Youth is Characterized by Sterling Virtues
Neither the study of the Vedas and Vedaangas
nor the other scriptures
can cut asunder the veil of Maya
that separates the individual soul from God.
The individual is on one side of the veil
of Maya and God is on the other side.
The action is on one side and the cause on the other.
(Telugu poem)
Young Men and Women!
People think that youth means young boys and girls. But this is not so. Youth denotes certain qualities. The main qualities of youth are purity, sacredness, and courage. But today the youth are generally associated with arinamdvargas (six inner enemies), namely, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, and matsaryam (desire, anger, greed, infatuation, pride, and jealousy). The youth should understand the power of the senses and make proper use of them. They should possess the courage and strength of character. Their speech and behavior should be proper.
Put Human Values Into Practice
The youth should have Satsangam. People think Satsangam means the company of good people, but it is not so. Sat means truth, which is changeless in all the three periods of time. It is uniformly present in trikalas (three periods of time), trilokas (three worlds), and trigunas (three attributes). Sat is very sacred. It gives happiness in all three periods of time. To live in the company of Sat is true Satsangam. Satsangam is essential to develop good behavior. Manu, who first codified Dharmashastram (a treatise on Dharma) and propagated it to the world, laid great emphasis on the importance of Satsangam. The three main principles of his teachings are Bhadram pashyantu (see good), Bhadram Shrinvantu (hear good), and Bhadram Kurvantu (do good). These are the most important ideals for the youth. But, if we inquire deeply into the truth, we will realize that these three principles are necessary not only for the youth but for one and all. You should not think that it is difficult to practice these ideals. It is not difficult at all. To practice noble qualities is the easiest of all paths. We find it difficult because we do not make the right approach. First and foremost, you should have the right vision, right listening, and right actions.
Your eyes should be filled with compassion.
Your words should be as sweet as honey.
You should have a smiling countenance,
and your heart should be filled
with nectarous feelings giving joy to one and all.
(Telugu poem)
Students!
Dharmashastram propounded by Manu is very important for man. Based on Manu’s Dharmashastram is what is now called the law. But the law is not practiced strictly in life today.
Man should always be smiling. Only then can he radiate peace to others. A smile adds beauty to humanness. Sacredness is an essential quality of a human being. But when does he become sacred? He attains sacredness when he practices human values in his life. Man loses his sanctity if he lacks human values. So, man should put human values into practice. One bereft of human values is not a human being, but verily a demon. Suppose you come across your enemy while walking on the road. If you look at him as an enemy, the hatred in him will increase manifold, and there may be a fight between you and him on the road itself. Instead, if you greet him with a smiling face, “Hello, my friend,” he too will reciprocate the same, and the hatred between you and him will be removed. You can develop friendship only by talking amiably. Through good words, you can develop unity among youth and spread happiness everywhere.
Develop Nearness and Dearness to God
There are three stages on the path to self-realization: I am in the Light; The Light is in me; and I am the Light. When you realize that you are the Light, you will find light everywhere. You can attain this ultimate state through devotion and self-surrender. When a question is raised, where is God, some people say, He is in my heart. It is not the correct answer. (Bhagawan showing His handkerchief) Where is this handkerchief? It is in My hand. Hence, My hand is bigger than the handkerchief. Likewise, when you say, God is in your heart, it means you are superior to God. Hence, do not say God is in you. You are in God. Once you realize this truth, you will naturally develop humility and devotion. Then the feeling of hatred will be eradicated.
Self-enquiry can lead man to bliss. As I said in the morning, anger is the root cause of hatred. Love cannot grow in you until and unless you uproot anger.
One with anger will not be successful in any of his
endeavours.
He will commit sins and will be ridiculed by one and all.
His own people will abandon him.
He will lose all respect and wealth.
His anger will ruin him completely.
(Telugu poem)
Hence, do not give room to anger. Once anger enters your heart, all other wicked qualities will follow. Fill your heart with love. Then hatred and anger cannot approach you. Due to the impact of Kali-yuga, anger, ego, and jealousy are on the rise among the youth today. Consequently, humanness is being forgotten.
Embodiments of Love!
Let love permeate each and every drop of your blood. Shun all wicked qualities. The Upanishads declare: Tat Tvam Asi (that thou art). Tat denotes the transcendental principle of divinity. It is referred to as ‘That’ because it is beyond the senses. Tvam corresponds to the individual ‘I’. Hence, Tat Tvam Asi denotes, “You are That.” Vedanta mainly deals with two aspects – ‘That’ and ‘this’. ‘That’ is beyond the senses, and ‘this’ is within the purview of the senses. You are not ‘this’. You are ‘That’. You should understand and experience this truth. Since Tat transcends your senses, you are unable to understand its form. Tvam is near you. So, you can visualise its form clearly. To visualize Tat clearly, you have to transform it into Tvam. Only then can you say, “I am I.”
