Pray To God Only For Eternal Peace And Bliss

All names and forms are the manifestations of the Supreme Being who is the embodiment of peace and auspiciousness. He is Existence, Knowledge, Bliss Absolute and non-dual. He is Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram (Truth, Goodness, Beauty).

(Sanskrit Verse)

Everything Becomes Auspicious When You Think Of God

Embodiments of Divine Love! 

Peace is enshrined in the heart of all beings. All are born in peace and aspire for peace. Man searches for peace in all his actions from dawn to dusk. He performs spiritual practices to seek peace.

Worldly Desires Cause Restlessness In Man

Everyone aspires for all that is auspicious. He never wants inauspiciousness at any time. He wants only auspiciousness because he is the very form of auspiciousness. Auspiciousness is there in him and all around him.

God is the cause for everything and the world is the effect. Man is the embodiment of cause and effect. Therefore, man has divinity as well as humanness in him. But in today's world, we see unrest, confusion, chaos, and limitless desires. Every person is full of conflict. See the troubles he encounters in his effort to satisfy his desires. Man also has a yearning for God. First of all, man should give up his bad qualities and doubts if he wants success in this endeavor.

The Mahabharata war lasted for 18 days. The battle between Rama and Ravana lasted for 75 days. Wars did not cease during the ensuing 5,000 years. So far, 5,600 wars have been fought in the world. What is the victory achieved by man in these wars? There is a constant war in the heart of man. Man undertakes many spiritual practices to get rid of his restlessness, but he is unable to attain peace. Instead, he is distancing himself from peace day by day due to his wrong actions. Though peace is inherent in him, he is unable to experience it and derive Ananda from it due to his worldly desires and attachments. First and foremost, there should be a mental transformation in man. Without mental transformation, all his Sadhana is a waste. We keep hearing the chanting of the Mantras and discourses daily. But we do not practice these in our life. Practice is very important. Mere bookish knowledge is not sufficient to bring about transformation in man. Practical knowledge and faith in God are necessary. Follow Dharma and do your duty. Man gets transformed only by his actions.

It Is Wrong To Pray For Worldly Desires

Once there was a rich man who prayed to God constantly. One day, his friend came to his house and asked, “You have plenty of wealth and great fame. You have no dearth of money. You have not only material wealth but good health and children also. Then, what are you praying for”? “O foolish fellow,” the rich man replied, “prayer is done not for worldly wealth and prosperity. From a poor person to a rich person, each has the means and comforts which each deserves. Both the poor and the rich satisfy hunger with food only. The rich person cannot eat gold and diamonds. The poor man may eat cheap food. Food may be different, but the hunger is the same. Both eat food only. Both the rich man and the poor man are born of their mother’s womb. Both are born on earth and suffer the same hunger. We should realize the principle of unity in creation. There is one, one, one and only one. The Vedas say, there is one only, not two”.

The rich man said, “I am not praying for property or wealth. Whether you aspire for these or not, you will get them if you are destined to get. They will come to you even if you are hiding in a forest. However well you may protect and take care of your body, it has to go some day or the other. Even if the doctor gives the best medicine, the body is bound to fall off. We will get what we are destined to receive wherever we are, in a city, a forest, a mountain or in the middle of sea. We will get what we deserve. It is wrong to pray to God for worldly desires. I am not praying to God for worldly possessions”.

The friend asked, “Then what are you praying for, health”? “Do not be ridiculous,” said the rich man. “This body, made of five elements is a bag of dirt, a basket of diseases, a cage of bones. Knowing this, I do not pray for health or long life. What is the use of these? I do not pray even for intelligence? I pray for that which is with God and which I do not have. I do not have eternal peace. What I have is only temporary and fleeting peace. God is the embodiment of peace. So, I am praying for eternal peace, eternal love. My love is narrow and limited; it seeks selfish gain and its aim is always to receive. God is always ready to give. God’s love is expansive and limitless. Why should I pray for that which I already have? I pray for something that I do not have. This is real Bhakti (devotion). I do not pray to God for my petty desires and worldly objects.”

