January 14th, 2007
“Sankranti Message”
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
SANKRANTI Greetings
Let me first of all greet you on the occasion of Sankranti. May Bhagavan shower His choicest blessings on each and every one of you. Sankranti is a very holy festival. Sankranti is also called Pongal.
Christians also observe in a different way a ‘harvest festival’ during the harvesting season. They also have a special festival to mark the return of the grain.
So, it is a festival or celebration of the harvesting season. It is a festival of joy; it is a festival of dance. It is a festival of gratitude and a festival of happiness. I wish all of you a Happy Sankranti.
Sankranti signifies Caring for all
It is also said that Sankranti is a festival when we think of our forefathers who are not with us any longer. We think of those forefathers with gratitude and shed a tear in loving memory of them. This is also the season when Emperor Bali started moving round all the streets of his kingdom. That’s the reason why, during this three day festival of Sankranti, the first day is called Bhogi.
On the first day of celebrating Sankranti, people decorate in front of their house. With the help of lime powder, they make nice decorations -- what is called muggu. They put some designs in front of the house, just as you find designs in the Mandir in front of Swami’s residence. One particular design put in front of every residence by the ladies is called ratha, meaning chariot. We decorate in front of the houses with the help of lime powder (or rice flour to be more correct), drawing some kind of designs. This chariot indicates that Emperor Bali is riding in his chariot, going round the streets, wishing everybody a happy Sankranti.
Rice flour is used to make the designs because rice flour is partaken by the ants. Therefore you are expressing your gratitude to your fellow beings, not necessarily only human beings. You are concerned for the ants. Therefore my friends, Sankranti marks the occasion of an expression of the rulers’ concern for the ruled.
Sankranti promotes a Feeling of universal oneness
The designs in front of the houses with the rice flour are an expression of concern for the tiny ants. We care for them, because we belong to the family of this universe. We cannot consider ourselves living in isolation. We are one family -- animals, birds, and ants -- all this is one organic family. Stars, rivers, forests and trees -- we all belong to one family. So Sankranti is an occasion to feel that we are all one family. It is an occasion of thanksgiving given to the ‘other’ members of this family, like ants or even seasons, because this is the harvest season. Therefore, this feeling of oneness with the entire universe is an expression of the Sankranti festival.
Unfortunately, man is a thankless creature; he is an ungrateful wretch. He is not happy with himself and he is not able to make others happy. My company is not giving any more happiness to people because I am not happy within myself. How can I be happy within myself if I have no gratitude? How can I be happy within myself if I am not thankful? How can I be happy with myself if I don’t feel one with the entire organic family of the universe?
Sankranti festival marks another event. As per Hindu mythology, this is an occasion when one of the Divine incarnations, Varaha -- God in the form the giant boar -- lifted, safeguarded and protected the Vedas against attack. The Vedas were attacked at that time by the demons or rakshasas. So the entire world and the Vedas were protected by Varaha. This is the occasion of Sankranti.
Sankranti MARKS THE BEGINNING OF UTTARAYANA
The next point (as per the almanac) is that this holy season begins from now on. It is not that one season is unholy and the other is holy; this is really not so. I am explaining now the significance of the festival. From this time begins a holy period that we call Uttarayana.
What do we mean by Uttarayana? Uttarayana means the sun is moving to the uttara or north. The sun moves towards the north. Why should he move towards the north? The sun moves towards the north. So why is that so auspicious? What is special about it, after all?
North or south doesn’t matter. Towards the north in India, we have the Himalayan Mountains. Himachala has got two words -- hima and achala. Hima means so white and pure, bright like ice. Achala is unwavering or unshakeable. So, ‘Himachala” means unshakeable, unwavering steadiness – achala, and hima, so pure, white and bright like ice.
So towards the north, we have the Himachala which sends the message to all of us that we have got to be cool, calm, so comforting and so understanding, so sweet. Our words should be so sweet and soft. The heart should be so cool and calm, like the bright ice. That is the hima part of it. The achala part of it means unshakeable. The heart should not be shaken by the slightest test of the world.
