Sri Sathya Sai Baba Articles

An opening remark

Om Sri Sai Ram

Revered elders, dear brothers.

   This morning, we have a very eminent speaker addressing all of us. He is a reputed businessman, who has made a very big mark for himself in the field of mineral prospecting. That apart, he is also a person who has been coming to Bhagawan for spiritual guidance for several years for now. He is Mr. James D. Sinclair. After having acquired his degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, Mr. Sinclair, in the year 1975, set up the Sinclair group of companies for which he became the president and the chief executive officer. Thereafter, he established, in the year 1981, the James D. Sinclair financial research institute, for which he became the chairman and the chief executive officer. Later on, in the year 1978, his interest increased in the field of television and telecommunications, wherein he became the founding partner of the company Cross Country Cable TV. Presently, he is the chairman and the executive officer of the Tanzanian American development. This company is incidentally prospecting and developing about 2000 sq. miles of mineralized property in East Africa.

   Mr. Sinclair has been called by several names by several people. His partners have called him as “somebody different”, but the Forbes magazine issue of Dec. 10th calls him, by something which I think is very apt description of Mr. Sinclair. It tells him, “he’s somebody who stands apart easily in a crowd.” Mr. Sinclair’s personality has always marked him out as somebody who stands out in the crowd. Be his quite demeanor or be his personality that gives an impression that is always deeply involved in a thought. What would perhaps interest us about his talk today is his exposure to Bhagawan, his experiences to Bhagawan, and of course, is his advice, to all of us.

   I would like to invite Mr. Sinclair, but before that, I would like to just mention one incident which stands out in my mind. It took place in Kodai Kanal. Bhagawan was finished Dharshan and he was waiting in the house. Somebody arrived in the outside room at around 9:15, and he was pacing up and down. People were sitting inside, knew that somebody has arrived.

   And just when the cuckoo clock inside the room struck 10:00, the door opened, and Mr. Sinclair walked in. So Swami looked at him and said, “This is punctuality. He had arrived at 9:15, but I had told him to come at 10 o’clock, so he waited for 10 o’clock and walked in.” This punctuality is a mark of a principle person. And this is something I’m sure all of us will be able to learn from in Mr. Sinclair’s talk. I now invite Mr. Sinclair to address all of us; Mr. Sinclair.
(Applause)

Speech

   Sai Ram brothers. And you all are brothers; we may have somewhat older bodies or somewhat younger bodies. But in truth, really, where is the difference? Only a point, let’s say, on this lifetime scale of where you stand on the long run to our beloved Swami’s feet. Let us pray for a moment, that these words may be Swami’s words, that the message may be His message, and most especially, that the hearing of this message in these hallowed halls will be heard from that place of silence, in which he dwells containing us all, being us all, supporting us; giving us meaning, giving us direction, giving us purpose, giving us worth, giving us confidence, and giving us the success that only can be reached at His feet. Amen.

   Gentlemen; you have the greatest, strongest, most effective, most practical, realistic, profitable, asset, on earth, in the heavens, in the cosmos wherever, however, anywhere, that has ever been. Because in this sense, self confidence is confidence in that great self, which is embodied in our lifetime on this planet in this earth, right here. Who speaks to us daily and kids us into believing that there may be a person there, but in truth the whole, the absolute, complete, Godhead is here, supporting, teaching, instructing, giving, loving, caring, for all of us. And no matter where we go in life, no matter what role we play, no matter what risk we take, no matter what we undertake, consider for a minute that the most powerful, the most wonderful, totality is there in us, around us, above us, below us, in every corner of the compass. So how in the world can you ever be afraid of anything? How can you fail to take the honor of a risk, when you know who and what you are? How can you ever not have self confidence, when the self in whom you place the confidence is not that small self either speaking to you, or sitting in the chair?

