Message of the Avatars and the Epics

In the ensuing discourse, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba emphasizes the key role of societal service in upholding dharma—righteousness. He urges us to control the three vices of anger, desire, and greed citing examples from the great epics. He instructs the devotees to follow the example of avatars and imbibe harmony in thought, word, and deed. 

Embodiments of love! This vast cosmos, consisting of moving and unmoving objects, is permeated with truth. All names and forms are founded on dharma (righteousness). Dharma is the form of God. The spirit (atma) which is present in the subtlest of the subtle and vastest of the vast as a witness, is verily the Brahmam (the all-pervading consciousness).

All the objects in the universe are made up of atoms. The atom is the embodiment of the spirit. Hence, there is no place in the universe without the atma or Brahmam.

Buddha’s Message

Forgetting the spiritual basis of the universe, man gets entangled in misery through his worldly attachments. Recognizing this truth, Buddha declared: “Everywhere, there is sorrow. Everything is momentary, and everything is perishable.” Considering worldly things to be permanent causes sorrow.  If man recognizes that the world is permeated by Brahmam, which is pure bliss, he will free himself from the cause of sorrow. He fails to recognize the divinity that subsumes the whole of prakriti (nature or the phenomenal universe), and mistakenly regards the Divine as a mere natural phenomenon. On the top of that, though the workings of the Divine can be seen in nature, man in his folly fails to recognize the Divine. Nature in its myriad forms is the effect. God is the cause. The entire cosmos is a manifestation of cause and effect. Hence, the universe is a manifestation of the Divine.

Man should realize that the five basic elements, which constitute the fundamental basis of the universe, are common to all mankind, and should be enjoyed as such. He [man] should see the Divine in every human being. This was the purport of the prayer: “Buddham saranam gachhaami”—I seek refuge in the Buddha. The second prayer is: “Sangham saranam gachhaami”—I seek refuge in the sangha [society]. The implication of this prayer is that, after getting enlightenment, one should enter the society (to serve it). The third prayer is: “Dharmam saranam gachhaami”—I seek refuge in dharma. The full meaning of the prayer is that for the sake of upholding dharma, one should use one’s buddhi (the enlightened intellect) and engage himself in societal activity. How can a man uphold dharma if he does not perform social service despite possessing enlightened intellect?  It is said that man has been given a body to basically pursue dharma.

Non-violence the First Dharma

The observance of non-violence has been described as the highest form of dharma. All the violence in the world today is due to the fact that people do not lead righteous lives. People do penance and perform various kinds of rituals, but they have secured no peace. Why? It is because they have not sought to find out who they really are.

This enquiry should lead to the realization that one is the divine in human form. Nevertheless, men are misusing the body as well as the talents and qualities given to them, deeming the body as the basic reality. They are failing to to use their endowments for redeeming their human birth.

Ahimsa

Among the teachings of the Buddha, the foremost was ahimsa (not causing harm to anyone). Non-violence is not merely refraining from inflicting injuries on others with one’s limbs or weapons. Non-violence has to be practiced with purity of mind, tongue, and body—trikarana shuddhi. Ill feelings are a form of violence. To cause bodily harm is also violence. No one should be harmed even by speech. Speech should be sweet, pleasing, and wholesome. All actions should be helpful to others.

“Buddha laid down three rules for all actions: All acts done by the hands should be good; the proper ornament for the throat is truth; and, the best ornament for the ears is listening to sacred lore. What other ornaments does anyone need?” (Sanskrit sloka)

What are people doing today? They are listening to what is undesirable. They are looking at ugly scenes. How, then, can they hope to get peace? That is possible only through harmony of the mind, heart, and tongue; in other words, there should be unity in thought, word, and deed.

Transformation and Need

Despite all the teachings, no real transformation is taking place in the behavior of man. Of what use are bhajans [devotional singing] and satsang (the company of the good) if one does not become purer? Through the company of the good, one should cultivate good thoughts, which in due course will lead one to self-realization.

Men should act according to the dictates of their conscience, which can discriminate between right and wrong. They should rise above animal tendencies and realize the glory of human birth. Men should lead ideal lives, manifesting their inner divinity. Everything men do, including their speech and mannerisms, should be exemplary. Even the smallest act should cause no harm to others.

Lesson from the Epics

Men today get easily enraged. We can find an example of such anger in the Bhagavatham. Likewise, we can find an example for kama (desire or lust) in the Ramayana. Where is the example for the evil quality of greed? It is in the Mahabharata.

