Radiate Rays of Love

In this discourse delivered on the Guru Poornima day that coincided with the opening of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantapur Campus, four decades back, Bhagawan Baba urges us to realize our spiritual essence—our oneness with Him—through the royal path of selfless service offered with boundless love.

Divyatmaswarupulara! (embodiments of Divine Self!) This morning, you were all exulted at the inauguration of the college buildings, with endless bliss, boundless enthusiasm, and hearts overflowing with gratitude and hope. Generally speaking, such functions everywhere are filled with three undesirable elements: self-promotion, condemnation of others, and purposeless talk. However, it is the sphere of spirit that offers better living and firmer joy. That alone can silently and steadily reform from within—the evils facing individuals and society.

When we speak of society or community, we calculate them in numbers; we picture groups of people that are brought together by some thin filaments of affinity. But pay attention to the word used in Sanskrit (language of the Hindu scriptures) for society. We call it samaja; the syllable sama means same, equal, and undifferentiated—that is the key to its meaning. Only people imbued with a sense of sameness, a sense of oneness, a feeling that each is but an image and reflection of the same Divine principle are entitled to be called a samaja. It is the realization of the One, which though it blossoms into the many, does not lose its uniqueness. That is because the many are but appearances, and unreal impositions of name and form of the real—this is the adwaita (One without the second) experience. Samaja prompts in the mind these subtle influences that lead to the adwaita goal. I‑ness comes from the delusion of separateness; however, I‑ness melts away when the light of reality dawns.

The realm of fearless enquiry

In the word guru, gu indicates the darkness of the I‑ness (the separateness, the illusion of many on the basis of the One, of the snake instead of the rope or garland on the ground in the dusk). Ru, the second syllable means the removal of the illusion, the illumination that reveals the Brahman (rope) that put on the snake‑cloak and caused fear and anxiety. When the real guru reveals, the many merge in the one; when there is but One, how can fear enter? What is there to desire and acquire? On this Guru‑poornami (full moon day dedicated to the guru), reflect on these truths and decide to enter boldly into the realm of fearless inquiry.

What can the possession of canvas and paint do, if an artist with vision is not moved to paint? What can the chisel and a lump of marble do if there is no image formed in the heart of a devoted sculptor? That vision and that image are the sparks of the Divine. You are all ‘the Divine’ packed in human skin and bone, the atma [inner soul] encased in the evanescent flesh. Know this and you become fearless with boundless happiness. Get rid of the ego, the enclosure in which you now feel you are shut in, then you are liberated from the imaginary cage that now imprisons you like a real one. This is the higher wisdom, the knowledge of the spirit. The lower one [wisdom] is that which adheres to the mind, cleanses and calms its agitations, and which is earned through repetition of holy names or sacred formula, meditation, singing of God’s names, and other meritorious activities.

I must tell you, however, that voluntary [selfless] service is a process through which the lower wisdom and eventually even higher wisdom can be gained.

Discover your limitless core

Seva [selfless service] can instil the sense of the basic Oneness more intensely than any other activity. In fact, the service rendered by the seva dal (voluntary service group) members, not only from Andhra but from all over the country, is something that I do not want to describe before you for I will not be content with a mere description. There can be no higher austerity than this and nothing more rewarding. Seva opens man’s eyes to the comprehensive unity of creation. When you open the eyelids, you see the world, stars, and galaxies that are in the depths of space. When you close them, the scene disappears; there is only gloom and emptiness. The eye reveals Him (God) as the universe, the vastness, magnificence, order, beauty, power, and the cosmic divine form. It appears as one picture. It also disappears as one picture. Drishti is srishti; that is, what you envision through the eyes becomes the creation. When you are aware only of your joys and sorrows, you are blind to the joys and sorrows of others; it is as if your eyes are closed. You are isolated and others are afar. There is no One-ness. Disparate entities drift in the fog, frightened by every stump and shadow.

