Ways of the Divine

In the following excerpts from a discourse delivered to a mammoth audience during His birthday in 1987, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba emphasizes the quintessential spiritual tools available to humans on their journey to the Divine: rendering rural service and constant remembrance of God’s name.

Embodiments of Divine love!
Bharatiyas (Indians) have won independence, but have failed to achieve unity. Freedom without unity is like an electric wire without the current.

Sanathana Dharma [eternal ethical code] is the great heritage of the children of India. It is a culture that is sublime, sacred, and ennobling. It has testified to the advent of many Avatars (incarnations of the Divine). [Indeed,] Bharat is the birth‑place of numerous sages, savants, men of God, warriors, and chaste women.

Like the clouds that occasionally obscure the sun, the effulgent face of Indian culture may have been covered by some dismal developments and modern trends, but it is bound to shine always. Despite some dismal interludes, great souls have continued to incarnate in this land.

The Indian paradox

Today foreigners are coming to India for getting spiritual insight. But Indians themselves are seeking to give up their cultural inheritance. This is the paradox of the present situation.

It is unfortunate that despite the unique greatness of Bharatiya culture, Indians, in the craze for worldly comforts and pleasures, are giving up their glorious divine cultural heritage. Indeed, there is need for having material comforts, but along with these, only if we preserve our spiritual and cultural treasures will we be able to stand out as an ideal to the world. Unfortunately, even the government is ignoring the nation’s cultural inheritance. This is a supreme misfortune.

When you have the golden Meru Mountain,
Why search for silver and gold?
When you have the wish-fulfilling Kalpataru [wish-fulfilling tree],
Why go after other fruits?
When you have the bounteous Kamadhenu [cow of plenty],
Why go elsewhere to buy a cow?

There is an old adage that Bharat is a land that holds all that is good and precious not found anywhere else. It is a tragedy that India is looked upon with disdain by Indians themselves and is subject to flippant criticism and comment.

The inner vision

The greatness of India’s spiritual and cultural heritage is indescribable. But to enjoy and experience it, one should be duly qualified. One may have scholarship, may be well educated, or eminent in other ways, but if he has no spiritual urge, all these are of no avail. Only those who have turned their vision inward and experienced the bliss of the Divine are entitled fully to appreciate and understand the greatness of Indian culture.

All Indians are children of one mother and members of one family, even though they may speak different languages, wear different costumes, and have different manners and customs. Bharatiyas should look upon mankind as one family of the Supreme Lord. Without earning the grace of that Lord, all other acquisitions are of no value. Love alone can bind one to God, because love is His being. One who is the very embodiment of love can be realized only through love, and not by any other means. Human beings are also endowed with love. Through that love man should secure God’s love, fill himself with love, and lead a life flowing with love.

Men earn wealth by engaging themselves in business or a vocation. This is not permanent. They should endeavor to acquire spiritual wealth that is enduring and everlasting. This wealth has to be got by loving God and earning His grace and love.

Supreme love

Love is like the mariner’s compass, which always points toward the north. The thoughts of a devotee filled with love are always directed toward God, whatever he may be doing or saying. Such love has been described as param prema—supreme love. God responds only to such love. Love in man, if it is based on ego, assumes undesirable forms. If it [that love] is directed toward the atma [soul], it redeems man and sublimates him. Hence everyone should strive for atmic realization.

Many [mistakenly] imagine that they are engaged in the quest for the Spirit. The Spirit is omnipresent, and it is the active principle in everything everywhere. The quest for the Spirit calls for a change in the inner vision that seeks to see the One who enables the eyes to see. The spiritual quest is thus an attempt to know the seer behind the power of sight.

Today all spiritual sadhana [spiritual effort] is being done through the mind. As long as the mind dominates spiritual exercises, the goal of Self-realization cannot be attained. The mind is like a thief, who will not allow itself to be caught. There is no use in relying on the mind to realize the Self. When the vision is centered on the Self, the mind fades away….

The Mahavakyas

The truth is there is only one Divine Spirit that is immanent in everything. The phenomenal universe is a projection of the Spirit. All that exist in the cosmos are like sparks from the divine flame. All living beings have emanated from the Divine, and have all the qualities of the Divine.

