Uphold Truth Under All Circumstances
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The Effulgent Lord who shines in every atom and
    pervades the entire universe will protect you always.
He is the Omnipotent Lord of Parthi,
    who will grant you Bhakthi (devotion) and
    will certainly help you in all your endeavours.
What else is to be conveyed to this assembly of noble souls?
(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love!

God does not need anybody's support or help. He takes care of everything of His own accord and bestows His grace on all.

Humanity cannot Exist without Divinity

Devotees! Do not think that God is confined to a particular place and that you have to search for Him. It is a sign of ignorance to search for God, who is everywhere at all times. First and foremost, you should enquire and understand who God is. He is the one who pervades in every particle and every atom of prakriti (nature). Nature is the direct manifestation of God.

There is nothing that God cannot accomplish. He sees everything at all times. Without recognizing the divine power of God in Nature, it is a mistake to think that God does not respond to your prayers and come to your rescue. Devotion and divine grace are interrelated and interdependent. Man is unable to understand the divine power of God because of maya (illusion).

Whatever God does is for the welfare of the world. Not a single act of God is without a purpose. Man gets confused because he is unable to understand the inner meaning of God's actions. The earth rotates on its axis at the speed of one thousand miles per hour, causing day and night. Rising and setting of the sun as well as waxing and waning of the moon promote all activity on earth. Not merely that, the earth revolves around the sun at the speed of 66 thousand miles per hour, giving rise to various seasons. The seasons benefit man in many ways. Formation of clouds and occurrence of rainfall help man to grow food. In this manner, the earth provides food and sustenance to all beings. Can a human being or a government, for that matter, accomplish such a mighty task? No, no. Without recognizing these beneficial acts of God of such enormous magnitude, man wastes his life in delusion and doubt.

If you enquire deeply, you will know that divine power is at work at all times. Every kana (cell), every kshana (moment) and every yuga (aeon) is governed by Divine Will. God is everywhere and is in the form of Nature. Unable to realize this truth, people develop doubts regarding the existence of God. Everything is supported and sustained by God. There can be no manavatwam (humanity) without Daivatwam (Divinity). Your life will be sanctified when you understand this truth.

Offer all your Actions to God

God does not waste even a single moment. All the time, He is engaged in action for the welfare of all. He is the sole refuge of all at every moment of time. Nothing is impossible for God, who permeates anda, pinda, and brahmanda (terrestrial, celestial and cosmic planes). Every second of our life is dependent on the Divine Will. Every breath of our life is governed by God. We cannot take even one breath without His Will. People are unable to recognize such omnipresent, omnipotent God and waste their time in vain argumentation regarding His existence. They do not experience even an iota of joy due to their lack of faith in all-powerful God.

Once, Arjuna asked Lord Krishna, "Swami! Why are You always engaged in action?"

Krishna replied, "Arjuna! I perform karma (action) in order to demonstrate an ideal to the people to emulate. When I perform action, people follow My example. The entire world will come to a standstill if I do not perform action. The value of action is beyond all description."

Na Me Parthasthi Karthavyam Trishu Lokeshu Kinchana,
Nanavapathamavapthavyam Vartha Eva Cha Karmani.

Oh Partha! There is no action that I need to perform
     in all the three worlds.
Nor is there anything worth attaining unattained by Me,
     yet I am constantly engaged in action.

I do not perform actions for My sake; nor do I gain anything out of them. There is nothing that I need to achieve by performing actions. Whatever I do is for the welfare of the world. You should understand this and emulate My example. God is teaching you everything not merely by precept but by practice. Only through proper enquiry can you understand this truth. You should enquire with sincerity and steadfast faith. If you lack faith, you cannot understand anything, however long you may try. Each step of Mine has a definite purpose. Each act of Mine reflects a certain facet of dharma. Nothing can happen in the world without My sankalpa (will). But you are unable to understand My sankalpa and dharma. God has incarnated not for His sake but for the sake of all beings. God is the reality and the world is its reflection. It is natural that the reflection follows the reality. Whatever God does is for your welfare. Likewise, whatever you do should be pleasing unto Him.

Morality Earns Divine Grace

You may proclaim in public that all your actions are meant to please God. But that does not mean that He is really pleased with you. God will be pleased only when you cultivate papa bheethi, Daiva preethi, sangha neethi (fear of sin, love for God, morality in society). Bereft of morality, you cannot be called a human being in the true sense of the term. Morality is the hallmark of a human being. That which adheres to neethi (morality) is true manava jathi (human race).

