September 4th, 2005
“Ceiling on Desires”
(Part 2)
OM… OM… OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Feet of Swami,
Last week we started on the subject, “Ceiling on Desires.” This morning we are going to take up the same subject, and see to what extent we will be able to complete it. Last week on this topic, I made some points relating to thought, the mind, the origin of thought, how to slow it, how to see that the pace of the thought process is reduced, and how to see that thoughts are totally withdrawn. This morning, I would like to draw your attention to some points Swami said on this topic, “Ceiling on Desires.”
I also made it very clear last week that ceiling on desires is not merely saving some money, depositing it in the bank and spending it for service activities. This is the procedure adopted by all Sai centres all over the world. I am not negating it, I am not denying it, and I am not opposing it. It is an activity that has got some inner significance, a spiritual dimension which I wanted to inform you of. It is with this background that I choose to speak on this topic, “Ceiling on Desires.”
THE LUGGAGE OF DESIRES
This morning, let me say what Swami has to say on this matter. In Indian railways, you come across this slogan written on the board. It goes like this: “Less luggage, more comfort, makes travel a pleasure.” This is repeated by Bhagavan many a time with a different interpretation altogether. ‘Less luggage’: He means the luggage of desires, the luggage of wants, the luggage of all extra things, and the luggage of luxuries. If you just reduce the weight of that luggage, you can make this travel of life comfortable and a matter of pleasure. On the other hand, if the luggage of desires is so heavy, we find it difficult to travel. Therefore, the first point I would draw your attention to is this: “Less luggage, more comfort, makes travel a pleasure.”
QUALITIES ARE IMPORTANT
The second point: About thirty or forty years ago, we had small coins, and the denomination was an anna. Six paise make one anna. In Telugu, we say anna. Bhagavan, being the Poet of poets, said, “Annalu, annas are not important. Gunalu, the qualities are important, the virtues are important.”
Therefore annalu, annas meaning coins, currency is not that important, but gunalu, the qualities and virtues are more important. That’s what Baba says. That’s the second point which I want to inform you about.
MONEY
Point three: These are all the points relating to the monetary or financial aspect. All of us want money, but we are not money-minded. We need money, but we are not money-minded.
Money has three points, wherever you are. One, you should make use of it for your pleasure and comfort… bhogam. Or, you should give money in charity to others…dhaanam. Dhaanam is charity. So either you should make use of it for your own comfort and pleasure or give it in charity to others.
If you do not do either, it is naasham, totally wasted. It is gone. So either it is used properly for one’s own pleasure, or in charity. Or else, you are just allowing it to be wasted. You will lose all that money you accumulated over a period of time.
CONSTANT CIRCULATION
And the fourth point Baba made is this: In Tamil, dhuddu means money. Baba said that ‘bloodu’ and dhuddu…blood and money…should both be in constant circulation. If the money is not circulated, what happens? It will lie stagnating in the hands of some people and the whole economy suffers. Therefore, there should be money circulation.
And then blood also should be circulated. If blood does not circulate, you develop some boil there, or some problem. That’s a mistake. So money should not be stagnant. It should not lie in the hands of a few people only.
MONEY COMES AND GOES, MORALITY COMES AND GROWS
Point five: Baba said many times, referring to money: “Money comes and goes, morality comes and grows.”
You must have seen in the newspapers how people lost their lives at an alarming rate in the recent tsunami; how thousands died, how lakhs of people lost their property, in places like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Tamil Nadu here in India. So money can be lost any time.
You must also have heard of a gentleman from Gujarat, a state in India that faced havoc -- one of the worst situations ever, an earthquake. Oh, people lost everything. This person who was interviewed said, “A moment back I was a millionaire; now I am a pauper.” The whole building collapsed, so he was left with no money. A millionaire, within a moment of time, was reduced to the state of a pauper, a beggar.
So money comes and goes. We cannot depend on money eternally, whereas morality comes and grows. Once I have morality, once I have ethics, once I am honest, I want to be better and better day-by-day. Therefore, morality goes on increasing and growing, but not money.
