Control of Senses is the Real Saadhana

Embodiments of Love!

My blessings to you all. I am happy that you all have studied here right from the Primary School stage up to the 12th standard and obtained good marks and earned a good name for yourselves, with good character. But after you left the Primary School, you yourself can imagine what change has come about in you. As long as you were in the Primary School, you had developed many good qualities like love, compassion, kindness, and joy. You were all moving like brothers with mutual love and affection. Your speech, your play, and your songs were all full of sweetness. But, the moment you joined the Higher Secondary School, the quality of purity in your thoughts, words, and deeds deteriorated. I am not saying that all the boys took to the wrong ways and spoiled their minds. You can judge for yourself how pure is your mind. Humanness consists of five components - the gross body, mind, intellect, consciousness, and the senses. If a human being is to attain liberation, he has to cleanse his mind first. It is a serious mistake to desire that which does not belong to him. Whenever the mind desires something, one has to enquire first whether that particular object belongs to him or someone else. When you know for sure that it belongs to someone else, you must be careful to divert your mind from that object. The mind has to be kept absolutely pure and sacred. One should not taint the mind with the impurities of conflict and agitation. You all have to develop such kind of jnaana, right from this early age. Unfortunately, today you are all spoiling your life by cultivating desires for all and sundry things. This is all madness and delusion. Whatever you do, you must do it with a sense of dedication and surrender to God. All the work you undertake must be carried out with this spirit. Sarva karma Bhagavat Preetyartham (all actions must be done to please God). In fact, what you think to be yours is not yours. First and foremost enquire into yourself, “Who am I?” The entire universe, right from the microcosm to the macrocosm, is permeated by Divinity. Sugar, sand, an ant, a mosquito, or an elephant - all are embodiments of Divinity. God is assuming all these forms like different characters in a drama. There is nothing in this universe which is not permeated by God. Everything in this universe is God. Everything in this universe is God. The entire creation is an embodiment of Divinity. In fact, He dons all the characters in this cosmic drama. All dialogues and songs are His only, yet, the characters He dons appear to be different. Hence, whatever we say - everything is God. One has to realise this truth and conduct himself accordingly.

Cultivate Faith in the Unity of Divinity

Unfortunately, today some people take to wrong ways due to the effect of bad qualities, bad practices, bad thoughts, and bad looks. Whomever you come across, treat them as embodiments of Divinity. Whatever you say, it must reflect Divinity. When you conduct yourself in such a manner, that itself is mukti (liberation). One has to cleanse his five senses. One should conduct himself in such a manner that neither he hurts others nor is hurt by others. The words you make use of must be sacred. You should not covet others’ property or develop a desire for it. One must cultivate faith in the unity of Divinity. Some boys are not able to develop such a universal outlook. They are languishing in a feeling of separateness. They distinguish between people as “mine” and “thine.” The ancient history of India is replete with instances of the ill effects of such divisive tendencies.

You all know about the history of the Kauravas and Pandavas in the great epic Mahaabhaaratam. The Kauravas were one hundred in number and were the sons of King Dhritarashtra. The Pandavas were five in number. They were the sons of Pandu, the younger brother of King Dhritarashtra. There ensued a fierce battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. But, who was at fault in this battle? In fact, Dhritarashtra and Pandu, both were the sons of the same father. They were brothers. Their kingdom was one. But, their thoughts and aspirations were different. A malicious desire for annexing the entire kingdom for themselves on the part of the Kauravas resulted in evil thoughts and divisive tendencies. Similarly, in the Raamaayana there were two brothers - Vali and Sugriva. They were also brothers born of the same father. But, some unfortunate and selfish interests on their part resulted in a fierce battle between the brothers. While Vali the valiant king was enjoying regal comforts in the city of Kishkindha, his younger brother Sugriva had to languish in the hills and forests.

There is no use in doing japa and tapa for months and years without giving up divisive tendencies. Such tapas convert themselves into mere tamas. Several people give up their saadhana in the middle with a sense of frustration and despair, thinking that God is not merciful enough to reveal Himself before them in spite of doing japa for long years. If you wish to have the vision of God, first and foremost you must develop a sense of oneness with God. In fact, your own mind is an embodiment of Divinity. People often question, “Where is God?” “Who is God?”, etc. I would say, “Your mind is God.” It is said, Mana eva manushyaanaam kaaranam bandha mokshayo (mind is the cause for bondage as well as liberation of man). Both bondage and liberation occur due to the mind only. Hence, the mind is God. Similarly, the intellect is God, so also the chitta (consciousness). It is a common sight to see people praising a person of sharp intellect as an intellectual. But God alone is the true intellectual. We have to dedicate our chitta to God. Once a great devotee sang, “Oh! God! Let me offer my worship to You with _chitta-shuddhi_” (Purity of consciousness). Hence, you should all pray to God with purity of consciousness.

