Bhagavân
Srî Sathya Sai Baba on:
God
is the Indweller
Date:
9 October 2002, on the occasion of Dasara Day
1
Divine Discourse on "God is the
Indweller"
Place:
Prasanthi Nilayam, Sai Kulwanth Hall,
Puttaparthi, India
(*)
(Sanskrit
Verse)
The entire universe is under the control
of God.
God is governed by Truth.
Noble souls are the guardians of
Truth.
Such noble souls are verily the embodiments of
Divinity.
People
undertake various spiritual practices to attain
Divinity. One may be evil-minded, yet with the
blessings of elders and in the company of noble
souls, one can easily get rid of evil tendencies
and develop virtues. The life of Ratnakara, the
highway robber, bears ample testimony to this.
His life was transformed as he came into contact
with the Saptharishis (seven sages). He gave up
his evil ways and unwaveringly followed their
teachings and ultimately became the Sage
Valmiki.
[see: RRV-I,
Ch.
1
& 15;
RRV-II, Ch.
13
& 14]
He set an ideal to mankind and composed the
great epic Ramayana. Prahlada,
the son of demon king Hiranyakasipu,
constantly contemplated on Lord Narayana and
chanted His Name. As a result, he had the same
divine effulgence of Lord Narayana Himself.
[The
story of Prahlada can be found in
Srimad
Bhagavatam,
Canto 7, Ch. 4 to
10]
Likewise, Charles Darwin resembled his master
Henslow in all respects as he continuously
thought of him and followed his teachings.
Similarly our ancient sages and seers always
contemplated on God constantly and adhered to
His dictates. As a consequence their faces
radiated divine brilliance. Lord Krishna has
said the same in the Bhagavad Gita, Mamaivamso
jeevaloke jeevabhuta Sanathanah (the eternal
Atma in all beings is a part of My Being).
[See:
Bhagavad
Gîtâ of Order, Ch. 15, verse
7
for
the complete Sanskrit verse and word for word
translation]
He said, "Arjuna, it is My Divine effulgence
that shines forth in all." God is all-pervasive.
He is present in all elements and in all beings
in the form of radiance. When God is ever
present within, why does man suffer? Some people
say that they are facing hardships and are
leading a miserable life. It is foolish on their
part to say so. God, the indweller, has
absolutely no sorrow and worries. He is the
embodiment of supreme bliss. Is it not a sign of
foolishness to think that you are haunted by
misery when God is installed on the altar of
your heart? God says, "I am present in you. You
are but a spark of My Divinity." Such being the
case, how can one be affected by difficulties
and sorrows? When you enquire on these lines,
you will realize that the demonic and bestial
tendencies in you are responsible for this. You
will not be able to experience the truth
Matwivamsho ... unless and until you give up
evil qualities.
Though God is
present within, man behaves as if he is under
the influence of a demon. First of all, he
should realize that he is a spark of divinity
and that no evil spirits can control him. God
says that He resides in your heart. Heart is a
single seat. There is room for one only. So, God
only should be seated in your heart and none
else.
Today man is
failing to comprehend that he is an aspect of
divinity. He is unaware of the fact that God is
within and deludes himself that there is none to
care for him. Everyone is endowed with a heart
which is divine and by nature full of
compassion. God dwells in such a heart. But
today man has become hard-hearted as he has lost
this natural compassion. Such a person cannot be
called a spark of the Divine; he is verily a
demon. The assertion Mamaivamsho ... does not
apply in such case. There is a spark of divinity
in the heart of everyone. It is because of
bhrarna (delusion) that man is unable to realize
his divine nature. In the first instance, man
should make efforts to overcome this delusion
and realize that God is always with him, in him,
around him, above him and below him. Delusion
causes evil feelings to arise in your heart and
mind. They are sheer imagination have nothing to
do with divinity.
God is present
in the heart of one and all. He does not have a
particular form and is not confined to a
particular place. He is present in your heart
and is all pervasive. Sarvatah Panipadam Tat
Sarvathokshi Siromukham, Sarvata Sruthimalloke
Sarvamavruthya Thishthat (With hands, feet,
eyes, heads, mouth and ears pervading
everything, He permeates the entire
universe). [See:
Bhagavad
Gîtâ of Order, Ch. 13, verse
14]
Such effulgent divine principle of the Self is
termed as Atma. Krishna has asserted, this Atma
is a part of His own aspects. There cannot be
any defects or imperfections in such divine
principle. Whatever defects you think you see
are purely the result of your imagination. God
is the embodiment of virtues. Hence, man too
should lead a life of virtues. Evil propensities
are impediments to the spiritual path. For a
start, man should distance himself from all evil
actions and undertake good deeds. Only then will
he have the right to call himself a human being.
