Be Like Gold Not Brass

It is the brass that makes sound.
It is the gold that makes no sound.
Only low and mean men have pomp and show.
Why does youth also need this outer coating?

Students want friendship, associations, property, and physical strength and not character. They should achieve equality, love, integrity, and fraternity. No pomp and show should be there in education. They should have virtues, good behaviour, practice and associations. These days, students spend their time with bad feelings and in doing bad actions.

Though brass and gold look alike, if struck, brass will make more noise. So too, boys should avoid the noise of pomp and show. Your talk should be smooth and sweet and not filled with high sounding words. Your words should reflect humility and obedience.

God has gifted us with the mind, destination, position, and wealth. We are using the mind in the wrong way. The one with mati (mind) has mata (religion). All religions are based on the mind and they all teach good and noble thoughts. All religions want us to practice Dharma, and treat our mother, father, and teacher as God. All religions teach respect elders and how to earn good name. Since our mind is wicked, we think religion is bad. To realize is religion. You need not turn to Divinity, at least lead a human life. The one who conducts with humility and obedience is a true human.

Who is a poet? The human only combines words. The poet is the one who created the words, i.e., God. A poet should be able to see the past, present, and future. Thus God is the supreme poet. Puranas are not epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc. The body is purana and since God flows through the body as awareness, he is purana. God is the cosmic form and cannot be limited to any individual. God is in all living creatures.

In this world, we are bound to be punished for errors and mistakes. A thief is caught and imprisoned. It is his body and not the mind which is confined. The mind will return home to friends and family. The one who controls the mind is anushasita.

God is of the brilliance of the sunlight. He is shining in the form of intellect in all. The rishis said they saw God beyond the darkness of ignorance. It is not in the outer or gross world but in the world within that one finds God. If man leads a human life, he will become God himself.

Brass changes colour with time but not gold. As you burn gold more, its lustre increases. As the mind is put under check, it will shine more and more. Camphor and salt may look the same but their taste is different. By mere looks, do not consider all human.

Man should make every attempt to know the mystery of the mind. He should lead the life of a human being. He is a human in form but not practice. Our form, feelings, and actions should be highly valuable and full of character. To develop human quality, education is necessary.

Vidya has the root vid which means effulgence. In modern education, we find education bereft of elevation. This is the quality of a lazy student. Laziness is rust and dust. Realization is best and rest. Do not give any scope for laziness. Students say no time and therefore do not study. They waste their time, energy and money. One should not cause any anxiety to his parents. Swami will address these ideal students as 'Bangaaru, Bangaaru, Bangaaru'(gold). You need a pure heart, sacred thoughts, and harmony of thought, word and deed. The proper study of mankind is man. Man should be a 'kind man'.

By character, you can transform into God. God is not separate from you. If you have a sacred heart, you are verily God. You find God dancing in your heart. God is the pilot while you are the owner. Krishna was the charioteer, but the chariot belonged to Arjuna. Taking God as the driver, carry on this life's sojourn.

In Shirdi Baba's time, ninety years ago, there was a rich man by name Wadia. He was proceeding to Shirdi by tonga. On the way, he saw a local man whom everyone referred to as a sadhu swami (pious man). Seeing his weak condition, Wadia stopped and arranged this man's food with the hotel proprietor. Wadia and his wife reached Shirdi. Seeing them, Baba demanded a Guru Dakshina of Rs. five. Being a rich man, Wadia started taking out the coins. Baba interjected that as Wadia already gave Rs. three and fourteen annas, he should give only Re. one and two annas. Wadia thought that Baba was mad. As this was Wadia's first visit, he never met or gave Baba any money previously. Wadia left with the feeling that Baba was not all that others made him up to be. Wadia stopped by the house of Dasgan. Dasgan inquired about Wadia's visit to Shirdi. Wadia narrated what had happened with Baba and expressed his doubts over Baba's greatness. Dasgan was an ardent devotee and knew that the mistake lay with Wadia and not Baba. He thought and then asked Wadia if he had given any money to anyone recently. Wadia thought and recalled having arranged for food for sadhu swami. When asked how much he paid, Wadia replied Rs three and fourteen annas. Dasgan and Wadia thus understood that Baba was in all beings. Wadia returned to Shirdi and sought Baba's pardon.

A rich man brought a basket of fruits and bananas and gave Wadia's wife four bananas to offer to Baba. She accepted it with her sari and offered them to Baba. Baba told only her to eat the four bananas and so have four sons. Wadia was issueless and spent a lot of money on astrologers to confirm this. All this money went waste with Baba's words. The next year, Wadia was blessed with a son and brought him to Baba.

Nobody can comprehend God's actions. When we lead a true human life, God will know. Never lead an artificial life. You should be heartful. This age is such that you commit mistakes. Having known you made a mistake, don't repeat it. Therefore knowing is full knowledge. Watch your step whether you find dung or whatever may be there. Never commit any mistakes. Know the meaning of God's name and sing His glory. Don't do lip service but sing with a full heart. Conduct yourselves the way you declare and say how you behave. If you do, your future life will be along the royal path. Never have differences based on religion or community. Remember the brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God. The culture of Bharath lies in 'Help Ever, Hurt Never.' If you lead such a life, you will be models to the world. Bhagawan wants us to be like gold and not brass.