Man, Truth, Love and God

Embodiments of Love!

In this universe, there are lakhs of species of living beings, but the human is the noblest and the highest species. If man loses money, he can it get back; if he loses a friend he can get another; if he loses his wife, even then he can re-marry and have another wife; if he loses his share of land, he can get another, but he cannot get back the body once it is lost. Man does not realize the high value of precious human life and is misusing it in many ways. You must realize that once a night is passed, it won't come back. Once the river merges in the ocean, it cannot come back. When you eat a fruit, you cannot get it back in its original form. Man does not know his own value. He has several capacities and faculties. The first gift that a man possesses is Mathi - intellect. The second is Sthithi - position. The third one is Paristhithi - circumstance and fourth is Gathi - destiny. These constitute his Sampathi - possessions.

Man's Precious Possessions

All things that are happening to man depend on his destiny alone. Mind is based on our own conduct and it shapes our destiny. Mathi should be sound. Everything else depends on Sthithi and Sampathi. When one understands this, one can know one's destiny. Everyone has to maintain the mental balance to act properly.

Suppose a person has a knife in hand. He or she can cut vegetables, cook food and consume it to appease hunger. On the other hand, if the person cuts the throat of another person it will lead to disastrous consequences. You must know the proper method to use any material. You must be aware of the different types of Sakthi (power) that you are gifted with.

Human life can be compared to a big clock containing three needles (as the clock has hour, minute and second hands) representing years, months and days. They are moving in perfect union and they decide your life span. In spite of having these three regulatory factors man is not leading a good life. Thirty days make a month and 12 months make one year. You must know how to pass every day in the best possible way without wasting the precious time. You must also know that everything happens according to the Divine Will.

The Divine cannot be expected to act according to your thoughts or desires. God is fully aware of the needs of the family, country and world at large, and confers the requisite benefits at the appropriate time. Let us take an example of how one gift of Nature proves beneficial to some people; while it is not so for some others. Suppose a marriage function is being celebrated in one house, the family prays for the rain to stop to facilitate them. At the same time, a neighbor who has cultivable land, that is dry, prays for the rain to continue to pour in torrents to facilitate his cultivation of the land. God is impartial and will not submit to a particular individual's needs. He weighs the needs of all and maintains a balance.

The Common Malaise of all Mankind

Generally all people are suffering from an incurable disease. It may be in a lesser degree in some while more severe in others. The difference is only in the severity but all are suffering from this. It cannot be cured even by expert medical treatment by experienced doctors. This disease is 'ego'. Where is the need to be egoistic for an ordinary mortal? When you consider your position in comparison to the entire world you are just an infinitesimal speck. In the world map, India is a small country and Tamil Nadu is a part of this. In Tamil Nadu, Kodaikanal can be spotted only as a tiny dot. In this what is your position as an individual? When you analyze in this manner, you will find you are one of no consequence at all. If you think you are so big inflated with ego, it is only sheer ignorance. If one identifies himself with divinity, there will be no room for ego. All are divine in this world and you are also one of the several billions of people. When you realize this truth, where is the scope for ego? It is due to ignorance that one feels egoistic and faces lots of problems because of this.

Thoughts lead to Karma (action) and create feelings, which contribute to Sheelam (character). Character makes a man deserving to be termed really human. So, one must develop character by having sacred thoughts and good deeds. For this, the primary requisite is control of mind, which is the source of thoughts.

The term for thought in Sanskrit is 'Sankalpa', which means it is arising from heart, the seat of God (Sam). Salokhya Saroopya, Sameepya and Sayujya are all related to this "Sam" which is synonymous with "Sath. Sath is changeless Truth (Saswatham). When thoughts are good and based on the Divine, the Stithi or state of man will be good. 'Sampathi' does not mean worldly or physical comforts. It comprises of Sath Vichar and Sath Sankalpa (good inquiry and good thoughts). Such good thoughts based on the changeless Truth will come only from merits acquired in previous lives (Poorva Punya). This human birth itself is attained after innumerable lives of lower species. While so, why should you venture to commit sinful deeds? It is your bad vision of the external world which makes you commit sins. So you should develop Samyak Drishti (good vision). You should look upon the world as the manifestation of the Divine (Viswam Vishnu Swaroopam). World is the effect for which cause is God.

