March 6th, 2005
“Mahasivaratri – Four Qualifications to Start Sadhana”
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
We have just been advised of the Sivaratri celebration. Sivaratri celebration will take place on the 8th. That happens to be Tuesday, I believe. And we also hope to have Akhanda Bhajan as usual. In the light of the approaching festival Sivaratri, I want to share with you certain thoughts connected to this occasion. This will serve as a sort of preparation or homework for the gala celebration.
Of all the celebrations, all the festivals, Sivaratri is special and unique. Sivaratri festival is not the one meant for pomp and show. Sivaratri is not a festival for dinners, banquets, new clothes, socialisation and so on. No. If I am to say, Sivaratari festival is totally and absolutely spiritual in its content and objective. If there is any festival that is totally spiritual, I should say it is Sivaratari.
Sivaratri festival is not associated with any particular God, of a name with a form, or any religion, or any specific worship. No. Sivaratri is the festival of the realisation, the experience of the Self, which is formless, nameless, eternal, immortal, nectarine, and blemish-less. Therefore Sivaratari is a celebration for the evolution of a seeker, to reach that attribute-less, formless state, which is a finale in the spiritual endeavour or spiritual path. In other words, our travel should be from form to formlessness, from attributes to attribute-less. Sivaratri is the festival that will take us to that height of formless, nameless and attribute-less, eternal, immortal Self, the Atman Brahman, or the Consciousness.
So my friends, Sivaratri is a yardstick that sets parameters for our spiritual advancement or progress. Where we are? What do we stand for? How long have we to go? Am I still around the name and form? How far I am from that nameless, formless, attribute-less Divinity. That is Sivaratri. Again Sivaratri is the festival or a celebration that calls for maximum period of time to be spent in meditation, in singing His glory, in chanting His name, in going through the scriptures. Most of the time, during this period of Sivaratri, is to be spent in sadhana. Is there any occasion or festival in Sanathana Dharma that calls for total practice of spirituality, total involvement of spiritual sadhana throughout the day and night?
Before I go into the details, as a preamble, as a sort of introduction, I want to share with you a few thoughts. Before taking to sadhana or spiritual practice, before proceeding to meditation, before singing His glory throughout the night of Sivaratri, let me first be qualified to do sadhana. Am I qualified to do that spiritual sadhana? I am not.
One should be a doctor to practice medicine. If one starts practicing medicine without qualifications, all those who come to him will be safe in the other planet and not here (Laughter)! Therefore my friends, in spiritual sadhana, in spiritual practice, it is most necessary that we qualify ourselves. Because we have not qualified ourselves enough, we are not able to realise the objective of our sadhana or spiritual practice. Because we have not done enough homework, we have not enjoyed the depth of silence, the depth of satisfaction yet.
Do not think that I am speaking on a higher pedestal. No, no, no. When I say ‘we’, it includes me; I am the first and foremost in that class. Even in dreams, I don’t consider myself an example of a separate species. I am not. Basically being a teacher, my job is only to share with you certain excerpts related to different occasions from Sai messages and discourses. That is all.
So my friends, how should we qualify ourselves to start sadhana, to begin spiritual practice? There may be many and many qualifications. But let us not go by all that, because if I give you the whole list, we either give up sadhana or get frustrated. I am not that mad; enough as it is. I will try to sum up as briefly as possible, so that all these points are understandable by every one of us assembled here.
The first qualification before we take to spiritual practice is to forget the past. We have to forget the past. So long as the past is still lingering in my mind, so long as the past still remains with him, so long as I brood over the past, I am not qualified to start my spiritual practice. Past may be glorious, but it is useless in the present. I may be an M.P. in the past (a member of parliament.) Today I am ex - M.P. So what does it matter? I may be a film actor in the past. Today I am an ex-actor, so who will look at my face? So, the past may be glorious enough, but it has no relevance at all in the present.
DON’T DREAM ABOUT THE FUTURE
A spiritual seeker can never live in hope, nor can ever live in the future, unless he is totally ignorant; only then we can excuse him. A spiritual man will never live in the future because spirituality is not future. Religion is not future. God is not future.
God is here and now. Life is here and now. How do you talk about the future? The future is uncertain. The future is not guaranteed. The future is only a dream. Then how do you say that the future is going to be a guarantee or a certainty; surely you cannot. In expecting and in waiting, one may lose life. That is the reason why it is always said never to postpone doing good things. Never postpone, because as you postpone, they go on getting postponed day after day and it will never be realised. That day will never come. ‘I will start doing japam (chanting His Name) from Thursday.’ Which Thursday? Which year? Which month? No one can say -- probably next life (Laughter)! I will try to speak the truth effective from January after the New Year. Which New Year, of which life?
So my friends, thinking of the future is foolishness. Brooding over the past is ignorance. Let us not be ignorant, much less a fool. Therefore a spiritual man must forget the past and should not think of the future; he should live in the present. This is the first qualification of a seeker, of an aspirant.
SECOND QUALIFICATION OF A SEEKER:
ALL THINGS HAPPEN AS PER GOD’S WILL
The second point is this, my friends: Sometimes we feel frustrated because we think we are not doing what we want to. We are not doing what we are capable of. We are not doing what we are qualified for. We are not given that to do in which we are experts or competent enough to deliver goods to the best of our satisfaction.
