Flowers For Worship

We bring many types of flowers to worship God,
But He is not pleased with these offerings.
It is only the offering of our heart
That the merciful and compassionate Lord accepts with pleasure.
Do not forget these sacred words.

Students! From the ancient times Indians have worshipped God with flowers of various kinds. However, these external, temporary and worldly flowers are short-lived and are fragrant for little time. There is one flower that we ourselves possess which never fades and which is acceptable to God. That is the flower of our own heart. The heart flower is changeless and ever fragrant. This is the flower we must offer the Lord. Of the eight flowers mentioned in Githa, sarvabhutadaya -- compassion to all beings is the highest. The same God dwells in all creatures. There is a common reality behind the various names and forms. This is an all encompassing, fragrant, precious flower. We do not need to search and struggle or pay any money to obtain this flower. This is with us always. One who knows the secret and significance of this heart - flower is a man of supreme wisdom.

One day sage Narada approached Sanat Kumara and asked him prayed to him to teach the highest wisdom. He questioned Narada as to what his qualifications and eligibility were? Narada said that he had gone through the four Vedas and six sacred texts. He added that he knew the meaning and significance of every word therein; the secrets of every ritual and the fruits of every action mentioned. Sanat Kumara said, "Narada while it is true that you have gone through all the sacred books how much of their teaching have you practiced? Had you really practiced even a part of the teaching you would have definitely realized the highest wisdom". Being an expert and exponent of all the 64 branches of knowledge still he could not enjoy that supreme bliss. Having learnt so much why are you unable to enjoy bliss? Can happiness be obtained from education or learning or action or study? It is present only in the practice of learning. If we spend our entire lifetime merely in studying books when will we practice them? Or enjoy the fruits of practice. We are always studying. However delicious the items placed before us in a plate we have to eat them and digest them to enjoy the taste and nutrition contained therein. Modern education is confined to textual knowledge, but this is not sufficient. Practical experience is necessary and indispensable. However little it may be we must practice to taste the bliss.

Every religious text preach the same good things. How many followers practice any of these? Instead they are full of jealousy, hatred, anger towards one another. Where do qualities such as these arise from? Had you experienced the essence of these sacred texts, where would these qualities have come from? It is due to our lack of practice of the sacred truth that anger, jealousy, hatred and negative emotions arise in their place.

It is enough if we read just one book and practice even one teaching. One spoon of cows milk is better that barrels of donkey milk. Not practicing these teachings amounts only to a waste of time, action and of our body. The essence of all sacred texts is the offering of the same atmic principle permeates all. True wisdom is the realization of unity in such diversity while ignorance is seeing multiplicity where there is only unity. Today there are many number of people, intellectuals who see multiplicity where there is unity whereas there are only one or two who saw unity in diversity. In any small work that we take up we must find unity. Students of science know that atoms are the basic unit of every substance. However, different the materials all are united by the fact that the atom is their fundamental nature. This has been spoken of in the Vedas as `He is present as the atom in the microcosm and as the largest of the large in the macrocosm.' When we understand the level of the atom we understand the unity in all - this is the main teaching of the Vedas, the essence of all learning and the goal of all paths; the essence of essences - compassion, mercy, love, - compassion towards all beings. Today there is no compassion. Perhaps even iron can be beaten and expanded but not so our hearts.

Then, the only method by which the heart can be melted is by the use of love. There is nothing in the world which love cannot achieve. Therefore every man must offer this flower of love, while it must not be used for selfish purposes. The love of mother-son, father-son, husband-wife do have traces of selfishness. Only the love of God has no trace of selfishness. In the midst of heavy downpour and inverted pot kept under the rain collect no water while the pot kept upright gets filled with at least some water.

So also Gods grace is like the downpour constantly raining but we don't gather any of it because the pot of our hearts are not positioned correctly. Sometimes certain thoughts arise in our hearts. We all know that the sun is covered by clouds which arise due to the sun, the water by moss born in it, the eye by the cataract and the fire by the ash of which it is born. So also compassion is present naturally in our hearts. It is due to our disregard of this quality or our bad actions that our hearts are hardened. God has two attributes - form and formless. The form is present in the formless and the formless present in the form. Consider a block of ice. It is frozen and with form, it has formless water as its basis/cause. The similarity between ice and water is comparable to that between the formless and form aspects of Godhead.