Since we are so poor, any simple thing disturbs us. If your friend doesn’t say “Hi” to you, you are disturbed. If a friend doesn’t behave in the way you want, you are agitated. This does not reflect a spiritual mind. A spiritual mind has to be non-dual, steady and firm. So, achala represents that firmness and steadiness.
So, the Sun god moving towards the north indicates that which is calm, that which is quiet, and that which is cool, steady, firm and immovable. So, Uttarayana that begins with Sankranti has got this message, which is to be conveyed to all of us.
noble souls attain heaven during Sankranti
One more point about those who leave this world by way of death during this period: As per mythology, as per Hindu beliefs, they will go to higher worlds, higher realms, paradise or heavens. Therefore noble souls, those having performed good deeds, wait to leave this world during this season.
One beautiful example that everyone knows is the life of Bhishmacharya. Bhishma is a character from the Mahabharata. He is a warrior, statesman, and man of wisdom and knowledge. He represents shantha bhakthi - the mode of devotion which stands for peace. Some modes of devotion are restless and expressive, but Bhishma represents the shantha bhakthi, the devotion of peace.
Bhishmacharya was lying on a bed of arrows. He waited for fifty-eight days (or even more) for this period to arrive, in order to leave his body at the correct time. Bhishma had a boon granted by his father that he could leave the body as and when he decided. Nobody could kill him; nobody could take away his life. Bhishma only could decide when to withdraw. So, Bhishmacharya was lying on that bed of arrows, waiting for this auspicious moment of Uttarayana to leave his body so that he could go to higher realms of consciousness, to the higher worlds. This, in brief, is the inner significance of all that is associated with the celebration of Sankranti.
Sankranti festivities and their significance
You will find that every house is decorated with bunting, with garlands, with mango leaves and all that. What does it mean? We can have plastic mango leaves just as you have plastic roses. But we don’t use those plastic mango leaves now. Why? The mango leaves that are tied up like a bunting at the entrance of every door, serve as anti-insects. They don’t permit insects to get in. This is a tradition that has got a point of health and hygiene behind it -- that’s what it is!
In front of the houses, the ladies put some cow dung balls. Balls made of cow dung are placed in front of the houses, and they also place them over the pumpkin flowers. They keep three cow dung balls, three. Why not four, why not one? Three cow dung balls -- what do they represent?
One represents the Go – the cow. Second represents Gopala – Krishna Himself, and the third represents Govardhana – the miracle, the Divinity of Krishna. So, the three cow dung balls represent the Divinity of Krishna, Krishna Himself and the cow. These cow dung balls are what we call gobbi.
Every ritual has got some significance behind it; but unfortunately, we brush it aside as rustic, outdated, rural -- unscientific practices. What is modernity? Hypertension, blood pressure, sugar problems, etc. (Laughter) So, what we consider as modern life is disease, ailments, tensions, worries and anxiety. That is modern life. But the life of the ancients was the life of all traditions. It was a life of social practices which are still followed today, in the interests of health and hygiene, as a mark of expression of gratitude to nature, to creation and to the Creator as well.
Sankranti is a time to BE blissful and thankful
During this season, we also find some people specially dressed, accompanied by a bull that is also decorated. The bull dances to a tune and is called Gangi. Gangi is specially decorated, and dances to a tune. The man, also specially dressed, will sing, and Gangi will dance in front of every house. The bulls are specially decorated because they are employed in the field for agriculture. We thank them and decorate them for the season, and those who offer, offer rice. This rice is given to them.
During this season, we also find rice, jaggery and til seeds are mixed and offered to the cows. This is also sprayed throughout the fields – jaggery, rice and til (sesame seeds), well-mixed. It is quite tasty also – the season’s special prasadam. This means that you are thankful to the cows that yield milk, you are thankful to the bulls that are useful for farming purpose. You are thankful to the holy land over which you put so many designs with rice flour, thanking Mother Earth. You thank everybody -- the grain, God, and the season, because you are comfortable. After all, you are healthy because of nature. Therefore Sankranti is a beautiful occasion.