MONEY SHOULD BE COMMENSURATE WITH YOUR NEEDS
Point six: Swami speaks of money, giving as an example the footwear that we wear. If the shoes are very big, you will slip. If the shoes are very small, they won’t fit your size, and it will be difficult to walk. The footwear should be exactly to your measurement to walk comfortably and nicely without any pain.
Similarly, money should not be more than you need. It should not be less than you require. If it is more, it will spoil you. If it is less, then you will be very, very uncomfortable, and you cannot meet your demands or the needs of your life. So money should be exactly commensurate with your needs and requirements. That’s what Bhagavan said.
If you have too much money, what will happen? There are four people to grab that money. Who are they? First, the government is ready, with all its taxation. They’ll tax you heavily, so you have to lose your money. The second one, robbers, anti-social elements or thieves will be waiting for a chance to take away your money. They are the second people waiting. Third, there may be certain natural calamities like floods, earthquakes, or a tsunami, which will also put you to severe loss, and damage your monetary fortune.
If these do not take place, if you are very rich, what will happen? You’ll have a son who will spoil the whole of your money, who will ruin you. (Laughter) Yesterday someone was telling that even if the son is good, there is another man who will take away all your money. He’s the doctor. Have all your tests done in the clinical laboratory attached to every hospital, and you are half-finished. (Laughter) By the time you come out of the hospital, after admission and treatment, you are totally finished. So the doctor is also waiting to make your pocket empty. That’s how it is.
PEOPLE ARE POOR BECAUSE OF THEIR GREED, NOT THEIR NEED
Actually speaking, most of us do not run short of money. No, it is only greed that makes us feel a shortage, not real need. People are poor because of their greed, not because of their need.
Above all, there are two points that will make people feel an inadequacy, or a paucity of funds. What are they? Comparison and competition. They go on comparing themselves with others. ‘This man has a three-story building, but I do not have. This man has a ten bed-room mansion; I do not have one. This man has the latest car. Well, I do not have one.’ This comparison is one thing that is making us psychologically a beggar.
Then there is competition. We compete with each other. One wants to excel the other and, in this unhealthy competition, we feel that we are poor.
DESIRES ARE TWO-FOLD
Poverty is more psychological than a reality. According to Bhagavan Baba, he who has many desires is a poor man. He who has no desires is the richest man. That’s what Baba says. So having a ceiling on desires is necessary to make you feel rich, to make you know the value of life, how fine you are, how comfortable you are, by the grace of God. That’s what Bhagavan says.
Desires are two-fold. Some desires are individual, while some desires are national. Desire for power and position is purely individual. Desire to influence neighbouring countries, desire to have a hold on the countries of the world, is a national desire. The national desire will lead to national loss or disaster. Individual desire will lead you to total ruin. So beware of desires. That’s what Bhagavan says.
FIGHT TO THE END
Swami also refers to one important factor: “Fight to the end.” What does it mean? Not against the end of life, because you cannot fight it. As the end of life approaches, you are left with none to fight. Life just comes to a halt, that’s all. “Fight to the end” means -- till the last trace of desire is gone, fight to the end.
Bhagavan gives one example: It seems that a grass blade was thrown out by the wave towards the shore. It so happened that morning that a great sage, by the name of Dakshinamurthy, happened to pass by that side.
He was very angry with the sea. “You are so mighty and so vast, how egoistic you are! You brushed aside a grass blade!”
Then the sea god appeared in a human form with folded hands and pleaded with Dakshinamurthy, “Oh sage, I am not against this grass blade. I do not want even a grass blade or any flaw to be there on my surface. Therefore I have cleansed myself. I want to be clean and pure. I don’t allow even a grass blade on me; that’s why I cleared myself. It’s not that I am against the grass blade.” Likewise, “Fight to the end,” says Swami.
