“UGADI”
April 6, 2008
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We are extremely thankful to Swami for making it possible to meet this morning. Tomorrow happens to be Ugadi, which is New Year’s Day for Telugu people. It may surprise you to know that here in India every area has its own celebration of the New Year. Some follow the lunar system; some follow the solar system. Tomorrow happens to be the New Year for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. On the 14th of April it is New Year for Tamils and Keralites. Sri Rama Navami, Lord Rama’s birthday, falls on the same day: three-in-one, a package deal this year! Like a tape recorder, CD cassette and radio player unit, three-in-one! Each New Year is also given a name.
It is also very interesting that the name of the New Year which we celebrate tomorrow is Sarva Dhaari. Sarva Dhaari—Dhaari means everything: cosmos, universe. Dhaari means the One who has taken upon Himself the whole universe, meaning a Universal Form; a Cosmic Form. Can we imagine the cosmic personality? Can we imagine the universal personality? If we are going to name this universal cosmic form, we can only call it God. God alone can be universal. God alone can be cosmic. Sarva Dhaari is the name of God.
Every year has a name that reflects some attribute or quality of Divinity. The years are not simply named. Every name has a specific meaning. The year we are now completing is Sarva Jit: Sarva, everything; Jit, the One who has conquered. Who can conquer everything? We can’t conquer anything, not even the members of our family! Impossible! Alexander the Great was certainly not successful. He might have conquered the whole world, but I don’t think he ever won over his family; his mother gave him endless problems her entire life! So, Sarva Jit, the One who has conquered everything, won over everything; the Master of the Universe, the Master of the Cosmos. Who could this be, other than God?
Say good bye to Sarva Jit and invite Sarva Dhaari tomorrow morning. It is in this context, I welcome you all to this session.
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
My friends, let us look at this New Year from a different angle. Every year we make New Year resolutions, decisions and promises; and every year, we find that none of them are implemented. Every New Year we make a decision to do this or that. We have to wait for the next year to review whether or not we achieved our resolutions. It doesn’t mean I should be frustrated or disappointed were I not able to implement my resolution. No, it doesn’t matter. I will do what I resolved from now on. It doesn’t matter; I will do it from tomorrow because I have a sincere feeling, so I will do it. I have commitments to adopt.
Come tomorrow, I still can’t do it. This matter calls for sympathy, not condemnation. Let us try to understand clearly what we want to do. Let it be slow to take shape; let it not be rushed. How to do it? First we must understand our evolution into spiritual consciousness.
MATTER TO MAN
There are two stages in this organic world. The first stage is matter evolving into plants; plants evolving into animal and animal evolving into man. I want to bring to your attention my first point: matter has no consciousness or awareness. Plants are little better than stones, animals are better than plants, while man has got all consciousness in him. So this first stage ends with man. Stone, plant, animal, man; this is the evolution.
This awareness or consciousness goes on revealing itself more and more from one stage to the next. I term the first stage ‘unconscious evolution’. Plants do not know that they evolve into animals. Animals do not know that they evolve into man. It takes place unconsciously so it is called unconscious evolution.
UNCONSCIOUS EVOLUTION
Second point: this unconscious evolution takes place automatically, naturally, effortlessly. No plant does sadhana to become an animal. No animal meditates to become man. No stone does any bhajan to become a plant. Effortlessly, mechanically, automatically, naturally, unconsciously matter evolves into man. This is called unconscious evolution. This stops with man.
Then comes the second step, what we call ‘conscious evolution’. We have reached that state. The first step is over. We should now evolve; man should evolve. Evolve into what? For what? What are we going to become? My friends, in unconscious evolution, the animal has become man. In conscious evolution man is not going to become; he realises his being. It is about being, not becoming. Unconscious evolution is becoming and conscious evolution is being. Man realises his being; he is not going to become. He understands what he is already; therefore he is not going to become.