First, you should develop love for God. Daiva preethi gives rise to papa bheethi, which in turn develops sangha neethi. Hence, Daiva preethi is the basis on which the mansion of human life rests.

Humanity can progress only when there is morality in society. But modern man has no clear understanding of the term morality. Even birds and animals adhere to the code of conduct prescribed for them. But man is not following the rules of morality. If only he adhered to morality, God would certainly bestow His grace on him. Morality is not something that you should force upon yourself. It is your nature. Therefore, first and foremost, develop morality. Only then will Divinity blossom in you. The entire world will prosper when man adheres to morality. Only then can man lead a happy life. Wherever you are, whatever you do, consider morality as the basis of your life. Morality is, in fact, your true reputation. You can earn Divine grace when you have morality.

Truth is the Real Name of God

What is true worship? It is not merely offering flowers to God and performing some rituals. You should implicitly obey the divine command and strictly adhere to morality in your daily life. That can be termed as true worship of God. Today people think that they are praying to God and singing His glory. But God does not need all this. You pray to God only for your sake and not for His sake. You undertake various spiritual practices such as japa, thapa, yoga, etc., only for your satisfaction. In fact, you need not do all this to worship God. It is enough if you discharge your duty properly. Then, God will certainly bestow His love and grace on you. If you do not do your duty sincerely, how can you expect to be the recipient of God's love? God thinks of your welfare every moment.

Where is God? He is everywhere. Wherever we are, there God is. Sarvata Panipadam Tat Sarvatokshi Siromukham, Sarvata Srutimalloke Sarvamavirtya Tishthati (With hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire universe). It is sheer ignorance to think that God is confined to a particular place.

As Mukundan (an earlier speaker) has said, truth is God, God is truth. Hence, we have to safeguard truth. Sathyam vada, dharmam chara (speak truth, practise righteousness). Truth and righteousness are the two main pillars on which the entire world rests. If we protect truth and righteousness, they will in turn protect us wherever we go. Truth is the source of all happiness. If you do not adhere to truth, how can you expect to attain happiness? Truth is the fundamental principle of life. But today, man's thoughts, words, and deeds are tainted with untruth and unrighteousness. That is why he is unable to enjoy happiness in life. The culture of Bharat (India) teaches, Sathyam bruyath, priyam bruyath, na bruyath sathyamapriyam (speak truth, speak pleasantly and do not speak unpalatable truth). God protects those who protect sathya (truth) and dharma.

There is nothing superior to truth in this world. Truth pervades the entire universe. But people ignore such all-pervasive principle of truth. They try to suppress truth and indulge in falsehood. Consequently, unrighteousness is on the rise in the world.

Embodiments of Love!

Truth is your life. There is no God other than truth. Only truth can protect you always. Since ancient times, the culture of Bharat (India) has been emphasizing the need to follow truth and righteousness.

I am pleased to note that the devotees of Kerala are leading their lives in an ideal manner by cultivating love of God, fear of sin, and morality in society.

If you have love for God, you can achieve anything in life. Once you put sathya (truth) and dharma (righteousness) into practice in your life, every moment of your life will be filled with happiness. Those who are unable to experience everlasting happiness should come to Me; I will show them the path to happiness. If you uphold truth and righteousness, God will be with you always to protect you. What is truth? Trikal- abadhyam sathyam (Truth is that which transcends the three periods of time). That which undergoes change with the passage of time cannot be called truth at all.

But today, children are not being made aware of the real significance of truth and righteousness. Small children do not understand the correct meaning of truth. It is not enough if you teach them to adhere to truth in their speech and conduct. We should teach them that truth is God and that it is truth alone that can protect them. Without teaching the correct meaning of truth and its importance, how can we expect the children to adhere to truth? Our entire life is based on truth and righteousness. There can be no dharma without sathya. Sathyannasti paro dharma (There is no dharma greater than adherence to truth). Truth is the root, righteousness the branches and sub-branches, and happiness the fruit of the tree of life. Hence, we should lead our life keeping truth and righteousness as the basis of all our actions.

