Knowing the Self is Real Freedom

People strive to acquire education which will provide them livelihood, but they do not come forward to acquire education which will grant them liberation. How can such people realise Divinity? Listen, oh valiant sons of Bharat!
(Telugu Poem)

Control of Vagaries of the Mind is Yoga

Even as they start acquiring education, many students today are filled from top to toe with evil qualities like ego, pomp and attachment. Not merely that, evil thoughts, evil intentions and evil notions develop in them fast like anthills.

Evil Qualities Cover up Man’s Divinity

There are sixteen evil qualities which make man forget his humanness. Eight of these evil traits are pride of wealth, physical strength, intelligence, youth, high education, position, clan and physical beauty.

Besides, he is beset with six internal enemies, viz., Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya (desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy). With the addition of Rajo Guna (passion) and Thamo Guna (sloth), the number of evil qualities from which man suffers today becomes sixteen. As a result, the sixteen divine attributes present in him become invisible. God is the embodiment of sixteen Kalas (splendours). It is only when man gets rid of the sixteen evil traits will he shine forth with sixteen divine splendours. Desire, anger, greed, etc., are not human qualities; they are the qualities of animals and beasts. Truth, righteousness, forbearance, empathy and sacrifice are the true human qualities and values. But these human values have become invisible today because man gives room to animal qualities. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce human values in the present system of education.

Youth is temporary like passing clouds. How is it that young boys and girls forget the eternal divinity being enamoured of the ephemeral youth? Every young boy and girl should develop divine feelings. Money comes and goes. One may be proud of one’s enormous wealth but that cannot give one even an iota of peace. One may be proud of one’s education, but that also cannot give peace. What is the point in acquiring money and education when they cannot grant you peace? What is real property? It is knowledge. What is real wealth? Health is real wealth. What is real freedom? Knowing the Self is real freedom. The end of wisdom is freedom. The educated today think freedom means to speak, act, move about and behave in an arbitrary manner. But that is not real freedom. Self-control is real freedom, Atmic bliss is real freedom, knowledge of the Self is real freedom and blossoming of the Self is real freedom. How can you define Swechchha (freedom)? Swa + Ichchha = Swechchha. Swa means Atma, Ichchha means desire. Therefore, desire for the Self is the real freedom. But the youth today want to enjoy freedom only at the physical level and not at the Atmic level.

Earn God’s Grace by Total Surrender

Lord Krishna taught the principles of Swadharma and Paradharma in the Bhagawadgita. People misinterpret Swadharma as though it is related to race, religion or caste. They say Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras should follow the Dharma of their respective caste. But this is not Swadharma. Swadharma means Atma Dharma and Paradharma means Deha Dharma. Deha (body) is inert. It is the mind that makes the body perform various tasks. Deha Dharma does not constitute true freedom. Control of the mind and knowledge of the Self is real freedom. Sage Patanjali said, Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha (Control of the modifications of the mind is yoga). Yoga confers real blessedness on those who practise it. God Himself will come and shower His love on such blessed souls. You don’t need to go to God. God Himself will come to you. You don’t need to pray to God to come to you. Thyagaraja sang:

Raara Maa Intidaaka,
Raghuveera Sukumaara,
Neeku Mrokkeda,
Raara Dasaratha Kumara
Nannelukora, Ne Taalalera.
(Telugu Song)

(Come to our house, oh the valorous one of Raghu clan and oh the tender one, I offer my salutations to You. Oh the son of Dasaratha, come to my rescue, I cannot bear separation from You any longer.)

But a devotee need not call God to come. He Himself will come to him, saying, “Come on, my dear.” But when will God call you? He will call you only when you totally surrender to Him and obey His command just like Arjuna did, saying, Karishye Vachanam Thava (I will obey Thy command). Pleased with his sense of surrender, Lord Krishna said to Arjuna:

Manmana Bhava Madbhakto
Madyaji Maam Namaskuru,
Maam Evaishyasi Satyam
Te Pratijane Priyo Asi Mey.

(Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer obeisance to Me and worship Me. Truly, do I promise that you will come to Me for you are dear to Me.)

Now you are Mine, said Lord Krishna. When you surrender to God completely, He will take you closer to Him the very next moment. God will then become closest to you. Though many sacred qualities are present in him, man is not aware of them. Therefore, man should have awareness of his sacred qualities and develop them. If any evil thoughts arise in him, he should at once discard them, saying, “These are not mine; these relate to animal qualities. I am a human being. I have come from God.” Why do such animal qualities arise in man when he is of divine origin? Bad company is responsible for this. Therefore, run away from bad company. Don’t wait even for a moment; run away immediately. Only then can you develop sacred, pure and selfless feelings. Here is an example. You should understand this clearly.

Make Proper Use of the Gifts of God

God has created everything, right from the smallest atom to infinite cosmos. It is not possible to comprehend God. You should have the faith that what is present in the smallest atom pervades the entire cosmos and vice-versa. God is present in every atom. Why has He created this world? He says, “Oh human beings! Oh divine beings! I have created everything in this universe. All the objects that you require to lead your life on earth have been created by Me. I have given you water to drink, air to breathe, sun to give you warmth and ether to enable you to hear. I have created five elements only for your sake. Enjoy them as much as you like. I have given you all the freedom. I don’t have any objection. You don’t need to pay any tax for this. But I have laid down one condition. In whatever way you use these five elements, you will have to bear the consequences of it. If you do good, you will have good results. If you do bad, the result also is bound to be bad. You should be prepared to accept both. I don’t interfere in this. You have to reap the consequences of your actions.”

The Bhagawadgita also teaches the same principle. God has given you light to drive away darkness. To protect you from the intensity of heat, God has given you cool breeze. Man has freedom to use these gifts of God for his benefit. But the same wind has the power to extinguish the flame of the lamp. When the wind blows and extinguishes the lamp, man blames God. He thinks God has done this injustice. God replies, “My dear, it is necessary for you to make some effort to protect the flame. I have given you air to breathe and sustain your life. I have given you light to save yourself from darkness and its resulting dangers. I have given to the wind the power to blow and to the lamp the power to give light. If the wind does not extinguish the lamp, it means there is something lacking in the divine power. Wind has the power to extinguish the lamp. That is the law of Nature. Wind has to blow and at the same time the lamp has to give light. It is your duty to cover the lamp with a glass shield to protect it from the wind. That is the self-effort expected of you.” Without making such effort, if you leave the lamp in the open and pray to the wind that it should not extinguish the lamp, is it not a mistake on your part? That is against the law of Nature and the laws that govern God’s creation. God does not accept any blame for this. However, at times when the suffering of devotees becomes unbearable and devotees pray to God with a pure mind from the depths of their heart, God Himself will manifest and remove their suffering.

Do not Get Deluded by the Physical Form of the Divine Incarnation

You might have read this in the Bhagawata. Once upon a time, Indra, the king of heaven, caused heavy rain in Gokul. Gopikas and Gopalas surrounded Krishna and prayed, “Oh Krishna, please save us, protect our cows. We are unable to bear this torrential downpour.” Then Krishna replied, “Rain is a natural phenomenon. It is not possible to stop the rain as it is also My creation. If it has to rain, it has to. However, through prayer you can save yourself from suffering. I should not stop the rain just because I have got the power to do so. In that case, I will be transgressing the laws I Myself have made. Therefore, come, I will lift this Govardhana mountain.” Saying so, Krishna went to lift the Govardhana mountain. Human mind is highly fickle. The Gopalas who prayed to Krishna to protect them from the rain started entertaining all sorts of doubts. They thought, “How can this small boy Krishna lift the mighty mountain?” When the doubting Gopalas were thinking like this, Krishna lifted the Govardhana mountain on His little finger. Everybody took shelter under the mountain. They also brought their cows under it.

