The Five-letter Mantra

In this powerful discourse, delivered on the auspicious Guru Poornima day nearly three decades back, our beloved Bhagavan Baba clarifies the way to the seat of the Divine—devotion coupled with good resolutions.

Man is the only being endowed with the unique weapon of the mind. Whoever is able to master it, will be victorious in life. A slave of the mind cannot achieve happiness or peace.

The body with all the sense organs, made up of the five elements, is the dwelling that the mind has established for its fulfillment. It is like an armor. The mind is the basis for the body. It is the cause of all worldly activities and experiences. A body without the mind is like a school without a teacher, a withering crop without water, a temple without a deity, and an electric wire without the current—utterly useless and lifeless.

Men are generally prone to regard the mind as intimately bound to the body. Believing that the body, a composite of the five elements, is real and permanent, they devote all their time and actions to its well-being. Life is wasted in pursuing mundane objects. The highest realization consists in using the buddhi (intelligence) to acquire vijnana (higher wisdom), and conquering the mind through that wisdom. The Upanishad (Hindu scripture) declares: “Prajnanam Brahma” (Realization of Brahman—Universal Self—is the highest wisdom). This consummation is attained only through sat sankalpas (good thoughts).

Sat Sankalpas constitute the most precious possession. They are charged with immense power, purity, and divinity. They are life-giving and life-sustaining. They will yield the desired fruits by the way they are used.

Transform sinners to saints

The mind is not like a blank paper. It is a palimpsest that carries on it the imprint of the experiences and actions of many past lives. It manifests as a reflection of the atma (spirit). The atma + the mind = man. Man – mind = atma. The mind is the cause of man’s bondage or liberation. If man can fill himself with good thoughts in any situation, his life will become sanctified. Hence, it is necessary for everyone to see how he can cultivate good thoughts, and make them govern his life and actions.

Satsang (association with good people) is the prime requisite for the cultivation of good thoughts. The scriptures have expatiated on the value of good company with appropriate examples. Ratnakara was a highway robber who supported his family by robbing wayfarers. Such a person was so completely transformed by association with the seven great sages (Sapta rishis—sage Vasishta and others) that he later became Valmiki, the great adi kavi (foremost poet), who wrote the epic Ramayana. Not only was he the first among poets but he achieved the same status as the sage Vyasa (a Hindu saint and composer of the Vedas). The seven sages hailed Valmiki as shloka data (the giver of the shloka or verses), second only to the loka-data, Bhagavan (the giver of all things).

Another instance: During Buddha’s time, there was a very cruel and wicked man known as Angulimala. Like Ratnakara, he was also engaged in robbing travelers and going further by cutting off his victims’ thumbs to use them in a necklace around his neck. The Buddha was able to reform even such a cruel man, and transform him into a spiritual seeker.

Power of faith

Gauranga was yet another example: he belonged to a community called Jagayi-Madhayi, notorious for its wicked and cruel ways. Through his association with holy men, he became an ardent devotee of the Lord, and acquired the appellation Chaithanya (as he was always immersed in Krishna consciousness). He devoted his entire life to glorifying God in song and dance.

Thus, through all ages, there have been men who have been transformed into saints and sages through their association with good and holy men. More recently, we have many such examples of transformation. In Tamilnadu, some decades ago, there was a young lad from a poor brahmin (literate caste) family. At that time, [Mahatma] Gandhiji was emerging as the leader of the national struggle for freedom. Everyone was talking about the lawyer who was voicing the country’s aspirations, and demonstrating its determination to win freedom from foreign rule.

The brahmin boy’s mother was keen that her son should become a lawyer like Gandhiji. She told him: “My dear son! You should study like Gandhi, and try to relieve the sufferings of the poor. You must become a great hero like him. You must adhere to dharma (righteous way of life), and fight for justice.”

From that day, the young lad devoted himself to his studies, mindful of his mother’s advice. He resolved to become a lawyer to serve the poor and distressed. He overcame innumerable difficulties and handicaps. As his family could not afford electricity, he used to study under electric lamps on the street to prepare for his examinations. Often, he had to go without food. Once, on the eve of an examination, he was studying under a street lamp and became drowsy. As he could not afford even a cup of tea—though it cost very little in those days—he washed his face with cold water from a faucet, and continued his study. He passed the law examination with distinction.