Winter season, chilly weather and the wind that blows, bring smiles to all the faces and to newly married couples, visiting their families. The son-in-law is given an extra tumultuous welcome and reception. In-laws are presenting new clothes, children jump with joy, and every house will be filled with festivity and the joy that is Sankranti. Therefore my friends, let us smile, let us be happy, let us be blissful and let us be thankful.
Let us move towards the north, with its philosophical interpretation or spiritual dimension, where Himachala is located. Let us move with all our steadiness and be established in faith in God. We should maintain the cool calm in our hearts, the balance in our hearts, and not be agitated by any turbulence, worry or anxiety.
I pray on behalf of all those who have assembled here that Bhagavan should make this year of 2007 peaceful, happy, prosperous, healthy and -- a spiritual life of service. May Bhagavan be with you forever and ever.
God is beyond the mind
Now I would like to share with you a few points, especially collected for this occasion. We have two situations – one, the advent of Sankranti, and the second, the celebration of New Year, for the whole of this month. For the whole of this month, we celebrate the New Year. Taking advantage of both these events, I would like to share with you a few points.
Somebody once asked Ramana Maharshi, “Swami, what shall we do for liberation? What shall we do for nirvana? What shall we do to attain paradise or heaven?” What shall we do?
Ramana Maharshi said, “Don’t do.” (Laughter)
The question is: “What shall we do?” And the answer is: “Don’t do.” What do you mean by that? People were very much surprised. They didn’t have the guts to ask the Maharshi to explain. Maharshi’s answers were like that -- so straight, pinpointed, and full of humour, with all profundity of thought and depth of spiritual awareness.
Later, this man, who was totally confused with the answer of the Maharshi, decided to do one thing. (Laughter) He decided to at least ask those who could better understand the meaning of this statement and thereby interpret the statement. What did it mean? This man was about to go crazy and turn totally mad. “When I ask you, ‘What shall I do?’ you tell me, ‘Don’t do’.” What will happen to me, as I don’t understand this?
He asked somebody “Sir, what does it mean?”
The other gentleman, being in touch with Maharshi’s literature said, “Whatever you do is prompted by the mind. ‘I want to do that.’ This decision-making is prompted by the mind. The thought that has originated in the mind is translated into action. So, mind, thought and action -- whatever you do is an action, which comes out of the thought process that takes place in the mind. Actually, God is beyond the mind. So whatever you decide to do with the mind is non-spiritual.”
This is according to Ramana Maharshi; don’t pull my collar! (Laughter) Don’t think that I am interpreting this in my own way, with my idiosyncrasies or whims and fancies. I am not competent to say that.
Someone in the audience asked: “Can we follow the heart and not the mind?”
This is the position of “I”-ness. If “my” heart tells me, even then, “my” is still there. If it is heart or mind, ownership of “I”-ness is what is important. Whether it is heart or mind, when I say it is out of “my” love, then it is gone. If “my” heart tells “me”, then it is gone. So this “I”-ness is important, for the heart or the mind. Therefore, don’t do means whatever you do that is prompted by the mind cannot be spiritual.
WHAT IS SAMADHI?
Therefore my friends, let us be silent. Silent means not allowing any thought, not allowing the mind to function. This is the state when “I”-ness does not exist. How is that state possible? Is that a utopian concept? Is that a hallucination or imagination or an idea? Certainly not!
My friends, when we sleep every day -- when we are in deep sleep -- the mind is passive; the mind is silent. You are thoughtless in deep sleep. The thoughtless state, that deep sleep, is the experience of everybody. So, that thoughtless state which is experienced during deep sleep, if it is experienced in the waking state here and now, it is called samadhi. Samadhi is the state of bliss where the mind ceases and remains passive. It is the thoughtless state. That is the true silence.
We find some people silent, but their face seems noisy. They are silent, but their face is really not worth looking at as they are not peaceful or calm. The face is the index of the mind. The face itself indicates how peaceful the mind is. Therefore, let this year 2007 be a year of silence or no-mind state. It is not “know” mind state, but “no-mind” state. A state of silence, or thought-free-ness, is our goal in the year 2007.