There are many people that go on complaining: “Mr. Anil Kumar, my career would have been better had I been an executive.”
I think, ‘Oh. You are not an executive but you say that you would be better if you were an executive.’ I just pity that man. He is already feeling sorry for not being an executive. If I condemn the statement to his face, he will feel much worse; so I just leave him in that state.
There are some people who say, “I would have made a better career had I been a doctor.” You are not, so why do you think of that? How are you sure that you would be a good doctor? You may be a notorious doctor. How can you say that?
So my friends, we have got the habit of thinking that we would have been better had we being given some other assignment or some other job. I do not know about other people. Most of the film actors say, “I want to be a doctor, but I have ended up as an actor.”
I say, “Thank God! Had you been a doctor, patients would have collapsed at the doorstep. Good as an actor and not a doctor. I am not going to die at least.”
So we are thinking that we would have been better in some other assignment. Thinking ‘I would be doing an excellent job in some other area’ is just imagination, fallacy, hallucination, delusion and projection. That is all.
I would rather say, “You are now an actor. If you were to be a doctor as you wanted, you would have been dismissed, or the degree would have been withdrawn from you because you were going to give one medicine for some other complaint. How do you know that you were going to be successful?”
Some of my friends, some of my relatives asked me, “Have you ever tried to become a first class officer, an IAS officer? Have you ever tried to write competitive examinations for IFS, IAS services - class 1 services?”
I tell them, “Please believe me or not. I never wrote any competitive examinations. No. I don’t know whether I would have made a better career as class 1 officer or not. I don’t know that. But in the present career, I think I am very happy. I have got great professional satisfaction. As a doctor, I would have made more money; as an engineer, I would have made career. But as a teacher, I have got highest satisfaction, of Himalayan dimension.
Believe me or not, given the chance, I want to be born again as a professor. Because I believe that this profession of teaching gives you no scope to commit a sin. You cannot be corrupt as nobody will offer you any bribe (Laughter). So there is no chance of being corrupt. No chance. You cannot deceive anybody. You cannot cheat anybody as a professor – impossible! If you want to bluff, the classroom will be empty (Laughter). So you are cheat-proof, corruption-proof, honesty-guaranteed (Applause). You cannot take to vices like alcoholism and all that, because you cannot afford it (Laughter). So something like horse races, gambling or intoxication you cannot do, as you cannot afford them, or for fear of meeting your students there…”Hello!” (Laughter) Even if you want to have certain things of your choice in secrecy, you cannot because your students will be reaching there much earlier before you reach there. (Laughter)
On the other hand my friends, when I teach a particular lesson to my satisfaction, or when few students come and tell me, “Sir, we are very happy. This lesson is very interesting”, I feel as if some 10 lakh money is deposited or credited to my bank account. That much satisfaction I have. Just a word of appreciation or a word of recognition, that is just enough for me.
Therefore my friends, how can we be free from this psychology of ‘I would have been better had I been that’, or ‘I would have been excellent had I been that’. You are not that. So, how to get out of this phobia? Some people say, “I am in business; I am not happy.” So you are in business; you should find happiness in business. “I am a teacher; I am not happy.” No. You should find happiness in teaching.
How to reconcile, how to find happiness in the area where we are? This is the second qualification of a spiritual seeker. The answer is this: you should feel that everything happens according to God’s will. God wanted you to be a teacher. God wanted you to be a minister. God designs that you are a doctor. It is God’s will that you are an engineer. Once you are convinced that all things happen as per God’s will, that He knows best what is good for us, then you will have great satisfaction.
How do you know whether you are fit for some other job? He knows. Only He knows. Only the director knows whether you are fit to play the role of a hero or a side actor. He knows. It is the director who decides whether you should be a heroine or not. Maybe the personality is fit for a servant-maid role in a picture. But that lady may say, “Well, I would make a good career as a heroine.” Then the director says, “Thank you, but not now.” So the director knows which role is fit for you.
When cinema directors know the role that we fit best in, the cosmic director, the director of the universe, does He not know the role that we fit best in? Does He not know which role fits us? Does He not know what role suits us? He knows. Therefore, once I know and am fully convinced that this role is given to me by that Divine Director, the cosmic director of this drama of life, then I can enjoy the play. I can do my best. This is the second point.
The first point is: To forget the past and the future. The second point is: To consider everything is happening according to God’s will.
TWO THINGS IN LIFE – HAPPENING AND DOING
My friends, in this context, before I move on to the next point, I want to tell you this clearly. There are two things that happen, two things in life. One is happening and the other is doing. Situations fall under these two categories – happening and doing.