He already IS… this is being, this is conscious evolution. Being means the Self, the spirit, consciousness, the soul—whatever you may call it. If I want to know my being, my soul, I should make some effort. I should determine to find out. It is not an automatic process; it is not a mechanical process. It is not a natural, instinctive process. Achieving conscious evolution requires effort and determination.
CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION
My friends, this New Year, Sarva Dhaari should prepare all of us to experience the state of being and cease our aim of becoming. Becoming is tiresome, boring; becoming is relative, repetitive; becoming is competitive, comparative; becoming is temporary. When you become a state minister, a time comes when you are no longer that. When you become a minister, after five years, out! (Laughter) When you become a tax collector, after retirement, out! So becoming is a temporary phase that is not permanent. Where there is trouble and competition, that is becoming.
To know my own being, what I already am, I don’t need to struggle to know that. I don’t need to fight; I don’t need to compete. I don’t need to seek the favour of anybody. I should know myself. I should know my own reality. I should know the centre of my life. I should know the Self, my being, my soul. This is called conscious evolution.
By knowing your being, what do you get? You get that which you will not get by becoming. By becoming, you will not get being. By becoming, you think you are comfortable; you are promoted to a higher post. There you will be followed by competitors, rivals, enemies, nay-sayers, petition-mongers and members of the opposition. You become arrogant, full of ego. Finished. By becoming, you also lose your basic good qualities. Some people, when they become superior officers, forget their neighbours. They behave as strangers with their relatives. It goes to their head.
Becoming is related to the head; being is of the heart. Being is of the Self. Therefore becoming will make you egoistic; becoming will make you proud. Becoming may lead you to unbecoming after some time. Whereas with being, you are, you were, you will be . . . timeless, changeless, eternal. So to know that being, then, now, and forever, that is conscious evolution.
In spirituality, there are no promises. Please understand this. There are no promises. If you are spiritual, you are going to get three flats in Bombay. If you are highly religious, you are going to have two lakh rupees. If you are highly spiritual, you can become a minister. No, no, no! Spirituality is not an achievement. Spirituality is not an attainment. Spirituality is the experience of being that which you already are. Therefore, in spirituality we don’t look forward.
During my talks, some people ask me, “What will I get tomorrow as a result of listening to your talk? What spiritual benefit will I get?” When they say, “Sai Ram!” they may actually be thinking, “What merit will accrue to me as a result of listening to this talk?” In other words, “What’s in this for me? How do I exploit this? How do I make use of you?” This is the problem of becoming.
Being has nothing to do with tomorrow. Being is not a promise. Being is not a hoax. You are not going to get nor are you going to lose because you are already being. Everyone has at the centre of their life that which is called being.
Therefore my friends, may this New Year, Sarva Dhaari, help us to realise our true identity, the true reality of our being. Let us forget this illness-causing activity which we call becoming. Becoming is the cause for blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension and finally hospitalisation. You become a minister or you become a rich man, then you become a patient. Becoming ends in hospitalization; but being ends in bliss, in a state of bliss. Therefore this Sarva Dhaari should help us achieve that state.
This stage of conscious evolution, of being, of knowing the inner reality of our nature is totally individual. Please understand this. “Sir, I am the convener of our samithi, where all of us realise our being.” Nonsense! “I am trying to be the president of the Sai centre.” O.K. Be the president. But that cannot be preferential to one’s own being. Impossible. Spirituality is a lonely path; it is not a collective path. It is not a market; it is an individual path. It is an individual effort.
“Sir! Why, in the Sai organisation, are the presidents or conveners competing with each other?” There is competition for bhajan singing; there is terrible competition for service; and for front row in darshan or a seat on the veranda, it is their very struggle for existence. Why do we have all these competitions and struggles?” It is because we are under the false impression that we can evolve collectively in spirituality. This is impossible! Evolution is possible in spirituality when we work at the individual level. That is what the Bhagavad Gita says: Uddhare Atma Atmanam: “You have to work for your own liberation.”
