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Date:29 Sep 1998 Occasion:Dasara Place:Prashanti Nilayam

Bhagavan's Assurance to Devotees

Punar Vittham Punar Mithram Punah Bhaarya Punar Yashaha
Yaavath Saryam Punar Labhyam Na Sareeram Punah Punaha

If man loses money, he can get it back; if he loses a friend he can get
another; if he loses his wife, even then he can re-marry and have
another wife; if he loses his share of land, he can get another, but he
cannot get back the body once it is lost.

Embodiments of Divine Love!

For all spiritual pursuits, and for all types of endeavors in life, body
is the main instrument. Of all the living beings in this world, the
human life is the rarest and most sacred. It is a great fortune to adorn
this vesture of human body. However in this human body there is mind,
which is mysterious. Everyone is aware of the presence of the mind in
the human body. But, no one knows the vagaries of mind. Though it does
not have feet to move, it can run faster than air and light. It has no
death, no fixed life span and always remains youthful. One may be born
again and again, but the same mind follows. Once you understand the
nature of mind, you will be able to understand your true Self.

The whole world is a mansion and the entire humanity is one family.
There is no multiplicity. We live under the same sky, tread the same
earth, breathe the same air and drink the same water. So, it is
foolishness to develop diversity in this underlying principle of unity.

What is the sadhana (spiritual practice) we should undertake? You should
purify your body, mind and speech. How to purify the body? It is not
enough if it is cleaned with soap and water, which amounts to only
external cleanliness. It has to be cleaned with good thoughts, good
words, good deeds, which is very essential in the inward path. Whatever
work you do, do it with sacred feeling. Divert the body from all
unsacred activities, use it only for good purposes. In what way can you
purify the mind? You can purify the mind through sense control. Use the
ten senses for sacred purposes.

"See no evil, see what is good
Hear no evil, hear what is good
Talk no evil, talk what is good
Think no evil, think what is good
Do no evil, do what is good
This is the way to God."

In order to purify the senses, you should make use of them in a sacred
way. Purity of senses is purity of mind. Mind is the master of senses.
If the mind is to be pure, senses have to be pure.

How can you purify your speech? You can purify your speech by speaking
Truth, following Dharma and cultivating Love and Peace.

The moment the human body is born, Aham ('I) also follows it. Atma is
the origin of Aham, so Aham is the son of Atma. From Aham mind is born,
so mind is the grandson of Atma. And from mind speech originates, so
speech is the great grandson of Atma. In short, Atma, Aham, mind, and
speech belong to the same family. So, you should have the conviction
that the 'I' principle in you is the dear son of God, mind is the
grandson of God and speech is the great grandson. Once you understand
that your Aham, mind and speech belong to the Divine family and act
accordingly, your life will be sanctified.

Man finds it very difficult to have control over senses. Due to the
effect of modern education and high intelligence man has become a slave
to his senses. Unable to control his mind, man is leading his life with
fear and delusion. From where does this fear arise? Where there is
mistake, there is fear. What is the mistake made by man? He has
forgotten that the 'l' principle in him is the son of God. He has
forgotten that his mind is the grandson of God and he has forgotten that
his speech is the great grandson of God. Since he has forgotten his
relationship with God, man is fear-stricken and gripped in anxiety.

Due to the advancement in the field of science and technology, human
values are lost and mind has become polluted. On one hand science has
progressed, but on the other hand the sanctity of the senses has
regressed. Man is happy seeing the advancement in science and
technology, but has not realized how far he has moved away from Divinity.

Human life has become artificial. There is no trace of love in his
thoughts and in his relationship with others. Even the relationship
between mother and son has become artificial. Nowadays when one finds a
son talking to his mother, one finds only artificial exchange of words,
but not true love. Students are leading an artificial life without sense
control. Even the animals have sense control to some extent, but not the
modern students. This is due to the progress in modern education. I do
not say that education should not progress. I, Myself have established
an University. I only say that along with education students should
imbibe good character. Can you call mere bookish knowledge as education?
Can you call all those who can read and write educated? Can you call all
those who have degrees to their names educated? If education were to be
only for a living, do you not find birds and beasts living? Education is
for life and not for earning a living. You should study to know the
purpose of life. You should not be content with bookish knowledge and
superficial knowledge, you should have practical knowledge. To have
practical knowledge, inquire within.

You should understand My ideal. Once I say that you are Mine, I will
never forsake you. You may forget Me, but I will never forget you. You
may develop hatred towards Me, but I do not have any hatred towards you.
In this world I have no enemies and I have no dislike towards anybody. I
always uphold My promise. I always go forward to protect, never do I
retreat. But some may question that even after Swami accepts them as
His, why do they have problems? Why should they suffer? This is not My
mistake. I always keep up My promise. They suffer because they forget
their promise and lose their sacredness. I never go back on My word. I
never make anyone suffer. Till the last moment, I will be with you, in
you, below you, above you and around you. Many are not making an effort
to understand this truth. They do not inquire into the reason for their
suffering. The change in their Heart is the main cause. Their wavering
mind and their ingratitude are responsible for this. The previous
speaker Ravi has said, God is nearer than your mother. Though I shower
much more love than their own mothers, some people do not show their
gratitude. I do not look forward for your gratitude. But when I do My
duty, you also have to discharge your duty from your level.

