Issue 225 - April 18, 2021 |
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Sairam dear brothers and sisters,
We are busy every moment of our daily lives trying to perform our various duties; we get engrossed and completely enveloped in the actions that more often that not, we forget the basic truth that our destination is not this world, but God. Like Swami often reminds us that all our words, actions, thoughts, character and heart, must be that which will take us to God. Following our heart and operating from that space is paramount on our journey. It is not an outer travel, but an inner travel. The mind which is always outside, should be internalised.
Swami says, “I and mine always leads you to outside. Only we and ours leads a person inside. God is not far from you. He is in you! So it is about going inwards. You can be in the world, but the world should not get inside you. The path of God is for the courageous.”
Seeking God who is inside will slowly lead to a point where the barrier will break. Peace will prevail and nothing will affect us internally, though externally the act will continue...
Sairam
Bhuvana Santhanam
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ātmano mokshārtam
(Emancipation of one’s self)
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Excerpt From Master The Mind Series |
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tṛṣṇā na jīrṇā vayameva jīrṇāḥ -
We feel that our desires would get satisfied with our constant enjoyment, but desires never get completely fulfilled. And we alone get consumed by desires.
This is a very thought provoking line from the ‘Vairagyashatakam’ of Bhartruhari, who was a great philosopher poet king.
New desires take shape every now and then. First a bike, then a car, then a bigger car and when one gets a bigger car, to park it one needs a bigger garage which means, a bigger house. Now, having acquired a big car how can one go to small restaurant? Well, a plush restaurant at a five-star hotel to maintain the status and standard in society, will naturally become the desire. For fulfilling all these desires the natural requisite will be a fat paycheck. To get a better job which will pay thus, one has to work harder and possibly even increase the knowledge quotient. After being engulfed with all this, where is the time for ātmavidyā?
bālastāvat kridā-saktah
tarunastāvat tarunī-saktah
vrddhastāvaacintāsakta
pare brahmani ko’pi na saktah
Adi Shankaracharya in his ‘Bhaja Govindam’ says as a child we are busy playing and enjoying ourselves. We don’t care, whether the world exists or not. When we grow as a young man or woman, all the time we are interested in the opposite gender. Attracted by the natural laws of life, there is no time to think of God. Time flies and we become old. After utilising this body for enjoying the pleasures of the world the vitality is completely consumed resulting in leg pain, trembling hands, headaches, loss of teeth etc. Nobody, even desires to look at our face. But the real tragedy is, even at that time thoughts keep swirling in one’s mind about all the money and savings and about death. Finally, what happens in the end? We meet Yama, the lord of death. When we meet Yama, the first question and the last question asked by him would be – “Are you a brahmavidā? Have you experienced Brahman?” And if we reply saying, “What’s that? He will say that he would teach us.
Some people say, “Swami is there for me. I have complete faith in him. I will go enjoy the world, make merry and do as I please.”
At the end what does oneself think is awaiting for him/her? Just because we prayed, will Swami redeem us? We think Swami doesn’t know what to do. Don’t take Him casually. Don’t take Him for granted, saying that He will simply redeem us because we have sung few bhajans for Him. Yama may also ask as what good have we done during our sojourn on the earth? If we reply, “I have seen Sai Baba. I was a bhajan singer, a volunteer, a staff, a teacher, a doctor, a nurse.” He will still ask, “All that is good, whatever Sai Baba has done to you by giving you an opportunity to be a nurse or a doctor in the hospital, a volunteer in His ashram, a staff in His college, a student in His institutions etc. He compassionately allowed you to be in His proximity and learn something good, but if you did not utilise it well, you have done bad. Good was done to you, you did not do any good there. What good have you done?” These will be his repetitive question till he is completely satisfied. But he won’t be satisfied with any answer. You may go round and round trying to convince Yama, but he won’t fall for any of the excuses and reasons you might give. Don’t think that you are smart to escape Yama’s grip. The only qualification that he expects is that of brahmavidā – the knower of Brahman.
An excerpt episode 15 of ‘Master the Mind’ series delivered by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai.
