“No More”
August 12th, 2007
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
I welcome you all to this morning’s study circle class. The topic is ‘No More’. Note the spelling is ‘No More’-- not ‘Know More’!
STOP THIS MANIA FOR POSITION AND MONEY
Man is very interested in possessing properties, attaining high positions and being recognised for his achievements. The result is that he is never satisfied, for no matter how high he rises; he wants to go higher and higher. This is a game without an end.
Positions, however high in rank, never give any kind of satisfaction. Our attempt to pursue happiness by having high positions is totally useless and in vain. We eventually find it tiring, boring, and taxing. Therefore, no more positions!
The moment we are free from positions, we find bliss. A position is an imposition and a duty. A ‘duty’ is impure, whereas ‘service’ is holy. Therefore, the duty I discharge while holding a position is like dirt, while the service I do without holding any position is joyful, rewarding, blissful and Divine. So we reach a stage when we say, “I am tired of positions; no more, thank you.”
If we ask a retired person, “Sir, what are you doing now? How do you spend your time? Have you accepted a position in a job or a private concern?”
He will answer, “I am spending my time – but not in any position. I am tired of that.”
The same thing happens with money: As we acquire more and more money, a time comes when we are asked for loans or favours by everyone who knows us. Even our children wait for father’s demise so they can inherit the property! Moreover, in trying to get more money, we are forced to do things that we read about in the newspapers – often, illegal, harmful or unrighteous acts.
People may say, “Money creates many things”; but Baba says, “Money brings many wrong things.” So no more money; enough is enough. We should stop this mania for position and money.
GIVE UP THE DESIRE FOR NAME AND FAME
We should also give up our desire for name and fame. There comes a day when there is no privacy; you cannot call out and draw attention to yourself, or go anywhere. You have become so famous that people run after you. They recognise you and say, “How are you, how are you?” But they are not at all concerned about how you are - they simply want to be close to you, that’s all. They want to get their things done because they are chummy with you.
Finally, you cry out, “Oh God, these people don’t leave me alone; I am tired of the crowd around me. Oh God, help me to have time by myself to meditate and enjoy the state of bliss.” And you will say: no more familiarities, no more acquaintances, or friendships.
Therefore, my friends, a time comes when we no longer want any more money or positions, acquaintances or friendships, or name and fame.
EXPRESSION IS KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE IS DIVINE
Similarly, we should say ‘no more’ to another matter that perhaps we have not considered before: We think that reading spiritual books, and listening to or giving lectures, is spirituality. It is not. I may give any number of talks, but I may not have any experience at all of what I speak.
I have been in the field of public-speaking since childhood; in fact, I would have had better marks if I had concentrated more on my studies! (Laughter) During my final exams, I used to attend inter-college and inter-university public-speaking competitions. Public-speaking had greater appeal for me than question papers and answer sheets! And that’s how some of my academic progress was sacrificed!
I’ll share with you what my father said to me about twenty-five years ago. After seeing all my public-speaking engagements, he said, “I want to warn you about one thing: Don’t be a spoon in life.”
I wondered what he meant. “Why do you warn me not to be a spoon?”
Then he said, “When you are a spoon, you give a spoonful of honey to everybody to taste. All enjoy the sweetness of honey, but the spoon does not know the taste.” (Laughter)
Similarly, you may be speaking about many spiritual topics and spiritual experiences, but just like the spoon, you will not enjoy the essence. Excessive talking and listening, as well as reading, can also become a vice or bad habit.
The point is we are under the false impression that speaking on spiritual topics may make us more religious, or create the impression that we are religious to others. But in our heart of hearts we do not have this religious experience. The depth of religiousness lies in experience, not in expression. Expression is knowledge, while experience is Divine. Therefore, we should pray to Swami to take us to that state where we experience more of Him rather than express or speak about Him.
Swami gives us an example: if you stand knee deep in water, you can talk; if you stand neck-deep in water, you can still speak. But if you are totally submerged in water, you cannot speak. Similarly, when you have only partial knowledge, you speak; when you are neck-deep in knowledge, you speak all the time. I am no exception! (Laughter) But once you are deeply immersed in knowledge, you don’t speak. That deep experience which is beyond expression is possible only if we continue with our sadhana or spiritual practice, and become the recipients of His munificent grace.