Some people blame God for their suffering, ignoring their own defects.
They argue saying, God does not keep up His word. But God will never go
back on His promise. But man does not understand this truth. Being
drowned in physical and worldly feelings, he blames God for his
suffering. God will never make anyone suffer at any point of time. But
each has to face the consequence of his action. Every action has got a
reaction. But it may take place immediately, or in a few hours, or in a
few days, or in a few months, or in a few years or in a few births. For
example, when your finger is cut with a blade, it starts bleeding
immediately. When you fall from a staircase, you will suffer a fracture.
In both the cases, the reactions are instant. The food that you eat
takes a minimum of two hours to get digested. For a seed to grow into a
tree and yield fruits, it may take a few years. Good or bad, you cannot
escape the consequences of your actions. Then you may question, why one
should pray to God? One should pray to God not for the alleviation of
suffering, but for peace of mind. Once you have peace of mind, all your
problems will vanish. You can even escape the consequences of your
action if you have God's grace. After the expiry date, the medicine
loses its potency, similarly once you acquire God's grace, the
consequence of your action will have no effect on you. In order to make
the consequence of your action to 'expire', prayer is essential. You
have to pray wholeheartedly.

Your Heart is the seat of God. So think of God who is installed in you.
You cannot expect happiness in the outside world. Bliss is not in the
material world, it is within you. So when you search within, you will
find bliss.

Embodiments of Love! Never blame God for your difficulties. Come what
may, pray to Him. That is your duty. So long you have the feeling that
you are separate from God, you have to pray. Once you realize that you
are one with Him, you need not pray.

Your breathing process teaches you a lesson. When you inhale you make
the sound 'So', and when you exhale you make the sound 'Ham'. This
process goes on for 21,600 times a day. 'So' refers to Divinity and
'Ham' refers to ego, which means you have to take God into you and drive
out Ahamkaram (ego). This is an important principle of life. We breathe
in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Divinity is like the oxygen,
which supports our life and ego is like carbon dioxide, which is
dangerous for our health. Ego is a very bad quality. it has to be driven
out.

In your daily life, knowingly or unknowingly you are committing
mistakes. You are only keeping the physical body clean, but are not
making any effort to know how to purify your mind and speech. You are
treating bad as good and good as bad. We should make efforts to know
what is good and what is bad. All service rendered for the welfare of
society is good. You are a member of the society. So, your welfare
depends on the welfare of the society. The country will prosper if the
society is good. Individual prayer, family prayer and community prayer,
all the three are very essential.

Vedas have declared: "Let the whole world be happy." Since ancient
times, Bharath has propagated spiritual discipline to other countries
ensuring peace and security for the entire humanity. You should have
such broad feelings. Your love should be as big as an ocean. When Jesus
was being crucified, people around were weeping. At that moment an
ethereal voice declared: "All are one My dear son! Be alike to
everyone." The same thing is taught by the culture of Bharath wishing
the welfare of entire humanity. Unfortunately, with the passage of time,
selfishness and self-interest have become rampant.

According to Bharathiya culture, Uttharaayana is considered to be very
sacred. The great warrior Bhishma lying on a bed of arrows waited for 56
days for the advent of Uttharaayana to give up his mortal coil. During
Uttharaayana, the sun travels towards the north. What does this signify?
In the north, we have Himaachala (Himalaya mountains), which is said to
be the dwelling place of Eswara. When Eswara is all-pervasive, how can
we limit him to Himaachala. What is the significance of this statement?
The word 'Himaachala' is made up of two words: 'Hima' + 'Achala'. 'Hima'
means that which is white as snow. 'Achala' is that which is firm and
unshakable. What is the place to which this description applies? It is
the pure Heart, where Eswara is installed. It is said, "Eswarah Sarva
Bhoothanam," which means Eswara is the indweller of all beings. So, in
order to see God, you do not need to go anywhere, turn your vision
inward. We cannot call an unsteady and impure Heart as Himaachala. Only
the Heart, which is pure, sacred, unpolluted, and unwavering can be
called Himaachala.

There is no trace of spiritual thinking among modern students. When the
parents and teachers themselves have not realized the importance of
spirituality, how can we blame the 'students. First the parents must
teach their wards to pray to God everyday. But the modern parents
themselves do not pray to God. As soon as they come from office, they go
to clubs and spend their time playing cards and drinking. Naturally,
children follow their footsteps. In some houses, parents quarrel in
front of their children, which is an unhealthy practice. If there is any
difference of opinion among parents, they should resolve it in the
absence of their children. Children cannot concentrate on their studies
if they are disturbed by the family problems. So, parents should never
discuss them in front of their children. There are a few parents who set
a bad example to their children by speaking untruth. For example, if
some unwanted person makes a phone call, they instruct their children to
tell him that they are not available. Thus, they encourage their
children to speak lies.

