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Divine
Benedictory Address on the occasion of 24th Annual Convocation
of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.
22nd November 2005
Truth and Righteousness
are the Foundation for True Education
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
delivering His Divine Discourse on 22nd November 2005 at
Prashanti Nilayam
Text of the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 22nd November 2005
(24th Annual Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Learning - 22 November 2005), at Prashanti Nilayam, Sai Kulwanth
Hall
Dear Students!
I do not wish to speak much about the present day education. In
fact, there is a purpose and goal for education; that is truth.
Whatever is learnt other than truth, cannot be construed as true
education. That is only secular education. There are many
'educated' people in the world today. But, what is it that they
are engaged in? I do not find educated people engaged in service
to society today. Nevertheless, the educational institutions in
the world are turning out more and more such 'educated' people.
The education that these people acquire is only secular
education and not spiritual education. In fact, spiritual
education is the only true education, which will establish the
existence of God. Secular education enables one to secure
employment and eke out a living thereby. It is for the physical
sustenance of the person concerned and his or her family. As the
saying goes, "The end of education is character". Devoid of
character, all other possessions are useless. Unfortunately,
today character building has been relegated to the background.
It is the last priority. Of what use it is to pursue such
education which does not confer character on a person? Modern
education may help one to gain control over men and matter, but
utterly fails in uplifting one's own self. There must be unity
between one's inner feelings and outward actions. The harmony
between thought, word and deed is of utmost importance.
Education should enable one to cultivate good qualities,
character and devotion.
When there is
unity between thought, word and deed, one can acquire purity and
realise divinity. Modern education is fully self-centred.
Wherever you see, selfishness is rampant. Contrary to it, true
education teaches selflessness. People pursuing such type of
education, give up their selfish interests and work for the
larger interest of society. It is said,
Paropakaraya punyaya, Papaya parapeedanam
(one attains merit by serving others and commits sin by hurting
them). Wherever you see, people today analyse whether a
particular activity they wish to undertake will be beneficial to
them or not. Everywhere you will find only selfish interest
coming to the fore. People tend to forget that the real self is
one's own Self (Atma), which
is the same Self (Atma)
present in every individual. And, that Self is
Chaitanya Shakti (the power of
universal consciousness). This Chaitanya
Shakti is present in every human being, nay every living
being. That is why it is said, Easwara
Sarva Bhutanam (God is the indweller of all beings).
Hence, one has to give up one's self-interest and strive to
realise the Atma Tattwa that
is present in every living being. Modern education is steeped in
utter selfishness. It is only when one transcends his
self-interest that one can acquire true education and purity of
heart. One has to rise above self-interest and help others with
a spirit of sacrifice. It is only then that one can become a
true human being and can be called as such; not by mere
education. Birds, beasts and animals cannot realise this sacred
Atma Tattwa and manifest
selflessness. Only a human being can do so by
Sadhana. A human being can
acquire value only by developing good character. Hence one has
to strive to acquire and protect one's character by pursuing
true education.
Education is
not for earning a fat pay-packet. After all, what can money do?
In what way it can help us? It may perhaps help us to acquire
name and fame and build palatial buildings with modern comforts.
But, devoid of character, of what use all these comforts?
Unfortunately, today the world respects such people only. In my
view, a person without character is unfit to be called a human
being. He is only an animal. Even an animal is better than such
a human being, for, it has a season and a reason. But, a human
being has no season and reason at all! Wherever you see, you
will find only selfishness today. Only such people pass off as
gentlemen in society in present times. Coming to the point once
again, character is the most important aspect of a human being.
Truth and righteousness are the foundation for character. As the
saying goes, Sathyannasti paro Dharma
(There is no Dharma greater
than adherence to truth). The mansion of righteousness rests on
the foundation of truth. If the very foundation of truth
collapses, there can be no righteousness. Hence, truth and
righteousness are the two most important limbs of a human being.
