ESSENCE OF LIFE

Students! Embodiments of Love!

There are six essential qualities that will lead to assured success at all times in every human endeavour. They are: enthusiasm, adventure, courage, intelligence, energy and valour. Acting in unison they are capable of exalting man to great prosperity. However, these qualities are not without their limitations. Loss, pain and blame are some obstacles that come in their way. We should have courage and faith to resist them.

Self-confidence should form our basis for the full expression of the six qualities. It is the life breath for any achievement to be possible. An important aspect of self-confidence is the faith that God is with us. Viswamitra relied on his own physical strength and skill in archery. He challenged Vasista. But his strength and skill proved futile before the spiritual strength of his opponent. He realised physical strength as imperfect and undertook to do penance to equip himself spiritually. So it is clear that students should develop self-confidence and achieve mastery in every field. Obstacles in the form of suffering, pain and blame are sure to crop up some time or the other. But man should not weakly submit to them. Inability to bear them is inner weakness. We should not be afraid of anything. We must grow fearless. Once we face them with courage and valour, we are bound to be successful. So strengthen your self-confidence for the profits to accrue through the six qualities. With it we are assured of physical pleasure and spiritual profits. But the self-confidence that leads to self-emancipation advances the individual; it is not for the advancement of society.

When a knife is sharpened on a whetstone, the effort is not towards softening the whetstone. It benefits the knife. So also we have to foster virtues for our own emancipation. These virtues are like the different parts of our body, the eyelids, teeth, hands, legs. etc. They all work in harmony for the fullness of the body system. So we should have all virtues in coordination for leading an ideal happy life.

Happiness or wealth is gained at a particular price. Its quality depends on the spirit of action. There are two types of happiness, one is temporary and the other eternal. We should know what is the eternal happiness and try to realise it. When we discharge our duties well, we will have true happiness. Only when we discharge our duties, and responsibilities we can expect the reward. The misery, Asukha of modern life, is that we want the reward without duty. But everyone is born to discharge his duty and not in expectation of a reward. Duty must be done as a Yoga. Once we discharge duty, we get our right automatically.

Students! First do your duty. Duty is God. Work is Worship. It is foolish to expect reward without doing duty. Human life is a gift to discharge our duty. We should know this and go along the sacred path of life. We should not be straining for the spoils of life.

Students! Youth is not permanent. It is like a passing cloud. Life is temporary, money is temporary, wife, family and children are temporary, it is only truth and righteousness that are permanent. We have to make use of our latent energy in a proper way to safeguard truth and righteousness. Under every circumstance we should proceed ahead with all the courage, confidence, fearlessness and valour. Then we will certainly win. Everyman wants to win in every field. How can he be successful? He should follow the right path.


Everyman has five advisors. We should take Who, Where, Why, When, and How as advisors and conduct ourselves. When we put these five questions we will get the correct answer. But man today does not wait for a proper answer to these five questions. We should consider the advisors as God's gift. We need not search for advisors from any authority around the world.

These advisors are within us. Therefore it is said, it is only through the body we find association and there we find the awareness, anga acts there. In every limb of our body, there is latent divinity. It is called Angirasa. As divinity is present in the form of essence it is called Angirasa. We need not search for God outside, he is within us. All our energy is divine. Everything is God's gift. We should develop this noble feeling, that whatever happens in our life is for our own good.

The Education is not merely to carryout a living. There is a fundamental power to know one's own self. One who knows one's own self will be able to know everything. One who doesn't know his own self, does not know the rest. If one cannot conquer his own self, one cannot know others. If one cannot work to emancipate oneself, how can one work for others?

This knowledge which is not put into practice is useless. Knowledge without discrimination is useless. Therefore along with knowledge we should have discrimination, and awareness of the self. All festivals of Bharatiyas have got an inner significance. Festivals are observed only to receive the teaching of its inner spiritual significance. Today is a sacred day, Uttarayana. It speaks of equanimity and equality, between the knowledge of the self and wisdom. Sun shifts from one house to another as per the Zodiac system. As it enters the Capricorn, it is called Makara Sankranthi. As sun moves to the house of Capricorn, it confers physical, moral, ethical, and social happiness.

Therefore to win victory in every field, Sankranthi stands as the witness. This is described in various ways. The days are shorter, chill weather and wind blow, farmers sing in glory, watching the harvest around. The flowers of chrysanthemum blossom in full. There will be enough of grain and wealth at home. The beautiful Sankranthi approaches with these signs.

