As He Wills

On November 22, 1967, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba gave a discourse on seva [selfless service] to the people who had volunteered to help during the birthday festivities. We, as His volunteers in centers abroad, can adopt the advice Swami gives in Prasanthi Nilayam.

The world today is torn by factions and fear, and it is imperative that the good are assured of peace, and living is raised to a higher moral standard by promoting dharma (right action). People must become proficient in sathya (truth), dharma, shanti (peace), prema (love), and ahimsa (non-violence)—weapons that can overwhelm the passions that have turned the heart into a den of wickedness. This chance to become a sevak (volunteer) here is but the first step for training in the proper use of these weapons.

Do not imagine that this is a temporary responsibility that you shoulder today and then lay down. This is a form of worship into which you are initiated so that your hearts may be cleansed and God reflected therein. This training as a volunteer will lead you to the bliss of inner divinity and the light of reality. It will induce you to search for your own inner truth, your swa‑swarupa  (own natural form). All the acts you perform must be directed towards one end: drawing down on you the grace of God. All the provisions stocked in the storeroom in your house are there to meet one purpose: appease your hunger. So too, all karma (action) is for attaining God.

Getting fixed in faith is education

But caught in the darkness of spiritual ignorance, man mistakes his purpose. He imagines that he can be happy if he caters to his senses; this is only self‑deception. The ego is not the cause of this. The real culprit is the darkness resulting from ignorance of life’s goal. Believe that God resides in each person as the atma (inner divinity), which illumines his senses and vision. Then that darkness will disappear and light will prevail. Learning the process of getting fixed in that faith is the genuine education. The other [forms of education] are lamps that have no flame, that cannot dispel darkness.

When you call yourself a sevak, offering service to another, have also reverence in your mind that the person whom you serve is the Lord Himself in that form. This attitude is very helpful for the spiritual aspirant. Manava seva is Madhava seva (service to man is service to God). This is so when you feel in the depth of your heart that the person whom you serve is a wave of the same sea from which you derive your individuality, your taste, your name and form. I have called you in today and I am naming you as “volunteers” to give you an opportunity to practice this spiritual discipline of service to God through service to man.

Do not, therefore, take this as a new authority conferred on you, or as a burden landed on your shoulders. Acceptance of the will of God has its own advantage; it yields rich fruits. Hanuman (a supreme devotee) did not become conceited when Rama selected him for the crucial southward search, and when Rama gave into his custody the ring to be given to Sita, assuring him in the process that he would certainly succeed in discovering her. Nor was he affected by fear at the tremendous responsibility heaped on him. He just accepted what was given. He was neither happy nor unhappy. He felt that Rama, the Lord, knows all, and so his duty was only to obey.

God’s tests for giving greater grace

You must cultivate the same attitude towards my commands and instructions. Be convinced that if you obey them strictly, you will attain victory. One evening, Krishna took Arjuna (His supreme disciple) far out of Dwaraka city. While they were alone together, He pointed at a bird flying over their heads and asked him, “Arjuna, isn’t that a dove?” Arjuna agreed that it was a dove. Suddenly Krishna turned towards him and said, “No, it is a crow.” Arjuna concurred and said, “I am sorry, it certainly is a crow.” Immediately Krishna asked him, “A crow? No, it must be a kite. Is it not so?” Arjuna promptly agreed. “Yes. It is a kite.” At this Krishna smiled and asked Arjuna, “Are you in your senses? What exactly do you see? Why do you say of the same bird that it is a dove, a crow, and a kite?” Arjuna said, “Who am I to dispute Your statement? You can make it a crow even if it is not one, or change it into a kite. I have found that the safest thing is to agree with you in full faith. I know of no other course.” It was only after this test for unflinching faith that Krishna assured Himself of the credentials of Arjuna to receive the Gita [Hindu Scripture].

God tests man thus. You must welcome tests. Tests are only for giving you greater grace. They are not to be treated as punishments. They promote your confidence. You enter a house and decide to live there only after you are assured that the foundation is secure, is it not? When your faith is fixed, your life, too, will flow in peace.

Wishes can never win peace

Remember that all who come to Prasanthi Nilayam are your kith and kin. Respect them and serve them with that attitude. To have such an attitude, you must have deep patience. Praise or blame, appreciation or criticism, you must bear all with fortitude. Never yield to anger or dispiritedness. The command is pre‑eminent; have your mind fixed on that. The rest is but incidental. The ancient scriptures propagating righteousness lay down that women, the sick, those who are otherwise burdened, and the aged have to be helped and given first preference. Even if the sick man is a decrepit, low‑born man, the emperor has to give him the right of way and allow him to be served first, or else he invites punishment from the gods. The aged have accumulated much more experience than you; they are filled with sweetness, like ripe fruits. The wise men have also to be served and revered. What is the sweetness in these? It is the quality of tranquility, of being unruffled at the ups and downs of life. The asceticism that you have to adopt is just this: obey the commands of the Lord. You have no need to fast and torture the body. Can you kill the snake by beating the mound that has it in its hole? Can torment teach you the truth? The pendulum will stop its swing and remain at one point only when you stop winding the clock. Control thoughts; divert feelings; canalize the currents of the impulses; the mind will remain at the feet of God.

