Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

The teachings of Manu offer an unsurpassed guide for achieving lasting happiness and joy in each and every yuga or age. Manu declared that for the Krita Yuga the right path was penance and meditation; for the Treta Yuga it was performing appropriate yajnas [Vedic rituals]; for the Dwapara Yuga the prescribed path was worship, and for the Kali Age it is namasmarana or chanting the Name of the Lord.

In those days, everything was pure. The environment was unpolluted, the food was pure, and the habits were sacred. All actions were based on truth. Manu recognised even then, the sanctity of human life and the divinity latent in the human being.

Having done so, he shared this knowledge with one and all. The declarations of Manu form the foundations of bharatiya culture.

The people of the Krita Age were engaged in the constant meditation of the Lord. They meditated not for just a few minutes or hours or even days; they were always absorbed in the thought of God. They were guided by the scriptural teaching:

In those days, people were beyond unworthy desires and narrowminded feelings. Their hearts were pure, their feelings were sacred, their mind was mature, and they were ever in bliss. They therefore never entertained any petty or worldly desires. They enjoyed God’s grace and were blessed with good crops as well as all the other needs of daily life. Such people are not to be found these days. The essence of bharatiya culture was amply reflected in the behaviour, conduct, and the sacred feelings of the people of the Krita Yuga. People of those times sought unity in diversity.

They did not have any kind of dissatisfaction or discontent. A sacred heart produces a mature mind. In that age, life moved at a leisurely pace. Unlike people of modern times who are tied to rigid schedules, they did not have specific meals at specific times, like breakfast, lunch, etc. They did not have the wide variety of vegetables that is available today. Their meals were thus very simple in nature; they ate rice with curds in the morning and did so again at night. That is why people of those days were both healthy and strong. They made use of all available time for contemplating on God. However, with the passage of time, this practice of simple living and high thinking began to get slowly eroded.

After the Krita Yuga came the Treta Yuga when devotion began to decline. It was during this period that kings and kingdoms came into existence and politics made its first appearance. The king ruled, and the people followed the king. Thus it came to be said ‘as was the king so were the people’ – the king became a role model whom the subjects copied. It was no longer possible to spare time for continuous meditation as in earlier times. Instead, certain specific times and occasions were set apart for the performance of various yajnas and yagas [Vedic rituals]. Yajna is an offering to God. It also means a selfless act of sacrifice. People of the Treta Yuga believed that yajnas provided the pathway to divinity. Like the people of an earlier age, they too desired, pined, and yearned for God; but the path they chose was different. In course of time, certain aggressive and selfish tendencies arose that corrupted the original sacred feelings behind the Vedic rituals.

After this came the Dwapara Yuga when yajnas and yagas slowly receded to the background, getting replaced by archana or ritual worship. People of this age sought to reach God through worship performed at prescribed times, through the study of the scriptures and other sacred texts, and by observing vows and other such austerities. In course of time, as the number of kings, landlords, and power brokers increased, matters of polity began to receive dominant attention, and all forms of worship started declining.

For the people of the present Kali Age, there is a new prescription since neither constant meditation nor the performance of yajas and yagas is possible. To attain God, all that one has to do is namasmarana, i.e., constantly chanting the Name of God. There are no rigid stipulations or conditions regarding the chanting of the Name of God – one may sing or just chant His Name anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstance. In the beginning, it used to be incessant namasmarana; but slowly, the time devoted to the pursuit of even this most easy path to God, has dwindled. From this one fact alone, you can judge for yourself the extent to which the great culture of Bharat has declined.

In the Treta Yuga, Rama declared,

Today, who is bothered about the motherland? Who worships the motherland? Who is fired by patriotism? Such feelings are not to be found anywhere. What is the reason for this indifference?

Politics polluted heavily by evil designs, cunning manipulations, and patently selfish interests is responsible for this tragic decline.

Today, who bothers about patriotism? There are so many politicians, but is there anyone concerned about upholding the prestige of the country? No one; everyone is driven solely by selfishness and self-interest. He alone is a true politician who is prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of the country. But unfortunately, such a spirit of sacrifice is not to be seen anywhere.

Present-day politicians exploit the wealth and the resources of society for their personal benefit and advancement. Their effort is concentrated entirely on acquiring power and achieving status.

Their sole desire is to enjoy position and esteem in society. Can one afford to neglect one’s country in this callous manner? Can politics exist if there is no country in the first place? How can a person who does not respect his country ever be a politician?