DEVELOP THAT STATE OF SILENCE
If the mind is given a free hand, it wants to dominate. It wants some position like veranda in-charge, carpet in-charge, canteen in-charge -- pulling out, kicking out, and neck out in-charge. (Laughter) The mind brings havoc. We allow ourselves to be played with in the hands of the mind. That’s why we are unhappy. When a person doesn’t recognise you, you feel so bad. When he recognises you, you feel enriched – but it is all just your mind! Therefore, this craze for recognition, this craving for power, this attachment to positions, possessions and families is nothing but a game of the mind.
How can you say that? A mad man has no attachment; a fellow from the lunatic asylum, a mad fellow, has no attachment. He does not know what he is doing or what he is talking about. Similarly, if we are not attached, the stage when “I”-ness is no longer functional is the state of silence.
May the year 2007 help us to develop that state of silence, when the mind remains passive -- a time when “I”-ness does not exist any longer; where mind is doing nothing. That’s what Ramana Maharshi meant by, “Don’t do.”
A simple example: You see lawns and grass. What do you do about it? Nothing! It grows by itself, just watch. So by remaining silent, by not doing anything, you allow Divinity to be experienced. Divinity comes to our experience by silencing the mind, not by provoking the mind.
Live a life of totality
The next point which I want to share with you, which should be a guiding principle this year, is this: Let us go by our own experience -- by our own experience!
Somebody may question your faith, somebody may question your loyalty or somebody may question your integrity. Somebody may attribute motives to you. Don’t bother about it, because you are not living for anybody else.
Yesterday a friend was telling me, “What do others think?”
I told him, “Others don’t think of you at all!” (Laughter) You are not the Prime Minister or the President or a film star – Hollywood, Bollywood or Tollywood! (Laughter)
What do others think? Others don’t think of you; so to think of others is a sign of ego. It is ego that makes you think, “What do others feel about me? What do others think of me? What is their estimate of me?” It is the very crystallisation or precipitation of solid ego. Therefore, let us not go by others’ feelings. Let us go by our own reality, by our own experience, which is very important.
Actually speaking, certain things happen in our life. There are some changes in the body; there are changes in the mind; there is a transformation in our soul. How do they come about and how do they happen? Though someone maybe sick, yet we find that person joyful. Another one may be healthy, but have a sorrowful face. When one thinks only of his soul, unmindful of the universal soul, we don’t find any transformation. There is no evolution or growth in the lives of certain individuals because they don’t lead a total and complete life.
Therefore, may this year 2007 help us to live in totality -- a holistic, complete life, not a partial life. When we have this life of totality, there will be a change in the body, mind and soul. It is because we are partial that we are not able to transform ourselves.
We often say, “If Baba is God, let this happen.” This is not total; it is conditional. “If this happens, I will believe in God.” That is partial, not total. So long as we are partial, we cannot have any kind of evolution or advancement in our life.
Let our faith be total. Let our devotion be total. Let our loyalty be total and holistic, in order to observe within ourselves a sort of metamorphosis, a change, a transformation that will keep us peaceful and healthy.
let us have total Acceptance of God’s being
The third point I wish to bring to your attention is this: Some people go on interpreting Swami’s actions; some people go on quoting Swami’s words. Some say this way, while others say that way. Certain actions someone may interpret this way, and someone else in the opposite way. We find people giving so many interpretations. But I would like to submit my humble prayer to all of you (starting with myself).
Let us not be guided by the words of God nor by the actions of God. Let us not try to interpret. Let us have total acceptance of His being, acceptance of the being of Sathya Sai Baba -- not His actions or words, but total acceptance of His very being. By being I mean His Divinity, existence, sat. Being is sat or existence. Once you have total acceptance, when you agree with His being, you don’t bother about the rest of the things that people say and interpret.
It is because we have not learnt to accept the being of the master that we are confused. We are confused by the words that we hear, by the actions that we see, by the interpretations of devotees (which gives more confusion than the other two). Therefore, our common pursuit and goal should be to agree with His being, His Divinity, and not merely with His words and actions.