Have faith in God & be resolute

He always kept in mind his resolve to live up to his mother’s words. He worked with several seniors at the (legal) bar, picked up experience, and progressed as a lawyer. More importantly, he had deep faith in God. Whatever difficulties he encountered, he regarded them as intended by providence for his own good. Because of his faith in God and association with good men, a great change occurred in his career. He was appointed as a judge of the Madras High Court—the first Indian to be chosen for that honor. It was a fitting recognition for his character and abilities. Such was the career of T. Muthuswamy Iyer.

When devotion to God is coupled with good resolutions, anything can be accomplished. As in the case of Muthuswamy Iyer, there are instances of young men in other countries who started their careers to earn a living by polishing shoes or selling newspapers or washing dishes in hotels, but who rose to high positions because of their good resolutions and their unswerving faith in God. Some of them became great scholars and led dedicated lives.

Man has unlimited potentialities

In Britain, there was a poor lad who wrote addresses on covers for illiterate people, and tutored children for a living. Each time he wrote an address, he used to say, “May God bless you.” To those he tutored, he would say, “May God shower His grace on you” as they returned home. He had firm faith that one day God would raise him to a position where he would be able to render service to the people. He always told his young students: “Have faith in God.” He himself had firm faith in God.

In course of time, he became the Prime Minister of Britain. He was James Ramsay MacDonald. From a poor address writer to being the Prime Minister of Great Britain—what a change in fortune wrought by the grace of God!

The union of good resolutions with faith in God is like the coming together of the positive and negative ends of electric wires; through this combination, any great thing can be accomplished.

We do not realize the unlimited potentialities of man. Man is far above all other beings on earth both physically and intellectually. He can achieve whatever he wills to do. He can even become the master of the world. But superficially, man appears as a weakling. The life of man is subject to certain limitations. However intelligent one may be, one should not forget that one’s life is governed by these limitations. One should use the intelligence one is endowed with, within the limits inherent in the human condition, to lead an exemplary, ideal life. If the intelligence is not properly used, life becomes futile.

Talents are misused and selfish

Devoid of right thinking and attitudes; the powers of the intellect get misused now. Talents are being employed for selfish purposes. Though man has prodigious intellectual ability, it is being used for wrong purposes. Self-interest and self-centeredness distort men’s outlook and lead them astray from the righteous path. Truth and integrity are at a discount. Moral standards are declining. Caste and creedal differences have mushroomed. Parochial differences have bred mortal enmity and hatred. Spiritual consciousness has weakened. Envy and hatred reign supreme. Fear of sin has given place to fondness for sin. Anything spiritual is viewed with levity. 

What is the reason for all this? Absorbed in sensual desires and worldly pursuits, man has lost all sense of morality and goodness. He has lost sight of his own divine nature. Greed has turned man against man. Bad thoughts and ill-conceived desires have wrought havoc.

Concerted efforts must be made to change this situation by influencing men’s thoughts and attitudes. The primary requisite is to develop the will power of people along right lines. When the will power is developed, other powers like discrimination, intelligence, retention, articulation, analysis, contemplation, and creative action, can be developed. Without a strong will, nothing can be accomplished. One needs will power to get rid of entrenched habits like smoking. Through will power, all desires can be controlled. The ancient sages were able to conquer all desires by austere penance, renouncing all worldly objects. The will should be directed toward God.

Deepen your faith in God

Faith in God is the bedrock on which one’s life should be built. All the scriptures one may read, all the rituals one may practice, and all the mastery of the Upanishads or the Gita will be of no avail if there is no deep faith in God. They will be mere physical or intellectual exercises only. They may even strengthen the delusions regarding the body-mind complex. 

Deepen your faith in God. Without God, how can all the marvels in the cosmos be accounted for? By whose power are millions of stars held in their places? How does the earth turn on its axis without an axle? How does the wind blow to give gratuitous comfort to one and all? These phenomena are beyond human power. All these are the work of the unseen power acting from behind the screen. It is the unseen that sustains the seen. It is the power of God.

Types of gurus & their functions

Today is the sacred day of Guru Poornima. Bharatiyas [Indians] have held the view that one should try to sublimate oneself by seeking a guru, and act according to his teachings. There are eight types of gurus: 1) Bodha Guru; 2) Veda Guru; 3) Nishiddha Guru; 4) Kamya Guru; 5) Vaachaka Guru; 6) Soochaka Guru; 7) Karana Guru; and, 8) Vihita Guru.

Bodha Guru teaches the shastras [scriptures], and encourages the pupil to act up to shastraic injunctions.

The Veda Guru imparts the inner meaning of the Vedas [Hindu scriptures], establishes the pupil in spiritual truths, and turns his mind toward God.