Wishes can never win peace. A wish is a tiny seed from which a huge tree emanates. The tree scatters millions of seeds, which sprout into many trees. Fry the seed and it will not sprout again. When wishes multiply quick and fast, concentration is impossible. When water is poured from a height, it flows along the inclines down into the hollows. Concentration is the reverse process: rolling a rock uphill. This requires not intermittent effort, but unbroken attention and ceaseless striving. Allow confidence to slacken but a moment—the rock will come rolling down.

Volunteers are center of inspiration

You have another great responsibility. This land of Bharath has to guide others in selfless service, in developing an attitude of detached devotion to duty. From ancient times, India is famous as the land of dedicated karma, of holy living and thinking, of incessant subduing of the harmful passions surging in the mind, of the tireless pursuit of the goal of peace. But lately, Indians, too, have been infected by diseases prevalent in other parts of the world. They have started spurning holy company, sacred books, and spiritual discipline. This is a tragedy.  The ancient attitudes and modes of life have to be appreciated and revived. That faith in the imperishable atman (which is the reality of both the individual and the universe) has once again to vitalize activities.

Being volunteers, you must adhere to truth first and foremost. Whatever be the temptation, do not slide away from truth. In fact, after wearing this badge as the sign of your dedication to service, you must not deviate from sathya, dharma, shanti, and prema. When a man takes up the role of Harishchandra [a character personifying truth] on stage, he has to adhere to truth at least while he is on stage. So also, as long as you wear this badge, stick to these four qualities. Then, when you see how happy you feel and how well you are able to move amongst your fellow beings, you will appreciate the path and stay on it. It is not only during festivals, not only at Prasanthi Nilayam for a few days, but always and everywhere that you must stick to these virtues. Each one of you will then be a center of inspiration in your villages. Factions and fear will cease. All will be like brothers and sisters through your silent influence and example.

Each act of self‑control is sadhana

These badges must curb your conceit, not fan them into harmful pride. They are not symbols of authority. They are but pointers indicating that the wearer is a trustworthy friend, an efficient worker, a smiling kinsman, a devoted guide and an inspiration. Most of the people who come here are in distress, physical or mental. As mentioned in the Gita: having come to this world, which is transitory and full of travail, worship Me, pray to Me. So people come seeking peace, joy, courage, hope, vitality and confidence. They must be welcomed with reverence and sympathy, love and consideration. Try to know which type of behavior, line of conduct, attitude of service will please Me. Then follow that, and your service will be fruitful. I do not like people smoking, so give up smoking. I do not like harsh language, loud noise, wild behavior, and demeaning conversation on low topics—so avoid them. I like sweet, soft, and low talk; so practice that. Do not push or drag. Do not order people about! Tell everyone the reason why certain rules and disciplines have been laid down. Try to convince and win the co‑operation of people. Here everything is part of spiritual discipline, so each little act of self‑control helps advancement. Don’t rush into vantage positions near the dais; you can win grace wherever you are by doing the duty allotted to you. Be warned that by neglecting your duty and rushing forward, you are only denying yourself grace. I see all things everywhere, so there is no need for you to push and rush to catch My eye.

You become what you feel

The Lord values the mental attitude behind each act. Yad bhaavam, thad bhavathi—what you feel, that you become. Transmute every act into one of worship. Then you will derive maximum joy. Sai is in every being so do not slight anyone. Revere and serve all to the best of your ability. When someone calls out for water to slake his thirst and you offer him a cup, feel that you are offering it to Me; then the act purifies you and cleanses you more. It is not the man in need that you serve; you are serving God in you and him.

Action is the flower, and wisdom is the fruit. The flower becomes the fruit in time, but one has to guard it and keep it free from pests. Charcoal is wood that has undergone but a part of the baptism of fire. Let it undergo that baptism to the full and it becomes white, light ash that flies with the wind into the four quarters. The mind has to be purified from its passions by taking it through the fire of wisdom until success is gained. In spiritual discipline there is no halfway house, no resting place.

Your installation on the throne of self‑realization as the monarch of your own inner consciousness is the consummation of the sadhana [spiritual discipline] of life itself. One can sacrifice everything for this sublime success. The Pandavas [from the ancient Mahabharat story] gave up the empire for which they had struggled long, they sacrificed four million lives on the battlefield, all so that they may get enthroned as such monarchs. They sought the peace of the Himalayas in the later phase of their life. Only by “giving up” can that status be won. The Upanishads [Hindu scriptures] say that immortality can be achieved not by sacred acts, nor by virtuous progeny, nor by accumulated wealth, but only by “giving up,” thyaga [renunciation]. You have to give up all attachment to food and recreation, to I and mine, when you yearn for the Lord.

The voice of God can be heard in silence alone

A picture printed on paper cannot be peeled off. It becomes inherent in the paper. The Lord’s name and form must be so imprinted on your heart. You wear the badge with this portrait on your chest; the original of the portrait must be worn on the heart, imprinted on the heart.

The gopis [milkmaids] had done that. Prahlada, too, had achieved it. That is the reason why he did not wail or protest when he was subjected to torture and torment. He saw, heard, and felt that he knew only Narayana, the Lord. Try to develop that deep faith and devotion.

One other point: In this Prasanthi Nilayam, you should see that prasanthi (supreme peace) is preserved. Emphasize this step in your spiritual discipline before all. In silence alone can the voice of God be heard. In this spirit and with these objectives, serve the thousands arriving here. That is the way to obey the will, the divine command. This is the boat that will take you across the sea of change into the Eternal and the Absolute.

Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. VIII