Spiritual Basis of Human Values

Born as human beings, growing as human beings, men have forgotten the value of human existence. Developing religious differences, fostering demonic tendencies, they are destroying peace. What is the state of human life today? The foremost thing that should exist is respect for human values. However great an intellectual may be, however great one may be as a scholar or a man of learning, one has also to acquire humanness. Without humanness, scholarships and intellectual eminence are of no value.

It is only when men cultivate humanness that society will shine with radiance and the nation and the world will progress. Humanness can be promoted only through spirituality and not by any other means. Just as a seed can sprout only when it is planted in the soil and watered, human values can grow only in a spiritual soil. If a man wants to cultivate human values he has to apply the manure of spirituality to his heart, water it with love so that human values will grow. Human society needs essentially fellow-feeling and unity. When these two are present, humanness will flourish.

The Five Principles of Yama (Sense Control)

Wherefrom are human values to be derived and how are they to be developed? Human values are born along with human birth. They exist in union. Unfortunately, man today separates himself from human values and yet wants to live as a human being. To recover human values, man has to take the spiritual path.

In spiritual saadhana, there are eight Yogic disciplines to be observed: yama, niyama, aasana, praanaayaama, pratyaahaara, dhaaraṇa, dhyaana, and samaadhi (sense restraint, observing rules, seating posture, breath-control, withdrawal of senses from objects, concentration, meditation, and Super Conscious state). Of these, the first is yama. It is enough if this single discipline is observed. All human values are comprised in it. Humanness is embedded in it. Yama includes the panchapraanas (five-breaths), pancha-bhutas (five elements), pancha-koshas (five sheaths), pancha-tatvas (five basic principles), and pancha-roopas (five forms). The five forms are the form of Gayatri. The five basic principles are: Ahimsa, Satya, Brahmacharya, Aasteya, and Aparigraha (Non-violence, Truth, Celibacy, non-stealing, and non-possessive qualities). These five constitute yama. The first is ahimsa. Buddha attached great importance to ahimsa. He considered it the foremost dharma (duty). "Ahimsa paramo dharma," declared Buddha.

Wider Meaning of Ahimsa

What does ahimsa signify? It is not merely refraining from causing harm or injury to others. It implies also refraining from causing harm to himself. One who harms himself cannot avoid harming others. Whoever desires to observe ahimsa must see that he does not do violence to himself. How is this to be ensured? By constantly examining whether his conduct is right or wrong. For instance, in the matter of speech, he must examine whether his words are causing pain to others or not. He must see that his looks are not tainted by evil intentions or thoughts. He should not listen to evil talk. All these cause harm to the individual.

Hence, everyone should see that he gives no room for bad looks, bad hearing, bad speech, bad thoughts, and bad actions. How do you determine what is bad? By consulting your conscience. Whenever you act against the dictates of your conscience, bad results follow. The conscience is the form of the Divine within everyone. Whatever you do, the conscience tells you whether it is right or wrong. However, to ascertain the directive of the conscience you have to wait for some time. You should not be in a hurry. When you want to say something, you must consider for a moment whether it would be proper or not and then speak. When you want to listen to something, you must examine whether it is good or bad to listen and then decide what is proper.

You should be careful not only with regard to how you react to the five elements but also with regard to your food. Excessive eating does violence to the body. Moderation in food is conducive to happiness. Ahimsa (non-violence) is thus what confers happiness on you. That which hurts you is himsa (violence). Nor is that all. Even in drinking water, you should observe restraints. Likewise, one’s entire life should be governed by the principle of non-violence. Many germs die when one takes a bath or walks or does any other action. Even in the process of breathing many germs die. Violence is present in all these activities. Therefore, to avoid the consequences of such involuntary violence to living creatures, one is advised to dedicate all actions to the Divine. But there is no meaning in dedicating to the Divine conscious acts of violence. The conscience will not approve of such conduct. In vedantic parlance, the conscience is called chit. It is also called Awareness. Awareness is total understanding. This total understanding is within the capacity of every human being. Everyone must strive to express this awareness. Thus, ahimsa is the primary duty of man.