Education is essential for man to be inspired by this high ideal of seva as spiritual discipline. It is not the acquisition of information or skills, but the sublimation of impulses, emotions, and passions. It is the mastery of the wayward mind and the grounding of the individual in the eternal atma. You must investigate your own reality and discover your limitless core. Do not entangle yourselves in the relatively real; instead, anchor your life on the Absolute—that is the real education needed. It will make you one with the Lord of the universe as you draw all the love, power, and wisdom there from. Unless you attain motherhood, you cannot understand the depths of maternal affection; unless you become Divine, you cannot know the supreme ecstasy of God.

Body is your temporary abode

There is a standard by which everything has to be judged. Some of them are fixed, and established; these have a quantum that they must seek to achieve if they must justify themselves. This comprehensive process is called pramana; pra means that which is already laid down; mana means measure. What is the measure of man that is already laid down? How is he to live such that he does not demean his status? He (man) has to be constantly conscious of the fact that his body and its equipment is only his temporary abode; he himself is the eternal Divine, the atma, that is apparently imprisoned in the physical cage, just as the moon apparently seems to be sunk in the pot of water.

Glimpses of this truth will be vouchsafed to the pupils of this (Swami’s) college (for women)—glimpses that will urge them on to further sadhana [spiritual discipline], which will reveal its fullness. This college will contribute to the happiness and welfare of the nation because these students will become mothers, akin to the mothers famous in the epics and puranas [historic, spiritual tales], transforming the hearts of their children into heavens of peace and joy. The ideals we have set before ourselves will be translated into sincere and swift action.

The Vedas [scriptures] declare that the mother and father have to be revered as divine; they (the parents) must consider the children too as divine, and foster the blooming of that divine principle. Whether one is sincerely adapting this divine principle is best left to each one’s conscience. You are the best judge of your sincerity. The mother is the first face that a child sees; ma is the first syllable that its lips utter, and it is also the last (word). A mother’s agony at the loss of a child is inconsolable.

Acquire equanimity

When Abhimanyu, the 16‑year-old son of Arjuna [one of the Pandavas from the Mahabharata] and Subhadra [Krishna’s sister], was entrapped in a maze and slaughtered by the vengeful warriors of the Kaurava [cousins and enemies of the Pandavas] camp, Arjuna broke into tears and bewailed the loss. “Why should I battle for an empire when the son who is to inherit the glory is gone?” he asked himself. He cursed the war that killed the very beneficiaries of victory. Subhadra lamented that in the Treta Yuga, when Rama ruled, no single mother was afflicted with this agony over a son who died when his parents were still alive. She lamented the calamity of the Yuga [age] and said, the shadow of the Kali Yuga [Iron Age)] had already darkened the Dwapara Yuga [the age of Krishna], which was drawing to a close. But it is wrong to ascribe to what is called the spirit of an age the evils emanating from human weakness and wickedness.

Everyone owes it to himself to clear his/her heart of fear and grief, and to fill it with love and dedication. You do not have to concern yourselves with the chronological divisions of yugas; you have to be concerned with the psychological levels that you attain. Your biggest concern is to acquire equanimity and peace. So, look upon all and everything as images of the One, namely God. Everyone and everything is in His image. In tamas [slothful outlook], it is reflected as matter. In rajas [aggressive mode], it is reflected as life (force). In satwa, it is reflected as divine. Feel thus, think thus, and act thus; then there will be no greed, lust, hate, or malice. Doff this cloak of human‑ness and shine in the splendor of the divine that is your reality. See everyone as divine, not as the human roles they are playing.

Make service as the means of worshipping the Divine. In the 11th year of their exile, when the four younger Pandava brothers had gone to collect alms, Draupadi, their wife, was massaging the feet of the eldest, Dharmaraja and was in tears. When asked the reason why, she replied, “You are now lamenting that the brothers who have gone for alms have not returned because you are hungry. I remembered the days when we as monarchs of this kingdom fed sumptuously every day thousands of brahmins, sages, monks, scholars, students, and mendicants. Now we pine for a mouthful for ourselves!” Just then Bhima [one of the Pandavas] entered and was moved into violent anger at her anguish, for which he blamed Dharmaraja, whose adherence to right had reduced them to this plight. But Dharmaraja said, “Brother! Since we stuck to dharma [righteous action], we have the Lord as our guardian and guide. The Kauravas follow adharma (injustice), and their doom is written in blood. The devil may hold hopes before their eyes, but, none can save them from perdition.”