The next point I can also tell you, my friends, is that Bhagavan loves you unconditionally. Bhagavan loves you totally. He accepts you as you are. He has not laid down any conditions. He will not put any conditions on His Love, nor does He give any calendar date like, “I will love you until December, 2008.” His love is not time-bound; nor is it based on certain conditions like, “I love you only if you settle in Prashanti Nilayam.” No, He never says so. So His Love is total; it is not conditioned by time and space. Therefore, unless and until my devotion towards Him is total, I cannot receive His total Love.
There are some people who say, “I am not able to receive His Love. I am not able to receive His blessings, and I am not able to enjoy His benediction.” The only reason for this is that, while God is total, the devotee is partial. There can only be free movement from totality to totality, not from totality to partiality.
So let this 2007 help us to be total in our devotion, so that there will be a free exchange from totality to totality. Thus I can experience oneness with Divinity. This is our humble prayer.
Take responsibility for everything
The next reminder to all of us is this: “Let us take responsibility for everything.” Let us take responsibility, yes.
There are some people who say, “I am suffering from this problem. What is Baba doing about it?” Or, “I have not got my promotion; so, how does Baba help me?” Or, “The children have not come up in life. What is that Baba doing?” Or, “I am not hale and healthy; so, what is Baba doing about it? Is God on a vacation?” (Laughter) “Why does He not look at us now? Why does He not help me?”
These are the questions that bother us. Why do these questions arise? The root cause is because we don’t want to take any responsibility. Once you assume responsibility, once you say, “I am responsible for this”, you don’t question God any longer. It is only when you don’t want to take responsibility that you doubt God or you question God.
We want to throw the full responsibility onto God. I am corrupt; but for my suspension, I blame God. I don’t read and I fail. For my failure, I blame God. I don’t realise that this failure is because I am not being responsible. I am a failure because in this life, I have made wrong actions. We don’t own up to our responsibilities. Therefore my friends, let us own up to our responsibilities.
When you say, “I am responsible for this”, you can be free. You can be more firm and grow in faith. On the other hand, if you put the responsibility onto God and ask Him to account for all your failures, you will land in confusion.
We tend to be atheistic or agnostic in our approach. We have got to be mystical, not agnostic. When once you understand the mystical approach, the religious approach, you will be convinced that when I accept my responsibility, I enjoy freedom. When you don’t accept your responsibility, there is no freedom.
A simple example: I hand over all my responsibilities to you, and from tomorrow, you dictate the terms. “Anil Kumar, get up at 6 o’clock.”
“Sir, I can’t!”
“Nothing doing! Get up at 6!”
Since I have put you in charge of all my responsibilities, therefore you can dictate to me. This means that I have become your slave. So, the one who does not accept responsibility is, at best, a slave, not a devotee. So, if you want to be a slave, alright. Hand over the responsibility to somebody else. If life as a slave is comfortable, then be a slave for this lifetime.
So, what is true spirituality? It is this: The end of wisdom is liberation. The end of wisdom is freedom, not bondage or slavery. So if you want to be free, take the responsibility, own up to the responsibility. Don’t throw the blame on anybody. This is one thing that I also want to submit to you.
expectations lead to disappointments
My relationship with God has nothing to do with my expectations. If my relationship with God is full of expectations, I am bound to be frustrated someday or other because I expect Him to do this, or to act in that way.
Who are you to dictate to Him? The relationship between a disciple and the master, the relationship between a devotee and God, is not a relationship like those we talk about in the ordinary sense of the word ‘relationship’. It is not this type of ordinary relationship at all!
Relationship implies expectations. Any relationship has expectations. I have a relationship with someone because I want him to help me in some way or the other. I want him to meet my demands in some way or other.
So, relationships and expectations are inseparable. But the relationship between a devotee and God is not a relationship of this nature, as it is not bound by expectations. A simple example: I expect Swami to come at 3:30 in the afternoon. How can you decide the time? Or, I expect Swami to be here at 7:30 this morning. But there may not be darshan at all. So, don’t expect.