DO NOT WASTE FOOD -- FOOD IS GOD
To make things simple, referring to ceiling on desires from the practical viewpoint, Swami says, “Do not waste food -- food is God.” During banquets and dinners, many of us waste food. All the leftover food is dumped into a pit. Waste of food is a crime. We should not do it, because food is God.
Swami also said, “Do not waste water -- water is life.” One can live without food, but one cannot live without water. Therefore, do not waste water -- water is life.
Swami also says, “Don’t waste time -- time waste is life waste.” You may get the money back that is lost; you may get back the position that you left. But you cannot get back even a single moment of time passed by. Time will never come back. So Swami says that time waste is life waste. “Laziness is rust and dust, while realisation is rest and best.” So let us be careful so that we don’t waste our time.
Then Bhagavan says, “Do not waste energy.” Don’t waste your energy by indulging in vain talk. By indulging in gossip, by indulging in unnecessary talk, we lose some energy. By casting unnecessary looks, we’ll be losing energy. By too much thinking, we lose our energy. So energy is wasted, energy is dissipated in different directions. Let us try to save energy; let us not waste energy. That’s what Swami says.
CONTROL YOUR EATING HABITS
Bhagavan said very clearly that there is nothing wrong with money. The fault is with you, the way you use money. If you do not use it properly, naturally you become a bad man. If you use it with good sense, even if you are a rich man, it will not affect you.
Bhagavan also said you should control your feelings about your eating habits. Baba always says, “What is the body for? It is not for loading and unloading.” The food is to be consumed to maintain life, not just for throwing food into the garbage can of the human stomach. The human stomach is not a garbage can. Life is to be maintained. So consume only the necessary food, not all that you find. Never be a glutton. The food that you take should be limited, and it should be pure and palatable.
EXERCISE A CEILING ON WORDS
Then Swami said that we should exercise a ceiling on words. We should exercise a ceiling on the words we use, meaning we are to talk sweetly and softly. Try to talk softly and sweetly because God has given the word. We cannot be lavish or extravagant. We should know what words we should use, and how we should be careful in our speaking. That is the ceiling on speech.
Also the words that we speak should not agitate others, should not disturb their tranquillity and the peace of mind. We should not give any shock to a person by speaking harshly. So practise anudvegakaram, meaning your words should not agitate others. Sathyam: Speech should be full of truth. Preethi: It should be spoken in an acceptable way; hithamcha, so that it will be for the good of everybody.
So my friends, what we speak should not only be true, it should be of interest to other people, and it should be acceptable to other people. It should never be a lie. It should be said softly and sweetly.
EXERCISE A CEILING ON OUR ACTIONS
Furthermore, Baba said we should exercise a ceiling on our actions. If we do more than our capacity, it is ego; if we do less than our ability, it is theft. Doing less than one’s own ability is a robbery. Doing more than one’s own capacity is ego. So let us do in exact proportion to our capacities and abilities.
Next, we should exercise a ceiling at the psychological level. Mentally, we should be selfless, full of love, caring, loving, and sharing. That’s what is necessary. Put a ceiling on thoughts of the past and on thoughts of the future, so that we live in the present. So, this ceiling is also in relation to time, meaning to give up the past and not to worry about the future. Trying to live here and now is the ceiling at the psychological level.
CEILING ON PERSONAL DESIRE
Towards the end of every bhajan session, you must have heard all the devotees repeating one sentence: “Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.” It means, “Let the whole world prosper. Let everybody be happy.” So, put a ceiling on personal desire, on personal identification, on the struggle for name and fame, and on wanting to be rich, so that we will be calm, quiet and peaceful.
It is necessary to know that most of us have spiritual desires also. Spiritually, desire is out of place. Spiritually, desire is out of context. What is it that you desire? You desire that which you do not have; you don’t desire what you already have, do you? No. Do I desire a pen? I have two pens. Why should I desire another pen? So don’t desire to have God, or to be with God, because God is in you. So God means ‘non-desiring’. ‘Non-desiring’ is God.
