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Sri Sathya Sai Baba Articles

  Anil Kumar's Sunday Satsang at Prasanthi Nilayam
June 16, 2002

The Sunday Talk Given by Anil Kumar

"Thus Spake Baba" - Part 1

June 16th, 2002



OM… OM… OM…

Sai Ram to all of you!

The Buddha Purnima Function

Thanks to Bhagavan for having brought us together again after a gap of about two months! During this period we had the Summer Course in Bangalore and we also had the celebration of Buddha Purnima in the Divine Presence.

This year the Buddha Purnima function was organized by the devotees from Nepal. There was a very big gathering, as if all of Nepal was hijacked or transported to Bangalore. For three or four days during that time, we found the Nepalese out-numbering the Indians! The decorations were spectacular.

Speeches were made on the day of Buddha Purnima by the Minister of Nepal, a Minister from Mauritius, and also from Ceylon. They were so spectacular. These speeches had so much depth and conviction -- saying that Bhagavan and Buddha are one and the same. It gave us a glimpse of the Sai message spreading far and wide, across the world.

And Bhagavan’s beautiful interpretation of Buddha Purnima was also unique. Buddha as we understand, is the name of a person -- the name of a great master, the name of a great teacher, an incarnation. But Bhagavan explained Buddha not with reference to an individual, but Buddha as a state of mind -- Buddha’s consciousness. And that anyone could rise to the level of Buddha. Let us not think that Buddha is the name of a person. Buddha is a state of attainment: Buddhahood -- Buddha state of consciousness. Any seeker, any aspirant, any pilgrim along the path of spirituality, can reach the goal of Buddhahood -- that’s what Bhagavan’s interpretation was.

When one goes to the level of the intellect or buddhi, he’s called Buddha. Intellect is the level that discriminates, that decides, that resolves, and that judges. Once life is given over to the disposal of the intellect, one attains the state of Buddhahood -- Buddha meaning intellect. So the one who exercises his intellect is a Buddha because the intellect decides what is good for us. The intellect does not want us to do anything wrong. So Buddha means the one who exercises his intellect.

And having used the intellect -- having surrendered to the intellect or buddhi -- one resolves to proceed along the path of service, righteousness or Dharma. So the intellect wants us to take to Dharma as a way of life to which we must surrender.

The chant, Buddham Saranam Gacchami, means one has to surrender to Buddha: the buddhi, the intellect. Later one treads along the path of righteousness or Dharma -- Dharmam Saranam Gacchyami. One has to surrender to righteousness. Having been born in society, having been brought up in society, having been the beneficiary of all the good in society, one has to live in society and has to express gratitude by holding onto the path of Dharma. God is in no way different from society. God is society. Society and God go together. Hence one has to surrender to society -- Sangham Saranam Gacchami.

These are the three levels of consciousness: Buddham Saranam Gacchami, the individual level of consciousness. Sangham Saranam Gacchami, the universal level of consciousness. Dharmam Saranam Gacchami, the Divine consciousness – Divinity. That’s the beautiful explanation that Bhagavan gave in His message on Buddha Purnima day recently in Bangalore. I wanted to share this with you because some of you might not have heard this interpretation before. I thought it would be useful to you.

This morning I would like to draw your attention to certain sayings of Bhagavan -- certain Divine utterances of Bhagavan -- what I call ‘Thus Spake Sri Sathya Sai.’ That will be the title of this morning’s talk: ‘Thus Spake Sri Sathya Sai.’ We shall ponder over and reflect upon certain sayings of Sai.

Life Is A Quest

We consider life as a question mark. Life is a question to everybody. If you ask anyone -- To be or not to be? That is the question. What shall I do, what shall I not do? Where shall I go, where shall I not go? So life is a question to everybody, to everyone of any religion, of any profession, of any nation for that matter.