   Let me assure you, I have not done anything. I am not a great successful predictor of all business activities and CEO that knows everything. All I can tell you is: centered on him, act, and you won’t fail. You can’t fail. The world will see you as the most active person possible, if you only step up and take that risk. Forget the past, don’t speculate on the future; don’t be structured by what the society says you should be, be what you know you are; dare to be divine. I had the privilege of hearing swami in the interview room, listening to the Bhajans being sung outside at that time, and hearing them say, “Don’t they know they’re divine?” Dare to be what Swami tells who you are. You are not simply a temple on feet; you are what all of what Swami teaches. And on that basis, recognize that the business of business and the business of life are exactly the same. There is no difference. What you practice in your life, what you practice in your home is exactly what you’re going to practice in your office. Regardless of what the profession is; you might teach, you might be a technician, you might be a physician, you might be a businessman, you might be a risk-taker like myself, whatever it is; every single action, every single thought, every single conversation, contract, dealing, relationship, management, comes from only one place. Look at how simple it is. Let’s not make this complex. “Centered on me, act,” Sai Krishna taught it to Arjuna. Our beloved Sai teaches that to you, and to me. And we have no fear. The only terrorist is the ego. The force against terrorism is the divine. It is absolutely accessible if we’ll only get out of its way. Finding Swami is letting Swami find you. Seeking that silence that you’ve all experienced is not doing anything. What it’s doing is ceasing stopping something wonderful from happening. If I appear lost in thoughts sometimes, or simply keeping to myself, it is my Self that I’m keeping to, but with a capital S. Are you going to objectively refer your lives, or you’re going to self refer your lives?

   Many things happen; even in the last few days I had some minor revolutions of partners.
I’ve had to deal with concerns, because the world is not necessarily in some people’s experience a pleasant environment, and therefore they fear what others will do to them. But because I firmly, totally, completely, and utterly believe in the absolute theory of management, which is management by the absolute, I wouldn’t even consider, I wouldn’t be as stupid as, I would be too nervous to, cheat, lie, or steal. So I conduct myself by placing my partner’s interest in front of my own interest, but I don’t go around advertising the fact that I’ve done that. And then the problem like what came up in the last 2 or 3 days surfaces, where a partner is concerned over major a contract to be signed this Monday with a major mining company, that I might place my own interest in front of their interest. When revealed to them, that in fact here is the documents, here is what we’ve done, and we’re sharing with you things that the contract doesn’t call for us to share with you, and that we’ve placed your interest in front of ours and so much so that you will be paid directly, not even through the cooperation. Then some partners of mine stand in awe of the fact that they’ve been taken care of. So, here is an American, dealing with conservative Islamic partners in East Africa, who are extraordinarily concerned that their interest wouldn’t be taken care of, only to find out that in the world of Sai, there are no differences at all.

   So, the first message I carry to you is a simple one; believe in yourself. The only risk is not taking a risk. Recognize that Namaste, the God in the interviewer and the God in you is the same God, so who are you talking to? Have no concern. Be at ease. And don’t let any prior socialization interfere with the fact of you knowing who you are, what you can accomplish, how you are going to accomplish it. And as you begin on these careers, don’t forget for a moment that the business of business and the business of life are exactly the same. And don’t get into these great conundrums, these Gordian knots of, well of I saw my employer doing this and I saw that. Simply behave. Stand for what’s right, do no evil, do no wrong, don’t lie, steal or cheat, for yourself or foranyone else. Who do you trust? The cooperation? The government? The newspaper? OrSai? If you trust in our beloved Baba, then you trust in his teachings. And practice them. Notcarry a flag around, saying “I do this”. But help ever, and hurt never, as a principle. Not as arallying call. And what is success?