Never search for God because He is everywhere. So, if you say, “I am in search of God” it is spiritually meaningless as God is everywhere. So we also put a ceiling on our useless search, a ceiling on our concepts that God is elsewhere, so that we experience that God is everywhere.
THOUGHT MANAGEMENT
Last time I explained at length all that is related to thought management. Thoughts have to be under constant check. As thoughts arise, we should know whether they are beneficial or harmful. Be aware of your own thoughts. Be a witness to your own thoughts, so that at the beginning itself, you can curb them, you can uproot them. Why?
When a thought gets into your mind, it deepens more and more. The thought that goes deep will be translated into actions, and actions decide our future. Good actions will give good results; bad actions yield bad results. Therefore my friends, we have to exercise a ceiling on our actions so that they will never be bad, so that they will always be pure. So, have a ceiling on your actions.
The next level is to withdraw the mind totally till there is no mind. When there is no mind, there is no thought; but the witness is there. The witness is your spirit, Atma, with no desire, with no thought. Therefore, the existence of awareness of your true Self, without any thoughts, is what is called realisation.
So, a ceiling on our thoughts, a ceiling on our desires, will help us to be thought-free, to enjoy that state of detachment or nirvana, or second coming of Christ, the cosmic Christ. That’s what Baba said. Finally, the withdrawal of mind such that the mind gets unified with the heart is the last step to know that the Self is Brahman. It is the path of enquiry. These things I said last week. If time permits, I will repeat them once again.
BE CAREFUL OF YOUR DESIRES
What does Bhagavad Gita say about this concept of desire? I will give you some references for your study. The name of the fifth chapter, 22nd sloka is “Karma Sanyasa Yoga.” Here it clearly says that all your pleasures will bring you misery; all your desires will take you to sadness. Be careful of your desires. “Bhoga dukkha yonaya eya te” means that too much desire will bring you misery or sadness.
Develop Detachment or Vairagyam
Next in the Gita, the 13th chapter, 9th verse is called ‘Kshetra-Kshetragya Vibhag Yoga.’ There, my friends, it is clearly said, “Indriyaarthesu vairagyam anahankara meva ca.” It means detachment, but towards what? “Indriyaarthesu vairagyam” is renunciation towards sensual pleasure. Detachment from sensual pleasure is vairagya, or renunciation, which is very, very essential.
Bhagavad Gita clearly explains this point: “Janma mrityu jara vyadhi dukha doshanudarshanam.” What is the meaning of it? Janma varch is birth; mrityu is death; jara, old age; vyadhi, sickness. Understand how miserable it is when you fall sick, how miserable it is when you feel helpless in your old age.
“Dukha-dosha”: Understand dosha, the mistake; understand dukha, the misery. Darshanam is visualisation. “Dukha-doshanu darshanam”: Visualise the defects, the mistake, and the misery that one faces in the state of helplessness when you are old, when you fall sick. Therefore Bhagavad Gita says to develop this kind of renunciation towards sensual pleasure, to develop detachment towards worldly pleasure.
‘tyaktva’ -- GIVE WORLDLY DESIRES up
This chapter is “Moksha Sanyasa Yoga.” I am giving you the references that will help you for an in-depth study in application to our topic of ceiling on desires. I have chosen the topic because people have made it mechanical: “Save some money, deposit it in the bank…finished! That is ‘ceiling on desires’ -- anybody can do it!” No, no, it is much more.
“Sabdādīn viṣayāḿs tyaktvā.” Tyaktva means ‘give it up, drop it’. “Sabdādīn viṣayāḿs” means that the senses are after worldly thought, worldly desires, and physical desires. The senses will always take you towards the world, like the sight of a beautiful scene. Visaya is vision. Sabda is sound, audition. The sense of touch and all the five senses of cognisance will pull you towards the world. Therefore, “tyaktva” or ‘give it up’; that’s what this chapter says.
