Swami's Discourse on June 15, 2015

Aum Sri Sairam

                 People who know God think that He is beyond the three qualities, duality and also He is beyond all the feelings. Vedas declared that one cannot comprehend God and words cannot describe God.

           Mind will never get ready to offer itself to God. Mind is always thinking of self interest and selfishness, it never thinks about others and welfare of others. We can drink milk only with a spoon but not with a fork. It is not possible to understand God with mind. There are two things in the mind. One is ego (I) and other one is attachment (mine).

              All people keep praying to God: ”I want peace”. 'I' indicates me, "want" indicates mine and peace indicates Prasanthi. When we have the feelings of I and mine, we can never experience Peace. We can only understand, realize and experience peace only through pure and sacred heart. God cannot be comprehended by the mind. It is not possible to understand God by mind. Mind is always full of ego and attachment. But God is beyond this ego and attachment. Only a heart with selfless love can understand, experience and realize God. When a magnet is not attracting the piece of iron, the problem is not with the magnet. Iron piece is full of rust and dust. So, only iron does not attracts the magnet. Similarly a mind filled of ego and attachment cannot understand God‘s love. A person with fever will not be able to know the exact taste of the sweet. Similarly a man with ego cannot taste the sweet juice of service activities and says there is no bliss in the service.

 The word "SAI" signify’s 

S - Service

A - Adoration

I - Illumination

Adoration without service is not at all an adoration. Anything first we have to do and then tell to others. God will always do and will never say. First we should be servants, then we gradually convert to leaders.

         If we listen a thing, we forget it, if we see it, we understand it and if we do it, we learn it. Hence only when we do the service, we can learn, realize and experience the sweetness within the service. We are doing service for our sake. We should behave like a human being The three important things for human being are body, mind and heart. When all the three things: Head, Hand and Heart get together, we can do proper service.

          We should become karma yogi like Janaka. Whatever we do, we should try to do perfectly because we are doing every thing for pleasing God ("Sarva Karma Bhagavath Preethyaratham”). God is perfect. Do your best and leave the rest. If we want to win the God’s grace, our effort is also important. We should put in our effort and should do our work perfectly. This is about Hands.

         Second one is head. We should also have cleverness and intelligence. We should use our brain and intelligence to do good service to God. 

         All the three Head, Hand and Heart  are there in Hanuman. When Rama asked to cross the ocean to reach Lanka, everyone was afraid but Hanuman was ready and Hanuman said if Rama gives me a command, He also gives me  the strength to fulfill that command. Hanuman had such a great faith in Rama. That is Devotion. That is Heart.

        It is not possible to jump all at once across the ocean to reach Lanka, So, Hanuman wanted to take rest in the middle for some time. When he was tired, he saw an island somewhere in the middle of the ocean. That island is a daemoness. She said to Hanuman ” I will give shelter on this island but I have one condition. You can rest on this island but you should get into my mouth and come out once". Hanuman knew once he enters into her mouth, she will swallow him. In such a helpless state, he prayed Rama, He then got a thought. Then gigantic Hanuman became like a small fly and entered into the mouth of the daemoness and came out immediately before she closed her mouth. Then daemoness said, "I did not want to harm you. You are a great devotee. I want to test you. You can rest on my head." So devotion is required and intelligence is also required. Intelligence comes from devotion. Therefore when all the things head, hands and heart come together, we will get liberation. 

       We should have the Head of Adi Sankara. He is the man of wisdom. We should have the Hand of Janka which offers everything to God. And we should have the Heart of Budha, which has compassion for all fellow beings. 

         First we should develop love for God. That is Bhakthi. That is the foundation. By developing Bhakthi, we will get Shakthi, Yukthi  and Mukthi. All should chant Gayatri mantra daily. First God manifested in the form of sound. There are three syllables in Omkaram. ‘Aa’ is body, ‘Uu’ is mind and ‘Ma’ is heart. When all these three come together, Omkaram will come. Gayathri mantra also signifies the same thing.  We should first chant Omkaram, next Gayatri mantra and then we have to chant Shanthi mantra three times. One shanthi is for peace in the mind, the second shanthi is for peace in the body and the third shanthi is for peace in the heart. All the three things: body, mind and heart get sanctified because of these chants.

