January 27th, 2008
“GURU GOVIND SINGH”
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of our most Beloved Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am sorry that this session has been delayed. Don’t worry! You will be on time for the afternoon session. You don’t have to skip your lunch. My friends, this month is important for two reasons. January is important. One: 5th January happens to be the birthday of Guru Govind Singh. Guru Govind Singh’s birthday is celebrated all over the country. The second important event falling on this day is Thyagaraja aradhana. Aradhana is a commemoration service, anniversary of the saint Thyagaraja.
These two people are illustrious, beloved sons of Bharat, who both led a saintly life, were prophetic and are considered as gurus by many followers. Their compositions, their thoughts continue to inspire now and in the future. They have a very big following. This morning, let our thoughts centre on these two great noble saints, seers, prophets, gurus of this land . . . Guru Govind Singh and Saint Thyagaraja.
It is not possible to cover both of them in this talk, nor am I competent enough to talk in depth about what they stand for. Thyagaraja is a great saint and a singer, and my voice is unfit to render and illustrate his music. Guru Govind Singh has vast literature and a very big following, and I have yet to read his literature; I have yet to go deep enough to gain insights into his teachings. But today will help me to make a beginning. If I am successful in making you think about these two noble souls of this country, this morning’s job is fulfilled.
Let us think of Guru Govind Singh’s teachings. The first and foremost thing that Guru Govind Singh said was this: “Be a master and not a slave.” Be a master and not a slave. What do you mean by that? Can we declare to ourselves that we are masters? No. By open declaration, one can never be a master. Who is a master, according to Guru Govind Singh?
How can you be a master? When are you going to reach that state of being a master? We have many masters after whom we might be named; but that aside, there are certain qualifications which make one eligible to be a master. Sainthood is not simply given or conferred. One has to wait for years. The whole request for sainthood is scrutinised and investigated. After this lengthy process, sainthood is declared, I understand. Likewise, how can you be a master? What does being a master mean?
What does it mean by not being a slave? In slavery we are secure; somebody will take care of us. In slavery, life seems comfortable because we don’t need to be creative. In slavery, life is mechanical. We will allow things to come and go, and have nothing to worry about. Many people like to follow others. When we follow others, we are being slave-like. We allow ourselves to be dominated, to act according to another’s commands, because everything is safe in his hands. I will follow a master, because I think everything is safe in his hands. But Guru Govind Singh’s concept of a master is altogether different.
Second: Be master over your desires. We are not masters of our desires. In fact, a true master is desireless. Desirelessness is the nature of a master. When we don’t have control over desires, we cannot declare ourselves masters. Impossible! If I desire a thing, object or person — say, for example, I desire some land . . . any acquisition . . . then I am not a master. I am a slave. Therefore, one should have total control over desire to be a master, according to Guru Govind Singh.
Third: To be a master, one should be rid of all animal appetite. It is too difficult to define animal appetite today, because most of our appetites are bestial or animalistic. Too much eating, too much sleep is just our animal nature. Sadhu Guru Govind Singh, Saint Guru Govind Singh, wants us to have total control over the indulgence of this animal appetite. Then one can call himself a master and we can look up to him for guidance. Therefore, my friends, one has to be a master and not a slave.
Guru Govind Singh had all these three qualities, and he rose to the level of a master. Our Divine master, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, made it very simple. He also said three requirements are needed. What are they?
The first requirement is: “Bend your body.” “Bend your body” means you bend your body to serve others. When I can’t bend my body, I can’t serve myself, let alone serve others. “Bend your body,” says Bhagavan.
Secondly He says, “Mend your senses.” This means that the senses that go astray, the senses that are perverted, the senses that are sensual and sensuous have to be mastered. This is sense control according to Swami.
And third, Bhagavan Baba says, “End your mind.” “End your mind” means be desireless. Bhagavan has often said, “Mind is nothing but a bundle of desires.” When once the desires are gone, the mind is totally withdrawn. That is the concept of a master according to Bhagavan, which agrees with Guru Govind Singh’s concept of a master.