BE CAREFUL OF CONSTANT THOUGHTS WHICH DEVELOP WORLDLY DESIRES
Next, Bhagavad Gita 6th chapter, 18th sloka, the title is, “Atma Samyama Yoga.” Nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo.” (I am just drawing the relevant portion from the sloka.)
What does “sarva-kamebhyo” mean? Sarva is ‘all’, kamebhyo is ‘desire’, and “nisprhah” means ‘never be aware of all these desires’. Holy Bible also clearly says that. The Holy Bible in the Ten Commandments lays much emphasis on having a ceiling on your desires.
Then in 2nd chapter “Sankhya Yoga”, sloka 62, 63: “Sańgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ.” What does it mean? You think too much because you are in company. Then because of your constant thought, you develop desire. Increasing desires are due to the constant thoughts of worldly pleasure. When you think more and more of this, there is more and more attachment, sanjayate. Therefore, due to constant thought of the desire, it will multiply on its own. Be careful, that’s what the 2nd chapter says. (These are all references for your information.)
SLOW DOWN THE SPEED OF THOUGHTS
The chapter “Karma Sanyasa Yoga” clearly says it this way: “Kāma-krodhodbhavaḿ vegaḿ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ kama krodhod bhavam vegam.” The rapidity of thoughts, the momentum of thought, and the speed of thought will make you do actions.
Simple example: I come to know that ice cream is ready there in the shop. That thought makes me run there to the ice cream shop. Or, some fellow tells me, “Mr. Anil Kumar, today is pizza day.”
‘Pizza! Oh, let me go there…pizza day!’
Or, “Donuts are there in foreigner’s canteen today, and the pie is getting ready.”
‘Oh! Why not let me go!?’ (Laughter)
Because of this speed of thought, you will run for the action immediately. “Kama-krodhodbhavam vegam.” The vega, the speed of the thought, will make you run after that desire. Therefore, Sukhi narah: Man will be happy if he slows down the speed of his thoughts.
‘All right, so ice-cream is there. Let me not run to the ice cream stall now. I can wait until the talk is over!’ (Laughter)
‘I know the pizza is there, but let me not think of pizza. Let me think of Bhagavad Gita.’ (Laughter) Not pizza, but Gita. (Laughter) ‘Let me slow down the speed of my thoughts.’ That’s what one should say.
LIST OF DEMONIC AND DIVINE QUALITIES
Next, 16th chapter, 21st sloka: The name of this chapter is “Deva Asura Sampath Vibaya Yoga.” This chapter will disturb everybody, because God mercilessly, yes, clearly gives the list of demonic qualities and the list of Divine qualities. He gives you the list -- these are the demonic qualities of the asura, and these are the Divine qualities of the deva. Sampath is ‘qualities’. So it is a chapter that deals with the classification of devilish, demonic qualities as opposed to the Divine qualities.
Why should we be terrified? Because honestly, we have many of the demonic qualities within us. Honestly confessing, we may try to be Divine externally, but it is neither Divine nor wine, but in fact, totally demonic.
Bhagavad Gita is a conversation between a teacher and a student; it is a conversation between God and a devotee. The devotee is Arjuna, and God is Krishna. Here God tells the devotee, “Tri-vidham narakasyedam dvaram nasanam atmanah.” “Oh fellow, there are three doors that will take you to naraka or hell.”
Armstrong may give you the address to the moon. Neil Armstrong from America, who was the first person to land on the moon, is the best person to tell us the way to the moon, what is present on the moon and in the moon. But Krishna tells you the way to hell, because no one ever remembers going to the hell; so we don’t have the details about hell now.
God also does not want to bother you by giving the details because you know what hell is, as we have more than half the taste of hell even here in this world! (Laughter) We don’t have to wait. Let me not go into the details because, when we are at ease, let’s just relax. You will understand how many of our acquaintances and dear and near give us enough of a taste of hell. (Laughter)
Therefore Krishna says that there are three doors that will take you to hell. What are they? “Kamah krodhas tatha lobhas tasmad etat trayam tyajet.” It is nicely said. Be careful, be cautious that you don’t go through the door because – beware -- dangerous electricity is there. Don’t touch, don’t touch. But still I touch. What does it mean? People will come to the conclusion that I bid my property goodbye and am anxious to move to another planet!