How do these great works illustrate warnings against the three grievous evils of anger, desire, and greed? In the Ramayana, the all-powerful Ravana [the king of Sri Lanka who abducted Rama’s wife Sita], a great scholar well versed in the 64 types of knowledge and one who had performed severe penances, was destroyed because of the single evil quality of kama. All his other virtues were burnt up by the fire of sensuous desire. Kama destroys all other good qualities in a man. Ramayana demonstrates this truth.

In the Bhagavata, we have the story of Prahlad and Hiranyakasipu. Prahlad was a great devotee of Vishnu [God as protector]. His father, Hiranyakasipu [who considered himself the ruler of the world], hated Vishnu. In his uncontrollable hatred of the Lord, he did not hesitate to subject his young son to the most terrible ordeals. His anger was the cause of his destruction.

In the Mahabharata, Duryodhana [king of the unrighteous Kauravas] exemplifies the evil quality of greed (lobha). He declared that he would not part with even a needlepoint equivalent of land to his cousins, the Pandavas. His greed turned him into a totally wicked person.

Ravana, Hiranyakasipu, and Duryodhana were not common men. They were all eminent in their own way. They were heroes by virtue of their accomplishments. But, they proved zeroes in their lives because of their specific vices. What use are great talents if one is subject to a grievous vice? Ravana had numerous abilities and had turned [Sri] Lanka into a veritable paradise. But of what avail were all these [achievements] when he had no control over the senses? It is the bounden duty of every human being to get rid of one’s evil qualities, and foster good qualities.

Avatars and Dharma

The role of every avatar (incarnation of the divine) is to establish the reign of truth and righteousness, banish all that is evil, false and unrighteous in the world, and help to manifest the divinity in mankind.

The advent of Rama avatar took place to establish the reign of righteousness. No one should go back on his plighted word. There is no greater dharma than truth. In order to uphold the promises given by his father [to his wife Kaikeyi], Rama chose to go in exile to the forest.

Likewise, in the Krishna avatar, the Lord declared, “I incarnate from age to age to establish dharma.”

When you listen to these declarations, it will be clear that dharma is the supreme ideal. What is dharma? Any act that is done with purity in thought, word, and deed is dharma. But, how many act up to this dictum? Very few understand or live up to it. Practice is primary.

The history of India is replete with stories of the great men who have upheld dharma. Buddha also had to face criticisms from his contemporaries. These are the familiar experience of all avatars. No incarnation was free from calumny. All good causes also suffer from criticisms. Peace and good result from the work of the avatars in spite of these attacks and impediments.

Importance of Good Company

The following is the fourfold formula for all people. Welcome good company. Eschew all association with the evil-minded. Perform meritorious acts ceaselessly. Always discriminate between the transient and the everlasting.

Buddha’s first teaching was: give up bad company. During his travels, Buddha used to take along some young men. Some people criticized Buddha, charging him with spoiling the young men. Buddha gave a free rein to his traducers. He listened quietly to their accusations and left without uttering a word in reply. When the disciples asked him why he chose not to reply to the criticisms, Buddha said that unanswered criticisms return to the critics.

One becomes superior to the critic by not responding to his criticisms.  Otherwise, one descends to the same level as the critic. Bear no ill will towards anyone. That is the golden rule indicated by the Gita. Buddha carried on his mission in this spirit of equanimity and tolerance.

Beyond the Critics

It is the quality of great men to face obstacles and opposition with courage and calmness. It is not easy to understand the inner urges of great men or the motives and actions of avatars. The animating principle of avatars is infinitely wide. In comparison, the capacity of the ordinary man is infinitesimal. How can the atom comprehend the infinite? Can an ant measure the depth of the ocean? Impossible! Likewise, the nature of divinity is beyond human comprehension. Even great sages like Vasishta and Vamadeva could not fully comprehend the divine.

Realizing the Divine

Instead of trying to understand the divine, it is better to practice what you have learnt. Jnatum, drashtum, praveshtum—know, perceive, and commune—are the three [factors] which draw the divine. Bhajans should be sung with complete obliviousness of the body. Devotional fervor is more important than musical skill. The ladies who took part in the bhajans in the morning sang the bhajans whole-heartedly. Their hearts were full of sweetness. Hence sweet music flowed from their hearts.

Source: Sanathana Sarathi, June 1996