Society Shines By The Human Quality Of Individuals

God’s Grace Depends On Your Deservedness

Do you get any benefit by revelling at the rainfall without sowing seeds on earth? Do the seeds you sow sprout in the absence of rain or water? For a sapling to grow, both the aspects of sowing and watering are complementary necessities. Similarly, human effort and Divine grace are essential for the success of any endeavour.

(Telugu Poem)

Purusha Prayatnam (human effort) and Daiva Anugraham (God’s grace) are like positive and negative currents, each of which is necessary for the bulb of life to shine. In the absence of God’s grace, any amount of human effort will not fructify.

Knowledge Of The Self Illumines Everything

A child cannot survive without the help of mother. A branch cannot survive without the support of the tree trunk. This is the kind of relationship that exists between Deva (God) and Jiva (individual self). If the tree is Amsha (part) of creation, the branch is Upamsha (minor part) of creation. The Vedas propound this truth. They declare Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara (speak truth, practice righteousness). These sacred edicts are like the two eyes of man to lead a divine life. Our Itihasas (epics) and Puranas (mythologies) contain many such great truths. People today do not pay attention to these sacred texts and thereby invite untold miseries unto themselves. All sacred texts are meant for the uplift of mankind. We should know how to make proper use of them. God created food for the protection of man’s body. Just because plenty of food is available, one should not indulge in too much eating. It may result in indigestion or even disease. Also, one should be careful about the quality of food before eating. You should observe Mitam (moderation) in whatever you do. God’s grace depends on your deservedness. Do not aspire for things which you do not deserve.

People should develop heart-to-heart relationships. Those who seek happiness in life should introspect what is ephemeral and what is permanent. This is real Jnana (wisdom). Jnana is of three types: Vijnana, Sujnana and Prajna (worldly knowledge, higher knowledge, and constant integrated awareness). Ajnana results in Tamasika (slothful) actions, Vijnana in Rajasika (passionate) actions and Sujnana and Prajna in Sattvika (serene) actions. Jnana is also categorised as individual wisdom, societal wisdom, and universal wisdom. Wisdom at the individual or physical level is like a bulb in a room where the light is confined to the room only. Societal wisdom is like the moonlight which spreads all around, both inside and outside, but it is not luminous. Universal wisdom is like sunlight, which is all-pervasive brightness. This is Brahma-jnana (knowledge of the Supreme Self) which is infinite and wholesome. This is the divine wisdom of Atma-jnana (knowledge of the Atma).

Man’s Prajna (divine wisdom) is only an infinitesimal part of the Prajna of Almighty God.

Atma-jnana illumines everything. Just as hands, legs, eyes, ears, etc., are the limbs of the body; individuals are the limbs of society, society is the limb of Nature, and Nature is the limb of God. All limbs of Nature are interlinked and interrelated. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita: Mamaivamsho Jeevaloke Jeevabhuta Sanatanah (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). You are a limb of society. Society shines by the brilliance of the human quality of individuals. When society shines, Nature will also shine and manifest Divinity.

Sanctify Time To Sanctify Life

The mind is above the senses, the intellect is above the mind, and the Atma (Self) is above the intellect. It is the light of the Atma which illumines the intellect. As the intellect is in the close proximity of the Atma, the intellect controls the mind and the mind controls the senses. Man carries out his sojourn on earth with the help of senses.

Who is man? Man is none other than the mind, which is the combination of Sankalpas and Vikalpas (thought currents and agitations). Man’s actions and behavior depend on them. Pleasure and pain are the result of Sankalpas and Vikalpas. If one wishes to be really happy, one should endeavor to shape up one’s conduct. When individual quality turns into divinity, society becomes divine.

Good and bad things happen in accordance with time. Everything is subdued and subsumed by time. Everybody is bound by time. Everybody has to yield to time. Howsoever mighty one may be, one will be swept away by the stream of time. Good accrues when time is utilized well. Bad accrues when time is defiled. All beings are bound by the principle of Karma. Karmanubandhini Manushya Loke (man in the world is bound by action), say the Vedas. Human society is bound by action. In the present time, man is not making good use of time.