I have gone there – that is doing. I have become a doctor – happening. I am eating pie, donuts or ice cream -- doing. I am in front of Swami – happening. So in life there are two things -- that is, happening and doing. If you consider everything as an act or as a doing, life will be full of complaints, regrets, and repentances. Marriages -- they happen; they are not of your doing. If you are doing, it will lead to divorce the next day (Laughter). People are able to live together, though they do not agree on even a single point; yet they live together (Laughter). Happening, happening (Applause). Given the chance, if you visit every house, if you can overhear what is happening, than you will hear that every house is a parliament, a lok sabha or assembly. But they live together…happening, happening. (Laughter)
Therefore my friends, let us learn to consider the events of life as happenings and not as doings because, if you consider things as doings, then you take the role of a doer, a performer and an actor. I do this, so I am the doer. I act this – doing…done. Things are done. Therefore, we have to take responsibility. If I manage things on my own without the knowledge of my parents, they will say, “Thank you. You manage yourself. You never bother to consult me.” If I just manage things myself without anything to do with my parents, friends, bosses, relations or anybody, then if anything goes against my design, if anything negative happens in my life, I must own the responsibility. Everybody will condemn me: “He is a fool. He has not consulted me.” “Oh! Had I consulted you, things would have been much worse.” (Laughter) People will blame you. There is no point in playing the role of a doer.
You are not safe in thinking that you are the actor and that you are the performer. You are never safe, my friends. You have to cry and cry. There are many people who say, “I am like this. It is all my making. I never wanted it like that. Many people advised me, but I didn’t pay heed to those words. Therefore I am suffering.” You suffer, but don’t allow me to suffer along with you (Laughter). That feels much worse. We cry. We lament. We repent. We regret because we own the responsibility. We think we are the doers, that we are the performers, and that we are the actors. All these come under this category of doing.
But if you view situations, events in life as happenings, life will be beautiful. Happenings. This morning Swami passed by this side…ah good. This morning Swami looked at me…thrilling. This morning Swami smiled…ah exciting. No. No. I have been waiting for Him for four months. All right wait for four more years (Laughter). Because you think that you are waiting. You think that you can manage to catch His attention. You think that you can manipulate. You think that you can see that Swami’s attention will be given to you. Anything to do with Swami is not your doing, please take it from me. Anything related to Swami is not your doing. All things relating to Swami only happen.
At this moment, I would like to quote the first vice-chancellor of this university, Prof. V.K. Gokak, the grand old man, the Bhismacharaya in English literature -- a very great man, a great scholar in Kannada (the language of Karnataka), who is no more. His son is the new vice chancellor of this university. I am sure it is a happening. Father and son being the vice chancellors of the same university is not a doing. Do you think it is a doing? It is happening.
And V.K. Gokak made one statement. Some people say Baba performs miracles. He does miracles. Gokak said, “You are wrong. Baba does not perform miracles. He does not do miracles. Miracles only happen. Miracles only happen; they are not done. If miracles are done, it is magic. If miracles happen, they are spiritual. They are completely Divine.”
Therefore my friends, if we consider that things happen in our life, we will consider that whatever job we do, or whatever assignment we have as God’s gift, as God’s will, and that we must do it to the best of our ability, with our skills and talents, so that we should be deserving this role. The director should say, “Well done, my boy. This role I have given you. You are far, far beyond my expectations. I am happy; you have done your job.” That Director, God, should say, “I gave you the role of a financier; I gave you the role of a professor; you have done your job well, my dear son.” The Divine Director, God, should say that. So my friends, the second point is to consider everything as God’s will, as a Divine assignment, so that we will not have any complaints. This is the second requirement of a spiritual seeker.
SPIRITUAL EGO IS MUCH WORSE THAN WORLDLY EGO
Then the third requirement of a spiritual seeker is this. Before we take to sadhana, these are necessary because there are people who are…please note this! There are people who are spiritually arrogant, spiritually egoistic. Your silence does not mean that you do not know them. We are living in the midst of them (Laughter). We have a good lot of people all around us; they go on boring us with all the knowledge they have until we ask them, “Please leave me alone.”
Therefore my friends, spiritual ego, spiritual arrogance is much worse than worldly ego. Worldly ego at the most may make you isolated, may force upon you loneliness or aloneness. But spiritual arrogance will take you away from God; it will drown you in ignorance for hundreds of lives to come. Therefore spiritual arrogance, spiritual ego is much worse than worldly arrogance, worldly ego. How to be free from this?
There are many people that say, “You know Mr. Anil Kumar what I am doing?
“Oh! I see. What are you doing, sir?”
“I am meditating.”
“Oh! I see. Since how long?”
“For the last 15 years.”
“How long will you do each session?“
“For 3 hours.”
“Oh. Where do you find time?”
“Any time.”
“Oh I see. Any time can you meditate?”
“Why not?”
Therefore, you don’t do your job. OK. You meditate in your office, so that all the files are dancing! It’s all ridiculous, my friends. To speak of one’s own sadhana, to glorify one’s own sadhana is stupidity. It is an act of stupidity. Let us not publicise our spiritual sadhana. Let us be silent because we have not known its utility yet. We have not experienced the depth of it yet. Why do you declare this is the thing you are doing? It has not helped you. How is it going to help me?
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE IS TOTALLY PERSONAL
Here Swami gives a small story. There lived a king, and the queen was an ardent devotee. The queen was always thinking of God and worshipping God all the twenty-four hours; but she never saw the king doing any spiritual sadhana. She never saw the king worshipping or meditating or singing at any time. That became her worry and she was much worried.
She went on telling everybody, “Here is my husband who doesn’t care for God, while I am doing so much.” All right. The king had been hearing all the complaints of his wife, as any wife does - a routine matter. OK, like anybody, the queen was also doing it…why not? After all, she is a woman. Why not? So she is talking, all right.