Just as the mind, intellect, and chitta are the embodiments of Divinity, so also the senses. Hence, one should not taint one’s senses with the Arishadvargas (the six inner enemies of lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and jealousy). Kaama signifies desires, which you can divert toward God and pray that you want only God and none else. You love God alone. Such love only will be sanctified. To love people on the basis of their name and form cannot be termed as real love. That is only worldly love. When you love God, everything will be added unto you. All your desires must be God-oriented. Every desire of yours must be to please God. Suppose you love someone, do not treat him as a mere mortal. On the other hand, you must be able to visualise the divinity in him.

There is no object other than the Pancha-bhutas (the five elements of air, water, earth, fire, and ether) in this universe. You will not find a sixth element, however much you may try and explore. For example, this is a hand consisting of five fingers. There is no sixth finger. In case someone has a sixth finger, he will be taken to the doctor for removing it by surgery. Similarly, we all have five senses. What is mukti (liberation)? Liberation is control of the senses. Unless one controls his senses, liberation is not possible. It is foolish to think that God is somewhere in a distant place. Strictly speaking, who is God? The Pancha-bhutas are embodiments of Divinity.

Strive to Achieve Sense Control

It is only the senses that bring us good or bad. Hence, controlling the senses should be our top priority. You often express your inability thinking, “Swami! Is it possible for us?” I am emphatically saying that it is possible, provided you make an effort with firm determination. When you are able to please God and obtain His grace, sense control is not a big task for you. The senses are very trivial things. Unless you are able to control the senses, you do not deserve to be called a human being. It is said, Jantunaam nara-janma durlabham (of all living beings, human birth is the rarest). To be born as a human being is a rare gift of God. Having obtained this rare gift, one should strive to achieve sense control. Even if you succumb to the wishes of even one of these five senses, you will stoop down to the level of an animal. It is said, Daivam manushya roopena (God is in the form of a human being). Having attained such a rare and sacred birth of a human being, how foolish it is to say that you cannot control your senses? One who succumbs to the wishes of the senses is a rakshasa (demon), verily! In fact, such a person is worse than a rakshasa. One has to evolve into a noble human being. You may be fond of your wife and children. But on that basis, you cannot denigrate others. You should not entertain a feeling that so and so is mine, and others are different. All are embodiments of Divinity! All are children of God. There is such an intimate relationship between people in this world. Whatever object you come across in this world, it belongs to God only. It does not belong to any particular individual. In every object, every being, Divinity is immanent. Divinity is present in every grain of sand and every particle of sugar. It is said, Vishwam Vishnu-svaroopam (the entire universe is the embodiment of Lord Vishnu). The whole universe comes under one family. Hence, one has to cultivate such universal love. That is real Atmic love. It is only when you cultivate such love, you deserve to be called a human being. Only then can you visualise the Atma-tattvam. Devoid of love, if you go on cultivating evil qualities like anger, hatred, jealousy, and a feeling of difference between one another, you will be worse than animals. Beasts and animals fight among themselves. If you also fight like them, what difference is there between you and the animals? In fact, anger and hatred are not the qualities of a human being. The feeling of difference originates in human beings when man considers himself as different from God. Where there is a feeling of difference, there hatred raises its head. Whatever activity you undertake, it must be done in a spirit of dedication to God.

We extol Lord Eshwara as Hiranya-garbhaya namah (I offer my pranams to the golden-wombed Lord). He is the embodiment of gold. Here gold signifies immutability. You are all golden children. But, you forget your real nature and associate yourself with dust and rust. Hence, great souls have to take birth in this world now and then to cleanse you and make you realise your innate divinity. However, when some great soul embarks upon such a mission, some people doubt his effort saying, “It is all his foolishness. Can earth become gold? Can sand become sugar?” Modern man is full of doubts and doubts! What could be the reason for these doubts? It is only when one thinks that he is separate from God that doubts arise.

The Omniscient God is Always Steady

It is well known that a vessel filled to the brim will be steady. Similarly, God is omniscient and hence He is steady always. Many people who come here have several experiences. (Swami called a student onto the dais). I am aware of the past, present, and future of every individual, irrespective of caste, religion, and place of birth. Some people who come here may think, “Perhaps Swami does not know who I am.” But, there is nothing that I do not know. Even though I know everything, I pretend as if I do not know. (Pointing to the student)

The parents and brothers and sisters of this boy visited Prasanthi Nilayam some time ago. I called all of them for an interview and promised to the father, “My dear! The mother of these children may not survive for long. In fact, she may breathe her last even before you reach your village. You don’t worry. I will take up the responsibility of all your children.” The children started crying. I told them, “Don’t cry. Why fear when I am here? I will look after everything.”