Today’s politicians want power alone and not the welfare of the country. On account of extreme selfishness and self-interest, politics has become completely degraded. It is such polluted politics that has destroyed the sanctity of Bharatiya culture. A thousand promises are made but not even one is fulfilled. Many talk about Bharatiya culture but no one knows whether these people really understand what our culture is all about. What good has come out of this practice of placing party loyalty above the country?

Swami said the other day: "One plus one (1+1) is two while one minus one (1-1) is zero." Suppose you remove the plus and the minus signs; then you are left with 11! Eleven is a much bigger number than one; we get this bigger number simply by removing both the plus sign and the minus sign. We don’t need either the plus or the minus. In reality, the progress of the nation depends on the welfare of society. Therefore, we should pray that all should be happy. However, present-day politics promotes divisive tendencies. Politicians say, "So and so is mine while so and so is yours." This separation into ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ reflects nothing but extreme narrow-mindedness. On the other hand, we should abide by the feeling of oneness and declare, "All are mine, we all are one." It is selfishness that plunges the country into ruin. That day when we get rid of this selfishness would be the day when the country will turn around and get on the road to prosperity. Presently, everyone is saturated with selfishness and self-interests. This would not do; instead, we must foster the feeling that all of us belong to one Universal Family. Today, the population of Bharat is about one hundred crores (one billion). If every one of this huge number of people were to feel that all are one, how blissful it would be! How prosperous the country would be! But the politicians and the people of today seem to delight themselves in fragmenting the country into tiny bits. What is the motivating force behind this extreme divisive tendency? People imagine that by carving out their own bit of territory, they can become ministers! What sort of a minister would such a selfish person make? He would be a deluded individual living from minute to minute. He could lose his position any minute! We should not go after such foolish desires.

Students! Boys and Girls! Do not ever enter politics! Instead, enter the path of service to the nation! [Loud applause.] Desire and pray for the welfare of the entire universe. Develop the sense of unity and banish the feeling of differences. This is true service to the country. You should live in unity and be charged with the feeling that all are your sisters and brothers. Your sense of togetherness ought to exceed even that which is found amongst the members of a family. You all know that when Vivekananda delivered his address in Chicago at the Parliament of Religions on the subject of the wisdom of our ancients, he began with the words, "Brothers and Sisters of America." The audience was so thrilled to hear this that they gave him a standing ovation. They were so happy to be referred to as brothers and sisters. Today, however, Bharatiyas (Indians) are ashamed to regard others as brothers and sisters.

We have to spread such a spirit amongst one and all. Humanness is something that came along with us at birth and not later. The human being and the quality of humanness came into existence at the same time. How is it that we have forgotten such a divine feeling?

How great is Bharatiya culture! The ideals it upholds are not meant merely for the citizens of this country but for the whole of humanity. Culture is that which refines man. Refinement implies the elimination of bad traits and the development of good and noble qualities. One becomes cultured when all bad and undesirable qualities are totally got rid of and daily life is based entirely on virtues.

Country does not mean just land or territory but people who live there. Who is manava (man)? Manava is the one with manas (mind). What is meant by mind? Mind is just a bundle of thoughts and desires. Man becomes a genuine human being when all thoughts are bound to Truth. Humanness manifests in such a person as good and noble conduct. Today, truthful thoughts are conspicuous by their absence. If we fill our lives with thoughts based on falsehood, the whole world then becomes filled with untruth. Hence, eliminate all bad qualities within you; develop good qualities, and endeavour to experience Divinity – this is true sadhana (spiritual practice). What is the real meaning of sadhana?

Transforming the bad into good is sadhana. What is the point in claiming that you are doing sadhana, if this important principle is not observed? In the name of doing sadhana, you close your eyes and roll the rosary beads; but the mind is wandering all over the place! This is not sadhana! We have to expel bad thoughts, bad feelings, and bad tendencies, and replace all these with good thoughts, noble feelings, and sacred habits. Purging out the bad and replacing it with good is what sadhana is all about.

However, the way instruction is imparted is ridiculous. Students are made to cram guide books and pass competitive examinations.

Is this the way to acquire knowledge? Is this the way to achieve success? It is very much like a person trying to board a moving bus; it is dangerous!

What you need is educare and not education because the latter is negative while the former is positive. The negative fills the head while the positive fills the heart.

Modern education is directed towards filling the head whereas educare seeks to fill the heart. It promotes good and truthful feelings, good conduct, righteous action, and justice. Thus, study of textbooks alone is not enough.

No doubt, making a living is inescapable and some effort for this is also necessary. However, one should not mistake education as something meant merely to help us to make a living. Rather, it should help you to become determined to achieve the real goal of life. Education should be for life and not for living alone. The proper education for life is the development of good character. You should not fail to read books that help to promote good character.