Bhagavan gives beautiful examples. If you are hungry, shall I eat on your behalf and say, “Thank you . . . you may now go home”? The thing is, how can I eat on your behalf? Suppose I have a fever. Are you going to take the injection on my behalf? No. So you have to take the medicine for your own sickness. You have to eat for your own appetite. Nobody can represent you. No democracy will help you. No exercise of franchise or election will help you. You have to work it out for yourself. This is why spirituality is a lonely path. Spirituality is totally individual.
Why then do we have this Sai organisation? To encourage each other. Instead of being in the company of useless people, instead of being in the company of some goondas (bad fellows), it is better to be in good company. In that way we can encourage each other, support each other, think together and influence each other in a positive direction. That is the purpose of the organisation. However, realisation of being is totally individual and never collective. That is what I want to bring to your attention. So Sarva Dhaari, the New Year, should be our golden opportunity. We must work hard to know our being. We must forget becoming.
RELIGION IS RELAXATION
Sarva Dhaari should also help us to understand that this being is realised at the individual level only and not collectively. We should also understand that religion is relaxation. Many people are tense in temples. Watch their faces; they have a grim face as if there is some calamity, some tragedy, or some variety of severe stomach-ache. Or maybe some feel they are back in the law courts, that they are going to be imprisoned the next morning. But they are in a bhajan hall!
Though man is in the field of religion, though man is in a temple, in a church, in a mosque, in a gurudwara, he is behaving very seriously. What a foolish fellow! What is this? In order to be serious, you need not come to Puttaparthi. We can be serious at home. Why make all this expenditure and travel, and suffer from mosquito bites here? (Laughter) No. My friends, spirituality is relaxation; you don’t have to be in a state of tension. You don’t have to be in expectation; you don’t have to live with a feeling of uncertainty.
SPIRITUALITY IS NOT EXPECTATION
Let us understand this point about expectations. “I expect Baba to call me.” Oh! I see. “I expect Swami to at least to give me a ring.” Good. “I expect that I will merge in His Lotus Feet.” This is not at all spiritual. Why? Because spirituality is not having expectations. Why? Expectation is futuristic. Expectation relates to the future, expecting something to happen later. But religion is here now. Spirituality is here now. Spirituality is here-now, not tomorrow-there. Here and now is spiritual life.
This is a spiritual matter. How can you have expectation for what is here and now? There is no expectation. There is no tension. Spirituality is non-tension. Why? You develop tension when you are thinking that “I may get” or “I may not get”; “I may be there” or “I may not be there”; “I may be able to catch my next flight”, “I may not be able to catch my next flight.” “I may be able to catch the connecting flight or I may not.” This is tension. But in spirituality there is no tension, no connecting flights. No direct flights. You don’t have to go anywhere!
There is no place; there is no time factor. You are already a spiritual being. When you are, where is the question of time? Where is the question of distance? Where is the question of tension? When I am experiencing tension it is only a mental disturbance. When I am in expectation, it is only anticipation of psychological gain. If I expect fulfilment of a promise, it is only the nature of the mind. The New Year, Sarva Dhaari, helps us to know this. I should be relaxed; I don’t need to have tension. I don’t need to have any expectations. I don’t need to worry because I am already in that state of being. I am (already) That, not “I am going to be.”
SPIRITUALITY – OWNING RESPONSIBILITY
The next point is this. In this effort of knowing and experiencing my being, what I need to do is develop the quality of responsibility. My friends, I am very sorry to say that in spirituality we must own the responsibility. “Oh God, I pray to You repeatedly that I should get a visa to go to America”. Now the American rules are being tightened and some are not getting a visa. “I blame You, God, for not giving me a visa!”
Somebody else says, “Oh God, I lost money because of the change in the share market. I am losing money.” We blame God or we blame someone else. If I say, “Why have you not been promoted?” You reply, “Sir, my boss is useless. He spoiled my chances. I lost my promotion.” If I ask anybody, “Why have you failed in business?” They reply, “Not my fault, sir. So many other fellows ruined me. They were the cause of my downfall.” We always hold somebody responsible. This is the nature of the mind.
