Love is the Royal Road to Attain Swami’s Grace

How can you realise the Atma Tattwa without giving up your Tamasic quality? It is not possible to develop devotion without leaving Rajasic quality. Cultivation of Satwic quality is the real means to develop Bhakti. Listen to this, oh valiant sons of Bharat!
(Telugu Poem)

Everyone Can Transform Himself Into A Satwic Person

The three qualities of Satwa, Rajas, and Tamas (serenity, passion, sloth) are the basis of the visible world. Every human being has these three qualities. How can man escape from the influence of these three qualities in his daily life? He can transcend these three qualities only when he develops the wisdom to discriminate which among these qualities is good and which is bad.

Develop the quality of satwa

The quality of Tamas which denotes dullness, ignorance, illusion, cruelty, sleep, etc., is the lowest quality. Satwa on the other hand is the highest quality as it represents peace, calmness, knowledge, harmony, etc., in man. Rajasic quality indicates desire, passion, action, agitation, restlessness, etc. All the desires of man arise out of Rajasic quality. Even desire for God is also a type of Rajasic quality. One without desire will not desire even for liberation. Anger, hatred, jealousy, ego, ostentation, etc., are all Rajasic qualities. Desire may be of any type but the basic nature of the desire remains the same. Satwic quality is the undercurrent of both Rajasic and Tamasic qualities, just as the river Saraswati flows as the undercurrent of both the Ganga and the Yamuna. Satwic quality will manifest in you when you shed your Rajasic and Tamasic qualities one by one gradually. The qualities of Tamas and Rajas are like stepping stones to the quality of Satwa. It is only when you transcend these two can you develop Satwic quality.

Transcend the Qualities of Tamas and Rajas

What does the quality of Tamas denote? Wayside robber Ratnakara is an example of Tamasic quality. Without any kindness and compassion, he used to waylay travellers, kill them and rob them of their money for his selfish ends. Lack of kindness and compassion denotes Tamasic quality. Such a wicked person like Ratnakara was transformed into not only a Maha Tapasvi (one of great penance) but also a great poet by the Darshan, Sparshan, and Sambhashan (vision, touch and conversation) of Sapta Rishis (seven sages). He dedicated his poetry to the glorification of God. Who is a real poet? A real poet is one who has realised his true Self and has the knowledge of the three periods of time – past, present, and future. But due to the impact of Kali Age, all those who can compose a few rhyming lines are today considered as poets. But they are not poets in the real sense of the term. Sages like Valmiki and Vyasa were real poets; they could know the past, present, and future by the power of their penance. Not only that, they even transcended time and had the vision of God. The main cause of transformation of Ratnakara from a totally Tamasic individual into a completely Satwic one was Satsanga (good company) of the seven sages and grace of God. In fact, God’s grace is most important for man’s transformation. Nobody can say when, where and how God will shower His grace on us. Therefore, a Tamasic person need not remain a Tamasic person forever; he can directly become a Satwic person. It is not necessary that he should first transform from a Tamasic to a Rajasic person and then from a Rajasic to a Satwic person. By the grace of God and the teachings of noble souls, a Tamasic person can directly become a Satwic one, just as Ratnakara became a purely Satwic person by the teachings of the Sapta Rishis and attaining the grace of God by performing intense penance.

The second quality is the quality of Rajas. Hatred, jealousy, ostentation, ego, anger, etc., are all Rajasic qualities. Sage Vishwamitra exemplified this quality. All his life was beset with Rajasic quality, but ultimately he was transformed into a great sage. Sage Vashishtha was considered a Brahmarshi (divine sage), whereas Vishwamitra was considered only a Rajarshi (royal sage). This was the main cause of his jealousy and hatred towards Vashishtha. To what extent did this hatred develop in him? His hatred reached to such an extent that he resolved to put an end to Vashishtha’s life. On a full moon night, Vashishtha was engaged in a conversation with his wife Arundhati. During the course of their conversation, Arundhati appreciated the brightness of the moon, saying, “Today the moon appears to be without any blemish”. Vashishtha replied, “It is verily true. The moon is shining without any blemish like the penance of Vishwamitra”. Vishwamitra who was hiding in a nearby bush with the intention of killing Vashishtha heard this conversation. It was an eye-opener for him. He said to himself, “Sage Vashishtha is extolling the greatness of my penance before his wife. Fie on me that I am harbouring hatred against such a noble person! This is a great mistake. This is due to the evil influence of Rajo Guna on me. This Rajo Guna can make a person commit any heinous act”. Thinking thus, he threw away his sword, ran towards Vashishtha and fell at his feet. As soon as Vishwamitra fell at his feet, Vashishtha blessed him without even looking at his face, saying, “Vishwamitra! Oh Brahmarshi! Get up”. Vashishtha, who till then had addressed him only as Rajarshi, now called him a Brahmarshi without any hesitation. Vishwamitra was overjoyed and asked Vashishtha, “So far, you were calling me only a Rajarshi. What is the reason that now you have addressed me as Brahmarshi”? Vashishtha replied, “Vishwamitra! Till now, you were beset with ego. You were born in ego, grew in ego and led a life full of ego. You never bowed your head before anyone. But today you fell at my feet, shunning all your ego. This is the sign of egolessness. That is why you have attained the status of a Brahmarshi now”. The principle of Brahmarshi denotes egolessness. Brahmarshi is one who is totally devoid of ego, attachment, and ostentation.