There are three doors, so you should be very cautious. What are they? The first door to hell is kama, desire. So all of us have a berth in hell reserved, don’t worry. We make our travel arrangements a few months before. But in this case, we are making our travel arrangements a few decades before, yes?
The second door to hell is krodha, anger. It is only a difference in dosage, that’s all. Most of us have this anger, whether it’s 25mg, 50mg, 100mg, 500mg, or whether it is a 40-watt bulb or a 1000-watt bulb. So it is only a dosage difference. Most of us have anger. But some people have this anger in its highest potency. That is temper.
“Sir, is this book available?”
“Grrrr! No, it’s not available!”
“Ahh, very good!” (Laughter)
He will have a sleeper berth reserved for him in hell, while we may only have some sitting place there. (Laughter) Fellows with that kind of temper will have a sleeper coach berth also!
The third door is greed, lobha. It is an AC sleeper coach. (Laughter) Air-conditioned sleeper coach. Lobha is greed.
These are the three doors, my dear boy. So be very careful to see that you don’t step in, that you don’t pass through these gates, because you are not going to land at JFK airport or Indira Gandhi International terminal. Passing through these three doors is going to take you to hell.
So, “Tasmad etat trayam tyajet.” “It is absolutely necessary to avoid these three,” says Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita.
DESIRES MAKE YOU COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER
Then there is the 3rd chapter, 37th sloka. I made some research, going through the whole of the Bhagavad Gita, and I selected slokas which are applicable to the subject of ‘ceiling on desires’. Some people want authenticity. They want to know what Baba says about it, what Gita says about it. It is not enough if you talk about it because you are equally as bad as I am! (Laughter) So let us go by what the text of the Gita says.
In “Karma Yoga”, third chapter, 37th sloka, “Kama esa krodha esa rajo-guna-samudbhavah mahasano maha-papma viddhy enam iha vairinam.”
What is rajo guna? What is rajas? It is emotional tension. Understand that it is only a passionate man, an ambitious man, who will be having a bundle of desires. Rajo guna is not a good quality. The desire-filled or passionate, overambitious person will have a bundle of desires. Understand that the bundle of desires will make one a sinner someday or other. They are your enemies. Because you have desires, desires will make you compete with each other. Competition will make many people your enemy.
Some person was saying, “Anil Kumar, there is some activity going on. Why don’t you go there?”
I said, “Sir, the secret of my happiness is this. What is it? I don’t get into any area where there is competition and comparison.”
Here is a simple example, which I’m telling you openly. Suppose Swami’s car is coming to the college. Swami is on His visit to the college auditorium, and people are running like anything, trying to occupy the front row. I don’t do that, because by running like that, I have to compete with the other fellows who are running much faster than me. (Laughter) And I also find some people pulling me, pushing me. Why all this? So I’ll sit comfortably.
I don’t get up unless I am asked to. I don’t go near Swami unless He calls me by name; not out of ego, but because if I go on pushing people, trying to show my face, then Swami doesn’t want to look at me. He will turn His face that way. (Laughter) Why should I make Him uncomfortable? (Laughter)
Poor Swami is already uncomfortable, because all our desires are repeated -- hopeless, negative desires. So at least let me be sympathetic with Him by keeping myself at a respectable distance. Let me keep myself at a distance so that Baba will be comfortable. If He wants to avoid me, ok nice, I am already away from Him. If He wants me near, He will call me and I’ll go to Him.
Therefore, I am cheerful here in this place because I don’t get into any area where there is comparison and competition. I don’t like it. Let me be happy within myself. Let me be peaceful with whatever I have, because, as I said, non-desiring is religion, non-seeking is religion.