Krishna’s parents Yashoda and Nanda were fear-stricken as they thought, “He has somehow lifted the mountain. But how is He going to keep it down?” They had the fear that Krishna might get crushed underneath the mountain in the process of keeping it down. Then Krishna told the Gopikas and Gopalas, “All of you should obey My command. Those who obey My command will be protected; those who disobey will be destroyed. All of you should close your eyes when I chant Omkara.” Accordingly, all of them closed their eyes as Krishna chanted Om. When they opened their eyes, the Govardhana mountain was at its original position and Krishna was in their midst. This is the divine sport of Krishna. How did He put the mountain down? He can do anything in a moment.

Not even a blade of grass will move without Divine Will,
Why to say this or that?
God pervades everything from an ant to Brahma.
People who do not realise this truth get carried away by their pride of intelligence and knowledge.
But no one, however great he may be, knows what lies ahead for him in future.
(Telugu Poem)

This is the mystery of God. People get deluded when they look at the physical form of the Divine incarnation with external vision and start comparing Him with themselves. They think, He is also a human being like us. This is how they get deluded. They make a fool of themselves by such delusion. He may have a physical form like you, eat like you, move about like you, but God is God. One who understands this truth is truly educated.

Education confers humility, humility confers deservedness
which in turn gives you wealth. Wealth will bring you material and spiritual satisfaction when you utilise it to perform charity and righteous deeds.
(Telugu Poem)

Shirdi Sai Baba Manifests his Divinity

First of all, you should understand that education is not meant only to earn money. Vidya Dadati Vinayam (education confers humility). A student who acquires education to earn money is not a student in the real sense of the term. He is not a Vidyarthi (student) but a Vishayarthi (seeker of worldly pleasures). It is difficult to understand Divinity. Only those who obey the divine command implicitly can experience Divinity in its fullness. Mhalsapathi used to sleep in the room of Shirdi Sai Baba every night. There was a small wooden plank hanging to the ceiling on which Sai Baba used to sleep. As there was not enough place in the room, Mhalsapathi used to sleep directly underneath the wooden plank. Initially, Mhalsapathi was very afraid, thinking what would be his fate if the old dhoti that was used to hold the wooden plank gave way and the plank fell on him. Due to this fear, he would not have proper sleep at night. One day Sai Baba decided to dispel his fear and demonstrate his Divinity to Mhalsapathi. He called Mhalsapathi and asked him to get up. When Mhalsapathi got up, he saw Shirdi Baba lying on the plank which was floating in the air without even the support of the old dhoti. Baba told him, “Oh simpleton, do you think those old dhotis are bearing my weight? No, no. It is my power that is bearing my weight.” Then he revealed a divine secret to Mhalsapathi. He said, “Don’t tell this to anyone. Some people think I am a Brahmin, some others think I am a Patel, while a few others think I am a Muslim. In fact, I am born to the Brahmin couple Devagiriamma and Gangabhavadia in the village of Pathri.” Then Mhalsapathi’s doubt was removed and he offered his salutations to Baba thus:

Pathri Gram Samudbhutam,
Dwarakamayivasinam,
Bhaktabhishtapradam Devam,
Sai Natham Namamyaham.
(Sanskrit Verse)

(I offer my salutations to Lord Sainatha, who is born in the village Pathri, resides in Dwarakamayi and grants the prayer of his devotees.)

Baba commanded Mhalsapathi not to reveal this secret to anyone. In those days, there was infighting between different sects of Hindus and Muslims, resulting in great violence. With a desire to bring about unity between Hindus and Muslims, Baba told Mhalsapathi, “I am a Mohammaden among Mohammedans and a Hindu among Hindus. Therefore, do not call me either a Hindu or a Muslim.” He told Mhalsapathi to keep this as a secret.

