Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

AT this critical hour in the history of the world, when the demonic forces of fear and anxiety, injustice and inequity are raging in wild fury, it is the duty of every human being to be equipped with spiritual strength, so that he may not be overwhelmed by the storm. This is an urgent and essential task, and I must say that the women of India have a contribution to make, a service to render, a role to play. They must bring God into the hearts of the child and help it to keep Him there. For, faith in God is the tonic that man needs to get back health and happiness. You may ask me, "Well. Who is God?" Before you ask this question, I would like you to ask, and receive the answer to another question: "Who am I?" This chance you have of a 'lifetime of mental and physical activity' is a letter encased in an envelope, which you have to drop into the red box, called Nature (the Universe, Creation); but, you have to write thereon two lines, about which you do not know a bit now! You have to write on the envelope, who you are! - your real address! And, more than this, where it has to go, which destiny this life has to attain, the address to which the envelope is to be delivered!

About life, the two fundamental questions are: From? To? And, for both, you have not discovered the answer, though you have grown to be pretty quick in asking a thousand other irrelevant questions! I am sure this Sathsang (good company) will gradually shed light for you on these two problems. Now, a word about this Sathsang. Let the Sathsang start with your homes. Let the home be harmonious, happy, smooth running, with no friction or faction. Let the various individuals comprising the home, the different generations and levels of intelligence, growth and attainments living together, let all learn to live together, with understanding and sympathy, fortitude and forbearance, in mutual co-operation and loving kindness. Let peace reign in your homes, between the mother and her children, the brothers and sisters, the kith and kin.

On the secure foundational Sathsang of your family, you can build the superstructure of Sathsang in the Community, the State, the Nation and the World. When that foundation is absent, you will only draw down ridicule when you initiate publicity for the Sathsang idea. There are already many organisations, which preach what they do not practise; there must be one such in every street! This Sathsang should not degenerate into one more such hypocrisy! Religion has as its aim the removal of hatred and enmity between the children of God; but, we find religions engaged in conflict! Language is the medium to cement friendships, to promote cordiality and bring people nearer each other by loving conversation and sympathetic talk; but, it has become a morbid weapon! Temples are not the abodes of peace: they are institutions for which people engage in combat! Brother fights against brother. Every home is a battlefield! The dawn of peace can be brought about only by learning, practising and teaching the art of living together in peace and amity in the homes. Then, peace in the world can be established, without delay and travail.

Your Sathsang has to grow, through mutual adjustment of temperaments. It is possible to have an organisation with hundreds of gents as members or workers. They know how to work together as a team. But, women are proverbially too individualistic! There is a popular belief, born out of folk-experience, that three women cannot live in unison! There is a Thelugu limerick, which says, "The world shivers before one woman. The Ocean will dry up, if there are two! And, if they are three, O, the stars will drop down at noon!" Why is woman so characterised? Woman is extremely deficient in Sahana by Sahana, I mean, ability to bear defeat, fortitude, forbearance, patience, quiet suffering with no thought of retaliation. That is why woman is said to be of the weaker sex. This is a pointer to the need for women developing their forbearance. You must try to put up with difference of opinion and variety of temperaments, develop understanding and sympathy. That will strengthen Sahana. Among the members of this Sathsang, there are some who have long experience in running organisations and institutions with efficiency. But this is the basic institution! You should never forget the fundamental of Bharatheeya (divine devotional) culture. Let children imbibe these, while on your laps. Do not hand them over to Ayahs (nurse maids), who do not know the culture or even care for it. Let them learn the lessons of the Ramayana, through nursery rhymes; let them not cram lines like Ba! Ba! Black Sheep!, and become black sheep, themselves!

Cultivate the spirit of service and engage in some programmes of service in the slum areas of this City, and in the jails and hospitals. Have compassion towards the prisoners; that is the best method of rehabilitating them. Let them grow in faith, faith in the goodness of mankind. Then they will not engage themselves in anti-social activities. The child is not disgusted with dirt, its own urine and faeces. But, while growing up, the disgust is developed and stays. So too, the criminal will outgrow his callousness and learn to be disgusted with his own behaviour. The patients in hospitals who have no one to speak a kind, reassuring word to them, will be tearful with gratitude if you carry the light of compassion to their bedsides. Write letters for them, if they desire to communicate with those near and dear to them; tell them stories; give them good books to read; give them fruits and flowers. Brighten their surroundings a bit, shower smiles over them. That will itself be a valuable drug which will hasten recovery. Social service should not become show-cial work(!) carried out for publicity or with the camera in view. Nor should it become slow-cial(!) work. Why go slow, when you are doing good to the deserving? Do as much as you can, as quickly as you can. If you cannot do any good, at least desist from doing harm; or from finding fault with those who serve you. Know that seva is a better form of sadhana (spiritual effort) than even dhyana; how can God appreciate the dhyana (meditation) you do, when adjacent to you, you have some one in agony, whom you do not treat kindly, for whom you do not make all efforts to help? Do not keep yourself apart, intent on your own salvation, through japa or dhyana. Move among your sisters, looking for opportunities to help; but, have the Name of God on the tongue and the Form of God before the eye of the mind. That is the highest sadhana. 'Dhil me Ram! Hath me Kam!'- - Ram in the heart! Task in hand! Proceed in that spirit. God's Grace will be showered on you, in full measure.