Adherence to Truth

The second duty is satya (truth). Truth is not merely telling the facts about what you see or hear or know. These are temporal truths. In its full sense, truth can be applied only to what comes out of your heart in its pure and unsullied form as the voice of conscience. This satya (truth) is also called ritam. It is true for all time –– past, present, and the future. It is not affected by changes in time or place. It is unchanging and cannot be suppressed. Truth is its own proof. It is the form of the Divine as declared in the Vedic saying: Satyam Jnaanam Anantam Brahma (Truth, the highest Wisdom, and Infinite –– that is the Absolute Self). Truth is thus the second human value.

The third is aasteyam (non-stealing). Aasteyam means not stealing the properties of others. Property should not be confined to physical objects like a book. When you need anything, there is nothing wrong in your taking it with the permission of the owner. To take or use any object without such permission amounts to stealing. Even to criticise someone in a way that harms him also amounts to theft (of his good name). It is common among students to borrow a friend’s camera and use it. When the camera is damaged, the responsibility for getting it repaired is that of the user. In this manner, you can understand how the concept of stealing applies to even trivial incidents in daily life. This is the third duty.

The True Meaning of Brahmacharya

The next duty is brahmacharya. Brahmacharya is interpreted in many ways. One meaning is remaining unmarried. This is not the correct meaning. The true meaning of the term is “Moving in Brahman.” Brahmacharya means ceaseless contemplation of God. Charya means moving or treading. Brahmacharya means “moving in Brahman.” Mere bachelorhood is not brahmacharya. A married man is called grihastha (householder). There is brahmacharya even in a householder’s life. This consists in his leading the conjugal life with the wife alone—ardhangi. If a married man leads a promiscuous life he is not observing brahmacharya. Even in thoughts and looks, one should observe continence. Brahmacharya acquired its importance because of its strict observance by our ancient sages.

Unconsciously or otherwise men tend to waste their energies. All these are lapses from brahmacharya. Sense control is vital in practicing continence. It is easier to conquer Indra (the Lord of Gods) than to subdue the indriyas (senses). Control of senses is an important human value. It is because these vital disciplines were observed by the sages and others since ancient times, that they continue to be cherished to this day. Bharat has passed through innumerable vicissitudes in its long history, including foreign invasion. Nevertheless, by and large, the people have managed to foster the human values.

Subtle Implications of Aparigraha

The fifth discipline is aparigraha. This means not accepting things from others. You have every right to receive gifts or other things from your parents. You are the product of your parents and hence you can accept from them whatever they give. Aparigraha has certain subtle implications. For instance, it is not proper to accept gifts even from one’s uncles or in-laws or even from one’s brothers. When any gifts are received from these relatives you have to requite them by equivalent presents. Today, the aparigraha rule is blatantly violated.

For instance, boys when they get married after their education, receive dowries at the time of marriage. This is very wrong. It even amounts to a sin. A girl who has been brought up well is offered to a young man in marriage. That itself is a great gift. Why should one ask for money along with the bride? The parents of the girl may give her whatever they choose. But, the bridegroom should not expect or accept anything.

This is the attitude one should have towards gifts from others. It is because many of these immemorial injunctions have been given the go-by that today Bharat is experiencing various troubles.

No Limits to Gifts From God

Gifts can be accepted from parents, the preceptor and God. These are the exceptions to the rule of aparigraha. From these four, you can receive anything. But even from the parents you should not seek to get anything by compulsion or litigation. What is offered by the parents with love should be received with love. There are limits to what you can receive from the parents. But, there is no limit to what you can receive from God. You can accept anything from God because He is the Lord of everything. He can free you from sin and redeem you from the consequences. God encompasses all relationships and hence one should identify one’s self with God. “You and I are one.” Attributing relationships like mother and father to God sets binding limits to the association between God and man. In the vast ocean of sat-chit-aananda (Being Awareness-Bliss), the myriad human beings, with different names and forms, are like waves. But, as the waves are made up of the same water as the ocean, all human beings are sparks of the Divine.

Sat-chit-aananda are present in every human being. People out of their ignorance go in quest of sat-chit-aananda elsewhere. Ajnaana (ignorance) is the cause of avivekam (stupidity). Stupidity is the cause of ahamkaaram (egoism). Egoism gives rise to attachment. Attachment leads to hatred. Hatred gives rise to karma (action). Karma is the cause of birth. The original cause of the chain of processes leading to birth is ignorance.