Human life is highly sacred. The Upanishads
consider human life to be verily divine. Man
considers himself to be a weakling because he
has forgotten the principle of The Self which is
beyond all attributes. His evil qualities,
wicked deeds and misconduct have brought him
down to this sorry state.
As is his
company, so are the thoughts. Hence, it is said,
"Tell me your company, I shall tell you what you
are." Your friendship influences your nature.
Ratnakara became Sage Valmiki because of his
association with the Saptharishis. Prahlada was
the son of a demon, yet he was always in the
company of noble souls.
(Sanskrit
Sloka)
Sathsangatwe Nissangatwam, Nissangatwe
Nirmohatwam,
Nirmohatwe Nischalatattwam, Nischalatattwe
Jivanmukti
Good
company leads to detachment,
detachment makes one free from
delusion,
freedom from delusion leads to steadiness of
mind
and steadiness of mind confers liberation.
What is the
inner significance of Devi Navaratri? People
worship the Triune Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and
Saraswathi during these nine days. Who is Durga?
She is the embodiment of all powers. Saraswati
is the presiding deity of speech and
wisdom.
The
Gayatri
Mantra begins with "Om Bhur Bhuvah Suvah."
'Bhuh' means materialization. It represents
matter which is subject to change. Bhuvah
represents life principle, i.e., vibration.
Savitri is the presiding deity of life
principle. You must have heard the story of
Savitri, who restored her dead husband back to
life with the power of her devotion and
surrender. Saraswati is worshipped as 'Jnana
Devata' as she confers good intellect and
wisdom. This is described in the Vedas as
Prajnanam Brahma. Prajnana does not mean worldly
knowledge. It is Constant Integrated Awareness,
which is changeless and eternal.
The divine
mother has three names: Gayatri, Savitri and
Saraswati. Gayantham Trayathe Iti Gayathri
(Gayatri protects those who sing her glory).
Gayatri, being the presiding deity of our
senses, helps us to master the senses. Savitri,
being the presiding deity of the life principle,
protects our life. Saraswati bestows on us the
changeless and eternal wisdom. Gayatri, Savitri
and Saraswati are present in every man, but he
is not able to understand and experience their
presence. Consequently, he is giving room to
wicked qualities and indulging in evil deeds,
thereby ruining his life. His bad habits are
responsible for his downfall. First of all, man
has to develop good habits and transform
himself. How could Savitri revive her dead
husband back to life? She transformed the
vibration in her into divine vibration by
contemplating on God incessantly. That led to
the resurrection of her husband. When you
develop divine feelings, nothing is impossible
for you. Any mighty task can be accomplished
through pure and selfless love. Love develops
divine power in you. There is nothing that love
cannot conquer in this world. Sages perform
penance in dense forests infested with wild
animals. They do not possess any weapon for self
protection. The weapon that protects them is
their intense love and yearning for God. They
tame the wild beasts with their power of love
and transform them into docile beings. Man's
character gets transformed into good or bad
depending his company. Noble company bestows
noble feelings and bad company gives rise to
evil traits. Your speech and conduct are based
on your feelings. You deserve to be called a
human being only when you develop good feelings.
Form alone does not constitute a human being. A
true human being is one who embodies good
habits, helps ever and hurts never. You should
not merely be an Aakara Manava (human in form);
you should become an Aachara Manava (human in
practice). Speak good, see good, do good and be
good. Divinity will manifest in you only when
your conduct is good. God is not somewhere in a
distant land; He is very much in you, with you
and around you, guiding you and guarding you.
Develop divine feelings and listen to the divine
voice from within. Human body can be compared to
the musical instrument Veena. You can enjoy the
divine melody only when it is tuned to divine
feelings. The divine melody will bestow bliss on
you and make you forget yourself in ecstasy. On
the other hand, profane feelings will give rise
to discordant notes. Hence, let your thoughts,
words and deeds be suffused with sacred
feelings.
Do not hurt
others. Paropakaraya Punyaya, Papaya
Parapeedanam (one attains merit by serving
others and commits sin by hurting them). Hence,
the Vedas teach, help ever, hurt never. The
Vedas emphasize on the need to cultivate sacred
feelings. In fact, the sacred feelings are
within, but man has forgotten them. Human being
is the repository of divine energy. Durga
(goddess of energy), Lakshmi (goddess of wealth)
and Saraswati (goddess of wisdom) are present in
the human. Man is not poor in any sense. He is
not weak or forlorn. He has all the capacity to
experience divine bliss. In spite of being
endowed with all powers, man is weak. This is
the effect of evil company. You should not take
it amiss, but the fact is that the modem system
of education is ruining the lives of many.