As a student of comparative religion, as a student with windows wide open so that the wind of knowledge freely blows in, I open myself to the concepts of Jesus Christ, Guru Govind Singh and other teachers. But at the same time, I find the underlying unity in this apparent diversity. There is an underlying unity which I have discovered in this diversity, in this multiplicity, in this plurality, via the gospel and the teachings of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It is Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s message that helps me to understand the philosophy of any Divine master. Because this universal understanding is enabled by what I learn from Swami’s message, I come to believe more and more in the doctrine, in the gospel of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Bhagavan’s message encourages me to discern and practise unity as much as I can.
Therefore, my friends, Guru Govind Singh and Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s concept of a master are very much same. But as I understand it, three qualifications are required to be a master. Without them, I am a slave. I may not know that. I may not accept it. I may not realise that I am slave, because I am comfortable as a slave, comfortable with being taken care of by someone. I am afraid to take responsibility for anything that happens in life. I give all my responsibility into the hands of someone else, so I remain comfortable as a slave.
But that is not spiritual life. For, as Bhagavan said, “The end of wisdom is freedom.” Without freedom, we are in bondage. Bondage is nothing but allowing one’s self to be dictated to, dominated and directed. This is the nature of a slave. Therefore, Guru Govind suggests you can be a master, with total control of your desires and ambitions. You can also kill your bestial appetite and become a master. One quality is essential — courage. Courage is essential. One should be courageous enough to have these three fundamental qualities of a master, or at least practise not to be a slave.
I don’t have to be a slave, even if I am not a master. We should strive with courage for these three essentials. In Bhagavad Gita, it is said that a man of fear cannot achieve anything in his life. Bhagavan said, “Why fear when I am here?” There is Bhagavan supporting us, but we still have the sense of fear. Unless we are fearless, it is impossible to achieve these basic qualities of a master, and never be a slave. The Holy Bible says, “It is not for a man of fear to be in the kingdom of heaven.”
So, people full of fear can never be on the spiritual path. People of suspicion can never progress in the religious line. Doubt, fear, and suspicion are the worst enemies of any seeker or any aspirant. We doubt everything. Doubt is the reason we don’t have satisfaction. We have suspicion; therefore we have no peace of mind. We suffer because of these negative lines of thought. Bhagavad Gita says, Uttishta . . . get up. Paranthapa . . . man of courage. Get up, be a man of courage. This is the call and this is the direction given by the guru so that we don’t have to live our lives in slavery.
PURITY
The next call of Sadhu Guru Govind Singh is to have self control — control over the senses, control over the mind. So what do I need? He says two qualities are important. One is purity, while the other is poverty. Purity and poverty are necessary. Ha! It is really a shock. “I can’t be poor, I don’t want it; I don’t want poverty, no, no.” What nonsense it is. “Purity, I will try. Poverty, I don’t want ever in thousands of lives to come — no.” But Guru Govind Singh gave altogether a different definition.
Poverty and purity: these two together come under simplicity. Simplicity includes these two, purity and poverty. What do you mean by purity? Purity of heart, a pure heart, means wishing for the welfare and good of all. Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu. I want everybody to be happy. I want everybody to be peaceful. I want everybody to prosper. I want everybody to live in plenty and prosperity, in peace — that is purity of heart. A pure heart can only pray like that. A pure heart longs for the welfare of everybody in the whole world.
Purity does not include merely outward cleanliness, by way of a bath and the latest brand of soap. No. Outward cleanliness is just purity with reference to the skin. When you say, “I am not selfish, I am not self-centred, I have no self-interest; my mind is pure” you express a narrow sense of purity, a limited sense of purity. Purity means wishing for the welfare of everybody. That is total purity.