Without the strength that righteous behavior gives, physical might or even the might of weaponry is nought. Bhima had physical might; he could pulverize mountains. Arjuna had the most dreadful bow of the age, and an array of divine arrows. But both had to be directed and controlled by the dictates of dharma so that the Lord might bless them with victory. The easiest and the most fruitful expression of dharma today consists in seva, service as worship of the divine around you. Dedicate all your skill, talents, wealth, and scholarship to the living embodiments of divinity that are around you. That is the powerof righteousness) that can draw (Divine) grace upon you.

Aims of the women’s college

I have come upon a mission; the first and foremost task in the fulfilment of that mission is the revival of the Veda (Hindu scriptures) and Vedic rituals, along with an appreciation of their inner significance. The next step is the lighting of such lamps to spread illumination into all the nooks where darkness has taken refuge.

This college is not founded, as some of you are thinking, to promote financial considerations, nor is it intended as an instrument for publicity. It will be an example, inspiration, beacon, pioneer, and a lesson for educationists and all those who have the future of humanity in their hearts. The usual answer to the question, ‘Why (pursue) college education?’ is “to help secure jobs.” The answer to the question, “Why this college?” is, “to sweeten the hearts of the future mothers of this land with humility, faith, discrimination, and fear of evil. And to light the path they tread toward truth and virtue.”

An educated woman must herself run the home. Learning of Sanskrit is crucial for this generation. That learning is the key that will unlock the treasure of Indian culture, the heritage of the children of this land. The world is hungering for this nectar of immortality, and you must not neglect this rich patrimony. Again, I will insist that the educated woman must herself run the home and shoulder all the burden of nursing and nourishing the members of the family. The happiness that can be derived through this unselfish love is a rare, elevating experience. It is a very valuable sadhana. A third need is that the ideal of seva must be inculcated in the hearts of the students, and they must acquire not only the enthusiasm to serve, but they must be proficient in the ways of helpfulness.

During the last seven or ten days, the volunteers from Hyderabad and those from West and East Godavari Districts, from Krishna and Guntur Districts, from Orissa, Gujarat, Punjab and Bengal, from Mysore, Kerala, Assam and other parts of India, as well as from across the seas, from East Africa and America, gave of themselves fully and sincerely, and exhausted themselves in hard continuous work both night and day so that this vast area that was rubble all over, and very uneven at that, became at dawn today the smooth, level, and soft meeting grounds where hundreds of thousands could sit in comfort. The love that they translated into service is indeed beyond the power of words to describe. This noon, since it was already late and you were all boiling in the Sun, I could not dwell on this love and give expression to My joy. But now I can mention it with joy.

All are surcharged with His bliss

The universe is seen; it can be learnt about; and it can be experienced and enjoyed. But, God is unseen. He has to be inferred through His handiwork. So, too, society, to which social service is rendered, cannot be seen as such. We can contact only individuals. But through the individual, you infer the immanence of the Divine. All are actors on the world stage, in His play. Every atom is surcharged with His power, His might, and His glory. Every being is surcharged with His bliss, His beauty, and His goodness. Do not claim that you are using some skill or force that is specially yours; it (the skill) has come out of His grace and His compassion.

People seek solitude and attempt to contact God; but solitude is best used to discover and cure defects of one’s own character and conduct. To contact God, one has to open his eyes and serve his brothers; he (the one who is served) is the God incarnate one can worship and adore to his heart’s content. The greatest joy springs from the utmost sacrifice. That is the utmost enjoyment, though it is called sacrifice. It is the utmost fulfilment.

Giving is gaining. It leads to the utmost identification with the Divine. This manner of gaining enjoyment is the best path; all the rest is not gaining, but grieving. Seva is to be offered not here only or on special occasions like this, but wherever you are, whenever you realize the need, to the extent of your capacity and ability. Feel that God has given you the chance, the inclination, and the ability—that is the crux of sadhana.