From that day onwards, I have been looking after their welfare, as promised. The girls are all married. All the children have been provided with their requirements. None of them faced any difficulty. There is one boy among our Band group. That boy is the youngest of all the brothers. He was very young when he came here along with his parents. I called him and told him, “My dear! You don’t need to worry about anything. I am your father, mother, and everything. I will look after you in every aspect.” Whenever he came here, I used to call him and talk to him instilling a sense of security and confidence in him. Now all the family members are happily living. This boy was very young then. Now, he has grown up. Thus, I have been showering My love and grace on one and all, whether I talk to them personally or not. What is My property? Love! Love! Love! I have no anger whatsoever on anyone, at any time. It is only to correct an erring individual, I pretend to be angry. But I have no anger on anyone. My entire body is suffused with pure love. It is said, Eeshwarah sarva bhootanam (God is the indweller of all beings). Who is Eeshwara? Eeshwara is not merely the one who is portrayed as wearing rudraksha garlands around His hands and serpents around His neck. It is only a form that is created for the common man to comprehend divinity to some extent. The various names and forms like Eeshwara, Vishnu, Parvati, Lakshmi, etc., were created to enable the common man to worship God in some form or the other. In fact, every human being is an embodiment of Eeshwara. There is nothing in this world which is not permeated by Eeshwara. The earth is Eeshwara. This handkerchief is also an embodiment of Eeshwara. All names and forms originated from Eeshwaratvam.

In fact, it is only the one who has gained control over the five senses that can comprehend Divinity. Divinity is not limited to one name and form. People say they had the vision of Rama, Krishna, etc., but it is only their imagination! However, Divinity is only one and that has been named as Eeshwara. Unable to comprehend Divinity, people ascribe several names and forms to it and get deluded. Today, it is the devotees who change their chosen deities frequently, But, God does not change. God is one. He is permanent. Real saadhana is gaining control over the five senses. One has to undertake such type of saadhana instead of engaging himself in japa, dhyana, etc. For example, even if you are engaged in japa and dhyana closing your eyes, your ‘monkey mind’ will be roaming about all the three worlds. People do not realize this truth and engage themselves in different types of saadhana. There is nothing but Divinity in this world. Whatever you see, whatever you hear, everything is permeated by Divinity.

Do Not Get Attached

Once the Pandavas were performing the Rajasuyayagna. At the conclusion of the ritual, Sri Krishna was honored by the Pandavas in the presence of all the kings in the court. Sisupala could not bear with this honor bestowed on Sri Krishna. He reviled Lord Krishna, severely criticizing Him for various omissions and commissions. One of the points of his criticism was that Krishna stole the saris of women who were bathing in a lake. The Pandavas could not bear these insinuations heaped upon their dear Lord Krishna. They felt humiliated. Krishna then tried to reason with them, saying, “He did so out of ignorance. I am beyond praise or scorn. I am the eternal witness to everything that goes on in this world. You should not, however, respond to that criticism and start paying him in his own coin. Do not ever get attached to anyone deeply. If you lead a life of detachment thus, I will be with you constantly guarding you and guiding you.”

Divinity never encourages differences among men. God is Love and Love is God. There are several thousands of people gathered in this Hall. However, the love permeating every individual is only one. There may be differences in the names and forms of people and their relationships, but the Divinity permeating all people is one and the same. Hence, all should lead a life filled with love like brothers and sisters. In educational institutions where the system of co-education is in vogue, boys and girls should move like brothers and sisters. Nowhere should any difference on account of gender raise its head. When the children get into the Higher Secondary stage, these differences crop up. You should not give scope for such things. Whoever entertains such differences is sure to fail in the examination, the examination of ‘pure love’. There is nothing great in passing examinations in the worldly sense. Everyone can pass, provided one puts in a little effort. There is no use passing a worldly examination, while at the same time failing in pure and unsullied love for a fellow human being who is none other than God. He who has passed the examination of divine love is the most successful person in life.

All are God’s children. All are reflections of the Hiranyagarbha present in the human body. Hence, from now onwards all of you should live like brothers and sisters with mutual love and affection. Then only you deserve to be called ideal students. But, I do not find in the present day students such a feeling of kinship. Instead, they are cultivating differences such as, “I am different” and “You are different.” You should not, under any circumstances, cultivate anger and hatred. Anger should be controlled and hatred given up. Your safety and welfare lie in controlling anger. It is common knowledge that when the controls in a railway station are not functioning properly, the trains moving on the track derail. In such a situation, the controller in the railway station is held responsible. Similarly, the mind is the controller for all thoughts and feelings arising in us. Hence, if the mind is kept in control, the entire body comes under our control.