Having expectations will lead you to disappointments sometime or other. Even at the human level, a wife cannot expect everything from her husband throughout her career. That’s the reason why we find a mini-Korean war in every family. In every family, there is some kind of a mini-Korean war. Why? The husband expects, and the wife expects. But life is non-expectation. Expect the unexpected. “Love My Uncertainty.” Therefore, our relationship to God should not have anything to do with expectations. That’s what I really pray for and hope to achieve.
NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE
There is another thing we have to recognise, a basic factor that has to be borne in mind, particularly as we step into the New Year 2007. It is this: We humans want everything to be obtained freely. Anything that is free, I want.
There is an advertisement, “If you pay for one heart surgery, the next operation is free.” (Laughter) If you get the doctor to treat one fractured leg, the other leg fracture will be taken care of totally free of charge. It is free!
Therefore my friends, we have this weakness to run after things that are given freely. But nothing is free in this world. Baba gives this example: If you want to buy a handkerchief, you have to pay ten rupees to get it. If you don’t pay the ten rupees and take the kerchief, you are a thief. You will be punished. So in life, nothing is offered freely.
A mother delivers a child through labour pain. A student secures the first class grade after hard work. You get your salary on the first of every month, after working for 30 long days. Currency notes are not simply given to us freely.
Therefore, my friends, God has given us a mind to think with and an intellect to judge by, so that we will understand our true identity. Thus, we will understand our true nature. Only then we may be able to concentrate, contemplate, meditate, and enjoy the state of bliss.
Let us not run after things that are offered freely. There are some people who came with the advertisement: “This guru will grant you liberation at the rate of 250 rupees, within a week.” Within a week? Why does he need a whole week?
Like this, the true value of striving has been lost. Such advertisements for instant liberation are ridiculous, and turn those who participate in them into a laughing stock. We seem to have forgotten, or we don’t understand that one has to work for it! So, let me turn to God. Without turning towards Him, how do I experience Him? Therefore my friends, this is one more thing which I wanted to bring to your attention and share with you.
spirituality is an endless journey
Another point is this: We find some people frustrated, although they are living in an ashram. I pity them. I pray for them. If you are not happy here, where else can you be happy? If you are not joyful here, where else can you be joyful? If you cannot laugh wholeheartedly here, where else can you laugh? If you cannot smile here, can you ever smile in your lifetime?
Why are we not happy, being here? Why do some people always appear to be troubled? Why do people appear to be so serious? Why are some people living in tension and constant worry, even in an ashram?
I can understand it if I am worried in my hometown. But to come here, I travelled such a long distance and decided to settle here. Is it only to be worried? Is it worth it? Is it only to live in tension? It is useless! All the money is thrown down the drain if we do not know how to be blissful once we are here.
Why are we not blissful and happy here? Is it because we have got certain goals which are unreachable?
We have got certain goals which are unreachable. We don’t find our own worth. We don’t consider our own deservedness, the depth or intensity of our effort, the sincerity of our endeavour. But we want our goals and targets to be reached. We all know that our life is so small, but our goals are so big.
If you ask anybody, “How are you?” they may answer, “I am not able to experience Atma”.
You can tell him, “Take some time; do not worry. There is no hurry. Take your time; the aircraft is not going to leave, nor is it the time for the train to depart.” Take your own time, my friend. Let us be leisurely. Yes! Why not? Life is not a kind of race to be run; it is not a rat-race. So let us be leisurely.
A religious person must relax
Somebody defined religion like this: “Religion is relaxation!” Oho, I think religion is tension! No, no religion is relaxation! Relax, if you are truly religious!
We have created certain goals, and those goals are so unreachable. We are fear stricken, full of tension. After all, let us know religion has no goals. Spirituality has no goals, so there is every reason to be happy.
You say the maximum marks for this question paper is 100. If I get 60, I am 40 marks away from the goal. If I get 70, I am 30 marks away from the goal. Until I get 100, I have not reached the goal.
