Extract from Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 1
10. Viveka and
Vairagya
You are all
standing in the open, on the road and some are even perched on
trees; it is really cruel for me to speak to you for long. But
in spite of all this inconvenience, I find you yearn to hear my
words and so I shall satisfy you.
Well, Man is Divine, take it from me; he is really here on a holy
mission, for a divine purpose. To consider him as mean or weak
or sinful is a great mistake. That is itself a great sin. Man
must earn his birthright, namely, Santhi. Asanthi is for him an
unnatural state. His real nature is Santhi.
To recover his
heritage of Santhi, man tries various methods: accumulation of
riches, maintenance of health, mastery of knowledge, cultivation
of the arts. But these are not fundamental. Three basic wants
still remain after all these methods have been tried: the need
for reality, for light and for immortality. It is only when Sath,
Jyothi and Amritham are won that Santhi will be stabilised.
It is no use
indulging in arguments and disputations; he who clamours aloud
has not grasped the truth, believe me. Silence is the only language
of the realised. Practice moderation in speech. That will help
you in many ways. It will develop Prema, for most misunderstandings
and factions arise out of carelessly spoken words. When the foot
slips, the wound can be healed; but when the tongue slips, the
wound it causes in the heart of another will fester for life.
The tongue
is liable to four big errors; uttering falsehood, scandalising,
finding fault with others and excessive articulation. These have
to be avoided if there has to be Santhi for the individual as
well as for society. The bond of brotherhood will be tightened
if people speak less and speak sweet. That is why Mounam 'silence'
was prescribed as a vow for Sadhakas by the Sastras. You are all
Sadhakas at various stages of the road and so this discipline
is valuable for you also.
Prema is what
the individual and the nation must cultivate now for progress.
Hindustan became great on account of the flood of Prema which
swept over the land for centuries. Prema must again transform
all relationship: social, economic, educational, professional,
family, religious, legal and others. The father must love the
child a little more intensely and intelligently; the mother must
spread love to all who come within her influence; children must
love the servants. The sense of equality that every one is the
repository of the Divine Essence must transmute social and individual
behaviour.
You can call
me Premaswarupa! You will not be wrong! Prema is the wealth I
have and which I scatter among the miserable and afflicted. I
have no other riches. The Grace of the Lord is always flowing
like the electric current through the wire. Fix a bulb and the
current, to the extent of the wattage, will illumine your home.
The bulb is the Sadhana you perform; the home is your heart. Come
to me gladly; dive into the sea and discover its depth; there
is no use dipping near the shore and swearing that the sea is
shallow and has no pearls. Dive deep and you will secure your
desire.
Remember, the
sword of Prema has to be kept in the sheath of Viveka. The Indriyas
or senses have to be rigorously controlled by Viveka and Vairagya,
the twin talents given exclusively to man. Viveka instruct you
how to choose your avocations and your associates. It tells you
the relative importance of objects and ideals, Vairagya saves
you from too much of attachment and injects a sense of relief,
at times of elation or despair. They are the two wings that lift
the bird into the air. They hold before you the impermanence of
the world and permanence of the Bliss of Reality. They prompt
you to direct your lives towards spiritual Sadhana and the never
failing contemplation of the glory of the Lord.
Gudur, 22-7-1958
I just opened the book at randon, just idly
looking to see what it was and I thought this chapter echoed the
words of so many teachers that I have read in the past. The Eastern
names for things are a little hard for the Westerner to understand
but, perhaps, it will make you think about it a little. J.H.H.
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