantly on the move to protect His devotees and has no time for food and sleep. If at all He settles down to take food, some devotee like Draupadi prays meanwhile, 'Oh! Lord Krishna! I am in great trouble. Please save me.' Immediately, He rushes to rescue her, leaving His food. Thus, He is constantly on the move to protect His devotees like Narada or Prahlada. How then did you court such a Lord who has no time even for food and rest?"

Siva then clarified that God has no name and form; He is changeless; He has neither birth nor death; neither beginning nor end; He is eternal and Atmaswarupa (embodiment of Atma). He also emphasised that it is man's illusion to ascribe a name and form to God. The formless God manifests with a particular form and name as per the wishes of the devotees, to fulfil their aspirations.

God is formless and attributeless. It is the devotees who attribute some names, forms, and attributes to God and feel satisfied. All names and forms are anithya and asathya (evanescent and false). The only eternal and true form of God is Atma. Everything in the world may change; but the Atma will never undergo a change. The entire universe is contained in the Atma. This is also called divine consciousness or Aham or Brahman. People misunderstand this eternal truth, ascribing several names and forms to it.

When the formless God assumes a form, it is natural for human beings to meditate and worship that form. People derive great satisfaction and experience bliss by doing so. It is alright as long as that form remains. Once that divine form ceases to exist, what will you do? The happiness and bliss derived from the worship of a particular form of God are born out of your illusion only. The physical vestures last for a particular period and then cease to exist. Divinity takes different forms later.

For example, you are now attached to this physical body. You worship this body and derive great satisfaction and bliss thereby. But, after sometime, this body may disappear like the earlier Avatar. Then you should not feel sad. When the divine Atma embodied in this physical body reaches its eternal Abode, it is a matter of joy, not sorrow.

In Tretha Yuga the Rama Avatar came. He went into exile in the forest and destroyed several demons, including the great rakshasa (demon) king, Ravana. Finally, having fulfilled His Avataric mission, He went into the Sarayu river and disappeared. The same is the case with Lord Krishna in the Dwapara Yuga, who left His mortal coil after having been hit by the arrow of a hunter in the forest. Thus, the physical vestures are always temporary and untrue.

The body is made up of five elements and is bound to perish sooner or later,
but the indweller has neither birth nor death.
The indweller has no attachment whatsoever and is the eternal witness.
Truly speaking, the indweller who is in the form of Atma, is verily God Himself.
(Telugu poem)

Hence, never consider the physical body as permanent. Bodies appear according to the time and circumstances. Once the prescribed time is over, they just disappear. Even the experiences gained by the physical body vanish.

Considering the physical bodies as true, if you wish to have the darshan of Lord Krishna of Dwapara Yuga now, how is it possible? As long as He walked in that body, He appeared in Mathura, Brindavan, Gokul, Dwaraka, etc., and made people happy with His darshan, sparshan, and sambhasan (sight, contact, speech).

Take the example of an electric bulb. Each bulb has separate wattage, which remains for a limited period of time. Avatars are like these electric bulbs. Over a period, God has incarnated as several Avatars. Be attached not to the physical form of a particular Avatar but to Divinity as the formless, attributeless, Parabrahma, which manifested as different Avatar in different ages.

You were born as a baby and grew up as a child, youth, and elderly person. All these different stages in life are only for a limited period, but you the individual are there in all the different stages. Avatars come, fulfil their mission, and disappear. You must therefore meditate upon Divinity, which is true and eternal.

There are three aspects in sadhana (spiritual practice): concentration, contemplation, and meditation. At the moment, you are fixing your gaze on this form; that is concentration. When this form moves away after sometime, you still look at this form with your mental eye; that is contemplation. As a result of this exercise, this form gets imprinted in your heart permanently. That is meditation. As you go on meditating thus, the form remains in your heart permanently.

At present, you are confining your sadhana only to concentration and contemplation. These two stages are only transitory. It is true that the first step in your sadhana is concentration. Concentration has to be transformed into contemplation and later into meditation. In this final stage of meditation, you will continue to visualise the form of God even if you close your eyes. The ancient rishis adopted this form of meditation. That is why God manifested before them whenever they wished, talked to them, and fulfilled their desires.

The nirakara, nirguna Parabrahma (formless, attributeless Supreme Self) is changeless and eternal. It represents the ultimate reality. It is known by different names like Rama, Krishna, and Sai. Do not make any distinction between the names, for Parabrahma is beyond names and forms. Install that ultimate reality on the altar of your sacred heart and constantly meditate upon it.

