Serve With Love

One who practices and propagates the ideals such as goodness, morality, and truth is a youth in the strict sense of the term. In fact, only such people are your best friends and My best friends too Poem In Telugu)

Embodiments of Love!

Goodness means good behavior, good conduct, good discipline and good character. Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence are verily the five life principles (pancha pranas) of man. Human life is a journey from 'I' to 'We'. This journey is subtle and the goal is very near, but man takes many births to reach the destination. Why should he take such a long time, undergoing hardships, to attain the goal, which is so near? The modern youth are making every effort to know all that is happening in the world, but are not making any effort to understand the fundamental truth of human life. No benefit accrues from acquiring such information, which does not lead you to the goal of life. There are thousands of intellectuals, scholars and eminent educationists in the world today. But all the worldly knowledge and skills will be a mere waste if one does not know oneself. The primary duty of man is to understand who he really is.

In this world, if money is lost, one need not worry about it, for one can earn it again. If a friend is lost, one can have another. If wife is lost, one may get married again. If one loses one's piece of land, one can purchase another. But this body, once lost, is lost forever. (Sanskrit Sloka)

Man has achieved everything in life, but has lost human values, which amounts to losing his five life principles. As a result, he has become a living corpse. Faith in God is very essential for man. You may question who is God and where is God? Truth is God. Truth is one and the same for everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, language, nationality and ideology. Sathyan Naasthi Paro Dharmaha (there is no greater Dharma than adhering to Truth).

This fundamental truth is God. Likewise, love is God. So, live in love. True love is related to the Heart, not to the body. "Heart to Heart, not body to body." Body is like a water bubble, mind is like a mad monkey. So, do not follow the body, do not follow the mind. Follow the conscience. Only then can you experience the Truth.

Young men and women!

Man can rise to the level of the Divine only through the path of service. When man is not able to understand humanness, how can he understand Divinity? First know thyself. Human life is noble, as it is essentially divine. In fact, man and God are not two different entities, they are one and the same. Ekam Sath Viprah Bahudha Vadanti (truth is one, but scholars refer to it by many names). Your life will be redeemed once you understand this truth. The divine power latent in man is not found in any other being. Man, unable to understand his own divine nature, is undertaking various spiritual practices such as penance, meditation and Yoga.

All the spiritual practices bereft of love are a mere waste of time. Love in speech is truth, love in action is Dharma. So, in the first instance, develop love. Lust, greed, hatred, jealousy, anger and pride are animal qualities. These qualities are the result of the impurities in the food we partake of. These are of man's own making. These evil qualities are responsible for man forgetting his divine nature.

Man should make proper use of his intellect, position and wealth. Wealth, here, does not mean worldly treasures. It refers to the power of the senses. This power should be utilized for the service of the society. Neither by penance, nor by undertaking pilgrimages nor by going through sacred texts can one cross the ocean of Samsara. It is only through service can one redeem himself. The words Seva and Prema may be very small, consisting of only two syllables, but they confer infinite power.

First enquire and understand who you really are. Know yourself and you would have known all. Since many of you are newcomers, it is worth mentioning this. When you say, ''This is my kerchief", it means kerchief is different from you. Similarly, when you say, "this is my body, my mind and my intellect," it means you are different from all these. Then the question naturally arises, "Who am I?" Enquire into this. Body, mind and intellect are mere instruments. Identifying yourself with these instruments is absurd. You are the master. Master the mind and be a mastermind. You should never be a slave to your body, mind and senses. In fact, they should be under your control, you should not be controlled by them.

One of the speakers quoted Swami, "My life is My message." She also referred to the statement, "your life is My message." You should understand the meaning of these statements clearly. Proclaiming that your life is Swami's message on the one hand and at the same time indulging in wicked activities and unrighteous deeds is treacherous. That constitutes 'your' message, not My Message. You can declare that your life is Swami's message only when you take to the path of truth and righteousness, install peace and love in your heart and uphold non-violence.

All that you see outside is a reflection of the inner being. Good and bad do not exist outside, they are mere reflections of what is within you. No one has the right to judge others. Give up the bad in you, you will find goodness all around. As is the color of the glasses you put on, so is the color of the world. The defect lies in the vision, not in the creation.

