The Rama Era
Sarva Jiva Dharma Shantham Sarva Nama Dharma Shivam
Satchidhananda Rupam Advaitam Sathyam Sivam Sundaram
One who is the support of all beings, the supreme peace;
known by all names, the supreme good;
the One without a second; the One who
is being-awareness-bliss—truth, prosperity, beauty.
Riches melt away only when you spend them, but whether you like it or not, or are conscious of it or not, the span of years you can live on earth is shortened every moment.. Therefore, you must feel urgency in the great tasks of life. Buddhi (intellect) is a special gift that has been offered to man. This has been given him so that he might know himself but unfortunately it is now used by him to know others. When man has been given a mirror to look at his own face and set right its blemishes, he is foolishly holding it before other peoples’ faces!
Debts to be discharged in one’s life
There are certain fundamental duties that man has to accomplish through his intelligence. Man has to discharge three debts as a consequence of his human birth and earthly career; these are referred to in the scriptures as ma (debt). The first one is Deva-ma, the debt to be repaid to the Gods. Every organ of the human body, every function, is dominated, controlled, and motivated by a divine power, or God. Therefore as grateful repayment for the debt man owes to Him, he has to use his organs, limbs, functions, and skills for the benefit of other men and for the welfare of the community.
The second debt is called rishi-ma, the debt owned by man to the sages, seers, and ancient lawgivers. Long before the birth of this generation, a beneficent code of morals and a precious collection of guidelines for the realm of the spirit had been preserved and handed down through the efforts of selfless seers and sages. Each generation draws inspiration and knowledge from the previous ones, especially from the pathfinders, the pioneers and bridge builders in the regions of ethics, law, mysticism, sociology, and religion. These persons promote concord and progress and remove social conflict; their footprints mark out the lines of individual and social development. An enormous debt of gratitude therefore, has to be repaid to them.
The sages and seers have handed down a precious quantity of knowledge about nature, about consciousness and also about the means and methods of testing and enlarging that knowledge. But today, man is neglecting this heritage and even discarding it as invalid and superfluous. This is suicidal. Man has to preserve this knowledge and foster it, revere it and use it. That is the way to repay the debt to the rishis (sages).
The best repayment to the rishis
The festivals in the religious calendar like this Yugadi (the lunar New Year) are instances in point. The rishis have laid down these days as holy days and it is your duty to become aware of why they have been so designated, and the meaning and significance of these festivals.., Based on what is generally done in every home when this festival starts, you can infer the real purpose intended by the rishis. On this day people take ceremonial baths, wear new clothes, tie fresh green-leaf festoons across their door sills, have their houses whitewashed and painted anew, draw novel designs on the floors and make their homes charming to behold. All these are reminders of the prime purpose, namely, that of entertaining fresh ideas and giving up the old faded ones, installing ananda (divine bliss) in the mind, recouping courage and confidence, strengthening hope and faith.
Yugadis come and go; plenty of milestones are soon crossed, but the journey does not progress. You are still immersed in outdated beliefs and fancies. Observe the right codes as laid down by the rishis with an awareness of the deeper plans they had in view. Follow the shastras (spiritual texts) and perform the daily and seasonal rites, rituals, fasts, vows, and vigils recommended by them, always laying emphasis on the inner meaning and significance and the spiritual aspect of the celebration. That is the best repayment you can make.
Debt to ancestors is universal
The third debt is the pitru-ma, the debt repayable to the ancestors and especially to the parents. This debt is universal, that is, men in all lands and all climes have to acknowledge it. This is because we are all born of parents to whom we owe gratitude for endowing us with a body. Adore the parents, make them happy, give them contentment and joy by paying loving attention and bestowing affectionate care. Another duty is to propagate the line through children of pure character, high virtue, and noble endeavor.
Dasharatha, the emperor of Ayodhya, desirous of paying back his debt to his ancestors, had to perform the putra-kamesthi yaga, the Vedic sacrifice that can bless the aspirant with sons. Spring season comprises of two months—Madhu-Madhava and Mesha-Rishabha. Mesha is the most glorious month in the entire year. It was in the spring season that Dasharatha released the sacrificial horse so that it may wander freely over the continent; this was traditionally done before the yaga and the king would generally proclaim sovereignty over the lands it covered. Further, it was in the same month, a year or more later, that the horse returned unopposed to Ayodhya. The putrakameshti yaga also commenced in spring, and the four sons—Rama, Bharatha, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna—were born in spring. This is the reason why Yugadi is acclaimed as the inaugural day of the spring Navaratri (the first nine nights of the spring season) culminating with Ramanavami (the day on which Rama was born).
Man’s destiny is a higher goal
Yuga means an era. This day is not called samvatsaradi, the New Year day, but Yugadi, the first day of a new era. The era indicated is the dharma-yuga or the Rama-yuga, for Rama is identified as the very embodiment of dharma (righteousness). Ramo vigrahavan dharmah—Rama is the embodiment of dharma. The prime duty, of every one who participates in this celebration, therefore, is to adhere to dharma, to support dharma, and to foster dharma.
The final goal that man sets himself has to be realization of the unity of the self with the paramatman (Supreme Self). Why else should the self take this human form? If mere ‘living’ or even ‘happy living’ was the goal, the self could have been encased in the form of birds or beasts. The very fact that man is equipped with memory, mind, intelligence, discrimination, ability to anticipate the future, desire to detach himself from the senses, etc., is an indication that he is destined for some higher goal. Despite this, if man craves for a lesser consummation, he is a papi (sinner).
But, he who persists, in spite of temptations and obstacles, on the path that leads to self-fulfillment and self-realization, is a gopi, for the gopis (cowherd girls) of Brindavan were the most inspiring examples of such souls. The most effective discipline that man can adopt to attain this lofty goal is the control and conquest of the five senses, in order to avoid the errors and evils that the eye, the ear, the tongue, the mind, and the hand are prone to commit. These are called the panchadoshas (five vices).
The eye ever seeks the vile and the vulgar. Notwithstanding the danger to his own life and body, the motorist will stare at obscene posters advertising a movie film. The eye must be held in check so that it may not ruin the mind as well as the body of man.The ear craves for scandal and salacious stuff. It does not persuade you to attend discourses that can really help in your spiritual development. Even if you chance to attend any, the ear dissuades you by giving you a headache. But when someone pours abuse on another, the two ears attain maximum concentration.
Start and end the day with love
Unless held in check, the tongue is doubly dangerous, for it speaks scandal and creates a craving for taste. It is well nigh impossible to lead the tongue toward the path of japa and dhyana (spiritual recitations and meditation), however sweet be the name of the Lord. Surdas [a devotee] pleaded with the tongue to call out the divine names—Govinda, Damodhara, and Madhava. When the eye, ear, and tongue are under control and capable of being used for self-improvement, the mind and the hand can also easily be held in check. Thus when man realizes himself, there is no need to inquire where God dwells. He dwells in the pure heart of man, clearly shining in His innate splendor of wisdom, power, and love. Give joy to all. Prema (selfless love) is the means to achieve this ideal. When love can bring even God nearer to you, how can it fall where man is involved? Krishna could not be bound by any other means. That is the reason why Sai has declared start the day with love; spend the day with love; fill the day with love; end the day with love. That is the way to God.
Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 13