Many people perform ritualistic worship of God with great pomp and show. I feel like laughing at their ignorance. These are not the true spiritual practices. How can such sadhanas (spiritual practices) lead to Sakshatkara (vision of God)? Instead, you should put sathya and dharma into practice in your life. Without sathya and dharma, all that you do is mere show. Truth is changeless and eternal. It transcends time, space and circumstances. It should form the basis of all your actions. If your actions are not based on truth, they become artificial. Truth emerges from your heart and it should be put into practice. We should pray to God with purity of thought, word and deed. You should never give up truth at any time and under any circumstances. Only then will you be protected by truth.

Body Consciousness is the Cause of your Delusion

Embodiments of Love!

There is no point in adhering to truth and righteousness with a negative attitude. It is like building castles in the air! Whatever you do with a negative attitude is bound to yield negative result. Hence, develop positive attitude. Fill your life with love. Man has accomplished mighty tasks, but what is the use? He is unable to understand the importance of sathya and dharma.

In fact, there is none superior to man. There is divinity in humanity. But man is unable to realize his innate divinity because of the influence of maya (illusion). Man should make efforts to recognize his divinity. Only divinity can redeem humanity. Instead of realizing his innate divinity, man is getting entangled in worldliness. What do we have to experience today? It is divinity, divinity, and divinity alone. It is eternal and is always with you wherever you go. You should never forget this positive power even for a moment. Give up negative feelings and develop faith in the positive power, i.e. divinity. It is very much present in you in the form of conscience, guiding you and guarding you. If you take to wrong ways, your conscience will immediately caution you. It shows you the right path. It is impossible to experience divinity if you ignore the dictates of your conscience.

All that you see is only God, and nothing else. You may point to an individual and say, "I see him as another person. How can he be God?" Wherefrom has he come? He has come from God. Everything is God. How can you have the vision of God if you see multiplicity in unity? In this world, wherever you see, there is unity and unity alone. Truth is only one. It cannot be two. Likewise, God who is the embodiment of truth is only one. Ekam sath viprah bahudha vadanti (Truth is one, but the wise refer to it by various names). You may call Him by any name, worship Him in any form, but always remember that there is only one God. You may call Him Allah, Jesus, Rama, or Krishna but He is one. Once you understand this principle of unity and get established in it, you will certainly attain divinity.

You should always speak truth. Truth is the real name of God. If you want to pray to God, it is enough if you say, "Sathyaswarupaya Namah (salutations to the embodiment of truth)." All other names are His duplicate names. Truth is God. This truth is installed in your heart. If you realize this truth, you can achieve the ultimate goal of life. It is possible to realize this truth in a moment. The same divine principle is present in all --in mother, father, child, etc. But you have forgotten this divine principle. You think that God appears only in a specific form. In fact, God has no specific form. Wherever you see, He is there. All are His forms. Conduct yourself with such sacred feeling. That is true devotion.

Give up body attachment. Whomever you come across, right from a child to an old man, consider everyone as the embodiment of God. When you develop such a sacred feeling, your devotion will become steady. If you do not give up body attachment, and if your mind wavers every moment, you will end up in utter confusion. Body consciousness is the cause of your delusion. Hence, get rid of body consciousness and develop God consciousness. Do not be carried away by the illusory world. Develop love for God. Then gradually you will be able to overcome body consciousness and your devotion will become strong and steady. Why do people lack steady devotion? They do not contemplate upon one name and one form. Your devotion becomes steady when you install one name and one form in your heart. When you do Laksharchana, you chant many names such as Kesavaya Namah, Madhavaya Namah, Narayanaya Namah. (Salutations to Lord Kesava, Madhava, Narayana.). You may chant any number of names but you worship only one God. Keeping such principle of unity firmly established in your heart, you should pray to God.

Wherever you see, only God exists.
Never doubt that God is here and not there.
Wherever you search for Him, He is there.
(Telugu Poem).

When you contemplate incessantly upon the Atma, you will see divinity everywhere. Hence, make efforts to recognize unity, realize it, and become one with it. If you want to realize divinity, it is enough if you hold on to the principle of truth. Truth has a name and a form. Hold on to it firmly. Follow it implicitly. Only then will divinity reveal itself to you.

Everything is the Manifestation of God

Do not get deluded by names and forms. The youth of today lack steady mind because they are carried away by names and forms. Have firm faith that God is one, truth is one. Consider God as your sole refuge. Then, wherever you go and whatever you see, you will find His manifestation. Wherever you see, He is there. He is not confined to one place. He is everywhere.