Students should chant Gayatri mantra for 21 times daily at dawn or dusk.

There are three gunas: Tamasic, Rajasic and Sathwic.

Body is of Tamasic Guna (Inertia).

Mind is of Rajasic Guna (Passion).

Heart is of Sathwic Guns(Purity).

We have to follow the Sathwic guna, use Rajasic guna and give up Tamasic guna.

       Each day of 24 hours can be divided into three eight hours. The eight hours from morning 4:00 AM to 8:00 AM and in the evening from 4.00 PM to 8:00 PM is Sathwic time. During Sathwic time, we should involve in Divine actions. The eight hours from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM is Rajasic time. During this time, we have to do activities like studying and playing. The eight hours from 8:00 PM to morning 4:00 AM is Tamasic time. During this time we should take rest and pacify our mind to be one with God.

     Without doing, a teacher will not have the right to teach. If we want to correct others, first we be that, then we do that, then we see that and ultimately we should tell that.

Chinna Katha by Swami: 23 Jul 2015 discourse

SSG news: 23 July 2015

Chinna Katha.

Told by Swami on Thursday, 23 July 2015 17:45 PM @ Prem Deep.

Once there was a rich man. He had three wives. The first one was ‘Sathi’, very loving, dedicated and faithful. She had a daughter. But she was not that beautiful and looking elderly due to her age.

The second wife was ‘Mathi’. She was very intelligent and clever. The rich man always sought her counseling on any and every issue. She was good looing. She had three children.

The third one was ‘Rathi’. She was extremely beautiful but dull and inefficient. Since she was beautiful the rich man spent so much more time with her and she had ten children.

As the time passed by the rich man become old and his time to go arrived. He was scared of loneliness. He called his most loving wife Rathi and asked her whether would accompany him. She flatly refused saying that neither she nor her children would accompany him. They have acquired lots of things during his life time and they have to take care and enjoy them. So they wouldn’t even move out of the house with him.

The rich man then went to his second wife Mathi and asked her whether she or one her children would accompany him. She generously said that she and her three children would surely accompany him but up to the burial ground only and not a step beyond that.

Totally dejected, the rich man, having no choice, went to his first wife Sathi. He had not seen her for a long time. She had grown old and not much of beauty left in her, but she looked calm and peaceful. Love and compassion radiated for every inch of her body and soul for her husband. She was so happy that he had come at last. Ever before he could say anything, she asked in what way she could serve him. He made his desire known to her. She immediately, without any hesitation said that she would surely accompany him all through his journey. Not only that her daughter would also accompany him. The rich man realized the truth and his folly. They all the three left together.

Moral:

The last wife Rathi is body and her 10 children are five karamendriyas ( sense organs) and five gyanendriya ( senses). The second Mathi is the ‘mind’ or mans and her three children are Budhi, Chitta and Ahamkara. The first wife is Sathi is the Atam and her child is Ananda.

Recognize the real partner of your life and pay attention her.

Sathya Sai Gram News - May 2015.

Sathya Sai Grama News May 2015

There were two major events in this month.

First, the Kodaikanal retreat from 11^th to 20^th.

·      You may recall that the last year Kodaikanal retreat was the first major event through with Swami made his presence known to the world at large. The event was organized in ‘Hill-top Bungalow’, Kodaikanal.

