Man’s Life Force
As we herald the New Year with gaiety and delight, let’s recapitulate the illuminating message of Bhagavan given on this occasion more than a decade ago, in 1994.
Embodiments of love! Brahman (the supreme self) is full of love and, in fact, is the embodiment of love. Your love should merge with this love. It is the only one and there is no second; it is the non-dual state. The essential nature of love is sacrifice. Under any circumstance it does not give room for hatred. It is love that brings even a person far away closer and more intimate to you. It is love that drives away the feeling of separateness and promotes the feeling of oneness. Love also raises a person from the animal to the human. Prema (love) is the praana (life-force) of man; in fact, this praana itself is prema. One without love is like a corpse. Love is shown only to persons who are alive. No one loves a corpse. Love and life are therefore inter-related and intimately connected.
In this worldly life, love manifests in several forms such as the love between mother and son, husband and wife, and between relatives. This love, based on physical relationships, arises out of selfish motives and self-interest. But the love of the Divine is devoid of any trace of self-interest. It is love for the sake of love alone. This is called bhakti (devotion). One characteristic of this love is to give and not to receive. Secondly, love knows no fear. Thirdly, it is only for love’s sake and not for selfish motive. All these three angles of love jointly connote prapatti (surrender). When one revels in this attitude of prapatti, one experiences the bliss of the Divine. For this, the prime requisite is kshama (forgiveness).
Only a person who has this attitude of forgiveness can be considered to be endowed with sacred love. This cannot be learned from textbooks; nor can it be acquired from preceptors, or from anyone else. It is to be cultivated by oneself in times of difficulties, trials, and tribulations that one is forced to meet. Only when we face problems and difficulties that cause grief and misery, this quality of forbearance and forgiveness has the scope for taking root. When you are confronted with problems and difficulties, you should not get upset, and become victims of depression, which is a sign of weakness. You should bring tolerance and an attitude of forgiveness into play; and not get agitated giving rise to anger, hatred, and revengeful attitude. You are embodiments of strength and not weakness. Therefore, in times of despair, you should be filled with the feeling of forbearance and be ready to forgive and forget. This quality of forgiveness is the greatest power for a human being. If one loses this quality, he becomes demonic. Forgiveness is truth. It is virtue, non-violence, sacrifice, happiness, and compassion. It is everything in this world.
Shine with human quality
The moment one gives up this great quality, the evil qualities of anger, hatred and jealousy creep in, making him lose his human nature itself, driving him to indulge in wicked deeds and even descend to animal nature. Human beings should shine with human quality… Happiness and sorrow have to be experienced in the worldly life as they are inevitable like the sunset and sunrise. You think New Year will give better experiences. It is not correct. It is the mind that is responsible for pleasure and pain. If your mind is good you will find anything good. You are embodiments of the Divine, which is nothing but bliss. While being so, is it not a folly on your part to say that you are suffering from pain and grieve over this?
God—your true friend
When devotees pray sincerely to Bhagavan making all their actions as offering to God, they will certainly receive appropriate grace from the Divine… Keeping God as your guide and savior, whatever work you may do will yield sure success. God is your only true friend. All other friends may be with you as long as you have wealth, but the moment you lose everything, the friends will desert you. God is the only friend who will be ever with you. He is always with you, in you, and beside you. Therefore, the only way for prosperity is to develop friendship with the Lord. Being a human, you should make others happy. This is love.
Your heart is full of love. You should share it with others. When you have some edible dish, you have to eat it and serve to others. Otherwise, it gets spoiled. You must share your love with at least five persons per day. You should practice, experience, and share with others this Divine love.
Your New Year resolve…
On this New Year day, you should make resolve that you will start every day with love, spend the day with love, fill the day with love, and end the day with love. There should be no difference of caste, creed, color, religion, or nationality. Love knows no distinction of any kind. You must wish everyone to be happy. Fill the heart with love. Then the country and the world will prosper, and everyone will be happy.
Source: Radio Sai
Sathya Sai Speaks, January 1, 1994