Oh man! You struggle hard in life merely for the sake of filling your belly. You acquire myriad types of knowledge from various fields. Examine and enquire for yourself what great happiness you have achieved by spending all the time from dawn to dusk in acquiring worldly knowledge and earning wealth while forgetting God.

(Telugu Poem)

Life can be sanctified when time is sanctified. So, perform those actions which sanctify time. This should be the aim of life.

Full Wisdom Gives Total Clarity

Embodiments of Love!

Individual wisdom is narrow and limited. This wisdom can be broadened with proper effort. With God’s grace, it can be developed into Divinity. In order to obtain God’s grace, one has to divert the mind towards God. God’s grace is not possible if the mind is turned towards the world. You cannot see things clearly in darkness. You cannot see ups and downs in darkness and encounter dangers. Individual wisdom is of this kind. Through mutual consultation, wisdom can be broadened. Then only can you have a broad vision and clear thinking. A doubting mind is like darkness and shadow. In darkness, the mind mistakes a rope for a snake and a snake for a rope. This is narrow wisdom; at one time, yes, and at another time, no. It is the combination of wisdom and ignorance. Full wisdom gives total clarity. It sees divinity within and without. Antarbahiścha Tatsarvam Vyāpya Nārayana Sthitah (That all-pervasive God is present within and without). Narrow vision is destructive while broad vision is constructive. Individual wisdom is on the rise in the present-day world. Its narrow vision leads to ego, ignorance, and delusion. When someone is sleeping really, he can be easily woken up. When he is pretending to sleep, no amount of effort can make him awake. God knows everything; but He pretends that He does not know anything. So, devotees have doubts. This is the effect of illusion.

Chanting Of Divine Name Destroys Illusion

The Gopikas understood Krishna’s reality well. They yearned and pined for Krishna. Their devotion for Him was total. When Krishna once pretended to sleep, one Gopika said, “One can wake up a person who is in sound sleep. But how is it possible to wake a person who pretends to be sleeping with eyes closed? Can anyone understand Krishna’s Leelas?" Krishna’s Leelas are meant to broaden the vision of people. Gopikas realised that there can be no sleep for God. If God goes to sleep, the entire universe must face calamity. Only true devotees like these Gopikas could understand God’s ways.

Only Bhakti (devotion) can impart understanding about God; devotion alone is capable of granting Moksha (liberation). The principle of devotion is the real medicine for the disease of worldliness. The infinite power of Bhakti must be understood by all. Bhakti (devotion) gives Shakti (power), Shakti begets Rakti and Anurakti (yearning and attachment to God), Anurakti bestows Virakti (detachment) and Virakti leads to Mukti (liberation). Total love is devotion. Mere rituals without true devotion denote only Yukti. Intense love has the power to relieve any person from the dualities of Sankalpas and Vikalpas by purifying the heart.

Radha was once in a dilemma, “If I open the door of the heart, Krishna might escape, but if I close the main door, He may not enter the heart.” The next moment, she had second thoughts, “Where is the question of opening or closing the door of the heart when Krishna is present everywhere?” Can any door prevent Krishna from entering one’s heart? But there is the main door, that is the ecstatic feeling of surrender which is experienced when the strings of Sushumna are played in deep devotion. It is said in yogic parlance, “Oh man! You endeavour to see Kailasa by controlling life breath and senses, and by playing on the strings of Sushumna with tears of joy. That state is verily Kailasa or Vaikuntha, and that is the main door of entry of Krishna. There is no other door. When the entire universe is the temple of God, there is no main door. To realise this truth is true divinity.”

The Gopikas never had any problem with regard to Sankalpas and Vikalpas because they realised the true nature of Divinity. The one who knows the principle of the Atma is Gopi, and the one who is ignorant of this principle is Papi (sinner). Man does not know the difference between Gopi and Papi due to the formidable effect of Maya (illusion). Maya is compared to a Nartaki (dancer). The word Nartaki has three letters – Nar-ta-ki. If you reverse the letters, it becomes Kirtana (chanting of Divine Name). So, Maya Nartaki can be controlled by Kirtana of the Divine Name of God.

– Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Sruthi, at Kodaikanal on 15th April 1993.