There is oil in til seeds but you must know the procedure to extract it. Merely asking the sugarcane to yield juice will you obtain juice and jaggery? You have to cut, crush and boil it then it will become jaggery. If you think that you should save the cane from the hardship, it will rot and have to be thrown out soon. The permanent sweetness of the cane is then useless. So also our body is the sugarcane full of sugar. Unless it is processed the sweetness in it will not manifest. If you give gold to the jeweller he will heat, beat, bend and fashion it into an ornament. But if you tell the goldsmith to spare the gold, not heat or beat it then how will he make the ornament? So also we offer the mind to Krishna saying that it is wavering and unsteady please transform it but please do not put it to any trouble - no God can do this for you. Offer it to God and whatever He does is upto Him. Troubles, suffering are necessary. Difficulties lead one to appreciate pleasure and joy. If there was no heat no one would seek fans and air conditioners.

No one seeks Me or remembers Me during pleasure, but they remember Me during difficulties. Pleasure is an interval between two pains. We have to bear all these difficulties, sufferings, grief and the pain, then only will the courage emerge.

We should bring about harmony between thought word and deed. The proper study of mankind is man. Students continue to study their books but this study should be accompanied by samskara [culture]. A bird needs two wings to fly, a vehicle two wheels to move. So also a perfect balance between refinement and development on the one hand and education on the other is essential for life. Refinement is giving up the bad and increasing the good. We do not realize the secret of this truth. One may face severe hardships but with strong faith one must go through with life. Faith is essential in yourself and faith in God. God is yourself and this truth is forgotten. God is in you. He is the indweller of your body, this moving temple. God is above, below and within you. He is within - we have to practice to satisfy the conscience. Everybody must practice at least a little of what we learn. Instead of tons of lectures an ounce of practice is better. We shift our heads with rubbish news of events in foreign countries. This is unnecessary. We should fill our heads with things that will help us lead ideas and earn permanent respect.

So many noble souls have been born, lived and preached great wisdom. But how many are remembered today. Everyone know that great persons of social standing and intellectual contribution have been born in the big city of Calcutta. Tilak, Aurbindo Ghosh, Tagore, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lalalajpat Rai - great intellectuals were born there but their names are found only in books. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was totally illiterate but his name is eternally imprinted in every heart for he is one with a pure heart. The other leaders obtained their greatness from books. So their names are remembered only in books today. Our names need not find mention in any book. We exert to enter the hearts of all men. Our heart, is our book. We should win the acclaim so that people follow your ideal.

Today nobody knows what is refinement [samskara]. Many research this field but like Eliot do not know what it is. He said it is a way of life. But that is incomplete for it could be a good or bad way. So it is a way, a direct path to get bliss. It is eternal, supreme, wisdom, non- dual, spirit, one, pure presentation and witness to all, beyond comprehension and the Gunas. Everything in the world is constituted by the Gunas - attributes in different combinations like a violin with four strings on which many lines can be played. Just as white light is of one colour, which is seen as many colours, white is purity, unity and divinity. So we should get purity. Today it is limited to white clothes but what we need is a pure heart. What is inside will then project outside. Or else it will amount to cheating - one inside and another outside. Our students should be faultless and earn a good name in society and for your parents. They should feel, "I have one son but he is so good". Kauravas were a hundred but brought ill fame whereas one good son can bring light to the family like a jasmine creeper makes the forest fragrant.

This impermanent body is dirty, full of disease, is weak and cannot cross the ocean so turn the mind to God and surrender to Him. Body is a water bubble, mind is a mad monkey so don't follow the body and the mind, follow the conscience. Discriminate take time, don't haste, don't worry. Remember God and calmly examine the situation and discriminate right or wrong. But today there is no such broadmindedness. We seek our own benefit alone. But all should be well, everyone should be happy. This should be our prayer and should accept all religions. Don't criticize any religion. All lead to same goal. Remove hatred, cultivate compassion and develop love and lead a perfect life.

[Bhagavan concluded His discourse with the Bhajan Hari Bhajana Bina Sukh Shanti Nahi.]