Because of the Sun's work in the fields, we get the harvest and the grain. Sankranthi is most auspicious from this point. Because of cold weather and sacred atmosphere all around, we can have enough of rest. Man needs physical rest. If we have got the rest at the physical, mental and spiritual levels, it is rest in true sense.

Sankranthi confers sacred light and peace. It is only the inner latent bliss that expresses itself. But man is not bothered to entertain sacred thoughts. He considers wealth in this world most important and strains a lot. We should take every opportunity to develop virtues. The virtues are the six qualities - enthusiasm, adventure, courage, intelligence, energy and valour. When these six noble qualities are there, there is no scope for bad character. Today we find two bad qualities jealousy and hatred that ruin human quality altogether. These are thieves who work together. They are like the termites that attack and ruin the roots of those plants that flower excellently.

Jealousy is like a pest termite that puts you to suffering. Though man is happy, jealousy renders him miserable. That is the teaching of Krishna to Arjuna in the Mahabharatha. A royal family of repute is put to ruin. Sakuni added fuel to the fire. You find the flame burning all through more and more brilliantly. Therefore jealousy acts like a demon and ruins the whole clan of the royal family.

We feel jealous of a boy who gets good marks. We are jealous of intelligent boys. One feels jealous of a person, who is happy all the time. If a student is blissful all through, we feel jealous of him. This jealousy has no limit, has no boundaries. Students should take every care not to be jealous. It is jealousy that kills you, that ruins you. In fact if you desire bad unto others, you will become much worse than what you estimate. Every disease has medicine, but not jealousy.

The one who is blissful all the time, will have blissful quality. With all the courage we should overcome jealousy. The weak and the coward die every moment, the courageous die only once. We should die with self-confidence. Without these three qualities -- bliss, courage and self-confidence --even life amounts to death.

Students! Sankranthi is God's gift to acquire these noble qualities. People aspire for worldly benefits also on this occasion. On this festive occasion of Sankranthi, people propitiate the bull. What is the inner significance? Rama stands for the sanctity and the spirit of nature. That is called Rama of the spirit, AtmaRam. Therefore the spirit is Rama and he is wedded to the nature, Sita. It is the intimate association between the spirit and the nature. Youngsters put rangoli marked well in front of their houses. In the houses they prepare sweets and offer it as prasad. It is the most important festival of all. Oh! new bridegroom go to your in-laws house. There you will have enough of happiness. All your sisters and in-laws will make fun of you and will engage you and people will come there to watch you.

Since ancient times enough of encouragement is given to all these festivals conferring bliss. Such sacred thoughts are totally forgotten, we are carried away by the worldly thought and we ruin our own human quality. What is this world? What do you mean by this world? What is the happiness you get out of it? If you enquire well, you will realise there is nothing.

The whole world is artificial. It is all art, everything valuable is within your heart. We forget the heart, and pin our faith in art. That is the cause for restlessness today. In the world everywhere you find restlessness. There is fear everywhere. What is that we enjoy here. Life is full of fear, we are fear-stricken, Oh! brother, life is nothing but a cobweb. They have got all problems who you think are gifted. Life is full of fear.

Show Me the place where there is no fear. Everywhere there is fear. Be it to travel in plane, train, bus, or car, even to walk, even to stay back at home we experience fear. Therefore the whole world is full of fear today. Why do we fear? Once we have God's grace, we can be fearless. Where there is devotion and love, there is no scope for fear. Today we don't have these two, therefore we are fear-stricken.

Students! All studies and employment, song and games, and the words that we utter need to be sacred. When there is no melody there is no music. Without humility, education makes no sense. So also the outer world, without purity of heart. The heart without love is like a stone. Therefore we should fill our hearts with love. Because there is no love in our heart, it has become so hard like a stone.

The love we show is artificial. We greet each other externally, full of jealousy within; everything is artificial. There is no heart. Where there is love, there is no selfishness. Love is selflessness, Self is lovelessness. We have become loveless. We should be selfless. That is the true human value. Students should develop such human values today. Money and position, may come and go. They are like passing clouds. Only divine love is permanent. Love is God, God is Love. Be that any form, any name, any country, any place, any point of time, Love is God. Since we are not able to develop love, the whole country is facing agitations and disturbances.

