Understand the principle of unity

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Divine Discourse
Shivaratri, Prasanthi Nilayam, 6 March 2008

People undergo a lot of difficulties and struggle day and night for the sake of money They even stealthily resort to unfair means to earn money.

Their ego and mental aberrations add to their sufferings.

As long as the world is in such a bad condition, one cannot escape from suffering.

One can attain peace and prosperity only when one is true to one’s word and mind is full of sweetness.

One cannot have the vision of God with a disturbed or wavering mind. (Telugu poem)

Embodiments of Love!

Today the entire world revolves round money. Right from a student to a vegetable vendor, everyone runs after money. One cannot definitely say that this person has more craving for money or that person. Everyone considers money as the be-all and end-all of life. People undergo all sorts of difficulties for the sake of money, but nobody undergoes difficulties for the sake of God. God protects all. One may have any amount of money, but life without God is no life at all. However, people who give highest importance to God in their life are very few in number. There are fewer still who contemplate on God.

God is present in everyone in the form of Love

That is why we have started bhajans. There may be a few who take to wrong path even after joining bhajans. But, by and large, people will contemplate on God when they sing His glory. There may be many types of waves in the ocean, but water in all of them is the same. Similarly, people may have different types of thought currents, but the same God is present in all of them. Beings are many but the Atmic principle in all of them is the same. “One Atma dwells in all beings (Ekatma sarva bhutantaratma).” “Truth is one, but the wise refer to it by various names (Ekam Sat viprah bahudha vadanti).” Those who adhere to this truth are in fact real devotees. The essence of all the Vedas lies in establishing this truth.

But such people who understand this truth are not to be seen today. Never forsake truth. When truth and righteousness come together, one can experience peace and love. Truth is the basis of everything. “Truth is Brahman, which is one without a second (Sathyameva adviteeyam Brahma).” Truth embodies the form of love.

Embodiments of Love!

Love does not come from somewhere outside. It is immanent in the heart of everyone. Man cannot live without love. This love assumes many forms, such as love between husband and wife, between mother and child, and between friends. In spite of its different forms, love is the same. If someone asks you where God is, you can say that God is present in the heart of everyone in the form of love. This love signifies the principle of oneness. The life that is led by observing the principle of love is true life. Without the principle of love it is no life at all. All other values are contained in love.

Here is a small example. A few days ago, Shourie left his mortal coil. Many people joined his funeral procession. When his body was cremated, the five elements of his body merged with their source — earth merged with earth, fire with fire, air with air, so on and so forth. What remained in the end? Just a heap of ash! But the Atmic principle in him followed its divine course.

Everything is immanent in Brahman. Brahman is one without a second. Therefore, if someone asks you what your name is, you should reply, “I am Brahman (Aham Brahmasmi); I have no other name.” People call God by many names, such as, Rama, Krishna, Govinda, Narayana, but Brahman is one. “Brahman alone is real, the world is unreal (Brahma sathyam jaganmithya).”

People give many names to God. Names are given according to the liking of individuals. Mother gives some names to her children and calls them by those names. In the same way, we call people by various names in this world. But God has only one name and that is Brahman. One who understands the principle of Brahman becomes Brahman himself. All the names of God such as Rama, Krishna, Govinda, and Narayana refer only to Brahman. Hence, we should not attach too much importance to names.

Truth, right conduct, peace, and love are divine principles. When we adhere to these divine principles, we can attain the proximity of God. Contemplate on any name of Brahman with the feeling that He is present in all. You may identify others by any name, but Brahman is present in all of them since He is omnipresent. Wherever we look, we find only Brahman. Brahman is the only reality. Therefore, always contemplate on Brahman. Everyone should chant “Namah Sivaya, … Namah Sivaya, … Namah Sivaya.” The principle of Brahman is present in this sacred Panchakshari mantra.

I have been seeing both Easwaramma and Pedda Venkama Raju (Sai Baba’s parents) for the last one month. They also appeared before Me when I was coming to Sai Kulwant Hall. Even Satyajit, who sleeps in My room, has seen them. Both of them were wearing yellow dress. Yellow colour represents the principle of Brahman. Today I wanted to bring out an yellow colour linga. But as I was coming to the Hall, all the students, devotees, and residents of the ashram prayed to Me, “Swami, You need not bring out linga because we cannot bear the suffering that You undergo. We want to see only Your blissful form.”

My heart is totally pure. Whatever I will must happen. The heart of the worldly people is always unsteady, but Sai’s heart is steady and changeless. How can there be any change in the principle of truth? Nobody can understand this eternal principle of truth. Once there was a yogi who mastered the Vedas and other scriptures after putting in a lot of hard work. When he was asked what he had learnt, he said that he had mastered all the Vedas, Puranas (mythological texts), and other scriptures. However, what is that from which all these scriptures originate? All these have originated from the Word. What is the form of the primordial Word? It is Om (Pranava). God is embodied in sound. All other forms of energy emanate from it.

In the same way, the sound of Siva’s small drum (His damaruka) when He performs His cosmic dance contains the sound of all the musical instruments. There is a song that describes the cosmic dance of Siva. The form assumed by Siva while performing the cosmic dance is possible only for Divinity and none else. We should never forget such a divine form.

Lord Siva is lost in ecstasy
Parameswara, Sambasiva is lost in ecstasy,
dancing and dancing the Tandava dance With
Sage Narada accompanying on Tanpura and
the Lord’s matted locks are shining brilliantly.

Wielding the Trident, Siva is dancing
Tadhim, Tadhim, Tadhim Tadhimtaka.

Lord Siva …

With Goddess Saraswathi playing the Veena and
Indra the flute, Lord Vishnu on Mridanga,
Dhimi Dhimi Dhimi Dhimitaka.