If I go on desiring, desiring more and more, it is rajo guna. It is a bad quality. It is excessive desire; it is an overambitious temperament. It is out of the rajo guna that these qualities are born.
‘Alright, let it be there,’ you say. So what will happen? It will make you the worst of sinners; it will make you commit sins and crime, and invite enemies. Is it worth it? No, not worth it.
BEYOND DESIRE, YOU ARE A YOGI
The name of the chapter is “Karma Sanyasa Yoga.” “Kama-krodha-vimuktanam yatinam yata-cetasam abhito brahma-nirvanam vartate viditatmanam.”
What a promise it is! When you are free from desire, you are “yatinam”: you are yati, a yogi, a renounced man; you are a blissful man. You are a spiritual aspirant, a true seeker. Yes, you will be beyond desire. That’s what this chapter says.
GIVE UP DESIRE AND ANGER
The name of this chapter is “Moksha Sanyasa Yoga.” “Kāmaḿ krodhaḿ parigraham vimucya.”
Drop these two things, kama and krodam, desire and anger.
The Holy Bible also refers to certain fundamental truths repeatedly in several chapters. That’s why you find pastors talking in their sermon to devotees every Sunday in church, drawing relevant passages from different gospels.
Similarly, the danger of desire is referred to by Krishna in several chapters. It is because you may ignore or not notice this point that I speak about it again, as it appears here in this chapter. I don’t leave you alone!
‘Oh man, by oversight you may miss this, so I will talk about it again in this chapter.’ Again and again in the holy books, be it the Bible or Koran or Bhagavad Gita, statements are repeated time and again, so that you cannot miss this totally. That’s why 18th chapter, 53rd sloka also calls for these two qualities of kama and krodham, desire and anger, to be given up.
IT IS NOT EASY TO KILL DESIRE
Karma yoga--- “Jahi satrum maha-baho kama-rupam durasadam.“ “Oh Arjuna, you are a man of manners; you are a man of physical strength. But understand, my dear soldier, it is easy for you to kill other men, but not to kill your desire.”
Killing one’s own desire is more difficult than killing another fellow. It is easy to kill, to take a sword and finish someone off. Hari Om Tat Sat. That ends the matter. (Laughter) But you cannot kill your desire. It is impossible. Understand that.
BURN DESIRE IN THE FIRE OF KNOWLEDGE
Then 4th chapter, 19th sloka, here it is said: “Kama-sankalpa-varjitah jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam tam ahuh panditam budhah.” This is a very good one. Here He says that unless I have this awareness, unless I have this jnana, wisdom, unless I have this spiritual knowledge, I cannot give up desire.
Desire has to be burnt in the fire of jnana. Jnana is the wisdom, agni is the fire. So, in the fire of wisdom, desire has to be burnt totally. “Panditam budhah” means a scholar, an intelligent man, will burn desire in the fire of knowledge. That’s what is said here.
WITH DESIRE, YOU CANNOT CONCENTRATE ON GOD
And then the 2nd chapter, Sankhya Yoga, 43rd sloka says, “Kamatmanah svarga-para janma-karma-phala-pradam kriya-visesa-bahulam bhogaisvarya-gatim prati.” Here it is said that if you have any desire always in the mind, you cannot concentrate on God.
No, it is not possible. Suppose I am very much interested in a letter to be given to Baba. I am not interested to see His face; I am only interested that He reads my letter. If I am not interested to hear philosophies or spiritual truth from Swami, but if I am interested only to let Him know of my joint pains, to let Him know about my cataract problem, or blood pressure problem, or sugar problem, I will not be benefited by the spiritual conversation that Baba wants to have, having blessed me with an interview.
Long back, I knew an elderly man, a great man, who has many followers all over Andhra Pradesh. He was having some health problem.
I asked him, “Sir, did you ask Swami for relief?”
He said, “No.”
I said, “Why not?”
He said, “Mr Anil Kumar, Baba may postpone my joint pains till next month, but I cannot avoid joint pains forever and ever. Baba may postpone death now, but He cannot make you deathless.”