Howsoever educated, learned, or high-ranking person one may be, he should always think, “I am just a puppet in the hands of God. Everything in this world is the play of God. Whatever way He pulls the strings, the puppets dance accordingly”. When such feelings develop in a person, he becomes truly deserving to be called a Brahmarshi. When man develops ego and attachment, thinking, “I am the doer; this is mine, that is yours”, he becomes a Rajasic person. The feelings of I and mine denote ego and attachment. The moment man roots out his ego and attachment, he rises to the level of a Brahmarshi. The term Rishi does not denote a person of high learning or great penance; it denotes the quality of Satwa. Change from Tamasic and Rajasic qualities to Satwic quality denotes saintliness and divinity.

Never Leave Sathya And Dharma

Man should have Daiva Preeti, Papa Bheeti, and Sangha Neeti (love for God, fear of sin, and morality in society). These are natural qualities of a human being. These three virtues impart great value to humanness. Since man today has forgotten Sathya and left Dharma, his value as a human being has declined. Birds and animals follow their natural qualities; it is unfortunate that man has devalued himself by not following his natural qualities. Rather, he is resorting to qualities which are unnatural to him.

The student who spoke earlier talked about Swadharma and Paradharma. Swadharma is related to the Atma, and Paradharma to the body. Paradharma leads to Pravritti Marg (path of worldliness) and Swadharma to Nivritti Marg (path of spirituality). Today man has forgotten Swadharma and is following only Paradharma. That is why today man’s value is on the decline, whereas the value of all commodities and even of vegetables like brinjals and lady’s fingers is on the rise. What is the main cause of man’s downfall? The main cause of his downfall is that he has forgotten Sathya and Dharma. As he has forsaken Dharma, Dharma has forsaken him. Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah (If you protect Dharma, you will be protected by Dharma). Dharma protects those who protect Dharma. Those who destroy Dharma are destroyed by Dharma. Man should speak truth and follow righteousness. Man today only talks about Dharma but does not follow it. What is the value of merely speaking without practice? Standing on the platform, people give long lectures on Dharma. But they do not practise Dharma even till such time they get down from the platform. How can Dharma protect such people?

Many people today only preach and propagate Dharma, but they themselves never put it into practice. Preaching and propagating is not important; practice is most essential. Can merely reading the names of delicious dishes in a book fill your stomach? You may read the names of many sweets like Gulab Jamun, Burfi, Palkova, etc. But you can experience their sweetness and know their taste only when you put them into your mouth. In the same way, man today speaks about Sathya and Dharma on the basis of his bookish knowledge. Merely speaking about Sathya and Dharma is not enough; put them into practice in your life.

Ratnakara who was beset with Tamasic qualities did not merely listen to the teachings of the seven sages. He put them into practice by constantly repeating the Lord’s Name. By his deep contemplation, he lost his body consciousness. In fact, he gave up his ego and body attachment to such an extent that he had no awareness when an anthill grew over his body. Pride of education, wealth, family status, and attachment to body are the cause of man’s bondage. The day Ratnakara gave up all these types of attachment, he was transformed into a great sage. Not only that, he even earned the deservedness to write the story of Lord Rama. He was transformed into a great sage by Darshan, Sparshan, and Sambhashan of the seven sages. All his evil qualities were transformed into virtues by his Satsanga with these sages. Similar is the case of Vishwamitra. In the beginning, he was a king by name Kaushika who was the epitome of all Rajasic qualities. When he renounced his kingdom along with all its comforts and performed intense penance, he became a Rajarshi. By following the teachings of Vashishtha, he ultimately became a Brahmarshi.