Develop Constant Integrated Awareness

Similarly, all incarnations of God share such divine secrets with one or two individuals who are very close to them. Lord Rama shared many secrets only with Lakshmana and not with anyone else because Lakshmana followed Him like a shadow. None can describe the greatness of Lakshmana’s sacrifice. He could enjoy all the comforts of the palace. But he gave up the kingdom as also his wife and followed Rama. He told his mother Sumitra, “I want only Rama and I am prepared to sacrifice anything to go with Him to forest.”

True to her name Sumitra, she was a good friend of everyone. When Lakshmana came to take leave of her and offered his salutations to her, she said to him, “My dear son, the Aranya (forest) is verily Ayodhya when Rama is with you, whereas Ayodhya is verily the Aranya for us in the absence of Rama. Conduct yourself in such a manner that Rama is not put to any inconvenience whatsoever. Make sure that you don’t hurt Rama in any way. Rama is God and pervades the entire world. Therefore, if you cause even a little suffering to Rama, the whole world will be put to suffering.” What a wonderful teaching she imparted to her son!

During Krishna Avatar, Balarama was always with Krishna. But it was Uddhava who was Krishna’s closest friend. Sometimes even Balarama was not by the side of Krishna but Uddhava followed Krishna like His shadow wherever He went. It was only to Uddhava that Krishna revealed that the Yadava clan would be destroyed and He had decided to leave His body. Uddhava was very sad to know that. He held the feet of Krishna and prayed, “I will be with You till You are there and will come with You when You go. I cannot bear separation from You.” Subtle divine mysteries are not revealed to all. Divine incarnations reveal them only to their most intimate friends. It is not possible to tell everyone. How is it possible for everyone to understand Divinity? When devotees see a divine miracle, they say, “Ah! Swami is God!” However, they forget it after two days and think Swami is like any other ordinary person. Devotees should not have such fickleness. They should have Constant Integrated Awareness. Mere awareness is not enough; there should be Constant Integrated Awareness.

Become Equal-minded and Experience Bliss

A true devotee is Sthitaprajna (equal-minded). He has a steady mind without any wavering. Many commentators of the Bhagawadgita have interpreted the word Sthitaprajna in various ways. Some of them say, “When it is day for ordinary people, it is night for Sthitaprajna and vice-versa.” Oh simpleton! Is this the attribute of a Sthitaprajna? The railway station masters and night watchmen keep awake the whole night and sleep during the day. Can we call them Sthitaprajnas? No, no. A Sthitaprajna is one who is always awake in matters relating to God and asleep regarding worldly affairs. Normally, people are very alert in worldly matters. But a Sthitaprajna is always immersed in bliss, completely oblivious of all that is worldly. This is the attribute of a Sthitaprajna. One who is devoid of worldly tendencies and totally immersed in the contemplation of Visweswara (Supreme Being) is a Sthitaprajna. The Bhagawadgita exhorts man to become a Sthitaprajna.

Many things keep happening in this world. However, all that is related to God is full of bliss. There is nothing bad in the world. How can there be anything bad in God’s creation? If you say something is bad, it is the defect of your vision. Can there be anything bad in the creation of God? You may judge something as good and something else as bad in accordance with your position and intelligence. But when you transcend your senses and mind, everything will appear to be good to you. You should treasure this feeling in your heart. However, till you reach such high state, you should strive to follow the sacred path befitting your humanness.

I want to tell you one more thing. Some people practise meditation. While practising meditation, your body should not touch any other body. When the bodies touch each other, good or bad currents from one body will pass on to the other body. If people sit close to each other and meditate, it cannot be called meditation at all. Therefore, sit separately as far as it is possible. That is why sages of yore used to go to the forest to do meditation. It is necessary that you live in solitude without having contact with the world as far as possible. Treasure this divine knowledge in your heart.

(Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajans, “Madhava Murahara Madhura Manohara…” and “Subrahmanyam Subrahmanyam …”)

– From Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 23rd August 1996.