KNOWING MEANS LIVING
I want to drive home this point: ‘to know’ means ‘to live’. It does not mean to read, or to listen, or to take notes. To know does not mean broadcasting to others what you have read or heard.
Knowing means living. Without living what we know, we live a computer sort of a life. If knowledge were a guarantee of liberation or moksha, computers would be the first to reach heaven. (Laughter) The ‘Google’ search engine, in particular, would be the highest liberated soul in the universe since creation started, as it has all knowledge!
But it is not the ‘Google’ search knowledge projected on a monitor screen that matters. It is the search within, projected on the screen of my heart, that matters. Whatever little I read, I must experience and I must act. Experience is useful and fruitful along the spiritual path; knowledge is a burden.
KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO DOUBTS
You must have seen thousands upon thousands of villagers coming to Prashanti Nilayam. Most of them get seated in the back rows; but when they see Bhagavan, they shed tears of joy. And when Bhagavan distributes clothes to them, they are full of emotion and weep tears. On the other hand, most of us who are used to living here, cry for a different reason. “Why is Swami taking care of the other man and ignoring me?” (Laughter) Those innocent village people shed tears of joy, while we shed tears of envy and jealousy.
Especially those of us who are well-read are full of doubts. Perhaps ‘doubting Thomas’ had three PhD’s! So the ‘doubting Thomas’ desires are fulfilled in our lives by becoming highly educated. But knowledge leads to doubts. It is a heavy burden.
That does not mean I want all of you to burn your books or take away all of my books that I have at home! (Laughter) I have no space to move in my small apartment! There are books everywhere. (At least half of my life is spent searching for a book, not counting reading them!) (Laughter) There are Bhagavad Gita books (‘Song of God’ - an epic Hindu scripture), books on different subjects, books, books, books everywhere - not even one read! (Laughter) Like “Water, water, everywhere not a drop to drink!”
So what is happening? Is it the sight of the books that gives me joy? Is it the information that I read that gives me satisfaction? Does sharing all that I read give me bliss? No.
So let us read; but let us read in order to do. Let us ‘know’ to live that knowledge in our daily lives. Let us live to know - because most of us do not know how to live. With beautiful scenery, cool breezes, a good climate, good people around, and comfortable bank accounts, we are still unhappy! That means there is something basically wrong with us.
What we need is the reality of life, the existence of life as it is. Existence must be based on experiment or else existence loses its meaning. Existence does not mean reading volumes and volumes of books or collecting degrees. Existence means ‘to experiment’. What is the experiment to carry out in this existence, our life? Is the experiment the same as that done in science or physics? No. This experiment is to experience our reality. Existence, experimentation and experience are the three things we have to go into deeply. We need the experience of our true reality.
FEAR AND DOUBT
What is that reality? Where is it? What are the obstacles in our way?
The first obstacle is this: most of us are full of fear. There is the fear of future troubles, a fear of difficulties ahead; such are our fears and doubts. So we live our life in fear. We are afraid of our enemies. We are also afraid of our friends because they are like us, and so may end up being in competition with us for the same things we want.
For instance, perhaps my friend sits on the veranda, close to where I sit, near my group; so I push him away. (Laughter) He is my close friend – but not on the veranda! Oh, no, no, no! (Laughter) The veranda is my exclusive right! After the bhajans (devotional singing), we are friends; but during the bhajans, while on the veranda, we are not! We call them our friends, but they are only our friends depending on circumstances. So, we are not friendly towards our friends.
Then we are afraid of our ‘enemies’. Maybe they will report negatively on our sadhana (Laughter); then we would no longer sit on the veranda, or even be seen again in Prashanti Nilayam! (Laughter) So we feel anxious and apprehensive.
Obstacles and troubles, ‘ifs’ and ‘if nots’, make our lives miserable. Here is an example. On our way to Prashanti Nilayam, a doubt may arise about darshan this morning. (Laughter)
Somebody might reassure us, “Yes, Veda chanting has begun, so Swami is coming.”