You are all embodiments of pure gold. You are all golden children. Your words are sweet. Let your conduct also be sweet in conformity with your words. Wherever you go, as students of Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions, you must display exemplary conduct and behavior. Merely because you wear a white dress, you do not deserve to be called students of Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions. In keeping with your white dress, keep your mind pure and your heart sacred. Only then will you become ideal students. Swami will constantly be with such students, guarding and guiding them. I will give them everything. In fact, I am protecting several people in several ways; but, no one has realized this point till today.

Develop Equal-mindedness

Your own Atma is divinity. That is Eeshwara. One has to develop firm faith in that feeling. How can you be called a human being if you do not develop such faith? Love is God; live in love. Your love should not be limited to an individual or some family members. You must share it with all. If only you develop such broad-mindedness, you can become a leader and set an ideal to others. (When Swami enquired of the students whether they had faith in Swami’s words, all of them unanimously responded by saying loudly, “Yes Swami!”). It is not enough if you just pay lip service by saying ‘yes’. The conviction must come from the depth of your heart. You commit a mistake and say ‘sorry’. That is not enough. You should desist from repeating the same mistake. Truth is the very life-breath for a human being. Truth is God. Do not speak untruth. If only you follow the truth in your life steadfastly, you can achieve everything. Truth is like a shield that will protect you. Truth is your support. If you give up such a noble quality of truth and speak untruth, how can you be called a human being? You should never give scope for falsehood in your life.

God is the only leader for the entire universe. God is the only leader and judge. It is only God who can decide justice or injustice. You should not forget such an omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient God. Do not entertain feelings of difference like “mine” and “thine”. Develop - equal mindedness. May all people live together happily and bring a good name to themselves and the country (Bhagawan created a gold ring with a green stone embedded in it and presented it to the student standing in front of Him). Everyone should thus earn the grace of God. The green colour is a sign of peace and welfare. I wish that all of you should earn such peace, welfare, love, devotion, and grace of God. It is only when you drive away the bad qualities in you, that you will be able to live in the divine presence. May you make proper use of the Pancha-bhutas (the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether). May you control your Panchendriyas (five senses). Then God will be constantly with you guarding and guiding you. Divinity cannot be attained merely by offering prayers and doing bhajans. Along with these saadhanas, you must also develop a pure heart and offer it to God. Let your mind, intellect, and chitta be constantly associated with God wherever you are and whatever work you are undertaking. Then your very mind, intellect, and chitta will be transformed into Divinity. When God is present right in front of you in the form of Pancha-bhutas, where is the need for searching for Him separately? There is no scope at all for such a feeling! It is a serious mistake to think that God is separate from the Pancha-bhutas.

Considering God as your everything and sole refuge, dedicate your senses to Him. This is an easy method to reach God. When you follow such an easy path, you will attain moksha (liberation). After all, what is moksha? Moha-kshaya is moksha (coming out of delusion is liberation). There is no use chanting “Ram, Ram, Ram....” when your mind is full of moha (delusion). Whatever work you undertake, do it with a sense of Bhagavat-preetyartham (to please God). Whomever you come across, consider him as an embodiment of God. Even the beggar standing in front of your door is an embodiment of God. He may be a beggar from the point of view of the physical body. But, he is really an embodiment of Divinity from the Atmic sense. Whether one is a king or an emperor or a beggar, the same Divinity permeates every individual. May you dedicate your lives to win the love of God and His grace. Undertake every activity as an offering to God. Even your reading of your textbooks can be done with such a sense of dedication to God. You will surely pass your examinations in 1st class. I am happy that you are all good boys. But, one caution - you must exhibit the same good behaviour in your Higher Secondary School, as in the Primary School.

Let Me remind you that the teachers in the Higher Secondary School will not hesitate to punish you whenever necessary if you go wrong. They have nothing against anybody, but they are duty-bound to put you on the right track. If a teacher shirks his responsibility and condones your bad behaviour without giving a punishment, then he is a ‘Guddi Guru’ (blind teacher). He cannot be called a Guru in the real sense. The role of a headmaster in the school is also important. In fact, he is the ’head’ for all the teachers. Hence, he should oversee the work of all the teachers.

Education does not mean simply reading books. One cannot become great by acquiring an academic degree. In fact, degrees are not great; the Divine is great. Hence, develop such divine nature. Only then will your life become sanctified and your education meaningful. Your parents will also be happy. You might be aware that your parents have admitted you to Sri Sathya Sai's educational institution with great hopes. You should not disappoint them. You must earn the praise of your father, mother, teacher, and God - all four. Make your life meaningful and sacred by good thoughts, feelings, practice, and behaviour.

Discourse on 23-2-2006, Prasanthi Nilayam