Talk To Devotees With Love

The third quality is the quality of Satwa. What does Satwa really mean? Peace, forbearance, empathy, adherence to truth, etc., are the qualities of a Satwic person. Such a person does not give any room to the six evil qualities of Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, and Matsarya (desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and jealousy). He can even transform hatred into love. What is the use of performance of penance if one cannot do this? I want to give you an example to illustrate this point, but you should not think otherwise. Swami has been constantly teaching the principle of love. In every Discourse, He keeps on repeating, love, love, love… But, how many of you follow this teaching and experience love? If a devotee comes to you and asks a question, do you reply to him with love? A person who gives reply with love is nowhere to be seen. Nobody speaks with love wherever one may go – in Mandir, canteen, accommodation, book stall, or hospital. Then, what is the point in listening to Swami’s Discourses? Is there at least one person who speaks with love? If a new devotee comes and asks, “When is Swami’s Darshan?” he gets a curt reply, “Go, go, I do not know”. Even if you do not know, should you not reply with humility and courtesy? Even educated persons give a blunt reply, saying, “This is not my duty. Go away”. Is it a matter of duty to give a proper reply? What do you lose if you speak softly and tell with love whatever you know?

There are a number of men and women who have been residing in the Ashram for the last twenty, thirty, and even forty years. But has even one of them a heart full of love? They undertake various spiritual practices like Japa (chanting), Tapa (penance), and Dhyana (meditation). What for do they sit in meditation? Where has their love gone? They have literally killed love and developed only hatred. When they listen to Swami’s Discourses, why don’t they put them into practice? They reside in the Ashram but if you see their deeds, it is all evil. Do they perform any task with earnestness? Do they speak truth anywhere? Do they utter even one word with love? I do not see or hear anything spoken with love and truth. When somebody comes to you with a query, talk to him with love. Even if somebody asks you unnecessary questions and tries to prolong the conversation, you should reply to him with love, saying, “Kindly forgive me. Swami does not like too much of talking. Therefore, I do not like to prolong this conversation as I am following Swami’s command”. What is wrong in replying in this manner?

I do not find even one person among students, teachers, doctors, nurses, and workers who speak with love. Then, what is the use of your listening to Swami’s Discourses? When there is a heavy rain, does not the ground become wet? Having listened to My Discourses, should My teachings not be reflected in your conduct? Everyone tries to occupy the front seat during Darshan, Bhajan and Discourses. In Bhajan hall, ladies quarrel with each other for front seat. Where is the need for such ego clashes? How does it matter where they sit? Should they not be happy and satisfied that they are able to enjoy Namasmarana?

Fill Your Heart With Love

You should fill your heart with compassion and love. When there is a heavy rain, you can collect as much water as you like if you keep your pot outside with its mouth up and straight. On the other hand, if you keep the pot upside down, you cannot collect even one drop of water although there may be a downpour. Similarly, people listen to Swami’s Discourses but keep the vessel of their heart upside down. That is why they do not develop even an iota of love in their heart. What for have all of you come here? What is the use of your living here? Is there no other place for you? What is the benefit that you derive by coming here? What have you achieved? What are you achieving? What are you experiencing? Are you experiencing bliss? No, not at all. You are simply wasting your time. Understand this truth and at least from today onwards speak with love to all those who come to you for help.

There are many places like accommodation office, information office, canteen, hospital and book stall which involve public dealing. Some people behave like bull dogs and Alsatian dogs while dealing with public. I do not find kind-hearted persons anywhere. What is the use of leading such a life? We are spending crores of rupees on hospitals. Why don’t you treat the patients with love? There are some doctors who treat the patients with love. When they talk to the patients sweetly and softly, half of their disease is cured. But there are some others who drive them away, saying, “Now there is no time”. They do not merely say ‘get out’ to the patients, but say much more! Such persons cannot be called doctors and devotees. In fact, they are not human beings at all. If you have really come for Swami, you should develop love. Swami is the embodiment of love from top to toe. I give only love. You receive My love but you do not make use of it.

Compassion Is The Hallmark Of A True Devotee

Embodiments of Love!