Modern education is leading to agitation instead
of elevation. It is giving rise to evil
qualities like anger, greed, desire, jealousy,
etc. In fact, people who are unlettered have the
virtues of humility, obedience, love and peace.
Humility is the hallmark of education. One may
acquire high qualification, but all his
knowledge becomes useless if he lacks
humility.
(Telugu Poem)
"In spite of his education and intelligence, a
foolish man will not know his true Self and a
mean-minded person will not give up his wicked
qualities. Modern education leads only to
argumentation, not to total wisdom. What is the
use of acquiring worldly education if it cannot
lead you to immortality? Acquire the knowledge
that will confer on you immortality."
True education
is that which fosters truth, morality, integrity
and culture. Education should develop human
values in you. You should respect elders and
serve your parents. People talk of friendship
but we do not find true friends anywhere. Today
friendship is tainted with wickedness and self
interest.
Tyaja
Durjana Samsargam;
Bhaja Sadhu Samagamam;
Kuru Punyam Ahorathram;
Smara Nityam Anityatham.
Shun
bad company; seek good company and perform
righteous deeds the whole day; discriminate
between permanent and ephemeral.
This is what
you are supposed to do. Some people appear to be
good and talk sweetly, but their minds are
filled with wicked feelings. Beware of such
people and keep them at a distance. It is
because of such people abound that present day
society is in turmoil.
Prahlada was
the son of a demon king, yet his thoughts were
always centered on Lord Narayana. He repeated
His Name always. His father and his teachers
tried their best to divert him from spiritual
path and infuse demonic traits in him. Once
Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada what he had learnt
from his preceptors. Prahlada replied, "The
teachers have taught me many things. I have
learnt the principles of Dharma and Artha
(righteousness and wealth) and studied sacred
scriptures. In fact, I have learnt the very
essence of all knowledge." Hiranyakasipu was
overjoyed to hear all this. He said, "Oh son!
Let me have the pleasure of listening to that
great knowledge." Prahlada said, "Oh father, the
Name of Hari will destroy all our sins. Of what
use is one's education if one does not
contemplate on Lord Hari and attain liberation?"
Hiranyakasipu became furious on hearing this. He
pushed him from his lap. But Prahlada was least
perturbed. He continued to chant the name of
Lord Narayana. Hiranyakasipu subjected him to
various ordeals. He made elephants trample upon
him and set poisonous snakes to bite him.
Prahlada's unflinching faith in Lord Narayana
protected him from all these dangers. Prahlada
felt the mighty elephant to be as light as
feather and the poison turned into nectar by the
power of his devotion. Such things can be
understood only by experience and not by mere
description. Though he was young, Prahlada was
firm in his resolve. Hiranyakasipu was overcome
fury. He roared, "Oh madcap, you talk very high
of your God, where is He?" Prahlada very calmly
replied, "Father, never doubt that God is here
and not there. In fact, He is present wherever
you look for Him."
(Telugu Poem)
"If God is all pervasive, can you show Him in
this pillar?", he challenged Prahlada. "Yes, I
can", came the answer. Such was Prahlada's faith
and devotion. One can attain divinity only with
confidence.
Where
there is confidence, there is love;
Where there is love, there is truth;
Where there is truth, there is peace;
Where there is peace, there is bliss;
Where there is bliss, there is God.
Hiranyakasipu
at once hit the pillar with a mace. Lo and
behold! Lord Narasimha emerged from it. What is
the inner meaning of this? The body is like a
pillar. One can have the vision of Atma only
when one breaks the manacles of body attachment.
You can develop Atmabhimana (love for the Atma)
once you give up Dehabhimana (body attachment).
It is only Atmabhimana that will protect you
always. Learn the language of the heart. It can
be taught only by divinity and not by
teachers.
Students!
What you need
today is unwavering faith in God. Faith alone
can protect you. Under all circumstances, at all
times, consider God as the basis of your life.
Give up evil qualities like anger, greed,
jealousy, etc. Anger can be compared to Ravana's
pyre
[see:
Ramakatha
Rasavahini].
It keeps burning always. Desire is the cause of
man's downfall. Hence, eradicate desire and
anger.