Some people tend to misinterpret the sastras and puranas (scriptures and ancient texts) to suit their convenience and selfish ends. A small story: Once an impostor posing as a renunciant stood before a house and begged for food saying, "Bhavathi bhiksham dehi!" (I am hungry, kindly give me food!).

The housewife heard his plea and came out. She told him, "Sir! Please go to the river and have a bath and come back. Meanwhile, I will keep the food ready for you."

Then the sanyasi (renunciant) quoted a line from the puranas, "Govindethi sadasnanam" (the constant chanting of the name of Govinda is as good as taking a bath).

The housewife immediately realised that the person standing in front of their door begging for food was not a true renunciant and replied, "Dear Son! Govindethi sada bhojanam" (the constant chanting of the name of Govinda is as good as a meal). You may go.

It is said that the face is the index of mind. It reflects our inner thoughts and feelings. If the so-called renunciant in this story really believed in the glory of the divine name, he should have taken a bath before asking for food. He was a lazy person. He wanted food to satisfy his hunger but was reluctant to have a bath before the meal. Never believe in such impostors.

Some people sit silently, closing their eyes. They say they are doing meditation. That is not meditation. They may be sitting silently, but their mind may be wandering, thinking about all and sundry. Only a mind that is unwavering and firmly fixed on the higher reality can be called meditation. Meditation is the next stage to contemplation.

A small example: you may have scored first class marks in the half yearly examination, but you will not be eligible to get a degree. Only after passing the final examination will you be eligible to receive a degree. Contemplation and meditation are comparable to the half yearly and final examinations. Thus, spirituality represents a higher stage in life.

Today, people are engrossed in the pursuit of physical and worldly objects, forgetting moral and spiritual goals. How then can they attain spiritual progress? If one wishes to have a spiritual experience, one has to acquire the necessary strength to face the final examination.

To say that this is my body, my house, my property, etc. represents the physical aspect. When you say, "this is my body," it means "my" is separate. That is, you are separate from your body. Similarly, when you say "my mind", "my buddhi (intellect)", "my chitta (subconscious mind)", etc. it means they are all separate from you. Hence, your true nature is "I", which is separate from all that you call as "my body, my mind, my buddhi", etc.

You have to sacrifice all your karmas (i.e. the fruits of your actions). That means, you have to perform your karmas (actions) with an attitude of Sarva karma Bhagavad preethyartham (all actions to be performed in a spirit of surrender to God). Then only will you become immortal.

If you wish to attain the true and eternal state, you must realise the Atma Tathwa (Atmic Principle). Only the Upanishads delineate on the Atma Tathwa extensively, not the epics like Bhagavatha and Ramayana. The same Atma Tathwa, that is, the supreme reality, incarnates from age to age to restored dharma whenever it is on the decline, as stated in the Bhagavad Gita:

Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata,
abhyutthanamadharmasya tadatmanam srujamyaham.
(Sanskrit verse)

(Oh Arjuna! Whenever there is a decline in dharma and rise in adharma,
I incarnate from age to age for the establishment of dharma.

Install God on the altar of your sacred heart and meditate on Him constantly. In spite of sorrow, difficulties, and calamities that you may encounter, hold on to Him firmly. They trouble your body, not you; for, you are separate from your body. The body is like a box in which the mind, intellect, chitta (subconscious mind), indriyas (senses), and anthakarana (inner psycho-somatic fourfold instruments of mind, intellect, memory, and ego) are packed.

We cultivate qualities like anger, jealousy, envy, and pride due to our contact with the outside world. Only when we get rid of these qualities do we enjoy peace. Therefore, we have to start our sadhana with sathya (truth) and dharma (righteousness).

When truth and righteousness go together, santhi (peace) will reign. Peace brings love. Where there is peace, there hatred cannot be. When we develop hatred against someone, it means the spring of love is dried up in our heart. When there is love in our heart, we do not get angry, even if someone accuses us.

Normally, we do not care for anyone when we are angry. Many people speak ill of Me, accuse Me, and even heckle Me, but I am not disturbed. I am always happy and blissful. That is real love.

Where there is anger, hatred, and jealousy, it means that there is no love. Hence, always follow the motto of "Love All, Serve All!" The basis for following this principle is sathya and dharma (truth and righteousness). Always speak truth and follow righteousness.