But Bhagavan tells us that life is not a question. Life should not be a question, no! Life is a quest -- quest for eternity. It is a quest or search. It is not a question, because a question needs an answer. But a quest infers an experience. A quest is an answer unto itself. A question that gives you an answer leads to another question.

A question has a weakness because it generates question after question. That’s the reason why a person with questions will never have peace of mind. Because, as he listens to the answer, he thinks of another question. He asks, “Sir, I have a question.” All right. As you answer him, he thinks of another question. He doesn’t listen to your answer totally, completely. Therefore, life is not a question, but it is a quest -- it is a search. It is an eternal search until you find fulfillment, until you experience peace, until you enjoy love. So from this moment, let us view life as a quest and not a question.

Get Dissolved Into The Divine

We also take life as a problem. You talk to anybody. They say, “I have a problem.” People ask, “What’s the problem?” They act as if they are interested to know your problem. But in fact they are just interested to tell you their problem, and not really interested to hear your problem. We are all full of problems and problems and problems.

Life is not a problem. Let’s understand it. If life is a problem, if life becomes problematic, we cannot hope to live in peace. We cannot enjoy life, we cannot experience life, we cannot experience any excitement, thrill, joy -- anything. Life is not a problem. Problems are of our own making. It has become a problem because of you and because of me. It is not a problem.

So then what is life? It is not a problem to solve. Life is that in which we must be dissolved. Not to solve, but be dissolved in. Getting dissolved in life is different from solving the problem of life. When you solve the problem, you’ll have another problem. When you become dissolved, there will be no more problems.

What should I be dissolved in? We should be dissolved in the Divine. We should be dissolved in existence. We should be dissolved in the present. We should be dissolved in thoughts of God. We should be dissolved in singing of God, in exchanging His miracles, in sharing His message. When we are dissolved in thoughts of the Divine, in the singing of the glory of God -- well, life is not a problem.

Because we want to analyze life, because we want to analyze the problem, in trying to solve it, we don’t find any solution. On the other hand, when we realize, not analyze, we become dissolved in existence. We become dissolved in that moment of time. That is enough. That is enough for life. That gives us the experience of Immortality in that moment. That gives us the experience of bliss right now.

But if you think of a problem, either we try to postpone the problem or complicate it. No one can ever solve the problem, no! It becomes more complicated or creates even more problems. On the other hand, when we dissolve -- rather than solve -- into God, well, He will take care of it.

Life Is A Contradiction

We also find life is a contradiction, yes! Because I'm happy in the morning, I'm miserable in the evening. I’ve got so many profits in the year 2001, and am full of losses in the year 2002. In 1999 I was so close to Swami, but in the year 2000 – well, I’m nowhere. I don’t know whether God knows that I exist or not.

So life is full of ups and downs; life is full of bumps and jumps. Life has become something that is unpredictable. Life is full of contradictions. Therefore, we are tossed in-between happiness and unhappiness. We oscillate between joy and misery.

But Baba says, “Accept the reality of life.” What is the reality? It is paradox. Life is a contradiction. Life is paradoxical. Life is diabolical. Life is full of opposites or polarities. When we accept that, therein lies the beauty. Accept the reality.

Here’s a simple example: Unless there is night, there cannot be day. Day must be followed by night. Oh God, I cannot enjoy the night. I don’t want the darkness. I don’t what to live in the dark. May I have only broad daylight? Let me live only in daylight because I don’t want the dark. Well, what will happen? You won’t be able to rest. So what will happen further? You cannot enjoy the day. So night is required to enjoy the day. Day is required to function, to work. So day and night equally give us happiness.

Bhagavan goes a step further. Unless there is death, birth cannot be appreciated. An example: A mother is afraid of her child having an accident on the way to school. The mother has more and more anxiety about protecting her child. If the child is all accident-proof, incident-proof, injury-proof, death-proof, well, there is no proof of love at all. So love is because of death. Birth is appreciated because of death. Death follows like a shadow.

