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Date:14 Oct 1999 Occasion:Dasara Place:Prashanti Nilayam

Practice Bhagavan's Teachings

Selfishness has become the guiding force for all activities of man
today. His mind is filled with all types of desires and violence has
become the way of life. He is wasting his life not knowing the purpose
of life. He is straying away from the path of Dharma and Prema. Desires
of man are crossing limits and ultimately leading him to misery. Man is
in a state of confusion as he is unable to comprehend the true meaning
of life.

I have been giving discourses for the past 60 years, but you are not
making any effort to put into practice at least a few of the teachings.
Students are like gold. Their hearts are suffused with sacred feelings.
Their behavior also should be in consonance with their feelings. Man
will be ruined if his behavior is not on the right lines. It is not only
the students, even the teachers and administrators are not coming up to
the expectations. No doubt, they have immense love for Swami, but the
same love is not expressed in the form of gratitude and Sadhana. It is
rather surprising, even to Me, that for the past few days I did not feel
like speaking at all. As there was no marked change in you, I thought
there was no point in continuing to speak to you. Hence I have decided
to confine Myself to a few words. What do you expect Me to speak? I have
already taught all that ought to be taught. There is nothing more to
convey. I am pained to see that all My teachings have gone in vain and
all My sweet words have become tasteless to you.

Ego is on the rise in devotees. Pomp and show has become the order of
the day. Man is not able to recognize that ego will lead to his
downfall. He is unable to derive the benefits arising out of his
education and experiences.

Devotees are not grateful for the love and grace showered on them by
Swami. They pose themselves as great people to the world at large. There
is no greater sin than this.

Since ancient times, the Vedas have been proclaiming profound truths.
They form the basis for a peaceful and prosperous society. The term
'Veda' refers to 'wisdom,' 'discrimination' and 'existence'. There are
people who chant the Vedas from dawn to dusk. No one is examining these
issues. What is the utility and significance of the Vedas? What is the
benefit derived by chanting them? Many do attend the Veda classes and
study them, but they do so only for the sake of money, name and fame. It
is well nigh impossible for man to study the infinite Vedas within his
limited life span. Therefore, sage Vyasa classified the Vedas into four
broad categories - Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharvana Veda.
The Yajur Veda has been further classified into Krishna Yajur Veda and
Shukla Yajur Veda. The manifold nature of the Vedas is conveyed by
several other names such as - Sruti, Smriti, Trayee, Chandas,
Swaadhyaaya, Nigama and Agama etc. Each name is pregnant with a deep
inner significance. The Vedas consist of two divisions: Brahmanas and
Aranyakaas. The Mantras that are chanted during the Yajnas and the
Yaagas constitute Brahmanas. Aranyakaas consist of Mantras that are
chanted by the Vaanaprasthaas in the forest. But unfortunately no one is
giving due respect to the Vedas, which are very sacred and are replete
with profound truths. As a result, Indian culture is on the decline.
People from the overseas better understand the value of the Vedas than
the Indians. The Japanese and the Germans have studied the Atharvana
Veda deeply and thus could excel in the manufacture of arms and
ammunitions. But unfortunately the Bharatiyas are unable to comprehend
the greatness and the grandeur of the Vedas. They are ruining their
lives in the pursuit of materialistic pleasures. Even spiritual
practices are undertaken only to fulfil their worldly ambitions. Man can
nourish this sacred culture only when he develops steady faith in
divinity. They take to Pravritti Marga (outward path) forgetting the
Nivritti Marga (inward path). Today man wants everything to be done in a
trice without any exertion on his part. He is not prepared to put in any
effort or put up with any hardship. Today people are not prepared to
accept truth, they are carried away by untruth. This is similar to the
situation wherein people turn away the milk delivered at the doorsteps
but are prepared to traverse long distances to consume illicit liquor.

What is the essence of education? Education is meant to know oneself,
not to amass wealth. In spite of his education, a mean minded person
cannot give up his wicked qualities. The modern education leads to only
argumentation but not to total wisdom. If the elders themselves take to
the wrong path the young students are likely to follow their footsteps.
The modern man thinks he is highly educated, but in fact he is highly
ignorant. As he is unable to understand the significance of education,
he is using it only to eke out his livelihood. He is going through
various scriptures and joining various spiritual organizations but is
not making any effort to put into practice at least a few sacred
teachings. There is no greater sin than this. It is all right if a
mistake is committed unknowingly, but committing a mistake deliberately
amounts to great sin. Though man is fully aware of what is good and what
is bad he is not able to practice good and give up evil. This is the
reason he is unable to progress in the field of spirituality.

Since ancient times the Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yagna has been
associated with a profound spiritual significance. Yagna means
sacrifice. In this Yagna, you have to sacrifice your bad thoughts,
wicked feelings and evil tendencies and cultivate all the noble
qualities. Before the commencement of the Yagna, fire is produced by
keeping one piece of wood over the other and churning vigorously. The
piece of wood which is below can be compared to the mother and the above
to the father. The resultant fire, the son, burns the parents
themselves. You have to recognize the inner significance of this.

Students!

Many of you are feeling bad, thinking that Swami is upset with you and
is not talking to you. I do not have even a trace of anger or dislike
towards the students or the elders. I consider students as My very life.
in such a case how can I be upset with them? But I do not wish to talk
to anybody, because I do not want to belittle My own words. I feel it is
better not to speak than speak and lose the value of My words. I will
speak to you only when you start giving due respect to My words. There
is no point in feeling bad that Swami is not talking to you. Make
efforts to attain the deservedness, so that Swami would talk to you. I
have taught you on innumerable occasions, but have you made any sincere
attempt to practice at least one of them? When you do not give up evil
tendencies like hatred, jealousy, pomp and show, how do you expect Swami
to talk to you? Hatred is the greatest enemy of man. Pomp and show give
rise to ego, which will in turn ruin the humanness. Love is the common
property of one and all. You can attain happiness and peace only when
you develop love. But today love is on the decline and hatred is on the
rise. We find hatred among the members of the same family, students of
the same college and inmates of the same Ashram.

