Selfless service to society is true sadhana
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

All names and forms are the manifestations of the Supreme Being,
    who is the embodiment of peace and auspiciousness.
He is Existence, Knowledge, Bliss Absolute, and non-dual.
He is Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Truth, Goodness, Beauty).
(Sanskrit Verse)

Embodiments of Love!

It makes Me immensely happy to see that you have been experiencing bliss during the last three days. Three days have passed like three minutes (loud applause). Your hearts are full of devotion, bliss and steadfast faith.

Associate yourself only with good company

Vyakti (individual) is a part of samashti (society). Samashti is an aspect of srishti (creation) which has emerged from Parameshti (God). It is therefore the duty of every individual to undertake sacred and selfless service of society. True society is constituted by such individuals. All actions of man should be devoted to the service of society. All are the members of the same society. Though the individuals are different, they are endowed with the same heart. Ekam sath viprah bahudha vadanti (Truth is one, but the wise refer to it by various names). Ekatma sarva bhutantaratma (one Atma dwells in all beings).

This is a blank paper. If you pack vegetables in it, it will acquire the smell of vegetables. If you pack fruits like plantain in it, it will acquire the smell of plantain. If you pack dry fish in it, it will emit the smell of dry fish. The paper has no smell of its own; it absorbs the smell of the substance that you pack in it.

Man by nature is pure and sacred. But he acquires evil qualities by associating himself with bad company. Tell me your company, and I shall tell you what you are. If you tell what type of people you are associated with, I can tell you the type of person you are. It is therefore necessary to associate  with good people in all your activities. It is the company that makes you good or bad. Therefore, keep away from bad company. Join the company of those who have a pure heart and sacred feelings.

Man is a part of society. The evils that are present in society are the result of evils of individuals who constitute it. Similarly, the evils of society affect the individual. The entire creation is divine. All are essentially sacred. One's behaviour may, however, undergo change due to the impact of the environment.

Differences in society are created by man

Man is endowed with pancha pranas (five life-breaths), panchendriyas (five senses), and panchabhutas (five elements). The five elements are present in man in the form of the senses of sabda (sound), sparsha (touch), rupa (form), rasa (taste), and gandha (smell).

You will have the type of experience according to the type of path you follow. Therefore,  associate with good people, earn a good name, and lead a good life. Fill your heart with pure and divine feelings. These are the qualities that Buddha was endowed with.

Buddha declared: Dharmam saranam gachchhami (I take refuge in righteousness), sathyam saranam gachchhami (I take refuge in truth). All our endeavours should be based on sathya (truth) and dharma (right conduct).

Even if you come across bad people, see only good in them. The same God is the indweller of all beings. People attribute many names to God like Allah, Jesus, Rama, Krishna, etc., but God is one. Do not observe any difference between the different names of God. There are many sweets like laddu, jilebi, and mysore pak, but they have the same essential ingredient of sugar in them. Names and forms may vary, but the Atma is the same in all.

Rama and Krishna were not born with these names; they were given these names by their parents. God does not come down with any particular name. Nirgunam, niranjanam, sanathana niketanam, nitya, shuddha, buddha, mukta, nirmala swarupinam (God is attributeless, pure, final abode, eternal, unsullied, enlightened, free, and embodiment of sacredness). It is the people who attribute names and forms to God and develop differences on that basis, extolling one form and condemning the other.

Do not be carried away by names and forms. Rely on the principle of the Atma, which is formless. The Atma, is the embodiment of bliss. Nityanandam, parama sukhadam, kevalam jnanamurtim, dwandwateetam, gagana sadrisham, Tattwamasyadi lakshyam, ekam, nityam, vimalam, achalam, sarvadhee sakshibhutam, bhavateetam, trigunarahitam (The Atma, is the embodiment of eternal bliss, wisdom absolute, beyond the pair of opposites, expansive and pervasive like the sky, the goal indicated by the mahavakya Tattwamasi, one without a second, eternal, pure, unchanging, witness of all functions of the intellect, beyond all mental conditions and the three attributes of sathwa (purity), rajas (passion), and tamas (inertia).) Differences arise when we attribute different names to the Atma. These differences are created by you, not by God.

God is the embodiment of love and truth. Truth is God. Love is God. Live in Love. Fill your heart with love and lead a life of love. Love everyone because God is present in all in the form of love. There is no one in this world without love. Love may appear to have many forms, but in reality it is only one.

Fill all your actions with Love

Embodiments of Love!

