Make Truth the Guiding Principle of Your Life

Man Is the Embodiment of Bliss

Embodiments of Love!

Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa are verily the five life principles of man.

Truth Is the Very Form of God

People think humanness lies in performing normal activities which a man is supposed to carry out in his day-to-day life. These activities are only worldly activities, not spiritual. Reporting of events as they are, as you see them and as you do them constitutes only worldly truth. Spiritual truth is different from it. It is beyond the realm of time, space and circumstances and is not related to any particular time, place or individual. It transcends the three qualities of Satwa, Rajas and Tamas (serenity, passion and sloth). This truth is verily God. Everything emerges from this truth.

The creation emerges from truth and merges into truth, 
Is there a place in the cosmos where truth does not exist
Visualise this pure and unsullied truth.
(Telugu Poem)

All the five elements have emerged from truth. Unable to understand this truth, we consider the worldly and physical realities as truth. Worldly truth is what you see with your eyes, hear with your ears and think with your mind. This worldly truth is the cause of both happiness and sorrow. It denotes worldly reality which is subject to change with the passage of time. But the spiritual truth does not change in all the three periods of time. That is why it is said, Trikalabadhyam Sathyam (Truth remains unchanged in the three periods of time – past, present and future). This truth is the basis of entire creation. What do we mean by Sathyam (truth) which consists of three letters, Sath+y+am. ‘Sath’ means life principle; ‘y’ denotes food and ‘am’ stands for the sun. Every being is endowed with life principle, for which food is the basis. The sun is the cause of entire vegetation and crops which provide food to man. The combination of life principle, food and the sun constitutes truth. Therefore, all these three are the embodiments of Brahman. Life is Brahman, food is Brahman and the sun is Brahman.

Sathya consists of three letters ‘Sa’, ‘tha’, and ‘ya’. When we reverse the order of these letters, we get ‘Ya’, ‘tha’ and ‘sa’. ‘Ya’ stands for Yamas and Niyamas; ‘tha’ stands for Tapa and ‘Sa’ denotes God who is the embodiment of truth. Therefore, when you perform penance observing Yamas and Niyamas (restraints and observances), you will have the vision of God. This is what is meant by Sathya. Adherence to Yamas and Niyamas denotes the control of five senses of perception and five senses of action. You should control the senses and perform Tapa (penance). What is meant by penance? It does not mean performing a posture with your head down and feet up. The real meaning of Tapa is Trikarana Shuddhi (unity of thought, word and deed). Speak what you think and do what you say. This harmony between thought, word and deed constitutes Trikarana Shuddhi. It is only when you observe Yamas and Niyamas with Trikarana Shuddhi can you have the vision of God. That is to say, Sathyam Gnyanam Anantam Brahma (Brahman is the embodiment of truth, wisdom and eternity). Truth is knowledge, knowledge is infinitude and God is infinite. Brahman denotes infinity and vastness. Therefore, truth is the very form of God. But man today considers worldly reality as truth. He forgets the spiritual truth, takes to the path of ignorance and is unable to see the light of knowledge.

Spiritual Truth Is Changeless

Man’s life is divided into four Ashrams (stages of life) as per the ancient Indian tradition. These are Brahmacharya Ashram, Grihastha Ashram, Vanaprastha Ashram and Sanyasa Ashram (celibate stage, householder stage, recluse stage and renunciant stage). These are the different names of four stages of man’s life. This is the worldly truth. The person who passes through these four stages is one and the same. The stages change but not the person. That which changes is worldly truth and that which remains changeless is spiritual truth. The changeless truth is the foundation. On the foundation of Sathya, stands the mansion of Dharma. The mansion can be given any colour, any name; it can be decorated in any way. But the foundation cannot be changed. This foundation is what is meant by Sathya. Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than adherence to truth). Sathya is the basis of Dharma. Dharayati iti Dharma (that which sustains is Dharma). Dharma is supported and sustained by Sathya. In fact, Sathya is the fundamental basis for everything. But, unfortunately, man today has forgotten this principle of truth. Our ancient Vedic culture teaches, Sathyam Vada, Dharmam Chara (speak truth, practise righteousness). But today we do not find one in a thousand or even a million who adheres to truth. People perform Sathyanarayana Vrata (worship of Sathyanarayana) once in a year but for the rest of the year, they take to the path of untruth only. Once in a while, they may speak truth and adhere to it, but they resort to untruth for the rest of their life. This is not humanness. True humanness lies in adhering to truth all your life.