One day, in the early hours of the morning, suddenly the queen heard the king uttering the name of God: “Ram, Ram, Ram.” She first said, “Ah, is there any man here, or is it the king…what (Laughter)?” She could see the king himself saying, “Ram, Ram, Ram.”
She was very happy, so what did she do? She immediately got up and called all the ministers. Ministers will immediately respond to the queen much before the king himself, because she has influences. So they all came. “Oh! Madam, what is it that we can do?”
“Please arrange great a festival today. Let there be music and dance today. Let there be festoons, fun and frolic, and banquets everywhere.”
They asked, “Madam, what is special today?”
“The king uttered the name of God – ‘Ram, Ram’! It is enough for celebration. Come on.”
“Oh, I see.” They could not say ‘no’. All arrangements were going on in a hectic way. The king got up slowly and saw, to his surprise, festoons, decorations, and music everywhere.
Suddenly he asked, “What is wrong with you fellows? There is nothing special. What are all these decorations?”
Somebody said, “According to the queen’s instructions, these things are going on.”
This fellow kept his mouth shut. The king, after all, is a man. That is all he said (Laughter). Therefore the king silently came and asked the queen, “What is special today?”
She said, “Look here. I heard you this morning saying, ‘Ram, Ram’. Therefore I am celebrating.” (Laughter)
Then king said, “You are all celebrating, but I am not happy. I am not happy.”
She asked, “Why?“
The king told this: “I don’t want everybody to know what I do. I have been treasuring God’s Name secretly within the locker of my heart.” You don’t keep diamonds on the streets, do you? You don’t keep gold in the veranda or corridor, do you? No. You keep all precious gems and diamonds in the locker of your heart. So the king went on saying, “Look here, my dear, the costliest, most precious gem of God’s Name, which I have been treasuring in the inner recess of my heart, is brought out. It is now taken out into the open market. How can I make it a celebration?” Similarly, my friends, all that we do is totally personal. It is not for publicity.
THIRD QUALIFICATION OF A SEEKER:
CONSIDER ONESELF AS AN INSTRUMENT IN THE HANDS OF GOD
Therefore, we have to develop the third quality as a sort of preparation for spiritual practice. What is that third point? That is, to consider one’s own self as an instrument in the hands of God. Unfortunately we come across people, even in an ashram, even in a spiritual centre, highly boastful, always getting involved in self-praise. In spiritual organisations, two things happen -- self-praise and condemning others. My friends, all things happen as per His design; you have no freedom to do otherwise. You are only an instrument.
As the steering of the car is controlled by the driver, the wheels will have no choice other than to move. When the brake is applied, wheels have no choice other than to stop. When the lights are switched on, the lights have no other choice other than to shed light. Therefore my friends, we should develop this attitude – that we are instruments in the hands of God.
Having understood the second point, that things happen according to His design, it helps me develop the spirit of preparedness to receive whatever is at hand. When I develop the spirit that I am His instrument, I will develop the spirit of equanimity and balance. Equanimity and balance we develop when we consider ourselves as instruments.
Even in the organisation, we come across some of our friends who say, “Earlier, Anil Kumar, there was no activity. All these activities are being done ever since I assumed office.”
I say, “Congratulations. If some other person would have been there, things would have been much better.” (Laughter)
NO ONE IS INDISPENSABLE
My experience is this, my friends. Please be convinced in Sathya Sai organisation, either here or elsewhere, rural, urban, national or international, service activity or educational activity, spiritual activity or no activity whatever, this is the rule. One has to learn it out of hard experience. What is the rule? No one is indispensable. No one is indispensable. If you think you are important, you will be replaced by a better man. Because Bhagavan, the excellent manager, the manager without an MBA qualification, is the Master Manager! How He replaces people, we do not know.
When you are fully prepared, He will never look at you because you are prepared. (Laughter) The other man will be picked up who is unprepared. Then He will make that man who is unprepared perform much better than the person who came with full preparation. Please believe me -- out of experience, I am telling you. Bhagavan will make anything, anywhere, anytime. He can make a person without preparation speak eloquently. He can make a person with adequate preparation silent or an utter flop or failure. There are many such instances.
TO KNOW THAT ONE IS AN INSTRUMENT – AN EXAMPLE
A very famous poet happened to be here in Prashanti Nilayam, a very famous poet of Andhra Pradesh. His name is known to everybody -- a great scholar by the name of Karunashri. His poems are very popular. He came here for the first time. He is a very popular man. I was lucky enough to have been his student.
He got up, ready to speak. He could not start. He couldn’t make a beginning. His voice gave him trouble. “Ah, ah, ah, Swami, Swami…” (Laughter) Till then, he was all right; but then the Master Driver must have applied His break! (Laughter) Stop! He couldn’t speak.
Then Swami got up and adjusted His tone. “Mmm, now start.”