What is an Ashram? It is a place where there is no Shrama
(difficulties). But you are transforming this Ashram into a place of
Shrama! You have no right to stay in the Ashram if you do not obey
Swami's command and understand His love and Divinity. No benefit accrues
to you if you merely stay here without putting Swami's teachings into
practice. It is better that I do not speak to you if you do not practice
what I say. In fact overseas devotees have better understanding of
Swami's love. They go into ecstasy if Swami talks to them at least once.
On the other hand, you do not understand the value of Love and Grace
showered on you day in and day out. You merely waste your time by
indulging in mean actions like slander and complaining against each
other. Slander is the worst of sins. Do not criticize or abuse others.
The Upanishads have declared that man is highly valuable. But man is
losing his respect and honor. Man alone is to be blamed for this.

Here is an example. You are all worshipping Me. But the Atma in Me is
the same as the Atma in you. So, your worshipping Me amounts to the Atma
worshipping itself. If an individual indulges in criticism, he does so
as he considers himself separate from others, not understanding the
oneness of the Atma. The Atma does not criticize itself. If you want to
be near and dear to Swami, develop the principle of love. All the
Mantras you chant and the worship you do will go in vain, if you give
scope to evil qualities like hatred, jealousy, pomp and show.

Embodiments of Love!

Love everybody just as you love Swami, because Swami is present in one
and all. There is the same divinity present in all beings. Eswarah Sarva
Bhutanam. One who realizes this truth can achieve anything in life.
Once, a great sacrifice (Yagna) was being performed by king Janaka.
Great scholars were present in the event. Not only men, but several
women also. Yaagnavalkya, Gaargi, Narada, etc. The king asked the
assembly to pose any question they wanted. Gaargi asked as a woman
whether she was permitted to ask questions. Janaka was wisdom incarnate.

"Advaita Darshanam Jnanam," (knowledge of non-duality is true wisdom).
There is no differentiation of man and woman in true wisdom. Hence
anyone is free to ask. Then Gaargi addressed Yaagnavalkya, "You are
preparing to leave with cows given to you by the king. You may do so
after answering my questions. First question - what is the basis of all
the objects in this universe?". All the scholars present were astonished
that a woman could dare to put such a bold question. "Akasa is the basis
for all that exists" he replied. She then asked, "What is that which
transcends the skies pervades the earth and extends below the earth?"
"The substance that pervades all these is Akasa only," replied
Yaagnavalkya. All were astonished at the discrimination and wisdom of
Gaargi. All of you know, Narada is mischievous. He went and asked Gaargi
"Respected lady, what is your life's ambition?" "My only desire is to
attain divinity," she replied. "It is impossible," replied Narada.
"Why?" asked Gaargi. Narada replied," Moksha and the attainment of
divinity are not ordained for unmarried women." Divinity does not
pertain to bodily form, of man or woman. Narada said, "The moment you
are married, you will attain Moksha." Gaargi said, "That is impossible,
for I have surrendered my entire self to God already. Such being the
case, do I have no possibility of attaining Moksha?" As this dispute was
going on Janaka intervened and said, "What is the problem? Just get
married?". She thought for a while and considered the contents of all
the Upanishads and Sastras. She then said, "OK then, [ shall have a one
day wedding." Even Narada was perplexed as to what this one day wedding
meant. Gaargi then said, "A wedding is a wedding, be it for a day or a
hundred years. So I shall have a one day wedding, who is ready?". One of
the sages present by name Sringi agreed. Tad Eva Lagnam, Sudinam Tadeva,
Tarabalam Chandra Balam Tadeva, Vidya Balam Daiva Balam Tadeva - as the
Mantra was being chanted, and the sage tied the knot and immediately
Gaargi broke the string and discarded it and promptly attained ultimate
liberation. Thus Gaargi attained her goal without transgressing her
vows, or any of the Sastric injunctions. Janaka said, "Gaargi, for one
whose entire life is devoted to the fulfilling of the divine will, how
can Moksha elude? You are destined for Moksha. You are indeed a great
scholar. Today I shall get myself coronated by your hands." Such
temporal relationships are temporary and far from permanent.

For everything Akasa is the basis. And the sun is basis for Akasa.
Prakriti is the source of Surya (sun). In this manner the assembly went
on discussing the ultimate source of Akasa. Akasa does not mean what is
above your head. Gargi said, "Sabda Brahman is Akasa."

Countless such women have been born on this sacred land of Bharat. Born
on this sacred soil how do so many of you reduce your selves into such a
low state? Ego and desire are cause for this state of affairs. Whatever
I say is for your good and not for My sake. Many of you do not realize
this. Arrogance of one's own level of knowledge is the main cause for
this state of ignorance. Educated people should have humility. Education
confers humility, humility confers deservedness, deserving one obtains
wealth and from wealth one obtains comfort.

Students!

First get rid of your pride. Cultivate humility. Respect your elders.
Speak honeyed words. When you practice these virtues, Swami is always
with you, beside you and guides you always. You do not know, so many
great things are going to take place. Every thing seen, heard or felt
will turn sacred. All this is going to happen soon. Do not miss this
sacred opportunity and waste it. Once lost you will never again get it.
Once obtained you will never lose it. Keeping these sacred thoughts in
your heart, honoring your parents, pleasing your elders, you will make
your lives meaningful. This is My blessing to you all. With this
blessing, I bring My discourse to a close.

[Bhagavan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan "Bhajana bina sukha
santhi nahi..."]

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