Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

When a child emerges from the womb of their mother, one does not find any garland around the neck. There are no jewels made of pearls, nor are there glittering gold ornaments. There are no necklaces studded with precious stones like emeralds and diamonds. But there is one garland around the neck. Brahma strings together the consequences of past deeds into a heavy garland and puts it around the neck at the time of birth. (Telugu poem)

Whatever good or bad a person experiences in life is the consequence of good or bad actions performed by them. One can see the action performed but may not observe its consequence immediately. There may be a time gap between the action and its consequence.

However, there is no separation between action and consequence; the consequence is intertwined with the action. When we are hungry, we eat food to satisfy our hunger, but there is a time gap between the actions of eating and digestion. After we put the food in the mouth, it goes to the stomach and gets digested. A period of two hours is required for the digestion of the food. Only then will the food give strength and nourishment to the body. Similarly, there may be a time gap between actions and their consequences. A seed does not become a tree as soon as you sow it. The seed first germinates, becomes a sapling, and then grows to become a tree in due course of time. The entire tree is within a tiny seed. However, one sees only the seed, not the entire tree hidden in it. Similarly, one’s future is contained in the actions performed by them in the present.

One wants to know the future and waits for it. But there is no need to wait for it because one’s future lies in one’s present. One’s present determines one’s future. Therefore, make the present sacred, sublime, and purposeful. A student writes an examination in the examination hall but waits for a month or two for the result. But it is not necessary to wait for two months to know the result. That result lies in the way the examination was written. Similarly, one who does good actions will never have bad results. On the other hand, if one does all wrong deeds, one cannot aspire to have good results. Sowing the seed of a neem tree, can you have a mango fruit? As is the seed, so is the fruit. Everyone should be prepared to undertake sacred actions so as to receive good results and thereby lead a sacred life.

But one should not have body attachment. What kind of stuff is this body? If you take a closer look, you will find that it is a skeleton of bones filled with flesh and filth. Every moment it emits foul smell, and no fragrance. When we put rice in the flour mill, we get rice flour. If we put wheat in it, we get wheat flour. As is the material you put in, so is the flour you get.

The human body is also like a flour mill. But if you put fruit in it, it gives out foul smelling excreta. The human body is thus much worse than an inert machine. If you eat a little pickle in the morning, the body will digest it and change it into excreta in the evening. But a pickle put it in a jar will remain fine for a year. So body is worse than even a jar.

But this body contains the sacred gem of Divinity, just like precious jewels are treasured in a cheap iron safe. People should know that God is present in the body as Atma . An iron safe is not valuable, but jewelry kept in it is highly valuable. The body is like a valueless iron safe in which God has put valuable jewels of good qualities.

You buy the iron safe to keep valuable jewelry in it. If you don’t have valuable jewelry, you don’t need the iron safe. Similarly, we have to take care of this valueless body because of the valuable qualities in it. This valueless body contains valuable Atma . We have to protect the body for sake of the Atma present in it. The body is a temple of God. That is why the scriptures say: the body is a temple and the indweller is God (Deho devalaya proktho jivo Deva sanathana ).

We get thrilled looking at the temple, but we don’t make an attempt to see God in the temple. You may build a vast and beautiful temple with marble stones, but who will go to the temple if the idol of deity is not installed in it? So, the temple is not important; the idol of God in it is important.

Similarly, the body is not important. What is important is the Atma , which indwells it. Without the Atma , no one will keep the body in the house even for a moment. It is a dead body. How long is the body a temple? As long as God in the form of Atma is present in it. It is called shivam (auspicious) when Atma is present in it. When Atma leaves it, it becomes shavam (dead body).

As long as there is life in the body, it is shivam ; when life is gone, it is shavam . No decay affects it as long as there is life breath in it; it can be sustained even up to 80, 90 years. When life breath goes out of the body, it starts decaying within one hour and starts emitting foul smell. No one will keep the dead body in the house, not even those who have given birth to it.