As against this principle, people are now lecturing so much about dharma without themselves treading the path of dharma. Dharma cannot survive in such circumstances. It is said, "Sathyannasti paro dharmah" (there cannot be a greater dharma than speaking truth). Sathya and dharma are like the two hands, two legs, and two lips in a human body. It is only when the two lips work together that a human being can speak. Similarly, it is only when sathya and dharma go together that peace reigns. Where there is no dharma, there love cannot be. Thus, sathya and dharma are the basis for all other values like santhi (peace), prema (love), and ahimsa (nonviolence).

(Bhagawan sang the bhajan, "Prema mudita manase kaho ..." and continued His discourse.)

Embodiments of Love!

Always meditate on the divine name ---not just contemplation, but meditation. That meditation should be with love for God. Without love, your meditation will not achieve the desired result. Your love for God should be continuous through day and night. It is possible that when you pray to God to fulfil some desire and things go contrary, you may get angry and develop hatred against Him. But that has nothing to do with spirituality. Your innate nature and love for God should never undergo a change.

Continue to attach yourself to the divine name. That is real meditation. When you are in deep meditation, nothing in the external world should be visible to you even if you open your eyes.

Another aspect about which you need to be careful is your speech. Too much talk is very bad. Do not indulge in excessive talk. Try to mend your nature. Observe silence as far as possible and be quiet. Talk as much as is needed. Just answer to the point. If you talk more, you will be branded as a chatterbox. Too much talk is not good, even from the health point of view. This is very important, especially in the case of children.

You have to keep your mind steady right from the young age. What is important is not studying textbooks but steadying your mind. Textbooks you can always study ---in the classroom, in the hostel, etc.

Are you all happy? (All the students in one voice replied that they are happy.)

(Bhagawan concluded His discourse with the words, "Be always happy, happy, happy!")

Sunday, February 22, 2009

PENANG LEADERSHIP CAMP


The Penang Leadership Camp was held on 20 - 22 February 2009 at the Air Itam Dam, Penang.  It was a fun-filled learning experience for all participants who had attended.  Topics discussed included Missions and Visions for all centres in Penang, as well as the National Sai Care Program in conjunction with Swami's 85th Birthday in 2010.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

DIVINE DISCOURSE 21/2/2009


Develop Self-Confidence to Gain Success in Life
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba


Forbearance is the real beauty in this sacred land of Bharat.
Of all the rituals, adherence to truth is the greatest penance.
The nectarine feeling in this country is the feeling of love toward one’s mother.
Character is valued far higher than the very life itself.
People have forgotten the basic principles of this great culture and are imitating Western culture
Alas!
The Bharathiyas are not aware of the greatness of their cultural heritage
just as a mighty elephant is not aware of its own strength.
(Telugu poem)

The elephant, unable to realise its innate strength, meekly submits itself to the commands of the mahout, who works for a paltry sum of a few rupees. It gets up and sits down as per the commands of the mahout on account of the training it received from him. Similarly Bharathiyas today are blindly following western culture, forgetting their own rich and sacred culture. The culture of Bharath is very sacred, strong, and ancient. It is eternal and a beacon light that guides all the countries of the world. How then can the Bharathiyas forget their own great culture?

The culture of Bharath enjoins all people to revere and respect their mother and father as God. It exhorts Mathrudevo bhava and Pithrudevo bhava (mother is God; father is God). Not only this; it also exhorts Acharyadevo bhava and Athithidevo bhava (teacher is God and guest is God). If you tend to ignore the words of your own mother, whom else will you revere and respect?

Embodiments of Love!

As we go on talking for hours together, we tend to forget what we really intend to communicate. So many deviations and distortions creep into our speech. Today, the entire world is filled with negative feelings. Whoever you come across, whatever you see, negativity is widespread. All are reflections of your inner thoughts and feelings.

But beyond all these, there is one entity, called Atma, that is the Embodiment of the divine Self. There is only one Atma, which dwells in every individual, nay every living being. The Bhagavad Gita declared, “Mamaivamso jeevaloke jeevabhuthah Sanathanah” (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). There is no scope at all for any doubt or duality in this aspect. It is “Ekameva adwitheeyam Brahma” (The Atma or Brahma is one without a second). That is why it is said “a man with dual mind is half blind.”