When truth and righteousness go together, love manifests.
Bereft of
truth, righteousness, love and peace
the value of all your education is zero;
Bereft of truth, righteousness, love and peace
the sanctity of all your acts of charity is zero;
Bereft of truth, righteousness, love and peace
the utility of the positions of power occupied is zero;
Bereft of truth, righteousness, love and peace
the result of all your good deeds is zero;
These four qualities are the four foundation walls
that support the mansion of Sanathana Dharma.
What more can I explain
Oh! Men of noble qualities
(Telugu
poem)
There can be no
peace without truth, righteousness and love. You often come
across people complaining, "I have everything in life, but I
have no peace of mind". A person without peace of mind is
confronted with troubles from all sides. If only one has peace
of mind, one can be happy in the world. He will have no troubles
at all! Such a person is a great soul. Let us now analyse the
true meaning of the word "Manava"
(human being). It means one without attachment to the world.
Only such a person can be called a real human being. To marry
someone, beget children and develop a family ? these are all
considered to be attachments. Man loses peace on account of
developing attachments. A paradoxical situation has developed
today where man has everything ? good food, comfortable life,
etc. but, he has no peace of mind. Why? Because, he has
developed an attachment to the objects of enjoyment. Peace is
something which cannot be purchased in a market. It depends upon
one's attitude to life and living. Hence one has to develop
Ekatma Bhava (feeling of oneness).
If this Ekatma Bhava is developed,
one can move about freely in the world with no attachment to any
particular individual or object. When man loses his freedom he
will become bound by the objective world. He will develop
desires, lust etc. Where there is lust, love cannot exist. The
rose flower which is a symbol of love teaches many good things.
It is a thing of beauty that speaks silently in the language of
fragrance. It is surrounded by thorns. In this example, the rose
flower is comparable to love and the thorns to lust. Man must be
able to pluck the flower of love without being pricked by the
thorns of lust. It is only when man develops pure love untainted
by desire and lust that he can be called a true human being.
Adi Sankara,
the greatest exponent of the Advaita
philosophy, once went on a tour to North India on a mission of
winning over scholars by argumentation. During the course of his
tour, he came across a great scholar by name Mandana Mishra. He
had a wife by name Ubhaya Bharati who was equally well-versed in
scriptures. Besides, she was a realised soul. She was selected
to be the arbitrator and judge to decide the winner in the
argumentative sessions between Sankaracharya and Mandana Mishra.
She was a truthful lady and was aptly suited to be a judge. The
judges of modern times are not comparable to Ubhaya Bharati in
the qualities of truth and objectivity. She always believed in
the aphorism "Truth is God" and therefore was eminently suited
for the assignment. The arguments between Sankaracharya and
Mandana Mishra commenced in the presence of Ubhaya Bharati. She
was following the arguments and counter arguments with rapt
attention. Finally, Sankaracharya defeated Mandana Mishra in the
arguments and he was declared as winner by Ubhaya Bharati. As
per the conditions governing the sessions, Mandana Mishra had to
take to sanyas and he did
accordingly. As a dutiful wife, Ubhaya Bharati followed suit and
she also took to sanyas. A question
may arise here as to what is sanyas,
in the real sense. It is giving up of all desires. As long as
one entertains desires, he will only be a
samsari (householder). He will develop worldly
relationships. He will desire to have a son in the first
instance. Thereafter, the whole retinue of daughter-in-law,
grandsons, granddaughters, etc., will follow. Ubhaya Bharati did
not wish to entangle herself in the web of such worldly
relationships. Hence, she took to sanyas
(renunciation). One day, she was going along with her disciples
to the river Ganga for taking a holy dip in the river. On the
way, she observed a sanyasi
relaxing on the wayside, keeping a dried bottle gourd under his
head. This, he was using for storing drinking water and hence he
was preserving it safely. Ubhaya Bharati saw this
sanyasi's attachment to the bottle
gourd and commented to her disciples, "Look! This man calls
himself a sanyasi, but he is
attached to a bottle gourd which he is keeping safely under his
head as a pillow." The sanyasi
heard this comment, but did not utter anything then. While
Ubhaya Bharati and her disciples were returning from the river,
he threw away the bottle gourd in front of them in order to
demonstrate that he was not attached to the article. Observing
his action, Ubhaya Bharati aptly remarked, "I thought there was
only one defect in him ? Abhimana
(attachment). Now I realise that he has another defect also ?
