Nine Point Code of Conduct

The following article is based on discussions conducted by members of the Brookline Center (Northeast Region) on the nine-point code of conduct, given to devotees by Sathya Sai Baba as a prescription for spiritual health and progress.

The Nine-Point Code of Conduct

1. Daily meditation and prayer.
2. Devotional group singing/prayer with members of the family once a week.
3. Participation in educational programs (Bal Vikas or Sai Spiritual Education) organized by the Center for children of Sai devotees.
4. Participation in community work and other programs of the organization.
5. At least once a month attend group devotional singing organized by the Center.
6. Regular study of Sai literature.
7. Speak softly and lovingly to everyone.
8. Do not talk ill of others, especially in their absence.
9. Maintain a ceiling on desires and use the savings generated for service to
   mankind.

A study of the nine points reveals that three kinds of efforts are required by the spiritual aspirant. They are:

1. Intensification of efforts to develop an inner view (Point 1).
2. Expansion: A. Integrate with family (Points 2 and 3); B. Reach out to community (Point 4).
3. Deepening devotion and wisdom through involvement with the Sai Center (Points 5 and 6).
4. Merging in the vast humanity (Points 7, 8 and 9) and gaining a universal view.

Swami’s mission is spiritual uplifting of all humanity. Individuals must be instruments in this mission. Sai centers have a central role to play in any group effort toward this end. Swami, as an avatar of this age, does not want us to focus solely on our individual liberation. Emphasis needs to be on sharing what we learn with others. The more spiritually evolved each of us becomes, the better we can serve the growth of humanity. Swami’s process, as illustrated in the nine-point code, forges a link between the individual’s spiritual progress and that of humanity.

Daily Meditation and Prayer:

Swami has often talked about the delicate balance in the universe, explaining how the sun, moon, planets, and stars move in a balanced motion. If this balance were to be lost, there would be chaos and the universe itself might be in jeopardy. The idea applies to human beings as well. Meditation helps to restore and maintain balance.

Many questions arise about meditation. One of the more common is, why does the mind wander during meditation? Perhaps the most prevalent reason is that the mind is a bundle of unfulfilled desires.

Let us think about how thoughts and feelings arise and operate. Thoughts are our mental reaction to the outside world. Feelings arise from attachment. If we turn thoughts inward, they have nothing to react to. Eventually they die down. Feelings, when turned inward, take the form of love for the divine. Thus both thoughts and feelings, if turned inward, retire. In that emptiness, the effulgence of the spirit shines. Then there is happiness, bliss and love. At that point, no feeling of progress or lack of it remains. This is the crux of meditation. Light meditation, discipline with regard to time and place, observing the breath to still the mind, and concentrating on Soham (I am That) are steps toward that goal. Try to stop reacting to the outside world, even for a brief time. Observe emptiness being filled with divinity. That is the true journey toward reaching the goal of permanent peace, bliss, and happiness.

To be empty and to be pure are the main goals of meditation. We need not be concerned with how deep we go, or how long we concentrate. Allow the light of the atma (soul) to manifest. If it does not, don’t worry. But don’t give up. It is sadhana (spiritual effort). With faith and consistent effort, we are bound to succeed. Prayer is essential to evoke the grace of God in reaching the goal—the vision of atma. Sincerity of purpose and motivation are essential.

Remember always that Swami has a mission and He wants us to join Him in it. Our task is to be His perfect instruments. The joy, happiness, and peace we may experience are not ends in themselves. We need to carry the fruits of these feelings out into society. That is the mission of Swami and that is our task.

Path of Expansion

In the overall scheme of nine points, the spiritual sadhana now enters the second phase, the phase of expansion. Swami’s emphasis on the spiritual uplifting of humankind begins with the expansion of sadhana to members of the family. Those who live together should experience divine love together. Bhajans are the right medium for experiencing it. Living together brings close contact, which can lead either to increased dissension or increased cooperation. To ensure that the dissension is minimized and cooperation is maximized, the right kind of spiritual environment needs to be created.

Beginning with point two, the following issues come up. Members of a family may have diverse views; not everyone necessarily believes in Swami. The younger generation may have its own schedule and preferences. They may not like to toe the line of the family, particularly under pressure. Besides, how do we define a family? And what if some neighbors want to join in the family bhajans? Do we turn down their requests?

Diverse views of members of the family should not cause dissension. The ones who choose to can begin singing bhajan. If some members do not wish to participate, the others should carry out their sadhana and wait patiently until the right climate is created for everyone to willingly join in. Don’t give up. Instead, pray to our Lord for help in carrying out His mission to create a loving climate.

There is no restriction on neighbors joining our family bhajans. Some of the centers began as family bhajans with neighbors gradually joining in.