Suppose you see a rope at a distance while you are walking on the road. A question arises in your mind, what is ‘that’? Since it is at a distance, you mistake it for a snake. When you go near the rope and flash a torchlight on it, you will realize, ‘this’ is a rope and not a snake. So long as the rope is far away (‘that’), you have doubts. When you go near and see (‘this’), the doubt is cleared. When you mistake it for a snake, you are fear-stricken. When you go near and see, the fear vanishes.
What is the cause of fear in man? He thinks divinity is away from him and has doubts regarding its true form. First and foremost, go near divinity. Then you will be free from fear. This is the teaching of the Upanishads. ‘Upa’ means near, ‘ni’ means down and ‘shat’ means to sit. Hence, Upanishads take you closer to divinity. Once you go near divinity, you can visualize your true form. The Upanishads prove the nearness of divinity. Wherever you are, you should think that you are in Divine proximity. It is not enough if you are near God, you should be dear to Him. Once you develop nearness and dearness to God, you will be rid of fear.
Students!
The teachings of the Upanishads and the Dharmashastram of Manu are very subtle. Only on deep inquiry will you be able to comprehend their significance. Your entire being is Divine. But you are unable to understand the latent divinity in humanity. You are studying many books and acquiring various types of education. You are able to know everything except yourself.
Once Narada met Sanat Kumara and requested him to grant him the knowledge of the Self. Sanat Kumara asked, “What makes you think that you are eligible to acquire the knowledge of the Self?” Narada replied that he had mastered the four Vedas and the six Shastras. Then Sanat Kumara said, “Narada, what is the use of studying the Vedas and scriptures without putting them into practice? If you had practiced what you have learned, you would have certainly acquired the knowledge of the Self.” In this manner, Sanat Kumara imparted great teaching to Narada. All your study of the Vedas, scriptures, and your visits to pilgrimage centers will be of little value unless you know your true self. Instead of questioning others, “Who are you?” first question yourself, “Who am I?” Who am I? I am Sai Baba. Once you know who you are, you will know about everyone else. Lord Krishna said, Mamaivamsho Jeevaloke Jeevabhuta Sanatanah (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). Every being is a reflection of divinity. The object and its reflection are not different from each other. When you understand this unity, you will not be deluded by multiplicity. You should see unity in diversity. But, today man is doing just the opposite. He feels proud of his intelligence and tries to show that he is very clever. Consequently, he becomes egoistic. Ego ruins his very life.
The World Is Your Reflection, Reaction, and Resound
Embodiments of Love!
Know yourself in the first instance. When you know yourself, you will know everything else. It is essential that youth understand this truth. You cannot call yourself youth based on your age and physical strength. Who is a youth? Youth is one who is endowed with love, truth, and bliss. When you realize your true Self, you will be full of bliss. Then you will be free from all worries. If you are devoid of bliss and haunted by worries, it only means that you do not know who you really are. You are the reflection of God. Whatever you see is a reflection, whatever you hear is a resound and whatever you experience is a reaction. Such being the case, why should you worry?
Once upon a time, a cowherd boy took some cows for grazing to a nearby hill. As the cows were grazing, he started singing a song. He heard the echo of his own singing and was perplexed. He thought another person was trying to imitate him and ridicule him. He was very angry. He shouted, “Who are you? Why do you sing the song I sing?” He at once heard the echo of all that he said. He felt humiliated and wanted to know the person who was imitating and insulting him. When he returned home in the evening, he narrated all that had happened to his mother. The next day, his mother accompanied him to the hill and asked him to sing again. Again the echo was heard. The mother smiled and said, “Son, what you hear is the echo of your song from the hills.” The boy was amazed. Till then he was ignorant of such a phenomenon. He was never again upset when he heard his song echoing in the hills, for he knew it was merely a resound. Man’s lack of knowledge of truth is the cause of anger, hatred, and jealousy in him. When he realizes that the whole world is but a resound and reflection of his own feelings, then he will not develop anger, hatred, jealousy, etc., against others. Saint Tyagaraja sang, Telisi Rama chintana cheyave manasa (Oh mind! Know the truth and contemplate on Lord Rama). There is no point in chanting the name of Rama without realizing its efficacy.