Every fruit has a protective covering or rind, which is bitter. The fruit is sweet, but the covering -- the skin or the rind around the fruit -- is bitter. Without the bitter skin around the fruit, the sweet fruit has no protection. So sweetness and bitterness go together. Success and failure go together.

So my friends, the beauty of life lies in these polarities, in these opposites. Life being diabolic, life being paradoxical, life being full of contradiction -- gives us the beauty of life. It is not the curse of life. Contradiction is not the curse of life, but contradiction is the beauty of life.

Even in bad times we experience something good. Many, many devotees have come to Bhagavan because of certain challenges in life: maybe because of sickness; maybe because of loss in business; maybe because of some aspiration; maybe because of some kind of desire to occupy a high position. Some desire, some problem in life might have brought them here. Maybe that problem is a big problem – a serious sickness – a very unhappy thing. There is nothing good about it. But that unhappy sickness brought them the happiness of the Divine Darshan. Now can you say that sickness is an unhappy thing? Can you say that sickness should be condemned? No!

All that is negative has also given us positive results. There is nothing that is absolutely positive; there is nothing that is absolutely negative. There is negative in the positive and there is positive in the negative. Because positive and negative go together, it facilitates the easy flow of electricity. Then you can have all the benefits of electronic gadgets. So this life, which is paradoxical, is wholesome in its totality. It is holistic -- for the ultimate benefit of man. What we have to do is to accept it unconditionally, without any grudge or grouse.

You Are Unique

In this modern society everyone wants to be equal. Youngsters don’t want elders to dominate them. Youngsters don’t want to follow the elders. Children don’t want to pay heed to the words of their parents. Everywhere there is a fight for equal rights. The Woman’s Liberation Movement -- why not? We’re as good as you or as bad as you. Why not? So, we want to be equal.

But Hindu Vedanta, rather I should say Sanatana Dharma, the ancient philosophy of life, gives a higher status than merely being equal. Why fight to be equal? You are really foolish. You are not equal, but you are unique. That is the highest position, the highest level. You are unique. You are special. Let us not consider ourselves equal. When we consider ourselves equal, we are a crowd -- we are a mob. We are fit for elections in a democracy, for counting purposes. We are not sheep to be counted, no! We are unique, but we are not equal.

Unique in the sense that God has expressed Himself. God has manifested Himself in every one of us. Unmanifest is God -- manifest is man. I'm not attempting to juggle words, nor am I a student of literature. For your information I’m a student of botany, the plant sciences -- the plants that do not speak! God manifests as man. Man unmanifest is God. So I cannot consider you equal. No! Everyone is unique.

Well, what do you find in Sai’s life? Bhagavan talks to a Primary School child. Bhagavan talks to a student from the Institute of Higher Learning. He says, “Hello” to a politician; “How are you?” to a Minister; “What do you want?” to a sick man. Bhagavan’s level of communication is the same. Bhagavan’s love towards everybody is the same because He considers everyone unique. There is not any grading. Each is unique, yes, each is important to Him.

Here’s a simple example. When we are fortunate enough to have an interview, because of the way Bhagavan talks to us, we are lost. Forget paradise, forget heaven -- that interview is heaven itself. He gives you the impression that He cannot get along without you. (Laughter) He gives you the feeling that the Avatar has come down for your sake only -- that He has got 100% of His hopes on you. That without you the Divine mission cannot be fulfilled. That kind of impression He gives in the interview room.

But by the afternoon, God passes by our side. Lifting both of His hands into the empty air, He successfully avoids the very same person. Neatly, He leaves this man questioning whether He knows him at all, whether they ever even met in this lifetime! Yes! Most of you have experienced this. When He talks to you, you are important. When He looks at you, you are important. That’s all. You are not a mass, you are not a crowd, you are not a mob. You are unique.