You should
manifest love and be embodiments of love. Love
is God, live in love. If you have love, you can
achieve anything.
Start
the day with love,
Fill the day with love,
Spend the day with love,
End the day with love,
This is the way to God.
Hence, develop
the spirit of love. Love is the most potent
weapon that can win over anyone. What was the
weapon that protected our ancients who lived in
forests? It was not hydrogen bomb or atom bomb.
It was love and love alone. So, one need not
acquire atom bomb or hydrogen bomb, it is enough
if one has the weapon of love. You can conquer
the entire world with the power of
love.
People worship
Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati during these nine
days. Durga destroyed the demons. As the weapons
are no longer needed, people perform Ayudha
Puja. When you pray to Durga wholeheartedly, she
will protect you in all your
endeavors.
You are not
able to understand the principle of divinity.
Nobody in this world can help you the way God
helps you. Hence, surrender yourself to God and
pray for His help. Also devotion to God
safeguards our ancient culture. People are
haunted by misery and grief as they have
forgotten God.
Control your
emotions. Develop love. Do not entertain evil
thoughts. Nothing can confer the experience of
bliss that the proximity of God gives. Love all
and all will love you. Share your love with even
dogs, monkeys and cats. You can see how they
reciprocate your love. Man lacks the sense of
gratitude that even dogs have. We see many
foreigners having dogs and cats as
their
pets. When
you love them, they too will love you in turn.
Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi (as you think so you
become). You are bound to experience the
reflection, reaction and resound of your
feelings, be they good or bad. If you see bad in
others, it is only a reflection of your bad
feelings. It is a mistake to blame others
ignoring your own faults. Purify your feelings
in the first instance. Love even those whom you
consider as wicked. In fact, nobody is wicked in
this world. It is because of bhrarna (delusion)
that you consider some as good and some wicked.
Develop Sathya Sankalpas (noble feelings) and
follow the path of truth. Do not indulge in vain
gossip. Instead, sanctify your time by chanting
the Divine name. There is nothing sweeter than
the Divine name.
(Bhagavân
sang the bhajan, "Hare
Rama, Hare Rama...
[MP3]
"
and continued His Discourse.)
Hare
Rama Hara Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare
Hare
Sathsangatwe
Nissangatwam, Nissangatwe
Nirmohatwam,
Nirmohatwe Nischalatattwam, Nischalatattwe
Jivanmukti
Good
company leads to detachment,
detachment makes one free from
delusion,
freedom from delusion leads to steadiness of
mind
and steadiness of mind confers
liberation.
Hare
Rama Hara Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare
Hare
Embodiments
of Love!
The divine
vibrations that result from the Bhajan you have
just sung is spreading to all parts of the
world. The divine name that you chant purifies
the hearts of many. Hence, do not entertain bad
feelings. Do not use bad words. Use only sacred
words. Sing the glory of God. By doing so, you
would have rendered a great help to the whole
world. Do not hurt others. Help everybody. When
you help others, you will certainly achieve
positive results. Make proper use of your time.
Chant God's Name and make your heart
sacred.
Sanskrit
[BG-15:7]
mamaivâmso
jîva-loke
jîva-bhûtah sanâtanah
manah-sasthânîndriyâni
prakrti sthâni karsati
Word
for
word
mama
-- My; eva -- certainly; amsah -- fragmental
particle; jîva-loke
--
in the world of conditional life;
jîva-bhûtah -- the
conditioned
living
entity; sanâtanah -- eternal; manah --
with the mind;
sasthâni
--
the six; indriyâni -- senses; prakrti --
in material nature;
sthâni
--
situated; karsati -- is struggling
hard.
Translation
The
embodied soul in its own local existence is
certainly an eternal part of Me, with the mind
as the sixth of the senses carried in its
material position.
Sanskrit
[BG-13:14]
sarvatah
pâni-pâdam tat
sarvato 'ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah srutimal loke
sarvam âvrtya tisthati
Word
for
word
sarvatah
-- everywhere; pâni -- hands; pâdam
-- legs; tat -- that; sarvatah -- everywhere;
aksi -- eyes; sirah -- heads; mukham -- faces;
sarvatah -- everywhere; sruti-mat -- having
ears; loke -- in the world; sarvam --
everything; âvrtya -- covering; tisthati
-- exists.
Translation
That
which has hands, legs everywhere; eyes, heads
and faces all around and ears to the world,
pervades everything that
exists.
Source:
Bhagavad Gîtâ: Chapter15,
Chapter13
(*)
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