You Are the Embodiments of Ananda

What is meant by humanness? To conduct oneself without ignorance is humanness. Man should base his life on truth in order to live without ignorance. Then only can he be called a Manava (human being) in the real sense of the term. The word ‘Manava’ consists of three letters –‘Ma’, ‘na’, ‘va’. ‘Ma’ means ignorance, ‘na’ means without and ‘va’ means to conduct oneself. Hence, one who leads his life without ignorance is Manava. To define the word ‘Manava’ in another way, it can be split into two parts, ‘Ma’ and ‘nava’. ‘Ma’ denotes not, ‘nava’ means new. Therefore, the term ‘Manava’ refers to one who is not new. He is not someone who came into existence only in this birth. He is very ancient and eternal. The term ‘Manava’ demonstrates these truths. Therefore, man should dedicate his life to these principles of truth and humanness.

The goal of human life is to experience Sat-Chit-Ananda. ‘Sat’ means being which is eternal. ‘Chit’ means awareness which denotes knowledge. When man combines ‘Sat’ and ‘Chit’, he will naturally experience Ananda (bliss). Since man is not able to experience Ananda, he keeps on searching for it here and there. Truly, man’s very form is bliss. Unable to realise this truth, man searches for bliss elsewhere? In fact, he wanders here and there in search of himself! How foolish is he who searches for his own form elsewhere? Can you find yourself elsewhere? People crave for Ananda, saying, “I want Ananda, I want Ananda”. They keep on enquiring which object or which person can give them Ananda. They try to acquire several worldly objects and meet several people to derive Ananda from them. Similarly, they pursue various endeavours to get Ananda. But there is no Ananda in objects, individuals and worldly pursuits. Ananda is in you. You yourself are the very form of Ananda. In fact, you are immersed in the ocean of Ananda.

Water bubble is born in water, grows in water and merges in water. Man is the water bubble and God is the water. Listen to this truth, oh valiant sons of Bharat!
(Telugu Poem)

Where is the need to search for Ananda elsewhere? Since man today is not able to realise this truth, he has become an ignoramus. This is the effect of Maya (delusion).

Life is a delusion, 
Worldly attachments are a delusion, 
Family life is a delusion, 
Death is a delusion. 
Why should one become 
A victim of delusion?
(Telugu Poem)

You yourself are the cause of delusion. Maya is not to be seen anywhere. In fact, Maya does not exist at all. Since it does not exist anywhere, it is called Maya. Where is Maya? You can see it only when it exists. You mistake a rope for a snake in darkness. Because of this deluded thinking, you run away from the rope. When you flash a torchlight on it, you realise that it is only a rope. Then your fear disappears. You can even hold it in your hand. When you mistook it for a snake, then also it was a rope and when you saw it as a rope, then also it was a rope. When you throw light on it, the snake does not run away and the rope does not come there. Then also it was a rope and now too it is a rope. Similarly, you are the embodiment of Ananda whether you know it or not. It is only due to your ignorance that you feel, you have lost your Ananda. When you get rid of your ignorance and attain Gnyana, you will realise that you are the embodiment of Ananda. The divine principle of bliss neither comes nor goes. When you know this truth, you will know everything. What is this truth? It is Trikarana Shuddhi. You should speak what you think and do what you say. The unity of thought, word and deed is truth. There is an intimate relationship between thought, word and deed.

The other day, I told you that Aham (I) is born out of Atma. Therefore, Aham is the son of Atma. Mind is born out of Aham and hence it is the grandson of Atma. Speech is born out of mind. Therefore, it is the great grandson of Atma. That is to say, Atma, Aham, mind and speech, all belong to the same family. In the same way, there should be intimate relationship between heart and speech and also between speech and action. This harmony between heart, speech and action is Trikarana Shuddhi and that is Sathya. Sathya is not limited to stating what you see and hear. Sathya is your very form. What is the factor due to which you forget this truth? It can be identified by a worldly example.

Always Take Refuge in Truth

Students!

You may not have the experience of this, but it is a fact that a person has to undergo many difficulties when he marries. There is no happiness in Samsara (worldly life). ‘Samsara’ denotes ‘some’ + ‘sara’, that which has little Sara (essence). There is no great happiness in Samsara. It can give you only a little happiness. Many types of troubles and turmoils start in the family when you marry and get a wife. Your troubles will become manifold if you have two wives. Dhruva’s father Uttanapada had two wives. As a result, he had to face enormous difficulties. His second wife would not allow Dhruva to sit on his father’s lap because he was born out of his first wife. She started arguing with King Uttanapada that only her son had the right to sit on his lap. As a result, Dhruva left for the forest and the king was subjected to great agony and suffering. You also know the story of Dasaratha who had three wives. He completely yielded to the wishes of his third wife and sent Sri Rama, born out of his first wife, to the forest even though Rama was none other than the incarnation of Lord Narayana. What will then be the fate of one who has ten wives? Who has got ten wives? It is the mind. Its ten wives are the ten senses of man. What a great suffering the mind is put to by these ten senses! The eyes demand, “Buy me a TV and take me to a good cinema”. Then the tongue starts pestering it, “Bring for me the most delicious Masala Dosa, Dahi Vada”. The nose tells, “Get a fragrant flower for me”. Similarly, the ears also want to hear good music. How is it possible to satisfy the cravings of all these senses? It is difficult to fully satisfy even one sense. Then, how can the ten senses be satisfied? Unable to satisfy the ten senses, the mind is subjected to untold miseries. Only then it prays, “Oh God, I do not want this Samsara” and makes efforts to control the senses. What are the worries that afflict the mind?