POVERTY
The second thing is poverty. What is poverty? Poverty does not mean one has to lead life as a beggar. Poverty does not mean that one has to carry a begging bowl and go round the streets — no. What is poverty? Poverty is nothing but entertaining too many desires. Poverty is nothing but a sense of ego prevailing in a person. Who is poor? The one with ego. Who is poor? The one with many desires.
So here, we should understand that poverty means abandoning, giving up all desires. The poverty here means to be egoless. My friends, Guru Govind wants us to have simplicity, which includes both purity of heart (wishing for the welfare of everybody) and poverty (abandonment of desire).
Guru Govind also made another important point. Before I focus on this, let me recall what Baba said about who is the poorest man. Let us see the parallels in thought between Bhagavan and Guru Govind. Baba has already said, “The poorest man is one who has many desires.” Bhagavan said, “Purity of heart means being free from all kinds of evil tendencies.” That is purity of heart. That is what Baba said.
TO BE A MASTER . . . THE RELIGION OF LOVE
Therefore, to be a master we need to be pure, we need to be simple; we need to give up as many desires as possible, and we need to abandon all animalistic or bestial traits or features. What is Guru Govind’s basic philosophy? Guru Govind’s basic philosophy is the religion of love. He does not speak of any philosophy like Sikkhism. He does not speak any religion like Hinduism. Nothing . . . no ‘ism’! When you confine or restrict any concept to an ‘ism’, it is limited. Be open. Don’t say, “I belong to this ‘ism’.” No. For God’s sake, let us be open to all kinds of thoughts, so that we grow in oneness. We grow in the beautiful atmosphere of unity of religions.
After all, a glass of water is one thing to look at. A lake is something different. A river is more beautiful, an ocean — well, you cannot say how beautiful it is. Vastness, expansion is beauty. Guru Govind advocated the philosophy of a religion of love. What is your religion? Love — that is all. Should we say that ‘ism’, that religion? No, because religion limits you, yet love is limitless. Religion demands total loyalty to that particular school of thought; whereas love will make you open to all kinds of philosophies. Religion is full of restrictions. Love is boundless, without any restrictions.
In religion, there is a hierarchy, an organisational building; with love . . . nothing doing, no hierarchy. A child loves, you love and I love — that is all. No hierarchy. “The top man should have five tons of love; a baby should have a few milligrams of love.” Nobody has the right to say that. No restrictions, no hierarchy, no rules and regulations. Love is love -- that is all. Just be open at all times, beyond all caste, creed, nationality, race and gender.
That is what our beloved Bhagavan says. Baba says, “There is only one religion, the religion of love.” There is no discourse ever given by Bhagavan that does not mention love. In every discourse He mentions love. Why? Because Baba advocates, Baba practices, Baba propagates; Baba wants us to belong to the religion of love. Love is the most profound philosophy of life.
Guru Govind Singh’s master was Guru Nanak. Guru Govind Singh’s heart was full with his master’s message and mission. He had no separate heart. The disciple, Guru Govind’s heart was full of his master’s gospel; it was full of his master’s teachings. Therefore, he had become one with his master. What is meant by this? If you ask Guru Govind Singh, he would certainly have said, “I am not separate from my master. I am not different from my master.” What does it mean? He has total identification with his master.
That is the end or climax of any spiritual path. So long as I remain separate from my master, so long as I am away from my master, so long as I consider myself different from my master, I should know there is still a long way to go. But in respect to Guru Govind Singh, he could find oneness with God through his master — total identification with his master, Guru Nanak.
RAMADAS
Baba gives one example. There lived a great person, a great devotee of Ramachandra. He was called Ramadas. Ramadas was a great devotee of Sri Ram, and he started moving along the streets like King Rama with his chest up, as if he wore a crown. People started making fun of him, but he felt that he was Rama Himself.
Then somebody said, “Oh master, are you Rama?” He said, “Why not?” I see. “We see a bird from here on a branch at a long distance — can you kill it? Rama was an expert in archery. One arrow, one shot is all that’s required. Can you kill that bird?”