The wife who spent all 24 hours enjoying the company of her husband will be frightened to look at his dead body. Why is she afraid of that? She is afraid because there is no auspiciousness (shivam ) in it. As as long as auspiciousness is there, she protects it and feels very happy to see it. When the life is gone, she does not even want to look at it. What is this relationship? What is true love? Who are the true relations? Take time to recognise this.

A twenty years old son loves his mother very much. She is so much dear to him. After some time, the mother dies. He sits close to her dead body and wails, “Mother, I relied on you for such a long time. Only you protected me and fostered me. Who is there to take care of me now? Mother, why have you left me?” Who is the one that has left? Truly, if the body is the mother, the body is there. Who says it is gone? What really has left? It is only the individual soul (jiva ). The son loves his mother because the individual soul is present in her. The moment the individual self is lost, the same son cremates the body of the mother without any compassion.

Who is the true mother? Well, who has left? The individual soul. Then who is the mother? The individual soul is the mother. When there is no individual soul, nobody will respect the body. Hence, who is the true mother? That is God! God is the mother. God is the father. More than your mother, God is nearer to you. More than your father, God is closer to you. It is a great sin to forget God. The word of Sai is the word of truth. (Telugu poem) You may have close proximity with your mother; she may be close to the body, but God is within your body. So, God is much closer to you than your mother. Never forget God, who is closer to you than the closest. God is responsible for the whole creation. God is the ideal for your life. God is your very breath. Always remember, worship and follow Him at all times. The body is just an instrument, which should be put to proper use. When the instrument is in good condition, you can perform all tasks with it. If you want to dig a pit, the crowbar you carry should be sharp and pointed. If the crowbar is not sharp, you can never dig the pit in spite of all the strength of your hands. When your own power joins the power of the instrument, the expected pit can be dug well. When human effort is combined with God’s grace, it is possible to perform any task.

People in the world are bound by action (Karmanubandheeni manushya loke ). People are bound by action, sustained by action. They can achieve anything through action. Their accomplishment lies in their skill in doing actions. All actions can be accomplished with divine power.

Whatever actions one performs will have equal and appropriate consequences. One cannot escape the consequences of one’s actions. One may leave the world at one moment or the other, but the consequences of one’s actions will not leave one; they will follow. So, we should do good actions, develop good thoughts, and join good company. Only then will we get good reward in future. As is the seed, so is the tree. As is the tree, so is the fruit. Engage in doing good actions right from early age. What are good actions? The actions that please God are good. When you do actions that please God, you will also have the reward that will please you. On the contrary, if you do not perform pleasing actions, you will never have pleasing reward.

That is why it is said, do all actions to please God (Sarva karma bhagavad preetyartham ). When you offer all your actions to God, your heart will become sacred. With a sacred heart you can lead a peaceful life.

You should have a strong determination to keep your heart sacred. This strong determination requires three P’s. The first P is Purity, the second P is Patience, and the third P is Perseverance. Always observe Purity, Patience, and Perseverance in life. Observance of these three qualities will make your life sacred.

All your actions should be sacred and noble. Unsacred actions give unsacred results. Don’t make haste. Start early, drive slowly, and reach safely . Enquire peacefully and perform all actions without haste. People get into many troubles due to haste. So, don’t be in haste; it is not good. Haste makes waste. Waste makes worry. So, do not be in a hurry. Control this haste. Whatever task you undertake, it is better to weigh its pros and cons before performing it.

Do not be in haste, for haste will only lead to worry.

(Telugu poem) Never make haste. If you are hasty, even nectar (amrita ) becomes poison. Start all actions with peaceful feelings. Enquire whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. Exercise your discrimination.

All actions done with divine feelings will give good results. But people today have no consideration for divine feelings. They indulge in mean pursuits and ruin their precious lives. When we do actions peacefully with divine feelings, then our lives will be full of peace and happiness. Consider every action sacred and valuable. Enquire deeply before performing any action. Make God’s Name the basis of everything you do. God’s Name will change even unsacred actions into sacred ones.