Perform All Actions With Divine Feelings

Sacred Actions Have Sacred Results

When man emerges from the womb of his mother, one does not find any garland around his neck. There are no jewels made of pearls, nor are there glittering gold ornaments. There are no necklaces studded with precious stones like emeralds and diamonds. But there is one garland around his neck. Brahma strings together the consequences of his past deeds into a heavy garland and puts it around his neck at the time of his birth.

(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Divine Atma!

Whatever good or bad man experiences in life is the consequence of good or bad actions performed by him. He can see the action performed by him, but may not observe its consequence immediately. There may be a time gap between the action and its consequence.

Make Your Present Sacred And Sublime

However, there is no separation between action and the consequence; the consequence is intertwined with the action. When we are hungry, we eat food to satisfy our hunger. But there is a time gap between the action of eating and digestion. After we put the food in the mouth, it goes to the stomach and gets digested. A period of two hours is required for the digestion of the food. Then only will the food give strength and nourishment to the body. Similarly, there may be a time gap between actions performed by man and its consequences.

A seed does not become a tree as soon as you sow it. The seed first germinates, becomes a sapling, and then grows to become a tree in due course of time. The entire tree is within a tiny seed. However, man sees only the seed, not the entire tree hidden in it. Similarly, man’s future is contained in the actions performed by him in the present. Man wants to know his future and waits for it. But there is no need for him to wait for it as his future lies in his present. It is his present that determines his future. Therefore, man should make his present sacred, sublime, and purposeful.

A student writes the examination in the examination hall, but he waits for a month or two for the result. But it is not necessary for him to wait for two months to know his result. His result lies in the way he has written the examination. Similarly, one who does good actions will never have bad results. On the other hand, if one does all wrong deeds, one cannot aspire to have good results. Sowing the seed of a neem tree, can you have a mango fruit? As is the seed, so is the fruit.

Everyone should be prepared to undertake sacred actions so as to receive good results and thereby lead a sacred life. But man should not have body attachment. What kind of stuff is this body? If you take a closer look, you will find that it is a skeleton of bones filled with flesh and filth. Every moment it emits foul smell, and no fragrance. When we put rice in the flour mill, we get rice flour. If we put wheat in it, we get wheat flour. As is the material you put in, so is the flour you get. Human body is also like a flour mill. But if you put fruit in it, it gives out foul-smelling excreta. Human body is thus much worse than an inert machine. If you eat a little pickle in the morning, it will be digested by the body and change into excreta in the evening. But the same pickle, when you put it in a jar, it will remain fine for a year. So, body is worse than even a jar.

Indweller Atma Gives Value To Body

But this body contains the sacred gem of Divinity just like precious jewels are treasured in a cheap iron safe. Man should know that God is present in the body as Atma. Iron safe is not valuable, but jewellery kept in it is highly valuable. Body is like a valueless iron safe in which God has put valuable jewels of good qualities. You purchase the iron safe to keep valuable jewellery in it. If you don’t have valuable jewellery, you don’t need the iron safe. Similarly, we have to take care of this valueless body because of valuable qualities in it. This valueless body contains valuable Atma. We have to protect the body for sake of the Atma present in it. Body is a temple of God. That is why the scriptures say: Deho Devalaya Prokto Jivo Deva Sanatanah (the body is a temple and the indweller is God). We get thrilled looking at the temple, but we do not make an attempt to see God in the temple. You may build a vast and beautiful temple with marble stones. But, who will go to the temple if the idol of deity is not installed in it? So, temple is not important, the idol of God in it is important. Similarly, body is not important. What is important is the Atma which indwells it. Without the Atma, no one will keep the body in the house even for a moment. It is a dead body.

How long is the body a temple? So long as God in the form of Atma is present in it. It is called Shivam (auspicious) when Atma is present in it. When Atma leaves it, it becomes Shavam (dead body).

So long as there is life in the body, it is Shivam; when the life is gone, it is Shavam. No decay affects it so long as there is life breath in it; it can be sustained even up to 80, 90 years. When life breath goes out of the body, it starts decaying within one hour and starts emitting foul smell. No one will keep the dead body in the house, not even those who have given birth to it. The wife who spent all the 24 hours enjoying the company of her husband will be frightened to look at his dead body. Why is she afraid of that? She is afraid because there is no Shivam in it. So as long as Shivam is there in it, she protects it and feels very happy to see it. When the life is gone, she does not even want to look at it. What is this relationship? What is true love? Who are the true relations? Take time to recognise this.