To be born is a worry, to be on the earth is a worry; world is a cause of worry and death too; entire childhood is a worry and so is the old age; life is a worry, failure is a worry; all actions and difficulties cause worry; even happiness too is a mysterious worry. Devotion to Swami alone will put an end to all your worries. Oh people! Develop such devotion and love.
(Telugu Poem)

Truth Alone Triumphs

Then the mind starts praying, “Oh Lord, I can no longer bear this suffering. Kindly come to my rescue”. Till then, it does not think of God. People pray only in times of difficulties. When are you afflicted with worries? It is only when you forget truth. The reason for all the worries of man today is that he has forgotten truth. Follow truth and you will be successful in all fields of life. Victory always favours those who follow truth, and none others. You cannot be victorious by your physical strength, intellectual power, enormous wealth and a large number of followers. All these cannot supersede truth. It is the truth that triumphs. There is nothing in this world that can overpower truth. Sathyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs). Nothing else can achieve victory. Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti (truth is one, but the wise refer to it by various names). You can achieve victory in all your endeavours when you follow truth. Whatever serious problem you may be faced with, it can be easily solved by following truth. There is nothing that truth cannot achieve in this world. It can achieve everything. Sathya has such great power that it can turn earth into sky and sky into earth. Therefore, always take refuge in truth. Truth is God. Life has no meaning if you forget truth. People in this world are victims of so many problems and sufferings because they have forgotten truth. If you forget truth and take refuge in anything else, you cannot achieve victory. You may have high position of authority and high degrees of education, but they cannot lead you to truth. What is the reason? The reason is that all these are worldly achievements and they lead you only to worldly goals. Sathya leads to the path of Nivritti (detachment). It is only when you realise this truth can you be victorious in life.

Students!

In any adverse situation of life, keep Sathya as your guiding principle before you. Uphold your promise under all circumstances. If you have given a promise to someone, you should stick to it till the last breath of your life. When Vamana asked for three steps of land, Bali promised to give him what he asked for. Bali’s preceptor Sukracharya forbade him from granting Vamana’s wish. Then Bali said, “Is there a greater sin than going back on one’s promise? I have given him my word; I will not go back on it, come what may”. You should emulate such ideals and lead a life of truth. The world can be saved only when people follow this principle of truth. Do people today follow the path of truth and righteousness? No. They listen to numerous discourses, read thousands of books and go to meet hundreds of noble souls. But what do they follow? What do they practise? How much do they experience? Nothing at all.

Get Rid of the Duality of Your Mind

Many people call themselves Pundits (learned men). What does the term Pundit mean? Is he the one who has mastered the Vedas, the sacred texts, the epics and the mythological texts? Or is he the one who is a great exponent of scriptures? Or is he the one who has accumulated enormous knowledge? No, no. The Bhagavadgita refutes this statement and declares, Pandita Samadarshina (A Pundit is one who is equal-minded). A real Pundit achieves equal-mindedness. He observes equanimity in happiness and sorrow, praise and ridicule, pleasure and pain. He is indifferent to heat and cold. This has to be there and that also has to be there in this world. These dualities are part and parcel of worldly life. When you suffer from the heat of summer, you want the coolness of winter. But, how long can you enjoy the coolness of winter? You will again desire for the heat of summer. When the heat is severe, then you will say, “Oh God, I am not able to bear this heat”, and desire for coolness. But are the heat and coolness under your control? No. They are the gifts of God. These dualities are the hallmarks of this world. Man can enjoy his life and experience peace and happiness only because of these dualities. Nobody wants to eat sweets all the time. If you eat sweets for ten days, on the eleventh day you will feel like tasting pickles. When you eat pickles for a few days, you will again desire for sweets. Sukhadukhe Samekruthwa Labhalabhau Jayajayau (one should remain equal-minded in happiness and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat). Pleasure and pain, profit and loss are but natural in this world. However, one should observe equanimity in this duality. You should not focus your mind on duality just because there is so much duality in this world. A man with dual mind is half blind. Therefore, do not have a dual mind.