Yes. Many people will stand on the stage and say, “Baba saved me from death.” Alright, that doesn’t mean you are going to live forever and ever. (Laughter) It is only postponement, not cancellation! (Laughter)
If Swami goes on cancelling all that is there, He will be transgressing His own law. He will be transgressing His own law, because good and bad are the results of our actions, and we have to face them. If Swami saves you now, in December you have to face it. Or, at the most, if you pray, you may have to face it in instalments, equal instalments. You don’t have to pay off the loan immediately, but in instalments. (Laughter)
If you have to pay ‘from your nose’ the whole amount at a time, you will feel like committing suicide, as you can’t pay it all up right now. With instalments, there is some suffering, 5% this month, and 5% next month. It happens slowly. (Laughter)
The best prayer is this: “Swami, I am not praying for exemption. I am not praying for cancellation, because all this is the result of my own actions. I am not a fool to ask for cancellation. I only pray for Swami to give me the strength to bear this suffering and the courage to bear this pain.”
LEARN HOW TO SUFFER
Jesus Christ could bear all the suffering on the cross. On our side, we might say, “Oh Father, why did you give me the cross? Give me the crown of diamonds.” No. He was wearing the crown of thorns because He prayed, “Oh God, give me the strength to face this.” That’s why He could be Divine.
Man could be Divine if he bears suffering. Today Baba is demonstrating that. We see Him coming in the car. He makes everybody walk, but He does not walk. He makes everybody else get up from the wheelchair. I’ve seen with my own eyes any number of things! But we see Him still in the wheelchair. Why? Why is He suffering like that? So that we may learn how to suffer! We think life is a bed of roses, and that coming to Swami, everything is green. Certainly not. We should learn how to suffer with joy.
We should learn how to suffer spiritually, so that it becomes a matter of penance, so that it becomes a matter of deep meditation. Sickness is an opportunity to be prayerful. Sickness is a blessing to be more spiritual. Sickness is an opportunity to grow beyond the body and mind.
And today what is happening? People are not praying to get rid of their own suffering. They are all looking at Swami: “Please get up and walk.” We are all thinking of Swami, more now than ever before.
Let us be honest. Today, my friends, more miracles are happening than ever before. A doctor met me here. If you want, I’ll show him to you -- a doctor from England. He told me, “Sir, I had a problem which is uncommon in India. There is no treatment available in India, so I had to suffer. Baba cured me.” He told me this morning, and he is right now there in the corner.
My student at Guntur is a doctor now. She is a reputed gynaecologist. She came to me last night. She is MDDGO, Dr.Prasanna. Because she is my student, I can tell her name straightaway.
She came to me and told me last night, “Sir, you know I came with my father. My father had such a problem, some gangrene because of blood sugar and all that. It reached an incurable state, with excruciating pain, and I, as a doctor, treated him. But no more treatments were possible. I thought he was sure to collapse, but somehow I managed to bring him here to Puttaparthi. I made him sit in a wheelchair. He could see Swami from a long distance and he had a feeling that Swami looked at him.”
He was sitting at a very long distance, but he had a feeling that Swami looked at him. That doctor told me, “Sir, the moment he had a feeling that Swami looked at him, he started improving, and today he is perfect!” That doctor told me all that.
So, how am I to believe that Baba is really suffering? How am I to believe that the One who cures everybody prefers to be like that? What does it mean?
“Though I can cure, I don’t cure Myself. Why? I have to teach you how to suffer also. Why? As long as life is comfortable, as long as life is full of pleasure, you will never think of God.” Therefore my friends, man’s adversity is God’s opportunity. Man’s calamity is God’s opportunity, so that we can learn to be more spiritual.
So my friends, this talk on “Ceiling on Desires”, Part 2, is completed this morning. There is a third part next week. So I’ll be covering the whole thing, whatever Baba said on the matter. After that, we’ll shift to the next subject. Thank you very much for your patience. (Applause)
OM…OM…OM…
Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti