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Anil Kumar's Sunday Satsang at
Prasanthi Nilayam
March 25, 2001
The Sunday Talk Given by Anil Kumar
on
March 25th, 2001
"Philosophy and Truth"
OM… OM… OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Happy New Year
First of all, let me wish all of you a Happy New Year! Tomorrow is
the New Year for people living in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and
Maharashtra. We have two systems - the solar system and the lunar
system - by which New Year is calculated, celebrated and observed
during different times of the year. In other words, different
states celebrate during different times of the year. We don’t go
by the calendar. We go by the planetary conjunctions. So the New
Year differs from one region to another, depending upon the system
adopted. It may look rather funny to the Westerners, but it is our
system.
Swami's Recent Materializations:
Swami Materializes a Precious Stone
Before I explain more about our New Year, I have requests from the
audience to speak about Swami’s materializations, which took place
recently in the Hall. It’s quite natural that you should want to
know. First of all, we are extremely happy that we have the
benefit of Bhagavan’s Darshan for a long period on almost a daily
basis. And secondly, two of the materializations have just
recently happened.
You must have heard of the great epic, the Mahabharata. It speaks
of the battle between the good and the bad. The good is symbolized
by the Pandavas and the bad by the Kauravas. The good is backed by
God Himself, in the form of Krishna. It means that good is
supported by God.
We have, on the other side, the bad and wicked Kauravas. The
battle is about to commence. Draupadi, the consort or wife of the
Pandava brothers, comes to Krishna, praying for His blessings.
Lord Krishna blesses her, "You will be very fine. You will be
comfortable. You will live long with your husbands. There will be
no death, and you will live long with your family."
So blessing her, Krishna materialized a big, precious stone. It
was greenish-yellow, and it had many cuttings (facets). Krishna
gave it to her to use as a hairpin. Draupadi must have been quite
a hefty lady to bear the weight of it! (Laughter) We can imagine
and calculate her personality based on this gift.
While materializing it, Bhagavan made one statement: "In
Kodaikanal, I often materialize and show these things to the boys
and some guests there. I am showing it to you here in public for
the first time." Therefore, we are privileged to have a little of
the experience of Kodaikanal, though it is quite a different
climate here. This place is quite hot and there it is cool. That’s
the difference.
You must be eager to know about the second materialization.
Swami Materializes a Fruit
You must have watched one gentleman wearing a proper Andhra, South
Indian dress, called a dhoti. That gentleman is a big contractor
and builder and a great devotee of Bhagavan. He didn’t have a very
high education, but intuitively he felt like writing a few
compositions. It turned out that he wrote many poems about the
all-important epic, the Bhagavatham.
Bhagavatham is a very important text, full of devotion.
Bhagavatham is a text filled with stories of devotees and the
power of God. On the one hand, it tells of the power of God. On
the other hand, it narrates the experiences of the devotees.
Bhagavan always thinks of the spirit (feeling) behind everything.
Bhagavan will never go by the scholarship of a person alone. He
doesn’t want scholarly people. He doesn’t want knowledgeable
people. He doesn’t want men of letters. He wants men of the Spirit.
He wants those of the Spirit, who have sincere feelings behind
everything that they do. This is much more important than
exposition. So, He picked up a liking for this man and wanted him
to read a few sentences aloud from his own writings. This poet did
it ecstatically!
At the end, Bhagavan said, "Everything that you read, all those
things mentioned in Bhagavatham, are so sweet and nectarine that
you cannot say, ‘This can be omitted.’ Nor can you say, ‘You can
bypass these lines.’ Every sentence is full of nectar. Every
sentence has to be read." Then He said, "You know how sweet it is?"
In so telling, He waved His hand and materialized a fruit this
size, the likes of which I have never seen.
Being a student of botany, I must confess that I do not know of
its taxonomy or morphology. Morphology means its external shape
and taxonomy means its group. Well, I just don’t know. I saw that
fruit for the first time! He broke it into two and gave one half
to that poet. The other half He made into two pieces and gave to
two important guests, the present and past vice-chancellors of the
university.
He wanted them to eat it right there. Being commanded to do so,
they ate it immediately. They began eating. This man who had read
a few sentences of his poems was so thrilled and excited! He could
not control his expression. He said, "Bhagavan, I have eaten many
fruits throughout my life. But this type of fruit I have never
tasted! All the fruits I have eaten I taste on my tongue only.
However, after eating this fruit, now I feel the sweetness even in
my stomach and in my intestines!"
Baba: "Is it that sweet?"
"Yes."
Bhagavan said, Bhagavatham is that same kind of sweetness."
Well, I always take some risks, as I told you. I said, "This kind
of fruit I have not seen in the surrounding areas." That’s what I
said, hoping not to be too risky. But it was! (Laughter)
Immediately He said, "What nonsense you say! Why do you say, 'in
the surrounding areas'? It is not here on earth and not anywhere
in the world."
"Oh! That’s why it is unique Swami!" Somehow I could save myself.
It was so unique. This is the second materialization, which some
of our friends asked me about. I wanted to share this with you.
Swami Inquires About Examinations
This has been the time of examinations. Bhagavan makes inquiries,
asking every student whether he is doing well in the exam or how
he has been performing in the exams. It is a kind of inquiry. It
is good. Every parent does it. As Bhagavan is the God, Father, and
Mother, it is quite natural that He inquires how His children have
been performing in the examinations.
But one very important thing I want to share with you. Baba asked,
"Boys, how did you do this morning in the examination?" In one
voice, they all said, "Very fine! Very easy, Swami!"
"Oh, no! You are wrong. You simply say so. Some have not done well.
(Pointing to different boys, He says,) You spoiled two questions.
You spoiled three questions. Fifty percent you have not answered
well." Immediately He started pointing them out. Then the cat came
out of the bag. Each fellow started running, falling at His Feet,
"Yes, Swami! Yes, Swami." Then He looked all around and said, "Why
do you say that all of you have done well? I know."
The next day He said, "All right, boys! How is the paper today?"
"Swami, very easy!" "Ah-ha. Very nice. Ah! Good. Mmm. Four fellows
will get above 90’s. (Swami then proceeds to point to those
particular boys.) You will get 90. You will get above 90. You'll
get above 90. And you’ll get above 90." Those four He said would
get above 90%. Then He said, "Ten people will get above 80% - you
fellows (pointing at them). The rest of you will get only 60% and
70%. That’s all." Then finally Swami made a unique remark. Please
follow it. What did He say?
(These are all glimpses of the Divinity. By reading some books and
by listening to some experiences, we have partial information. It
is only partial. By being exposed to 'Sai-lence' - that is, in
silence, we learn more.)
What did He say? "You all think that I am here. But I am seeing
your papers there. I know how each one of you has performed. I
know all that." So, this being examination season, is not merely
the announcement of the results. More importantly, it is the
announcement of His Divinity.
Without anyone telling Him anything, and before the examination
has even taken place (still there are two more days to go for the
mathematics examination), Bhagavan announced that the examination
paper will be very tough. "Be careful." (Laughter) Of course,
there is no leakage of the question paper. If the students pray
hard enough, He may come and even write their exam! Let Him come
instead and write on our behalf!
Swami Has Human and Divine Aspects
So, these are all the experiences that we have when we come to
know the Divinity of Bhagavan. When He says, "How have you done?
How is your paper?" He is human. When He says, "You have done well.
You’ll get 90%," He is Divine.
So, He is both Divine and also human in order to come close to us.
He is Divine in order to enrich us, to enlighten us, to awaken us,
to kindle the Divinity immanent within us. So, He is human to come
close to us and Divine to take us to spiritual heights. He is
Divine in order to make every one of us realize the Divinity
within.
If He acts only Divine always, we would not dare to come to this
place because everything is known to Him. Each one of us has got
some part of ourselves, which we do not want known to others. At
least there will be one something highly confidential in our life.
But before Bhagavan, everything is an open book. So, if He were to
be solely Divine from the beginning, all flats and accommodations
would be free (empty) because no one wants all their secrets known
completely.
So, He is human and asks, "When did you come? Are you fine? What
did you have for breakfast? How are you?" One thinks, 'Oh-ho,
Swami’s quite fine. I’ll be very friendly back.' Suddenly He’ll
say, "You are going room-to-room like a cat and rat! You should
not do so! You are Divine." Then you will feel, 'Let me be careful!
(Laughter) Let me not be loose in my talk. Or I’ll be trapped!'
Bhagavan has been talking to us these days in these ways. There
are many other stories to come. But tomorrow, being Ugadi, the
Telugu New Year, I want to share with you certain other thoughts
this morning.
Main Talk:
Religion And Philosophy
My friends, we have been living with some false notions. We have
been thinking of religion and philosophy in a particularly narrow
way. But, as we have come to Bhagavan, we will get a true
perspective. We will have a true objective and we will gain the
correct experience. Truly speaking, it is necessary to be exposed
to Bhagavan, whether you believe in Him or not, whether you accept
Him or not. You may belong to any religion or you may belong to
any faith, but yet you need to be exposed to Him. You deserve (owe
it to yourself) to go through the literature for a better
understanding and for higher knowledge.
The first thought I want to bring to your attention, which is the
thought for the day and the thought for the rest of the year, is
this: Bhagavan Baba's Truth is not philosophy. Bhagavan does not
speak of any philosophy. Please understand this clearly. Swami is
not talking philosophy. Baba is not describing a philosophy.
Rather SAI IS TRUTH. He is 'Sathya' Sai. 'Sathya' is Truth. So,
philosophy and Truth are separate. Philosophy and Truth are not
synonymous.
What Is Philosophy?
Let me tell you what is a philosophy. Philosophy is nothing but
the 'game of the mind'. I think with my mind. I interpret with my
mind. I imagine with my mind. All hypotheses, all theories, all
ideas are born out of the mind. So, in one sentence, philosophy is
nothing but the 'game of the mind'. But the Truth that Baba speaks
of is a 'no-mind' state. 'No-mind' state means 'beyond the mind'.
Mind cannot comprehend Truth. Mind cannot estimate Truth. Mind
cannot gaze with its senses upon Truth. Mind cannot analyze Truth.
Truth has to be realized. Philosophy can be analyzed, but Truth
has to be realized. Analysis is the process of the mind, while
realization is the experience of the 'no-mind' state. Truth is
Transcendental, beyond the state of the mind.
So, Sathya Sai Baba wants us to know Truth and not philosophy. Let
us not waste our time in trying to read, in trying to analyze, in
trying to interpret. No, no! That is nothing but gymnastics and
exercises of the mind. The Truth is beyond the mind.
The second thing to note is that philosophy is a beautiful 'dress'
to which the mind wants to cling. The mind wants to attach itself
to philosophy. What do I mean? For example, "I am a Hindu." That
is a philosophy. The mind attaches itself to the philosophy of
Hinduism. Or, "I am a Christian." The mind attaches itself to the
philosophy of Christianity. Or, "I am a Muslim." The mind attaches
itself to the philosophy of Islam.
Know Truth Through Innocence
So, philosophy is that to which the mind attaches itself. Mind
clings to it. Mind labels it. Mind claims to belong to a
particular philosophy. I think I am clear. Mind always claims to
belong to a particular school of philosophy. But Truth is
non-philosophic. Truth is not philosophy and has got nothing to do
with it. Why? Truth is born in innocence, while philosophy is born
out of the mind.
Sathya Sai Baba wants us to know the Truth from the state of utter,
total, complete, and absolute innocence. That’s the reason why
Jesus said, "You shall not enter into the Gates of Heaven unless
you are a child." Can I be a child now? Let me not take it
literally. Let me understand that 'child' stands for 'innocence'.
What is the innocence of a child? When I kiss a child, the child
kisses me back. If I kick a child, after a couple of minutes, the
child comes back to me. Even if I beat a child, after a couple of
minutes the child will return to me. A child is not revengeful. A
child is not rebellious. A child is not reactionary. A child never
retaliates, never rebels, and never reacts. A child is innocent
and pure. So, Truth is born out of innocence and purity, whereas
philosophy is not like that. Philosophy is a dogma and hence, it
is so narrow. It is a doctrine to which you get attached.
Words And Silence
I also want to tell you another point. Philosophy believes in
words, and words are useless. I'm using the words to say that they
are useless. For example, how much do you love your wife? Tell me.
You cannot express it. How much do you love your mother? You
cannot express it. How sweet this love for your mother is! But you
cannot express this completely. The sunrise, how beautiful it is!
But you cannot express it. How beautiful the sunset is! But again,
you cannot express it. The evening's silent breeze, the fireside,
the tossing flowers, how beautiful these things are! But you
cannot fully describe them through words.
The most beautiful things in this world, the most valuable things
of this world, the authentic, original, creative pieces of Beauty,
Splendor, and Grandeur in this world, cannot be expressed in words.
Here is a simple example. "I have seen Swami this morning." "Oh,
how did you feel?" "Very nice." "How nice?" "I cannot say." "But
just how nice was it? Please tell me." "Oh, Swami walked by my
side. He looked straight into my eyes and mischievously smiled. I'm
so happy!" "How happy you are?" Then you might feel like saying, "Please
get away, thank you!" You cannot express with words how happy you
are when Swami looks at you and when Swami talks to you. Why?
Words simply fail to describe it.
The most sublime things, the most wondrous things of the world,
are beyond words. Words are simple. Words are useless. They cannot
go to that depth. They cannot go to the fathomless depths found at
the bottom of your heart. Words are superficial. Words are
pretentious. Words are chameleon. They change from time-to-time.
Sometimes words exaggerate and at other times, words underestimate.
Words are never that accurate.
So, philosophy is based on words, the jugglery of words. But Truth
is silence. It is wordless. It is speechless. It is not confined
within the framework of language because Truth is the language of
the heart, while philosophy is the language of the mind. Mind has
got language, which is expressible and knowledgeable. But the
language of the heart is beyond expression. So, we pray to
Bhagavan to help us reside in that Truth, which is beyond words
and beyond expression.
With and Without Arguments
Philosophy helps us to argue. It presents some logic and some
interpretation. For example, someone will say, "This is what I
mean." Another man will say, "This is what I mean." The third man
will say, "Please keep quiet. You two don’t know the meaning of
what you say. This is what I mean." Then we get confused! So
philosophy confuses, and that confusion becomes confounded the
more we discuss it. That’s the reason why I salute philosophy, but
suggest we stay far away from it.
Philosophy is full of contradictions. It is diabolic. It is
dialectic. It is paradoxical. But Truth is so simple and
straightforward. Philosophy is complicated. It is based on
complexities. It is based on arguments and counter-arguments. It
requires evidences. It requires witnesses. But Truth does not need
any witness. Truth does not require any argument.
There are the 'Ten Commandments' and the 'Sermon on the Mount' in
the Holy Bible. They both are straight declarations. There is no
scope for argument. "Thou shalt not utter a lie. Thou shalt not
commit adultery. Thou shall not make use of the Name of Thy God in
vain." These are all clear declarations. All the Ten Commandments
are clear declarations, not arguments. Bhagavad-Gita is also full
of straightforward declarations, as is the Upanishads also. They
are not arguments.
So, Truth is non-argumentative. Truth is beyond logic. Truth is a
declaration, straight and simple, whereas philosophy gives ample
scope for discussion, for deliberation, for negation, and for
acceptance or rejection. This is the difference between philosophy
and the Truth.
Ego and Egolessness
Philosophy makes us feel egoistic. Philosophers are egoistic.
Those who read books, those who are scholarly, those who are
pedantic, those who are full of jargon, full of vocabulary and
nomenclature, with extra scholarship, they are egoistic.
Philosophy builds up the ego. The very gesture, the very word, the
very countenance and expression speak of ego because philosophy
flares the ego up. Philosophy will inflate the ego just like a
balloon gets inflated as more and more air is pumped into it. Here
is an example: "I have read ten books." With this remark, some air
goes into the 'balloon' of ego. A little later, "Now I have read
fifteen books." Some more air is added! Then, "Now one hundred
books I have read!" Finally, "I read one thousand books!" The
balloon of ego will become so inflated that it will take off into
the sky!
So, philosophy will make us egoistic, while Truth is non-egoistic.
Why? In philosophy, I claim to have read it, I claim to have known
something. "I know this. I read that." Whereas, in Truth, this
kind of claim, this kind of separation, this kind of ego or
separate 'I-ness' does not exist. So, this 'I-ness' exists in
philosophy, but it is nothing but ego. So a philosopher is
egoistic because his 'I-ness' is still there.
In Truth, there is no ego. In Truth, there is nothing like ‘I’.
Has anybody said, "I have known the Truth"? Nobody will say that.
But many people will say, "I have read so many books and I know so
many things." The difference is this: You don’t know Truth. You
are Truth. Therefore, there is no ego. But you know philosophy.
Therefore, there is ego. Truth is not separate from you. Sathyam,
Jnanam, Anantham BrahmaSathyam, Jnanam, Anantham Brahma. You are
Sathyam, Truth.
So, when you are the Truth, when you are not separate from the
Truth, there is no question of ego. However, in philosophy, you
have acquired knowledge. You have read books. So the 'you' and the
'I' are there, which is ego.
So this New Year should help us to learn to live in Truth. "God is
Truth. Truth is God. Live in Truth," says Bhagavan.
Another Difference: Intellectual and Intelligence
Another interesting difference is this. Philosophy is intellectual,
whereas Truth is intelligence. Intellectual and intelligence are
different. I am not playing with words, as I am not a student of
English literature. Fortunately I am not a student of philosophy
either, and therefore, I do not get confused. I only go through
the Sai literature. Those things that make me forget myself, those
points that make me lose myself, I note them down and share them
with you. That’s all. Those points that make me thrilled and
excited, I write them down and bring them to your notice. That’s
all.
What I share with you is not taken from any of the epics either.
No, these are 'pearls of wisdom' from Sri Sathya Sai literature.
As you know, you don’t find pearls on the surface. You have to
dive deep into the ocean. You don’t find pearls and gems on the
surface of water. You have to dive deep into the ocean to collect
those precious pearls. So, Sai literature will supply many pearls
of this nature, provided we dive deeply into it.
Philosophy is intellectual, while Truth is intelligence. What do I
mean by that? I claim to be intellectual if I have knowledge. I
claim to be intellectual if I attain the heights of knowledge. But
intelligence is awareness. I'm intelligent enough to know that
this is day and that is night. I'm intelligent enough to know that
this is hot and that is cold. I'm intelligent enough to know that
he is man, not a woman. This is intelligence or awareness. So
Truth is intelligence or awareness, whereas philosophy is
intellectual. When you try to analyze anything, you want to be
intellectual.
Knowledge and Knowing
May this New Year help us to develop this awareness or intuitive
knowing. Knowing is different from knowledge. Knowledge, after all,
is only memory. Knowledge is only being like a computer. Knowledge
is nothing more than being a storehouse or a cupboard of
information. But knowing is a continuous, eternal process. So,
Truth is the process of knowing-to-eternity, in all simplicity, in
all humility, in all submission and in a state of surrender. On
the other hand, philosophy is the knowledge of a set of fixed
ideas.
That’s the reason why philosophers do not budge or bend easily.
Philosophers are never lenient or understanding. They are stiff
and stubborn. Why? They get identified or 'branded' by their
philosophy. That’s all. Their attitude is, "I know! Our
conversation is over. So, let me be away from you!" So, if you
want to know or if you are eager to know (which indicates that you
do not know), that is awareness or knowing. If you have knowledge
only, then you will say, "Yes, I already know." So, to say 'I
know' is knowledge, which is really only memory.
"I am aware" is novel. It is fresh. "I am aware" is ever new like
a morning flower. The flower that blossoms in the morning on time,
that is the process of knowing or awareness. In this process of
awareness, there is eagerness, inquisitiveness, and
open-mindedness. But a man of knowledge is never open. He does his
best to drive you into his 'school of thought'. He will try to
brainwash you. So, beware of people of knowledge because they will
push you into their school of thought.
In awareness, you want to know in all simplicity. In this
awareness, there is nothing like settled or fixed ideas. There is
nothing like a programmed life or a conditioned mind. Truth is
unconditional. It is not programmed. Truth is the process of
knowing or being aware, whereas philosophy is fixed knowledge.
Watch Bhagavan: He knows everything, yet He wants to know it from
you. Bhagavan is the Source of knowledge, yet He acts in this
process of awareness. He simply asks, "How are you?" 'Does He not
know that I am fine? If I am not fine, how can I come here?' Baba
will say, "How is your business?" Then He’ll call a doctor and say,
"What do you think about his health?" Finally He’ll say to the
doctor, "You are wrong. You should follow this" and gives His
instructions.
So, in awareness or knowing, we feel simplicity, humility,
closeness, negotiability and compromising possibilities. My
friends, this New Year should make us tread along this path of
knowing and dwell in awareness or knowing-ness. But we should
never settle into the state of knowledge. Awareness should take us
to Truth and never to philosophy.
Philosophy is just a game between thesis and anti-thesis. Some say,
"God is." Others say, "God is not." Some proclaim, "Dualism." Some
announce, "Non-Dualism." Some others adhere to "Qualified
Non-Dualism." So this is nothing but thesis and anti-thesis, like
the Catholics and Protestants in the Christian world. In Jainism,
we have also got the 'Digambaras' and 'Sretambaras'. We have got
that kind of division in every religion because we have made
religion a philosophy.
Bhagavan makes religion into One Truth and nothing but Truth.
Truth is One. Ekam Sath Viprah Bauda Vedanti. That’s all. But
philosophy will make the One into many. All schools of philosophy,
all branches of religion, are philosophical. But Truth is One. At
the core, in the very center, Truth is One. Therefore, thesis and
anti-thesis is philosophy, whereas Truth is synthesis. Philosophy
is argument and counter-argument or opposition/supposition. But
Truth is synthesis.
Truth is One. "All are One, my dear son. Be alike to everyone." "All
are One, my dear son. Be alike to everyone." This is Truth. "All
are many. There is my group, your group; your country, my country.
We ten should sit here; you ten sit there. You cannot come here; I
cannot come there." No, no, no! That is philosophy, but not Truth.
So, a feeling of Unity among all is really Truth. That’s what we
should experience.
Choice and Choicelessness
Philosophy is a matter of choice. Suppose I say, "Hinduism is this."
You can reply, "I'm sorry. You have not understood Hinduism."
Philosophy is a choice, which you can accept or reject, where you
can agree or disagree, or you can obey or disobey. So, philosophy
is a choice, but Truth is choiceless. Truth does not give you a
choice, while philosophy allows choice of 'yes' or 'no'. Truth is
choiceless. May Bhagavan help us to go in this direction of Truth,
which is choiceless, because in choicelessness you disappear,
whereas in choice the 'you' appears.
A simple example: Here is a towel and here is a watch. Suppose I
choose the watch. So where there is a choice, the 'I' exists. I
choose this against that. The 'I' exists in a choice. But when you
are choiceless, there is no 'I-ness'. You don’t exist then, so
there is no choice.
Another simple example: Swami calls you all in for interview. "Ah-ha!
The lucky ones have gone in!" Please watch the faces of those who
go into the interview room. They don’t walk. They just float! (Laughter)
They don’t walk with their legs. They fly with wings! They don’t
walk as on earth, since they are going into paradise, the very
heaven, which is being right in front of Bhagavan. Yes!
Once you get inside the interview room, you cannot open your mouth!
It is impossible! (Laughter) You’ve been talking all along - in
Darshan line, in the canteen, even on the street you are talking
and bothering everybody! There is no rest for your tongue. The
eardrums of the neighbors are almost broken because you know only
how to talk verbosely with pomp and show. Life has become a matter
of pomp and show.
We go on talking and talking! All right, then try to talk in front
of Bhagavan! Hari Om Tat Sat. (Laughter) You don’t. You can't!
Some pressure is applied there on the tongue so that instead of
projecting (and talking) outwardly, it goes inward. Why? It is due
to choicelessness. You have no choice to speak, so you keep quiet.
That’s all.
Then after the general interview, there is an inner room where
private audience is given. He talks there just to the family.
There He will allow you to speak: "Come on, tell Me!" He will
allow you to speak only when He decides. When you decide, you
cannot speak! (Laughter) When He decides, only then you can open
your mouth! After you leave the interview, you may open your mouth
and speak when you decide to. But you just cannot do so during the
interview. (Laughter) Why? You are choiceless there.
So, in front of Bhagavan, you are choiceless. This is the Truth.
Truth is choiceless, while philosophy is full of choices. You can
accept or reject philosophy. You can say 'yes' or 'no'. But in
front of Bhagavan, you are choiceless because Truth is the
ultimate Reality. It is non-negotiable.
So, my friends, this New Year should be the year of Truth and not
of philosophy. It should be the year of Truth, of experience, and
not of speculation. Truth is not speculation. Truth is experience,
whereas philosophy is speculation.
Truth is Unity
Many of us have lost our way because we believe that philosophy is
the same as religion. As we don’t have any experiences, we simply
think that philosophy is spirituality. We think that philosophy is
religion. No! Religion is Truth. Spirituality is Truth. Philosophy
is multi-dimensional and full of variety, whereas Truth is unity.
There is no variety in Truth. We say 'Universe' and 'unity'. Truth
is unity. We don’t say 'multi-verse'. We don’t say 'multi-versity'.
No, we say 'university'. This universe or unity is Truth, whereas
variety is philosophy. Philosophy is specific knowledge, while
Truth is the process of knowing or awareness.
I don’t know how far I can make this clear because sometimes we
feel at a loss. Sometimes we may think, 'Had I stayed back at
home, had I continued in the same type of life like that of my
parents, I would have been much better off. What is it that I
gained by coming here, except being pushed by Seva Dal and (Laughter)
being bitten by merciless mosquitoes?' What is it that I gained
here except fighting for the first row, claiming that the slab on
which I sit may change, but not my life. We may continue to sit in
the same place. Even that place may change, but we’ll never change!
There comes a time, a stage of self-evaluation and self-assessment.
At that time, we should not be depressed, frustrated, or
disappointed when we begin to examine ourselves. What have I lost?
What have I gained? My friends, we have gained the Truth. Let us
lose philosophy. Let us be men of Truth, not philosophers.
Perhaps the end of philosophy is Truth. Before coming here, before
coming to Swami, we visited Hindu temples. We have been regular
visitors to our churches every Sunday. We have been going to
mosques every Friday. We have been used to worship every Saturday,
Friday or Thursday, depending upon our family deity. Some people
are spiritual on Thursdays because they think that Thursday is
Baba’s day. "Oh, I see. When is your day, then?" (Laughter) We
limit God to only one day because our mind is always narrow,
conditioned by time and space.
We find certain temples are very busy on certain days. For example,
at my native place there is a Shirdi Sai Baba Temple. On Thursdays,
I find it very difficult to come out of my house because there are
very long queues (lines) right in front. Sometimes I may have to
jump over people, requesting them, even pushing them, at times
even violently, in order to get out of my house! What is to be
done? They all believe, "Sai Baba will bless us on Thursdays (only)."
What! Baba will not curse you on Friday! (Laughter) Baba will
never say, "Don’t come to Me on Wednesday." Oh, what foolishness!
Then you may ask me next, "Why Thursdays?" The belief is that, "At
least if you go on Thursdays, you’ll be fine." It is not that
Wednesday is bad or that Friday is inauspicious - certainly not!
Freshness In Life
So, we have conditioned our mind. We have made religion a ritual.
We have made worship mechanical and in so doing, we have lost the
thrill of life. I speak to my friends, my colleagues, and my
teachers, some of the people who have settled permanently here. I
always tell my friends, "Our life is not worth living if the charm
is gone." If the charm of life is gone, when that freshness has
gone, when life becomes monotony or comes down to a mechanical
routine, then life is not worth living.
Let us find freshness in life. Let us find a life of energy. Let
us find a life of dynamism. Let us experience that freshness. How
is it possible? It is possible only if we are alert, only if we
are awake, and only if we are aware. Be aware, alert, and awake.
Yes! Please be alert. We have to be very careful and alert about
what Swami is going to say or what Swami is going to do. Being
with Swami, we always have to be alert!
Someone may respond, "Oh, I know. I see Him every day." What do
you know? You do not know that you do not know! That is the
tragedy. To know that one does not know is a blessing. Not to know
that one does not know is a hell. So, we cannot know Swami because
He is not to be known. Some people say, "Swami acts like this.
Swami comes like that." If we meet such a person, we can say, "Thank
you very much" and leave him immediately because we have just met
Fool #1! (Laughter) God is unpredictable. No one cannot predict
God.
Swami Blessing the Poor
Just a day or two ago, a very poor man was trying to give Him a
letter. From his dress, I could understand that he was uneducated.
He was moving forward. Everybody pushed him back because we have
become excellent in pushing and pulling people! Yes. The crowd was
just pulling him back, but Bhagavan walked straight to him and
collected that letter. "Ah, Baba! You are compassionate! You are
the Lord because You respond to the prayer within."
Another gentleman came. He is a very poor man. I know him. He came
here after 15 years. All cannot afford to come here regularly. It
is too costly for some. This man is unlettered and uneducated. He
works as a casual laborer. Yesterday he came to me smiling. He
said, "Sir!"
"Ah! What happened?"
"I got padnamaskar."
"Oh!"
"Swami gave me vibhuthi!"
"Ah! Congratulations!"
I was so thrilled that I mentioned it to Swami. "Swami! I met that
man who came here after a gap of 15 years! He is a very poor man,
uneducated, a rural farmer, and a casual laborer. It seems You
walked straight to him and granted him padnamaskar and vibhuthi.
He is dancing in joy! He is 'high as a kite'!" Swami asked, "Is he
happy?" "Swami! I have no words to express it!"
Shall I use the word 'happy'? After all, a fellow like me will be
happy with a hot cup of coffee. After all, 'happy' is a cheap word
because we say that we are happy for every silly thing. This man
is in ecstasy. The experience that we have with Swami is ecstasy.
It is not simply happiness. If we think it is happiness, we are
lunatics. But Bhagavan gives us ecstasy or ecstatic experience.
As Swami passes by, we listen to His silent music. Yes, many of
you must have experienced that Bhagavan is a melody. He is music.
As Bhagavan holds His robe with one hand and waves the other hand
into the empty air, it is a celestial, cosmic dance. Bhagavan’s
presence is music. Bhagavan’s Darshan is a celestial, cosmic
dance. And our experience is ecstasy. So, life with Bhagavan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba is music, dance, and ecstasy - nothing less than
that. It is the experience of melody with all its freshness, which
can only be expressed in unspoken words. It is our actual
experience.
No Search For God
We should also remember at this time that the greatest foolishness
is to say, "I am in search of God." It is the greatest foolishness.
Some may ask, "Who is the biggest fool? The one who doesn't have
money? Or, the one who doesn’t have any education?" Neither of
these. Spiritually speaking, the greatest fool is the one who says,
"I am in search of God." "Oh, is one a fool by saying so?" "Yes.
He is a fool, fool, and double fool - a multiple fool!" Why do I
say that? Am I uncharitable? No.
You don’t have to search for God because God is in you. You are
God. If I come and tell you, "I am searching for Anil Kumar. Where
is he?" you may say back to me, "Oh, I saw you during Darshan
time. You were quite sane then. What happened to you now? You have
become insane. Better you consult a psychiatrist!" Wouldn’t you
say that? I don’t search for myself. Similarly, when God is in you,
what is the fun of searching for Him? When you are God, what is
the fun of searching for Him?
That is the reason why some people cry in front of Swami. They
wash His Feet with their tears of joy. They wash the Feet of
Bhagavan Baba with all their agony because they have to part from
this place. "Swami! We have to go. The visa has expired! Our
reservations are there and British Airways is waiting, I must go.
Lufthansa will fly me faster. Let me go, Bhagavan! But I cannot
go. I am crying." Then what does Baba do? He will keep His hand on
your chest and say, "Why do you cry? I am there, I am there, I am
there."
Swami always tells you, "I am there." A group of devotees came and
said, "Swami! We want to construct a temple."
"Oh, where?"
"In our place."
"Where is the temple?"
"We have selected a very good sight there to raise a beautiful
temple."
"Nonsense! This is My temple (keeping His Hand on your chest).
Your heart is My temple."
The pure heart is the temple of God. God installs Himself in the
altar of our heart, Hridaya. Hri+daya means a compassionate heart.
Daya is compassion. is My temple (keeping His Hand on your chest).
Your heart is My temple."
The pure heart is the temple of God. God installs Himself in the
altar of our heart, Hridaya. Hri+daya means a compassionate heart.
Daya is compassion.
Therefore, it is the New Year’s Day tomorrow for Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and Maharashtra. We are joyful about the approaching new
year. So let us have an altogether new life, a new awareness and a
new understanding, not just mere learning. By being aware, by
being alert, by being awake, we’ll be able to experience Truth in
this new year. The name of this New Year, which happens to fall
tomorrow morning, is Vrusha.
May Bhagavan bless you with all plenty and prosperity, with
spiritual awakening, and with enlightenment and abiding peace. May
Baba be with you forever and ever more! Sai Ram!
Anil Kumar ended his talk with the bhajan, "Jaya Ho Jaya Ho."
Om Asatoma Sadgamaya
Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya
Mrtyurmaya Amrtamgamaya
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Sai Ram! Thank you very much!
© Anil Kumar Kamaraju 2004 - Here
reproduced for personal use of the devotees for the purpose of
seva.
Anil Kumar website:
http://www.internety.com/anilkhome/ -
http://www.internety.com/saipearls/
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