   Define it. What are your treasures? Who is your boss?And where is your bank? Swami is my boss, my treasure is pleasing him, my bank is in karma, andsuccess to me is doing my duty. Remember, the success is not a product of the means, but rathersuccessful surround Sathwa. Sathwa is a magnet; proper action, dharmic action, action based onprinciple, will be a magnet to your success. Not manipulation, not strategy, not game playing. Bethe men you are. Be the heroes that Swami knows you are. You’re not here by accident. This isnot a mistake. This is not free education so I’ll cooperate for the period of time. This is an honor; you are special forces of the divine. And the divine is a special force within you for good. And the war is a war against the terror created by the ego, and there are very simple ways of fighting that. Do not let a thought enter your mind, as it enters into the temple wearing its shoes. Don’t letnegative thinking run you. Don’t run negative films in your mind. Accept the good, the great. Don’t accept the small and restricted. If the small and restricted find their way into the temple of your mind, stop. Don’t fight the thought, but see it. And while innocently seeing that thought, feel that silence. Act centered on me is not doing anything. It’s ceasing stopping somethingwonderful from happening. There has never been a different teaching. There have been differenttimes. There have been different forms, but there has only been one Avatar. And that Avatar ishere and now. And that Avatar tells us, “There is no difference between you and I, except one; Iknow who I am, and you’ll find out who you are.” Swami, to me, in the late 1980s. And I believefirmly, I believe completely, that this is the most practical teaching, the most magnificent teaching,the most concise teaching, the most valuable: and it’s yours. You’re not just students in auniversity. You’re not thrown out onto a competitive face of the world large and fearsome. You are all the strength there is. You are all the wealth there is. Where is there lack in the self? What is a recession? Something in somebody’s mind. Something that happened to somebody else. I have no recession. I’ll never have a depression. Abundance is like air; just breathe it in. When I say I’ve done nothing, I’m telling you that I see, and you will, inaction in action.Now, people will say or the article will say that I might be apparently an extremely competitive man.Let me tell you, I’m not. You will know everything you’ll need to know when you need to know it,if you will trust that silent presence that sits behind every word, and more so, and equally so, behindevery hearing. Learn to listen. Don’t think about your answer when somebody’s speaking to you.

   Drink in what they’re saying. In the silence of your not running some intellectual argumentation while the professor is speaking, while you’re listening to an associate in business, the answer will come. Even if you need to be silent, for a moment, a minute, or 2 minutes or more after the completion of what’s been said, don’t let it embarrass you. It’s the silence that packs all of everything, power, and reason, action, and the way to act. And everyday, out of that door, steps that silence that underlies you and I, that underlies this universe. So where is the significant problem?

   If you bring anything out of what I’ve come to say to you today, bring self confidence: in confidence in the Self, that that Self is totally there for you. That accessing the Self is only getting out of its way, and getting out of its way is shutting up and being sound. Learn to listen. In learning to listen, again, you’re not doing anything. You’re shutting down the volume, so that their voice that we must hear we can hear. Trust completely. And go out into the world and let unfold divine will, by not willing in a sense how that will happen. I’m not suggesting that you don’t have goals, and that you don’t have plans, that you don’t have objectives, that you don’t order your life, because I see order here that I’ve never seen before. If I see shoes lined up, if I see men stand, if I see a presentation prepared for but looking totally natural, I see an order that I’ve never seen before. And the divine is orderly. The mind is disorderly. And I don’t see forced order. I see natural order. I don’t see strain. So I see tremendous capacity, I see tremendous potential, I know that the underlying foundation is the strongest, and I wish and have shared with you the secret of whatever success may be apparent in me. I don’t have to accumulate, I don’t have to worry about the results, I only have the honor of doing. And doing from a foundation of silence is the easiest thing in the world. So the article said, yes, Mr. Sinclair is different, yes, they might call me a loner, but that loner is just those moments when conversation is in truth inappropriate and silence is restful, loving, embracing, enlightening, and is the fuel for action. They find it explicable that I could address crowds of many thousands, that I could talk to a president as easily as I speak to a beggar in a street. And if that’s what a loner is, it’s a very strange kind of loner. I don’t believe that I’m a loner. I believe that I hold on to the feet of the absolute. And take every possible moment, not wasting time to be there, then to come out and do as my duty calls.

   Now, I’m not completely familiar with the form but I might ask our administrators; if you have any pressing questions, developed out of what I’ve just said, lead me in the direction you’d would like me to go. So, if there are any questions, I do invite them, about future, about success, about how a businessman deals with the world at large. If I haven’t made it clear to you, please in the closing moments, would you ask me? Now, could I invite questions please? …I haven’t done that well…

   Well then, if there are no questions, go to the ultimate answer. When you find yourself shocked, when you find yourself lost, when you find yourself uncomfortable with something, don’t push that out of your mind. But allow the silence you know is there. The special silence, that you have heard as it were on the veranda during Bhajans, in the moments of quiet, in the moments of Dharshan. Allow that silence innocently defined as without intellectual speculation to be there, as the problem is also there. And recognize the solution to that problem is racing to you with a speed and determination that nothing can stop. And know that you have simply gotten out of Swami’s way.

Om Sai Ram.
(Applause)

Dictation: Mami Bando / Jeff Gayman

Source: http://www.sathyasai.or.jp/sgh/pdf/SpeechbyMr.Sinclair.pdf
 

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