Students! Know the truth, education is not meant for jobs. Education is not meant to carryout the living. The present education system in India was introduced by Macaulay in nineteenth century to help us earn our daily bread. It is not the system that has the sanction of our tradition. We should know that education is for the refinement of our heart. Therefore the education should give us wisdom. It is humility which is a sacred quality, that should be acquired out of our studies.

Self-confidence, is the infinite confi-dence. The spirit of oneness informs everything. When we develop such lofty ideals and noble thoughts, we set an ideal to the rest of the world. Students, Be ready to sacrifice, for the protection of our country and the welfare of the society. We should not remain selfish.

The feeling of mine is attachment. This 'I' symbolises ego. Once you giveup this attachment and possessiveness, you will become the true spirit. Everything is mine, everything is contained in this 'I'. If you identify yourself with one body you are happy, if you identify with everybody, you will be blissful. You will have that infinite bliss. We should try to contain the infinite bliss in our heart. It is not fractional. It is the smallest of the small, and the biggest of the big.

The heart which should have that infinite bliss is now filled with harmful tendencies hurting others. Such wicked people are just few in number. Today we cannot decide who is who. Who is an angel? Who is a demon? Who is mad, we can't say. So we cannot demolish nature. Therefore we should develop the human quality, develop the divine quality and attain divinity. We should be helpful to everybody. If you hurt anyone, you have to face pain ten times more in turn. You do not know. There lies in the future the old age, which is advancing very fast.

If we act in a wicked way smilingly, tomorrow we will have to cry facing the suffering. Students. You should uphold ideals, you should practise what all you say. The education you learn is not the education of the spirit. It is only the textual knowledge. It is bookish knowledge. It is not enough. We should be ready for the practical knowledge. Practice makes you ideal. So, you have every right on action, not on the reward or result.

You should discharge your duties with all the expertise. You go through all the sacred texts the Mahabharatha and the Ramayana and chant the slokas of the Gita. But do you practise atleast one or two of their ideals. One is enough. With one match stick you burn any number of villages. With divine knowledge you can accomplish anything. So we don't need to search elsewhere. Everything is within. You are the cause for all. Good and bad begin with you. Basing on the actions you face the consequences. Why do you cry when you are in bad times? It is only the result of your past actions. There is no use in crying. There is no use in repenting. Therefore do good, see good and then experience everything good in life.

Students! Just as you won the prizes in the sports and games, Bhagavan expects everyone to win prizes in this game of life. The worldly presentations, Bahumati, are dangerous. The very name is Bahumati. With one mati (mind) we are suffering, with Bahumati (many minds) you cannot estimate the suffering. We should not have many minds, one is enough. We don't want this Bahumati. We should have one pointedness. We should have the spirit of unity. Then only we will redeem our lives.

However, you should accept these gifts. If you are not successful in this world, how do you expect to be successful spiritually. Therefore with all the worldly knowledge and education you should step into the spiritual field and enjoy the spiritual bliss. You should be very careful in sports and games, music and the words that you speak. King Bhoja and King Akbar living at different times raised an identical question : "What is the greatest of all?" In Akbar's court each one started giving one answer. Birbal said, the word is the greatest. There is nothing that is more than the word in this world. The word that we utter has got the power of an atom bomb. God is present in a micro form, atomic form in this word. Therefore when we talk sweetly, God will manifest. If we use harsh words, you will have more enemies. You cannot always oblige but you can speak obligingly. Therefore we should speak well.

Only the words give us the kingdom, and we lose the kingdom because of the words. Therefore to speak well, we should have forbearance more and more. With this forbearance, you can achieve anything in this world. In the past the emperors lost their patience, therefore they lost their kingdom. It is because of the loss of forbearance, that sages lost the ultimate fruits of their penance. Even the scholars turn ignorant. Forbearance is not the one that you get out of bliss. It cannot be taught by the teachers. Nor is it sold in the market. Where from do you get this? The forbearance comes out from the heart. It is only this forgiveness and forbearance, which is the truth, righteousness and nonviolence. It is a sacred ritual. It is forbearance that is everything in all the world. We should have that patience. Let any number of people accuse you, you should be patient.

What is that you will lose, even if they criticise? If you lose your patience because you are attacked, you are going to suffer. You should never lose your patience. After all you are not going to lose anything. Let him accuse you repeatedly, ultimately he has to suffer. Let any number of people make fun of you, don't be agitated. When once you lose that patience, you will be losing all the accrued merit.