But I am not happy because there is a second doubt: “Will Swami come to the men’s side or will He go to the bhajan hall straightaway?”
You may be told, “Yes, He is coming to the men’s side.”
But now a third doubt has entered: “Will He turn His head to where I am seated, or will He turn the other way? Or will He pretend to read a letter from somebody?” (Laughter)
Our God is a very fine actor, an actor-cum-director. He keeps reading a paper while in front of you. What is He doing? Letters, then a wedding card! What is He reading? Why? It is a Master’s technique!
“Will He look at me? Will He accept my letter?” Doubts continue to crop up. Just as on a hot summer day, house after house catches fire and is burnt to ashes, similarly doubts will burn our lives. Doubt is fire, doubt is hot; doubt is the worst of enemies.
That’s the reason why in the Bhagavad Gita it clearly says, “A man of doubt is sure to perish” Samshayatma Vinashyati. But we want to live longer! We are not in a hurry. We are not that frustrated or desperate! (Laughter) Why should we perish now?
Life will be free from fear only if we can be free from doubts. Fear of everything in life keeps us from enjoying reality. So what is the solution? The remedy is here: “Why fear when I am here?” We sing this song melodiously. We know the words, but we don’t have faith in them. Therefore, to be free from fear, the only way is to have total faith in God and in our existence. Total faith, loyalty and trust in the reality of life make us fearless.
There is no safety in bullet-proof cars, bullet-proof vests, or security guards - the all-powerful bullet will reach you. Why? Well, we know that Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her own body guard! He was supposed to guard her, but he killed her. So, no safeguards can free you from fear.
THE DUAL MIND IS THE CAUSE OF FEAR
What is the cause of fear? Why do we fear? The cause of fear is our dual mind. When things go well, I am still not completely happy. Why am I still unhappy? Because I am not sure about tomorrow; I might lose it all tomorrow. This type of mind is dual because in happy times, it thinks of unhappy moments. This means that we have no experience of complete happiness.
When Swami is in front of us, let us enjoy the Divine darshan totally. But we don’t do that because we think about our return journey, or we think of our program. (Will Swami accept our program tomorrow?) Or we wonder whether this is pizza day? (Laughter) Then afterwards, we are eager to run to the general stores. I see many people majestically walk into the Mandir (temple), but they run to the general stores. The stores seem to be a real Mandir for many people! (Laughter)
The mind is full of stores: it stores thoughts, it stores all evil tendencies and traits; agony and misery. The mind is dual - it stores; therefore we love stores. The Mandir is non-dual. The very appearance of Swami is non-dual and will bring you bliss. But the dual mind doesn’t enjoy the moment or allow you that full concentration.
Suppose I want to cry; then let me cry without restraint. But my prestige comes to my mind. What will the public think? So, I don’t plunge into sadness and cry and cry. I don’t jump for joy in happiness. I don’t dance full of ecstasy. Why don’t we encompass this whole reality of experience? We are full of fear. If the reason of my unhappiness is known to you, what will happen to my position? What will happen to my status, to my dignity? Therefore, a dual mind is the cause of fear.
ATTACHMENT TO THE BODY
I questioned one of my friends, who was a very strong man until recently. Now he has to walk with a walking stick.
I said, “What is wrong with you? Why do you have that walking stick?
He said, “Mr. Anil Kumar, it’s not that I am weak, it’s not that I need it either. But it gets me a special seat in the extra benches or on a chair.” (Laughter)
My friend, Mr. Mallikarjuna Rao, also used to say: “When people see me with a walking stick, they get up and offer their seat.” (The stick also avoids standing in a queue!) (Laughter)
Body attachment is why we talk this way. We don’t want to accept the reality of the walking stick . . . that we need it, that we will fall without it. People are very conscious of how they look.
There are some people who are fussy about their hair, even when walking along. I saw one boy combing his hair as he went along. I couldn’t resist teasing him and making a joke.
I said, “What are you doing? You look so much better with uncombed hair. (Laughter) That tiny bit of handsomeness you had, has gone!”
“Oh, is that so, sir?” he replied with concern.
“Yes, it is. You can judge for yourself.” (Laughter)
But it is not only our vanity that is a sign of attachment to the body. If we suffer from pain, it is important enough to make the international news! When we were at work, we were such a pain to many people. Those fellows prayed for our retirement because we harassed them so much. After retirement, the pain that we gave to them collected in our joints (Laughter). It is nothing but a reaction and reflection! (Laughter)
We have headaches because we were a pain to our colleagues! So we go to the doctor with our pain. He says, “You have to levitate – there is no cure.” (Laughter) So, the pain we gave to our colleagues was noted in the Divine register, and He is paying us nicely today. Why not? Let us enjoy this also.
WHEN THERE IS LOVE WITHIN YOU, YOU FIND LOVE AROUND YOU
Swami says, “When there is love within you, you will find the whole atmosphere full of love. People will come to you; they will love you.” When the fault lies in us, instead of correcting ourselves, we say: “No one comes to me.”
People love us because we love them. You should be a loving person. That lovingness draws everybody towards you. The recent International Youth Conference attracted a huge crowd as large as the Birthday Celebrations. Why? Attraction! Swami attracts people.
Yesterday the people thought that Swami was going out to the Conference Hall and ran in that direction. But our mischievous God in His car turned left. He didn’t indicate a left turn with His hand for us to see, but moved His finger so that the driver only would know. (Laughter) The driver needs to avoid running over the crowd, so the car goes in the opposite direction, and only the driver will know where! Swami makes sure we won’t see His instructions!
The final statement is: When there is love within you, you find love around you. If you are full of hatred, people will hate you. To quote Swami, “Everything is a reflection of the inner being.” As you love, you will be loved in turn. Therefore, our fears are caused by the lack of true love within us.
We do love, but it is conditional love: “I love you if you do as I say. I love you if you accept me, or if you give me a loan”, and so on. But when your love is transcendental, selfless, and beyond time and space, you will find the whole world around you is full of love. You will find the vibrations of love when you look at a flower. You will feel the warmth of love when you watch the sunrise or when a young child comes to you. Age is not a factor in love.
Some people, like our President of India, Abdul Kalam, are always surrounded by children. Yet he moved in the same circles as queens and world presidents. But you are the richest when you love everybody. If you say, “I love people who are at my level”, then you have not reached that level. A level or ranking is something others should bestow on you; it is not for you to declare.
The more loving you are (irrespective of other considerations such as language, colour, sex or age), the richer your life becomes. That is the secret of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Bhagavan is Love incarnate. He is Love walking on two feet. That’s the reason why the whole world is drawn towards Him.
So to be free from fear I have to understand that my own suspicion, my own apprehension, my own superimposition is responsible for my fears. Outer circumstances should not trouble me. That is the first point.
HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL
The second point is: how can we have an auspicious and successful life? Everyone wants this. Have you met anyone who says, “I want to be a failure”? Have you met anyone who says, “I want bad luck”? No.
We want and pray for auspicious moments. We want to be successful in every aspect of our life. What is it that we should do then? Well, what should a patient do to be free from sickness? He should undergo treatment to become healthy. What should a student do to get top honours? He should study. So, as spiritual seekers or religious aspirants, what should we do to have auspicious religious moments in our life?
Swami Vivekananda tells us clearly: fearlessness is the first thing we need in order to be successful in life. Bhagavan said, “If you worry as to whether you will be alive tomorrow, you cannot do anything. You will not go out from your house.” If you think, “Will I be safe if I go to the market?” “Will I be safe if I if I go to college?” you will never go to the market or to college. Therefore, fearlessness is the first condition or requirement to be happy in our life.
The second requirement is sacredness or sanctity in our heart. The heart has to be sacred for auspicious things to happen. If the heart is sacred, all auspicious things will follow naturally.
Here is a simple example: Bhagavan said, “From top to toe, I have no selfishness at all. I don’t hate anybody; I have no enemies. Not even a single hair of Mine has hatred or enmity towards anyone.” Therefore, the sacredness and sanctity within us is the solution for getting rid of hatred. This is the beginning for many auspicious things to occur in our life. It is the first step towards success.
SELF ACCEPTANCE
There are people who practice self-condemnation; but self condemnation is useless and cheap. You might ask someone to speak and they say to the audience, “Oh, I was a smoker, but I am no longer a smoker.” Or, “You don’t know how bad I was.” Well, it is enough if you know that and you are ashamed of your bad habits; why share them with us? They say, “I am the worst of sinners. I did bad things.” So what!
Self-condemnation, self-denial and self-negativity are as bad as self-aggrandisement, self-praise and self-glorification. So let us not condemn ourselves. Let us learn to accept, forgive, and respect ourselves. Then the world will forgive and respect us. We need to learn self-acceptance: accepting ourselves totally as we are. Let’s not try to be like someone else. In doing that, we will fail in the attempt and we will also fail ourselves. If I try to look and dress like a film actor, it looks very odd, and I lose the respect of others too.
So let us not try to be like someone else, however great, virtuous, or religious they may appear to be. You are who you are. If someone else is great, that won’t help you, nor will self-condemnation help you. “I am what I am, with all my merits and weaknesses, with all my positive and negative points.” This is one of the steps towards success.
SPIRITUAL SUCCESS
What is spiritual success? Success in this world, in your profession, career or family life, is as good as spiritual success. Religion is competence, efficiency, and ability. Therefore, let us understand that spiritual success and success in this world are not contradictory. They are not opposites. They are complementary, and go together as a composite. Success is what we call a ‘joint affair’. Success is not exclusive; it’s inclusive.
All this comes from Sai literature. Every point that Bhagavan makes is very interesting because He puts it in such a way that we can understand, assimilate and act upon it.
He says that we repose confidence in name and form. Our total faith is in man, but all our confidence and faith are misplaced. Trust and faith should be placed in God. If you have total faith in God, you will never be betrayed and never lose the game. You will succeed.
GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE
Here is an example given by Bhagavan in Sathya Sai Speaks: A king had a number of scholars in his court who used to recite their own compositions, much to the delight and amusement of the king. But the king had a special preference and liking for one scholar, and the other scholars were jealous of him. (Jealousy is not anything new. It has been around since the beginning of creation, increasing every day with extra fittings or baggage, such as hatred, enmity and vengeance.)
They said to him one day, “So, you think you are a great man? You think you are such a great scholar? Come on, let us enter into a debate and settle the matter.”
This scholar felt so badly that he said, “Sirs, I don’t want to compete with you. I don’t want to make arguments for a case. I submit; I failed.”
The other scholars did not keep quiet, “You give us that in writing that you have failed, so we can show it to the king.”
So this scholar wrote, ‘I failed in the debate. I could not plead or place counter arguments. I am defeated.’ He wrote this and put it in a sealed envelope.
The next day, the jealous scholars said, “Oh king, you think that man by your side is a great scholar? He has accepted defeat in a debate at our hands and has put it in writing that he lost.”
They opened this envelope and started reading the letter to the king, but God had revised what the scholar had written! Instead of admitting defeat, the letter proclaimed, ‘Oh king, all the scholars lost; I won the battle.’ (Laughter)
Even if others want to put you down, God will never allow that. Even if all others want to defeat you, God will be on your side. If God, our hero, is with us ‘zeroes’, we can never be put down, humiliated or put to shame.
YOU ARE NOT THE BODY AND YOU ARE NOT THE MIND.
Another mistake we make is that we think form and name are permanent. Even if I know I am not permanent, I am afraid my enemy may be permanent. Why should I think the body of my enemy is permanent?
In addition, I am not the mind, and my enemy also is not the mind. Elation, jubilation, humiliation, praise, insult, blame, shame, heavenly or meaningless experiences, each is just a passing cloud. They don’t affect you at all because you are not the body and you are not the mind.
These are things Bhagavan has pointed out to elevate our lives to sublime heights, to be peaceful with ourselves, to expect and enjoy many auspicious moments in our lifetime. Knowing these things, we can be successful in every endeavour, in every attempt.
DON’T BE IN A HURRY -- WAITING IS SPIRITUAL
Wherever I go, I appeal to my friends to go through the Sai literature analytically and apply the principles mentioned there to one’s own life. They are sure to see how one profits and benefits from the teachings.
But we want ready-made things. We want instant coffee, instant food and instant moksha (liberation)! There is no instant moksha.
As Baba has said, “You struggle hard for three years to get a degree. To get a post-graduate degree, you struggle for another five years. But you want instant moksha!”
We are in a hurry for everything and in the process we forget Sri Hari, God Himself. It is not hurry that is important; it is Sri Hari that is important. Therefore, let us be calm and peaceful, and enjoy life as it is.
WHY DO WE FAIL?
Having examined success, let us talk about failure. Why are we unsuccessful? What does Baba say about failure? (As a teacher, my job is to collect what He has said or written in context, and bring it to you.)
So, first of all, we have no tolerance, forbearance or patience. The absence of patience is one cause for our failure. For example, somebody (whom I won’t name because he is here and I want to survive the day!) said this to me, “Swami did not give darshan. I thought I would have His darshan this morning and be in the first row, too.” (Laughter) So you arrive here this morning at 8 A.M. and expect things to be done by 9 A.M.! There are people who have been waiting here for years and years.
We forget the fact that waiting is greater and higher than fulfilment! (Applause) A simple example: Let’s say you want to see a movie this evening. In the morning, you tell the family to get ready to go to the movie. In the evening, you spend time getting dressed as you will be meeting so many people there. The act of going to the movie keeps you engaged the entire morning, afternoon and evening. But after it all is over, the thrill, joy and excitement has gone. The fulfilment of your plan brought it all to an end.
WAITING IS SPIRITUAL
Waiting for God is greater than fulfilment, because waiting is prayer, meditation and contemplation. Such waiting is spiritual. Sages and saints waited for hundreds of years in the forest, just waiting and thinking of God, the same as we are doing in Kulwant Hall. We are all saints and sages in our humble way! (Laughter)
Let us not underestimate ourselves. Let us not condemn ourselves. Most devotees are here from 7 A.M. to 10 A.M. and again from 2 P.M. to 6 P.M. What more is expected of a devotee? Is this not meditation? Is this not sadhana? Waiting cross-legged for hours is not a joke – our berth in heaven is guaranteed! (Laughter) Joint pain is also guaranteed! (Laughter) And with pain, comes gain.
Moreover, most devotees are not permitted to take books or pens with them and they can’t talk loudly. So meditation is forced upon us; prayerfulness is regimented and enforced! There are people who travel to spiritual camps in the Alps and on Mount Abu so they can meditate; here we can’t but meditate.
Spending our time in the company of devotees is something we should aim for and we should always look forward to having that! People go to Honolulu, Kashmir or the Kulu Valley for good company. But that’s not necessary. Good company is freely given in Kulwant Hall (Laughter) How lucky we are!
Although I say this in a jovial way, I want all of you to remember that waiting for God is meditation. Thinking of God is contemplation. Talking about God is prayer.
WHATEVER IS HAPPENING IS DIVINE
So let us understand that whatever is happening to us is Divine. Whatever is happening in the spiritual or religious field is nothing to be vexed about and nothing to complain about; let us be happy about it.
Recently, three and a half thousand devotees came here from Karimnagar to see Swami. The Bal Vika (classes in human values) children did not get a chance to present their cultural program. But the teachers were crying more than the Bal Vika children. And as for their parents, I could not console them.
So I said to them, “You did not get the chance this time, but it will happen. Now you can improve upon your presentation, and also you get the opportunity to come again! Baba wants to see you again. If it happened now, you would say, “All right, see You again, Swami, when we have a family problem or a health problem.” (Laughter) He wants you to come back again happily with your cultural program, in a good mood. So this is not a cancellation; it is postponement. It is not a disappointment, but a state of promise, a hope for a better future.”
Therefore, my friends, whatever we do, whatever we face here, we should be tolerant and patient enough to accept it. The absence of patience is one reason for failure.
There are a few more points to make, but our time is up; so we shall think of it next week.
Thank you for your time and your gracious presence.
May Bhagavan bless you.
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