Take the great pronouncement: Twam‑Asi—That thou art. Unless you know what “That” is, you cannot understand the real meaning of this Upanishad [Hindu scripture] declaration. From a seed, a plant has come, which grows into a tree, with branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits. All the leaves, flowers, and branches proclaim that they have come from the seed that became the plant. The seed is the basis for everything in the tree. As long as the seed remained a seed, it could not become a tree. It is when the seed gives up its form to become a plant that it can put forth the branches, leaves, flowers, etc.

Man should not be deluded by identifying his true being with the body‑consciousness that causes all the sorrows and sufferings. As long as this bodily delusion remains, the fruit of ananda (bliss) cannot be got. The seed of bodily attachment has to be given up for the tree of life to grow, and yield the flower of jnana (wisdom), and the fruit of ananda. The Upanishads have declared that immortality can be achieved only through renunciation (tyaga) and not through rituals, progeny, or wealth.

Unity—The greatest need

The greatest task facing Indians today is the achievement of unity. Without unity, even the smallest task cannot be accomplished. Selfishness, self‑interest, and differences based on caste and creed should be totally eliminated. All bodies are made up of the five basic elements (ether, air, fire, water, and earth), which do not have any distinctions of caste. All the elements are common to all beings. It is from recognizing these basic common elements that we should develop the sense of human unity.

To promote the feeling of unity, we have to participate in service activities. We must utilize the body to cultivate good qualities, pure thoughts, good actions, and sacred feelings.

Embodiments of Divine love!
The spiritual legacy of Bharat is the ripe fruit of the spiritual investigations and experiences of sages and saints that have been handed down to humanity for its enjoyment and emancipation. This heritage is the butter got by the churning of the Vedas, the Shastras, and the Puranas. This heritage is nectar itself. It is a treasure‑house of bliss. It contains the cream of all the Shastras.

The ways of the Divine

It is not easy to understand the nature of the Divine. Because the Divine is omnipresent, He can undertake any kind of activity. No one is competent to ask whether God can do this or that, whether He can work through one agency or another. There is nothing that is beyond His power. He can make one weep; He can avert one’s tears. He can turn a hedonist into a yogi, and a yogi into a hedonist. He can drive away madness or cause madness. He can create, He can protect, He can punish, and He can destroy.

Only the Divine knows what to do, when, how, and in what circumstances, with regard to any particular individual. No one has the authority to tell the Divine how He should act. In the case of Hiranyakasipu [a demon king] and Prahlada [Hiranyakasipu’s son], for instance, God punished the former and protected the latter. God deals with a person according to his past actions and according to the requirements of the prevailing situation.

No Self‑interest

The cosmos is the embodiment of the Divine. Whatever the Divine does is only for the good of others. Every act of His is holy. It is Dharma (righteous action). It is Truth.

When the Divine is the very embodiment of dharma (righteousness) and sathya (truth), no one is competent to question the actions of the Divine. Even the great sages, after all their enquiries and explorations, could only say about the Divine: “Not this,” “Not this.’’ They could not define what It is. It is possible to say what It is not, but who has the capacity to declare what It is? He is the cosmic stage director, playwright, and actor. He is acting even in your form. He is the critic and the criticized. He is the one who weeps and also the one who causes weeping. Such being the nature of divinity, what can anyone declare with assurance about the Divine?

Attraction through love

There is one thing, however, that is the unique attribute of the Divine: It is the power of attraction through love. This magnetic power cannot be found in all. Individual human beings may have some limited divine qualities based on their past record, their spiritual attainments, and what they deserve.

You are witnessing today the presence here of thousands and thousands of persons. What is it that has drawn them here? Were any invitations sent to them? Was there any publicity in the media to bring them here? The only reason for their coming is the attraction of divine love. It was this (attraction) that impelled Thyagaraja [a well-known devotee of Rama and a composer] to sing:

Is it not because you had
The bliss‑conferring Chintamani [a rare gem stone],
Oh Rama, that all of them
Gathered round you,
With their hearts in unison
To experience perennial joy
From the source of all prosperity
From the ocean of compassion
And the embodiment of intelligence
That you are, with no equal?