What is ignorance? It is the state of bhinnatvam (divisiveness). To regard “That” as different from you is ignorance. To differentiate God from yourself is ignorance. All are fragments of the Divine, sparks from the same flame. When the sparks are near the fire, they retain their heat and light. But when they are away, they turn into charcoal. Likewise, when one is near God, sat-chit-aananda will be in him. When he is remote from God, he will lose the attributes of the Divine. He will be immersed in ignorance. It is not mastery of books and scholarship which makes a person a jnaani (a knower of the Supreme Truth). "Advaita darshanam jnaanam" (To perceive the One without a second is Knowledge).

Happiness is Union With God

It is only when you manifest the bliss that is in you –– sat-chit-aananda –– that you can call yourself vyakti, the manifested individual. The term vyakti cannot be applied to all and sundry. He alone can be called vyakti who manifests the invisible divinity within him.

What is meant by sat-chit-aananda? Sat is “Being”, that which is eternal and unchanging. Sugar has the quality of sweetness, which remains in whatever form it may be used. For purposes of analogy, sugar may be described as sat. Chit may be compared to water. It has the quality of mobility. When sugar and water are mixed, you have neither sugar nor water as such, but a new product, syrup. When sat and chit come together, you have aananda (Divine Bliss). People imagine that this bliss is to be found in jobs, marriage, property, or progeny. That is not the case. You hope for happiness in one thing after another: education, jobs, marriage, children, and so on. But happiness eludes you. The only enduring happiness is got by oneness with the Divine.

The answer to the question, “Where is happiness?”, is: “Happiness is union with God.” Students tend to forget this, in the pursuit of worldly pleasures. It is only through the ripeness of experience that this realization can come. For instance, you see a barren field in the summer. After a night’s rain, you find grass coming up. Wherefrom did it come? It is from the field. What was present in the form of seeds in the earth came up as grass after the rain. Likewise the bliss within you will sprout when you water your parched heart with the rain of divine love.

Do Not Underrate the Powers in the Atmosphere

Scientists, today, have made many astonishing discoveries. But, they lack peace. They have failed to understand the vedantic truth about their true nature. Hence, they are unable to experience the bliss of the Spirit that is in them. People should not underrate the powers present in the atmosphere. For instance, it is filled with radio waves coming from different broadcasting centers. But, the waves maintain their individual wavelength and do not collide with the others. This electrical energy is divine. It is one of the secrets of creation. The body is like a radio set. When you do not tune in properly by concentration you will not get the right station. Concentration is essential for every kind of activity in life. Students should realize how much can be gained by reducing one’s desires. They may experiment in a small way with reducing the consumption of coffee. They will find that their memory power increases. As desires are reduced, their will power will grow. This Icchaa-shakti (will power) is being undermined today. The result is their ability to act is also reduced. Consequently, even the jnaana-shakti (the power of wisdom), is also lost.

Place Your Faith in God

Students!

Understand that there is no free will for individuals. They are constrained by various limitations. God alone has total free will. All others are bound in one way or another.

Whatever one’s efforts, the ultimate outcome lies with Providence. Therefore, place your faith in God and do your duty, wherever you may be. Do not cause any harm to others. Observe continence, avoid covetousness, and lead a good, righteous life. A bad habit, which may seem trivial in the beginning, may develop into a menace in later life. Correct such faults in the initial stages. Pursue spiritual exercises with the same enthusiasm you have for sports and studies.

The purpose of the Sai Avataar is different from that of Rama and Krishna because the forces of good and evil are now present in every human being and the process of transformation has to be effected in a context very different from the previous yugas. In the Kali-yuga, the process of transformation has been individualized. Everyone has to correct himself. “Child! You have to save yourself. I am present within you as a witness.” This is the Lord’s message. Hence, everyone should try to reform himself. You have to decide what is right and what is wrong and give up what is bad.

The ways of God are inscrutable. You should not ascribe to God motives which are a reflection of your own feelings. Hence, self-enquiry is essential. Embark on the Divine path with sincerity. You will emerge as leaders in the world.

I have high expectations regarding your future. Revere your parents, serve society, and protect the nation. It is to produce such students that I am devoting three-fourths of my time to them. Carry out Swami’s injunctions. Earn a good name. Uphold the prestige of the Sai educational institutions. That is the gratitude you can show to Swami. Do not think of the pens and other gifts you received. Remember only that Swami gave you good sense. Develop both goodness and godliness. Beyond these two, there is nothing greater which education can do for you.

Discourse in the Secondary School Hostel on 18-1-1996