When you have the Kalpavriksha (wish-fulfilling tree) right in front of you, why do you desire for trivial things?
When you have the Kamadhenu (wish-fulfilling cow) with you, where is the need to buy a cow?
When you have the glittering Meru mountain with 
you, why do you crave for paltry silver and gold?
Likewise, when you have the omnipotent Lord
Krishna in you, with you and around you, why do 
you get panicky over such a trivial matter?

(Telugu Poem)

When God is ready to give strength, devotion and liberation, why should we desire worldly life and pray for worldly things? We should pray to God for love and peace which we do not have. God is the embodiment of love and ocean of peace. We should obtain a few drops of love from this Ocean of Love. We should offer our life to God and dedicate it totally to Him. He will look after us and protect us. We should hand over our responsibilities to God who is the only doer. God is everything.

Acquire Experiential Knowledge

The Atmic principle is the same in everyone. We should do self-inquiry to attain this knowledge. There are three kinds of knowledge: bookish knowledge, discriminative knowledge, and practical knowledge. Bookish knowledge is superficial. Discriminative knowledge enables us to know what is real and what is unreal. Practical knowledge is experiential knowledge. Practical knowledge starts with discriminative knowledge. A small amount of experiential knowledge is sufficient. As long as we are dependent on the external world, we cannot have experiential knowledge.

Once a traveller was carrying a bundle of food on his head. He walked a short distance. As the bundle was a burden on him, he could not walk far. On the way, he came across a river. He sat down on its bank, opened his bundle and ate all the food. As long as the food was outside, it was a burden. Was it still a burden after it reached his stomach? No. As the food entered his body, he gained strength. Besides, he was relieved of his burden. External knowledge is superficial and burdensome; internal knowledge is experiential knowledge. What is the use of studying a lot without knowing who you are?

Modern education leads only to argumentation, not to total wisdom. What is the use of acquiring education which cannot lead you to immortality? Acquire the knowledge that will make you immortal.

(Telugu Poem)

This is Divine Love. Divine Love has no death. 
Pursue that education which leads you to acquire
this love. 
One may acquire a high academic qualification such 
as M.A. or B.A. and attain exalted position, 
One may amass wealth, perform acts of charity and 
attain name and fame, 
One may have physical strength and enjoy a long 
and healthy life, 
One may be a great scholar studying and preaching the Vedas**,** 
But none can equal a true devotee of the Lord.

Life Without Love Is Useless

We keep on repeating Bhakti, Bhakti. What is Bhakti? Is it meditation or Japa (chanting of God’s Name) or Bhajans? They may be the means of Bhakti, but they are not Bhakti. We should develop love. Education without love is purposeless. We are the embodiment of limitless love. Life without love is useless. What is the use of living without love? Even though we may have all comforts and pleasures, life without love is like a desert. Develop at least a bit of love. Why possess a vast barren land? A small piece of fertile land is enough. Surrender your sacred heart with true love to God. That is enough. A spoonful of cow’s milk is better than a barrel of donkey’s milk. Of course, we need food to eat, clothes to wear and a place to rest. But our real need is to attain the grace of God.

How many people, after having been born, have transformed themselves into real human beings? How many have understood the relationship between Karma and Janma (birth)? Birth is common to man and a monkey. But, can they be equal? Can the horns of a buffalo be equal to the tusks of an elephant? Man should lead his life in order to transform himself into an ideal person. That is real devotion.

Can you kill a snake merely by beating at the anthill? Can the craving for sensual pleasures be subdued by subjecting merely the body to penance? Can one become Atma-jñani (knower of the Self) only by fasting? How can one realise the ultimate truth if one does not know oneself?

(Telugu Poem)

True Devotion Of Tulsidas

Residing on Chitrakuta mountain, Tulsidas always contemplated on Rama only. Everything appeared as Rama to him. He was writing the epic Ramayana. One day he heard an ethereal voice telling him, “Tulsidas! You are thinking of Rama only and composing the Ramayana. When you sing about Rama, an old person listening to your singing sheds tears. If you want to fulfil your aspiration, catch hold of his feet”.