(Swami sang the Telugu song “Lekanaa ninnu juttukunnaaru” in His own mellifluous voice, filling the entire gathering with ecstasy).

Heart‑to‑heart love

It is because that wish‑fulfilling jewel (Chintamani) of love is manifest here that these thousands of people from all parts of the world have come here (cheers). Whatever one may say, can anyone point to any person who can attract so many thousands? Even when we try to dissuade people from coming for lack of proper accommodation, devotees will not desist from coming and staying under the trees or in the open. This is love that flows from heart‑to‑heart. It is the chord of love that binds them. That is the power of the Divine. My manifestations are natural and innate for Me. It is the manifestation of Divine love. Love is not something that can be bought. It is inherent in you. When you try to experience it naturally, you will realize it.

Chant Rama’s name

Ramadas [Rama’s devotee] sang ecstatically:

Oh devotees! Here is the wonderful sweet
That has been prepared from the Vedas and the Puranas
The sweet name of Rama
Come, all ye, and partake of it!

This Rama lollipop is in many colors
And is the cure for all ills
It costs you nothing.
Come and take it, oh devotees!

Regard the expenses of your Puttaparthi trip not as expenses but a blessing (prapti). Without that expenditure, you cannot get this grace. We have no right to get anything without giving something. Likewise, unless you make a small sacrifice you cannot have the blissful experience you get here. The Lord’s love for the devotee is mutual giving and receiving love.

Develop firm faith

Develop henceforth the firm faith that whatever the Divine thinks, says, or does is for the welfare of the world and not for Himself; whether you believe it or not, all are the same to me. The ocean is full of water. But what anyone can take from it depends on the capacity of the vessel he carries. Likewise the extent of one’s fortune depends on his past record, and what he deserves now.

Today what you have to do is to promote good thoughts. Action proceeds from thought. Sadhana is based on action. Character is the outcome of sadhana. Character determines what you are destined to get. Hence what you regard as your good fortune or misfortune is based, in the final analysis, on your thoughts. As are your thoughts, so are the fruits. Even while engaged in the performance of your duties, there can be nothing more rewarding than remembering and meditating on God.

Real surrender

Strengthen your faith in God. Your life must be based on the principle of surrender to the Divine. There are some who ask, “I have surrendered everything to God. Why, then, am I subjected to so many trials and tribulations?” One who has truly surrendered to God will not raise such questions. To say that, “after I have surrendered I am put to suffering” itself shows that the surrender is not real, because where is the place for “I” after surrendering everything? To the person who has completely surrendered, everything that he experiences (good or bad) is a gift from God.

Oh man! Can you get away from the
Consequences of your karma?
Whether you take your vessel to a well
Or to the boundless ocean
You can fill it only to its capacity.

You cannot get more than what your
Karma entitles you to.
Remember this. Oh man!
Wherever you may go,
Whatever you may study,
Whatever penances you may do,
You cannot get away from the decrees of karma!

Power of Divine grace

However, there is one way of getting around the results of karma [action]. If you earn the grace of the Divine, even mountains of sin can be reduced to dust. Only the Divine has the power to confer such grace. A spark of fire can burn down a mountain of cotton. How is that spark to be got in the human predicament? Only through love. Develop love. Serve all with love, ever remembering the Lord’s name.

Embodiments of the Divine! From this day, when you are celebrating the birth anniversary, there are three things that you have to remember and practice: First our service organizations should keep aloof from the Government. Second, plunging into society, render service. Third, avoid finding fault or talking ill of others. This is real sadhana.

Seva and Deva

Henceforth, engage yourselves in social service, remembering and worshipping God and recognizing your inherent divinity. This is the way to sanctify your lives

Be aware of the divinity in you. There is no need to search for God anywhere outside you. The bodily vesture you are wearing should not produce the delusion that you are the body. Shed that delusion and you will realize the Brahman that you really are.

Do bhajans and have the name of the Lord always on your lips. Do not waste even a single moment. By chanting the name of Rama, Hanuman, the monkey, became all‑powerful, the embodiment of peace and the exemplar of all noble qualities. Sita [Rama’s wife] was full of praise for him. It is such qualities that you should all try to cultivate.

Source: Sanathana Sarathi, Dec. 1987