Many great people of the past have written classics that help in the development of virtues. You must absorb their essence. Avoid narrow sentiments based on individual communities or castes.

All differences arising out of caste, creed, and community ought to be set aside altogether.

Always abide by these principles. Never stop the contemplation of God for it is the very basis of life. The great sages of the past faced many difficulties and obstacles while treading the path of Truth, but they marched resolutely forward. Even today there are noble souls that are totally wedded to truth and righteousness but, unfortunately, they are ignored by society. Even though society may ignore such people, God does not. What is it that is gained by achieving recognition by society? Nothing permanent. Society may approve today, but tomorrow it may ignore you and cast you aside. ‘Yes’ and ‘no’ pertain to the worldly domain but for Sai it is always ‘Yes’, ‘Yes’, and ‘Yes’!

It is thus important to discover the Divinity latent within you. It is impossible to be ever away from Divinity. God is in you, around you, above you, below you, with you always, and constantly protects you. And such a God, we forget so very easily! Relentless quest for the God within is the essence of our ancient culture.

People often refer to our ancient culture. In reality, our culture is eternal and changeless, being based on pure and unsullied truth.

It cannot be hidden; it is ever effulgent. Today, man is trying to forget this glorious and evergreen basis of his true nature. People are not making even the slightest effort to understand what a true human being is, and what is the real meaning of humanness.

The word manava or man is derived from Manu, his teachings, and his life. Man is also referred to as manuja. Manuja = manu + ja. Ja means to be born. Thus, manuja means one who has descended from Manu. Who is this Manu we are talking about?

He is the very embodiment of dharma. Even to this day, legal experts talk about manudharma or the code of righteous conduct as laid down by Manu. No doubt they speak eloquently about the teachings of Manu; however, their conduct is in complete violation of what Manu had taught! He who follows the commandments of Manu alone is eligible to be called a true Bharatiya. It does not matter to which country he belongs; country is not important; dharma is! It is important to follow dharma, no matter what the difficulties and obstacles.

Students! Boys and Girls! Your first priority must be to set your own house in order. Love and respect your parents. The scriptures command:

Without them, would you exist?

Yet, no one bothers to respect parents or take care of them in their old age. This is a big mistake. If today you fail to respect your parents, tomorrow you would receive the same treatment from your children. Reflection, reaction, and resound are inescapable in life. So you should have good feelings, good thoughts; see good alone, and also do only good. There is no need to be afraid of anything. Only those who have done wrong have reason to fear; not those who are good and are doing only good. Those wishing to tread the path of truth should be totally free from fear.

Influenced by undesirable and crazy political influences, people today are becoming mad! Hence, say goodbye to politics! Good conduct is important, and not politics. Therefore, good conduct and good behaviour must be your first priority. Swami is very distressed to observe the behaviour and character of the so-called educated people of today. They boast of a string of degrees and high academic qualifications, but their behaviour does not reflect their so-called attainments. Bad behaviour is the very negation of education. Humility is the foremost characteristic of one who is truly learned. What is the use of claiming to be educated if you have not acquired the virtue of humility? Education in ancient times laid great stress on humility and obedience. What is the meaning of education if it fails to foster these noble virtues? Such education is no education at all.

For a human being, humility is of foremost importance. Humility is born of kshama (forbearance). Swami has already told you:

kshama is sathya, dharma, the essence of the Vedas; it is allinclusive, and the most important thing in the world. It was kshama that elevated sage Viswamitra from the status of a raja yogi to Brahma yogi. It was on account of the power of kshama that Bhagiratha was able to make the sacred Ganges hidden in celestial heights to descend to the earth. Kshama it was that enabled Emperor Janaka to transform from a karma yogi to jnana yogi. The power of forbearance can help you to achieve anything.

Students! You are not aware of this; Swami is nothing but kshama from top to toe. It is this that enables Swami to deal with any situation in a perfectly calm manner. Swami is never bothered by difficulties; rather, Swami welcomes them! Why? Because it is difficulty that enables one to cultivate kshama. But these days, people who declare themselves to be devotees welcome pleasure but abhor difficulties and pain. You must maintain equanimity and treat pleasure and pain alike – that is what kshama is all about. You should accept the fact that pleasure and pain are both gifts of God, and try to be unaffected. It is important that students make every effort to cultivate the virtue of kshama. It may happen that sometimes you might not do well in exams.