Ramadas said, “Why not?” He shot it and the bird died and fell on the ground.
But the fellows did not leave him. “Rama is God who can give back life. Can you make this bird come back to life?” We don’t leave a master like that. We put him to inconvenience in every possible way. We challenge him, and they accept the challenge gladly, so that Divinity, their power, is revealed to the entire world as a demonstration, as proof of God’s existence.
Ramadas said, “Why not?” With both hands, he held the dead body of the bird; with both hands, he lifted the dead bird and looked up. The bird was brought back to life and started flying. All the people shouted, “Samartha Ramadas. Samartha Ramadas ki Jai.” Praise the Lord. Hail the Lord. All praises to our master. Samartha means the one with capacities, the one with abilities, and the one with competence. Samartha Ramadas.
Likewise, Guru Govind Singh found total identification with his master Guru Nanak. History also records Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa jumping like a monkey while he was worshipping Hanuman. Whichever religion he followed, whichever path he adopted, whomsoever he worshipped, he looked and behaved like them. When he followed that Madhura Bhakthi, the nectar of love of a gopika, a cowherd girl, the nectar of devotion, he started behaving like a woman. He had identified totally with the Divine, full identity with the one whom he had been worshipping, and whom he had been following all along. That is Guru Govind’s message.
FOLLOW THE MASTER
And our Bhagavan says, “Follow the master.” Follow the master; you follow me, that is enough. I was talking to a group, Delhi youth last night. Somehow, I felt like telling everybody that we don’t have to look for anybody to follow, emulate and copy. You can just observe Bhagavan. There are many, many things for us to learn and emulate: how to be an efficient manager, how to be an ideal host, how to be an ideal guest, how to be an ideal parent, how to be an ideal human. All these things we can learn from Bhagavan. “Follow Me.”
Likewise, once we think of the master, when we follow the gospel and the teachings in depth, naturally you and God are one. When Swami said that you are God, He meant you are God. You are godly. When you are godly, you will know you are God, but not otherwise. Therefore, what a simple life Guru Govind Singh led. He believed in the treasure of his master. He believed that keeping the guru in his heart was the greatest treasure of his life. Lao-Tse, Chinese saint and philosopher said, “The wise man does not lay up treasures.” A wise man does not lay up treasures. He does not believe in bank account, coins or money. No, no, no. Therefore Guru Govind Singh could find one in all, in all communities in all classes — that was his richest treasure.
YOU AND I ARE ONE
Our Bhagavan says, “Your happiness is My happiness. Your happiness is My breath. Your happiness is My food.” What a beautiful statement. It means that He does not feel separate from us.
Somebody asked, “Oh Bhagavan, when You do so much, how is it that the world does not know completely?”
He said, “As I am not separate from anybody, there is no need for publicity, there is no need for propaganda, because I am not separate from you. You and I are one. You don’t publicise.” No. That is what Bhagavan said.
HEART OF A MOTHER
The heart of Guru Govind Singh was like the heart of a mother. Everybody knows the heart of a mother. All his thoughts, all his actions, are prompted by his heart. Thoughts from the mind are only quotations or scholarship. If actions are prompted by mind only, it is nothing but ego, pride, prejudice; but if thoughts and actions are prompted by the heart, that is totally Divine, and that will be full of love. That is what Guru Govind said, and his heart was fully like a mother: it melted at the very sight of the poor and downtrodden.