Divinity is described in the Vedas as “Sahasra seersha purushaha sahasrakshah sahasra paad” (The Cosmic Being has thousands of heads, eyes and feet.). The import of this statement is that the one Divinity expresses itself through millions of individuals and that all are divine. We tend to forget this great truth and consider each individual as separate from the other. The strife and conflicts between human beings started the moment humanity forgot its fundamental unity. It is time that this trend is reversed and the fundamental unity among humans is re-established.

Along with unity, there should be purity. Where unity and purity go together, there Divinity is. The combination of unity, purity and Divinity will result in realisation of Atma Tathwa (Atmic Principle). The Upanishads, especially the Taithreeyopanishad, dealt at length with this Atma Tathwa. One who develops faith only in this Atma Tathwa will succeed in all their endeavours.

The Atma Tathwa or divine Consciousness permeates the entire Universe. Not a blade of grass can move without this divine Consciousness. Everything in this Universe is the reflection of that divine Consciousness. The same Atma Tathwa dwells in all human beings irrespective of religion, caste, creed, and nationality.

This is true even in the case of Avatars. The Avatars of Rama, Krishna, etc. may be different in names and forms; but the Atma Tathwa in them is only one. They all lived in their human vestures till the completion of their Avataric mission, and once their task was completed, they disappeared. Hence, physical bodies are not permanent. In fact, nothing in this ephemeral world is permanent, not even the great Avatars.

Atma is the only entity that is eternal. It is beyond birth and death. It is changeless. There is a beginning and end for everything else in this universe, except the Atma. Hence, one has to develop firm faith in this Atma Tathwa.

Unfortunately, today we tend to forget this true and eternal Atma Tathwa and develop faith in the ephemeral world. We weave a web of imagination around the pleasures that this transient world would offer. Ultimately, we land ourselves in sorrow and difficulties. The Atma Tathwa is the only entity that is true, eternal, and changeless. Everything else undergoes change from time to time. Even the human body passes through different stages like childhood, adolescence, youth and old age, but the individual remains the same through all these changes.

Today, people adapt themselves to continuous changes in time, situations, and environment. People who change themselves thus are not a human beings in the real sense. Who is a real human being? One who does not undergo a change; one whose faith in the Atma Tathwa (Self) is firm and steady. That is self-confidence. One who develops that self confidence can find a place for themself permanently in the history of the world.

You all know about Abraham Lincoln, the past President of the United States of America. He was a perfect example of such self-confidence. He came from a very poor family and could not afford to have a decent dress and books. He was so poor that he had to study under streetlights. His mother used to support him with the meagre amount of money she earned by mending old and worn-out clothes.

One day his classmates, who were rich and wearing fine suits, boots, and hats, made fun of him and heckled him, saying that he did not deserve to walk along with them in that poor attire and that he should walk on the footpath. He came home crying and poured out his agony to his mother, explaining how he was insulted and humiliated.

His mother consoled him saying, “My dear son! Do not get affected by praise or blame. Understand the situation at home. Your father cannot afford to spend money on your education. Develop self-confidence. That is your property.”

These words made a lasting impression on the tender heart of Lincoln. He acquired self-confidence and self-respect, with the constant support and encouragement of his mother. He even did some odd jobs and earned some money to support himself. The good name he earned for himself in society commanded the respect and love of his fellowmen for him.

In due course, his friends and well-wishers advised him to run for election. They assured him of their support and votes. On their advice, he ran for election and won. He became the President of America. Thus, Abraham Lincoln, the son of a poor artisan with little spare money even to pursue primary education, became the President of America by sheer hard work and self-confidence infused by his mother.

People cannot reach great heights without self-confidence. Not even the nine forms of devotion — sravanam (listening), kirtanam (singing), Vishnusmaranam (contemplating on Vishnu), Padasevanam (serving His Lotus Feet), vandanam (salutation), archanam (worship), dasyam (servitude), sneham (friendship), and Atmanivedanam (self-surrender) — can help.

Any amount of sadhana (spiritual practices) without self-confidence will be of little use. Hence, I wish that all of you should develop self-confidence. Face your examinations with self-confidence. Without self-confidence, not even your friends can help.

Do not forget to follow your mother’s advice, for, she is ‘Mathrudevo bhava’ (mother is God). She will always protect you, wherever you are. One who respects the commands of their mother and follows them sincerely will come up in life, as in the case of Abraham Lincoln.