You should not be upset by that; work hard, try again, and do well the next time. Marks may seem important but not earning bad remarks is even more important! Make sure your behaviour does not attract unfavourable comments from others. Be careful that you do not earn a bad name. Let good and noble feelings be the basis of your conduct. Wherever you go, people must say, based on your good conduct, "This person seems to be a student of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning." Swami is not interested in earning a reputation; all that Swami wants is that you must earn a good name.

Sometimes, out of love for Swami, people say that our culture is Sai culture. This is not the right way of putting things. Our culture is not new; it did not come into being recently; it is very ancient.

Bharatiya culture revolves around God, who is described as

People make pompous speeches praising Swami but Swami does not approve of these. Instead, good conduct must be your primary goal. Don’t make others your example; rather, others must consider you as the example to be followed. That is the outcome of true Self-confidence, which in turn leads successively to Self-satisfaction, Self-sacrifice, and finally to Self-realisation.

Everything is within the Self, and that is the Self that you must realise. This is the philosophy underlying Bharatiya culture.

Since ancient times this country has faced many difficulties and troubles. People from many lands have invaded Bharat. Moghuls, Arabs, and the British all wanted to conquer this country, which everyone calls poor. It is foolish to describe this country as poor.

Is there a country that can excel Bharat? People say this country is poor; it is not at all poor; it is the poverty of people’s mind that makes them say so! If Bharat is really a poor country, why was it repeatedly invaded? The wealth looted from this country was loaded by these invaders on horses, elephants, and camels, and then carried away. Bharat is the land of wealth and prosperity.

What is it that we are short of? It appears poor only when seen by petty minds linked to narrow vision.

Broaden your mind and your vision; you would then be able to see your country also in a wider perspective.

Slavish imitation of other cultures is not necessary because our culture itself has so much to offer. Why at all should we look down upon our country? Should we not be aware of its tremendous resource and potential? Bharat is the fountainhead of all higher learning; it is the master, and what is not found here cannot be found anywhere else. Our people have forgotten the greatness of Bharat and have instead started extolling other countries. This does not mean that you have to criticise other countries. All countries are good in their own special way, and we must see the good in all. All religions too, are good. What then is bad? It is the mind that is bad and polluted! It is on account of mental aberrations that people quarrel about religions, decrying some and praising others.

Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. All religions are good without exception. Only when the mind is polluted do other religions appear bad. Your perception of religion is influenced by your mind. The mind is a powerful instrument that can travel very fast.

Therefore, if you have a good and pure mind, the country too would appear good. Hence try to correct your mind before attempting to correct other things. If everyone does this, the country would automatically improve.

Students! You all study hard for pariksha or examinations. This type of knowledge will not give you real raksha or protection!

Raksha is more important than pariksha! It is a great fortune to have been born in Bharat. To be able to declare that you are a Bharatiya is a matter of great luck. You must be worthy of this boon given to you. Under no circumstance must you criticise your Motherland. Even in your dream, you should not think of forgetting or disowning your Motherland. That is true gratitude.

What is the use of taking birth as a human, if one lacks a sense of gratitude? The one without gratitude is a wicked person. In the hymns that pertain to the worship of Surya or the Sun God, it is said that the Sun God may forgive any sin but not ingratitude. You should never fail to be grateful, and never give anyone the opportunity to accuse you of being ungrateful. You must endeavour to enhance the glory of Bharatiya culture.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed of doing this. Do not think that others would harm or criticise you. Just ignore such people. In fact, you must be even ready to lay down your life to defend the culture of Bharat. Death comes but once, and what can be nobler than facing it for the sake of the country? Such a brave death would amount to an expression of the deepest gratitude to your country.

Never ridicule or speak ill of your culture, especially driven by fear. Mother is so near to you. You may have to search for God but you don’t have to search for your mother. Therefore, how can you ever forget mother? That is why Lord Rama declared:

These days, many people claim to be the devotees of Rama. They keep chanting the name of Rama but of what use is this empty chanting? Rama sacrificed wealth and power, whereas these devotees want nothing but wealth and power! They are after money whereas Rama was ready to give up even a kingdom. Is there anyone who is prepared to do such thing today? Rama sacrificed everything including comforts, in order to uphold dharma. Sita too did the same. Regarding her husband as God, and feeling that it was her duty to be by His side at all times, she too sacrificed everything and went in exile to the forest. However, when she desired to have the golden deer, she had to suffer separation from Rama. She lost her dear, when she wanted the deer! That was the reason for her suffering. Later, repenting her folly she lamented:

When you are in trouble, people distance themselves from you. Further, difficulties will dull your power of discrimination and you will not be able to see clearly the distinction between good and bad. Patience and forbearance are the answer to all this. Never be in a hurry; always reflect carefully. This is the way to success.