The whole universe is a phenomenon of cause and effect. It is foolish to look only at the external world considering it as mere Jada (matter). You must see the reality behind the entire creation. If you see with divine vision everything will be divine. (Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagath)

You see Anil Kumar wearing glasses (spectacles). They appear to be an obstacle to his eyes but they help him to see more clearly. Similarly, if you wear glasses of love, you will be able to see the Divine in everything though they may appear to be obstructing like the spectacles. The main life principle is Prema or Love without which there will be no love between mother and child, husband and wife or between friends. Love elevates the individual from human level to divinity. Now man limits his love to his own kith and kin and other possessions thus making it narrow. It should be expanded to cover all fellow beings. If love occupies the single seated chair of heart, there will be no room for jealousy, hatred and other such evil feelings.

Queen Madalasa's Lullaby

The great queen Madalasa used to sing lullaby to her children inspiring them to realize the Atma which was their reality and cast off attachment to body. Even while the children were in the cradle, she taught them Atmajnana. She sent her three children to the forest to learn scriptures when they came of age. By the time she was about to send her fourth son also, her husband intervened and prevented her from doing so pleading that if he also was sent away there would be no heir to the throne. She pleaded with her husband that she was only teaching them the Principle of Atma based on Omkara, the Primordial Sound to make them aware of its greatness which is hailed by people of all the seven worlds. She said she was singing not lullaby of world which was negative but the Truth related to God, which is positive.

Harmony in Thought, Word and Deed

You have to stick to Daiwathwa (Divine Consciousness) even while you are engaged in worldly activities. In spite of lapse of millions of years man is not yet able to understand his reality. How can he realize Divinity? If you develop human qualities you can easily realize Divinity. Veda teaches "Sathyam Vada: Dharmam Chara" (speak the Truth, adhere to Righteousness). Now people kill Truth and ignore Righteousness. Santhi (Peace) and Prema (Love) are reduced to narrowest limits. All the four Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema must be put in unison for the world and humanity to thrive. If you study how these lights here are functioning, you will find that the current passes through the wire and illuminates the bulb. Sathya (Truth) is the current, Dharma is the wire, and Santhi is the bulb; when the current flows to the bulb it burns brightly. This light is love (Prema). You will see that Sathya, Dharma, and Santhi together form the constituents for Prema.

In ancient days they used to say, before taking food, Annam Brahma (Food is God), Raso Vishnu (Water is God) and Sakthi Eswara (Energy is God).

They used to offer such prayers on conceiving food, water and energy as the three aspects of God - Brahma, Vishnu and Eswara.

The gross portion of the food nourishes the body (Kayam), the subtle portion nourishes the mind (Manas) and the more subtle portion nourishes the power of speech (Vaak). Thus all the three constituents Mano, Vaak, Kayam -Mind, Speech and Body are sustained by food. All these three combine to make the full personality of man. Harmony in these three, thought, word and deed makes one a Mahatma. Disparity in these three makes a man Duratma (wicked person).

Embodiments of Love!

Develop love in the main switch - the heart. That is real Sadhana. This Prema Sai will achieve anything. Love is the essential basis for spiritual path. The other Sadhanas like meditation, japa etc. are all good but without love they are of no use. What is meditation? It is required for every action - walking, talking, writing, reading and even sleeping. You have to concentrate for everything. Life is a race. The saying is "slow and steady wins the race". This is quite apt for the race of life. Haste makes waste and waste makes worry. So you should go slow and steady without faltering or wavering. Whatever you do, and even when you talk to someone consider it as doing God's work. If you practice this way, you can have peace.

People talk of yoga. Patanjali has defined yoga as control of mind and senses. Water has the nature to flow down while fire in a pit goes upwards. Worldly desires are like water and pull you down. They are negative.

Positive wisdom is that of Atma which is like fire. If you understand this truth, you will not be after worldly desires. The body is given to you to do karma and realize God. By subjecting body to pain by fasting, etc. you cannot gain anything. You have to keep the body trim to realize the Divine. You must practice the sadhana of unification of thought, word and deed. If you achieve this with love in your heart, it itself is a good penance. Do everything as an offering to God and to please God. There is no greater worship than doing your duty with love as offering to God. God is infinite and vast. Do not limit Him into a small frame. Widen your vision. Make your love expand to cover the whole humanity. Realize all beings as divine. Then you realize all are one.

Go on adding I plus you, I plus you and it will become 'We'. Then go on adding We plus We - We are all one. All are children of God. This is brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God. The Gita says: "All beings of the world are part of My Eternal Self". All beings are therefore eternal. All are manifestations of the Divine. Though forms are different, Atma is one. The Prema Thathwa (Principle of Love), should be developed. God is Trigunarahitha (Nithyanandam Paramasukhadam). Why attribute qualities to God? Love is the most essential nature of the Lord. It is not an attribute. Practice love in speech, feeling and action. If everyone practices love, there will be no agitation in the world. Hatred will be eliminated.

Bhagavan concluded His discourse with the Bhajan "Bhavabhaya Harana".