Sociology and the political sciences want us to fight for equal rights. Spirituality, without fighting, gives us the right to be unique. It is not faith; it is a matter of right. It is our birthright and we’re always right to consider ourselves unique and not equal.

I Belong To All Countries

It is also important for us to get away from certain narrow considerations of region, caste, community and nationality. Yes, we are divided on the basis of nationality, caste, community, religion and language. But these are all of our own creation.

Christ was never a Christian. Buddha was never a Buddhist. Buddhism came later. We have to recognize this: Let me try to be Buddha, but not a Buddhist. Let me try to be Christ, but not a Christian. Because Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism -- these ‘isms’ are ideologies. But Buddha and Christ, they are ideals.

Let me not follow an ideology; let me follow the ideal. And in following the ideal, let me be away from these shadows. Let me cut off the chains. Let me rise above the dimensions, all dimensions -- freedom from all dimensions -- the dimensions of caste, community, gender, nationality, country, language. Then you’ll understand there is only one humanity and one earth.

I think I told you this story long ago, but it doesn’t matter if I repeat it once again for the benefit of those who have not heard it earlier. One day it so happened that I was talking to Swami and I said, “In our country, this is happening.”

Immediately Bhagavan turned and looked at me seriously, “Why do you say OUR country? Why do you include Me?” (Laughter)

Then I said, “Swami, what shall I say?”

He said, “My country.”

“Then what about You, Swami?”

Then Baba said, “I belong to all countries. All countries are Mine.”

That is the level of the Divine. “All languages are Mine, all people are Mine, all castes, all communities, all names, all forms are Mine.” That is freedom from all dimensions. One world, one earth, one government, as Burton Russell dreamt.

Where Is God?

And it is also rather funny, mysterious, to think of God as separate. Where is God? He’s in a temple, waiting for me. Where is God? He’s in a church in search of me on a Sunday. Where is God? He’s in a mosque, waiting for me on a Friday.

God is not in a temple. Where is God? God is life itself. God is existence. God is in the moment. God is this moment of time. Yes! God is not a person. God is a presence. If God is a person, you can meet Him on Monday and you cannot meet Him on Tuesday because he has other appointments. If God is a person, then when you meet with Him, another man cannot because a single person cannot meet with everybody at the same time. So He’s not a person. He’s a presence. You feel God's presence.

God is not an object, but God is a subject. God is not an object to be possessed. If this is an object, I can possess it. I cannot possess God. I may have the feeling of having possessed God, be given the impression that I have possessed Him – but, this is a sign of madness. God is not an object to be possessed; He’s a subject to be thought of. He’s a subject to ponder over. God is not a person, but He’s a presence to be felt. This is a beautiful experience.

We should also know that God is not a goal. Some people say, “I want to reach God.” Oh-ho, where is He? Is He in Argentina? Then I must buy the ticket and obtain a passport and a visa. Where is God? Is He on the moon? Armstrong did not report the presence of God on the moon. Where is God? Is He in the ocean? Submarines have gone very deep and have not yet brought God to the surface. Is God on the mountaintop? Sherpah Tensing climbed Mount Everest and did not meet Him. So God is not on the mountaintop or deep in the valley or in the ocean.

Where is God? We can easily understand that life is God. A fish is in water, but does not know that it is in water. Fish exist in water but are not aware of the presence of water. Similarly, what the fish needs to do now is to realize that it is in water. That’s all. The fish does not need to go in search of water. The fish need not discover water. The fish need not manufacture water nor does it need to invent water. It is in water. What it needs to do is realize that it is in water.

You Are God

Our situation is similar. We don’t have to go in search of God. We don’t have to find God anywhere because God is everywhere. Life itself is God. God is not a goal. Why? A goal is separate from you. You need time to reach a goal. God is not an achievement. God is not a goal. God is not an aim. Why?