God Is Closer To You Than Your Relations

A twenty years old son loves his mother very much. She is so much dear to him. After some time, the mother dies. He then sits close to her dead body and wails, “Mother, I relied on you for such a long time. You only protected me and fostered me. Who is there to take care of me now? Mother, why have you left me?”

Who is the one that has left? Truly, if the body is the mother, the body is there. Who says it is gone? What really has left? It is only the Jiva, the individual soul. The son loves his mother because Jiva is present in her. The moment the individual self is lost, the same son cremates the body of the mother without any compassion. Who is the true mother? Who is the one that has left? It is only the Jiva. Then who is the mother? Jiva is the mother. When there is no Jiva, nobody will respect the body. Hence, who is the true mother? That is God! God is the mother. God is the father.

More than your mother, God is nearer to you. More than your father, God is closer to you. It is a great sin to forget God. The word of Sai is the word of truth.

(Telugu Poem)

You may have close proximity with your mother; she may be close to the body, but God is within your body. So, God is much closer to you than your mother. You should never forget God who is closer to you than the closest. God is responsible for the whole creation. God is the ideal for your life. God is your very breath. We should always remember, worship and follow Him at all times.

Body is just an instrument, which should be put to proper use. When the instrument is in good condition, you can perform all tasks with it. If you want to dig a pit, the crowbar you carry should be sharp and pointed. If the crowbar is not sharp, you can never dig the pit in spite of all the strength of your hands. When your own power joins the power of the instrument, the expected pit can be dug well. When human effort is combined with God’s grace, it is possible to perform any task.

Do All Actions To Please God

Karmanubandhini Manushya Loke (man in the world is bound by action). Man is bound by action; he is sustained by action. He can achieve anything through action. His accomplishment lies in his skill in doing actions. All actions can be accomplished with divine power. Whatever actions man performs, he will have equal and appropriate consequences. He cannot escape the consequences of his actions. Man may leave the world at one moment or the other, but the consequences of his actions will not leave him; they will follow him. So, we should do good actions, develop good thoughts and join good company. Only then will we get good reward in future. As is the seed, so is the tree. As is the tree, so is the fruit.

You should engage in doing good actions right from early age. What are good actions? The actions that please God are good. When you do actions that please God, you will also have the reward that will please you. On the contrary, if you do not perform pleasing actions, you will never have pleasing reward. That is why it is said, Sarva Karma Bhagavad Preetyartham (do all actions to please God). When you offer all your actions to God, your heart will become sacred. With the sacred heart you can lead a peaceful life. You should have a strong determination to keep your heart sacred. This strong determination requires three P’s. The first P is Purity; the second P is Patience and the third P is Perseverance. We should always observe Purity, Patience and Perseverance in life. Observance of these three qualities will make our life sacred.

Embodiments of Divine Atma!

All your actions should be sacred and noble. Unsacred actions give unsacred results. Don’t make haste. Start early, drive slowly and reach safely. Enquire peacefully and perform all actions without haste. People get into many troubles due to haste. So, don’t be in haste; it is not good. Haste makes waste. Waste makes worry. So, do not be in a hurry. Control this haste.

Whatever may be the task you undertake, better you weigh its pros and cons before performing it. Do not be in a haste, for haste will only lead to worry.

(Telugu Poem)

Never make haste. If you are hasty, even Amritam (nectar) becomes poison. Start all actions with peaceful feelings. Enquire whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. Exercise your discrimination. All actions done with divine feelings will give good results. But man today has no consideration for divine feelings. He indulges in mean pursuits and ruins his precious life. When we do actions peacefully with divine feelings, then our life will be full of peace and happiness. Consider every action sacred and valuable. Enquire deeply before performing any action. Make God’s Name as the basis of everything you do. God’s Name will change even unsacred actions into sacred ones.

– Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Sruthi, at Kodaikanal on 22nd April 1993.