·      This years’ retreat was another example of how Swami’s ‘will’ works -when He wants, it will happen. Swami kept telling about 2015 Kodaikanal retreat right from the last year trip. He kept granting permission to whomsoever prayed sincerely for an opportunity. As the date for retreat was approaching, the event managers started having heart attacks. Because they could not secure permission from the owners of the Hilltop Bungalow to have the retreat there, as late as 1^st of May. But Swami without any concern kept going ahead with His plans and preparations, for He is the all knowing. Finally, on 5^th May, the owners came with a proposal that if Swami is willing to buy the Bungalow, they will have no objection for the retreat. Swami immediately purchased that entire place and named it as “Sai Aananda Ashramam’.  So the retreat was he held as per the schedule, and will be in future, without any hindrance or suspense.

·      After all said and done, it is a small place. It was just adequate for 150 people last year. But this year, on any given day there were 400 people. Swami made every possible arrangement to make it comfortable. Built a new dining hall. Expanded the meeting hall by merging the old dining hall. Yet it was just enough. In fact, to provide an opportunity for all, the guests and the teachers and other invitees were divided into three groups and each group had the opportunity to enjoy the bliss for three days. Swami had made all the arrangement to pick and drop back the participants of the retreat.

·  

    I am told the details of this retreat will be published in a web portal managed by the multimedia group at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli. Once I get the url I will be happy to share it.

·      The main theme of Swami’s talks was about the three phase of ‘upliftment program’ He has for us. 

According to Swami….

·      What He did at Puttaparthi was a primary school education. The goal was “ God is”. He beckoned people form all walks of life - believers, nonbelievers, atheists - made them believe in God, showed them that God is love. Just as a primary school teacher uses various tricks and methods to keep the children engaged in learning, He also did very many things. He had been very patient with them giving them every possible opportunity to learn and pardoning every indifference. For this the body was necessary and He used it most effectively.

·      

    His mission has now reached a high school level. People have to learn that “God is within us”. That is why He has chosen the form of ‘sukshma sareera’ – a form through which we are aware of His presence / manifestation, but yet cannot experience it with senses. ‘Earlier darsan was dhyanam. Now darsan only in dhyanam’.  In primary school a child learns all lessons in the class, no home work.(!! present day schools do not go by this any way). But in high school, one has to go back home and do home work, with out which passing is difficult. So Swami says this is the time to practice and practice what He is teachings – ‘nisvartha seva (selfless service) to eliminate ahamkaram (ego) and ‘sarva karam phala thyagam ‘ (renunciation of fruits of all actions) to remove ‘mamkaram’  (attachment). An easy approach to this is to do all actions as an offering to God ( ‘sarva karama bhagavth preethyaartham’ )

·      The third phase is to experience that “I am God”; that is what Prema Sai will teach. That is a university education. Professors come once in a way give a talk, your will have to go to the library study, understand on your own and pass the exam. He will not have time (or prefer) like Swami to repeat the same again and again until we understand. Prema Sai will come and just sit and in His presence one has to experience the unity with divinity.

   

      So at present, Swami putting in every effort to take us through the high school in the next 6 to 9 years and prepare us for the university education. This is one of the major purposes of assuming the ‘Sukhshma Sareera”. Those who do not practice and follow Him will remain at primary or high school level.

                   The Second major event of May was the three-day summer course on ‘ Practical Spirituality’organized by the alumni of Swami’s institutions under His guidance from 29^th -31^st. About 800 youth from different parts of the country and abroad (Singapore,  Malaysia, Japan), who did not have an opportunity to study in Swami’s institution had the chance to participate. Swami, with all His compassion, accepted and declared them as “His Students”. Even those of us who have attend many summer courses earlier found it exhilarating and three days passed by like three hours. --- one of the participant has promised to write a summary of the summer course and post it in this blog. 

Sairam until next.

Sathya Sai Grama News, July 2015 - 2

Aum Sai Ram.

Sathya  Sai Grama,

Fri 3 Jul 2015.

Sai Ram,

To day Swami has left for Sri Lanka on a three visit. He will be returning on Sunday on 6th night.

After that Swami will be away from SSG for three days visiting Aliki and bless the staff and students of the institutions there.

Swami would be travelling to Nigeria on 13th and would stay in Lagos for a week. He is expected to return to SSG on 20th July.

Sairam.