Man’s mind oscillates like the pendulum of a clock this way and that way. So long as this vacillation of mind continues, man will experience only duality. But when the pendulum stops, the mind will become still and stable. Only then will he experience the unity of Jiva (embodied soul) and Brahman (God). Therefore, man should try to control the vagaries of his mind. So long as mind oscillates, you are bound by time. When the mind becomes still and you realise the principle of unity, you will transcend time. Time is God. Kalaya Namah, Kala Kalaya Namah, Kaladarpa Damanaya Namah, Kalateetaya Namah, Kalaswarupaya Namah, Kalaniyamitaya Namah (salutations to time, to the one who is beyond time, to the one who has conquered time, to the one who transcends time, to the one who is the embodiment of time, and to the one who ordains time).

Reach the Goal of Your Life’s Journey

God is the master of time. When you take refuge in God, time has no power to do any harm to you. In fact, man should become the master of time. A real human being is one who transcends time. Time is God. God is the resident of your heart. Greatness of man is immeasurable because God Himself is installed in his heart. God is subservient to His devotee. Therefore, it is not proper for man to think himself inferior in any way. Jantunam Nara Janma Durlabham (of all living beings, human birth is the rarest). It is a rare fortune to be born as a human being. Never demean human birth. This Nara Janma (human birth) has to be offered to Narayana. This is the very purpose of human birth. Man should rise to the level of divine. He should evolve from animality to humanness and from humanness to divinity. But, unfortunately, man today is going in the reverse direction and degenerating to the level of animals. Never use the ‘reverse gear’. Always use the ‘front gear’ and move forward. Where should you stop? You should not stop till the goal is reached. This is the purpose of the journey of human life.

How should you lead your life? You should lead your life by following four ‘F’s, about which I have told you earlier. The first ‘F’ is: Follow the master. Who is your master? Your conscience is your master. The second ‘F’ is: Face the devil. The third ‘F’ is: Fight to the end, and the fourth ‘F’ is: Finish the game. This is the goal of life and this is the game of life.

Life is a game, play it. 
Life is a dream, realise it. 
Life is a challenge, meet it. 
Life is love, enjoy it.

The life of man is filled with such deep inner meanings and such great mysteries. Today man is demeaning such a sacred, divine, noble and sublime human life. What is the reason? The reason is that he has forgotten truth. Many people think that three-fourth of truth is life. But I do not accept this. What about the remaining one-fourth? Therefore, not three-fourth, but complete truth is life. Truth is God. God is full.

Poornamada Poornamidam, Poornat Poornamudachyate,
Poornasya Poornamadaya, Poornamevavashishyate.

(That is full, this is full. When the full is taken out of the full, what remains is again the full.)

God is full, you are full, the world is full and everything is full. Therefore, truth is full and fullness is truth. Realise this truth and do not resort to falsehood as far as possible. In a situation when speaking truth can be dangerous or can land you in trouble, do not utter either truth or untruth; remain silent. Anudvegakaram Vakyam Sathyam Priya-hitham Cha Yat (one should speak only truthful, pleasing and well-intentional words, which are beneficial to others).

Pray with Sincerity of Feelings and Purity of Heart

Once Lord Indra decided to test a great yogi who was observing two vows. His first vow was that he would not hurt or harm anybody, and the second vow was that he would not tell a lie. In order to put these vows into practice in his life, he was performing severe penance. Lord Indra came there in the form of a hunter, chasing a deer. When the deer came running before the yogi, he opened his eyes and saw the deer which hid itself in a bush. The hunter came to the yogi and asked, “Swami, I came here in pursuit of a deer. Have you seen it”? The yogi was caught in a dilemma. If he were to say that he had not seen the deer, that would amount to uttering falsehood. On the other hand, if he were to reveal the whereabouts of the deer, the hunter would kill it. In either way, one of his vows would be broken. Then he prayed to God to give him a vision or an idea by which he could uphold both the vows. Immediately, God granted him a vision. God at once responds to the prayers of those who pray to Him with purity of heart. Those who utter their prayers without any earnestness, God will not answer their prayers, no matter how long they keep on praying. Those who pray with sincerity of feelings and purity of heart will get immediate response from God. As God granted him a vision, the yogi said to the hunter, “The eyes that see cannot speak and the tongue that speaks cannot see. Then what can I say”? Eyes that saw the deer cannot speak. The tongue that can speak did not see the deer. Seeing one thing and saying another thing amounts to falsehood. In this way, he escaped from a difficult situation.

In this world, whenever man is caught up in such a dilemma, he should try to escape from it by following this path. Do not speak truth that would lead to danger. At the same time, do not commit sin by uttering falsehood. Follow the middle path because the world is illusive. Right from your tender age, never utter falsehood. In a difficult situation, neither tell a lie nor speak truth. Better remain silent.

(Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, “Hey Siva Sankara Namami Sankara…”)

– From Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 2nd July 1996.