No ego & desire to be liberated

This day is Guru Poornami, when many offer special puja [prayers] to the guru who has initiated them into spiritual life, with the grant of some mantra (sacred syllable) or some vow. To adore the preceptor who has shown the path of liberation, you need not wait and watch the calendar for the arrival of this particular day. The guru has directed the vision inside, the goal that is in you, and the path that leads you to yourself, the I that shines unknown in you as well as in all. Knowing this is liberation from the bondage of the body and the chain of birth and death that the body drags along with it.

People come to Me and pray, “Swami! Naaku moksham kaavaali” [For me—moksha (liberation) is wanted.] Consider for a moment that statement of thirst. A parcel you receive through post is wrapped on the top and bottom with the gift inside the two; you remove the packaging material from top and bottom to get at the thing you really value most. Moksha (the gift you value) is packed between two ideas—’for me,’ and ‘is wanted’—the idea of ego and desire. So, all I have to tell you is, “Remove the packing, and take the gift, moksha. Have no ego, discard desire, and you are liberated!” The guru asks you to repeat a mantra; but the mantra cannot grant you the final beatitude. It will discipline the mind, control its vagaries, and strengthen faith. But unless you see God in all, unless your mind is like a mirror reflecting the image of God that is everyone and everything, you are not entitled to the release you claim.

Wrestle your errors in solitude

When the pot has a leak, even as tiny as a needle prick, the water completely drains out. When the heart is full of faith and strength, and of light and love, a mere prick‑leak caused by anger, malice, envy, or pride is so damaging that the precious wealth is quickly spent. Resolve this day in the (Divine) presence that you have so ardently prayed for, not to be swayed by these low desires and insidious foes, never to be influenced by fame or blame, by praise or persecution.

When the crows see the nightingale, they enviously pursue it and try to wound it with their beaks. Good men are the targets for the malign of the small-minded. Have your own errors and evils hidden so that you can tackle them in solitude; do not inflict them on others. Wrestle with them, and overwhelm them in the silence of sadhana. Deal with others only beneficially and in joyful co‑operation. Look at Lord Shiva. He hid in His throat the poison that would otherwise have ruined the world. He wears on His head the moon that can shower cool, calm comfort for all the worlds to benefit from. That is a lesson for you. Why render others miserable, because you are too weak to suppress the bandits your heart has welcomed?

We have in this country, as well as in others, many institutions and organizations that are devoted to the spiritual uplift of man; but they are all caught up in the politics of competition for prestige and power, and in the game of personal aggrandizement. Wherever you turn, you meet sanyasins (monks), yogis, gurus, and babas—varieties of the same theme, clamoring for clientele, wheedling for funds, and parading for protocol. No one seems to have delved into the reality of things. No one seems to have dived for the pearls in the depth of oceans and secured them. All are moving on the surface of things, afraid to lose their own identities in the presence of the light. We require spiritual guides who are free from conceit and pride, hate and greed; we need guides who have travelled the entire length of the journey.

Hypocrisy is high treason

I know there are many of you who argue and discuss how and in what manner these [physical)] structures came to be built so grandly. If you have known Me through and through, there will be no such questioning. You will know that this is but an insignificant product of My power. I have done this only as an example, for unless those who lead are themselves active and earnest to bend and bear the burden, those who are encouraged to follow will lose heart and miss the way. Religious leaders have a greater responsibility in this respect, for it is a field where hypocrisy is high treason. People fly high only to cast their eyes on a wider circle, searching for sustenance as vultures. The eye belies what the wings proclaim.

Others, I know, have questioned as to why I had requested the President of India, Shrimati Saraswati Giri, the Governor of Mysore, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, the Education Minister of Andhra Pradesh, and the Vice‑Chancellor of the Venkateshwara University to share the joy of this occasion. They hold positions that are sources of influence over many and it is necessary to draw their attention to this resurgence of spiritual education. They themselves have to be put in touch with the activities that are crucial to the revival of this land’s culture. That is the reason why I am inviting these dignitaries to attend and share in the joy of the proceedings. My aim is to plant transformation in the hearts of all, whether they hold high positions or not. All are dear to Me, and all are important in My eyes. By having recourse to all means, the mission of establishing prashanti [peace] has to be achieved. That is My task.

