Bhagawan's Assurance To Devotees

Punar Vittam Punar Mitram 
Punar Bhaarya Punar Yashah 
Yavat Sarvam Punar Labhyam 
Na Shareeram Punah Punah
(If man loses money, he can get it back; if he loses a friend he can get another; if he loses his wife, even then he can remarry and have another wife; if he loses his share of land, he can get another, but he cannot get back the body once it is lost.)

Embodiments of Divine Love!

For all spiritual pursuits, and for all types of endeavours in life, the body is the main instrument. Of all the living beings in this world, the human life is the rarest and most sacred. It is a great fortune to adorn this vesture of the human body. However, in this human body, there is a mind, which is mysterious. Everyone is aware of the presence of the mind in the human body. But no one knows the vagaries of the mind. Though it does not have feet to move, it can run faster than air and light. It has no death, no fixed lifespan, and always remains youthful. One may be born again and again, but the same mind follows. Once you understand the nature of the mind, you will be able to understand your true Self.

The whole world is a mansion and the entire humanity is one family. There is no multiplicity. We live under the same sky, tread the same earth, breathe the same air, and drink the same water. So, it is foolishness to develop diversity in this underlying principle of unity.

Whatever Work You Do, Do It With Sacred Feeling

What is the sadhana (spiritual practice) we should undertake? You should purify your body, mind, and speech. How to purify the body? It is not enough if it is cleaned with soap and water, which amounts to only external cleanliness. It has to be cleaned with good thoughts, good words, good deeds, which are very essential in the inward path. Whatever work you do, do it with a sacred feeling. Divert the body from all unsacred activities; use it only for good purposes.

In what way can you purify the mind? You can purify the mind through sense control. Use the ten senses for sacred purposes.

See no evil, see what is good; 
Hear no evil, hear what is good; 
Talk no evil, talk what is good; 
Think no evil, think what is good; 
Do no evil, do what is good; 
This is the way to God.

In order to purify the senses, you should make use of them in a sacred way. Purity of senses is the purity of mind. Mind is the master of senses. If the mind is to be pure, senses have to be pure.

How can you purify your speech? You can purify your speech by speaking Truth, following dharma and cultivating Love and Peace.

Atma, Aham, Mind And Speech Belong To The Same Family

The moment the human body is born, Aham ("I") also follows it. Atma is the origin of Aham, so Aham is the son of Atma. From Aham, the mind is born, so the mind is the grandson of Atma. And from the mind speech originates, so speech is the great-grandson of Atma. In short, Atma, Aham, mind, and speech belong to the same family. So, you should have the conviction that the "I" principle in you is the dear son of God, the mind is the grandson of God, and speech is the great-grandson. Once you understand that your Aham, mind, and speech belong to the Divine family and act accordingly, your life will be sanctified.

Man finds it very difficult to have control over the senses. Due to the effect of modern education and high intelligence, man has become a slave to his senses. Unable to control his mind, man is leading his life with fear and delusion. From where does this fear arise? Where there is a mistake, there is fear. What is the mistake made by man? He has forgotten that the ‘I’ principle in him is the son of God. He has forgotten that his mind is the grandson of God and he has forgotten that his speech is the great-grandson of God. Since he has forgotten his relationship with God, man is fear-stricken and is gripped by anxiety.

Due to the advancement in the field of science and technology, human values are lost and the mind has become polluted. On one hand, science has progressed, but on the other hand, the sanctity of the senses has regressed. Man is happy seeing the advancement in science and technology, but has not realized how far he has moved away from Divinity.

"You Should Understand My Ideal"

Human life has become artificial. There is no trace of love in man’s thoughts and in his relationship with others. Even the relationship between mother and son has become artificial. Nowadays when one finds a son talking to his mother, one finds only artificial exchange of words, but not true love. Students are leading an artificial life without sense control. Even the animals have sense control to some extent, but not the modern students. This is due to the progress in modern education. I do not say that education should not progress. I Myself have established a University. I only say that along with education students should imbibe good character. Can you call mere bookish knowledge as education? Can you call all those who can read and write educated? Can you call all those who have degrees to their names educated? If education were to be only for living, do you not find birds and beasts living? Education is for life and not for earning a living. You should study to know the purpose of life. You should not be content with bookish knowledge and superficial knowledge; you should have practical knowledge. Enquire within.

You should understand My ideal. Once I say that you are Mine, I will never forsake you. You may forget Me, but I will never forget you. You may develop hatred towards Me, but I do not have any hatred towards you. In this world, I have no enemies and I have no dislike towards anybody. I always uphold My promise. I always go forward to protect, never to retreat. But some may question that even after Swami accepts them as His, why do they have problems? Why should they suffer? This is not My mistake. I always keep up My promise. They suffer because they forget their promise and lose their sacredness. I never go back on My word. I never make anyone suffer. Till the last moment, I will be with you, in you, below you, above you, and around you. Many are not making an effort to understand this truth. They do not enquire into the reason for their suffering. The change in their heart is the main cause. Their wavering mind and their ingratitude are responsible for this. The previous speaker Ravi has said, God is nearer than your mother. Though I shower much more love than their own mothers, some people do not show their gratitude. I do not look forward for your gratitude. But when I do My duty, you also have to discharge your duty from your level.