Whatever you hear outside is only a resound of what you utter. It is not coming from elsewhere. As I am speaking to you, all of you can hear My voice. If I do not speak at all, how can there be resound? The reaction, reflection, and resound emerge from within. Happiness and sorrow arise from within. We are the cause of our sorrow. No one else can pass on sorrow to us. We will not take it if others want to give it to us. It comes from within us. Whatever you experience outside is your reaction, reflection, and resound. When you understand this truth and conduct yourself accordingly, you will be full of bliss. If you want to understand the principle of divinity, try to understand who you are.
Three Debts of Man
Every man is born with three types of debts – daiva rinam (debt to God), Rishi rinam (debt to sages) and Pitra rinam (debt to parents). You have to perform noble deeds to repay the debt to God. God pervades every limb of your body. He is present in every atom and every cell of your body in the form of rasa (essence). That is why God is extolled as Angirasaya Namah (salutations to the One who pervades everything in the form of essence). In the waking state, you think that you protect your body. But who is safeguarding your body while you are asleep? He is none other than God. He pervades your body from top to toe in the form of rasa and protects you in all the three states of existence – jagrata, svapna, and sushupti (waking, dream, and deep sleep). Such being the case, is it not your duty to be grateful to God? To express your gratitude to Him, you should have Satsangam, develop noble feelings and perform sacred actions. As God is protecting you at all times, it is your foremost duty to repay your debt to Him. When you conduct yourself in a noble way and help others in society, you repay your debt to God.
The next debt you have to clear is the debt to sages who compiled the Vedas, Shastras, Itihasas, and Puranas (scriptures, epics, and mythologies). They understood the nature of divinity and propagated it to the world. You can repay their debt by putting their teachings into practice. The third debt is a debt to parents. The mother carries you in her womb for nine months and looks after you with love and care. Father provides you with food, clothing, and education. That is why our scriptures extol mother and father to the level of God. Matru devo bhava, Pitru devo bhava (revere your mother and father as God). It is your bounden duty to express your gratitude to your parents. Once you repay all these three types of debts, you will attain the heavenly abode of the Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara. But the present-day youth lack respect for their parents. They do not even talk lovingly to their mothers who gave them birth and brought them up with love and care.
Students!
You may study well and earn name and fame in society, but never forget that you owe all this to your parents. He is the worst sinner and betrayer who does not pay respect and express gratitude to his parents. Mother, father, teacher, and God; this is the order of priority given by our ancients. The mother is accorded the highest place because it is in her lap that the child learns its first lessons. Mother Kaushalya earned great esteem as she gave birth to Lord Rama and brought him up in an ideal manner. It is in this context that Saint Tyagaraja sang thus:
Oh, Rama! What great penance
did Mother Kaushalya perform to deserve the good fortune
of planting kisses on Your radiant and tender cheeks?
What great penance did King Dasharatha perform
to earn the right to address You affectionately as his son?
(Telugu song)
Divine personalities are born to such noble parents only as a result of great penance performed by them. Saint Tyagaraja described at length the great good fortune of Mother Kaushalya and King Dasharatha.
Women, in general, symbolize love and devotion. In the palace of God, women have the right to enter the antahpuram (inner chambers) whereas men have access only to the Darbhaar Hall (outer chambers). It means that those who are filled with devotion and a sense of surrender have closer access to God.
You Can See God with Eyes of Wisdom
Embodiments of Love!
Fill your heart with devotion and a sense of surrender. Contemplate on the Name of God at all times, both in times of happiness and sorrow. Then you will remain unaffected by worries. Never be in haste. Haste makes waste; waste makes worry. So, do not be in a hurry. Understand that God is everywhere. He is in you, with you, around you, above you, and below you. There is no place without God. Sarvatah Panipadam Tat Sarvatokshi Shiromukham, Sarvatah Shrutimalloke Sarvamavrittya tishthati (with hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth, and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire universe).
When I say God is everywhere, you may ask, “Where is He? Show me.” Yes, I am ready to show God, but do you have the eyes to see Him? You have the tongue to ask but not the eyes to see. Here, I mean the eyes of wisdom and not the physical eyes. Even the birds and insects are endowed with physical eyes which can see the external world. Snakes, scorpions, frogs, etc., all have physical eyes, but are they able to see God? You cannot expect to see God with physical eyes. You have to acquire the eyes of wisdom by developing love, devotion, and a sense of surrender. Once you have the eyes of wisdom, you will consider God very close to you. You will treat Him as your dear old friend.
Saint Tyagaraja developed such intimacy with the Lord. That is why he could compose songs in which he addressed Lord Rama in intimate terms, just as one addresses one’s close friend. One of those famous songs is, “Ra ra Ma intidaka…” (Oh Rama, come to our house). When you invite a new friend to your house, you will address him using respectful words. On the other hand, when you invite your old friend, you do not address him in a formal honorific way. You will call him in an informal way with all intimacy and freedom. You should experience such intimacy with God because He is your dear old friend. Do not consider God to be someone above you. Treat Him as your own. It is possible only when you develop love.