Swami would not object to your going to any country you want, acquiring any qualification you desire, and occupying any position that you aspire for, provided you use whatever you have achieved for rendering service. The more important the position you occupy, the greater ought to be your urge to serve your country. Of what use are they, if opportunities are used solely for personal benefit and advancement?

This should be your goal. Do not be misled by others. Instead, follow your conscience for that is the voice of God. People follow their senses and not their conscience. This is not good, because one who follows the senses would inevitably come to ruin. Do you recall how mighty Ravana was? There was none as wealthy as he was. He annexed all the wealth of his brother Kubera. He built mansions of gold. He regarded himself to be a very great person, possessing as he did enormous strength, both physical and intellectual. He had also the power of penance. But in the end, of what use were all these? He succumbed to the senses and became their slave.

The one who conquers the senses alone is strong, while the one who yields to them is weak. The quality of strength is seen clearly in the case of Hanuman. Before Rama, he was the very embodiment of humility whereas before Ravana, he stood as a mighty warrior. When Ravana asked Hanuman as to who had sent him, Hanuman replied:

An arrogant person got a stinging and fitting reply! Hanuman was no ordinary person. He had no ego, and occupied the position of a minister to Sugriva. He was brave, courageous, highly educated, and virtuous, and it is these qualifications that enabled him to become a devotee of Rama. Ravana became furious hearing Hanuman’s reply and roared, "How dare you speak to me like this? Nobody in the world has ever spoken to me in this fashion. You are addressing me as though I am a servant!" He added:

To this Hanuman replied, "O mad fellow! Others do not know your true worth while I do! God is my Master, and fools like you cannot command my respect. I will address you any way I like and will even strike you if necessary!"

Such a contemptuous reply infuriated Ravana even more. Remembering that the tail is very dear to a monkey, he ordered Hanuman’s tail to be set on fire. To this Hanuman reacted by saying, "I shall pay you back in your own coin and teach you the very lesson you are trying to teach me!" Hanuman then set Lanka ablaze by setting fire to numerous mansions. Panic stricken, the citizens of Lanka wailed, Who is this monkey, And who has sent it?

In this manner, even in the hour of their distress, the people of Lanka thought of Rama. It is important to think of God at all times, in times that are good as well as bad, whether one is being praised or criticised. Never forget God, no matter what the circumstance. Whatever be the difficulty, do not ever give up God. Only then can it be said that you are upholding human values. These precious values must be fostered, for, without virtues, what is the meaning of calling a person a human being?

Uphold sathya, dharma, santhi, and prema firmly and at all times for it is only the one who safeguards human values that can be called a human. The one that lacks human values is a demon. Man is called manava. What does this mean? Manava = ma + nava.

Ma means ‘not’ and nava means ‘new’. Thus, manava means ‘not new’. Thus, man is not something new or recent. He is quite ancient because he has been taking birth again and again. One has a human birth on account of deservedness acquired earlier.

Therefore, you must make sure that in this birth too, you earn merit by abiding human values and exhibiting human traits. That is the proper way of justifying your human form.

Embodiments of Love!Students! Right now, you all are happy listening to this discourse. But, that is not enough; when you go away from here, you must ruminate on what you have heard and digest the lessons. You must listen here and practise there. You have all seen cows going out to graze. When it sees green grass, it makes a beeline for it and rapidly consumes it. It then withdraws to a quiet spot, rests there and masticates in a leisurely fashion what it has eaten earlier. In the same manner, you should, when you go back, recall what you heard here and digest the essence of the lessons. A disciplined human being would practise this threestep procedure: sravanam (listening), mananam (recapitulating), and nididhyasam (assimilating).

Accumulate deservedness and protect it. This deservedness is not obtained from outside but from within your own self. Therefore, aim at enhancing your deservedness and never give up Bharatiya Culture that has come to us through many ages like Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, and Dwapara Yuga. The superficial aspects of the culture might have changed but its core remains intact. Changes are inevitable and nothing to worry about. After all, you too have undergone changes. When you were born, you were a baby. A few years later, you became a boy. At the age of thirty, a person is called a man. When the person becomes seventy-five, everyone calls him grandfather. Are these not changes? Yet, the person undergoing the external changes remains the same. In the same manner, although yugas have come and gone, our ancient dharma remains the same. You too should not allow any change in your basic nature as a human being. Your intrinsic nature is Truth. To ensure that this intrinsic nature does not get tainted, it is necessary to develop intense devotion for God. Always keep chanting the Name of God and you will never be able to forget Him at any time. God’s Name is so sweet!

At the conclusion of the discourse, Swami sang the bhajan, Prema Mudita....