You are God. That’s what Bhagavan says. You are God. When you are God, God cannot be an aim. When you are God, God cannot be a goal. When you are God, God cannot be an achievement. And you are not the achiever either. So what needs to be done is constant inquiry, mimamsa or sadhana or vichaaranam. With inquiry you will know that you are God. You will know your basic nature -- that you are Divine. Yes! You will know your true Self.

I have lost my true identity. I have forgotten my true name. I have forgotten what I am. I identify myself with this body and speak in terms of height and weight and chest. I identify myself with my name and introduce myself as so-and-so. I identify myself with the place I live and introduce myself as an Indian and so on and so forth. So I identify with my body, with my job, with my country. Thus I have forgotten my true identity. I have forgotten my true Self.

But actually, your true Self is Divine. A pure heart is the temple of God. The Indweller is God. “I and my Father in heaven are one,” said Jesus Christ. You are God. God made man in His own reflection. So, forgetting the fact that I'm the reflection of God, I think that I'm the reflection of some nonsensical things.

Once when I said to Bhagavan, “Swami, when You say to me, ‘You are God,’ well, I'm not able to believe it. This fellow who has a weakness for a hot cup of coffee, how can he claim to be God? Well, I don’t think so, Swami!” Then Baba said in a very funny way, “If you think that you are not God, then think that you are a buffalo,” (Laughter) He said, ”If you think you are a buffalo, you become a buffalo. As you think, so you become.”

So God is not a goal, He’s not an aim, not an achievement. It is just a realization and the subsequent experience. And further, we are always in a condition of argumentation, delegation, equation, hypothesis, theory, idea, ideologies -- we’re after that. There are some who say, “You can conclude there is God because of these reasons: one, two, three, four. You can conclude there is God -- there is Creation so there must have been a Creator behind it. There is smoke, so there must have been some fire. So, they have certain evidence, some proof and some arguments to put forth. Therefore, God exists.

Tremendous Positivity

So my friends, God is not an inference; God is an experience. God is tremendous positivity towards life -- tremendous positivity towards existence. What is tremendous positivity? Are we really positive? No! We doubt everybody. We suspect everybody. We have suspicion. We are full of doubt. We don’t accept anything. We hesitate, but we don’t meditate. We doubt. We have not gone beyond doubts. This has been our situation. Therefore, God is tremendous positivity towards existence.

Tremendous positivity towards life -- what is it? Those of you, who have gone through the newspapers, yesterday you must have seen a quote given by the President designate of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, who made a beautiful statement. I said to Swami, “Swami, this is what Kalam said.” Bhagavan immediately said, “That’s just what I told him when he visited me in Bangalore.” (Laughter)

You must have seen what Kalam repeated in the newspapers yesterday. What did Abdul Kalam say? “Whatever happens in life is for our own good. Everything is good. Good happened, good is happening, good will happen.” That is tremendous positivity. I'm sure that none of us would say that. Good happened today, but let me see in the afternoon. (Laughter) Swami looked at me in the morning -- good. In the evening, I am not sure -- let me wait. It is premature to say whether it is good or not right now. Let me wait and see. (Laughter)

So, tremendous positivity means that readiness, that preparedness, that unconditional acceptance -- whatever happens in our life is for our own good. This is the very definition of God. Tremendous positivity towards existence is God.

Merge, Melt, Disappear

Then what is the secret? I tell you somebody said, “Sir, I sit for meditation.”

“Oh?”

“After some time, I'm lost. I do not know where I am. I just forget myself while in meditation.”

Then I said, “Perhaps it is a deep sleep!” (Laughter) In deep sleep also we forget where we are -- what we do.

We also find some people who begin with meditation, chanting the name, repeating and turning the beads, the rosary, the talisman, again and again. Within a couple of seconds, instead of ‘Sai Ram,’ you hear the sound of their snoring! They snore, you see? So, it is not the state of samadhi. No! It is not the ultimate state of meditation, certainly not!

So what is true meditation? True meditation has three steps: merge, melt, and disappear. These are the three steps in the process of meditation. Merge: As you think of God, you are not concerned with the surroundings. You are not aware of your position. You are not conscious of your stature or of anything whatsoever. You are in the very thought of God and His Divine glory. Merge. That is what is called ‘merger’.

Then once you merge, you do not know how long you have been going, you do not know how long you stayed, you do not know where you are. You have forgotten what is to be done -- meaning you are beyond time and space. That is melt. So merge, then melt.

And finally what happens? I do not exist. You do not exist -- that’s all. You become universal or cosmic. That is the final state: disappear. So, merger, melting, and disappearance -- the process of meditation requires three steps: merge, melt and disappear.

So long as ‘I’ exists, you are still to merge. The one who has merged will never say “I.” Can I say that? A drop of water just dropped into the ocean. So, there’s no drop any longer because it has merged into the ocean. Yes! The drop does not exist any longer. So long as we say ‘I, I, I’, it means we’re not even at the first step, not even in nursery school, not even at the kindergarten level in the process of meditation. The first causality should be I-ness. When once the I-ness is dropped, there begins the true meditation: merge, melt and disappear. Something like a dewdrop put in the ocean – it merges, melts and disappears. It becomes the very ocean itself. You are universal. You are the world. You are cosmic. That is the finale of meditation.

God Is Being

We should also understand -- Bhagavan always says this: God is not becoming; God is being. God is your being and God is not becoming. If God is becoming, it is something which lies ahead -- a futuristic view, something to happen in the future. Some time is required to become God.

If I want to become a professor, I need some time to acquire the necessary qualifications. Then I can become a professor. Time qualification, eligibility, and experience -- they are all required to become a professor. To become President or Prime Minister, you need eligibility, political party support -- certain things are required. Becoming: something lies in the future. But God is not becoming. God is your being. This is the approach of Bhagavan.

That’s what Bhagavan meant when He said, “Do not do Padanamaskaar any longer.” Padanamaskaars are cancelled. Touching His Feet is discontinued. Why? He wants to forcefully impose on us that God is being and not becoming – and that you are God. That God is not a goal -- that God is not an achievement. God is not far off from you. And you have got to realize your true Self because He has given us 75 years of time to understand the quintessence of His message.

Thousands and thousands of chances to touch His Feet and the constant touch of His Feet made us feel proud of it, as a sort of achievement, a sort of propaganda, publicity, aggrandizement, exhibitionism, a show affair. When the real purpose has not been served -- well, Divine ordinance is passed. No more Padanamaskaars, which means that you are purposely, forcefully driven to go within. We have been beating around the bush, but we have not gone within. Therefore, this statement clearly indicates that being is God and not becoming.

Religion And Religiousness

And Bhagavan clearly says that religion is not a dress that you put on. Religion is not just a path that you follow. Religion is a conditioning of life. Religion is something like a program for a computer. It is a condition. No, let’s not follow a religion, but let us be religious.

To be a man of religion is different from being religious. Religiousness is more important than religion. Religion is just a label. Religion is a mark of identification. Religion is a brand. Religion is a trademark. But religiousness is practice. Religiousness is behavior. Religiousness is an expression of the principle of religion. So, there is a big difference between religion and religiousness.

To be religious is different. When you are silent, when you are peaceful, when you are alert, you are religious. With all the agitation in my mind, with all the disturbances in my mind, with all the controversy in my mind -- well, I cannot claim to be religious. I can say I'm a man of religion, but not religious. A religious man is always peaceful. He will never have a complaint against anybody. He will not have enmity towards anybody. Not any enmity, but you will find empathy. You will find sympathy; you will find friendliness; you will find understanding. So, a religious man is peaceful and a religious man is silent.

A man of religion is vocal. A man of religion is expressive, but a religious man is silent. Why? It is only in silence -- it is only in the depth of silence -- that the voice of God is heard. You experience God in silence. That’s the reason why every spiritual guru, every spiritual master, is very particular about silence. It is because in silence you can go within. In silence you can experience the Divinity within.