He could say, “Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.” (Applause) And then he said, “Look here, I could not speak until He said, ‘You speak now.’” (Laughter)
That is the reason why, even though people are called on to the dais to speak, they don’t start until He says, “Come on, you start.” If they start without that signal, it is something like a train that passes off the railway track without the signal, finding its name on the front page of the next day’s newspaper. (Laughter) We have to wait for the signal, the Divine signal, because then He permits nice ‘take-offs’, else there is ‘no return’. (Laughter)
These things happen. Why? Many times, many times I have seen and been a victim also. (Laughter) Yes, you may think that you have made the best speech ever and all the audience may appreciate it, but He will call you aside and point out certain mistakes, which you never realised were mistakes at all. I will give you one example, yes, my own example…why others? (Laughter)
During one talk I gave, I just mentioned a miracle in the presence of Swami. It was an instance of a girl who had heart problems. She was very weak, very thin, living here in Prashanti Nilayam, married to a person working in the bookstall. They are here now. That was why, because of great certainty, I was speaking so firmly. I can show them to you right now. That girl was so thin, almost a skeleton. Why almost a skeleton? You didn’t need an x-ray to see her bones! (Laughter) That girl had heart problems.
She was admitted to the Super Speciality Hospital and her parents were here sitting in the darshan line on the day of the operation. They were crying because nobody would be allowed to go into the operation theatre. So the girl was proceeding to the operation theatre, while the parents sat here for bhajans. They were crying. Swami passed by that line. Her mother was crying loudly.
Swami said, “What happened?”
She replied, “Swami, daughter’s operation.”
And Swami replied, “Aha, ha. Nothing. Don’t worry.”
The mother said, “Nothing? It is nothing for You, but something important to me.”
Swami said, “Ahh.”
So after bhajans, the couple were proceeding to the hospital, expecting to see their daughter on a bed after surgery. But surprisingly enough, they saw their daughter returning from the hospital in an auto rickshaw! (Laughter)
They said, “What is wrong with you?”
She replied, “Daddy, the doctor said it was not necessary. Therefore, I came.”
I will show you the couple here my friends. The surgery was not necessary. Before they actually started, they made all the tests and concluded, “It is not necessary. Go home.”
This miracle I mentioned in the presence of Swami, telling her name, her husband’s details, and their house number, and so on (because with Swami, you cannot take any spiritual risk or you will be in Divine danger!). (Laughter) So I told this, and all the people said, “Ah-ha.” There were claps and cheers and what not because, as devotees, we are happy to hear such miracles. We are very happy to hear of such experiences.
At the end of the talk, all had dispersed and Swami said, “Come here.”
I went close to Him. He said, “Your talk was not nice.”
Then I thought that I was very clever, so I said, “Swami, my talk was not for You. (Laughter) My talk was for the devotees. They clapped and cheered, I could hear it. So, it was successful.“ (Laughter)
And then Swami…see the human cleverness and the Divine management, just contradictory. Then Swami said, “Yes, yes. They clapped but...”
“Ah Swami, what?”
“There may be some people in the audience, many, many people in the audience, some or many who may think this way.”
“Swami, what way?”
“You mentioned that miracle.”
“Ah! Yes, I am responsible. I gave all the details, Swami.”
“It is all right. But there may be some people who think like this.”
“Like what, Swami?”
“They may think, ‘How is it that doctors admitted that girl before? How is it that they asked her to leave the operation theatre now? It only means that the doctors did not diagnose her properly. The doctors did not diagnose properly. So they have been mistaken. They admitted her in the beginning and later sent her away. So there are useless doctors there in Swami’s hospital.’ (Laughter) That will be the conclusion they would draw. Why have you made it appear like that?”
Then I say, “Swami, I am sure the entire assembly consists of Swami’s devotees. I don’t think anybody would question the miracle I mentioned, as I gave all the minute test details.”
He replied, “If two fellows here think like I mentioned, they will tell a hundred fellows each. And those hundred will inform thousands of fellows each. So the whole thing (reputation of the doctors) is gone. You should not take that chance.”
“Oh, I see.”
Then I thought, ‘Swami, this is Your management (Laughter). Normally every time it happens, when many people speak of their experiences, You never made any comment. So why did You make this comment now?’ (Laughter)
In fact, there was a person who was mentioning his travels to heaven and all that. “Swami has taken me to Kailasa, to Vaikuntha, heaven, and all that.” Swami could hear all that…poor Bhagavan (Laughter). At that time, fellows like me used to feel, ‘Swami, this fellow says that You have taken him to paradise. Our prayer is this: better You drop him there. (Laughter) Why did You bring him back?’
‘Swami, when You could hear all those miracles and all that, yet when I give all the details, how is it the same?’ Then I could understand within myself why the Divine Manager decided to cut me to size. He decided to cut me to size. He has decided to see that I would not be ‘in the air’. Therefore my friends, we may have to learn in a hard way if we do not realise the truth initially.
So the third requirement is: Know that one is an instrument.
I will give you one more example: Swami was speaking about one gentleman. He is here now. I won’t mention his name. He is from the United States…a doctor. That much of a clue is enough (Laughter). Because I am afraid I may come forward with many more details that would put that gentleman to embarrassment.
Swami was telling, “You know, he is a doctor. He has given about one crore to our hospital. Every time he returns, he brings costly equipment and medicines.” He was speaking in praise of him. That doctor felt embarrassed.
“Swami, I have not given to You. I have not given to anybody. They are for our use. The medicines I brought to the hospital are for our use. The money given to the hospital is for our use. Nothing for You, Swami. I am grateful that You have accepted this. That is all. Don’t embarrass me, Swami.”
See that. Swami looked at me and said, “It will take hundreds of lives for ordinary people to speak like that.” To speak like that it is not an ordinary thing.