Whoever you see, consider them as the embodiment of Atmic principle. Do not be carried away by what others say. Whatever people may say about you, consider that it is good for you. When you develop your thinking like that, everything will become good for you. Even if someone criticises you, do not be afraid of it. Face it with courage. Fill your heart with courage. Walk on the path of truth and love with courage. Love is most sacred. It is the form of God. If you hate love, it is equivalent to hating God. There is no other name of God except love.

Embodiments of Love!

In the last three days, the songs you sang and the activities you performed gave bliss to one and all (loud applause). You have waited for this opportunity for a long time, and today your aspirations have found fulfilment. Your love and your sadhana (spiritual practice) will never go waste. Love remains as love and truth remains as truth. Whatever activity you undertake, fill it with love. When you give food to a beggar, do it with love. Do not entertain disgust, anger or hatred towards anyone. If you perform all your actions with love, that is true devotion.

Some people do japa (soft repetition of the Name), chanting Ram, Ram, Ram. As they turn the beads of the rosary, their mind roams everywhere. That is no japa. The name of Rama should fill your heart with delight. You will be able to visualise the divine form of Rama when you chant His name wholeheartedly with closed eyes. Prema mudita manase kaho Rama Rama Ram (Chant the name of Rama with heart full of love). The name of God should be imprinted on your heart.

God is the embodiment of love and beyond all attributes. It is only your imagination that assigns attributes to God. Desire, anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, and pride are your own creation; they have not come from God. God always blesses you with love.

You look at an object and want to possess it. That is due to your covetousness. God has nothing to do with it. God is absolutely desireless. Some people even try to hoodwink God by superimposing their desires on Him. They accuse God by attributing to Him what is not there in Him. In spite of that, God always loves you. Attain the love of God through love. Similarly, attain truth through truth. When you lead your life in such a manner, that is true sadhana.

Going to a forest and sitting in solitude is not true sadhana. Live in society and serve it selflessly, thinking that you are serving God. When you serve somebody in distress, consider that you are serving God Himself. There is no place where God is not. Everything is pervaded by Divinity. There is Divinity in this cloth, microphone and, in fact, in everything in this world. From the worldly point of view, you may call this a cloth, but when you develop divine vision, you will see God in everything. The cloth is made of threads and threads come from cotton. Without cotton, there can be no threads and without threads there can be no cloth. Just as cotton is the fundamental basis of cloth, God is the fundamental basis of this world. There is no place in this world where God is not. Wherever you look, He is there.

Recognise your True Identity

Embodiments of Love!

You are all embodiments of love; you are all embodiments of Divinity. Do not go anywhere in search of God. When you close your eyes and enquire, you will see God in yourself.

People undertake many kinds of spiritual practices. All these spiritual practices lead to the same goal. Just as all the rivers ultimately merge in the ocean, the prayers of all will reach God. Do not consider yourself merely a human being. You are the embodiment of love.

When you ask someone their name, they may say Ramaiah or Lakshmamma. They are not born with these names; they are given these names by their parents. All other names keep changing. There is only one name that does not change and that is "I". When somebody asks you, "Who are you?," you should say with conviction, "I am I." You have no other name or form except this. You should develop this spirit of oneness. Do not identify yourself with the name given to your body. Your real name is "I", "I", "I". "I" is the ultimate reality, which remains with you for ever.

As long as you have the body, people may call you by your name. When the body is gone, what happens to the name? In fact, you are not one person; you are three: the one you think you are, the one others think you are, the one you really are.

Embodiments of Love!

You are all filled with love, devotion, and truth. Therefore, you are all embodiments of God. Never forget love. Imprint it on your heart and assimilate it. Do not feel bad that Swami did not speak to you during the last three days. Swami was always ready to speak to you. But the organisers did not provide any opportunity for Swami to speak. Otherwise, I would have spoken to you on all these three days at length (loud applause). I am happy to receive the love of all of you. It is your good fortune that you are the recipients of My love. The bond of love is the only relationship between you and Swami. All are born in love, are sustained by love, and live in love. Never forget love; imprint it on your heart.

(Bhagavan sang the bhajan, "Prema Mudita Manase Kaho Rama Rama Ram", and continued the Discourse.)

It is out of love for you that I have given this Discourse and sang the bhajan. Your love is reflected in Me and My love is reflected in you. I accept your love and shower My love on all of you. Love is most important for all. Love is the binding force between all of us. Without love, there can be no relationship, not even between mother and child. The love that exists between you and Swami is greater than even the love that exists between a mother and her children. Swami wishes you a happy and blissful life.