Are We Really Alert?

So wherever there is silence -- when you are alert -- are we really alert? Certainly not! In the evening time when we go for a walk behind the Round buildings, when the cool breeze touches your body, God says, “Hello, how are you?” That is God's touch. God has come to shake hands with you by way of a cool breeze. And the twilight -- when you watch the sky, the different colors, the beautiful painting across the sky – this is the myriad, multi-dimensional face of God. He is saying, “Hello my dear son, how are you?” The smiling, blossoming flowers that toss in the breeze, the rose flower that blossoms and the dew drop that slides over the surface of the lotus leaf, shining like a pearl – this is the beautiful face of God, saying, “Here I am my son! Why don’t you look at me?”

So my friends, we can enjoy God when we are alert. Alert means conscious, awake, aware of the five elements, the breeze, the sunrise, the twilight, the valleys, the greenery, the forests and the mighty mountains! These things speak of the manifestation of Divinity. So a religious man is always alert. He sees the cosmic form of God everywhere. He abides in peace and he’s always silent. There lies the secret of life.

A spiritual man is never boastful. A spiritual man never advertises himself. There are some people who say, “While I sit in meditation, I see some pictures. I see colors.” Please enjoy yourself because I may not see what you see. Well, all that you say may be meaningless to me. Therefore, this is absolutely personal. We cannot advertise. We cannot go on telling everybody. Your experience is based on the intensity of your own sadhana and the magnitude of your own spiritual path. Well, I cannot judge. Who am I to judge?

Being Ordinary Is Extraordinary

Therefore, the important point here is that a religious man, a spiritual man, always feels that he is ordinary. Jesus was an ordinary person. Jesus Christ was very ordinary. Yes! Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was very ordinary. Most precious things in the world are ordinary. The sky is ordinary. The stars are ordinary. The moonlight is ordinary. The sunlight is ordinary. But, I want to be extraordinary -- here lies the problem! Man, in trying to be extraordinary, becomes a fool, a laughing stock. No one should try to be extraordinary because there is nothing extraordinary in being extraordinary. Ordinariness is extraordinary. What is extraordinary? To be ordinary is extraordinary because most precious things are ordinary.

Once Bhagavan said, looking at me, “You have got a new suit! Hmm! Its fine!” Well, I was so happy because being complimented by Bhagavan gives one a sense of satisfaction, if not pride. Immediately He said, “I am the same, same -- birthday or any day – I wear the same dress whereas you have a new suit on your birthday.” (Laughter) Because we want to be special on birthdays, we want to be special on festival days, and we want to be extraordinary on special occasions. Well, God is the same (Anil Kumar draws out the word ‘same’ in a funny way, as “Saaaaaammmmmme.”). (Laughter)

On special occasions, when lunch or dinner is arranged for VIPs, like the Prime Minister or Governors -- when a few lucky souls also follow Him, there are many items to eat. What is it our God eats? Same food -- two spoons, that’s all. Two spoons of rice, Hari Om Tat Sat! He gets up. The same food, same dress – very, very ordinary. While talking to devotees, suddenly He picks up His cup, takes a sip and He’ll say, “It’s not coffee. It’s only water!” (Laughter) Ordinary. While eating, if you just look at Him, He will say, “No sweets, sir. I have never touched any sweets.”

I Never Watched A Circus!

The other day Bhagavan was saying, “I have never had a ride on a motorcycle. I have never experienced a train journey. I have never experienced it. I have never watched any circus.” That’s what He was saying: “I have never watched the circus!” (Laughter) “Why not, Swami? Why not? The circus is interesting. It’s quite interesting. We have got a ringleader, making lions jump. The circus is interesting. Why don’t You watch it? In our younger days, we used to watch the Parasurama Lion Circus and the Gemini Circus. Why don’t You watch this circus?”