Ahamkara (ego). How can one with
Abhimana and
Ahankara become a jnani and
sanyasi?" Her comment was an
eye-opener for the sanyasi.
Immediately, he fell at the feet of Ubhaya Bharati and prayed to
her to teach him true knowledge.
People today
put up a show as though they had renounced everything. In fact,
it is they who crave for worldly possessions. Dear students! You
are all engaged in pursuing education. Hence, you must have only
one desire now. That is Brahmacharya
(celibacy). When you come here to join the Sri Sathya Sai
Institute of Higher Learning as students, you pray, "Swami! We
don't want anything. We have no desires like marriage, setting
up a family and building of houses, etc. Please lead us on the
path of liberation." But, the moment you leave the portals of
the Institute, umpteen number of desires swarm you like honey
bees.
Man's behaviour
is influenced by Sthanabala (power
of the place), Bhujabala (power of
the physical body) and Dhanabala
(power of wealth). For instance, in the Ramayana, when Rama and
Lakshmana were going in search of Sita, Lakshmana suddenly felt
tired and told Rama that he was exhausted and was fed up with
the search for Sita and would like to go back to Ayodhya as
quickly as possible to have a more comfortable living. Rama
smiled at him and said, "Let us proceed further, I shall explain
everything later." How did Lakshmana who previously had declared
that Rama was everything to him and that he would not live
without Rama even for a moment, suddenly develop this attitude?
How did this concern for bodily comfort arise in him suddenly?
After they walked some distance, they sat under a tree. That
moment Lakshmana felt the pangs of repentance for his
impertinent behaviour. He realised his mistake, caught hold of
Rama's feet and enquired, "Rama! Forgive me for what I had said.
I cannot understand how these devilish qualities and bad
thoughts entered me. What could be the reason? Rama thought over
the matter for some time and explained, "Lakshmana! The region
through which we passed just now was the haunt of Surpanakha.
She used to rest under that tree. Hence, the place is surcharged
with all her devilish qualities. The vibrations of those evil
qualities aroused bad thoughts in you. The moment you came out
of the place, you are your normal self again. Your inherent good
nature asserted itself." Thus, one's association with a
particular place also has its effect on one's behaviour. That is
what is called Sthanabala (power of
the place).
People often
wish and pray for a son. But, what type of son they should pray
for? One who will emulate the noble qualities of the parents.
Unfortunately, today you do not find noble qualities anywhere.
Youngsters often move in bad company and cultivate bad
qualities. This is not correct. They should always make
friendship with good people and emulate their qualities. The
great epic Ramayana is replete with
several examples of how association with good people results in
developing noble qualities. Adi Sankara in his famous
Bhaja Govindam song very
graphically described how Satsanga
would ultimately lead one to liberation:
Satsangatwe
nissangatwam, Nissangatwe nirmohatwam, Nirmohatwe nischalatattwam,
Nischalatattwe jivanmukti.