God Will Never Make Anyone Suffer

Some people blame God for their suffering, ignoring their own defects. They argue saying, God does not keep up His word. God will never go back on His promise. But man does not understand this truth. Being drowned in physical and worldly feelings, he blames God for his suffering. God will never make anyone suffer at any point in time. But each has to face the consequence of his action. Every action has got a reaction. But it may take place immediately, or in a few hours, or in a few days, or in a few months, or in a few years, or in a few births. For example, when your finger is cut with a blade, it starts bleeding immediately. When you fall from a staircase, you will suffer a fracture. In both cases, the reactions are instant. The food that you eat takes a minimum of two hours to get digested. For a seed to grow into a tree and yield fruits, it may take a few years. Good or bad, you cannot escape the consequences of your actions. Then you may question, why one should pray to God? One should pray to God not for the alleviation of suffering, but for peace of mind. Once you have peace of mind, all your problems will vanish. You can even escape the consequences of your action if you have God’s grace. After the expiry date, the medicine loses its potency, similarly, once you acquire God’s grace, the consequences of your action will have no effect on you. In order to make the consequence of your action to 'expire', prayer is essential. You have to pray wholeheartedly.

Your heart is the seat of God. So think of God who is installed in you. You cannot expect happiness in the outside world. Bliss is not in the material world, it is within you. So when you search within, you will find bliss.

You Have To Take God Into You And Drive Out Ego

Embodiments of Love! Never blame God for your difficulties. Come what may, pray to Him. That is your duty. So long as you have the feeling that you are separate from God, you have to pray. Once you realise that you are one with Him, you need not pray.

Your breathing process teaches you a lesson. When you inhale you make the sound ‘So’, and when you exhale you make the sound ‘Ham’. This process goes on for 21,600 times a day. ‘So’ refers to Divinity and ‘Ham’ refers to ego, which means you have to take God into you and drive out Ahamkaaram (ego). This is an important principle of life. We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Divinity is like the Oxygen, which supports our life, and ego is like carbon dioxide, which is a very bad quality. It has to be driven out.

In your daily life, knowingly or unknowingly you are committing mistakes. You are only keeping the physical body clean, but are not making any effort to know how to purify your mind and speech. You are treating bad as good and good as bad. All service rendered for the welfare of society is good. You are a member of society. So your welfare depends upon the welfare of the society. The country will prosper if the society is good. Individual prayer, family prayer, and community prayer—all three are very essential.

Your Love Should Be As Big As An Ocean

Vedas have declared: “Let the whole world be happy.” Since ancient times, Bharat has propagated spiritual discipline to other countries ensuring peace and security for the entire humanity. You should have such broad feelings. Your love should be as big as an ocean. When Jesus was being crucified, people around were weeping. At that moment, an ethereal voice declared: “All are one My dear son! Be alike to everyone.” The same thing is taught by the culture of Bharat wishing the welfare of entire humanity. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, selfishness and self-interest have become rampant.

According to Bharateeya culture, Uttaraayana is considered to be very sacred. The great warrior Bhishma lying on a bed of arrows waited for 56 days for the advent of Uttaraayana to give up his mortal coil. During Uttaraayana, the sun travels towards the north. What does this signify? In the north, we have Himachala (Himalaya mountains), which are said to be the dwelling place of Eeshwara. When Eeshwara is all-pervasive, how can we limit him to Himachala? What is the significance of this statement? The word ‘Himachala’ is made up of two words: ‘Hima’ + ‘Achala’. ‘Hima’ means that which is white as snow. ‘Achala’ is that which is firm and unshakable. What is the place to which this description applies? It is the pure heart, where Eeshwara is installed. It is said, “Eeshwarah Sarva bhootanam” (Eeshwara is the indweller of all beings). So, in order to see God, you do not need to go anywhere, turn your vision inward. We cannot call an unsteady and impure heart 'Himachala.' Only the heart, which is pure, sacred, unpolluted, and unwavering can be called 'Himachala.'

Parents Must Teach Their Wards To Pray To God Everyday

There is no trace of spiritual thinking among modern students. When the parents and teachers themselves have not realised the importance of spirituality, how can we blame the students?

First, the parents must teach their wards to pray to God every day. But the modern parents themselves do not pray to God. As soon as they come from the office, they go to clubs and spend their time playing cards and drinking. Naturally, children follow their footsteps. In some houses, parents quarrel in front of their children, which is an unhealthy practice. If there is any difference of opinion among parents, they should resolve it in the absence of their children. Children cannot concentrate on their studies if they are disturbed by family problems. So, parents should never discuss them in front of their children. There are a few parents who set a bad example to their children by speaking untruth.