The heart of Sai is like that. The heart of Sai is equal to a thousand hearts of mothers. That is what we have experienced. Bhagavan cannot bear the sight of any poor man, cannot bear the sight of a crying person, cannot bear the sight of tears rolling. No, He cannot bear that. Immediately, He responds to their call and He considers it His duty to make a crying man laugh. A man in agony smiles, a painful life is made joyful by Him. That is the heart of a mother. When her child returns home with a long face, completely troubled, the mother will make every attempt to make the child happy and smile. That is the heart of Guru Govind Singh. That is the heart of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Guru Govind had this to say about society, which is divided into caste, community and classes, and looks down on poor people, downtrodden people. What does Guru Govind say? He said, “Oh, poor people, the downtrodden, do you think others look down on you? Do they say you are of lower birth, lower caste, or higher caste by birth? Nonsense. By birth, nobody can be low or high.” Guru Govind Singh was full of courage and conviction. Guru Govind Singh looked at these people and he said, “I shall clothe you in fair garments of joy.” You may give one shirt today, or one sari, but after some time they wear out. But the Divine master gives us the garments of joy. When one puts on the garment of joy, how handsome one is. How joyful one is, how dynamic one is!”
That is what Guru Govind Singh said: “I shall invoke the fire of heaven to mingle with your blood.” What is that fire of heaven? The fire of heaven is nothing but the Divinity within us, the consciousness within us, God within us, the awareness within us. The soul and the spirit within us is the fire of heaven. That is what Guru Govind said.
Bhagavan says in a beautiful poem He composed:
When I am there within you, listening to your prayer,
When I am there within you, watching your difficulties,
When I am there silently within you as a support,
When I am there within you to give total relief,
Why do you need to cry, my child? Why do you need to be melancholic?
Why do you need to be tragic? I am within you.
Guru Govind calls everybody who feels neglected, who are deemed to belong to lower castes and classes. He tells them, “Are you not my own? Are you not my own people?” Regarding Baba’s water supply projects, some people say, “Bhagavan You are here in Andhra Pradesh, and you supply water to Chennai, Tamil Nadu? Why? You can do that here; why there?” He says, “Are they not My own?” That is the spirit of a true master. This spirit we have to learn and cultivate.
ADDRESSING DEVOTEES
When Guru Govind addressed his gathering, he said, “You are the chosen children of the master. You are the chosen children of God.” What does Baba say? He does not say, “Ladies and Gentlemen.” He doesn’t say, “Brothers and Sisters.” He says, “Embodiments of the Divine” meaning He sees the Divinity within you, which is nothing but Bhagavan Baba. That is what it is.
Let me tell you a short story. It so happened that a boy, quite handsome, quite tall, with clean hands and dressed in good clothes, brought a glass of water to Guru Govind Singh. “Master, here is water for you,” the boy said.
Guru Govind Singh said, “No, my dear boy, I don’t accept this glass of water from your hands.”
The boy was naturally insulted. “I am well dressed, I belong to a high upper caste, I’m sufficiently rich, and my hands are clean. Why? Why do you say no, master?”
Then Guru Govind Singh said, “Your hands have not laboured in the service of the saints. You have not made use of your hands in serving the masters, in serving the noble people. Your hands are never used for service. I don’t want such hands to serve me.”
Make your hands pure first, not by washing with Dettol. No, no, no. “Make your hands pure and clean through humility. Be a servant of the poor, then I will accept water. Not until then.”
DIVINE POET
If you go through the biography of Bhagavan, there is an instance when He goes into the hut of a slum dweller and dines with him. There are instances when He has chosen children in preference to central cabinet ministers. When the President of the country, Prime Minister and top people are sitting there, He talks to children who are beloved to Him. This is how a master acts. Guru Govind Singh was also a great poet, a seer and a patriot. All of Guru Govind Singh’s compositions are poetic . . . so also Bhagavan.
Bhagavan’s utterances, Bhagavan’s teaching style is completely poetic, and His speech is poetic. Simple example. When Howard Murphet from Australia came to Him, after having undergone an operation, he thanked Swami that everything went well.
What did Baba say? “Hi Murphet, are you perfect?” (Laughter) See that. Immediately, He started laughing. Everybody burst into laughter. A poetic style of talking. When He says, “Less luggage, more comfort makes travel a pleasure” . . . luggage is the bondage. Luggage is the luggage of desires — this is His poetic style of expression. Always poetic.