It is the same with mothers also. If I tell a lady, “Amma, Mother, look here, your son is behaving stupidly. He is keeping bad company. Please check on him.” What will she say? “Mr. Anil Kumar, don’t you worry about my son! He is a very good fellow.” Aha! But he is spoiled by his friends. (Laughter) He accepts that he is spoiled, but he blames his friends. He does not want to own the responsibility.
My friends, with conscious evolution, man finds that realising his being calls for responsibility, his own responsibility; your own responsibility. No guru, no master, no God can take responsibility on your behalf. Baba Himself said, “Every guru will show the direction: ‘Please go that way,’ the guru will say.”
You ask me how to go to the canteen. I say, “Go this way.” You say, “No, no I want to go that way!” Go. But you will never reach the canteen. So any guru will only show the direction, the way. Any spiritual text will only show you the procedure. Whenever you travel, you find signposts. This is the route to Hyderabad; this is the route to Bangalore. You have to go this way or that way. The sign board will not lift you or carry you or embrace you. It does not reach out to you with arms and put you there. Is the signpost like a crane? No, no! You have to travel the route it indicates. It will only show the direction; it cannot take you there.
Therefore my friends, spirituality requires that you own the responsibility. You are responsible when you don’t experience your being. You are responsible for your failure or success. Understand this, the sooner the better.
Somebody says that he could not have Swami’s close darshan because some other fellow sat in front of him. “Swami must not like me. Therefore I could not see Him well.” I ask you: how do you know that Swami does not like you? Can God like somebody and hate somebody if He is really God? There is no question of liking or disliking. God is always neutral. God is beyond likes and dislikes. Because Swami talks to you twice, you think He likes you. Because He does not look at somebody, you think he dislikes that person. This is your mental, stupid, idiotic, ignorant conclusion. Conclusions, very stupid conclusions.
We cannot say anyone is close to Swami. “Swami likes you!” “Swami dislikes you!” Please stop that nonsense! Are we not tired of this talk? I am very tired of it. Why? Because God likes everybody. God is Love; Love is God. When God is Love and Love is God how can you say that a loving God hates you—or anyone for that matter? A loving God cannot hate anybody. You cannot say “Our loving God dislikes him!” Impossible! A contradictory statement! Useless thinking!
My friends, let us not blame others saying, “That seva dal man is responsible! He pushed me to the back row and I could not get darshan. So-and-so sat by my side, so I could not have close darshan. It is his fault that I couldn’t sit by that VIP; then I could have seen Swami closely.”
Who is a VIP? He is a VIP to you—a very important person to you. To Swami, everyone is a VIP—very insignificant person. (Laughter) Someone may be important in a worldly sense, but to Swami he is insignificant. Therefore let us understand that we should own the responsibility, success or failure as the case may be, on the spiritual path. Let us not blame the guru. “Oh Guru, I am disappointed. You have disappointed me.” No, no, no.
INTROSPECTION
Some people say, “Mr. Anil Kumar, have we progressed spiritually after coming here to Prashanti Nilayam?” How can I say whether you have progressed or not? Suppose you are eating chapatti; how can I say when you should stop eating? When your belly is full, please stop. (Laughter) I don’t need to tell you when you should stop.
Baba gives one example. It seems a child told his mother, “Mother, please wake me up when I am hungry”. When you are hungry, Mother doesn’t need to wake you up. You will automatically get up. Similarly, let us understand this: by owning the responsibility for what happens, for success or failure in the spiritual path, we don’t have to blame anybody. “Oh Swami, what did I get after coming to You, to Your ashram?” It is your responsibility to get something out of the place. It is your responsibility to grow; it is your responsibility to take to sadhana; it is your responsibility to develop spiritual qualities. You cannot blame Swami. I cannot blame my guru. Therefore my friends, spiritual life calls for owning responsibility.