Happy confluence of three gurus

Do not relish the narrow path of restricted love; with an open heart love all, and do not develop prejudices against men in power or position. They, too, are our kith and kin; we all sail together. Be convinced of one truth about Me: Swami will never lay His hand on a task without proper reason, and without some profound effect that will flow there from.

Today we have the happy confluence of three gu’s: First, it is guru‑vaar (Thursday, the day of the week known as the day of the preceptor or guru); the second gu refers to adi‑guru (primary preceptor). The full moon of this month that occurs today is revered as specially sacred to the memory of Vedavyasa, the collator of the Vedas, the author of Brahmasutras (aphorisms on Supreme Reality), the great poet who composed the epic known as the fifth Veda—the Mahabharata, and the author of the renowned scripture of bhakti (devotion) called the Srimad Bhagavad. The third gu refers to this Guru‑kula‑ashram, this college with the new (but ancient) outlook of reviving the master‑disciple [relationship], sanctified by centuries of spiritual effort and experience. These three gu’s are reminders of the three‑pronged bilva (wood‑apple tree) leaf, which is placed in reverence while adoring Shiva, symbolizing the three qualities, the three prongs of time (past, present, future) held as a spear by Shiva, and the three attributes that man has to overcome, the tamas, rajas, and satwa.

Learn to speak what you feel, and act what you speak. The greatest contribution of [Sage)] Vyasa is in the realm of devotion, the path that adores God with an identifying label of a name, as man can appreciate and apprehend only name and form. Fire has no form; it takes on the form of the article it burns or fills, a ball of iron, a crooked rope, etc. Water has no form; it takes the form of the vessel that contains it. Air has no form; it fills a ball and assumes that form. So, too, the atmic (divine) principle takes on the adored form.

The body is the ball filled with the air of divinity; it is kicked in play by six players on one side (the six foes: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, and hate), and six on the other (the six friends, namely truth, righteousness, peace, love, compassion, and fortitude). The goal‑posts dharma vidya (moral attainment) and Brahma vidya (spiritual attainment) are on each side, and the ball is hit so that it passes through them. Those who hit it thus can claim victory. Or else, their kick results in an ‘out!’ Learn to speak what you feel, and act what you speak; and do not allow them to be at cross-purposes.

Man with feelings of a demon, fuming with hate, engaged in fighting, holds peace conferences! Topping it, he prides himself on his plans for peace! Transform the heart into a tabernacle of peace, then conferences to deceive oneself and others become unnecessary. What can mere talk achieve?

Right restored, evil put down

Have constructive thoughts, consoling words, and compassionate acts. Be on the lookout for eyes filled with tears and hearts heaving in sigh. I am sure My words will give you the strength of elephants when you need it to carry through tasks of service. I know they have—each one of you is witness to the truth of this fact—I am the witness of all that you did and achieved. I don’t need anyone to report to Me; you don’t need anyone to measure the bliss you had. When the non‑gazetted officers of Andhra Pradesh went on strike for more than a month and a half, the hospitals did not have attendants and helpers in the wards. The (Sri Sathya Sai) seva dal members of Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam, and other places were moved by the distress of the in‑patients left helpless in the hospital beds; they served them with great love and even adoration.

No service was too low or mean; every emergency was immediately noticed and attended to. They need not be sorry that during those days they had no time to sit for dhyana (meditation), do japa [recitation of the name), or even to go out for nagarsankirtan (group singing of God’s names)! Why? You can have the (God’s) name on the lips when you sweep the streets, or take a corpse to the morgue, or when you walk toward or away from the area of distress. People may dub you crazy! But be elated that you are not affected by the insanity they suffer from.

Not only India, but also the whole world is today in the throes of anxiety and fear. But, I assure you that very soon the dark clouds shall be scattered and you will witness a happy era all over the world. Right will be restored and evil put down. Your duty is to yearn for the attainment of the consciousness of the One behind all this apparent multiplicity. Be centers of love, compassion, service, mutual tolerance, and be happy, very very happy. That is the blessing I shower on you this Guru Poornima.

Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 11