Lord Siva …

With Ganga coursing through his matted locks, and
the third eye flashing on his forehead,
as the crystal rosary sparkled and glinted,
Siva danced the Tandava.

(Telugu song)

Man Should Remember His Divine Parents

The cosmic dance of Parvathi and Easwara (Siva) is most enchanting. None other is capable of performing it. Parvathi and Easwara are the divine parents of all the people of the world. We will be free from all suffering when we constantly remember them, but, today, nobody remembers them. How can then people have protection?

Once when Siva and Parvathi were moving about in the sky, they saw a person cutting the branch of a tree on which he was sitting. As he was on the verge of falling, Parvathi prayed to Siva to save him, “Oh Lord, please save him when he falls on the ground.”

But Siva said to Parvathi, “It is you who saw him first. It is you again who realised that he would die when he falls down. So, it is your responsibility to save him.”

Then Parvathi submitted, “Dear Lord, when someone falls on the ground, he will either utter ‘mother’ or ‘father’. If this man utters ‘mother’, I will save him, but if he utters ‘father’, you should save him.”

Easwara agreed to this proposal. As the branch broke, both Siva and Parvathi came forward to save him. But while falling, this man did not utter either ‘mother’ or ‘father’; he cried ‘alas!’. Though both Siva and Parvathi were waiting to save him, he did not call them.

The moral of the story is that we should always remember our parents. One who does not remember his parents even in times of difficulty is really a fool. Lord Easwara and Mother Parvathi are universal parents. If one constantly remembers them, one will not encounter any difficulty or suffering. Unfortunately, today people do not remember their parents. That is why they lack protection.

When our end approaches, we should remember either our divine mother or our divine father. Those who remember their divine parents are really blessed ones. What, to talk of our divine mother and divine father, people today do not remember even their own parents!

Why should one remember one’s mother? It is the mother who carries you in her womb for nine months and gives birth to you. She brings you up bearing all difficulties. He is a fool who does not remember his mother with gratitude. Similarly, your father bears all types of difficulties to provide education to you and brings you up in life.

Is it possible for you to progress in life without going to a preceptor and acquiring education? Hence, everyone should always remember their parents. You may or may not remember anybody else, but you must remember your parents.

Message Of Sivaratri

Easwaramma is the mother of this body. The meaning of the word ‘Easwaramma’ is ‘mother of Easwara (God)’. In the history of Divinity, Mother Easwaramma exemplifies divine Motherhood. Not only this. Pedda

Venkama Raju, the father of this body, signifies the lord of seven hills. Now both of them are residing in Vaikunta (heaven). Swami is the incarnation of both Parvathi and Easwara. In the triune Sai Avatars, the first one was Shirdi Sai, the second is Parthi Sai, and the third will be Prema Sai. Prema Sai will bring about complete unity of mankind.

Love is the unifying force in the world. Now we do not find any unity in the world. There are differences and differences all along everywhere. There will be complete unity only when love manifests in the heart of everyone. Then all will become one. There will be unity of caste, culture, and country. When somebody asks you where you came from, do not say that you came from Mysore (Karnataka) or Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. Say that you have come from Bharat (India). You should proudly proclaim, “Bharat is my country.” In fact, Bharat is the home of everyone.

When I visited East Africa, Idi Amin asked Me where I had come from. I did not say that I had come from Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh. I told him, “I came from Bharat.” If everybody develops such feelings of allegiance to their country, the whole country will prosper. Very soon, the whole of India will be united, and all differences will disappear. It is necessary that there be unity of caste, culture, and country. When there is unity between these three, then all of us will become united and live like brothers and sisters. The history of Bharat exemplifies this spirit of oneness.

In the story of the Ramayana, both Kausalya and Kaikeyi shared their pudding of the sacrifice (yajna) with Sumitra when the bowl containing her share was taken away by an eagle. While Kausalya gave birth to Rama and Kaikeyi to Bharatha, Sumitra gave birth to Lakshmana and Satrughna, both of whom served their elder brothers Rama and Bharatha, respectively. Thus, all three wives of Dasaratha and his four sons set highest ideals of unity and love in the world. In keeping with the noble traditions set by the Ramayana, we should always maintain unity, morality and spirituality.

The name Sumitra itself signifies that she was a good friend to one and all and a paragon of all virtues. Similarly, Sita’s other name, Vaidehi, signifies that she was the daughter of Videha (one who transcended body consciousness). The Ramayana, the Mahabharatha, the Bhagavatha, and other scriptures contain names that signify great qualities of persons bearing those names. In the same way, God is called by different names, all of which have deep inner meaning. The name of this body is Sathya Sai. But this has a deep inner meaning; it signifies one who reclines on truth (Sathya Sayee).

We should all become united. People may speak different languages and pursue different disciplines of education, but all should follow the principle of one country, one caste, and one culture. The present differences have arisen because people are divided on the basis of caste, language, and culture. The message of Sivaratri is that Bharat (India) should achieve the objective of unity of the entire country.

Embodiments of Love!

Wherever you may go, you should say with a sense of pride that you belong to India, that you follow Indian culture and speak its language. It would be very nice if you understand the principle of unity, develop faith in it, and lead your life accordingly. There should be unity of caste, culture, and country. Only then can our country achieve desired progress.

The name ‘Bharat’ contains two syllables: ‘Bha’ and ‘rat’. ‘Bha’ signifies God and ‘rat’ stands for love. Hence, Bharat is that country where people have love for God. Understand this truth and treasure it in your heart. (Bhagawan sang the bhajan “Hari Bhajan Bina …”) Whoever wishes to have peace must participate in bhajan.

Bhajan alone can confer true peace on us.