Once I own the responsibility, what happens? I lead a disciplined life. I am more disciplined now than ever before because people blame me. Suppose you take care of all my property and if I lose it all, then one day people will blame you, “because so-and-so cheated Mr. Anil Kumar. Poor Mr. Kumar, he is only interested in giving talks. He is not interested in finance and currency and all that. Therefore he lost everything, thanks to you. So-and-so has cheated him.”
So if my future, my plans, are in your hands, others will blame you. But if I am responsible for my own welfare, I will be extra cautious. Suppose I have a financial advisor. ‘Now,’ I think, ‘here is somebody to take care of me. He will look out for my best interests.’ No, no, no! When you think somebody is there to take care of you, you will be undisciplined.
SPIRITUALITY – A DISCIPLINED LIFE
It goes something like this. When the father goes on sending a money order every month, the son will be highly undisciplined. On the other hand, if the boy starts earning money, then it is earn and learn. Earn and learn! When you earn and learn, you will be very careful spending every paisa because you are earning every paisa. You know the value of every rupee. You will be more disciplined.
When father sends money I can have extra coffee. I can have one more sweet! Why not? Poor fellow, sending money. If the father-in-law sends the money, I can have three sweets, even better! (Laughter)
Therefore my friends, when the responsibility lies with somebody else, you will be undisciplined. When the responsibility lies with you, you will be more disciplined. Spirituality, meaning a disciplined life, is only possible when one owns one’s own responsibility.
ALONENESS
Here is another point. When I understand that I am responsible for everything, I can’t blame anybody; I cannot crib about anybody. I alone am responsible for my life. I am responsible for my own progress. Then what happens? I am left alone. Please understand that this aloneness is a quality of spiritual life. Aloneness, to be alone, is a spiritual quality.
There are some people who refuse to be in the company of others. Just for courtesy and for manners, they say, “Hello, how are you?” That’s all. But they would like to be alone. Because when you are alone, you can be with your Self. You can experience your being without tension, without botheration, without any choices, without preferences. You can be true in being alone. You can be true to your being when you are left alone. This aloneness is the quality of spiritual life.
Bhagavan, in utter contempt, says to some people, “Why are you here?” Is it for contacts? People want contact; people want position. What is all this for? One has to have aloneness. Please understand this.
Understand aloneness is different from loneliness. Loneliness and aloneness are different. A simple example: you see I come from a very big family. I had my parents, grand-parents, wife, and children. Say that today I am without company, by myself. Therefore I am feeling bad. In truth, I am not alone, but I am lonely. Please understand this important difference.
Suppose you have a bitter tongue. Some people are gifted with that. (Laughter) They cannot talk nicely; they have a bitter tongue. They go on shouting all day and night. Maybe the previous animal life was brought forward, as in accounts. What happens? Nobody will talk to such a person. Then is he alone? No, he is lonely.
When you are condemned, you are lonely. You don’t meet anybody; you are lonely. Condemnation leads to loneliness. Ego equals loneliness. A fellow who wants to dominate everybody, who will look at his face? He will be a lonely fellow. Loneliness is a quality of an egotistic man. Loneliness is negative; loneliness is dominating; loneliness is physical condemnation. Nobody will talk to you; you are forced to be lonely.
Aloneness is not like that. “Let me meditate for some time. Leave me alone. I am enjoying myself. I don’t want to be disturbed by anybody. Leave me alone. I want to pray. Please do not disturb me, leave me alone. I want to read my scripture, so please leave me alone.” This aloneness is preferential. This aloneness is spiritual. This aloneness is your choice. This aloneness is Divine.