Heart is the dwelling place of God. So only noble feelings should emerge out of it. If there are any evil qualities in you, it ceases to be a human heart. It is verily the heart of an animal. If you conduct yourself in a disorderly manner, you are a dog, not a human being. Act in a manner that befits your human birth. When you are angry, remind yourself, "I am not dog, I am man." When your mind wavers, tell yourself repeatedly, "I am not a monkey, I am man." Never be in haste. Haste makes waste. Waste makes worry. So do not be in a hurry. Take time and think calmly. All these evil qualities can be eliminated by developing good thoughts and feelings. This is the remedy for all ailments.

First and foremost, make efforts to understand your true nature. The difference between God and man is very subtle. As long as you do not understand the truth, you remain a human being. Once you recognize it, you are God. Service is the best way to understand your innate divinity. Service should be for self-satisfaction, not for name and fame. Before serving others, serve yourself by making your mind broad and pure. Get rid of the narrow feeling of 'I' and 'mine' and extend your love to one and all. Love is the binding force that brings together the entire world as one family. I wish that you develop love and live like brothers and sisters. This body has been engaged in service right from birth.

Likewise, you should spend your life in serving others. This is My message. I practice whatever I preach. I love all and serve all and exhort you to do the same, but you are not able to understand My love, as your feelings are narrow. That is your mistake, not Mine. Today conflicts are on the rise as there is no proper understanding and adjustment among people. Adjustment will be possible only when there is proper under-standing.

Only love exists with you right from the time of birth. Enjoy the bliss of love and share it with others. Absence of love is the root cause for all the unrest in the world. Develop love and uphold truth. Truth does not mean describing what you have seen, heard or done, as it is. Truth is that which is changeless in all the three periods of time.

Just as you change your dress, you have to change your body one day or the other. That is why it is said, "Death is the dress of life." That which is responsible for birth is responsible for death too. This body is like a passing cloud. So long as there is life in the body, use it for the service of others. Engage yourself in service till the last breath. Service to man is service to God. Have control over your senses, without which all your service will be futile.

All of you have gathered here without being extended any invitation. It is your love for Bhagavan and Bhagavan's love for you that has brought you here. If there is love in your heart, you will never be put to any hardship whatsoever. Your love should be extended to one and all, it should not be limited to your family and friends alone. Tell me your company, I shall tell you what you are. As is your company, so you become. How can one be good if one is in the company of bad people always?

You are all virtuous and noble. Make every effort to enhance this goodness. Make the best use of your stay here. Run away from bad company and bad feelings. Cultivate noble qualities. Develop the broad feeling that all are your brothers and sisters. Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita, Mamaivaamso Jeevaloke Jeevabhutah Sanathanaha (all are the sparks of My Divinity). Just as the sun is reflected in various vessels containing water, so too you find the reflection of God in everybody. All that you find in this world is the reflection, reaction and resound. Do not get carried away by them. Aspire to attain the reality. In order to experience the reality, give up body attachment.

Divinity is latent in everyone, but you are not making any effort to realize it as you are deeply engrossed in worldly matters. You are the embodiment of pure, unsullied, true and eternal Atma. Experience this reality. All that is related to the world is only a reflection, not the reality. Discharge your duties keeping this truth in view. Help ever, Hurt never. This is the essence of all the Vedas and sacred texts such as Bible, Bhagavad Gita and Quran. All these holy texts speak of the same fundamental truth. It is a mistake to entertain differences based on religion. There is only one religion, the religion of love. There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is only one language, the language of the heart. Travel from 'I' to 'We' through the path of service. I will tell you how to go about doing it in due course of time.

There are millions of people in this world, but only you, the fortunate few have got the golden opportunity of coming here. Make best use of this opportunity and share this joy with everybody. Serve the whole world. Understand the truth that you are born to serve the society. Do not lead a selfish life amassing wealth. Do not be satisfied by filling your own belly, understand that there are millions outside, who are hungry and suffering. Your life will be sanctified only when you help the poor, the sick and the downtrodden. That is true spirituality. That should be your way of life. In order to acquire a worldly degree, you need to study various subjects. But in spirituality there is only one subject and that is love. So, develop love and undertake service activities. Being youngsters, you may have a few doubts. I will clarify all of them. Do not give scope for hatred, jealousy and ostentatiousness. Be a humble devotee and render humble service. That is the true human quality.

[Bhagavan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Prema Mudhitha Manase Kaho..."]