(Sanskrit
sloka)
Today, people
move about in bad company and ultimately spoil themselves. This
is the effect of Kali Yuga, which
is often referred to as the Kalaha Yuga
(the Age of Conflict). Man, by nature is divine; but turns bad
on account of dussanga (bad
company). That is the reason why sages and seers in ancient
times constantly strove to cultivate noble qualities by
satsanga. Today, trash literature
is found everywhere. Wherever you see, you will find people,
especially youngsters reading bad books that pollute their
minds. You might have observed youngsters visiting the library
invariably on Sundays and holidays. They search for bad books
and read them with absorbing interest. Those bad books are very
exciting to the young minds. Thus, youngsters spoil themselves
on account of bad company. No force on earth can change such
boys. Not even God. Unless one makes introspection into one's
behaviour and strives for transformation, one continues to move
about in bad company. One's character and conduct are of
paramount importance. If they are taken care of, one is sure of
treading the right path. There is no use acquiring high academic
degrees with a view to earn high salary and position. How long
they will last? On the other hand, it is possible that they may
land one in trouble sometimes.
In keeping with
the saying, Yad bhavam tad bhavati
(as is the feeling, so is the result), one has to cultivate
noble thoughts and feelings. One has to read good books that
will bring about a transformation of heart and uplift the soul.
You often find youngsters going to the library and engaged in
deep study. What sort of books they study? They read bad books
camouflaged in a good cover. Once you remove the cover and look
into the book, everything is trash with bad photos. You will
have to be very tough with such students. No one can be taken
for granted. They speak sweet words outwardly as though they are
very innocent. But, they stealthily engage themselves in bad
activities. Unlike the students in the
Gurukula system of the ancient times, the present day
students indulge in bad behaviour. In spite of great efforts on
the part of teachers to bring about a transformation in them,
they continue to exhibit their bad qualities. It is not
surprising to see students assaulting teachers in the
educational institutions today. There are students who find
fault with those who actually provide for their living. There
are also students who do not hesitate to pull down the very hand
that feeds them. Such are the qualities of the present day
students. They do not appreciate the role played by the teachers
in their uplift.
What are the
qualities expected of a student?
Students should
pursue such education which confers on them the sacred qualities
like good character, adherence to truth, devotion, discipline
and duty.
(Telugu
poem)
Only those
students who cultivate such qualities are eligible to be called
students in the real sense. Those who act against those
principles are not students, but stupids. You should not make
friendship with such people. Neither you should call them
stupids and earn their wrath. Be neutral in your relationship
with them. You should keep up your own good qualities, which the
world will appreciate. Love all. In fact, love is the most
important aspect of education. One who teaches the method by
which man can cultivate selfless love is the real
Guru. There are, of course, several
such teachers. I have established the Sathya Sai Educational
Institutions only with a view to inculcate love and teach good
qualities to the students. It is not an exaggeration to say that
there is not a single bad book in our library. Our students are
very good students. They do not at all move in bad company. Even
when they go home for vacation, they do not like to stay there
for long. Sometimes, their mothers may say, "My dear! You stayed
for one full year in Brindavan or Puttaparthi. You never had an
opportunity to eat tasty and spicy food. I shall now prepare
such food that you will relish." Our boys will then reply, "Mother! You should also not eat such
rajasic food. It is not good for health." As is the food,
so is the head (thoughts). Thus, when the food and head go
together, people forget God. Hence, do not change your food
habits. Continue to stick to a sattwic
diet. Take plenty of green leafy vegetables. It is only when you
maintain spartan habits with regard to food and head, will you
become a good-natured individual. You are aware that people
outside have high expectations of the students studying in Sri
Sathya Sai Educational Institutions. Students, as long as they
remain in our hostels, exhibit good behaviour and devotion. Once
they go out of the portals of the institution, they turn bad.
This should not happen. Wherever you are, whether in the hostel
here or when you go out, you must continue to exhibit good
behaviour. Of course, I have no doubt at all about the behaviour
of our students. They are good boys. I sincerely wish and hope
that our students continue to be good and become good citizens
worthy of emulation by others. I conclude My Discourse with
blessings to all.
(Divine
Benedictory Address on the occasion of 24th Annual Convocation
of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi
Nilayam on 22nd November 2005)
Source:
http://www.srisathyasaipublications.org/Benedictory_discourse.htm |