Therefore, the spiritual path calls for aloneness. Suppose I read Baba’s teachings. Being alone, I reflect upon them. What does it mean? What does it matter to me? What does Baba convey? How does it apply to me? This you can do when you are alone; but when you are in company, you hear Baba’s talks and come out of the hall as if you are coming out of a theatre after watching a movie, a cinema. We are not coming out of a cinema hall; we are coming out of a prayer hall. We are coming out of the meditation hall. We are coming out of a place where we had darshan of a cosmic personality by the name of Sri Sathya Sai Baba!
When you experience that, you come out and you prefer to be alone. Some of you enjoy bhajans a lot; very good. You come out calmly. You enjoy your aloneness. On the other hand, if any fellow tells you, “Shall we go to the stores immediately? It will close in half an hour, so let us run!” He is a useless fellow. He is spoiled and spoiling others also. Let us be alone. Let us enjoy. Let us spend time ruminating, reflecting, meditating upon what we received.
Spiritual life has a special quality of aloneness. This aloneness takes you to enlightenment. This aloneness only will take you to the blissful state. Let us understand this. That is the reason why most of the rishis and the ancient saints were alone! They were not willing to be disturbed.
We, the householders, the married people can also be alone. One can be alone in the market also. How? There may be noisiness, but I will be reflecting within myself. I will be thinking of my inner Self. Aloneness is a state of mind. Not seclusion. Not solitude. Not leading the single life. No. Aloneness is an attitude, a temperament. Even in a family, one can be alone by thinking of the inner Self, with children and everybody present.
Some people are alone, but think of the market. While in the market, you can also be alone. I think I am clear. Therefore my friends, spirituality calls for aloneness, which takes you to meditation. Meditation in turn gives you the experience of your real wealth of being. It will lead to the state of bliss and enlightenment.
CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION – TOTAL ACCEPTANCE
This conscious evolution about which we are speaking requires cultivation of yet another quality. It demands acceptance in totality. Acceptance in totality. What do we mean by that? We don’t have that acceptance. “Swami did not give darshan this morning. I am not happy. I can’t accept that.” Next day: “He gave me darshan this morning, good. He did not come close to me this morning, though. I don’t accept that. I wanted Him to come close to me.” We don’t accept in totality. We want only things to happen in a particular way. Baba should give darshan every morning at 8 o’clock. Baba should give darshan every evening at 4 o’clock. He should walk towards me, He should compulsorily smile at me. Who are you to put forward His timetable? Why do you expect Him to act according to your schedule? Why? We have not accepted this. Spirituality means acceptance, unconditional acceptance. Accept totally. Accept in totality. What do you mean by that?
I am here giving a talk. You think I need water, I don’t think so. (Laughter) Okay, but thank you for your concern. I am used to speaking like this for hours. I am a professional speaker. What am I to do? All these years I have only been speaking. But You, God, are greater. While I am the speaker You are the Doer. You act as I speak. You are certainly at a higher level when compared to me. I am aware of it totally. Total acceptance.
So my friends, conscious evolution means acceptance, total acceptance. What do you mean by total acceptance? Today I am fine. Yesterday I was not fine. When I am not fine, I complain. When I am fine, I am happy. Acceptance means acceptance of both good and bad: when I am not fine, good; when I am fine, good. Whatever it is, I accept both.
Sometimes I apply my reason, my scientific understanding. I see smoke; there must have been a fire there. I believe in cause and effect. I believe in experiments. I believe in observations. I believe in logical conclusions. I believe in scientific investigations. I believe in the technical approach, all very good, very reasonable. But can you explain why your mother loves you, scientifically? (Laughter) Please explain why you love a person, scientifically. Bring all the love to a test tube, heat it, and check whether you get vapour or not! Can you explain love scientifically? Can you explain hatred or enmity technically? Why do you love a person? Why you hate a person? Why? When it comes to explaining these matters logically, rationally, or scientifically, you fail totally. So life is a combination of rationality and irrationality, logical and illogical, scientific and unscientific; it is a combination of both. That is the paradox of life.
