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Date:18 Nov 1999 Occasion:World Youth Conference Place:Prashanti Nilayam

Serve With Love

One who practices and propagates the ideals such as goodness, morality,
and truth is a youth in the strict sense of the term. In fact, only such
people are your best friends and My best friends too Poem In Telugu)

Embodiments of Love!

Goodness means good behavior, good conduct, good discipline and good
character. Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence are verily
the five life principles (pancha pranas) of man. Human life is a journey
from 'I' to 'We'. This journey is subtle and the goal is very near, but
man takes many births to reach the destination. Why should he take such
a long time, undergoing hardships, to attain the goal, which is so near?
The modern youth are making every effort to know all that is happening
in the world, but are not making any effort to understand the
fundamental truth of human life. No benefit accrues from acquiring such
information, which does not lead you to the goal of life. There are
thousands of intellectuals, scholars and eminent educationists in the
world today. But all the worldly knowledge and skills will be a mere
waste if one does not know oneself. The primary duty of man is to
understand who he really is.

In this world, if money is lost, one need not worry about it, for one
can earn it again. If a friend is lost, one can have another. If wife is
lost, one may get married again. If one loses one's piece of land, one
can purchase another. But this body, once lost, is lost forever.
(Sanskrit Sloka)

Man has achieved everything in life, but has lost human values, which
amounts to losing his five life principles. As a result, he has become a
living corpse. Faith in God is very essential for man. You may question
who is God and where is God? Truth is God. Truth is one and the same for
everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, language, nationality
and ideology. Sathyan Naasthi Paro Dharmaha (there is no greater Dharma
than adhering to Truth).

This fundamental truth is God. Likewise, love is God. So, live in love.
True love is related to the Heart, not to the body. "Heart to Heart, not
body to body." Body is like a water bubble, mind is like a mad monkey.
So, do not follow the body, do not follow the mind. Follow the
conscience. Only then can you experience the Truth.

Young men and women!

Your life is a long journey and your desires are the luggage. "Less
luggage, more comfort makes travel a pleasure." So, reduce your desires.
Human birth is gifted to serve others, not just to eat, drink, sleep and
make merry. The best way to love God is to love all and serve all. Man's
foremost duty is to serve his fellowmen and make them happy. Your life
will be redeemed only when you involve yourself serving the society. The
highest Sadhana is to transform love into service. That is true
devotion. The Kerala boy who spoke earlier mentioned various diseases
that affect the body. There are many instances in the history wherein
even mighty kings had to leave their mortal coil in spite of having
access to best medical facilities and the best doctors. Doctors by
themselves cannot cure diseases. Divine grace is essential. There is no
point in safeguarding your body if you do not uphold morality. For this,
one should lead a life of truth and love. The love of modern youth is
artificial. They may greet each other saying 'hello,' but it is all
hollow within. Their life has become artificial like a drama.

Man can rise to the level of the Divine only through the path of
service. When man is not able to understand humanness, how can he
understand Divinity? First know thyself. Human life is noble, as it is
essentially divine. In fact, man and God are not two different entities,
they are one and the same. Ekam Sath Viprah Bahudha Vadanti (truth is
one, but scholars refer to it by many names). Your life will be redeemed
once you understand this truth. The divine power latent in man is not
found in any other being. Man, unable to understand his own divine
nature, is undertaking various spiritual practices such as penance,
meditation and Yoga.

All the spiritual practices bereft of love are a mere waste of time.
Love in speech is truth, love in action is Dharma. So, in the first
instance, develop love. Lust, greed, hatred, jealousy, anger and pride
are animal qualities. These qualities are the result of the impurities
in the food we partake of. These are of man's own making. These evil
qualities are responsible for man forgetting his divine nature.

Man should make proper use of his intellect, position and wealth.
Wealth, here, does not mean worldly treasures. It refers to the power of
the senses. This power should be utilized for the service of the
society. Neither by penance, nor by undertaking pilgrimages nor by going
through sacred texts can one cross the ocean of Samsara. It is only
through service can one redeem himself. The words Seva and Prema may be
very small, consisting of only two syllables, but they confer infinite
power.

First enquire and understand who you really are. Know yourself and you
would have known all. Since many of you are newcomers, it is worth
mentioning this. When you say, ''This is my kerchief", it means kerchief
is different from you. Similarly, when you say, "this is my body, my
mind and my intellect," it means you are different from all these. Then
the question naturally arises, "Who am I?" Enquire into this. Body, mind
and intellect are mere instruments. Identifying yourself with these
instruments is absurd. You are the master. Master the mind and be a
mastermind. You should never be a slave to your body, mind and senses.
In fact, they should be under your control, you should not be controlled
by them.

One of the speakers quoted Swami, "My life is My message." She also
referred to the statement, "your life is My message." You should
understand the meaning of these statements clearly. Proclaiming that
your life is Swami's message on the one hand and at the same time
indulging in wicked activities and unrighteous deeds is treacherous.
That constitutes 'your' message, not My Message. You can declare that
your life is Swami's message only when you take to the path of truth and
righteousness, install peace and love in your heart and uphold non-violence.

All that you see outside is a reflection of the inner being. Good and
bad do not exist outside, they are mere reflections of what is within
you. No one has the right to judge others. Give up the bad in you, you
will find goodness all around. As is the color of the glasses you put
on, so is the color of the world. The defect lies in the vision, not in
the creation.