A simple example: Suppose I say, “There is no examination!”
“No examination?“
“Waah!” Tell our students that there is no examination, and they will hug you and give you big a banquet also! (Immediately after the Sports Meet, they have examinations there.) (Laughter) My friends, since we have got such targets and goals, we are worried. But religion has no goals; religion has no targets!
Some people also say, “Mr Anil Kumar, that level is different.” What level? (Laughter) There are no levels in spirituality. Therefore, let us understand that there are no goals here. It is a goal-less pilgrimage. Religion is a goal-less pilgrimage.
It is travelling from eternity to eternity — a continuous, endless journey. The journey won’t come to a halt; so why can’t we be happy? You are not going to get more marks than what I get. I am not going to get more marks than you. Both of us will get 100 marks, if there are any. In fact, there is no examination at all!
Therefore my friends, may the year 2007 at least give us this awareness that there are no goals, there are no targets. It is a continuous, endless journey. This makes us peaceful, content, gratified, and feeling grateful to God.
Celebrate the presence of Bhagavan
There is another point to which I wish to draw your attention -- a very important point. There are some people who have been visiting Prashanti Nilayam for the last twenty or thirty years, perhaps forty years.
Depending upon the service register, some say, “I am senior to you!”
“OK!” Please continue to maintain your seniority! (Laughter) Let the seniority be continued -- even to say ‘good-bye’ to this world! (Laughter)
My friends, those old timers, who make repeated visits to this place, express some feeling of dissatisfaction when you ask them how they are.
“Nowadays, Swami is not going round the devotees.”
“Oho?”
“In those days, He used to go around the devotees. Nowadays, He has also stopped giving padnamaskar. In those days, I got ten padnamaskars!” (Laughter)
He used to walk around; nowadays we have to be satisfied by car darshan – ‘CD’. Sometimes when we want to have Swami’s glimpse through car darshan, we will have ‘DD’ - driver darshan. (Laughter) So, ‘CD’ or ‘DD’ happens.
But one thing is advantageous! Earlier, people used to come and ask me, “Anil Kumar, would you help me sit in the front row?” Nobody is asking me now because, if they take front row, they will have tyre darshan – ‘TD’! (Laughter) So, first three rows = driver darshan, while first row, tyre darshan! (Laughter) If you take the fifth row or eighth row, you will have Swami’s darshan! (Laughter) So, somehow, my friends, we calculate things in this manner. People say, in the past it was like that and in the present it is like this. He is not talking; He is not giving interviews!
I want to share with you this beautiful thought: With every sunrise, the flowers blossom. The sun will not ask every flower, “Come on flower, open, open!” (Laughter) With every sunrise, the peacock spreads its feathers and dances. The sun will not go and say, “Peacock, here, will you please dance?” (Laughter)
With every sunrise, the whole of nature dances, and birds fly along, spreading their wings. Birds there in their nests, resting in the branches of trees, fly high when the sun rises. Flowers blossom in full, and peacocks dance. The sun will never tell every flower, every peacock, and every bird, “Come on, wake up! Here I am.” The very presence of the sun is enough for the whole world to celebrate and rejoice!
My friends, the very presence of Bhagavan should make all of us dance like peacocks. (Applause) His very presence should make us blossom like flowers! (Applause) The very presence of Swami is enough. He doesn’t have to come to each and every one of us. He doesn’t have to talk to each and every one of us or stand in front of us. He is like the sun, whose very presence makes the whole of creation celebrate. We can celebrate the presence of Bhagavan. In this year 2007, may we develop at least this kind of awareness and understanding.
don’t do -- JUST be
Then, what are we to do? Yes, flowers open, you said – good! Peacocks dance -- ok! Then what shall we do? As Ramana Maharshi said, “Don’t do!” (Laughter) When you don’t do, what is happening?
When you are doing, what is happening? When you do, what is happening? Will it be fulfilled or not? Will it happen or not? Yes or no? Duality continues! When you do, life is a matter of questions. “To be or not be” is the question, when you do.