Students! You cannot estimate what you lose, by losing the patience. You will become physically weak. You will become mentally weak. You will lose all your faculties apart. When once you achieve this patience, you will be successful. Sai is the biggest ideal for this patience. People praise, people criticize in their own way. Bhagavan is not bothered of any. It is only his way. Why should I follow his way of talking. I should follow in my own way. If I follow the other man, I will become a slave. I will never follow anybody. I have full faith in my goodness, and I follow that. When once you lose patience, you can never be peaceful.

Bhagavan always remains in the state of peace because he never loses patience. You should also be like that. If anyone hurts you, you are not going to suffer. When once you want to resist, you will be losing further. You don't know the latent power. What you lose you don't know. And therefore you resist the temptation to retaliate. Let any critise or accuse you; face it, don't be afraid of that.

Students should achieve this patience. The patience is our life. The patience is the ideal. Let us not be afraid of anything. So we should be fearless. Then our life shines, it will be ideal.

Students, today is not only sports day, but a festival, a sacred day. Just as sugar mixed in milk, or water, tastes sweet, we should also know the divinity and its sweetness. All are divine. The Upanishads say that. You have got the peace, love, and compassion; there is nothing like misery, or sadness. There are no bad qualities actually. Why do you want to have them. Develop the essence of love. Develop this divine compassion. Develop this essence of divine peace. Then only you will become the ideal students. Under any circumstances never be weak at any point of time.

A weak man will never be able to achieve anything. He submits himself to everyone. Ultimately he ruins himself. Therefore take this life as a game, come out victoriously winning the game of life. Life is a game, play it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a dream, realise it. Life is Love, enjoy it. That's what we have to achieve. That is the true human life.

Life does not mean spending the time in fleeting pleasures, getting children and getting them married in turn. That's all worldly routine, you can do it. There is no mistake in that. Bhagavan will never say no. But you should have the other that as your aim. You may do any number of things, but never forget this aim.

Many students know, that those who join military are trained in various ways, there are dhobis, sweepers, barbers, watchmen, etc. Though they do different jobs, two things are compulsory for all of them. One is parade, second is gun. These two are compulsory for every military personnel. Students may study any subject, the subjects may be different, but should strengthen and uphold love and sacrifice. Love all. Be ready to sacrifice. Without sacrifice there is no life at all.

To help others and for the welfare of the society, be ready to sacrifice your own life. Yearn and pine for God. Ramakrishna Paramhansa felt miserable because he could not bring the grace of the Goddess. He did not give up. He laboured till he got Her grace. Be pining for the Lord's grace. Every moment is sacred, we should make use of it to attain God's grace.

When once you have Anugraha, God's grace, the rest of the Grahas, planets will be under your control. Therefore we should struggle to win God's grace. We should determine to win God's grace. Do not give up until it is granted, until your thought is realised do not go. He has to give you out of disgust.

To withdraw on your own, is not the quality of a devotee. Throughout your life time you should keep up this determination and work. O! Mind never forget, never leave. O! Mind never forget, never ask, the more you ask the more it is ignored. Without asking did not Sabari get it? Without asking did not the Jatayu bird become recipient of the Divine Grace? Jatayu never asked. Rama himself came walking on the way. At an appropriate time, at right position God himself will extend His Grace. You need not ask for high marks, high percentage. Do your duty, work hard. You are bound to be successful. Even if you get a Zero there will be one by its side and it will become ten.

So be ready to do your duty. There should not be any dirt in your own effort. Students should cultivate this determination today. Don't develop hatred towards others. Don't be jealous towards each other. Be happy at the progress of others, so that you would also develop. Develop this broad feeling, broad thought.

Our heart should not be small and narrow, it should be vast as the world. Having been born in this vast world, if we are narrow-minded it is useless. We should make our heart as vast as the mighty ocean but not have its taste. It should be an ocean of milk where God reclines. He reclines on your heart. He is ready to appear in front of you whenever you want. Never be disappointed.

Therefore with full determination, work hard for the progress and the welfare of this country which is your residence and home. The whole world is our dwelling place. We should not have differences. Just as you find so many rooms in a big mansion, the whole universe is a mansion and your own country is a room there. The whole house should be good. Then only you will be good.

Sing the glory of the Lord, do your duty, develop love, make everyone happy, and pray for the welfare of everyone in the world.

Sankranthi Discourse, January 14, 1997