On some other day, He was mentioning, “This gentleman gave about 300 crores to the hospital; this gentleman, 150 crores to the hospital; another, 200 crores.”
The number of zeroes to a crore, I do not know as there is no need to know. I have got crores of fans, not crores of rupees! So I just kept quiet. But I felt badly. I had put on a serious face.
Then Swami said, “Why are you like that?”
“Bhagavan, when You say, ‘He gave 100 crores, 200 crores, and 300 crores’, what is it that I have given? I am only a non-gazetted government officer here. So what is that, Swami?”
Do you know what Bhagavan said? “They have given hundreds and hundreds of crores. Where are they staying? They are staying in the Carlton Hotel (in Kodaikanal) outside. But where are you? You are staying in My room! Swami does not think of money…understand this. Swami does not go by money. The people who gave hundreds of crores, about whom you are speaking, they are staying there in a hotel, while you are staying with Me here. Just to let you know, only to introduce them, I told you these details. That is all. Don’t think that money is important to Me. It is your heart that is important.”
So the bottom line, my friends, is to consider one’s own self as an effective instrument in the hands of the Divine.
FOURTH QUALIFICATION OF A SEEKER:
TO PROCEED IN OUR CHOSEN WAY
The fourth point as a preparation for spiritual sadhana is this: To go or proceed in our chosen way with our own procedure, as per our own religion, as per our own culture, as per our own tradition. Let us proceed in our own way. Spirituality is absolutely individual. What is good for you may not suit me.
Some people are ecstatic while doing bhajans. Some people are blissful in meditation. Some are joyful in service activities. So we have got different samskaras. We have got different temperaments. We have got different attitudes. Hence, the procedure or path that we follow to the Divine should be in accordance to our temperament, our attitude (our vasanas or samskaras in Sanskrit). If they do not tally, if they are not compatible, than all that we do is useless. Remember, a procedure that suits you may not suit me.
A simple example: There are some who do bhajans very well. But if they ask me to sing, what will happen? The whole Kulwant Hall will be empty (Laughter) because I am not fit for that. So if a singer is asked to participate in satsang, or speak about Swami, he has to talk within himself as he is unfit for that.
A steering wheel cannot be a headlight. The headlights cannot serve as brakes. The brakes, headlights, and steering wheel cannot serve as a horn. So each part has got its own function. In the same way, each person has got his own spiritual path and has got his own spiritual sadhana, according to his samskaras. The computer works, based on the software. Similarly, the past life samskaras are in the form of inner ‘software’. Based on this, the rest of things on the desktop operate, if my computer knowledge is correct.
Therefore, these are the four points, the four foremost qualifications of a seeker, which I wanted to share with you, as we get ourselves prepared for the happy occasion of Sivaratri.
REASON FOR SINGING HIS GLORY ON SIVARATRI
Sivaratri: SIV - ARA - TRI. S-I-V: numerologically, the three letters stand for five, four, and two. SIV +ARA+TRI: numerologically, the three stand for five, four, and two. 5 + 4 + 2 = 11. Eleven has a special significance. What is it?
In life, there are eleven rudras, what we call ekadasha. E–K-A-D-A-S-H-A means eleven. EKADASHA rudras, eleven rudras, which put us to suffering. Eleven rudras. One fellow is enough to finish us! Here there are eleven fellows…oh, I see. What should we do? Do some special pooja. Make some offering. That is what people say.
But our good God, the latest God, the latest Avatar, who speaks in a most scientific, rational, technological, reasonable, modern, ultra-modern fashion, what does He say about that? Ekadasha rudras are not persons staying in a foreign land. Ekadasha rudras are not somebody who is ready to pounce upon you. Ekadasha rudras are these: The first category has five. The next category has five. The last category has one. What are they?
1. Karmendriyas - the five senses of action 5
2. Jnanendriyas - the five senses of perception 5 + 5 = 10
3. One mind - 5 + 5 + 1 = 11
These are the rudras that will put you to suffering. So, rudras are not going to come from any other planet. Ekadasha rudras, the eleven rudras that put you to suffering, can be pleased, can be silenced, can be made powerless, can be made ineffective, and can be made passive by spending the whole night of Sivaratri in singing His glory. Then, when we sing His glory throughout the night, when we keep vigil, awake, the effect is that they will be nothing; they will be nullified. So it is important to understand that these ekadasha rudras will be nullified by association with this Sivaratri celebration.
WHERE DOES SHIVA DANCE?
Another point that I want to bring to your attention is this: Shiva is a Master Dancer, for your information. A Master Dancer, Nataraj, Master Dancer. The dance of Shiva, a dance celestial, is called Shiva Thandava. Shiva Thandava is the cosmic dance, the dance celestial where Lord Shiva dances. Yes.
“Where does He dance? Let me go and see. Shiva dances on the mountain range of the Himalayas? Oh I see. Then I will buy tickets and go to the Himalayas to see Shiva’s cosmic dance because I am tired of human dances. So let me see that dance.”
No, my friends. Shiva Thandava, the cosmic dance of Shiva, as He does on the Himalayan mountain range, has got special significance. Don’t get tired of me if I repeat once again something that has drawn me to Swami. Hold on to Him firmly. It is His message which is novel, unique, profound, and applicable to modern space sciences, applicable to the computer age. So you cannot go by an age-old bullock cart or cow dung interpretation. No more. Swami gives you the latest interpretation in such a way that you get convinced that such an event can be applied to your life here and now. So what does He say about the Shiva Thandava, the cosmic dance?