Bhagavan said, “In the circus, they make the wild animals suffer. And, in watching the suffering -- certain games, certain shows -- you are happy about it. You are happy watching the suffering of the wild animals. I don’t watch it. Why should they beat them? Why should they whip them? Why should they do certain shows -- certain stunts -- to make you happy? The stunts are done by the wild animals because the ringmaster makes them suffer. I don’t like it. So I have not seen it. I am an ordinary man, sir!”

“Swami, are You ordinary?”

“Yes!”

“How can you say that?”

Bhagavan said this only yesterday. I'm giving you the latest information -- hot, hot, straight from the hot, hot oven you know. What did He say yesterday?

“I went to Africa a long time back. When I was in East Africa what happened? I was just walking around. I found lions and tigers also moving around.”

‘Moving?”

“Yes!”

“Oh Swami, the very idea frightens me! The very picture frightens me.”

“Yes! I was not afraid of them.”

“Why, Swami? Why weren’t You afraid of the lions?”

He said, “I'm not afraid of the lions because the lions know that I'm not going to do any harm to them. You are afraid of them and they are afraid of you because they suspect that you are going to kill them. When they are sure that nothing will happen to them, they are free.”

“Swami, are You the only person who mingled freely in the forest?”

“No, the East African people also moved freely in the forest. “

“Freely, oh!”

“Tigers with cubs and lions -- they used to move about. We were also there. Nothing happened. And at night, elephants would also move about in large groups. An elephant would put its trunk through the window, pick up the fruit and leave.”

“Oh! Is that so?”

Thank God I had a good sleep last night, in spite of all this narration! So, they are so free! Why? Because they are ordinary. When you are ordinary, not suspicious -- when you are one with the existence, with life in general -- you don’t have to be afraid. You’ll never be frightened. Your life will never be at any risk whatsoever. So don’t feel ordinary -- be ordinary.

I don’t feel ordinary. I am ordinary. Why? The moment you feel special, I am so-and-so. Ah! Ah! “I have been coming to this place for the last 20 years.” What is your contribution? Nothing! “I have been here for the last 30 years.” Why? You are a burden to the place.

So the moment you feel special, you have lost contact with love and life, and with the totality of existence. Let us feel very, very ordinary -- that is the extraordinary quality. Gold cannot be greater than you. You are greater than the gold -- understand it! Achievement cannot be greater than the achiever. That’s very important.

Reason And Heart

Here there are two views: those from the West, they go by reason. Those coming from the East, they go by their heart. The heart guides the people in the East. It is reason that guides people in the West. Baba says that we need a blend of both. Reason and heart -- both of them are important. Reasoning is of the mind. Feeling is of the heart. The Western people go on questioning things – reason. That’s the reason why science and technology advanced in the West. Whereas in the East, you find the heart has been propelling all human activity. Therefore, you find spirituality in abundance in the East.

But Bhagavan shows us a beautiful blend -- a synthesis of both -- when He says “Reason functions in the world of objects, while the heart functions in the world of consciousness. Therefore, grow in your heart and let your reasoning be sharp. When there is perfect harmony, you are a genius. You are a genius when there is harmony between reasoning and the heart.”

And finally, before I take leave from you, Bhagavan does not want us to be missionaries, no! We have missionaries who propagate Bhagavan’s message. There are missionaries of various schools of philosophy, of different religions, who are also quite active in bringing about conversions. So we, Sai devotees, are not to be missionaries.

We, Sai devotees, are not to convert anybody, not to mesmerize anybody, not to hypnotize anybody, not to pressurize anybody, not to pester anybody, no! Bhagavan does not want anyone to be a missionary. Bhagavan does not want you to be a missionary. Bhagavan wants you to be the very message of His life. He never wants you to be a missionary.

With this I take leave from you. Thank you very much!

Sai Ram!

Om Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya

Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
 

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