Some children are like pure gold as long as they are here. Once they go
for a vacation, their minds get polluted. But, some students remain the
same. Some return much before their vacation ends in order to spend time
with Swami. It is the innate culture acquired as a result of deeds done
in past lives that shapes their behavior.

Students! Embodiments of Love! You should try to know what Divinity is.
In this age of science, some say that there is no God. But there is God
in all periods of time. There is no other matter. "Yath Drishyam
Tannashyarn" (Whatever is seen by the naked eye is 'bound to disappear).
Only God is permanent.

Time is most precious in human life. Misuse of time is evil. "Time is
God, so don't waste time. I feel very sad when I find you wasting time.
I always say, My life is My message. I never waste even a moment. You
think that after dining Swami goes and sleeps. But, actually I do not
know what sleep is. I never sleep. As you know, I collect letters from
you. I see some of them immediately. I spend time in a most sacred way.
But I do not require anything. I do not need anything in all the three
worlds. I do not need anything for Myself. Still, I am engaged in
activity from dawn to dusk in order to set an ideal. From top to toe,
there is no trace of selfishness in Me. Believe it or not. I always
spend My time for others. I always give, but never receive. I ask for
only one thing and that is Pure Love. I am ready to give My life for
those who offer their pure love. You cannot understand My work. Only men
of sacrifice can understand this. I am always engaged in activity. I do
something or the other. Even while resting I am working. I have to take
rest for others sake. Otherwise they too do not take rest. To give them
rest, I take rest. What is My rest? Doing devotees' work is My rest.

The previous speaker Narsimhamurthy spoke about this incident. One day
all of a sudden I left this body. Gangadhar Shetty, Narsimhamurthy were
surprised at this. Only these two were there inside as it was not
possible for others to come in. I told them: "There is a widow who
always thinks of Swami. She has two children. After the death of her
husband, she took up a small job to maintain her family. She sustained a
heart attack. The loss of her husband and her inability to run the
family made her depressed. As the money was not sufficient she joined a
part-time job. But every moment she used to chant the name, Sairam,
Sairam, Sairam ... wholeheartedly. In such a situation, she suffered a
heart attack. In fact, she was to die. So I took over the heart attack
on Me. For seven long days I did not come down. I took upon Myself all
her sufferings and pain and made her healthy. After three days she sent
a telegram, "Swami, you came and protected me and my children." She did
not know that I had taken her disease on Myself. After a week, she came
with her children.

I am ready to do anything for the sake of those who have total faith and
pure Love. But it is very difficult to find such devotees. However there
are a few of them. If there are no noble people, how is that you find
daylight in this world? There are many sacred people in this country as
well as in this world. Do not limit spirituality to Bharath, it is
present all over the world. Truly speaking it is more in foreign
countries, than in Bharath. Indians do not know what is Brahmasutras,
Upanishads and Bhagavad Githa. But, the foreigners have learnt Bhagavad
Githa by heart. In Italy, there is a devotee who has learnt Brahmasutras
by heart. She can chant Rudram. There, she constructed a building by nme
'Mother Sai', spread over 25 acres of land. Having full faith that one
day Swami will certainly visit that place, she also built a spacious
hall like Poornachandra Auditorium, so that public meetings could be
held there. She also has constructed some rooms to accommodate students
that follow Swami. Do you know, how clearly our Primary School children
from foreign countries chant Vedas! This is the result of being in good
company. If the company is good, children's future also will be good.
"Tell me your company, I shaft tell you what you are." As is your
company, so you become. So, wherever you go, join good company. Let your
Heart and mind be purified. Speak always truth in a palatable and
acceptable way. This is the spiritual path which you have to adopt. So,
people may wonder as to why one should do meditation and bhajans. They
are good actions. They are all good actions meant to sanctify the time,
but God is not interested in them. What is that you should do to make
God happy? You should involve your body in good deeds. Fill the mind
with good thoughts and speak sweetly and softly.. Only these actions
please God. Bharathiyas refer to this as "Trikaranashuddh" (Unity of
thought, word and deed). With sacred feelings, students should undertake
sacred actions and lead an ideal life. This is what I teach the students
in particular.

Those students who study here should transform thousands of students
outside. It is not enough if you merely preach, first practice what you
preach. Only then your study in this Institute will find fulfillment. We
do not receive even a naya paisa from you. Education is offered free.
How can you express your gratitude to this Institute? Share with others
all that you have learnt here. This is the true gratitude. Do your jobs,
take care of your parents. Fill your Hearts with Divinity. When there is
pure water in tank, you get the same water out of the taps. Your Heart
is like a tank. All the senses are like taps. So, fill your Hearts with
love, and experience love. I expect and bless the students to take to
this path of Love and lead an ideal life. Thus, I bring My discourse to
a close.

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(Bhagavan concluded His Divine discourse with the bhajans: Bhavabhaya
Harana Vandhitha Charana and Subramanyam, Subramanyam ...")