You may be a scientist, you may be scientific in your approach; but you are also unscientific, please understand. Most scientists are unscientific. Some people say, “I don’t believe in the number 13. Number 13 is not good for me.” Is it scientific to say so? Some people say Tuesday is not their day. Oh, then what day is your day? Doomsday? How do you explain all this? Is this scientific? Is it logical? No. So you have that side of life also. Scientific and unscientific, logical and illogical, rational and irrational, life is a combination of both. Let us accept it. So accept in totality—that is spiritual life. That is conscious evolution.
If you say everything is scientific, you will be discarding the mystical aspect. The mystical aspect and the scientific aspect are different. Suddenly you feel bliss. Some people laugh within themselves while they are sitting in meditation. When they sit in meditation, they laugh. If you just look at the pictures of Paramahamsa Ramakrishna or Lord Krishna or Rama, you find a smile on their faces. Has anybody cracked a joke that made them smile? No. That smile, that happiness, is bliss. Bliss is their form. Let us understand this. Why are you happy? Nobody asked you to be happy. How can you say that you are happy? You cannot prove that scientifically.
Therefore my friends, the scientific and non-scientific aspects are present in everybody. Suppose I am purely mystical, unscientific, irrational and illogical; if I am like that while cooking, I will get my fingers burnt if I am not careful. So life should be combination of both. This is the spiritual life. This is conscious evolution.
INNOCENCE AND IGNORANCE
My friends, another point: the conscious evolution of man calls for innocence. One has to be innocent. We are not innocent. No. We are ignorant. Innocence and ignorance are different. If there is an ignorant man, avoid him because you will also be tainted by his company. If he is innocent, please follow him. The child is innocent. God is innocent. There cannot be anyone more innocent than God Himself.
Poor God believes everybody every time, though we disappoint Him every second. We disappoint Him every second; still, He loves us. Still, He has got faith in us. Poor God! At least as a man, once someone cheats me, I am careful not to believe that fellow again. If anyone acts against you, then you will be more careful next time.
But God is never careful with me, although I disobey Him every time. Although I don’t follow Him every time like an innocent child, He believes me. Like an innocent child, He has faith in everybody. The mother may beat her child, but the child still loves her. “If any fellow does not say ‘Sai Ram’ to me, I see . . . hmm . . . next time I will take extra care around him.” (Laughter) That is not innocence.
The child is innocent. Innocence means free from prejudices, free from bias, free from any partial-mindedness; free from any design, free from any programmed life. Free from programming, this is innocence. Therefore in the field of spiritual life or in the field of conscious evolution, let us try to be innocent because innocence is Divine.
INNOCENCE KNOWS THE FACTS OF LIFE
So the question now is, how can we be innocent? You can see that as children we were innocent. Later we became ignorant. Today it is innocence plus ignorance. Finally we do not know whether we are innocent or ignorant. We were innocent at one time. Let us go back to that state of innocence. How can we be innocent? Let us know the facts of life. To be aware of the facts of life, to live according to the facts of life is to be innocent.
A simple example: “Sir, there is a power cut! There is no light”. I reply to the students, “This is natural, so what is new about it? There was no power supply, no light, so you fell down. It is your ignorance that made you walk down the hall when there was no power supply.”
But innocence asks, “How can I walk when there is no light? How can I go anywhere when there is no light?” That is innocence. I say go down that dark hall, you go and fall down. You come back and say, “I went sir, and I fell down!” Then you are responsible. This is ignorance. If I ask anybody to please go, and the reply is “Sir, how can I go when it is dark?” that is innocence.
The facts of life are able to direct you. The facts of life tell you that in darkness you cannot go, in fire you will get burnt, in ice you will feel it is cold. Realities are facts of life. So when you are close to the reality or the facts of life, you will be innocent. If you don’t have knowledge of these things, you are ignorant. Absence or lack of understanding of the facts of life is ignorance. Living with the facts of life is innocence. Conscious evolution calls for this state of innocence.
FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENT OF SPIRITUALITY
Another point is that some people say, “I have not got what I wanted.” Really? “Sir, I lived in one ashram there in South India for fifteen years, but I have not got what I wanted”. “I have been in Puttaparthi for four to five years, but I don’t think I will get what I want.” These are all foolish questions because of “I have not got what I wanted.”
That sentence began with “I” or ego. When “I” is gone, you get what you wanted. You are that what you are. When we are in the company of a guru, we read a book of his teachings. Why? To learn how to eliminate the “I”. The “I”-ness must go. The ego must go. When the ego dies, you are reborn. This is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Resurrection means you are born again when ego dies. When ego does not die, you have to live with the same old body full of ego, like an inflated football. Therefore, actions to dismiss ego or kill ego, or the loss of “I”-ness are the requirements for spirituality. This is a fundamental requirement.
Some people say, “You know I am the president of that organisation. I am the secretary of that organisation.” Please continue this task for the next life also! “I”-ness should be lost; “I” should be lost! Ego should go. If that is not lost, if that is not gone, we are still at the nursery level. We are still at the elementary level.
Some people say, “I have been a devotee for 25 years.” So what? Do you have the service register? Are there any increments for that? Are there any promotions? “I have been coming here every two months!” Yes, and bus drivers come here every day. (Laughter) You may have been coming every two months, but the bus drivers come every day. “Sir, I come for darshan every morning.” Ok, good. But the sweepers and the peons are present here day and night as well!
So the “I” should go, the ego should go. You say, “I have been coming.” You have not lost that “I”. Your “I”-ness and ego are not lost. However many number of years we may stay here in Prashanti Nilayam, whatever number of books we may read, whatever number of gurus we may visit, however many years we may spend in an ashram, all of these are equal to the dust in a dust bin if “I” is not lost!
SPIRITUALITY IS AN INWARD JOURNEY
Success in spirituality depends upon how nicely, how quickly, how soon I will be able to kill my ego. The day when my ego is lost, that is conscious evolution. This New Year should help us reach that state. Therefore my friends, we can deliberate on this subject: matter becoming man is unconscious evolution, Man realising his being is conscious evolution. One is a natural process; the other one is a struggle or effort. The former is spontaneous; the latter requires a kind of choice. With unconscious evolution, yes, you are evolving from one state to another. With conscious evolution, you are going inward.
Spirituality is an inward journey. That is what I want to inform you of, my friends. This is an inward journey. Many people say, “Mr. Anil Kumar, we have been to Rishikesh and other places like Allahabad.” “I have been to Puri and other pilgrim centres. It is good!” “I really want to go to these places,” they tell me. “Yes! How nice if I also join you.” But that is not spiritual. Because all that is spiritual is not outward movement. Spirituality is not a pleasure trip. Spirituality is not an excursion. Spirituality is an inward journey. You go inward; you don’t go outward anywhere. This is what conscious evolution is. It is supreme consciousness. Once I understand the supreme consciousness or awareness is within me, I have understood, “I am That—That I am.” “I am That—That I am” is a spiritual journey. This is what we call conscious evolution.
I appreciate your time. Thank you very much for being here. Somehow my mind is being drawn towards these serious topics, towards these spiritual topics. My mind is pulling me towards these topics of depth, of intense enquiry; topics that require special effort. These are topics that help me with self-enquiry, topics that accelerate our spiritual growth. You are helping me a lot. But for you I would not have prepared so much. But for you I would not have read so much. But for you I would not have learned so much of this subject.
Somebody once said, “The best way to learn is to teach.” Yes, you are all helping me to learn. So as I say good bye to Sarva Jit, the year which we have completed, let me express my deep sense of gratitude to all of you who come every Sunday and are my source of inspiration . . . May God bless you for ever and ever. Sai Ram!
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
Jai Bolo Bhagawan Shri Satya Sai Babaji ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagawan Shri Satya Sai Babaji ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagawan Shri Satya Sai Babaji ki Jai!