For example, if some unwanted person makes a phone call, they instruct their children to tell him that they are not available. Thus, they encourage their children to speak lies.

Some children are like pure gold as long as they are here. Once they go for a vacation, their minds get polluted. But some students remain the same. Some return much before their vacation ends in order to spend time with Swami. It is the innate culture acquired as a result of deeds done in past lives that shapes their behavior.

Only God Is Permanent

Students! Embodiments of Love! You should try to know what Divinity is. In this age of science, some say that there is no God. But there is God in all periods of time. There is no other matter. “Yat Drishyam Tannashyam” (Whatever is seen by the naked eye is bound to disappear). Only God is permanent.

Time is most precious in human life. Misuse of time is evil. Time is God, so don’t waste time. I feel very sad when I find you wasting time. I always say, “My life is My message.” I never waste even a moment. You think that after dining Swami goes and sleeps. But actually, I do not know what sleep is. I never sleep. As you know, I collect letters from you. I see some of them immediately. I spend time in the most sacred way. But I do not require anything. I do not need anything in all the three worlds. I do not need anything for Myself. Still, I am engaged in activity from dawn to dusk in order to set an ideal. From top to toe, there is not a trace of selfishness in Me. Believe it or not. I always give, but never receive. I ask for only one thing and that is Pure Love. I am ready to give My life for those who offer their pure love. You cannot understand My work. Only men of sacrifice can understand this. I am always engaged in activity. I do something or the other. Even while resting, I am working. I have to take rest for others’ sake. Otherwise, they too do not take rest. To give them rest, I take rest. What is My rest? Doing devotees’ work is My rest.

The previous speaker spoke about this incident. One day, all of a sudden, I left this body. Gangadhar Shetty and the warden were surprised at this. Only these two were there inside as it was not possible for others to come in. I told them: “There is a widow who always thinks of Swami. She has two children. After the death of her husband, she took up a small job to maintain her family. She sustained a heart attack. The loss of her husband and her inability to run the family made her depressed. As the money was not sufficient, she joined a part-time job. But every moment she used to chant the name, Sairam, Sairam, Sairam...wholeheartedly. In such a situation, she suffered a heart attack. In fact, she was to die. So I took over the heart attack on Me. For seven long days, I did not come down. I took upon Myself all her sufferings and pain and made her healthy. After three days, she sent a telegram, “Swami, you came and protected me and my children”. She did not know that I had taken her disease on Myself. After a week, she came with her children.

Do Not Limit Spirituality To Bharat

I am ready to do anything for the sake of those who have total faith and pure love. But it is very difficult to find such devotees. However, there are a few of them. If there are no noble people, how is it that you find daylight in this world? There are many sacred people in this country as well as in the world. Do not limit spirituality to Bharat. It is present all over the world. Truly speaking, it is more in foreign countries than in Bharat. Indians do not know what are Brahma-sutras, Upanishads, and Bhagavad-geeta. But the foreigners have learnt Bhagavad-geeta by heart.

In Italy, there is a devotee who has learnt Brahma-sutras by heart. She can chant Rudram. There, she has constructed a building by the name 'Mother Sai', spread over 25 acres of land. Having full faith that one day Swami will certainly visit that place, she also built a spacious hall like Purnachandra Auditorium, so that public meetings could be held there. She also has constructed some rooms to accommodate students who follow Swami.

Do you know, how clearly our primary school children from foreign countries chant Vedas! This is the result of being in good company. If the company is good, children’s future also will be good. “Tell me your company, I shall tell you what you are.” As is your company, so you become. So, wherever you go, join good company. Let your heart and mind be purified. Speak always truth in a palatable and acceptable way. This is the spiritual path which you have to adopt. So, people may wonder as to why one should do meditation and bhajans. They are good actions. They are all good actions meant to sanctify time, but God is not interested in them. What should you do to make God happy? You should involve your body in good deeds. Fill the mind with good thoughts and speak sweetly and softly. Only these actions please God. Bharateeyas refer to this as “Trikarana-shuddhi” (Unity of thought, word, and deed). With sacred feelings, students should undertake sacred actions and lead an ideal life. This is what I teach the students in particular.

Fill Your Hearts With Divinity

Those students who study here should transform thousands of students outside. It is not enough if you merely preach; first, practice what you preach. Only then will your study in this Institute find fulfillment. We do not receive even a naya-paisa from you. Education is offered free. How can you express your gratitude to this Institute? Share with others all that you have learned here. This is true gratitude. Do your jobs, take care of your parents. Fill your hearts with divinity. When there is pure water in the tank, you get the same water out of the taps. Your heart is like a tank. All the senses are like taps. So, fill your hearts with love, and experience love. I expect and bless the students to take to this path of Love and lead an ideal life. Thus, I bring My discourse to a close.

Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 29-9-1998.