What happened to the wicked Kamsa, who followed the pravritti marg (path of worldliness)? Whenever he uttered the name "Krishna", He was there. But he thought it was a mere illusion. He could not realize the divinity of Krishna because of his body attachment.

You can have the vision of the Divine only when you develop Atmabhimana (love for the Self). Atma is one and only one. Consider, for instance, the three words Dehatma, Jeevatma, and Paramatma. Atma is common in all. You should always contemplate upon Atma. Develop firm faith that Atma is God. Atma is always with you, in you, around you, above you, and below you. Other than the Atma, there is no other entity in this world.

Embodiments of Love!

Do not waste time. You waste not only your kalam (time) but also your kayam (body). You may be performing spiritual practices, but you are unable to overcome worldly illusion. Consider everything that you see as the manifestation of God. Even a mosquito is a form of God. An ant is a form of God. That is why Saint Thyagaraja sang thus,

Oh Rama!
You pervade everything right from a
    cheema (ant) to Brahma.
You are in Siva and Kesava as well.
Please come to my rescue.
(Telugu Poem).

There is divinity even in an ant. You all know very well what the pain is like when an ant bites you. Not merely that, ants build big anthills, which become the dwelling places for snakes. If not for the presence of divinity within, how can a small insect like an ant be endowed with such power? Divinity pervades everything, right from microcosm to macrocosm. Never disregard microcosm since divinity is all-pervasive.

Modern youth do not understand what divinity is. This is the effect of their age. In youth, one's blood is hot and mind is unsteady. How can one understand divinity with a wavering mind? First, you should keep your mind steady. Only then can you realize divinity. Truth is the best friend of love, and righteousness is related to both truth and love. Terms such as truth, love, and righteousness may be different but the underlying principle of divinity is one and the same in them.

Embodiments of Love!

Today, three thousand youth have come from Kerala out of their immense love for Swami. Develop such love day by day. Consider love as God. Only love will come to your rescue in times of need.

When Surdas, a blind devotee of Lord Krishna, was travelling in a dense forest, Krishna came to his help in the form of a small boy. He told him, "Surdas! I am going to Brindavan. Hold My hand. I will take you with Me."

When he heard the name Brindavan, Surdas's joy knew no bounds. The boy had told him to hold His hand. Being under the influence of maya (illusion), Surdas held the stick that Krishna had in His hand. With Krishna's Divine Will, gradually the stick became smaller and smaller. Consequently, Surdas's hand was about to touch Krishna's hand. It was then that Krishna revealed His identity. He told him, "Surdas! God is your sole refuge wherever you may be, in a forest, in the sky, in a city or a village, on the top of a mountain or in the middle of deep sea. That is why I have come to your rescue."

No sooner did Surdas's hand touch Krishna's hand than he attained divinity. Till then, he was speaking to Krishna and was listening to His sweet words, but he had not touched Him. The moment he touched Krishna, he became ecstatic and called out loudly, "Krishna! Krishna!"

It is said, Darshanam Papa Nashanam, Sparshanam Karma Vimochanam, Sambhashanam Sankata Nashanam (The vision of the Lord destroys all sins, His touch destroys the bondage of karma, conversation with Him destroys all troubles). God incarnates to grant darshan (sight of the Lord), sparshan (touch), and sambhashan (conversation) to His devotees.

Krishna came to Surdas in order to show him the way to Brindavan. Then, He started conversing with him and ultimately granted him His sparshan and thus relieved him of the bondage of karma. Hence, darshan, sparshan, and sambhashan, all the three are essential. You should not be satisfied with mere darshan. You should aspire to attain all the three.

Treat everyone as the form of God. It means that every individual is the embodiment of divinity. All names and forms are His. Here you are able to see thousands of forms of God. How lucky you are! It is a sign of ignorance to consider yourself weak, forgetting your innate divinity. Truly speaking, you are not a mere mortal, you are the embodiment of immortal divinity.

God Himself is playing the role of a human being in this cosmic drama. Daivam manusha rupena (God assumes the form of a human being). Hence, develop firm faith that all are divine. Then you will lose your individual consciousness and become one with Divinity. Seeing multiplicity in unity is due to maya (illusion). When you understand unity, your jeevatwa (individual self) will be transformed into Daivatwa (Divine Self).

(Bhagavan concluded His Discourse with the bhajan, "Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.")