Truth and Love

THE conference of the Office-Bearers of the Sathya Sai Organisations in Kerala State has been called in order to assess how far the resolutions made at Madras Conference at the All-India level are put into practice and in order to prepare the Organisations for the World Conference that is to be held in May 1968. I have come amidst you because this is an appropriate occasion when I can give you the joy of Darshan. You know that these organisations — Seva Samithis, Bhajana Mandalis, Seva Sanghams — are for awakening in man the consciousness of the Divinity inherent in him and to encourage him to cultivate it, so that he could blossom into a real Saadhaka and then into a Saadhu (detached, devoted, virtuous, wise, aspirant), and finally into a Liberated Personality merged in the Supreme.

You are about a hundred and fifty in number; your President said that the number of Organisations is still small, but I am not enamoured of mere numbers. For, this is not like any other Organisation. This does not seek to establish a new cult or sect, a new type of Japa or Dhyaana, a novel ritual, an initiation that separates people as ‘disciples’ within the fold and ‘noninitiates’ without the fold. It seeks to restrain Thamoguna (dullness, ignorance, and all the evils that arise from these) and Rajoguna (passion, violent emotion, desire, egoism and consequent evils); it instills in men the Truth that all are kin in Aathma, that the stranger is but oneself in another habiliment, and that service to another is the best service that one can do to oneself.

All are limbs of one body, nourished by the self-same life-blood, motivated by the same Will, the Will of God; bound by the same Divine Law. That is the Vishwaruupa (Cosmic Vision), that one must see and experience: God in all, God everywhere. That endows you with everlasting Aanandha.

God is the Father, mankind the children

Feelings of hatred, malice, envy and pride that create separation between men who are kin, arise from identification with the body. You feel and believe you are the body; you know your body is separate from the other bodies; your hunger, your thirst, your comfort, your family, your community, your state – ‘thus, you create bounds for your love, and crib yourselves, treating all outside the bounds as enemies, strangers, competitors. But the source is one, the sustenance is one: God the Father, mankind the children. Pay attention to the Fatherhood, more than to the brotherhood. That will underline the brotherhood more and more in your heart and remove the poison of distinction that has come through ignorance.

Man is a pilgrim, who has already come a long way from birth to birth. The journey so far accomplished decides how far he has to go still. If he has lost his way and meandered into the deserts or jungles, he will have a great distance to travel yet. If he has been led right, his pilgrimage will end soon successfully. Cultivate sympathy with fellow-pilgrims, seek to know the right path; learn to guide and be earnest to reach the goal, safe and quick.

Don’t have crookedness in your speech

These organisations are meant to broaden your love, to canalise your activities along lines of constructive service performed, as worship, not to confer on some people more power over others, or greater control over the activities of other members, or for the display of the devotion of some people. All must be conscious of this, all the time. Help the weak and the unwary at all times.

You have two eyes in your consciousness, namely, Sathya and Ahimsa. They are the guides which will take you to the goal, the two lights, the sun and the moon of the inner firmament. If you want to know the way in which you have to observe Sathya or Truth in speech, look into the Geetha. It tells you that the best speech is “anudvegakaram vaakyam” (speech that does not create pain or anger or grief to others). The Shaasthras also say, “Sathyam bruyaath, priyam bruyaath na bruyaath Sathyam apriyam” — “Speak the truth, but speak pleasantly. Simply because a statement will be welcome to the hearer, don’t speak it out to win his approval; if speaking truth will cause grief or pain, keep silent.” That is the vow of truth in ordinary daily life.

Don’t have hypocrisy or crookedness in your speech. Both unpleasant truth and pleasant untruth have to be avoided. Sathya is God Himself, as the Shruthi says, Sathye sarvam prathishtitham — “All this is established on the firm foundation of Truth,” say the Vedhas. So, see that no trace of falsehood contaminates your transactions in these organisations. Truth is My nature, My Mission, My Message. Organisations bearing My Name have to be strictly adhering to Truth.

Ahimsa (non-injury) is another phase of Sathya. When once you are aware of the kinship, the Oneness in God, the fundamental Aathmic unity — no one will knowingly cause pain or distress to another. Let your Organisations promote Love, scatter Love, be fragrant with Love, and preach the Gospel of Love, through example.