When you don’t do, what will happen? When you don’t do, life is not a question. Life is an answer without a question. (Applause) Life is an answer without a question!
Therefore my friends, when I don’t do, I am receptive; I am sensitive. I am like a container turned towards the rain to collect the rain drops. When the container is kept like that, it can collect all the rain water. That is receptivity, sensitivity. Therefore, when I don’t do, I am more receptive. I am more sensitive to God, to receive His blessings.
May this year 2007 help us to be more receptive, more sensitive, turning towards Him without any expectation, so that the container of our heart will be filled to the brim with the joy and bliss of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
become egoless to experience god
We should also remember one thing. Some people have certain feelings: “Do you believe in God? Do you really believe in God?” (Oho, as if there are two -- believing and really believing!) (Laughter)
“I don’t think so!”
“How do you believe?”
“Why should I explain it to you? I am not accountable to you. I am not answerable to you. No!”
Why don’t you give freedom to the other man as much as you have freedom? Once you have put conditions, freedom is gone! Therefore my friends, why don’t we have that kind of love for God?
That sort of God, (individually I am speaking), that sort of God is egoless, without any ego. Unless I am egoless, I cannot experience the egoless Divinity. So, it is a travel from ego-ness to egolessness. When I am full of ego, how can I understand egoless God? Therefore, if I don’t experience His Love, let me understand that it is my ego that is not helping me. When I don’t experience Him totally, it is because of ego. Why? What will happen? God is egoless. Unless you are egoless, you cannot experience that egolessness of God. That’s one point that I want to share with you.
God helps you to grow in your being
I can put it this way. God is and I am not. What do I mean by “God is?”
He is His universal Self. I am not, meaning I am not at the level of universal Self, because I am still conditioned by the mind and body. So God is the universal Self, while I have not yet identified with the universal Self. God is not having an ego, while I am having an ego. Let us understand this. Therefore, once we understand this, we will be closer and closer to the Divine and we will be able to experience and enjoy Him.
Above all, what is most important is this: “What does Baba do?” What can He do? How can He help you? What is it that God or a Divine Master can do to anybody? He helps you to grow in your being! God helps you to grow in your being -- not professional, commercial, social, or political advancement or promotion.
Some people ask you when you arrive home, “What is it that Baba has given you?” You cannot say, “A gunny bag full of currency.” (Laughter) You cannot show him, “These are the rings, and these are the chains.” What for? No!
The Divine Master helps you to grow in your being - not social or political promotions or advancement of career! So, may this 2007 help us to know to what extent we are benefited by the Divine Master, who helps us grow in our own being! That’s the most important thing that I want to offer you.
When I don’t grow in my being, life is full of leaks. You have got a bucket of water. If the bucket is full of leaks or holes, the water drains out. Similarly, if I don’t grow in my being, whatever I have in my life, that will drain out. All that will be lost, and cannot continue for long.
Establish communion with god
Let me understand, my friends, it is the exchange of Love between me and my God. It has nothing to do with material things, nothing to do with any of the advantages that I think of in this lifetime. What should happen?
My friends, with this note, I wish to conclude: Gone are the days when Swami used to speak to everybody. Gone are the days when many, many people got interviews. Until now, we had the days of communication -- oral, verbal, by word and by speech. So the days of communication have come to an end, almost, unless people want that.
The true expression, the true manifestation, the real philosophy is not merely to establish communication, but to establish communion with God. Let us have communion with God, not communication with God.
Communication is duality. You communicate to me and I communicate to you, while communion is oneness with God. Therefore, let us pray to establish this kind of holy communion with God, not merely crave for communication (which is a matter of exhibition, publicity and ego fulfilment). Let us not run after these things any longer.
I thank you very much for following the lecture in rapt attention. I pray to Baba to repeatedly bless you, as we are going to celebrate holy Sankranti tomorrow morning in the Divine Presence. May Bhagavan be with you forever and ever! Sai Ram.
Anil Kumar concluded his talk by chanting the bhajan, “Jaya Ho, Jaya Ho Gopalana.”
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