The Himalayan range of mountains is not separately located along the border of India, as you find on the map of India. The Himalayan range of mountains is your heart. Your heart symbolises the Himalayan range of mountains. ‘Oh, my heart is the Himalayan range of mountains?’ Yes. Why not? ‘How is it I do not know?’ I do not know because my heart is hot. Why is it hot? Because of jealousy, envy, pride and grudges -- all dirty stuff. My heart has got to be cool. My heart has got to be wide like the Himalayas. As the Himalayas are wide, my heart should be so clear, pure, calm, soft, and sweet. Thus, my heart being so sweet, soft, cool and calm, it naturally symbolises the Himalayan range of mountains. Then God Shiva dances on the mountains of my heart. That is Shiva Thandava. So Sivaratri has got this message with reference to Siva Thandava, His dancing on the human heart. That is what Bhagavan says.
REASON FOR THE BLUE COMPLEXION OF SHIVA
Lord Shiva has one name known as Digambara: D-I-G-A-M-B-A-R-A. God gives us a beautiful interpretation of the blue body of Shiva. Is there any person who has a blue complexion? Nobody, unless they are finished! (Laughter) A blue complexion. Why? Sky is blue. Sea is blue, and earth from a long distance is blue. Fire, in its highest temperature in a furnace, is blue. The whole creation is blue, in the fullness of its intensity. Therefore, God is blue in colour.
I don’t think that anybody could love anyone who is blue in colour. ‘No, no, sorry. Thank you anyway, even if you are God. Ok, be Yourself.’ We cannot love Him. But the blue colour of God symbolises nature. The earth, the fire, and the sky are all blue. So, the blue-coloured Shiva, representing nature, the Creator of creation, dances on the mountain range of the Himalayas of the human heart. His name is Digambara.
The ordinary meaning of digambara is ‘naked’. But Baba gives some other meaning: dig – the directions; ambara - the umbrella, the sky. So dig means the four poles or directions, plus ambara means the sky all over. Thus it means that He is the vast expanse of this universe. The vast expanse of this universe (ambara) and all the directions (dig) are His garments, the dress He puts on. That is the meaning of Shiva Thandava, and that is the meaning of Digambara.
THE MEANING OF THREE-EYED SHIVA
Shiva has three eyes – trenetra, meaning ‘three-eyed’. Can you look at any person with three eyes? We are not able to bear two eyes and looks! Some people look at us like that. Then we feel like running away from them! What about three eyes? That third eye is fire. Thank God, He does not open it. He doesn’t open it in a normal way. Shiva is trenetranja trenetra, three-eyed God. What does it mean? Three eyes: Time is spread over the span of three periods - past, present and future - three netraya. There are three qualities - sathwic, rajasic and thamasic - pious nature, passionate nature, and inertia. There are three worlds, three lokas, three gunas, three attributes, three kalas, three periods of time, Trimurthis or the tri-union gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. So the Trinity, the three worlds, that is the three netras. Who will give this interpretation other than our most beloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba? Shiva has got a trident in His hand that represents all these three, as Swami has said.
SHIVA CONQUERED DEATH
Shiva has another name - Mruthanjaya. There in the Vedas we have the Mruthanjaya Sloka. Mruthanjaya means ‘the one who has conquered death’. Is it possible to conquer death? Shiva could conquer, but not me.
But Shiva has another name, Kamahari. K-A-M-A-H-A-R-I. Kamahari means ‘the one who has conquered desires’. If you conquer your desire, you will be Mruthanjaya; you will win over death. So, a desireless man is immortal. A desireless man will conquer death. How? Simple. Desire is responsible for action. Action gives consequences. And to face the consequences, we take human life. Because we are born, we die. It is a series. So these birth and death cycles happen because of initial desire. When the first point of desire is gone, there is no last point of death. So Kamahari, Shiva’s Name, the one who is desireless, is Mruthanjaya. He is the deathless; that is what Bhagavan says.
CRESCENT MOON ON HIS HEAD AND POISON IN THE NECK
Shiva has got a crescent moon on His head. Hence His Name, Chandrakaladara: He has got the moon. Oh! Hala hala dhara, there is poison here in the throat, with the moon on top of the head. Why not the reverse? Why not? Why not poison on the top and the moon here? No, no, no. The moon or moonlight will be given to everybody; it will be shared with everybody. But poison nobody is ready to take, so it is contained within, which sends forth a message: ‘My dear friend, share the joy with everybody, but contain the grief within you.’
People will not say how much profit they got in business; but if they have a terrible loss, they will stop all traffic and say, “You know the loss I had?” So what? How can I help you? No, no, no. All that is sad contain within yourself; and all that is bad keep it within you. So, hala hala poison means keep the poison inside. Neelakanta, the neck is blue because of hala hala, the poison. Keep it within yourself; but shed chandrakaladhara: spread the light to everybody. This is good. Sharing with everybody is auspicious; sharing with everybody benefits. So share with everybody. That is the message in this.
