The Divine Dispeller of Darkness

Embodiments of love!

The human body, constituted by the five elements is the combined product of the five elements. These five elements are derived from the Divine. But man to day is not aware of the truth about these elements. Man can accomplish many things in this world: he can be a great scholar, a great warrior, a ruler of rulers, a great astronomer or an astronaut on the moon, but can he control his senses and make his mind tranquil and steady? (Telugu Poem). Neither charity, nor Yajna, nor thapas, nor wisdom, nor the practice of ancient Dharma, nor adherence to truth or any discipline will be of any avail without self-control (Poem)

Embodiments of the Divine Atma!

Water is getting scarcer every day. What is the reason? Because of the decline of morality among men water is getting scarce in the world. For human life morality is the life breath. Morality makes humanness blossom. Because morals have been lost, water is getting scarce.

Today people are propagating philosophy (Vedanta) in various ways. This propaganda is exciting the minds of the people, it is perturbing the hearts of people. Life filled with doubts. Man today does not require an ideology (siddhaantam). He needs sense-control. Without control of the senses, a man cannot become spiritual. This was proclaimed by Saint Thyagaraja in his song wherein he said that without peace of the Spirit there can be no happiness for any one, whether he is a Vedantic scholar or an aspirant. Only through self, control can a man experience peace. But man is engaged in a futile search for something he does not know. The world is full of such aimless seekers. They are forgetting the Eternal Reality in the concern for transient worldly objects.

Man today is dominated by selfishness. Insatiable desire fills his-whole being. The numbers of such persons are growing without limit. How can they achieve anything great in life? Their daily round of activities consists of reading newspapers, watching video programs and listening to the Radio. Every moment their attachment to castes, creed and parochial interests is growing.

Men today must learn to lead lives inspired by morality and sacrifice (seela and thyaaga). Human relationships today are governed by friendship or enmity. The cause for either feeling is the mind; Hatred is bred by each one's thoughts. This may be seen from the hatred of Ravana towards Rama, of Sisupala and Dantavakra towards Krishna and of Kauravas towards Dharmaraja, who was an "Ajaatasatru", incapable of hating anybody. There is no need to worry about the enmity of others towards you. You develop your friendl attitude towards all. Ignore the abuses of others, because they serve only to diminish your sins and transfer them to the reviler. When a man praises another, the merits of the latter accrue to the former. Deem the critic as your friend, not-the one who flatters you.

One's actions determine one's future. Actions are of three kinds: Thoughts are one kind, giving expression to them is another. Acting according to one's words is the third. The mind is responsible for thoughts, the tongue for speech and the hands for actions. The combination of thought, word and deed represents the human state. These three account for man's pleasures and pain. Recognizing this, one should understand that he is accountable for his actions. No one can escape from the consequences of his deeds. But anything can be achieved through God's grace. Hence man should strive to win God's grace. The result of one's actions are realized over different periods of time. In some cases, the results are immediate, as, instance, when one slips and sustains a fall. In some cases, the results occur after a few minutes or hours. For example, the food you take in the morning is digested after two hours. When you sow a seed in the ground, it takes some months or years to grow into a tree and yield fruits. Some fools imagine that they can get away with bad deeds because the consequences are not immediate. But the consequences are bound to occur some time or other.

There are three types of actions: Sukarma, Vikarma, Akarma. Sukarma relates to good actions, which produce good results. Vikarma relates to bad actions, which have bad consequences. 'Akarma relates to the fruits of actions in previous lives. The suffering of good people like Sita, Harischandra and Nala and Damayanthi have no basis in their actions during their lives, but are the results of previous karma. People who may have done no actions of any kind in their present lives may still suffer from the consequences of their actions in previous lives.

The effects of past deeds can be mitigated by earning God's grace. The means of securing Divine grace is to cultivate qualities like truth, righteousness, love, compassion, and forbearance. With these qualities life becomes a beautiful garden and a joy forever. For the man filled with bad thoughts and actions, life is like the dark and filthy Vaitharini river (called Styx in Greek mythology). Each one has to judge for himself the nature, of his life. Each one is a witness unto himself. A bad man may pass off for a good man from his external appearances but he knows within himself his real nature.

God is beyond all praise or criticism. He is Being-Awareness-Bliss (Sath-Chith-Ananda). He blesses even the one who derides Him. When Kamsa, who ceaselessly hated Krishna, died at the Lord's hands, his blood flowed towards the feet of Krishna. Likewise, Sisupala, who used the vilest abusive epithets against Krishna, was slain by Krishna, but his spirit merged in the Lord because he remembered the Lord always out of his hatred. (Swami recited poems from the Bhagavatham to illustrate the language in which Sisupala reviled Krishna).

Fools who indulge in flippant remarks about Sri Krishna know nothing about the inscrutable ways of the Lord. Everyone has to face the consequences of his actions, though he may not know how when or where these consequences may occur. Man can reverse the consequences of bad actions by performing good deeds and invoking God's help.

Today is Gurupumima. The real significance of Gurupurnima does not consist in worshipping the guru (preceptor) with some offerings, but getting rid of the darkness of ignorance, "Purnima" refers to the full moon, but the full moon symbolizes the mind filled with delight. There is close association between the mind and the moon. Gurupurnima signifies the elimination of all darkness and evil from the mind. The true Guru is in our heart. Purify the heart to let the Divine dwell in it.

Do not forget God. What you should forget is the mundane world. God is omnipresent in all forms, everywhere, as declared in the "Purusha Sukta". It is foolish to search for God, who is within you and outside you. When Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was asked whether he had seen. God and could show Him to them, he replied: "I have seen God. But how can you see God if you don't pine for him in the same manner in which you pine for your wife and children and wealth? Pray to Him, yearn for Him and be prepared to sacrifice everything for Him. Then you will experience the vision of God.

God cannot be perceived by the spiritually blind, just as a blind man cannot understand what is meant by the whiteness of milk. God is infinite bliss. He is formless, but He can assume any form He wills. How can anyone attempt to describe the nature of God?

Contemplate on God with a pure heart. There is no greater spiritual exercise. But, as long as men are attached to worldly objects they can make no progress in the spiritual field. (In this context Swami related the story of the experience of Radha and other Gopikas who wanted to go down in a boat from Mathura to Brindavan. They rowed the boat all through the night, but found to their astonishment that the boat had remained where it had been. They then discovered that they had not untied the rope which kept the boat bound to a post on the bank).

Forgetting this basic truth, people run after men wearing the ochre robe who profess to impart a mantra and stretch their palm for money. This is not what is meant by "Guru". Install God in your heart. The vibrations that emanate from the heart will elevate you spiritually and confer divine wisdom. This Wisdom has been defined as Prajnaana- Constant Integrated Awareness. To acquire such wisdom you have to keep your mind pure as a mirror, using "sraddha" (earnestness) as a cloth, dipping it in the water of Prema (Love) and wiping the dust on the mirror (in the form of bad qualities). This wisdom cannot be acquired from books, it has to be got through self examination and self-correction.

"Gurupurnima" is an occasion for cleansing the mind to make it absolutely pure. It is not enough to praise God. You have to love Him. You have to become love Itself so that you can love the entire Universe: I address all of you as "Embodiments of love". When you become embodiments of love, you can love all.

[Bhagavan concluded His discourse with the bhajan: "Prema muditha manase kaho! Rama, Rama, Ram!"]