Next day, when Tulsidas sang the glory of Rama, he noticed an old man shedding copious tears. Tulsidas caught hold of his feet and said, “You are the source for fulfilling my dream. I will get the vision of Rama only through you”. The old man replied, “I need not grant you the vision of Rama. You will have Rama’s Darshan as your heart has matured. You are always thinking of Rama while doing His work”. That old man was none other than Hanuman. Hanuman is always present at every place where Rama’s glory is sung.

Tulsidas was always thinking, “When will I get Rama’s Darshan”? One day, a small boy came to him and asked, “Grandfather, please give me some sandalwood paste”. He took some and went away. As soon as the boy left, Tulsidas heard two birds talking to each other perched on the tree under which he was sitting, “How ignorant is Tulsidas? Rama came as a boy and took some sandalwood paste away. Tulsidas did not recognise Him”! You do not know in what form would God come to you. All forms are His. We should not think that God is limited to a particular form. All forms are divine. God may assume human form, yet Divinity pervades Him from top to toe. Thereafter, Tulsidas considered all whom he came across as Rama.

The next day, two small boys came to Tulsidas. One of them said, “Grandfather, you gave me sandalwood paste yesterday. Today, we are hungry. Give us some food to eat”. Tulsidas thought, “They look like ordinary human beings. But, in reality, they are Rama and Lakshmana”. He caught hold of Rama’s feet. Rama tried to run away. Tulsidas did not leave Him. He pleaded, “I will not let You go away until You give me strength. O Rama! Hear my prayer. Be around me everywhere at all the times. Please grant me this prayer”. Immediately, the two boys disappeared. Then Tulsidas realised that God is everywhere and everything is auspicious when you think of God.

You hear the sound So’ham when you breathe. As long as there is breath in the body, it is Shivam (auspicious). When the breath goes out, it becomes Shavam (corpse). When the life principle goes out from the body, no one can follow it. It is the Bhajan of Rama which keeps the light burning in the heart of man. So, sing Bhajans. Then, there will be light everywhere and you will get the Ananda of oneness with God.

Consider Everybody As God

From where does Maya (illusion) come? It is the result of your deluded thinking. When God comes on earth in human form, we think He is just a human being. This is Maya. We should broaden our heart and consider everybody as God. The Gopikas could see God in everything. They thought of every plant and flower as God. “Did you see Krishna? Did you see”? enquired the Gopikas of every flower. “O jasmine flowers! Is anybody hiding behind you? Did any of you see the lotus-eyed one who always showers love”? The Gopikas had such broad heart which saw God everywhere. But we think that God is in the Puja room and sit there for a few minutes with closed eyes. But we forget Him soon after coming out of the Puja room. God is everywhere.

Tyagaraja said, “Rama, You are everywhere. There is no place where You are not present. Nobody can describe You. Even Brahma cannot describe You. I am waiting for Your grace. Please shower Your grace on me. You are beyond description. Nobody can describe You as their description would be insufficient as their vision is imperfect. All that we can do is to worship You and dedicate all our actions to You”. God is the embodiment of bliss and love! He is the only one who has total love and bliss. So, God resides where there is love and bliss. Aspire for love and bliss when you sing Bhajans. At the end of the Bhajans, you say “Shanti, Shanti, Shanti” three times (Swami said Shanti thrice in a harsh tone, then said), “Say Shanti with peace. Do not say it with Ashanti (without peace)”. When your mind is disturbed, you get angry and agitated easily. Then you should say “Shanti, Shanti, Shanti” peacefully to regain peace. Be full of love always. Even if you cannot oblige, speak always obligingly. This is the attribute of love and devotion. Do not pray for worldly things or for the satisfaction of your desires. Pray only for sacred love and peace. Swami desires that you should pray for eternal peace, union with God and divine love.

(Bhagawan brought His Discourse to a close with the Bhajan, “Hare Rama, Hare Rama.”)

– Bhagawan’s Discourse at Sai Sruthi, Kodaikanal on 4th May 1997.