The Nishiddha Guru imparts knowledge about rites and duties, and shows how one’s welfare here and in the hereafter can be ensured.

The Kamya Guru makes one engage oneself in meritorious deeds to secure happiness in both the worlds.

The Vaachaka Guru imparts knowledge of yoga, and prepares the disciple for the spiritual life.

The Soochaka Guru teaches the control of senses through various types of discipline.

The Karana Guru reveals the unity of the jivi [individual self) and the atma (universal self).

The Vihita Guru clears all doubts, purifies the mind, and shows the path to self-realization.

Of these eight gurus, the Karana Guru is the foremost. Through various teachings and practices, he helps the individual to progress from the human to the divine consciousness. Only the divine can act as such a teacher. All other gurus can be helpful only to a limited extent. There are, moreover, persons who claim to be gurus, but who are really after the disciple’s money. They trade in mantras [holy chants] and tantras [mystical procedures]. Self-realization cannot be attained through mantras or tantras. The Omni-self can be realized only through the purification of the mind.

God is present in everyone

“Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagat” (The universe is permeated by Vishnu). “Sarvam Brahmamayam Jagat” (Everything in the cosmos is Brahmam). Vishnu and Brahmam refer to one and the same, the universal consciousness that pervades everything in the cosmos.

The Divine is present in everyone. Holding firmly to this belief, one should not cause harm to anyone because he would be causing harm to God who is present in everyone. Today, we talk about peace in the world. How can that peace be found outside? It has to be found inside you. How can you find peace in a world that is in ‘pieces’? Holding the atom bomb in one hand, is there any meaning in talking about peace? When you are haunted by fear, how can you have peace?

You can have real peace only when you throw away the atom bomb. Real peace can come only when worldly thoughts are replaced by divine thoughts. God is the author and the guarantor of peace. Only when we rely on God can we have genuine peace.

“God is”—a powerful Mantra

On this Guru Poornima day, I do not intend to give you any ashtakshari (eight letter) or panchakshari (five-letter) mantra based on any particular deity’s name. Nor am I enjoining you to study any Upanishad, or the Gita or the Brahma Sutras [Hindu scriptures]. There is a simple five-letter pronouncement: “God is.” Make this your sheet anchor. If you go on reciting it, thinking over it, acting up to it and conveying it to others, immersing yourself in the bliss of this experience, you will be making the greatest contribution to the welfare of the world. (Swami recited a poem on the glories of God’s creation to prove “Devudunnaadu [God is]”).

Consider this mantra as the message for this Guru Poornima, and proclaim it in all circumstances, and at all places with all the conviction and strength you can command. The world can be turned into an earthly paradise if you strengthen your faith in God, and demonstrate it in your actions. You must have the courage and determination to face any kind of problems and difficulties. By propagating this mantra, you can promote the love of God and the fear of sin among the people. The mantra “God is” can be more powerful than a mantra based on any particular deity’s name. Moreover, mere repetition of any mantra is of little use. Greater than the power of mantra or yantra [instrument] is the power of a pure heart. Your faith must stem from the heart, which is the seat of the Divine.

In the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord has revealed the specific part of the body where the Divine resides. He has declared that taking the form of Vaishwanara (the digestive fire), the Lord enters the body of every being to consume food and digest it. This means that the divine dwells in the stomach, digests whatever food is taken, and supplies nourishment to all parts of the body. If bad food is eaten, the effects will be bad. The digestive energy turns our pure or impure products in the system according to the nature of the food supplied to it.

Mantra be a constant companion

Spiritual disciplines determine the character of a person. Character determines the destiny— whether good or bad. Character is built up by constant practice of good actions. Actions, in turn, are based on one’s thoughts and intentions. Whenever any thought arises in the mind, one should examine whether it is right or wrong, and whether it will benefit the society or harm it. Actions should be based on such enquiry. It would be wrong to blame anyone for our misfortunes. Our thoughts and actions alone are responsible for our plight. If one entertains pure thoughts, and does all actions with firm faith in God, he will be favored with God’s grace.

Have this five-letter mantra as your constant companion, and strengthen your faith in God. This will lead in due course to God-realization. Unwavering faith in God will promote atma–shakti (spiritual power) and confer indescribable bliss. Doubts should not be allowed to sprout. Faith is essential for accomplishing anything in life. Without faith, even ordinary things in life are not possible.

From today, develop your faith in God; engage yourselves in dedicated service to society and make your lives purposeful and helpful to those in distress or need. Remember that whomsoever you may serve, you are serving God. This is my benediction to all of you.

 Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 19