Heart is the dwelling place of God. So only noble feelings should emerge
out of it. If there are any evil qualities in you, it ceases to be a
human heart. It is verily the heart of an animal. If you conduct
yourself in a disorderly manner, you are a dog, not a human being. Act
in a manner that befits your human birth. When you are angry, remind
yourself, "I am not dog, I am man." When your mind wavers, tell yourself
repeatedly, "I am not a monkey, I am man." Never be in haste. Haste
makes waste. Waste makes worry. So do not be in a hurry. Take time and
think calmly. All these evil qualities can be eliminated by developing
good thoughts and feelings. This is the remedy for all ailments.

Only young men and women are capable of eradicating restlessness in the
society. Excessive desires are the main cause for the suffering of man.
Keep a check on your desires. As a student, discharge your duties
diligently. Study well and obtain good marks. Respect your parents and
serve them. Keep in mind the welfare of the society and nation at large.
Earn a good name in the society. Do not feel proud of your education.
Your education is a mere waste if it is not utilized for the welfare of
the society. The education you have received from the society must be
dedicated to it, by way of service. The goal of education does not lie
in merely acquiring degrees, securing good jobs and amassing wealth.
Service is the hallmark of the educated one. No doubt money is
essential, but it should be under certain limits. Excessive money makes
many wrongs. Money comes and goes, morality comes and grows.

First and foremost, make efforts to understand your true nature. The
difference between God and man is very subtle. As long as you do not
understand the truth, you remain a human being. Once you recognize it,
you are God. Service is the best way to understand your innate divinity.
Service should be for self-satisfaction, not for name and fame. Before
serving others, serve yourself by making your mind broad and pure. Get
rid of the narrow feeling of 'I' and 'mine' and extend your love to one
and all. Love is the binding force that brings together the entire world
as one family. I wish that you develop love and live like brothers and
sisters. This body has been engaged in service right from birth.

Likewise, you should spend your life in serving others. This is My
message. I practice whatever I preach. I love all and serve all and
exhort you to do the same, but you are not able to understand My love,
as your feelings are narrow. That is your mistake, not Mine. Today
conflicts are on the rise as there is no proper understanding and
adjustment among people. Adjustment will be possible only when there is
proper under-standing.

Only love exists with you right from the time of birth. Enjoy the bliss
of love and share it with others. Absence of love is the root cause for
all the unrest in the world. Develop love and uphold truth. Truth does
not mean describing what you have seen, heard or done, as it is. Truth
is that which is changeless in all the three periods of time.

Just as you change your dress, you have to change your body one day or
the other. That is why it is said, "Death is the dress of life." That
which is responsible for birth is responsible for death too. This body
is like a passing cloud. So long as there is life in the body, use it
for the service of others. Engage yourself in service till the last
breath. Service to man is service to God. Have control over your senses,
without which all your service will be futile.

All of you have gathered here without being extended any invitation. It
is your love for Bhagavan and Bhagavan's love for you that has brought
you here. If there is love in your heart, you will never be put to any
hardship whatsoever. Your love should be extended to one and all, it
should not be limited to your family and friends alone. Tell me your
company, I shall tell you what you are. As is your company, so you
become. How can one be good if one is in the company of bad people always?

You are all virtuous and noble. Make every effort to enhance this
goodness. Make the best use of your stay here. Run away from bad company
and bad feelings. Cultivate noble qualities. Develop the broad feeling
that all are your brothers and sisters. Lord Krishna said in the
Bhagavad Gita, Mamaivaamso Jeevaloke Jeevabhutah Sanathanaha (all are
the sparks of My Divinity). Just as the sun is reflected in various
vessels containing water, so too you find the reflection of God in
everybody. All that you find in this world is the reflection, reaction
and resound. Do not get carried away by them. Aspire to attain the
reality. In order to experience the reality, give up body attachment.

Divinity is latent in everyone, but you are not making any effort to
realize it as you are deeply engrossed in worldly matters. You are the
embodiment of pure, unsullied, true and eternal Atma. Experience this
reality. All that is related to the world is only a reflection, not the
reality. Discharge your duties keeping this truth in view. Help ever,
Hurt never. This is the essence of all the Vedas and sacred texts such
as Bible, Bhagavad Gita and Quran. All these holy texts speak of the
same fundamental truth. It is a mistake to entertain differences based
on religion. There is only one religion, the religion of love. There is
only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is only one language, the
language of the heart. Travel from 'I' to 'We' through the path of
service. I will tell you how to go about doing it in due course of time.

There are millions of people in this world, but only you, the fortunate
few have got the golden opportunity of coming here. Make best use of
this opportunity and share this joy with everybody. Serve the whole
world. Understand the truth that you are born to serve the society. Do
not lead a selfish life amassing wealth. Do not be satisfied by filling
your own belly, understand that there are millions outside, who are
hungry and suffering. Your life will be sanctified only when you help
the poor, the sick and the downtrodden. That is true spirituality. That
should be your way of life. In order to acquire a worldly degree, you
need to study various subjects. But in spirituality there is only one
subject and that is love. So, develop love and undertake service
activities. Being youngsters, you may have a few doubts. I will clarify
all of them. Do not give scope for hatred, jealousy and
ostentatiousness. Be a humble devotee and render humble service. That is
the true human quality.

[Bhagavan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Prema Mudhitha
Manase Kaho..."]

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