Embodiments of Love!
Make every effort to repay the debt to God, for He pervades your entire being and safeguards you. Who is responsible for the blood circulation in your body? How is it that the blood does not ooze out as it moves in the body? You think you are sustained by food. But neither food nor blood can sustain you. God alone is responsible for your sustenance. However, you owe every drop of your blood to your parents. Their food takes the form of your blood. Hence, it is your foremost duty to respect and revere your parents. If you do not respect your parents today, your children will not respect you in the future. What is the use of lamenting then? Respect your parents and set a good ideal for your children. One who does not respect his parents is verily a Rakshasa (demon). Do not lead the life of a Rakshasa, live like a Manava (human being). Who is a Manava? ‘Ma’ means ignorance, ‘Na’ means without, and ‘Va’ means to conduct oneself. One who conducts himself without ignorance is a true Manava.
Revere Your Parents As God
Embodiments of Love!
It is a mistake to consider yourself youth on the basis of your age and physical strength. One can be called a youth only when one has virtues like love, forbearance, adherence to truth, and righteousness. Youth are endowed with immense strength and are the emancipators of the world. It is not enough if you strengthen your body by doing physical exercises. You have to strengthen your intellect. When you respect and revere your parents, God will manifest before you.
The story of Pundarika bears ample testimony to this. When he was massaging the feet of his parents, Lord Panduranga appeared and said, “Oh Pundarika, I have come to shower My grace on you.” Pundarika replied, “Oh Lord! I am serving my parents. Please wait for some time.” He pushed a brick that lay by his side towards the Lord and requested Him to sit. The Lord wanted to test him. He said, “Oh simpleton, when I, the Lord of the universe, am standing before you, where is the need to serve your parents? Instead, come and serve Me.” Pundarika replied, “Oh Lord, now You have come to grant me your darshan; but where were You all these days? My primary duty is to serve my parents because they have given me birth and fostered me with love and affection. After I serve my parents, I will come and serve You. Please wait until then.” The Lord was very pleased with Pundarika’s devotion to his parents. He came near Pundarika and commended him, “My dear one, this is the true love and devotion that I expect from My devotees.” No benefit accrues from worshipping God without serving the parents with love and devotion. Everyone should emulate Pundarika’s ideal and serve one’s parents. First, serve them, and then you can think of God. If you want to realize God, first and foremost, develop love and devotion towards your parents.
Embodiments of Love! Young Men and Women!
At least from today onwards, serve your parents and become recipients of their love. That is the sign of true devotion. That is true humanness. I want to tell you about an incident that happened in My life. One day, Mother Easwaramma came to Me and said, “Swami, You have all powers in You. There is nothing impossible for You. Ours is a small village. People are suffering for want of proper medical care. Please construct a small hospital to treat the children of the village.” I assured her that a small hospital would be built to suit the needs of the village. Within a short period, a small hospital was constructed and Gopala Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, was invited for its inauguration. He remarked, “Swami, where is the need for a hospital in this hamlet?” I said, “Are the villagers not human beings? Don’t they require medical care? It is for the welfare of the villagers that I have built this hospital.”
After some time, Mother Easwaramma requested Me to build a school in the village. She said, “Swami, I feel very much pained to see children walking all the way to Bukkapatnam to attend school.” I at once acceded to her wish and initially built a small school. As days rolled by, Swami’s glory spread far and wide. One day, Mother Easwaramma again came to Me with a request, “Swami, You have built a hospital and a school per my wishes. I have yet another wish to be fulfilled. The people of our village have to trek long distances to fetch a potful of water. Their shoulders get swollen as they carry water day after day. Kindly get a borewell dug in the village and solve the water problem.” She had requested a small school; now a university has come up. She wanted a small hospital to be built; Swami has established super speciality hospitals. She wanted a borewell for the village; I have provided drinking water for the entire district of Anantapur. I give you so much even when you ask for so little. But nobody comes forward with such noble desires. People do ask, but how do they ask? They ask from their lips, not from the heart.
I am searching; I am searching;
I have been in search
of a true human being then and now
who practices righteousness.
(Telugu song)
I am going around in search of a righteous person, but I am unable to find one. One can understand the true form of God only when one follows the right path.
Embodiments of Love!
Serve your parents and fulfill their aspirations. Undertake service activities in your village and work for its development. First, have respect for yourself. When you develop self-respect, you will have respect for others also. There are many more things to be taught to you. Swami will address you again tomorrow.
[Kerala Youth Camp, 12-4-2003, Brindavan, Bengaluru]