By definition, a family includes all those who live under one roof. The members have many points of close contact that create the potential for conflict. The areas of potential conflict need to be converted into points of cooperation. While others are welcome, the extended circle should result in a new center.

Participation of children in Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) (Point three) has a clear message. The young ones in the family need not only protection and help, but also character education. SSE, with its emphasis on Swami’s five human values, is the direct route to character building. The program needs to be viewed as a family activity. Parents need to give not only time, but also priority to SSE classes. But the responsibility does not end here. The human values taught in SSE classes must be practiced by parents so that they serve as models in the home. Character building will help children embark on sadhana for spiritual growth when they are older.

Letting our families become living laboratories for spiritual sadhana will help us prepare for participating in Swami’s greater mission: the spiritual lifting of humanity. Reaching out spiritually beyond the family is covered in point 4, participation in community work.

One of the major issues in spiritual work is finding time for it. Should one neglect one’s family to serve the needs of the community? Consensus of the group was that discretion is key. With enough will and motivation, we can find energy and resources enough to help in the community without hurting the cause of the family. On the other hand, we need to be clear about what is essential for the family so that we can strike a healthy balance.

Not all needs can be met by money. Human help is essential. A word of kindness, an errand that is badly needed, a friend at the side of the sick, food given to a hungry person—such things act as vitamins. They generate love and affection and lead to harmony in the society.

Devotion and Wisdom

Participating once a month in the Center bhajans is a pivotal point in the list of nine. It acts as a seed for the plant that will grow into a tree of spirituality. Most people who come to Swami first read about Him or hear of His miracles. But soon after that, they track down a Sai center and begin participating in the bhajan singing. Singing bhajans in unison touches the hearts of most people. The energy of devotional singing softens the heart.

However, Swami has often pointed out that bhajan are not enough. The seed has to be nurtured in order to grow to fruition. Meditation and family sadhana are water for the growing plant; study circles and community seva are the nourishment. The last three points (referring to expansion of reaching out to the community) are the weeding process. In the final analysis, the grace of God determines the final shape of the tree and the fruit.

The importance of the study of Sai literature is highlighted by Swami’s words, “Devotion without knowledge or wisdom is blind, wisdom without devotion is lame.”

Formless Divinity

Speaking softly and lovingly and not speaking ill of others, especially in their absence, forces us to move from the individual to the universal.

Ceiling on desire has much wider implications. It helps us to conquer the mind and divert it from sense objects to spirit with the help of intellect. It also helps us to see divinity in all. Many people are deprived of food, clothing, and shelter while others live in luxury. Putting a ceiling on desire implies living simply.

Speaking softly is difficult to practice. Sometimes, in speaking with love, we may have to raise our voices. Swami, too, does this occasionally. Parents may occasionally have to speak firmly to children in order to be effective. But there is a difference between speaking aggressively in an annoying way, and speaking assertively. The motive should be love and good will.

“Not speaking ill of others, especially in their absence” is a simple injunction, but it is only simple if we have steadfastly practiced all the previous points of the code of conduct. To speak harshly or to speak ill of others is to hurt them and the divinity that resides in them. Would we dare to speak harshly to Swami? Speaking ill of someone harms that person, but it harms the speaker more. Indulging in ill talk becomes a habit and it has a strong effect on the mind. Good thoughts protect the mind; bad thoughts bring decline in its power, making it more difficult to see divinity.

Clearly we should exercise constraint on the desire for food, for the use of energy, in the spending of time and money. But we should also learn constraint on the desire for indulging in thoughts and in expressing them. The spirit of restraint should extend to thoughts, speech, and actions. Thinking on a spiritual aspects such as, “Who am I?” is useful. But indulging in empty thoughts leads to dissipation of mental faculties, energy, and resources.

Desires for positions are as strong as those for pomp. Desire for propagation of human race through our own children is yet another variety. All desires should be present, but in limited measure.

In attaining a ceiling on desires, we can get away from identification with body, mind and intellect, leaving us free to concentrate on spirit—the Atma that pervades the whole universe. Remembering meditation and the wandering mind, it is important to note that to meditate, one needs to empty the self of all desires. Thus point one and point nine are directly linked and the circle is complete.

Conclusion

The Nine-points of Code of Conduct can be viewed as our journey on the path of spirituality. We begin with inner view, helped by meditation and prayer. We then expand our effort through involvement with family, children, and community. These three points thus pertain to path of expansion. The next two points—bhajan singing in the center and study of Sai literature—relate to a deepening of devotion and wisdom—jnana. This prepares us to embrace the formless divinity that pervades the whole universe. Thus the journey that begins with inner view, ends in the universal view.