ORNAMENTS OF SHIVA
Shiva has beautiful ornaments as a necklace. What necklace? So many chains, where are they? He is full of snakes. Shiva has got so many snakes around His neck! What are they? Nagabarana, Nagabhushana: That is the decoration to Lord Shiva. What do they signify? They signify the beings, all creatures, the entire cosmos, the universe. All the creatures are represented by the snakes that He wears.
As we pray to Lord Shiva on Sivaratri, He gives you all that is precious in life, all that is auspicious in life. Therefore, He is called ‘Shankara’. Shan – ‘auspicious’ and kara – ‘giver’, the ‘giver of auspicious things’. He guarantees success. Therefore He is Subhankara – subam, ‘that which is good, that which is successful’. Karakara – ‘giver’. Prayer on Sivaratri is offering prayer for one’s own success. Praying to Shiva is a prayer for one’s own triumph, for one’s own victory. That is what it is.
WHY WATER ON THE HEAD?
Lord Shiva is Gangadhara. He has got Ganges water on His head. Why? Why water on the head? What does it mean? The water on the head represents the life principle. One can live without food, but one cannot live without water. So, Gangadhara, Halahaladhara, Chandrakaladhara, Kamahari, Mruthanjaya, Shiva Thandava, Nataraj, and Digambara, these are all the names of Lord Shiva, which have total application to our present day life.
GOD IS MALE AND FEMALE
The whole life is a combination of Shiva and Parvathi. Parvathi is the consort of Shiva. But Baba does not say they are Mr. Shiva and Mrs. Parvathi. No, no, no. Parvathi and Shiva represent matter and energy. Parvathi is matter. Parvathi is just the body. Shiva is the spirit. Shiva is the life. Shiva is the cosmic energy behind it. So matter + energy are Shivasakthi, who is Sri Sathya Sai Baba, for your information (Applause). Sri Sathya Sai Baba is Shivasakthi.
And not only is this body is combination of both masculinity and femininity. For functional purposes, I may call myself a man and you may call yourself a woman. But we are a combination of both woman and man psychologically. Why? Because the tenderness, softness, sweetness, receptivity, sensitivity, nectarine nature will speak of feminine qualities. The plainness, roughness (Laughter), (I will cut short the list, don’t worry), the courage, if at all it exists, all represent masculinity. So everyone is a combination of masculinity and femininity. That is what is Ardhanarishwari. Shiva’s Name is Ardhanarishwari.
Last night I was talking to our friends, devotees, in Telugu. One day it so happened in Kodaikanal. I saw on Swami’s foot there, a special thing that ladies wear. What do you call it? Which one? Paayal – anklets, something like that, the ladies wear that. Since I don’t wear them, I don’t know (Laughter). I saw that mark on His foot. The ladies wear that. I slowly lifted His garment and watched it clearly, because of one-to-one relationship, the Divine romance. Of course there were a few students, and I did not keep quiet. I lifted the other side of the garment, as I wanted to notice the right foot. I did not find any mark there.
Then I said, “Swami, what is this mark here? Why is it not there?”
He said, “Ladies wear that, don’t you know? That is a mark here.”
I said, “Oh I see. How about the jewel there? Have you lost it anywhere, Swami? It is plain.”
Then He said, “What nonsense you speak! God is Ardhanarishwari.”
Man and woman put together, that is Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in front of you. (Applause) So, a combination of both femininity and masculinity nature is Divinity. That is what I wanted to share with you this morning. Just two more points, because this will give you ample subject to think on.
MEANING OF BHAVANI
Swami made a mention of another name, Bhavanisankara. Bhavani is the mother aspect and Shankara is the fatherhood; so that usually means Ardhanarishwari. Just as we say Shivasakthiswaroopa, we also say Bhavanisankara. Swami gave a meaning like this: Bhavani means shrida, steadfastness; Shankara symbolises faith. So you should have these two, faith and sincerity of purpose. Sincerity of the purpose and total faith are there in these two names, Bhavanishankara
FIVE HEADS OF SHIVA
Bhagavan also said Shiva has five faces – panchaanana. Aanana means face; panch means five. Shiva has five heads. Oh, I see. What are those five heads? Can I look at a man with five heads? No, no, no. The five heads are the five elements. The five elements are the earth, fire, air, water, and ether. The five elements, panchaanana, that is the cosmic form.
SAI BABA IS SAMBASHIVA – HOW?
Finally, Sambashiva: Sa – is Divine, amba – cosmos. Shiva - supreme Purusha. So amba here is cosmos, the whole universe, meaning Shiva is the universal cosmic energy. Sa is Divine. Sambashiva = Sa+amba+Shiva. The Divine cosmos and the Divine energy is Sambashiva.
Our dear God, in the year 1972, gave us another formula: Sa + amba + Shiva = Sambashiva = Sa+ i + Baba = Sai Baba. Therefore, Sambashiva = Sai Baba. So, in Sai Baba, Sa is Divinity, ai is cosmos; Baba is energy. So Sai Baba = Sambashiva.
May that Sambashiva Sai Baba inspires us and helps us to see Him within; help us to reach Him; help us to ruminate and ponder over these thoughts, meditating on Him. May He help us to live in Constant Integrated Awareness. Thank you very much.
Professor Anil Kumar concluded his talk with the bhajan, “Om Shivaya Om Shivaya”.
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