You may not have love in you, yet I address you as “Embodiments of Love”. There is no need for you to develop anything else except love. When you develop love, you would acquire enormous power of penance. What did Sage Vashishtha say to his wife Arundhati? He praised Vishwamitra in his absence and said, “How beautifully is the moon shining without any blemish just like the penance of Vishwamitra”! The heart of Vishwamitra melted on just hearing the words of Sage Vashishtha suffused with love. When a new devotee comes to the Ashram, people working in the Ashram Departments should welcome them with all cordiality and courtesy like a good host. The students in the Institute also should behave in the same way. When new students join the Institute, they should treat them like their own brothers so that they overcome the feeling of gloominess caused by their separation from their parents.

In outside colleges, the newcomers are put to the severe ordeal of ragging, in the process of which some of the newcomers even lose their lives. Those who behave with newcomers in this manner are verily demons. Will they harass a newcomer if he happens to be their brother? Instead of giving the newcomers courage and happiness, senior students create fear and anxiety in them. This is no Vidya (education) at all. This is only Avidya (ignorance). This is not the sign of Viveka (discrimination) and Daya (compassion). This is the sign of Aviveka (foolishness) and Kruratva (cruelty). The newcomers should be welcomed with great love. You should offer them seat by your side with all love and care. But, unfortunately, this is not happening today. People reserve their seats, saying, “This is my seat”. They don’t allow the newcomers to sit even near their seat. This is not good. All should live unitedly. Only then can you understand Swami’s principle of love.

Whomsoever you speak to, speak with love. If you are not able to answer any question, you should say with humility, “I do not know. Kindly forgive me”. But, unfortunately, you chase them away like animals, saying, “Go, go, I do not know”. This is not at all the correct behaviour. All are human beings. Therefore, respect and love everybody. Only then will you become deserving of love of God who is the indweller of all beings.

What sort of worship is this if you worship the inanimate idol of God and cause suffering to living beings who are the manifest forms of God? Bullocks do hard work day and night and you beat them with a whip. But when you see the stone idol of Nandi in a temple, you do Pradakshina (circumambulation) and offer your obeisance to it. It is the worship of a stone and not the real worship of God. How can such stone-hearted people be called devotees? At least from today onwards, fill your heart with compassion. Everybody says ‘compassion, compassion, compassion’, but where is compassion? There is only fashion but no compassion. There are some people who always cause suffering to others. This is not good. You have been staying in the Ashram for a long time. What is an Ashram? Ashram is a place where there is no Shrama (distress or suffering). Devotees who come here are put to a lot of suffering and they feel, “If Swami gives us an interview, we can be happy at least for some time in the interview room because outside we are being treated like dogs”. To how many people is it possible for Me to give interview? Can I give interview to all the people who come here? No. That is why I am giving this big interview to all of you together.

Love Is The Highest Satwic Quality

Develop love more and more. From tomorrow onwards, talk to everyone with love. Reply to everyone with love. If you know the answer to the question asked, tell it properly. Otherwise, say, “Excuse me, I do not know”. I have told you many times: You cannot always oblige, but you can always speak obligingly. Talk less. Only then can you get rid of animal qualities. How can you behave like a human being if you harbour animal qualities? First and foremost, give up animal qualities. Love, love, love. Share your love with everyone. That is true Satwic quality. But you are leading a life full of Rajas which is a demonic quality. You are a human being. Ask yourself and give the answer also yourself, “Who am I? I am not an animal or a demon; I am a man, I am a man, I am a man”. You are neither an animal nor a demon nor a wicked person. You are a human being. Always keep on reminding yourself, “I am a human being, I am a human being”. Only then can you rise to the level of divine. When you question yourself in this manner, immediately answer also comes from within you only.

People today lack compassion and love. They do not give proper reply to anybody. At least from now onwards, you should give proper reply. Talk to the patients who come to the hospital with love. Give them the correct medicine after thorough examination. But, unfortunately, cruelty is on the rise in human beings today. What is the reason? The reason is the impact of modern education which promotes ego and degenerates man to the level of an animal. Illiterate villagers behave with great humility and obedience. They seem to be more cultured. Unfortunately, educated people today have lost their culture. They are full of agitation. Educated people should get rid of their ego and agitation. Bhakti is not limited to doing Bhajans and worship. Real Bhakti lies in developing love for God. When you develop love, your humanness will be transformed into divinity. Love is the royal road to attain Swami’s grace.

Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, “Prema Muditha Manase Kaho…”)

– From Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 3rd July 1996.