Another example: mind – diamond. Die-mind is diamond. We think of diamond as being the most valuable stone. Baba says, “Die mind.” Let the mind be withdrawn; that is the true meaning of diamond, in His poetic style of expression.
Seer Guru Govind Singh was a man of vision . . . a seer, prophetic with vision and fortitude. Bhagavan is also a seer. He wants us to see the Divinity within and He says that day will come when we all stand united. That day will come when all will be aware of the Divinity within. Awareness of the Divinity within is the quality of a seer.
Guru Govind Singh was a patriot; Bhagavan’s compositions, patriotic songs and poems are highly patriotic. Whenever I go through them, I wish our politicians would learn and take them to heart, and then render them in public so that they are elected. (Laughter) Their own speech and style is usually dry, obscene, and often vulgar. If they start picking up Swami’s poems, I think they will do well.
Kanda Kandathara Kyathinarginchina mahaneeyululuganna mathrubhoomi.
This is the land that has given birth to many sages and saints.
Paschathya veerula paaradrolinchuyo Swatantramuganna samarabhoomi.
This is a land that has driven foreigners out of this country and was able to attain freedom.
Sangeetha Sastriya sahitya vidyalandhu dhishakthi choopina divyabhoomi.
This is the land which is the centre of all fine arts and literature.
Chitrakalalathoda chitramaiunnati Bharathabhoomiyandhu jananamundhi.
Having been born in this land of Bharat, the land of sacrifice, the land of saints and seers,
Bharatamata Bhagambhu kapada Bhajyathanthayumeedhe Vidyarthulaara,
Bhajyathanthayumeedhe Vidyarthulaara Bhajyathanthayumeedhe Vidyarthulaara.
It is your responsibility to bear this torch of nationalism, keep the flame burning. That is your duty.
That is what Bhagavan says.
SAINT THYAGARAJA
Guru Govind Singh was a seer, a poet and a patriot; our Bhagavan is also a seer, a poet and a patriot. Yes. Guru Govind Singh said, “Please believe me that man is one, God is one, and Love is one.” How is one Love possible? How can Love be one? The love towards a friend is not the same as the love towards a fiancée. Love towards a friend is not same as the love towards one’s own kith and kin. This love towards fiancée, kith and kin – a feeling of belonging -- is not love in the true sense. It is attachment, and thus limited. But Divine Love, above the individual object, is Divine unconditional Love. That Love is one. There cannot be Indian love, American love, British love and Swedish love. Love is one. Man is one. That is the reason why Bhagavan repeatedly quotes from the Holy Bible. “All are one, my dear sons. Be alike to everyone.”
I could not take up Saint Thyagaraja for want of time. I prayerfully look forward to next Sunday, God willing, so that we may study something about Saint Thyagaraja. As I was watching TV this morning, I was watching singers of this country, particularly from South India, all gathered at a place called Thiruvayur, I believe. They were all singing classical music in chorus . . . all of them traditional people. In the Thiruvayur temple, men cannot have shirts, they have only shawls; while traditional women wear saris and jewels. All of them were singing, two hundred or more singing in unison, in chorus. Well, I lost myself, so I could not be present at the time when Swami came for darshan. I was lost; I didn’t know where I was.
I thought I could speak to you on Thyagaraja, but there is no time now. Let us see. But I also found out by going through a magazine, that Guru Govind Singh’s birthday falls on 5th January, so I thought we should share it.
I love to read, I love to speak and I love to share. This makes me very happy, and God is so kind, so merciful, that He has given me all of you to share with. Let us be grateful to Bhagavan for this beautiful satsang. May Bhagavan bless you all. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause)
Prof. Anil Kumar ended his talk with the bhajan, “Purandhara Ranga Hare Vittalal”.
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 Shantihi
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki Jai!
Thank you! God Bless you!