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My Story
Sai Baba – The author of my life…
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By Evangelos Maroudas
Civil Engineer
Greece
When I was a young boy, I use to observe with surprise that how the little grownups knew about life and committing mistakes out of ignorance, which were making them suffer. I couldn't comprehend the way they ignored the fundamental rules of life - the law of action and reaction, cause and effect, etc. Things that were quite obvious to my innocent eyes in childhood, seemed to be completely foreign to the busy minds of adults.
This developed the aspiration in me to write a book on - 'How life is supposed to be lived', when I would grow older. I was confident that I naturally knew the basic principles of how to live a happy life and that I should share them with others, so that they too could be happy.
Little did I realise that, as I would grow up, I too would lose the clarity and innocence of my thoughts. All the new stimuli which came along with adolescence seemed to drag me into the confusing dance of desires and disappointments. It didn't take long for me to fall into the state of uneasiness and anxiety which is common for most people.
For years, I searched for the basic truth of life in books and I surely found a lot of good reads, from many religions and philosophies, from many cultures and faiths. Yet, my own peace and practical wisdom seemed like a long-lost dream. Every single day was dragging me further and further from finding balance in my own life - let alone writing a book about balanced living!
The years passed and God's plan began to unfold much more evenly after Swami entered my life. Many things started making sense and falling into place. In the magnetic field of His aura, I got access to that peace and confidence that was only known to the innocent child version of me.
In a beautifully choreographed series of events, I found myself being part of the Greek Uvacha team. I consider this a life-saving experience. Not that I would otherwise be dead, but... I just cannot put into words what it means to translate the benevolent words of God. What a compass and what a food for the soul!
It was only after I had participated in a few Uvacha books, that I remembered about my childhood's aspiration to write a book about how life should be lived. The realisation that struck me was that I was now doing exactly that, which had been my wish as a child!
Uvacha books are exactly the manual for a meaningful and happy life for all humanity. It comes straight from the Source of all wisdom, from the Source of all love, unsullied, unaltered, untouched, for the sake and benefit of all who read it.
Not even in my wildest dreams, not even in my wildest imagination would I ever have guessed that this day would come, that I would be working not just for one such book, but for volumes and volumes of divine nectar which will nourish people's hearts for generations to come! And that, perhaps even more than the readers, I would be the one benefitting from it. It has revived the aspiration within me to lead a life of selfless nature which is leading me on the path to discover my true Self.
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To help reach Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s human values-based education to the world, and to resuscitate the humanness of humanity, the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence launched a unique, first-of-its-kind Institute of Human Values, to offer tailor-made courses totally free of any charges, curated by experts from around the world. The Vision of the Institute is to make better humans in their personal and professional spheres, by making them more sensitive towards society’s needs and exploring ways of their contribution to society in a meaningful and selfless manner, thereby creating a sense of global citizenship and responsibility.
The courses will help an individual balance the inside and outside, while progressively being a better human being, that will ultimately help him or her unravel the true meaning and purpose in life.
Learning from the heart is spiritual awakening, Baba would say. The Institute of Human Values is the first step to help lead the world into the beautiful awareness of its heart – a heart that operates from the universal human values of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa.
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Every individual has many roles to play in life. The same man is a friend to someone, a brother to another, and a son to yet another individual. But it’s one man who adorns various roles based on his interaction with those around him. In the same way, the whole world is the modification of the one caitanya visuddhātma or pure consciousness.
ātman is the awareness which resides in the body; the body is not awareness it is just aware. Just like the knowledge is separate from the book. The book might get destroyed but the knowledge remains intact.
This ātman is said to be subtler than the subtlest and greater than the greatest. It is said to be hiding deep within all the beings of this creation and it is beyond all the dualities of this world. How to attain such a state where one can be happy ever after and never fall into the misery of life?
In episode 19 featured this week, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai explains verse 18, 19 and 20 from the second vallī (canto) of Chapter One of kaṭhopaniṣad.
Come, join us to enter the realms of eternal bliss!
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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK |
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The goal of human life is the realisation of the ultimate reality which alone can give man supreme fulfilment and everlasting peace. This is the essence of all the religions.”
- Sri Ramakrishna
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jagat hitāya
(Welfare of the World)
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The Sai youth of Turkey have been engaged in seva, despite the ongoing pandemic. Medical supplies were provided to the people with ailments in the district of Sisli. Support was also extended in the form of home lease, and utilities such as electricity, water etc., for ten needy families.
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