Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

THAT which is the central subject of the Vedas, that which confers anandha (divine bliss) on all life, that which is the object of unceasing search in the world in various ways and along various disciplines - That is Brahman. It is everywhere; it is the basis of creation. It is indivisible, indestructible, changeless and absolute. The bhootha-akasha (the Cosmos), which includes the stars, the Sun and the earth, is but a flake of froth on the surface of the Atman. The chiththa-akasha (consciousness that cognizes), is only a wave on that sea. The sea itself is the Chith- akasha (Atman- consciousness). The Atman alone is real; the rest is all appearance. The play of name and form, both are temporary and transient. Since the Atman (the Reality), is befogged by name and form, we are led to believe that man suffers from the three types of sorrow - the adhibhowthika (external objects), the adhidhaivika (supernatural) and the adhyathmika (individual self). Adhibhow-thika is the result of attachment to kith and kin, treated as separate but still one's own. It is the egoist bond that pains man the most, often also leading him into evil ways. Its companion, anger, lays hold of us like' a ghost and persuades us to join the devil dance with its gang, of which envy and greed are the chiefs. Adhidhaivika is the sorrow caused by what are called Acts of God (natural calamities and the like). By earning a balanced mind, unaffected by the whims of fortune, this sorrow can be conquered. Then one achieves a state of samadhi (super conscious state of Bliss) which is cognisable by a sense of equal mindedness, equanimity and equipoise. This adventure and attainment belong to the realm of chiththa-akasha. Adhyathmika sorrow is caused by physical and mental illness or disease. Yoga (Divine Communion) can overcome this sorrow easily, for it controls and sublimates the agitations of the mind and thereby ensures calmness and peace.

To be rid of sin, one must direct all activity towards good thoughts, good words and good deeds. So, too, to earn the Atman or chith-akasha, one must realise how the bhootha-akasha is cognized by the chiththa (inner consciousness) and how both are expressions of that chiththa. When one knows the Atman, the Eternal Witness, one attains the nirvikalpa (undifferentiated consciousness) stage - free from do's and don'ts, ups and downs, joys and sorrows. Conquer thamas (inertia) through rajas (activism) and rajas through sathwa (goodness), and finally free yourself even from the sathwa-guna. Only then can you reach nirvikalpa. Guna means a rope, so sathwa-guna, too, binds. Nirvikalpa is the stage when man is fully free, fully awake, fully wise. Ramakrishna once brought a house-holder devotee and Vivekanandha, the ascetic devotee, together. He asked Vivekanandha, "Son, What exactly is your goal of securing jnana (wisdom)?" In-reply Vivekanandha elaborated on Kapila's sankhya system of philosophy. He said that everything, big or small, every cell and star, undergoes change every instant. Food consumed becomes fertisliser to feed plants which provide further food.

The air which one man exhales is inhaled by another and the minute particles of one's system enter the system of the other person. Sea water becomes the moisture in the air and gathered together as rain-clouds which feed the fields and gardens, is transformed into edible sweetness. Matter is but the perpetual communion and separation of particles. The human body has all its component cells replaced by 'new' ones during every seven-year period of time. Therefore, how can we pronounce anything as stable, as permanent, as true? This is the reason man does not get contentment or peace. This is the reason man does not get joy, however wealthy or famous he may become. So long as he revels in the trivial and the temporary, he cannot be happy. It is only when he has discovered the Atman and is always deep in the ecstasy of that discovery that he can be in unblemished happiness. In that stage he is aware that he is eternal and all knowing, absolute and omniscient.

Whatever Swami does or gets done, whatever He says or directs others to say, remember, it is to emphasise or make clear or exemplify this message of the Athmic Reality of man. I am prompting these students to speak or recite, sing or act, so that this message may be installed in their hearts. They are the media through whom I am reviving the ancient culture of this land. I am encouraging them to be examples of the strength and equanimity that can be gained by the practice of that message.

In a few moments the students will be enacting a play on Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in which the secret of his Supreme Spiritual achievement is laid bare, and he himself is held forth as the ideal for man in spiritual sadhana and fearless enquiry into spiritual problems. You will see a boy named Mehtha, a student of our Bangalore Sathya Sai College, dance as a gopee and in other female roles. The whole Cosmos and the gyrations it performs to the music of the spheres, is a huge dance-drama. This is the symbolic representation of that Truth. There is no vidhya (subject of study) which our students are not proficient in. They develop all the virtues and they saturate every act of theirs, including their skills and studies, with those high and pure qualities. To demonstrate that this process will yield joy, peace and prosperity, I have these students as My instruments. They mould themselves as ideals. They are the source of My delight and they sustain My hopes. (They are My ashaya, My anandha and My ahara). These students, and those of the same stamp, are the pioneers in My task of mending the present world and ushering in a new world. I am determined to transform the students of all colleges into such instruments for the rebuilding of the world on the foundation of dharma (Right action). Before long, all students in this land of Bharath will follow the ancient ideals laid down by our culture, and earn happiness for themselves and others. This is My hope. I bless them so that they may strive towards this goal and succeed.