Unfortunately, people today do not give due respect and recognition to their mothers. They do not hesitate even to denigrate her before others, when they are holding high positions. Whenever some guests or colleague officers visit their houses and ask about the mother, they reply that she is a servant. This type of behaviour is totally against the Vedic injunctions, which exhort people to treat the mother as God, verily. In fact, the mother is the living divinity. She is the first guru to a human being. She is the only person who selflessly works and wishes for the welfare of her children.

Those who disregard the advice of their mother will never be successful in life. Even in foreign countries, people like Abraham Lincoln attained high positions by obeying the commands of their mothers and by developing self-confidence.

We consider foreigners as great. But not all the foreigners can be considered great. Only those who respect their mothers and follow their advice are great. If you ignore the advice of your mother, you are sure to face difficulties in life. Follow her advice wholeheartedly. Develop the quality of implicit obedience to the wishes of your mother, without a second thought. Then only will your life be peaceful.

The women of Bharath earned great name and fame for their sterling quality of chastity. They are not to be treated lightly. A few examples of such noble women are always worth remembering and emulated. Savithri could bring her deceased husband back to life, by the power of her chastity. The great woman Sita entered the fire to prove her chastity and came out unscathed. There were several such examples in this country of Bharath, who shone as beacon lights to the entire world.

Bharath is a holy and sacred land. How fortunate you are to be born in this great land of Bharath! You must therefore sanctify your lives by following the rich and sacred culture of this country. Bharath is a holy land where the qualities of magnanimity and sacrifice flourished. The spiritual outlook of Bharath is unparalleled. In fact, it is this spiritual outlook that sustained this country since times immemorial and took it to great heights.

The people of this country are enjoying peace and bliss even today, while the whole world is passing through difficult times. It is for this reason that people from all other countries visit this country and find solace here. We have to sustain this rich legacy of spirituality.

Whenever someone asks a student what he is doing, he replies that he is concentrating on his studies. But the real meaning of concentration is fixing one’s mind on a particular object. Contemplation is the next step. The final step is meditation. Thus, concentration, contemplation, and meditation are the three steps in sadhana. Meditation is not simply silent sitting, closing one’s eyes. Maintaining an unwavering and steady mind is meditation.

People think that concentration is a great exercise, but it is only the first step in sadhana, the others being contemplation and meditation. Concentration is like primary school education. Contemplation is high school education and meditation is college level education. Only after reaching the college level is one eligible to acquire a degree. All our ancient rishis reached up to this stage and meditated upon Divinity.

When one reaches the stage of meditation, there is no scope for any wavering, and one’s faith in Divinity becomes steady. You have to attain that stage. You may study a number of books and pass your examination in the school or college. But it is only one who reached the meditation stage that passes the test prescribed by God.

Dear students!

Do not be proud of your achievement in getting a first class or a rank. It is not the marks that count. See that you do not get remarks, which is the result of your losing self-confidence. Hence, develop self-confidence to become a real success in life.

(Bhagawan sang the bhajan, “Bhajana bina …” and continued His discourse.)

Embodiments of Love!

Constantly meditate upon a name and form of God that is to your liking. It does not matter which name and form you select for your namasmarana. All names and form belong to the one God. He is Atmaswarupa (Embodiment of divine Atma). God takes up different forms and is worshipped by various names. Only God can fulfil the desires of devotees. It is He who grants you powers and positions. Without Him, you cannot achieve any position. All are zeros only! With God’s grace, one can become a hero!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

MEDICAL HEALTH CHECK


A medical health check is in progress at the St Joseph Orphanage.  Besides undergoing a general and hygiene check, the children are also checked for head lice infestation, eye vision and deworming where necessary.  Medication is prescribed on the spot and this seva activity is carried out once in six months.

HAIR-CUTTING AT HOME OF THE INFIRM


Our volunteer "barbers" in action doing their best at the Home of the Infirm, Green Lane.  This Hair-cutting seva is carried out once a month and an average of 40 - 50 heads are attended to for each session.

ROSE CLASSES


ROSE Classes at St Joseph's Home where the children are also given lessons in EHV.

VEGETABLE COLLECTION & DISTRIBUTION


Volunteers meet weekly every Thursday at 8.45am to sort and prune donated vegetables outside the Mutiara Wholesale Market before packing them into paper bags for distribution to poor families living in Rifle Range low-cost flats and Sg Pinang areas.  Three children homes, viz, The Child Protection Society, The Grace Home and Bhodi Heart Orphanage are also receiving these donated vegetables regularly.